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Carve the Mark
The End and Other Beginnings: Stories from the Future
A collection of novella-length stories set in the future, illustrated with black-and-white artwork.
No world is like the other. Within this collection, each setting is more strange and wonderful than the last, brimming with new technologies and beings. And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems.
With tales of friendship and revenge, plus two new stories from the Carve the Mark universe. Each story begins with a hope for a better end, but always end with a better understanding of the beginning.
No world is like the other. Within this collection, each setting is more strange and wonderful than the last, brimming with new technologies and beings. And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems.
With tales of friendship and revenge, plus two new stories from the Carve the Mark universe. Each story begins with a hope for a better end, but always end with a better understanding of the beginning.
262 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2019
367 people are currently reading
16584 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Roth
70 books462k followersVeronica Roth is the New York Times best-selling author of When Among Crows, Arch-Conspirator, Poster Girl, Chosen Ones, the Carve the Mark series, and the Divergent series. She lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 760 reviews
April 9, 2025
It is difficult to rate and review books of short stories as there are some I like more than others, but to rate them as a whole.
I really enjoyed most of this book. The first 4 stories I thought were great. The dark scifi and characters looking to get through their lives were great. I would have been interested in any of these being expanded into series.
The fifth story is set in the Carve the Mark universe and has the back story story and an untold tale of a couple of the main characters. This is almost a story of two halves.the first part I thought was great. The second part was a bit slower and was just ok.
The sixth story was also set in the Carve the Mark universe but introduces a new character far away from the main characters. I thought this was a bit of a downer to finish on. This story was slow to ok, whereas the others were good to great.
Veronica Roth has a gift for writing dark/scifi stories with tourchered characters who I can help but root for. The artwork in the book is awesome and complements the stories perfect. Having it in black and white is a perfect choice. The only weakness I can find is that she is better at writing from the female characters' point of view.
I really enjoyed most of this book. The first 4 stories I thought were great. The dark scifi and characters looking to get through their lives were great. I would have been interested in any of these being expanded into series.
The fifth story is set in the Carve the Mark universe and has the back story story and an untold tale of a couple of the main characters. This is almost a story of two halves.the first part I thought was great. The second part was a bit slower and was just ok.
The sixth story was also set in the Carve the Mark universe but introduces a new character far away from the main characters. I thought this was a bit of a downer to finish on. This story was slow to ok, whereas the others were good to great.
Veronica Roth has a gift for writing dark/scifi stories with tourchered characters who I can help but root for. The artwork in the book is awesome and complements the stories perfect. Having it in black and white is a perfect choice. The only weakness I can find is that she is better at writing from the female characters' point of view.
Want to read
February 16, 2019i love how much this cover looks like it would be friends with one of Seanan McGuire's wayward children books...
October 16, 2019
I must say the illustrations in this anthology is superb! It gives the stories a little something extra.
Inertia
Inertia
I'm carried in a straight line toward you
A force I can't resist; don't want to resist
Carried straight toward you
I've forgotten how easy it is to fall into the worlds Roth creates.
This short story just again prove why I fell in love with her writing.
The concept in Inertia of being able to have a last visitation where you can share your greatest memories - is something so out of the box and different you can't help but like it.
Combining this great, different idea with something so profound as depression and bringing fourth this short compelling story proves how talented Roth is.
------------------------------
The Spinners
"That was where the Spinners had come in, because you didn't get to decide to be born, or when or how long you lived, or when you died. You had to leave that up to the women with the thread."
No, thank you! I did not like anything about this story. I was even hard pressed to find an okay quote to represent it.
1. Aliens should be done extremely well for me to like it.
2. I did not connect to any character in this story
3. O, what story??? It felt more like a sequence in a greater story... I kept waiting... for anything...
BUT alas, nothing came to help me like this one.
------------------------------
Hearken
Everyone had a death song, no matter how young or healthy they were, and everyone had a life song, even when they were dying. Everyone was both dying and living at the same time.
I didn’t want this one to end.
This might not be the safest dystopian world to live in, but I want to live there anyway. With the condition that I must be a Hearken!
I would read a novel about this world, heck I would read a series about it.
I loved everything about it!
------------------------------
Vim and Vigor
She brought it because she thought it might feel good to remember Amy. And terrible. She knew it would feel terrible to remember too, but sometimes good and terrible could coexist, right? The same way you could be happy and sad at the same time.
This felt like bad fan-fic. Just some jumble of words. For which I didn’t care much.
------------------------------
Armored Ones
I knew, then, that I could do what needed to be done.
While I can't see a connection - other than the Kereseth character - between the first and second part of this story, I can say I enjoyed both. Specially the second part.
I belive this is short stories base on Carve the Mark; which I have not read yet. But if this is anything to go on I really need to priorities them.
------------------------------
The Transformationist
Everything is on a clock in this universe, everything must grow to adulthood. And reaching that point is no always pleasant.
Gut-wrenchingly cruel. I would have like to see Otho get himself out of this through some good character building and not just fall in love. It was a short-cut I did not appreciate.
------------------------------
Inertia
Inertia
I'm carried in a straight line toward you
A force I can't resist; don't want to resist
Carried straight toward you
I've forgotten how easy it is to fall into the worlds Roth creates.
This short story just again prove why I fell in love with her writing.
The concept in Inertia of being able to have a last visitation where you can share your greatest memories - is something so out of the box and different you can't help but like it.
Combining this great, different idea with something so profound as depression and bringing fourth this short compelling story proves how talented Roth is.
------------------------------
The Spinners
"That was where the Spinners had come in, because you didn't get to decide to be born, or when or how long you lived, or when you died. You had to leave that up to the women with the thread."
No, thank you! I did not like anything about this story. I was even hard pressed to find an okay quote to represent it.
1. Aliens should be done extremely well for me to like it.
2. I did not connect to any character in this story
3. O, what story??? It felt more like a sequence in a greater story... I kept waiting... for anything...
BUT alas, nothing came to help me like this one.
------------------------------
Hearken
Everyone had a death song, no matter how young or healthy they were, and everyone had a life song, even when they were dying. Everyone was both dying and living at the same time.
I didn’t want this one to end.
This might not be the safest dystopian world to live in, but I want to live there anyway. With the condition that I must be a Hearken!
I would read a novel about this world, heck I would read a series about it.
I loved everything about it!
------------------------------
Vim and Vigor
She brought it because she thought it might feel good to remember Amy. And terrible. She knew it would feel terrible to remember too, but sometimes good and terrible could coexist, right? The same way you could be happy and sad at the same time.
This felt like bad fan-fic. Just some jumble of words. For which I didn’t care much.
------------------------------
Armored Ones
I knew, then, that I could do what needed to be done.
While I can't see a connection - other than the Kereseth character - between the first and second part of this story, I can say I enjoyed both. Specially the second part.
I belive this is short stories base on Carve the Mark; which I have not read yet. But if this is anything to go on I really need to priorities them.
------------------------------
The Transformationist
Everything is on a clock in this universe, everything must grow to adulthood. And reaching that point is no always pleasant.
Gut-wrenchingly cruel. I would have like to see Otho get himself out of this through some good character building and not just fall in love. It was a short-cut I did not appreciate.
------------------------------
February 19, 2022
I loved this collection of six short stories! Each one took place in its own universe with completely different characters and plot, but all were in the science fiction genre and had a futuristic aspect to them. My personal favorite was the first story, Inertia, which I completely fell in love with and really drew me in to the rest of the book. It is very rare I cry while reading and that first one had me tearing up in the best way. I would definitely recommend!
December 28, 2019
When it comes to short stories, it's hard to like all of them equally. What I've saw in all these stories is how most of the concepts revolve around topics related to family, friendship and romantic relationships.
