The Kill Order

The Kill Order is the prequel to James Dashner's Maze Runner trilogy, set thirteen years before the events of the first novel. Published in 2012 after the original three books had already become a young adult phenomenon, the book answers questions that readers had been asking since The Maze Runner first dropped Thomas into the Glade with no memories. Where did the Flare virus come from? Who are the Cranks before they become Cranks? How did the world fall apart so completely?

The story follows Mark and his friend Trina, two teenagers trying to survive in the burned out remains of the eastern United States after the sun flares devastated the planet. The opening chapters move fast. Their settlement is attacked by Berg aircraft firing strange darts at the survivors, and within hours the people who were hit start losing their minds. What looks at first like a simple action thriller turns into something darker as Mark and his small group try to figure out what was in those darts and why anyone would unleash it.

Dashner writes for a young adult audience that wants pace and stakes and not a lot of philosophical detours. He delivers all three. The flashback structure, alternating between the day of the sun flares and the present moment, lets him show how the world ended in pieces rather than dump it all in one long expository scene. Readers who came to the series through the films will find that the book version of this prequel is darker, bleaker, and more violent than the movies were ever willing to be. For Maze Runner fans, this is essential reading. For new readers, start with The Maze Runner first.