For a moment, it seems Lilly and her plague-weary band of survivors might build a better tomorrow. Joining forces with other settlements, they begin a massive project to restore the railroad between Woodbury and Atlanta. But little do they know that trouble is brewing back home . . .

A brutal new faction has attacked Woodbury. Now the barricades are burning, while adults have been murdered and children kidnapped. But why? Lilly will discover the chilling answer to this question and more as she launches a desperate rescue mission. The attempt will lead her into a nightmarish series of traps and hellish encounters with swarms of undead. And, as always, the walkers will prove the least of Lilly's problems. Human adversaries will provide her greatest challenge yet . . .