Surely there's enough zombie fiction in the world now, right? Perhaps not. Cooperative "zombie havoc" boardgame Zombicide puts you in charge of a zombie apocalypse survivor, and various expansion packs let you fine-tune the setting. Just as the game can be anywhere and anywhen, so can the Zombicide tie-in novels from Aconyte. The last one I read was a gritty sci-fi fable; this one takes us to Florida, and turns everything we think we know about the zombie genre on its head.

Westlake is one of a varied group of survivors, including a chef, a fed, and a luchador. Westlake himself is the strangest of all: he's a zombie hanging on to the final shreds of his humanity, hoping to set his friends up to thrive in his impending absence. But when they travel to the Everglades to track down a drug cartel cache, there are bigger problems waiting for them. Humans aren't the only things that can get zombified—and the only things more deadly than Florida's undead beasts are the locals who worship them.
Do or Die is utterly unhinged in the best of ways. From a sympathetic zombie survivor to cannibalistic cultists to a giant turtle, you never know what you're going to see next. Josh Reynolds, as usual, takes fictional elements that really should work together and makes them absolutely sing.

I have loved all the Zombicide Novels but I have to say I think Do or Die is one of my favourites to date despite certain characters leaving but no spoilers from me! I also adored that Westlake was back again. Now I am not a native to the USA but I’ve visited Florida a few times now and I can’t think of a worse place to deal with undead, cannibals, natural disasters and so much more but Westlake, Ramirez and the team travel to the Everglades.


For those who have previously read the ‘Last Resort’ and ‘All or Nothing’ you will know what you can expect from Reynolds. A pacy, gore splattered, action-packed ride. And I have to say this one might be my favourite so far, even if not all the characters make it to the end. Once again, on top of the action and gore the characters are what really make these tales. In my opinion. They are brought to life so much so that they seem to jump off the page. And while there are a lot of characters Reynolds manages to not only make them all relevant but also not overcrowd the plot with them.

The other thing I adore are the encounters which are fantastic in description, you feel like you are there which isn’t always a good thing with some of them! But they are so well written that you cannot help but vividly picture it. It also makes some of the deaths of the characters we have come to know and love a little more heart breaking. If you are looking for the perfect accompaniment to the games, or even a good zombie themed read this one is one for you.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

I had an absolute blast with this book. It was a rip roaring, fast paced, zombie extravaganza. Any book in which a Luchador fights a giant turtle is well worth it in my eyes.

However the book has some genuinely sweet character writing to go along with the action and you end up finding yourself very invested in how it will all shake out.

I was unaware that this was the third in a series when I picked it up, but Josh Reynolds lays everything out in such a way that the book stands strong on its own. That being said I enjoyed this book to such an extent that I will be seeking out the first two books ASAP.

Highest recommendation for anyone looking for a good time.

This Book was a fun read! It is the third Zombicide book by Josh Reynolds.

Having the previous book, "All or Nothing" in softback, I know what I was in for at the start (I have not yet read the first book "Last Resort") so I could appreciate the flash-backs this time.
For people new to this world: It is fine to read any of these books as stand alone!
Besides these Zombicide books by Josh I have also read other Zombizide books. "Planet Havoc" by Tim Waggoner being my favorite of those.
I have also enjoyed some twelve other stories by Josh Reynolds, "Apocalypse" being my favorite of those.
On an average I think that Josh's Zombicide books are above par with his Warhammer stories.

On to the review!
It starts of with a good introduction to the zombies. The main character (among many), Westlake, is a zombie - a good one. It is funny to hear him describing how the transformation is affecting him, read how he interacts with the world and how he feels.

I liked the atmosphere of the setting. The environment is only sparcely described, but I was ok with that. (Usually I have a tendency to prefer more descriptions.) The qualities of the characters shines through.
The zombies comes in many forms: Runners, walkers, brutes and floaters. Even animals are affected, but not in the same ways a the humans. The encounters were well described and entertaining. Cattleprod and yellow eyes, also cool!

There are MANY other characters in this story, I counted 48 individuals, whom almost all have "speaking roles". A few handfuls of them even have the leading role in the various chapters!
Q: Is that not super confusing?
A: No, Josh is doing a great job with them telling the story this way, using them to move the plot forward.
However, I would have liked a list of all the characters in the beginning of the book. I.e. the character Sayers is referred to as Sayers throughout the book, until someone start calling her Elizabeth, her first name.
Also, if there are flash-backs it would be kind to advertise that in the chapter head...

Originally, I was surprised that they did not go inland to avoid hurricanes, but then, even rats seemed to play a larger part in the story than any coming storm. But, what happened to the pumpkin mix?!

I give this book 4 bright stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Aconyte books for letting me pre-read a digital version of this book!
(I do consider buying the paper version for a later re-read!)

First things first, I got this book from NetGalley, so thank you NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this opportunity.

I started reading this one having previously enjoyed the 2nd book in the series and with a bit of certainty that I would enjoy the further adventures of these interesting characters despite the overall familiar setting. Reynolds tries to spice up the adventure by setting up the story in the Everglades in Florida and adding some even more horrific monsters and equally dangerous humans.

Westlake, Ramirez and company travel to the Everglades in search of more hidden caches of resources and friendly survivors, but things are way different than before as Westlake is falling apart both physically and mentally due to his transformation and there are strange animals and humans around to make their plight very difficult. The incoming hurricane and the issues between some new members and the usual gang makes matters even more edgy.

The prose is depicted through various viewpoint characters, and the jumping of perspective was a bit much at times. It was really fun to return to the favorites like Westlake, Clavera and Kahwhita while the new characters and antagonists gave their own perspective to the ongoing struggle. I just really wish it had more chapters from the viewpoint of Westlake and Calavera.

