The Kill Order is the fourth book in the five-book Maze Runner series and a prequel to the first three books. It is not necessary to know the plot of the first three novels to understand The Kill Order, but knowledge of those books provides context for the novel’s importance to the series.

The first book, The Maze Runner (2009), features the protagonists, Thomas and Theresa, part of a group of young people who arrive in a place called the Glade at monthly intervals with no memory except for their names. There are tall walls around the Glade that open at regular intervals onto a Maze inhabited by ferocious biomechanical creatures called Grievers. Theresa is the last Glader to arrive, and after her arrival, new supply shipments cease, and the wall remains open so the Grievers can attack the Gladers on a daily basis. Thomas and Theresa lead the group in an escape attempt through the Maze. They make it through and enter a building that contains the Box—the elevator that deposits people and supplies into the Glade. Once there, they are rescued and taken to a warehouse where they learn they have been part of an experiment run by the World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department (WICKED) in order to find a cure for a virus called

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