Inertia - 4 stars
The concept behind this story is really interesting and I think can be done in the near future. The story deals mostly with mental health issued, grief and the anger that comes from miscommunication. I really enjoyed the friendship and romantic elements of this story. I really liked the concept and story, because it shows how many fights you can avoid if you just talk.
The spinners - 3 stars
The alien part of this was interesting, I was honestly think at some point that there would be a plot twist, but the story resolved pretty clean and easy, I would say. This mostly deals with family issues and how the goals of the family might not be for all the members.
Hearken - 3.5 stars
This again tackles some family issues, although I would have liked some of the intrigue to be more developed, I enjoyed the overall message and how intricate our life can be with others without us even realising it.
Vim and Vigor - 3.5 stars
The device used in this story would have been of so much used for me. Please someone, go ahead and give me this. I enjoyed the self reflection in this and how maybe trying to please others and creating an image would not always help. I would have liked to see a little more emphasis on the fandom of Vim and Vigor, because that story was also quite interesting.
Armored Ones - 5 stars
This reminded me how much I need to reread Carve the Mark and The Fates Divide. Split between two chapters from the perspective of Teka and Akos this gives us a little bit of insight into the duology. I have to say even though Teka was a main character in one of the stories, the second Cyra appeared on the page I was thinking of how much I miss this duology. Akos's chapter really showed the beginning of his growth and how he will do anything for his family.
The Transformationist 4.5 stars
This is another story that revolves around family, mostly. I found it really interesting how it showed how family expectation can make you forget what you really want. I would have liked to see a little bit more of Otho's current gift, because it was really interesting.
In conclusion I recommend this collection of short stories for anyone interested in Veronica Roth's writing style or her concepts, I think this is a good start.
------------------------------------
Initial reaction:
Yes!!! I don't have to wait two years for new Veronica Roth material.
Inertia - 4 stars
The concept behind this story is really interesting and I think can be done in the near future. The story deals mostly with mental health issued, grief and the anger that comes from miscommunication. I really enjoyed the friendship and romantic elements of this story. I really liked the concept and story, because it shows how many fights you can avoid if you just talk.
The spinners - 3 stars
The alien part of this was interesting, I was honestly think at some point that there would be a plot twist, but the story resolved pretty clean and easy, I would say. This mostly deals with family issues and how the goals of the family might not be for all the members.
Hearken - 3.5 stars
This again tackles some family issues, although I would have liked some of the intrigue to be more developed, I enjoyed the overall message and how intricate our life can be with others without us even realising it.
Vim and Vigor - 3.5 stars
The device used in this story would have been of so much used for me. Please someone, go ahead and give me this. I enjoyed the self reflection in this and how maybe trying to please others and creating an image would not always help. I would have liked to see a little more emphasis on the fandom of Vim and Vigor, because that story was also quite interesting.
Armored Ones - 5 stars
This reminded me how much I need to reread Carve the Mark and The Fates Divide. Split between two chapters from the perspective of Teka and Akos this gives us a little bit of insight into the duology. I have to say even though Teka was a main character in one of the stories, the second Cyra appeared on the page I was thinking of how much I miss this duology. Akos's chapter really showed the beginning of his growth and how he will do anything for his family.
The Transformationist 4.5 stars
This is another story that revolves around family, mostly. I found it really interesting how it showed how family expectation can make you forget what you really want. I would have liked to see a little bit more of Otho's current gift, because it was really interesting.
In conclusion I recommend this collection of short stories for anyone interested in Veronica Roth's writing style or her concepts, I think this is a good start.
------------------------------------
Initial reaction:
Yes!!! I don't have to wait two years for new Veronica Roth material.
November 3, 2019
“But you didn’t need to stack the odds in your favor. Everything has always been carrying me toward you.”
For my first ever short story collection, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The End and Other Beginnings is a collection of six stories, each of them containing some type of sci-fi element, while the last two stories take place in the Carve the Mark universe. Just to note, I have not yet read the Carve the Mark books but I enjoyed the last two stories just fine, so you don’t need to read the duology to read these short stories.
This collection tackles so many different topics: grief, love, mental illness, addiction, personal growth and reflection, family dynamics, pain... there were a lot of themes discussed and I thought they were all handled beautifully. I haven’t read any work by Roth since I read Insurgent in 2015, and though Divergent was a huge part of my life for awhile I forgot how talented of a writer Roth is. I know her Carve the Mark series is quite polarizing; and I’ve been afraid to read that duology because of negative reviews. But I really love Roth’s work, so I think I will continue trying her other projects. This collection was really well done and I can see myself rereading it in the future.
So, overall, I loved this collection and the concepts it brought to the table. My only real gripe is that I wish there had been more expansion and more detail to each story, but I realize that defeats the purpose of the format. I also question whether it was the best choice to include two Carve the Mark stories, but we’ll talk about that in a second. Let’s first go through each story.
1. Inertia — 5 Stars
This was, obviously, a really strong start. I think this was my favorite of the collection. I loved the characterizations, the plot, and the sci-fi concepts that we were given. The story was so touching and I really connected to the narrator.
2. The Spinners — 3 stars
This was my least favorite story. It felt flimsy and a bit pointless. Just about everything about it needed more development, from the characters relationships to the background story to the plot itself. I wasn’t sure what we were meant to take away from this one, though the main takeaway was clear in the other five stories. This was just really meh.
3. Hearken — 3.5 Stars
I enjoyed this. I thought the main concept was so cool! I did, however, find the ending to be a bit predictable and underwhelming. I was hoping for the story to go somewhere else, and when it went the more boring route I was a little disappointed. But I still enjoyed it and its overall message.
4. Vim and Vigor — 4 Stars.
If any story in this collection needed more detail, it was this one. Yes, The Spinners could have used it, too, but I genuinely enjoyed this story and wanted more detail because I wanted more in general. This is one of the more wholesome stories, and I really appreciated its overall message. I found the main character to be very interesting, as were the characters dynamics.
5. The Armored Ones — 3.5 Stars
Now... this one I’m a little unsure of as to why it was included in the collection. This was technically two narratives smushed together into one ‘story’—told from completely different POV’s and completely unrelated to each other. It seemed like Roth just had these nagging ideas that she couldn’t logically incorporate into the plot and/or narrative of the Carve the Mark duology and therefore put them in this collection. Though they were both interesting, I thought it made the collection feel a bit disjointed with their presence.
6. The Transformationist — 5 Stars
Aaaaaand everything I just said about the inclusion of Carve the Mark stories has just gone out of the window. Though this story also takes place in that universe, it felt way more cohesive with the rest of the collection. It had the ‘real world’ feel that all the other stories had that The Armored Ones lacked. It had a clear concept and ultimate message, while The Armored Ones felt like a strange insert. I loved this story despite the fact that I have not read the duology. This felt like something that could stand on its own, like the other stories do, and it was great. It was a perfect way to end the collection.
Now that I’ve read this, I want to try out more short story collections! I also kind of want to try writing my own, too. Not only did I enjoy this collection for general pleasure, but it’s also sparked a bit of creativity and inspiration. It seems like when I do read Roth’s work, it has that effect on me. I’ll take that as a sign to read Carve the Mark now.
For my first ever short story collection, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The End and Other Beginnings is a collection of six stories, each of them containing some type of sci-fi element, while the last two stories take place in the Carve the Mark universe. Just to note, I have not yet read the Carve the Mark books but I enjoyed the last two stories just fine, so you don’t need to read the duology to read these short stories.
This collection tackles so many different topics: grief, love, mental illness, addiction, personal growth and reflection, family dynamics, pain... there were a lot of themes discussed and I thought they were all handled beautifully. I haven’t read any work by Roth since I read Insurgent in 2015, and though Divergent was a huge part of my life for awhile I forgot how talented of a writer Roth is. I know her Carve the Mark series is quite polarizing; and I’ve been afraid to read that duology because of negative reviews. But I really love Roth’s work, so I think I will continue trying her other projects. This collection was really well done and I can see myself rereading it in the future.
