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Reapers #2
Exit Kingdom
In a world where the undead outnumber the living, Moses Todd roams the post-apocalyptic plains of America. His reprobate brother, Abraham — his only companion — has known little else. Together, they journey because they have to; because they have nowhere to go, and no one to answer to other than themselves.
Traveling the bloody wastelands of this ruined world, Moses is looking for a kernel of truth, and a reason to keep going. And a chance encounter presents him with the Vestal Amata, a beguiling and mysterious woman who may hold the key to salvation. But he is not the only one seeking the Vestal. For the Vestal has a gift: a gift that might help save what is left of humanity. And it may take everything he has to free her from the clutches of those who most desire her.
Traveling the bloody wastelands of this ruined world, Moses is looking for a kernel of truth, and a reason to keep going. And a chance encounter presents him with the Vestal Amata, a beguiling and mysterious woman who may hold the key to salvation. But he is not the only one seeking the Vestal. For the Vestal has a gift: a gift that might help save what is left of humanity. And it may take everything he has to free her from the clutches of those who most desire her.
306 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2012
About the author
Alden Bell
5 books265 followersAlden Bell is a pseudonym for Joshua Gaylord, whose first novel, Hummingbirds, was released in Fall '09. He teaches at a New York City prep school and is an adjunct professor at The New School. He lives in New York City with his wife, the Edgar Award-winning mystery writer, Megan Abbott.
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September 23, 2021
my god, i loved this.
i loved every single moment of it.
ceridwen has written a great review for this, naturally, and she was amazing enough to send me her copy. i am sad she didn't love it as much as i did, but she's got zombie standards, and for me, i was just so grateful to get this book, I can only echo her plea:
America, why you no publish Exit Kingdom?
this book is another zombie-but-not-zombie book. this is more like a survival story, or a quest story in a world in which there happen to also be zombies. the zombies are not the focus, not by a long shot. these zombies are more like background noise; most of them are too slow to be a real threat, and the story takes place in the foreground of a ruined world where it is a struggle to trust, to protect, to exist.
it takes the shape of a traditional literary western; a man (nearly) alone in a ruined land, short on words, but long on contemplation. it is no accident that bell references cormac mccarthy, william faulkner, daniel woodrell, and tom franklin in his author exit interview.
moses is his brother abraham's keeper. fifteen years separate them and only one parent connects them. abraham was so young when the zombies happened, he doesn't remember what the world was like before. he had a rough childhood, shuttled between foster homes, and he has developed into someone with bad habits and inclinations, and moses looks out for him, while he protects others from him.
on their travels, they meet a woman who is impervious to zombies. not impervious, exactly, but someone the zombies do not approach. to them, she might as well not be there at all. she has escaped from carnies to live among the ultra-religious, who now want to send her away to a safe place, to figure her out, where her former captors cannot find her. so now moses has two purposes.
the vestal, as she is known at the beginning of the book, is a very changeable person. she is slippery with her past and with her beliefs, both fragile and tough. and moses has to help her travel safely, and protect her from his brother.
this scene, and the scenes which connect to it, are probably my favorite in the book, just after the vestal discovers a snow-buried pond.
this zombie in the ice becomes symbolic to moses, and a pivotal, title-generating conversation occurs over him on the following night as he gapes blankly up at moses and the vestal. and, of course, in this world, nothing goes as we plan or expect. do yourself a favor and don't click on this spoiler-quote unless you have already read this or have no intention to ever read this because your eyes have just fallen out (which is really the only reason why i could see you not wanting to read this book, because i doubt an audio version is forthcoming), or if you have the memory of a babyfish.
such a beautifully written, frustrating scene. overall, the zombies in this book are just... sad. a different zombie, here:
i love the unexpected tenderness. i love the whole tone of the novel - it soothed me, if that makes any sense, the way moses soothed that zombie.
i wish i hadn't read The Reapers Are the Angels so long ago, because the parts i really remember from that book are not the moses parts, and while i can remember bits of his story here and there, there are a couple of things i wish i could remember with more clarity. this book straddles reapers. the action takes place before moses and abraham met temple, but he is telling the story at a point in time after she has had her effect upon them. so there is a bit of both at work here.
and i just can't stop quoting.
i found it really difficult to write this review, because i liked the book so much, but it is a gut-like, where everything in the book just feels right to me. so it's hard to share that liking with you. but i tried. oh, and i have to say: fantastic battle scene. really. really great.
amen, brother...
for ceridwen, who did not read the afterword, i add this excerpt from the author interview:
Had you always planned to write a prequel to The Reapers Are the Angels?
No. Reapers was meant to be a stand-alone book. But, after I had spent some time away from it, I discovered I had a little more to say about that world. Also, I was intrigued by the idea of approaching the same landscape from a different perspective - taking a secondary character from Reapers and turning him into the primary character of Exit Kingdom. If I were to write a third book, I think I would do the same - maybe telling the story from the Vestal's perspective.
Do you miss Temple, the protagonist from The Reapers Are the Angels?
Definitely. But I don't believe in returning to a character or place or story just because I liked it a lot the first time around. I would imagine it's difficult for writers to do a book series without it becoming a dog and pony show, without falling back on old tricks. I would be afraid of attenuating Temple. Sometimes the best way you show respect for a character is to leave her alone.
CERIDWEN, MAYBE YOU WILL GET A BOOK ABOUT YOUR BELOVED VESTAL AFTER ALL!! but everything else makes sense, to me. i just wish he would write faster. and write what i want. all the time.
come to my blog!
i loved every single moment of it.
ceridwen has written a great review for this, naturally, and she was amazing enough to send me her copy. i am sad she didn't love it as much as i did, but she's got zombie standards, and for me, i was just so grateful to get this book, I can only echo her plea:
America, why you no publish Exit Kingdom?
this book is another zombie-but-not-zombie book. this is more like a survival story, or a quest story in a world in which there happen to also be zombies. the zombies are not the focus, not by a long shot. these zombies are more like background noise; most of them are too slow to be a real threat, and the story takes place in the foreground of a ruined world where it is a struggle to trust, to protect, to exist.
it takes the shape of a traditional literary western; a man (nearly) alone in a ruined land, short on words, but long on contemplation. it is no accident that bell references cormac mccarthy, william faulkner, daniel woodrell, and tom franklin in his author exit interview.
There is not a person in sight, living or dead. Sometimes it can be this way - just quiet and still. The sound of a breeze through the high grasses, the creak of an unoiled barn door, the sandy brush of dust blown across an abandoned macadam road. Sometimes there is nothing for miles and miles around to remind you of the way things used to be. The world is so big - the amount of empty space is deafening. Who could of learned to live on this vast and poisonous air? What kind of man?
To end up at this place. Moses has gone wrong somewhere
moses is his brother abraham's keeper. fifteen years separate them and only one parent connects them. abraham was so young when the zombies happened, he doesn't remember what the world was like before. he had a rough childhood, shuttled between foster homes, and he has developed into someone with bad habits and inclinations, and moses looks out for him, while he protects others from him.
on their travels, they meet a woman who is impervious to zombies. not impervious, exactly, but someone the zombies do not approach. to them, she might as well not be there at all. she has escaped from carnies to live among the ultra-religious, who now want to send her away to a safe place, to figure her out, where her former captors cannot find her. so now moses has two purposes.
the vestal, as she is known at the beginning of the book, is a very changeable person. she is slippery with her past and with her beliefs, both fragile and tough. and moses has to help her travel safely, and protect her from his brother.
this scene, and the scenes which connect to it, are probably my favorite in the book, just after the vestal discovers a snow-buried pond.
They can see the place where the Vestal slipped, the snow has been dusted away from the surface of the ice, leaving a clear patch.
Look, she says and points. Slug under glass.
They gather around the cleared patch and look down. The ice is clear, and caught under it, like some kind of horrible fish in an aquarium, is the face of a dead man gazing up at them. His body has gone soft and bloated from being underwater for so long, his eyes milky, his flesh gone pale, nibbled at by fishes, his skin peeled off and floating around him like a nest of seaweed. They could have thought him just straight dead if it weren't for the fact that his eyes are blinking up at them sluggishly. As they watch, the dead man raises a hand to them, his movements slow, made almost ghostly by the freezing water in which he is entombed. He places his palm against the undersurface of the ice.
