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Blood #1
Bloodtide
The time is the not-too-distant future. London is in ruins. A bombed-out shell. A picked-over carcass where the only rule of law is might makes right. What remains of the city is being fought over by two ruthless gangs of warlords. In an effort to create peace, however, a truce between the two families is suggested by Val, patriarch of the Volson clan. His collateral? The hand of his fourteen-year-old daughter, Signy, in marriage to his blood rival, Conor. A rebellious, headstrong teenager who has dreamed all her life of joining her father's forces as a soldier in the war against Conor, Signy is stunned by the announcement. To agree to such a plan is unthinkable! Conor is her mortal enemy. To live as his wife is no better than to live as a slave... for the rest of her life.
But what of the alternative? Does she dare defy her father? And what of the consequences of her rebellion? Her decision will set in motion a series of events—events both horrifying and tragic—that will change her life forever.
Melvin Burgess has fashioned a powerfully dystopian vision of a young woman's coming of age against the backdrop of war that is shocking, harrowing, and compelling.
But what of the alternative? Does she dare defy her father? And what of the consequences of her rebellion? Her decision will set in motion a series of events—events both horrifying and tragic—that will change her life forever.
Melvin Burgess has fashioned a powerfully dystopian vision of a young woman's coming of age against the backdrop of war that is shocking, harrowing, and compelling.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
34 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
Melvin Burgess
86books431followersMelvin Burgess is a British author of children's fiction. His first book, The Cry of the Wolf, was published in 1990. He gained a certain amount of notoriety in 1996 with the publication of Junk, which was published in the shadow of the film of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, and dealt with the trendy and controversial idea of heroin-addicted teenagers. Junk soon became, at least in Britain, one of the best-known children's books of the decade.
Burgess again courted predictable controversy in 2003, with the publication of Doing It, which dealt with underage sex. America created a show based on the book, Life As We Know It. In his other books, such as Bloodtide and The Ghost Behind the Wall, Burgess has dealt with less realist and sometimes fantastic themes. In 2001 Burgess wrote the novelisation of the film Billy Elliot, based on Lee Hall's screenplay. Polyphony is typical for his most famous novels.
Burgess again courted predictable controversy in 2003, with the publication of Doing It, which dealt with underage sex. America created a show based on the book, Life As We Know It. In his other books, such as Bloodtide and The Ghost Behind the Wall, Burgess has dealt with less realist and sometimes fantastic themes. In 2001 Burgess wrote the novelisation of the film Billy Elliot, based on Lee Hall's screenplay. Polyphony is typical for his most famous novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
January 18, 2012
Why I love this book so much? Because it's one of the most freaking messed up books ever. Like holy damn messed up. It's crazy! It's gory, disgusting, violent and everything I could ever want. Haha. I loved how dark it is and it will forever be on my love, love, love shelf.
This is a YA book that really pushes the boundaries and REALLY deserves having a higher for mature audience rating slapped on it. Bloodtide is hard, hard, hard and if you don't like dark not fluffy at all stuff then you gotta stay far, far, far away from this book.
This is a YA book that really pushes the boundaries and REALLY deserves having a higher for mature audience rating slapped on it. Bloodtide is hard, hard, hard and if you don't like dark not fluffy at all stuff then you gotta stay far, far, far away from this book.
September 16, 2023
Things you need to know:
1. Based on the Volsung Saga, which inspired Game of Thrones' Red Wedding
2. Post-apocalyptic London
3. Norse gods walking around messing with people
4. Human/animal hybrids
5. REALLY high body count.
6. SO GOOD BUT SO DEPRESSING
7. This is just the first half of the story
I was told about this by my friend who also loves Norse mythology, and who couldn't believe that I hadn't read it. I hadn't even heard of Melvin Burgess (although I recognized his name once I saw the titles of some of his other books). I have now read The Lost Witch, and this, and I am a huge fan. This is not a guy who pulls any punches, or talks down to his readers, or who has ever said, they're teens, we need to treat them with kid gloves. This is someone who does not hesitate to emotionally and physically maim his characters. It's a LOT. It's not easy to read at times. But damn if it isn't good stuff.
I absolutely HAVE to read Bloodsong, the second book, but I'm going to take a little break and read something light before I do. Just for a lil' mental health break!
These books are out of print, btw, at least in the US, and my library system didn't have them. But I found them both handily on Abebooks from indie used bookstores, and had my pick of conditions/covers/price.
1. Based on the Volsung Saga, which inspired Game of Thrones' Red Wedding
2. Post-apocalyptic London
3. Norse gods walking around messing with people
4. Human/animal hybrids
5. REALLY high body count.
6. SO GOOD BUT SO DEPRESSING
7. This is just the first half of the story
I was told about this by my friend who also loves Norse mythology, and who couldn't believe that I hadn't read it. I hadn't even heard of Melvin Burgess (although I recognized his name once I saw the titles of some of his other books). I have now read The Lost Witch, and this, and I am a huge fan. This is not a guy who pulls any punches, or talks down to his readers, or who has ever said, they're teens, we need to treat them with kid gloves. This is someone who does not hesitate to emotionally and physically maim his characters. It's a LOT. It's not easy to read at times. But damn if it isn't good stuff.
I absolutely HAVE to read Bloodsong, the second book, but I'm going to take a little break and read something light before I do. Just for a lil' mental health break!
These books are out of print, btw, at least in the US, and my library system didn't have them. But I found them both handily on Abebooks from indie used bookstores, and had my pick of conditions/covers/price.
October 7, 2012
I first read Bloodtide as a teenager, and it's been a few years since my last reread. Bloodtide is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel. The post-apocalyptic part is the London that's been cut off from the rest of the world after the gangs got too big. (Maybe not a proper apocalypse, but it it's treated as one). The sci-fi part is the genetically engineered 'half men', who the humans think are monsters � but they're no more monstrous than any of the human characters.
And then there's the gods.
Bloodtide is a retelling of a small part of the Volsunga Saga, the family history before the better known tale of Sigurd and Brunhilde. (Burgess treated that in a sequel some years later.) The Volsons are one of two big-shot families in the city. The youngest Volson children are twins, Siggy (Sigmund) and Signy, and the story starts with Signy being married off, to create an alliance. Hopefully to create peace.
But Odin shows up the night of her wedding. And as always when Odin gets involved with humans, things get fucked.
Because it's retelling a legend, because it's a story of revenge that doesn't get enacted for many years, the novel is weirdly paced. It's disturbing event after disturbing event, some of which drives the story, some of which just seems random if you don't know it's there because it was there in the saga.
I've read the saga, or this part of it, since I read Bloodtide last, and it's funny the way they combined in my head. The way Signy's fate in the saga supplanted her fate in the novel in my memory. I was struck, rereading this, just how screwed over Signy is by the story she lives in � and also by the way Burgess draws attention to how screwed over Signy is.
The first time Odin shows up, he leaves a knife, embedded in glass like Excalibur in the stone; and none can remove the knife except the youngest Volson, Siggy. This pisses Signy's new husband off no end (and he never ceases in coveting the knife). So we have this scene:
Of course, no-one touched by Odin has a good life. And Signy's is bitterest of all.
It's a strange book. And it's a strange choice of story, to retell as a YA novel. More because of that bitterness than because of all the violence and other disturbing themes. And it's odd that I like it, because usually I hate stories where all the characters are awful people. Maybe because it's obvious here how events have shaped that in them. But certainly Bloodtide transfixed me as a teenager. And I wasn't disappointed rereading it as an adult.
(Review first posted on .)
And then there's the gods.
Bloodtide is a retelling of a small part of the Volsunga Saga, the family history before the better known tale of Sigurd and Brunhilde. (Burgess treated that in a sequel some years later.) The Volsons are one of two big-shot families in the city. The youngest Volson children are twins, Siggy (Sigmund) and Signy, and the story starts with Signy being married off, to create an alliance. Hopefully to create peace.
But Odin shows up the night of her wedding. And as always when Odin gets involved with humans, things get fucked.
Because it's retelling a legend, because it's a story of revenge that doesn't get enacted for many years, the novel is weirdly paced. It's disturbing event after disturbing event, some of which drives the story, some of which just seems random if you don't know it's there because it was there in the saga.
I've read the saga, or this part of it, since I read Bloodtide last, and it's funny the way they combined in my head. The way Signy's fate in the saga supplanted her fate in the novel in my memory. I was struck, rereading this, just how screwed over Signy is by the story she lives in � and also by the way Burgess draws attention to how screwed over Signy is.
The first time Odin shows up, he leaves a knife, embedded in glass like Excalibur in the stone; and none can remove the knife except the youngest Volson, Siggy. This pisses Signy's new husband off no end (and he never ceases in coveting the knife). So we have this scene:
In a little fit of resentment, Signy made a movement towards the knife, then stopped herself. It wasn't just that she wanted it for Conor. The fact was, she was scared she might have been able to remove it herself. Of them all, only she had not been given the chance to take the knife from the lift shaft. The boys were all put first. Maybe the knife could have been hers instead of Siggy's. Odin had touched Siggy, but he had embraced her. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that.
Of course, no-one touched by Odin has a good life. And Signy's is bitterest of all.
It's a strange book. And it's a strange choice of story, to retell as a YA novel. More because of that bitterness than because of all the violence and other disturbing themes. And it's odd that I like it, because usually I hate stories where all the characters are awful people. Maybe because it's obvious here how events have shaped that in them. But certainly Bloodtide transfixed me as a teenager. And I wasn't disappointed rereading it as an adult.
(Review first posted on .)
June 20, 2023
About a million years ago, this book was given to me by some dude who was trying to, um, how shall I put this? Fuck me. He was trying to fuck me. He didn't succeed, but the point is, after I managed to finish reading this monstrosity, I had to wonder whether I should be insulted that he was trying like hell to get with me, because obviously his taste and judgment are questionable. For one thing, he told me this book is good. It isn't. And for another thing, after a conversation we’d had about the book I was writing at the time, he said that my book sounded like this book. It doesn't. At all. The only similarity between the two is that they're both futuristic dystopian sci-fi novels.
But I digress.
Where do I even begin in venting my spleen about this ungodly piece of crap? Should I start with the fact that I hated every single character because they were all outrageously annoying and had not one redeeming quality among the lot of them? Or should I start by pointing out that Burgess's writing is juvenile at best, and execrable at worst? And that's being polite. Or maybe I should start by mentioning that reading this book is like being locked in a small room with a dozen mental patients. No, really. Not only are all of these characters completely indecisive and irrational, but they're also entirely emotionally unstable, such that they change thoughts and opinions and moods not just multiple times on each page, but sometimes in the same sentence. Apparently, in the future, they'll be able to make dog-men and pig-men and whatever the hell else in big Vats-o'-Science, but psychiatric medicine will be completely unheard of.
Look, I get it. Burgess is trying to make a medieval Icelandic saga cool and new and accessible to the next generation of readers. And that would be commendable, except...not like this. Dear god, Mel, not like this. Just because you're writing for teenagers doesn't mean you have to write like you are one. And when none of your characters have matured emotionally past the age of about fifteen, that doesn't make them easier to identify with, it just makes them annoying and unlikeable, and it makes the story hard to read. If I had read this book when I, myself, was fifteen or sixteen, I would have been insulted that this—a badly-written behemoth full of shitty, unrealistic dialogue, two-dimensional characters, overblown violence, and painfully awkward sex scenes—is the sort of garbage meant to appeal to me, and I would have chucked the thing in the trash about a quarter of the way through.
I guess I must have gained a bit more patience over the years, because I did manage to make it all the way through Bloodtide, if only so I could fully articulate what a horrendous pile of shit it is and how pissed off I am that this is the kind of garbage being offered to young adult readers. Granted, this was published the year I was a freshman in high school, which was not, in my opinion, a banner era for young adult fiction. Thankfully, there are so many better books out there now for teenagers to read, books that are well composed, well written, that will make them think, make them feel, that will help them grow into better people. Please, for the love of god, encourage them to read one of those instead. Not this. This is like polishing a turd and calling it art.
This review is now also available on my blog, . I'm also on .
But I digress.
Where do I even begin in venting my spleen about this ungodly piece of crap? Should I start with the fact that I hated every single character because they were all outrageously annoying and had not one redeeming quality among the lot of them? Or should I start by pointing out that Burgess's writing is juvenile at best, and execrable at worst? And that's being polite. Or maybe I should start by mentioning that reading this book is like being locked in a small room with a dozen mental patients. No, really. Not only are all of these characters completely indecisive and irrational, but they're also entirely emotionally unstable, such that they change thoughts and opinions and moods not just multiple times on each page, but sometimes in the same sentence. Apparently, in the future, they'll be able to make dog-men and pig-men and whatever the hell else in big Vats-o'-Science, but psychiatric medicine will be completely unheard of.
Look, I get it. Burgess is trying to make a medieval Icelandic saga cool and new and accessible to the next generation of readers. And that would be commendable, except...not like this. Dear god, Mel, not like this. Just because you're writing for teenagers doesn't mean you have to write like you are one. And when none of your characters have matured emotionally past the age of about fifteen, that doesn't make them easier to identify with, it just makes them annoying and unlikeable, and it makes the story hard to read. If I had read this book when I, myself, was fifteen or sixteen, I would have been insulted that this—a badly-written behemoth full of shitty, unrealistic dialogue, two-dimensional characters, overblown violence, and painfully awkward sex scenes—is the sort of garbage meant to appeal to me, and I would have chucked the thing in the trash about a quarter of the way through.
