The Kill Order

The Kill Order (2012) by American author James Dashner is the fourth novel in the Maze Runner series and a prequel to the first three books. Like the other Maze Runner books, The Kill Order is a work of young adult (YA) dystopian science-fiction. The novel reveals that a virus (the “Flare”) caused by solar flares incited civilization’s destruction and led to the development of the Glade project. The Maze Runner protagonists, Thomas and Teresa, appear in this novel briefly, but The Kill Order mainly follows a group of young survivors of the solar flares.

Dashner writes YA speculative fiction, including the fantasy series The 13th Reality (2008-2012) and the novel The Journal of Curious Letters (2008). The first three novels of the Maze Runner series were adapted into a high-grossing film series released between 2014 and 2018.

This guide uses the Kindle eBook published by Delacourte Press.

Content Warning: This guide contains discussion of violence, disease, and mental health conditions.

Plot Summary

A year after Earth’s civilization was destroyed, survivors are gathering in settlements. Mark and his friend, Trina, live in a small settlement in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. As they prepare for a normal workday, an airship known as a Berg approaches.