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The Nightbound Land #2
Night's Engines
The conclusion of the Night-Bound Land duology. The Roil has not yet been defeated - and the Roil extends its grip on Shale, following the commands of the Dreaming Cities. Wars will be fought. Doomsday weapons employed. And night will fall.File Fantasy [ The World Engines | Darkness Prevails | A Land In Shadow | Final Chance ]e-book 978-0-85766-188-3
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
165 people want to read
About the author
Trent Jamieson
49 books212 followersTrent Jamieson is a science fiction and fantasy writer.
Trent works as a teacher, a bookseller, and a writer, and has taught at Clarion South.
Trent works as a teacher, a bookseller, and a writer, and has taught at Clarion South.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 3, 2012
Oh, very satisfying. The writing is beautiful, haunting, the world many-layered, and the ending is excellent.
It's not necessary to have read "Roil", though I would recommend it. In fact I have deducted that star because I would have liked to see this in a Jonathan-Strange-like single volume.
Still, "Night's Engines" opens with a concise summary disguised as a history lesson ("We snatch at our histories like the tattered storm-wrenched rags they are") which handily reminds us of the state of the main players, David and Margaret (yes, I will forever think of this book while watching "David and Margaret At The Movies").
Within the opening chapters we're treated again to a cruel specialty of this series - powerful vignettes that hold hope out to us, only to slap our hands away, laughing.
Over and over, we become emotionally invested in the plight of strangers, only for Jamieson to destroy them in inventive ways. Some examples, if I can do it without spoilers?
"...[the man] swayed before him, a Verger's perfect balance keeping him there as his body negotiated its position with death."
or
"On his belly, dying, all he could see were [his killer's] shoes - scuffed old boots coated in ash - and his blood gliding towards them, as the Roil glided over Shale."
As the Roil continues its irresistible march, we wonder if, Nevil Chute-like, Jamieson will continue to crush his characters one by one and leave us in despair, or if there is to be a reprieve.
Go, read, find out!
Let me add that despite dividing this single story into two volumes, causing me unnecessary personal suffering, Angry Robot is to be commended, not just for publishing the duology in the first place, but for the recommendations one finds at the beginning and end of Night's Engines, including books such as "Boneshaker" which it doesn't even publish. Gestures like including Trent's Orbit titles show the good-natured championing of the genre and consideration for the reader being put ahead of profit. More power to AR.
It's not necessary to have read "Roil", though I would recommend it. In fact I have deducted that star because I would have liked to see this in a Jonathan-Strange-like single volume.
Still, "Night's Engines" opens with a concise summary disguised as a history lesson ("We snatch at our histories like the tattered storm-wrenched rags they are") which handily reminds us of the state of the main players, David and Margaret (yes, I will forever think of this book while watching "David and Margaret At The Movies").
Within the opening chapters we're treated again to a cruel specialty of this series - powerful vignettes that hold hope out to us, only to slap our hands away, laughing.
Over and over, we become emotionally invested in the plight of strangers, only for Jamieson to destroy them in inventive ways. Some examples, if I can do it without spoilers?
"...[the man] swayed before him, a Verger's perfect balance keeping him there as his body negotiated its position with death."
or
"On his belly, dying, all he could see were [his killer's] shoes - scuffed old boots coated in ash - and his blood gliding towards them, as the Roil glided over Shale."
As the Roil continues its irresistible march, we wonder if, Nevil Chute-like, Jamieson will continue to crush his characters one by one and leave us in despair, or if there is to be a reprieve.
Go, read, find out!
Let me add that despite dividing this single story into two volumes, causing me unnecessary personal suffering, Angry Robot is to be commended, not just for publishing the duology in the first place, but for the recommendations one finds at the beginning and end of Night's Engines, including books such as "Boneshaker" which it doesn't even publish. Gestures like including Trent's Orbit titles show the good-natured championing of the genre and consideration for the reader being put ahead of profit. More power to AR.
December 10, 2014
4 Stars
A good conclusion to a really fun duology. This steampunk fantasy contains many great parts. The world building is unique and very cool. The Roil and monsters within are interesting and original. Our heroes are easy to identify with.
The world itself and the steampunk weaponry is what makes this series special. The evil Roil is dark, black, and hot. Fire is it's strength. The people of the world must live in the cold and use ice weaponry to fight off these foes. From guns and swords to missiles and bombs, all utilizing ice as its munition.
I loved the writing style and the fast pace of these two books. My only real criticism with this book was that I felt the ending to be a bit anticlimactic. The whole series builds up to the engagement of the World Engine. I just wanted much more.
