The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor (2011)

Sex :   Violence : 

Author Robert Kirkman, Jay Bonansinga
Publisher St. Martin's Paperbacks
Length 343 pages
Genre Zombie
Blurb NA
Country

Review

The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor

"We're all gonna be fit as fucking fiddles after a few days in this place." - Philip Blake

Philip Blake along with his brother Brian, daughter Penny, and mates Nick and Bobby are adrift in the zombie apocalypse. There's an idea of making it to Atlanta, and possible safety, but first they have to negotiate the Georgia hinterland which seems to be awash with "monsters". Not everyone is going to make it, and as it turns out Atlanta isn't the sort after haven they expected, though they do find fellow survivors in the city.

Adrift once again, Philip isn't exactly sanity's pinup boy and the team outlive their welcome in the big smoke, things go from worse to diabolic as the group discover it isn't only the walking dead you need to worry about. Philip goes from slightly psychotic to outright looney tunes, made worse by yet another death in the group. A surprise shock for Walking Dead fans segways into what is left of Philip's group finally finding some sort of dubious sanctuary in the Woodbury gated community.

Robert Kirkman has conquered the comic book market and the television shoals with his Walking Dead franchise, so it was only a matter of time before he explored other avenues, though I must admit to having pegged movies as the next step. With Rise of the Governor Kirkman ventures into the novel arena, focusing in the first book on one of the more sinister bad guys from the comic books and television series, which is to be applauded. Fans have been screaming out for more background details on the Governor, especially an explanation as to how he developed into a psycho, Kirkman has clearly listened and with his first series of books gives the clambering fanatics exactly what they want. The major questions remaining of course being does the novel justify the purchase price and is it worth you taking time out of your busy schedule to get down and dirty with it, hell yes would be my answer, okay lets crack the pages.

So the novel is never going to win any writing awards, the narrative isn't outstanding, leaving Shakespeare fanatics with nothing to be worried about. I would describe the prose style as competent, you are not going to be taken out of your read by jarring combinations of words or indeed overwrought descriptions, but equally English majors are not going to have their world rocked. Kirkman and Bonansinga know how to get down in the trenches with the action, supply enough character development to have us believing, and keep their pacing flowing at a natural beat. So in essence we're talking a summer read, you know the sort of book you pick up during the holidays, wade through in a few days, and are pretty happy with overall. I can dig that, then again I'm more your beer and pretzels kind of reader, I've read enough "literature" in my life to have earn some quality time in the penny dreadful neck of the bookstore wood.

For those with veteran status, you have read the comic books and watched the television show, Rise of the Governor explains something a few people have asked about in season four. Sorry not about to give up any spoilers, but there's one hell of a twist coming at you toward the end of the novel that will knock your socks off. Always an advantage when a novel pulls off a major twist that you simply don't see coming. Other than that we find out how Penny was turned, why the Governor is completely sociopathic, and get introduced to a few characters we are already familiar with. The novel journeys with the Blake bros across Georgia, taking a few detours, before winding up in Woodbury at journey's end; a second novel continues the story from there.

There's been a deal of bad criticism aimed at the novel which in and off itself is not defensible, given a few Critics seem to have wanted to hate on the narrative prior to rocking on up to page one. In particular a rape scene in Atlanta is singled out for questioning. While no doubt anyone reading would also find rape abhorrent, the scene is a required step in the crew's Woodbury fate. The particulars are not inserted for any sort of exploitative effect, they go to underpin the character of Philip Blake and just how far off the rung of normal behaviour he has landed, as the current situation threatens to overwhelm him. I leave it to the individual reader to determine for themselves whether or not the scene is required, I don't write reviews in a didactic fashion, I leave that to Critics with egos about the size of Nebraska.

So clearly the sex isn't of outstanding importance to the novel, pervs may need to get their kicks somewhere else, with the ladies getting short shift in this sausage orientated tale of zombie woe. Even Penny, the Governor's daughter, is reduced to a semi-comatose character with no real purpose in the novel beyond being a plot point. Which is strange given Kirkman has previously created well rounded and strong female characters in the graphic novels. Maybe the writers didn't want any maternal influences hindering their central character's forging as one of the foremost villains in The Walking Dead universe?

Violence is to the forefront of the novel, as one would reasonably expect from a book with Kirkman's name across the cover. Things kick off in style with our group of survivors dealing with a household of re-animated corpses, and to be honest it doesn't let up much from there. The zombies are a clear and present danger, though once again Kirkman nails the concept of you having more to worry about than the local ghouls with an extreme case of the munchies. Gorehounds prepare to howl at the moon, though it should be added that there's whole passages without violence as the Writers focus on the changes going on within the group dynamic and in particular how this affects individual characters.

Whether or not Rise of the Governor is simply another outlet for Walking Dead fans depends on your reading preferences. I like a good zombie outing regardless of franchise so was digging this one, it being set in Kirkman's post apocalypse universe was an added bonus but not necessarily a deal maker. To make it clear you don't need to be immersed in The Walking Dead franchise to dig this book, but It does add some cool depth to the comics and television show.

I had a fun time reading Rise of the Governor. For sure it's not quality literature or likely to make any university's English department reading list, but then if that's the only sort of books available the world would be a far less rich place. If after a decent read set in the zombie post apocalypse then dig on in this book really knows how to put it together to make a believable world. Recommended kids, besides how else are you going to find out about how the Gov came to be as he is.

Beyond Scary Rates this read as ...

  Fingers crossed this is the beginning of a whole series of books dealing with secondary Walking Dead characters.