Autumn

Nov 20, 2011 Ceridwen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned, not-for-me-maybe-for-you, pulp, rule-britannia, zombies

I'm not going to rate this, because I neither finished it, nor did I have the right book to begin with. I wanted the first book in this series, but all of the books in this series are insensibly named Autumn: The Something. There is no mention anywhere on the jacket copy that this is the second in a series. I feel you, writer man, you want people to be able to start anywhere, this book not so much a sequel as a re-start, winding back to event that killed everyone and began the zombies, and then...more I'm not going to rate this, because I neither finished it, nor did I have the right book to begin with. I wanted the first book in this series, but all of the books in this series are insensibly named Autumn: The Something. There is no mention anywhere on the jacket copy that this is the second in a series. I feel you, writer man, you want people to be able to start anywhere, this book not so much a sequel as a re-start, winding back to event that killed everyone and began the zombies, and then moving forward with a new batch of folk.

That is all fine, but I did not know this going in, and kept wondering what the hell was wrong with this book. The pacing is way off here, going for a tone and pace that will be considered thoughtful, and hitting boring and declaratory. The zombies here are interesting - starting with inanimate corpses, slow movement over days, and only very much later showing the kind of aggression one expects from the undead. (Though they seem never to become biters.)

But, if we have already written a book about this exact kind of zombies, doesn't it seem like either the author is

a) playing a needless game of hide-the-football with his readers? I was a good way in, and the characters were both pretty confused about what was going on, and talking about it a lot in a non-character-building manner. I know that the characters haven't encountered these zombies before, but the reader has (maybe) so this restraint feels miserly.

b) relying too strongly on the fact that your audience has read the previous book? Maybe there were a bunch of sly references and cameos from the previous book, but I certainly wasn't getting them. I completely admit much of my irritation was based on my own mistake, but I find this sort of obscuring packaging frustrating - why not let me know this was one of a series?

If you're going to be a sequel, then be the freaking sequel. No need both to rewrite the beginning of the end with different characters, and play coy with your readers. And if you aren't playing coy, then why is this book so goddamn slooooooooow?

The book felt like it had the going-to-the-bathroom problem you find in some post-apocalyptic fiction. Yes, survival in the corpse-ridden landscape is dreary and involves a lot of mundanity - like Will Smith carefully going out to scavenge supplies, or every other page of The Road. (And those scenes were mostly interesting, because they had a point other than the going to the bathroom. “I'm going to the bathroom!” My kids shout to me when they are going. “Okay!” I yell. I have no idea why they tell me these things. Anyway, yes, you went through all the desks, character. Good job. Don't forget to flush.) The Maslow's Triangle is inverted in zombie fiction, and food is as important as your soul, probably more so. That's why people write this shuff, maybe, to examine the fool/soul mix in our dumb, genetically determined survival instincts. Or whatever. Likely this review doesn't make any sense. Moreover, I get how unhelpful this review is, because if you're coming at this book having read the first, you can judge very differently.

Anyway, I was very much not excited by what I read, which had characters doing a bunch of stupid shit I had little patience for. Seriously, people, you live in a culture where there have been Romero-style zombie films for the past 50 years, do not head into the city once the dead walk. That's stupid times. I hope you get eaten. Or whatever, because there wasn't any entrail-gobbling corpses here, more's the pity. (less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Jo Anne B rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars

Moody continues the series with another fast enjoyable read. I found myself having to read this one right away after I finished the first because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Michael and Emma next. The problem was that in this book we didn't even hear about Michael and Emma until Part 2 which was 47% into the book. That really bothered me. Here you have the two characters that are the heart strings of the book and you leave them out of the picture for almost half the boo...more 3.5 stars

Moody continues the series with another fast enjoyable read. I found myself having to read this one right away after I finished the first because I wanted to know what was going to happen to Michael and Emma next. The problem was that in this book we didn't even hear about Michael and Emma until Part 2 which was 47% into the book. That really bothered me. Here you have the two characters that are the heart strings of the book and you leave them out of the picture for almost half the book. The book should have picked up right away with them instead of leaving us hanging forever like that. I felt like it was a cheap ploy to keep is reading and deal with the introduction of several new characters. I didn't even like these new characters and maybe I would have been more into them if they were introduced simultaneously with Michael and Emma. Once Part 2 began, I felt like now the real story that I care about has begun.

Moody does a great job making the reader feel like they are the characters in the book. Everyone is a regular person, easy to relate to, and they think and do what normal people would do in their situation. I kept thinking all throughout the first and second book, what would I do. How would I deal with that? Whereas the first book centered only on a few characters who were for the most part on their own, this book brings a whole bunch of people together. I thought that was the way it would progress in real life too. Donna kept telling Paul that they should just stay in the office building, and they both knew they had to muster up the courage to find other survivors or else they would be dead soon too. It is human nature to want to find others like yourself to be a part of a group. Michael had to convince Emma that they had to reach out to the vehicles they saw too no matter how uncomfortable or questionable it was. These people had to make hard decisions all in the hopes of making the right ones to help them survive.

I did like the introduction of Cooper, Armitage, and Donna. They added some interesting perspectives to the story. I don't want to give anything away of the story line but Cooper and his gang brought a lot to this second book. I felt bad for the people that he came from and them not knowing their fate. Donna is a kick ass independent woman whose strength and courage are admirable. She puts many of the men to shame in this book. Moody likes using the word "idiots" and that is how Donna saw most of the men, because they really were.

The corpses once again were changing their behavior putting more pressure on the survivors to find a safe haven. Where that was exactly continued to be a big concern.

After I read this one, I had to go on to the second one too, again because I was so caught up in the anticipation of it all.

I strongly recommend this series. It is very enjoyable and true to human nature.
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Jul 07, 2012 Trudi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalyptic-types, horror, series, zombies, 2011-reads, survive-this, hugely-disappointing, infection, sucky-sequels

I expect a lot from my zombie fiction – terror, suspense, action, snappy dialogue, characters I can care about – and if it’s a novel really firing on all cylinders, originality. In other words, authors don’t get a free pass to slack off just because they’ve gone the zombie route. It’s true that part of the genre’s enduring appeal comes from its familiar tropes – I read the books (and watch the movies) because the stuff I’m pretty certain will happen is all good, reliable fun. So while the overal...more I expect a lot from my zombie fiction – terror, suspense, action, snappy dialogue, characters I can care about – and if it’s a novel really firing on all cylinders, originality. In other words, authors don’t get a free pass to slack off just because they’ve gone the zombie route. It’s true that part of the genre’s enduring appeal comes from its familiar tropes – I read the books (and watch the movies) because the stuff I’m pretty certain will happen is all good, reliable fun. So while the overall story always feels familiar, the devil is in the details. If an author / filmmaker can take what’s so awesome about the genre but add a twist or two that’s totally new and unexpected, well then, ladies and gentlemen, what you have is a champion.

David Moody has come dangerously close to outright failure on all these counts with this second installment of his Autumn series. Words cannot express how supremely disappointed I am in this book but I’m gonna try. First off, this is a “companion” book, not a sequel, because it really doesn’t move the story along at all, but rather re-tells the plot of Book 1, just from the perspective of a different group of survivors. Two characters from Book 1 show up again and briefly add to the action. A review here on Goodreads points out: “Had you not read the 1st book in the series you could still pick this one up and start without being lost.” Yeah you could, because it’s essentially the same goddamn book! The only thing that prevents it from being identical is that the story is moved a smidge forward in the last few pages to set up Book 3. What could have improved things tremendously is if the two books and 600 pages had been edited down to 350 pages and one book. So, strike one.

Strike two: this book is DULL. How the hell can a zombie apocalypse ever be dull? I didn’t think it was possible, but there’s just no fierce tension or heart-pounding action. There are some scenes running from zombies that should get the adrenaline going, but just fall flat. And for this I’m really pissed because I know Moody can write awesome action sequences like nobody’s business (check out Hater), and draw out the suspense until you scream Uncle. This effort just doesn’t cut it. No way no how. I love zombies, and I think Moody is pretty cool, but I refuse to let this one slide, regardless of the book blurbs waxing poetic on its awesomeness and even the gushing reviews here on Goodreads. What the hell people? Have your standards dropped so low, or is that all you expect from zombie fiction these days?

