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New World Trilogy #1
Свирачът пред Портите на здрача
Божеството изскача с писъци иззад дърветата. По-високо е от тях, разбутва ги встрани, прекършва ги и ги пали, докато си проправя път навън, за да се втурне – препъвайки се и пищейки – към брега на езерото... Където с Макс няма накъде да бягаме... Странен обект се носи през космоса към Новия свят. С приближаването му се появяват Сънищата. Сънища, които сполетяват единствено децата. Сънища, изпълнени с ужас. Сънища, изпълнени с Шум. Ужасяващи огнени божества започват да разрушават всичко по пътя си и да отвличат децата на хората и на Земята. Нищо и никой не може да застане на пътя им. Братята Бен и Макс никога не са се разбирали особено добре, но сега трябва да се съюзят. Защото те може би ще са единствените, които имат шанс да предотвратят предстоящия Апокалипсис.
Патрик Нес се завръща в света на „Живият хаос“ с първата книга от нова поредица. Комбинация между научна фантастика, антиутопия и приключенски роман.
Патрик Нес се завръща в света на „Живият хаос“ с първата книга от нова поредица. Комбинация между научна фантастика, антиутопия и приключенски роман.
360 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2026
85 people are currently reading
5762 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Ness
57 books18.8k followersPatrick Ness, an award-winning novelist, has written for Radio 4 and The Sunday Telegraph and is a literary critic for The Guardian. He has written many books, including the Chaos Walking Trilogy, The Crash of Hennington, Topics About Which I Know Nothing, and A Monster Calls.
He has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the Costa Children’s Book Award. Born in Virginia, he currently lives in London.
He has won numerous awards, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, the Booktrust Teenage Prize, and the Costa Children’s Book Award. Born in Virginia, he currently lives in London.
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Want to Read
December 27, 202415-year-old-me is losing her mind that this book exists
April 2, 2026
I am so unbelievably happy this was good. The Chaos Walking trilogy is one of my all time favourite series, so when this was announced, naturally I was ecstatic, especially since Patrick Ness has demonstrated he always has unique ideas and I felt he wouldn’t just do a sequel trilogy for the sake of it, and rather that he had something he wanted to say.
However, at the same time…I couldn’t help but worry. There have been many instances over the years of authors returning to series with books that just ended up either ruining elements of the original or being altogether unnecessary (see: The Hunger Games, Shatter Me, Miss Peregrine’s, etc). I am glad to report that this is not the case here. Ness has a sharp vision for his themes of colonization, gender identity, disability, family, and more that exist as a fantastic expansion of the themes explored in the original series, accomplished through two protagonists who don’t quite “fit” in their society in a way impossible to have been explored in the Chaos Walking books.
I think the place this book shined brightest was in its exploration of family. I was emotional as hell reading Todd and Viola as parents, even though it’s been years since I’ve read the original series. The dynamic between Todd and Max was especially well done.
The mysteries were also compelling, and kept me turning the pages. I’m excited to see where they lead in the next books.
I think where the book kind of suffers is its page count. I think we needed a bit more time to sit in certain moments. A hundred pages could easily have been added. I do also feel like some things were a bit more heavy handed than the original trilogy, but that doesn’t bother me as much and is to be expected in YA at the moment. That being said, I do feel as though Ness may be using this book as mostly set up for the next two books, which I could see being much larger and more complex than this one.
Happy this exists :)
However, at the same time…I couldn’t help but worry. There have been many instances over the years of authors returning to series with books that just ended up either ruining elements of the original or being altogether unnecessary (see: The Hunger Games, Shatter Me, Miss Peregrine’s, etc). I am glad to report that this is not the case here. Ness has a sharp vision for his themes of colonization, gender identity, disability, family, and more that exist as a fantastic expansion of the themes explored in the original series, accomplished through two protagonists who don’t quite “fit” in their society in a way impossible to have been explored in the Chaos Walking books.
I think the place this book shined brightest was in its exploration of family. I was emotional as hell reading Todd and Viola as parents, even though it’s been years since I’ve read the original series. The dynamic between Todd and Max was especially well done.
The mysteries were also compelling, and kept me turning the pages. I’m excited to see where they lead in the next books.
I think where the book kind of suffers is its page count. I think we needed a bit more time to sit in certain moments. A hundred pages could easily have been added. I do also feel like some things were a bit more heavy handed than the original trilogy, but that doesn’t bother me as much and is to be expected in YA at the moment. That being said, I do feel as though Ness may be using this book as mostly set up for the next two books, which I could see being much larger and more complex than this one.
Happy this exists :)
April 24, 2026
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is the beginning of a new arc for a trilogy that was written years ago. This book reflects that lengthy time period as we visit this world. Todd and Viola are now parents in this world where humans landed to settle. They have two children and this is their story. They deal with new developments with moral issues while being in danger from this world.
I was one of the few readers who did not really enjoy the ending of the original trilogy. That being said I was excited to find out that the author decided to revisit the world he has created. I also enjoyed that time was not stagnant with Todd and Viola being parents and dealing with different circumstances. Once again we get humans being humans as we believe wherever we settle it is our birthright to the land even though indigenous species are already living there. And once again humans show their ugly head with discrimination as history repeats itself. This is where this book and overall series excels. When the author deals with moral issues like the one I mentioned. This is when I am all in for these books. This book felt like the previous books in this series in that regard.
There was one reason that I could not give this a full four stars. This series has always been meant for the younger audience. This one felt like it was meant for even a younger audience than the original trilogy. At times it seemed a little too simple and lacked the nuance depth of the original trilogy. I was into the story throughout the whole book but it did not capture me like it should have. I am hoping that this is the case of this being the opening book of a new trilogy and it was more set up for the next book. I know I will be diving into that one when it is released.
This is the beginning of a new arc for a trilogy that was written years ago. This book reflects that lengthy time period as we visit this world. Todd and Viola are now parents in this world where humans landed to settle. They have two children and this is their story. They deal with new developments with moral issues while being in danger from this world.
I was one of the few readers who did not really enjoy the ending of the original trilogy. That being said I was excited to find out that the author decided to revisit the world he has created. I also enjoyed that time was not stagnant with Todd and Viola being parents and dealing with different circumstances. Once again we get humans being humans as we believe wherever we settle it is our birthright to the land even though indigenous species are already living there. And once again humans show their ugly head with discrimination as history repeats itself. This is where this book and overall series excels. When the author deals with moral issues like the one I mentioned. This is when I am all in for these books. This book felt like the previous books in this series in that regard.
There was one reason that I could not give this a full four stars. This series has always been meant for the younger audience. This one felt like it was meant for even a younger audience than the original trilogy. At times it seemed a little too simple and lacked the nuance depth of the original trilogy. I was into the story throughout the whole book but it did not capture me like it should have. I am hoping that this is the case of this being the opening book of a new trilogy and it was more set up for the next book. I know I will be diving into that one when it is released.
Want to Read
November 10, 2025no one understands how much i need it to be injected into my veins.
PS. each new information about this one makes me even more excited
PS. each new information about this one makes me even more excited
Want to Read
January 2, 2026patrick ness please don't ruin chaos walking for me with this spin-off series this is a very serious matter not to be taken lightly 🙏🏻🙏🏻
April 20, 2026
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
It has been over ten years since I first read Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy, which I loved. The series introduced a colonized planet with a fascinating quirk: all the human men are part of “the Noise”, a constant stream of thoughts, images, and emotions that everyone can hear. For a society not raised with this ability, the fallout was intense and deeply compelling.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk picks up twenty years after the events of the original trilogy, following the next generation. While you don’t strictly need to have read the first three books to understand this one, I strongly recommend doing so. It provides valuable insight into the characters’ motivations and the weight of their history.
Todd and Viola, now parents, have two very different but “special” boys, Max and Ben. The story unfolds through their alternating points of view. Twenty years have passed since the war with the Spackle, the planet’s indigenous inhabitants, but old prejudices still linger just beneath the surface. When most of the children in the community begin having nightmares, suspicion immediately turns toward a mysterious object approaching in the sky or a new virus that some are quick to blame on the Spackle.
Max takes after his adoptive father, Todd. He is an adventurer at heart with little interest in town life. Having grown up among the Spackle and accustomed to the Noise his father still carries, Max is comfortable in ways many others are not. He joins Todd on a journey to meet his grandfather in hopes that the Spackle might have historical knowledge about the strange object hurtling toward their planet. As a boy who has chosen to live authentically as himself, Max also confronts the prejudices he faces. While I found some of these sections a bit heavy-handed, I deeply appreciated Todd’s loving and supportive relationship with his adoptive son.