Moses knows it to be a grasp of hunger, but because the dead man doesn't seem to be able to bend his stiffened fingers, the outspread palm looks like a gesture of greeting or welcome. The eyes continue to blink, slowly.
It is pathetic and awful, the slug trapped underwater and undrownable - like a man staring up
at them from the very mouth of the void, waving his goodbyes as he descends, floating down peaceful into the great black.
There is a darkness to nature - the unhurried ways of birth and death.
this zombie in the ice becomes symbolic to moses, and a pivotal, title-generating conversation occurs over him on the following night as he gapes blankly up at moses and the vestal. and, of course, in this world, nothing goes as we plan or expect. do yourself a favor and don't click on this spoiler-quote unless you have already read this or have no intention to ever read this because your eyes have just fallen out (which is really the only reason why i could see you not wanting to read this book, because i doubt an audio version is forthcoming), or if you have the memory of a babyfish.
such a beautifully written, frustrating scene. overall, the zombies in this book are just... sad. a different zombie, here:
The dead man reaches for Moses, opening his mouth. There is no smell to him, dried up and frozen as he is, and Moses can see the shrivelled tongue in the well of his mouth, the cracked grey palate, the teeth turned to chalky stone.
The arms grasp for him, but Moses gets to the man's side and reaches one arm around the back of his torso to keep the arms lowered. It is a gentle gesture, almost like a brother's embrace. The dead man looks confused. He tried to rotate his head to a position where he might get a bite out of Moses, but the neck doesn't allow such range.
Be still now, Moses says quietly.
Then he takes the knife in his free hand, unfolds it, and raises it in front of the dead man's face.
Close your eyes, Moses says to him. It is tender, the process, like a surgery or a baptism or a sudden kindness. Close your eyes now, he says.
He raises the knife to within an inch of one of the eyes, and the dead man instinctively closes them. He is peaceful now, his mouth still open but more by muscle slack than appetite. And then, with quick precision, Moses thrusts the knife deep into the man's eye socket. A little dribble of fluid, neither pus nor blood, spills from the burst orb of the eyeball - and then the man's whole body goes limp.
i love the unexpected tenderness. i love the whole tone of the novel - it soothed me, if that makes any sense, the way moses soothed that zombie.
i wish i hadn't read The Reapers Are the Angels so long ago, because the parts i really remember from that book are not the moses parts, and while i can remember bits of his story here and there, there are a couple of things i wish i could remember with more clarity. this book straddles reapers. the action takes place before moses and abraham met temple, but he is telling the story at a point in time after she has had her effect upon them. so there is a bit of both at work here.
and i just can't stop quoting.
There is arbitrary death by nature, which Moses recognizes is everyone's equally shared hazard. And then there is arbitrary death by the foolishness of man. And this is something Moses cannot stomach.
i found it really difficult to write this review, because i liked the book so much, but it is a gut-like, where everything in the book just feels right to me. so it's hard to share that liking with you. but i tried. oh, and i have to say: fantastic battle scene. really. really great.
When everything is still once more, Moses releases his grip on the wheel and checks himself for broken bones. There is blood all over his face and hands, but he does not know who it belongs to.Some of it could be his - but the ownership of blood is a sucker's guess in such a sanguine world.
amen, brother...
for ceridwen, who did not read the afterword, i add this excerpt from the author interview:
Had you always planned to write a prequel to The Reapers Are the Angels?
No. Reapers was meant to be a stand-alone book. But, after I had spent some time away from it, I discovered I had a little more to say about that world. Also, I was intrigued by the idea of approaching the same landscape from a different perspective - taking a secondary character from Reapers and turning him into the primary character of Exit Kingdom. If I were to write a third book, I think I would do the same - maybe telling the story from the Vestal's perspective.
Do you miss Temple, the protagonist from The Reapers Are the Angels?
Definitely. But I don't believe in returning to a character or place or story just because I liked it a lot the first time around. I would imagine it's difficult for writers to do a book series without it becoming a dog and pony show, without falling back on old tricks. I would be afraid of attenuating Temple. Sometimes the best way you show respect for a character is to leave her alone.
CERIDWEN, MAYBE YOU WILL GET A BOOK ABOUT YOUR BELOVED VESTAL AFTER ALL!! but everything else makes sense, to me. i just wish he would write faster. and write what i want. all the time.
come to my blog! 
November 5, 2012
Almost two years ago, when I picked up a book called The Reapers Are the Angels (mostly because I liked the title), I never dreamed reading it would be such a life-changing, earth-shattering experience. Not only did Alden Bell (pseudonym for Joshua Gaylord, author of Hummingbirds) take everything I thought I knew about genre fiction and turn it upside down, but his main characters, Temple and Moses (and what an odd pair they are) became permanent residents in my thoughts and in my heart.
Exit Kingdom is not a sequel, but a companion novel – a prequel in some ways – loosely connected through two characters: Moses and his paternal half-brother Abraham. The story begins after the events of The Reapers: Moses and Maury are sitting around a bonfire with some survivors and Moses is answering questions about their travels. When asked whether he believes in God, Moses offers to tell a story about his early adventures – one that explains why he knows with absolute certainty that God truly exists.
Like The Reapers, Exit Kingdom is very much a road novel, still influenced by Cormac McCarthy and William Faulkner among others, but the philosophy hidden within is somewhat different. Temple was a ray of hope in an otherwise hopeless world, and Moses’ perspective seems rather bleak in comparison. Many factors caused this huge difference between them, but the most important one, the one that Bell himself keeps pointing out in the few interviews that can be found, is that Temple was born in a world infested with slugs, while Moses still remembers what life was like before.
Bell’s writing is unusual and breathtaking: he skillfully uses language to create the right atmosphere and to bring his readers closer to a world where education had to take the back seat to survival. It’s interesting that a language can deteriorate so badly and still be so beautiful. Add to that Moses’ unusual way of speaking – for even the most mundane sentences become noteworthy coming from his mouth – and you’ll get a prose piece that is distinctive and impossible to forget.
My brother and I, Moses says, we’re hard to offend, friar. You likely couldn’t stumble by accident upon the offence to us – you’d have to give it your full effort and strategy. So don’t fret yourself on that account. We’re happy to get whatever you feel like offerin. And we’re happy to offer services in exchange.
Exit Kingdom is a story about God, or the absence of God, but it is not a religious story. God, like beauty, is very much in the eye of the beholder. Where one sees chaos, another sees harmony. Where one sees apocalypse, another sees rebirth. I think the last sentence (it’s not a spoiler, not at all relevant to our story), will tell you more about this book than I have in this entire review:
Half the travelers are killed, but half survive.
Exit Kingdom is not a sequel, but a companion novel – a prequel in some ways – loosely connected through two characters: Moses and his paternal half-brother Abraham. The story begins after the events of The Reapers: Moses and Maury are sitting around a bonfire with some survivors and Moses is answering questions about their travels. When asked whether he believes in God, Moses offers to tell a story about his early adventures – one that explains why he knows with absolute certainty that God truly exists.
Like The Reapers, Exit Kingdom is very much a road novel, still influenced by Cormac McCarthy and William Faulkner among others, but the philosophy hidden within is somewhat different. Temple was a ray of hope in an otherwise hopeless world, and Moses’ perspective seems rather bleak in comparison. Many factors caused this huge difference between them, but the most important one, the one that Bell himself keeps pointing out in the few interviews that can be found, is that Temple was born in a world infested with slugs, while Moses still remembers what life was like before.
Bell’s writing is unusual and breathtaking: he skillfully uses language to create the right atmosphere and to bring his readers closer to a world where education had to take the back seat to survival. It’s interesting that a language can deteriorate so badly and still be so beautiful. Add to that Moses’ unusual way of speaking – for even the most mundane sentences become noteworthy coming from his mouth – and you’ll get a prose piece that is distinctive and impossible to forget.
My brother and I, Moses says, we’re hard to offend, friar. You likely couldn’t stumble by accident upon the offence to us – you’d have to give it your full effort and strategy. So don’t fret yourself on that account. We’re happy to get whatever you feel like offerin. And we’re happy to offer services in exchange.
Exit Kingdom is a story about God, or the absence of God, but it is not a religious story. God, like beauty, is very much in the eye of the beholder. Where one sees chaos, another sees harmony. Where one sees apocalypse, another sees rebirth. I think the last sentence (it’s not a spoiler, not at all relevant to our story), will tell you more about this book than I have in this entire review:
Half the travelers are killed, but half survive.
