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The Wild Dead

(The Bannerless Saga #2)

Carrie Vaughn (Goodreads Author)

3.92 · Rating details · 913 ratings · 174 reviews

A Mariner Original

Mysteries and murder abound in the sequel to Carrie Vaughn’s post-apocalyptic mystery Bannerless.

A century after environmental and economic collapse, the people of the Coast Road have rebuilt their own sort of civilization, striving not to make the mistakes their ancestors did. They strictly ration and manage resources, including the abi

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Kindle Edition, 272 pages

Published July 17th 2018 by Mariner Books

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· 913 ratings · 174 reviews

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Start your review of The Wild Dead (The Bannerless Saga Book 2)

Aug 24, 2018 carol. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it, female-lead, mystery

The one-minute review:

There’s loads of descriptions and reviews out there about this book, which surrounds solving a murder in an isolated community. The setting is a post-Fall world with limited resources, which is what ultimately elevates it above the average cozy mystery for me. Characterization is solid, although the description of just how tired Enid is had me exhausted by the end of the book. Although I found the world vaguely intriguing, it lacked the character connection or plotting that The one-minute review:

There’s loads of descriptions and reviews out there about this book, which surrounds solving a murder in an isolated community. The setting is a post-Fall world with limited resources, which is what ultimately elevates it above the average cozy mystery for me. Characterization is solid, although the description of just how tired Enid is had me exhausted by the end of the book. Although I found the world vaguely intriguing, it lacked the character connection or plotting that could have made it unquestionably four stars. I was supremely unsurprised by the murder; my only surprises were the behavior of Enid’s co-Investigator who is fresh out of training and the community dilemma of the falling-down house.

Vaughn’s writing has definitely improved since I last read her ‘Kitty the Werewolf’ books, but she’s almost too good at it this time: everything about this book is pensive and melancholic. While I enjoyed skill in the writing, I experienced the same kind of feel that endlessly unpleasant weather brings.

Opening page:

“Most regions Enid visited, she could find something to love about them, some enticing and beautiful detail about the landscape, the people, the mood of the place. A reason fold would want to stay and scrape out a living in less-than-ideal situations when a dozen other settlements had more resources and less disease, and would gladly welcome extra hands. Even the rainless, baking salt flats at the southernmost end of the Coast Road had isolation to recommend them, for those who wanted to be left alone. And just to show that every place had a reason for existing, the people of Desolata household there exported the sold they collected form the flats on their own trade route.

But here in the Estuary, Enid had to consider for a while what exactly the appeal was. Over the damp marsh where the San Joe River drained, clouds of bugs rose up through a sticky haze, shimmering with heat. Squealing gulls gathered, circling on slender wings, drawn by some rotting treasure. There were no orchards here, no pastures, no rippling fields of grain.”

Okay, maybe a five-minute review.

Three-and-a-half stars, rounding down because I think it's too gloomy for a re-read. ...more

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Apr 09, 2018 Bradley rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-shelf, sci-fi

No spoilers!

But this is a better kind of mystery novel.

One that's simultaneously post-apocalyptic SF and a hopeful social experiment and a thoughtful quest to *understand* in the middle of an ongoing pastoral murder investigation.

Wait! Isn't this what happened in the previous novel? Well, sure, somewhat, but no two murders or struggling communities are the same. The world-building here is pretty cool. So much has been lost, but solar cars and sophisticated birth control is a sign of the kind o ...more

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Jul 20, 2018 Gary rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Originally posted at https://1000yearplan.com/2018/07/20/t...

The Coast Road is a post-dystopian meritocracy where groups of people form households, and each household must be issued a “banner” in order to have a child. Earning a banner is no easy task: the household must prove itself to be both productive and sustainable in the long term. At the start of The Wild Dead, Investigators Enid and Teeg are at the Estuary – a town far on the outskirts of the Coast Road where few banners are earned – to Originally posted at https://1000yearplan.com/2018/07/20/t...