Strike three: I know I mentioned that “different” or original is good, but zombies that don’t bite (and continue to decay) kinda suck ass. The premise sort of intrigued me in Book 1. Moody almost had me convinced that zombies don’t have to rip you up to be frightening – get enough of them and you’re either smothered or crushed. But after reading another 320 pages of this kind of lurching zombie behavior, with no gore, no ripping, no biting, I’m suddenly not so enamored anymore.

So three strikes you’re out, right? ::sigh:: I am going to read on in this series though, because I have to believe it will get better. I’m also curious to see just how far Moody will take the story. So far, he’s only tackled the first weeks of the apocalypse. That’s the easy part to tell. The tough part is what happens next. Will he go there, and what will his post-apocalyptic world look like populated by desiccated reanimated corpses?
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Aug 16, 2012 Holden Attradies rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, zombie

I blew through the first book in just about one day and enjoyed it immensely. I have to say though, this volume was so much better that I think when I get to re-reading the series the first volume will seem almost like a failed, extra long prologue. The writing is better here, the pace is better, the characters are better and the story kept me on the edge of my seat WAY more than the first one.

I think one of the things that sets this series apart from almost all other zombie lit I've read is tha...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

3.5 Stars

Like the first book in the series Autumn, this is a top notch zombie thriller that is a slight variation on the standard post apocalyptic story. Although this is the second book in the series, it plays out as an extension of the first more than it does as a standalone.

Things that make this book stand out. One interesting aspect was that Moody wasted no time wiping out the human population. From one minute to the next, schools, towns, cities, and then countries fell dead to an apparent v...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just as the story suggests, this time Moody takes his Autumn series into a major urban center. As in Autumn, the first book in the series, 99% of the worlds population is suddenly struck dead through what I assume to be an air born virus. The survivors must first deal with the grief of knowing that everyone they know is dead and gone. Most choose to seek comfort in the familiar by staying in their homes, or in their places of business. Eventually, they are driven out either by a desperation to a...more Just as the story suggests, this time Moody takes his Autumn series into a major urban center. As in Autumn, the first book in the series, 99% of the worlds population is suddenly struck dead through what I assume to be an air born virus. The survivors must first deal with the grief of knowing that everyone they know is dead and gone. Most choose to seek comfort in the familiar by staying in their homes, or in their places of business. Eventually, they are driven out either by a desperation to ascertain that they are not the last humans alive, or because they have become trapped by the newly dead who have become zombies.

Due it's location, Autumn The City lends itself to a larger cast, but once again, this does not include disabled people or GLBT people. One Asian man is at the shelter, and he does not speak any english. He is referenced once and quickly forgotten. His pain is told through the lens of a White survivor named Donna, and this further helps to remove his importance to the story. The absence of the historically marginalized people in a large urban center makes absolutely no sense and reads as a failure of imagination, as well as an inability on the part of Moody himself to confront his privilege. It's a terrible thing when one has the ability to create an entirely new world, and still cannot conceive of a way in which to include historically marginalized people. As I said in my review of Autumn, this is not unheard of in dystopian fantasy, but that fact does not make it anymore acceptable.

To ensure continuity between the two books, Michael and Emma are placed on the outskirts of the city seeking shelter in a Winnebago. Due to everything that they have survived together, a sort of dependency, and what I think would best be described as situational love occurs between the two of them. The one scene I did find disturbing, is when Michael decides to masturbate to the point of ejaculation, while holding Emma as she sleeps. She of course was only feigning sleeping, and tells him that his feelings are only natural. Uh huh, to me this sounds like a great way to skirt the issue of consent, as well as justification for using a woman as a masturbatory tool.

