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Tunnels #5
Špirála hrôzy v Podzemí
Dobrodružstvo Willa Burrowsa pokračuje! Styxovia sa znovu vynorili z Podzemia na Povrch. Pokiaľ ste si mysleli, že likvidátori boli odporní, zabudnite na to. Tentoraz so sebou totiž vzali aj svoje ženy. Jediné, čo im stojí v ceste je Will Burrows a jeho priatelia. Krútiaca sa špirála chaosu sa roztáča a nie všetci prežijú. Ak sa domnievate, že na Povrchu ste v bezpečí, radšej sa znovu zamyslite!
307 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
95 people are currently reading
3448 people want to read
About the author
Roderick Gordon
26 books649 followersRoderick Gordon is the author of the Tunnels series of books. Born in 1960, he grew up in Highgate, North London, and eventually went to University College where he dabbled in genetics and listened to Joy Division. After graduating without the faintest idea what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, he spent some time in the wilderness when he played in a few bands, then somehow fell into a job doing corporate finance for an investment bank in the City of London. He genuinely thought this was all that the future held for him until he was made redundant in 2001.
But Roderick surprised himself by working on a book with help from an old university friend and, in 2005, he self-published it as The Highfield Mole, which caught the attention of Barry Cunningham, founder of Chicken House, a publisher of children’s books. Following a period of editing, Barry republished it as Tunnels in July 2007. After intense media interest around its launch, Tunnels was published in almost forty countries and was a New York Times Bestseller, achieving sales of more than a million copies worldwide. Shortly after publication the film rights were purchased by US-based Relativity Media, and Mikael Håfström has been appointed as director. Roderick followed Tunnels with further books in the series, Deeper, Freefall, Closer, Spiral and, finally, Terminal in 2013.
He has just released a new book called Summerhouse Land in a very limited run of hardbacks. Please see www.summerhouseland.com for more details.
But Roderick surprised himself by working on a book with help from an old university friend and, in 2005, he self-published it as The Highfield Mole, which caught the attention of Barry Cunningham, founder of Chicken House, a publisher of children’s books. Following a period of editing, Barry republished it as Tunnels in July 2007. After intense media interest around its launch, Tunnels was published in almost forty countries and was a New York Times Bestseller, achieving sales of more than a million copies worldwide. Shortly after publication the film rights were purchased by US-based Relativity Media, and Mikael Håfström has been appointed as director. Roderick followed Tunnels with further books in the series, Deeper, Freefall, Closer, Spiral and, finally, Terminal in 2013.
He has just released a new book called Summerhouse Land in a very limited run of hardbacks. Please see www.summerhouseland.com for more details.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
January 25, 2016
Okay, dibandingkan empat buku pendahulunya, saya merasa kalau buku kelima ini jauh lebih terstruktur, sejak awal sudah jelas tujuan dari keseluruhan cerita dan buku bercerita mengenai proses dari tujuan itu sendiri. Berbeda sekali dengan keempat buku sebelumnya dimana pembaca dibawa jauh ke dalam petualangan tanpa batas dalam keadaan mata tertutup, tidak tahu apa yang akan menanti di ujung perjalanan.
Yang saya sukai dari buku ini, adalah finally ... buku ini lebih banyak bercerita tentang keadaan di atas permukaan daripada di bawah tanah.
Kritik saya ada di bagian antiklimaks, yang terkesan dry. Masalahnya sepanjang buku menggadang-gadang terjadinya klimaks yang wah, yang untungnya benar2 terjadi, walaupun menurut sy klimaksnya ini agak terlalu cepat selesai. Tetapi bagian antiklimaks setelahnya? Ugh ... hate it. Alasannya karena si antiklimaks ini seolah terkesan berdiri sendiri, terpisah dari klimaks cerita. Justru baru pada epilog sy mendapat bagian yang seharusnya.
Terus ... di bagian menuju klimaks, somehow perjalanan ke dalam bumi yang ditulis sepanjang tiga buku bisa dirangkum dalam beberapa bab aja, kesannya kayak di-fast forward.
Soal premis cerita, ga seperti buku-buku sebelumnya, inti dari cerita di buku ini simpel aja, nggak rumit dan mudah dicerna. Walaupun yah ... sy kurang suka.
Buku ini sebenernya ditulis dengan detail yang baik, terutama dari segi world building ... it's just not my cup of tea. But, since sy udah baca smp sejauh ini yaa pastinya bakalan tetap baca buku terakhirnya dong.
My concern warning buat pembaca pertama seri ini, in these books ... people die. Your lovely characters die along the whole series. Just don't get too attached. You've been warned.
Yang saya sukai dari buku ini, adalah finally ... buku ini lebih banyak bercerita tentang keadaan di atas permukaan daripada di bawah tanah.
Kritik saya ada di bagian antiklimaks, yang terkesan dry. Masalahnya sepanjang buku menggadang-gadang terjadinya klimaks yang wah, yang untungnya benar2 terjadi, walaupun menurut sy klimaksnya ini agak terlalu cepat selesai. Tetapi bagian antiklimaks setelahnya? Ugh ... hate it. Alasannya karena si antiklimaks ini seolah terkesan berdiri sendiri, terpisah dari klimaks cerita. Justru baru pada epilog sy mendapat bagian yang seharusnya.
Terus ... di bagian menuju klimaks, somehow perjalanan ke dalam bumi yang ditulis sepanjang tiga buku bisa dirangkum dalam beberapa bab aja, kesannya kayak di-fast forward.
Soal premis cerita, ga seperti buku-buku sebelumnya, inti dari cerita di buku ini simpel aja, nggak rumit dan mudah dicerna. Walaupun yah ... sy kurang suka.
Buku ini sebenernya ditulis dengan detail yang baik, terutama dari segi world building ... it's just not my cup of tea. But, since sy udah baca smp sejauh ini yaa pastinya bakalan tetap baca buku terakhirnya dong.
My concern warning buat pembaca pertama seri ini, in these books ... people die. Your lovely characters die along the whole series. Just don't get too attached. You've been warned.
October 28, 2011
"Spiral" was amasing! Much like it's predecessor, the first two questions that came into my mind as I finished it were Oh no!(obviously) Did Danforth survive? (forgive me if he died and I missed that part, because I read it too fast like I sometimes do) and, Is Drake really dead? (because as we all know from "Deeper", he has a habit of heroically coming back into the story when we least expect it and saving the day!) The styx women plot was very coooooooooooooooooooool, because it was wacky and unexpected-just like me!! I neeeeeeed the next one to satisfy my need to find out how it ends!Summary: one gold star for Mr.Gordon and Mr. Williams, that was one of the best books I've ever read (and being a book worm, that must count for something!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2012
Spiral is an interesting book. I read the other books in the series before this one, and I can say I’m a bit disappointed. It takes place in present day England and is very fantastical. In the previous books of this series u learn about all kinds of weird stuff beneath the surface of the earth, but this one takes place mainly above the surface.
The book begins where the 4th left off. In an estate in the English countryside, Preparing to battle the enemy. Simple enough right? Wrong then the author added all kinds of trouble that was a little too out of this world.
The main characters consist of Will, the protagonist. Chester, his weird friend. And a girl who’s parents were half human half bad people (styx). AND of course their grouchy mentor who shoots people.