So, overall, I loved this collection and the concepts it brought to the table. My only real gripe is that I wish there had been more expansion and more detail to each story, but I realize that defeats the purpose of the format. I also question whether it was the best choice to include two Carve the Mark stories, but we’ll talk about that in a second. Let’s first go through each story.
1. Inertia — 5 Stars
This was, obviously, a really strong start. I think this was my favorite of the collection. I loved the characterizations, the plot, and the sci-fi concepts that we were given. The story was so touching and I really connected to the narrator.
2. The Spinners — 3 stars
This was my least favorite story. It felt flimsy and a bit pointless. Just about everything about it needed more development, from the characters relationships to the background story to the plot itself. I wasn’t sure what we were meant to take away from this one, though the main takeaway was clear in the other five stories. This was just really meh.
3. Hearken — 3.5 Stars
I enjoyed this. I thought the main concept was so cool! I did, however, find the ending to be a bit predictable and underwhelming. I was hoping for the story to go somewhere else, and when it went the more boring route I was a little disappointed. But I still enjoyed it and its overall message.
4. Vim and Vigor — 4 Stars.
If any story in this collection needed more detail, it was this one. Yes, The Spinners could have used it, too, but I genuinely enjoyed this story and wanted more detail because I wanted more in general. This is one of the more wholesome stories, and I really appreciated its overall message. I found the main character to be very interesting, as were the characters dynamics.
5. The Armored Ones — 3.5 Stars
Now... this one I’m a little unsure of as to why it was included in the collection. This was technically two narratives smushed together into one ‘story’—told from completely different POV’s and completely unrelated to each other. It seemed like Roth just had these nagging ideas that she couldn’t logically incorporate into the plot and/or narrative of the Carve the Mark duology and therefore put them in this collection. Though they were both interesting, I thought it made the collection feel a bit disjointed with their presence.
6. The Transformationist — 5 Stars
Aaaaaand everything I just said about the inclusion of Carve the Mark stories has just gone out of the window. Though this story also takes place in that universe, it felt way more cohesive with the rest of the collection. It had the ‘real world’ feel that all the other stories had that The Armored Ones lacked. It had a clear concept and ultimate message, while The Armored Ones felt like a strange insert. I loved this story despite the fact that I have not read the duology. This felt like something that could stand on its own, like the other stories do, and it was great. It was a perfect way to end the collection.
Now that I’ve read this, I want to try out more short story collections! I also kind of want to try writing my own, too. Not only did I enjoy this collection for general pleasure, but it’s also sparked a bit of creativity and inspiration. It seems like when I do read Roth’s work, it has that effect on me. I’ll take that as a sign to read Carve the Mark now.
October 3, 2019
Accurate rating: 3.5/5
This anthology of six short stories offers a brief insight into how personal relationships could turn into in a future not as far away as one might think. It also includes a couple of stories from the Carve the Mark duology, which I read this year. In general, it's safe to say that these stories are built on two main elements: the bonds between siblings and the influence of their parents on them, as well as romantic relationships.
Inertia 3.5/5
The dynamics of her characters reminded me of Tris and Four from Divergent, also of Aristotle and Dante. Claire is dealing with mental health issues and self-harm, while Matt is overwhelmed with grief, both looking for a save haven in each other. Perhaps I would have appreciated the character growth on Claire's part a lot more, had it come from a place of personal development. Still, there is quite a strong message in this short story.
The Spinners 2.5/5
Main themes: grief, sisterly bond, embracing diversity. Unfortunately, the whole story fell flat for me. I would have loved it if the story of the Spinners played a bigger role in the turn of events.
Hearken 3.5/5
I loved the concept of music having such an empowering and catalistic role in people's lives. I felt like the ending could be a few pages longer; I think it lacked impact because of the abrupt wrap-up.
Vim and Vigor 4/5
Fandoms, friendships, sudden loss, high school drama with a slight sci fi spin. I could predict how the story would go, but I enjoyed every minute I spent with it.
The Armored Ones 4/5
We got a bit of backstory on Teka and Akos, I'm sure fans of Carve the Mark will appreciate this, as did I, but essentially it didn't assist in plot progress. More like an extra gift for the fans.
The Transformationist 4.5/5
This story confused me the most. I knew it was set in the Carve the Mark universe, which is why I was looking for familiar faces at first. I actually started thinking that I was introduced to these characters, but forgot about it. I then realised that this was a completely separate story, which required some adjustment on my part. Nevertheless, I think this one had the most intriguing plot. The exploration of religions that are hinted at in the duology and the way the characters interacted was so interesting. I'm glad that this story was picked to conclude the anthology and, honestly, I could read more about Otho (the protagonist) and his experience with Tranformationists, which reminded me a lot of Abnegation in Divergent. Oh, and the love interest... so adorable and kind!
Fans of Veronica Roth's writing and plotting would definitely enjoy this. She does not shy away nor sugarcoat reality and the fact that families are not perfect, even if they love one another.
For someone who hasn't read any of her books yet, I reckon this anthology would be the perfect way to see how you like her storytelling and characters.
Personally, I felt like Roth cannot escape from these ideas in her head about modern-day worlds with a hint of science fiction advancements. The tone was very similar to both of her previous series. The illustrations were such a nice touch and, although the ARC did not include all of them, I'm excited to see them on the finished product.
*ARC provided by Edelweiss+ and Katherine Tegen Books in enchange for an honest review.
This anthology of six short stories offers a brief insight into how personal relationships could turn into in a future not as far away as one might think. It also includes a couple of stories from the Carve the Mark duology, which I read this year. In general, it's safe to say that these stories are built on two main elements: the bonds between siblings and the influence of their parents on them, as well as romantic relationships.
Inertia 3.5/5
The dynamics of her characters reminded me of Tris and Four from Divergent, also of Aristotle and Dante. Claire is dealing with mental health issues and self-harm, while Matt is overwhelmed with grief, both looking for a save haven in each other. Perhaps I would have appreciated the character growth on Claire's part a lot more, had it come from a place of personal development. Still, there is quite a strong message in this short story.
The Spinners 2.5/5
Main themes: grief, sisterly bond, embracing diversity. Unfortunately, the whole story fell flat for me. I would have loved it if the story of the Spinners played a bigger role in the turn of events.
Hearken 3.5/5
I loved the concept of music having such an empowering and catalistic role in people's lives. I felt like the ending could be a few pages longer; I think it lacked impact because of the abrupt wrap-up.
Vim and Vigor 4/5
Fandoms, friendships, sudden loss, high school drama with a slight sci fi spin. I could predict how the story would go, but I enjoyed every minute I spent with it.
The Armored Ones 4/5
We got a bit of backstory on Teka and Akos, I'm sure fans of Carve the Mark will appreciate this, as did I, but essentially it didn't assist in plot progress. More like an extra gift for the fans.
The Transformationist 4.5/5
This story confused me the most. I knew it was set in the Carve the Mark universe, which is why I was looking for familiar faces at first. I actually started thinking that I was introduced to these characters, but forgot about it. I then realised that this was a completely separate story, which required some adjustment on my part. Nevertheless, I think this one had the most intriguing plot. The exploration of religions that are hinted at in the duology and the way the characters interacted was so interesting. I'm glad that this story was picked to conclude the anthology and, honestly, I could read more about Otho (the protagonist) and his experience with Tranformationists, which reminded me a lot of Abnegation in Divergent. Oh, and the love interest... so adorable and kind!
Fans of Veronica Roth's writing and plotting would definitely enjoy this. She does not shy away nor sugarcoat reality and the fact that families are not perfect, even if they love one another.
For someone who hasn't read any of her books yet, I reckon this anthology would be the perfect way to see how you like her storytelling and characters.
