What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heartland Trilogy #2
Blightborn
Cael McAvoy is on the run. He’s heading toward the Empyrean to rescue his sister, Merelda, and to find Gwennie before she’s lost to Cael forever. With his pals, Lane and Rigo, Cael journeys across the Heartland to catch a ride into the sky. But with Boyland and others after them, Cael and his friends won’t make it through unchanged.
Gwennie’s living the life of a Lottery winner, but it’s not what she expected. Separated from her family, Gwennie makes a bold move—one that catches the attention of the Empyrean and changes the course of an Empyrean man’s life.
The crew from Boxelder aren’t the only folks willing to sacrifice everything to see the Empyrean fall. The question is: Can the others be trusted?
They’d all better hurry. Because the Empyrean has plans that could ensure that the Heartland never fights back again.
Chuck Wendig’s riveting sequel to Under the Empyrean Sky plunges readers into an unsettling world of inequality and destruction, and fleshes out a cast of ragtag characters all fighting for survival and, ultimately, change.
Gwennie’s living the life of a Lottery winner, but it’s not what she expected. Separated from her family, Gwennie makes a bold move—one that catches the attention of the Empyrean and changes the course of an Empyrean man’s life.
The crew from Boxelder aren’t the only folks willing to sacrifice everything to see the Empyrean fall. The question is: Can the others be trusted?
They’d all better hurry. Because the Empyrean has plans that could ensure that the Heartland never fights back again.
Chuck Wendig’s riveting sequel to Under the Empyrean Sky plunges readers into an unsettling world of inequality and destruction, and fleshes out a cast of ragtag characters all fighting for survival and, ultimately, change.
518 pages, Paperback
First published July 29, 2014
105 people are currently reading
1179 people want to read
About the author
Chuck Wendig
183 books7,277 followersChuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
March 27, 2015
Cael, Lane, and Rigo head north through the Heartland, looking for the provisions depot, and stumble upon more than they bargain for in the form of a mysterious hobo and the Sleeping Dogs, raiders fighting against the Empyreans. Meanwhile, Gwennie has found that winning the Lottery isn't all it's cracked up to be and wants to escape the flotilla...
I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
Chuck Wendig is one of the few authors I've encountered that knows how to make the second book in a trilogy not suck. Blightborn takes what Chuck established in the first book and turns the knob up a few notches.
Blightborn picks up where Under the Empyrean Sky left off. Cael and his pals are on the run. Gwennie is on the flotilla and sees Cael's sister. Rigo's father, Wanda, and Boyland Barnes Jr. are part of a posse looking for Cael and his pals. Things quickly spiral out of control from there.
I don't want to give away too many of the nuts and bolts of the plot or reveal too much of what happened in the last book. I will say that all the threads of the plot advance quite a bit. The new characters of The Sleeping Dogs, the peregrine, Harrington, Eben, and the Maize Witch are all pretty compelling. Not one of the characters emerged unscathed. Who would have thought Cael's father was so interesting back in the day?
I really like what Wendig seems to be building toward in the Heartland Trilogy. The series reminds me of Black Feathers at some times and The Court of the Air at others, with its ecological themes and cities in the clouds. With the full scope of what the Empyrean is planning, I can't wait for the final book!
Four out of five stars. Get crackin' on the sequel, Chuck!
I got this from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
Chuck Wendig is one of the few authors I've encountered that knows how to make the second book in a trilogy not suck. Blightborn takes what Chuck established in the first book and turns the knob up a few notches.
Blightborn picks up where Under the Empyrean Sky left off. Cael and his pals are on the run. Gwennie is on the flotilla and sees Cael's sister. Rigo's father, Wanda, and Boyland Barnes Jr. are part of a posse looking for Cael and his pals. Things quickly spiral out of control from there.
I don't want to give away too many of the nuts and bolts of the plot or reveal too much of what happened in the last book. I will say that all the threads of the plot advance quite a bit. The new characters of The Sleeping Dogs, the peregrine, Harrington, Eben, and the Maize Witch are all pretty compelling. Not one of the characters emerged unscathed. Who would have thought Cael's father was so interesting back in the day?
I really like what Wendig seems to be building toward in the Heartland Trilogy. The series reminds me of Black Feathers at some times and The Court of the Air at others, with its ecological themes and cities in the clouds. With the full scope of what the Empyrean is planning, I can't wait for the final book!
Four out of five stars. Get crackin' on the sequel, Chuck!
October 1, 2020
*** 3.75 ***
Better than the first in my opinion 🙂. Still very sketchy with the characters, but the story is fascinating. I am interested to see where we go from here...
Better than the first in my opinion 🙂. Still very sketchy with the characters, but the story is fascinating. I am interested to see where we go from here...
July 25, 2019
YA SF has its ups and downs, that's for sure, but the better ones of the bunch always seem to rise to the top. This happens to be one. And I'm surprised, honestly, because whenever I think of Wendig, I think of the brutal pottymouth I've grown to love in his Black novels. :) YA? Wendig?
But yes, I really enjoyed the first in the trilogy. Especially the worldbuilding. The second steps it up a notch by taking us right into the clouds as well as the seedier elements down below, on the run or setting the stage for a revolution.
The point is, we've got sky gods and earth gods. And this kind of thing can be done very, very well, or very, very badly. Good news, folks! Wendig pulled is pulling it off by focusing entirely on the peeps. :)
I honestly appreciated getting the girl's perspectives in this one. Everything got rounded out a lot more from the first.
But I will also say this: I REALLY feel like these three novels might have been brilliant as one single tale. Huge, yes. Especially for a YA. But damn that would have been epic. :)
But yes, I really enjoyed the first in the trilogy. Especially the worldbuilding. The second steps it up a notch by taking us right into the clouds as well as the seedier elements down below, on the run or setting the stage for a revolution.
The point is, we've got sky gods and earth gods. And this kind of thing can be done very, very well, or very, very badly. Good news, folks! Wendig pulled is pulling it off by focusing entirely on the peeps. :)
I honestly appreciated getting the girl's perspectives in this one. Everything got rounded out a lot more from the first.
But I will also say this: I REALLY feel like these three novels might have been brilliant as one single tale. Huge, yes. Especially for a YA. But damn that would have been epic. :)
May 11, 2015
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/08/02/y...
I make it no secret that I’ve been in a bit of a YA slump lately. This year saw a few of my favorite YA series finishing their runs and I’ve been flitting around checking out more books to fill the void, and it’s been difficult finding anything that clicked with me. This has led to discouragement and no small amount of burnout, so I’m really glad for books like Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King and now Chuck Wendig’s Blighborn to come along and snap me out of my funk.
If you’ve read the first book of The Heartland Trilogy, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Under the Empyrean Sky was a real shaker-upper for me, making itself stand out from a lot of Young Adult dystopians novels by being surprisingly candid and authentic. The Heartland is a rough place that breeds rough folk, a place where killer corn, deadly Blights and piss-blizzards are an everyday reality. After several YA sequels have disappointed me earlier in the year for having plots that are unimaginative and contrived, Wendig’s refusal to sugarcoat or hold anything back is exactly what I needed. Blightborn was interesting and unpredictable, much like life in the Heartland.
The book picks up where the first one left off, with Cael, Rigo and Lane on the run, looking to find a way skyward to the Empyrean flotilla. Right on their heels are Boyland Barnes Jr., Rigo’s father, and Wanda, who all have their reasons to pursue the three friends. Boyland wants revenge, after believing Cael killed his father. Rigo’s father just wants his son back. And Wanda hopes to be reunited with Cael, her “Obligated”. However, Cael’s heart already belongs to Gwennie, who is living the life of a Lottery winner on the floating city of Ormond Stirling Saranyu and is realizing it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
As you can see, interwoven between the various plot threads are these intricate relationships between the characters which add a lot to the story, so I highly recommend grabbing the Under the Empyrean Sky before reading Blightborn to fully experience all the underlying nuances. Wendig continues to explore and develop these relationships, especially when it comes to the dynamics between Cael, Lane and Rigo. As their fight for survival intensifies, the three friends learn to trust each other. Over a number of intense and sometimes touching scenes, they discover new things and gain a deeper understanding of each other and themselves in the process.
Romance also isn’t a central focus of this series, but love and devotion certainly plays a part. It’s the motivation behind so much of what the characters do, after all, with Cael and Boyland both going after Gwennie, Wanda after Cael, etc. Usually, I have very little patience with stuff like love triangles – or God forbid, love squares – but I’ve come to appreciate the complicated emotions flying between all these characters and the fact that they never remain static. Cael and his friends do a lot of growing up, and with growth also comes a more mature way of looking at the world and others. Cael, for example, is much less self-absorbed in this book, learning to put himself in his friends’ shoes, and sometimes even in his enemy’s. While he and Boyland have always been at odds, Cael can still admit to himself that what the other boy feels for Gwennie could be genuine and respect that, which is a huge step for him as a character in my eyes.
Another thing I loved about this book is the expansion of the readers’ world into the skies. We’d heard over and over about the corruption and decadence of the Empyrean in the first book, and now we finally get to catch a glimpse of how the elite live. It was important to see the huge disparity between life on the flotilla and life down in the Heartland as it builds the story up quite a bit, setting up the stage for new players like the Sleeping Dogs rebels, who do their share of stirring things up both in the skies and on the ground. No dystopian novel is complete without an uprising, and the pressure that has been around since the first book finally boils over in Blightborn, culminating in a stunning climax, but not before Wendig takes us on a crazy wild ride to get to that point.
I highly recommend this series, especially if you’re a fan of Chuck Wendig. I’ve always loved his writing style and characters, and that hasn’t changed even with his venture into YA dystopian. Books like this one keep me excited about the genre!
I make it no secret that I’ve been in a bit of a YA slump lately. This year saw a few of my favorite YA series finishing their runs and I’ve been flitting around checking out more books to fill the void, and it’s been difficult finding anything that clicked with me. This has led to discouragement and no small amount of burnout, so I’m really glad for books like Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King and now Chuck Wendig’s Blighborn to come along and snap me out of my funk.
If you’ve read the first book of The Heartland Trilogy, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Under the Empyrean Sky was a real shaker-upper for me, making itself stand out from a lot of Young Adult dystopians novels by being surprisingly candid and authentic. The Heartland is a rough place that breeds rough folk, a place where killer corn, deadly Blights and piss-blizzards are an everyday reality. After several YA sequels have disappointed me earlier in the year for having plots that are unimaginative and contrived, Wendig’s refusal to sugarcoat or hold anything back is exactly what I needed. Blightborn was interesting and unpredictable, much like life in the Heartland.
The book picks up where the first one left off, with Cael, Rigo and Lane on the run, looking to find a way skyward to the Empyrean flotilla. Right on their heels are Boyland Barnes Jr., Rigo’s father, and Wanda, who all have their reasons to pursue the three friends. Boyland wants revenge, after believing Cael killed his father. Rigo’s father just wants his son back. And Wanda hopes to be reunited with Cael, her “Obligated”. However, Cael’s heart already belongs to Gwennie, who is living the life of a Lottery winner on the floating city of Ormond Stirling Saranyu and is realizing it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
As you can see, interwoven between the various plot threads are these intricate relationships between the characters which add a lot to the story, so I highly recommend grabbing the Under the Empyrean Sky before reading Blightborn to fully experience all the underlying nuances. Wendig continues to explore and develop these relationships, especially when it comes to the dynamics between Cael, Lane and Rigo. As their fight for survival intensifies, the three friends learn to trust each other. Over a number of intense and sometimes touching scenes, they discover new things and gain a deeper understanding of each other and themselves in the process.
Romance also isn’t a central focus of this series, but love and devotion certainly plays a part. It’s the motivation behind so much of what the characters do, after all, with Cael and Boyland both going after Gwennie, Wanda after Cael, etc. Usually, I have very little patience with stuff like love triangles – or God forbid, love squares – but I’ve come to appreciate the complicated emotions flying between all these characters and the fact that they never remain static. Cael and his friends do a lot of growing up, and with growth also comes a more mature way of looking at the world and others. Cael, for example, is much less self-absorbed in this book, learning to put himself in his friends’ shoes, and sometimes even in his enemy’s. While he and Boyland have always been at odds, Cael can still admit to himself that what the other boy feels for Gwennie could be genuine and respect that, which is a huge step for him as a character in my eyes.
Another thing I loved about this book is the expansion of the readers’ world into the skies. We’d heard over and over about the corruption and decadence of the Empyrean in the first book, and now we finally get to catch a glimpse of how the elite live. It was important to see the huge disparity between life on the flotilla and life down in the Heartland as it builds the story up quite a bit, setting up the stage for new players like the Sleeping Dogs rebels, who do their share of stirring things up both in the skies and on the ground. No dystopian novel is complete without an uprising, and the pressure that has been around since the first book finally boils over in Blightborn, culminating in a stunning climax, but not before Wendig takes us on a crazy wild ride to get to that point.