From the get go it was apparent that some of these characters will not survive till the end, yet it was hard to say goodbye when the time came. The pace was as blistering as expected with no time for respite and the author did the action bits quite brilliantly. The ending was also better than the last book despite being a bit predictable from the last one third of the story.

I would really love to read more about this character although I am quite certain this will be the final adventure of this gang. It was definitely fun while it lasted.

4 out of 5 stars from me.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advance copy of the third book in a series about a Zombie uprising, the life of survivors and others went the world has become dinner for many, and a man to stubborn to give in to the mindlessness of the zombie lifestyle.

Westlake not only has the name of one of the best crime writers who ever typed, but was a man with a particular set of skills. Or still is, even though he has to duct tape his hands together, parts of him are falling away, and the taste for human flesh is getting stronger and stronger after being bit by a creature returned from the dead. However instead of getting sick, Westlake kept his brains, and his survival skill, which has helped those he has allied with.. Zombies are everywhere, society has fallen, and survivors are starting to run out of supplies. Stores are empty, gas is starting to turn, and animals are starting to get develope strange new abilities. Westlake and his survivor crew are helping other humans by gathering from criminal caches that Westlake is his last life as thief has an intimate knowledge of. However his memory is failing as is his control of his hunger, and the people around him are starting to get itchy trigger fingers, even as they plan one last raid. Do or Die: A Zombicide Novel by Josh Reynolds is a story set in the Zombicide universe filled with thieves, masked wrestlers, dogs, and other survivors struggling to survive against mother nature, zombie gators, and that most dangerous of foes, humans.

Westlake was a good thief, with a great reputation and a lot of knowledge about the criminal underground. And it seems a gift for staying alive after being bit by a zombie. For some reason thought the lust for human flesh is there, Westlake has kept his mind, and his skills. Though the brain is starting to leak out his nose, his hands are tied with tape and holes are getting larger. And the anger is getting harder to control. Supplies are getting scarce as the zombie pestilence is continuing, and in addition zombie animals are starting to appear. Pelicans attacking plans, coyotes haunting buildings, rats forming super rats by joining together. Westlake knows of a place deep in the Florida everglades, a narco resort, that should have gas, food, weapons and more. Florida however is a dead zone, with no one leaving and no information on what is going on. Also, being Florida a hurricane is bearing down on the area, making leaving difficult. Deciding it is worth the risk, Westlake and his allies go south, hoping for a big score. And hoping no one has gotten there first.

Another big adventure from Josh Reynolds, an author I am really enjoying in the different genres I have come across him in. Reynolds has a real grasp of characters, developing them well, and dialogue which helps both the characters and the plot come together. Zombie stories can quickly become rote, but Reynolds finds ways to change things up, allowing the characters to shine where others might just have a here comes another zombie attack scene. Really any story that can have a masked luchador be a character that one cares about, and not go the Zombies are running the earth, you can take your mask off, that is some great storytelling skills. The book also gives a few more ideas on where the zombie disease might come from, the role of insects, and how animals are changing. Plus there is a lot of action. One really can't ask for more.

For fans of the game and for fans of good Zombie stories. This has a lot of everything, wrestling moves, zombie reptiles, cultists, rat creatures, zombie alarm systems. A lot of fun. All three books in the series would make a nice holiday gift for the undead fan in one's life. Can't wait for more from Josh Reynolds.

Before this book, I couldn't image a more hellish place than the Florida Everglades during hurricane season. However, thanks to this ARC from NetGalley, I can. The Everglades. In a hurricane. With mutant zombies everywhere. Yep. That's just awful.

This is the third book from the Zombicide series (I think). I have not read the other two. Aside from some of the references to previous events, I got by just fine without the background. The gang is trying to make plans to acquire more supplies. Westlake suggests a mother lode down in Florida hidden in the Everglades. He's honest that he doesn't know what to expect, but the survivors decide it's worth the risk.

That's when Murphy's law takes over. Everything that could go wrong....did.... Zombie birds, running out of fuel, swimming zombies, Halloween decor, colorful (yet aggressive) locals, zombie gators. I could go on. None of this is fun. It sounds like a nightmare. But when a cruise ship that could potentially save this vacation from Hell is spotted, everyone wants it.

*** The premise of the book is great. I love the characters. Perhaps reading the previous books would have helped with the constantly shifting POV (it made my head spin to be honest). But I will blame me for that since I "should have known everyone" going into the book. I imagine that if I read a book four, I would not have such POV whiplash.

The major complaint that I have with the book is that is seemed too long. There was a lot of back and forth, going here, there, and yonder. Up, down, over and over. It all felt too much. It was like, "Let's go over to the island and have a conversation then come back." "Let's go to the ship and pick someone up and go over here and do this then come back to the ship then go to the airfield." Had this been a movie or a TV show, it may not have been so wacky, but as a reader (trying her best to keep up) it was overwhelming. And it just added unnecessary length to the story. Honestly, by the time I got to about chapter 30, I was just ready to be done. I was kinda hoping Wilbur would just blow everything up and we could go home.

Overall, I liked the book. It was definitely something different for me. I haven't read a zombie thriller in a while. I will say that more concise writing would have made this more thrilling. I wouldn't have minded a lengthy book had the "filler" been more crucial to the story. Will I go back and read books one and two? No. I feel like I'm as up-to-date as I need to be. Will I read book four if there is one? Maybe. Only if book four is the finale of the series.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me preview and review this novel. https://aconytebooks.com/shop/do-or-die-by-josh-reynolds/