Ex-Patriots: A Novel

By Peter Clines

The second novel in Peter Clines' bestselling Ex series.

It's been two years since the plague of ex-humans decimated mankind. Two years since the superheroes St. George, Cerberus, Zzzap, and Stealth gathered Los Angeles’s survivors behind the walls of their fortress, the Mount.
 
Since then, the heroes have been fighting to give the Mount’s citizens hope, and something like a real life. But now supplies are growing scarce, the zombies are pressing in . . . and the heroes are wondering how much longer they can hold out. 
 
Then hope arrives in the form of a surviving US Army battalion--and not just any battalion. The men and women of the Army's Project Krypton survived the outbreak because they are super-soldiers, created before mankind's fall to be better, stronger, faster than normal humans--and their secure base in Arizona beckons as a much needed refuge for the beleaguered heroes and their charges.
 
But a dark secret lies at the heart of Project Krypton, and those behind it wield an awesome and terrifying power.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 4, 2011
• ISBN: 9781934861882

Reviews for Ex-Patriots

[csdaley-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was okay. Barely a three. The series is barely holding on for me. Not sure I will read the next one.

[mariah7_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not sure how I felt about Ex-Patriots(and Ex-Humans). It was entertaining enough to keep me reading but I didn't feel connected to the characters. There were a lot of minor people and the flash backs sometimes left me confused. And I never knew if the injuries that the heroes got were life threatening or not. I didnt know how much they could handle. So it always felt anticlimactic when I finally did find out if some one died. But the last half of the Ex-Patriots changed my not sure opinion to sure. I was officially into this book.....but then again not completely in love. I really like ZZZap's humor and liked all the different personalities of the other heroes. I also really liked Driver and wished he was a bigger part. ** Spoilers** Sidenote: I was very confused on how Driver got to the base. At first i thought it was just the electric part of his body?? But then he got pushed out by ZZap and had to dust himself off?? Also what ever happened to Gibbs, who was in the suit? And why did Danielle never get in her suit? Did they just leave it there? And what happened to the guy who started the virus(in the first book) what did they do to him? So to sum it up. I was left with a lot of questions after finishing this book. But I did like it and recommend it to any one who likes a good zombie book. I am excited to buy the third one and see how it ends. :)If anyone can answer my questions I would really appreciate a message. :) thanks

[micah_14 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ex-Patriots picks up right where Ex-Heroes left off. Start with superheroes and zombies and then throw super soldiers into the mix. Couldn't put this one down either.

[tdashoff_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Zombies are the popular undead these days (see also the Newsflesh books by Mira Grant). Here, Clines takes the walking (un)dead and stirs in a big helping of superheros (the back cover claims it's zombies mixed with the Avengers, but as a hardcore DC fan, I kept picturing the Justice League; oh well, to each his own). In the prior book, Ex-Heroes , which I have not read, the super powered heroes saved who they could of the citizens of LA and are now maintaining an uneasy truce in a former movie studio. When a remnant of the US Army discovers their location, it's a fight to see who's going to get to run the show, but secret enemies are everywhere. Plenty of pop culture references and characters that are modeled on famous comic books but still manage to be their own person, in fact, this would make a great miniseries for the comics. Will need to find a copy of the first installment, and looking forward to the third, due in July.

[rob.fulks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book, yet parts of it leave a lot to be desired.

Here be spoilers:

I read a lot of comics so the return of Legion wasn't exactly a surprise. The power that he has is very interesting, it's clever that the author made him stupid, if not he would be completely unstoppable. I hate that the story ends so damn abruptly. I get that there will be more books, but the story barely really advances all that much. That being said, I really do enjoy the stories, but like most good stories I really want more.

Also, how long is it before Smith and Legion team up? Next book, maybe?