I highly recommend this series, especially if you’re a fan of Chuck Wendig. I’ve always loved his writing style and characters, and that hasn’t changed even with his venture into YA dystopian. Books like this one keep me excited about the genre!
October 3, 2023
I think this was a solid second book.
We're thrown right back into the story, but the action is now broken up between those on the flotilla and those on the ground hoping to rescue them. I still think the corn is completely bizarre, and in this book we get to take a closer look at the blight, though it is still not really explained. It's just so strange and more than a little horrifying. We learn that life on the flotilla is not all that it is cracked up to be (imagine that!) and that Cael's father has even more secrets up his sleeve. Cael and his cohorts end up teamed up with the rebel group, The Sleeping Dogs, on the ground, all while being pursued by Boyland and his new crew. Meanwhile Gwennie is roped into assisting the rebels in the air with a very reluctant Merelda in tow. The action comes to a head when the rebel group decides it's time for the flotilla to experience life in the Heartland and puts into action a plan to tear it from the sky.
There's a few new faces introduced, a lot of action, and even more creepy plant goodness. I really enjoyed it. I'm interested to see how this story concludes. On to the next one!
Oh, and I just want to add, I listened to the audio version of this book. I think the narrator did a fantastic job with this story (again!). I have limited experience with audio books, though, so I'm not sure how much weight my opinion carries on the matter, but there it is :)
We're thrown right back into the story, but the action is now broken up between those on the flotilla and those on the ground hoping to rescue them. I still think the corn is completely bizarre, and in this book we get to take a closer look at the blight, though it is still not really explained. It's just so strange and more than a little horrifying. We learn that life on the flotilla is not all that it is cracked up to be (imagine that!) and that Cael's father has even more secrets up his sleeve. Cael and his cohorts end up teamed up with the rebel group, The Sleeping Dogs, on the ground, all while being pursued by Boyland and his new crew. Meanwhile Gwennie is roped into assisting the rebels in the air with a very reluctant Merelda in tow. The action comes to a head when the rebel group decides it's time for the flotilla to experience life in the Heartland and puts into action a plan to tear it from the sky.
There's a few new faces introduced, a lot of action, and even more creepy plant goodness. I really enjoyed it. I'm interested to see how this story concludes. On to the next one!
Oh, and I just want to add, I listened to the audio version of this book. I think the narrator did a fantastic job with this story (again!). I have limited experience with audio books, though, so I'm not sure how much weight my opinion carries on the matter, but there it is :)
August 10, 2015
Blightborn by Chuck Wendig
Published 2014, Skyscape
Stars: ★★★★☆
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry
Thanks, Netgalley, for giving me this great Chuck book in exchange for an unbiased review... though it's hard to be unbiased when Chuck is so awesome!!!
Seriously, this one kicked it up a notch... actually, way past a notch. Our heroes and heroines got deeper into trouble, a few new characters were introduced, and some allegiances changed back and forth a few times.
This series is proving to be further and further from being what I thought it would be, based off my pre-judgments and the cover (strictly sci-fi, if you were wondering), and is turning out to be a handful of genres deftly joined into a fantastic world.
Book three is next up (okay, at the time of this, I'm a quarter of the way into book three already). Let's see if the end of the trilogy is as explosive as the end of book two.
Published 2014, Skyscape
Stars: ★★★★☆
Review also posted at: Slapdash & Sundry
Thanks, Netgalley, for giving me this great Chuck book in exchange for an unbiased review... though it's hard to be unbiased when Chuck is so awesome!!!
Seriously, this one kicked it up a notch... actually, way past a notch. Our heroes and heroines got deeper into trouble, a few new characters were introduced, and some allegiances changed back and forth a few times.
This series is proving to be further and further from being what I thought it would be, based off my pre-judgments and the cover (strictly sci-fi, if you were wondering), and is turning out to be a handful of genres deftly joined into a fantastic world.
Book three is next up (okay, at the time of this, I'm a quarter of the way into book three already). Let's see if the end of the trilogy is as explosive as the end of book two.
March 15, 2020
Picking up immediately where Under the Empyrean Sky left off, Blightborn takes readers on an impressive ride not just through the Heartland but now also on one of the Empyrean flotillas, seeing both the low and the high of the world’s 2 main societies. Gwennie and her family have won the Lottery and get to live on a flotilla, doing grunt-work and being the lowest of the high rather than the life of luxury all the propaganda promised. Cael, Lane, and Rigo are on the run, trying to make their way onto the flotilla to get Gwennie and Merelda back. Merelda is mistress to a wealthy and powerful Empyrean man and doesn’t want to give up what she’s gained. And we introduce a few new characters, part of Empyrean society, that allow us an interesting look at the other side of life.
Blightborn takes everything that started in the previous novel and expands upon it wonderfully. Characters get a lot more development, and we see much more from the perspective of various female characters and they play a more active role in the story than they did previously, which was something I found lacking in Under the Empyrean Sky. It’s good to see the development of characters who could previously be summed up largely in their relationship to Cael but who now are distinct and unique and have some interesting perspectives to bring to the story. I was surprisingly interested in Merelda’s viewpoints, since YA literature is filled with people like Gwennie (tough, determined, with a drive the right the wrongs she sees), but there are fewer characters like Merelda, who mostly want an escape from a hard life and who are willing to lower themselves in the eyes of others in order to get it. Merelda has a sort of unappreciated selfish bravery. She ran away and left her family to suffer the consequences, and she’s someone’s bedmate in exchange for luxuries, but it took guts to uproot herself and take charge, falls in love (or at least develops a strong infatuation), and she herself says that part of what she likes about the arrangement is that she can send supplies and treats to her family back in the Heartland. It may not be the most admirable position anyone’s ever taken, but it was actually a nice thing to see a character being portrayed as selfish and material without them automatically being the bad guy in the piece.
Which brings me to a similar point: this is a book where nobody is the hero. Everyone has their own motivation, everyone makes mistakes, everyone’s blinded by their own wants. People do bad things for good reasons, people get lie and hurt and the only thing that really ties half of them together is the fact that they’re all a part of one overarching storyline. Honestly, the only characters I actually like are Lane and Rigo, but just you try and stop me from reading about any of the others; you don’t have to like a character to find them interesting and to want to read about them, and you don’t have to like them to know that the story around them is a good one. This is the kind of book that really brings that home.
But while the increased number of characters whose perspective we get to see is definitely a good thing, it did have its drawbacks, especially toward the end when there was a lot of heavy action. Flipping back and forth between so many characters, all doing a wide variety of important things all at the same time, made things very chaotic and hard to follow. None of the viewpoints could be omitted without creating a plot-hole, admittedly, so none of it was needless, but so many fingers in the pie, so to speak, dragged the action to the point that it had very little tension anymore.
I’m glad this is a trilogy. I’m glad I still have one more book in this series to look forward to, because the future that Wendig created is one that straddles the fine line between “very believable” and “completely out there” and yet manages to stay coherent and real the whole time. I want to know what’s going to happen with Cael and the Blight. I want to know if and how the Empyrean will be brought down. I want to see more of the Sleeping Dogs and their plans. I want to know if Lane is going to fall for someone who’s not a jerk!
Under the Empyrean Sky was a good book. Blightborn kicked it up a notch and turned a good story into a great one. With this trend, I’m expecting the third book to blow me away, to be as impressive as I’ve come to expect from Wendig’s writing. If you start this series, it’s one that you’re not going to leave behind and forget about. From the very real and increasingly diverse cast of characters to the twisted setting and its social commentary to the exciting plot about bringing down a corrupt and abusive system, it’s the kind of series that those hungry for action and adventure will simply devour!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go eat some corn.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
Blightborn takes everything that started in the previous novel and expands upon it wonderfully. Characters get a lot more development, and we see much more from the perspective of various female characters and they play a more active role in the story than they did previously, which was something I found lacking in Under the Empyrean Sky. It’s good to see the development of characters who could previously be summed up largely in their relationship to Cael but who now are distinct and unique and have some interesting perspectives to bring to the story. I was surprisingly interested in Merelda’s viewpoints, since YA literature is filled with people like Gwennie (tough, determined, with a drive the right the wrongs she sees), but there are fewer characters like Merelda, who mostly want an escape from a hard life and who are willing to lower themselves in the eyes of others in order to get it. Merelda has a sort of unappreciated selfish bravery. She ran away and left her family to suffer the consequences, and she’s someone’s bedmate in exchange for luxuries, but it took guts to uproot herself and take charge, falls in love (or at least develops a strong infatuation), and she herself says that part of what she likes about the arrangement is that she can send supplies and treats to her family back in the Heartland. It may not be the most admirable position anyone’s ever taken, but it was actually a nice thing to see a character being portrayed as selfish and material without them automatically being the bad guy in the piece.
Which brings me to a similar point: this is a book where nobody is the hero. Everyone has their own motivation, everyone makes mistakes, everyone’s blinded by their own wants. People do bad things for good reasons, people get lie and hurt and the only thing that really ties half of them together is the fact that they’re all a part of one overarching storyline. Honestly, the only characters I actually like are Lane and Rigo, but just you try and stop me from reading about any of the others; you don’t have to like a character to find them interesting and to want to read about them, and you don’t have to like them to know that the story around them is a good one. This is the kind of book that really brings that home.
But while the increased number of characters whose perspective we get to see is definitely a good thing, it did have its drawbacks, especially toward the end when there was a lot of heavy action. Flipping back and forth between so many characters, all doing a wide variety of important things all at the same time, made things very chaotic and hard to follow. None of the viewpoints could be omitted without creating a plot-hole, admittedly, so none of it was needless, but so many fingers in the pie, so to speak, dragged the action to the point that it had very little tension anymore.
I’m glad this is a trilogy. I’m glad I still have one more book in this series to look forward to, because the future that Wendig created is one that straddles the fine line between “very believable” and “completely out there” and yet manages to stay coherent and real the whole time. I want to know what’s going to happen with Cael and the Blight. I want to know if and how the Empyrean will be brought down. I want to see more of the Sleeping Dogs and their plans. I want to know if Lane is going to fall for someone who’s not a jerk!
Under the Empyrean Sky was a good book. Blightborn kicked it up a notch and turned a good story into a great one. With this trend, I’m expecting the third book to blow me away, to be as impressive as I’ve come to expect from Wendig’s writing. If you start this series, it’s one that you’re not going to leave behind and forget about. From the very real and increasingly diverse cast of characters to the twisted setting and its social commentary to the exciting plot about bringing down a corrupt and abusive system, it’s the kind of series that those hungry for action and adventure will simply devour!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go eat some corn.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
September 24, 2017
Actual Rating: 3.5
December 9, 2015
[4.5 Stars] Woah, I read that so quickly once I started. Review to come shortly!
Edit: Okay, it's been a couple weeks so it's high time that I do my review for this book before I forget anything.
Holy mackerel! This was just as amazing as the first book, Under the Empyrean Sky! There were just so many things that I loved that continued on from the first as well as adding more. I worried that this would suffer from middle book syndrome, but nope!
I think my favorite thing has to be the unpredictability of the plot. Most fiction novels can become stale as you guess everything that is going to happen beforehand, but Blightborn definitely kept me on my toes the entire time. I never knew which new direction Wendig would take his characters or what obstacle they'd have to face next. It made for a very exciting and fast paced novel as I continued to turn the page over and over to see what was next.
The world was definitely expanded which I thoroughly enjoyed. In the first we're introduced to the characters and their immediate problems, but in this one we get to see parts of the rest of the world and the problems that inflict the society as a whole. The flotilla was so interesting, and I loved the dynamic of the characters that are on it together. Obviously with the title, we get to learn more about the blight and where it originates. Fantastic. The history of the creepy corn is also brought to light. I really think this novel did a great job of providing more world building without being info dumpy.
One of my issues with the first book was that I didn't feel attached to the characters. It definitely improves with this installment, but I still do feel a bit detached to them for some reason. I think I became glad for that because their lives, they are awful. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with what they have to endure.
I don't want to make this review overly long, so just know that this series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I did receive a copy through NetGalley (Not affecting my review at all), but I now need to go out and get myself physical copies. They are that awesome.
Edit: Okay, it's been a couple weeks so it's high time that I do my review for this book before I forget anything.
Holy mackerel! This was just as amazing as the first book, Under the Empyrean Sky! There were just so many things that I loved that continued on from the first as well as adding more. I worried that this would suffer from middle book syndrome, but nope!