Ben, on the other hand, cannot speak and has learned to navigate life with a disability in a world where thoughts and words move quickly. He relies on a tablet to communicate, typing out words that are then spoken aloud. This works well in normal situations, but during moments of crisis, when panicked voices overlap and drown each other out, Ben struggles to keep up. Logical and protective like his mother Viola, Ben is determined to safeguard his family as god-like beings begin to reappear, stealing children and threatening the community. In times of fear, it often feels easier for people to blame familiar targets rather than confront the unknown.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk revisits many of the core themes from the original trilogy, colonialism, xenophobia, and the small groups that sow division, while introducing new layers around gender identity and living with a disability. At times, the added focus on these issues meant more time spent in dialogue and internal reflection than on plot momentum, which slightly slowed the pace for me. That said, I loved seeing Todd and Viola as married adults, but realistically dealing with marital struggles. It was rewarding to witness how the culture of New World has and hasn’t changed after twenty years, and to meet the next generation of humans shaped by this unique planet.
This is a solid start to what promises to be another thought-provoking trilogy. It raises more questions than it answers, leaving me eager to discover how the fight against these returning “gods” will unfold, what happened to the stolen children, and how the mysterious object in space connects to everything.
If you enjoyed the original Chaos Walking trilogy , I recommend picking this up. It successfully expands the world while staying true to the emotional depth and moral complexity that made the first books so memorable.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Zach Barack and Jordan Renzo are both relatively new audio narrators with two and three books to their credit. They both fit the younger voices of Max and Ben well and had a distinctive voice for their PoVs and made individual pacing choices. I would have absolutely loved if Nick Podel and Angela Dawe could have reprised their roles for Todd and Viola but Zach and Jordan did try to capture them in a new and different way so it was not comparable to the original trilogy. They did a solid job and I can see how they will be great narrators in the future but still coming into their own here.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
It has been over ten years since I first read Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy, which I loved. The series introduced a colonized planet with a fascinating quirk: all the human men are part of “the Noise”, a constant stream of thoughts, images, and emotions that everyone can hear. For a society not raised with this ability, the fallout was intense and deeply compelling.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk picks up twenty years after the events of the original trilogy, following the next generation. While you don’t strictly need to have read the first three books to understand this one, I strongly recommend doing so. It provides valuable insight into the characters’ motivations and the weight of their history.
Todd and Viola, now parents, have two very different but “special” boys, Max and Ben. The story unfolds through their alternating points of view. Twenty years have passed since the war with the Spackle, the planet’s indigenous inhabitants, but old prejudices still linger just beneath the surface. When most of the children in the community begin having nightmares, suspicion immediately turns toward a mysterious object approaching in the sky or a new virus that some are quick to blame on the Spackle.
Max takes after his adoptive father, Todd. He is an adventurer at heart with little interest in town life. Having grown up among the Spackle and accustomed to the Noise his father still carries, Max is comfortable in ways many others are not. He joins Todd on a journey to meet his grandfather in hopes that the Spackle might have historical knowledge about the strange object hurtling toward their planet. As a boy who has chosen to live authentically as himself, Max also confronts the prejudices he faces. While I found some of these sections a bit heavy-handed, I deeply appreciated Todd’s loving and supportive relationship with his adoptive son.
Ben, on the other hand, cannot speak and has learned to navigate life with a disability in a world where thoughts and words move quickly. He relies on a tablet to communicate, typing out words that are then spoken aloud. This works well in normal situations, but during moments of crisis, when panicked voices overlap and drown each other out, Ben struggles to keep up. Logical and protective like his mother Viola, Ben is determined to safeguard his family as god-like beings begin to reappear, stealing children and threatening the community. In times of fear, it often feels easier for people to blame familiar targets rather than confront the unknown.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk revisits many of the core themes from the original trilogy, colonialism, xenophobia, and the small groups that sow division, while introducing new layers around gender identity and living with a disability. At times, the added focus on these issues meant more time spent in dialogue and internal reflection than on plot momentum, which slightly slowed the pace for me. That said, I loved seeing Todd and Viola as married adults, but realistically dealing with marital struggles. It was rewarding to witness how the culture of New World has and hasn’t changed after twenty years, and to meet the next generation of humans shaped by this unique planet.
This is a solid start to what promises to be another thought-provoking trilogy. It raises more questions than it answers, leaving me eager to discover how the fight against these returning “gods” will unfold, what happened to the stolen children, and how the mysterious object in space connects to everything.
If you enjoyed the original Chaos Walking trilogy , I recommend picking this up. It successfully expands the world while staying true to the emotional depth and moral complexity that made the first books so memorable.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Zach Barack and Jordan Renzo are both relatively new audio narrators with two and three books to their credit. They both fit the younger voices of Max and Ben well and had a distinctive voice for their PoVs and made individual pacing choices. I would have absolutely loved if Nick Podel and Angela Dawe could have reprised their roles for Todd and Viola but Zach and Jordan did try to capture them in a new and different way so it was not comparable to the original trilogy. They did a solid job and I can see how they will be great narrators in the future but still coming into their own here.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Want to Read
March 30, 2026I'm Sorry What!!? A new spin off of Chaos Walking! And it comes out in a week! 😃 What A fabulous Monday this turned out to be! ❤️🔥🔥❤️
April 11, 2026
I am disappointed. While the two brothers had distinct voices, the story is 90% dialogue, and all the additional world building is through the dialogue. There's barely any proper descriptions that bring the world to life. Seems to rely on having read the original trilogy, which, by the way, was way better written than this. It had more depth but this story is for want of a better word "juvenile" in its storytelling. I felt it was telling all the way through, not showing, and honestly the story or revelations are flimsy and don't make much sense. Also not very nuanced unfortunately. Very obvious with the message which pulled me out of the story.
February 6, 2026
Thank you for NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book!
I was a teenager working in public libraries when the Chaos Walking trilogy was released- I’m now in my mid-thirties, working in an academic library, and a fervent fan of Patrick Ness. I haven’t read Chaos Walking since then; it’s on a short but significant list of books that I only ever want to read for the first time. I remember Manchee and the phrase “one in particular” and I remember how each of the books felt heavy with melancholy. Piper at the Gates of Dusk does not feel the same, and it’s because Viola and Todd grew into damn good parents. Their sons have been raised with the skills their parents had to fight a war to learn, and are brave, outspoken and near unshakeable as a result. The bigotry, racism, fanaticism and denial that *still* run through the human settlement on New World is something beatable, not inevitable, when seen through Max and Ben. Hope, not melancholy, is the feeling I will remember having when I remember having read this book. No spoilers- just read it as soon as you can. Extra stars awarded for referencing The Wind in the Willows.
I was a teenager working in public libraries when the Chaos Walking trilogy was released- I’m now in my mid-thirties, working in an academic library, and a fervent fan of Patrick Ness. I haven’t read Chaos Walking since then; it’s on a short but significant list of books that I only ever want to read for the first time. I remember Manchee and the phrase “one in particular” and I remember how each of the books felt heavy with melancholy. Piper at the Gates of Dusk does not feel the same, and it’s because Viola and Todd grew into damn good parents. Their sons have been raised with the skills their parents had to fight a war to learn, and are brave, outspoken and near unshakeable as a result. The bigotry, racism, fanaticism and denial that *still* run through the human settlement on New World is something beatable, not inevitable, when seen through Max and Ben. Hope, not melancholy, is the feeling I will remember having when I remember having read this book. No spoilers- just read it as soon as you can. Extra stars awarded for referencing The Wind in the Willows.
November 23, 2025
Thanks to edelweiss and Candlewick Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
RATING: 4.5
After being disappointed in a book by a YA author, which I liked, I lowered my expectations for this one, but it is so far from being a disappoint it's a really great follow up.
While it's nice to see Todd and Viola and they're still doing things here and there. The two brothers, Max and Ben, take center stage. Both of them have their own personal problems and conflicts, it took me a while to like Max, maybe because of the formatting, but by the end Patrick Ness created two great characters again, very fleshed out and really excited for the next book so they can grow some more.
The antagonists of this book are also well-written, you'll absolutely wanted to strangle them. It might be unbelievable for then, but looking around now these people exists.
While this is a young adult book, the characters are not really annoying or are they involved is some love triangle or some tropes that I find tiring. Instead in focuses on themes that are very timely today like xenophobia/racism, disability awareness and accepting of others' identity like transgender. I didn't really find them heavy handed nor do I find it subtle but it's presented to the readers organically and very well.
The mystery of the nightmares and the object at the sky is also great. Sometimes it feels like a backdrop of the themes I mentioned earlier and I don't really care for it - NOT THAT IT'S BAD. But I figured that I might not get every questions answered in the very first book. Nonetheless it's very entertaining, especially how it unfolds.
My only complaint is regarding one conflict. It just suddenly get solved... for now. It's very obvious that Ness is saving it up for the next book.
Also not a fan of the cover, but the title is just chef's kiss.
For the CHAOS WALKING fans, you wouldn't be disappointed.
RATING: 4.5
After being disappointed in a book by a YA author, which I liked, I lowered my expectations for this one, but it is so far from being a disappoint it's a really great follow up.