July 23, 2022
Another winner from Alden Bell, this one is a kind of prequel to The Reapers Are The Angels which I loved (I say "kind of" because it's important to read Reapers first, weird I know but trust me). This time
Moses tells the story of his life before he and his unpredictable brother Abraham met Temple, though he is narrating it after the events that brought them together. Again this is written as a literary western/road novel, lyrical and evocative, I perhaps didn't love it as much as Reapers but it's still a cracker.
Moses tells the story of his life before he and his unpredictable brother Abraham met Temple, though he is narrating it after the events that brought them together. Again this is written as a literary western/road novel, lyrical and evocative, I perhaps didn't love it as much as Reapers but it's still a cracker.
March 6, 2013
3.5 stars
Ok, first of all what the hell is up with that cover? In what world is Moses Todd supposed to look like a refugee from a paranormal romance series airing on the CW? Not in mine, that’s for sure.
Alright, now that that’s off my chest we can continue. What we have here is the sequel/prequel to Bell’s initial foray into the zombie apocalypse The Reapers Are the Angels. This time around we follow former secondary characters Moses Todd and his brother in their rambles across a ravaged America prior to their meeting with Temple from the first book. As I implied in my review of Reapers Moses was really more of an antagonist to Temple than a villain, so seeing him fleshed out further here didn’t come across as either: a) a betrayal of the character’s nature or b) a picture of a completely unsympathetic anti-hero. Bell was even able to make Moses’ brother Abraham, not much more than a vile snake in the first book, at least have explanations for his character and behaviour that made sense and turned him into something more approximating a human being. In addition to these two characters, and a varied assortment of post-apocalyptic survivor misfits in supporting roles, we have the new character of ‘The Vestal’ something of a throw-back to Temple in that she is a strong female able to take care of herself, though different in that she is no warrior, but rather one who deploys the more traditional feminine charms in her defense along with a unique condition that makes her survival in zombie-world easier than it is for most.
Once again we have a road-trip/quest (I wonder whether other types of story are possible/interesting in the zombie apocalypse context?) with the delivery of a person somewhere as the end goal. This time it is up to the brothers Todd to deliver the Vestal to an enclave of civilization in Colorado in order for the powers that be to find out what makes her tick. Once again we have a detailed meditation on the character of the shattered landscape of America with a view to the kind of individuals that are able to thrive, or at least endure, as survivors in a blighted world. It’s interesting to see brought into even sharper focus that fact that the walking dead aren't even the biggest problem for this world. They are almost laughable in the ease with which they can be avoided (unless you're caught off-guard or cornered by sheer numbers), and as usual it is the humans who survive from whom there is the most to fear. Bell has an interesting way, yet again, of ruminating on the fact that the zombies aren’t really evil, perhaps they aren’t even an unholy plague, they’re just another set of obstacles in life that one either contends with or is consumed by (literally in this case). Once again we have the lilting Southern Gothic voice that tinges the text with biblical and oratorical significance and that is very pleasant to read.
There’s a lot of “once agains” there, and they’re not completely meant to be derogatory. The story is a good one and I enjoy Bell’s writing enough that I don’t mind “more of the same” in this world. I’m not sure if Moses is as successful a central character as Temple was though, and I think I preferred his much more ambiguous characterization in the first novel. It’s interesting to once again see someone who actually fits in better in this wasted world than he ever did before the fall, though unlike Temple he was not born into the apocalypse and thus can have moments of regret for what has been lost, at least on the personal if not the societal level. The search for purpose is a theme that looms large in both books, though even the attaining of purpose isn’t always enough to keep one sane. In Moses we see a man driven by two things: the need to protect his corrupt brother from the lawful retribution of the world at large, and the need to follow a personal code to the exclusion of all else, even good sense or happiness. Without the code Moses is just a drifter prey to illusions brought on by emotion and desire, though he doesn’t seem to appreciate that he may have built his purpose on illusions of his own.
All in all I liked the tale and if you’re a fan of the zombie apocalypse you should like this one. Bell mixes some philosophical musings and lyrical prose in with his blood-spattered gore and harsh violence so there’s more than just an edge of your seat adventure to be gotten from the book. I don’t think it’s quite as successful as the first volume, though I’m not quite sure why. Still, a truly enjoyable read when all is said and done.
Ok, first of all what the hell is up with that cover? In what world is Moses Todd supposed to look like a refugee from a paranormal romance series airing on the CW? Not in mine, that’s for sure.
Alright, now that that’s off my chest we can continue. What we have here is the sequel/prequel to Bell’s initial foray into the zombie apocalypse The Reapers Are the Angels. This time around we follow former secondary characters Moses Todd and his brother in their rambles across a ravaged America prior to their meeting with Temple from the first book. As I implied in my review of Reapers Moses was really more of an antagonist to Temple than a villain, so seeing him fleshed out further here didn’t come across as either: a) a betrayal of the character’s nature or b) a picture of a completely unsympathetic anti-hero. Bell was even able to make Moses’ brother Abraham, not much more than a vile snake in the first book, at least have explanations for his character and behaviour that made sense and turned him into something more approximating a human being. In addition to these two characters, and a varied assortment of post-apocalyptic survivor misfits in supporting roles, we have the new character of ‘The Vestal’ something of a throw-back to Temple in that she is a strong female able to take care of herself, though different in that she is no warrior, but rather one who deploys the more traditional feminine charms in her defense along with a unique condition that makes her survival in zombie-world easier than it is for most.
Once again we have a road-trip/quest (I wonder whether other types of story are possible/interesting in the zombie apocalypse context?) with the delivery of a person somewhere as the end goal. This time it is up to the brothers Todd to deliver the Vestal to an enclave of civilization in Colorado in order for the powers that be to find out what makes her tick. Once again we have a detailed meditation on the character of the shattered landscape of America with a view to the kind of individuals that are able to thrive, or at least endure, as survivors in a blighted world. It’s interesting to see brought into even sharper focus that fact that the walking dead aren't even the biggest problem for this world. They are almost laughable in the ease with which they can be avoided (unless you're caught off-guard or cornered by sheer numbers), and as usual it is the humans who survive from whom there is the most to fear. Bell has an interesting way, yet again, of ruminating on the fact that the zombies aren’t really evil, perhaps they aren’t even an unholy plague, they’re just another set of obstacles in life that one either contends with or is consumed by (literally in this case). Once again we have the lilting Southern Gothic voice that tinges the text with biblical and oratorical significance and that is very pleasant to read.
There’s a lot of “once agains” there, and they’re not completely meant to be derogatory. The story is a good one and I enjoy Bell’s writing enough that I don’t mind “more of the same” in this world. I’m not sure if Moses is as successful a central character as Temple was though, and I think I preferred his much more ambiguous characterization in the first novel. It’s interesting to once again see someone who actually fits in better in this wasted world than he ever did before the fall, though unlike Temple he was not born into the apocalypse and thus can have moments of regret for what has been lost, at least on the personal if not the societal level. The search for purpose is a theme that looms large in both books, though even the attaining of purpose isn’t always enough to keep one sane. In Moses we see a man driven by two things: the need to protect his corrupt brother from the lawful retribution of the world at large, and the need to follow a personal code to the exclusion of all else, even good sense or happiness. Without the code Moses is just a drifter prey to illusions brought on by emotion and desire, though he doesn’t seem to appreciate that he may have built his purpose on illusions of his own.
All in all I liked the tale and if you’re a fan of the zombie apocalypse you should like this one. Bell mixes some philosophical musings and lyrical prose in with his blood-spattered gore and harsh violence so there’s more than just an edge of your seat adventure to be gotten from the book. I don’t think it’s quite as successful as the first volume, though I’m not quite sure why. Still, a truly enjoyable read when all is said and done.
January 3, 2013
Exit Kingdom is not The Reapers are the Angels. It is not even trying to be Reapers, and for good reason: there is no point in rehashing an almost perfect book (or any book for that matter). Alden Bell wants to tell a new story, to see "this ruined globe" from a new perspective and see what else can be discerned of the world and existence. Where Reapers uses Temple as the gateway to discovering the beautiful and miraculous amidst horror and chaos, Kingdom uses Moses Todd in order to examine darkness upon the new frontier. Todd's story is louder, more brutal, less refined and looser in its delivery. The language isn't as tight, the hyperbole heightened, and a sentimentality that seemed completely vacant from the first novel. But these are not necessarily weaknesses in the text.