I think my favorite thing has to be the unpredictability of the plot. Most fiction novels can become stale as you guess everything that is going to happen beforehand, but Blightborn definitely kept me on my toes the entire time. I never knew which new direction Wendig would take his characters or what obstacle they'd have to face next. It made for a very exciting and fast paced novel as I continued to turn the page over and over to see what was next.
The world was definitely expanded which I thoroughly enjoyed. In the first we're introduced to the characters and their immediate problems, but in this one we get to see parts of the rest of the world and the problems that inflict the society as a whole. The flotilla was so interesting, and I loved the dynamic of the characters that are on it together. Obviously with the title, we get to learn more about the blight and where it originates. Fantastic. The history of the creepy corn is also brought to light. I really think this novel did a great job of providing more world building without being info dumpy.
One of my issues with the first book was that I didn't feel attached to the characters. It definitely improves with this installment, but I still do feel a bit detached to them for some reason. I think I became glad for that because their lives, they are awful. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with what they have to endure.
I don't want to make this review overly long, so just know that this series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I did receive a copy through NetGalley (Not affecting my review at all), but I now need to go out and get myself physical copies. They are that awesome.
August 7, 2014
This book, this SERIES, is so good I think I'm going to be sick. I didn't want it to end, least of all where it DID. Lane, sweet Lane, WHAT HAPPENS, I MUST KNOW.
In all seriousness, BLIGHTBORN is as well paced and tightly plotted as its predecessor. The characters are remarkable. They're deep and complex and difficult, and they tug at my heartstrings and surprise me in the best and most painful of ways.
I have to comment on the wonderful representation in the book, too. There's no punching down to be found here. There's a fat kid who isn't craven and cowardly, but brave, steadfast, strong, and a quick thinker. There's a gay kid who's multidimensional and not demonized or mocked by the narrative (though yes, he does face the fears and lashing-out of those who don't understand). And people of color! Who aren't cannon fodder! Confetti everywhere!
I'm literally salivating over the thought of the next book. I can't even deal, you guys.
In all seriousness, BLIGHTBORN is as well paced and tightly plotted as its predecessor. The characters are remarkable. They're deep and complex and difficult, and they tug at my heartstrings and surprise me in the best and most painful of ways.
I have to comment on the wonderful representation in the book, too. There's no punching down to be found here. There's a fat kid who isn't craven and cowardly, but brave, steadfast, strong, and a quick thinker. There's a gay kid who's multidimensional and not demonized or mocked by the narrative (though yes, he does face the fears and lashing-out of those who don't understand). And people of color! Who aren't cannon fodder! Confetti everywhere!
I'm literally salivating over the thought of the next book. I can't even deal, you guys.
July 14, 2014
Wow.
This book was everything awesome that the first Heartland book, UNDER THE EMPYREAN SKY, was, and more. Wendig’s characters are like real people, multi-dimensional and complicated. There are no cliche cardboard cutout archetypes or tropes here. Every character has their strengths, weaknesses, things that you love, and things that make you want to scream.
I went into this book expecting a second book, maybe a little saggy, like many middle books of trilogies are. Hell no. This book kept me engaged the entire time, kept me wondering what would happen next, and kept surprising me. The setting details are fantastic, the action and pacing impeccable. In this book, we learn so much more about the characters we already know/love/hate from the first book, and meet several new folks, too. Things grow more complicated as the plot thickens, and the world isn’t as black and white as it perhaps seemed earlier in the series.
Something that stood out for me about this book as I read it is Wendig’s treatment of his younger characters. There is no talking down here, no weird older author’s take on teens. This is an author who understands the way a seventeen year old thinks, and tells it like it is. Wendig’s respect for his subjects is clear. There is no annoying whining here, like I’ve noticed in several other YA books I’ve read. These are characters who teens can be proud of, who they can sympathize with. Sure, they have their rough moments, but they take action. They make mistakes, but they learn.
The future Wendig has portrayed here is eerily reflective of issues happening today–I can see how this world could exist. The themes of this trilogy are timely and thought provoking.
BLIGHTBORN is an action packed, emotional ride that both teens and adults would enjoy. The only negative part is that I have to wait a year before getting my hands on the next one!
This book was everything awesome that the first Heartland book, UNDER THE EMPYREAN SKY, was, and more. Wendig’s characters are like real people, multi-dimensional and complicated. There are no cliche cardboard cutout archetypes or tropes here. Every character has their strengths, weaknesses, things that you love, and things that make you want to scream.
I went into this book expecting a second book, maybe a little saggy, like many middle books of trilogies are. Hell no. This book kept me engaged the entire time, kept me wondering what would happen next, and kept surprising me. The setting details are fantastic, the action and pacing impeccable. In this book, we learn so much more about the characters we already know/love/hate from the first book, and meet several new folks, too. Things grow more complicated as the plot thickens, and the world isn’t as black and white as it perhaps seemed earlier in the series.
Something that stood out for me about this book as I read it is Wendig’s treatment of his younger characters. There is no talking down here, no weird older author’s take on teens. This is an author who understands the way a seventeen year old thinks, and tells it like it is. Wendig’s respect for his subjects is clear. There is no annoying whining here, like I’ve noticed in several other YA books I’ve read. These are characters who teens can be proud of, who they can sympathize with. Sure, they have their rough moments, but they take action. They make mistakes, but they learn.
The future Wendig has portrayed here is eerily reflective of issues happening today–I can see how this world could exist. The themes of this trilogy are timely and thought provoking.
BLIGHTBORN is an action packed, emotional ride that both teens and adults would enjoy. The only negative part is that I have to wait a year before getting my hands on the next one!
April 16, 2020
Notes:
3.5 Stars for Story
4.5 Stars for Narration by Nick Podehl
A few fun twists but overall progression felt chunky. I'm looking forward to seeing how the trilogy will (explode) end.
3.5 Stars for Story
4.5 Stars for Narration by Nick Podehl
A few fun twists but overall progression felt chunky. I'm looking forward to seeing how the trilogy will (explode) end.
July 31, 2014
This Review was originally posted on Avid Reviews: www.avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.com
Blightborn is the second installment in the Heartland Trilogy by Chuck Wendig. You can find my review of the first novel in the series, Under the Empyrean Sky, here:
http://avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.c...
The Heartland Trilogy is comprised of dystopian novels that paint a picture of a future where corn is the only crop permitted to be grown, and the rich live in cities that float in the sky. In the first novel in the series Wendig introduced the reader to the Heartland in a fast paced story that highlighted the struggles of the people who live amongst the endless sea of corn. Blightborn continues the story of the Heartlanders while at the same time introducing a glimpse of the privileged lives of those that live on the Empyrean flotillas. With this novel Wendig manages to create a story as fast paced and exciting as the first novel in the series, while also raising the stakes for his characters and expanding on his world in new and remarkable ways.
I would advise against reading the rest of this review if you have not yet read Under the Empyrean Sky, as the rest of this review will contain spoilers for the first novel in the Heartland trilogy.
Blightborn picks up right where Under the Empyrean Sky left off, with Cael and his friends on the run from their hometown, and with hopes of making it onto an Empyrean flotilla in order to rescue Gwennie, the woman Cael loves. Gwennie is currently living the life of a lottery winner, though it is far from what she expected it to be. She separated from her family, and rarely gets a break from her job of mucking out the stables of genetically mutated horses. Intermittently she is invited to one of the flotillas’ extravagant parties only to be gawked at by the upper class, which finds her to be little more than an unfortunate provincial specimen. Both Cael and Gwennie must fight against the odds to change their fate; and if they fail, the Empyrean has plans that may change their lives forever, and make sure that the Heartlanders will never be able to fight back again, or change their lives for the better.
This book is both darker and more complex than its predecessor, and in many ways a more mature and accomplished novel. Fans of the first book in the Heartland trilogy will find much in this book to fall in love with. The characters grow and become more developed, the plot both expands the world and raises the stakes, and the ending of the book leaves the reader wanting more. The vast inequalities between the Heartlanders and the Empyreans become even more defined in this novel, and bring more meaning to the series’ environmental message.
In a genre that is flooded with mediocre novels, Wendigs’ stand far above the rest of the pack due to his unique setting and wildly exciting plot lines. This is a series that will surprise even the most jaded fans of the dystopian genre. Wendig has made me a true fan with this book, and I will be eagerly awaiting the final installment in the Heartland series.
My rating for this book is 8/10.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
Blightborn is the second installment in the Heartland Trilogy by Chuck Wendig. You can find my review of the first novel in the series, Under the Empyrean Sky, here:
http://avidfantasyreviews.wordpress.c...
The Heartland Trilogy is comprised of dystopian novels that paint a picture of a future where corn is the only crop permitted to be grown, and the rich live in cities that float in the sky. In the first novel in the series Wendig introduced the reader to the Heartland in a fast paced story that highlighted the struggles of the people who live amongst the endless sea of corn. Blightborn continues the story of the Heartlanders while at the same time introducing a glimpse of the privileged lives of those that live on the Empyrean flotillas. With this novel Wendig manages to create a story as fast paced and exciting as the first novel in the series, while also raising the stakes for his characters and expanding on his world in new and remarkable ways.
I would advise against reading the rest of this review if you have not yet read Under the Empyrean Sky, as the rest of this review will contain spoilers for the first novel in the Heartland trilogy.
Blightborn picks up right where Under the Empyrean Sky left off, with Cael and his friends on the run from their hometown, and with hopes of making it onto an Empyrean flotilla in order to rescue Gwennie, the woman Cael loves. Gwennie is currently living the life of a lottery winner, though it is far from what she expected it to be. She separated from her family, and rarely gets a break from her job of mucking out the stables of genetically mutated horses. Intermittently she is invited to one of the flotillas’ extravagant parties only to be gawked at by the upper class, which finds her to be little more than an unfortunate provincial specimen. Both Cael and Gwennie must fight against the odds to change their fate; and if they fail, the Empyrean has plans that may change their lives forever, and make sure that the Heartlanders will never be able to fight back again, or change their lives for the better.
This book is both darker and more complex than its predecessor, and in many ways a more mature and accomplished novel. Fans of the first book in the Heartland trilogy will find much in this book to fall in love with. The characters grow and become more developed, the plot both expands the world and raises the stakes, and the ending of the book leaves the reader wanting more. The vast inequalities between the Heartlanders and the Empyreans become even more defined in this novel, and bring more meaning to the series’ environmental message.
In a genre that is flooded with mediocre novels, Wendigs’ stand far above the rest of the pack due to his unique setting and wildly exciting plot lines. This is a series that will surprise even the most jaded fans of the dystopian genre. Wendig has made me a true fan with this book, and I will be eagerly awaiting the final installment in the Heartland series.
My rating for this book is 8/10.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
August 28, 2019
Okay, wow. I'm giving this one five stars. Non-stop, pulse-pounding action, and twist after surprising twist. I'm completely hooked! In fact, I already started the final book of the trilogy, because with that ending, how could I not? GREAT stuff!
July 24, 2015
Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars
◆ Thanks to NetGalley for this eBook copy for review ◆
I have so much fun reading these books. Past the decent story and the writing and characters, the enjoyment from just getting through this series is enough for me to want to keep coming back.
While I don't feel Wendig's writing has dramatically developed since Under the Empyrean Sky, I can't deny how much the humour engages me. However boyish and immature at times it's really entertaining: I have a feeling it's a particular kind of comedy that won't appeal to everyone so don't be too disappointed if you don't get it.
The big variable as to whether you get on with the Heartland stories is the world. Wendig has a very bizarre imagination, and the concept he creates are really key in the development of the story and characters - and it can be quite hard to get. Through the first book I got distracted by the unusualness of the living corn and the Blight (a 'disease' where people start growing vines through their bodies - see what I mean?), but because I read the second book next to the first it became a lot easier to accept the strangeness and focus on the story.
I really love how the story's expanding as it progresses: the characters are continually being split up and reunited even within a single story, and the way their paths meet and then diverge regularly keeps the pace up. The diversity of settings also interested me as it allows us a huge view on the world previously denied in the last book at the same time (the simultaneous events happening from different perspectives was particularly good). Wendig is also beginning to explore more controversial issues, and quite well in my opinion: subjects like sexuality and abuse are broached, and dealt with in a positive way.
The conclusion to Blightborn was a bit disappointing for me, as it was similar to the ending of Under the Empyrean Sky. The characters have developed as individuals, but as for their positions in the story we still have the same sort of construct and protagonist powers. Having said that I'm definitely looking forward to reading the conclusion to the series.
