The Book Depository The Fall of the Governor Part One by Robert Kirkman

Author: rattyratbag

Rating: 5

Review: The new book Fall of the Governor begins with Bruce and Gabe fighting in the Arena to the delight and disgust of the Woodbury Crowds. The Governor AKA Phillip Blake organises these for pleasure, he is becoming more unstable and psychopathic in his ways. Provisions are running short and Lily, Austin, Gus, Martinez David and Barbara all set out to find food and other necessities. On there way back they spot a helicopter in distress which crashes not far from where they are driving. They find Christina badly hurt and her co-pilot dead, Christina asks that they return Mike as she has promised him a Christian burial, the others know that if they return him, the Governor will use him as a zombie playmate in the arena. The Governor visits Christina in the infirmary and kills her. During the next week 3 strangers appear in Woodbury and they are taken in. Unknown to the majority of Woodbury, the Governor takes the woman down to the garages underneath the Arena, where he violently and sexually assaults her, he puts one of the other men she was travelling with in the next garage to her. The third companion is in the hospital having had his hand chopped off by the Governor. Lily starts to get close to Austin, and they end up with a night of passion. Lily's thoughts towards the Governor start to dissipate and she starts to believe he is actually doing good in Woodbury and they could be safe. Dr Stevens and Alice meanwhile, still believe he is a psychopath and upon hearing rumours of this the Governor threatens Dr Stevens. The Governor decides to use his female captive in the Arena, but his plans go awry when she kills one of the fighting humans be decapitating him, and then kills all the other Zombies. The Governor goes wild when the crowd start to turn on him, and locks her back up. Martinez one of the Governor's right hand men, turns the tables on him, and frees the prisoners, they decide to take there chances together and with Dr Stevens, and Alice they will all leave, the woman named Michonne decides that she will seek vengeance on the Governor, meanwhile, Dr Stevens is bitten by a rogue walker. In the meanwhile, Lily decides to leave the sanctuary of Woodbury to go to the nearest old pharmacy to find something. We find her in the end looking for Austin to tell him that she is pregnant, and that she believes they can raise her child together in the safe sanctuary of Woodbury I cannot wait for book 2

Author: dmcnabb

Rating: 3

Review: I have been reading this series of The Walking Dead Books and have so far enjoyed "The Rise of the Governor" and "The Road to Woodbury" - Following Brian, Phillip, Penny & Phillips friends in "The Rise of the Governor" brought an interesting insight into the character of the governor - I was worried that the first book would give justification for why he was such a scumbag and ultimately make the reader root for him, but I actually finished the book thinking he was a bigger scumbag than the show and the comics portrayed. "The Road to Woodbury" followed Lily Caul and her friends as they search for somewhere safe to stay and ultimately lead them to Woodbury, where by this point the Governor was the leader of the settlement. "The Road to Woodbury" took the reader through all of the details that the residents of Woodbury were too happy to turn a blind eye to provided they got what they needed. I was really excited by the third book in the series at first. I was excited to see the story mould into how it is portrayed in the show and in the comics - but the book has just been such a lack luster. It is okay, but it just feels like someone used a lot of copying and pasting. There is the usual graphic detail of violence and the usual sick antics of the Governor - but it felt thrown together. It didn't feel thought out properly. To be honest, it felt like someone watched the show and then wrote a book based off what it was like in Woodbury towards the end. I think its the type of thing I could write if I took the time, I would have preferred the book if the little details of life in Woodbury were less the views of Rick and his gang and more like the first two books, where it feels fresh and feels like a completely different perspective. I haven't read part 2 yet. I am hoping it manages to save itself. If you are reading the books, its hard to say I do not recommend it, because its hard to say don't finish a series, but be aware its not great. If you haven't read the series, I would still recommend it, especially if you are a fan of the walking dead. I am just crossing my fingers it chops off its infected limb and comes back from the brink of death and carries on being a good book series. (Ha! Hershel reference there!)