I am absolutely blown away by Moody's skill as a writer. From almost the first sentence, Autumn The City, though short - coming in at under 200 pages, is almost impossible to put down. The writing continues to be very stark, and yet we can feel the desperation of the survivors, as their only shelter becomes enclosed by dead. We can feel the fear that the world has come to the end, as a young mother jumps to her death after her baby, only minutes old, falls victim to the virus and dies. The survivors must consider whether or not to stay in the hospital, in which they have taken shelter, even though staying means risking being over run by zombies. There is also the issue that going out to find supplies, or even a new shelter, is still yet a risk. Is there any hope for these survivors? Can they fend of the depression that threatens to overwhelm them?

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Jan 31, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Autumn: The City is a sequel to Autumn, Moody’s original novel about infected/reanimated dead. The original is not required to read prior to this but might be helpful as towards the end of this novel, two characters from the first book make an appearance.

The premise is the same; an unknown biological virus wipes out 99% of the world’s population in minutes. Autumn: The City hints in the prologue that whatever caused the mass deaths might be a known viral/bio agent or someone knew it was going t...more Autumn: The City is a sequel to Autumn, Moody’s original novel about infected/reanimated dead. The original is not required to read prior to this but might be helpful as towards the end of this novel, two characters from the first book make an appearance.

The premise is the same; an unknown biological virus wipes out 99% of the world’s population in minutes. Autumn: The City hints in the prologue that whatever caused the mass deaths might be a known viral/bio agent or someone knew it was going to be released as there is some preparation that takes place prior to the first chapter. Autumn: The City is pretty much a retelling of the original book only with new characters. This book again tells the story of several survivors as they deal with people dying and dropping like flies all around them. For some reason as yet unexplained, they seem to be unaffected by this mass die off and are left to fend for themselves.

However, they apparently have no idea what the 3 primary rules are for any disaster.

Rule 1) Get out of the city
Rule 2) Get out of the city
Rule 3) Get out of the city

Now with that in mind, we follow the storyline as a larger cast of characters are introduced, some quickly forgotten, as they attempt to hold out at a University and the adjoining medical center while making scavenging runs into the city itself. This leads to some clichéd encounters with the infected as to be expected but the action sequences seemed a little bit forced and not edge of your seat type thrills or suspense.

What makes this story slightly different than the original is that there is a larger cast of characters the reader finally gets a little more insight into their background and motivation. New to the sequel is the introduction of a military response in the form of what is mentioned in the prologue. This time it’s a small squad of soldiers that are sent out in an APC possibly a Saracen or similar type vehicle as they are supposed to be UK troops, and 2 of the group gets separated. One soldier survives and appears to be immune to whatever caused the deaths while the other one dies as soon as exposed. What is again lacking within this work are the details, those little insights and descriptions that flesh out a novel. More of what the internal struggle would be for a person thrown into this type of situation.

The action throughout is fast, quickly described then we move onto something else. While the action is well within the first chapter and continuing all the way through, it reads as almost forced and lacking substance in regards to enthralling the reader with intense sequences. As in the first novel, any secondary characters introduced remain one dimensional and mostly in the background.

Overall, Autumn: The City is another page turner like its predecessor, it will keep the reader involved in the storyline, but is a quick read that is put aside for novels in the genre that have a bit more substance.
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May 27, 2011 Greg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

Once again David Moody exceeds my expectations. "Autumn: The City" was great from beginning to end. This one moves at a much faster pace than than "Autumn". Had you not read the 1st book in the series you could still pick this one up and start without being lost. Moody created a scene in this book, that has stuck with me since. Donna, a new character to the "Autumn" series", is an office worker who has one of the "non-living" watch her, with it's glossy eyes. The description in the book was much...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, zombies

My wife brought this home from the library thinking it was something I'd like and as usual, she was spot on. This is a stronger book than the first in the series (AUTUMN), but the voice and approach are similar. It's a zombie novel set vaguely in the UK but the approach is rather original in that none of the characters express any awareness of zombies, what is going on with these creatures etc.--as though George Romero's movies (and their many spinoffs) had never set stage in popular culture. Th...more