Personally, I felt like Roth cannot escape from these ideas in her head about modern-day worlds with a hint of science fiction advancements. The tone was very similar to both of her previous series. The illustrations were such a nice touch and, although the ARC did not include all of them, I'm excited to see them on the finished product.
*ARC provided by Edelweiss+ and Katherine Tegen Books in enchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2019
In this novel by Veronica Roth, it consists of six riveting short stories. Each story has its own unique and interesting plotline, setting, a different planet, and different universe.
Many of the short stories contain betrayal, manipulation, vengeance, and broken aches. The characters have something very similar to all the others in the short stories. They all have difficult pasts and are desperately trying to escape from the inevitable until they realize too late, they can't outrun fate.
If you're looking for an interesting read with a new genre of writing, then this book should be on your order list. Amazing, riveting, unique, and innovative.
I received an ARC for The End and Other Beginnings by Edelweiss for an exchange of an honest review.
Many of the short stories contain betrayal, manipulation, vengeance, and broken aches. The characters have something very similar to all the others in the short stories. They all have difficult pasts and are desperately trying to escape from the inevitable until they realize too late, they can't outrun fate.
If you're looking for an interesting read with a new genre of writing, then this book should be on your order list. Amazing, riveting, unique, and innovative.
I received an ARC for The End and Other Beginnings by Edelweiss for an exchange of an honest review.
September 27, 2019
5 stars
I am a bit of a Veronica Roth fangirl so when I saw this new book I got instantly excited and nervous. Would it be good as the divergent and carve the mark series? I can thankfully say that yes, it is.
This book is made up of short stories, a few based in the Carve the Mark world, which I loved as I am always happy to learn more about my favourite worlds and characters and they did not let me down. I also adored all of the other short stories, which were all completely different to the others!
It was an absolute treat for me, I just wish I had read it as a physical book and not an e-book as it looks like the illustrations would be awesome.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.
I am a bit of a Veronica Roth fangirl so when I saw this new book I got instantly excited and nervous. Would it be good as the divergent and carve the mark series? I can thankfully say that yes, it is.
This book is made up of short stories, a few based in the Carve the Mark world, which I loved as I am always happy to learn more about my favourite worlds and characters and they did not let me down. I also adored all of the other short stories, which were all completely different to the others!
It was an absolute treat for me, I just wish I had read it as a physical book and not an e-book as it looks like the illustrations would be awesome.
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.
September 6, 2020
3,75 ⭐️/5 medie pentru toate cele 6 povești.
More to come!
More to come!
April 21, 2020
I tried. I swear I really tried to understand this book, but I couldn’t. I don’t like short stories. And when I bought the book, I didn’t know that it would be about short stories... I bought it because it was written by Veronica. And I used to love her books. I guess that I shouldn’t take for granted a book just because it is written by one of the authors I appreciate a lot.
October 25, 2019
This collection of stories from the future was meh. After the first story Inertia, which really resonated with me, the rest just left me feeling nothing. Some of the premises were nice but once again I just don't feel like short stories are for me. I love stories on a much grander scale. After reading some of these I wanted more. Oh well, what can you do about it.
September 30, 2024
3.5 ✨ overall for all 6 stories and review to come. ❤️
August 16, 2023
This short story collection includes six different stories, all of them around 40 pages long. They read like young adult stories and they all feature a lot of illustrations to accompany the plot. The illustrations (as well as the overall design of the book) are truly breathtaking and possibly the best part! We follow both female and male point of views throughout the book and the science fiction elements are varied and unique. However, the stories seem to be more character-driven, focusing on self-improvement, relationships, growing up, etc., your typical young adult themes and motifs. The synopsis mentions this as well:
Overall rating: 2.5/5 🌟
Individual ratings:
Inertia: 2 🌟
A story about music and art that is set in what seems like the near future or an alternative contemporary world. It's about a girl going to a boy's last visitation.
The Spinners: 2 🌟
Different alien species are co-existing with humans on planet Earth, but some of them, some form of parasite, are a little more dangerous. Enter a bounty hunter set on revenge, trying to find a certain parasite who killed someone from her family. I liked the setting and the different aliens. I am generally not a fan of revenge plots or crime. The story also ended quite abruptly and did not feel finished.
Hearken: 4.5 🌟
This one is about music again. Bio-bombs exude a deadly gas that will kill humans who inhale it for just a short amount of time. A quarantine is supposed to prevent a worldwide pandemic. (This has been first published in 2013, so it is not inspired by Covid whatsoever.) The story follows a girl who develops a musical gift. She can hear slight shifts in musical chords and has no trouble in learning to play an instrument in a short time. This leads to her being enrolled in a school to study music. The end goal is to get an implant, which filters out the vibrations of human cells to make you hear the sound of a person's life or death (p. 107) which is basically a song and every person has a different one. This whole concept is based on the scientific string theory, which was very interesting. I wish this was a full-length novel. I would have loved to read more about the theory and the whole school concept, since the actual studying part was pretty much skipped over through time-jumps. The musical descriptions were very vibrant and it felt like you could really hear the sounds and songs.
Vim and Vigor: 1 🌟
Again a rather contemporary book about fanart, fan fiction, comics and superheroines. The main character is struggling to choose a prom date and envisions the different ways that the prom night could go with the help of a new tech gadget. Very much character-driven and not much of a plot in sight. Prom, superheroes and fan fiction are also topics that I just do not gravitate towards personally.
Armored Ones: 2.5 🌟
This one is about two characters' backstories from a book series by the author that I have not read. Thus, the plot and the world felt super confusing and I have no idea where it was even set or what currentgifts are or who these characters were. It is definitely set on a different planet but that is all I could fathom. The first half focused on a revenge plot again. A girl is trying to assassinate someone who is slowly but surely killing off her family. The second half is about the other character who is a prisoner in some soldier camp and he finds a creature called Armored One, who are said to be quite aggressive and dangerous. I liked what I understood but I was mostly just confused and did not understand what I was reading. 😂
The Transformationist: 1.5 🌟
This one is also set in the same world as the previous short story and I was even more confused with this one. Again mentioning currentgifts and some kind of planet. It is also about a male prisoner again, who is in jail for something he did not do and he is just walking around and having conversations. I really have no idea what the point of this was, but there were some weird birds in the story, who eat their own flesh, liquefy and return as adult birds with razorsharp feathers? That was cool I guess.
I really need to revisit the last two stories after having read the book series that they are set in. I am pretty sure that they will be more enjoyable this way.
"And yet, for all the advances in these futuristic lands, the people still must confront deeply human problems."It sometimes felt like reading a self-help book and the plot seemed non-existent at times. I only enjoyed one story unfortunately, but it was still worth it for this one exceptionally good story!
Overall rating: 2.5/5 🌟
Individual ratings:
Inertia: 2 🌟
A story about music and art that is set in what seems like the near future or an alternative contemporary world. It's about a girl going to a boy's last visitation.
"It was about [...] the last moments that we would likely share with each other, given that he was about to die." (p. 26)Apart from death, this is also about depression. I was hoping for more sci-fi elements since this basically reads like a contemporary romance novel set at a hospital and at school.
The Spinners: 2 🌟
Different alien species are co-existing with humans on planet Earth, but some of them, some form of parasite, are a little more dangerous. Enter a bounty hunter set on revenge, trying to find a certain parasite who killed someone from her family. I liked the setting and the different aliens. I am generally not a fan of revenge plots or crime. The story also ended quite abruptly and did not feel finished.