Not far into the book the styx find the gang at their little estate. Conflict soon ensues. But it turns out that these styx are good styx and want to help. Adding to the confusion. Enter the bad styx, who are using their female styx to hatch baby monster larva inside human beings. The ultimate goal here is to create monsters who can annihilate every living being on the planet. (by the way those monsters are see through and look like they’re made of glass). Then our adventurers find themselves trying to burn these things with the help of retired British soldiers, on the streets of London. Safe to say this plot is crazy, too crazy for my taste.
The other books in the series were certainly not within the realm of possibility. But you could at least follow the story logically, and understand the story. However the books got more and more fantastical as they went on. And this book just feels like the author is trying to top his last crazy story. It had no value.
Overall I was dissatisfied with the book (if you couldn’t tell already). It was too long, too crazy, and too confusing. And, to make it all worse, the author is writing another one!
The book begins where the 4th left off. In an estate in the English countryside, Preparing to battle the enemy. Simple enough right? Wrong then the author added all kinds of trouble that was a little too out of this world.
The main characters consist of Will, the protagonist. Chester, his weird friend. And a girl who’s parents were half human half bad people (styx). AND of course their grouchy mentor who shoots people.
Not far into the book the styx find the gang at their little estate. Conflict soon ensues. But it turns out that these styx are good styx and want to help. Adding to the confusion. Enter the bad styx, who are using their female styx to hatch baby monster larva inside human beings. The ultimate goal here is to create monsters who can annihilate every living being on the planet. (by the way those monsters are see through and look like they’re made of glass). Then our adventurers find themselves trying to burn these things with the help of retired British soldiers, on the streets of London. Safe to say this plot is crazy, too crazy for my taste.
The other books in the series were certainly not within the realm of possibility. But you could at least follow the story logically, and understand the story. However the books got more and more fantastical as they went on. And this book just feels like the author is trying to top his last crazy story. It had no value.
Overall I was dissatisfied with the book (if you couldn’t tell already). It was too long, too crazy, and too confusing. And, to make it all worse, the author is writing another one!
February 15, 2025
Przez większość książki byłam znudzona i zawiedziona, dopiero pod koniec poczułam znowu tą magię. Nie do końca wiem, co myśleć o tym, jak rozwija się historia Styksów... Nie wiem, czy mi sie to podoba, czy jednak jest przekombinowane. Mam ogromne oczekiwania co do finału, ale nie mogę pozbyć sie myśli, że jako trylogia to by się lepiej sprawdziło i te tomy są jednak trochę za bardzo przeciągnięte i za długie.
October 15, 2015
The Styx have taken over England. The rest of the world have turned their backs. England's only hope, a group of war veterans and a few teenagers. And if things weren't dire enough, the Styx have something far more sinister hidden up their sleeves (err, or somewhere else, cough).
I've decided to label Spiral the war book. The series has taken a wide turn. It's far from the story about a young boy who followed his father into ground. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable, because it was. Will and Chester, though very different people now, are finally back together, as it should be. But they're no longer in charge of themselves like they were below the surface.
The book built itself up to a climactic 24th chapter which was by far the most intense, possibly of the whole series. Shocking and heartbreaking, my eyes were bulging out of their sockets. In a way, I had been waiting for it. Without fail, every book in this series has delivered something so jaw dropping that I knew Spiral would be no different.
★★★☆ stars.
I've decided to label Spiral the war book. The series has taken a wide turn. It's far from the story about a young boy who followed his father into ground. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable, because it was. Will and Chester, though very different people now, are finally back together, as it should be. But they're no longer in charge of themselves like they were below the surface.
The book built itself up to a climactic 24th chapter which was by far the most intense, possibly of the whole series. Shocking and heartbreaking, my eyes were bulging out of their sockets. In a way, I had been waiting for it. Without fail, every book in this series has delivered something so jaw dropping that I knew Spiral would be no different.
★★★☆ stars.
November 11, 2011
yet again, the author captivates us with more shocking revelations on the Styx and the of course, Will and the gang. I didn't even realise that the series was categorised as children/intermediate fiction with all the gore and tragedy in it. The only sad part is that the book always ends with a mega cliffhanger, and I am dying for the next book! It is definitely a good read for anyone with a hunger for thrills.
January 17, 2015
4.5: I literally do not know how to react to these books anymore. Everything seems to just keep...spiraling* out of control.
*I seriously didn't intend to say that.
*I seriously didn't intend to say that.
August 27, 2012
2.5
*****SPOILERS*****
The second I picked this book up, I was wary about reading it. The series had already started to feel like it was just endlessly dragging on in "Closer", so I had hoped that this would be the last book in the series to wrap it all up. The last time I had read a book in the series was about a year and a half ago, but I can still clearly remember what these books were supposed to be about. And "Spiral" did not include any of it. This book was sooo different than the others books in the series and not at all what I was expecting. If I had wanted a book with man-eating bugs and characters who were dying to save the whole world, I would have read something else. I expected this book to be crazy chalk-full of nonstop adventure, surprises and new developments. I wanted to learn more and uncover new things. But this book didn't have that. Not the sort of stuff I wanted. Sure you learn that the Styx are bugs, but that puts a whole different spin on the series. I honestly thought the authors could have come up with something much better and more exciting. The series leads you to think of great things, unimaginable and new things, then this book blows it all. Bug-humans seem oh-so typical. It's nothing new! I like to discover things in books. But there was nothing to feed my imagination which I always crave in books of this sort, when I think I know what I'm going for. The four books before this one had much more of a dystopic spin on them, and it suited them that way. And really whoever calls this an adventure book must have lost some marbles. What adventure is there? Adventure's are going to new places, discovering things, learning more, not knowing what to expect. Not planning every more, every attack, and knowing exactly where you are going to go and what you are going to do. This book was more like a mission. Some crazy characters and a couple new people follow plans to save the world. Now it's not the saving the world part that I have a problem with, it's how it was done. And what this book was turned into in the process. I just expected much more from the author. Something more unbelievable. AND to top it all off... THERE'S STILL ANOTHER BOOK TO COME! The series is really too long now and they need to just end it. Honestly, they can't fix what they've done. They ruined the direction this series was taking and from here it can only get worse.
I tried to keep an open mind and look for things I liked too. But even the characters got on my nerves. All the groveling and moaning and complaining. And the romance part was awful. It was a half attempt, in my opinion. If you're gonna add romance to a book, you can't do it halfway. It's like it was a side thought and maybe they should give it a try, then it's not working out so it kinda just fades away. It was really dumb. Maybe the last bit with Will and Elliot holds some promise for what will hopefully be the final book in the series. Stephanie must have been my favourite character. She was all girly and preppy and stupid seeming, yet she had another tougher, trickier side to her as well. Most of the other characters just annoyed me the whole time.
I still enjoyed the writing style and I liked the ending, how they were finally back underground again. The first half of the book (literally, the entire first half) was sooooo slow I wanted to put it down. Every excruitiating detail was clearly set out. Then the second half of the book sped by with little to no details at all, and that was the better, more interesting part of the book. So it really was a trainwreck.
The author obviously did not plan how this book was going to turn out. OBVIOUSLY! He even admits it in the back of the book, in the acknowledgments section. And you can tell as soon as it hits the part about the Styx!! The first four books lead you to think every single thing about the Styx is human, that they're just some extremely intense and more alert version or species of humans, such as homo sapiens are of the homo neanderthals. Then he goes and totally blows it by saying that they're bugs. Now, some authors would be able to do this in a way that builds up mystery and finally shocks with you uncomprehendable truth and awes you with its amazingness. But no. Not this guy. He managed to make it all choppy and cheesy. He had practically solidified all thoughts about who the Styx were, and then just as the series is about to end, he goes and turns over everything that the readers thought about them and starts all over. It just doesn't work. It feels so out of place and like it doesn't fit. There was nothing smooth about it. That's pretty much the reason I started hating on this book. Also the fact that for part of it they are in the Complex which is eerily similar to the Compound that Eli is trapped in by his dad in the book The Compound. And I really didn't like that book either. Plus since when is it like Will and Friends to be stuck in some place not moving and doing nothing for weeks? It's not!! Everything was just so changed and off about this book.