The Coast Road is a post-dystopian meritocracy where groups of people form households, and each household must be issued a “banner” in order to have a child. Earning a banner is no easy task: the household must prove itself to be both productive and sustainable in the long term. At the start of The Wild Dead, Investigators Enid and Teeg are at the Estuary – a town far on the outskirts of the Coast Road where few banners are earned – to mediate a simple civil dispute, when a body washes up on the banks of the river. The young woman’s throat had been cut, making murder the only probable cause.
Murder is rare on the Coast Road, though Enid is one of the few Investigators to have solved one. The dead woman did not belong to any of the households in the Estuary, and at first the locals refuse to admit they even know who she is. Eventually, Enid discovers the young woman is from a group of wild folk who live upriver, who sometimes come to the Estuary to trade with Last House. Last House is something of a disgraced household, unable to earn a banner because they took a woman named Neeve under their roof, who was convicted of tampering with her birth control implant as a teenager. It becomes clear to Enid that Last House is hiding something, but does that mean they are responsible for the girl’s murder?
The Wild Dead is Vaughn’s standalone sequel to last year’s Bannerless, and like that novel, the murder mystery in The Wild Dead is not its best feature. That’s a strange thing to say about a book I enjoyed as much as this one, but it’s true – the plot works well enough, but its one of those mysteries where the reader keeps figuring out where the clues lead well before the characters in the book catch up. This can be a little frustrating, and for a lot of readers it sours the experience. Vaughn’s strengths as a writer lie in her ability to guide readers through an immersive experience. These are quest novels: In Bannerless, we followed Enid’s transition from impetuous youth to purposeful civil servant, and in The Wild Dead Enid must journey far outside the relative safety of the Coast Road and into the harsh wilds where the outsiders dwell, to learn the truth about Neeve and the dead girl whose murder she can’t even establish a clear motive for.
Enid is a true believer in the rule of law but is also deeply concerned with fairness and empathy. Teeg, her newly assigned partner, prefers to stick the blame on the most likely culprit and move on. The Wild Dead offers a more acute illustration of the tenuous social contract that maintains order on the Coast Road. Absent the willingness of people like Enid to look past initial prejudices, and to put her own health and safety at risk to unmask the truth, how stable can the loose governing authority of the Coast Road be? All it takes is one Teeg to administer inequitable rulings or abuse his authority for the sake of convenience or personal gain, for resentments among the citizenry to gather and stir.
The Wild Dead gets readers invested in the world it represents: the landscape, the culture, the concerns and struggles of the people who inhabit it. I eagerly anticipate the next volume in the series.
Thanks to Edelweiss and John Joseph Adams Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Justine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-read, audiobook

Written with the same quietly satisfying tone and feel of Bannerless, this follow up book is a solid sequel. I listened to the audiobook, and again, that was a good choice and the narration suited the story very well.

I missed having the same amount of flashback backstory as in the first book, but only because I loved those parts so much. The Wild Dead really doesn't suffer for it at all in terms of its own story progression or Enid's further character development as a calm and competent investig ...more

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Jul 17, 2018 The Captain rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi dystopian murder mystery eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book then ye might want to skip this post. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

This be the 5th book in me e-Arc Extravaganza Challenge wherein I had to read all 5 books before their July 17th release dates. Challenge complete! Arrr!

I previously read and was Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi dystopian murder mystery eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book then ye might want to skip this post. If ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

This be the 5th book in me e-Arc Extravaganza Challenge wherein I had to read all 5 books before their July 17th release dates. Challenge complete! Arrr!

I previously read and was absolutely enthralled by the first book. This one was great too! Both stories are set “after the fall” in the coastal United States. The coast has flooded. Cities have fallen. The world is slowly rebuilding. The novel follows Enid, a young Investigator who helps police the towns along the Coastal Road. That job involves anything from helping people in the aftermath of storms, to arbitrating disputes, or in this case, doing a property inspection to see if the town should repair it. Teeg is in charge of his first mission and Enid is there to mentor him. What is a fairly simple assignment becomes much more difficult when a dead body turns up. And it is certainly murder. Can the two investigators find the killer? Or should they just leave it alone?

The first story was structured around Enid’s life both past and present with the murder being only part of the story. The murder mystery is at the forefront of book two and the majority of the story takes place in the present. Enid uses many of her experiences from the previous murder investigation to help her outlook in this one. Teeg is her foil in the case. Enid struggles to find her balance in her dual roles of investigator and teacher.

As in the first book, the murder mystery was less interesting to me than the settlement set-up in the far reaches of the territory. I loved the marshland setting. I loved getting to see more of the people who live in the Wild. I loved the continuing explorations of the bigger issues of society such as resources, the roles and expectations of various types of outsiders, and the ideas of truth and justice. I loved watching Enid’s investigative techniques.

