The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor: Part One (The Walking Dead Series, 3) Mass Market Paperback – September 30, 2014

The first half of the novel is a bit slow; after reading that characters in the graphic novels and television show (Rick, Glenn, and Michonne) were going to be featured, I was a little underwhelmed at Lilly's reappearance. I only vaguely remember her story from the second novel, which was fairly lackluster with its flagrant use of ridiculous foreshadowing. However, despite a few eye roll moments between her and her new beau, Austin (I think that's his name), her story in this novel... was okay.The second half of the novel was much better. I was literally on the edge of my seat. The scenes featuring The Governor and Michonne were electrifying -- possibly even the best moments in the series.Don't get me wrong; literary masterpiece this is not. But fans of the franchise will likely be pleased. Although I'm sure they'd be more pleased if this was the end of the "trilogy" as planned. This is part 1 of 2 of the 3rd book in the "trilogy." Which equals a total of 4 books. Which, sadly, isn't a trilogy.

The majority of the reviews for this book complain on the merits of releasing it in two parts. I don't really care about that. I view this as book three of four. Woodbury is the stage as the authors lead us further down the rabbit hole that is the Governor and his twisted ways. For the more faint of heart, there are a few torture scenes that are very graphic and quite disturbing. That being said, this was an absolute page turner. Well worth the investment in time and money. I am going to get book four immediately following this review.

-Originally posted on goodreads-AVOID READING THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK YET I knew coming into this that The Fall of the Governor 1 & 2 was going to be a retelling of the comics from Woodbury's point of view. Even though I had already read the issues on which the final two books of the series were based, I took to the idea in a heartbeat. How interesting that would be, right? It turns out it isn't what I expected it to be.The beginning part of the book before it catches up to the comics is really useless, except that it introduces Lilly's new love interest, Austin. This is what Lilly is preoccupied with during the entire novel, as expected because she isn't a major player in the comics until later on (meaning, the next book). But, I've got to admit that learning of her pregnancy was a shocker--especially because us comic book readers knows what happens in the end. But this is Lilly the entire book in a nutshell: "I loved Josh but I also like Austin and whoops! Baby! Now what are we gonna do?" I still like Lilly as a character, but her departure from the main events proves that her inclusion in the first of two parts was only intended as a setup for the next installment of the series.So, as a fan of the comic books, is it worth it? I'd say yes. Because it focuses on the characters of Woodbury, we get into the heads of Lilly, the Governor, Austin and Bruce, but that's not all--Michonne and Rick have their own POVs as well, and as we spent years as an outsider watching their story unfold, we finally get to know what they're thinking. These moments are brief, but they provide much insight into the characters. Getting inside the Governor's head especially really points things into perspective, and I'm glad that we are able to delve more into his psychosis, especially since things are obviously going to get worst for him as the story unfolds.But even though we get to see the Woodbury side of things, I just don't think it really adds anything to the story already told in the comics. I should have expected it since Rick, Michonne, and Glenn arrived, but this is simply a retelling of the comics with insight into a few Woodbury residents and a few extra scenes. I was kind of hoping that we'd get more insight as to why Woodbury--especially Gabe and Bruce, who know of all the terrible things that the Governor does--would follow behind such a man. But no, the answer we get is exactly the answer that the comics provided. I'm a little disappointed in that, but since this is part 1 of 2, and Rick, Michonne and Glenn are out of Woodbury, I'm holding my breath for the next installment.

I love the Walking Dead comic book and the previous two novels but this one just felt stretched thin in some parts for example the part where Lilly has to find a pregnancy test. Woodsbury was described as a place where prostitution occurred frequently. I find it hard to believe that she would have had to go searching for one outside of the fence and that there wasn't one being traded at the store in town. Also a large portion of the book is just a novel retelling of the comic book and it just felt like last minute filler. I liked the story but I feel it would have been better if all of the stuff that was already covered in the comic was left out and wished they had just focused on Lilly.

I'm not going to post a book review mainly because I haven't finished it and I don't want to give any spoilers away. I've read the rest of the books in the series so I can say that whilst it's not going to win any major literary awards (the quality of writing is a little hit and miss), it's an enjoyable detour from the main story arc and follows the TV show more closely than the comic books. It's possible to blitz through it in a few hours, or else make the commute far more pleasant over a week.The seller I bought mine from initially sent Part Two, but once I made them aware they got Part One out to me in double quick time, so I can't fault their service.

I fell in love with the first book, suffered through the second and found that this third book really isn't that great. Without giving the plot away, characterization that has been worked on throughout the last book feels like it's just been thrown out the window and replaced with a totally different personality! The book writing style is also fairly difficult to read, especially when you've lost any connection with the characters.Anyway, I think 3* is generous, unfortunately I won't be buying the next in the series since I've lost interest now.

I'm a sucker for anything Walking Dead related. So 5 stars from me. Can't wait to read the next one.

I love the TV show of The Walking Dead, and also the comic books... So thought I'd give the 4 novels a try, in-between waiting for the next TV series and next lot of comic books. Got to say, I really enjoyed reading all 4 of them, although the first 1 was standout, with the others not quite so good. If you're a fan of the TV show/comic books, then these 4 novels will be a really enjoyable read and put an extra spin on things... Basically you see things from a different perspective, ie - The Governors! Well worth a try.

Familiar face a are introduced in this book, and the author doesn't hold back on the gore! Found it very difficult to put down, even through the rather grisly moments - specifically the ending. A must read for any fan of the Walking Dead.