Despite all the bad talk and complaining, if I look at this book as an individual and forgot all my expectations and the previous four books, I can appreciate it and even like it, which explains my rating of 2.5. I did think it was all smart and the missions were cool to destroy the Styx's plans. The action was really good, even if I prefer adventure. I liked the different POVs and it was very clear what every character was thinking and feeling, which made it easier to understand the book and get into it to feel like you were living their lives. I enjoyed all the new characters, like Sweeney, Stephanie and Danforth. It was also neat how pretty much all the characters that were still alive after everything were back together again. There were so many of them though, I was used to having just the four or five of them, so that also changed the feeling of the book. I wish there had been more time spent underground in the very inner world, but the end of the book was pretty good. I did not like how Bartleby was killed, since he had been the main pet from the very beginning. And I liked to dislike Danforth's character, but it was predictable what he was doing and that he'd betray them. I liked the dark lighting stuff and all the experiments. I liked how Drake was still the same, even if he was the only one. I wish Elliot had been more herself, or even got put in the spotlight more. I think her character is important and plays a big role, so it should be focused on more often. The developments were interesting to follow and I really was curious to know what happened next, but don't get the impression that there was suspense, because there wasn't much of it. It was more for my amusement that I continued reading, not because I had to know what happened next. And of course because my rule is I finish what I start. So obviously I will have to read the next book, too.
I really don't understand now whether the Rebeccas are human or not. I know they're Styx too, but are they gonna be bug women? I didn't really understand if all the Styx women were bugs. Actually I just didn't understand at all who were bugs and who was human and what the Styx had to do with it. Are they a bunch of bugs called the Styx and they just look like humans? But if the Rebeccas are bugs, it's strange because we had their POV for so long and they sounded so much like humans and their thoughts were so normal... I don't understand how bugs can have human abilities. Even though it's fiction. Still. Not enough of it was planned and it wasn't explained well either. And the bugs eating the people and impregnating them... it was soooo wierd and gross and gory and disgusting. Also, on page 431, it becomes very unclear if Drake lives or dies. I will be FURIOUS if he was just killed off. Despite the fact that it's a book and the author can do anything he wants, you truly just cannot kill off one of the main, important characters.
Anyway, I was disappointed with this book and I can't even say I hope for it to improve in the next book, because 1) I wish there wasn't a next book and 2) I don't think it can get any better from here.
I liked some stuff but I had to totally change my perspective and thoughts on the series to get there. It makes reading the other books in the series completely pointless, just because of this one.
*****SPOILERS*****
The second I picked this book up, I was wary about reading it. The series had already started to feel like it was just endlessly dragging on in "Closer", so I had hoped that this would be the last book in the series to wrap it all up. The last time I had read a book in the series was about a year and a half ago, but I can still clearly remember what these books were supposed to be about. And "Spiral" did not include any of it. This book was sooo different than the others books in the series and not at all what I was expecting. If I had wanted a book with man-eating bugs and characters who were dying to save the whole world, I would have read something else. I expected this book to be crazy chalk-full of nonstop adventure, surprises and new developments. I wanted to learn more and uncover new things. But this book didn't have that. Not the sort of stuff I wanted. Sure you learn that the Styx are bugs, but that puts a whole different spin on the series. I honestly thought the authors could have come up with something much better and more exciting. The series leads you to think of great things, unimaginable and new things, then this book blows it all. Bug-humans seem oh-so typical. It's nothing new! I like to discover things in books. But there was nothing to feed my imagination which I always crave in books of this sort, when I think I know what I'm going for. The four books before this one had much more of a dystopic spin on them, and it suited them that way. And really whoever calls this an adventure book must have lost some marbles. What adventure is there? Adventure's are going to new places, discovering things, learning more, not knowing what to expect. Not planning every more, every attack, and knowing exactly where you are going to go and what you are going to do. This book was more like a mission. Some crazy characters and a couple new people follow plans to save the world. Now it's not the saving the world part that I have a problem with, it's how it was done. And what this book was turned into in the process. I just expected much more from the author. Something more unbelievable. AND to top it all off... THERE'S STILL ANOTHER BOOK TO COME! The series is really too long now and they need to just end it. Honestly, they can't fix what they've done. They ruined the direction this series was taking and from here it can only get worse.
I tried to keep an open mind and look for things I liked too. But even the characters got on my nerves. All the groveling and moaning and complaining. And the romance part was awful. It was a half attempt, in my opinion. If you're gonna add romance to a book, you can't do it halfway. It's like it was a side thought and maybe they should give it a try, then it's not working out so it kinda just fades away. It was really dumb. Maybe the last bit with Will and Elliot holds some promise for what will hopefully be the final book in the series. Stephanie must have been my favourite character. She was all girly and preppy and stupid seeming, yet she had another tougher, trickier side to her as well. Most of the other characters just annoyed me the whole time.
I still enjoyed the writing style and I liked the ending, how they were finally back underground again. The first half of the book (literally, the entire first half) was sooooo slow I wanted to put it down. Every excruitiating detail was clearly set out. Then the second half of the book sped by with little to no details at all, and that was the better, more interesting part of the book. So it really was a trainwreck.
The author obviously did not plan how this book was going to turn out. OBVIOUSLY! He even admits it in the back of the book, in the acknowledgments section. And you can tell as soon as it hits the part about the Styx!! The first four books lead you to think every single thing about the Styx is human, that they're just some extremely intense and more alert version or species of humans, such as homo sapiens are of the homo neanderthals. Then he goes and totally blows it by saying that they're bugs. Now, some authors would be able to do this in a way that builds up mystery and finally shocks with you uncomprehendable truth and awes you with its amazingness. But no. Not this guy. He managed to make it all choppy and cheesy. He had practically solidified all thoughts about who the Styx were, and then just as the series is about to end, he goes and turns over everything that the readers thought about them and starts all over. It just doesn't work. It feels so out of place and like it doesn't fit. There was nothing smooth about it. That's pretty much the reason I started hating on this book. Also the fact that for part of it they are in the Complex which is eerily similar to the Compound that Eli is trapped in by his dad in the book The Compound. And I really didn't like that book either. Plus since when is it like Will and Friends to be stuck in some place not moving and doing nothing for weeks? It's not!! Everything was just so changed and off about this book.
Despite all the bad talk and complaining, if I look at this book as an individual and forgot all my expectations and the previous four books, I can appreciate it and even like it, which explains my rating of 2.5. I did think it was all smart and the missions were cool to destroy the Styx's plans. The action was really good, even if I prefer adventure. I liked the different POVs and it was very clear what every character was thinking and feeling, which made it easier to understand the book and get into it to feel like you were living their lives. I enjoyed all the new characters, like Sweeney, Stephanie and Danforth. It was also neat how pretty much all the characters that were still alive after everything were back together again. There were so many of them though, I was used to having just the four or five of them, so that also changed the feeling of the book. I wish there had been more time spent underground in the very inner world, but the end of the book was pretty good. I did not like how Bartleby was killed, since he had been the main pet from the very beginning. And I liked to dislike Danforth's character, but it was predictable what he was doing and that he'd betray them. I liked the dark lighting stuff and all the experiments. I liked how Drake was still the same, even if he was the only one. I wish Elliot had been more herself, or even got put in the spotlight more. I think her character is important and plays a big role, so it should be focused on more often. The developments were interesting to follow and I really was curious to know what happened next, but don't get the impression that there was suspense, because there wasn't much of it. It was more for my amusement that I continued reading, not because I had to know what happened next. And of course because my rule is I finish what I start. So obviously I will have to read the next book, too.
I really don't understand now whether the Rebeccas are human or not. I know they're Styx too, but are they gonna be bug women? I didn't really understand if all the Styx women were bugs. Actually I just didn't understand at all who were bugs and who was human and what the Styx had to do with it. Are they a bunch of bugs called the Styx and they just look like humans? But if the Rebeccas are bugs, it's strange because we had their POV for so long and they sounded so much like humans and their thoughts were so normal... I don't understand how bugs can have human abilities. Even though it's fiction. Still. Not enough of it was planned and it wasn't explained well either. And the bugs eating the people and impregnating them... it was soooo wierd and gross and gory and disgusting. Also, on page 431, it becomes very unclear if Drake lives or dies. I will be FURIOUS if he was just killed off. Despite the fact that it's a book and the author can do anything he wants, you truly just cannot kill off one of the main, important characters.
Anyway, I was disappointed with this book and I can't even say I hope for it to improve in the next book, because 1) I wish there wasn't a next book and 2) I don't think it can get any better from here.
I liked some stuff but I had to totally change my perspective and thoughts on the series to get there. It makes reading the other books in the series completely pointless, just because of this one.
November 3, 2013
I will admit that it has been over a year since I finished the Tunnels series. I do like to re-read books to look for things that I missed the first time around, but I won't be re-reading this one.
It sucked. I'll just admit it. The series couldn't have been ended worse. The only reason I remember the book was because it's just that disappointing. I should have seen the more than disappointing ending from a mile away but by some miracle I saw the book through to the end.
Tunnels, the first book, was okay. I still wouldn't recommend it, but if you are alright with reading just the first book and sitting with no resolution, then it wouldn't be a bad idea.
Among a thousand other flaws in the book that I could point out, there is one that stands out above all the others. Now, I know there is probably an official term for this, but I like to call it "bomb dropping" when an author puts something in the book that has no foreshadowing or hints or events leading up to it whatsoever. But this book doesn't just bomb you. It F'ING NUKES YOU.
I don't like predictable endings at all and I'm not saying that the book should have been predictable. Now, what I was expecting of the Styx was some kind of genetic engineering that they did to themselves to make them more superior to their fellow humans and more separate. That, in my opinion, would still have been pushing it a little, but that was the boundary I was expecting. But to suddenly say that the Styx aren't human at all but some kind of strange, ancient, DNA-stealing insect like creatures was ripping apart what the other books had lead me to predict. This threw out the entire focus of the other four books, which were about Will and his friends trying to stop the Styx from creating a disease that would wipe out the humans in the surface world. Obviously, Gordon had gotten sick of the plague idea and wanted to through insects in instead.
So, another thing I didn't like. Will and Elliot are trapped together in the center of the earth in the end, the only two people down there. Now, this might have been some kind of connection to Adam and Eve in Eden as this was mentioned throughout the series a few times, but it didn't sit very well with me. Because Spiral had seemed to stray as far away from religion as possible, I didn't expect the author to suddenly bring it back, if that is what he was even intending by ending the book in such a manor.
Another thing I feel I should comment on: The sentence structure that I saw throughout the book. This wasn't common, there were some parts that were well written, but there were large sections of the book that were so poorly written that I thought perhaps my six year old brother could have done better.
One last thing. The relationship between Will and his mother in the end of the book. It is made plain that they had grown apart from their separate experiences and no longer felt like mother and son. Though some might have liked this sick little twist, I felt that it set a bad example. There is really no theme (moral, lesson, whatever you prefer to call it) to this book series or if there was any it wasn't important enough to the plot for me to notice it.
Oh, one last thing I want to point out. Chester becoming reclusive after the death of his parents. The author essentially killed off his character and again set a bad example. Again, this book appears to carry no theme, or if it does I didn't see it or its a negative one.
This pile of dog crap was a waste of my time and money. You might get higher quality entertainment by watching paint dry or grass grow.
***Okay, I wrote this a day ago. Between now and yesterday, I learned about the release of the sixth book. Oops! But I still agree with everything I said, and even if the implementation of the whole insect/larva/warrior species wasn't the conclusion, then it derailed the series. If you can't tell, I won't be reading book six. But after ripping on a book this hard, I should compliment it just a little
It was unique. Very unique. The idea of biological warfare by immunizing a section of the human race to kill off the rest was a new one to me and I have to say, when it was part of the book, it was highly enjoyable.
Another unique aspect: the implementation of the Hollow Earth Theory. It's a very obscure theory that was studied several hundred years ago and eventually disproved. The name says it all. I've never seen this in a book either and I have to say, this was one the reasons why I clung to the series for so long hoping that it would eventually get better.
But I am terribly sorry, I have to complain just a tiny, tiny bit more. The violence stuck with me. It felt like there was an extreme emphasis on it through the story. I've only felt nauseous a few times while reading a book and this was one of those times. If you like that, great, then maybe this book won't be all that bad for you in some aspects, but if you are considering for a young reader like a grandson, avoid this entire series.
Thank you for your time. I hope I helped if you were considering the Tunnels series and I am sorry for my earlier mistake.***
It sucked. I'll just admit it. The series couldn't have been ended worse. The only reason I remember the book was because it's just that disappointing. I should have seen the more than disappointing ending from a mile away but by some miracle I saw the book through to the end.
Tunnels, the first book, was okay. I still wouldn't recommend it, but if you are alright with reading just the first book and sitting with no resolution, then it wouldn't be a bad idea.
Among a thousand other flaws in the book that I could point out, there is one that stands out above all the others. Now, I know there is probably an official term for this, but I like to call it "bomb dropping" when an author puts something in the book that has no foreshadowing or hints or events leading up to it whatsoever. But this book doesn't just bomb you. It F'ING NUKES YOU.
I don't like predictable endings at all and I'm not saying that the book should have been predictable. Now, what I was expecting of the Styx was some kind of genetic engineering that they did to themselves to make them more superior to their fellow humans and more separate. That, in my opinion, would still have been pushing it a little, but that was the boundary I was expecting. But to suddenly say that the Styx aren't human at all but some kind of strange, ancient, DNA-stealing insect like creatures was ripping apart what the other books had lead me to predict. This threw out the entire focus of the other four books, which were about Will and his friends trying to stop the Styx from creating a disease that would wipe out the humans in the surface world. Obviously, Gordon had gotten sick of the plague idea and wanted to through insects in instead.
So, another thing I didn't like. Will and Elliot are trapped together in the center of the earth in the end, the only two people down there. Now, this might have been some kind of connection to Adam and Eve in Eden as this was mentioned throughout the series a few times, but it didn't sit very well with me. Because Spiral had seemed to stray as far away from religion as possible, I didn't expect the author to suddenly bring it back, if that is what he was even intending by ending the book in such a manor.
Another thing I feel I should comment on: The sentence structure that I saw throughout the book. This wasn't common, there were some parts that were well written, but there were large sections of the book that were so poorly written that I thought perhaps my six year old brother could have done better.
One last thing. The relationship between Will and his mother in the end of the book. It is made plain that they had grown apart from their separate experiences and no longer felt like mother and son. Though some might have liked this sick little twist, I felt that it set a bad example. There is really no theme (moral, lesson, whatever you prefer to call it) to this book series or if there was any it wasn't important enough to the plot for me to notice it.
Oh, one last thing I want to point out. Chester becoming reclusive after the death of his parents. The author essentially killed off his character and again set a bad example. Again, this book appears to carry no theme, or if it does I didn't see it or its a negative one.
This pile of dog crap was a waste of my time and money. You might get higher quality entertainment by watching paint dry or grass grow.
***Okay, I wrote this a day ago. Between now and yesterday, I learned about the release of the sixth book. Oops! But I still agree with everything I said, and even if the implementation of the whole insect/larva/warrior species wasn't the conclusion, then it derailed the series. If you can't tell, I won't be reading book six. But after ripping on a book this hard, I should compliment it just a little
It was unique. Very unique. The idea of biological warfare by immunizing a section of the human race to kill off the rest was a new one to me and I have to say, when it was part of the book, it was highly enjoyable.
Another unique aspect: the implementation of the Hollow Earth Theory. It's a very obscure theory that was studied several hundred years ago and eventually disproved. The name says it all. I've never seen this in a book either and I have to say, this was one the reasons why I clung to the series for so long hoping that it would eventually get better.
But I am terribly sorry, I have to complain just a tiny, tiny bit more. The violence stuck with me. It felt like there was an extreme emphasis on it through the story. I've only felt nauseous a few times while reading a book and this was one of those times. If you like that, great, then maybe this book won't be all that bad for you in some aspects, but if you are considering for a young reader like a grandson, avoid this entire series.
Thank you for your time. I hope I helped if you were considering the Tunnels series and I am sorry for my earlier mistake.***
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2012
Well. It has been a while since I have read the previous four books, (Tunnels, Deeper, Freefall, and Closer) so I had to do a refresher course via the internet. After that fix in my memory relapse, I continued on to read Spiral. Let me just say, I was amazed. Spiral mixes in new elements into a story that I never saw coming. However, I was close to tears when Bartleby died!! Oh...!! That made me so stinking mad! The worst part though was when Roderick Gordon gave a detailed description of teh larae eating the corpses. GROSS!!
I am starting to feel more sypathetic toward Rebecca 2. Her sister is so mean, but she seems nicer and more compassionate towards us humans.
OH MY HECK!!!!! I JUST FORGOT THE WORST PART IN THE ENTIRE FREAKING NOVEL!!!! DRAKE DIES!!!!!!!!!! NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! HE WAS LIKE MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CHARACTER!!! He was awesome, with all his cool gadgets and kick butt fighting. (He's also pretty hot). AND HE DIES!!!!!!!!! I HATE YOU REBECCA 1!!!!! YOU ARE THE FLIPPIN REASON FOR DRAKE'S DEATH!!! CURSES!!!!!!
Okay. I'll calm back down now. Colly is going to have kittens!! Bart's kittens! I'm so happy!!
As you can see, I'm a little bit torn up over this book. I'll just conclude by saying... HOME RUN!! I am really excited to see what twists Roderick puts in the 6th book!
I am starting to feel more sypathetic toward Rebecca 2. Her sister is so mean, but she seems nicer and more compassionate towards us humans.
OH MY HECK!!!!! I JUST FORGOT THE WORST PART IN THE ENTIRE FREAKING NOVEL!!!! DRAKE DIES!!!!!!!!!! NNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! HE WAS LIKE MY ALL TIME FAVORITE CHARACTER!!! He was awesome, with all his cool gadgets and kick butt fighting. (He's also pretty hot). AND HE DIES!!!!!!!!! I HATE YOU REBECCA 1!!!!! YOU ARE THE FLIPPIN REASON FOR DRAKE'S DEATH!!! CURSES!!!!!!
Okay. I'll calm back down now. Colly is going to have kittens!! Bart's kittens! I'm so happy!!
As you can see, I'm a little bit torn up over this book. I'll just conclude by saying... HOME RUN!! I am really excited to see what twists Roderick puts in the 6th book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2016
SZOK
W poprzednich częściach robiło się już poważnie, ale tutaj… to po prostu niesamowite.
Rozmach autorów totalnie mnie zaskoczył, natłok akcji, ZWROTÓW akcji to najmocniejszy punkt tej serii.
Widać OGROMNY postęp w historii bohaterów od pierwszej części, nigdy nie domyśliłbym się, ze pójdzie to w tym kierunku.
Nie jest to arcydzieło literatury w pojęciu ogólnym, ale to napewno jeden z najlepszych przedstawicieli swojego gatunku (lit. młodzieżowa).
W poprzednich częściach robiło się już poważnie, ale tutaj… to po prostu niesamowite.
Rozmach autorów totalnie mnie zaskoczył, natłok akcji, ZWROTÓW akcji to najmocniejszy punkt tej serii.
Widać OGROMNY postęp w historii bohaterów od pierwszej części, nigdy nie domyśliłbym się, ze pójdzie to w tym kierunku.
Nie jest to arcydzieło literatury w pojęciu ogólnym, ale to napewno jeden z najlepszych przedstawicieli swojego gatunku (lit. młodzieżowa).
January 11, 2021
Wow! Tolik rozuzlení a dalších uzlů! Hodně super série.
March 14, 2024
It would have been 4 stars if they didn't kill Bartleby and that poor hungry dog, AND THE KITTENS
You're lucky it's not 2 stars. I'm feeling generous, and it was very action-packed
You're lucky it's not 2 stars. I'm feeling generous, and it was very action-packed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2014
Another episode in the Tunnels series comes to a close, and it's still really very intense despite all expectations and to a certain degree, the laws of reality.
It's so very far and deep (in many ways) in to the story that there's little I can say about it that would not be a spoiler. For the first time I've given one of this series a 4/5, rather than a 5/5, and that's because I think it's jumping the shark slightly on the plausible suspension of disbelief. Taking the explanations for real historical events a tad too far away from the point at which you frown and say, really? That said, it's well written, it doesn't get dull for a second and is pretty intense at points. The end was very sudden and some what of a calamity, the next and final book should certainly be interesting. God alone knows how they're going to get out of the mess they're in.
It's so very far and deep (in many ways) in to the story that there's little I can say about it that would not be a spoiler. For the first time I've given one of this series a 4/5, rather than a 5/5, and that's because I think it's jumping the shark slightly on the plausible suspension of disbelief. Taking the explanations for real historical events a tad too far away from the point at which you frown and say, really? That said, it's well written, it doesn't get dull for a second and is pretty intense at points. The end was very sudden and some what of a calamity, the next and final book should certainly be interesting. God alone knows how they're going to get out of the mess they're in.
November 30, 2011
I liked this book but it seemed like there were holes. The were months of the timeline just jumped over and I found that really irritating after the amount of detail thrown into the first 4 books in the series. The book was a good deal shorter pagewise so perhaps it was written in a hurry. There were also lots of editing mistakes that hadn't existed in the previous books either.
However, this book was still a fun read. Completely terrifying but fun. And by terrifying I mean creepy horror movie, Alien birth scene, gorey mutilation type stuff. I don't know what the hell's wrong with Scholastic/Chicken House in thinking this is even remotely appropriate for a 10 year old. Now I have to wait till next fall to see how this seriously screwy series finally ends.
However, this book was still a fun read. Completely terrifying but fun. And by terrifying I mean creepy horror movie, Alien birth scene, gorey mutilation type stuff. I don't know what the hell's wrong with Scholastic/Chicken House in thinking this is even remotely appropriate for a 10 year old. Now I have to wait till next fall to see how this seriously screwy series finally ends.
November 23, 2013
I liked the first 3 books(Tunnels, Deeper, Freefall) because there was exploration and they were discovering new things. It was exciting to see what was coming next and their was something of a mystery in them. There was even some of this i Closer, though I didn't like that one quite as much. But Spiral had none of that. And the revelation about the Styx was awful. There were NO hints whatsoever in any of the other books, and it completely changed the focus of the series. And Gorden has no qualms about killing of characters you love and that are very important. Don't even try to like any of the characters, because chances are they will die. It just...wasn't fun to read, and I barely finished it.
March 26, 2016
Did not finish. Maybe its been too long since I read the rest of the series, but I couldn't get into this book even though I had been eagerly anticipating it. Once again, a good series is ruined. Sometimes I think far too many authors are trying to emulate the success of a JK Rowling or similar author when the truth is they just don't have the capability to write a multi-book series and do it well.
Also, this book reads much more like a young adult book than a children's book. Not a huge deal...Harry Potter skews a little bit darker and older as the series progresses, I just wasn't expecting it and wanted to put that out there for anyone considering this book for a younger reader.
Also, this book reads much more like a young adult book than a children's book. Not a huge deal...Harry Potter skews a little bit darker and older as the series progresses, I just wasn't expecting it and wanted to put that out there for anyone considering this book for a younger reader.
December 31, 2016
Isinya seram, walau tidak orisinil idenya.
Ada peletakan telur dalam tubuh manusia (ide sentral 3 film: Alien, Aliens, Aliens Resurrection), memakan tubuh manusia (mirip-mirip zombie), dan kanibalisme (memakan spesies yg sama). Dan cerita pun ditutup dengan ledakan nuklir.
Ada peletakan telur dalam tubuh manusia (ide sentral 3 film: Alien, Aliens, Aliens Resurrection), memakan tubuh manusia (mirip-mirip zombie), dan kanibalisme (memakan spesies yg sama). Dan cerita pun ditutup dengan ledakan nuklir.
July 27, 2024
At this point I just need to finish the series. It’s kind of a slog - the adventure is exciting and I think I’d read this one before and maybe even the last one, but there are literal errors in this book. The pacing is all over the place. I just want to remember how it ends…
August 19, 2012
one more book one more book I am ready for this series to end
October 23, 2017
I can't believe I didn't do a review for Spiral and giving it 5 stars hahah.. Still I do think Spiral is the best one out of the six books in the series
October 30, 2011
I ordered this one from England beause I wanted it so bad! it was truly amazing!
December 24, 2024
An abrupt left-turn for the Tunnels series, as the virus plot gets resolved and the author needs to come up with a new threat to keep the stakes high until the conclusion of the story. The introduction of the phase, and the armagi, is very gruesome and allows the Rebecca twins to be overshadowed by a new pair of villains, mature styx women (should that be styx females?) Hermione and Vane.
It was a surprising choice to reveal that the origins of the styx are non-human and even non-mammalian, although there had been some vague hints in that general direction earlier in the series.
Clearly Gordon is a fan of John Carpenter and other horror legends, because the thing-like grisly details of the armagi and the styx's origins took the series in a much more alien direction with a hearty share of body-horror. These sensational details felt a bit cheap, however, and dragged down the tone of the novel into b-movie territory.
We are introduced to a new female character on the human side, Stephanie, who breaks up the love triangle between Will, Chester, and Eliot, predictably, but she has some good character growth and turns out likeable despite her initial snootiness.
Will and Chester unfortunately take a backseat to all the adults in the story, which is only logical as a consequence of the way the story has developed, with lots of special ops and military involvement. Their characters seem to have gone nowhere, and they might as well be clones of one another, save that Will has just a hint of intellectual curiosity that Chester apparently lacks. I wasn't the most academically inclined teenager, but I find them to be a bit on the slow side - as if Ron Weasley was the main character of Harry Potter.
I'm rapidly approaching the end of the series, listening to Terminal on audiobook, and I can't help feeling the end will be an anti-climax. The first few books started strongly, but began to lose the plot when the boys got stuck in the colony as I recall. Now the colony is the most redundant and time-wasting part of the books. In this novel the scenes with the first officer went nowhere, and appears to be heading nowhere even in the final book. I think they exist purely for the sake of contrast, and to pad out the length.
I can somewhat understand how the series fell off so hard - a mixture of scope creep (with the hollow earth/new Germania stuff) and the stifling lack of development of the colony/styx relationship. Ultimately it would have benefited from a tighter conclusion a few books earlier, and probably killing off Drake so that he didn't come to rescue the boys from every opportunity to use their own initiative.
It was a surprising choice to reveal that the origins of the styx are non-human and even non-mammalian, although there had been some vague hints in that general direction earlier in the series.
Clearly Gordon is a fan of John Carpenter and other horror legends, because the thing-like grisly details of the armagi and the styx's origins took the series in a much more alien direction with a hearty share of body-horror. These sensational details felt a bit cheap, however, and dragged down the tone of the novel into b-movie territory.
We are introduced to a new female character on the human side, Stephanie, who breaks up the love triangle between Will, Chester, and Eliot, predictably, but she has some good character growth and turns out likeable despite her initial snootiness.
Will and Chester unfortunately take a backseat to all the adults in the story, which is only logical as a consequence of the way the story has developed, with lots of special ops and military involvement. Their characters seem to have gone nowhere, and they might as well be clones of one another, save that Will has just a hint of intellectual curiosity that Chester apparently lacks. I wasn't the most academically inclined teenager, but I find them to be a bit on the slow side - as if Ron Weasley was the main character of Harry Potter.
I'm rapidly approaching the end of the series, listening to Terminal on audiobook, and I can't help feeling the end will be an anti-climax. The first few books started strongly, but began to lose the plot when the boys got stuck in the colony as I recall. Now the colony is the most redundant and time-wasting part of the books. In this novel the scenes with the first officer went nowhere, and appears to be heading nowhere even in the final book. I think they exist purely for the sake of contrast, and to pad out the length.
I can somewhat understand how the series fell off so hard - a mixture of scope creep (with the hollow earth/new Germania stuff) and the stifling lack of development of the colony/styx relationship. Ultimately it would have benefited from a tighter conclusion a few books earlier, and probably killing off Drake so that he didn't come to rescue the boys from every opportunity to use their own initiative.
March 23, 2025
Co powiecie na emocjonującą podróż przez podziemne światy pełne niɛbezpiɛczɛństw i tajemnic❓️😏 Na taką właśnie wycieczkę zabierają czytelników Roderick Gordon i Brian Williams w piątym tomie młodzieżowej serii "Tunele". 📚 Niech nie zwiedzie Was jednak grupa docelowa cyklu 🙂↔️ - autorzy udowadniają tu bowiem, że literatura dla młodszych odbiorców wcale nie musi stronić od mrơcznƴch i niɛpokojącƴch obrazów. Tu nie ma miejsca na kompromisy❗️🙅♀️
"Spirala" kontynuuje historię Willa i jego towarzyszy, jednocześnie znacząco podnosząc poprzeczkę i wprowadzając nas w jeszcze bardziej złơwrơgi i bɛzwzględnƴ świat. 😲 Zagrożɛniɛ ze strony Styksów, tajemniczej rasy zamieszkującej podziemne królestwa, staje się niewyobrażalne - kơnflikt sięga zenitu, a rozpoczęcie walki o przetrwanie ludzkości zbliża się z każdą chwilą. 😱 Gordon i Williams odsłaniają kolejne warstwy wykreowanego przez siebie uniwersum, ukazując Styksów w jeszcze bardziej przɛrażającɛj odsłonie. 🫣 Szczególne wrażenie robią kobiety reprezentujące tę rasę, ale nie mam zamiaru niczego więcej Wam tu zdradzać. 🤫 Musicie sami poznać tę mrożącą krɛw w żyłach historię! Powiem tylko tyle - rzeczywistość, jaką zastajemy w piątej odsłonie serii, nie daje taryfy ulgowej ani nie zostawia miejsca na sentymentalne rozwiązania 🙅♀️ - nie szczędzi bowiem ani swoich bohaterów, ani czytelników. Mówiąc krótko - świat "Tuneli" jest bɛzlitơsnƴ, a śmiɛřć ☠️ czai się za każdym zakrętem. Atmosfera jest cały czas napięta, ơkruciɛństwơ i m@k@bra dybią na nas z niemalże każdej kartki, 😳 a wzbudzające autentyczny niɛpơkój opisy mocno działają na wyobraźnię i długo pozostają w pamięci.
"Tunele. Spirala" to porywająca lektura, która wciąga w swój mrơcznƴ świat i w pełnej krasie ukazuje potworne złơ zagrażające ludzkości. 🫨 Jest to przedostatnia część serii, a zdążyło się w niej zadziać już tyle, że aż boję się pomyśleć, co autorzy zaserwują nam w finałowym tomie. 😱 Ale oczywiście na rozwiązanie tej fascynującej opowieści czekam z ogromną niecierpliwością. A Wam gorąco polecam "Tunele". Czytajcie❗️☺️
"Spirala" kontynuuje historię Willa i jego towarzyszy, jednocześnie znacząco podnosząc poprzeczkę i wprowadzając nas w jeszcze bardziej złơwrơgi i bɛzwzględnƴ świat. 😲 Zagrożɛniɛ ze strony Styksów, tajemniczej rasy zamieszkującej podziemne królestwa, staje się niewyobrażalne - kơnflikt sięga zenitu, a rozpoczęcie walki o przetrwanie ludzkości zbliża się z każdą chwilą. 😱 Gordon i Williams odsłaniają kolejne warstwy wykreowanego przez siebie uniwersum, ukazując Styksów w jeszcze bardziej przɛrażającɛj odsłonie. 🫣 Szczególne wrażenie robią kobiety reprezentujące tę rasę, ale nie mam zamiaru niczego więcej Wam tu zdradzać. 🤫 Musicie sami poznać tę mrożącą krɛw w żyłach historię! Powiem tylko tyle - rzeczywistość, jaką zastajemy w piątej odsłonie serii, nie daje taryfy ulgowej ani nie zostawia miejsca na sentymentalne rozwiązania 🙅♀️ - nie szczędzi bowiem ani swoich bohaterów, ani czytelników. Mówiąc krótko - świat "Tuneli" jest bɛzlitơsnƴ, a śmiɛřć ☠️ czai się za każdym zakrętem. Atmosfera jest cały czas napięta, ơkruciɛństwơ i m@k@bra dybią na nas z niemalże każdej kartki, 😳 a wzbudzające autentyczny niɛpơkój opisy mocno działają na wyobraźnię i długo pozostają w pamięci.
"Tunele. Spirala" to porywająca lektura, która wciąga w swój mrơcznƴ świat i w pełnej krasie ukazuje potworne złơ zagrażające ludzkości. 🫨 Jest to przedostatnia część serii, a zdążyło się w niej zadziać już tyle, że aż boję się pomyśleć, co autorzy zaserwują nam w finałowym tomie. 😱 Ale oczywiście na rozwiązanie tej fascynującej opowieści czekam z ogromną niecierpliwością. A Wam gorąco polecam "Tunele". Czytajcie❗️☺️
March 28, 2019
Wow. Just wow.
I kind of love how weird it gets. That's why I'm giving it 5/5 stars. To clarify, I definitely have issues with this book. Plotlines established in previous books get dropped willy-nilly (however the new, crazy, utterly surreal elements are TOTALLY worth it), it's miles more violent and intense than the previous books (which had their fair share of violence but, good Lord, there are literal swimming pools of blood in this), and a few things that are just not good, like how there was a dramatic reveal about a cat getting pregnant, (which I cold-heartedly laughed at. Sorry, cat.) but I find it so hard to hate this book. It's just so out there, and it's one of the most entertaining things I've read in a while. It's got bug people, cannibalistic abomination-babies, and MURDER!!!
I'll admit, it's been a while since I've read this book, but it's one of the most scarring things I had read up until that point, and it was what got me into horror in the first place, so it's mostly stayed with me. I intend to reread the series soon. I still haven't read Terminal.
Obviously, it's not for everyone, but if you like dark, strange books, and you can deal with the fact that there are a lot of dumb things, I highly recommend.
I kind of love how weird it gets. That's why I'm giving it 5/5 stars. To clarify, I definitely have issues with this book. Plotlines established in previous books get dropped willy-nilly (however the new, crazy, utterly surreal elements are TOTALLY worth it), it's miles more violent and intense than the previous books (which had their fair share of violence but, good Lord, there are literal swimming pools of blood in this), and a few things that are just not good, like how there was a dramatic reveal about a cat getting pregnant, (which I cold-heartedly laughed at. Sorry, cat.) but I find it so hard to hate this book. It's just so out there, and it's one of the most entertaining things I've read in a while. It's got bug people, cannibalistic abomination-babies, and MURDER!!!
I'll admit, it's been a while since I've read this book, but it's one of the most scarring things I had read up until that point, and it was what got me into horror in the first place, so it's mostly stayed with me. I intend to reread the series soon. I still haven't read Terminal.
Obviously, it's not for everyone, but if you like dark, strange books, and you can deal with the fact that there are a lot of dumb things, I highly recommend.
August 13, 2020
I really liked this book. It had less fighting than the others but also very disturbing graphic details on the phase, where Styx women turn into something horrible and lay eggs in hosts. The descriptions were horrendous, kudos to the authors for writing terrifying representations of a strange, unique act. This installment in the series had the group relaxing a bit and strategizing, learning more about each other.....planning in Parry's house. Chester's parents, Stephanie and her grandfather, Elliot, Drake, Celia and many more are putting their heads together to deal with the Styx once and for all. The Styx must be stopped. They must not be allowed to spread and take over topsoil so the group has their work cut out for them.
Underground the Colonists have been taken one by one until almost no one is left. It becomes left to the second officer to try to save what's left of his home and gather people together against the Styx. People who once followed the Styx are changing their minds (if they haven't been darklit) and standing against them. The Rebecca's seem to think they have the upper hand and everything's under control.
A lot of action, information and excitement wrapped up in one book....great read.
Underground the Colonists have been taken one by one until almost no one is left. It becomes left to the second officer to try to save what's left of his home and gather people together against the Styx. People who once followed the Styx are changing their minds (if they haven't been darklit) and standing against them. The Rebecca's seem to think they have the upper hand and everything's under control.
A lot of action, information and excitement wrapped up in one book....great read.
April 24, 2025
Jeszcze więcej akcji? Jest ✅
Coraz bardziej skomplikowane relacje między bohaterami? Są ✅
Fabuła zmierzająca w absolutnie niespodziewanym kierunku? Tak ✅
Nowe, mrożące krew w żyłach fakty o podziemnym świecie? No cóż, nie da się zaprzeczyć... ✅
"Spirala" po raz kolejny przenosi nas w głąb ziemi (ale nie tylko - tym razem duża część akcji toczy się również na powierzchni). W tym tomie wykreowany przez autorów świat zostaje mocno rozwinięty, nawet pomimo tego, że niektóre sekrety powinny pozostać pod ziemią na zawsze... W dodatku intrygi i podłe plany Styksów sprawiają, że włos jeży się na głowie...
Piąta część serii zdecydowanie wskoczyła na kolejny poziom brutalności - i nie mówię tu tylko o tym, jak często bohaterowie muszą walczyć o życie, ani o łamiących serce stratach ulubionych postaci. Bo Wy jeszcze nie wiecie, w jaki sposób Styksowie powiększają swoją armię...
Przygotujcie się na to, że ta książka zapewni Wam nieprzespane noce (nie tylko przez to, że nie będziecie mogli się od niej oderwać, ale też dlatego, że prawdopodobnie będą Was dręczyć koszmary...).
Poza tymi mrożącymi krew w żyłach elementami, "Spirala" to kolejny rozdział niesamowitych przygód Willa i jego przyjaciół (oraz wrogów). Wciągnie Was bez reszty, gwarantuję!
Coraz bardziej skomplikowane relacje między bohaterami? Są ✅
Fabuła zmierzająca w absolutnie niespodziewanym kierunku? Tak ✅
Nowe, mrożące krew w żyłach fakty o podziemnym świecie? No cóż, nie da się zaprzeczyć... ✅
"Spirala" po raz kolejny przenosi nas w głąb ziemi (ale nie tylko - tym razem duża część akcji toczy się również na powierzchni). W tym tomie wykreowany przez autorów świat zostaje mocno rozwinięty, nawet pomimo tego, że niektóre sekrety powinny pozostać pod ziemią na zawsze... W dodatku intrygi i podłe plany Styksów sprawiają, że włos jeży się na głowie...
Piąta część serii zdecydowanie wskoczyła na kolejny poziom brutalności - i nie mówię tu tylko o tym, jak często bohaterowie muszą walczyć o życie, ani o łamiących serce stratach ulubionych postaci. Bo Wy jeszcze nie wiecie, w jaki sposób Styksowie powiększają swoją armię...
Przygotujcie się na to, że ta książka zapewni Wam nieprzespane noce (nie tylko przez to, że nie będziecie mogli się od niej oderwać, ale też dlatego, że prawdopodobnie będą Was dręczyć koszmary...).
Poza tymi mrożącymi krew w żyłach elementami, "Spirala" to kolejny rozdział niesamowitych przygód Willa i jego przyjaciół (oraz wrogów). Wciągnie Was bez reszty, gwarantuję!
December 11, 2012
Aku tak menyangka akan mendapatkan buku ini. Terimakasih pada salah satu teman baikku, Maryana Ulfah yang telah menghadiahkan buku ini padaku :)
Awalnya aku senang sekali, apalagi seri buku ini digadang-gadangkan sebagai the next Harry Potter. Tapi… Kenapa hingga sekarang belum diadaptasi ke layar lebar ya? #ditimpukensiklopedia
Daripada berpanjang lebar, jadi aku singkat saja ya. Aku bakal membaginya dalam dua bagian, rasa asam dan rasa manis. Kita mulai dari yang nggak enak dulu.
Ide Spiral sendiri menurutku tidak spektakuler, tapi lumayan-lah. Menjanjikan sesuatu yang seru, tapi bila duo penulis itu tidak berhenti menulis secara bertele-tele, dan aku tidak bisa menyingkirkan prasangkaku bahwa hal itu dilakukan agar jumlah halamannya menggelembung banyak, maka aku tidak akan pernah mengucapkan WOW-ku untuk karya mereka.
Intinya sih, dari sekian banyak buku fantasy terbitan Mizan, buku ini bukan bukuku. Sayang sekali, padahal banyak sekali buku terjemahan terbitan Mizan yang sangat aku sukai bahkan banyak yang menjadi favoritku. Dan kalau boleh menyebutnya… Delirium, Lorien Legacies, Eon dan Kane Chroniles (terbitan Noura tapi ada “bendera Mizan Fantasy”-nya kan?) adalah buku-buku yang masuk jajaran favoritku.
Original post (contain spoiler): http://stew.blogdetik.com/2012/12/03/...
Awalnya aku senang sekali, apalagi seri buku ini digadang-gadangkan sebagai the next Harry Potter. Tapi… Kenapa hingga sekarang belum diadaptasi ke layar lebar ya? #ditimpukensiklopedia
Daripada berpanjang lebar, jadi aku singkat saja ya. Aku bakal membaginya dalam dua bagian, rasa asam dan rasa manis. Kita mulai dari yang nggak enak dulu.
Ide Spiral sendiri menurutku tidak spektakuler, tapi lumayan-lah. Menjanjikan sesuatu yang seru, tapi bila duo penulis itu tidak berhenti menulis secara bertele-tele, dan aku tidak bisa menyingkirkan prasangkaku bahwa hal itu dilakukan agar jumlah halamannya menggelembung banyak, maka aku tidak akan pernah mengucapkan WOW-ku untuk karya mereka.
Intinya sih, dari sekian banyak buku fantasy terbitan Mizan, buku ini bukan bukuku. Sayang sekali, padahal banyak sekali buku terjemahan terbitan Mizan yang sangat aku sukai bahkan banyak yang menjadi favoritku. Dan kalau boleh menyebutnya… Delirium, Lorien Legacies, Eon dan Kane Chroniles (terbitan Noura tapi ada “bendera Mizan Fantasy”-nya kan?) adalah buku-buku yang masuk jajaran favoritku.
Original post (contain spoiler): http://stew.blogdetik.com/2012/12/03/...
May 14, 2019
There are books which must be read only at a certain time to function as they're meant, and my time for this series is well past. It's unfortunate that the last two volumes weren't available when I read (and enjoyed, at the adventure-thrill degree they're meant for) the previous four, and that something made me postpone reading them when I did have the final volumes in my hands.
But there's no changing that, and both the series's style and its continuous story make reading this book now quite pointless. I remember no details from the previous, quite an inconvenient with the way the story is written, and the current setting and characters all fall very short of my interest.
From time to time, none recently, I had a small urge to re-read Tunnels because I recalled the extravagantly dark and humid atmosphere of the mysteries which lied under the blind tunnels, but at the level of Spiral—focused on terror-spreading politics and tactics—that is lost.
Terrible cover, by the way.
But there's no changing that, and both the series's style and its continuous story make reading this book now quite pointless. I remember no details from the previous, quite an inconvenient with the way the story is written, and the current setting and characters all fall very short of my interest.
From time to time, none recently, I had a small urge to re-read Tunnels because I recalled the extravagantly dark and humid atmosphere of the mysteries which lied under the blind tunnels, but at the level of Spiral—focused on terror-spreading politics and tactics—that is lost.
Terrible cover, by the way.
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