While it's nice to see Todd and Viola and they're still doing things here and there. The two brothers, Max and Ben, take center stage. Both of them have their own personal problems and conflicts, it took me a while to like Max, maybe because of the formatting, but by the end Patrick Ness created two great characters again, very fleshed out and really excited for the next book so they can grow some more.
The antagonists of this book are also well-written, you'll absolutely wanted to strangle them. It might be unbelievable for then, but looking around now these people exists.
While this is a young adult book, the characters are not really annoying or are they involved is some love triangle or some tropes that I find tiring. Instead in focuses on themes that are very timely today like xenophobia/racism, disability awareness and accepting of others' identity like transgender. I didn't really find them heavy handed nor do I find it subtle but it's presented to the readers organically and very well.
The mystery of the nightmares and the object at the sky is also great. Sometimes it feels like a backdrop of the themes I mentioned earlier and I don't really care for it - NOT THAT IT'S BAD. But I figured that I might not get every questions answered in the very first book. Nonetheless it's very entertaining, especially how it unfolds.
My only complaint is regarding one conflict. It just suddenly get solved... for now. It's very obvious that Ness is saving it up for the next book.
Also not a fan of the cover, but the title is just chef's kiss.
For the CHAOS WALKING fans, you wouldn't be disappointed.
Want to Read
November 6, 2025i’m so seated. the employees are asking me to leave because ‘it’s not april 2026 yet’ but i’m simply too seated
April 5, 2026
20 years after the events of the Chaos Walking trilogy, Todd and Viola and their two sons are trying to make a life though things between the Land and humans remain tense. (I read the first books almost 15 years ago and my memory is quite spotty, so this book would stand alone, although I think having more recall would enhance the experience.) Humans are the alien settlers, a they have a cure now for the Noise, the way the natives communicate which makes all human men’s thoughts and feelings audible. Todd did not get the cure, but they gave it to their children.
Ben and Max alternate narrating, and they each bring a unique voice and experience. I was listening, and they’re voiced by different people, which was excellent. They are very different, and the way they’re growing together and apart is a theme. While they are in the woods, they see what they can only describe as a god on fire tearing through. The town doesn’t want to believe, and some choose ignorance, as things escalate.
I think it’s worth noting that one of the main characters is trans, and it comes up frequently and with a very firm belief system. The only unaccepting person also commits genocide, and anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly and unquestionably accept Max’s change is “a monster.” This is good conversational fodder for parents and kids. Otherwise, it is scary and violent on the level of Hunger Games and there’s no teen romance. It does end on a cliffhanger!
Ness is such a talented author, and he conveys a lot in a relatively short book. I will definitely be thinking about this and wishing books 2 and 3 were already published. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc - the audio was fantastic.
Ben and Max alternate narrating, and they each bring a unique voice and experience. I was listening, and they’re voiced by different people, which was excellent. They are very different, and the way they’re growing together and apart is a theme. While they are in the woods, they see what they can only describe as a god on fire tearing through. The town doesn’t want to believe, and some choose ignorance, as things escalate.
I think it’s worth noting that one of the main characters is trans, and it comes up frequently and with a very firm belief system. The only unaccepting person also commits genocide, and anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly and unquestionably accept Max’s change is “a monster.” This is good conversational fodder for parents and kids. Otherwise, it is scary and violent on the level of Hunger Games and there’s no teen romance. It does end on a cliffhanger!
Ness is such a talented author, and he conveys a lot in a relatively short book. I will definitely be thinking about this and wishing books 2 and 3 were already published. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc - the audio was fantastic.
January 21, 2026
Is it too early to have a favourite book of the year that will most likely remain so?
This book absolutely floored me. I was shamefully late to reading Choas Walking, despite the fact that I had read every other of Ness’ books and been deeply in love with them. When I read the trilogy back in late 2020 I was furious that I had denied myself the beauty for so long. It quickly became one of my all time favourite trilogies. I fell in love with the world. The characters. All of it. And so to be back there… oh what a joy it was!
There’s always a slight worry when there’s a sequel to a believed book or series that has come many years after the original. This fear that the author won’t be able to recreate the same magic. That it won’t have the same pull. But thankfully any fears there couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Piper!
Several decades have passed since Monsters of Men ended, and Todd and Viola are parents now. This book focuses on their sons, Ben and Max. For years there has been relative peace. Some humans still hold a grudge against the Spackle, finding it hard to relinquish their prejudices. But still, a peace of sorts. But a new danger has revealed itself and it’s creepy, scary and confusing.
The book is told in dual narrative sections by both of the brothers and the story just absolutely flew by. I could barely breathe with how fast it went. I tried to make it last, really tried to savour it but my god it was hard.
Patrick’s writing, as ever, was stunning and all consuming. I was sucked into this book so hard and I wasn’t let go. The book ends with a huge cliff hanger that has me gasping for book 2. I am so glad that this is a trilogy and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
My thanks to Candlewick for my earc!
This book absolutely floored me. I was shamefully late to reading Choas Walking, despite the fact that I had read every other of Ness’ books and been deeply in love with them. When I read the trilogy back in late 2020 I was furious that I had denied myself the beauty for so long. It quickly became one of my all time favourite trilogies. I fell in love with the world. The characters. All of it. And so to be back there… oh what a joy it was!
There’s always a slight worry when there’s a sequel to a believed book or series that has come many years after the original. This fear that the author won’t be able to recreate the same magic. That it won’t have the same pull. But thankfully any fears there couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Piper!
Several decades have passed since Monsters of Men ended, and Todd and Viola are parents now. This book focuses on their sons, Ben and Max. For years there has been relative peace. Some humans still hold a grudge against the Spackle, finding it hard to relinquish their prejudices. But still, a peace of sorts. But a new danger has revealed itself and it’s creepy, scary and confusing.
The book is told in dual narrative sections by both of the brothers and the story just absolutely flew by. I could barely breathe with how fast it went. I tried to make it last, really tried to savour it but my god it was hard.
Patrick’s writing, as ever, was stunning and all consuming. I was sucked into this book so hard and I wasn’t let go. The book ends with a huge cliff hanger that has me gasping for book 2. I am so glad that this is a trilogy and I cannot wait to see what happens next!
My thanks to Candlewick for my earc!
April 9, 2026
“You may call me Dr. Eade” THATS WHY SHES THE MVP. THATS WHY SHES THE GOAT🐐 Anyway. I can’t believe this is real life. Oh man oh man. I loved reading about Ben and Max so much and their characters reflect so much of Todd and Viola it felt like I was reading about them again. Their dynamic with them too was so amazing to see. Seeing Tiola as parents literally had me smiling like a damn Chesire cat anytime they were all together. All the callbacks to the OG series too had me sobbing my eyes out. The sons talking about how their family was dysfunctional but always shows up for each other warmed my cold dark heart❤️ it broke my heart a little though to hear about how Todd is judged for keeping his Noise and how that reflects on their whole family because Todd and Viola already went through so much and now they are regarded as “weirdos” when the whole town should be kissing the ground they walk on😇 also the part where it said the Noise makes people feel not alone but Todd still felt alone for a while as a kid made me cry😁. the “we are the choices we make” mention had me standing up and applauding😛😛 I did find it kinda repetitive when Todd and Viola and Ben and everyone would try and give their words of wisdom like in every scene of them together I was like omg are you a prophet (yes). I’m really interested to see where this goes with the Glyph though with the kids and the Noise. I just feel like there could’ve been a little more tho!!!! Only 320 pages. I demand 700 Patrick ness. Anyways. I love these characters for ever and ever
Want to Read
March 20, 2025NEW CHAOS WALKING AS I LIVE AND BREATHE LET’S ALL LIVE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
April 5, 2026
Шум.
Небето.
Разговорът.
Земята.
Божество.
Двама братя.Толкова различни, в същото време толкова дълбоко свързани.
Майка, която никога не се предава.
Най-страхотната бащина фигура писана последните години.Баща, какъвто бих пожелал на всеки.
И всичко това забъркано до една хомогенна смес от антиутопия, научна фантастика и приключение.
Книгата повдига не един или два философски въпроса, докато героите ни минават на забавен каданс през това, което Съдбата им е отредила.
Колко струва истината?
Какво всъщност е тя и заслужава ли си?
Защо избираме водачите си?
До колко ни определят изборите и мислете ни?
Има ли специални хора и какво значение има изобщо това?
Поредната книга, която ми даде храната, от която не знаех, че имам нужда.
Небето.
Разговорът.
Земята.
Божество.
Двама братя.Толкова различни, в същото време толкова дълбоко свързани.
Майка, която никога не се предава.
Най-страхотната бащина фигура писана последните години.Баща, какъвто бих пожелал на всеки.
И всичко това забъркано до една хомогенна смес от антиутопия, научна фантастика и приключение.
Книгата повдига не един или два философски въпроса, докато героите ни минават на забавен каданс през това, което Съдбата им е отредила.
Колко струва истината?
Какво всъщност е тя и заслужава ли си?
Защо избираме водачите си?
До колко ни определят изборите и мислете ни?