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Apr 13, 2009 Dreadlocksmile rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Autumn: The City” is the second book of the four part post-apocalyptic zombie saga by David Moody. The book starts off from the same point in time as that of the first book “Autumn”, but from the perspective of some other survivors who are all based within a huge urban city. Like in the first novel, the events quickly take off, with the desperate situation throwing the few survivors left into a complete state of shock. The novel homes in on there emotional responses and the mental stress each a...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Katie Kenig rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: apocolyptic, horror

When I started this book, so quickly after finishing the first in the Autumn series, my first thoughts were "Oh, no - Where's Emma??? Where's Michael??!! I wasn't expecting to start over at the beginning of the disaster, just in another area of the country. "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." is what I call that kind of book in a series, and it is one of the reasons I sometimes find myself turning up my nose at serial fiction (along with the repetitive, over-explanatory nature of sequels that cont...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished-reading

"There were no warnings and no explanations."
When the alarm sounded the soldiers did what they had trained many times for, they loaded up their gear and moved out in large transports. No one knew exactly what was going on but everyone feared the world as they knew it would never be the same.
Donna Yorke was already at work that Tuesday morning when the nightmare began. She watched 4 of her co-workers suddenly start choking and falls dead within minutes. As she looks out of her 10Th floor office w...more "There were no warnings and no explanations."
When the alarm sounded the soldiers did what they had trained many times for, they loaded up their gear and moved out in large transports. No one knew exactly what was going on but everyone feared the world as they knew it would never be the same.
Donna Yorke was already at work that Tuesday morning when the nightmare began. She watched 4 of her co-workers suddenly start choking and falls dead within minutes. As she looks out of her 10Th floor office window at the city below she sees hundreds falling dead on the street. Donna at first goes out to look for survivors. Not finding any she returns to the office building and locks herself in and waits. It was on the third day that she discovered that some of the dead were now on their feet moving about the office.
Jack Baxter was on his way home from work that Tuesday morning when it all happened. His bus ride home was normal until each of the passengers including he bus driver suddenly die. As Jack stumbles home and seeing total devastation around him, fears that he may be the only one to survive. After a few days Jack heads into the city to look around. After hollering for someone to answer him one lone young school girl comes out of the shadow.
Paul Castle had also been at work when customers and co-workers died. After a few days he was running out of food so he is also forced deeper into the city. Finally after finding some food and taking a rest he happens to look up and sees light on the 10th floor of a tall office building.
"And where there was light, he quickly decided, there had to be people."
Donna, Paul, Jack and Clare will eventually converge on the college campus in the center of the city. Thinking that finally they have found safety, all the survivors soon realize that they may not be safe anywhere.
The reader is kept on the edge of their seat. I found myself holding my breath through much of the novel. The story is creepy and yet heartbreaking when everyone has lost everything but their will to survive is strong. You have to wonder is surviving really worth it in the end?(less)

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Apr 03, 2009 Schnaucl rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of zombie fiction

Shelves: april, fiction, horror, library, post-apocalyptic, read_2009, series, zombies

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 03, 2012 Lauren rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies

Much better than the first book, in terms of plot and writing, although it still lacks any sort of real character or oomph. There's more action, more characters and goes further along the time line, so a lot more happens in a short amount of pages, ensuring it doesn't go at a snails pace like the first book. The characters are, thankfully, less irritating but still pretty stupid, some barely able to follow a conversation. They still have no set personality and jump from one opinion to the other...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Cathy/The Crazy Bookworm rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

" You're all I've got left. Your the only thing I can rely on. My family and friends are gone. I don't have a home and I don't own anything other than what's in this van. You're the only thing I seem to be able to hold onto and I don't want to do anything to risk losing you"

In a matter of just a few minutes on a normal, autumn day, 99% of the population drops dead. Leaving only a few survivors behind. The cause is still unknown and that makes the scenario so much more frightening. 2 days later,...more " You're all I've got left. Your the only thing I can rely on. My family and friends are gone. I don't have a home and I don't own anything other than what's in this van. You're the only thing I seem to be able to hold onto and I don't want to do anything to risk losing you"

In a matter of just a few minutes on a normal, autumn day, 99% of the population drops dead. Leaving only a few survivors behind. The cause is still unknown and that makes the scenario so much more frightening. 2 days later, as if things couldn't get any worse, the dead begin to rise. At first they are useless. Tripping over their own feet, and walking into walls, but they soon begin to regain their basic abilities and eventually only want one thing...You.

