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patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Way Down Dark dealt with the idea of being punished for the crimes of your ancestors, being unable to escape your circumstances in life, and the themes of incarceration and rehabilitation are explored a bit further in Long Dark Dusk. As well as people an action packed ride through a future earth where populations have plummeted and every human being should be a productive member of society.
Chan finds herself living in the docks, surrounded by those at the bottom, the junkies, the criminals, those that just can’t get ahead in this highly controlled city. She feels like she has made a few friends, Ziegler, a reporter keen to tell her story of life on board Australia and the crash that has been kept secret, and Alala, a woman who trades in anything that might be needed, be that information or drugs. I’m not quite sure why the slums at the docks were left to run riot if this is a future where every human life is precious, where the state wants every to contribute. It is reflective of the kinds of places where the poor end up, but it seemed at odds with what the people in charge said they wanted. Maybe that’s the point.
It's amazing how fast peace can turn into a riot, how quickly a single violent act can upend the status quo.
I was really keen to know what had happened to Earth to lead it to send prisoners into space. Chan reveals plenty of snippets about the history, through visits to the museum and things Ziegler tells her. Overpopulation and global warming has changed the face of the Earth, now the obliging live within walled cities, the air filtered and every move monitored. Some of the constraints of the new world are shown through encounters Chan has. As the book opens she is trying to help a girl with an illegal baby, suggesting that reproduction is now strictly controlled. These things aren’t central to the story but they help to shape the world it unfolds in.
I liked the evolution of some of our familiar technology now into Gaia, the Siri/Cortana of the future, and driverless cars. The augments might seem further fetched but there are already bionic limbs and you can have your retinas zapped with lasers to help you see better.
Just as the second part of the first book made more of an impact on me, the things I really liked about the second instalment fell in part two. Again! So I don’t feel I can talk about much without dropping some spoilers. The people from the Australia are still considered criminals, even though they were never sentenced, not in a court of law at least, and there is no proof of what they did on board the ship. They deserve the chance at rehabilitation but not without the chance to be themselves, to prove that they can be better without state intervention.
Chan is a good person at heart, despite what she may have done to survive. She wants to help other people, keep her people safe and ultimately keep her promises, no matter how hard that might be. Her treatment feels a lot like an injustice, her past clouding the judgement of those who might otherwise see her as an individual.
I did find it a bit slow to get going, like I said of the previous book, action isn’t really my thing so I was glad that it was in three distinct parts, with some of it being a bit more introspective. I am still excited to read the third book, Dark Made Dawn (that's a positive title, right?), which is out October this year. So not too long to wait!
Review copy provided by publisher.
Chan finds herself living in the docks, surrounded by those at the bottom, the junkies, the criminals, those that just can’t get ahead in this highly controlled city. She feels like she has made a few friends, Ziegler, a reporter keen to tell her story of life on board Australia and the crash that has been kept secret, and Alala, a woman who trades in anything that might be needed, be that information or drugs. I’m not quite sure why the slums at the docks were left to run riot if this is a future where every human life is precious, where the state wants every to contribute. It is reflective of the kinds of places where the poor end up, but it seemed at odds with what the people in charge said they wanted. Maybe that’s the point.
It's amazing how fast peace can turn into a riot, how quickly a single violent act can upend the status quo.
I was really keen to know what had happened to Earth to lead it to send prisoners into space. Chan reveals plenty of snippets about the history, through visits to the museum and things Ziegler tells her. Overpopulation and global warming has changed the face of the Earth, now the obliging live within walled cities, the air filtered and every move monitored. Some of the constraints of the new world are shown through encounters Chan has. As the book opens she is trying to help a girl with an illegal baby, suggesting that reproduction is now strictly controlled. These things aren’t central to the story but they help to shape the world it unfolds in.
I liked the evolution of some of our familiar technology now into Gaia, the Siri/Cortana of the future, and driverless cars. The augments might seem further fetched but there are already bionic limbs and you can have your retinas zapped with lasers to help you see better.
Just as the second part of the first book made more of an impact on me, the things I really liked about the second instalment fell in part two. Again! So I don’t feel I can talk about much without dropping some spoilers. The people from the Australia are still considered criminals, even though they were never sentenced, not in a court of law at least, and there is no proof of what they did on board the ship. They deserve the chance at rehabilitation but not without the chance to be themselves, to prove that they can be better without state intervention.
Chan is a good person at heart, despite what she may have done to survive. She wants to help other people, keep her people safe and ultimately keep her promises, no matter how hard that might be. Her treatment feels a lot like an injustice, her past clouding the judgement of those who might otherwise see her as an individual.
I did find it a bit slow to get going, like I said of the previous book, action isn’t really my thing so I was glad that it was in three distinct parts, with some of it being a bit more introspective. I am still excited to read the third book, Dark Made Dawn (that's a positive title, right?), which is out October this year. So not too long to wait!