The Heartland Trilogy didn't capture me straight away with its characters, but as the books have progressed they've become more complex. My favourite aspect was that nobody was completely loyal: they're doing whatever they think is best like people do in reality, even if it ends up ruining everything.
Admittedly, I'm still kind of indifferent towards Cael as a character, but as a protagonist I really like how he's going quite a different way from everyone else in the story. It's nice and refreshing to have the main character going off on his own path while everyone else keeps going without him - but still being affected by his actions.
I started to fall in love with Gwennie in this book. She's becoming darker and really came into her own power and strength independently in Blightborn. There's definitely been better development of women compared to the first book, but I can't help but feel their stories are still centered around romance: the boys only talk about her in terms of her position to them, and all other female characters are either attached to family or presented as a betrayer or weak.
I felt the pacing in Blightborn was much better than Under the Empyrean Sky: the diversity of setting and variety of characters was probably the main reason for this. Because we follow so many people in various situations, there's always something going on and it's usually a little different from everything else. A small issue I found with the previous book was the pretty much solid focus on Cael and his story that took place in the same landscape; jumping between characters made it a lot more engaging.
Though I don't want to compare this series to anything else, I feel a similar audience to The Maze Runner or Charlie Higson's The Enemy would be engaged by these books. Personally, I found reading the first two books close together really helped not only in keeping the story fresh in my mind, but also in terms of acclimatising to Wendig's frankly bizarre imagination. There may be a few small details that get to me, but overall The Heartland Trilogy is great fun and definitely worth the read.
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars
◆ Thanks to NetGalley for this eBook copy for review ◆
I have so much fun reading these books. Past the decent story and the writing and characters, the enjoyment from just getting through this series is enough for me to want to keep coming back.
While I don't feel Wendig's writing has dramatically developed since Under the Empyrean Sky, I can't deny how much the humour engages me. However boyish and immature at times it's really entertaining: I have a feeling it's a particular kind of comedy that won't appeal to everyone so don't be too disappointed if you don't get it.
The big variable as to whether you get on with the Heartland stories is the world. Wendig has a very bizarre imagination, and the concept he creates are really key in the development of the story and characters - and it can be quite hard to get. Through the first book I got distracted by the unusualness of the living corn and the Blight (a 'disease' where people start growing vines through their bodies - see what I mean?), but because I read the second book next to the first it became a lot easier to accept the strangeness and focus on the story.
I really love how the story's expanding as it progresses: the characters are continually being split up and reunited even within a single story, and the way their paths meet and then diverge regularly keeps the pace up. The diversity of settings also interested me as it allows us a huge view on the world previously denied in the last book at the same time (the simultaneous events happening from different perspectives was particularly good). Wendig is also beginning to explore more controversial issues, and quite well in my opinion: subjects like sexuality and abuse are broached, and dealt with in a positive way.
The conclusion to Blightborn was a bit disappointing for me, as it was similar to the ending of Under the Empyrean Sky. The characters have developed as individuals, but as for their positions in the story we still have the same sort of construct and protagonist powers. Having said that I'm definitely looking forward to reading the conclusion to the series.
The Heartland Trilogy didn't capture me straight away with its characters, but as the books have progressed they've become more complex. My favourite aspect was that nobody was completely loyal: they're doing whatever they think is best like people do in reality, even if it ends up ruining everything.
Admittedly, I'm still kind of indifferent towards Cael as a character, but as a protagonist I really like how he's going quite a different way from everyone else in the story. It's nice and refreshing to have the main character going off on his own path while everyone else keeps going without him - but still being affected by his actions.
I started to fall in love with Gwennie in this book. She's becoming darker and really came into her own power and strength independently in Blightborn. There's definitely been better development of women compared to the first book, but I can't help but feel their stories are still centered around romance: the boys only talk about her in terms of her position to them, and all other female characters are either attached to family or presented as a betrayer or weak.
I felt the pacing in Blightborn was much better than Under the Empyrean Sky: the diversity of setting and variety of characters was probably the main reason for this. Because we follow so many people in various situations, there's always something going on and it's usually a little different from everything else. A small issue I found with the previous book was the pretty much solid focus on Cael and his story that took place in the same landscape; jumping between characters made it a lot more engaging.
Though I don't want to compare this series to anything else, I feel a similar audience to The Maze Runner or Charlie Higson's The Enemy would be engaged by these books. Personally, I found reading the first two books close together really helped not only in keeping the story fresh in my mind, but also in terms of acclimatising to Wendig's frankly bizarre imagination. There may be a few small details that get to me, but overall The Heartland Trilogy is great fun and definitely worth the read.
August 28, 2014
Heartland trilogy chugs ahead full speed with Blightborn, the second book that follows the adventures of Cael McAvoy and his buddies set in a dystopian future where evil schemes of the greedy man has killed the soil – there is only corn that grows out here on earth – and the Heartland dwellers – the “have-nots” stuck in this sunny dustbowl of a wasteland are grubbing their way through lives suffering under the tyranny of the sky-dwellers or the Empyreans. The title of the first book, Under the Empyrean Sky was apt. Evocative and lush, as the title imagery suggests, much of book one happens on the ground hide and seek among the corn stalks in Heartland.
But with Book Two in this series, Blightborn – Chuck Wendig slams the pedal fully down. Both the world-building and characterization get a lot of detail as we are sucked deeper into this world of piss-blizzards, blood-thirsty corn-stalks and the deadly blight. While book one was predominantly from the viewpoint of the self-absorbed Cael set mostly in and around the town of Boxelder and the unending corn stalk fields of Heartland, this time we get a wider perspective of the world and the happenings or conspiracies that led to this dystopian setting.
In short, we take to the air.
And explore the myriad mysteries of the Empyrean Empire aboard this flotilla- Mainly through Gwennie or Gwendolyn Shawcatch – Cael’s girlfriend, Obligated to Cael’s bitter rival, Barnes in the first book.
Gwennie’s life changes after the “Lottery” – where her family is the “lucky” one to be taken aboard a flotilla. But to her horror, things go spiraling downwards pretty fast – the lottery turns out to be ticket to lifelong slavery – mucking horseshit and apprenticed to a quirky scientist in the sky with his own secrets and sob-stories at large. And of course, she runs into Cael’s sister, Merelda.
Meanwhile, Cael and his best buddies, Lane and Rigo are on the run. A chance encounter with a crazed hobo and the Raiders – a set of terrorists or anarchists trying to make the Empyrean count for all their sins – turns their lives on its head. And Barnes, along with Wanda and Rigo’s father form a posse to hunt down Cael’s gang and now are hot on their trail.
If the first book in that series was one ripe with possibilities, then book two blossoms out. Then goes ahead and simply explodes. Chuck ensures that the horizons are widening. As we explore the Skies of the Empyrean Empire, we understand that sky is not the limit. (pun intended) We get to see the world of Heartland outside of the Boxelder town. But the most interesting part for me – was of course the bizarre life aboard the Flotillas. The quirks of the sky-dwellers, the weapons, their obsessions with auto-bots, their whacky parties. (Mind boggling imagination, Mr.Wendig!) all makes for an engrossing read. But in typical Wendig style, the plot dives head long into twisty conspiracies – secrets come tumbling out and revelations leave you shocked and gasping for more. I found it to be one of the best ways to develop this trilogy – with the world expanding, characters evolving and the plot deepening. And fuck-a-duck, book two ends on a cliffhanger. I hated that but now the wait is desperate and restless.
So Blightborn is everything shiny and good that Under the Empyrean Sky offered us and then takes it up a few notches towards “really good” territory. It’s a great second book in a series that truly rolls the overall plot forwards while opening it really wide. The teeming possibilities are exciting beyond measure. And with the ending of Book two, I am now waiting on a bed of nails raked over a bed of hot burning coals. Get back to writing, Chuck!!
But with Book Two in this series, Blightborn – Chuck Wendig slams the pedal fully down. Both the world-building and characterization get a lot of detail as we are sucked deeper into this world of piss-blizzards, blood-thirsty corn-stalks and the deadly blight. While book one was predominantly from the viewpoint of the self-absorbed Cael set mostly in and around the town of Boxelder and the unending corn stalk fields of Heartland, this time we get a wider perspective of the world and the happenings or conspiracies that led to this dystopian setting.
In short, we take to the air.
And explore the myriad mysteries of the Empyrean Empire aboard this flotilla- Mainly through Gwennie or Gwendolyn Shawcatch – Cael’s girlfriend, Obligated to Cael’s bitter rival, Barnes in the first book.
Gwennie’s life changes after the “Lottery” – where her family is the “lucky” one to be taken aboard a flotilla. But to her horror, things go spiraling downwards pretty fast – the lottery turns out to be ticket to lifelong slavery – mucking horseshit and apprenticed to a quirky scientist in the sky with his own secrets and sob-stories at large. And of course, she runs into Cael’s sister, Merelda.
Meanwhile, Cael and his best buddies, Lane and Rigo are on the run. A chance encounter with a crazed hobo and the Raiders – a set of terrorists or anarchists trying to make the Empyrean count for all their sins – turns their lives on its head. And Barnes, along with Wanda and Rigo’s father form a posse to hunt down Cael’s gang and now are hot on their trail.
If the first book in that series was one ripe with possibilities, then book two blossoms out. Then goes ahead and simply explodes. Chuck ensures that the horizons are widening. As we explore the Skies of the Empyrean Empire, we understand that sky is not the limit. (pun intended) We get to see the world of Heartland outside of the Boxelder town. But the most interesting part for me – was of course the bizarre life aboard the Flotillas. The quirks of the sky-dwellers, the weapons, their obsessions with auto-bots, their whacky parties. (Mind boggling imagination, Mr.Wendig!) all makes for an engrossing read. But in typical Wendig style, the plot dives head long into twisty conspiracies – secrets come tumbling out and revelations leave you shocked and gasping for more. I found it to be one of the best ways to develop this trilogy – with the world expanding, characters evolving and the plot deepening. And fuck-a-duck, book two ends on a cliffhanger. I hated that but now the wait is desperate and restless.
So Blightborn is everything shiny and good that Under the Empyrean Sky offered us and then takes it up a few notches towards “really good” territory. It’s a great second book in a series that truly rolls the overall plot forwards while opening it really wide. The teeming possibilities are exciting beyond measure. And with the ending of Book two, I am now waiting on a bed of nails raked over a bed of hot burning coals. Get back to writing, Chuck!!
August 10, 2014
I received this advanced copy from Net Galley and Skyscape publishing in exchange for an honest review
Bell, Book & Candle | Blightborn Review
Another brilliant cover art piece this one is. I must admit that I have not read the first book of the series, so ultimately I was lost at first. Thankfully it didn't take away from the story too much, and I was able to catch up with all the different storylines and subplots. I would consider this book high fantasy and a dystopian, that is filled with action, adventure and a little humor. The world Chuck Wendig creates is mind-blowing.
Blightborn definitely has a cast of characters within the story, and that is putting it lightly. From the tyrant to the courageous rebel leader to the homosexual sidekick; it was pretty entertaining. Each of their storylines pulled at my heart strings; I really felt empathetic to their predicament. There are also a whole lot of love triangles, which were kind of...weird. But then again, books reflect reality.
The writing was amazing and the story grabbed my attention from the first page. The length of the book is on the long side though, so beware. That ending left me in awe. While I am impatiently awaiting the next book in the series, I might read the first book.
Bell, Book & Candle | Blightborn Review
Another brilliant cover art piece this one is. I must admit that I have not read the first book of the series, so ultimately I was lost at first. Thankfully it didn't take away from the story too much, and I was able to catch up with all the different storylines and subplots. I would consider this book high fantasy and a dystopian, that is filled with action, adventure and a little humor. The world Chuck Wendig creates is mind-blowing.
Blightborn definitely has a cast of characters within the story, and that is putting it lightly. From the tyrant to the courageous rebel leader to the homosexual sidekick; it was pretty entertaining. Each of their storylines pulled at my heart strings; I really felt empathetic to their predicament. There are also a whole lot of love triangles, which were kind of...weird. But then again, books reflect reality.
The writing was amazing and the story grabbed my attention from the first page. The length of the book is on the long side though, so beware. That ending left me in awe. While I am impatiently awaiting the next book in the series, I might read the first book.
August 30, 2021
Excellent follow up to Under the Empyrean Sky. If you go into this book worrying about the dreaded "sophomore slump" so many trilogies experience in their second installments, you can let that fear go at the door.
This book, though a squeal, was clearly written with intent. It doesn't suffer from any of the common tropes many squeals do, and instead continues the main story arch while still managing to develop and progress it's own individual story. It didn't have that feeling of being *streeeeeetched* into three books where it really shouldn't have been - there is definitely enough content here, and it's well written at that!
Biggest positive to this book is that the author clearly held some ideas in reserve for this story. You get a little deeper in understanding how the world was set up; the hows, whos, and whats that happened in the past to lead up to the current "big problem," but yet readers don't feel drowned in this back story explanation. It is dolled out in such a way that it works with current story progression, and creates a really fluid read.
The ending, while obviously left open for the third book, still had a nice, tailored edge to it that closed off most of the plot, which I appreciated. I was left wanting more (yes, please!), but also didn't just turn the page and get dropped on my face with a "to be continued."
This is the double whammy of a great story AND a great writer to present it. I really can't recommend this series highly enough, as this is the kind of book that will win over audiences easily.
This book, though a squeal, was clearly written with intent. It doesn't suffer from any of the common tropes many squeals do, and instead continues the main story arch while still managing to develop and progress it's own individual story. It didn't have that feeling of being *streeeeeetched* into three books where it really shouldn't have been - there is definitely enough content here, and it's well written at that!
Biggest positive to this book is that the author clearly held some ideas in reserve for this story. You get a little deeper in understanding how the world was set up; the hows, whos, and whats that happened in the past to lead up to the current "big problem," but yet readers don't feel drowned in this back story explanation. It is dolled out in such a way that it works with current story progression, and creates a really fluid read.
The ending, while obviously left open for the third book, still had a nice, tailored edge to it that closed off most of the plot, which I appreciated. I was left wanting more (yes, please!), but also didn't just turn the page and get dropped on my face with a "to be continued."
This is the double whammy of a great story AND a great writer to present it. I really can't recommend this series highly enough, as this is the kind of book that will win over audiences easily.
July 15, 2016
The last half of this book really carried my rating over to 3 stars. I'm still somewhat underwhelmed by this series, but I keep being drawn back in because I find the concept interesting and I'm curious where the story will go from here.
The characters' relationships are so interwoven and they can't figure out who they want to be with over one another. It is really difficult when trying to relate to them or figure out their motivations.
In this book we are finally introduced to the Empryeans. Sadly I found them to be very lacking in so many ways. They are just lightly touched upon (other than just 2 of them) and it's hard to get a feeling one way or another whether you really care about them.
I guess that sums up my feeling at the end of finishing this book. It's hard to decide one way or another whether I really care about it or not. The science portion of this story is very interesting though, and that alone is making me start the third book.
The characters' relationships are so interwoven and they can't figure out who they want to be with over one another. It is really difficult when trying to relate to them or figure out their motivations.
In this book we are finally introduced to the Empryeans. Sadly I found them to be very lacking in so many ways. They are just lightly touched upon (other than just 2 of them) and it's hard to get a feeling one way or another whether you really care about them.
I guess that sums up my feeling at the end of finishing this book. It's hard to decide one way or another whether I really care about it or not. The science portion of this story is very interesting though, and that alone is making me start the third book.
January 6, 2015
I really wanted this to be a five start book. I really, really, really did. But gosh darn it, I just couldn't do it. The story is amazing, the world is incredible, I love everything about this series. The only thing that screwed it up, was again, the writing style.
This author can take a story, weave so much into it and create a great climactic ending that just blew me away and left me wanting, but I was distracted. It was almost as if he had a list of every cliche simile ever written and put them in the most inappropriate places. You don't compare a voice being drowned out by a ship to a farmer drowning a bunch of kittens. I am no English major, and I will ever claim to be, so if I am the only one that takes issue with it, so be it.
None the less, I will be anxiously awaiting the next book, slowly going mad.
This author can take a story, weave so much into it and create a great climactic ending that just blew me away and left me wanting, but I was distracted. It was almost as if he had a list of every cliche simile ever written and put them in the most inappropriate places. You don't compare a voice being drowned out by a ship to a farmer drowning a bunch of kittens. I am no English major, and I will ever claim to be, so if I am the only one that takes issue with it, so be it.
None the less, I will be anxiously awaiting the next book, slowly going mad.
December 18, 2014
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I wanted to like it... obviously I thought I'd like it or I wouldn't have entered the contest... but it just never clicked for me. I kept reading fifty pages or so and then putting it down for something else. The setting was interesting-- a dystopian civilization with the upper class floating about on steampunk-flavored, Bespin-like flying cities while the poor masses are stuck on the ground in a world taken over by Stephen King-ish mutant corn-- but the characters didn't grab me. The book was full of unpleasant people doing unpleasant things to one another, having unhappy sex, going off on ill-fated journeys, scheming and failing in poorly planned adventures, etc. I've read several good reviews of the book by people I respect, so the fault here is probably with me.
December 12, 2014
Actual Rating: 4.5
Chuck Wendig is incapable of writing a bad book. Seriously! After reading his other works, I have never found myself disappointed by his beautiful imagery, well drawn characters, and great storytelling. Blightborn is the second installment in the Heartland trilogy and it is just as good as the first one. I can't tell you how many times I woke up in the middle of the night just to see what would happen next in this epic tale of a bands of heroes rebelling against a tyrannical system who uses genetically engineered corn to rule over the people of the Heartland.
Currently as I write this small review, the first two books are on sale at amazon for two bucks a pop. You'd be a fool to pass that up! It is well worth your time and money.
Chuck Wendig is incapable of writing a bad book. Seriously! After reading his other works, I have never found myself disappointed by his beautiful imagery, well drawn characters, and great storytelling. Blightborn is the second installment in the Heartland trilogy and it is just as good as the first one. I can't tell you how many times I woke up in the middle of the night just to see what would happen next in this epic tale of a bands of heroes rebelling against a tyrannical system who uses genetically engineered corn to rule over the people of the Heartland.
Currently as I write this small review, the first two books are on sale at amazon for two bucks a pop. You'd be a fool to pass that up! It is well worth your time and money.
December 12, 2014
I actually had to stop midway through this book. Not that it was lacking action or anything, but the treatment of the female characters made me too uncomfortable. I realize it's all dystopian so poor people clearly must be depraved and HORRIBLE to each other, but the situations he put them in didn't really seem necessary for the plot to move along, and it wasn't taken seriously enough for me to handle continuing to read it. It may be a personal issue, but I still couldn't do it. Also, the perspective changing every 3 paragraphs made it very hard to get into any one person's story.
So sorry, but not my thing!
So sorry, but not my thing!
November 4, 2015
I listened to this on audio and LOVED it. The narrator is amazing with the different voices. And the author has done awesome world building for this storyline. If you like dystopia and rich, engaging characters, this book is for you.
August 8, 2017
I... might have said some harsh things about this series in the past. After reading the second book, though...
Yeah. I totally stand by them.
Pros
The Setting: As always, the greatest strength of this series is the worldbuilding. It was fascinating to finally get a look at not only the Empyrean, but the underworld of the Empyrean flotillas, and the various other areas of the Heartland. The Dead Zone was especially intriguing (I wonder, is this what the rest of the Heartland is eventually going to look like after the corn has sucked it dry?), and I won't spoil too much, but the role played by the Blight, and some of the revelations regarding the local mythology, was a pleasant and unexpected twist.
The Character Development: It looks as if Cael's finally starting to grow up a bit, and actually start thinking about how his actions affect other people. The part where Cael and Lane opened up to each other was a much-needed moment of catharsis in a narrative where I've spent far too much time wanting to shake the characters by the shoulders and scream at them in frustration. Cael and Boyland's truce, as well, and the fact that... maybe?... they're actually starting to develop some grudging respect for each other. I especially liked Cael's admission that nobody should have the right to decide who Gwendolyn Shawcatch is going to marry but Gwendolyn Shawcatch - and his tacit acknowledgement that he'll abide by her decision even if she chooses Boyland.
Given all of my problems with the way that female characters were treated in this series (see below for further detail), the development of Wanda was also a pleasant surprise. During the first book I mostly just felt bad for her - seeing Cael resent her, and verbally abuse her, and (when it suited him) use her, all for having the nerve to be the "wrong" girl in an arranged marriage that she'd had no say in either, was one of the major things that turned me against Cael as a protagonist. So seeing her here, actually stand up to him and tell him that just because her name's not Gwendolyn Shawcatch that doesn't excuse him from treating her like a goddamn human being, definitely made me cheer a little bit.
Cons
The little things: First of all, there was the myriad of narrative cliches that were so numerous they hurt. The number of stupid, reckless actions on the parts of the characters, which is just barely excused by the fact that they're teenagers. The fact that the protagonists Just. Can't. Catch. A. Break. - sure, it kept me reading, but it also felt like a cheap trick to keep the reader turning pages because the author couldn't be bothered to make the characters compelling enough in their own right. Let's kill off the beloved pet for shock value - a fairly minor thing, but a longstanding personal pet peeve of mine (pun not intended). The complete lack of a motive for the Empyrean - imposing heteronormative monogamy on the Heartlanders despite having zero problem with polygamy or same-sex marriage up on the flotillas, purposefully engineering the corn to suck all the life out of the ground, forbidding the Heartlanders from growing their own food despite the fact that this doesn't affect the Empyrean at all... they're not doing it for religious reasons, they're not getting anything out of it, they're not even doing it to line their own pockets, which once again leaves us with a vague "For the Evulz" that doesn't fit into the narrative at all.
The big thing: The treatment of the female characters. Wanda was literally the only female character in this whole story whose development seemed to be going in a positive direction. Simone Agrasanto's development could have been interesting... if we'd been given more than a couple of throwaway lines to explain it. As it was, though, it felt less like a natural development of her character than like an artificial construct shoehorned in Because Plot, don't question it, okay? Everyone else, though? One massive red flag, right from the beginning, is that while the male characters are allowed to have genuine friendships and come to an understanding of each other's problems, even though there are plenty of female characters in this story, there's never, not once, even a single on-page interaction between any of them that's not fraught with hostility, and heaven forbid two women show each other even the tiniest amount of sympathy. Gwennie demonizes Cleo for leaving Balastair after having heard only one side of the story. No, scratch that - she didn't even hear one side. Literally the only thing she knew was that the guy who'd been vaguely if condescendingly nice to her (while, I might add, benefiting from her slave labor) was sad because of a breakup and that his ex was now with another man, but apparently that was not only enough to convince her that it was all the woman's fault, but for her to decide that throwing a drink into the face of someone she'd never even met, let alone spoken to, was acceptable behavior - and I'm expected to cheer for this brat? Next, Gwennie calls Merelda selfish and a traitor for daring to find her own way out of a life of crushing poverty and a forced marriage she didn't want. (Though I suppose I should be grateful that Gwennie didn't call her a slut as well - and yes, that was sarcasm.) To top it all off, Gwennie blames Merelda for the trouble her father and brother got into because she ran away from Boxelder - and it's funny, isn't it, that nobody ever blamed Gwennie for what her family went through because she blithely ignored all warnings and crossed someone who'd explicitly told her he'd take it out on them if she got on his bad side? - but no, apparently it's okay to acknowledge that Gwennie isn't personally responsible for the Empyrean's actions, but cutting Merelda some slack for the same reason was just too much to ask. Not to mention it was rich of her to say everything was Merelda's fault for being so stupid as to go back to Percy - yeah, that was stupid, but we're talking about the same girl who thought it would be a good idea to find her family by rappelling around the underside of the flotilla with no idea where she was going after Balastair had already offered to help her. Pot, meet kettle. To top it all off, Gwennie rounds out the story by browbeating her own mother into submission (and yes, "submission" was the actual word used in-text) in an interaction that, in the context of the scene, was actually talking sense ("The flotilla's literally falling apart around us, we don't have time for a heart-to-heart"), but in the wider context of the way that Gwennie has treated other women throughout the rest of the story, left a really bad taste in my mouth - and yeah, this sounds awfully judgemental, but it would be a whole lot easier not to be judgemental of Gwennie if she weren't so judgemental of literally every other woman she meets. The first book, I was fine with Gwennie's character even if I would have liked to see her in the hands of a better author. This one had me torn between wanting to slap some sense into her and wanting to sit her down for a very long lecture on the topic of internalized misogyny (which, considering this story was written by a man, has some really unfortunate implications). Oh yes, and speaking of Gwennie...
Gwennie: The Strong Female Character (TM) whose primary narrative purpose is as a lust object for various male characters, and who in spite of all the hype over how strong and tough and independent she is, can't seem to fight her way out of a wet paper bag. She gets rescued by Boyland and Cael. She gets rescued by the Peregrine's mistress after the Peregrine subdued this "tough, strong fighter" without breaking a sweat. She gets rescued by a goddamn ten-year-old - twice! There wasn't a single instance in which Gwendolyn Shawcatch set out to do a thing because she's so Strong and Independent where she didn't end up needing someone else to bail her out. Look, if you don't want to write a strong female character, then don't - but don't lie to your readers, and then leave them hanging because you couldn't deliver on what you advertised.
