“Present day” in The Twelve is set about 5 years after events in The Passage. Some of the former cast of characters are tracking down virals, or trying to, at any rate. Others are slaves in Iowa in a settlement of sorts run by “redeyes” – people who are essentially “familiars” to the virals. Their nefarious plan is to have the 11 remaining virals move into something like a bunker in the town so they have a steady supply of food (i.e., people and livestock) since their food supplies have dwindled after having killed so many people and animals over the previous 100 years. There’s also a long section of the novel that is set around the time the virals first get loose. We get to meet characters who are trying to survive. These include Grey (remember him from the first book?) and Lila, Brad Wolgast’s ex wife. Both continue to be important players in different ways in the present day of the book.
There seems to be more graphic violence in this one, much of it perpetrated by humans against other humans, which was hard to read, though I think I understand the purpose of it. What I didn’t like was all the fakeout deaths. By the end of the novel, I had finally learned that if other characters don’t see, and maybe even bury, a body, then that person might not actually be dead. It’s not that I wanted these characters to die, but the gimmick got old.
I found the book to be about as gripping as The Passage, thought it raised some questions that didn’t get answered, and at least one of which I expect won’t ever get answered. One of the characters from the “Time Before” is Kittridge, also known as “Last Stand in Denver.” He’s making videos of what’s happening in the city and the government is after him for that, but I really don’t understand why. It’s not like he’s sharing national secrets.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to finishing the trilogy with The City of Mirrors. Hopefully it will live up to the first two books.
