Amplified by Alexia Purdy
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Who wants to be the prey in a world full of hunters?
In the aftermath of the end of her world, April Tate decides that it’s high time to leave the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas. After learning the origins of a Zompire Plague remedy, she risks her life to steal the antidote, makes the decision to separate from Jeremy for a while, and joins a small band of new and old comrades on a trip to the Pacific Coast. There they search out a legendary hive of vampires who are more than just wild, blood drinking creatures, they could be the very people she needs to help her.
On a mission to save the last of humanity, April will use the antidote to save some from eternal damnation, but will her decision bring hope for the future or create an ever bigger, unforeseen devastation?
[Full disclosure: Alexia Purdy provided me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.]
I never quite know what to expect from Alexia Purdy but it’s usually good. Amplified was no exception. It was amazing!
April is a very changed person. She’s found the best friend she thought was dead, is blood-bonded to Christian (her former enemy) and is determined to find the cure for the vampire plague that’s devastated her entire world. Looking back on who she was in the first book, April has changed quite a bit. She has to learn to let go of her mother, who committed suicide and she must do the same with her little brother because he wants to stay in the underground human city. It’s time for her to grow up and move out and a lot of the book focuses on that as she journeys to find her way in a world that has been turned upside down.
The plot was very fast-paced, more so than the first two books in the series. You have April seeking a cure at Christian’s old colony and then her travelling elsewhere. There’s danger around every corner with Ferals and other nasty things lurking about. Alexia Purdy rarely lets the pace drop and when she does it’s only so you can catch your breath before she throws the next plot twist at you. It’s very intense and I honestly couldn’t put my Kindle down until I finished.
I liked how April’s world expanded throughout the novel. We get to travel to different places and see how badly they were hit by the plague. We get to see other parties vying for a cure and still others trying to suppress a cure at all costs. There are some very important moral questions brought up and I like how at the end there’s still some ambiguity surrounding whether or not to release a cure into the world. Have we seen the last of some of these important questions? Absolutely not! There’s still a long way to go and I know April will rise to face any challenges that come her way.
A kick-butt protagonist, excellent world-building, a fast-paced plot and some very interesting moral dilemmas make Amplified my favourite book in the Reign of Blood series so far. I can’t wait for book 4!
I give this book 5/5 stars.