Kill Order is the prequel to The Maze Runner series by the wonderful James Dashner. Kill Order takes place thirteen years previously to the initial series- before Thomas and the Glade and more importantly before WICKED was created. New characters, Mark and Alec as well as a group of teenagers are fighting to survive the aftermath of the Sun Flares that struck Earth. One day a Berg flies over them and begins to shoot darts that have been filled with the deadly disease- The Flare Virus.. Mark and Alec as well as some other survivors, hunt down the Berg to search for answers as to why these outsiders are infecting innocent people with the virus, whilst the world is already caught up in utter devastation. Throughout the journey they witness how the Flare Virus is affecting its victims, from excruciating pain in the head to unusual hallucinations. Along on this journey they rescue a girl named Deedee who surprisingly seems to be immune to the virus, and so the mystery begins...
To begin with I found this book quite hard going, I feel this is because I was so used to all the characters from the previous books to the series to understand what's going on. I needed to temporarily forget about those characters until I could start piecing together what was happening. James Dashner is the master of making you feel that you're involved in his book too, at times I felt like I was the one running from the Berg and the one with the most painful headache imaginable. Furthermore, Dashner is a natural at providing non-stop action throughout the book. He brings to light the desperation of people who are in need of help and how this grief and despair is put upon them by those who don't see them as human beings but merely guinea pigs in an experiment to benefit them. This book makes readers discover the curiosity as to why WICKED was born and why it was good. It is the creation of the Flare Virus and where we learn who the characters are that played the vital role of protecting those around them. Of course those who have read the series, know what the end outcome is. A topic such as this where the world is being destroyed by its inhabitants, there shouldn't be a happy ending but she shear hope that there may be a way to save humanity really gets your heart thumping, making you want to cross your fingers and toes for them all to survive. That's what I love most about Dashner's writing, its realistic- not everything has a happy ending.
So now sadly I have ended this series, the story will stay with me and I feel that I could read this series again and again- I am intrigued to see what James Dashner has planned next!
