Helpful Score: 2
Billed as UF but really PNR. Told from varying POV--it switches between 1st and 3rd person. Ultimately the book was BORING. I couldn't pick it up without falling asleep after reading 20-30 pages. The characters were unlikeable. I couldn't even finish it. My advice--skip it.
I really enjoyed this book. I have read other this author's other series (Chris Marie Green's Vampire Babylon, which is typical urban fantasy. Thought it was pretty good, not great. Very typical of most urban fanasy, though).
This book is the start of a new series which is set in a post apocalyptic world ... unlike most UF or PNR which is typically set in a more or less modern world, so if you come to this book expecting it to be like typical urban fantasy or paranormal romance, you will probably not like it.
If your reading background has included much horror or apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy, however, you might very much enjoy this book. The characters are familiar in the post-apocalytic fiction genre, paranoid, secretive, guarded, slow to welcome outsiders. The world-building in this novel was extremely interesting. The plot was OK. The romance was appropriate for the characters in this novel (again, very different from how a romance unfolds in the modern world setting). The transformations that the characters undergo were interesting.
The main detraction was the ending of the book ... it was a little too much "tell-all" instead of a reveal thru the plot. I do dislike when major plot points are told to other characters instead of shown through action. However, in this case, the other good and interesting things about this book made up for that small annoyance.
I will be reading the next novels in this series, and I also recommend them to others, although with the caveat that if you have only read UF/PNR set in the more or less modern world, you probably won't recognize or appreciate the traditions that this novel comes from.
This book is the start of a new series which is set in a post apocalyptic world ... unlike most UF or PNR which is typically set in a more or less modern world, so if you come to this book expecting it to be like typical urban fantasy or paranormal romance, you will probably not like it.
If your reading background has included much horror or apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy, however, you might very much enjoy this book. The characters are familiar in the post-apocalytic fiction genre, paranoid, secretive, guarded, slow to welcome outsiders. The world-building in this novel was extremely interesting. The plot was OK. The romance was appropriate for the characters in this novel (again, very different from how a romance unfolds in the modern world setting). The transformations that the characters undergo were interesting.
The main detraction was the ending of the book ... it was a little too much "tell-all" instead of a reveal thru the plot. I do dislike when major plot points are told to other characters instead of shown through action. However, in this case, the other good and interesting things about this book made up for that small annoyance.
I will be reading the next novels in this series, and I also recommend them to others, although with the caveat that if you have only read UF/PNR set in the more or less modern world, you probably won't recognize or appreciate the traditions that this novel comes from.
I think that first review was a little harsh. Being the first book in this trilogy, I think it was a good start and put a different twist on the PNR genre. It's very different from other PNRs I've read. In addition, the change in POVs, helped to keep the suspense going to the point where I was completely surprised by the ending and it was a great world-building technique. I think this trilogy is going to be great. I've already starting reading the 2nd book (and waiting for the next to arrive in the mail any day).
Couldn't get through it and I hate not finishing books.
For a dystopian vampire book. I really thought this book was just boring. In my humble opinion this book didn't get even interesting till about the last chapter and even then it was more of a FINALLY than an ALL RIGHT!
Really well written, insomuch as it keeps you engaged with suspense, excellent world building, and intelligent characterization. However, as much as I feel propelled to keep reading *once* I start reading, I find it hard to motivate myself to actually keep reading it if I put down the book for even a moment. If I put it down for the night, either to go to bed or because of some other disruption, I'm just not in a hurry to pick it back up again. I think there are two problems here.
1) As much as I love post-apocalyptic concepts, I find it to be a tricky thing to actually appreciate and enjoy in my fiction. Most of the time the hopelessness of it all is too reminiscent of the hopelessness and negativity I can watch on the news in the real world. I just want more hope and less bleakness in my imaginary world. So many of these post-apocalyptic tales not only have bleak, beaten down characters but bleak landscapes and plots as well. It's just too much bleak. This might be weird, but I want a less muted colour palette to my story if that makes sense.
2) The characters are really unlikable. They are developed. Very well-developed. I just don't particularly like them or care what happens to them--except for maybe the dog. Not only do I not like them, but they are bleak too. The only one I found interesting was the baddy because he had a certain style and nuance of a great villain. But he's still unlikable and cruel in that he would beat a dog and, frankly, I can accept a lot from my villains but animal cruelty is not one of them (call me crazy). I wish the characters had a little more pizzaz so that they balanced out the muted setting of a dry, desolate world. Dystopian does not have to be equated with boring. I think it should be just the opposite. Everything should be more pronounced. More colourful.
Bottomline: This is an excellently written book with a lot of potential. It just didn't serve my needs. But then again I hated reading Snow Crash (which is apparently supposed to be an excellent representation of the dystopian genre). So if you like your dystopia and good writing, and you don't mind it accompanied by some weirdly uncomfortable romance, then you will probably like this book. I just can't be bothered to continue reading the series. It was hard enough getting through this first book.
1) As much as I love post-apocalyptic concepts, I find it to be a tricky thing to actually appreciate and enjoy in my fiction. Most of the time the hopelessness of it all is too reminiscent of the hopelessness and negativity I can watch on the news in the real world. I just want more hope and less bleakness in my imaginary world. So many of these post-apocalyptic tales not only have bleak, beaten down characters but bleak landscapes and plots as well. It's just too much bleak. This might be weird, but I want a less muted colour palette to my story if that makes sense.
2) The characters are really unlikable. They are developed. Very well-developed. I just don't particularly like them or care what happens to them--except for maybe the dog. Not only do I not like them, but they are bleak too. The only one I found interesting was the baddy because he had a certain style and nuance of a great villain. But he's still unlikable and cruel in that he would beat a dog and, frankly, I can accept a lot from my villains but animal cruelty is not one of them (call me crazy). I wish the characters had a little more pizzaz so that they balanced out the muted setting of a dry, desolate world. Dystopian does not have to be equated with boring. I think it should be just the opposite. Everything should be more pronounced. More colourful.
Bottomline: This is an excellently written book with a lot of potential. It just didn't serve my needs. But then again I hated reading Snow Crash (which is apparently supposed to be an excellent representation of the dystopian genre). So if you like your dystopia and good writing, and you don't mind it accompanied by some weirdly uncomfortable romance, then you will probably like this book. I just can't be bothered to continue reading the series. It was hard enough getting through this first book.
