God, I wished I could reread these books for the first time again the moment I put them down!
Clever prose, engaging plot, flawed characters that grab God, I wished I could reread these books for the first time again the moment I put them down!
Clever prose, engaging plot, flawed characters that grab you by the heart even when they're being difficult (often especially then), interesting fantasy worldbuilding, a deft hand, a witty mind and a boatload of heart. I couldn't ask for anything more perfectly tailored to my interests and sensibilities.
The pace is slightly less engaging than in book one and some aspects of the finale feel tropey but I still enjoyed this reading adventure more than most in recent years (barring other Kingfisher books, who has quickly become my new favorite author). Worth noting, though, that The Wonder Engine is tonally darker than Clockwork Boys. Some might find this amount of fatalism too depressing.
Also, the gnole culture/society might be presented in a... questionable way, but I'm not gonna lie - they way it plays with language and gender tickled me immensely. I love Grimehug and the other gnoles with my whole heart.
I wish I could express my feelings about the Clocktaur War in a more coherent way than just by pointing at it enthusiastically and nodding my approval in a neck-breaking way. But that's what you get :D...more
This book has my whole heart. To be honest, the steampunk cover had me worried for a bit (not a huge fan of the genre) but I trusted Kingfisher and I'This book has my whole heart. To be honest, the steampunk cover had me worried for a bit (not a huge fan of the genre) but I trusted Kingfisher and I'm incredibly glad I did.
This is the best blend of fantasy and adventure, bringing to mind old school D&D and the wonder you felt watching Jim Henson movies, but from a witty, dry perspective of someone who's no longer that naive, but still believes in kindness and knowing what's right. I love everything about this and everyone in it (but especially Grimehug). Kingfisher knows how to write flawed characters that change in satisfying ways, breeding a load of emotions in the reader along the way. And the worldbuilding... the relationships the characters have... the approach to religion and science... Kingfisher, you're a gem!
Does this feel like an into to book 2 rather than being satisfying on its own? Kinda. However, it's a REALLY GOOD into. And if you marathon the books like I did, it doesn't really matter. And honestly, I see no world in which you wouldn't want to immediately read "The Wonder Engine" after finishing "Clockwork Boys".
I wish I could express my feelings about the Clocktaur War in a more coherent way than just by pointing at it enthusiastically and nodding my approval in a neck-breaking way....more
Insight into young Haymitch's mind before he became the wreck that we know (and still love), is definitely not sA stellar read from Collins, as usual.
Insight into young Haymitch's mind before he became the wreck that we know (and still love), is definitely not something I ever expected to have, but I appreciate getting it nonetheless.
Writing a "midquel" is a difficult job - you have to connect the dots from two sides, marry stories that span decades. Collins does this seamlessly and in a very satisfying way. However, this book did not move like the original Hunger Games trilogy nor The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Maybe because we already had snippets of info about the 2nd Quarter Quell and reading about was just filling in the blank spots. Maybe it's because I read THG as a teen and being close to the protagonists in age, I empathize more innately with them. As for TBOSAS, I read it as an adult, greatly appreciating the political, philosophical and historical nuance that Collins injected into that book. Writing a book where young Snow is the protagonist, without making him the "hero" - now that's an achievement! But writing a book about the horror's that Haymitch went through... yes, it's sad but it doesn't feel as fresh or intellectually stimulating as Snow's POV.
I greatly appreciated all the twists and turns of the plot; we love a chapter ending on a cliffhanger - it immediately makes you want to read on to see what happens (seeing that writer's trick in the wild always makes me smile, because it reminds me of why Dan Brown's books are so readable). I also can't help but admire how Collins build tension and executes plot pacing. Even if I do think the last bits of the book seem rushed. The horror still hits you hard but has less time to seep in and marinate (unlike the constant horror of the Games themselves). If I had to have one more nitpick, it's that linguistically young!Haymitch feels is very far from THG!Haymitch and one line near the end about how "Even in my head, my language becomes dull and flat, stripped of the color and music of yesterday" seems like a bit of a cop-out. But again - I blame that on the rushed ending.
Comparisons to both the prequel and the trilogy are unavoidable and so SOTR will always feel a bit like The Two Towers - the very good middle bit that still feels like the middle bit. But it's still full to the brim with bits that stole my heart: all the poetry and songs, the nods and winks to the other books, cameos and callbacks (or call-forwards)... It's truly a fan's dream to read a book like this.
I cannot wait to see what else Suzanne has in store for us. And how this story gets brought to screen.
PS. Am I the only one who had to actively tell my brain to NOT cast this book with the actors from that fantastic fanfilm, "Hunger Games: The Second Quarter Quell"? :D...more
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