[copefiend2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ex-PatriotsThis is book two in the X series. If you haven’t read book one buy it and read it right away. The storyline in this book was moved along just fine and the action was tight. There is no massive character development here but just enough to bring a little more clarity to the reader. The book was fun and readable. The author shows his skill and takes a comic book story and turns it into a novel. Good stuff and still a great read. Zombie and superhero fans should rejoice that there are now three books in this series. I’m anxiously awaiting the release of the next book X-Communication.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read from December 11 to 12, 2015This series is just fun and Clines writes impressive action sequences. In this installment, we meet super-soldiers living on a base in Yuma. The chapters alternate between now and then, but this time "then" equals us meeting those in Yuma -- soldiers and a man named John Smith. This book also definitely sets up more paths Clines can take in future books. One thing I like about this series is its not just looking at "the end of the world", but the rebuilding. On to the next one! (We are driving to LA today and I keep mentioning that we should stop by Paramount for a little book tourism.)

[crazybatcow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I agree. It is even better than Ex-Heroes (the first book in the series). It is suspenseful, and there is a twist (or maybe even two twists) that I did not expect.It is a rather mature zombie book (i.e. there is more to the story than just zombies eating everyone) and, while some readers have complained about the swearing, I didn't find it excessive at all. There are a couple characters who swear, but they don't show up much.The heroes just feel like regular people, who have the goal of trying their best to save the remaining people from zombies. We don't really bat an eye at their powers because the powers are seamlessly woven into the story. And the heroes are distinct and we are made to care about them as individuals, not just in how they can save the day. I think Clines is becoming a better writer the more he writes. I look forward to the next book in the series because I can't wait to see what the heroes do next, and if they can, indeed, save what is left of the world.

[srearley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Superheroes plus zombies. Kind of a guilty pleasure sort of thing that I almost don't want to admit to having listened to.

Some of the explicit language is a little over the top, and the portrayal of women and minorities is a little lacking, but I suspect that I'm not actually the target audience for this author, and he's writing to please a certain kind of reader. Having said that, I did enjoy, and will listen to the final book in the trilogy whenever it is finally ready....

[jennifer35k · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It seems to be a never ending theme to have the military played as an overbearing organization that suppresses it citizens. Whether it is in the news or in popular movies, it is considered an evil entity. A mass of organized soldiers that move as one unit in order to protect it's citizens efficiently. Often there is a mix of emotions when the military complex is mentioned, either bringing anger or support. What would happen if the military tried to gain control of a small group of people with super human abilities. Mutants in there own right determined to protect humanity. What if both of these groups were reaching for the same goal, but were blinded by power? This story is a continuation of Peter Clines Ex-Heroes series. It is a series about a man named Josh who tragically creates the near death of humanity. This book is not about Josh though, but about his fellow ex-heroes that are determined to save humanity at all costs. It is about there chronic battle with the military or the Ex-Patriots. The story is a constant ride of one wild action after another. Can Josh's peers get him out of prison and can they fight the military complex? Are the hearts of the soldiers in the right place or are they being manipulated by a person in high power?This book was excellent! It was a lot of fun to read and did not loose me at all. In fact I had a difficult time putting it down. I enjoyed the new characters in the book, but must admit I was disappointed about Josh's role in the story. He did not really show up in this book and I am hoping in the third installment he will make a comeback. I have to recommend this book hands down and really feel it is a new experience. I just do not see too many books that are quite like Peter Clines. Therefore I must say a big thank you to both Goodreads and the author for sending me this book. It was well worth it and I want the author to know that he has a real keeper here! Great job author and great job publisher!

[capiam1234 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an extremely fun book to listen to. Even better than Ex-Heroes, this kept me glued to it and as the plot unfolded you start looking back and the subtle hints beforehand and smile as everything comes together.

[smcamp1234 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an extremely fun book to listen to. Even better than Ex-Heroes, this kept me glued to it and as the plot unfolded you start looking back and the subtle hints beforehand and smile as everything comes together.

[sdobie_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Several months after the end of the first book, the heroes are managing to keep life at The Mount fairly stable, when they encounter a drone flying out of a military base in Yuma, Arizona. They establish contact with the base which claims to be taking orders from the remnants of the US government, and wants to integrate the Mount back into the US. The base was also the site of a Captain America-style super-soldier program called "Project Krypton". The heroes come out to Yuma to learn more, and discover some dark secrets behind Project Krypton.This book was still fun, but not quite as entertaining as Ex-Heroes. Except for the leader, Captain Freedom, the Project Krypton soldiers were fairly indistinguishable. The villians were were good though, and there is some good setup for the next entry in the series.