I guess I must have gained a bit more patience over the years, because I did manage to make it all the way through Bloodtide, if only so I could fully articulate what a horrendous pile of shit it is and how pissed off I am that this is the kind of garbage being offered to young adult readers. Granted, this was published the year I was a freshman in high school, which was not, in my opinion, a banner era for young adult fiction. Thankfully, there are so many better books out there now for teenagers to read, books that are well composed, well written, that will make them think, make them feel, that will help them grow into better people. Please, for the love of god, encourage them to read one of those instead. Not this. This is like polishing a turd and calling it art.
This review is now also available on my blog, . I'm also on .
October 15, 2010
I guess sometimes the more a book can disgust you, the more it can startle and unnerve you, the better it is. I havent forgotten this book, though I read it about ten years ago.
March 30, 2024
Niekaip neapsisprendžiu. Mano žmonai labai patiko. Kiek suprantu, kritikams irgi. O aš, seniai jau skaičiau tokį kratinį. Bijau susipykti su žmona, nes: pirmiausia mane užkniso vertimas. Atrodo, kad kalba vienuolikos metų vaikas augęs su tėvais alkoholikais. Knygų jis gal ir skaitė, bet dauguma buvo apie peliuką Mikį, tai ir žodynas, ir dėliojimas nekažką. Žmona sako - taip turi būt. Antra priežastis - personažai. Jie koktūs. Jie silpni, net kaip antagonistai. Jie tiesiog kaip celofaninis maišelis vėjyje, blaškosi po pasaulį, purvini, nereikšmingi, neįdomūs. Žmona sako, kad aš asilas, o personažai TIKRI. Trečia ir paskutinė (nors ne paskutinė, bet geriau su žmonom nesipykt) priežastis - turinys. Autorius pasigyrė, kad turinį klijavo pagal Violsungų sagą, bet man tas mašinerijos, vosvos kvailos magijos ir viduramžių mišinys iki steampunk nedatraukė ir buvo... vaikiškas again. Todėl... aš manau, kad paskaitysiu antrą dalį. Nu rasiu aš tą vietą kur žmonai patiko nors tu ką. Nea. #LEBooks #MelvinBurgess #Blodtide #Blood
March 29, 2017
This book is very twisted. But I give it four stars for how the author was able to create a character that was psychotic, but you don't realize it until the end. And for how he was able to make the war seem so real.
June 12, 2014
This book really got under my skin. I don't know what to think, specifically. It hurt, but, damn, it was good.
December 19, 2014
This book made such a huge impression when I was a teenager. I do not even know If I would dare to read it again because of that reason.
February 17, 2010
Bloodtide is the first part of the Icelandic Volsunga Saga, replayed in dystopic London where ganglords rule the city and genetically engineered halfmen threaten them from the countryside. Twins Siggy and Signy Volson are separated when Signy weds a rival family ganglord, but treason, war, and intrigue may bring them back togetherif both twins can survive the harrows of war. An odd combination of dystopic London and Icelandic myth, Bloodtide has an attention-grabbing concept which is often well handled but never fully justified. Burgess's writing is vivid and violent, but constant headhopping cripples the otherwise strong narrative. On the whole, this book is pretty good but not quite good enough, and I don't recommend it.
Straddling futuristic, dystopic London and ancient Icelandic myth, Bloodtide is something of an unusual combination. Burgess makes the story his own: he expands on characters and motivations, streamlines and tweaks parts of the plot, and sets the myth in an entirely new setting which, dystopic and full of halfmen, has a rich story of its own. But too often, the two very disparate aspects just don't mesh. Dystopic London has little explanation or backstoryand while an explicit backstory could be artificial, a lack of backstory makes the setting unrealistic. Burgess also has no explanation for the story's divine influences (visits from Odin, help from Loki) except to have the gods themselves enter the storyand their appearances feel out of place against the an otherwise gritty, detailed, scifi story. Dystopic London and Icelandic myths are unexpected, potentially wonderful partners, but Burgess never justifies bringing them together. Lingering questions of just why Odin walks the streets of London make the book feel a little unsubstantial.
Plot, setting, influences aside: Bloodtide is pretty good, but not quite good enough. Never does it shy from grit and guts: death, murder, betrayal, anger, love are all brutal. And rather than a cheap thrill, the violence is brutally effective. Almost the entire cast is multi-dimensional and brings to the table a litany of twisted motivations, and the story's raw violence gives characters and their actions a hefty weight. Unfortunately, Burgess's interest in characters cripples the flow of the book. The chapters alternate between first and third person, every other chapter jumping into the head of a characteroften Signy or Siggy, but sometimes as strange a choice as a one-off headhop into the mind of a war general. The transition between first and third person becomes a bit less jarring as the book goes on, but it never stops feeling like a gimmickand it makes for some narrative repetition where the edges of the plot overlap what a group of characters did with how a specific character felt about it.
I came to Bloodtide without many expectations, and what I found intrigued but failed to delight. Icelandic myth and ganglord-ruled London is an odd and attention-grabbing combination but it doesn't make sense or work outa pity, because on their own both dystopic London and retold Icelandic myth are promising premises for a novel. Burgess is a strong writer, but doesn't seem to trust that strength: his story would stand stronger without gimmicky POV changes. I enjoyed much of Bloodtide, both for the unique story that it tries to be and for the strong characters and violence that fill it, but my final impression was somewhat soured by the book's failed potential. It's not bad by a long ways, and interested readers may want to read it and judge it for themselves. But in my opinion this book didn't quite justify the time spent reading it, and I don't recommend it.
Straddling futuristic, dystopic London and ancient Icelandic myth, Bloodtide is something of an unusual combination. Burgess makes the story his own: he expands on characters and motivations, streamlines and tweaks parts of the plot, and sets the myth in an entirely new setting which, dystopic and full of halfmen, has a rich story of its own. But too often, the two very disparate aspects just don't mesh. Dystopic London has little explanation or backstoryand while an explicit backstory could be artificial, a lack of backstory makes the setting unrealistic. Burgess also has no explanation for the story's divine influences (visits from Odin, help from Loki) except to have the gods themselves enter the storyand their appearances feel out of place against the an otherwise gritty, detailed, scifi story. Dystopic London and Icelandic myths are unexpected, potentially wonderful partners, but Burgess never justifies bringing them together. Lingering questions of just why Odin walks the streets of London make the book feel a little unsubstantial.
Plot, setting, influences aside: Bloodtide is pretty good, but not quite good enough. Never does it shy from grit and guts: death, murder, betrayal, anger, love are all brutal. And rather than a cheap thrill, the violence is brutally effective. Almost the entire cast is multi-dimensional and brings to the table a litany of twisted motivations, and the story's raw violence gives characters and their actions a hefty weight. Unfortunately, Burgess's interest in characters cripples the flow of the book. The chapters alternate between first and third person, every other chapter jumping into the head of a characteroften Signy or Siggy, but sometimes as strange a choice as a one-off headhop into the mind of a war general. The transition between first and third person becomes a bit less jarring as the book goes on, but it never stops feeling like a gimmickand it makes for some narrative repetition where the edges of the plot overlap what a group of characters did with how a specific character felt about it.
I came to Bloodtide without many expectations, and what I found intrigued but failed to delight. Icelandic myth and ganglord-ruled London is an odd and attention-grabbing combination but it doesn't make sense or work outa pity, because on their own both dystopic London and retold Icelandic myth are promising premises for a novel. Burgess is a strong writer, but doesn't seem to trust that strength: his story would stand stronger without gimmicky POV changes. I enjoyed much of Bloodtide, both for the unique story that it tries to be and for the strong characters and violence that fill it, but my final impression was somewhat soured by the book's failed potential. It's not bad by a long ways, and interested readers may want to read it and judge it for themselves. But in my opinion this book didn't quite justify the time spent reading it, and I don't recommend it.
March 9, 2010
I found out about Melvin Burgess's 'Bloodtide' after following a thread of articles online (mostly on the Guardian, bless 'em) about the "issue" of violence in children's and YA books, which spiked around Patrick Ness's 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' (truly terrific book which apparently got some people raging about knife crime, because yes, books about a kid coming of age in a futuristic agrarian community when the men have been infected by a virus that makes all their thoughts audible is *exactly* the sort of thing that causes kids to go out and stab each other) but which I imagine has always bee around.
It was that got me on to Burgess (it also mentioned the Borribles, a 1970s/early 80s YA trilogy that I've recently ripped through). The writer had me at Volsunga Saga - I'm a soft touch for anything Greek or Norse mythology, Robin Hood, or King Arthur.
The book is an epic, in the mythic sense - two warring families, in a broken down society, who arrange a treaty by exchanging a child bride. It is gruesome (characters are chained to an iron girder and devoured by a mutant pig; there's torture, betrayal and a healthy dose of incest). It did leave me thinking that these are topics that somehow are managable, and can be dealt with with a certain level of grace, even nobility, when they're cast in this way. I wonder why?
It was that got me on to Burgess (it also mentioned the Borribles, a 1970s/early 80s YA trilogy that I've recently ripped through). The writer had me at Volsunga Saga - I'm a soft touch for anything Greek or Norse mythology, Robin Hood, or King Arthur.
The book is an epic, in the mythic sense - two warring families, in a broken down society, who arrange a treaty by exchanging a child bride. It is gruesome (characters are chained to an iron girder and devoured by a mutant pig; there's torture, betrayal and a healthy dose of incest). It did leave me thinking that these are topics that somehow are managable, and can be dealt with with a certain level of grace, even nobility, when they're cast in this way. I wonder why?
March 31, 2014
Having read a lot of dystopian novels in the last few years this book was a little different. I loved the idea that gangland warfare could lead to such drastic actions as shutting London off and surrounding it with genetically modified humans/animals.
It was violent in many places and a little gruesome but then the situation that the main characters find themselves in is as well. It addresses issues of madness, chaos and prejudice and some incidents in the book reminds you scarily of what has happened in previous war times.
The characters are so well written I found myself both annoyed and proud at their actions. It follows twins Siggy and Signy (one thing I would change in the book was how close their names were to each other - got confusing at times)and how they survive when cooperation between 2 gangs goes wrong.
My favourite character in the book had to be Melanie who brought some much needed humour and goodwill to the novel and lifted it from being depressing altogether.
The added theme of something mystical and mythological going on got me to read faster in order to get some answers. I would not recommend this book to the squimish as it includes many scenes of brutality and injury.
However, I will definately read the next book as it left me on a cliffhanger and still asking questions upto the very last sentence.
It was violent in many places and a little gruesome but then the situation that the main characters find themselves in is as well. It addresses issues of madness, chaos and prejudice and some incidents in the book reminds you scarily of what has happened in previous war times.
The characters are so well written I found myself both annoyed and proud at their actions. It follows twins Siggy and Signy (one thing I would change in the book was how close their names were to each other - got confusing at times)and how they survive when cooperation between 2 gangs goes wrong.
My favourite character in the book had to be Melanie who brought some much needed humour and goodwill to the novel and lifted it from being depressing altogether.
The added theme of something mystical and mythological going on got me to read faster in order to get some answers. I would not recommend this book to the squimish as it includes many scenes of brutality and injury.
However, I will definately read the next book as it left me on a cliffhanger and still asking questions upto the very last sentence.
September 15, 2020
I'm sorry to say that this book was not quite to my tastes or what I was expecting.
I feel like this book had so much potential which is partially what made it so disappointing.
There were good points, parts of the plot from the Volsung Saga mixed in with a new dystopian universe but as another commenter said, they weren't meshed well.
I think the main thing was that I wasn't made to care. More background was needed to make me fully feel like I wanted the characters to succeed or fail, and learning more about how and why London fell would have been interesting. The ending was also a bit abrupt for a novel which, at times, seemed to drag out. I also have to ask if the author has ever heard a teenager speak. Direct quote- 'It's horned me right up'? Seriously???
Saying that, I think the plot was very good and there were a few characters I really liked and enjoyed hearing about. Also the interpretations of some characters was different from what I had taken from the original which was interesting to consider.
I'm going to read the sequel and see if more world-building is established and what is twisted in the Sigurd legend. Hopefully it'll have more closure than his instalment had to offer.
I feel like this book had so much potential which is partially what made it so disappointing.
There were good points, parts of the plot from the Volsung Saga mixed in with a new dystopian universe but as another commenter said, they weren't meshed well.
I think the main thing was that I wasn't made to care. More background was needed to make me fully feel like I wanted the characters to succeed or fail, and learning more about how and why London fell would have been interesting. The ending was also a bit abrupt for a novel which, at times, seemed to drag out. I also have to ask if the author has ever heard a teenager speak. Direct quote- 'It's horned me right up'? Seriously???
Saying that, I think the plot was very good and there were a few characters I really liked and enjoyed hearing about. Also the interpretations of some characters was different from what I had taken from the original which was interesting to consider.
I'm going to read the sequel and see if more world-building is established and what is twisted in the Sigurd legend. Hopefully it'll have more closure than his instalment had to offer.
June 8, 2023
Okay but why is this book so heavily slept on, I've read it twice and I can confidently say it just keeps getting better every time I read it. The characters are amazing and refreshingly realistic (Signy is my bitch) and having the book set in my very own homeland was just the icing on the already delicious cake. Signy is who I want to be when I grow up, die as and be am reincarnated into, and Ziggy is okay ig, but this is Signy's world and we are just living in it.
Continuing with the metaphor of cake, the plot is so layered and rich, I could not help but gorge myself on it (hence why I have read it twice). There is always a twist and turn coming which you don't expect but works perfectly together even including a little enemies to lovers trope for all you romance devours.
Read this book if you want to read the greatest book ever, or don't and continue living your insignificant boring life. I was a changed woman after this, my skin cleared, my grades improved and I no longer felt depressed.
Continuing with the metaphor of cake, the plot is so layered and rich, I could not help but gorge myself on it (hence why I have read it twice). There is always a twist and turn coming which you don't expect but works perfectly together even including a little enemies to lovers trope for all you romance devours.
