Horde by Ann Aguirre | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The epic conclusion to Ann Aguirre's USA Today bestselling trilogy. The horde is coming. Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run. With her knives in hand and her companions at her side, she will not falter, whether fighting for her life or Fade's love.Ahead, the battle of a lifetime awaits. Freaks are everywhere, attacking settlements, setting up scouts, perimeters, and patrols. There hasn't been a war like this in centuries, and humans have forgotten how to stand and fight. Unless Deuce can lead them. This time, however, more than the fate of a single enclave or outpost hangs in the balance. This time, Deuce carries the banner for the survival of all humanity.

Before reading this review, I suggest you read Enclave and Outpost, the first two books in the Razorland trilogy so that this review of Horde by Ann Aguirre does not spoil you, seeing as how people seem to hate spoilers. Reader friends, I want you to know that Ann Aguirre wraps up the Razorland trilogy perfectly in Horde. I’ll admit, based on the author note at the end of Outpost and the looming danger, I had no idea how she was going to do it. I was nervous about the end game. Thankfully, all of the elements in this book come together in a perfectly sensical way that really works for the entire series and thus, I feel super comfortable telling the world at large to read this whole trilogy if you want a good post apocalyptic yarn.

Horde by Ann Aguirre opens with Deuce, Fade, and a few other characters on the run from Salvation looking for help. You see, Salvation has been overrun with muties. Deuce has Longshot’s map and knows that there are outposts beyond Salvation and so perhaps one of them can help hold off the horde. Unfortunately, help comes with Deuce but not in time to save Salvation. Many die and the refugees end up going to Soldier’s Pond where it’s a whole lot more militaristic than Salvation.

This makes Deuce realize that the problem is a whole lot bigger than Salvation falling. She realizes that the horde could destroy humankind. SO, Deuce makes it her mission to unite humans at the various outposts to take on the muties or the freaks, whatever you prefer to call them. Will it work? Frankly, if you’ve ever read an underdog story, I think you know the answer. The way Aguirre weaves the story and the twists are worth reading, despite an ending I think many of us experienced readers can see coming.

I love love love love quadruple love y’all, Deuce’s character arc. She has so much development and change over the three books. We see this hardened girl have her edges softened. We see her learn to trust and to love. So, we see her go from someone who is alone in the world to someone with all kinds of bonds and stakes. She forms a family. She opens her mind to different things. Deuce allows herself to have vulnerability. Really, if you want books with a character who grows tremendously throughout the series, you should get your hands on the Razorland books. Also, I love that Deuce comes across as this leader of a revolution. She is just so determined and she wants to win so badly and she’ll sacrifice everything to do it. I love that in a character.

Fortunately, all the revolutionary and military guerilla fervor is tamped down a little bit with some ROMANCE. Okay, so remember in Outpost when Fade is kidnapped by the freaks and then he has trauma from it and it is a total cockblock on his relationship with Deuce? Well, that thread continues in Horde. HOWEVER, it all makes sense and it’s part of this grander scheme where Aguirre actually develops the different threads instead of leaving them hanging for plot convenience.

So, yeah what we have with the romance is the build of trust all over again and the closeness and intimacy between Deuce and Fade that develops over time. Yeah, Stalker is in the picture but only as a friend. That’s all he has ever been to Deuce and all he will ever be. And let’s just say that some scenes do a superb job illustrating just how much Deuce and Fade matter to each other.

I’ll be honest and say that I wasn’t too sure how Aguirre’s world was going to pan out. I was nervous about the freaks because I had thought of them as a zombie hoard. What Aguirre does so well in the Razorland trilogy is illustrate the various ways humans survive. She illustrates humanity good and bad. She writes this world that is filled with people surviving so many different ways and with different governments. It is amazing. We see old threads from the first book, Enclave being wrapped up. Then we see answers to the mystery that surrounds the muties. We see what the whole wide world looks like outside of the enclave, outside of Salvation and it’s just so interesting. Really, I can’t recommend this series enough.

Other reviews of Horde by Ann Aguirre:

• Cuddlebuggery – “exciting, action-packed while still being thought-provoking“
• Escaping…One Book At A Time – “Brilliantly written, masterfully planned“
• Feeling Fictional – “a pretty great ending“

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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