Terminal: A Virals Novel

"Terminal" the final chapter of the "Virals" series begins when Tory Brennan and her pack discover they are not alone, that Chance Claybourne's experiments with Karsten's parvovirus strain has borne fruit, not only infecting him but unleashing another pack of virals on Charleston. Determined to discover the identities of the reckless and vengeful Trinity who" love to flaunt their powers, play games and draw attention to themselves", they are lead into one trap after another. But the danger is more insidious than they ever could have imagined when they discover another nemesis - a covert government organization- is also determined to capture them. In this story not only are the pack's powers tested, but their loyalty and friendship especially when a decision has to be made that could change the Virals future.

In a spell-binding, fast-paced story the Virals face one challenge after another as they not only tackle the lethal actions of a rogue pack, but are stalked by a government organization who are determined to harness their abilities and use them as a secret weapon. Whether the Pack is zip-lining from the top deck of an old naval destroyer or jumping from the third floor of a house into a pond, the danger, and suspense continually escalates; the tension broken only by Hi's cutting wit and humor. Kathy and Brendan Reichs not only create an electrifying thriller in "Terminal", but weave historical landmarks into a descriptive background setting that brings Charleston and the surrounding area to life.

In this plot Tory's life becomes even more emotionally complicated as she deals with her attraction to Ben and her crush on Chance. After both boys declare their love, she continually has to contend with Ben's jealousy and their confrontational outbursts as tempers flare and fists fly. Like her father's engagement to his girlfriend which could jeopardize her life on the island, and the risk to her friendship with Ella, Tory begins to deal with the roller-coaster of emotions she'd like to ignore and that threaten to swamp her, even making a choice between Ben and Chance.

As in all the Virals novels the characters are realistic, well-developed and complex like Ben Blue whose temperamental mood swings are exacerbated by his jealousy. Yet when he has to make any decision that could affect Tory, he's selfless and loyal; following his heart. Chance Claybourne can be secretive, arrogant and irritating, but is unshakeable in his determination to protect Tory and the pack. Although all the characters are unforgettable, in this thrill-ride it's the cold ruthlessness of the Trinity and the deadly menace of the sinister undercover organization that incites chilling excitement and high-energy as events unfold.

"Terminal" a thriller with a heavy dose of science fiction is a page turner from beginning to end although the epilogue left the reader with a lot of unanswered questions. I hope this is not the end of the Virals saga and that we'll read more about Tory Brennan and the Pack in future.

I really, really enjoyed this series and didn’t even know that Bones, the TV show was based off a series and that this one was essentially a spin-off version that featured Temperance’s niece, Tori Brennan. I used to watch Bones back when I had a lot of time but I stopped after like 5 seasons or so because it was becoming too long. I’m not even sure if the season ended or if it’s still going…I just checked – apparently it’s still running and its only season 12 now. Damn, that’s a very long show.

Anyways, I enjoyed Bones for the few months that I binged watched it and I was pretty psyched to read the Virals series especially after I found out the connection. I was definitely able to tell that this series was similar to Bones in that both of them are highly scientific with a lot of terminology. Thankfully, unlike Bones, this one was more geared towards the YA crowd so there were a lot of good explanations especially when they discussed something technical.

The one thing I was amazed throughout the books was that despite the character’s tender age (all 15-16 years old), they were all incredibly smart (except for maybe Ben, now that I think of it…). Shelton was more tech smart, Hiram was on the science stuff with Tori also on the science stuff but more towards blood/experiments due to her relationship with Temperance. They all worked incredibly well together and honestly, even without their flare powers, a lot of the puzzles were easily cracked by them especially in the third book, Code.

I think my favorite book out of the entire series was probably Seizure with the whole treasure hunting thing. There were definitely a number of times in the book where I was a little skeptical about how well they managed to evade some traps set up from hundreds of years ago. However, they are also incredibly resourceful and intelligent so I guess it’s not entirely out of the norm. The first book, Virals, was also interesting because it’s how everything started and the cold case murder mystery was especially interesting to me.

The dynamic between the four – Tori, Ben, Shelton and Hiram – were interesting. I was a little surprised at how close they were because in the first book, Tori described that she was mostly only friends with them because they were the only teenagers/kids living on their otherwise deserted island. However, it seemed that in reality, the dynamic was that Tori was always the leader with the boys following her every word even before the pack was formed. I’m not sure if I liked Tori that much, to be honest, because she seemed incredibly bossy. This was especially true when Shelton or Hiram didn’t really want to do something like breaking and entering but would be pressured by Tori. Plus, in the last two books, she became incredibly more and more annoying with her girly thoughts between Chance and Ben. To be honest, I thought after the first kiss, the decision was made but then she kept going back and forth between the two that even the two boys plus Shelton and Hiram were getting distracted with all the bickering and fist punches. I understand that she’s a teenage girl and they tend to be confused with the opposite gender because I know I was but for someone who is so smart with extra abilities, she was quite slow in this aspect.

Overall, I did really, really enjoy the series. I liked the adventure and even the ending was nice. It was realistic and it made a lot of sense. However, there was that last paragraph that made me rethink a few things…

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An exciting fifth installment of the brilliant YA Virals series featuring Tory Brennan and the boys from Morris Island.

A well written, terrifically entertaining story that held my interest throughout - it's a real page turner. One of the things I love about this series is the interaction between the Virals - Tory, her wolfdog Cooper, neighbour Ben and schoolfriends Hi and Shelton. They are all such different characters and the banter between them is great. It's funny enough to make you chuckle yet serious when needed.

The new gang in town threaten the Virals' very existence and cause no end of trouble for Tory and her friends. But they won't be let off lightly. When the gang seek an unlikely ally in Chance, fireworks really do go off and a battle commences. I couldn't put it down!

A love triangle develops to complicate proceedings further - I adored that! I honestly couldn't see which way things were going to go and was surprised at the very end of the book, when the choice is made.

Brilliant stuff!

I love these books by Kathy Reichs, I realize they are really written for teenagers, but must mean I'm young at heart. They are captivating, Tory is Dr Brennan's great niece, and in this story, there is another pack that has come on the scene and are maneuvering to get the Morris Island pack captured by a rogue unit of the government for study. leaving the 'new and improved' pack to run unmolested. Tory is in for a shock as she discovers who the third member of the new pack aka The Trinity, is. These books keep your interest regardless of your age!

Does the name Dr.Temperance Brennan sound familiar? She is of course the lead in the TV-show Bones. Her great niece, Tory Brennan, is the lead in this series, cowritten with Brendan Reichs.
It's all about strange powers, gang fights and undercover government agents.
Usually I'm not that into these kinds of stories, but I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed Terminal. Good writing transcends genres. It's the last in the series about the Virals-pack. I will now invest in the whole series. Recommended.

What an ending to an exciting story!!! It keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are some surprising twists and turns, characters turning against others that you wouldn't see coming. My thoughts on who the bad guys were kept changing with each big event. And boy are there some! Overall, a very satisfying ending it a great series. You won't be disappointed.

A satisfactory conclusion to a good YA Series. Perhaps, a practice set for Brandon Reichs. If so, he has learned one of the more difficult tasks for a popular fiction writer; when to terminate a series. Who know's, Tory might next appear as a "squintern" in the TV Series.