About the Author

Dan Anthony is an experienced scriptwriter and short story writer, having written and directed many radio programmes for BBC Radio Wales, and scripted plays for BBC Radio 4. He has written widely for children, working as a scriptwriter on CBBC's Story of Tracy Beaker and S4C's The Baaas. Number Two is his second novel, following on from the roaring success of The Rugby Zombies in 2010. He lives in Penarth, Cardiff.

Reviews

Let me say from the start that I am not a fan of either rugby or zombies. Despite that, though, this novel is superb. I had already bought it before I was asked to review it; that’s how excited I was about this sequel. The premise is great – Welsh rugby players who fail to achieve their potential on the pitch, then die and become zombies, cursed to remain so until they have played and won an international match. In the first book, they start their campaign, playing a local club. In Number Two the stakes are raised, and a higher-profile game is planned. Unfortunately, another figure from the zombies past turns up to make their path to success more complicated. I was hooked (Ha – rugby joke!) from the beginning, and, as things grow more tense in the latter half of the book, there is a genuine sense of fear and jeopardy. As with the first novel, the reader is given the sense that the zombies inhabit a world of violence and chaos, which begins to spill out into Arwel’s life. I still think the covers are too jokey for the content, but this is a tiny criticism for an otherwise terrific read, for girls and boys alike. Bring on the last international.
*Sally Owen @ www.gwales.com*