Autumn: The City is the second book in the four part saga. After reading the first book, Autumn, I was immediately hooked. David Moody has an incredible writing style and knows how to bring the horror and the suspense in full force. He also introduces fascinating characters that you will be rooting for throughout the whole book. As a big fan of Michael and Emma from Autumn I was pleased that they made a return in this book and was curious to see if and how they would mesh with the other survivor's. It is hard to review this book without giving away spoilers. Short and sweet...This book is awesome!

I love Zombie books, stories and movies, but David Moody brings it all on a completely different level. He knows how to deliver a haunting scenario and knows how to get the goosebumps to rise. There is a perfect balance between the very well told story, and the captivating characters. Like the first book, the intensity and suspense is almost unbearable. You'll be flying though the pages. I can't wait to get my hands on book 3 and to see how the story unfolds. David Moody has made it onto my favourite author's list and the Autumn Series is definitely on my favourite books list!

The Autumn series should not be missed! You don't even need to be a big fan of Zombies, if you enjoy a great, suspenseful story and likable characters, then pick up this series!

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Aug 30, 2011 Brooke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: survival, pandemic, horror, post-apocalyptic, zombies

This was a great follow up to Autumn. I actually enjoyed this one more than the first. The action happened much quicker in this book. And the military got involved in this one so you always wonder how that will turn out. Will it be like 28 Day Later? Or will they actually do some good? I know they have a bigger role in the next installment.

This book has a lot of characters and is told from many of points-of-view. I think that is the weakest link in the book. I found it difficult to remember who...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Coushatta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes zombies.

Loved it!! I read it way to fast. It was not scary but sometimes sad and I felt for the people. Nevertheless, I felt like they did a lot of dumb things. Getting out of the city was a great idea but how they went about it was very foolish. They should had made a distraction a way from their shelter before they went for the vehicles. Like, they should have set a few buildings on fire or made something explode. Anything to get the dead away.

I am sad about the lack of dead eating people. I mean that...more

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Aug 15, 2012 George-GZM rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Autumn: The city, is the second volume in the dystopic Series Autumn.

The first book – Autumn, from what I’ve seen in the many reviews that readers had posted, is a love it or hate it kind of story. Personally I find it special, sorry but that is my opinion, exactly because I’ve seen another kind of walking dead story.

So, don’t sweat, if you had a restlessness, stay calm! The city is what you have expected. You’ll find the classical humans run for survival, the dead walkers are more act...more

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Mar 22, 2012 EinsteinShrugged rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Autumn: The City is the second installment of the Autumn series and Moody shifts the focus to a new group of survivors. As with the first, the focus is more on the drama and struggle of the survivors trying to understand what has happened and deal with the aftermath. The set-up for the next installment is done well and he still manages to keep the storyline moving along, though it does drag somewhat in the middle.

Moody's take on the classic zombie storyline is original and well done. He avoids...more

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May 13, 2013 Albert Yates rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

without ever using the word "zombie" David Moody is able to create an intricate story of survival and suspense as the hordes of dead gather atoms the locations of the survivors. when the military appears out of nowhere you're left wondering if they will have the answers that the crowd of survivors is looking for.

the story is full of interesting characters whom you will like immediately or despise, there is no middle ground I found. reintroducing the characters from the first novel was a nice way...more

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May 11, 2011 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 02, 2012 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies

After reading Autumn: The City I can't help but wonder why the author wrote the first book, Autumn. Book two had all new characters and never tied into anything that happened in book one; with the exception of the plague of course. I personally found book one a little dull, no real highs or lows just the same struggle throughout. I also want to note that the zombies in this series, at least so far, aren't the ravenous, flesh eating type. They are dangerous walking corpses but the do not eat or i...more

