Dead Man's Number (Roadhouse Chronicles #3) by Matthew Cox
Curiosity Quills Press, 2018
Ebook. 398 pages.
*I received a copy of Dead Man's Number (and the first two books in the series) courtesy of Curiosity Quills Press in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the book.*
About Dead Man's Number:
"Safety is at best a relative thing in 2073, fifty-one years after nuclear war scorched the world.
Kevin found a quiet little place to hole up with the woman who came to mean more to him than his lifelong dream, and a little girl she took in after the Virus wiped out her home. They’re well defended against bandits, raiders, and the occasional stray Infected.
But walls don’t face the sky, and all the guns in what’s left of the world won’t do a thing against a biological weapon dropped from an Enclave drone.
A message from a dead man disturbs this tenuous peace with a chance to stop the Virus for good, but it would send them right to the Enclave’s back yard. Tris can’t say no, and Kevin refuses to leave her side again, but they won’t bring a child along for such a dangerous ride.
Knowing it’s not only their lives, but the lives of everyone outside the Enclave at stake, they decide to hit the road once again, hoping their home―and their daughter―will still be there when they return."
Kevin found a quiet little place to hole up with the woman who came to mean more to him than his lifelong dream, and a little girl she took in after the Virus wiped out her home. They’re well defended against bandits, raiders, and the occasional stray Infected.
But walls don’t face the sky, and all the guns in what’s left of the world won’t do a thing against a biological weapon dropped from an Enclave drone.
A message from a dead man disturbs this tenuous peace with a chance to stop the Virus for good, but it would send them right to the Enclave’s back yard. Tris can’t say no, and Kevin refuses to leave her side again, but they won’t bring a child along for such a dangerous ride.
Knowing it’s not only their lives, but the lives of everyone outside the Enclave at stake, they decide to hit the road once again, hoping their home―and their daughter―will still be there when they return."
I don't tend to read a lot of post-apocalyptic books, but the premise of the Roadhouse Chronicles books sounded exceptionally interesting, plus I read and enjoyed another book by Matthew Cox earlier this year--Wayfarer: AV494--so I figured I should try them out. Dead Man's Number is the third book in the series, and although I will avoid any large spoilers from this book and others, there may be hints of minor spoilers from the previous two books so just keep that in mind if you have any plans to begin the series.
With this third installment, Cox continues to expand upon the harsh, fascinating world he created and adds new obstacles for his characters to overcome. Although circumstances and threats change, the overarching high-intensity of this series has not diminished. Dead Man's Number is just as thrilling and action-packed as the previous two books and is a hard book to put down.
Our main characters, Kevin and Tris, are now joined by Abby whom they now act as caretaker for. Kevin has already grown a lot over the series, going from a loner to figure to now being emotionally attached to two people, and he continued to grow even more in this book. I found it interesting to see just how much change Kevin has undergone as a character and how positive much of it is. He seems more confident in various areas, but also more mature and aware of those around him.
Tris has grown in many of the same ways as Kevin and I've enjoyed seeing her personality develop. Despite the positive aspects, both Kevin and Tris remain just as mistrustful--if not more--of the Enclave and the world around them. They are both a bit jaded by this point and are constantly worried for both their safety and now the safety of Abby. Abby is an exciting, fresh new perspective that we get to enjoy fully in this book. I enjoyed seeing her take and experiences in this world.
One of my favorite parts of this book is the mixture and use of technology in this post-apocalyptic world. This is what gives it more of a sci-fi feel to me at times, since some of the weapons and technology used are not quite what we have in our regular world. However, the part that I love is that there is nothing overtly 'out of this world' or anything that you have to majorly suspend your disbelief for. Cox incorporates a slightly futuristic sense that makes everything used and explored feel viable and authentic.
As much as I've enjoyed this series, there is something about it that doesn't make me fall in love with it. I was very much interested in the storyline itself and in finding out what would befall our protagonists, but I never felt overly connected or invested in them. The dialogue was well-written most of the time, but there were a few instances where it felt unnatural and hard to follow. It's a well-written story overall, but it just wasn't quite as strong as I expected.
Oveall, I've given Dead Man's Number 3.75 stars! If you like post-apocalyptic sci-fi with high-intensity action and strong characters, then be sure to check out this series.
You might also like:
Wayfarer: AV494 by Matthew Cox
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