Review copy provided by publisher.
brettmichaelorr's review against another edition
5.0
This review contains spoilers for Way Down Dark.
I'm going to be honest. I absolutely raved about Way Down Dark last year, but the first novel in James Smythe's Australia trilogy was so perfectly executed that, coming into Long Dark Dusk, I was afraid the sequel would suffer from the Glass Sword-effect and fall short of my expectations.
It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
I admit, I miss the Australia spaceship. I really liked the complex lore the inhabitants had created, their rules and customs, their religion and harsh way of life. There was so much more that could've been explored, so setting Long Dark Dusk in a devastated post-apocalyptic Earth was initially a little disappointing to me - but Long Dark Dusk has its own story to tell, and it's incredibly engaging.
Chan is back, a little more fragile than Way Down Dark. She's still a fighter with killer instincts for survival, but after losing the three most important people in her life -- foster-mother Agatha, almost-daughter-substitute Mae, and potential-partner Jonah -- she's more emotionally invested, and thus, a little more human. Gone is her Christ-the-Redeemer feeling from the first novel, instead replaced with a rawer image of revenge.
The post-apocalyptic Earth has been given a lot of attention. Generic Climate-Change-ravaged worlds are scattered throughout the YA SF bookworld, so seeing a version with actual detail was a refreshing change. Washington D.C. has been rebuilt as a small bastion, with a massive wall surrounding the city, using air-conditioners to keep the city cool - because out in the wasteland, the searing heat is enough to kill.
Gut-churning bloody violence makes a heroic return, and feels like one of the more defining features of the Australia trilogy. Bones break, blood sprays, bodies decompose, and eyeballs are gouged out routinely - and all of this is toned down from Way Down Dark. Sometimes the action is off-screen, showing only the aftermath of Chan's violence, which helps break up the fight scenes.
Not everything is completely new - old characters return in several jaw-dropping plot-twists, and an intriguing middle arc delves into psychological and neurological manipulation. The concept of prisons and the abuse/neglect of prisoners returns, in both the fate of Australia (and its sister ship, South Africa), as well as the newer prisons built on Earth to confine the new criminals.
I'm finding it hard to really criticize Long Dark Dusk. Although I preferred the setting of the original, Long manages to hit high notes that Way never could, especially in terms of character evolution. Long does have the unmistakeable "middle book" feeling, but that's expected in a trilogy, and the new characters and history it introduces are clearly setting up for an impressive finishing act.
If you liked Way Down Dark, you're going to love Long Dark Dusk. The sequel delivers the same brutal action, clever backstory, and break-neck pacing that made the original shine. Australia ends April 2017 with Dark Made Dawn, and I can't wait to see how the series finishes.
5/5 Stars
I'm going to be honest. I absolutely raved about Way Down Dark last year, but the first novel in James Smythe's Australia trilogy was so perfectly executed that, coming into Long Dark Dusk, I was afraid the sequel would suffer from the Glass Sword-effect and fall short of my expectations.
It turns out, I had nothing to worry about.
I admit, I miss the Australia spaceship. I really liked the complex lore the inhabitants had created, their rules and customs, their religion and harsh way of life. There was so much more that could've been explored, so setting Long Dark Dusk in a devastated post-apocalyptic Earth was initially a little disappointing to me - but Long Dark Dusk has its own story to tell, and it's incredibly engaging.
Chan is back, a little more fragile than Way Down Dark. She's still a fighter with killer instincts for survival, but after losing the three most important people in her life -- foster-mother Agatha, almost-daughter-substitute Mae, and potential-partner Jonah -- she's more emotionally invested, and thus, a little more human. Gone is her Christ-the-Redeemer feeling from the first novel, instead replaced with a rawer image of revenge.
The post-apocalyptic Earth has been given a lot of attention. Generic Climate-Change-ravaged worlds are scattered throughout the YA SF bookworld, so seeing a version with actual detail was a refreshing change. Washington D.C. has been rebuilt as a small bastion, with a massive wall surrounding the city, using air-conditioners to keep the city cool - because out in the wasteland, the searing heat is enough to kill.
Gut-churning bloody violence makes a heroic return, and feels like one of the more defining features of the Australia trilogy. Bones break, blood sprays, bodies decompose, and eyeballs are gouged out routinely - and all of this is toned down from Way Down Dark. Sometimes the action is off-screen, showing only the aftermath of Chan's violence, which helps break up the fight scenes.
Not everything is completely new - old characters return in several jaw-dropping plot-twists, and an intriguing middle arc delves into psychological and neurological manipulation. The concept of prisons and the abuse/neglect of prisoners returns, in both the fate of Australia (and its sister ship, South Africa), as well as the newer prisons built on Earth to confine the new criminals.
I'm finding it hard to really criticize Long Dark Dusk. Although I preferred the setting of the original, Long manages to hit high notes that Way never could, especially in terms of character evolution. Long does have the unmistakeable "middle book" feeling, but that's expected in a trilogy, and the new characters and history it introduces are clearly setting up for an impressive finishing act.
If you liked Way Down Dark, you're going to love Long Dark Dusk. The sequel delivers the same brutal action, clever backstory, and break-neck pacing that made the original shine. Australia ends April 2017 with Dark Made Dawn, and I can't wait to see how the series finishes.
The Good
A detailed post-apocalyptic Earth, surprising plot-twists, and newfound emotional depth that really humanizes the characters. The unashamedly brutal violence makes a return, which matches the overall bleak tone.
The Bad
No spaceship. That's really my only complaint here, but the new setting is deep enough to replace it.
The Verdict
A thrilling break-neck ride, with brutal action scenes and plenty of conspiracy and betrayal. An excellent sequel that can't be put down - easy to read, impossible to forget.
5/5 Stars
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"I've really only ever known three places property: . And really they're not so different.
They're all prisons in their own way."
This is a very good book 2 in a series. So book 1 ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. We weren't so sure how things were going to turn out. But Chan is still her kick-butt self in this one. She is stranded again, and barely surviving. She's learning with the new area she's in and trying to figured out how to find those she's lost.
Because not everyone stayed together. Chan has had to make friends with those who should not be and learned to fight harder and faster with a technology she doesn't know. But she's still determined.
I want this review to remain spoiler free, for both one and two so I'm staying vague but I buddy read it and made a lot of notes, so I'll remember for book 3 (and I'm definitely continuing)
but I can say - I'm sad for the one who had to stay behind and take on the birds, I'm sorry for the one that has so many scars and cannot seem to find herself (but I'm so glad she's found a way to be an ally and not an enemy) and I'm not sure the last decision Chan made was a smart one but it was the last option she had left. And who, oh who, was Z? I can't wait to find out!
Spoiler
Australia, Pine City and Washington.They're all prisons in their own way."
This is a very good book 2 in a series. So book 1 ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. We weren't so sure how things were going to turn out. But Chan is still her kick-butt self in this one. She is stranded again, and barely surviving. She's learning with the new area she's in and trying to figured out how to find those she's lost.
Because not everyone stayed together. Chan has had to make friends with those who should not be and learned to fight harder and faster with a technology she doesn't know. But she's still determined.
I want this review to remain spoiler free, for both one and two so I'm staying vague but I buddy read it and made a lot of notes, so I'll remember for book 3 (and I'm definitely continuing)
but I can say - I'm sad for the one who had to stay behind and take on the birds, I'm sorry for the one that has so many scars and cannot seem to find herself (but I'm so glad she's found a way to be an ally and not an enemy) and I'm not sure the last decision Chan made was a smart one but it was the last option she had left. And who, oh who, was Z? I can't wait to find out!
sirlancelot2021's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
bolynne's review against another edition
4.0
****I received this book from NetGalley and Quercus (US) publishing in exchange for an honest review!****
I will start this review off by saying that I majored in Criminal Justice and am incredibly interested in prisons and prison reform. I find this series to be very insightful when it comes to different methods of reform that may or may not be possible or helpful.
The Australia represents one type of prison, the type that seems to have gained the most ground in recent years: based on a more punitive and deterrent system. That just putting people away and out of society long enough that the others will not wish to follow in their example.
Pine City represents another version: actually trying to reform criminals and mold them into productive citizens by educating and giving them jobs for when they leave. In most cases, this would seem to be the better option as most prisoners won't be able to find opportunities on their own and will most likely continue to reoffend. However, Pine City's problem is that they take the reforming a little too far, by taking the people's past away from them. And, as Chan proves, the chemicals used to make them forget are only a bandaid on the problem that simply is far too easy to rip off. It also doesn't work because it had taken away the trial and innocent until proven guilty features so many of the inmates shouldn't even be there.
I absolutely love that this is all addressed and I can't wait to see what else Smythe's final installment will bring.
Aside from all that, I love the little mentions of the technological advances that are taken for granted in this future after the apocalypse and near extinction of humanity. It makes me a little sad, really because all of those things would be so wonderful and back before dystopians really took off, many visions of the future focused more on that. The good advances in technology and how it would make life better. But that's not how we see it anymore. The advances are there, but they don't really make it better. Not for everyone at least like we would have hoped.
Okay, I'm done gushing. I really, really enjoyed this book.
I will start this review off by saying that I majored in Criminal Justice and am incredibly interested in prisons and prison reform. I find this series to be very insightful when it comes to different methods of reform that may or may not be possible or helpful.
The Australia represents one type of prison, the type that seems to have gained the most ground in recent years: based on a more punitive and deterrent system. That just putting people away and out of society long enough that the others will not wish to follow in their example.
Pine City represents another version: actually trying to reform criminals and mold them into productive citizens by educating and giving them jobs for when they leave. In most cases, this would seem to be the better option as most prisoners won't be able to find opportunities on their own and will most likely continue to reoffend. However, Pine City's problem is that they take the reforming a little too far, by taking the people's past away from them. And, as Chan proves, the chemicals used to make them forget are only a bandaid on the problem that simply is far too easy to rip off. It also doesn't work because it had taken away the trial and innocent until proven guilty features so many of the inmates shouldn't even be there.
I absolutely love that this is all addressed and I can't wait to see what else Smythe's final installment will bring.
Aside from all that, I love the little mentions of the technological advances that are taken for granted in this future after the apocalypse and near extinction of humanity. It makes me a little sad, really because all of those things would be so wonderful and back before dystopians really took off, many visions of the future focused more on that. The good advances in technology and how it would make life better. But that's not how we see it anymore. The advances are there, but they don't really make it better. Not for everyone at least like we would have hoped.
Okay, I'm done gushing. I really, really enjoyed this book.
miametro's review
4.0
It was such a pleasure to slip back into Chan's world and I enjoyed the second installment of the Australia trilogy just as much as the first.
James continues to draw his icy fingers of prediction down my back as I consider what it would be like to live in a Smythe created future. In a world that's moved on, humans have practically destroyed everything we thought was important with greed and hubris and we're left clinging to pockets of civilisation surrounded by walls and devastation. Really, what's not to love?!
His ability to paint a picture of a world that feels so familiar yet so alien is a testament to his skill, and my growing sense of unease while immersed in the story only adds to the atmosphere of this excellent series.
One to watch.
James continues to draw his icy fingers of prediction down my back as I consider what it would be like to live in a Smythe created future. In a world that's moved on, humans have practically destroyed everything we thought was important with greed and hubris and we're left clinging to pockets of civilisation surrounded by walls and devastation. Really, what's not to love?!
His ability to paint a picture of a world that feels so familiar yet so alien is a testament to his skill, and my growing sense of unease while immersed in the story only adds to the atmosphere of this excellent series.
One to watch.
ellemo1's review
4.0
I'm actually ridiculously happy I have started this series.
It's so full of action and tension that I was slightly overwhelmed when reading, but it was a good feeling. I finally got attached to the main character, which resulted in a few cases of major feels along the way...
A few of them moments messed me up completely, and I cannot wait to continue the story in the next book .
My Rating: 4/5 Stars.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
It's so full of action and tension that I was slightly overwhelmed when reading, but it was a good feeling. I finally got attached to the main character, which resulted in a few cases of major feels along the way...
A few of them moments messed me up completely, and I cannot wait to continue the story in the next book .
My Rating: 4/5 Stars.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
mharrison13's review
5.0
What is it about?
This is book two in the Australia Trilogy. If you haven't read the first book, then you should go read Way Down Dark now.
This book takes off a short while after the other ended. Chan is looking for a little girl named Mae, whom she promised she would protect. In her effort to do so, she seeks help from a shady person and ends up in over her head. Some characters from the first book reappear and help keep the story interesting.
Is it good?
It was excellent! It is packed with action and has lots of twists that keep you interested all throughout the book. I think that Chan tries to learn from her mistakes and I really want to find out what she will do next.
For more reviews, please visit my blog.
This is book two in the Australia Trilogy. If you haven't read the first book, then you should go read Way Down Dark now.
This book takes off a short while after the other ended. Chan is looking for a little girl named Mae, whom she promised she would protect. In her effort to do so, she seeks help from a shady person and ends up in over her head. Some characters from the first book reappear and help keep the story interesting.
Is it good?
It was excellent! It is packed with action and has lots of twists that keep you interested all throughout the book. I think that Chan tries to learn from her mistakes and I really want to find out what she will do next.
For more reviews, please visit my blog.
ellemo's review
4.0
I'm actually ridiculously happy I have started this series.
It's so full of action and tension that I was slightly overwhelmed when reading, but it was a good feeling. I finally got attached to the main character, which resulted in a few cases of major feels along the way...
A few of them moments messed me up completely, and I cannot wait to continue the story in the next book .
My Rating: 4/5 Stars.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
It's so full of action and tension that I was slightly overwhelmed when reading, but it was a good feeling. I finally got attached to the main character, which resulted in a few cases of major feels along the way...
A few of them moments messed me up completely, and I cannot wait to continue the story in the next book .
My Rating: 4/5 Stars.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
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