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Apr 21, 2012 BookJunkie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A budding Relationship , High Tensions and more Zombies.. The dead has begun to rise and walk the earth but now they are not just passing by they are evolving and beginning to attack not only the living but each other as well..will they continue to just attack or will it come down to flesh eating? Or will they just decay away to nothing? The book was good it kept you wanting to read more and more of it.. I liked the fact that there was more characters I guess the only thing I did not like was ho...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Jen added it

Shelves: didn-t-finish

Meh. Characters don't seem to understand what a zombie is. I highly disbelieve that the only people who survived never watched a zombie movie or tv show and don't understand that when the fit hits the Shan, you get OUT of highly populated areas where there are likely to be lots of walking corpses. You don't stay in the city. You get as many supplies as you can and you RUN. If you aren't prepared already. I read zombie and survival books on ideas on what to do. I get irked when the survivors don'...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Ryan Parr rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: zombie fans

Recommended to Ryan by: n/a

Shelves: zombie

Big fan of the series. Great progression and telling the story from different viewpoints. The first book was from a few individuals who splintered for a bigger group to head for the country. This book was told from the individuals in a big group that stayed in the city when things were going south. I look forward to reading the third book which I believe is from the viewpoint of individuals that were in an underground bunker for a few weeks. I've enjoyed the series a great deal and its one of th...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This companion/sequel to Autumn shows the aftermath of the outbreak from the viewpoint of several survivors within the city itself. But what of Michael and Emma? They also make an appearance in this one (hence the sequel) along with some soldiers as well.

Still nothing on the cause of the outbreak, but the survivors' fight for their lives and the challenges they face in the midst of this event provide seemingly endless inspiration for Moody. His site lists at least one follow up title to be rele...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Erica Gilliam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a big zombie fan so this book had me hooked immediately. Autumn: the city is the second book of the series and I think it is just as good as the first book, Autumn. Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I keep waiting for a more intimate connection between some of the characters and it really hasn't happened yet. It's actually rather interesting that there is no love connection thus far. It almost makes it more realistic. Most movies and books include the romance for the audience, but when...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Tfrances rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombies

The sequel to Moody’s Autumn doesn’t fail to live up to the first one. This volume happens during the same time period as the first, but focuses on a group of people in the city. We don’t get a mention of what city, but that doesn’t really matter. All we need to know is it’s a city somewhere in England. And that works just fine throughout the book. We’re focused more on the survival of the characters than the setting. Once again, the zombies are more of an ever-present threat than the focus. Thi...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Scott Callaway rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

The thought of a zombie apocalypse for me is the scariest horror scenario that could ever happen. Autumn: The City brings out all the fear and dread that surrounds this unlikely happening and like a slow rise it consistently builds up the tension with every chapter. Bringing a fresh perspective to the the traditional zombie story, Autumn: The City delivers delightfully.

This is the second book in the Autumn series and although I have not read the first book, due to this being given to me by a fri...more The thought of a zombie apocalypse for me is the scariest horror scenario that could ever happen. Autumn: The City brings out all the fear and dread that surrounds this unlikely happening and like a slow rise it consistently builds up the tension with every chapter. Bringing a fresh perspective to the the traditional zombie story, Autumn: The City delivers delightfully.

This is the second book in the Autumn series and although I have not read the first book, due to this being given to me by a friend to read, I had no problem enjoying the story. The author did an amazing job depicting how the city had gone to waste with each passing day since the disease had spread. Something I really enjoyed about this fresh approach to the zombie story is that he gave it a bit originality, even though it's hard to make any zombie story somewhat original anymore because they are basically all the same. Not every person who died had risen again and there was an evolution to the behavior of the walking dead. The book never once use the word "zombie", although a phrase in the book did reveal that the idea was not foreign to the world, and there wasn't any pointless gore for the sake of there being gore.

My favorite bit about this book was the raw human emotion that the author did amazing at expressing - fear, anger, emptiness, confusion, longing, etc... Every character displayed their emotions differently than others and it was all very compelling and believable. The book was all about expressing the struggle of the survivors and how they tried to come to terms with it. I definitely could appreciate that because a lot of zombie anything these days rely heavily on gruesome acts such as flesh eating and gore. There was plenty of decay and descriptions of rot and smell, but that only helped depict the scenery and the horror of the survivors.

The book was easy to read, the writing was vivid, the emotion excellent and the build up intense. Each character portrayed were believable and the walking dead were creepy and progressively more frightening. This book is definitely intended for mature readers due to its nature and for its coarse language. But if you are a fan of zombie stories then I highly suggest reading this book.(less)

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Oct 11, 2011 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

I read the first Autumn book while on holiday last year at Centreparcs, a deserted woodland that was just about the perfect place to read it. I enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as I was hoping, but the way that David Moody told a bleak and eerie tale struck a chord with me and I knew that I would have to get around to the sequel when it came out. Well, out it came in January and here I am a few months down the line finally getting around to it! I may not have been in the same surrounding to read...more I read the first Autumn book while on holiday last year at Centreparcs, a deserted woodland that was just about the perfect place to read it. I enjoyed it, perhaps not as much as I was hoping, but the way that David Moody told a bleak and eerie tale struck a chord with me and I knew that I would have to get around to the sequel when it came out. Well, out it came in January and here I am a few months down the line finally getting around to it! I may not have been in the same surrounding to read Autumn: The City, but not only did I enjoy it more than the first book, I found that it gave me more chills too. Not good while reading it during the early hours of the morning at home, alone...

Autumn: The City starts in much the same way as the first book, Autumn, although a short prologue shows that at least some people knew that it was coming as an army unit is ordered to move to a secure bunker, just making it inside in time. From there we follow a handful of people as others around them die suddenly and the world changes in an instant, with very few surviving the event. We see these individuals dealing with life in the aftermath, trying to survive and seek out other survivors, and finally grouping together at the local university. But the cadavers have changed and are no longer simply stumbling around, the new aggression they show can mean nothing good for the survivors. And then there is the army, coming out from its bunker to see what state the world is in, and finding it worse than even they imagined.

Unlike the first novel Moody doesn't take his time in exploring the death event and the immediate aftermath, from mass death to the re-animation of the corpses, in too great detail, but instead does all of this in a smoother and quicker fashion. We still get a good look at how these people are trying to cope and survive, but it isn't a day-by-day thing, more of a general look at their lives over a longer period - it works much better as it doesn't bog the story down in mundane and boring events. This has a knock-on effect to the story as Moody has covered the time period of the first novel by the time we reach the half-way point, and then we get into new and more interesting territory, seeing how the behaviour of the dead changes as more time passes. It also allows him to follow up on the fates of Michael and Emma from the first book who make a welcome return to the story, keeping that story thread going.

Other than these two returning characters there are quite a few more to follow. With a few dozen holed up at the university Moody is able to select those that we follow, and each brings something different to the story. Moody uses the characters to great effect in Autumn: The City, telling the story through their eyes and their reactions as things start to changed. It works well, but I didn't find that any particular character stood out for me, rather they all had interesting stories and acted in a way I would expect. I was slightly annoyed by the two young men who wanted to find a pub/club and have one final night on the town, but when the end of the world comes I'm sure there will be people like that about.

Story-wise there really isn't too much I could tell you that you won't have seen from lots of zombie movies that are out there, but Moody has a talent for making you feel part of events. The descriptions he uses can be chilling and eerie, completely vivid and all too real. The novel does end rather abruptly, and it's one of the main issues I had with it. Autumn was fairly self-contained, but this sequel is clearly written as part of a larger story, one I'm very much looking forward to reading.

Autumn: The City is a step up from the first book and a novel I very much enjoyed. While many zombie stories tend to follow a similar path David Moody has shown that just because the idea is old it doesn't mean it can't be re-told, and in this case with great success!(less)

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