Hearken: 4.5 🌟
This one is about music again. Bio-bombs exude a deadly gas that will kill humans who inhale it for just a short amount of time. A quarantine is supposed to prevent a worldwide pandemic. (This has been first published in 2013, so it is not inspired by Covid whatsoever.) The story follows a girl who develops a musical gift. She can hear slight shifts in musical chords and has no trouble in learning to play an instrument in a short time. This leads to her being enrolled in a school to study music. The end goal is to get an implant, which filters out the vibrations of human cells to make you hear the sound of a person's life or death (p. 107) which is basically a song and every person has a different one. This whole concept is based on the scientific string theory, which was very interesting. I wish this was a full-length novel. I would have loved to read more about the theory and the whole school concept, since the actual studying part was pretty much skipped over through time-jumps. The musical descriptions were very vibrant and it felt like you could really hear the sounds and songs.
Vim and Vigor: 1 🌟
Again a rather contemporary book about fanart, fan fiction, comics and superheroines. The main character is struggling to choose a prom date and envisions the different ways that the prom night could go with the help of a new tech gadget. Very much character-driven and not much of a plot in sight. Prom, superheroes and fan fiction are also topics that I just do not gravitate towards personally.
Armored Ones: 2.5 🌟
This one is about two characters' backstories from a book series by the author that I have not read. Thus, the plot and the world felt super confusing and I have no idea where it was even set or what currentgifts are or who these characters were. It is definitely set on a different planet but that is all I could fathom. The first half focused on a revenge plot again. A girl is trying to assassinate someone who is slowly but surely killing off her family. The second half is about the other character who is a prisoner in some soldier camp and he finds a creature called Armored One, who are said to be quite aggressive and dangerous. I liked what I understood but I was mostly just confused and did not understand what I was reading. 😂
The Transformationist: 1.5 🌟
This one is also set in the same world as the previous short story and I was even more confused with this one. Again mentioning currentgifts and some kind of planet. It is also about a male prisoner again, who is in jail for something he did not do and he is just walking around and having conversations. I really have no idea what the point of this was, but there were some weird birds in the story, who eat their own flesh, liquefy and return as adult birds with razorsharp feathers? That was cool I guess.
I really need to revisit the last two stories after having read the book series that they are set in. I am pretty sure that they will be more enjoyable this way.
November 8, 2019
Shhh. I'm in the middle of some art."
"Oh. Forgive me. I'm in the middle of recovering from some death."
If this was just the first story alone, I would have given this 5 stars without hesitation because THAT STORY TOUCHED MY HEART IN SO MANY SMALL, POWERFUL WAYS OKAY??? It was absolutely amazing.
The other stories though?? Eh. Like, some of them were halfway decent but it was like everything was focused on the first story, and then just like "oh yeah, and here's some other ideas I made into story format". Now I would have loved to see some of these ideas expanded on into fuller, longer detail!! All the ideas in here were unique and interesting (okay well except the obvious Host-inspired aliens but hey I still enjoyed that) BUT they just weren't as powerful nor written as well as the first story.
Also, all the teens in here were oddly goody-goody innocents?? Like, c'mon . . . I'm very much on the scale of ace but even I had dirty jokes and times of curiosity. To erase that from a story about teens is, like, erasing them as teenagers. It's a lengthy topic I could ramble on about, but I won't, however it was noticeable enough that confuse me a little about these Elsie Dinsmore style characters haha.
And she also had soooo many opportunities for some diversity in here (okay there was racial diversity a bit) but didn't take it.
And then the Carve the Mark stories at the end?? They felt awkward and maybe should have had their own collection.
"Oh. Forgive me. I'm in the middle of recovering from some death."
If this was just the first story alone, I would have given this 5 stars without hesitation because THAT STORY TOUCHED MY HEART IN SO MANY SMALL, POWERFUL WAYS OKAY??? It was absolutely amazing.
The other stories though?? Eh. Like, some of them were halfway decent but it was like everything was focused on the first story, and then just like "oh yeah, and here's some other ideas I made into story format". Now I would have loved to see some of these ideas expanded on into fuller, longer detail!! All the ideas in here were unique and interesting (okay well except the obvious Host-inspired aliens but hey I still enjoyed that) BUT they just weren't as powerful nor written as well as the first story.
Also, all the teens in here were oddly goody-goody innocents?? Like, c'mon . . . I'm very much on the scale of ace but even I had dirty jokes and times of curiosity. To erase that from a story about teens is, like, erasing them as teenagers. It's a lengthy topic I could ramble on about, but I won't, however it was noticeable enough that confuse me a little about these Elsie Dinsmore style characters haha.
And she also had soooo many opportunities for some diversity in here (okay there was racial diversity a bit) but didn't take it.
And then the Carve the Mark stories at the end?? They felt awkward and maybe should have had their own collection.
October 4, 2019
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*
I enjoyed this short story collection so much that I might be ready to forgive Veronica for Allegiant . In seriousness, it was so entertaining, and really quite thought provoking. Sure, some of the stories I liked more than others, but they were all quality, all were so well-developed that it hardly felt like I was reading short stories at all. I fell so in love with one story in particular (Inertia, which happened to be the first story), that I might have sobbed in a bubble bath. (Just kidding, I definitely sobbed during a bubble bath.) I tell you this because that is how powerful these stories felt. How did I care about these characters in such a short amount of time? That's pretty magical, frankly. And since a few stories are set in the world of Carve the Mark , guess that means I am getting to that sooner than later too.
Bottom Line: These stories will entertain, and make you feel. They're exciting, but they're also very human, reminding us of who we are regardless of where in the universe we end up.
4.5*
I enjoyed this short story collection so much that I might be ready to forgive Veronica for Allegiant . In seriousness, it was so entertaining, and really quite thought provoking. Sure, some of the stories I liked more than others, but they were all quality, all were so well-developed that it hardly felt like I was reading short stories at all. I fell so in love with one story in particular (Inertia, which happened to be the first story), that I might have sobbed in a bubble bath. (Just kidding, I definitely sobbed during a bubble bath.) I tell you this because that is how powerful these stories felt. How did I care about these characters in such a short amount of time? That's pretty magical, frankly. And since a few stories are set in the world of Carve the Mark , guess that means I am getting to that sooner than later too.
Bottom Line: These stories will entertain, and make you feel. They're exciting, but they're also very human, reminding us of who we are regardless of where in the universe we end up.
October 6, 2019
3.5 stars
This whole book of short stories has a futuristic feel, sometimes a little dystopian and sometimes a little Sci-fi. One story I loved, some I liked and some I didn’t. What is special about this book of shorts is that it is illustrated. The illustrations are gorgeous, so much so that I bookmarked most of them so that I could go back and look at them again. They add a lot to the story and definitely help with visualisation. Here is a flavour of three of the stories.
Inertia was a story steeped in some mental health issues, grief, loss and things unsaid. This story gripped me immediately as two friends were confronted with mortality. It was both hopeless and hopeful. This story of firsts and friendships in a backdrop of futuristic death rituals was my favourite.
The Spinners had a feel of the THE HOST but executing the world in a short story was a tall order. So this one crashed and burned a bit for me. I found it a little boring and I didn’t feel the connection between the siblings or other character.
Harken was a super interesting concept but it felt a bit unfinished. I wanted to know so much more about the world, the bio bombs and the giftings. A longer story would have done this more justice.
Overall this was a book that you could dip in and out of. Not all the stories appealed to me but they might to some. Considering how stunning the illustrations are in the ebook, I am only imagine how they will translate even better into a physical book.
Thank you to Harper Collins for this early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog here.
This whole book of short stories has a futuristic feel, sometimes a little dystopian and sometimes a little Sci-fi. One story I loved, some I liked and some I didn’t. What is special about this book of shorts is that it is illustrated. The illustrations are gorgeous, so much so that I bookmarked most of them so that I could go back and look at them again. They add a lot to the story and definitely help with visualisation. Here is a flavour of three of the stories.