Read this book if you want to read the greatest book ever, or don't and continue living your insignificant boring life. I was a changed woman after this, my skin cleared, my grades improved and I no longer felt depressed.
March 15, 2012
I've read a lot of self-conscious retellings of myth, set either in the past or in some sci-fi future, and I'd come to the conclusion that it was never done well.
So I approached this, and BloodSong, with a lot of scepticism. TBH, I only read it because I was going to be meeting Melvin Burgess at a Lit Fest, where we were going to be on a panel together.
I was so wrong! This, and its sequel, are wonderful - blew me away. It's so well imagined, its world so complete, that there's not a hint of self-consciousness or falsity. These books are as full-on and passionate as the myths themselves. That's why I've given them 5 stars.
I lent them to my partner, who isn't that impressed with books, and knows almost nothing about the myths they're based on (and cares less) - and he was bowled over by them too!
So I approached this, and BloodSong, with a lot of scepticism. TBH, I only read it because I was going to be meeting Melvin Burgess at a Lit Fest, where we were going to be on a panel together.
I was so wrong! This, and its sequel, are wonderful - blew me away. It's so well imagined, its world so complete, that there's not a hint of self-consciousness or falsity. These books are as full-on and passionate as the myths themselves. That's why I've given them 5 stars.
I lent them to my partner, who isn't that impressed with books, and knows almost nothing about the myths they're based on (and cares less) - and he was bowled over by them too!
October 9, 2011
I can't figure out if I liked this book or if I was disturbed by it. Essentially it is the story of two warring gang families; the Volsons and the Connors. Signy Volson is married to Conor Connor to help Val Volson unite London under one ruler. Signy is kept in a tower for "her protection" and soon a half-hyena man -one of many half-men who live outside London- tells her Conor plans to betray her and gifts her with a cat named Cherry. Soon Conor betrays her and the book gets very disturbing.
September 12, 2018
I just didn't really gel with this book.
Set in a dystopian future, London is walled off from the rest of the country and is under the control of two rival ganglords. The area around London is left to a race called 'Halfmen'. These are a mixture of humans, animals and machines mashed into one. They don't get on with humans.
One of the ganglords tries to form a peace treaty to the other by wedding off his daughter to him. But then the Gods get involved and betrayal becomes the norm.
This all sounds pretty interesting but it's not. I had to keep forcing myself to read. The only two characters I liked were Cherry & Melanie and they were both killed which was depressing. I didn't care about any of the others and didn't really care which one won. Not a winner for me.
Set in a dystopian future, London is walled off from the rest of the country and is under the control of two rival ganglords. The area around London is left to a race called 'Halfmen'. These are a mixture of humans, animals and machines mashed into one. They don't get on with humans.
One of the ganglords tries to form a peace treaty to the other by wedding off his daughter to him. But then the Gods get involved and betrayal becomes the norm.
This all sounds pretty interesting but it's not. I had to keep forcing myself to read. The only two characters I liked were Cherry & Melanie and they were both killed which was depressing. I didn't care about any of the others and didn't really care which one won. Not a winner for me.
January 18, 2016
Bloody and intensely compelling. I first read this book when I was 14 and it blew my mind. I don't think I had ever read anything quite so explicitly violent before that point. (Unless you count the Armoured Bear fight in Northern Lights...)
The elements of the original Icelandic saga are so seamlessly interwoven with Burgess's vision of dystopian London, that it is no more surprising that Odin turns up at a banquet than that there are mutants - half animal, half person - roaming around outside the city walls.
The elements of the original Icelandic saga are so seamlessly interwoven with Burgess's vision of dystopian London, that it is no more surprising that Odin turns up at a banquet than that there are mutants - half animal, half person - roaming around outside the city walls.
November 7, 2016
Another great read for our boys at school, fantasy, action, moral dilemma's, links to mythology.
When I have to read book two, immediately, it's good.
When I have to read book two, immediately, it's good.
June 8, 2020
I think this was a case of 'It's not you, it's me' but still I really did't enjoy this book.
Bloodtide is based on the Icelandic 'Volsunga Saga', but is set in the future where London has been taken over by ganglords and has been walled off from the rest of the UK, where genetically modified animals, halfmen, roam. A truce is suggested, where the daughter of one clan is given in marriage to the king of another clan and this will set in motion a series of tragic events.
Firstly, it's important to point out that the girl being sold off in marriage is actually fourteen years old, so this book gave me the Ick Factor from the start. I know plenty of fourteen year olds are sexually active, but the dude she marries is in his late twenties, so this is actually rape.
I went into this thinking that I was going to be reading a far future version of Romeo and Juliet - not entirely sure why because there's nothing to suggest this in the blurb of the book -but even if I wasn't pretty horrified about the child bride thing I didn't go into this book with the right thoughts. The plot is basically about betrayal and a really long, long revenge story with magic and gods thrown in too. It's based on an Icelandic story and it really does read like a god-pantheon-hero type story, like Medea or the Odyssey or something. This isn't what I wanted to read, though. It's violent, but the violence didn't shock me like a Stephen King novel. It
The story is told from multiple POVs and this made it super confusing, especially as I didn't like any of the characters or find them interesting. They were entirely self-serving and two-dimensional.
The writing is actually really good, I've read a couple of Melvin Burgess's other books and really liked them. He's a great writer. It's really the content, characters and plot of this book I disliked!
There is apparently a sequel to this book. I doubt I'll be reading it.
1.5 stars
Bloodtide is based on the Icelandic 'Volsunga Saga', but is set in the future where London has been taken over by ganglords and has been walled off from the rest of the UK, where genetically modified animals, halfmen, roam. A truce is suggested, where the daughter of one clan is given in marriage to the king of another clan and this will set in motion a series of tragic events.
Firstly, it's important to point out that the girl being sold off in marriage is actually fourteen years old, so this book gave me the Ick Factor from the start. I know plenty of fourteen year olds are sexually active, but the dude she marries is in his late twenties, so this is actually rape.
I went into this thinking that I was going to be reading a far future version of Romeo and Juliet - not entirely sure why because there's nothing to suggest this in the blurb of the book -but even if I wasn't pretty horrified about the child bride thing I didn't go into this book with the right thoughts. The plot is basically about betrayal and a really long, long revenge story with magic and gods thrown in too. It's based on an Icelandic story and it really does read like a god-pantheon-hero type story, like Medea or the Odyssey or something. This isn't what I wanted to read, though. It's violent, but the violence didn't shock me like a Stephen King novel. It
The story is told from multiple POVs and this made it super confusing, especially as I didn't like any of the characters or find them interesting. They were entirely self-serving and two-dimensional.
The writing is actually really good, I've read a couple of Melvin Burgess's other books and really liked them. He's a great writer. It's really the content, characters and plot of this book I disliked!
There is apparently a sequel to this book. I doubt I'll be reading it.
