Download The Last True Hero The Burned Lands Volume 2 Bec McMaster Books
Download The Last True Hero The Burned Lands Volume 2 Bec McMaster Books
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The Last True Hero The Burned Lands Volume 2 Bec McMaster Books Reviews
- For every weird "Mad Max" moment that turned me off in this post-apocalyptic jumble, there was a counterpoint of charm, humor or poignancy that drew me back. Bec McMaster has juxtaposed interesting main characters, and especially fascinating secondary characters, next to world-building that, in this sophomore book of the Burned Lands series, seems to be having some fits and starts. The story-telling, though, is excellent as always. The characters, tone, dialogue and description are so well done that I simply see a movie reel in my head.
The setting is a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where the landscape and society are decimated. This book takes place mainly in what was the American Southwest. It is inhabited by reivers (the amoral, violent, pierced and ragged population that seems to inhabit most post-apocalyptic movies), and they are not any more original in this introduction. There are also wargs (werewolves), revenant (zombies), Confederates (the rich people with tech) and moles (which we aren't really sure about). Needless to say, there are a lot of "creature" threads that are introduced and barely explored here, and this is one of the reasons I regarded this book as a "bridge." More on that below.
Adam McClain, a baddie of sorts in book one, Nobody's Hero (which I loved), is the star of this episode. His leading lady is bar-owner Mia. Unfortunately, while these two did have their moments (including the sweetest pillow talk), I just wasn't as in to them as I have been for some of McMaster's other romantic couples. I think my problem was mainly with Mia. At first I had this vision in my head of Gunsmoke's Miss Kitty, albeit played by an African American woman wearing a sports bra, who fends off all the crass overtures with class and spunk while serving the best whisky in the territory. Mia had all the promise of being a pillar of strength for the tragedy that befalls her community, plus full of determination and sass. In the end, I think all she had was determination.
Meanwhile, McClain was a scrumptious but slightly depressing figure who never really seemed to direct the action. For a master strategist who protected the town of Absolution, he flew by the seat of his pants a lot of the time.
For me, Mia and Adam, and their story, is really just a bridge to the captivating secondary characters and their future sequels. McMaster outdid herself in building these human props behind Mia and Adam. Aunt Jenny deserves her own story; I would love to see the 40-year-old former biker chick who left her love and the open road to raise her nieces get a second chance romance. Johnny Colton stole every scene he was in, and I thought his character was both honorable and heart-breaking, with a little bit of brat thrown in on the side. There was almost a buddy-cop vibe going on with him and McClain that I thought had some amusing moments. Zarina, the trapped daughter of the megalomaniac, is scary and ready for redemption. Even Ellie and Thea and Jake and Sage really filled out as characters as the narrative rolled along. Loved 'em all. So what The Last True Hero really did for me was whet my appetite for the next Burned Lands story.
Book source Purchased from . - The Last True Hero is the second installment in the Burned Lands series. This series is set in a post-apocalyptic world of drought-stricken wastelands in the year 2147. A meteor had previously crashed in this world and it had caused several catastrophic events that affected the environment, inhabitants, and the terrain. North America was once a complete continent before the meteor struck and caused the Great Divide. Now there the Wall had been erected and cut the Confederacy of the Eastern States off from the Western States. The badlanders in the West have never seen the East as the Confederacy soldiers where ruthless in their defense of the Wall. It is rumored that there are still cities in the East while the wastelands are without even the most basic of amenities.
The Wall had been constructed not only to keep the badlanders out but also to keep out the creatures that had been loosed or created during the aftermath of the meteor strike. Now in addition to humans there are wargs, reivers, and revenants. Wargs are the result of a virus created by the government hoping for the perfect soldier but things got out of hand. Once infected with the virus wargs lose their humanity and become cruel and barbaric, driven only by their primal instincts. Reivers are human beings with very little morality who enjoy raping, pillaging, and being despicable. Lastly are the revenants, they are humans infected by something not of that world and turn into flesh eating walking dead.
In the previous book, Nobody’s Hero, Adam McClain had been outed as a warg. He had been hiding his secret for years through the use of a magical medallion that helped him from turning into a warg against his will. Adam was forced to leave the settlement he had founded and had been roaming the wastelands, working as a bounty hunter, ever since. Lately he had been drowning himself in whiskey and trying to forget his sorrows. He has also been trying to catch the eye of the local bar owner, Mia Grey.
Mia was attracted to McClain but she knew he was bad news. She had little interest in any relationship with him because she had made a grave error in her youth and it destroyed her faith in men. Despite this when a group of reivers attacked their settlement and took her sister, Mia is quick to place her faith in Adam’s hunting skills. He quickly shows that he has the knowledge and skills that she needs in order to retrieve her sister.
What she knew was going to be a difficult snatch and grab turned into a nearly impossible rescue mission where the group had to travel to a reiver only territory in order to rescue Mia’s sister and others. Along the way, Mia learned that there was more to Adam than she ever anticipated. They must both struggle with what they considered to be real and trust in the direction of their hearts.
I adored the first book in this series but this one was not as captivating to me. It lacked the type of “grab†that would have me on the edge of my seat. I would have liked some more world development. When am I going to get to see the Confederacy? What about the Eastern States? The plot with the reivers was plenty interesting, especially the reiver town that they ended up in. I liked the idea of the main antagonist but I think there could have been a lot more cruelty written into this story. I wanted to really hate the leader but I just couldn’t because I was actually more entertained. Yes, the ideas of what was taking place was despicable but there was little in the way of show, so I did not really feel their terror or worry.
The romance had heat but the getting there was a lot of the “should I, shouldn’t I†type of situation and although I can generally appreciate that type of angst it was just not intense enough for me to really get behind. By the end the romance had redeemed itself and I definitely was happy for the ending. I am looking forward to the next book in this series as the character it follows has done a lot of wrong and I think the story is going to be a romance full of naughty angstyness. Overall, I am glad that I read this book and it kept my interest but it was not what I had come to expect from one of my favorite authors. - If I can't put the book down, if I live in the world an author created, if I feel as if I'm there, right where the action is, if I cheer for all the characters, not only main ones, than the book can only be rated with highest number possible. It felt so real. So really, really possible reality somewhere in a future (God forbid!).
For me, a non-fan of dystopian world. So, now I have a problem. I have to wait for Colton's story. And I'm not a patient person. Argh - This was a great book. This series will have you wanting more. The hero and heroine in this book were fabulous and the story line was fantastic. What I love about Bec's books is that the hero is not perfect but that is what makes him so loveable. I cannot wait for the next one in this series. If you have not tried this book, I would recommend it highly. You will not be disappointed. You will be wanting to purchase all her books. ENJOY!!!
- Another winner by BEC McMaster. Blends heart-warming that is really character-driven, just enough angst, heroism, action, and continues in the fascinating apocalyptic world set up by the first book in this series. Can't wait to read the next one.
- I really loved this book and the first one with Luc and Riley as well. The characters are strong and the story is exciting and unpredictable. Can't wait for the next one to read about Colton and Eden.
- This book is like Mad Max Fury Road and a western rolled into one. I really loved reading this book because I fell in love with the characters. This book is well written, has a good pace, and even though it is part of a series it felt complete.
- The story line was great however the main characters seemed rather flat. Felt as though they were together because no one else was around, single or of the proper age. Was not any fireworks between the two. Enjoyed Burned Lands book 1 much more.
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