Moses is a very different character than Temple, and this is his story, told by him, as a man still unable to completely come to terms with the post-apocalyptic world he is now part of. He might claim to feel more at home in this blighted landscape, but his sentimentality and appeals to American frontier mythology suggest that he is far from comfortable with either where he was or where he is. Where Temple is at home in the post-apocalyptic landscape, Moses is homeless, an outsider who has never fit. It makes some sense, then, that the novel itself seems a bit hard to place alongside Reapers. That difficulty only seems to add to the complex study of order and chaos going on in Bell's world. We shouldn't feel completely comfortable with these novels being in the same world, we should feel some rough edges, some disharmony and annoyance that these two stories don't perfectly gel with each other.
At its heart, Exit Kingdom is a western/frontier story. Bell is probing the American myth of the Frontier and the West, to again challenge our own constructed history and narrative patterns. But he acknowledges the power of that Frontier mythology, for Moses is sentimental about the past and about mourning lost times and people. While the proverbial "Glory Days" were pretty awful in their reality, part of him wants some of those myths to be true. The book is an interesting project, particularly in a post-apocalyptic landscape which offers a new frontier that American mythology is always searching for. We get it in the form of undead devastation and the collapse of civilization as we know it. Now we get to see just how awesome it really is to live the Frontier myth. Just kidding, it's not awesome at all; it really sucks and horrific and we should actually jettison all those bull crap notions of heroic explorers and triumphant settlers and virgin lands tamed by rugged men with more brawn than brains. The Frontier is the Heart of Darkness, with Moses as another Marlow. He won't be the last Marlow either, which should give us some serious pause.
This is a conflicted novel. The whole objective of the project seems somewhat doomed from the start, which both works for and against it. Bell is juggling a lot of complicated components and I don't think he pulls it off as expertly as his debut. But this is a noble effort that holds some really marvelous moments that have me thinking enough to leave me pleased and willing to revisit this tale again in the future.
Moses is a very different character than Temple, and this is his story, told by him, as a man still unable to completely come to terms with the post-apocalyptic world he is now part of. He might claim to feel more at home in this blighted landscape, but his sentimentality and appeals to American frontier mythology suggest that he is far from comfortable with either where he was or where he is. Where Temple is at home in the post-apocalyptic landscape, Moses is homeless, an outsider who has never fit. It makes some sense, then, that the novel itself seems a bit hard to place alongside Reapers. That difficulty only seems to add to the complex study of order and chaos going on in Bell's world. We shouldn't feel completely comfortable with these novels being in the same world, we should feel some rough edges, some disharmony and annoyance that these two stories don't perfectly gel with each other.
At its heart, Exit Kingdom is a western/frontier story. Bell is probing the American myth of the Frontier and the West, to again challenge our own constructed history and narrative patterns. But he acknowledges the power of that Frontier mythology, for Moses is sentimental about the past and about mourning lost times and people. While the proverbial "Glory Days" were pretty awful in their reality, part of him wants some of those myths to be true. The book is an interesting project, particularly in a post-apocalyptic landscape which offers a new frontier that American mythology is always searching for. We get it in the form of undead devastation and the collapse of civilization as we know it. Now we get to see just how awesome it really is to live the Frontier myth. Just kidding, it's not awesome at all; it really sucks and horrific and we should actually jettison all those bull crap notions of heroic explorers and triumphant settlers and virgin lands tamed by rugged men with more brawn than brains. The Frontier is the Heart of Darkness, with Moses as another Marlow. He won't be the last Marlow either, which should give us some serious pause.
This is a conflicted novel. The whole objective of the project seems somewhat doomed from the start, which both works for and against it. Bell is juggling a lot of complicated components and I don't think he pulls it off as expertly as his debut. But this is a noble effort that holds some really marvelous moments that have me thinking enough to leave me pleased and willing to revisit this tale again in the future.
March 5, 2013
4.5 Stars
Exit Kingdoms was a complete surprise for me. For one, I had no idea that Alden Bell was going to write a sequel to one of my very favorite post-apocalyptic novels. Additionally, I did not think that it would be possible to come up with a story that not only holds up to the original, but it makes a place for it to be relevant. The Reapers are the Angels, the first book in this world, is simply a magical masterpiece about one of the coolest protagonists ever, a young girl named Temple. In this book we get a story line that is directly part of her story, adjacent to if you will, but still relevant to her and book one.
This book is about Moses Todd, a significant figure from The Reapers story line. In this book Moses tells a group of strangers around a fire the story about his brother Abraham, a Vestal girl, and himself. The book stands strong on Bell’s gift as a storyteller.
“One such wanderer is a large man with a beard, ursine and spectacular. They discover him somewhere east of the river. He is simply there, one evening, on the margin of the bonfire, as though he were a distillation of the damp night air itself – heavy water, a coalescence of air and earth and ice and dark. He wears an eyepatch, and the children, fascinated, inch closer to him until they are snatched back by their mothers.
He sups with them, holding a tin plate close under his chin. Some of the men approach him, their hands twitchy on their weapons, and enquire about his business.”
Book one is about the magic of the way Temple sees the world as a place of opportunity. This book shows how Moses is trying to find his place in the world.
There are of course the zombies…
“But now the dead are everywhere as the living were before – and now can be observed all the fleshly moods of death, the tearing skin, the bluish hue of rot, the muddy eyes, the crustiness of dried sputum, the salty white of chancre and peel, the acrid, biting smell of organic decay. Now, even though the dead walk as the living do, the lines are clearer between death and life. You may know little, you may know next to goddamn nothing, but at least now you can see what you are and what you are most definitely not. Moses is intimate with death – he lives in its company every day, and what he knows is that death ain’t a floating up to cloudy heaven, no angel wings and toiletpaper-soft robes and dulcet harp-playing. No, instead it’s a slow crawl of atrophied muscle and the vestigial instincts of our most piss-poor appetites. That’s the face of death.”
I am a poor reviewer at this moment and will have to reflect on my love for this world and for these novels…highly recommended.
Exit Kingdoms was a complete surprise for me. For one, I had no idea that Alden Bell was going to write a sequel to one of my very favorite post-apocalyptic novels. Additionally, I did not think that it would be possible to come up with a story that not only holds up to the original, but it makes a place for it to be relevant. The Reapers are the Angels, the first book in this world, is simply a magical masterpiece about one of the coolest protagonists ever, a young girl named Temple. In this book we get a story line that is directly part of her story, adjacent to if you will, but still relevant to her and book one.
This book is about Moses Todd, a significant figure from The Reapers story line. In this book Moses tells a group of strangers around a fire the story about his brother Abraham, a Vestal girl, and himself. The book stands strong on Bell’s gift as a storyteller.
“One such wanderer is a large man with a beard, ursine and spectacular. They discover him somewhere east of the river. He is simply there, one evening, on the margin of the bonfire, as though he were a distillation of the damp night air itself – heavy water, a coalescence of air and earth and ice and dark. He wears an eyepatch, and the children, fascinated, inch closer to him until they are snatched back by their mothers.
He sups with them, holding a tin plate close under his chin. Some of the men approach him, their hands twitchy on their weapons, and enquire about his business.”
Book one is about the magic of the way Temple sees the world as a place of opportunity. This book shows how Moses is trying to find his place in the world.
There are of course the zombies…
“But now the dead are everywhere as the living were before – and now can be observed all the fleshly moods of death, the tearing skin, the bluish hue of rot, the muddy eyes, the crustiness of dried sputum, the salty white of chancre and peel, the acrid, biting smell of organic decay. Now, even though the dead walk as the living do, the lines are clearer between death and life. You may know little, you may know next to goddamn nothing, but at least now you can see what you are and what you are most definitely not. Moses is intimate with death – he lives in its company every day, and what he knows is that death ain’t a floating up to cloudy heaven, no angel wings and toiletpaper-soft robes and dulcet harp-playing. No, instead it’s a slow crawl of atrophied muscle and the vestigial instincts of our most piss-poor appetites. That’s the face of death.”
I am a poor reviewer at this moment and will have to reflect on my love for this world and for these novels…highly recommended.