This is an original steampunk fantasy that is easy to give my highest recommendations as it is a cool blast...
A good conclusion to a really fun duology. This steampunk fantasy contains many great parts. The world building is unique and very cool. The Roil and monsters within are interesting and original. Our heroes are easy to identify with.
The world itself and the steampunk weaponry is what makes this series special. The evil Roil is dark, black, and hot. Fire is it's strength. The people of the world must live in the cold and use ice weaponry to fight off these foes. From guns and swords to missiles and bombs, all utilizing ice as its munition.
I loved the writing style and the fast pace of these two books. My only real criticism with this book was that I felt the ending to be a bit anticlimactic. The whole series builds up to the engagement of the World Engine. I just wanted much more.
This is an original steampunk fantasy that is easy to give my highest recommendations as it is a cool blast...
May 24, 2012
This is the second book in the Nightbound Land duology. I got an eGallery of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. This is a wildly creative and dark series and this book did a good job of continuing and concluding the events that began in book one.
David and Margaret are in the city of Hardacre and need to journey North to the Great Engine if they are going to have any hope of stopping the Roil from consuming the whole world. David is trying to fight off the infection that Cadell gave him that is turning David into an Old Man, as well as deal with his Carnivale drug habit. Margaret remains addicted to her weapons and will stop at nothing to get David to the Great Engine.
This book is set in an incredibly creative world. Basically you have the Roil, a seething mass of bad things that likes heat and is taking over the world, and you have the humans that fight the Roil (equipped with cold technology weapons). Thrown into all this you have the Old Men, creatures of huge appetite that are incredibly ancient and may (or may not) have the good of humanity in mind.
David and Margaret are more likable as characters in this book than they were in the first book. Sure David is still an addict; but he also fights a constant struggle with being taken over by the Old Man (Cadell) who dwells within him. Margaret is still trigger happy and paranoid, but she is also incredibly loyal to David...or maybe more to the quest of defeating the Roil.
There are other characters sprinkled throughout the story, but the story goes through so many different viewpoints that we never get to know these characters very well. This book isn’t really about characterization, it’s more about a creative world and an eternal struggle against an ever growing enemy.
The book focuses on Margaret and David’s journey, but many parts of the book are from different points of view as well. These different points of view help to show you how different parts of the world are suffering, but they also make the story loose focus a lot of the time. When all was said and done, I failed to see how all these extra bits really contributed to the whole.
Each chapter started with a quote from somewhere, the quote kind of sets the tone for the coming chapters and gives a bit of history.
I had more trouble reading this book than I did the first one. All the viewpoints made the story too scattered. Too much time was spent with David’s constant battle with the Old Man inside of him. Not enough time was spent on fights with the Roil. I was really hoping to learn more about some of the giant Leviathan-like creatures in the Roil and more about the Roil itself, that really wasn’t the focus of this book. The conclusion was also fairly predictable and I wished that there had been some more engaging twists and turns.
The book wraps up well and remains true to the kind of hopeless feel that this whole world has to it.
Overall this is a decent conclusion to this duology. I had some problems with the scattered points of view, while it shows the broader scope of the Roil, it also scattered the story. The story moves slower than the first book and was fairly predictable; the characters are so-so. The thing that is really awesome about this book is the world that is created here; I really wish this book would have focused more on what the Roil was and the creatures in it. I recommend this to fantasy fans who love creative world-building and are interested in a steampunk flavor to their fantasy.
David and Margaret are in the city of Hardacre and need to journey North to the Great Engine if they are going to have any hope of stopping the Roil from consuming the whole world. David is trying to fight off the infection that Cadell gave him that is turning David into an Old Man, as well as deal with his Carnivale drug habit. Margaret remains addicted to her weapons and will stop at nothing to get David to the Great Engine.
This book is set in an incredibly creative world. Basically you have the Roil, a seething mass of bad things that likes heat and is taking over the world, and you have the humans that fight the Roil (equipped with cold technology weapons). Thrown into all this you have the Old Men, creatures of huge appetite that are incredibly ancient and may (or may not) have the good of humanity in mind.
David and Margaret are more likable as characters in this book than they were in the first book. Sure David is still an addict; but he also fights a constant struggle with being taken over by the Old Man (Cadell) who dwells within him. Margaret is still trigger happy and paranoid, but she is also incredibly loyal to David...or maybe more to the quest of defeating the Roil.
There are other characters sprinkled throughout the story, but the story goes through so many different viewpoints that we never get to know these characters very well. This book isn’t really about characterization, it’s more about a creative world and an eternal struggle against an ever growing enemy.
The book focuses on Margaret and David’s journey, but many parts of the book are from different points of view as well. These different points of view help to show you how different parts of the world are suffering, but they also make the story loose focus a lot of the time. When all was said and done, I failed to see how all these extra bits really contributed to the whole.
Each chapter started with a quote from somewhere, the quote kind of sets the tone for the coming chapters and gives a bit of history.
I had more trouble reading this book than I did the first one. All the viewpoints made the story too scattered. Too much time was spent with David’s constant battle with the Old Man inside of him. Not enough time was spent on fights with the Roil. I was really hoping to learn more about some of the giant Leviathan-like creatures in the Roil and more about the Roil itself, that really wasn’t the focus of this book. The conclusion was also fairly predictable and I wished that there had been some more engaging twists and turns.
The book wraps up well and remains true to the kind of hopeless feel that this whole world has to it.
Overall this is a decent conclusion to this duology. I had some problems with the scattered points of view, while it shows the broader scope of the Roil, it also scattered the story. The story moves slower than the first book and was fairly predictable; the characters are so-so. The thing that is really awesome about this book is the world that is created here; I really wish this book would have focused more on what the Roil was and the creatures in it. I recommend this to fantasy fans who love creative world-building and are interested in a steampunk flavor to their fantasy.
June 21, 2012
When I started to read Night’s Engines, I thought there was no way that Trent Jamieson could wring more sorrow out of me. I was wrong. And as terrible as that sounds, I’m really happy about it.
Jamieson has a way of keeping a steady, continuous mood, that though only ranges in the varying degrees of misery is never tiring. I can never get enough of it. Apparently, I’m a reading masochist and Jamieson knows just how I like it.
Night’s Engines was a fitting end to this duology. I couldn’t have asked for more. It very easily placed itself amongst my favorite books ever. It’s that damn good. And I’m sad that it’s over. This is definitely going to be the case of a series to re-read.
For the full review, please visit: http://jmblackmanwriting.wordpress.co...
Jamieson has a way of keeping a steady, continuous mood, that though only ranges in the varying degrees of misery is never tiring. I can never get enough of it. Apparently, I’m a reading masochist and Jamieson knows just how I like it.
Night’s Engines was a fitting end to this duology. I couldn’t have asked for more. It very easily placed itself amongst my favorite books ever. It’s that damn good. And I’m sad that it’s over. This is definitely going to be the case of a series to re-read.
For the full review, please visit: http://jmblackmanwriting.wordpress.co...
September 13, 2012
The Roil is winning the war and as city after city falls to it, it is becoming difficult to find somewhere to be safe. David is becoming more Cadell and losing himself, the only thing that keeps Cadell out is the drug Carnival but David needs to become Cadell if he is to save the world. Margaret, David and Kara are racing against time and not only is the Roil out to stop them but the Old Men are on their tail. Can they save Shale or is it already to late?
Jamieson's world building skills are truly epic. The characters are flawed, scarred humans who you can embrace while the plot is fast paced and full of action. Three and a half stars.
Jamieson's world building skills are truly epic. The characters are flawed, scarred humans who you can embrace while the plot is fast paced and full of action. Three and a half stars.
July 20, 2012
Full Review to come later...
You know that moment when you finish a book and feel like you should buy 100 copies just to support the author some more? Yeah, this book is definitely one of those. Yes, I felt the same way about Roil and the Deathworks series however it is due to the pure talent of Trent Jamieson.
You know that moment when you finish a book and feel like you should buy 100 copies just to support the author some more? Yeah, this book is definitely one of those. Yes, I felt the same way about Roil and the Deathworks series however it is due to the pure talent of Trent Jamieson.
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December 8, 2015Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
July 8, 2012
The sequel to Roil. This book was much more coherent (though the copy-editing was just as spotty). The Kick-Ass girls were even more kickass (and there were more of them!) A satisfying conclusion, though I'm not sure who the guy on the cover was supposed to be.
June 19, 2012
Currently reading Night's Engines - really enjoying it.
February 24, 2013
Fantastic world building. Loved that David is such a flawed and real hero. Underlying ideas of how humankind's 'progress' affects the earth and what catastrophes that can bring.
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August 26, 2012DNF. Not a good book for me. I love the topic, but struggled too much with the writing style.
June 12, 2012
Highly enjoyable followup to Roil.
More to come once I get my review written up.
More to come once I get my review written up.
April 29, 2017
I love this universe. I hope the author comes back to it some day.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews