The Witch Hunter Chronicles 2: The Army of The Undead

The Witch Hunter Chronicles 2: The Army of The Undead by Stuart Daly (Random House)

PB RRP $17.95

ISBN 978-1-7427-5052-2

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

If Jakob thought his first mission was tough, he ain’t seen nothing yet. Jakob and the Hexanjager tackle the ruthless Watchers in the second book of the Witch Hunter Chronicles series.

The Watchers are fallen angels, able to resurrect anyone, including a prophet who has hidden the Tablet of Breaking, capable of starting Armageddon. It’s a race to see who can recover the Tablet first. Jakob is joined by many new characters, including the feisty Francesca who has attracted the eye of Jakob’s ally, Armand. There are some great scenes where the two are sparring with their words.

Daly develops the relationship between Jakob and Armand really well. Jakob looks up to him and they share many battles. They stand out in a large cast. Jakob is growing as a character too. He’s got a knack of getting out of trouble that will keep readers on the edge. Jakob also shows off his mental strength too.

Everything in this sequel is bigger and better. The relentless zombies are led by the creepy Watchers who are hard to kill. Daly takes us everywhere from Greece to a booby trapped mausoleum under the Dead Sea. There are shades of Matthew Reilly as Daly allows the action to roll on continuously.  

You can tell Daly’s a history teacher. This is a rich world that features many weapons and locations from the real world. It’s no historical fiction, more like historical thriller. Daly’s included some notes at the end of the book.

The Army of the Undead piles on the action, giving fans a reason to look forward to next pulsing adventure. Recommended for ages 10 and up.