The author manages another book where there is an overall optimistic outlook in the aftermath of a dystopia. I would love to have Enid on me crew. I would also love another book in the series either about Enid or a companion novel about another settlement along the Coast Road. Give me more! Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you John Joseph Adams / Mariner Books!

Side note: There be another story set in this world! It is called “Where Would You Be Now” and is listed as book 0.5. I must read it. Arrr!

Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp... ...more

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Jul 15, 2018 Lou rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I adored "Bannerless" when it came out last July so when this popped up I quickly requested an ARC to read and review. "The Wild Dead" is the second in the exciting Bannerless series, I am not surprised that "Bannerless" won the Philip K. Dick award and predict good things for this sequel. I would say that in order to get the best out of this book you really need to have read the series opener. That way you are privy to the characters development and background which always helps in increasing y I adored "Bannerless" when it came out last July so when this popped up I quickly requested an ARC to read and review. "The Wild Dead" is the second in the exciting Bannerless series, I am not surprised that "Bannerless" won the Philip K. Dick award and predict good things for this sequel. I would say that in order to get the best out of this book you really need to have read the series opener. That way you are privy to the characters development and background which always helps in increasing your enjoyment of a story. That said, I do think that this would work as a standalone too.

"The Wild Dead" is well-crafted and plotted to perfection with a pace to it that propels you through to the end in record time. I found this super-difficult to put down as I wanted to know what the conclusion would be. I enjoyed catching up with Enid when she's called to what appears to be a simple property dispute but turns into a murder investigation as the body of a young woman is found. Teeg, Enid's partner, wants to leave well alone but Enid feels she has a duty to investigate and to get to the bottom of the matter. They soon realise that the body belongs to a woman who to them is an outsider and does not belong to their community. Enid is a tenacious and brave main character that I hope to see more of in the next book.

Vaughn's post-apocalyptic/dystopian world is unlike anything i've read before from the science fiction genre. This is such a unique tale - a murder mystery that takes place in a dystopian world where there are no real rules making it a challenging environment in which to live. The most important thing is that it actually works and Vaughn pulls it off easily. A thought-provoking read that will stay with me for a long time, I also appreciate that this book deals with some deeper topics such as feminism and morality so it is not just a throwaway story, it has deeper meaning behind it. Definitely an author to add to my favourites. I look forward to the next book and returning to this original world. A worthy five-star read!

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. ...more

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Jul 08, 2018 Danielle N rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-review-copies

This review can also be found on the Books, Vertigo & Tea.

My Thoughts

I actually requested The Wild Dead not realizing it was a sequel. This worked in my favor, however, as I immediately picked up and savored the unique post-apocalyptic mystery that is Bannerless(<– start here). My experience with the sequel was one very familiar to its predecessor but somehow even more gratifying.

The skinny..

The Wild Dead continues life on the Coast Road with Enid after she has returned home to Haven (I am omitt ...more

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Jun 27, 2018 lib rated it liked it · review of another edition

I think the word that best describes this book is “dece”. It’s a decent story with decent characters following a decent mystery in a decent setting. But compared to a lot of the ARCs I’ve been reviewing recently… damn this was a fucking amazing breath of fresh air. Brilliant fucking story with superb fucking characters following a fucking thrilling as fuck mystery in a fucking cool ass setting. Honestly. I hope that puts my previous struggle in perspective for you.

Anyway, back to what you actua ...more

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Feb 24, 2019 Craig rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a sequel to Bannerless, and is another murder mystery set in Vaughn's post-collapse Coast Road world. It's a good mystery story in addition to being a well thought-out science fiction work. Enid has to cope with a new less-than-great partner in addition to being faced with a challenging murder that develops unexpectedly out of what was supposed to be a simple property judgment hearing, and all she really wants is to get home to her family as fast as possible. There's some interesting exp ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Deborah Ross rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved Vaughn’s Philip K. Dick Award-winning novel, Bannerless, and eagerly dove into this, its sequel. Vaughn’s vision of an egalitarian, post-collapse world struck me as a welcome and necessary antidote to the commonly portrayed descent into dog-eat-dog chaos. In her world, people worked cooperatively after “The Fall” to select and preserve technology and to establish social structures that promoted communities living in ecological balance, carefully limiting overconsumption/overproduction an I loved Vaughn’s Philip K. Dick Award-winning novel, Bannerless, and eagerly dove into this, its sequel. Vaughn’s vision of an egalitarian, post-collapse world struck me as a welcome and necessary antidote to the commonly portrayed descent into dog-eat-dog chaos. In her world, people worked cooperatively after “The Fall” to select and preserve technology and to establish social structures that promoted communities living in ecological balance, carefully limiting overconsumption/overproduction and birth rate. In other words, the survivors were intelligent about how they went about rebuilding civilization. That’s just the background, the setting, to the murder mysteries in Bannerless and The Wild Dead.