February 19, 2013
What some mysteries reveal are truths so mundane they blast wide our own ludicrous vanities.
Moses Todd is many things. In Reapers I had him pegged as warrior with a code, seeking balance in a way he knew. Here he is that, but more too: from on-and-off violent man to accidental philosopher, a man of few words, deeper thoughts and rigid code. Then, him as brother watching out for brother, and watching as he did, was not at all blind to the younger’s faults (because there are many faults in that one, in both of the actually) He reads a lot like Tom Imura… only better as he’s less preachy instead more questioning… then resigned to what needs be doing.
It’s not so complicated if we look on things as he Moses does: people have roles. His just happens to watcher for his brother (Beyond being my brother, he says, I don’t give a damn what you are.) and while not blind to the faults of his brother, Moses tempers things somehow… and it’s this that a bit depressing, in a resigned way he’s just waiting for a reckoning. And seeing things as he does, he also recognizes the roles all have, both good and bad, (I don’t got the answers for everything, he says. Sometimes you do things just cause they need to be done by someone and there ain’t nobody else around.)
So were they all just waiting for a reckoning? Or was it as the whore felt, the reckoning had passed and now’s all a matter of surviving. And all the while I’m feeling, ‘Deep thoughts, these people, secreted philosophers disguised as prostitutes and crazy men.’ because the lot of them say the craziest, yet truest things:
Now everything’s backwards. You plant life in the earth – call it death if you like – but it gets spit back up. Maybe we’ve fed he earth too much. Maybe it’s lost a taste for us.
It’s harder to die than you think. The world, it conspires to keep you alive.
You see now? Moses Todd asks. You see? It ain’t about what you think it’s about. All the wandering, and the mad pursuit, all the spinnin cycles of life and death and death and life over and over until you ain’t but a dizzy headed creature roamin the plains. It ain’t about anything but one thing. Drollery. You fights and you create life and you fight and you destroy – and some times in the middle somewhere you happen to love. But it all comes down to ridiculousness.
May 3, 2014
Exit Kingdom is the story of a man who lives by a code of his own in a world devoid of law and morality. Moses Todd wanders the land protected by his preternatural strength, size, and brutality. He is his debauched brother Abraham's keeper, restraining him from the worse violence, but enacting no judgement. Moses wants a purpose. A mission. Something to give meaning to his post-apocalyptic wandering and he finds it at a holy outpost in the form of a small, beautiful, young woman. She is the Vestal Amata, believed to be holy because she is immune to the hunger of the dead.
Moses is tasked with taking her to Colorado Springs but along the way he will find that she is not what he first thought. A man who has no physical rival will discover that he lacks the skills to protect himself from this mysterious girl. Is she worthy of the risk he will take? Is anything holy left to walk upon the Earth? How would a beautiful young girl, bereft of family or guardians, survive the apocalypse? And how does a man follow his own internal code of honor in a world where no one else does?
It ain't that he's a good man--not by any measurement-- but he's got to believe there are laws. He's got to believe there are things you're supposed to do and things you ain't--or else what's it all for anyway? There are everywhere you look forks in the road. If there weren't some purpose to choosing one or the other, then--then what? Then he and the world would be paralysed with quandariness.
Alden Bell can find holiness in any landscape. As in The Reapers are the Angels, one of my favorite books, Exit Kingdom expresses the idea that even amidst the carnage of rotting corpses, murder and defilement, sacredness is everywhere. It is a way of looking upon the world. A certain kind of vision.
We are the holy ones, despite the sordid things we have done. Sacrality lies in our own hearts, and maybe even flesh, if we will turn our eye to that part of ourselves, draw a line in the sand, and stand there.
Moses is tasked with taking her to Colorado Springs but along the way he will find that she is not what he first thought. A man who has no physical rival will discover that he lacks the skills to protect himself from this mysterious girl. Is she worthy of the risk he will take? Is anything holy left to walk upon the Earth? How would a beautiful young girl, bereft of family or guardians, survive the apocalypse? And how does a man follow his own internal code of honor in a world where no one else does?
It ain't that he's a good man--not by any measurement-- but he's got to believe there are laws. He's got to believe there are things you're supposed to do and things you ain't--or else what's it all for anyway? There are everywhere you look forks in the road. If there weren't some purpose to choosing one or the other, then--then what? Then he and the world would be paralysed with quandariness.
Alden Bell can find holiness in any landscape. As in The Reapers are the Angels, one of my favorite books, Exit Kingdom expresses the idea that even amidst the carnage of rotting corpses, murder and defilement, sacredness is everywhere. It is a way of looking upon the world. A certain kind of vision.
We are the holy ones, despite the sordid things we have done. Sacrality lies in our own hearts, and maybe even flesh, if we will turn our eye to that part of ourselves, draw a line in the sand, and stand there.
April 16, 2014
Having recently read and very much enjoyed Bell's first book, I was both ambivalent and eager to read Exit Kingdom. Ambivalent because so many sequels/prequels/serialized novels tend to cheapen and exploit the original authenticity and eager because Reapers are Angels was such an awesome book. Eagerness won out and Exit Kingdom having traveled all the way from Vancouver on the interlibrary loan was devoured in 3 hours. To his credit Bell has managed to maintain the same quality, the same marvelous southern gothic stylized language, the same diligent inspired character creation and development in this prequel. It's almost strange how well these books are written for genre fiction, they stand out like a gourmet meal in a fast food restaurant. Todd brothers are the literary equivalents of The Walking Dead's Dixon brothers in a way. The moral one and the f*ck up, bound by blood, irrevocable connection in a disconnected world gone to zombie apocalypse, traveling together across the ravaged lands. There is a haunting beauty to Bell's descriptions of the bleak desolation and he has Moses weave his tales with a terrific grandness, like a sort of rural bard. If sequels/prequels are to be like this, bring them. Although this book can perfectly well be read as stand alone. Great read. Highly recommended.
August 28, 2015
Joshua Gaylord (a/k/a Alden Bell) is a wonderful writer. This book is a sequel to his critically acclaimed The Reapers Are the Angels, and provides the backstory of Moses Todd. Moses and his reprobate brother Abraham are wandering aimlessly in the post-apocalyptic world, when they are asked to transport a young, attractive redhead to a citadel in Colorado Springs. Revived with a sense of purpose, the brothers and the mysterious Vestal Amata forge a working relationship during their travels. The slugs (zombies) have no interest in her, and survivors want to know why. She is a very odd character, with skeletons in her closest and some amount of crazy in her head. Yet, she and Moses. While I am not a zombie fan, the characters are very well done, the philosophies well reasoned, and the descriptions of the new world order are excellent. 4.5 stars. It is a REAL shame this book was never published in the U.S. Maybe Gaylord will write a book about Vestal Amata next?
September 18, 2021
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this prequel/sequel, or whether I would enjoy it after loving the first book so much. But Alden Bell continues on with his unique writing style, and his phrasing is just as haunting and beautiful as the first time around. My opinion of Moses from the first book was solidified in this one. Deep down he’s a generally good man. He doesn’t go out of his way to do “bad things”, but has no problem with doing bad things as the need arises. Admittedly, his moral compass is a little skewy when it comes to his brother. I can’t help but wonder how different Moses’ post-apocalyptic life would have been without his sense of responsibility to Abraham dragging him down, and forcing his choices.
October 19, 2020
More Southern Zombie Gothic from Alden Bell. This time with Moses being more of the central character. He narrates this tale after the events of Reaper but is actually a prequel. Very good indeed.
December 21, 2016
I loved the first book in this series so much so much The Reapers Are the Angels, I thought it was wonderful. Great book! I was sad at the end though as it seemed to indicate that it was destined to be a stand-alone novel. It didn't seem to leave any openings for further books.
When I saw that there was a sequel I jumped on the order button and could not wait to get my hands on it!
This story is told by Moses Todd (from the first book) and he is now traveling with his adopted charge Maury who he inherited by default from Temple. Things seem to be much the same in the world as when we last saw it, the zombies are still out there and the people are still getting by as best they can.
Although this is a sequel it feels like a prequel at times due to the story being told from a mostly 'flashback' Point Of View. We learn Moses' history as he traveled the zombie infested lands with his brother Abraham, and at the same time we see the over-run world become a little more fleshed out in the telling. There are a lot of new characters to meet and their story's are mostly interesting but it just didn't move me the same way the first book did.
