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Apocalypse Z Books in Order

Part ofManel Loureiro Books in Order

Follow the Apocalypse Z series by Manel Loureiro in order, with summaries, a spoiler-light series guide, and help choosing where to start.

Last updated: July 14, 2026

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Apocalypse Z books in publication order

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3 books

1

The Beginning of the End

by Manel Loureiro

2007

A grieving lawyer begins an online diary as reports of a Russian virus grow darker. When the infected dead begin hunting the living across Galicia, he and his Persian cat Lucullus must leave home and gamble on finding safety.

2

Dark Days

by Manel Loureiro

2008

Fleeing the ruined mainland by helicopter, the lawyer, Lucullus, Viktor, Lucía, and Sister Cecilia head for the Canary Islands. A rumored refuge soon proves fragile, and human conflict may be as deadly as the ravenous infected.

3

The Wrath of the Just

by Manel Loureiro

2011

Rescued at sea, a small band of survivors reaches Gulfport, Mississippi, a settlement that promises safety from the plague. Behind its walls, a cruel authoritarian order forces them to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to stay alive.

Apocalypse Z books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Beginning of the End"

    The Beginning of the End

    by Manel Loureiro

    2007Apocalypse Z, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dark Days"

    Dark Days

    by Manel Loureiro

    2008Apocalypse Z, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Wrath of the Just"

    The Wrath of the Just

    by Manel Loureiro

    2011Apocalypse Z, Book 3

Series background & context

The Apocalypse Z trilogy is a fast-moving survival-horror story set in a world that falls apart with shocking speed. It begins in Galicia, Spain, as reports of a strange outbreak in Russia grow harder to ignore. The infection kills its victims, then brings them back as violent, hungry undead. Phones, news broadcasts, transport, and public order all begin to fail at once.

At the center is a young lawyer who starts recording events in an online diary after the death of his wife. He is not a soldier or a trained survivalist. He is a grieving man trying to make sensible choices when there are fewer and fewer good options, and he refuses to leave behind his Persian cat, Lucullus.

That diary-like setup gives the first book, The Beginning of the End, an intimate feel. The narrator watches rumors turn into facts, then watches familiar streets become dangerous. Galicia matters here, from the outskirts of Pontevedra to the coast, because the story treats a real and recognizable place as the first stage of an unimaginable disaster.

The dead are terrifying. The living can be worse.

In Dark Days, the narrator's circle has widened to include Ukrainian pilot Viktor Pritchenko, Lucía, and Sister Cecilia. They head toward the Canary Islands, hoping the distance from the mainland might mean safety. Instead, the series shifts from immediate escape to the harder problem of finding a refuge that can actually be trusted. The undead remain a constant threat, but fear, political conflict, and betrayal among survivors become just as dangerous.

The final book, The Wrath of the Just, takes the group beyond Europe after a desperate journey at sea. They reach Gulfport, Mississippi, a settlement that appears organized and protected from the chaos outside. Its order comes with strict rules, an authoritarian leadership, and a price the newcomers cannot easily accept. The trilogy's larger question becomes clear: surviving an apocalypse is one thing, but what kind of life is worth surviving for?

These are action-driven books with plenty of close calls, improvised escapes, and bleak practical details. Loureiro also leaves room for friendship, grief, gallows humor, and the small routines that help people hold on when the world has changed beyond recognition.

Read the books in order. Each installment picks up the consequences of the last one, while expanding the map and raising the stakes for the narrator, Lucullus, and the people who choose to travel with them.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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