Inertia was a story steeped in some mental health issues, grief, loss and things unsaid. This story gripped me immediately as two friends were confronted with mortality. It was both hopeless and hopeful. This story of firsts and friendships in a backdrop of futuristic death rituals was my favourite.
The Spinners had a feel of the THE HOST but executing the world in a short story was a tall order. So this one crashed and burned a bit for me. I found it a little boring and I didn’t feel the connection between the siblings or other character.
Harken was a super interesting concept but it felt a bit unfinished. I wanted to know so much more about the world, the bio bombs and the giftings. A longer story would have done this more justice.
Overall this was a book that you could dip in and out of. Not all the stories appealed to me but they might to some. Considering how stunning the illustrations are in the ebook, I am only imagine how they will translate even better into a physical book.
Thank you to Harper Collins for this early review copy.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog here.
January 14, 2020
Great collection of short stories, all with a sci-fi element. Six in total, two of which are set in the Carve the Mark universe. Since I haven't read the Carve the Mark duology, yet, I especially enjoyed the standalone short stories --gosh, there were some brilliant ones there. If you enjoy short stories and sci-fi, this collection is a must.
September 2, 2020
Although kind of different from each other, each individual story had something futuristic and deeply emotional about it. I loved the last three more than the first ones, but I enjoyed them all a lot and I loved the way Veronica explored different writing styles and characters.
September 28, 2019
I firstly want to say that I was a huge fan of the divergent series so I was very excited to be reading new Veronica Roth material 😁
I’m not generally a fan of short stories simply because I like immersing myself into the story and you can’t do that in just a few pages - series girl here! however I really enjoyed most of the stories in this collection and didn’t feel “cheated”
Each story Has it’s own unique setting and storyline with my favourite being Hearken. I would love to delve more into that world! I also really liked the illustrations and found that they explained things within the story that I otherwise wouldn’t have fully imagined.
* I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
I’m not generally a fan of short stories simply because I like immersing myself into the story and you can’t do that in just a few pages - series girl here! however I really enjoyed most of the stories in this collection and didn’t feel “cheated”
Each story Has it’s own unique setting and storyline with my favourite being Hearken. I would love to delve more into that world! I also really liked the illustrations and found that they explained things within the story that I otherwise wouldn’t have fully imagined.
* I received a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
February 14, 2023
It was hard to get into this. The first few stories were okay but generally not good enough to hold my interest. It had potential but just didn’t grab me like I hoped it would.
March 27, 2022
💯One of my all time favourite sci-fi short story collections!
☑️6 short sci-fi/dystopian world/futuristic/alien stories
☑️mind blowing illustrations for each story
☑️deals with themes of romance, friendships, family bond
☑️ also serious topics of mental health, suicide/suicidal tendencies, death and grief
☑️ surprised me with the LGBTQIAP representation in one story which is one of my all time fav now
💯 my most favourites in this collection would be Inertia and The Transformationist
✨You will enjoy most of these stories, the writing as well as the characters even if you do not read much sci-fi.
A big surprise of the year!
☑️6 short sci-fi/dystopian world/futuristic/alien stories
☑️mind blowing illustrations for each story
☑️deals with themes of romance, friendships, family bond
☑️ also serious topics of mental health, suicide/suicidal tendencies, death and grief
☑️ surprised me with the LGBTQIAP representation in one story which is one of my all time fav now
💯 my most favourites in this collection would be Inertia and The Transformationist
✨You will enjoy most of these stories, the writing as well as the characters even if you do not read much sci-fi.
A big surprise of the year!
on-hold
April 27, 2019
December 31, 2019
0,5 stars. Not for me.
February 8, 2021
This book consists of collections of short futuristic and dystopian stories woven together to make a satisfying read. Overall, I give the book 3.7 stars however some stories are memorable than other. This books includes six stories, starting with:
1. Inertia - 4/5 stars: a story about end of life visitation, depression and self harm due to trauma but also a story about teens in love.
2. The spinners- 3/5 stars: story about 2 sisters in a revenge quest to find a creature that ended their mother’s life. Also has a adorable romance.
3. Hearken - 1.5 /5 stars: a confusing mess of a story about a girl joining people who can hear death or life note while the world is in a apocalyptic war against each other. The world was too complicated for this to be a short story, and because of that the story felt disjointed.
4. Vim and Vigor- 4/5 stars: a story about old friends who have fallen out of love re-discovering the importance of friendship over their shared obsession with comics.
5. Armored Ones- 5/5 stars: this story takes us back to Carve the Mark world. It includes the story of Teka who is on a mission to kill Cyra Noavek going undercover to discover Cyra’s weakness as well as the story of how Akos was able to earn himself an armor through the ritual of killing an Armored One. I love being back into this world with my favorite characters.
6. The Transformationist- 1/5 stars: a story of a boy who was imprisoned for a crime being let out of prison early because new evidence/ testimony was found. This story was my least favorite because the main character felt bland as days old bread.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this book! Love all the world Veronica created!
1. Inertia - 4/5 stars: a story about end of life visitation, depression and self harm due to trauma but also a story about teens in love.
2. The spinners- 3/5 stars: story about 2 sisters in a revenge quest to find a creature that ended their mother’s life. Also has a adorable romance.
3. Hearken - 1.5 /5 stars: a confusing mess of a story about a girl joining people who can hear death or life note while the world is in a apocalyptic war against each other. The world was too complicated for this to be a short story, and because of that the story felt disjointed.
4. Vim and Vigor- 4/5 stars: a story about old friends who have fallen out of love re-discovering the importance of friendship over their shared obsession with comics.
5. Armored Ones- 5/5 stars: this story takes us back to Carve the Mark world. It includes the story of Teka who is on a mission to kill Cyra Noavek going undercover to discover Cyra’s weakness as well as the story of how Akos was able to earn himself an armor through the ritual of killing an Armored One. I love being back into this world with my favorite characters.
6. The Transformationist- 1/5 stars: a story of a boy who was imprisoned for a crime being let out of prison early because new evidence/ testimony was found. This story was my least favorite because the main character felt bland as days old bread.
Overall, I highly enjoyed this book! Love all the world Veronica created!
April 14, 2024
In the audio version, it was not as clear that these were short stories because the narrator didn't delineate these well.
In fact, it appears that I read it in a way that I thought it was related to characters in alternate timelines and universes ahahahaha
Anyway I left this one confused AF when the end was it and I was like wait....
In a way, I'm glad I didn't know, but I can't tell you how it relates to the physical form of the book, as I can only rate this based on my experience.
3.5 Stars
In fact, it appears that I read it in a way that I thought it was related to characters in alternate timelines and universes ahahahaha
Anyway I left this one confused AF when the end was it and I was like wait....
In a way, I'm glad I didn't know, but I can't tell you how it relates to the physical form of the book, as I can only rate this based on my experience.
3.5 Stars
February 14, 2025
The first short story nearly ripped my heart out of my chest so that was fun.
September 24, 2019
I am not a fan of short stories. I don't like being teased by a little piece of text, and then not getting to know the characters further. But it is Veronica Roth, so I gave it a shot.
And I am glad I did.
"...each of these stories focuses on that pivotal moment when something ends--often painfully."
The End and Other Beginnings has a lot of stories that deal with depression, child abuse, isolation, death, and overall love too.
"But endings always create space for new beginnings. For transformation. For falling in love."
Love between siblings (The Spinners), between ex-best friends (Inertia), between seeming strangers (The Transformationist).While a lot of the stories are very sad they also incorporate uplifting parts. Veronica Roth manages to capture your attention from the first sentence of each story, not wasting time and plunging you into the heart of the tale. Her writing make the stories super readable, and her exploration of fascinating futuristic gadgets and talents keep things interesting.