[saltmanz · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Almost (if not quite) as good as the first book, and even answers some of the nagging questions from that volume. The characters remain engaging, and Clines throws a new favorite into the mix.

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just finished this book - what did I think? Absolutely horrible! Horrible that I have dozens of books to read and now I need to add Peter Cline's first book in the series as well as the yet-to-be-released book to my wishlist.Yes, I enjoyed the book - it was fun. The characters were pretty predictable as were the plot twists, but in this case, it was still alright. It was a quick read - or at least I made it a quick read . . . staying up late to get just "one more" chapter in. If you're looking for a light read and you like zombies or superheroes (or better yet, both!) then this is worth your time.

[weaselofdoom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed "Ex-Patriots" more that I did "Ex-Heroes." I think Peter Cline's writing improved from one novel to the next, and some of the things that bothered me in "Ex-Heroes" were not present to the same degree (though the constant reference to Danielle as "the redhead" did get old). It is probably also true that now I know what his writing style is like, and adjust my expectations accordingly.Dragon is still awesome. Stealth gets some humanizing characteristics, finally. We meet super-soldiers. Pop-culture references abound. Some made me laugh out loud, some made me cringe (Nathan Fillion a zombie? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) I did not see the villain coming (though some of what (s)he was able to do is problematic, given her/his super power). Looking forward to "Ex-Communication." Will we finally find out who Zzzap is talking to???

[yoyogod · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As a general rule, I've had just about enough of zombie fiction. There have been so many zombie novels published since the beginning of the current zombie craze that the overall quality has gone downhill. Luckily, Ex-Patriots, is an exception. This was actually a really entertaining book.It's a sequel to his previous zombie novel, Ex-Heroes. The gist of that story is that shortly before the zombie apocalypse began, super heroes started to show up. Unfortunately, they weren't enough to stop the zombie hordes, so after the world ended, the heroes protected the surviving members of humanity in the remains of a Hollywood film studio. They are menaced by a street gang that seems to be able to control the zombies, or exes as they're referred to in the book.Ex-Patriots takes place several months after the previous novel. The heroes are discovered by a nearby military base that was working on a secret super soldier project. Unfortunately, the zombie controlling villain from the previous novel turns out to still be around, along with a new foe.This book has the required gore of any successful zombie novel.It also has a good bit of humor, and some generally likable (and hateable characters). This book--and the first one--are well worth the time of any zombie or superhero fan. Also, apparently there will be a third book, which I eagerly await.

[tanya8dogearedcopy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ex-Patriotsby Peter ClinesPublished 2011 by Broadway PaperbacksWHO: The Ex-Heroes: Stealth, St. George, Zzap and Cerebus, all humans with superhero capabilities…WHAT: continue their vigilance against the zombie (Ex-Human) hoards, organize & execute search & recovery sorties for survivors and supplies, and generally fight the good fight. WHERE: One night, from the command epicenter on the former movie lots in L.A., the Ex-Heroes orchestrate a celebration for the morale of the populace. Fireworks attract the attention of other possible survivors and very quickly the Ex-Heroes find themselves answering to U.S. military authorities at a proving ground near Yuma, Arizona.WHEN: The zombocalypse takes place is real time, as in now: Post-9-11, 21st century now. No technology that is described in the novel is invented. Well, other than Cerebus. Maybe.WHY: The U.S. military appears eager to assume control of the L.A. area in terms of its people, who could possibly shore up the military’s depleted force.HOW: Under the direction of John Smith and Captain Freedom, brains and brawn respectively, the military’s plans look to have better than even odds of succeeding. Is this a good thing?+ Ex-Patriots is a fun, action-packed installent in Clines’ Ex-Heroes planned quatrain. In addition to super heroes fighting zombies, we also have super soldiers, a super villain and a daunting nemesis!+ Peter Clines poses interesting moral and ethical questions, e.g. If a person is wrapped in the Old Red-White-and-Blue, what color hat (black or white) is s/he wearing? and; If you’re forced to do something that you know deep down is wrong, will your head explode? and; What happens, in a disagreement when both parties are right?+ Because both the characters and the situations that they are placed in are unconventional, resolution must also be unconventional, but still within the realm of possibilities that the author has created. Done. Readers will eagerly burn though the pages in anticipation as to how things works out.+ Some in-references to former presidents and Superman…- Characters come a little too close in resemblance to known, trademarked super heroes/villains at times, appearing at best, to be a honorific pastiche; at worst, derivative or unoriginal.- “Five by Five” - In the book, St. George is trying to think of a “good code phrase” to indicate that a person is on the up-and-up. The keywords that he comes up with are “Five by five.” Originally a phrase meaning “loud and clear” by the military in regard to radio and TTY transmissions, the phrase is supposed to convey the same meaning to a specific non-military person, Zzap in this scenario. The reasoning behind this bit of witticism is that Zzap will understanding its meaning having watched DVDs of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But “Five by five” is not a Buffyism. It’s actually in the Angel canon and specifically refers to five groups of torture. If you were a Buffy/Angel fan and you heard that a person was “five by five” you would pee in your pants, cry for your mother and beg for mercy. You would NOT think that the person was okay, on the up-and-up or even “loud and clear”. Am I wrong?SEX/-UALITY, DRUGS, VIOLENCE. : One crudely attempted seduction; No drug usage; Lots of zombie slayage; Raw language directed at the female protags.n.b. The first-in-series is Ex-Heroes. Ex-Patriots is the second book in the planned 4-title series.OTHER: I bought a paperback edition of Ex-Patriots (by Peter Clines) from AMZN. I receive no monies, goods or services in exchange for reviewing the product and/or mentioning any of the persons or companies that are or may be implied in this post.