For two books set in the same world they seems so different.
It's not a terrible book....it's just not as likeable as the first one. It would take something quite epic to fill the gap left by Temple, I think, so it had a lot to live up to. It was an ok read but not one I'd go back to.
When I saw that there was a sequel I jumped on the order button and could not wait to get my hands on it!
This story is told by Moses Todd (from the first book) and he is now traveling with his adopted charge Maury who he inherited by default from Temple. Things seem to be much the same in the world as when we last saw it, the zombies are still out there and the people are still getting by as best they can.
Although this is a sequel it feels like a prequel at times due to the story being told from a mostly 'flashback' Point Of View. We learn Moses' history as he traveled the zombie infested lands with his brother Abraham, and at the same time we see the over-run world become a little more fleshed out in the telling. There are a lot of new characters to meet and their story's are mostly interesting but it just didn't move me the same way the first book did.
For two books set in the same world they seems so different.
It's not a terrible book....it's just not as likeable as the first one. It would take something quite epic to fill the gap left by Temple, I think, so it had a lot to live up to. It was an ok read but not one I'd go back to.
August 25, 2013
Alden Bell has a way of creating a haunting other-worldly atmosphere. Once again, I found myself completely drawn into his post-apocalyptic zombie setting. A virus turns the newly dead into zombies. They are constantly replenished as soon as someone dies. Here, the zombies are just background noise. They don't really pose much of a threat. A corpse lying face down in a puddle of bloody snow melt will twitch first in the arms, a shiver will run through the torso all the way down to the legs. Then an arm will straighten itself, find a handhold on the ground and gently leverage itself up with fresh muscle to hoist the rest of the body face up. See, nothing to worry about here. You have plenty of time to get out of the way. The zombies exist in a kind of frozen limbo when there are no living people(food) around. They kind of hibernate, waiting for someone to come by. They don't 'die' unless someone destroys their brain, so many zombies are forever in this in between state. Waiting.
The story revolves around Moses Todd. We first met Moses in The Reapers Are the Angels. If you haven't read that yet, stop reading this review immediately and get on that. Best. Book. Ever. Moses is telling a story around a campfire about something that happened in his life ten years before. (He meets Temple five years after this. But I'm trying not to think about Temple. La la la la, no Temple, la la la la, I can't hear you! ) Here, we learn what makes Moses tick, his code of living. He likes having rules(his own), and needs a purpose, some reason to keep moving in a world where nothing matters. So he accepts a mission to deliver what may or may not be a holy woman to a church in Colorado.
While Moses is not portrayed as a good man, it's hard not to feel sympathetic towards him. He has taken on the responsibility of raising his degenerate brother Abraham, who is twenty-five to Moses' forty years. Moses was over twenty when the zombies first came into being, Abraham was just five. So, Moses is on a quest to deliver the holy woman safely to the church in Colorado. Moses has given his word and so it must be. Over and over, Moses is challenged along the way and must decide if he should continue on with his mission or cut and run. He never quits. We learn a lot about Moses, what drives him, and why he does what he does.
Moses speaks in an old-fashioned, formal-ish way, reminding me of a southern preacher. He uses words like slubberdegullions (which is a great word!). Like it or not, Moses is all we've got for a hero here. The world has beaten Moses down. Took his wife and daughter. Left him to care for his brother, saving him and protecting him when he gets into trouble, which Abraham does with relish. Moses has given up on hope and knows it's a mistake to ever wish for something. His mantra is don't trust anything, don't believe in anything, don't wish for anything, don't hope for anything. Just survive until the next day and then do it all over again. And again. Plenty of bleak moments in Moses' life.
Then there's Abraham. Someone gave him a USB flash drive and he wears it around his neck, just waiting for someone with a working computer to reveal it's secrets. When he finally finds someone to read it, it turns out it's not a treasure map or a solution to the zombie problem. I actually felt bad for Abraham, who, while not a very good man, was still hopeful about life. For Moses, this was just more of the same: What some mysteries reveal are truths so mundane they blast wide our own ludicrous vanities.
Moses is a man with principles. They may not be the my principles but the lead him to carry through to the finish what he feels is the right thing to do. You kind of have to respect that.
The story revolves around Moses Todd. We first met Moses in The Reapers Are the Angels. If you haven't read that yet, stop reading this review immediately and get on that. Best. Book. Ever. Moses is telling a story around a campfire about something that happened in his life ten years before. (He meets Temple five years after this. But I'm trying not to think about Temple. La la la la, no Temple, la la la la, I can't hear you! ) Here, we learn what makes Moses tick, his code of living. He likes having rules(his own), and needs a purpose, some reason to keep moving in a world where nothing matters. So he accepts a mission to deliver what may or may not be a holy woman to a church in Colorado.
While Moses is not portrayed as a good man, it's hard not to feel sympathetic towards him. He has taken on the responsibility of raising his degenerate brother Abraham, who is twenty-five to Moses' forty years. Moses was over twenty when the zombies first came into being, Abraham was just five. So, Moses is on a quest to deliver the holy woman safely to the church in Colorado. Moses has given his word and so it must be. Over and over, Moses is challenged along the way and must decide if he should continue on with his mission or cut and run. He never quits. We learn a lot about Moses, what drives him, and why he does what he does.
Moses speaks in an old-fashioned, formal-ish way, reminding me of a southern preacher. He uses words like slubberdegullions (which is a great word!). Like it or not, Moses is all we've got for a hero here. The world has beaten Moses down. Took his wife and daughter. Left him to care for his brother, saving him and protecting him when he gets into trouble, which Abraham does with relish. Moses has given up on hope and knows it's a mistake to ever wish for something. His mantra is don't trust anything, don't believe in anything, don't wish for anything, don't hope for anything. Just survive until the next day and then do it all over again. And again. Plenty of bleak moments in Moses' life.
Then there's Abraham. Someone gave him a USB flash drive and he wears it around his neck, just waiting for someone with a working computer to reveal it's secrets. When he finally finds someone to read it, it turns out it's not a treasure map or a solution to the zombie problem. I actually felt bad for Abraham, who, while not a very good man, was still hopeful about life. For Moses, this was just more of the same: What some mysteries reveal are truths so mundane they blast wide our own ludicrous vanities.
Moses is a man with principles. They may not be the my principles but the lead him to carry through to the finish what he feels is the right thing to do. You kind of have to respect that.
December 7, 2014
Turns out I'm not even a little as interested in Moses Todd and his man pain as I was in the amazing Temple. (Also I'm still pissed at him.) There was a lightness to her character which balanced the grim setting and made the first book work. Moses' bleak, lost outlook on the world was really kind of a bummer in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, you know?
Somehow the language, which had been one of my favorite things about The Reapers are the Angels, didn't work for me here. In some way it didn't feel earned? Though there were of course some lovely turns of phrase. I REALLY hated the tone of the framing narrative, the third person omniscient commentary on Moses as he tells the story of his book at a campfire. It was overwrought and didactic and read like something from a slush pile. Thank goodness it only constituted a small percentage of the novel.
In summary, read the first book, skip this one. I'll be interested to see what, if anything, he publishes under this name
Somehow the language, which had been one of my favorite things about The Reapers are the Angels, didn't work for me here. In some way it didn't feel earned? Though there were of course some lovely turns of phrase. I REALLY hated the tone of the framing narrative, the third person omniscient commentary on Moses as he tells the story of his book at a campfire. It was overwrought and didactic and read like something from a slush pile. Thank goodness it only constituted a small percentage of the novel.
In summary, read the first book, skip this one. I'll be interested to see what, if anything, he publishes under this name
July 21, 2018
Enjoyed but not as much as the first book!
June 21, 2013
Really leaning towards a 3.5 for this one, because the language was so "SAT-word"-y. Bell gives his narrators a very distinctive style, as we saw with Temple in Reapers, but sometimes he goes too far past southern gothic and into the ridiculous.
This is a prequel to The Reapers are the Angels, one of my favorite books the year it came out. Exit Kingdom definitely gives me more insight into Moses and why he acts the way he does towards Temple in the original novel, but it also makes me realize that he didn't learn anything from the events of this book. In a world without laws or order, where even death is meaningless since you come right back to munch on the living, Moses is constantly trying to find a moral compass, a code he can follow to keep good and evil in balance. At the same time, he feels an intense obligation to keep his brother Abraham alive, even though he knows Abraham is a terrible person who says things like "things are about to get real rapey around here" (that was actually an excellent line, so perfectly Abraham that I read it over and over).
