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The Bone World Trilogy #1
The Inferior
STOPMOUTH AND HIS family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live, they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh-trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind. It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slowwitted hunt-fodder by his tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky. It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity, forever. With echoes of Tarzan, Conan the Barbarian, and The Truman Show, Peadar Ó Guilín’s debut is an action—and idea-packed—blockbuster that will challenge your perceptions of humanity and leave you hungry for more.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Hardcover edition.
464 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
November 1, 2011
I read this last year after noticing my flatmate had left it lying around on the coffee table and was intrigued by it.
I adored this book when I read it - I found it compelling and utterly disturbing. I still think about some of the creatures that O'Guilin describes and it gives me shivers. Think I'll reread it this year to see if it is actually as good as I remember.
I've just noticed that there is now a sequel so will definitely be rereading it.
I adored this book when I read it - I found it compelling and utterly disturbing. I still think about some of the creatures that O'Guilin describes and it gives me shivers. Think I'll reread it this year to see if it is actually as good as I remember.
I've just noticed that there is now a sequel so will definitely be rereading it.
August 26, 2015
This was my favourite book of 2008. Hands down. It's an absolutely thrilling read that did something books never do to me... I was unable to read anything else for another week following. That's a feat. Truly. Brilliant. Utterly. I wait for more of Peadar with great anticipation.
*upon a re-read in May of 2009, gearing up for my ARC copy of the second book, I find that I had a really emotional reaction to much of this book. It stills blows me away on many levels, and I was glad to revisit it...and the second read made me tear up in different spots than I had in the first read! Wow, this got better upon re-reading it! Whoda thunk.
And now... on to "The Deserter"... with a passion.
(THE FOLLOWING IS MY ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM AMAZON)
"And ten heartbeats past, you grabbed a piece of flesh out of my hands. Didn't you like the taste? Because if you can be a savage, maybe I could be civilized? It's possible, isn't it?"
Stopmouth is a young man in a world where humans live solely by hunting and consuming flesh. He is a hunter blessed with incredible speed, which is the only thing that saves him on a daily basis. Stopmouth, considered stupid by his tribe due to a stutter that impedes his speech, must prove himself constantly in order to survive. In his world when people outlive there usefulness they volunteer for flesh trades between the other beasts, because some beasts prefer their flesh still living. Stopmouth will be encouraged to volunteer if he ever fails.
One day Stopmouth's older brother, Wallbreaker, betrays him on a hunt. Thinking him dead Wallbreaker leaves Stopmouth behind to save his own neck. This cowardly act forms a gap between the two brothers that is only widened further when Wallbreaker takes all the credit for himself and uses that to buy himself a bride; a young woman named Mossheart, who Stopmouth has always had feelings for.
There are other things going on in this world. For one thing, there are people who watch over the tribes. Not gods, surely, but real people, as evidenced when a woman named Indrani falls from the sky. This strange and beautiful woman fuels desires in Stopmouth's heart that Mossheart never did. When Stopmouth breaks his legs and knows that he is on the volunteer list Indrani saves his life by splinting his legs and preventing the elders from taking him. Thus begins a friendship that will blossom throughout the course of the book, even though Stopmouth knows nothing of this strange woman who fell from the sky, or what that even means in the grand scheme of things. And even though his brother has designs to make her his in an endeavor to become the greatest warrior the ancestors have ever boasted.
"Are you truly human?" Stopmouth asked. He hoped she'd open her eyes and look at him. Another part of him wanted her to keep them closed so he could watch her without making her angry.
They stayed closed.
"I'm human," she muttered. "As human as you are, anyway."
"What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.
She lifted her head. "None of your men have hair on their faces. You live on a diet of pure meat, most of it non-human. Your women never die in childbirth. You rarely get sick, any of you. And all of a sudden I'm the one who's not human?"
O'Guilin's first installment in the trilogy is a marvel. A... Marvel... plain and simple. It's one of those rare books that comes along that has such depth to it that the reader gets instantly overwhelmed and transported. It reminds me of many things that I love... "Watership Down", "Lord of the Flies", "Tarzan"... it echoes many things I adore. It also speaks to me of Frank Frazetta paintings and of a world that blends complicated Ethical dilemmas with a sensuous carnality. Do not belittle O'Guilin's own originality though, because trust me this book oozes original thought and raw, unadulterated talent. O'Guilin has such skill at creating a believable and real world that draws you in. Added to this is O'Guilin's wonderful ability to write such dynamic and interesting characters that the reader actually gives a damn about. This is a rare thing as many writer's don't really seem to be able to pull all of these elements together, particularly with such a concept as O'Guilin has established. This world, in all of it's brutality, is complex and surreal. Watching the humans go out again and again to face their doom inspires the reader and leaves them with an intense empty-stomach feeling with every campaign. I would love to say that it's jaw dropping, but in honour of O'Guilin I would prefer to call it eye popping, and you will just have to trust me on that. Fans of action novels will thrill in the details that O'Guilin shares, because there's enough bloodshed to make any gore enthusiast squirm. But there is a lot of heart and soul to be found in the relationships between the characters that any softhearted reader will find themselves tearing up, as I did. Boys will love it, girls (like me) will love it... It is not for the faint of heart. But it's for readers who like having their hearts stopped.
Brilliant. Utterly. I await the next book in the series with heightened enthusiasm.
"Your blood has come back to me," He whispered, "and so will you."
Bring me more blood, O'Guilin. My soul demands it.
- review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com
July 27, 2012
The most disgusting book I've ever dipped into, and I'm not even talking about the cannibalism. Would make a good emetic.
Don't click the spoiler unless you have a strong stomach. There were many, many incredibly disgusting scenes, but this one struck me as emblematic:
Don't click the spoiler unless you have a strong stomach. There were many, many incredibly disgusting scenes, but this one struck me as emblematic:
December 27, 2023
DNF af 166 pages. The writing is not for me. There's a lot of different species and people mentioned, but they're barely described. I need more details when I'm reading a book; especially one set in such a different world than our own.
September 23, 2020
Хубавите, странни и плашещи книги от ирландски писатели не са често явление. Или може и да са, но ако винаги графичното им оформление е на ниво първокласник среща фотошоп, то гарантирано са потънали в общия шум на потоците издания. Затова въпреки наличието на българска корица, ще оставя тук немската, която може да ви подготви далеч по-адекватно за канибалския сай-фай епос на Пидър О’Гилън. Подобно нещо, ако се екранизира ще е като брат-близнак на Канибалският холокост, и затова ще е забранен за всички езици, страни и възрастови групи, но в книжна форма ще ви посрещне англоговорящият духовен брат на Серж Брюсоло и Гилермо дел Торо в света на Апокалипто.
Дивашки народи живеят под купол с постоянно прелитащи механични глобуси в небесата, но никой не се занимава да гледа към звездите, тъй като видимо извънземните изроди от всякакъв тип и калибър са в постоянна война помежду си за най-ценния ресурс – месото. Няма такива лиготии като земеделие, домашни животни, култура. Целият свят е едно инсценирано бойно поле на еволюцията, в която със зъби, копия и нокти се решава кой ще изяде другия, а понякога и своя. Различните видове говорят на своите животински езици, но всички са напълно интелигентни, населяват готови градове и когато не се бият, се размножават, татуират и избират доброволци, които да бъдат заменени като храна с някое малко по-миролюбиво настроено племе, което също дава децата си за вечеря на другите изроди до тях, когато ги мързи да ловуват. Защо го правят въобще не съм сигурна, тъй като моралът им не ги спира да ядат мъртвите си на импровизирани джамбурета, и да жертват всеки с течащ нос на самоубийствени мисии или като разменна монета с косматите съседи, така че защо не ядат директно своите така и не става ясно. Грубо, първично и отблъскващо – всичко е тук в задавящи количества.
В основата на историята са двама братя – вероятно ненавършили и двадесет откачени диваци с амбиции и без никакви задръжки, чийто живот непрекъснато виси на нишка по-тънка от косъм в среда на постоянни врагове, изпълнени с дълбока омраза и глад един към друг. Разделя ги е началото една жена, а после друга, но втората идва от света над купола – чернокожа пантера, очевидно изхвърлена от своите съвременна девойка, свикнала на лукса на технологии и цивилизация. Не ѝ се случват хубави неща, както се полага на всяка жена в праисторически сетинг, но поне не я изяждат. Тук и това е нещо. Малко по-смотаният, поне на пръв поглед, брат бива принуден да поеме на пътешествие през целия им откачен свят заедно с тъмната иноземка, като по пътя като в игра бива нападан от все по-силни и по-зловещи противници и босове, научава отвратителни истини за произхода и историята на родния си свят. Но не, не става по-симпатичен канибал, а просто такъв, който изпитваш нужда да убиеш бързо и безболезнено, докато останалите ще оставиш на Копачите – прекрасен вид, заравящ жертвите си в ниви, за да бъдат изяждани живи от петите нагоре от хищните им ларви, докато същите им впръскват прелестни химикали, предизвикващи най-дивите кошмари и неконтролируема болка от всякакъв вид. Както казах – прелестно местенце за почивка, на което е хубаво да отидат едни занимаващи се с политика лица. Ще им е почивка – един път.
Това е началото на трилогия, която вероятно никога няма да види свят на български, а то и първата част е вероятно безкрайно трудна за намиране, но ако случайно попаднете на Племето в някой кашон , и ви се чете нерафиниран атавистичен ужас – Пидър О’Гилън е вашият човек. Следващите части проследяват пътуването на по-симпатичният канибал в технологичния свят над купола, който си е толкова деградирал и разпадащ се, колкото можете да очаквате, че ще е станало в бъдещето, и вероятно всичко ще доведе до впечатляващ ендшпил, където различните видове жестокост ще се срещнат, за да видят кой ще изяде другия първи, преди да умре в мъки, разбира се. Печеливши не очаквам да има, но е важно пътуването и играта на оцеляване на всяка цена. Човешките граници са противно нещо, отиват твърде далеч и твърде дълбоко при определени обстоятелства, обезсмислящи идеята, стояща зад това да го има вида ни. И ако не сте го научили от хорър филмите, обърнете се към хорър книгите – на хартия е дори някак по-болезнено. Интелектуален мазохизъм, виновно удоволствие, гледане с широко отворени очи на зловеща катастрофа. Племето ще ви даде ужасно много, докато си откъсва и доста от вас. Сделката е почти равностойна.