The Verdict
I was going to bite the bullet and finish this series, both because I've invested so much time in it already and because there's only one book left. Now, though? I can't bring myself to care about the repercussions of the ending. I don't feel any burning need to know what happens to the characters next. As a matter of fact, I just don't care anymore. Maybe I'll pick it up again some day in the future, but for now... I need a break. Which is a shame because given everything I know about this author, I honestly expected better.
Yeah. I totally stand by them.
Pros
The Setting: As always, the greatest strength of this series is the worldbuilding. It was fascinating to finally get a look at not only the Empyrean, but the underworld of the Empyrean flotillas, and the various other areas of the Heartland. The Dead Zone was especially intriguing (I wonder, is this what the rest of the Heartland is eventually going to look like after the corn has sucked it dry?), and I won't spoil too much, but the role played by the Blight, and some of the revelations regarding the local mythology, was a pleasant and unexpected twist.
The Character Development: It looks as if Cael's finally starting to grow up a bit, and actually start thinking about how his actions affect other people. The part where Cael and Lane opened up to each other was a much-needed moment of catharsis in a narrative where I've spent far too much time wanting to shake the characters by the shoulders and scream at them in frustration. Cael and Boyland's truce, as well, and the fact that... maybe?... they're actually starting to develop some grudging respect for each other. I especially liked Cael's admission that nobody should have the right to decide who Gwendolyn Shawcatch is going to marry but Gwendolyn Shawcatch - and his tacit acknowledgement that he'll abide by her decision even if she chooses Boyland.
Given all of my problems with the way that female characters were treated in this series (see below for further detail), the development of Wanda was also a pleasant surprise. During the first book I mostly just felt bad for her - seeing Cael resent her, and verbally abuse her, and (when it suited him) use her, all for having the nerve to be the "wrong" girl in an arranged marriage that she'd had no say in either, was one of the major things that turned me against Cael as a protagonist. So seeing her here, actually stand up to him and tell him that just because her name's not Gwendolyn Shawcatch that doesn't excuse him from treating her like a goddamn human being, definitely made me cheer a little bit.
Cons
The little things: First of all, there was the myriad of narrative cliches that were so numerous they hurt. The number of stupid, reckless actions on the parts of the characters, which is just barely excused by the fact that they're teenagers. The fact that the protagonists Just. Can't. Catch. A. Break. - sure, it kept me reading, but it also felt like a cheap trick to keep the reader turning pages because the author couldn't be bothered to make the characters compelling enough in their own right. Let's kill off the beloved pet for shock value - a fairly minor thing, but a longstanding personal pet peeve of mine (pun not intended). The complete lack of a motive for the Empyrean - imposing heteronormative monogamy on the Heartlanders despite having zero problem with polygamy or same-sex marriage up on the flotillas, purposefully engineering the corn to suck all the life out of the ground, forbidding the Heartlanders from growing their own food despite the fact that this doesn't affect the Empyrean at all... they're not doing it for religious reasons, they're not getting anything out of it, they're not even doing it to line their own pockets, which once again leaves us with a vague "For the Evulz" that doesn't fit into the narrative at all.
The big thing: The treatment of the female characters. Wanda was literally the only female character in this whole story whose development seemed to be going in a positive direction. Simone Agrasanto's development could have been interesting... if we'd been given more than a couple of throwaway lines to explain it. As it was, though, it felt less like a natural development of her character than like an artificial construct shoehorned in Because Plot, don't question it, okay? Everyone else, though? One massive red flag, right from the beginning, is that while the male characters are allowed to have genuine friendships and come to an understanding of each other's problems, even though there are plenty of female characters in this story, there's never, not once, even a single on-page interaction between any of them that's not fraught with hostility, and heaven forbid two women show each other even the tiniest amount of sympathy. Gwennie demonizes Cleo for leaving Balastair after having heard only one side of the story. No, scratch that - she didn't even hear one side. Literally the only thing she knew was that the guy who'd been vaguely if condescendingly nice to her (while, I might add, benefiting from her slave labor) was sad because of a breakup and that his ex was now with another man, but apparently that was not only enough to convince her that it was all the woman's fault, but for her to decide that throwing a drink into the face of someone she'd never even met, let alone spoken to, was acceptable behavior - and I'm expected to cheer for this brat? Next, Gwennie calls Merelda selfish and a traitor for daring to find her own way out of a life of crushing poverty and a forced marriage she didn't want. (Though I suppose I should be grateful that Gwennie didn't call her a slut as well - and yes, that was sarcasm.) To top it all off, Gwennie blames Merelda for the trouble her father and brother got into because she ran away from Boxelder - and it's funny, isn't it, that nobody ever blamed Gwennie for what her family went through because she blithely ignored all warnings and crossed someone who'd explicitly told her he'd take it out on them if she got on his bad side? - but no, apparently it's okay to acknowledge that Gwennie isn't personally responsible for the Empyrean's actions, but cutting Merelda some slack for the same reason was just too much to ask. Not to mention it was rich of her to say everything was Merelda's fault for being so stupid as to go back to Percy - yeah, that was stupid, but we're talking about the same girl who thought it would be a good idea to find her family by rappelling around the underside of the flotilla with no idea where she was going after Balastair had already offered to help her. Pot, meet kettle. To top it all off, Gwennie rounds out the story by browbeating her own mother into submission (and yes, "submission" was the actual word used in-text) in an interaction that, in the context of the scene, was actually talking sense ("The flotilla's literally falling apart around us, we don't have time for a heart-to-heart"), but in the wider context of the way that Gwennie has treated other women throughout the rest of the story, left a really bad taste in my mouth - and yeah, this sounds awfully judgemental, but it would be a whole lot easier not to be judgemental of Gwennie if she weren't so judgemental of literally every other woman she meets. The first book, I was fine with Gwennie's character even if I would have liked to see her in the hands of a better author. This one had me torn between wanting to slap some sense into her and wanting to sit her down for a very long lecture on the topic of internalized misogyny (which, considering this story was written by a man, has some really unfortunate implications). Oh yes, and speaking of Gwennie...
Gwennie: The Strong Female Character (TM) whose primary narrative purpose is as a lust object for various male characters, and who in spite of all the hype over how strong and tough and independent she is, can't seem to fight her way out of a wet paper bag. She gets rescued by Boyland and Cael. She gets rescued by the Peregrine's mistress after the Peregrine subdued this "tough, strong fighter" without breaking a sweat. She gets rescued by a goddamn ten-year-old - twice! There wasn't a single instance in which Gwendolyn Shawcatch set out to do a thing because she's so Strong and Independent where she didn't end up needing someone else to bail her out. Look, if you don't want to write a strong female character, then don't - but don't lie to your readers, and then leave them hanging because you couldn't deliver on what you advertised.
The Verdict
I was going to bite the bullet and finish this series, both because I've invested so much time in it already and because there's only one book left. Now, though? I can't bring myself to care about the repercussions of the ending. I don't feel any burning need to know what happens to the characters next. As a matter of fact, I just don't care anymore. Maybe I'll pick it up again some day in the future, but for now... I need a break. Which is a shame because given everything I know about this author, I honestly expected better.
July 29, 2014
Reposted from Notes to the Dark Net
Title: Blightborn
Author: Chuck Wendig
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publisher: Amazon Publishing (Skyscape)
Publication Date: Ju;y 29, 2014
Format: Kindle Ebook
Length: 528 pages
ISBN-10: 1477847707
ISBN-13: 978-1477847701
Series or Standalone: The Heartland Trilogy #2
Literary Awards:
N/A
Themes: Environmentalism, Terrorism
POV: 3rd Person, Multiple POV
Tense: Present
Reviewer: Nick Morgan
Why I Read It: Despite my disillusionment with the dystopian genre in the past few years, I decided to give this book a shot after receiving a digital review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I have no regrets.
Review:
Chuck Wendig demonstrates his powerful storytelling abilities in his Heartlands series. Both Blightborn and the previous book were page-turners with interesting characters and a beautifully crafted setting in the Heartland of what used to be the United States, and is now the dominion of the Emyperean. Corn has spread like a weed across vast swaths of the old Midwest, and the economy is based on the trade of corn derivatives with the builders of great floating cities in the sky.
Mild spoilers for Under the Empyeran Sky follow:
Following Gwennie's ascent into the flotilla of Ormond Stirling Saranyu as a Lottery Winner, Wendig introduces us to Gwennie's new protector, Balastair, and are slowly introduced to the rest f the Empyrean cast. We also start to get some hints of what happened to Cael's sister Merelda. And it's quite an interesting story, too.
We also get to learn more about the world of the Heartland and Empyrean. Some of the history and the secrets come to light during Cael's journey. The reasons why the world is the way it is are pretty well constructed, and they add wonderfully to the (urban) mythology of Wendig's world.
I would say Blightborn is an improvement on Empyrean Sky, instead of the slump than many middle books in a trilogy tend to be. The action ramps up, but it's not filler. There are no training montages or sitting around waiting for the enemy to make a move. Wendig has created one of the more proactive dystopian MCs in a long while, and he takes full advantage of it.
Now, with all that said, there are some things that are not so great about the book. For example, Wendig still hasn't really explained the reason for the Obligation ceremony. The ceremony serves to drive much of the story, both in the form of the conflict over Gwennie between Cael and Boyland, and in the character arc of Wanda. The idea of the Obligation certainly provides some convenient tension and motivation for Wendig's characters, but it's rather unclear why the Empyrean have imposed it on the Heartlanders when their own society is so much more free in terms of sexual and romantic relationships. Perhaps Wendig has some answers, but he hasn't seen fit to share them with his readers, and I found it a bit frustrating.
Something of a bit more controversial nature is the relation ship between Merelda and her friend from the Provisional Depot. I won't spoil it here, especially this close to publication, but it's something that would certainly push this towards the 14+ crowd if you went by the standard media ratings systems. I haven't actually decided how I feel about it. It fits with the way many teenagers think, and it creates one of the most interesting sources of tension in the novel. But it did make me rather uncomfortable in a way not a lot of YA books do. In some ways, that's actually a compliment to Wendig. If I just hated it, or wasn't at all bothered, it wouldn't be nearly as powerful of a situation, and it would probably mean it was just handled poorly.
My final nitpick has to do with a world-building issue. Considering the technology obviously available to the Empyrean, it seems a bit odd they would have so much trouble creating the pegasus that drives so much of the first part of the novel. They Empyrean clearly has access to some incredible genetics and bio-engineering technology, as you'll see if you read the book. So why do they find this one issue so difficult? I note this as an example of the cracks that run through Wendig's world-building. As long as you are pulled along by the story itself, and keep turning pages, you might be able to ignore these cracks. But for those who do care a bit more about the world-building aspects of the story, I want to be honest about my feelings on this issue.
Still, despite a few reservations, I did enjoy this book, and I'm sure there are many others who would also enjoy it. I can't say everyone should go out and buy this book right now, but neither can I let anyone dismiss it out of hand. Certainly, anyone who enjoyed the first book in the series will find this a worthy successor.
Conclusion: 74/100 (Very readable)
Premise: 9/10 (Convinced me to read the series, no problem)
Plot: 7/10 (Coherent if unambitious)
Setting: 8/10 (Well constructed, intriguing, mysterious)
Main Character: 8/10 (Well-crafted, engaging)
World-building 7/10 (Great base, shaky details)
Romance Sub-plot 5/10 (Cliche and forced)
Supporting Characters: 8/10 (Well-constructed, engaging)
Writing: 7/10 (More than competent, kept me reading)
Themes: 6/10 (High aspirations, low execution)
Resolution: 9/10 (Action-packed)
Buy Or Borrow: Worth buying if you love YA Dystopia.
About the Author:
Similar Books:
Divergent series by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Matched by Allie Condie
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Other Reviews:
GoodReads
Michael Patrick Hicks - Author Website
Bones, Books, & Buffy
Melanie R. Meadors - Author Website
Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound
E-Books:
iBooks
Not available
Kindle UK
Kindle US
Kobo
Not available
Google Play
Not available
nook
Not available
Cael McAvoy is on the run. He’s heading toward the Empyrean to rescue his sister, Merelda, and to find Gwennie before she’s lost to Cael forever. With his pals, Lane and Rigo, Cael journeys across the Heartland to catch a ride into the sky. But with Boyland and others after them, Cael and his friends won’t make it through unchanged.