[tottman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed Peter Clines first zombies vs. superheroes book, Ex-Heroes, but he really takes it up a notch in the second book, Ex-Patriots. The action in this book moves from Hollywood to a secret army base near Yuma, Arizona, where a group of super soldiers has survived and is protecting the small base. Cline takes some of the common zombie tropes (like never trust the army in a zombie film/book) and turns them, not quite upside down, but on their side. He does this in a self-referential way so that the reader is in on it with him. Cline maintains the same style of shifting first-person accounts, as well as alternating between “then” and “now” to fill you in on the backstory and reveal some of the motives and the plot twists along the way. The best part about Ex-Patriots is that being the second book in the series, there is not as much exposition needed and that leaves more room for action. A lot of action.The first part of the book does a good job of setting up the story, creating suspicions and doubts as to who the good guys really are. That leads to the second half of the book as disaster strikes and a nice, long, well-written battle takes place. Some parts are forecast a little bit, but Cilne does a good job of meting out the twists and surprises that make the whole story come together. Sometimes things get a little over the top and testosterone-filled, but we’re talking about superheroes and super soldiers and zombies. A little over the top is to be expected.The characters here are worth rooting for which is what really makes the book work. Along with the new characters, you get to know some of the core characters from the first book even better. This is a great, summer, escapist read. Both this book and the series thus far. I can’t wait to see what the third book has in store. Highly recommended.

[shayrp76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ex- PatriotsPeter ClinesISBN: 978-0-8041-3659-4This is a sequel in a series so please keep that in mind while reading this review.*I won this book through library thing*4 StarsAs the heroes continue to protect the citizens of the Mount from the plague of ex-humans the fact of their dwindling supplies weighs heavily on their minds. It seems the Army, bringing the hope of a rescue that they have all been waiting for, shows up in the nick of time. Even better is the fact that there is a secret base in Arizona and that base is protected by a platoon of super- soldiers. Unfortunately for them to all work together they first must confront the dark secret at the heart of the base and fight an even darker enemy.Getting my complaints out of the way in the beginning seems to work best. First, there are a lot of minor characters to keep track of. After awhile some seemed to just all blend up together in a glob. Luckily they were only minor characters and easily separated from more vital ones. Second, it took me a little while to get into it. That is really just a side not since that was only for the first quarter or so of the novel. It worried me since I really liked Ex-Heroes. The characters’ unique personalities have to be the biggest positive. The heroes are so different but they work so well together. Their weaknesses are also more apparent which only makes them seem more vivid and either likable or not. Of course the action is another major positive point. There is no shortage of nail biting fight scenes and they are so well described that I could easily imagine it all in my head as I read along. As a zombie fan I will always appreciate when someone does something unique with the genre and the author pulls that off again. I absolutely recommend this novel. If you haven’t read Ex-Heroes….what are you waiting for?

