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    The Kill Order
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    The Kill Order
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    The Kill Order
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Kill Order

    Written by James Dashner

    Narrated by Mark Deakins

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    The prequel to the New York Times best-selling Maze Runner series.

    Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth, killing most of the population.

    Mark and Trina were there when it happened. They survived. But now a virus is spreading. A virus that fills humans with murderous rage.

    They're convinced that there's a way to save those who are left-if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some you're worth more dead than alive.

    The end is only the beginning.

    Praise for the Maze Runner series:
    A #1 New York Times Bestselling Series
    A USA Today Bestseller
    A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the Year
    An ALA-YASLA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book
    An ALA-YALSA Quick Pick

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 14, 2012
    ISBN9780449014356
    Unavailable
    The Kill Order

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    Reviews for The Kill Order

    3.5/5

    627 ratings55 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This is a quick read but with the Winter Olympics going on, it took me a little longer. This is the story of what happened when the sun flares hit earth and the virus was released and the Maze Runners happened. I think this book could stand on it's own. I also wonder if it could have been handled as flashbacks or something during the trilogy, I think it would have worked. But it was nice to see the beginning of when it all happened. I'm still trying to figure out who DeeDee is in the trilogy or if she is even in the trilogy. But over all a good book.
    • 5/5
      The Kill Order is the first of two prequels to James Dashner’s The Maze Runner series. Even though it was written later, it chronologically pre-dates the main three books of The Maze Runner, and unfortunately this is how most online book sites now have it listed. I say unfortunately, because IMHO, it really should be read as book #4, and this is how the author lists it on his website, too. The reason I think it shouldn’t be read until after the original Maze Runner trilogy, though, is that the reader will get significant spoilers for those books in the prequels. Much of the mystery of why the Maze exists and it’s purpose is revealed as well as character connections that are unknown at the beginning of The Maze Runner. Therefore, I highly caution readers like myself, who don’t like spoilers of any kind, to beware.The prologue of The Kill Order begins just before the events of The Maze Runner, and we see Teresa preparing for what’s to come. Then the story jumps back in time by thirteen years to a few months after the sun flares decimated the Earth. Those who survived the flares are now simply trying to stay alive. Some of them, including our main characters, live in small shanty-town type communities in the Appalachian mountains, where they’re mostly living off the land. All things considered, life is going pretty well for them, until one day, out of the blue, a Berg (an airship) comes flying through, raining down poisonous darts upon the unsuspecting population that are infected with a virus. They have no idea who might be doing this to them or why, but they intend to find out. And what they discover is a cruel plot by the government that went horribly awry, turning thousands of human beings into vicious, mindless, zombie-like creatures who present danger at every turn.Aside from the prologue and a bonus scene at the end of the book, both of which are told from Teresa’s perspective, The Kill Order has an entirely new cast of characters. The main part of the story is told from the third-person POV of Mark, a teenager from New York City, who managed to survive the sun flares. We get both his narration of the events that are currently happening, surrounding the virus, as well as flashbacks to when the flares hit and the immediate aftermath, showing us what that was like, how he lived through it, and how he ended up in the Appalachians of North Carolina not far from Asheville. He has a number of friends, including his best friend, Trina, who he’s known for most of his life and for whom he has romantic feelings that she’s just starting to show signs of reciprocating. Then there’s Alec, an older man who is a former soldier with excellent survival skills who has become something of a surrogate father to him, as well as Lana, an ex-military nurse who has been a colleague of Alec’s for years. These two look out for Mark, Trina and a small group of other teens they rescued from the subtrans system in New York right after the flares and they’ve all become a fairly tight-knit little family. Deedee, a little girl of only about five years old, is added to the mix when they find her wandering alone and abandoned, following the release of the virus. However, it’s mostly Mark and Alec who steal the show. They’re the ones who take most of the risks to gather information and defend their friends, and they’re always the ones right in the thick of the action, whereas the others are largely in the background. Mark is a teen who’s seen far more horrors in the past few months than ever in his life and it’s scarred his psyche, but he has a strength of spirit that keeps him going. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to survive, especially when it comes to protecting Trina. Alec is a tough old bear of a man who is a good leader and does whatever needs to be done. I liked both characters and thought they made a great team.For YA books, I always take a moment to discuss potentially objectionable content. Other than a couple of chaste kisses and a one-line joke that lightly alludes to sex (but that didn’t actually happen), there is no sexual content to speak of. There are only a handful of mild bad words, too. So the main area of concern is going to be violence, which in some ways, I felt was a little stronger in this book than the previous ones. After the virus-laden darts are unleashed, which happens in the second chapter, our characters face near-constant danger and peril. Both Mark and Alec end up killing a number of people throughout the story, including Alec committing two mercy killings of friends. Granted most of these people are infected with the virus and beyond saving, but the high body count could be disturbing to younger or more sensitive readers. They also encounter stacks of bodies with the stench of death reeking on the air in a couple of scenes as well as in the flashbacks of the time right after the flares hit. In another scene, they find a group of filthy, frightened children huddled in a basement but have to leave them behind, which could prove scary for younger kids. Then there are the infected people who act in varying levels of craziness from simply not making sense, all the way up to murderous rages. This part almost borders on being a horror story. Granted the author does keep it somewhat toned down, probably in deference to the younger audience for which it was written, but due to the high level of violence and potentially disturbing content, I probably would only recommend this book for mature teens of approximately fifteen and up.Overall, The Kill Order was a great read. The non-stop action and suspense kept me on the edge of my seat and the author has a knack for ending most chapters on a mini-cliff-hanger that makes it hard to put down. However, the reason I dropped the half-star is that it often felt like the characters were merely running from one danger to the next with little breathing room in between. Sure there are moments where they slow down a bit to regroup or pick up tidbits of information, but there’s always that looming presence of danger in the background. I felt like the relentlessness of it all, along with the rather tragic ending made this a pretty heavy read, which is another reason I don’t recommend the book for younger readers. I didn’t dislike the ending, though, because unlike another book I read in the same genre that had a similarly heartbreaking end, I felt like this one was much more poignant and for a good reason. But other than wishing that there were a few more moments of levity or time to take a breath in between all the peril, this was a very well-written book that was a great addition to the series. I enjoyed finding out what it was like when the flares hit and immediately afterward as well as the origins of the Flare virus. I look forward to reading, The Fever Code, the final full-length book of the series soon, which will hopefully tell more about the origins of the Maze.
    • 1/5
      I was so disappointed with this prequel. I knew going into it that any questions I had about the trilogy likely would not be answered in the prequel but the fact that the prequel had so little to do with the trilogy and even the story told by the prequel felt incredibly incomplete. I found myself unable to connect with any of these characters and the ending left me exactly where I was when I started the prequel.
    • 3/5
      Some background on how the world ended, and the aftermath. Characters are not fully developed, but the plot kept me reading. Haven't read the main series yet, so I'm not sure how it will all tie in.
    • 5/5
      This was actually my favorite book in the series. I liked the new characters and setting that was introduced and it told how the story began.
    • 3/5
      It was a good afterthought for the 1st 3 books but it was clearly written as 1. just to fill in some missing points and 2. a money maker
    • 2/5
      IF THEY HAVE GUNS THAT VAPORIZE PEOPLE WHY DID THEY NEED A GODDAMN VIRUS TO LOWER THE POPULATION
    • 3/5
      While I didn't think I would really enjoy this book without the characters I had come to know in the Maze Runner series, I gave it a shot anyway. Truthfully, other than the fact that it was written in the same style and used some of the same futuristic terminology, it really felt like reading an entirely different book/series within the same genre. If it hadn't ended the way it did, I'd have expected it to begin a separate series of its own. I enjoyed this one as much as the "later" books in the series, and I'm glad I decided to read it. The characters were as likable and relatable as the Maze Runner characters, though not as diverse. I also enjoyed learning more about the immediate aftermath of the sun flares, as well as the story of how the "Flare" actually began.
    • 4/5
      This prequel to the Maze Runner trilogy is a completely separate story from the early days of the Flare. Unfortunately it's nothing more than a simple survival story with twodimensional characters and a bit predictable storyline.
    • 3/5
      This is supposed to be a prequel to the Maze Runner series, which explains what happened during the initial flare, and I was really looking forward to more revelations. It was difficult to get into, as I tried to place exactly how 'pre' we were, so yeah, kinda confusing. I liked the characters of Mark and Alec, particularly Alec. They survived a lot less whinily than our friend Thomas. A quick read and pretty interesting if you've read the rest of the series.
    • 2/5
      Obviously, if you've read my reviews of the previous books, you'll know that I've hated every one of these stories since "The Maze." So why did I read this one? I have no idea.I was hoping, especially given the sort of "teaser" at the beginning of the book, that we might learn more about Theresa and Thomas and what got them in to this whole "Maze" mess in the first place. Now I'm guessing that Dashner is saving that for yet another prequel.This book is about the beginning of the flares and The Flare. Some aspects of it were interesting, in particular, the flashbacks to the very day the solar flares began and how the characters survive them. After large Bergs rain down disease upon their little enclave of survivors, several village members decide to make their way to Ashville NC, the nearest city, to figure out why they've been infected, and possibly locate a cure.Instead they find a little girl who seems to be immune to the disease. Their trip becomes a desperate journey to get Deedee into the hands of those who might be able to use her, before they all die in the wilderness. Like the last two novels, a great deal of this reads more like a movie script than anything insightful or thoughtful. Oh, well.
    • 1/5
      This book undermines the premise of the series and creates a big gaping plot hole. I also found it a bit uninteresting and struggled through it compared to the magnificence of the Maze Runner trilogy.
    • 3/5
      It took me a while to get into the book, but once the action started, it was non-stop between the current storyline and the flashbacks. Although the end made sense, it wasn't what I wanted. This made the book all the more realistic and hard to predict. It is not a book for those that like a sweet honey ending.
    • 5/5
      Had a very hard time putting this down. I was confused, enthralled, horrified and emotional. The prospect of the apocalyptic events that occurred in this book are scary to say the least, but I was drawn in with every word. I can't wait to get started on The Maze Runner.
    • 3/5
      This is the Rogue One of The Maze Runner series. Basically everyone dies, but that is somehow okay because they did one good thing in the process. If you like books like that, you'll love this one. And one of my students liked it a lot. I will need to find out why next time I see her.
    • 3/5
      Some background on how the world ended, and the aftermath. Characters are not fully developed, but the plot kept me reading. Haven't read the main series yet, so I'm not sure how it will all tie in.
    • 3/5
      This follows seemingly random characters as they attempt to survive the initial sun flares and then the Flare virus that destroyed the world prior to The Maze Runner. It's grittier than the trilogy is, actually showing who and what the Cranks really are. I really enjoyed the descent into madness that MC Mark goes through (I'm trash for that kinda thing) and found a lot of the imagery much better than anything in the trilogy. Unfortunately, the characters sucked. Mark was basically just Thomas but with a sliver of a personality, and the whole memory loss thing with Trina was pretty unnecessary and didn't add anything. Alec was fun and probably my favorite character but was still a random addition. None of the deaths were impactful, but I was surprised just how far some of the more intense stuff went. Over all, it was a fun read but not necessary to the trilogy in any way.
    • 3/5
      Found this novel in a communal sharing space for the apartment and can see why someone decided to pass it along. It was placed with the Maze Runner trilogy and I thought I would read the series in order. I am hoping that the remainder of the novels are stronger as this one really didn't engage me at all and was very simply written.
    • 5/5
      Mark struggles with Trina and Alec to make sense of and survive in this virus filled world after solar flares. More a book for boys than girls but a good read for anyone. Friendship, doing the right thing, and making life count made this book more interesting than one would think given the crumbling civilization. A good prequel to the Maze Runner as it is different enough to be a totally different book and not just another in the series.
    • 5/5
      I didn't know I needed a prequel until I experienced it, but man was this book necessary.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. After reading the entire series there was always a part of me that wondered how things started and where the main characters came from. I enjoyed how we where sent on a journey from a point of view from others and how that transformed into introducing us to the future characters. I recommend that you read not only this book, but the rest of The Maze Runner series as well.
    • 3/5
      The prequel to the series was disappointment. I desperately wanted there to be at least one character that we could link to the other books, which would have preserved the rhythm of the series. I also thought that the violence and zombie-like descriptions of the "cranks" was a bit overdone.
    • 5/5
      I enjoyed this book sooo much and I recommend it to everyone out there!!!!!!
    • 3/5
      2.5 stars. I didn't like this one as well as the others. Too much of the same action descriptions for me. Got bored feeling like they were doing the same thing over and over.
    • 4/5
      After reading the series it was interesting to go back and see what life was like right after the flares and the beginning of the virus. I became really entrenched in this series. I really liked the end of the world by solar flares, it is a possibility.
    • 1/5
      Just don't. Not really a prequel.
    • 2/5
      I had read the Maze Runner series a while back, but had never gotten to this book because I hadn't thought that a prequel would be as enjoyable as the main series.Honestly, I do feel that my prediction was right. I flew through this book - I'm not sure why but it didn't draw me in the way The Maze Runner did.Could live with or without it.
    • 2/5
      Obviously, if you've read my reviews of the previous books, you'll know that I've hated every one of these stories since "The Maze." So why did I read this one? I have no idea.I was hoping, especially given the sort of "teaser" at the beginning of the book, that we might learn more about Theresa and Thomas and what got them in to this whole "Maze" mess in the first place. Now I'm guessing that Dashner is saving that for yet another prequel.This book is about the beginning of the flares and The Flare. Some aspects of it were interesting, in particular, the flashbacks to the very day the solar flares began and how the characters survive them. After large Bergs rain down disease upon their little enclave of survivors, several village members decide to make their way to Ashville NC, the nearest city, to figure out why they've been infected, and possibly locate a cure.Instead they find a little girl who seems to be immune to the disease. Their trip becomes a desperate journey to get Deedee into the hands of those who might be able to use her, before they all die in the wilderness. Like the last two novels, a great deal of this reads more like a movie script than anything insightful or thoughtful. Oh, well.
    • 3/5
      I suppose it was somewhat refreshing to continue, or should I say start, the story line but with different characters. Intriguing to say the least.