A list of my most loved story to least loved:
1. Inertia, and Hearken-- These two stories compete for the number one spot, and I can't quite decide which is better. Inertia is just so beautifully written--at the end of her best friend's life, Claire must say one final goodbye. By joining her consciousness with that of her best friends they are able to talk one last time and come to terms with their feelings. It is painful, and beautiful, and it made me tear up terribly. While Hearken is just fascinating--Hearkens are people who are able to listen to other people's either life or death songs. In a post apocalyptic world, where people are determined to decimate humanity by way of bio weapons the Hearkens are a ray of sunshine and hope amongst the uglyness of every day life. The only thing that could have made that story better would have been to have an audio file of the songs written about in the story.
2. The Transformationist-Truly a sad story that deals with child abuse, and the complicated ties of family bonds. I believe this is one of the two stories which are set in the "Carve the Mark" world. Makes me want to read the novel. Otho, must deal with the consequences of being abused his entire life by his extremely strict mother. For being such a short story it is incredible how quickly Veronica Roth can make you fall in love with her characters.
3. Vim and Victor- another story that deals heavily with depression. A group of friends are traumatized when they lose one of their own, so much so that they start to drift apart, until their own common interest brings them back together and allows them to start to heal.
4. The Spinners- A story about two sisters seeking revenge for the death of their mother. The setting of this story is the highlight for me--a world where humans and aliens co-exist (a la futurama!). The "leeches" (an alien species which our protagonist hunts down as a career choice) remind me heavily of The Host by S Meyer. The characters are okay, though it does introduce a very hot/interesting male character who I wouldn't mind getting to know better... (love you EON!)
5. The Armored Ones-a two part story that felt like the sample chapter to a bigger tale. It is one of the two stories set in the Carve the Mark world, so maybe I should be getting to read that one book soon. A story about going through rites and coming out stronger and ready to bring change upon the world--revenge, loss, complicated villains and complicated heroes.
Though one thing is for sure--this is very light sci-fi. It is more about how it feels and what it allows to explore than the technicality of sci-fi (you will find no explanations as to how any of these occurrences or gadgets came to be or are even possible). It is more of the line of thinking "do you want to hear the story or not?" I did want to hear the story, and I don't mind not having explanations to how everything works. That is not why I came to the party, I came to have my emotions punched in the gut by Veronica Roth. And she delivered.
And I am glad I did.
"...each of these stories focuses on that pivotal moment when something ends--often painfully."
The End and Other Beginnings has a lot of stories that deal with depression, child abuse, isolation, death, and overall love too.
"But endings always create space for new beginnings. For transformation. For falling in love."
Love between siblings (The Spinners), between ex-best friends (Inertia), between seeming strangers (The Transformationist).While a lot of the stories are very sad they also incorporate uplifting parts. Veronica Roth manages to capture your attention from the first sentence of each story, not wasting time and plunging you into the heart of the tale. Her writing make the stories super readable, and her exploration of fascinating futuristic gadgets and talents keep things interesting.
A list of my most loved story to least loved:
1. Inertia, and Hearken-- These two stories compete for the number one spot, and I can't quite decide which is better. Inertia is just so beautifully written--at the end of her best friend's life, Claire must say one final goodbye. By joining her consciousness with that of her best friends they are able to talk one last time and come to terms with their feelings. It is painful, and beautiful, and it made me tear up terribly. While Hearken is just fascinating--Hearkens are people who are able to listen to other people's either life or death songs. In a post apocalyptic world, where people are determined to decimate humanity by way of bio weapons the Hearkens are a ray of sunshine and hope amongst the uglyness of every day life. The only thing that could have made that story better would have been to have an audio file of the songs written about in the story.
2. The Transformationist-Truly a sad story that deals with child abuse, and the complicated ties of family bonds. I believe this is one of the two stories which are set in the "Carve the Mark" world. Makes me want to read the novel. Otho, must deal with the consequences of being abused his entire life by his extremely strict mother. For being such a short story it is incredible how quickly Veronica Roth can make you fall in love with her characters.
3. Vim and Victor- another story that deals heavily with depression. A group of friends are traumatized when they lose one of their own, so much so that they start to drift apart, until their own common interest brings them back together and allows them to start to heal.
4. The Spinners- A story about two sisters seeking revenge for the death of their mother. The setting of this story is the highlight for me--a world where humans and aliens co-exist (a la futurama!). The "leeches" (an alien species which our protagonist hunts down as a career choice) remind me heavily of The Host by S Meyer. The characters are okay, though it does introduce a very hot/interesting male character who I wouldn't mind getting to know better... (love you EON!)
5. The Armored Ones-a two part story that felt like the sample chapter to a bigger tale. It is one of the two stories set in the Carve the Mark world, so maybe I should be getting to read that one book soon. A story about going through rites and coming out stronger and ready to bring change upon the world--revenge, loss, complicated villains and complicated heroes.
Though one thing is for sure--this is very light sci-fi. It is more about how it feels and what it allows to explore than the technicality of sci-fi (you will find no explanations as to how any of these occurrences or gadgets came to be or are even possible). It is more of the line of thinking "do you want to hear the story or not?" I did want to hear the story, and I don't mind not having explanations to how everything works. That is not why I came to the party, I came to have my emotions punched in the gut by Veronica Roth. And she delivered.
September 16, 2019
4.75
CW: PTSD, Child Abuse, Depression, parental death
CW: PTSD, Child Abuse, Depression, parental death
October 11, 2019
As I loved reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, I was immediately interested in reading this collection of short stories/novellas. I was also interested by the fact that some of the novellas are set in the same world as some of her other series too, in particular her “Carve The Mark” series which I have not read any of as yet.
The cover is green and features what could be doors or frames on it. I don’t like the cover but at the same time I don’t hate it either. The cover would not make me pick it up from a book store shelf to learn more about the book. It would be the authors name that would make me take the book from a shelf to discover more about it.
The theme/setting of the collection is the “future” so I thought futuristic maybe dystopian in genre, which is a genre I usually love. The book has six novellas and they each have their own individual titles, which are, Inertia, The Spinners, Hearken, Vim and Vigor, Armored Ones and The Transformationalist. I did discover that I had already read Hearken elsewhere though I cannot remember where and I still really enjoyed reading it again. I have decided to tell you about just a couple of the stories as I don’t want to reveal too much about the whole fantastic collection.
Inertia is one of my favourite novellas from the collection. The main characters are Claire and Matthew, and it is set in a future that when you are on a life support machine, or dying you can have visitations with your loved ones where you can talk to each other in the dying persons consciousness. Most people stated those they wanted to have last visits with in their wills. It turns out that Matthew has requested Claire to be one of his last visits along with his mother. Claire goes first, though she is surprised about Matthews request as though they were good friends, well best friends but they had drifted apart more recently. Claire is very nervous as it is her first visitation with anyone so she is a little unsure how it all works and what to expect. When Claire gets to the hospital, she is seen by a Doctor Linda Albertson. Claire’s blood pressure and other vitals are checked to make sure she is fit and well enough, then the sympathetic and friendly Doctor hooks her up to the machine, electrodes are touched to her head and an IV needle. Dr Albertson explains the procedure explaining younger people seem to take to it much easier. Claire is having her visit first, then Matthews mother will have hers later but before Matthew undergoes a last surgical attempt to help him. Claire’s visit will be an hour, and she may have to explain how the visitation works to Matthew. They each get to choose and revisit the memories they shared together, to kind of relive them.
The short story then has the pair reliving/reviewing their shared memories and remembering how much they cared for each other and how close they actually were. They seem to be able to get over whatever it was that came between them in real life. Within their memories everything makes more sense. As the visit comes to an end both are at peace with each other and Matthew says something important to Claire, something he said he had wanted to say to her before but was unsure. When the visit is over and Claire is brought back to reality, she realises she still has things she wished she had had the time to say to Matthew but now its over, or is it? Matthew has his visit with his mum then he goes for a last attempt at life surgery.
I really loved this story and the elements within the world and would love more stories set around this technology and the world it exists in.
Hearken was the other novella I also really loved and was fascinated with the world it was set in. Another futuristic world I would love to read much more from. As I said I have read this one before and though it is a rarity that I re-read anything, I re-read this one and still loved it as much.
Being a Hearkener is very rare but it is discovered that the main character, Darya, in this book has the gift. She does not come from a well off or high-class family. She comes from a poor family, just getting by. Her mother is an alcoholic and has been since shortly after her second daughter Darya was born. Khali can remember their mother when she was alcohol free and happy and did things with her family, rather than the reclusive, numbed alcoholic she is now. Khali tries to explain this to Darya but Darya cannot remember her mother prior to being an alcoholic at all. The world they are living in is one that it is in the constant threat of terror attacks. The family have two masks, for to breath in the toxic fumes from the bombs the terrorists set off is a death sentence. It is Darya’s father that accompanies her to be tested to see if she can gain a place to be trained as a Hearkener. They do not have their masks, as, Khali and her mother need them to walk to school. There’s an incident on the way and Darya’s father escapes with her but has inhaled some of the toxic gas. They go home unable to travel on to the building the test is being held at. They will have to make another appointment.
When they finally make it to the building the test is at a woman with the black markings of a Hearkener looks pitifully at Darya’s father. Later when he dies and when Darya is accepted to train as a Hearkener and learns more about it all she realises this woman could hear her father’s death song. Hearkeners have a choice they can choose red, then they will hear people’s life songs. Or they can choose black, which means they will hear people’s death songs. So, what with Darya choose? If her older sister Khali has anything to do with it, she will pick black. Khali wants to hear their mother’s death song and tries all ways to persuade Darya to decide on black. They argue with Darya saying she cannot promise anything and that once she has chosen, she cannot change her decision. Meaning if she chooses black to hear their mother’s death song, she will be a death song Hearkener for the rest of her life.
Again, I really enjoyed this story and loved the characters. It would be great to read more set in this unique world setting too.
I did enjoy the other novella’s too which consisted of The Spinners, Vim And Vigor, Armored Ones which is the novella set in the same world as the Carve The Mark series, and finally The Transformationalists.
I think Vim and Vigor was quite different to the other books, it had a more realistic setting and was more about friendship and dreams for the future rather than being set in a more futuristic/dystopic setting of the other novella’s.
On the whole I really enjoyed reading this collection of novella’s and it reminded me as to how much I had loved reading Divergent, also written by Veronica Roth. I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for any forthcoming title by Veronica Roth hoping she may release some full- length books based in the same worlds and setting as this novella, or even more novella collections to read.
So, to sum up definitely well worth reading! Ooo I almost forgot there are some brilliant sketch illustrations too!
The cover is green and features what could be doors or frames on it. I don’t like the cover but at the same time I don’t hate it either. The cover would not make me pick it up from a book store shelf to learn more about the book. It would be the authors name that would make me take the book from a shelf to discover more about it.
The theme/setting of the collection is the “future” so I thought futuristic maybe dystopian in genre, which is a genre I usually love. The book has six novellas and they each have their own individual titles, which are, Inertia, The Spinners, Hearken, Vim and Vigor, Armored Ones and The Transformationalist. I did discover that I had already read Hearken elsewhere though I cannot remember where and I still really enjoyed reading it again. I have decided to tell you about just a couple of the stories as I don’t want to reveal too much about the whole fantastic collection.
Inertia is one of my favourite novellas from the collection. The main characters are Claire and Matthew, and it is set in a future that when you are on a life support machine, or dying you can have visitations with your loved ones where you can talk to each other in the dying persons consciousness. Most people stated those they wanted to have last visits with in their wills. It turns out that Matthew has requested Claire to be one of his last visits along with his mother. Claire goes first, though she is surprised about Matthews request as though they were good friends, well best friends but they had drifted apart more recently. Claire is very nervous as it is her first visitation with anyone so she is a little unsure how it all works and what to expect. When Claire gets to the hospital, she is seen by a Doctor Linda Albertson. Claire’s blood pressure and other vitals are checked to make sure she is fit and well enough, then the sympathetic and friendly Doctor hooks her up to the machine, electrodes are touched to her head and an IV needle. Dr Albertson explains the procedure explaining younger people seem to take to it much easier. Claire is having her visit first, then Matthews mother will have hers later but before Matthew undergoes a last surgical attempt to help him. Claire’s visit will be an hour, and she may have to explain how the visitation works to Matthew. They each get to choose and revisit the memories they shared together, to kind of relive them.
The short story then has the pair reliving/reviewing their shared memories and remembering how much they cared for each other and how close they actually were. They seem to be able to get over whatever it was that came between them in real life. Within their memories everything makes more sense. As the visit comes to an end both are at peace with each other and Matthew says something important to Claire, something he said he had wanted to say to her before but was unsure. When the visit is over and Claire is brought back to reality, she realises she still has things she wished she had had the time to say to Matthew but now its over, or is it? Matthew has his visit with his mum then he goes for a last attempt at life surgery.
I really loved this story and the elements within the world and would love more stories set around this technology and the world it exists in.
Hearken was the other novella I also really loved and was fascinated with the world it was set in. Another futuristic world I would love to read much more from. As I said I have read this one before and though it is a rarity that I re-read anything, I re-read this one and still loved it as much.
Being a Hearkener is very rare but it is discovered that the main character, Darya, in this book has the gift. She does not come from a well off or high-class family. She comes from a poor family, just getting by. Her mother is an alcoholic and has been since shortly after her second daughter Darya was born. Khali can remember their mother when she was alcohol free and happy and did things with her family, rather than the reclusive, numbed alcoholic she is now. Khali tries to explain this to Darya but Darya cannot remember her mother prior to being an alcoholic at all. The world they are living in is one that it is in the constant threat of terror attacks. The family have two masks, for to breath in the toxic fumes from the bombs the terrorists set off is a death sentence. It is Darya’s father that accompanies her to be tested to see if she can gain a place to be trained as a Hearkener. They do not have their masks, as, Khali and her mother need them to walk to school. There’s an incident on the way and Darya’s father escapes with her but has inhaled some of the toxic gas. They go home unable to travel on to the building the test is being held at. They will have to make another appointment.
When they finally make it to the building the test is at a woman with the black markings of a Hearkener looks pitifully at Darya’s father. Later when he dies and when Darya is accepted to train as a Hearkener and learns more about it all she realises this woman could hear her father’s death song. Hearkeners have a choice they can choose red, then they will hear people’s life songs. Or they can choose black, which means they will hear people’s death songs. So, what with Darya choose? If her older sister Khali has anything to do with it, she will pick black. Khali wants to hear their mother’s death song and tries all ways to persuade Darya to decide on black. They argue with Darya saying she cannot promise anything and that once she has chosen, she cannot change her decision. Meaning if she chooses black to hear their mother’s death song, she will be a death song Hearkener for the rest of her life.
Again, I really enjoyed this story and loved the characters. It would be great to read more set in this unique world setting too.
I did enjoy the other novella’s too which consisted of The Spinners, Vim And Vigor, Armored Ones which is the novella set in the same world as the Carve The Mark series, and finally The Transformationalists.
I think Vim and Vigor was quite different to the other books, it had a more realistic setting and was more about friendship and dreams for the future rather than being set in a more futuristic/dystopic setting of the other novella’s.
On the whole I really enjoyed reading this collection of novella’s and it reminded me as to how much I had loved reading Divergent, also written by Veronica Roth. I will certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for any forthcoming title by Veronica Roth hoping she may release some full- length books based in the same worlds and setting as this novella, or even more novella collections to read.
So, to sum up definitely well worth reading! Ooo I almost forgot there are some brilliant sketch illustrations too!
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