I do feel like the book has some issues. There's some nastiness with one character who decides to do some unpleasantly sexual things with a celebrity zombie (that has consequences any idiot could predict). Also, the only Latin characters (in LA) are part of the street gang. The author himself admitted some of these problems and corrected the imbalance in future books but it's still present in the original. Still, this is a somewhat hard-R take on superheroes with the heroes mostly good people but a few being scumbags that turn villain. The thing I enjoyed most about Ex-Heroes is the use of archetypes. One reason I never got into Heroes or many independent productions is that appeal of superheroes for me is actually the stories told about the most famous of them: Superman, Batman, Iron Man, the Question and so on. Ex-Heroes doesn't just insert copies of these characters but it does have enough analogues that the question of "How would superheroes react to zombies?" is answered in sufficient detail to be enjoyed on that level. This book reminded me of the movie "the knowing" for encrypted writing, Jules Verne and Wells for involved physical descriptions, Scooby Doo the Matrix, etc.

First released on the 9th of July, 2013, this was initially released through the Broadway publishing label, as it was to be the third book in the Ex-Heroes series. With the story already well under way it manages to build upon the premise in both style and tone effectively, whilst developing the world it inhabits further. As readers now know what to expect, Peter Cline delivers what they’re looking for with style and ambiance, whilst simultaneously not shying away from a surprise turn or two. So, kinda fun (if a story that assumes the death of the majority of humanity can be called "fun") lots of action, smash bang super folks and monstrously powerful undead...things. What captivated me with this novel was the depth of the enigma that began to unfold as their surreptitious investigations uncovered puzzle after intriguing puzzle. Clines' writing is very suspenseful and the way he gradually revealed the history and purpose of the building was masterfully done. If the book has one weakness, I'd say it was the characters. Nate, Tim, and Veek were the only ones I was terribly attached to. The others were immigrants from Clicheville, if you ask me.

Summary

Just before the plot started falling apart, one of the tenants suggested that they may have gathered enough information about the mysterious apartment building, hinting at the idea of bringing their investigation to a close. Recommended to anyone looking for a great mystery book that has elements of horror, H.P. Lovecraft, The Mystery Gang, to a whole bunch of other stuff that I can't mention. A cerebral horror novel, 14 is published by Permuted Press and has received much praise for its labyrinthine but understandable mystery. It has another book in the same universe by the same author, The Fold. I am a bit mixed about the ending. On one hand I really enjoyed it, but on the other, I feel it didn’t really answer all my questions as much as it could have. Ultimately though it was still a satisfying conclusion. It just could have been more I think. That’s the main reason for my 4 and not 5 star rating.

Writing in the 1950s, 1960s sci fi style, this book encompasses a group of tenants who fancy themselves sleuths and whose "meddling" gets them and the world in trouble. (Famous line at the end of Scooby Doo was 'you, meddling kids')Seriously I love the imagery of the entire thing. You would think that it's all just blood, guts, and load of undead and in one way it totally is but there is so much more. Epic. This book is totally epic. The way Clines tells the story with his then and nows is very well developed. It's like he's a master juggler putting on his best act just asking you to keep on watching. He's good. So good I'm starting the next part as soon as I'm done here. And after that I'm pretty sure I'm a fan and will read his other works ASAP. Update: I am a HUGE fan. No hesitation to speak of. Clines is a genius. Seriously though in an uncoordinated hand this story would be all over the place. I've been mulling the ending of this book for a few days now, and I think I can now give it three stars. Right after I initially finished the book, I was leaning more toward two stars. I know many of my friends were enchanted by this story, but I just . . . wasn't. I really liked The Fold, and saw some similarities in the plot concepts. I felt like the presentation of that "alternate universe" or "multiverse" was handled much better in The Fold than in 14.

This book was extremely well written, plot well thought out, well planned, well executed and well edited. I was left wondering who spends time examining roaches to the point of counting body appendages, that roach would have been crushed by a book/shoe/pot/couch so fast I would have missed any significance.In terms of the story, I think some might find it slow to take off, particularly at the beginning and especially if you're expecting something more along the lines of pure horror. There are certainly horror elements in this book, but for the most part there's nothing too frightening. Is 14 scary? No, not really; there's nothing that would give me trouble sleeping anyway. But creepy and a bit unsettling? Definitely. This eeriness strengthens throughout the course of the novel with each new discovery of weirdness in Nate's building, every one of them adding to the atmosphere. Would I read a sequel to this? Probably but I will not seek it out. My booklet will have to pursue this.. Sure, like any other book, this book has got its ups and downs but I ignored little mistakes to enjoy what is essentially a very gripping tale.