Дивашки народи живеят под купол с постоянно прелитащи механични глобуси в небесата, но никой не се занимава да гледа към звездите, тъй като видимо извънземните изроди от всякакъв тип и калибър са в постоянна война помежду си за най-ценния ресурс – месото. Няма такива лиготии като земеделие, домашни животни, култура. Целият свят е едно инсценирано бойно поле на еволюцията, в която със зъби, копия и нокти се решава кой ще изяде другия, а понякога и своя. Различните видове говорят на своите животински езици, но всички са напълно интелигентни, населяват готови градове и когато не се бият, се размножават, татуират и избират доброволци, които да бъдат заменени като храна с някое малко по-миролюбиво настроено племе, което също дава децата си за вечеря на другите изроди до тях, когато ги мързи да ловуват. Защо го правят въобще не съм сигурна, тъй като моралът им не ги спира да ядат мъртвите си на импровизирани джамбурета, и да жертват всеки с течащ нос на самоубийствени мисии или като разменна монета с косматите съседи, така че защо не ядат директно своите така и не става ясно. Грубо, първично и отблъскващо – всичко е тук в задавящи количества.
В основата на историята са двама братя – вероятно ненавършили и двадесет откачени диваци с амбиции и без никакви задръжки, чийто живот непрекъснато виси на нишка по-тънка от косъм в среда на постоянни врагове, изпълнени с дълбока омраза и глад един към друг. Разделя ги е началото една жена, а после друга, но втората идва от света над купола – чернокожа пантера, очевидно изхвърлена от своите съвременна девойка, свикнала на лукса на технологии и цивилизация. Не ѝ се случват хубави неща, както се полага на всяка жена в праисторически сетинг, но поне не я изяждат. Тук и това е нещо. Малко по-смотаният, поне на пръв поглед, брат бива принуден да поеме на пътешествие през целия им откачен свят заедно с тъмната иноземка, като по пътя като в игра бива нападан от все по-силни и по-зловещи противници и босове, научава отвратителни истини за произхода и историята на родния си свят. Но не, не става по-симпатичен канибал, а просто такъв, който изпитваш нужда да убиеш бързо и безболезнено, докато останалите ще оставиш на Копачите – прекрасен вид, заравящ жертвите си в ниви, за да бъдат изяждани живи от петите нагоре от хищните им ларви, докато същите им впръскват прелестни химикали, предизвикващи най-дивите кошмари и неконтролируема болка от всякакъв вид. Както казах – прелестно местенце за почивка, на което е хубаво да отидат едни занимаващи се с политика лица. Ще им е почивка – един път.
Това е началото на трилогия, която вероятно никога няма да види свят на български, а то и първата част е вероятно безкрайно трудна за намиране, но ако случайно попаднете на Племето в някой кашон , и ви се чете нерафиниран атавистичен ужас – Пидър О’Гилън е вашият човек. Следващите части проследяват пътуването на по-симпатичният канибал в технологичния свят над купола, който си е толкова деградирал и разпадащ се, колкото можете да очаквате, че ще е станало в бъдещето, и вероятно всичко ще доведе до впечатляващ ендшпил, където различните видове жестокост ще се срещнат, за да видят кой ще изяде другия първи, преди да умре в мъки, разбира се. Печеливши не очаквам да има, но е важно пътуването и играта на оцеляване на всяка цена. Човешките граници са противно нещо, отиват твърде далеч и твърде дълбоко при определени обстоятелства, обезсмислящи идеята, стояща зад това да го има вида ни. И ако не сте го научили от хорър филмите, обърнете се към хорър книгите – на хартия е дори някак по-болезнено. Интелектуален мазохизъм, виновно удоволствие, гледане с широко отворени очи на зловеща катастрофа. Племето ще ви даде ужасно много, докато си откъсва и доста от вас. Сделката е почти равностойна.
March 19, 2014
Rating: 4.5/5
Cave men! Read cave men! Caveman kills! Cave… man? O’ Guilin’s The Inferior book is pretty interesting. If you’re thinking why would I want to read a book about cavemen? Well, you just proved the title’s point… you egotist, elitist, selfish son of a … okay I won’t go there. But still just because you deem them inferior to us… doesn’t mean they aren’t worth reading. What could possibly be interesting about cave people? Apparently a lot. They are human after all. Something interesting has to have happened to them. And it does. A girl falling from the sky isn’t even the half of it.
Reader’s are thrust into Stopmouth’s life and way of living pretty quick. It’s made clear on the first few pages and the rest of the books enforces it. From the tattooing, to the way wives are acquired (yes so “backwards” but it comes round to make a point), to the way they slice of meat off their kills and eats it right there and then… makes it apparent that Stopmouth’s world pretty much is unforgiving. Eat or be eaten. Hunt or be eaten (or volunteered to be eaten by your tribe). Then there’s the girl who falls from the sky. She turned Stopmouth’s world upside down. In more ways than one. First, she fell from the freaking sky. How is that even possible? Two, she’s pretty. Her teeth weren’t crooked and gnarly like everyone elses. She looks strange… alien and yet so human… like Stopmouth, like himself. Anyway, big tangent… O’ Guilin creates a very believable world.
In fact, it’s so believable that the characters themselves become believable. They feed off one another – setting and characters. Each once enforcing and adding to the other. I can imagine the difficulty in trying to describe things in which there are no words for an “uncivilized” group of people. The book touches upon this subject too through the girl – well probably more accurate to say young woman – who fell from the sky, Indrani and her perception of Stopmouth and his culture. O’ Guilin makes the new experiences of Stopmouth visible and reveals it in a way in which readers can relate with Stopmouth. Like this excerpt:
“He sat again and his eyes wandered. Eventually they came to rest on the tiny black designs that covered many of the surfaces. Had Idrani painted them herself? What did they mean?” (page 212)
Through context (there isn’t much here though I’m guessing some of you can guess what this excerpt is about) we know Stopmouth is seeing a form of writing for the first time.
Other characters are various other species, like the Longtongues, Hoppers, and Hairybeasts. They too help create the world in The Inferior. Then there are characters who are meant to be hated. So much you what them to die a horrible and agonizing death, bring them back to life so they can die another horrible and agonizing death and maybe do it two or three more times (the selfish jerk). Or there are characters who are supporting characters who when ever are in the scenes you don’t mind and later when he’s not you realize, hey I kinda like that guy.
The pacing of the story is fast. Action or a revelation of some sort is always happening in a scene, moving the story along quite nicely. Now, note now there is another part to this book. The Inferior is an incomplete story.
The half a point dropped happened because there were minor issues (maybe not for some other folks) that needed to be addressed more that wasn’t, that being what had happened to Indrani when Stopmouth was away. The fact was presented and then was glossed over quickly. What she had experience, I can only imagine was traumatizing and the words, “I’m not him,” I doubt would solve the issue just like magic. Those types of issues lingers in most cases. Some of you may get what I’m hinting at.
Then there were also some instances with a few minor details, which I am not sure was skipped intentionally (being part of the later book) or completely…
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, fun, and different. There were many underlying tones, morals, and reasons inserted in… which neither came off as preachy or educational. They fit and were seamlessly inserted.
Verdict: I’ll be buying it. Library check out for sure if you’re not sure.
Check out my book blog at The Young Adult Book Guide
Cave men! Read cave men! Caveman kills! Cave… man? O’ Guilin’s The Inferior book is pretty interesting. If you’re thinking why would I want to read a book about cavemen? Well, you just proved the title’s point… you egotist, elitist, selfish son of a … okay I won’t go there. But still just because you deem them inferior to us… doesn’t mean they aren’t worth reading. What could possibly be interesting about cave people? Apparently a lot. They are human after all. Something interesting has to have happened to them. And it does. A girl falling from the sky isn’t even the half of it.
Reader’s are thrust into Stopmouth’s life and way of living pretty quick. It’s made clear on the first few pages and the rest of the books enforces it. From the tattooing, to the way wives are acquired (yes so “backwards” but it comes round to make a point), to the way they slice of meat off their kills and eats it right there and then… makes it apparent that Stopmouth’s world pretty much is unforgiving. Eat or be eaten. Hunt or be eaten (or volunteered to be eaten by your tribe). Then there’s the girl who falls from the sky. She turned Stopmouth’s world upside down. In more ways than one. First, she fell from the freaking sky. How is that even possible? Two, she’s pretty. Her teeth weren’t crooked and gnarly like everyone elses. She looks strange… alien and yet so human… like Stopmouth, like himself. Anyway, big tangent… O’ Guilin creates a very believable world.
In fact, it’s so believable that the characters themselves become believable. They feed off one another – setting and characters. Each once enforcing and adding to the other. I can imagine the difficulty in trying to describe things in which there are no words for an “uncivilized” group of people. The book touches upon this subject too through the girl – well probably more accurate to say young woman – who fell from the sky, Indrani and her perception of Stopmouth and his culture. O’ Guilin makes the new experiences of Stopmouth visible and reveals it in a way in which readers can relate with Stopmouth. Like this excerpt:
“He sat again and his eyes wandered. Eventually they came to rest on the tiny black designs that covered many of the surfaces. Had Idrani painted them herself? What did they mean?” (page 212)
Through context (there isn’t much here though I’m guessing some of you can guess what this excerpt is about) we know Stopmouth is seeing a form of writing for the first time.
Other characters are various other species, like the Longtongues, Hoppers, and Hairybeasts. They too help create the world in The Inferior. Then there are characters who are meant to be hated. So much you what them to die a horrible and agonizing death, bring them back to life so they can die another horrible and agonizing death and maybe do it two or three more times (the selfish jerk). Or there are characters who are supporting characters who when ever are in the scenes you don’t mind and later when he’s not you realize, hey I kinda like that guy.
The pacing of the story is fast. Action or a revelation of some sort is always happening in a scene, moving the story along quite nicely. Now, note now there is another part to this book. The Inferior is an incomplete story.
The half a point dropped happened because there were minor issues (maybe not for some other folks) that needed to be addressed more that wasn’t, that being what had happened to Indrani when Stopmouth was away. The fact was presented and then was glossed over quickly. What she had experience, I can only imagine was traumatizing and the words, “I’m not him,” I doubt would solve the issue just like magic. Those types of issues lingers in most cases. Some of you may get what I’m hinting at.
Then there were also some instances with a few minor details, which I am not sure was skipped intentionally (being part of the later book) or completely…
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, fun, and different. There were many underlying tones, morals, and reasons inserted in… which neither came off as preachy or educational. They fit and were seamlessly inserted.
Verdict: I’ll be buying it. Library check out for sure if you’re not sure.
Check out my book blog at The Young Adult Book Guide
September 5, 2013
O Guilin convincingly gets you into the mind of a stone age tribe person, with anxieties and attitudes totally different from your own. I like the perspective it gives on the nature of carnivorousness and peoples' attitudes to what they eat in general. The "human" tribes consider it perfectly natural to kill and eat people from other tribal species, who they universally call "beasts". Even though they have to contend with the others' rival hunting strategies and skills, and hear them talk in unintelligible (to the humans) languages, they never acknowledge their essential kinship. The idea of "cannibalism" as a viscerally repugnant or even just immoral thing doesn't enter their minds. It's simlar to the mental self-evasion real world humans usually do when they eat their fellow animals, although the two situations are completely different because O Guilin's people seem to lack any other available food source other than each other's flesh.