Gwennie’s living the life of a Lottery winner, but it’s not what she expected. Separated from her family, Gwennie makes a bold move—one that catches the attention of the Empyrean and changes the course of an Empyrean man’s life.
The crew from Boxelder aren’t the only folks willing to sacrifice everything to see the Empyrean fall. The question is: Can the others be trusted?
They’d all better hurry. Because the Empyrean has plans that could ensure that the Heartland never fights back again.
Chuck Wendig’s riveting sequel to Under the Empyrean Sky plunges readers into an unsettling world of inequality and destruction, and fleshes out a cast of ragtag characters all fighting for survival and, ultimately, change.
Title: Blightborn
Author: Chuck Wendig
Category: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Publisher: Amazon Publishing (Skyscape)
Publication Date: Ju;y 29, 2014
Format: Kindle Ebook
Length: 528 pages
ISBN-10: 1477847707
ISBN-13: 978-1477847701
Series or Standalone: The Heartland Trilogy #2
Literary Awards:
N/A
Themes: Environmentalism, Terrorism
POV: 3rd Person, Multiple POV
Tense: Present
Reviewer: Nick Morgan
Why I Read It: Despite my disillusionment with the dystopian genre in the past few years, I decided to give this book a shot after receiving a digital review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I have no regrets.
Review:
Chuck Wendig demonstrates his powerful storytelling abilities in his Heartlands series. Both Blightborn and the previous book were page-turners with interesting characters and a beautifully crafted setting in the Heartland of what used to be the United States, and is now the dominion of the Emyperean. Corn has spread like a weed across vast swaths of the old Midwest, and the economy is based on the trade of corn derivatives with the builders of great floating cities in the sky.
Mild spoilers for Under the Empyeran Sky follow:
Following Gwennie's ascent into the flotilla of Ormond Stirling Saranyu as a Lottery Winner, Wendig introduces us to Gwennie's new protector, Balastair, and are slowly introduced to the rest f the Empyrean cast. We also start to get some hints of what happened to Cael's sister Merelda. And it's quite an interesting story, too.
We also get to learn more about the world of the Heartland and Empyrean. Some of the history and the secrets come to light during Cael's journey. The reasons why the world is the way it is are pretty well constructed, and they add wonderfully to the (urban) mythology of Wendig's world.
I would say Blightborn is an improvement on Empyrean Sky, instead of the slump than many middle books in a trilogy tend to be. The action ramps up, but it's not filler. There are no training montages or sitting around waiting for the enemy to make a move. Wendig has created one of the more proactive dystopian MCs in a long while, and he takes full advantage of it.
Now, with all that said, there are some things that are not so great about the book. For example, Wendig still hasn't really explained the reason for the Obligation ceremony. The ceremony serves to drive much of the story, both in the form of the conflict over Gwennie between Cael and Boyland, and in the character arc of Wanda. The idea of the Obligation certainly provides some convenient tension and motivation for Wendig's characters, but it's rather unclear why the Empyrean have imposed it on the Heartlanders when their own society is so much more free in terms of sexual and romantic relationships. Perhaps Wendig has some answers, but he hasn't seen fit to share them with his readers, and I found it a bit frustrating.
Something of a bit more controversial nature is the relation ship between Merelda and her friend from the Provisional Depot. I won't spoil it here, especially this close to publication, but it's something that would certainly push this towards the 14+ crowd if you went by the standard media ratings systems. I haven't actually decided how I feel about it. It fits with the way many teenagers think, and it creates one of the most interesting sources of tension in the novel. But it did make me rather uncomfortable in a way not a lot of YA books do. In some ways, that's actually a compliment to Wendig. If I just hated it, or wasn't at all bothered, it wouldn't be nearly as powerful of a situation, and it would probably mean it was just handled poorly.
My final nitpick has to do with a world-building issue. Considering the technology obviously available to the Empyrean, it seems a bit odd they would have so much trouble creating the pegasus that drives so much of the first part of the novel. They Empyrean clearly has access to some incredible genetics and bio-engineering technology, as you'll see if you read the book. So why do they find this one issue so difficult? I note this as an example of the cracks that run through Wendig's world-building. As long as you are pulled along by the story itself, and keep turning pages, you might be able to ignore these cracks. But for those who do care a bit more about the world-building aspects of the story, I want to be honest about my feelings on this issue.
Still, despite a few reservations, I did enjoy this book, and I'm sure there are many others who would also enjoy it. I can't say everyone should go out and buy this book right now, but neither can I let anyone dismiss it out of hand. Certainly, anyone who enjoyed the first book in the series will find this a worthy successor.
Conclusion: 74/100 (Very readable)
Premise: 9/10 (Convinced me to read the series, no problem)
Plot: 7/10 (Coherent if unambitious)
Setting: 8/10 (Well constructed, intriguing, mysterious)
Main Character: 8/10 (Well-crafted, engaging)
World-building 7/10 (Great base, shaky details)
Romance Sub-plot 5/10 (Cliche and forced)
Supporting Characters: 8/10 (Well-constructed, engaging)
Writing: 7/10 (More than competent, kept me reading)
Themes: 6/10 (High aspirations, low execution)
Resolution: 9/10 (Action-packed)
Buy Or Borrow: Worth buying if you love YA Dystopia.
About the Author:
Chuck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. He's the author of BLACKBIRDS, DOUBLE DEAD and DINOCALYPSE NOW, and is co-writer of the short film PANDEMIC, the feature film HiM, and the Emmy-nominated digital narrative COLLAPSUS. He lives in Pennsylvania with wife, taco terrier, and tiny human.
Similar Books:
Divergent series by Veronica Roth
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Matched by Allie Condie
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Other Reviews:
GoodReads
Michael Patrick Hicks - Author Website
Bones, Books, & Buffy
Melanie R. Meadors - Author Website
Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound
E-Books:
Kindle UK
Kindle US
December 25, 2018
Cael has the Blight, and is starting to hear a voice in his head. I’m so glad we get to see more of the Blight in this volume–it’s creepy, horrific, and fascinating. Not all of our questions about it will be answered, but we do get to meet the Maize Witch and see more of what the Blight is capable of.
The love interests in this volume are getting awfully complicated. Gwennie was with Cael, then she was Obligated to Boyland, and now there might or might not be some sort of attraction between her and Balastair Harrington, the Empyrean who’s in charge of her. (But he kinda still has a thing for Cleo, his old fiancee, who is shacked up with a rival of Balastair’s, but maybe is moving on?) Wanda still wants to be with Cael. Boyland wants to be with Gwennie. Cael wants to be with Gwennie… but is he starting to have feelings for Wanda? Merelda believes she’s in love with the man she’s mistress to, but he’s quite satisfied with his marriage the way it is. Or does he love her after all? And as for Lane… well, poor Lane. Relationships don’t seem to work out so well for him.
For the most part, the Empyreans are every stereotype of the ruling society lording it over the dystopian wasteland. They’re catty, they’re political, they adore parties and luxuries, they enjoy making others miserable, and so on. They even treat people on the equivalent of death row as a tourist attraction. Luckily there are a few individuals (such as Balastair) who break the mold, otherwise it would be a bit much. The fact that only the Empyrean is okay with same-sex or otherwise non-standard relationships is unfortunate; if it weren’t for one sympathetic gay character on the Heartland side, that would seem to send the message that those relationships were the product of a decadent and dissolute society. If the Empyreans had been depicted as less one-sidedly, well, sinful frankly, I wouldn’t even be noting that as a problem (this is why I don’t like monolithic societies–they tend to create ‘problematic’ traps).
We do get to find out more about Cael’s Pop’s history, which is excellent. Little dribs and drabs of his background come out, particularly when the Raiders and Eben show up. I’m not wholly pleased with how Gwennie starts out–she’s supposed to be the level-headed figure in Cael’s crowd, but she immediately jumps to the conclusion upon seeing Merelda that Merelda is a traitor to the Heartland. This leads directly to a continuation of the theme from the previous book, where it seems like young women cannot be friends with or even just rely upon each other.
The level of tension and action in here is delightful! I was pulled in quite quickly by Cael, Lane, and Rigo’s flight from their home, their encounter with Eben, the Raiders, Boyland and Wanda’s tracking of the boys, and so much more. There are some fantastic battles and encounters toward the end. The plot is enthralling as Cael works to save Gwennie, Merelda tries to save herself, Gwennie tries to save her family, and the Maize Witch… well, she has her own goals. Despite the things that didn’t entirely sit well with me, I’m still looking forward to reading the final book in the series.
Consider my rating a 3.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/12/r...
The love interests in this volume are getting awfully complicated. Gwennie was with Cael, then she was Obligated to Boyland, and now there might or might not be some sort of attraction between her and Balastair Harrington, the Empyrean who’s in charge of her. (But he kinda still has a thing for Cleo, his old fiancee, who is shacked up with a rival of Balastair’s, but maybe is moving on?) Wanda still wants to be with Cael. Boyland wants to be with Gwennie. Cael wants to be with Gwennie… but is he starting to have feelings for Wanda? Merelda believes she’s in love with the man she’s mistress to, but he’s quite satisfied with his marriage the way it is. Or does he love her after all? And as for Lane… well, poor Lane. Relationships don’t seem to work out so well for him.
For the most part, the Empyreans are every stereotype of the ruling society lording it over the dystopian wasteland. They’re catty, they’re political, they adore parties and luxuries, they enjoy making others miserable, and so on. They even treat people on the equivalent of death row as a tourist attraction. Luckily there are a few individuals (such as Balastair) who break the mold, otherwise it would be a bit much. The fact that only the Empyrean is okay with same-sex or otherwise non-standard relationships is unfortunate; if it weren’t for one sympathetic gay character on the Heartland side, that would seem to send the message that those relationships were the product of a decadent and dissolute society. If the Empyreans had been depicted as less one-sidedly, well, sinful frankly, I wouldn’t even be noting that as a problem (this is why I don’t like monolithic societies–they tend to create ‘problematic’ traps).
We do get to find out more about Cael’s Pop’s history, which is excellent. Little dribs and drabs of his background come out, particularly when the Raiders and Eben show up. I’m not wholly pleased with how Gwennie starts out–she’s supposed to be the level-headed figure in Cael’s crowd, but she immediately jumps to the conclusion upon seeing Merelda that Merelda is a traitor to the Heartland. This leads directly to a continuation of the theme from the previous book, where it seems like young women cannot be friends with or even just rely upon each other.
The level of tension and action in here is delightful! I was pulled in quite quickly by Cael, Lane, and Rigo’s flight from their home, their encounter with Eben, the Raiders, Boyland and Wanda’s tracking of the boys, and so much more. There are some fantastic battles and encounters toward the end. The plot is enthralling as Cael works to save Gwennie, Merelda tries to save herself, Gwennie tries to save her family, and the Maize Witch… well, she has her own goals. Despite the things that didn’t entirely sit well with me, I’m still looking forward to reading the final book in the series.
Consider my rating a 3.5
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2018/12/r...
July 24, 2014
Advance copy provided by NetGalley
I am sick to death of dystopian fiction. I read a surfeit of it as a teenager, and sometimes it seems like there’s very little besides paranormal romance and dystopias available in the YA section. So I’d pretty much sworn not to read any more. And yet. I read this despite the blurb describing it as a "chilling post-apocalyptic adventure” and I loved it.
I’d actually intended to read the first book in this trilogy first - I went ahead and bought the Kindle version and everything! - but between one thing and another forgot what I was doing and ended up reading Blightborn and then Under the Empyrean Sky. A perfect example of things-never-come-out-as-planned-when-you-do-them-while-tired.
Interestingly, it actually makes very little difference to the story. Wendig’s writing is strong enough that in all honesty Blightborn could be a standalone novel. There was one section at the beginning of the book when Cael was talking about his wrecked boat that I didn’t understand, but other than that? It’s perfectly understandable and a good read. Not that it’s not a better read when you do read the first one, but it isn’t necessary to do so.
For those with zero exposure to the series, it takes place in a world divided, where the rich, known as the Empyrean, live in floating cities and the poor live in the Heartland, an endless expanse of the hungry, sentient corn that is all the Empyrean allows the inhabitants of the Heartland to grow, subject to drifting storms of virulent pollen and deprived of all but the most basic necessities. They’re also prey to proscriptive cultural traditions, such as Obligation, and traditions that sound good but aren’t, like the Lottery (which isn’t quite as bad as Shirley Jackson’s short story of the same title, but definitely isn’t the windfall it’s made out to be). In Under the Empyrean Sky, Cael McAvoy is fed up with surviving his life instead of living it, and he’s determined to make a stack of ace notes, get the girl of his dreams, and maybe if he’s lucky find something to make his tumor-ridden mother’s life more comfortable. What he gets is not quite what he had in mind. The sequel, Blightborn, follows up on the consequences of his actions and those of his family and friends.
