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Sand ##5
Sand Part 5: A Rap Upon Heaven's Gate
The wind is in our faces. Our voices are lost in the sand.
My people are buried. My loved ones are gone. If only you could hear our plight.
Listen: I am coming. You will hear me.
My people are buried. My loved ones are gone. If only you could hear our plight.
Listen: I am coming. You will hear me.
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 4, 2014
49 people are currently reading
498 people want to read
About the author
Hugh Howey
151 books57.6k followersI'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 7, 2014
Amazing! I loved this whole series...the end was perfect. Thank you Mr. Howey for another wonderful series.
September 20, 2015
Hugh Howey writes his stories in such a way that you either buy many little sections to make up the whole book or (you do what I do) you wait until the entire collection is possible in book format. There is nothing wrong with this, I merely find it difficult to review each individual section as, for me, the whole is worth more than the parts.
So, with that in mind, here is a review of the collective for you (so you can make a decision about whether Sand is right for you):
After reading the Wool Trilogy, Hugh Howey earned a spot in my favourite authors list. Wool is to this day my favourite dystopian series meaning I had very high hopes for Sand. Whilst I did thoroughly enjoy Sand it was not as great as Wool – although, I guess nothing could be that great.
Howey once again creates a unique dystopian world, this time in a land covered by sand (hello title). Much like Wool we were given the what and the how – although this story was condensed to be much shorter than the Wool series. Sadly, however we were not given the why. When the book ended I still had questions concerning the why of the world. With Wool we were given the answers in the second book, Shift, but this one leaves us with that question hanging in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the book. I just would have liked the answer to that. Still, with that in mind, such a thing was not possible in the story context. What we’re given is the myths of the world, as we’re seeing things in the way that the characters do.
Speaking of characters, Howey has once again created a world of loveable characters. Each character is unique in their own way, playing a vital role as the story unfolds. I will admit that I was attached to some characters more than others, but that was mainly due to being able to relate to them more than others. No characters were two dimensional, all had personalities and all played their part in the story, everyone growing over time.
There were a few predictable events, which was quite surprising considering how Wool was one shock after the other, yet despite this it was a fast paced engaging story. I was constantly telling myself I would read just one more chapter and before I knew it I’d read another fifty pages without even realising it.
All in all, it is another great story. If you’re a Hugh Howey fan I certainly recommend reading it. If you’re new to his wonderful worlds then it isn’t a bad place to start, although I would certainly point you towards Wool instead simply because I enjoyed it more.
So, with that in mind, here is a review of the collective for you (so you can make a decision about whether Sand is right for you):
After reading the Wool Trilogy, Hugh Howey earned a spot in my favourite authors list. Wool is to this day my favourite dystopian series meaning I had very high hopes for Sand. Whilst I did thoroughly enjoy Sand it was not as great as Wool – although, I guess nothing could be that great.
Howey once again creates a unique dystopian world, this time in a land covered by sand (hello title). Much like Wool we were given the what and the how – although this story was condensed to be much shorter than the Wool series. Sadly, however we were not given the why. When the book ended I still had questions concerning the why of the world. With Wool we were given the answers in the second book, Shift, but this one leaves us with that question hanging in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the book. I just would have liked the answer to that. Still, with that in mind, such a thing was not possible in the story context. What we’re given is the myths of the world, as we’re seeing things in the way that the characters do.
Speaking of characters, Howey has once again created a world of loveable characters. Each character is unique in their own way, playing a vital role as the story unfolds. I will admit that I was attached to some characters more than others, but that was mainly due to being able to relate to them more than others. No characters were two dimensional, all had personalities and all played their part in the story, everyone growing over time.
There were a few predictable events, which was quite surprising considering how Wool was one shock after the other, yet despite this it was a fast paced engaging story. I was constantly telling myself I would read just one more chapter and before I knew it I’d read another fifty pages without even realising it.
All in all, it is another great story. If you’re a Hugh Howey fan I certainly recommend reading it. If you’re new to his wonderful worlds then it isn’t a bad place to start, although I would certainly point you towards Wool instead simply because I enjoyed it more.
July 5, 2022
Cracking ending to the superb Sand chronicles, a brilliant post apocalyptic tale from Hugh Howey.
July 15, 2017
I'm a sucker for post apocalyptic worlds (especially ones in CO!), and sand diving is a great idea. That being said, the story fell off as the series went on and left a reasonably unsatisfactory ending in book 5. Hopefully there will be another batch of books to flesh it out.
July 3, 2018
Review available here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 9, 2015
I guess this is really more like a 3.5/5 than a 3. I really liked the action in the last installment of Sand - it was great to see the skills of the various family members and what each person brought to the situations that came up. I came to enjoy reading about every character individually, but had a soft spot for Vic. I doubt I'm alone in that, as Vic is probably the most interesting and complicated of the characters (apart from maybe Rose, who I would have liked to see more of).
The issue I have is that the story ended so abruptly. So much care was taken in the lead up to the action - the first 3 installments of the story were basically laying the groundwork - but then the actual story itself happened suddenly, in the last 50-100 pages. I kind of hate that readers were denied the chance to read about the events at the very end, as that would have made some really compelling reading.
Overall, I loved Howey's prose style and the world building; I just would have liked the story to stretch out a little further. I will definitely check out Wool, as I've heard great things about it.
The issue I have is that the story ended so abruptly. So much care was taken in the lead up to the action - the first 3 installments of the story were basically laying the groundwork - but then the actual story itself happened suddenly, in the last 50-100 pages. I kind of hate that readers were denied the chance to read about the events at the very end, as that would have made some really compelling reading.
Overall, I loved Howey's prose style and the world building; I just would have liked the story to stretch out a little further. I will definitely check out Wool, as I've heard great things about it.
January 8, 2014
So I waited for the 5th part to be released before I started the series. The wait was awful, but I knew if I had to wait to continue the series while reading it, it would have been torture. So I devoured the books in one day, ignoring my children - taking breaks only to get work done because, well, I had to. But enough about me - this book is real, heart wrenching, and yet somehow hopeful (maybe I'm an optimist) while being innovative and creative. Again Howey creates a new yet very familiar world, and characters we grow way to attached to (all while knowing the end made the author cry). My 10 year old wants to read it (because, if Mom won't watch Funniest Home Videos with me, that must be one awesome book) - but no, he's too young. You have to have a sense of the injustice in our own world to fully appreciate this one...
February 17, 2014
Its definitely not wool even if it is Post apocalyptic. its coming from a very different angle.
Sand for me is actually a lot darker than the Silo Trilogy which I felt always had a certain under current of hope . Sand is much bleaker and mostly shows humanity at its worst .
For all that its a damned good read and the main characters are accessible and likeable in different ways. Each of the siblings carries different qualities and are interesting for it.
The meetings between the main players are as interesting as the setting for this story.
Don’t read It because you want a Wool fix .
Read it because its a fantastic dark post apocalyptic book which stands by itself.
Well worth reading (although I think UK and related territories might have to wait a while ).
Loved it and look forward to what Hugh can come up with next.
Sand for me is actually a lot darker than the Silo Trilogy which I felt always had a certain under current of hope . Sand is much bleaker and mostly shows humanity at its worst .
For all that its a damned good read and the main characters are accessible and likeable in different ways. Each of the siblings carries different qualities and are interesting for it.
The meetings between the main players are as interesting as the setting for this story.
Don’t read It because you want a Wool fix .
Read it because its a fantastic dark post apocalyptic book which stands by itself.
Well worth reading (although I think UK and related territories might have to wait a while ).
Loved it and look forward to what Hugh can come up with next.
February 25, 2016
I'm so bummed right now. This book, like many others in this genre, had so much potential but the ending just fizzled for me. I admit that I got a little lost and bogged down in some of the details, but complicated plots usually make me love a book even more.
This part continued with the multiple perspectives and we got to know a few of them more, especially Vic. But we only got a little glimpse into them, still not enough to truly relate to them and fall in love with them. I still felt like I was reading a book about characters, not a story about real people. I wasn't invested. In fact, I became less and less invested with every page.
Because the action from the other parts had slowed very suddenly in the first half of this part. Then, just as suddenly, it ramped up to peak....and then ended. I felt kind of cheated. So much build up and so little payoff.
This part continued with the multiple perspectives and we got to know a few of them more, especially Vic. But we only got a little glimpse into them, still not enough to truly relate to them and fall in love with them. I still felt like I was reading a book about characters, not a story about real people. I wasn't invested. In fact, I became less and less invested with every page.
Because the action from the other parts had slowed very suddenly in the first half of this part. Then, just as suddenly, it ramped up to peak....and then ended. I felt kind of cheated. So much build up and so little payoff.
January 24, 2014
To read Howey is to step into another time & place. I manage to lose myself in these dystopian worlds he creates and my reentry into reality is always a bit jarring. I don't want to say much about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything, but I finished at 2am dying to know what happens to Vic, and instead of falling asleep, my mind started racing. I started thinking about the way people chase things they think they want instead of appreciating the things they have. I started thinking about family, and loyalty, and things like fear, loss, and pain. It's 12 hours later and here I am, still thinking about these things. I'm fine with the ending, but would definitely read more about these characters & this world if that is an option at some point.
January 7, 2015
So, I'm giving this last installment of the Sand Series a 4 Stars, because I really love the setting and cared about some of the characters. That being said, I would have wanted to give it a 3.5/5 because the story wasn't amazing. It didn't really go anywhere special, there just wasn't much to it. I was hoping for more 'underground' discoveries - more to Danvar than there was in the end. It just had SO much potential and ended up going pretty much nowhere. It's sad, because I really LOVED the Wool and Silo series and was expecting a lot out of this, but no. Again, 4 stars just because I love the 'concept'.. not the story. :(
February 17, 2015
I think that this story ended in the best way that it could have. The world Hugh Howey created was a great place to live for a few hours a day this past week, and while the ending was a bit predictable it satisfied the existing storylines and you felt about as knowledgable as you could given what the characters were likely to learn. There's a lot of open room to expand this world, and I hope that he builds up this world through other families and characters and that we learn more about what's happening out east and why the western portions of the country have been written off.
May 29, 2014
No doubt the fifth installment deserved 5 stars. Although Sand may link up to Wool at some other time, it is a standalone series and can be read as such. The last of this omnibus was the most powerful. We see more of their family dynamics which draw you straight in and play with your heartstrings. This one was jam packed with action and plot so get ready from the beginning. Makes me hope for more to this story, hopefully at least another 2 Howey? I can't recommend this author more. He has become one of my favorites! Would love to see his books made into many movies/mini series!
August 18, 2014
This is the last in a 5-novella series. It wasn't nearly as good as Howey's Wool series, I'm sad to say. I definitely felt gritty and wind-blown while reading it but couldn't get into the landscape, environment, characters, or story. I only kept reading because I'd loved this author's previous work. There were a few moments of great suspense and a bit of adventure but mostly not a special series.
March 10, 2017
Great conclusion to a fast paced and action packed dystopian fantasy of high calibre. Would have liked to know exactly why this world is the way it is in this book. I would have given the series an overall rating of 3 stars. But for a finale this deserves a 4 star rating on its own.
I hope it gets made into a movie or series someday. The books provide excellent material and I would definitely watch it.
I hope it gets made into a movie or series someday. The books provide excellent material and I would definitely watch it.
January 21, 2014
Excellent conclusion to the SAND tale. Great set of characters, beautifully written and in this piece, I felt compelled to turn every page (which alas I hadn't felt in part 4). Even though I expected the final ending, it was extremely satisfying and I felt the book was wrapped up nicely but with room for sequels.
October 1, 2016
SAND - A good foundation
Excellent story line revealing itself in each successive part. The struggle of survival and family dynamics was powerful. The development of each character was done skillfully and merged into interaction with each other. The author's descriptive prose allowed the imagination to flow like sand in an hourglass - spreading out as the words took on meaning.
Excellent story line revealing itself in each successive part. The struggle of survival and family dynamics was powerful. The development of each character was done skillfully and merged into interaction with each other. The author's descriptive prose allowed the imagination to flow like sand in an hourglass - spreading out as the words took on meaning.
January 25, 2014
Muy buena conclusión de la serie. YO, no me esperaba el final, la decisión de Vic, y me pareció muy poética la última parte.
Me gustó el rol de Conner, aquél mocoso cagazón del libro 2. En resumen, una muy buena serie, me gustó.
Me gustó el rol de Conner, aquél mocoso cagazón del libro 2. En resumen, una muy buena serie, me gustó.
March 14, 2014
Hugh Howey does it again! What a wonderful series! This dystopian world was like nothing I've read before. Truly original ideas that made me THIRSTY for more. Can't wait to see what he has in store for us next, keep them coming Mr. Howey!
December 21, 2014
Hugh Howey's writing always grips me until I finish the entire series, the world dropping away, and leaving me stuck in the world he's woven. Until I finish and then ponder when/if these things could happen.
January 7, 2016
Left me wanting more story
I liked the characters, became familiar with them. I wanted to know more about their story. What happened next? Did things go smoothly or was there additional adversity?
I liked the characters, became familiar with them. I wanted to know more about their story. What happened next? Did things go smoothly or was there additional adversity?
October 15, 2016
An interesting ending, full of possibilities! Quite a few questions remained unanswered that I would have liked to be answered, but I like the openness of the ending a lot better than in the Silo series. Great series, thank you! :)
January 9, 2014
Another great story. I don't know if he will continue this story like he did with the Wool narrative (I think I've seen him post on Facebook that he will not) but I think there's more to tell here.
January 17, 2014
Another amazing serial by Hugh Howey. If you haven't read Hugh.... You are aeriously missing out.
February 2, 2014
Loved it. Great wrapup of the series; as another reviewer said, I'd love to see more of what's going on in the rest of the world!
March 6, 2014
Nice ending to a good series. I just wished there were more on Vic, the father, the cannibals, and the rest of the world. Oh well, nice read from Hugh.
May 1, 2014
Excellent! Why does the story have to end yet?
March 15, 2014
Great series. Love the story, this chapter however, was just ok. The ending comes out of nowhere and doesn't answer much at all.
March 16, 2014
Loved this whole series. Gritty, with statements on humanity and amazing character development for short "chapters". Perfect ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews