Z. Apocalypse

The Hunting #3

by Steve Cole

Prehistoric beasts merge with nightmare visions of the future in this thrilling conclusion to the Z. Rex trilogy.





Reunited with the savage unpredictable T.Rex, Zed, fourteen-year-old Adam must team up with some unlikely allies to battle against villainous scientists and their killer creations. If they do not win, the ultimate apocalypse will be unleashed upon humanity . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dinosaurs, Adventure, Fantasy

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Also publishes as Stephen Cole.

Steve Cole is the slightly crazy, highly frantic, millions-selling, non-stop author of Astrosaurs, Cows In Action, Astrosaurs Academy, The Slime Squad, Z. Rex and many other books (including several original Doctor Who stories).

He used to edit magazines and books but prefers the job of a writer where you can wear pyjamas and eat chocolate all day.

Steve just can't stop writing - if he does, strange robots appear and jostle him vigorously until he starts again.

In his spare time he loves making music, reading old comics, thinking up ideas for new books and slumping in front of a warm TV.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this as a birthday present to complete the trilogy and after finishing book 2 I was excited to get stuck into this one.
Adam may have made it off Raptor Island, but it's not over. Geneflow is still going strong and they seem to be stepping up their attack. Now there are pterosaur's - similar to pterodactyls, beast that can fly and swim bring a whole new danger to the world and Geneflow are meddling with human genetics too. Is the world going to end? Will there be any survivors? This book is an exciting conclusion to the series and I couldn't put it down.
Adam and his dad are being dragged into things again, they are required to help bring down Geneflow once and for all, but it's never that simple. They get seperated and mixed up with the dinosaurs all over again. There are some new characters, Eve and her daughter Zoe who work with brain-patterns in animals and are trying to communicate with a captured pterosaur - Keera. I liked Zoe as a character she had a quick wit and sense of humour and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. A match for Adam at times too.
I was so glad Zed made a re-appearance in this book, I'd missed him since book 1 and wanted to see him kick some scientist butt again, and I wasn't disappointed. Keera as the new addition was great, For a lot of it I wasn't sure whether to trust her or not, but as she fights the control systems in her head you really see her evolve (hehe) and grow as a character and although she doesn't technically speak or anything you do feel like you know her, and start to hope she gets the freedom she wants.
The plot is once again fast paced and action packed, enough to keep you hooked to the book and turning the pages furiously.
The only thing I would say is that Steve Cole clearly doesn't like Adam much - the poor boy spends a lot of time in these books getting knocked unconscious or attacked by Dinosaurs or in some sort of dangerous situation. It certainly makes the book exciting, and I love how Adam refuses to give up but I felt sorry for him.
This is a great series and fans of Jurassic Park or anything Dinosaur related would love it. Heck, if you just like a great action packed story you'd love it!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam and his father are back from Z-Raptor (and the first book, Z-Rex) and in the custody of the U.S. military when they travel into D.C. for a meeting just in tiem to see the white house attacked by giant evil mutant dinosaurs who also try to pick up Adam and fly away with him! Bam! The two are then whisked off to another secret military facility where meet Eve, a scientist from New Zealand who is trying to study the Z-creatures, and her daughter Zoe, who can communicate with a lot of different animals, including Keera, the Z-dactyl who tried to carry off Adam. Eve and Adam's father are trying to help the government figure out what the evil corporation Geneflow is trying to do with their creatures-- right now, it looks like they are trying to start World War III by attacking the most cherished monuments of every country around the globe! Before Adam and Zoe can accomplish anything, however, the base is attacked and they are saved by Keera slurping them up in her mouth, drugging them with her spit, and taking them to the far flung reaches of Norway where she keeps them safe while they try to figure out what's going on. Evil characters from the first two books miraculously reappear, and Adam and his father are in danger of becoming evil, genetically manipulated monsters themselves!
Strengths: Adore Cole's action writing. This series is really popular among the boys at my school, and the books sell themselves. They are shiny! They are about evil mutant dinosaurs! Things blow up! I especially liked this one because of the inclusion of Zoe, who is plucky and has an attitude, and is incidentally fairly disabled, not that it stops her. Sad to see the series end, but glad that Cole know that three books is a great number for a middle grade series.
Weaknesses: Got a little confused in the middle of the book when Adam started hallucinating, or maybe he wasn't... recovered quickly, however. Students who read more slowly tend not to get as easily confused as I do!

[Sean M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well here it is folks, the end of our journey with the Z series. This book brought it all together fairly nicely, but did it bring the apocalypse?

If you remember in the sequel, Adam and some survivors were tossed up onto 'Raptor Island' a place where GeneFlow (the evil guys) brought raptors back to life and put human minds into them to meld them into perfect killers. Through sheer luck and maybe some determination, Adam and the last few survivors somehow make it out alive. Samantha Josephs (evil leader) was killed and that surely must have been the end of Adam's harrowing journey, right?