Given lots of knowledge but scarce forensic resources due to a generation-ago picking and choosing, how would you go about solving a murder? You know basic chemistry and anatomy, and you have solar power and well-machined instruments, but have no way to analyze DNA, trace evidence, or microscopic kerf marks. When Enid and her apprentice, Teeg, arrive at the Estuary as investigators, this world’s traveling magistrates, their initial task, the one they’ve been requested to adjudicate, pertains to the fate of an old house that’s one of the few relics of “Before” yet is too badly damaged to be easily repairable.

As they examine the issue of the house, a body washes up in the river, a young woman of the wild folk who live outside the communities of Coast Road, and it’s up to Enid and Teeg to solve the murder. Without modern forensics or knowledge of the history and social interactions of the Estuary households, yet with a deep moral sense and compassion for this unknown victim, Enid dives into the case. As with Bannerless, Enid’s own intelligence and intuitive understanding of human nature guide her to the unexpected but perfectly prepared result.

I can’t praise Vaughn’s work highly enough. The elegance of her prose rises and falls like harmonic waves, from serviceably transparent to downright poetic, enhancing the emotional beats. Even her secondary characters are beautifully depicted. Most of all, I admire her decision to place her unusual murder mysteries in a world that gives me hope for the survival of sanity and kindness.

The usual disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no one bribed me to say anything about it. ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 Rana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Look, who's surprised here? This was a detective story set in a post-apocalypse Pacific Northwest. Of course I love this series. ...more

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Aug 13, 2018 Carolyn F. rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook-not-lendable, futuristic, apocalyptic-dystopian, library-book

A dystopian detective is brought to a community to make a decision on a dispute and is dragged into a murder investigation. A little slow going in the beginning but when the plot finally started moving forward it got really good. Another reviewer said they figured out who did it pretty quickly. Not me.

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Jul 12, 2018 Cheryl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Bannerless Saga continues - a year after book one

"A household came together, worked hard, proved that the members could take care of one another, manage themselves, not waste resources, and then the regional committee would award them a banner."

This soft-spoken post-apocalyptic series continues after book one BANNERLESS.

Enid is still an investigator and is sent with her new enforcer partner Teeg to settle a building dispute in the Estuary, a small community that doesn't have a committee tha ...more

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Jun 22, 2018 Rebecca Bowyer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended-recent-reads

The Wild Dead, by Carrie Vaughn, is the second book in the Bannerless series. It’s part of a new wave of popular science fiction that, at its core, is about fertility and parenting.

A very different kind of post apocalyptic world is imagined by Vaughn, one where people have figured out how to live together in peace with each other and the earth.

I love that The Wild Dead is a different kind of imagined future where society is good and peaceful despite external challenges. They saved knowledge of m ...more

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Jun 29, 2018 David Agranoff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: anarchist-themed-sci-fi, political-science-fiction, dystopia, eco-sci-fi, weird-crime, mystery, set-in-san-diego, climate-change-horror

As the co-host of the recently launched Philip Dick podcast Dickheads I was first clued into this series when the first Coast Road novel Bannerless won the Philip K Dick award for 2017. So a few months back I read and reviewed that novel for the blog, but also interviewed Vaughn for the podcast. (linked below) I was a big fan of the first book. I loved the anarchist and social themes and thought it was excellently woven into a Leguin-like five stars out of five novel.

I was excited during the int As the co-host of the recently launched Philip Dick podcast Dickheads I was first clued into this series when the first Coast Road novel Bannerless won the Philip K Dick award for 2017. So a few months back I read and reviewed that novel for the blog, but also interviewed Vaughn for the podcast. (linked below) I was a big fan of the first book. I loved the anarchist and social themes and thought it was excellently woven into a Leguin-like five stars out of five novel.

I was excited during the interview that Carrie said the sequel was almost out and that she would send me a copy. I loved the world of the coast road, a post collapse California coast that has turned to a more just society. Enid is an investigator in this mostly utopia she doesn't get alot of work, and in the wake of the the rare murder that she solved in the first novel she has been able to relax a bit.
Now she is training Teeg a young investigator, and her family is eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child as they were just given their first banner. Enid and Teeg are called to a far off town on the south edge of the coast road to settle a dispute. It seems like a simple task a man wants to maintain the family house that is about to fall down a cliff. The community considers it a hazard and wants the investigators to tell him to let the house go.

It seems like a simple case when the body of a young woman no one can identify washes up on the shore. Now for the second time Enid must solve a murder. Vaughn writes another great mystery, what I really enjoyed about this one was I had no idea how she would ever solve it. There are hundreds of mystery novels put out each year but the thing that makes this one special is the setting.

The post-modern world setting and the social dynamics are really interesting. The victim was from the wildlands beyond the coast road where there is no organized society. One excellent element of world building Vaughn pulls off is the people in the wild lands. She does a great job making them feel almost inhuman, like they are a different species. in fact she actually reminds the reader at one point that they are just human, and it struck me because I did need that reminder.

Before Enid goes to the wild lands I was not even sure how she would identify the victim. Without spoilers this mystery is really well done. Perfectly weaving the fascinating social and political dynamics of this bizarre post-ecological collapse attempt at utopia.

The characters are strong, and the narrative is perfectly structured with surprises and reveals. This is a very worthy sequel to Bannerless. Both novels are masterpieces in my eyes. When this book comes out July 17th Mystery fans, dystopian fans, and political sci-fi fans should have this book ready to go. The Bottomline is this: The Wild Dead is a perfect sequel that ups the ante on all the elements that made Bannerless great. A masterpiece of socially aware world-building and mystery that will entertain as it makes you think.

My Dickheads interview about Bannerless is here. We do talk about the Wild Dead give it a listen:

https://soundcloud.com/dickheadspodca... ...more

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May 24, 2018 Marta Cox rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-reviews, netgalley

This book catches up with Enid after her first murder investigation and also sadly after the death of her much loved mentor. So here she is teamed up with her new rookie partner Teeg on a routine journey to help with a dispute about a building that’s wasting much needed resources. It should be easy, it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge to mediate, be the bad guy if that’s what it takes and then home just in time for the birth of a new arrival into Enid’s family. Ok I lied , it’s never going t ...more

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Nov 05, 2018 Serena rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-or-giveaway

I saw this offered on NetGalley and requested it, I am blessed to have received it, but I also bought it on Amazon before I was finished too. I just love Carrie's work!

If you don't know the Bannerless universe with it's short stories and first book about Enid, you'd think that the title leaves the impression of a zombie novel, but it's not, not really.

There's no shambling dead aiming to eat flesh or brains to be found here, but the dead do eat at Enid's memory, her former partner Tomas, Olive's ...more

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Sep 26, 2018 thefourthvine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sff, mystery, queer-disinterest

Once again, the “about this book” text describe this as a “feminist dystopia.” I don’t know if that’s because they think it will sell the book, or if it’s because there’s not really a genre term for hopeful post-apocalyptic fiction. Either way, reading this after the relentlessly grim, truly dystopic 84k just emphasized what I already knew: this isn’t dystopia. It’s a different way of living.

Once again, Enid is involved in a murder investigation, and while this story is intended as a mystery, t ...more

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May 31, 2018 Tracett rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is second in the Bannerless series, and while you could read this as a stand alone, you will miss the world building set up from the first book, as not much is echoed here. However, this is a mystery first and foremost so maybe that world building will not matter so much in enjoying this post apocalyptic sort of a police procedural. You may spot the who-done-it before the story gets to it, but much of the joy in The Wild Dead is following the ethical lines of thought presented by many of it ...more

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Jul 13, 2018 Sascha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 1/2

So I think Carrie Vaughn’s onto something here. We have mysteries that take place in the past with detectives using limited resources or the steampunk version with little anachronisms tossed in; current mysteries encompassing police procedurals to cozy mysteries. How did Carrie Vaughn know that what we needed was a dystopian mystery series?

Last summer I reviewed Bannerless (you can read that review here) and while I loved the world-building, I was less than enamored with the mystery, which ...more

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Oct 29, 2019 Wealhtheow rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, queer-characters, pocmaincharacters

A few generations ago environmental changes led to the Fall of civilization. The survivors strained to save a few things: windmills, basic medicine like antibiotics, vaccines, and birth control, metallurgy. They painstakingly created towns and settlements in the crumbling ruins of their ancestors, but didn't recreate every aspect. People live in households, not as nuclear families. They strive to hit quotas, but not go over or under, in order to avoid over straining the planet's already-taxed re A few generations ago environmental changes led to the Fall of civilization. The survivors strained to save a few things: windmills, basic medicine like antibiotics, vaccines, and birth control, metallurgy. They painstakingly created towns and settlements in the crumbling ruins of their ancestors, but didn't recreate every aspect. People live in households, not as nuclear families. They strive to hit quotas, but not go over or under, in order to avoid over straining the planet's already-taxed resources. Their legal system is much simpler, with an emphasis on restorative justice rather than punishment, and is delivered via traveling investigators. Enid is one such investigator. She and her new partner Teeg are sent to a distant settlement to mediate a dispute about home repair. What sounds like an emotionally painful but simple mediation turns into something far more complicated and dark when they discover a young woman's dead body. Enid and Teeg have no forensics, surveillance, or real power to compel answers. Through sheer doggedness and an open mind toward the truth, Enid eventually discovers the murderer. (view spoiler)

What I love best about this series is the worldbuilding it does. It's not showy or flashy, just a solid, thoughtful imagined future for humanity. Besides Ursula K Le Guin and to a certain extent, Margaret Killjoy, I can't think of many authors who craft these kinds of alternate societies using the bones of our current one. I think positing different societal choices, and working through their logistics and unintended consequences, is vital to identifying and creating a real world we want to live in. ...more

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Oct 05, 2018 Tracy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I liked this better than the first book in the series. I like Enid and her passion for justice, figuring things out the old fashioned way. I enjoyed the world building once again. I still think it is pretty optimistic, after the collapse of civilization I think more society would more resemble that of the Wild but I found this society interesting. A little rigid maybe but one based on caring where a woman’s contribution is as valuable as a man’s. One where a woman doesn’t wear herself out having ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 Geonn Cannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What's the opposite of a sophomore slump? I liked the first book fine, but it ended up being a three star because I didn't like the alternating timelines jumping back and forth between past and present (SO MANY BOOKS DO THIS, it's annoying). But it was solid enough that I decided to give the sequel a try. I'm very glad I did. The worldbuilding is out of the way, Enid is established, and this book is free to be just its own story. The book was much better because of it. It was good enough I'm eve ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Kristi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

I had more or less the same reaction to this book that I had to its predecessor, but instead of benign, I’d say outright dull. The same complaints from the previous book held true with this one too: consistent use of “hola” by everyone instead of “hello” or “hi” and no other Spanish and an abundance of “, yeah?” tacked on to every fourth sentence.

Most importantly, I found that I didn’t care about any of the characters, even Enid herself. They were all quite bland and/or just plain hostile. There ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Kathleen Minde rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: treeware, kick-ass-heroine, vine, got-an-arc, series-i-will-finish, futuristic

I read Bannerless, the first of this series, last year and liked it because of it’s different take on worldwide dystopia and the main character, Enid. Soft-spoken, intelligent and patient, Enid is an investigator, a law enforcer, along the Coast Road of what is left of California. In Bannerless, we learn that the world changed drastically after humans had overused and depleted all its natural resources. To survive the economic collapse, the government divided communities into multiple households I read Bannerless, the first of this series, last year and liked it because of it’s different take on worldwide dystopia and the main character, Enid. Soft-spoken, intelligent and patient, Enid is an investigator, a law enforcer, along the Coast Road of what is left of California. In Bannerless, we learn that the world changed drastically after humans had overused and depleted all its natural resources. To survive the economic collapse, the government divided communities into multiple households with four adults, related or not, that must live and work together, using only what resources are needed to sustain their home. Their reward for not overusing: a banner; a coveted banner that allows them to have one child.

After what is known as the Fall, investigators are something the houses both fear and respect. They enforce mandatory birth control implants in women, mediate disputes, oversee the use of resources, and adjudicate the distribution of banners. And they pass harsh judgment on those houses that break these laws.

In The Wild Dead, Enid is traveling to Semperfi with her new partner, Teeg. Still mourning the loss of Tomas, her mentor and partner, Enid is also looking forward to the birth of a bannered child in her own house. Enid and Teeg are sent to mediate a dispute between households concerning an ancient building that should be left to rot without using precious and rare resources to save it.

The two find a small community of estranged households. They also find a dead woman, her throat slashed, that is not from any of the houses. No one recognizes her but Enid can tell she came from the outside camps collectively known as the wild; the woman has no implant, nor has she ever. While Teeg regards the dead woman as an outsider and not a problem for the investigators, Enid cannot walk away. She desperately wants to return home in time for the birth of her household’s new child but her responsibility to the law, and the fact the unknown woman must have family that miss her, prevents her.

The story moves slowly, but steadily, as Enid and Teeg interview the residents of the village households to solve the mystery. There is much backstory and drama and some twists, but The Wild Dead is not a pulse-pounding thriller. It is insightful and well written and the weight of the story sits squarely on Enid’s capable shoulders. Teeg’s character, however, is not well developed and all he seems to do is complain and he made me miss her partner Tomas almost as much as she does.

This is a different dystopic narrative as there is solar power and medicine, but it still has that wild west feel that makes the story that much more interesting. Hopefully there will be more books in this series because I would love to read more about Enid. ...more

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Jul 30, 2018 Samantha (AK) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018, setting-sf, genre-mystery

The Bannerless Saga holds the distinction of being a uniquely optimistic post-apocalypse setting. (It’s marketed as a dystopia, but I still don’t agree with that classification.) Having rebuilt some form of civilization after the Fall, the Coast Road communities operate under strict meritocracy and resource management, with disputes settled preferentially by the local committee. In the event that a dispute is too much for a town to resolve, Investigators (think law enforcement) can be dispatched ...more

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Apr 22, 2018 Louisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book was a fantastic sequel! Loved seeing Enid again, and meeting these new characters, and this investigation! Such a great book, and I really hope we get more!

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Nov 08, 2018 Lisa Wolf rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: end-of-the-world-and-other-disaster, sequels-and-series, science-fiction-fantasy, dystopian-societies, powerful-women, california

The Wild Dead is a sequel to last year's Bannerless, which I loved. (Check out my review of Bannerless, here.) In Bannerless, author Carrie Vaughn does an amazing job of creating a post-apocalyptic world in which the focus is not on the disaster itself (known here as the Fall), but on life 100 years later. Humanity has survived, and in the Coast Road community (California), life revolves around households -- groups of adults who build a home together, a communal dwelling where all are invested i ...more

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Aug 14, 2018 Lisa Holloway rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the first mystery I have come across where the world has collapsed and the story takes place in a new civilization, so that in itself intrigued me- a who-dun-it with a twist. This was the second book in the series, but the author did a good job showing what the world was like right from the beginning of the book. I do still want to go back and read the first one, but more for that story rather than because I think I missed something. The way the author set up the world with different com ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Theresa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Wild Dead (The Bannerless Saga #2)
by Carrie Vaughn
Since I read Bannerless, I wanted to see more of this story, Carrie Vaughn fulfilled the promise of the first book in this sequel. The Wild Dead can stand on its own as a young adult mystery story, but the whole series is amazing. This post apocalyptic world looks at the value we place on others. In a world were survivors had to choose between medicine and forensics, between lives and photography people and society has closed down. Small co ...more

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Mystery/Thriller ...: Group Read - The Wild Dead chap 8-14 spoilers welcome	25	16	Sep 17, 2018 07:50PM
Mystery/Thriller ...: Group Read - The Wild Dead chap 1-7 spoilers welcome	15	12	Sep 02, 2018 05:09PM
Play Book Tag: The Wild Dead by Carrie Vaughn - 4 stars	1	10	Jul 30, 2018 08:10PM
Mystery/Thriller ...: Group Read - The Wild Dead chap 15-21 End spoilers welcome	15	14	Jul 28, 2018 12:53PM
Mystery/Thriller ...: * Group Read - The Wild Dead - General No Spoilers	9	15	Jul 26, 2018 01:20PM

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About Carrie Vaughn

Carrie Vaughn

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Carrie Vaughn is the author more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories. She's best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. In 2018, she won the Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, a post-apocalyptic murder mystery. Next up for her: two collections connected to the ...more