The Heartland trilogy is one of resistance and rebellion. In the first book, Under the Empyrean Sky, it was against local figures of authority and constricting traditions (and a wee little bit against genetically modified crops). Blightborn takes the theme and broadens it. It’s not merely the personal manifestations of oppression that need resisting but the institution that imposes them in the first place. And as the story progresses, precisely whom and what to resist becomes the real question.
Who, precisely, is the hero of the story is another question, and one that I’m not sure I can answer. Is it Gwennie, who won the Lottery to escape the Heartland, found that all it meant was more drudgery, and decided to do something about it? Is it Cael, desperate to rescue his beloved Gwennie and his runaway sister Merelda from the Empyrean, all the while fighting a curse of his own? They, and several other characters, all get a chance to narrate, and while this could seem clumsy in the hands of a less experienced writer, Wendig keeps all the perspectives distinct and the pace brisk. One thing that I particularly like is that even his minor characters all have heroic qualities - we have Merelda, who makes her dreams reality but finds them hollow; Lane, who wrestles with homophobia and the clay feet of his idols; Rigo, who loses his leg but finds his strength; Davies, whose daughter is worth more than his revenge; Balastair, whose past is full of secrets and whose present is a seemingly-impenetrable wall of frustration; even Boyland and Proctor Agrasanto (reminded me of Monsanto, which is probably a coincidence…), whose antagonistic natures contain seeds of loyalty, devotion, and self-sacrifice. Every one of them has a character arc I’d be willing to spend a whole novel following.
One facet of the novel that I particularly enjoyed was the gradual revelation of the extent of the Empyrean’s villainy and the equally gradual revelation of the horrific extent of the resistance’s - the Sleeping Dogs - grand plan to bring them down. While at first it seems like, in the grand scheme of oppressive dystopian rule, the Empyrean is no Capitol (from the Hunger Games), by the end of the book it becomes clear that they have a feat of horrific utilitarianism in mind. Similarly, the Sleeping Dogs aren’t content to end the rule of the Empyrean - most of them are planning blood for blood, and they’ve got a plan for that that just might work. Little does everyone know that there’s a third player in the game which would be more than happy to pick up the pieces after the Sleeping Dogs and the Empyrean have ripped each other to shreds, and while we don’t learn precisely what the Maize Witch has in mind, there’s a definite suggestion that it too may well be less than benevolent.
There was very little about this book and the preceding book in the trilogy that I didn’t like. The form of environmental devastation Wendig chose was particularly apt; monoculture, overcultivation, and pesticides are very real problems, and ones that many teenagers may be less familiar with than oppressive governments, nuclear devastation, global conflict, and global warming. On the other hand, I’m not sure that GMO farming deserves quite that much hate. In the end, my biggest problem is that the societies themselves are not as fully developed as they could be. The Empyreans seemed sort of sketched out and unoriginal. It’s your typical vaguely steampunk largely indifferent aristocratic degeneracy with a thin veil of underdeveloped religiosity. Given that it’s the main bad guy, it’d be nice to have something definite to hate. The Sleeping Dogs are a fairly standard resistance group with fairly standard biases and desperate plots, too, and the Heartland is fairly typically rustic-regressive, with their arranged marriages and small-minded local politicians. It’s not that any of these are badly done, exactly, but the blandness of them is what’s keeping this series merely good. It definitely has the potential to be great, and I would like to read more of Wendig’s work - and am eagerly anticipating the concluding volume of this trilogy - but it’s not one I’m going to return to over and over.
tl;dr - A fun read with memorable, well-written characters with almost a superfluity of excellent character arcs, a nicely-balanced plot, and a fairly solid premise - this is a YA dystopia for people who don’t like YA dystopias as well as for those who do! It does get a bit gory in places, and if you have problems reading about characters struggling against homophobia, you may want to skim a couple of pages.
I am sick to death of dystopian fiction. I read a surfeit of it as a teenager, and sometimes it seems like there’s very little besides paranormal romance and dystopias available in the YA section. So I’d pretty much sworn not to read any more. And yet. I read this despite the blurb describing it as a "chilling post-apocalyptic adventure” and I loved it.
I’d actually intended to read the first book in this trilogy first - I went ahead and bought the Kindle version and everything! - but between one thing and another forgot what I was doing and ended up reading Blightborn and then Under the Empyrean Sky. A perfect example of things-never-come-out-as-planned-when-you-do-them-while-tired.
Interestingly, it actually makes very little difference to the story. Wendig’s writing is strong enough that in all honesty Blightborn could be a standalone novel. There was one section at the beginning of the book when Cael was talking about his wrecked boat that I didn’t understand, but other than that? It’s perfectly understandable and a good read. Not that it’s not a better read when you do read the first one, but it isn’t necessary to do so.
For those with zero exposure to the series, it takes place in a world divided, where the rich, known as the Empyrean, live in floating cities and the poor live in the Heartland, an endless expanse of the hungry, sentient corn that is all the Empyrean allows the inhabitants of the Heartland to grow, subject to drifting storms of virulent pollen and deprived of all but the most basic necessities. They’re also prey to proscriptive cultural traditions, such as Obligation, and traditions that sound good but aren’t, like the Lottery (which isn’t quite as bad as Shirley Jackson’s short story of the same title, but definitely isn’t the windfall it’s made out to be). In Under the Empyrean Sky, Cael McAvoy is fed up with surviving his life instead of living it, and he’s determined to make a stack of ace notes, get the girl of his dreams, and maybe if he’s lucky find something to make his tumor-ridden mother’s life more comfortable. What he gets is not quite what he had in mind. The sequel, Blightborn, follows up on the consequences of his actions and those of his family and friends.
The Heartland trilogy is one of resistance and rebellion. In the first book, Under the Empyrean Sky, it was against local figures of authority and constricting traditions (and a wee little bit against genetically modified crops). Blightborn takes the theme and broadens it. It’s not merely the personal manifestations of oppression that need resisting but the institution that imposes them in the first place. And as the story progresses, precisely whom and what to resist becomes the real question.
Who, precisely, is the hero of the story is another question, and one that I’m not sure I can answer. Is it Gwennie, who won the Lottery to escape the Heartland, found that all it meant was more drudgery, and decided to do something about it? Is it Cael, desperate to rescue his beloved Gwennie and his runaway sister Merelda from the Empyrean, all the while fighting a curse of his own? They, and several other characters, all get a chance to narrate, and while this could seem clumsy in the hands of a less experienced writer, Wendig keeps all the perspectives distinct and the pace brisk. One thing that I particularly like is that even his minor characters all have heroic qualities - we have Merelda, who makes her dreams reality but finds them hollow; Lane, who wrestles with homophobia and the clay feet of his idols; Rigo, who loses his leg but finds his strength; Davies, whose daughter is worth more than his revenge; Balastair, whose past is full of secrets and whose present is a seemingly-impenetrable wall of frustration; even Boyland and Proctor Agrasanto (reminded me of Monsanto, which is probably a coincidence…), whose antagonistic natures contain seeds of loyalty, devotion, and self-sacrifice. Every one of them has a character arc I’d be willing to spend a whole novel following.
One facet of the novel that I particularly enjoyed was the gradual revelation of the extent of the Empyrean’s villainy and the equally gradual revelation of the horrific extent of the resistance’s - the Sleeping Dogs - grand plan to bring them down. While at first it seems like, in the grand scheme of oppressive dystopian rule, the Empyrean is no Capitol (from the Hunger Games), by the end of the book it becomes clear that they have a feat of horrific utilitarianism in mind. Similarly, the Sleeping Dogs aren’t content to end the rule of the Empyrean - most of them are planning blood for blood, and they’ve got a plan for that that just might work. Little does everyone know that there’s a third player in the game which would be more than happy to pick up the pieces after the Sleeping Dogs and the Empyrean have ripped each other to shreds, and while we don’t learn precisely what the Maize Witch has in mind, there’s a definite suggestion that it too may well be less than benevolent.
There was very little about this book and the preceding book in the trilogy that I didn’t like. The form of environmental devastation Wendig chose was particularly apt; monoculture, overcultivation, and pesticides are very real problems, and ones that many teenagers may be less familiar with than oppressive governments, nuclear devastation, global conflict, and global warming. On the other hand, I’m not sure that GMO farming deserves quite that much hate. In the end, my biggest problem is that the societies themselves are not as fully developed as they could be. The Empyreans seemed sort of sketched out and unoriginal. It’s your typical vaguely steampunk largely indifferent aristocratic degeneracy with a thin veil of underdeveloped religiosity. Given that it’s the main bad guy, it’d be nice to have something definite to hate. The Sleeping Dogs are a fairly standard resistance group with fairly standard biases and desperate plots, too, and the Heartland is fairly typically rustic-regressive, with their arranged marriages and small-minded local politicians. It’s not that any of these are badly done, exactly, but the blandness of them is what’s keeping this series merely good. It definitely has the potential to be great, and I would like to read more of Wendig’s work - and am eagerly anticipating the concluding volume of this trilogy - but it’s not one I’m going to return to over and over.
tl;dr - A fun read with memorable, well-written characters with almost a superfluity of excellent character arcs, a nicely-balanced plot, and a fairly solid premise - this is a YA dystopia for people who don’t like YA dystopias as well as for those who do! It does get a bit gory in places, and if you have problems reading about characters struggling against homophobia, you may want to skim a couple of pages.
January 20, 2024
(2.5 Stars)
I have such mixed feelings about this one... Have you ever watched a movie, or a television series and think that you want to read the book it was based on? Well this is one of those rare instances where I think a televised series would actually be better than this book. Because, the concept is great! The world-building is amazing. The character growth... well, honestly, it could be better... especially from Chuck Wendig.
Here is my problem with it, and maybe it's on me. I am really bad with names, like famously bad with them. There are a lot of characters in this series, but that's not really the problem. The problem is that the characters each use several names. Sometimes they are called by their first name, others their surname. And sometimes they are called by their title, or their honorific, or their profession. And sometimes by a nickname. So, I think, a series would be easier just to keep track of the people.
To make it somewhat worse... I'm listening to the audiobook version. You'd think that it would be easier since the narrator could change octave, tone, accent, speed, etc... But while this narrator does try to change the voices up a little... he only really changes the men. The women all sound mostly the same and all the adolescents sound the same. Oddly enough, the kids al sound a lot like that annoying kid from Polar Express (I think his name is "Know it all").
I really hate to dunk on this series... I really want to like it. And I have loved everything else I've read by Chuck Wendig. And honestly, if this was on TV, I'd watch it. And will I read the third book? yes, yes I will.
I have such mixed feelings about this one... Have you ever watched a movie, or a television series and think that you want to read the book it was based on? Well this is one of those rare instances where I think a televised series would actually be better than this book. Because, the concept is great! The world-building is amazing. The character growth... well, honestly, it could be better... especially from Chuck Wendig.
Here is my problem with it, and maybe it's on me. I am really bad with names, like famously bad with them. There are a lot of characters in this series, but that's not really the problem. The problem is that the characters each use several names. Sometimes they are called by their first name, others their surname. And sometimes they are called by their title, or their honorific, or their profession. And sometimes by a nickname. So, I think, a series would be easier just to keep track of the people.
To make it somewhat worse... I'm listening to the audiobook version. You'd think that it would be easier since the narrator could change octave, tone, accent, speed, etc... But while this narrator does try to change the voices up a little... he only really changes the men. The women all sound mostly the same and all the adolescents sound the same. Oddly enough, the kids al sound a lot like that annoying kid from Polar Express (I think his name is "Know it all").
I really hate to dunk on this series... I really want to like it. And I have loved everything else I've read by Chuck Wendig. And honestly, if this was on TV, I'd watch it. And will I read the third book? yes, yes I will.
July 1, 2023
Loved the second book of the Heartland trilogy, which picks up right where the first left off: Gwennie and Merelda are on a flotilla, and both have discovered that life in the clouds is not what they expected, and Cael and his friends are on the run and seeking a way up top themselves. The action is pretty evenly split between the ground and the sky, and I enjoyed learning more of the backstory of both the characters and the corn. We also get some land pirates, some rebels, and a bunch of interesting world building. I also really enjoyed the introduction of a few of the new characters (Balastair and Davies, I’m looking at you… and Erasmus, *my heart*) and also seeing some of the older ones grow and become sympathetic (Agrasanto, who’d’ve thought?) My only complaint would be that there were so many different POVs that the switches between them felt too frequent. I would have liked to stay with each group of characters longer, but then we might have a 1000 page King-ish tome!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews