Review: TAO Ends on a High Note
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 18, 2014
Four Stars = Satisfactory Plus, a rewarding and engaging reading experience.Book 3 is the final in this series and it's easily the pick of the bunch.Why It Gets a High Rating:1. The overall work is well-integrated and polished.  The story flows easily and each leading character's POV change works well.  Best of all it's a high-paced story that grabbed me and kept me hooked from first to last.  Somehow all (or most) of the sprue and jagged bits that were present in Books 1 and 2 were cut off and polished out in Book 3: there was a more caring focus to it which perhaps hints that the author took a bit more time over its crafting.2. For the most part the story arc is credible, or if not absolutely grounded, at least it runs as a genuinely diverting entertainment.3. Although levels of creativity are at par with Books 1 and 2 (average) and there're no real surprises or twists in this linear story, technical details in most respects are excellent and environmental scene descriptions (a quality I look for in a zompoc novel) are right on the mark.4. Jillybean gets top billing in Book 3 with top marks earned for dissecting her psychology.  The ensemble cast sparkle at times with Sadie emerging as the action co-star but without much by way of three-dimensional development.  For example, the rationale behind her shifting relationship towards JillyB is told rather than explored and shown.  Suffice to say that Jillybean fans will not be disappointed. :pShortcomings:  (Remember 5 stars = The Exemplary Book)1. The Bounty Hunter begins with a zinging bang, then fades out into an ethereal boogyman.  Man, I was hanging out for a twist like TBH was in fact (e.g) Sadie's brother or one of Sarah's past bed-mates.  But no.  Big missed opportunity there in my opinion.2. Deus ex machinas are used to bridge plot holes and get the characters out of the doo-doo.  The miraculous arrival of XXXXX is a classic that had me shaking my head in disbelief. Also, more than one avoidable McGuffin also weaves its way into the yarn and is evidently used to pad out the narrative.  For example, Nico's wound requiring "action" and Sadie's illness providing "distraction".3. Abraham's cult was well handled but, as per Book 2, needed way more creative seasoning and depth.  Sorry, but in my opinion this class of Doctor No villain has been done to death by 50 years of Bond movies.  Like what the hell does Abe want with Baby Eve?  It's not explained...and his Wicker Man transposition was somewhat derivative.  Thomas Tryon's classic Harvest Home could have pointed the way: (e.g.) making a human sacrifice to "appease" the zombies instead of the present self-referencing artifice.4. No way would Sarah be able to do what she did at the end...no matter what her willpower.Overall Book 3 is easily the pick of the bunch and a highly enjoyable reading experience that kept me fully engaged from the first page to the last.  Okay, it has a few soft spots but none of them are of a serious nature.Go for it, you'll have no regrets...except to wish there was a Book 4 that meets or beats it on a quality entertainment experience.