1.5 stars
March 13, 2021
3.5 really - there were so many interesting ideas that the author could have run with, if he hadn't walled himself in with the Icelandic saga framing narrative. My ability to be shocked by a lot of the endgame moments had been so diminished by the continuous trauma and emotionally flat writing that by the time I finished the story, I just didn't care anymore. That being said, the early events were genuinely shocking and I was invested enough to see how things would play out.
February 11, 2020
Well ... that's two days of reading I'm not getting back...
January 19, 2023
Good story, sometimes slow paced. No filter whatsoever so don’t get attached to your favourite character.
December 7, 2014
The future London has fallen far from its lofty civilization. Now ganglords rule, and the biggest of these are like kings over their own little kingdoms. But Val Volson and Connor both want it all, and so a treaty was proposed: Val's daughter Signy's hand in marriage to Connor to create peace between the bitter rivals. Signy opposes the marriage at first. When she's grown to love Connor, betrayal shatters the truce and subjugates all of London under Connor's iron fist. And so Signy finds a new goal: to bring down Connor and restore London to Volson rule. No matter what it takes.
Underneath it all, the story could be a good one. It's a war to end the world, where despotism knows no bounds, and the most ruthless characters might be the ones opposing Connor. Certainly the plot twists like a snake; the Norse gods show up from time to time just to make life interesting, particularly Odin and Loki, and since murder is the order of the day no one's survival is guaranteed. Despite the obvious similarities to WWII, the comparison was not abused in the war itself or the end of the war. In fact, the battle scenes are more battle summaries, as the greatest action is that taking place within the characters themselves.
The story could be good. A number of things stop it from actually being good. Point of view was my biggest peeve, as the story starts in a third-person that wanders to second person or inside anyone's head at all, then swaps between Signy and Siggy in first person (and it took me half the book to figure out which was the girl; they might be twins, but surely they could have different names?), along with random other characters that have first-person snippets. These are rammed full of dialect that can make it hard to understand, or at least slow down reading. The other problem is that these first-person cameos are random. Some of the people only get a chapter or two and then vanish, or are killed offstage. Personally I wish the author had stuck with third-person, because as annoying as it was to wander in and out of everyone's heads, it was more annoying to go the entire chapter thinking it was Signy talking only to find out it was her brother. The chapter headers did not help at all until I had it sorted which name belonged to which character.
The other, and frankly, bigger, reason I dislike this book is the sheer amount of vice. Signy is thirteen when she gets married (Connor being over twice her age didn't help) and the beginning of the book has a fairly heavy focus on sex. When she's fifteen she commits incest with her twin brother in order to conceive his child. Nobody has a problem randomly committing murder or stealing; Signy is quite coldblooded at manipulating Connor into killing off many of the people under him. I understand this is a dark fantasy, but I can't find anything to like about anyone except Melanie, and she's hardly the point of the book.
Also, I didn't like the idea that anything at all could be bred into someone using those womb-tanks. Dog features, yes, or a horse's strength, but genetically modifying someone not to have pity? Pity is a choice as much as a feeling. And while the idea that destiny is inescapable is hardly a new one, it's also neatly avoiding the fact that people have choices. Signy became worse than Connor because she chose to sink to his level. The gods' manipulation might have played a part, but at least near the end she had a choice to get out of it all and she chose to stay.
Overall I was surprised the book managed to get published, and even more surprised it survived long enough to generate a sequel. Given the sheer amount of cruft in this book, I will not be reading the next. I rate this book Not Recommended.
Underneath it all, the story could be a good one. It's a war to end the world, where despotism knows no bounds, and the most ruthless characters might be the ones opposing Connor. Certainly the plot twists like a snake; the Norse gods show up from time to time just to make life interesting, particularly Odin and Loki, and since murder is the order of the day no one's survival is guaranteed. Despite the obvious similarities to WWII, the comparison was not abused in the war itself or the end of the war. In fact, the battle scenes are more battle summaries, as the greatest action is that taking place within the characters themselves.
The story could be good. A number of things stop it from actually being good. Point of view was my biggest peeve, as the story starts in a third-person that wanders to second person or inside anyone's head at all, then swaps between Signy and Siggy in first person (and it took me half the book to figure out which was the girl; they might be twins, but surely they could have different names?), along with random other characters that have first-person snippets. These are rammed full of dialect that can make it hard to understand, or at least slow down reading. The other problem is that these first-person cameos are random. Some of the people only get a chapter or two and then vanish, or are killed offstage. Personally I wish the author had stuck with third-person, because as annoying as it was to wander in and out of everyone's heads, it was more annoying to go the entire chapter thinking it was Signy talking only to find out it was her brother. The chapter headers did not help at all until I had it sorted which name belonged to which character.
The other, and frankly, bigger, reason I dislike this book is the sheer amount of vice. Signy is thirteen when she gets married (Connor being over twice her age didn't help) and the beginning of the book has a fairly heavy focus on sex. When she's fifteen she commits incest with her twin brother in order to conceive his child. Nobody has a problem randomly committing murder or stealing; Signy is quite coldblooded at manipulating Connor into killing off many of the people under him. I understand this is a dark fantasy, but I can't find anything to like about anyone except Melanie, and she's hardly the point of the book.
Also, I didn't like the idea that anything at all could be bred into someone using those womb-tanks. Dog features, yes, or a horse's strength, but genetically modifying someone not to have pity? Pity is a choice as much as a feeling. And while the idea that destiny is inescapable is hardly a new one, it's also neatly avoiding the fact that people have choices. Signy became worse than Connor because she chose to sink to his level. The gods' manipulation might have played a part, but at least near the end she had a choice to get out of it all and she chose to stay.
Overall I was surprised the book managed to get published, and even more surprised it survived long enough to generate a sequel. Given the sheer amount of cruft in this book, I will not be reading the next. I rate this book Not Recommended.
April 17, 2012
Bloodtide by Melvin Burgess bases its story on that of the Icelandic Volsunga Saga. Set in a London of the future that has been ravaged by gang warfare and abandoned to those seeking power, it focuses mainly on one of the warring families, the Volsons. The key characters are twins Signy and Siggy. At the beginning of the book their father Val is working on a treaty with Conor, the rival gang lord, hoping it will lead to them working together to leave London and take over the rest of the country. London has been walled off, and beyond the wall is the half-man lands, filled with creatures created in artificial wombs, mixtures of human, machine and animal. Val wants to destroy the half-men and move on through the land, and to rule it. But he needs Conor and a united London to do so.
Part of the treaty involves betrothing his daughter Signy to Conor and uniting the families. Signy is of course initially outraged by this, rightly saying that her brothers would never be expected to do something similar. She wants to be treated as their equal, she wants to fight, but her wants are dismissed. The wedding goes ahead and Signy has to leave the comforts of her home and her brother Siggy and travel to Conor’s territory. Things don’t quite go as Val planned and the Volsons� power crumbles. Signy and Siggy are separated for many years as they both fight their own battles, one for power, one for freedom.