[stefferoo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A follow-up just as fun and fluffy as the first book. I kinda liked how it was deliberately cliched and even poked fun at itself for it ("The Army in zombie movies is always evil!") and all the satirical references to superheroes. Lots of very humorous pop culture references, though it will probably date this book and put a limit on its shelf life.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in the Ex-Heroes series by Clines. I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was incredibly well done. They have different actors for the characters and the story is very well done. I thought this book was even better than the first book, I really enjoyed it. The third book in this series, Ex-Commincation, is tentatively scheduled for a December 2012 release.St. George the Mighty Dragon, Stealth, Zzzap, and Cerberus have been doing their best to protect the citizens of the Mount from the Ex-Humans dwelling outside of the Mount’s walls. Food is growing scarcer but things are going okay. That is until the military shows up with the supersoliders. The military claims they want to help the people of the Mount and join forces with Stealth and crew to protect humans and re-build America. But seriously, have you ever heard of the military being good and helpful after an apocalypse?This book was even better than the first. Like the first book it goes between Then and Now. The Then parts tell the story of the creation of the super-soldiers. The Now parts tell about the superheroes dealings with the military. The plot was put together better than the first book, more complex and interwoven, and really action packed which was very engaging. We get to know our favorite super-heroes even better and I enjoyed every second of it.What really impressed with this book were the layers of deception. Stealth and crew encounter so many layers of deceit as they deal with the army; nothing ends up as you think it will and everything is more complex than it first seems. Even though St. George is willing to give the army the benefit of the doubt as a reader you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop the whole time.Our favorite super-heroes all grow to some extent in this story (as much as can be expected in a pulp-fiction kind of story like this). Stealth is learning to act more human and Ceberus is dealing with her fear of being out of her armor. All of them are pushed to the very limits of their powers, yet always seem to be just powerful enough. A lot of the action scenes were very awesome and it was wonderful to Stealth in full battle-mode...she kicked butt a number of times. We meet some great new characters. The Driver is introduced, he can take over machinery and wear it like a body. We also meet the lead super-soldier Captain Freedom; he was a bit too cookie-cutter Captain America for me...but it worked for the story. I hope he developes into a more interesting character in future installments.The story wraps up nicely, as with the first book, and I can't wait to read future installments. These books have been fun action-packed reads set in an interesting post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world. They are well done and just plain fun.Overall I enjoyed this installment in the Ex-Heroes series. These are fun books, well-written, and just plain entertaining. The audiobook quality was exceptional. We get to see our favorite superheroes at the top of their game, lots of action, and a fast-paced and unpredictable plot add to the enjoyment. We also get to meet some great new characters. I enjoyed this book. I recommend to people who like action packed super-hero stories. This is also a good book for all those zombie fans out there.

[cmwilson101 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ex-Patriots by Peter Clines is book two in the Ex-Heroes series, and continues the series on the excellent note which it began. If anything, it is better than the first book, because the characters gain more depth and thus become more sympathetic and human (the heroes were, after all, human to begin with). If you are not familiar with the Ex-Heroes series, it is a surprisingly good post-apocalyptic series. Surprising, because the plot in essence is superheroes v. zombies, which quite honestly sounds too comic-booky to be a good story. However, the author does a beautiful job of making the story & characters plausible. The superheroes are all normal people who have changed genetically in some way, but they retain their essential humanness; certainly, they have human failings, desires, convictions, and emotions. The bulk of them have dedicated their lives to helping out normal humans, and when a plague causes things to go horribly wrong, the superheroes lay their lives on the line to protect what's left of the human race. Ex-Patriots continues a bit after Ex-Heroes concluded. The inhabitants of the Mount set of fireworks to celebrate their increasing safety & stability, despite the hordes of zombies which surround them. The fireworks draw the attention of another group of survivors....and our heroes need to work out whether this is a good or bad thing. As with Ex-Heroes, the bulk of the story occurs in the present, with the back story occurring in the form of "then" chapters interspersed within the "now" chapters. All in all, a very good, entertaining read.