Fast forward a few months later and Adam and his dad must go and testify about what they saw on Raptor Island and whatever other evil GeneFlow was up to before that. Adam's not really happy to have to do the same old song and dance again considering how many times he's already had to try and explain the unbelievable to people who have never lived it. He's dreading the idea of more ridicule and arguments ahead. Luckily for him, a surprise terror attack halts that plan.

The end of the series brings all it's guns to bare. We've got Z.Raptors, Z.Rexs, and introducing another cool dinosaur are the Z.Dactyls. I think it's the perfect addition to the dino arsenal. Z.Dactyls can play like Z.Rexes but they were built for it to make them far superior in the air, and these new dinos also have the ability to swim underwater making them perfect killers in the air and under the sea. We meet Keera in this book, and we will call her 'Adam's Dino' because she's the only one who's somehow managed to retain any thoughts that lead her to realize she's real and deserves her own freedom thanks to Adam's Think-Send brainwaves.

GeneFlow launches an attack against the White House, completely destroying it a la Independence Day and wiping out most of the surrounding area thanks to a surprise attack by their Z.Beasts. Adam and his father are traveling for a hearing about Raptor Island when they are besieged by these creatures. During a potential escape, Adam is hoisted into the air by a Z.Dactyl and believes it's over for him, but he was found by the only one who recognized him and spared the disaster that was unfolding below him.

Moving forward, Keera is captured and taken to a military base in hopes of using her brain to figure out what GeneFlow is up to and how to stop them. We are introduced to Zoe, Adam's fantastic co-star character. The sequel did a great job with giving Adam a strong co-star in Harmony (or Harm) and this time around is no different. Zoe is a young girl with disabilities that force her to be wheelchair bound. In no way did that impact her character as she was headstrong, intelligent, and didn't allow her disability to slow her down. She definitely had no problem giving Adam grief for staring at her.

I'm glad Adam had another co-star to finish the series up because his character only incrementally developed between the first 2 books. He still displayed his reluctance far too often for me considering all he'd been through and considering his own thoughts about the amazingly terrifying events he'd survived he still was too scared sometimes for me to deal with. I'd wish he'd had some sort of breakout role but maybe he wasn't mature enough for it quite yet.

This being an apocalypse you need heavy hitters, and the US Military pulls out all the stops in an attempt to thwart GeneFlow before it has success in creating a WWIII. We also see the return of Zed, the ultimate badass in this book. I was very excited to have him back because he brought a strong, well-defined character to the proceedings that made you feel like things were going to be okay as long as you had him by your side.

Skipping through most of the book because it's actually very good fun that I don't want to spoil, I'll share some thoughts about the series. I went into this not expecting much. I thought the premise was neat, and I think the ideas implemented throughout the series in regards to how the dinosaurs behaved and evolved was exceptionally cool and I never thought it was hokey. Mr. Cole didn't waste a lot of time going into the science of the dinosaurs beyond what was necessary to make it seem like a fairly plausible idea if one set their mind to it.

The characters throughout were generally okay. I liked Samantha Josephs because she was the perfect evil leader embodied. Crazy, determined, and hellbent on making sure the world bowed to GeneFlow made her a great character to dislike and somewhat root for at the same time. Adam's maturation shown throughout the first 2 books, but it stagnated at the end and it was kind of disappointing considering all he'd been through. His 2 co-stars would have made better leads and it might be best to think of the series like that to make it a little more enjoyable.

Overall, this was a pretty neat series. Some chapters were more fun than others (like in all books) and I rooted for some characters more than others like a good series should have. This is a fine ending to the series and I think it wrapped itself up fairly well. Definitely recommend you check this out (I think it's a must-read considering how cool Z.Raptor was) and I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading!

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adored the second book in this series, and this one starts very promising. It has such a great build up through out the whole book, but the ending is a bit...anti-climatic. I don't want to give anything away as it's still a good book to read; But honestly, one extra chapter (not through Adam's view but the opposite person that connected with him) would have be a great addition and would have give more depth to the story through action, instead of it being told to you by a character later on.
Like a lot about this story but the ending leaves me, well blah.
Worth the read to know the end, but I don't see myself reading this again and again. Z.Rex & Z.Rapture, I'll totally read again in a years to come, but sadly not this one.

