Most of The City of Mirrors is set about 20 years after events of The Twelve. Virals haven’t been seen in decades, and citizens from Kerrville, TX, are moving out into settlements in other parts of Texas. They think the threat is gone because they don’t know about Fanning (AKA Zero).
We learn a lot about Fanning. A large segment of the novel, about 100 pages’ worth, is dedicated to his first person account of his life prior to being infected. He was roommates with Jonas Lear, the person who started modifying the vampire virus and testing it on humans, and he fell in love with Jonas’s girlfriend Liz. It’s a story of love and loss, and he’s had over a century to reflect on this and nurture bitterness about it.
Fanning was waiting for people to drop their guard, and the book is about dealing with the consequences of his plans and trying to find a way for what remains of humanity to survive.
What I liked: Justin Cronin builds tension very well. Even though there are long stretches of the book without much action, when there are action sequences, it’s so well-done. He alternates perspectives every couple pages, stretching things out, which seems like it could be jarring or irritating, but it works. Also, the novel ties up all of the ends pretty well and answers most of the questions that readers were asking throughout the novels.
(spoiler alert)
What I didn’t like: A couple of the characters (Michael and Greer) have become pretty casual about murder of people who could be considered innocents. They are doing it for a purpose, but there’s a “means justify the ends” mentality that doesn’t seem to be questioned even by the narrator. Also, I wish I understood what Fanning thought would happen once he unleashed his horde on the people who were left in Texas. Eventually he’d be left with the same issues as before: food (i.e., people) will run out. There’s an implication that he’s willing to wait years, decades, for more people to come along, but it seems short-sighted, and I don’t like that the answer to why he’s doing it might simply be “stereotypical mad villain does stereotypical evil things.”
Overall, though, I thought it was a well-done and satisfying finale.