      I will admit, I never really thought about the effect the solar flares would have on the world before W.I.C.K.E.D and how the virus came to be - it was refreshing to get an insight into Dashner's mind and world.

      Although, this being said, not as shocking nor as brilliant as the first one.
    • 5/5
      (See Sock Puppet). This Science Fiction book is a prequel to the series "The Maze Runner". In the book, you are brought back to a world where people are trying to rid themselves of this virus that causes them to slowly go crazy, and eventually die. A group of four people, who found themselves in the subway tracks after "the flare" went off, and caused power to go out in the city, race through towns and cities in order to find a safe haven from all this madness. The virus was not sent out with the flare. The flare was just a heat wave that wiped out a handful of the population. After the group found a place to stay, their town was bombarded by the government, who shot darts at the people, in which contained this infectious disease. The disease was also very contagious, and there was no cure for it. Everyone was waiting for the inevitable. The four friends get out of the town, and try to find another place to be safe. In doing so, they come across a young girl who was immune to the disease. They take her with them as they try to fight the government who did this to them, meanwhile all four of them are slowly starting the feel the effects of the virus. Eventually, they get to a place where they can send the little girl to the good government because she obviously is not catching the disease. They think that she would be able to help find a cure. After sending her away, the book does not talk about what happens to the four friends. However, the girl is now involved in the program to help find a cure. This is how she meets Thomas, and the beginning of planning the maze trials.