Interwoven amongst all this are the gods, specifically Odin and mentions of Loki. Odin steps in early on at a banquet, stabbing his knife into stone and saying whoever can remove it is its rightful owner. Everyone can sense the power of the knife, and Conor especially desires it, but it is not for him. The gods meddle every now and then, though I didn’t quite get the motivation for it, other than that, I assume, they are in the original stories, and it helped move the plot along.
I’m afraid I’d never heard of the Volsunga Saga or its characters so I couldn’t see what the author had used as his inspiration and where he’d taken more poetic licence. I’m aware of Odin and the knife/hammer (depending on whether you’re watching Thor or not), and Loki, but that’s about it, so I didn’t have much idea where it was going.
It’s hard to describe how I felt about this book. I didn’t enjoy it. It is brutal and hard to read at times, and it’s very difficult to like or really care about anyone in it. But I was definitely hooked by it and I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. I was continually shocked by the tone of it, and how explicit it is, with death and sex, given its intended audience. But I think that’s a good thing, at no point does it talk down to anyone or sugar coat anything. These people do bad things and have bad things done to them, they are selfish and vindictive and happily play with other people’s lives. I wasn’t that keen on the ending, it seemed to fade out rather than go with a bang, but the majority of the book was a gripping read. Having said that, I’m in no hurry to pick up the second book. I guess the easiest way to describe it is conflicted, which is better
than bored or unmoved.
Part of the treaty involves betrothing his daughter Signy to Conor and uniting the families. Signy is of course initially outraged by this, rightly saying that her brothers would never be expected to do something similar. She wants to be treated as their equal, she wants to fight, but her wants are dismissed. The wedding goes ahead and Signy has to leave the comforts of her home and her brother Siggy and travel to Conor’s territory. Things don’t quite go as Val planned and the Volsons� power crumbles. Signy and Siggy are separated for many years as they both fight their own battles, one for power, one for freedom.
Interwoven amongst all this are the gods, specifically Odin and mentions of Loki. Odin steps in early on at a banquet, stabbing his knife into stone and saying whoever can remove it is its rightful owner. Everyone can sense the power of the knife, and Conor especially desires it, but it is not for him. The gods meddle every now and then, though I didn’t quite get the motivation for it, other than that, I assume, they are in the original stories, and it helped move the plot along.
I’m afraid I’d never heard of the Volsunga Saga or its characters so I couldn’t see what the author had used as his inspiration and where he’d taken more poetic licence. I’m aware of Odin and the knife/hammer (depending on whether you’re watching Thor or not), and Loki, but that’s about it, so I didn’t have much idea where it was going.
It’s hard to describe how I felt about this book. I didn’t enjoy it. It is brutal and hard to read at times, and it’s very difficult to like or really care about anyone in it. But I was definitely hooked by it and I wanted to keep reading to see what happened. I was continually shocked by the tone of it, and how explicit it is, with death and sex, given its intended audience. But I think that’s a good thing, at no point does it talk down to anyone or sugar coat anything. These people do bad things and have bad things done to them, they are selfish and vindictive and happily play with other people’s lives. I wasn’t that keen on the ending, it seemed to fade out rather than go with a bang, but the majority of the book was a gripping read. Having said that, I’m in no hurry to pick up the second book. I guess the easiest way to describe it is conflicted, which is better
than bored or unmoved.
Read
October 7, 2013Val Volson owns half of London. Of course, it's not necessarily a London anyone would want anymore, but half of it's his. The other half belongs to Conor - another dangerous warlord in this future of half-humans surrounding an abandoned city with little remaining technology. There is poverty, starvation, and of course, gang wars.
Siggy and Signy, twins, follow their father Val around the city and find ways in and out of buildings. What Val doesn't know is that they also rob the rich, finding excitement in the thrill of the hunt. It's not like they need to steal, Val is the richest man in London (or maybe Conor is), but Siggy and Signy enjoy it, or did, until it became too routine.
The routine is about to change, though, as Val announces that his dream of a United London, united against the half-humans that totally encircle their city, is about to happen. He is giving his daughter, Signy, to Conor, as a gesture of peace, a movement toward uniting two warring gangs into one harmonious group that can take on the half-humans and fight their way to other cities, where technology might still be working.
Signy is horrified that her father has arranged this marriage, but knows she must go along with it. Siggy can't believe his sister is agreeing to this - but he knows it's impossible to fight their father, too. The day of celebration draws closer and Val pulls out all of the stops, repairing one of the crumbling buildings, the one with the huge elevator shaft made of a clear material stronger than diamond, and turning it into a banquet hall.
Every one is expecting Conor and his crew, but no one is expecting Loki, too, god of pranks. Half the people don't even believe in him, or in Odin, but how else to explain the knife, the glass, the shaft, the dead bones jiggling in time to a noise so loud everyone must cover their ears? Not a very auspicious start to a wedding feast for a twelve year old twin. It only gets weirder from there!
Siggy and Signy, twins, follow their father Val around the city and find ways in and out of buildings. What Val doesn't know is that they also rob the rich, finding excitement in the thrill of the hunt. It's not like they need to steal, Val is the richest man in London (or maybe Conor is), but Siggy and Signy enjoy it, or did, until it became too routine.
The routine is about to change, though, as Val announces that his dream of a United London, united against the half-humans that totally encircle their city, is about to happen. He is giving his daughter, Signy, to Conor, as a gesture of peace, a movement toward uniting two warring gangs into one harmonious group that can take on the half-humans and fight their way to other cities, where technology might still be working.
Signy is horrified that her father has arranged this marriage, but knows she must go along with it. Siggy can't believe his sister is agreeing to this - but he knows it's impossible to fight their father, too. The day of celebration draws closer and Val pulls out all of the stops, repairing one of the crumbling buildings, the one with the huge elevator shaft made of a clear material stronger than diamond, and turning it into a banquet hall.
Every one is expecting Conor and his crew, but no one is expecting Loki, too, god of pranks. Half the people don't even believe in him, or in Odin, but how else to explain the knife, the glass, the shaft, the dead bones jiggling in time to a noise so loud everyone must cover their ears? Not a very auspicious start to a wedding feast for a twelve year old twin. It only gets weirder from there!
November 6, 2012
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
The city of London is slowly crumbling, with two prominent sides tearing the city apart. There are the half-men who are too grotesque, too unworthy of living the normal life they once had, all because of the way they were transformed against their will. Then there are the humans, the ones who would rather dominate the world around them than save the city from total chaos.
Among these humans are two clans, the Conors and the Volsons. Both have the thirst for power and both are willing to do anything to take over London, then England, and then all of Europe. The leaders are agreeing to combine both clans, with a marriage between Signy, the daughter from the Volson clan, and King Conor.
A betrayal from the Conor clan leads to Signy, who was inspired to do anything for power by her father, the leader of the Volson clan, and Siggy, her twin brother who was skeptical of the entire idea to begin with, on a crazed road to vengeance.
It is up to Signy and Siggy to recapture what was once theirs and hopefully restore London back to what it used to be, and what it used to stand for.
BLOODTIDE takes readers on a futuristic journey that they will never forget. With its raw material and controversial plot, the story is a page-turner that will leave everyone on the edge of their seat. Melvin Burgess continues the story of restoring a city that is completely damaged in the second novel, BLOODSONG.
The city of London is slowly crumbling, with two prominent sides tearing the city apart. There are the half-men who are too grotesque, too unworthy of living the normal life they once had, all because of the way they were transformed against their will. Then there are the humans, the ones who would rather dominate the world around them than save the city from total chaos.
Among these humans are two clans, the Conors and the Volsons. Both have the thirst for power and both are willing to do anything to take over London, then England, and then all of Europe. The leaders are agreeing to combine both clans, with a marriage between Signy, the daughter from the Volson clan, and King Conor.
A betrayal from the Conor clan leads to Signy, who was inspired to do anything for power by her father, the leader of the Volson clan, and Siggy, her twin brother who was skeptical of the entire idea to begin with, on a crazed road to vengeance.
It is up to Signy and Siggy to recapture what was once theirs and hopefully restore London back to what it used to be, and what it used to stand for.
BLOODTIDE takes readers on a futuristic journey that they will never forget. With its raw material and controversial plot, the story is a page-turner that will leave everyone on the edge of their seat. Melvin Burgess continues the story of restoring a city that is completely damaged in the second novel, BLOODSONG.
September 17, 2015
I'd say definitely give it a go. I haven't got on too well with Melvin Burgess' books over the years - I didn't like Sara's Face, and I thought Junk was well written but just not my type of book. But this one definitely made me want to read until the end and find out what happened.
Sometimes the writing style is a little bit detached and impersonal: I found this with Sara's Face too. It just depends what kind of storytelling works for you though, I wouldn't say it's a weakness.
I agree with some reviews that it's an oddly paced novel, because the story takes place over a period of around thirteen years (as far as I remember) and there are big leaps forward in time. But as I kept reading, I came to see that this served the story pretty well: it's an epic tale after all, and I don't read sci fi or fantasy very much so it's possibly a more common feature of these genres than other stuff I read.
It's a very unsentimental book in the way it treats its characters, and although I was shocked at times and left certain chapters feeling quite hollow, I ultimately liked the brutality of the book. It's unflinching in its depiction of the realities of conflict and hatred, so it deserves praise for that, and ultimately this aspect made the book a satisfying read for me.
I would absolutely say give it a go: in the end, I genuinely wanted to finish the book and find out how things turned out.
Sometimes the writing style is a little bit detached and impersonal: I found this with Sara's Face too. It just depends what kind of storytelling works for you though, I wouldn't say it's a weakness.
I agree with some reviews that it's an oddly paced novel, because the story takes place over a period of around thirteen years (as far as I remember) and there are big leaps forward in time. But as I kept reading, I came to see that this served the story pretty well: it's an epic tale after all, and I don't read sci fi or fantasy very much so it's possibly a more common feature of these genres than other stuff I read.
It's a very unsentimental book in the way it treats its characters, and although I was shocked at times and left certain chapters feeling quite hollow, I ultimately liked the brutality of the book. It's unflinching in its depiction of the realities of conflict and hatred, so it deserves praise for that, and ultimately this aspect made the book a satisfying read for me.
I would absolutely say give it a go: in the end, I genuinely wanted to finish the book and find out how things turned out.
July 30, 2009
Dans un Londres d'un futur lointain où les gangs ont pris le pouvoir, cerné par une muraille le séparant des mi-hommes, divers personnages vont s'entre-tuer, s'aimer, tenter de survivre et de plier le monde à leurs rêves.
Bon. Je refuse d'en dire plus de ce qui n'est à mon sens qu'une sinistre pochade, plagiant sans même l'ombre d'un début de talent ce que la quatrième de couverture appelle pudiquement "une ancienne saga islandaise". Donc voilà, contentez-vous de ça. C'est mauvais, et même plus encore, car ce roman ne tient même pas les promesses de violence décomplexée qu'Odin, Loki et leurs potes (qui commencent à devenir pour moi des signes inévitables de mauvais goût) semblent apporter. Et en bonus (mais ça, j'ai deviné tout seul) l'auteur nous ressort l'excuse du public jeunesse pour nous présenter des caricatures de personnages principaux, dont aucun ne vaut vraiment la peine qu'on en parle.
Bref, pas la peine d'en dire plus, j'ai détesté, et je vous enjoins à ne pas acheter ce chef-d'oeuvre du sordide débilitant.
Bon. Je refuse d'en dire plus de ce qui n'est à mon sens qu'une sinistre pochade, plagiant sans même l'ombre d'un début de talent ce que la quatrième de couverture appelle pudiquement "une ancienne saga islandaise". Donc voilà, contentez-vous de ça. C'est mauvais, et même plus encore, car ce roman ne tient même pas les promesses de violence décomplexée qu'Odin, Loki et leurs potes (qui commencent à devenir pour moi des signes inévitables de mauvais goût) semblent apporter. Et en bonus (mais ça, j'ai deviné tout seul) l'auteur nous ressort l'excuse du public jeunesse pour nous présenter des caricatures de personnages principaux, dont aucun ne vaut vraiment la peine qu'on en parle.
Bref, pas la peine d'en dire plus, j'ai détesté, et je vous enjoins à ne pas acheter ce chef-d'oeuvre du sordide débilitant.
March 28, 2015
Wow this book certainly is something. Though if I’m perfectly honest I’m not sure what that something is. Bloodtide is addictive reading, you can’t just read one chapter � you keep going and going and before you know it’s the middle of the book.
There are lots of things I loved about Bloodtide: it’s gritty, vivid (the world-building is spectacular), the writing and the book doesn’t make nice. There’s no filtering or sugarcoating. I respect that and while there were parts that certainly made me squirm I’m glad that Bloodtide is the way it is.
Based in part on the “Volsunga Saga� (which I consequently looked up) Siggy and Signy’s story is tragic. Signy’s father hands her over to Connor to marry him, she’s 14 and Connor is ‘not as old as Signy’s father� (so that’s ok then � not). As the story progresses things get worse and well there was a point where I considered putting the book down. I didn’t and I’m happy I finished it.
Bloodtide will stay with you for a good while after you’ve finished reading it.
There are lots of things I loved about Bloodtide: it’s gritty, vivid (the world-building is spectacular), the writing and the book doesn’t make nice. There’s no filtering or sugarcoating. I respect that and while there were parts that certainly made me squirm I’m glad that Bloodtide is the way it is.
Based in part on the “Volsunga Saga� (which I consequently looked up) Siggy and Signy’s story is tragic. Signy’s father hands her over to Connor to marry him, she’s 14 and Connor is ‘not as old as Signy’s father� (so that’s ok then � not). As the story progresses things get worse and well there was a point where I considered putting the book down. I didn’t and I’m happy I finished it.
Bloodtide will stay with you for a good while after you’ve finished reading it.
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