So Moses protects his scumbag brother, but also agrees to transport the Vestal Amata, a young woman who the zombies have no interest in eating, to a citadel in Colorado so the secret of her survival can be discovered. Of course, the Vestal is not exactly a holy woman, and of course their journey is full of danger. But throughout, Moses is determined to complete his holy mission (a monk in Arizona asks him to bring the Vestal north) sometimes against the Vestal's will, and even as he strives to keep his brother under control like a man wrestling with a leashed honey badger. It doesn't make sense.
Bell has a weird thing about women in these novels. The Vestal is a trickster, a liar, a sometimes whore. Moses' (presumably) dead wife was more like an angel who cared for him and kept him tame, kept him from drifting into the "giant terrifying bear-man" territory that he occupies now. It's a weird virgin-whore thing that would be interesting if I could find a point to it.
In spite of my feminist misgivings, or maybe just confusion, I would definitely recommend these books to fans of the genre. The zombies, or slugs, are creepy as hell and even though Moses and Abraham are remarkably good at survival (you never really worry they're going to get munched), Bell finds ways to make death and re-animation horrifying and meaningful at the same time.
And for fans of The Last Unicorn, there's a travelling carnival with one true thing among the illusions.
This is a prequel to The Reapers are the Angels, one of my favorite books the year it came out. Exit Kingdom definitely gives me more insight into Moses and why he acts the way he does towards Temple in the original novel, but it also makes me realize that he didn't learn anything from the events of this book. In a world without laws or order, where even death is meaningless since you come right back to munch on the living, Moses is constantly trying to find a moral compass, a code he can follow to keep good and evil in balance. At the same time, he feels an intense obligation to keep his brother Abraham alive, even though he knows Abraham is a terrible person who says things like "things are about to get real rapey around here" (that was actually an excellent line, so perfectly Abraham that I read it over and over).
So Moses protects his scumbag brother, but also agrees to transport the Vestal Amata, a young woman who the zombies have no interest in eating, to a citadel in Colorado so the secret of her survival can be discovered. Of course, the Vestal is not exactly a holy woman, and of course their journey is full of danger. But throughout, Moses is determined to complete his holy mission (a monk in Arizona asks him to bring the Vestal north) sometimes against the Vestal's will, and even as he strives to keep his brother under control like a man wrestling with a leashed honey badger. It doesn't make sense.
Bell has a weird thing about women in these novels. The Vestal is a trickster, a liar, a sometimes whore. Moses' (presumably) dead wife was more like an angel who cared for him and kept him tame, kept him from drifting into the "giant terrifying bear-man" territory that he occupies now. It's a weird virgin-whore thing that would be interesting if I could find a point to it.
In spite of my feminist misgivings, or maybe just confusion, I would definitely recommend these books to fans of the genre. The zombies, or slugs, are creepy as hell and even though Moses and Abraham are remarkably good at survival (you never really worry they're going to get munched), Bell finds ways to make death and re-animation horrifying and meaningful at the same time.
And for fans of The Last Unicorn, there's a travelling carnival with one true thing among the illusions.
October 28, 2016
I absolutely adored The Reapers and the Angels and was incredibly excited to see that Alden Bell had come out with a second book to follow up on that one. This book is set in the same world as The Reapers and the Angels and does have some crossover with that book; however it stands alone fine and follows a different main character than the first book. I breezed right through this book and loved every minute of it.
I love the writing style of Bell’s books; they are beautifully written, very engaging and thought-provoking. I love how Bell gives such prose and beauty to such a dark and desperate world.
Where Temple (from the first book) found amazing beauty in incredibly bleak landscapes, the main character in this book, Moses, is different. Moses is incredibly loyal to his misfit brother and has a strict code of honor that he follows. He is a breath of fresh air in a world that’s gone desperate. However, by his own admission he can be incredibly violent too and is very good at surviving. He often talks about how he fits in better in this bleak world of survival than he ever did in the pre-apocalyptic America.
As with the first book, this book focuses less on the rampaging zombies and more on how humans themselves have become monstrous. Moses (much like Temple) has an almost sympathy for the poor walking dead; the walking dead are just animals without any ulterior motives.
This book is defined by wonderful descriptions and thought-provoking passages while still being fast-paced and action packed. There really isn’t much of a point to the story other than to wander along beside Moses and his brother and see this crazy post-apocalyptic world through their eyes...and I loved every minute of it.
Overall this was an amazing follow up to The Reapers are the Angels. I absolutely loved the writing style, the characters, and the beauty and honor seeded among all the post-apocalyptic bleakness. I would recommend both of Bell’s Reapers books to everyone; they are just amazing in how they describe a world gone mad.
I love the writing style of Bell’s books; they are beautifully written, very engaging and thought-provoking. I love how Bell gives such prose and beauty to such a dark and desperate world.
Where Temple (from the first book) found amazing beauty in incredibly bleak landscapes, the main character in this book, Moses, is different. Moses is incredibly loyal to his misfit brother and has a strict code of honor that he follows. He is a breath of fresh air in a world that’s gone desperate. However, by his own admission he can be incredibly violent too and is very good at surviving. He often talks about how he fits in better in this bleak world of survival than he ever did in the pre-apocalyptic America.
As with the first book, this book focuses less on the rampaging zombies and more on how humans themselves have become monstrous. Moses (much like Temple) has an almost sympathy for the poor walking dead; the walking dead are just animals without any ulterior motives.
This book is defined by wonderful descriptions and thought-provoking passages while still being fast-paced and action packed. There really isn’t much of a point to the story other than to wander along beside Moses and his brother and see this crazy post-apocalyptic world through their eyes...and I loved every minute of it.
Overall this was an amazing follow up to The Reapers are the Angels. I absolutely loved the writing style, the characters, and the beauty and honor seeded among all the post-apocalyptic bleakness. I would recommend both of Bell’s Reapers books to everyone; they are just amazing in how they describe a world gone mad.
August 18, 2015
I have mixed and ambivalent feeling ( can i say feeling!?) about this book, it was not interesting as the prequel......there is something missing here after Temple's death......Vestal Amata was no way to take her part and the life and pain of the two boys din not catch my attention and not even interest....
i ended the book but it left me nothing.... that's a pity!!
( sorry for my english!!)
i ended the book but it left me nothing.... that's a pity!!
( sorry for my english!!)
April 4, 2013
What!!! I didn't know this was being released. What?? Must get my hands on it NOW!!!!
I got my hands on it!! Yay I really enjoyed it. A perfect zombie read. I love the way it is written. It makes me want to re read the first one again.
I got my hands on it!! Yay I really enjoyed it. A perfect zombie read. I love the way it is written. It makes me want to re read the first one again.
Shelved as 'not-interested'
September 4, 2013Pre-read Are you serious? How could I have not known about this until just now? I'm not gonna fangirl, but... I want to.
February 28, 2019
Exit Kingdom stands as a sequel that primarily takes place prior to the events of the first book via flashbacks; in this sense, I would refer to it as Reapers 1.5. Regardless, fans of the first book and Alden Bell's work in general should find great enjoyment in reading Exit Kingdom. The style of writing remains closely in line with the first book and the author somehow manages to find a way for readers to be invested (if not root for) the antagonist from the first novel. Personally, this did diminish my enjoyment of the story as I was devastated by the ending of the first book, but ultimately this was a fantastic follow-up and should be recognized on that account. I truly hope the author is provided with more opportunities to expand upon this world and the characters created, as there's certainly room for closure to several of the character's storylines, primary among them being Moses Todd and the Mute and Maddie, the Vestal Amata.
August 4, 2021
Alden Bell not only builds a gothic postapocalyptic world of the living and the "dead", he also wrap this world with the most wonderfull poetic english you rarely come across in these kind of books.
May 3, 2014
This was very hit and miss for me in terms of overall story. I deliberately waited a few weeks after reading 'the reapers are the angels' because I had a fear that this book couldn't possibly live up to the standard of that one.
In terms of language and dialogue it did but that's about it. Moses is an interesting character - more of the code of living that he shared with Temple. Abraham is not in the least sympathetic and frankly I wondered why Moses didn't just kill him in his sleep. I would have done. I can see that Moses needs a purpose more than anything and in fairness there are moments when Abraham seems almost human but ultimately he was a duff character for me.
