The Haven by Bradley West

The Haven: A World Remade is the third and final book in Bradley West’s Dark Plague trilogy.

The story so far: Covid-19 and then Covid-20 ravage the planet. San Francisco-based biotech executive Sal Maggio plans to resettle his extended family in a haven in northern Canada. Sal’s pregnant daughter is infected with Covid. When a researcher from Sal’s company shares a proto-treatment that cures his dying daughter and her child, Fraser Burns, Sal’s ex-boss conspires to bankrupt the company in return for the drug’s ownership. Sal refuses to play by Burns’ rules.

Burns hires a rogue operator who kidnaps Sal’s newborn grandson Tyson. Tyson was born immune to Covid-20, thanks to the proto-treatment that his mother received when he was still in her womb. When the kidnappers realize Tyson’s mother would supply more blood for the vaccine/cure so they kidnap her too.

Meanwhile, Sal’s scientist niece Carla and her team break out of a government lab where they were held captive and forced to research Covid-20. Sal helps his niece and her team steal the equipment necessary to replicate the cure. Somehow, Steph and Tyson are rescued as book #1 ends but not without Sal having a heart attack.

In book #2, the team, called as 3M, start their journey to Thunderdome – their final destination. But Covid-20 has cost a lot of lives. And those who have survived might fight to get the cure before it is too late. As the team starts their journey, they face a lot of hurdles – an evil scientist looking to make money, a greedy president who looks at the cure as a way to stay in power and Burns looking for revenge. The books ends with Sal meeting his death.

I was eagerly waiting to read this book. I am a bit sad that this is the final book in the series but that is how trilogies work, right? 3M had crossed US-Canada border and they still had a lot to travel. With their leader, Sal, dead, they were left with no other choice but to continue the journey grieving. Most of the team members are wounded in the fight but there is no time left to recuperate.

Lydia Crandal, the US President wants Carla to manufacture a fresh batch of the cure. She had hoarded vaccines for her D.C. insiders but 3000 of her 10,000 ‘immortals’ received faulty cures, resulting in their deaths. She’s forced to relocate, thanks to the faulty cure and the threats that followed. She now wants to kidnap Carla so that she can stay in power. It becomes very clear that Crandal’s goals for the future include something of a world-domination. She wants to stay in power… at the cost of killing innocents.

Some of the 3M members are injured and their journey has come to a short pause. Travis Ryder’s ex-wife, twin sons and step-daughter are stuck in a bunker in Texas. Sally’s (ex-wife) beau left her and moved with his brother and family so she asks Travis to rescue her and the kids. Just as Travis is planning a rescue mission, the team gets attacked by mercenaries sent by the President. Carla, along with Steph, Tyson, Barb and Pat, are kidnapped and taken to a bunker where the President is currently hiding.

Jamie, another 3M-er tells Travis that his Mexican cartel relatives can pick Sally and the kids from Texas. In return, they might ask for the cure. Travis agrees and makes a plan to rescue Carla and the other Maggios. Meanwhile, Meatball Matt, a multi-talented criminal and IT expert tags with Carla and the kidnappers. He has an ulterior motive in mind – make as much money as possible from the cure. As Carla is forced to create a batch of cure – they threaten to kill her family if she does not agree, Matt plays his dirty game.

Throughout their journey, the women face the brunt of rape and abuse. Barb and her mother Pat (Sal’s daughter and wife) are held captive at the facility where Carla is forced to make the cure, they are abused by the prison guards. Steph and her baby Tyson are way too tired – their blood was drained for the cure. Steph asks Carla to promise her that, if she and her baby are once again sucked dry, she wants Carla to kill them both. Throughout the story, it is made quite clear to the reader that Steph is facing some sort of mental trauma.

Ryder is such a Badass I tell you! He never gives up – the love of his life, Carla, is kidnapped and nothing can stop him. Not guns or grenades. The women are quite good too – though faced with hurdles of their own, they do their best to fight back.

I have been following this series from the start and I am not only a huge fan of the series but also of the author’s writing. This was no less than an edge-of-my-seat kinda adventure. One twist after the other, the suspense kept me guessing till the end.

Speaking of ends, the ending of this book gave me 2012 movie vibes. You know, the final scene where they all stand on the deck of the ark and a new day/new calendar begins. We see a lot of injuries and deaths here. Sal is the not the only one who doesn’t make it to Thunderdome. I was quite sad to see a favorite character lose hope – but the situation made them act in such a manner. Those who survived the virus have to fight – for the cure and for a means to move on in life.

I would love to see this trilogy being made into a movie series. Bradley already discussed that Chris Evans would be best suited for the role of Travis Ryder.

If you are looking for a thrilling read, I highly recommend The Dark Plague trilogy by Bradley West.

---

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.