[Juice WRLD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I released my inner nerd

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story:
On their way to a meeting to give information about Geneflow Adam and his father are caught in the middle of an attack on Washington D.C., caused by super-evolved pterosaurs that are dubbed Z. dactyls. One of them is captured and the government gets to work trying to learn what they can from it. Meanwhile similar attacks are going on in countries across the world. After Geneflow tries to eliminate the captured Z. dactyl, dubbed Keera, Adam and his new friend Zoe are taken all the way to Siberia, where they meet up with Zed from the first book! After learning of Geneflow's plot to bring about the apocalypse Adam and his friends must work to stop Geneflow's demented plans, but can they really stop the end of the world?
In this epic finale Steve really doesn't hold back. Not only are there armies of super-evolved dinosaurs, but Geneflow's madness really shines forth. A plot to turn all world governments against each other, doubled with engineering species to be completely devoid of free will and thought. Science is shown at its worst here, and the stakes have been higher than ever before. If there was ever a book series that could use dinosaurs in an epic way, its The Hunting.
Caution:
Creature violence abounds. Blood is mentioned. A mad scientist clones people into human-reptile hybrids. Animals are fed to dinosaurs. Crashes and explosions may be a little intense.
Lessons:
It is wrong to force anyone to act against their will. It is okay to fight if you are not the offender and to protect your freedom and the freedom of those around you.

[P.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Adlar and his dad have been invited to Washington to discuss what they know about Geneflow, the company that is cloning dinosaurs and shaping them into weapons. While they are heading to the meeting, the White House is attacked and destroyed by these stealth beasts. Keera, a pterosaur, is captured and taken to a reserve where Adam will try to communicate with her. There he meets Zoe who can communicate with animals. While they are trying to talk to Keera, more dinosaurs attack their refuge and Keera flees with both teens. When they regain consciousness in Norway, Zed arrives to rescue Adam. Now Adam learns exactly what is behind Geneflow's plan - start a nuclear war and survive to start civilization over in their image. Can Zed and Adam do what they have done before and thwart Geneflow's nefarious plans? I love Zed; he is one of my favorite characters. I just wish there was more of him and his interaction with Adam in this book. I think there might be a sequel as I can't be4lieve the malevolent Samantha Josephs is gone for good.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

While full of action and adventure, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as the first two. This is the big finale and the conspiracy is so over the top that adults will roll their eyes and kid/teens will love it. As usual there is incredible suspense and heart-stopping surprises. Adam is a very intelligent young man and now somewhat hardened to these situations so the thrills have to be even bigger to test him--and they are! I didn't like the Zoe character and felt like she was there just because Cole wanted to add a girl to the books. I really loved seeing Zed from the original (and my favorite) story back again. I'm glad have all the ends tied up now and a happy ending for Adam, his dad, and the world. I hope Cole does another action-scifi series since he really excels with these stories.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the conclusion of book two, Adam Adlar believed that he had defeated Geneflow for the last time. Raptor Island was destroyed, and the leadership of Geneflow was either dead or in hiding. As book three begins, he finds that he was wrong. Z. pterosaurs and Z. rexs have attacked Washington, D.C., London, and other cities are sure to follow. It is all part of Geneflow's plan to start a nuclear war between the West and the Russian Federation. From the ashes, a new world will arise ruled by Geneflow. Adam, his old friend Zed, and new friend Zoe must save the world from destruction once and for all. Easy read, but is this the conclusion?

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, definitely kept my interest, waiting to see what would happen next. But I thought it wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly. Also, I think there should have been more of a good-bye between Adam and Zed! And, really, the title should have stuck to the same pattern as the prior two books in the series and have it called "Z.Pterosaur" (or something similar).

One of the parts that I found particularly funny was: "Zoe was stirring at last... [Adam]: 'It's all right, we're...we're inside Keera.' [Zoe]: 'She's EATEN us?'"

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in The Hunting series. Adam Adlar and his father are summoned to Washington to meet with another scientist and her handicapped daughter who have found a way to speak to Z monsters. This time it's a Z Dactyl and what he and his new friend Zoe discover pit them against Geneflow once last time - but this time the stakes are higher than ever. With the help of an injured Z Dactyl named Keera and his old friend Zed the teenagers set out to save the world - again.

[Laurie D'ghent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really hard for me to get into at first (probably because it's the last in a trilogy and I haven't read the others), but picked up after a few chapters. It was strange to see evidence of it being written for younger readers, yet how graphic the violence was. All in all, fairly good, but not something I'd want an elementary student to read.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't Want It To End

Another great book. Heroes and villains. Hard to tell which were which at times. All the excitement and drama as the other books. Truly fascinating story. Really don't know why I waited so long to read. Read the series if you like dinosaurs and adventure and clean language. Sad it came to an end. Z on Steve.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appropriate for: age 13+
You will like this book if you like: Dinosaurs, main characters that are teenage boys

A little gory, which is why I recommend it for 13+. I did enjoy this book, but a little mish mash

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like it because 1. I didn't know it was the third book in the series until there was a character that appeared that was obviously introduced before at some time and 2. I don't like some concepts in the book.
The date was a guesstamate (half guess half estimate)

[Becky]

so boring!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright. (Had two school trips or would have finished sooner!)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I love the bond with dinosaurs. I just couldn't stop reading
But you have to read the others before this one. Although I am sad this is the last book

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

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2016