Amata is a complicated tangle and not a particularly likable one. On the other hand if Alden bell were to write a reapers story from her POV I'd definitely buy it - would love to know what really goes on in her twisted mind.
The dead in this book don't really add any tension or pose any real threat. Maybe that's intentional. Either way they're caracatuers of humanity, shambling, directionless and pitiable. If they were a metaphor for the aimless consumerism and the attendant spiritual emptiness, then they do a great job. Other wise I'm not really sure what they add. Even over run with dead in an early scene, Moses and Abe don't seem to be in any real danger.
I found the reason behind Amata's apparent dead repellant a little hard to swallow. I'd almost rather it had gone completely unexplained, leaving us to wonder what was different about her.
Add to all that a somewhat flat ending and it was a bit of a damp squib. To do the book justice it was coming in under a distinct disadvantage after reapers and the fact that it was a prequel told in chunks as a campfire story didn't help.
3/5 stars for a good book but not a great one and slight disappointment.
In terms of language and dialogue it did but that's about it. Moses is an interesting character - more of the code of living that he shared with Temple. Abraham is not in the least sympathetic and frankly I wondered why Moses didn't just kill him in his sleep. I would have done. I can see that Moses needs a purpose more than anything and in fairness there are moments when Abraham seems almost human but ultimately he was a duff character for me.
Amata is a complicated tangle and not a particularly likable one. On the other hand if Alden bell were to write a reapers story from her POV I'd definitely buy it - would love to know what really goes on in her twisted mind.
The dead in this book don't really add any tension or pose any real threat. Maybe that's intentional. Either way they're caracatuers of humanity, shambling, directionless and pitiable. If they were a metaphor for the aimless consumerism and the attendant spiritual emptiness, then they do a great job. Other wise I'm not really sure what they add. Even over run with dead in an early scene, Moses and Abe don't seem to be in any real danger.
I found the reason behind Amata's apparent dead repellant a little hard to swallow. I'd almost rather it had gone completely unexplained, leaving us to wonder what was different about her.
Add to all that a somewhat flat ending and it was a bit of a damp squib. To do the book justice it was coming in under a distinct disadvantage after reapers and the fact that it was a prequel told in chunks as a campfire story didn't help.
3/5 stars for a good book but not a great one and slight disappointment.
March 24, 2013
The Reapers Are The Angels was one of the best books I read last year, so I was both surprised and delighted to hear that Alden Bell had written a sort-of prequel, bringing a very dark-hearted character from the first novel to centre stage in the second. This, of course, is Moses Todd.
If the book had focused exclusively on Moses, all and well, but Bell makes the fatal mistake of trying to replace Temple with another mysterious female character, known as the Vestal Amata, who seems to have the mysterious gift that zombies are not interested in eating her.
Moses gets contracted by a preacher to take the miraculous Vestal to one of the last outposts of civilisation in order to help restore hope to a blighted world.
The biggest problem with Exit Kingdom is that the Vestal kind of disappears at an important juncture of the story, which then wearily winds down to a very dispirited and flat ending.
The Vestal's seeming transformation into an apocalyptic symbol just does not work, and leaves the reader feeling hugely frustrated at the abrupt cessation of her story. Maybe this is because there is going to be a third instalment, who knows?
There are occasional sparks in the writing, but none of the electricity and and love that made Reapers such a memorable read, and which turned Temple into one of the best-loved anti-heroines of modern zombie fiction.
A minor consolation is that Exit Kingdom is far more violent and gruesome than Reapers, if that were possible ... but the heart is missing here. Very disappointing.
If the book had focused exclusively on Moses, all and well, but Bell makes the fatal mistake of trying to replace Temple with another mysterious female character, known as the Vestal Amata, who seems to have the mysterious gift that zombies are not interested in eating her.
Moses gets contracted by a preacher to take the miraculous Vestal to one of the last outposts of civilisation in order to help restore hope to a blighted world.
The biggest problem with Exit Kingdom is that the Vestal kind of disappears at an important juncture of the story, which then wearily winds down to a very dispirited and flat ending.
The Vestal's seeming transformation into an apocalyptic symbol just does not work, and leaves the reader feeling hugely frustrated at the abrupt cessation of her story. Maybe this is because there is going to be a third instalment, who knows?
There are occasional sparks in the writing, but none of the electricity and and love that made Reapers such a memorable read, and which turned Temple into one of the best-loved anti-heroines of modern zombie fiction.
A minor consolation is that Exit Kingdom is far more violent and gruesome than Reapers, if that were possible ... but the heart is missing here. Very disappointing.
August 27, 2015
Alden Bell is an amazing American writer, he is also the pen name of Joshua Gaylord. I have no idea why he is not a better known author in the horror genre. Maybe because his novels are about zombies, on the surface and some readers are “book snobs.” I personally am a reverse “book snob,” so I cast no stones.
The thing is the books in his series “Reapers” which include The Reapers are the Angels and the novel this review will eventually be about Exit Kingdom are some of the best books I have read in a long time. And it sticks in my craw that they are not better recognized by the American audience.
Exit Kingdom is another “American gothic” style novel. This was incredibly successful with his first novel in the series, nut for me, I’m not sure if it worked quite as well. Don’t get me wrong, this was an amazing novel still. The characters were well developed and the story was laid out for the reader with the slow pour of cold molasses. I for one never saw Moses Todd as the antagonist of “Reapers,” so it was easy for me to read a story about him.
My only complaint is what I found amazing and precocious in Temple in the first novel, started to annoy me in this second novel. The introspectiveness started to grate just a little, but again. I am giving this novel
4.5 of 5 stars.
The thing is the books in his series “Reapers” which include The Reapers are the Angels and the novel this review will eventually be about Exit Kingdom are some of the best books I have read in a long time. And it sticks in my craw that they are not better recognized by the American audience.
Exit Kingdom is another “American gothic” style novel. This was incredibly successful with his first novel in the series, nut for me, I’m not sure if it worked quite as well. Don’t get me wrong, this was an amazing novel still. The characters were well developed and the story was laid out for the reader with the slow pour of cold molasses. I for one never saw Moses Todd as the antagonist of “Reapers,” so it was easy for me to read a story about him.
My only complaint is what I found amazing and precocious in Temple in the first novel, started to annoy me in this second novel. The introspectiveness started to grate just a little, but again. I am giving this novel
4.5 of 5 stars.
November 9, 2013
"Exit Kingdom" is the second book by Alden Bell set in a post apocalyptic America inhabited by bandits, wanderers, desperate survivors and zombies. Though it centers around Moses Todd, one of the characters in Bell's previous "The Reapers are the Angels", the events it depicts take place prior to the events in the first book. Despite the earlier timeline though, this second book will probably resonate more if "The Reapers are the Angels" is read first. The reason is simply Moses Todd. In "Reapers" I always wanted to like him despite his dogged pursuit of Temple and the subsequent outcome of that endeavour and in "Exit Kingdom", I got the Moses Todd that I wanted. Flawed, lonely, violent and ultimately noble. Bell's post apocalyptic America is both brutal and beautiful. There is both a yearning for intimacy and a fear of love in a landscape rife with terror and death. The narrative follows Moses and his brother, brutal damaged Abraham, as they lead a woman seemingly immune to the zombies' attention to a possible sanctuary. The book is both action packed and yet languid in its contemplation of humanity. In essence, its the best kind of post apocalyptic story - suspenseful but thoughtful and achingly beautiful in its language.
October 18, 2020
This was a good follow-up to The Reapers are the Angels, which I really liked. It takes place in a probable future with zombies in it but they aren’t really the story. This follows a character from the first book and his story was interesting and this was as well-written as the first book.
March 8, 2014
For whatever reason, I wasn't able to get this in print or ebook form in the U.S.; I had to buy it from a UK bookstore and have it shipped, which tells you how much I wanted to read it. I loved Bell's The Reapers Are the Angels and was hoping this would live up to it. I needn't have worried. It, like its predecessor, goes beyond the zombie genre. It's zombie poetry—beautiful, horrible, and a real treat. I only hope he chooses to revisit this world again.
November 25, 2012
What happened?! The Reapers are the Angels was great and this one sucked.
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