Rate: 4/5

Medium: Audiobook

Overview (No Spoilers):

In the middle of reading The Twelve, it dawned on me how contented I’ve been with my present reading life. Let me elaborate further as since the beginning of the year it the majority of my audiobooks have been reads, many in great length, within my favorite genres.  With alternating between The Passage trilogy, The Dark Tower series, rereading the Harry Potter series, and starting both the Stormlight Archive and The Wheel of Time series, I don’t foresee a ‘bad’ book in my near future.  While those are all wonderful titles, my great mood can only reflect how much I was enjoying listening to The Twelve.  Cronin again delivered a detailed, intriguing novel that solved many of the lingering questions left by its predecessor.  I laughed, I cried, I was wholly consumed with where the story was headed. Old, familiar characters were further developed, as well as the backstories flushed out for several minor characters from book one who took on a much deeper level of involvement.  Of key interest to me, light was shed on government actions post outbreak before the total collapse.  The beginning of The Twelve took a while to get up to pace, however once Cronin established the new foundation, the remainder of the story was nonstop action.  The end of this story felt surprisingly complete as if the next installment could be optional.  Yes, there were some rather big holes left open, but in general it felt as though the key obstacle was hurdled.  Additionally, Scott Brick is my absolute favorite narrator.  I feel like I’ve been read to so much by him at this point that it is comparable to listening to an old friend.  Overall, The Passage trilogy continues to surprise and delight with The Twelve further detailing Amy and Peter’s struggle to survive, thereby avoiding slump that often afflicts the second book in a trilogy.

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

• Amy and Alicia have transitioned! What does that mean? Do they have to drink blood from people? Could drink from bagged blood?
• Can they still go in the sunlight?
• I really enjoyed Lila and Grey’s side story. Sure Lila got really weird in the back half of the story and it was awful Grey was locked up for a century, however their initial dynamic was interesting.  I wonder where they would have gone without Guilder interfering.
• I wish Wolgast and Lila would have met again. They were so close!
• What happened to Danny, April and everyone else on the bus? Their story just leaves off, with the insinuation that April and Kittridge’s child was one of Alicia’s ancestors. Reflecting back to the Passage, her family were wanderers into the Colony, as a consequence they were not as respected as the founding families. It was rather satisfying to find out she had warrior blood in her past!
• How did Guilder find Suresh again? Wouldn’t he have been a full viral due to Grey’s bite?
• What role did the President play in all of this? She seemed to be tugging on strings in the background however not much of it was revealed?
• Will Peter be a good dad to Caleb?
• What will happen to Peter when he returns to Texas? Will he be imprisoned?
• Carter is different, however will he be able to defy Zero again?