To say Swan Song is an excellent book is a severe understatement. Simply put, it's one of the best books I've ever read. I put it right up there in my pantheon of the best of the best alongside Dune and the series A Song of Ice and Fire and Arc of a Scythe.
The easiest way to pitch Swan Song is to say it's like Stephen King's The Stand, only better and not just by a little bit. It also reminds me of Chuck Wendig's novels Wanderers and Wayward, but again, several orders of magnitude better.
I don't remember what inspired me to pick up this book, but I am glad I did. I have never read a novel over 900 pages that seemed shorter and more intense than this one. It's a horror story inspired by a nuclear apocalypse, a fantasy of epic proportions, and most of all, an adventure about finding hope and overcoming darkness. If any of those descriptions appeal to you even a little bit, do yourself a favor and read this book right away.
New York Times Bestseller: A young girl’s visions offer the last hope in a postapocalyptic wasteland in this “grand and disturbing adventure” (Dean Koontz).
A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick
Swan is a nine-year-old Kansas girl following her struggling mother from one trailer park to the next when she receives visions of doom—something far wider than the narrow scope of her own beleaguered life. In a blinding flash, nuclear bombs annihilate civilization, leaving only a few buried survivors to crawl onto a scorched landscape that was once America.
In Manhattan, a homeless woman stumbles from the sewers, guided…
I must admit, this is one of the first times. I watched the movie before reading the book. It's not a movie I expected to enjoy. Typically, I'm not a huge fan of animated fare for the younger set. My wife usually has the duty of watching animated movies with our younger son. However, I agreed to watch this one with them because he had read The Wild Robot from front to back in record time to earn himself a ticket to the film. When he asked me to attend, how could I refuse?
Let me be upfront. The film is wonderful—mind-blowing. I don't recall the last time I enjoyed watching a movie so much. Yes, it is a cartoon that includes cutesy talking animals, but Roz is such a fantastic character, and her story is so affecting that all my biases were stripped away.
When Roz responds to a query about her relationship with the gosling she has adopted after accidentally killing the parents with the line "crushing obligation," I was 100% hooked. This film has something for all ages. My son, the wife, and I all left the cineplex feeling satisfied. I think I enjoyed the movie the most, honestly. Bottom line, watch this film wether you have children or not!
But what about the book? Does it live up to the film? Yes. In some ways, the book is better than the film, and vice versa. Watching the movie first did not impact my enjoyment of the novel. Just as the film opened my eyes to how effective an animation made for children can be, the book showed me how spectacular a middle-grade yarn can be for readers of all ages.
On top of that, the book will get reluctant readers flipping pages. Both of my sons are not the most enthusiastic readers, but they enjoyed the heck out of The Wild Robot and plan to read the entire series.
Do yourself a favor. Read the book. Watch the film. Both are fantastic.
'An engaging tale that explores many important themes. We can only hope that Roz serves as the template for all future robots. Peter Brown's illustrations are as marvellous as ever!' Coralie Bickford-Smith, author of THE FOX AND THE STAR
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is - but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realises that her only hope for survival…
The Wheel of Osheim concludes Lawrence's spectacular trilogy, The Red Queen's War. This climatic volume is absolutely fantastic. Lawrence successfully mashes up fantasy, science fiction, and horror tropes to make this read wild. Fans of the author's Broken Empire Trilogy and grimdark aficionados will find this series especially thrilling.
From the critically-acclaimed author of PRINCE OF FOOLS comes the third volume of the brilliant new epic fantasy series, THE RED QUEEN'S WAR.
All the horrors of Hell stand between Snorri Ver Snagason and the rescue of his family, if indeed the dead can be rescued.
For Jalan Kendeth getting out alive and with Loki's Key is all that matters. The key can open any lock and possession of it may enable Jal to to return to the three Ws that have been the core of his debauched life: wine, women, and wagering.
Can Allison and her friends save the world without becoming monsters?
Allison hoped her life would be free of torment after escaping the faeries. No sooner than Allison and her friends return home, the government imprisons Bria and Haji on a military base where scientists experiment on them. Allison’s plan to rescue them backfires when she reveals Bria’s location to the faeries, who mount a raid to capture the faery child. With Bria’s blood, they can create more enthralled super magicians to wage war against humanity.
The attack on the military base is just the beginning. When an electromagnetic pulse knocks out the power for the west coast of the United States, it is clear more powerful foes than the faeries are invading Earth.
