Waiting on Wednesday: ‘The City of Mirrors’

‘Waiting on Wednesday’ is a weekly meme that began at Breaking the Spine, where you blog about a book release you’re eagerly awaiting. There are A LOT of sequels I’m waiting for, as well as a few new releases.

But currently, The City of Mirrors, the third novel in the Passage series by Justin Cronin, is what I’m most excited about. It’s been years since I read the first novel and I absolutely loved its horror and its humanity. It was released back in 2011, in my last year of high school, and it feels quite odd to think that I’m now awaiting the third book whilst in my last year of university.

The Passage and The Twelve are big hefty hardbacks and at times you do have to force yourself to go on, but Cronin’s world is as immense as it is horrific. I love how Cronin’s vampire/zombie monsters are not just mindless beings. All virals stem from an original twelve who have a kind of sentience the average viral doesn’t possess. This is not your standard disease apocalypse story and I really love it for that, especially due to the fact you often find yourself feeling sympathy towards the virals and the humanity that is still dormant within them. But don’t let that statement lull you into a false sense of security; the virals really are terrifying when they need to be.

This is achieved mostly through the protagonist of Amy, ‘The Girl from Nowhere’. The mysticism and power surrounding her is captivating and I really envy Cronin for creating such a strong character.

As for the others, I’m looking forward to learning the fates of Alicia and Peter, as well as the viral Anthony Carter and the original Patient Zero, Dr Fanning. This is one of those series I wish I’d written myself and, if you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend you do! Be ready to laugh, cry and get entirely freaked out.

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