Има ли специални хора и какво значение има изобщо това?
Поредната книга, която ми даде храната, от която не знаех, че имам нужда.
Did Not Finish
May 10, 2026DNF AT 37%
First off, Todd and Viola don't even seem to like each other anymore. Second, the writing is very flat and not at all engaging to me. Third, the author went up on his soapbox. And that was it for me. And it was honestly a huge disappointment for me.
First off, Todd and Viola don't even seem to like each other anymore. Second, the writing is very flat and not at all engaging to me. Third, the author went up on his soapbox. And that was it for me. And it was honestly a huge disappointment for me.
April 9, 2026
Patrick Ness, you’ve done it again. After the whirlwind of the Chaos Walking trilogy, I was over the moon to return to this universe with a new instalment. A first book in a new trilogy is rarely the magnum opus, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The subtle nods to the previous series, alongside the introduction of new characters, Ben and Max, offer a fresh perspective on an already expansive world.
The exposition and world building lay a strong foundation for the books to come, and Ness really knows how to write an effin (and I didn’t say “eff”) cliffhanger. I’m already hungry for the next book, and can’t wait to see what unfolds next.
The exposition and world building lay a strong foundation for the books to come, and Ness really knows how to write an effin (and I didn’t say “eff”) cliffhanger. I’m already hungry for the next book, and can’t wait to see what unfolds next.
April 29, 2026
oh. this was pure joy to read!! I loved LOVED the chaos walking series and was just unbelievably excited at the prospect of another series in this world. and it delivered. i missed Ness’s writing and his imagination and his ability to write such emotional, deep characters. can’t wait for book 2!!
April 13, 2026
I cannot wait for the rest of the series!!!
I've seen someone else say this but I felt like I could have had at least 200 more pages, but that might be because I blew through this so fast that I just need more!
The themes and characters are so well written that they almost overshadow the plot in my memory. This sounds like a bad thing but it isn't to me! I think this was the same with the chaos walking series, but perhaps the themes are more overt in this one than chaos walking. I really like this though, as I think Patrick Ness has such a beautiful way of writing moral quandires, life lessons and human behaviour, and it's really just a pleasure to read and learn from his philosophy.
I've seen someone else say this but I felt like I could have had at least 200 more pages, but that might be because I blew through this so fast that I just need more!
The themes and characters are so well written that they almost overshadow the plot in my memory. This sounds like a bad thing but it isn't to me! I think this was the same with the chaos walking series, but perhaps the themes are more overt in this one than chaos walking. I really like this though, as I think Patrick Ness has such a beautiful way of writing moral quandires, life lessons and human behaviour, and it's really just a pleasure to read and learn from his philosophy.
May 5, 2026
This was absolutely epic!!! I was skeptical when this was announced but I loved every minute of it. I don’t think I’ve read a book so hungrily in a long time! Patrick Ness dropped me straight back into the world of Chaos Walking and it felt like I hadn’t ever left. The story focuses on the sons of Todd and Viola, Ben and Max, and we see the world through their eyes.
April 7, 2026
I’ve only read one book by Patrick Ness, which is crazy since it’s one of my favorite books of all time. I saw this book on NetGalley and got so excited about reading a sci-fi book by Ness that I picked it up without realizing it’s part of a bigger series. While I think the book is readable on its own, there was very little world-building, so the story ended up feeling very simple.
Piper at the Gates of Dusk follows two kids born on a planet that’s struggling with gods who attack them and a sudden phenomenon where kids start having nightmares. The book sort of uses the story of the piper as a base, with the kids being called by the monsters. It all ends up being a cheesy, good-vibes story about community and acceptance. The book sort of obsesses over which kid is going to be left behind, since some of the characters identify as “flawed” (disabilities, gender orientation…), and finishes with a wholesome reflection.
The book felt extremely YA to me, and it just lacked oomph. I think I needed more world-building and just more everything in general. While the simplicity and straightforwardness of the book made it easier to read, it felt very meh. I was also a little irked by the gender stuff because I’m of the mindset that 5,000+ years in the future we’ll have accepted other gender identities, so I like it when sci-fi normalizes it to show we’ve moved on from this hate (but this is a me thing ✨).
Piper at the Gates of Dusk follows two kids born on a planet that’s struggling with gods who attack them and a sudden phenomenon where kids start having nightmares. The book sort of uses the story of the piper as a base, with the kids being called by the monsters. It all ends up being a cheesy, good-vibes story about community and acceptance. The book sort of obsesses over which kid is going to be left behind, since some of the characters identify as “flawed” (disabilities, gender orientation…), and finishes with a wholesome reflection.
The book felt extremely YA to me, and it just lacked oomph. I think I needed more world-building and just more everything in general. While the simplicity and straightforwardness of the book made it easier to read, it felt very meh. I was also a little irked by the gender stuff because I’m of the mindset that 5,000+ years in the future we’ll have accepted other gender identities, so I like it when sci-fi normalizes it to show we’ve moved on from this hate (but this is a me thing ✨).
April 14, 2026
Ha. I didn’t know this was a continuation of a beloved trilogy, so keep that in mind. As a standalone, this seemed to dive into an underdeveloped world with seemingly unknown physics and history. I understand now that I was missing 3 books worth of context and I believe I would have loved it with that information, so I’ll likely do a reread!
April 24, 2026
I was so worried about this book (really, I shouldn’t have been, it’s Patrick Ness) and I am so glad it ended up being a good follow up to the original Chaos Walking series. I’d rate this a 4.5/5, and I think the next two books stand a really great chance at being amazing after having this book as the initial set up.
Honestly, I often do NOT like spin off series, especially after the original series has been finished for such a long time. The story ends up feeling like a cash grab, or cheap, or like the author couldn’t move on from the story and make something original. I was still hopeful for this, because I trust Patrick Ness (he’s one of my favourite authors ever for a reason) but I couldn’t help but be a bit wary because the original Chaos Walking series is tied for my favourite books EVER, so obviously I feel a bit protective over it.
THANK GOD Patrick Ness did an amazing job with Piper at the Gates of Dusk. I knew he was one of my favourite authors ever for a reason.
This book follows Max and Ben, the children of Viola and Todd (AHHHHH:D). The immediate joy I got from seeing that very first page of Noise was crazy. It felt extra special that I had read the original series in middle school and had been obsessed with the original page of Noise all that time ago, and now, over a decade later as I’m *teaching* middle school, I got to experience a brand new page of Noise. It felt very full circle, lol. I love that I’m still reading the same stuff as in middle school and getting just as much enjoyment from it as middle school me was.
So many lines also reminded me of Todd and his narration or experiences, so it was so cute seeing that in both of his sons at different points. It’s also funny how they’re similar ages to Todd in the first book, and when I originally read the series in grade 8, Todd never seemed super young, and now at 25 and teaching middle schoolers, Max and Ben (and Todd in the last series) are actually babies lol.
This book felt like a good blend between new and fresh, while still having some of the nostalgia of the original series. I’m really impressed with how seamlessly Patrick Ness managed to blend these.
The start of this book was a little slower (more context/build up/setting the scene or situation) but I still enjoyed it. But man, the second half of this book BLEW me away. It was so intense, exhilarating, I was on the edge of my seat for hundreds of pages… that’s a long time to be on the edge of your seat without losing momentum or anything. It felt so exciting, page after page after page, and I’m so impressed with Patrick Ness’ ability to do that. This book ended up being quite mysterious; so many different things were happening that you and the characters just didn’t have an answer for. You know they’re all somehow related, but it’s so difficult to understand why or how. It gave this overarching eeriness to the story which I loved. Plus, the overall idea of the story was so interesting, with these giant gods on fire, screaming and in pain, stealing children, both a Land version and a human version, weird dreams the kids are having, a weird rock in the sky (lol, unintentional Project Hail Mary reference). Patrick Ness’ biggest strength, to me, has alwaysssss been his unique and creative story ideas. Nearly all of his books have been the most creative books I’ve read, and I really, really, REALLY appreciate his determination of always thinking outside the box.
I was also not expecting Todd and Viola to be as involved in the story as they were. They ended up being pretty prominent characters, especially Todd, which makes sense because why would they let their children deal with anything scary and difficult alone after all those two had been through when they were their kids’ age. I loved how understanding and accepting Todd and Viola were at so many different points throughout the story; I felt really proud of who they grew up to be. The only thing with the adults (including Todd’s dad, Ben) was some of their lines felt a bit more preachy/on the nose. Something I read foreverrrrrr ago from Patrick Ness (which I remember to this day because I thought it was suchhhhh amazing advice) was that you shouldn’t write a story with a message already in mind or else it gets preachy; instead, you should just write a story, and a message will naturally unfold as needed.
