Reviews

Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

aliseonlife's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

4.0

jinxruby's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely love Micaiah Johnson’s writing style, especially how she writes interpersonal relationships. I saw something of my past in Scales and Cheeks’ relationship and I found hope in how Scales and Cross’ changes. I was also super excited to see some of the characters from Space Between Worlds!!
Overall the plot of this novel is more violent and less scifi (not to say this book isn’t scifi, it certainly is). It’s focused on community and identity as well as the lives of those who are marginalized. There’s culture and ritual that’s deep and engaging, and I certainly hope Johnson gives us more books set in this universe in the future.

njahira's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

sarahfoofoo's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

spinstah's review against another edition

dark

4.0

There’s a lot going on here and I’m not sure it all works. It took me a while to get into this, in part because I didn’t remember the details of the first book, and in part because the sci-fi elements are less integral to the plot. There is a lot of rage and violence in this book (in the author’s note, the author says this is a book born of rage, so that tracks) and while it mostly fits the story, it is a lot. I’m also thinking about how another reviewer said that we automatically assume the POV character’s side is the “right” side, but is it? I think it is, but neither side is morally right. I think it would have been interesting to read it with that it n mind.

timinbc's review against another edition

4.0

I agree with others that the anger here may have overbalanced the story.

I was all set to write my review when I thought "hmm, why do we always assume that the PoV team are the good guys?" I decided that there are no good guys here, they are all just what they are, doing what they were taught (or have learned) is right. And that's why the plot works.

The Runners are fiercely loyal to each other and their emperor and their system. They stand firm for what is right, and by golly if you believe in something else they will rend thee in the gobberwarts with their blurglecruncheons. Many of them are quite aware that they are broken people with oceans of resentment and grudge, but seem to think that makes them suitable to lead people who aren't broken (or don't know they are).

The Cross story arc is entirely predictable, but several of the other main ones weren't, so it's OK.

The science. Well. You know how there's matter and anti-matter? This story is built on anti-science. There's your barsanium, that comes from black holes (oh really? how does it get out?). There's your multiverse, where we are living in B flat and the other universes are C, C sharp, ... and people can step between worlds via magic mud. Ohhhh-kay. But it's so bad that it's OK, like believing that John Carter could walk around Mars in a Speedo.

Everyone in the plot seems to be part of two families, although it takes a long time for all the links to be revealed.

At one point I thought "wow, this is just like the current Middle East," but then I realized it's also like Athens vs. Troy, the 19xx Balkans, whatever. It's how we are, and the book is reminding us of that.

I don't think Johnson has arrived yet at Really Good Book level, but this is a step forward, and for all my grumbling it passed the most important test - I had to find out what happened to everyone.

nwfalens's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

4.0

mpop's review

3.75

I really liked The Space Between Worlds and this had similar elements. I liked a lot of Those Beyond the Wall but I couldn't get over the runners being vicious in the first book - crushing people, including children, under their vehicles - and then trying to root for them in this book. The "parades" are sort of brushed off or justified in this book, but it's very much not justifiable. 

timelessvices's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An absolutely stunning duology. Johnson says in the author note that this book is born from rage, and she crafted that rage into a novel that dove straight into my heart. The rage in this book called to the rage I think many of us are feeling in our day-to-day lives.  The Space Between Worlds said “the system hurts me, but I’d still strive to be part of it.” Those Beyond The Wall screams to burn down the system that hurts you and yours. 

katturkey's review against another edition

4.75

Rated so high because it made me cry, more than the 4.5 stars. 

Glad I read the authors note and had a warning about how angry it was going to be.