Reviews

"[A rager's] . . . a special kind of fighter. They're born with great ability. While others may train for years to master combat, a rager is a natural-born killer," said Twitchtip.

It was absolutely the worst thing he could imagine anybody saying about him.

The second installment of the Underland Chronicles was an improvement on the first, but it ultimately didn't quite fall into 4-star territory for me. I still felt that Gregor on the whole read as too capable/old for his age, even considering his background. Specifically, his athletic and combat skill seemed overstated when considering his age of, like, twelve. I mean, just physically, he's a child. I couldn't quite overcome that main sticking point as I was reading. Though, I will say that they did a little better showcasing Gregor's moments of emotional insecurity/childishness (his brattiness with Ares is a great example) than in book one.

That being said, I was impressed by the shift in focus in this volume. As the quote above demonstrates, Collins starts to hone in on what will ostensibly be Gregor's (and perhaps the series') central conflict: Will Gregor hold onto his humanity when all forces, external and internal, conspire to shape him into a murderer?

This question is examined rather simplistically in this installment, with the obvious culmination of another Sandwich prophecy putting Gregor's mercy to test. The prophecy's "twist" was fairly easy to guess, but it was still an affecting method of presenting this struggle.

It's annoying that Boots featured heavily, again, because I'm tired of her stupid baby talk. Alas.

Also, final comment: the moment where Pandora encounters the volcanic island of unknown mites was fucking sick (complimentary), and I honestly rapid-blinked in surprise. Collins' specific brand of narrative ruthlessness is really effective, in my opinion, so kudos to her.

flerken7707's review against another edition

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fast-paced

5.0

madeye93's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

ethomare's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

3.5

bantwalkers's review against another edition

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4.0

Slightly better than the first. Collins uses her characters better, maybe because she had a first novel to develop them. In this novel their strengths and weaknesses actually make the book more complex than the first. I like how dark these books are, but they are also sensitive enough to be accessible for younger readers.

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