I always thought this was such amazing advice, and while I don’t know if Patrick Ness had specific messages in mind for this story, the execution of a number of lines just felt a little awkward or too on the nose. I get that Todd or grandpa Ben as characters likely WOULD be trying to teach their kids some huge lessons every other day because of all they had been through growing up; Todd wants to shape the future generation into being able to create a brighter future for themselves, to make sure his kids don’t need to struggle or feel alone, but still, even if it makes a bit of sense, I just feel like as a book it didn’t carry across well. So this is partially where that 0.5 stars off comes from, the very heavy handed messaging at points rather than leaving messages to be a little more subtle and for readers to pick out themselves.
I did love how Todd and Viola often treated the kids in this book like equals. Normally in books it’s very easy to just completely separate the adult and children characters, but Todd and Viola would genuinely listen and consider the kids’ ideas (not just their own kids, but their kids’ classmates), would genuinely answer the questions they were asked, and just generally treat the kids like an equal in conversation, which I found really nice and refreshing.
I also really enjoyed the representation with both Max and Ben. This part I didn’t find to be as heavy handed as some of the other messages in this book, which was good. Max is transgender and not biologically related to Todd/Viola, meanwhile Ben is unable to speak and can only talk through sign language or a voice communicator. These things *are* brought up, because it still impacts the kids’ lives and their thoughts and experiences and perspectives, however it also wasn’t ALL their story was about, which I think is good because often, for example, books with transgender kids are ABOUT being transgender, but I think it’s also important to have books about a transgender person without it being ABOUT being transgender, because it’s just cool to be in a sci-fi story with flaming giant gods and missing children and weird alien rocks in the sky. It’s good to feel like you can be the cool character in a sci-fi adventure, and if you limit transgender people (for this example) to *only* books about being transgender, you lose a lot of other cool forms of representation. I’m not sure if I worded all that well, but it’s a compliment to this book!
Speaking of Max, he was 100% my favourite of the two (sorry Ben). He has such a fiery personality that I just found so fun and refreshing, I loved it. I saw so much of Todd in him, but he was still his own unique character separate from Todd. AHH I just loved Max lol. His relationship with Todd was also so cute, I always loved their chapters together. They’re like the definition of “like father like son” lol. I really enjoyed that both kids were more similar to a different parent. It was really fascinating to see and read about.
Max was also so funny. This is a random moment to even point out, but Max always going to the Land Market to eat his melons was so funny to me, he’s so cute. I also loveeeee how both Todd and Max don’t care what other people think of them; while Ben is really concerned with fitting in (understandable), Todd and Max would rather be true to themselves than shape themselves to other peoples’ expectations. My favourite characters are always like this, because I really value when people prioritize what THEY think of THEMSELVES over what others may think of them. Even when it was difficult, Max was always true to himself no matter what, and I think that’s really admirable.
I do still really like Ben though, I just related to his personality a bit less because he so desperately wanted to fit in (it *was* very sad reading about that though. Nearly all kids just want to fit in). There were a number of moments I found really heartbreaking where, no matter how fast Ben tried to type stuff into his voice communicator, he was nearly never fast enough to follow along with the group conversation. Three sentences would have already been said out loud by the time he was done typing his original thought, and by then someone else had already asked his question, said his thought, or completely moved on to something else. I find that very heartbreaking, to *feel* like you have no voice because you just can’t participate in the conversation at the speed of everyone else.
One line was: “Even though I sign really fast, it’s not as immediate as when people talk, so other people, even my idiot brother, get to tell all the stories” (30). UGH that’s so heartbreaking. I think everyone gets excited to be able to be the one to tell a story, and the fact that Ben is *never* the one is so sad to me. I know “getting to be the one to tell the story” seems like a simple or insignificant thing, but really it’s not, I think it’s something that means a lot to a lot of people.
That being said, it was shortly followed by this line: “Now don’t get any stupid ideas. This story, whatever it is, isn’t about ‘finding my voice’. I have a voice just fine, thank you. It’s in my face and my gestures and my words. […] I can’t speak, but I’m not without a voice, okay?” (32). I *love* this line so much. I love the emphasis that Ben obviously still has a voice, that speaking orally isn’t the only way to communicate your ideas and thoughts.
I also really loved the other kids, like Tara and Arrow. I loved them and Ben together, especially cause they aren’t exactly super close friends, they’re just all in the same class, so their interactions felt enjoyable and a bit nostalgic to be honest, because there’s this very specific feeling of being in a group with your classmates who you aren’t bffs with but you’re still talking and figuring stuff out together. I really enjoyed the scenes with the three of them, and I hope there’s more in future books because the group chemistry was honestly pretty good and makes for some entertaining chapters and interesting dialogue. I love groups of people forced to work together LOL. I hope Max can join though, I think he’d be such a great addition to the group.
I spoke a lot about the treatment of the Land in my three original Chaos Walking reviews, so I won’t say as much because it’d just be repeating the same ideas, but UGH I hate the way the Land are STILL treated. I said it in one of my old reviews, but everything is made so much worse when you think about how everything that is happening to the Land, are things that humans have done in real life to other humans. Like, the Land is fiction, but the actions against them are not. I do enjoy the way Patrick Ness explores this though in his books.
Anyway, onto some quotes I liked:
“It wasn’t Noise that was men’s problem. It was men themselves” (32). The fact that all of the issues in New World were also issues back on Earth. Like, duh men are the issue, not the Noise or the Land or anything else. Everything they touch crumples. They literally had to leave Earth because they ruined it so badly with wars and fighting and not taking care of the environment and all that. When problems follow you wherever you go, maybe you need to reflect and realize you’re the problem. But of course, as a later quote I wrote says, they’re never going to believe that they’re the issue.
“Memory changes over time. It becomes history first, then story, then myth” (43).
“‘I wouldn’t? I wouldn’t understand what it’s like to be different? Or have to find a new way to connect to the world because the way I was born wasn’t a way the world could understand me?’” (75). That last line makes me so sad.
“‘This is what you all lost when you cured your Noise. Stories are more than words. They’re what’s behind the words’” (121).
“‘It’s more that I wish the world was different, and I can’t help but feel like we missed our chance to make it so’” (142). This is exactly how it feels, ugh. It feels like so many things are so deeply messed up, that changing entire systems and beliefs and mindsets and cultures feels impossible at this point. Such a hopeless feeling.
“You’re my kid until the end. We’re both going to be very old men and you’re still going to be my kid’” (151). Ahhh, such a sweet line, omg.
“‘You knew loss and you didn’t look away from it. You saw it, and you decided no one else should have to look at loss if they don’t ever have to. […] I remember once you telling me that that’s the only religion that ever really counts. Making someone’s suffering less’” (224). A religion I can get behind.
“‘And where did my heart come from?’
‘Nobody knows the answer to that. You just look for good ones, and you hold onto them, I guess. Like you did with Mom’” (224). AHHHH such a cute line omg.
“‘[…] and despite everything we’ve done to them, they still allow us a place to live because they seem to know we’ve got nowhere else to go. Yet here we are again, acting like they’re the ones on our land, like they’re the ones who invaded us, like they’re the ones responsible for all the stupid mistakes we’ve made’” (233). This is what especially pisses me off with the humans. UGH.
“‘They want to know who their enemy is, because they’re never, ever going to believe it’s themselves’” (235). I loveeeeeee this line but I hate how true it is. It ties back to the first quote I listed above.
“‘We can’t fight rock […] We can’t fight gods who don’t get hit by gunfire. But we can fight Spackle’” (242). Again, HATE how true this is, but I love how simply the meaning is conveyed in this.
[About why the Land doesn’t just kill off every human so they can finally stop being attacked or enslaved or killed or treated terribly by humans, despite outnumbering them by hundreds of thousands]: “‘We do not do it because it is precisely what you would do […] That is not how my people act. That is not who we ever were. Until you tried to make us that way. Until you tried to force us to be you. Isn’t that what you want in the end? To either erase us or turn us into yourselves?’” (261). Honestly, if I was the Land, I think I would’ve killed off the humans by now. You can’t keep giving people a million chances; if they don’t learn after a few times, sucks. You keep killing my people after a million chances, despite us outnumbering you by hundreds of thousands, we’ll get rid of you instead and go back to our peace and zero issues. That being said, I do find the Sky’s mindset and the Land’s refusal to be like humans really admirable.
“‘So there’s still stuff on this planet you don’t know about?’
’Plenty,’ he says. ‘So much I’d never learn it all if I lived another hundred years.’
[…] ‘It makes you feel sad. All these things you don’t know and probably never will’” (268). I think about this all the time, and it really does make me so sad. Again, even if we lived 100 years more, it’d be impossible to watch every single show and every single move and every single YouTube video, impossible to read every single book, impossible to see every square inch of land in this world. That just freaks me out for some reason LOL, and makes me sad, knowing it can never, ever be possible; so much stuff you can ever, ever know in your lifespan.
“‘Why you?’
[…] My mom just looks at us and says, as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world, ‘Why not me?’” (277). I love how simple this is AHH go Viola!! I love her, as always.
“‘But one thing my mother always says that I actually agree with is that nightmares get things done.’
I smile at this, but in a different way. I’ll bet my mom and pop seem like nightmares to some people. Which kind of makes me feel proud again’” (283). This also made me feel proud of them lol.
All in all, this book did NOT leave me disappointed in the slightest. The story was fascinating (Patrick Ness has always been the BEST author at creating interesting story ideas), the characters were great (especially Max), and the last half of the book was insanely fun and intense and I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time. My only two nitpicks were 1) some of the messages were too heavy handed and 2) the beginning of the book felt less exciting/like a lot of set up before I fully connected with the characters. This all being said, this book created an AMAZING setup for the next two books of the trilogies. I am actually so excited for those and I am so sad I have to wait so long.
Anyway, I will see you again one day for the second book as I eagerly wait in anticipation:D
Honestly, I often do NOT like spin off series, especially after the original series has been finished for such a long time. The story ends up feeling like a cash grab, or cheap, or like the author couldn’t move on from the story and make something original. I was still hopeful for this, because I trust Patrick Ness (he’s one of my favourite authors ever for a reason) but I couldn’t help but be a bit wary because the original Chaos Walking series is tied for my favourite books EVER, so obviously I feel a bit protective over it.
THANK GOD Patrick Ness did an amazing job with Piper at the Gates of Dusk. I knew he was one of my favourite authors ever for a reason.
This book follows Max and Ben, the children of Viola and Todd (AHHHHH:D). The immediate joy I got from seeing that very first page of Noise was crazy. It felt extra special that I had read the original series in middle school and had been obsessed with the original page of Noise all that time ago, and now, over a decade later as I’m *teaching* middle school, I got to experience a brand new page of Noise. It felt very full circle, lol. I love that I’m still reading the same stuff as in middle school and getting just as much enjoyment from it as middle school me was.
So many lines also reminded me of Todd and his narration or experiences, so it was so cute seeing that in both of his sons at different points. It’s also funny how they’re similar ages to Todd in the first book, and when I originally read the series in grade 8, Todd never seemed super young, and now at 25 and teaching middle schoolers, Max and Ben (and Todd in the last series) are actually babies lol.
This book felt like a good blend between new and fresh, while still having some of the nostalgia of the original series. I’m really impressed with how seamlessly Patrick Ness managed to blend these.
The start of this book was a little slower (more context/build up/setting the scene or situation) but I still enjoyed it. But man, the second half of this book BLEW me away. It was so intense, exhilarating, I was on the edge of my seat for hundreds of pages… that’s a long time to be on the edge of your seat without losing momentum or anything. It felt so exciting, page after page after page, and I’m so impressed with Patrick Ness’ ability to do that. This book ended up being quite mysterious; so many different things were happening that you and the characters just didn’t have an answer for. You know they’re all somehow related, but it’s so difficult to understand why or how. It gave this overarching eeriness to the story which I loved. Plus, the overall idea of the story was so interesting, with these giant gods on fire, screaming and in pain, stealing children, both a Land version and a human version, weird dreams the kids are having, a weird rock in the sky (lol, unintentional Project Hail Mary reference). Patrick Ness’ biggest strength, to me, has alwaysssss been his unique and creative story ideas. Nearly all of his books have been the most creative books I’ve read, and I really, really, REALLY appreciate his determination of always thinking outside the box.
I was also not expecting Todd and Viola to be as involved in the story as they were. They ended up being pretty prominent characters, especially Todd, which makes sense because why would they let their children deal with anything scary and difficult alone after all those two had been through when they were their kids’ age. I loved how understanding and accepting Todd and Viola were at so many different points throughout the story; I felt really proud of who they grew up to be. The only thing with the adults (including Todd’s dad, Ben) was some of their lines felt a bit more preachy/on the nose. Something I read foreverrrrrr ago from Patrick Ness (which I remember to this day because I thought it was suchhhhh amazing advice) was that you shouldn’t write a story with a message already in mind or else it gets preachy; instead, you should just write a story, and a message will naturally unfold as needed.
I always thought this was such amazing advice, and while I don’t know if Patrick Ness had specific messages in mind for this story, the execution of a number of lines just felt a little awkward or too on the nose. I get that Todd or grandpa Ben as characters likely WOULD be trying to teach their kids some huge lessons every other day because of all they had been through growing up; Todd wants to shape the future generation into being able to create a brighter future for themselves, to make sure his kids don’t need to struggle or feel alone, but still, even if it makes a bit of sense, I just feel like as a book it didn’t carry across well. So this is partially where that 0.5 stars off comes from, the very heavy handed messaging at points rather than leaving messages to be a little more subtle and for readers to pick out themselves.
I did love how Todd and Viola often treated the kids in this book like equals. Normally in books it’s very easy to just completely separate the adult and children characters, but Todd and Viola would genuinely listen and consider the kids’ ideas (not just their own kids, but their kids’ classmates), would genuinely answer the questions they were asked, and just generally treat the kids like an equal in conversation, which I found really nice and refreshing.
I also really enjoyed the representation with both Max and Ben. This part I didn’t find to be as heavy handed as some of the other messages in this book, which was good. Max is transgender and not biologically related to Todd/Viola, meanwhile Ben is unable to speak and can only talk through sign language or a voice communicator. These things *are* brought up, because it still impacts the kids’ lives and their thoughts and experiences and perspectives, however it also wasn’t ALL their story was about, which I think is good because often, for example, books with transgender kids are ABOUT being transgender, but I think it’s also important to have books about a transgender person without it being ABOUT being transgender, because it’s just cool to be in a sci-fi story with flaming giant gods and missing children and weird alien rocks in the sky. It’s good to feel like you can be the cool character in a sci-fi adventure, and if you limit transgender people (for this example) to *only* books about being transgender, you lose a lot of other cool forms of representation. I’m not sure if I worded all that well, but it’s a compliment to this book!
Speaking of Max, he was 100% my favourite of the two (sorry Ben). He has such a fiery personality that I just found so fun and refreshing, I loved it. I saw so much of Todd in him, but he was still his own unique character separate from Todd. AHH I just loved Max lol. His relationship with Todd was also so cute, I always loved their chapters together. They’re like the definition of “like father like son” lol. I really enjoyed that both kids were more similar to a different parent. It was really fascinating to see and read about.
Max was also so funny. This is a random moment to even point out, but Max always going to the Land Market to eat his melons was so funny to me, he’s so cute. I also loveeeee how both Todd and Max don’t care what other people think of them; while Ben is really concerned with fitting in (understandable), Todd and Max would rather be true to themselves than shape themselves to other peoples’ expectations. My favourite characters are always like this, because I really value when people prioritize what THEY think of THEMSELVES over what others may think of them. Even when it was difficult, Max was always true to himself no matter what, and I think that’s really admirable.
I do still really like Ben though, I just related to his personality a bit less because he so desperately wanted to fit in (it *was* very sad reading about that though. Nearly all kids just want to fit in). There were a number of moments I found really heartbreaking where, no matter how fast Ben tried to type stuff into his voice communicator, he was nearly never fast enough to follow along with the group conversation. Three sentences would have already been said out loud by the time he was done typing his original thought, and by then someone else had already asked his question, said his thought, or completely moved on to something else. I find that very heartbreaking, to *feel* like you have no voice because you just can’t participate in the conversation at the speed of everyone else.
One line was: “Even though I sign really fast, it’s not as immediate as when people talk, so other people, even my idiot brother, get to tell all the stories” (30). UGH that’s so heartbreaking. I think everyone gets excited to be able to be the one to tell a story, and the fact that Ben is *never* the one is so sad to me. I know “getting to be the one to tell the story” seems like a simple or insignificant thing, but really it’s not, I think it’s something that means a lot to a lot of people.
That being said, it was shortly followed by this line: “Now don’t get any stupid ideas. This story, whatever it is, isn’t about ‘finding my voice’. I have a voice just fine, thank you. It’s in my face and my gestures and my words. […] I can’t speak, but I’m not without a voice, okay?” (32). I *love* this line so much. I love the emphasis that Ben obviously still has a voice, that speaking orally isn’t the only way to communicate your ideas and thoughts.
I also really loved the other kids, like Tara and Arrow. I loved them and Ben together, especially cause they aren’t exactly super close friends, they’re just all in the same class, so their interactions felt enjoyable and a bit nostalgic to be honest, because there’s this very specific feeling of being in a group with your classmates who you aren’t bffs with but you’re still talking and figuring stuff out together. I really enjoyed the scenes with the three of them, and I hope there’s more in future books because the group chemistry was honestly pretty good and makes for some entertaining chapters and interesting dialogue. I love groups of people forced to work together LOL. I hope Max can join though, I think he’d be such a great addition to the group.
I spoke a lot about the treatment of the Land in my three original Chaos Walking reviews, so I won’t say as much because it’d just be repeating the same ideas, but UGH I hate the way the Land are STILL treated. I said it in one of my old reviews, but everything is made so much worse when you think about how everything that is happening to the Land, are things that humans have done in real life to other humans. Like, the Land is fiction, but the actions against them are not. I do enjoy the way Patrick Ness explores this though in his books.
Anyway, onto some quotes I liked:
“It wasn’t Noise that was men’s problem. It was men themselves” (32). The fact that all of the issues in New World were also issues back on Earth. Like, duh men are the issue, not the Noise or the Land or anything else. Everything they touch crumples. They literally had to leave Earth because they ruined it so badly with wars and fighting and not taking care of the environment and all that. When problems follow you wherever you go, maybe you need to reflect and realize you’re the problem. But of course, as a later quote I wrote says, they’re never going to believe that they’re the issue.
“Memory changes over time. It becomes history first, then story, then myth” (43).
“‘I wouldn’t? I wouldn’t understand what it’s like to be different? Or have to find a new way to connect to the world because the way I was born wasn’t a way the world could understand me?’” (75). That last line makes me so sad.
“‘This is what you all lost when you cured your Noise. Stories are more than words. They’re what’s behind the words’” (121).
“‘It’s more that I wish the world was different, and I can’t help but feel like we missed our chance to make it so’” (142). This is exactly how it feels, ugh. It feels like so many things are so deeply messed up, that changing entire systems and beliefs and mindsets and cultures feels impossible at this point. Such a hopeless feeling.
“You’re my kid until the end. We’re both going to be very old men and you’re still going to be my kid’” (151). Ahhh, such a sweet line, omg.
“‘You knew loss and you didn’t look away from it. You saw it, and you decided no one else should have to look at loss if they don’t ever have to. […] I remember once you telling me that that’s the only religion that ever really counts. Making someone’s suffering less’” (224). A religion I can get behind.
“‘And where did my heart come from?’
‘Nobody knows the answer to that. You just look for good ones, and you hold onto them, I guess. Like you did with Mom’” (224). AHHHH such a cute line omg.
“‘[…] and despite everything we’ve done to them, they still allow us a place to live because they seem to know we’ve got nowhere else to go. Yet here we are again, acting like they’re the ones on our land, like they’re the ones who invaded us, like they’re the ones responsible for all the stupid mistakes we’ve made’” (233). This is what especially pisses me off with the humans. UGH.
“‘They want to know who their enemy is, because they’re never, ever going to believe it’s themselves’” (235). I loveeeeeee this line but I hate how true it is. It ties back to the first quote I listed above.
“‘We can’t fight rock […] We can’t fight gods who don’t get hit by gunfire. But we can fight Spackle’” (242). Again, HATE how true this is, but I love how simply the meaning is conveyed in this.
[About why the Land doesn’t just kill off every human so they can finally stop being attacked or enslaved or killed or treated terribly by humans, despite outnumbering them by hundreds of thousands]: “‘We do not do it because it is precisely what you would do […] That is not how my people act. That is not who we ever were. Until you tried to make us that way. Until you tried to force us to be you. Isn’t that what you want in the end? To either erase us or turn us into yourselves?’” (261). Honestly, if I was the Land, I think I would’ve killed off the humans by now. You can’t keep giving people a million chances; if they don’t learn after a few times, sucks. You keep killing my people after a million chances, despite us outnumbering you by hundreds of thousands, we’ll get rid of you instead and go back to our peace and zero issues. That being said, I do find the Sky’s mindset and the Land’s refusal to be like humans really admirable.
“‘So there’s still stuff on this planet you don’t know about?’
’Plenty,’ he says. ‘So much I’d never learn it all if I lived another hundred years.’
[…] ‘It makes you feel sad. All these things you don’t know and probably never will’” (268). I think about this all the time, and it really does make me so sad. Again, even if we lived 100 years more, it’d be impossible to watch every single show and every single move and every single YouTube video, impossible to read every single book, impossible to see every square inch of land in this world. That just freaks me out for some reason LOL, and makes me sad, knowing it can never, ever be possible; so much stuff you can ever, ever know in your lifespan.
“‘Why you?’
[…] My mom just looks at us and says, as if it’s the most obvious answer in the world, ‘Why not me?’” (277). I love how simple this is AHH go Viola!! I love her, as always.
“‘But one thing my mother always says that I actually agree with is that nightmares get things done.’
I smile at this, but in a different way. I’ll bet my mom and pop seem like nightmares to some people. Which kind of makes me feel proud again’” (283). This also made me feel proud of them lol.
All in all, this book did NOT leave me disappointed in the slightest. The story was fascinating (Patrick Ness has always been the BEST author at creating interesting story ideas), the characters were great (especially Max), and the last half of the book was insanely fun and intense and I was on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time. My only two nitpicks were 1) some of the messages were too heavy handed and 2) the beginning of the book felt less exciting/like a lot of set up before I fully connected with the characters. This all being said, this book created an AMAZING setup for the next two books of the trilogies. I am actually so excited for those and I am so sad I have to wait so long.
Anyway, I will see you again one day for the second book as I eagerly wait in anticipation:D
April 21, 2026
This was VERY good. I loved going back to this universe, i was sucked right in. A great first book in a new trilogy and I cant wait for the next installment.
April 14, 2026
The Chaos Walking trilogy are my favourite books of all time, so this new book has been one of my most anticipated reads ever and I went into it with (perhaps unfairly) high expectations, which were met for the most part.
It answered a lot of the questions I had from the end of Monsters of Men - what, exactly, was going to happen to Todd, and how did their society rebuild itself in the aftermath. It was also great to see Todd and Viola again, although having reread the original series so much, it was a little jarring to read them as adults now. A minor complaint here was with Todd's language - he spoke 'properly', and I know it wasn't told from his POV which could explain why he no longer spoke phonetically as in the previous books, as could the fact that a couple of decades have passed so of course the way you can speak can change over time, but I did mourn the loss of his distinctive speech a little. It was such a key part of his character.
Something Patrick Ness does is write characters so well - main characters, side characters, and particularly antagonists (Mayor Prentiss from the Chaos Walking books is one of the best literary antagonists I've seen). And again here we have a Mayor and Priest who you really hate (the satisfaction when Viola punches Marjory Wingard in the face!!), and with them Ness does another thing he does best - explore themes of xenophobia and racism, colonisation, identity, morality, and disability. Our two protagonists are "different" from the world they live in, and they both struggle in different ways to reconcile their place in it, as Ben is mute and Max is trans. It's so lovely to see positive trans representation, which is much needed in this current climate when certain authors are pushing their transphobic rhetoric at every opportunity. It feeds in nicely to another of the novel's overarching themes, and the way it concludes - with hope. Hope for the future, and hope for all different kinds of people working together to achieve that better future.
As well as the human antagonists, Piper also introduces god-like monsters and aliens (or whatever is on that spaceship/rock thing?), which is a bit of a departure for this series but not surprising having read most of Ness' other works. I love that his ideas are weird and just so out-there compared to the norm, because you can guarantee it's always going to be so different to anything else and so it's always difficult to predict where the hell the story is going. You know you're in for a wild ride when you pick up one of his books.
I think my only minor complaint with the novel as a whole is how short it is. The Chaos Walking books are all 500-600 pages, so this being only 350 pages made it feel super short, though I know 350 pages is a 'normal' length. It could've done with another hundred pages or so to let the story beats breathe so the emotional beats would hit a bit harder - Tara's fast turnaround from potential foe to ally, that character death - it all felt a bit rushed. The plot of the novel is fast-paced, but that doesn't mean it's not possible to take time to slow things down. The Knife of Never Letting Go does this perfectly, for example, flawlessly balancing a can't-stop-to-catch-your-breath plot with slower, quieter moments in between. I wonder if this was Ness' choice or the fault of editorial involvement, given that just lately, YA books tend to run on the shorter side.
Still, I can't wait to read the next one!! Patrick Ness sure does love (and is great at!) writing cliffhanger endings that pull the rug out from under you just when you think the characters are safe. I need to know what happens next!
It answered a lot of the questions I had from the end of Monsters of Men - what, exactly, was going to happen to Todd, and how did their society rebuild itself in the aftermath. It was also great to see Todd and Viola again, although having reread the original series so much, it was a little jarring to read them as adults now. A minor complaint here was with Todd's language - he spoke 'properly', and I know it wasn't told from his POV which could explain why he no longer spoke phonetically as in the previous books, as could the fact that a couple of decades have passed so of course the way you can speak can change over time, but I did mourn the loss of his distinctive speech a little. It was such a key part of his character.
Something Patrick Ness does is write characters so well - main characters, side characters, and particularly antagonists (Mayor Prentiss from the Chaos Walking books is one of the best literary antagonists I've seen). And again here we have a Mayor and Priest who you really hate (the satisfaction when Viola punches Marjory Wingard in the face!!), and with them Ness does another thing he does best - explore themes of xenophobia and racism, colonisation, identity, morality, and disability. Our two protagonists are "different" from the world they live in, and they both struggle in different ways to reconcile their place in it, as Ben is mute and Max is trans. It's so lovely to see positive trans representation, which is much needed in this current climate when certain authors are pushing their transphobic rhetoric at every opportunity. It feeds in nicely to another of the novel's overarching themes, and the way it concludes - with hope. Hope for the future, and hope for all different kinds of people working together to achieve that better future.
As well as the human antagonists, Piper also introduces god-like monsters and aliens (or whatever is on that spaceship/rock thing?), which is a bit of a departure for this series but not surprising having read most of Ness' other works. I love that his ideas are weird and just so out-there compared to the norm, because you can guarantee it's always going to be so different to anything else and so it's always difficult to predict where the hell the story is going. You know you're in for a wild ride when you pick up one of his books.
I think my only minor complaint with the novel as a whole is how short it is. The Chaos Walking books are all 500-600 pages, so this being only 350 pages made it feel super short, though I know 350 pages is a 'normal' length. It could've done with another hundred pages or so to let the story beats breathe so the emotional beats would hit a bit harder - Tara's fast turnaround from potential foe to ally, that character death - it all felt a bit rushed. The plot of the novel is fast-paced, but that doesn't mean it's not possible to take time to slow things down. The Knife of Never Letting Go does this perfectly, for example, flawlessly balancing a can't-stop-to-catch-your-breath plot with slower, quieter moments in between. I wonder if this was Ness' choice or the fault of editorial involvement, given that just lately, YA books tend to run on the shorter side.
Still, I can't wait to read the next one!! Patrick Ness sure does love (and is great at!) writing cliffhanger endings that pull the rug out from under you just when you think the characters are safe. I need to know what happens next!
April 11, 2026
Piper at the Gates of Dusk is the first in a new series by Patrick Ness, but it relies heavily on world building established in his Chaos Walking series. For fans of Chaos Walking, this will be a real treat: a book that focuses on the children of two characters long after the ending of the original series. For anyone new to Ness though, this is not a great entry point. There is some recap, but it is mostly plot-based. There isn't a clear description of Noise or the gods. The audiobook utilizes an echo and reverb to demonstrate Noise, but seems to be such a layered concept that I still believe I missed much of what it is.
The plot of this story is relatively straightforward. There is a warning about a Pied Piper, adults argue about the importance of heeding said warning, and then things escalate very quickly. Representation is great, especially for the LGBTQ community. The ending is a cliffhanger.
My reading experience was definitely impacted by my lack of familiarity with Chaos Walking. If I had read that first, I think I would have enjoyed this new series much more.
Both narrators did an excellent job of speaking for brothers Ben and Max, the dual first person POVs in this novel. At times I found the Noise a bit jarring, but I did get used to it after a little while.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for this ALC!
The plot of this story is relatively straightforward. There is a warning about a Pied Piper, adults argue about the importance of heeding said warning, and then things escalate very quickly. Representation is great, especially for the LGBTQ community. The ending is a cliffhanger.
My reading experience was definitely impacted by my lack of familiarity with Chaos Walking. If I had read that first, I think I would have enjoyed this new series much more.
Both narrators did an excellent job of speaking for brothers Ben and Max, the dual first person POVs in this novel. At times I found the Noise a bit jarring, but I did get used to it after a little while.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for this ALC!
April 15, 2026
Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed in this one. Being a follow-up to my favorite series, I did try to level-set my expectations as release day came closer, but it's hard not to feel this one falls under the shadow of its predecessors.
Despite having larger-scale stakes, the threat feels not as menacing as the original trilogy. The characterization of villains feels too cartoonish and lacking the same execution of the political/social commentary that was present before. It's a world populated by characters I didn't care about and felt like I wasn't given a compelling reason to.
The pacing is fast, but at the expense of really fleshing out a great story and the ending feels rushed and anticlimactic. I'm not sure if the book needed more pages to readjust to the world, but there simply was not enough here in this first book.
I also found it very off-putting with the direct addresses acknowledging the reader from Ben and Max- outside of an epistolary novel, it feels distracting and can ruin my immersion, which it did in this case. It seemed to follow a general trend I felt reading this; the original books seemed to be aimed at, or at least could easily be enjoyed by an older bracket of the YA demographic, despite having younger protagonists. This one has slightly older leads, but feels designed more for the younger end of YA, which was a massive tonal shift, especially just off of my first re-read of the original trilogy in almost 15 years. It's not inherently bad to gear the books towards younger readers, but it's an age range that I've grown out of and lacked crossover appeal present before.
Keeping in mind that I may just not be the target demographic anymore for this new trilogy, I tried to be as generous as I could with my rating without lying. I did enjoy getting to see what happened to Todd and Viola after Snowscape, so there's that at least. (I probably would continue with the remaining 2 books just to see the conclusion to their story, but with much different expectations).
Despite having larger-scale stakes, the threat feels not as menacing as the original trilogy. The characterization of villains feels too cartoonish and lacking the same execution of the political/social commentary that was present before. It's a world populated by characters I didn't care about and felt like I wasn't given a compelling reason to.
The pacing is fast, but at the expense of really fleshing out a great story and the ending feels rushed and anticlimactic. I'm not sure if the book needed more pages to readjust to the world, but there simply was not enough here in this first book.
I also found it very off-putting with the direct addresses acknowledging the reader from Ben and Max- outside of an epistolary novel, it feels distracting and can ruin my immersion, which it did in this case. It seemed to follow a general trend I felt reading this; the original books seemed to be aimed at, or at least could easily be enjoyed by an older bracket of the YA demographic, despite having younger protagonists. This one has slightly older leads, but feels designed more for the younger end of YA, which was a massive tonal shift, especially just off of my first re-read of the original trilogy in almost 15 years. It's not inherently bad to gear the books towards younger readers, but it's an age range that I've grown out of and lacked crossover appeal present before.
Keeping in mind that I may just not be the target demographic anymore for this new trilogy, I tried to be as generous as I could with my rating without lying. I did enjoy getting to see what happened to Todd and Viola after Snowscape, so there's that at least. (I probably would continue with the remaining 2 books just to see the conclusion to their story, but with much different expectations).
April 28, 2026
as soon as i picked up this book, i knew i was going to be annoyed to have to wait for the next one.
i loved being back in the chaos walking world so much 🥹 i love everything about this series and the new story ness has crafted for us nearly twenty (!!) years after the beginning of this series. it felt new and exciting but also warm and familiar. i love the hewitt-eade family so much and i love max and ben, my sons. i laughed, i cried (which i did not expect to do. but of course, OF COURSE a patrick ness novel made me cry) and i loved it wholeheartedly. i tore through it but also im so sad it’s over. (i’m trying to give the least spoilery review possible whilst also gushing about how much i liked it.) most of all, i love that this book was a love letter to the trans fans, who asked what the new world would be like for them - and ness answered. and that he gave max a dad like todd and a family who love and care for him so dearly. the new world isn’t a perfect world - but it has people who are willing to speak up for what is right, with max and with the land. it’s the sort of message our YA novels desperately need, and i’m so happy it exists.
i loved being back in the chaos walking world so much 🥹 i love everything about this series and the new story ness has crafted for us nearly twenty (!!) years after the beginning of this series. it felt new and exciting but also warm and familiar. i love the hewitt-eade family so much and i love max and ben, my sons. i laughed, i cried (which i did not expect to do. but of course, OF COURSE a patrick ness novel made me cry) and i loved it wholeheartedly. i tore through it but also im so sad it’s over. (i’m trying to give the least spoilery review possible whilst also gushing about how much i liked it.) most of all, i love that this book was a love letter to the trans fans, who asked what the new world would be like for them - and ness answered. and that he gave max a dad like todd and a family who love and care for him so dearly. the new world isn’t a perfect world - but it has people who are willing to speak up for what is right, with max and with the land. it’s the sort of message our YA novels desperately need, and i’m so happy it exists.
April 12, 2026
3 ⭐
It has been years since I read the Chaos Walking series, and while I loved it back then, the writing now seems overly simplistic to me. Still, I was able to enjoy this. I definitely recommend reading the original trilogy before starting this one, since this book throws us right into the action with little explanation. The perspectives of both boys are written quite differently: Ben's sections are separated into short chapters, while Max's read as one long stream of consciousness, which felt a bit strange and jarring to me. However, I found the characters likable and appreciated the disability rep. Despite the awkward start, I found the mysteries and politics of the world interesting and filled with valuable moral lessons. I'm curious to see what will happen next!
It has been years since I read the Chaos Walking series, and while I loved it back then, the writing now seems overly simplistic to me. Still, I was able to enjoy this. I definitely recommend reading the original trilogy before starting this one, since this book throws us right into the action with little explanation. The perspectives of both boys are written quite differently: Ben's sections are separated into short chapters, while Max's read as one long stream of consciousness, which felt a bit strange and jarring to me. However, I found the characters likable and appreciated the disability rep. Despite the awkward start, I found the mysteries and politics of the world interesting and filled with valuable moral lessons. I'm curious to see what will happen next!
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