It may have been myopic though on O Guilin's part that he himself picked the "humans" out of all the possible subjugated hunter species to use for all his protagonists, and for the species of the high tech civilized sky people. It makes it seem like the author himself is succumbing to the speciesism of his creations in the midst of his critique against it (if any such critique was intended, that is). But maybe historical reasons for the subjugators being humans will be revealed in the sequel, since this book was just part one of an (at least?) two part story (and I wish it said so on the cover or something, although now that I notice it the title on this web page says "The Bone World Trilogy #1"). It seems possibly implied that the humans are the humans from Earth and they engineered the other species somehow themselves.
It seems like O Guilin could have excised some of the action sequences in favor of some more environmental/cultural detailing (although I liked the stylish paucity of exposition). Like I think the diggers were creepy enough when they were just glimpsed on the periphery -- no need to do the whole actually getting captured and buried and munched on and then escaping action sequence. I wasn't sure how to imagine the cities. I ended up thinking of the world as a Culture-style orbital but enclosed (with a ceiling above Stopmouth's level and possibly other layers above that) instead of open to external sunlight, and possibly rotating for gravity and/or encased inside some kind of interstellar colony ship, with Stopmouth's lower surface basically completely covered with a modern-day-tech, suburbanish cityscape (suburbanish because most of the buildings seemed to be 1-4 stories, and most didn't seem to have the high tech stuff from the globes, because Stopmouth saw all that for the first time when he went in the globe) after maybe 500 years of no maintenance.
I think this is written and marketed as young adult fiction, which explains why the violence isn't more explicit and why the language isn't richer. Given the themes it could have used more explicit and wrenching violence, but the spare vocabulary works well for the stone age people and for Stopmouth's interactions with Indrani, since the mental and cultural concepts that the tribes share with the reader and that Stopmouth shares with Indrani are relatively basic and limited.
It may have been myopic though on O Guilin's part that he himself picked the "humans" out of all the possible subjugated hunter species to use for all his protagonists, and for the species of the high tech civilized sky people. It makes it seem like the author himself is succumbing to the speciesism of his creations in the midst of his critique against it (if any such critique was intended, that is). But maybe historical reasons for the subjugators being humans will be revealed in the sequel, since this book was just part one of an (at least?) two part story (and I wish it said so on the cover or something, although now that I notice it the title on this web page says "The Bone World Trilogy #1"). It seems possibly implied that the humans are the humans from Earth and they engineered the other species somehow themselves.
It seems like O Guilin could have excised some of the action sequences in favor of some more environmental/cultural detailing (although I liked the stylish paucity of exposition). Like I think the diggers were creepy enough when they were just glimpsed on the periphery -- no need to do the whole actually getting captured and buried and munched on and then escaping action sequence. I wasn't sure how to imagine the cities. I ended up thinking of the world as a Culture-style orbital but enclosed (with a ceiling above Stopmouth's level and possibly other layers above that) instead of open to external sunlight, and possibly rotating for gravity and/or encased inside some kind of interstellar colony ship, with Stopmouth's lower surface basically completely covered with a modern-day-tech, suburbanish cityscape (suburbanish because most of the buildings seemed to be 1-4 stories, and most didn't seem to have the high tech stuff from the globes, because Stopmouth saw all that for the first time when he went in the globe) after maybe 500 years of no maintenance.
I think this is written and marketed as young adult fiction, which explains why the violence isn't more explicit and why the language isn't richer. Given the themes it could have used more explicit and wrenching violence, but the spare vocabulary works well for the stone age people and for Stopmouth's interactions with Indrani, since the mental and cultural concepts that the tribes share with the reader and that Stopmouth shares with Indrani are relatively basic and limited.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2011
This book had a fascinating new look on life. I mean you couldn't even tell when it was taking place until halfway through. In the book "The Inferior" it is eat or be eaten. Where a tribe of humans live in a city with four sections containing completely different species. The tribe is not new to killing to survive and must hunt the other species for their flesh which is food. This book gives a grim sort of reality to about life and nature. Then you learn how there are these floating globes that have been there for a long time. All of a sudden one of the globes is shot down by another and a human falls into the tribes teritory... This book is a must read and your going to want to find out whats up with the globes and the final theme hiden in this book.
January 26, 2012
The setting of "The Inferior" is very original. On a world, where the vegetation seems to be mostly poisonous, a tribe of savage humans fights intelligent non-humans for their meat in order to survive. The plot takes a lot of unexpected turns, with a number of very nice action scenes, tons of dismemberment and cannibalism, and even a love story. The ending was a bit unsatisfactory, but there is a lot of world building going on and the story would probably have been too big for a standalone volume. The novel is rather gory, so it's funny that I've seen this classified in a couple of places as a young adult novel. But it was enormous fun. I couldn't put the book down and can't wait for the sequel. Highly recommended.
December 16, 2013
Well.. What a FUCKING disappointment! I'm so fucking tired of this book.
Close to NOTHING happened! We never really find out about the mysterious ever present Roof (it was hinted that this Roof that filled the skies was a floating futuristic city). The writing was complicated and a lot of things weren't explained very well, I always wanted to know more about the even more mysterious Indrani and WHY she fell from the Roof. Nothing was explained! I'd strongly advise everyone to stay away from this 448 page crap cause after all there are plenty of better books out there.
Close to NOTHING happened! We never really find out about the mysterious ever present Roof (it was hinted that this Roof that filled the skies was a floating futuristic city). The writing was complicated and a lot of things weren't explained very well, I always wanted to know more about the even more mysterious Indrani and WHY she fell from the Roof. Nothing was explained! I'd strongly advise everyone to stay away from this 448 page crap cause after all there are plenty of better books out there.March 26, 2013
better than the hunger games!
July 11, 2019
this wasn’t anything like i expected. very different and interesting. was getting bored with the constant fight scenes but something always pulled me back in.
November 3, 2024
“The Inferior” is based in a fictional world, which, arguably, could be futuristic. It highlights the main attributes of humanity, perhaps questioning our own society, and yet I consider it light reading that is addictive and pleasurable. Stopmouth, the protagonist hero and main character of the novel, faces humanity’s responses to a desperate situation. His brother, Wallbreaker, betrays Stopmouth on a very personal level, and Stopmouth is left questioning everything that he has ever known. This then leads him to a journey to another land, free from the apocalyptic scene of Stopmouth’s world.
I was intrigued by the way that the author, Guilín, succeeded in portraying murderers and cannibals in a good light, because Stopmouth and his people were forced into eating whatever they could to survive, attacking creatures and beasts to gain their “flesh”, and even devouring their own dead, because survival was everything. Later on in the novel, we discover that this suffering was all for the “entertainment” of those watching them from above, and this brings to mind the potential futuristic feel to the novel; game shows and television programs satisfy our need for entertainment now, but in the future, as children’s games get more and more morbid and dramatic, we could thirst for something more powerful. This coincides with Suzanne Collin’s “The Hunger Games”, where she considers similar ideas.
The power of “The Inferior” is the passion that Stopmouth fights with, even though he is inexperienced, and encounters love and innocence for the first time through his later wife, Indrani. He, along with his people, are brutalised by a society that they didn’t even know existed, and yet they are still human. Instant emotions of pity are evoked for Stopmouth, a boy who had to cope with a stammer for his entire life, and yet dared to believe there was another way to live.
Guilín takes his readers on an exciting journey as Stopmouth’s courage grows, and he goes from being the chief’s scared brother to the leader of his own tribe, who would find a way for humanity to change and adapt; to survive, no matter what the cost.
Personally, I’d recommend reading “The Inferior”, although it must be appreciated that some of the descriptions of the other creatures in Guilín’s world lack serious description in parts. The novel is well written, though, and easy to read. Personally, I loved it, even as a vegetarian who is repulsed by the idea of “flesh”. It’s because of the potential reality of this world at some point, through the desperation of humanity, and its constant need to survive that I find this novel particularly interesting, and recommend reading it if only to pick up on some of these ideas.
I was intrigued by the way that the author, Guilín, succeeded in portraying murderers and cannibals in a good light, because Stopmouth and his people were forced into eating whatever they could to survive, attacking creatures and beasts to gain their “flesh”, and even devouring their own dead, because survival was everything. Later on in the novel, we discover that this suffering was all for the “entertainment” of those watching them from above, and this brings to mind the potential futuristic feel to the novel; game shows and television programs satisfy our need for entertainment now, but in the future, as children’s games get more and more morbid and dramatic, we could thirst for something more powerful. This coincides with Suzanne Collin’s “The Hunger Games”, where she considers similar ideas.
The power of “The Inferior” is the passion that Stopmouth fights with, even though he is inexperienced, and encounters love and innocence for the first time through his later wife, Indrani. He, along with his people, are brutalised by a society that they didn’t even know existed, and yet they are still human. Instant emotions of pity are evoked for Stopmouth, a boy who had to cope with a stammer for his entire life, and yet dared to believe there was another way to live.
Guilín takes his readers on an exciting journey as Stopmouth’s courage grows, and he goes from being the chief’s scared brother to the leader of his own tribe, who would find a way for humanity to change and adapt; to survive, no matter what the cost.
Personally, I’d recommend reading “The Inferior”, although it must be appreciated that some of the descriptions of the other creatures in Guilín’s world lack serious description in parts. The novel is well written, though, and easy to read. Personally, I loved it, even as a vegetarian who is repulsed by the idea of “flesh”. It’s because of the potential reality of this world at some point, through the desperation of humanity, and its constant need to survive that I find this novel particularly interesting, and recommend reading it if only to pick up on some of these ideas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2024
(The only reason I am giving this book 2 stars instead of 1 is because it was a quick read and entertained me well even though I do not support the material and do not agree with the messaging).
I was very excited for this book and while it did enthrall me, I came away disappointed. The world building is great and sometimes it gets lost but overall, very strong. The pacing was also very fast and felt like a 200-page book rather than 400 pages. I also enjoyed the connection between a character with a stutter and the use of a "talker" tool, it felt very nuanced and helped make the character arc better. However, that is where my compliments end. I really wanted to like this book because of the premise, but it had more problems than I was comfortable with:
-The gender divide bugged me greatly. I could understand gender roles to an extent in the "savage" world, but these progressed to the "roof" as well and were never addressed making me believe that the author thinks this is how things should/ would be.
-The racial depictions troubled me greatly, mainly because they were completely unnecessary and had nothing to do with the plot besides separating the "savages" from the people of the "roof". However, this was already shown through the difference in language, teeth, clothing and ability. The two main brothers are both described as blonde while the people from the "roof" are described as darker and with black hair. This leads to a very worrying racial conversation that is not dealt with at all and leaves me with very uncomfortable questions.
-Indrani! How I wish I could save her from this story. Immediately infantilized and sexually sought after, when this is paired with her description of being darker with very short hair it makes me feel very sick and question why these two things would be connected. She for some reason needs to have a love arc with a man she is forced to take care of and even though a crime is enacted upon her, it is only used to make the main love interest look better. She is able to make little to no choices throughout the book and even though she is described as being very strong, she of course must be evil, must be protected and saved many times, and takes it upon herself to take care of all the children while also being pregnant?? (Also, all the physically strong women (3!) are presented as unique insinuating that women are commonly not strong or capable hunters). I have so many problems with her characterization and how the plot treats her that I cannot even list it all here. This is also made worse because it is never addressed.
I realized after I started the book that this is a part of a trilogy, and for my girl Indrani I will not be finishing it.
I was very excited for this book and while it did enthrall me, I came away disappointed. The world building is great and sometimes it gets lost but overall, very strong. The pacing was also very fast and felt like a 200-page book rather than 400 pages. I also enjoyed the connection between a character with a stutter and the use of a "talker" tool, it felt very nuanced and helped make the character arc better. However, that is where my compliments end. I really wanted to like this book because of the premise, but it had more problems than I was comfortable with:
-The gender divide bugged me greatly. I could understand gender roles to an extent in the "savage" world, but these progressed to the "roof" as well and were never addressed making me believe that the author thinks this is how things should/ would be.
-The racial depictions troubled me greatly, mainly because they were completely unnecessary and had nothing to do with the plot besides separating the "savages" from the people of the "roof". However, this was already shown through the difference in language, teeth, clothing and ability. The two main brothers are both described as blonde while the people from the "roof" are described as darker and with black hair. This leads to a very worrying racial conversation that is not dealt with at all and leaves me with very uncomfortable questions.
-Indrani! How I wish I could save her from this story. Immediately infantilized and sexually sought after, when this is paired with her description of being darker with very short hair it makes me feel very sick and question why these two things would be connected. She for some reason needs to have a love arc with a man she is forced to take care of and even though a crime is enacted upon her, it is only used to make the main love interest look better. She is able to make little to no choices throughout the book and even though she is described as being very strong, she of course must be evil, must be protected and saved many times, and takes it upon herself to take care of all the children while also being pregnant?? (Also, all the physically strong women (3!) are presented as unique insinuating that women are commonly not strong or capable hunters). I have so many problems with her characterization and how the plot treats her that I cannot even list it all here. This is also made worse because it is never addressed.
I realized after I started the book that this is a part of a trilogy, and for my girl Indrani I will not be finishing it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2012
This book is not for just anyone, and I wasn't even sure it was for me when i came to the section of the novel where the tribe would eat the flesh, or sell the flesh of their fellow members, or family.
I was truly repulsed, and a little freaked out - about to put that book down - when it sort of dawned on me that their was a strangely human reason behind this freakish cannibalism; and that was what kept me reading.
This story pushes readers to the most extreme forms of survival - forget foraging for food, and eating wild berries when and wherever it can be found. This world is years past the apocalypse and past saving, with flesh being the only form of sustenance and survival. The savagery that appears with this story is born only because there is truly nothing left on the human earth and that they have been living countless generations on the brink of extinction due to territorial wars and trading with other monsters roaming the lands.
Despite the weird and insane culture that the main character grows up in, Stopmouth is a pretty typical straight forward protagonist who despite his handicap at speech and the constant threat he would be chosen as an offering, is kind hearted, chivalrous young man determined to prove his worth. He faces adversary as any man does - and falls in love with the exotic woman from the sky in a sort-of Pochahontis fashion (where each learn the ways of the other, and so on...).
I found the description in this book riveting - sort of like a Pan's Labyrinth feel in some scenarios, and you could almost see the last few houses still standing covered in foliage and rotting away from years and years of neglect.
Overall, this book was amazingly refreshing, and a slap-to-the-brain for introducing a severe and desperate fight for life that isn't undertaken by authors very often (that i find, anyways!). It is definitely worth a chance if you can stomach the cannibalism!
I was truly repulsed, and a little freaked out - about to put that book down - when it sort of dawned on me that their was a strangely human reason behind this freakish cannibalism; and that was what kept me reading.
This story pushes readers to the most extreme forms of survival - forget foraging for food, and eating wild berries when and wherever it can be found. This world is years past the apocalypse and past saving, with flesh being the only form of sustenance and survival. The savagery that appears with this story is born only because there is truly nothing left on the human earth and that they have been living countless generations on the brink of extinction due to territorial wars and trading with other monsters roaming the lands.
Despite the weird and insane culture that the main character grows up in, Stopmouth is a pretty typical straight forward protagonist who despite his handicap at speech and the constant threat he would be chosen as an offering, is kind hearted, chivalrous young man determined to prove his worth. He faces adversary as any man does - and falls in love with the exotic woman from the sky in a sort-of Pochahontis fashion (where each learn the ways of the other, and so on...).
I found the description in this book riveting - sort of like a Pan's Labyrinth feel in some scenarios, and you could almost see the last few houses still standing covered in foliage and rotting away from years and years of neglect.
Overall, this book was amazingly refreshing, and a slap-to-the-brain for introducing a severe and desperate fight for life that isn't undertaken by authors very often (that i find, anyways!). It is definitely worth a chance if you can stomach the cannibalism!
April 25, 2024
****The book was published in the mid 2000's and is labeled as YA but I would 100 % label it as adult as it talks about marriage, elderly parents, and having children. Not something I would have been interested in as a teenager.
****I was introduced to this series by reading the back of the second book so I knew some of what direction the series was going to take.
The Inferior takes place in a strange prehistoric fantasy world where intelligent creatures battle each other for flesh and survival. The book throws you into this world with no explanation as to what any of the creatures are. The words such as Armorbacks and Hoppers are used but descriptions never take place, leaving me confused. I wasn't sure if they were animals or humanoid. In fact, a lot of this book is like that, leaving me confused trying to figure out what everything was and how the world worked. Honestly, I think I would have put it down if I didn't know the plot twist of the second book.
But although I struggled through the book's word choice and world building, I was intrigued by the story being told, especially of the main character, Stopmouth and his relations and journey through the world. The author makes him so interesting and sympathetic that I couldn't stop thinking about how his story would end even when I was doing other things than reading.
Towards the end, as the plot became more clear, I was enamored by the prospect of what could come next. I can't wait to pick up the second and third book to see what happens.
3 stars. Hard to read, but was full of imagination and lovable characters. ⭐⭐⭐
Warnings: r@pe (briefly mentioned, never shown), closed door sex, gore, blood, violence, cannibalism
****I was introduced to this series by reading the back of the second book so I knew some of what direction the series was going to take.
The Inferior takes place in a strange prehistoric fantasy world where intelligent creatures battle each other for flesh and survival. The book throws you into this world with no explanation as to what any of the creatures are. The words such as Armorbacks and Hoppers are used but descriptions never take place, leaving me confused. I wasn't sure if they were animals or humanoid. In fact, a lot of this book is like that, leaving me confused trying to figure out what everything was and how the world worked. Honestly, I think I would have put it down if I didn't know the plot twist of the second book.
But although I struggled through the book's word choice and world building, I was intrigued by the story being told, especially of the main character, Stopmouth and his relations and journey through the world. The author makes him so interesting and sympathetic that I couldn't stop thinking about how his story would end even when I was doing other things than reading.
Towards the end, as the plot became more clear, I was enamored by the prospect of what could come next. I can't wait to pick up the second and third book to see what happens.
3 stars. Hard to read, but was full of imagination and lovable characters. ⭐⭐⭐
Warnings: r@pe (briefly mentioned, never shown), closed door sex, gore, blood, violence, cannibalism
July 28, 2013
Also das Buch hat mich wirklich überrascht und es gibt definitiv nichts dran auszusetzen ... mal was ganz anderes und sau gut :D
January 13, 2025
Read my review on my blog at https://markkieltywriter.com/2025/01/...
In a world where a primitive human tribe must survive among vicious yet intelligent monsters who’re hungry for their flesh, Stopmouth and his family must volunteer the weakest of their tribe as offerings to those they have treaties with and fight the ones they don’t. Overhead are the globes which float through the sky (or “roof” as they call it) which at the beginning of the book, are a mystery to those below.
This is the first audiobook I’ve reviewed for my blog. Though The Inferior was published in 2007, the audiobook was released in October 2024 and is narrated by Nathaniel Priestley.
As far as sci-fi goes, I think this is an interesting concept. The human tribe are primitive in many respects. They hunt with spears and eat the flesh of their kills. It appears farming and growing vegetables is not an option in this world and Ó Guilín builds the culture of the tribe around this fact, with the appointment of chiefs, tattoos to mark hunters’ bravery, and the marrying of many wives by men is not uncommon.
However, the globes in the sky show the universe which the main character, Stopmouth, lives is not as primitive as one might believe. When the globes start attacking each other, debris of advanced technology are discovered by the humans, along with a woman named Indrani. The tribe don’t know what to make of her dark skin and perfect looks.
This juxtaposition between a primitive caveman like tribe with the advanced technology of flying spheres makes for an interesting universe for the story to take place. I’m not sure if this story counts as “stone-punk”, maybe that’s an article all to itself, but I think it would be a good way to describe this book.
But with any book of any genre, characters are king, and Ó Guilín has created an engaging cast. Stopmouth has a speech impediment and is considered a dullard among the tribe. But he’s fast and a good hunter, and later shows he has a much more honest character than his more articulate and intelligent brother, Wallbreaker. He’s an easy character to root for throughout the book and anchors the story well.
One of my favourite characters is Rockface, a fantastic hunter with many tattoos. Brought alive by Priestly’s narration, his voice is portrayed as rough and spirited, but there’s a soft side to his character too, a genuineness which matches Stopmouth’s.
What I like about this story is it examines what it means to be civilised. Indrani is said to have come from “the roof” and detests the primitive tribe which takes her in. The beasts which they eat are intelligent beings and she views this the same as cannibalism. But in the absence of other sources of food, she soon realises they have no other choice if they want to survive.
These are the type of questions this book asks throughout. What does it mean to be civilised? What makes someone a savage? The more Indrani gets to know Stopmouth, the more she wonders what he would be like if he had the same advantages as she. Would he revert to her idea of cannibalism should he have another source of food?
But this book isn’t all philosophical. It is littered with action scenes and death-defying battles with the many alien monsters Ó Guilín has concocted. The imagery makes these scenes easy to imagine, although I would’ve liked for the monsters to be described in more detail.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it’s perfect for those who’re looking for a sci-fi which is different. Priestley brings this book alive and expertly acts out the characters, giving them each a unique voice. Given Stopmouth’s speech impediment, I can only imagine this was a challenge to portray; however, I believe Priestley executed his character very well. I definitely recommend reading this, but I more so recommend giving this story a listen.
In a world where a primitive human tribe must survive among vicious yet intelligent monsters who’re hungry for their flesh, Stopmouth and his family must volunteer the weakest of their tribe as offerings to those they have treaties with and fight the ones they don’t. Overhead are the globes which float through the sky (or “roof” as they call it) which at the beginning of the book, are a mystery to those below.
This is the first audiobook I’ve reviewed for my blog. Though The Inferior was published in 2007, the audiobook was released in October 2024 and is narrated by Nathaniel Priestley.
As far as sci-fi goes, I think this is an interesting concept. The human tribe are primitive in many respects. They hunt with spears and eat the flesh of their kills. It appears farming and growing vegetables is not an option in this world and Ó Guilín builds the culture of the tribe around this fact, with the appointment of chiefs, tattoos to mark hunters’ bravery, and the marrying of many wives by men is not uncommon.
However, the globes in the sky show the universe which the main character, Stopmouth, lives is not as primitive as one might believe. When the globes start attacking each other, debris of advanced technology are discovered by the humans, along with a woman named Indrani. The tribe don’t know what to make of her dark skin and perfect looks.
This juxtaposition between a primitive caveman like tribe with the advanced technology of flying spheres makes for an interesting universe for the story to take place. I’m not sure if this story counts as “stone-punk”, maybe that’s an article all to itself, but I think it would be a good way to describe this book.
But with any book of any genre, characters are king, and Ó Guilín has created an engaging cast. Stopmouth has a speech impediment and is considered a dullard among the tribe. But he’s fast and a good hunter, and later shows he has a much more honest character than his more articulate and intelligent brother, Wallbreaker. He’s an easy character to root for throughout the book and anchors the story well.
One of my favourite characters is Rockface, a fantastic hunter with many tattoos. Brought alive by Priestly’s narration, his voice is portrayed as rough and spirited, but there’s a soft side to his character too, a genuineness which matches Stopmouth’s.
What I like about this story is it examines what it means to be civilised. Indrani is said to have come from “the roof” and detests the primitive tribe which takes her in. The beasts which they eat are intelligent beings and she views this the same as cannibalism. But in the absence of other sources of food, she soon realises they have no other choice if they want to survive.
These are the type of questions this book asks throughout. What does it mean to be civilised? What makes someone a savage? The more Indrani gets to know Stopmouth, the more she wonders what he would be like if he had the same advantages as she. Would he revert to her idea of cannibalism should he have another source of food?
But this book isn’t all philosophical. It is littered with action scenes and death-defying battles with the many alien monsters Ó Guilín has concocted. The imagery makes these scenes easy to imagine, although I would’ve liked for the monsters to be described in more detail.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it’s perfect for those who’re looking for a sci-fi which is different. Priestley brings this book alive and expertly acts out the characters, giving them each a unique voice. Given Stopmouth’s speech impediment, I can only imagine this was a challenge to portray; however, I believe Priestley executed his character very well. I definitely recommend reading this, but I more so recommend giving this story a listen.
May 13, 2008
The review is originally available at The Realms of Speculative Fiction - http://sf-fantasy-books.blogspot.com/...
Stopmouth is a young and resourceful hunter of the tribe of men. It is a harsh and competitive world where a wide variety of lethal and highly intelligent beast-like creatures abide. Since there seems to be no traditional sources of food, the law of survival culls down to the essentials – Eat or Be Eaten. But Stopmouth soon realizes that the source of the threat is not necessarily limited to the outside world and when one of the mysterious Globes that traverse the Roof (sky) happens to crash into the Tribe's Centre Square, and an exotic woman rises from the wreckage, a new opportunity and a yet untrodden destiny open up for our young hunter...
~~~
The Inferior is a debut effort by an Irishman Peadar Ó Guilin. The novel is a beginning of the sf/fantasy trilogy that is marketed under a young-adult tag; and while one might question the wisdom of this marketing decision, since one of the main issues addressed by this novel touches upon our (moral) right to consume flesh -- especially if it comes from hunting intelligent and self-aware species that are akin to human beings in many ways -- but despite the fact that it does so in a pretty straightforward manner, the author employs a 'user-friendly' and inoffensive style that eschews overtly explicit descriptions of violence, sex and other questionable contents with relative ease. But don't get me wrong, if Ó Guilín chose not to do gritty, that doesn't mean that he pampers his readers – he raises a few important questions and while he doesn't serve us the answers on a silver platter, he still implores his readers to think about them on their own time without bogging the narrative with excessive introspection.
The prose is pretty straightforward, which is most evident from the names that the author chose for his characters (Stopmouth, Rockface, Mossheart, Wallbreaker), the beasts (Flyers, Diggers, Hoppers, Armourbacks) and the natural phenomena (Manways, Wetlanes, the Roof, Globes). The names of the beasts and their primordial physique resonate with a palpable pulpish feel which I really liked. The first impression of the world I got was that it's very small, crammed, artificial and that its shaping preceded its current inhabitants – as it turned out, I wasn't far off the mark, and it was quite intentional on the author's part. The portrayal of the tribal society was simplistic and a bit too naive with regard to certain facets, but it was nevertheless effective and very vivid.
The world-building occurs through the events and the dialogue – Ó Guilin really succeeds to bring the world to life with 'minimal' efforts. The nature of the author's approach is such that he never lingers indefinitely on feelings and thoughts of the characters – they tend to show rather than tell. The characterization might feel a bit rough around the edges at times and somewhat lacking in finer nuances, but it still manages to impress, regardless of its relative simplicity. I believe that the author's charisma shines most brightly through the characters such as Stopmouth (obviously!), Indrani and Rockface. This is a perfectly decent survival story - brimming with optimism, courage and wonder, and balanced by the right amount of the romantic and the mysterious.
Another thing that is going really strong for The Inferior is the (clandestine) inclusion of the sf elements (Globes in the sky, 'Talker' - alien object that allows communication between the incompatible races of beasts and men, etc.), while it still manages to be read as a straightforward fantasy story. Without giving too much away, I concur with the blurb on the cover that familiarizes some of the ideas from this book with those from the movie The Truman Show.
Peadar Ó Guilín has a knack for making likable characters. Stopmouth is presented as an intelligent, brave and thoughtful, if a bit naive young man. The portrayal of relationships that Stopmouth cultivates with his brother, with »the woman that has fallen from the sky« and with Rockface, presents the biggest strength of the novel - along with the characterization per se. I especially enjoyed Stopmouth’s ambivalent and precarious friendship with his brother Wallbreaker. The gradual blossoming of feelings between Indrani and Stopmouth was done with great care and tact, as was the seemingly incompatible friendship between the cautious Stopmouth and the reckless Rockface that evolved into something deeper along the way. The way how Wallbreaker was portrayed as an ambivalent person really intrigued me and I couldn't decide if he was either good or bad. While I felt that not all of the changes of Wallbreaker's personality were sufficiently explained and some of the choices he made were a bit extreme as well, but I would still love to see him as a POV (maybe in one of the sequels?). I also regretted the fact that he makes the last appearance somewhere around the middle of the novel – that is one of the reasons why the book lost some of its appeal for me in the second half despite the fact that it loses none of its steam. The concluding chapters felt a bit rushed in my opinion - I would have preferred, if the author had chosen to slow down the action for a while, so he would have had more room for character development and world-building.
There are also some other minor discrepancies and loose plot threads: (1)Why is the extinction of the Hairbeasts not followed by repopulation with another beast-race? (2)Why are the Diggers so omnipotent in relation to other races? (3)The author goes explaining at length how impossible the communication between various beast-folk (including humanity) is, due to the fact that they have completely incompatible minds; but the inhabitants of this makeshift world still somehow succeed in forming alliances. But all this 'problems' don't detract from the reading experience and, besides, I hold high hopes that all the loose-ends will be tied up neatly in the forthcoming sequels. There is also some hinting at a strife between the spiritual and the atheist fraction (that goes on behind the screens) of which we will surely hear more later on.
As a YA title I would 'judge' this novel as a highly entertaining read that even manages to make you question humanity's complacency with killing other conscious beings and eating their meat; but I have to admit that I missed a bit of political incorrectness and/or outright subversive elements – the wholesome impression I got was a bit mellow, but we can’t have it all, or can we?
Regardless of the gripes I had with The Inferior it is still a fabulous read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. I know that what I’m about to say is stretching it a bit, but I really found some general similarities between The Inferior and the works of Paul Kearney or even David Gemmell. You can figure out how highly I value Peadar Ó Guilín’s debut effort by this comparison alone.
~ Thrinidir ~
Stopmouth is a young and resourceful hunter of the tribe of men. It is a harsh and competitive world where a wide variety of lethal and highly intelligent beast-like creatures abide. Since there seems to be no traditional sources of food, the law of survival culls down to the essentials – Eat or Be Eaten. But Stopmouth soon realizes that the source of the threat is not necessarily limited to the outside world and when one of the mysterious Globes that traverse the Roof (sky) happens to crash into the Tribe's Centre Square, and an exotic woman rises from the wreckage, a new opportunity and a yet untrodden destiny open up for our young hunter...
~~~
The Inferior is a debut effort by an Irishman Peadar Ó Guilin. The novel is a beginning of the sf/fantasy trilogy that is marketed under a young-adult tag; and while one might question the wisdom of this marketing decision, since one of the main issues addressed by this novel touches upon our (moral) right to consume flesh -- especially if it comes from hunting intelligent and self-aware species that are akin to human beings in many ways -- but despite the fact that it does so in a pretty straightforward manner, the author employs a 'user-friendly' and inoffensive style that eschews overtly explicit descriptions of violence, sex and other questionable contents with relative ease. But don't get me wrong, if Ó Guilín chose not to do gritty, that doesn't mean that he pampers his readers – he raises a few important questions and while he doesn't serve us the answers on a silver platter, he still implores his readers to think about them on their own time without bogging the narrative with excessive introspection.
The prose is pretty straightforward, which is most evident from the names that the author chose for his characters (Stopmouth, Rockface, Mossheart, Wallbreaker), the beasts (Flyers, Diggers, Hoppers, Armourbacks) and the natural phenomena (Manways, Wetlanes, the Roof, Globes). The names of the beasts and their primordial physique resonate with a palpable pulpish feel which I really liked. The first impression of the world I got was that it's very small, crammed, artificial and that its shaping preceded its current inhabitants – as it turned out, I wasn't far off the mark, and it was quite intentional on the author's part. The portrayal of the tribal society was simplistic and a bit too naive with regard to certain facets, but it was nevertheless effective and very vivid.
The world-building occurs through the events and the dialogue – Ó Guilin really succeeds to bring the world to life with 'minimal' efforts. The nature of the author's approach is such that he never lingers indefinitely on feelings and thoughts of the characters – they tend to show rather than tell. The characterization might feel a bit rough around the edges at times and somewhat lacking in finer nuances, but it still manages to impress, regardless of its relative simplicity. I believe that the author's charisma shines most brightly through the characters such as Stopmouth (obviously!), Indrani and Rockface. This is a perfectly decent survival story - brimming with optimism, courage and wonder, and balanced by the right amount of the romantic and the mysterious.
Another thing that is going really strong for The Inferior is the (clandestine) inclusion of the sf elements (Globes in the sky, 'Talker' - alien object that allows communication between the incompatible races of beasts and men, etc.), while it still manages to be read as a straightforward fantasy story. Without giving too much away, I concur with the blurb on the cover that familiarizes some of the ideas from this book with those from the movie The Truman Show.
Peadar Ó Guilín has a knack for making likable characters. Stopmouth is presented as an intelligent, brave and thoughtful, if a bit naive young man. The portrayal of relationships that Stopmouth cultivates with his brother, with »the woman that has fallen from the sky« and with Rockface, presents the biggest strength of the novel - along with the characterization per se. I especially enjoyed Stopmouth’s ambivalent and precarious friendship with his brother Wallbreaker. The gradual blossoming of feelings between Indrani and Stopmouth was done with great care and tact, as was the seemingly incompatible friendship between the cautious Stopmouth and the reckless Rockface that evolved into something deeper along the way. The way how Wallbreaker was portrayed as an ambivalent person really intrigued me and I couldn't decide if he was either good or bad. While I felt that not all of the changes of Wallbreaker's personality were sufficiently explained and some of the choices he made were a bit extreme as well, but I would still love to see him as a POV (maybe in one of the sequels?). I also regretted the fact that he makes the last appearance somewhere around the middle of the novel – that is one of the reasons why the book lost some of its appeal for me in the second half despite the fact that it loses none of its steam. The concluding chapters felt a bit rushed in my opinion - I would have preferred, if the author had chosen to slow down the action for a while, so he would have had more room for character development and world-building.
There are also some other minor discrepancies and loose plot threads: (1)Why is the extinction of the Hairbeasts not followed by repopulation with another beast-race? (2)Why are the Diggers so omnipotent in relation to other races? (3)The author goes explaining at length how impossible the communication between various beast-folk (including humanity) is, due to the fact that they have completely incompatible minds; but the inhabitants of this makeshift world still somehow succeed in forming alliances. But all this 'problems' don't detract from the reading experience and, besides, I hold high hopes that all the loose-ends will be tied up neatly in the forthcoming sequels. There is also some hinting at a strife between the spiritual and the atheist fraction (that goes on behind the screens) of which we will surely hear more later on.
As a YA title I would 'judge' this novel as a highly entertaining read that even manages to make you question humanity's complacency with killing other conscious beings and eating their meat; but I have to admit that I missed a bit of political incorrectness and/or outright subversive elements – the wholesome impression I got was a bit mellow, but we can’t have it all, or can we?
Regardless of the gripes I had with The Inferior it is still a fabulous read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. I know that what I’m about to say is stretching it a bit, but I really found some general similarities between The Inferior and the works of Paul Kearney or even David Gemmell. You can figure out how highly I value Peadar Ó Guilín’s debut effort by this comparison alone.
~ Thrinidir ~
May 5, 2018
I've started reading The Bone World trilogy because I had already read The Gray Land series and I liked it. And while The Bone World made Peadar Ó Guilín famous, it is not at the level of character development and personal involvement as The Call, yet it is still good enough.
The title of the book, The Inferior, is sort of a pun, as it refers both to a physical position and a social one and is probably a word play on "the interior". There is this world in which the only living creatures are moss like plants, some trees and insects and tribes of intelligent human sized creatures. However, their societal development is stuck at the level of the Stone Age, with their only concern being killing and eating each other. You might say that such an ecosystem could not be sustainable, and you would be right, if you didn't account for the fact that this world is under an artificial roof that acts like a sky and light source and is patrolled by strange flying orbs and whenever a tribe dies, it is immediately replaced by another, of another species, appearing suddenly in flash of light, only to either eat or be eaten.
Now, the concept and the plot are not airtight, but they don't need to be, as you revel in the life and exploits of Stopmouth, a young and smart warrior of the human tribe. One can see where the body horror that permeates The Call came from, as this world is also filled with abominations doing abominable things. Strangely enough, it is the "civilized" people that are not well defined, stuck between a mere plot device at worst and an inconsistently written set of characters at best.
Bottom line: while not a masterpiece and having the cannibalism and body horror being the only things keeping it from becoming another long lived and mindless YA TV series, it is interesting enough and well written enough to keep one going. I intend to finish the trilogy, another reason for me having started reading it being that it is a done deal, with no other book in planning.
The title of the book, The Inferior, is sort of a pun, as it refers both to a physical position and a social one and is probably a word play on "the interior". There is this world in which the only living creatures are moss like plants, some trees and insects and tribes of intelligent human sized creatures. However, their societal development is stuck at the level of the Stone Age, with their only concern being killing and eating each other. You might say that such an ecosystem could not be sustainable, and you would be right, if you didn't account for the fact that this world is under an artificial roof that acts like a sky and light source and is patrolled by strange flying orbs and whenever a tribe dies, it is immediately replaced by another, of another species, appearing suddenly in flash of light, only to either eat or be eaten.
Now, the concept and the plot are not airtight, but they don't need to be, as you revel in the life and exploits of Stopmouth, a young and smart warrior of the human tribe. One can see where the body horror that permeates The Call came from, as this world is also filled with abominations doing abominable things. Strangely enough, it is the "civilized" people that are not well defined, stuck between a mere plot device at worst and an inconsistently written set of characters at best.
Bottom line: while not a masterpiece and having the cannibalism and body horror being the only things keeping it from becoming another long lived and mindless YA TV series, it is interesting enough and well written enough to keep one going. I intend to finish the trilogy, another reason for me having started reading it being that it is a done deal, with no other book in planning.
October 31, 2014
This being a full disclosure type of livejournal that puts great store in the faith our readers place in our integrity and objectivity, it behooves us to point out that the author of today's object of reviewage is none other than whatsisname on that other livejournal with whom I have exchanged much witty banter and good natured badinage. We here at uglychicken livejournal inc wish to reassure whatever readers we might have that this will in no way affect our assessment of said object, and that had we found said object to be a vile excresence, less comely than the most pus-ridden pustule poised atop Lucifer's own knobbly nose, we would not hesitate to pretend that the whole thing never happened and never bring it up again in any converstion whatsoever, polite or otherwise.
Fortunately, it's not quite that bad.
What it is, is readable. Now listen, I grew up in Ireland. In the seventies. The eighties. The Irish literary scene of that vintage did not do science fiction, fantasy or even crime for that matter. It just didn't. There was high-falutin' literary miserabilism, or romance. That was it. We were too poor for anything else. Any attempts to make brave forays into other genres were, by and large, anything but readable. This is why I do not read Irish science fiction, fantasy or crime. That will probably have to change.
So: readable. Very readable. You know that smooth way of writing that just slips through and goes down easy and carries you along? That kind of readable. Halfway through the damn book before you even realise it kind of readable. It's not just style, of course, it's plot and character and pace and all the things that go into making a book clicking together and running like a smooth machine. The fiction equivalent of class. You either got it, or you don't.
The Inferior is a bloody tale of a human tribe stranded in a world full of alien tribes competing to see who can eat the most of all the other alien tribes because they are yummy, and because there isn't that much else to eat.
To hero Stopmouth and his family, of course, this is the normal natural way of things. You go out, you kill something, bring it home and eat it. Occasionally something kills and eats you, and when you're too old to go out killing things, you're sent off as meat on the hoof to a tribe with whom there is a more or less peaceful arrangement. It's not natural, of course, as the white eggs buzzing around near the roof will indicate to the savvy reader. It's some sort of horrifying prison/entertainment arrangement, and it soon becomes apparent that for all the ugliness of their situation Stopmouth's people retain far more of their humanity, in their loyalty to family and tribe, than those who watch them. When the eggs go to war and a mysterious woman arrives amongst them, their fragile existence is threatened, and the truth begins to emerge.
There's an old-fashioned sense of bravura to the whole adventure that reminds me of Philip Jose Farmer. Riverworld, Dark of the Sun and World of Tiers all featured humanity thrown into conflict against hosts of strange creatures across vast alien, and sometimes artificial, landscapes. So with The Inferior as our hero contends with one bloody alien horror after another. It'd make for grim reading if the characters weren't so engaging that the reader empathises with their situation rather than recoils with disgust at their actions. As it is it's a rollicking, breathless adventure full of unexpected twists and an amazing menagerie of alien monsters, though, of course, they're generally no more or less monstrous than human. With one or two exceptions.
It reaches a satisfying conclusion, but obviously there's more to come. If only there was some way to communicate with the reclusive author to find out whether or when there might be a sequel due...
We here at uglychicken livejournal inc were going to post the whole 'train ticket story' as part of the review, but we have wasted enough time at work already, so maybe in comments.
The train ticket story:
Well, let's see. In those days we had these things that we called trains and we used them to get round. They were like, I dunno, really long snails that crawled along these things like the bits you get on a fork? Only there were two of them instead of four and they were tied together with these big matchsticks. The matchsticks kept catching fire and exploding and the snails would get scared, thinking flaming Frenchmen were coming to eat them, and they'd fall over and retract into their shell and everybody'd get squashed until France dropped below the horizon and the snail would get moving again.
To travel on the snails you had to have a ticket. Tickets could be tricky enough to come by because when the conducter came round to sell them he'd just wave his baton at you and the orchestra would run in and start playing, and if you were lucky it was just a short piece like a madrigal or a detumescent and we'd all clap delightedly and say oh, how baroque, but sometimes they'd play an entire symphony, and if the snail fell over and retracted all their intruments would get mixed up and you'd have the percussonist playing the bassoon and the oboe playing the cellist and then they'd have to start all over again and sometimes Robert Wagner would come along and they'd do the entire Ring Cycle, which takes three years and a cast of five thousand, half of them castrati, about a millionare husband and wife detective team and their loyal dwarf who must solve murders, rescue cursed gold and contend with a pantheon of neurotic Norse gods. Frankly, by the time they got to the passengers, we were lucky if they had any tickets left at all.
So we used to make our own. Couldn't go on a trip by snail without your own design and print booth. Everyone was expected to chip in. Some brought trees for the paper, others brought squid for the ink and others brought distraught, lovelorn artists, shot them up with heroin and lsd, and forced them to run up a series of attracive but functional designs. Later, the valkyries would ride them for the big finale of Gotterdammerung.
So we ended up with tickets of our own for travelling on the snail. Sooner or later, usually during the third act of Siegfried which just gives everyone a headache, the conducter came round and punched the tickets. We would weep quietly to ourselves as he battered our poor tickets into oblivion, jumping up and down on them, calling them mean names. At last I had enough, so I hit him over the head with a copy of The Inferior and he fell down, and all the passengers jumped up and started hitting him with their copies of The Inferior and then the orchestra came running up and started hitting him with their copies of the libretto, which turned out to be the German translation of The Inferior, then a hundred hungry flaming Frencmen descended from the sky and ate the snail and I alone am returned alive to tell thee.
Fortunately, it's not quite that bad.
What it is, is readable. Now listen, I grew up in Ireland. In the seventies. The eighties. The Irish literary scene of that vintage did not do science fiction, fantasy or even crime for that matter. It just didn't. There was high-falutin' literary miserabilism, or romance. That was it. We were too poor for anything else. Any attempts to make brave forays into other genres were, by and large, anything but readable. This is why I do not read Irish science fiction, fantasy or crime. That will probably have to change.
So: readable. Very readable. You know that smooth way of writing that just slips through and goes down easy and carries you along? That kind of readable. Halfway through the damn book before you even realise it kind of readable. It's not just style, of course, it's plot and character and pace and all the things that go into making a book clicking together and running like a smooth machine. The fiction equivalent of class. You either got it, or you don't.
The Inferior is a bloody tale of a human tribe stranded in a world full of alien tribes competing to see who can eat the most of all the other alien tribes because they are yummy, and because there isn't that much else to eat.
To hero Stopmouth and his family, of course, this is the normal natural way of things. You go out, you kill something, bring it home and eat it. Occasionally something kills and eats you, and when you're too old to go out killing things, you're sent off as meat on the hoof to a tribe with whom there is a more or less peaceful arrangement. It's not natural, of course, as the white eggs buzzing around near the roof will indicate to the savvy reader. It's some sort of horrifying prison/entertainment arrangement, and it soon becomes apparent that for all the ugliness of their situation Stopmouth's people retain far more of their humanity, in their loyalty to family and tribe, than those who watch them. When the eggs go to war and a mysterious woman arrives amongst them, their fragile existence is threatened, and the truth begins to emerge.
There's an old-fashioned sense of bravura to the whole adventure that reminds me of Philip Jose Farmer. Riverworld, Dark of the Sun and World of Tiers all featured humanity thrown into conflict against hosts of strange creatures across vast alien, and sometimes artificial, landscapes. So with The Inferior as our hero contends with one bloody alien horror after another. It'd make for grim reading if the characters weren't so engaging that the reader empathises with their situation rather than recoils with disgust at their actions. As it is it's a rollicking, breathless adventure full of unexpected twists and an amazing menagerie of alien monsters, though, of course, they're generally no more or less monstrous than human. With one or two exceptions.
It reaches a satisfying conclusion, but obviously there's more to come. If only there was some way to communicate with the reclusive author to find out whether or when there might be a sequel due...
We here at uglychicken livejournal inc were going to post the whole 'train ticket story' as part of the review, but we have wasted enough time at work already, so maybe in comments.
The train ticket story:
Well, let's see. In those days we had these things that we called trains and we used them to get round. They were like, I dunno, really long snails that crawled along these things like the bits you get on a fork? Only there were two of them instead of four and they were tied together with these big matchsticks. The matchsticks kept catching fire and exploding and the snails would get scared, thinking flaming Frenchmen were coming to eat them, and they'd fall over and retract into their shell and everybody'd get squashed until France dropped below the horizon and the snail would get moving again.
To travel on the snails you had to have a ticket. Tickets could be tricky enough to come by because when the conducter came round to sell them he'd just wave his baton at you and the orchestra would run in and start playing, and if you were lucky it was just a short piece like a madrigal or a detumescent and we'd all clap delightedly and say oh, how baroque, but sometimes they'd play an entire symphony, and if the snail fell over and retracted all their intruments would get mixed up and you'd have the percussonist playing the bassoon and the oboe playing the cellist and then they'd have to start all over again and sometimes Robert Wagner would come along and they'd do the entire Ring Cycle, which takes three years and a cast of five thousand, half of them castrati, about a millionare husband and wife detective team and their loyal dwarf who must solve murders, rescue cursed gold and contend with a pantheon of neurotic Norse gods. Frankly, by the time they got to the passengers, we were lucky if they had any tickets left at all.
So we used to make our own. Couldn't go on a trip by snail without your own design and print booth. Everyone was expected to chip in. Some brought trees for the paper, others brought squid for the ink and others brought distraught, lovelorn artists, shot them up with heroin and lsd, and forced them to run up a series of attracive but functional designs. Later, the valkyries would ride them for the big finale of Gotterdammerung.
So we ended up with tickets of our own for travelling on the snail. Sooner or later, usually during the third act of Siegfried which just gives everyone a headache, the conducter came round and punched the tickets. We would weep quietly to ourselves as he battered our poor tickets into oblivion, jumping up and down on them, calling them mean names. At last I had enough, so I hit him over the head with a copy of The Inferior and he fell down, and all the passengers jumped up and started hitting him with their copies of The Inferior and then the orchestra came running up and started hitting him with their copies of the libretto, which turned out to be the German translation of The Inferior, then a hundred hungry flaming Frencmen descended from the sky and ate the snail and I alone am returned alive to tell thee.
April 30, 2018
A most enjoyable read, though I'll be the first to say it's not for everyone. If you're not keen on people eating each other, then you best leave this book alone. Cannibalism is a norm of this society, a means to survival. I'm reminded of Frank Herbert's DUNE, where the desert folk show respect by spitting on one another--sharing moisture--and where the dead are dehydrated so their water can keep the survivors going.
The element I enjoyed most is one I think we all can connect to--the sibling relationship. Our hero, Stopmouth, has an older brother, Wallbreaker. The story opens with Wallbreaker cornered by enemies and begging for his life instead of fighting. Stopmouth saves him, but gets separated from Wallbreaker by crashing rock. By the time Stopmouth returns to the Tribe, Wallbreaker's taken the credit for killing the enemies. Of course he apologizes...in private. And this is opening moment helps shape the relationship of brothers: Wallbreaker's rise to power as the golden boy beloved by all girls and men, and Stopmouth, the stuttering simpleton whose heart is lost to the girl who marries Wallbreaker. Yet the story shows that Stopmouth is not so simple, and Wallbreaker cannot always live up to his soaring promises. I ripped through the pages to see these two interact, clash, make peace only to get hurt again.
But then Stopmouth escaped Wallbreaker's grip and traveled to unknown lands away from the Tribe. He has more adventures, grows more as a hero, but still, his escape bummed me out a little. Oh, I'm going to read the sequels--this is a conflict that demands resolution. I only wish Wallbreaker could have chased Stopmouth to the ends of the earth in THE INFERIOR, too.
Cheers!
The element I enjoyed most is one I think we all can connect to--the sibling relationship. Our hero, Stopmouth, has an older brother, Wallbreaker. The story opens with Wallbreaker cornered by enemies and begging for his life instead of fighting. Stopmouth saves him, but gets separated from Wallbreaker by crashing rock. By the time Stopmouth returns to the Tribe, Wallbreaker's taken the credit for killing the enemies. Of course he apologizes...in private. And this is opening moment helps shape the relationship of brothers: Wallbreaker's rise to power as the golden boy beloved by all girls and men, and Stopmouth, the stuttering simpleton whose heart is lost to the girl who marries Wallbreaker. Yet the story shows that Stopmouth is not so simple, and Wallbreaker cannot always live up to his soaring promises. I ripped through the pages to see these two interact, clash, make peace only to get hurt again.
But then Stopmouth escaped Wallbreaker's grip and traveled to unknown lands away from the Tribe. He has more adventures, grows more as a hero, but still, his escape bummed me out a little. Oh, I'm going to read the sequels--this is a conflict that demands resolution. I only wish Wallbreaker could have chased Stopmouth to the ends of the earth in THE INFERIOR, too.
Cheers!
April 26, 2020
Stopmouth is an unlikely hero - he stammers and lives under the protection of his high status and brave brother. He is overlooked by those around him, but his stammer hides a keen intelligence.
But what becomes clear early on in this book is that the tribe of savage humans who are at cinstant war with alien neighbours is not quite what it seems at first. This is not some primitive fantasy world, but in fact some kind of high tech arena, and the humans are not quite fully human either.
This book was highly original. It explores various issues in the setting of an expanding sci-fi universe that begs further exploration.
Nevertheless this is also a butal book in places. It does not pull its punches, and some of the themes in it are quite dark. Young adults will cope with it, but some may not enjoy it. I would also hesitate to give it to pre-teens.
Like so many books these days, this one sets up a sequel, and it does so nicely. The story of this book wraps itself up, but in doin so it leads into so much more. there is a world to be explored and changed here, and readers will want to be involved in that.
All in all this is a great novel from a new writer. Not the lightest read ever, and if you dislike dark themes, your mileage may vary, but this is an author I will be watchong with interest.
But what becomes clear early on in this book is that the tribe of savage humans who are at cinstant war with alien neighbours is not quite what it seems at first. This is not some primitive fantasy world, but in fact some kind of high tech arena, and the humans are not quite fully human either.
This book was highly original. It explores various issues in the setting of an expanding sci-fi universe that begs further exploration.
Nevertheless this is also a butal book in places. It does not pull its punches, and some of the themes in it are quite dark. Young adults will cope with it, but some may not enjoy it. I would also hesitate to give it to pre-teens.
Like so many books these days, this one sets up a sequel, and it does so nicely. The story of this book wraps itself up, but in doin so it leads into so much more. there is a world to be explored and changed here, and readers will want to be involved in that.
All in all this is a great novel from a new writer. Not the lightest read ever, and if you dislike dark themes, your mileage may vary, but this is an author I will be watchong with interest.
September 9, 2008
The Inferior begins with an adrenaline-pumping chase:
The rule was to keep running--Don't stop, don't die. The Tribe needed its strongest to survive. So Stopmouth fled for his life through the streets of Hairbeast territory, while it's non-human inhabitants looked on with indifference. Already the cries of his brother were fading behind him.
'Please, Stopmouth!'
The Armourbacks preferred living prey. When they caught Wallbreaker, they'd drive him home with spears to feed their young. The screams of such captives lasted for days, echoing down streets and over rooftops.
Stopmouth tried not to think about i. 'K-keep running,' he told himself. He leaped barrels of flesh and sprinted into an alley narrow enough to give the pursuers some trouble if they were still on his trail.
Stopmouth realized he couldn't hear his brother any more. He skidded to a halt. The hot air of mid-afternoon stank of blood and rang with the booming howls of fighting or mating Hairbeasts. He could feel his heart battering against his ribs and he leaned his tall frame for support against a crumbling wall. Don't stop. Don't think. Keep running. He wiped his stinging eyes and whispered the name, 'Wallbreaker.' Humanity might survive without his brother, but Stopmouth knew he could not. Wallbreaker had always been the darling of the Tribe. He'd been a sweet child, grown up to be a great hunter, and people would forgive him anything even a half-idiot brother. And they had forgiven always, smiling indulgently through the younger boy's stammers in order to please his handsom sibling.
And yet, if Wallbreaker failed to make it back.... (1-2)
The decision has been made. Stopmouth must save his brother--or die trying. It's partly done out of love, but partly down to insure his own survival in the Tribe--to save himself from being put up for sacrifice the next time the Tribe trades with another for food. Stopmouth's life isn't easy. It's never easy. Brutal. Harsh. Savage. Primitive.
Here is the jacket flap description,
"There is but one law: eat or be eaten. Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh-trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind. It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slow-witted hunt-fodder by his Tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky. It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity, forever."
I just have to interrupt and say that last bit was pure exaggeration. Sure Stopmouth's knowledge of the mystery-woman Indrani changes his own destiny. And yes, it touches a handful of others as well. But all humanity? No. Forever? Not quite. That is unless it's hinting at a future sequel. Who knows it may one day change "all of humanity forever."
Back to the flap,
"With echoes of Tarzan, Conan, and The Truman Show, Peadar O Guilin's debut is an action-and-ideas packed blockbuster that will challenge your perceptions of humanity and leave you hungry for more."
Again I think the ending of this got a bit too grandiose. I think the reader would have been better served without that last paragraph.
Works, doesn't work. Works, doesn't work. I kept going back and forth and back and forth. In a way, The Inferior does work. It's action-packed. It does keep you reading to see who survives and how and why and so forth. The characters--for the most part--are intriguing. Stopmouth especially makes for an interesting hero. Here is where it gets a bit tricky, the "ideas-packed" segments just don't work quite as well. In fact they make me hate (yes, hate) Indrani. And I don't think that was the intent exactly. Uppity. High and mighty. Self-righteous. Haughty. Proud. Smug. All apt descriptors of our supposed heroine. She feels and knows that she is better than everyone around her. She looks down and despises those "savages" around her. And she may technically know more--especially when it comes to technology--but that doesn't make her a better human in my opinion. It makes her annoying. I was rolling my eyes at some of the "ideas-packed" segments that are supposed to "challenge" the readers perception of the world.
'Only savages,' she said, 'eat flesh. Civilized beings eat other things made from plants.'
'You can't live on moss and trees! They'd make you sick!'
'I never said we did!' She seemed exasperated. 'There are other plants besides those. Rice, fruit, vegetables. To kill a being and eat its flesh is the most evil and terrible thing a creature can do! It's obscene!' (305, 306)
a bit further on she says,
"'Sometimes I look at you, at your cleverness, all that strength and energy, and I think...I almost think you could be one of us. And then I see you killing. You enjoy it. Don't deny it! I see you kill, and in your own way you're magnificent, but you could never, never be civilized.'
'Because I hunt for food?'
'Partly, yes.' (308)
and then switching her mockery...
'Who were those people?' asked Stopmouth again.
Indrani didn't answer at first. She looked sick and afraid, as if her worst nightmares had all come true at once. 'There are plenty who think like them where I come from, Stopmouth. They are people who claim to love spirits more than they love themselves. Some of the fools even mean, I suppose...We have a special word for them: religious.' She pronounced it the way she pronounced the word 'savage,' as if it hurt to speak it. (318)
I actually enjoyed the first half of The Inferior. But the second half was hard to enjoy. The more Indrani opened her mouth, the more I came to hate the book. I honestly don't see why Stopmouth was so head-over-heels in love with her. To the point that he begs her and begs her and begs for good graces, her attention, her love.
The rule was to keep running--Don't stop, don't die. The Tribe needed its strongest to survive. So Stopmouth fled for his life through the streets of Hairbeast territory, while it's non-human inhabitants looked on with indifference. Already the cries of his brother were fading behind him.
'Please, Stopmouth!'
The Armourbacks preferred living prey. When they caught Wallbreaker, they'd drive him home with spears to feed their young. The screams of such captives lasted for days, echoing down streets and over rooftops.
Stopmouth tried not to think about i. 'K-keep running,' he told himself. He leaped barrels of flesh and sprinted into an alley narrow enough to give the pursuers some trouble if they were still on his trail.
Stopmouth realized he couldn't hear his brother any more. He skidded to a halt. The hot air of mid-afternoon stank of blood and rang with the booming howls of fighting or mating Hairbeasts. He could feel his heart battering against his ribs and he leaned his tall frame for support against a crumbling wall. Don't stop. Don't think. Keep running. He wiped his stinging eyes and whispered the name, 'Wallbreaker.' Humanity might survive without his brother, but Stopmouth knew he could not. Wallbreaker had always been the darling of the Tribe. He'd been a sweet child, grown up to be a great hunter, and people would forgive him anything even a half-idiot brother. And they had forgiven always, smiling indulgently through the younger boy's stammers in order to please his handsom sibling.
And yet, if Wallbreaker failed to make it back.... (1-2)
The decision has been made. Stopmouth must save his brother--or die trying. It's partly done out of love, but partly down to insure his own survival in the Tribe--to save himself from being put up for sacrifice the next time the Tribe trades with another for food. Stopmouth's life isn't easy. It's never easy. Brutal. Harsh. Savage. Primitive.
Here is the jacket flap description,
"There is but one law: eat or be eaten. Stopmouth and his family know of no other life than the daily battle to survive. To live they must hunt rival species, or negotiate flesh-trade with those who crave meat of the freshest human kind. It is a savage, desperate existence. And for Stopmouth, considered slow-witted hunt-fodder by his Tribe, the future looks especially bleak. But then, on the day he is callously betrayed by his brother, a strange and beautiful woman falls from the sky. It is a moment that will change his destiny, and that of all humanity, forever."
I just have to interrupt and say that last bit was pure exaggeration. Sure Stopmouth's knowledge of the mystery-woman Indrani changes his own destiny. And yes, it touches a handful of others as well. But all humanity? No. Forever? Not quite. That is unless it's hinting at a future sequel. Who knows it may one day change "all of humanity forever."
Back to the flap,
"With echoes of Tarzan, Conan, and The Truman Show, Peadar O Guilin's debut is an action-and-ideas packed blockbuster that will challenge your perceptions of humanity and leave you hungry for more."
Again I think the ending of this got a bit too grandiose. I think the reader would have been better served without that last paragraph.
Works, doesn't work. Works, doesn't work. I kept going back and forth and back and forth. In a way, The Inferior does work. It's action-packed. It does keep you reading to see who survives and how and why and so forth. The characters--for the most part--are intriguing. Stopmouth especially makes for an interesting hero. Here is where it gets a bit tricky, the "ideas-packed" segments just don't work quite as well. In fact they make me hate (yes, hate) Indrani. And I don't think that was the intent exactly. Uppity. High and mighty. Self-righteous. Haughty. Proud. Smug. All apt descriptors of our supposed heroine. She feels and knows that she is better than everyone around her. She looks down and despises those "savages" around her. And she may technically know more--especially when it comes to technology--but that doesn't make her a better human in my opinion. It makes her annoying. I was rolling my eyes at some of the "ideas-packed" segments that are supposed to "challenge" the readers perception of the world.
'Only savages,' she said, 'eat flesh. Civilized beings eat other things made from plants.'
'You can't live on moss and trees! They'd make you sick!'
'I never said we did!' She seemed exasperated. 'There are other plants besides those. Rice, fruit, vegetables. To kill a being and eat its flesh is the most evil and terrible thing a creature can do! It's obscene!' (305, 306)
a bit further on she says,
"'Sometimes I look at you, at your cleverness, all that strength and energy, and I think...I almost think you could be one of us. And then I see you killing. You enjoy it. Don't deny it! I see you kill, and in your own way you're magnificent, but you could never, never be civilized.'
'Because I hunt for food?'
'Partly, yes.' (308)
and then switching her mockery...
'Who were those people?' asked Stopmouth again.
Indrani didn't answer at first. She looked sick and afraid, as if her worst nightmares had all come true at once. 'There are plenty who think like them where I come from, Stopmouth. They are people who claim to love spirits more than they love themselves. Some of the fools even mean, I suppose...We have a special word for them: religious.' She pronounced it the way she pronounced the word 'savage,' as if it hurt to speak it. (318)
I actually enjoyed the first half of The Inferior. But the second half was hard to enjoy. The more Indrani opened her mouth, the more I came to hate the book. I honestly don't see why Stopmouth was so head-over-heels in love with her. To the point that he begs her and begs her and begs for good graces, her attention, her love.
October 30, 2024
A fantastic blending of fantasy and sci-fi, with action and intrigue, and just enough horror that it may ruin your appetite. The Inferior explores and challenges the concepts of humanity, morality, intelligence, and edibility. Led by the over-looked underdog Stopmouth, who suffers from a speech impediment and an even worse sibling, love-to-hate-them villains, morally ambiguous love interests, and a world filled with horrifying--and hungry--creatures, this book goes a mile a minute from start to end. You'll walk away pondering what it truly means to be human, if the difference between "civilized" and "savage" is simply a matter of perspective, and if you have what it takes to survive on the Bone World.
April 24, 2023
I first read this book about 12 years ago and was impressed by the freshness of its theme and style. The story obviously had sequels but they were just not available, so it was only recently that I saw they were now so. I reread this first volume in preparation for reading the sequels and enjoyed it as much this second time around. Its originality has lost some impact due to books and films that came after - The Hunger Games & The Truman Show for example, but its horribly violent world of kill or be killed and obsession with 'the flesh' even to the point of cannibalism retains a horrible fascination.
It would make a cracking, though gory, TV series.
It would make a cracking, though gory, TV series.
July 17, 2019
A well done alternate world
A world set in a manufactured universe where sentient species are set on each other as each is the only source of food. I kept wondering when they would pause in their hunting of each other to pause and reflect and try to communicate. Only with an outsider does the status quo start to change. I didn’t realize that this was a YA book until I read some of the reviews.
A world set in a manufactured universe where sentient species are set on each other as each is the only source of food. I kept wondering when they would pause in their hunting of each other to pause and reflect and try to communicate. Only with an outsider does the status quo start to change. I didn’t realize that this was a YA book until I read some of the reviews.
January 6, 2021
If I could, it would get a 4.5. I had to read this in tablet version, which for some reason can't normally hold my attention in the same way, and I couldn't put it down. It is definitely not for the faint of heart, and the squeamish, but those are the parts that make it perfect. I think Rockface was my favorite, and I couldn't quit imagining him as this huge, good natured Russian for some reason, LOL! I will definitely be picking up the next book this weekend!
February 14, 2021
This is my second series by Peadar, I have previously read the Grey Land series and absolutely loved The Call. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Inferior. It was well-paced and I found myself not wanting to put it down as I had to know what happened next. The world-building was intriguing and left me with a few questions. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy to see how everything unfolds.
July 14, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book which I finished in about two days. I liked the main character, Stopmouth, and how he develops during the book. I liked also how the book explored the theme of savagery, what it means to be a savage versus what it means to be civilised.
I’m not sure yet if I will read the rest of the books in the series.
I’m not sure yet if I will read the rest of the books in the series.
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