Scan barcode
ambeesbookishpages's review against another edition
4.0
The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz
I simply adore Megan Shepherd's writing. I loved her The Madman's Daughter trilogy and I am loving The Cage trilogy so far. Packed full of action, suspense, the unexpected and sacrificing the things you love the most to save yourself. Just when you thought the stakes couldn't get and higher, they do.
After Cora's failed escape attempt and the shocking reveal that Cassian is the mysterious Warden. Instead of being locked away in a prison cell for the rest of her life she is put to work in a safari menagerie (a hang out for the Kindred to uncloaked and enjoy human pleasures) but Cora isn't done fighting yet. With a chance of freeing humanity only days away Cora trains and strains her minds to do the impossible. (Levitate objects, reads mind and more.)But with the sizzling tension between Cassian and Cora things more complicated then they both expected. With the help of Leon, Lucky and a few others locked away with her Cora hopes she can gain her freedom and the rest of humanity's. *This is a spoiler free run down of the book*
The book is told in alternating point of views, Cora, Lucky, Mali, Rolf, Leon and Nok. Each going through a different experience or a different view point on what would happen next.
Cora- A majority of the book is told in Cora's point of view, so I have more to say about her then other characters. Cora is fierce. I found a lot of character growth in her this book then I did previously. Though she made stupid choices that did work out in the end, and some that failed she stayed true to what she believed in. I also think her feelings for Cassian and the ones she battled played a huge role and in what she sacrificed. I'm excited to see how she will lead the others and save humanity in final book of the series.
Lucky- At the end of the The Cage I believed Lucky to be a bad guy, but it was their enclosure that made him like that. I loved seeing the character he developed into through out The Hunt. I liked that Shepherd kept most of her characters together on the safari instead of separating them like she did to Nok and Rolf. But the ending made me tear up a bit. I won't spoil it for you all but you will see what I mean.
Mali- I really love Mali. We learn a little more about her in this book, but I don't have much to say about her. I liked that she is developing feelings for Leon and questioning all the things that she believed the Kindred have told her.
Rolf and Nok- I put them together for one reason: they finally grew on me. I despised them in the first book, and I guess I still do a little but they are stuck in a research facility for the Kindred to study the human customs when a couple is expecting a child. Both are doing everything in their power not to loose their baby to the Kindred who plan to take it away once Sparrow is able to live outside utero.
There wasn't much romance in this book, but the scenes there were I found a little heavy (which I like a lot) but I wish there were more Cora and Cassian kissing scenes to be honest. But I am hoping in the next book! Although this isn't what I was expecting the turn the the series would take I enjoyed it all the same. Characters I didn't expect to grow on me (Nok and Rolf) did, and I have a new appreciation for the romance that I hope will work out in the end.
I simply adore Megan Shepherd's writing. I loved her The Madman's Daughter trilogy and I am loving The Cage trilogy so far. Packed full of action, suspense, the unexpected and sacrificing the things you love the most to save yourself. Just when you thought the stakes couldn't get and higher, they do.
After Cora's failed escape attempt and the shocking reveal that Cassian is the mysterious Warden. Instead of being locked away in a prison cell for the rest of her life she is put to work in a safari menagerie (a hang out for the Kindred to uncloaked and enjoy human pleasures) but Cora isn't done fighting yet. With a chance of freeing humanity only days away Cora trains and strains her minds to do the impossible. (Levitate objects, reads mind and more.)But with the sizzling tension between Cassian and Cora things more complicated then they both expected. With the help of Leon, Lucky and a few others locked away with her Cora hopes she can gain her freedom and the rest of humanity's. *This is a spoiler free run down of the book*
The book is told in alternating point of views, Cora, Lucky, Mali, Rolf, Leon and Nok. Each going through a different experience or a different view point on what would happen next.
Cora- A majority of the book is told in Cora's point of view, so I have more to say about her then other characters. Cora is fierce. I found a lot of character growth in her this book then I did previously. Though she made stupid choices that did work out in the end, and some that failed she stayed true to what she believed in. I also think her feelings for Cassian and the ones she battled played a huge role and in what she sacrificed. I'm excited to see how she will lead the others and save humanity in final book of the series.
Lucky- At the end of the The Cage I believed Lucky to be a bad guy, but it was their enclosure that made him like that. I loved seeing the character he developed into through out The Hunt. I liked that Shepherd kept most of her characters together on the safari instead of separating them like she did to Nok and Rolf. But the ending made me tear up a bit. I won't spoil it for you all but you will see what I mean.
Mali- I really love Mali. We learn a little more about her in this book, but I don't have much to say about her. I liked that she is developing feelings for Leon and questioning all the things that she believed the Kindred have told her.
Rolf and Nok- I put them together for one reason: they finally grew on me. I despised them in the first book, and I guess I still do a little but they are stuck in a research facility for the Kindred to study the human customs when a couple is expecting a child. Both are doing everything in their power not to loose their baby to the Kindred who plan to take it away once Sparrow is able to live outside utero.
There wasn't much romance in this book, but the scenes there were I found a little heavy (which I like a lot) but I wish there were more Cora and Cassian kissing scenes to be honest. But I am hoping in the next book! Although this isn't what I was expecting the turn the the series would take I enjoyed it all the same. Characters I didn't expect to grow on me (Nok and Rolf) did, and I have a new appreciation for the romance that I hope will work out in the end.
whatsthalireading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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? Yes
3.25
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
4.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This second book in the series picks up right where The Cage left off. Everyone but Leon is placed in a menagerie that depicts some sort of safari, while Leon has escaped and is working for the Mosca. Cassian convinces Cora that the only way for them (and the rest of humanity) to survive, she must learn to control her psychic powers and participate in the Gauntlet, therefore proving that humans truly are an intelligent species. But while Cora agrees, she doesn’t want to play by Kindred rules. She has a plan to use her uniquely human traits to succeed at the Gauntlet and free herself and the rest of humanity.
What Fed My Addiction:
Completely different than the first book.
You know how sometimes the middle book in a series can feel a whole lot like the first book? We’ve already learned a lot about the fantasy (or, in this case, sci fi) setting, so there doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of new discoveries? Well, this book wasn’t like that. Since pretty much the entire first book took place in the Cage, we didn’t get to see much else of the world that Cora and company were now inhabiting. But in this second book, we get a whole new menagerie (two, actually) and we get to see a bit of the “outside” world as well, especially with Leon. I really liked seeing this other side of the sci fi world that Shepherd created! This book also had a completely different focus, since most of the mysteries of the first book had been solved and now Cora was trying to master her psychic abilities.
Higher stakes.
I felt like the stakes in this book were a bit higher. In the first book, you almost felt like Cora and friends could have just stayed in the Cage forever – it wouldn’t have been a particularly fulfilling existence, but for most of the book, I didn’t feel like they were on the precipice of dying or anything (although Cora did get herself into enough trouble that it was always a possibility). But in this second book, there was more of a feeling that humans were disposable. At any time, Cora or one of her friends could have been deemed “useless” and discarded. Plus, if the wrong people found out that she was developing abilities, they wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of her. In general, I just felt the danger quotient in this book was higher, and therefore it was more exciting.
The ending.
Once again, this book ended in a way that changed everything. I’m really eager to see where Shepherd heads with the next book!
What Left Me Wanting More:
Safari?
The whole safari thing seemed like kind of a weird setting (but the Kindred were kind of fascinated by weird human settings, so…) And, while I appreciated Lucky’s love of the animals in the safari setting, I couldn’t quite get behind his crusade for them – not when there were actual humans dying and being treated like animals themselves (though, I guess that was kind of one of the points of the book – the way we treat animals as “lesser” creatures was parallelled with how humans were treated by the Kindred).
Enjoyed this one even more than the first, and it has me excited to (eventually) dive into book three!! I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This second book in the series picks up right where The Cage left off. Everyone but Leon is placed in a menagerie that depicts some sort of safari, while Leon has escaped and is working for the Mosca. Cassian convinces Cora that the only way for them (and the rest of humanity) to survive, she must learn to control her psychic powers and participate in the Gauntlet, therefore proving that humans truly are an intelligent species. But while Cora agrees, she doesn’t want to play by Kindred rules. She has a plan to use her uniquely human traits to succeed at the Gauntlet and free herself and the rest of humanity.
What Fed My Addiction:
Completely different than the first book.
You know how sometimes the middle book in a series can feel a whole lot like the first book? We’ve already learned a lot about the fantasy (or, in this case, sci fi) setting, so there doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of new discoveries? Well, this book wasn’t like that. Since pretty much the entire first book took place in the Cage, we didn’t get to see much else of the world that Cora and company were now inhabiting. But in this second book, we get a whole new menagerie (two, actually) and we get to see a bit of the “outside” world as well, especially with Leon. I really liked seeing this other side of the sci fi world that Shepherd created! This book also had a completely different focus, since most of the mysteries of the first book had been solved and now Cora was trying to master her psychic abilities.
Higher stakes.
I felt like the stakes in this book were a bit higher. In the first book, you almost felt like Cora and friends could have just stayed in the Cage forever – it wouldn’t have been a particularly fulfilling existence, but for most of the book, I didn’t feel like they were on the precipice of dying or anything (although Cora did get herself into enough trouble that it was always a possibility). But in this second book, there was more of a feeling that humans were disposable. At any time, Cora or one of her friends could have been deemed “useless” and discarded. Plus, if the wrong people found out that she was developing abilities, they wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of her. In general, I just felt the danger quotient in this book was higher, and therefore it was more exciting.
The ending.
Once again, this book ended in a way that changed everything. I’m really eager to see where Shepherd heads with the next book!
What Left Me Wanting More:
Safari?
The whole safari thing seemed like kind of a weird setting (but the Kindred were kind of fascinated by weird human settings, so…) And, while I appreciated Lucky’s love of the animals in the safari setting, I couldn’t quite get behind his crusade for them – not when there were actual humans dying and being treated like animals themselves (though, I guess that was kind of one of the points of the book – the way we treat animals as “lesser” creatures was parallelled with how humans were treated by the Kindred).
Enjoyed this one even more than the first, and it has me excited to (eventually) dive into book three!! I give this one 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
lorelie's review against another edition
first one was bad, this one was worse. JMO but no thanks.
vidhi26p's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty good book! I finished it in a few hours, so it wasn't terribly long. I didn't give it a 5 star review, because it wasn't mind blowingly amazing, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It certainly didn't have the feel of the second novel slump. There was plenty of action and answers to the cliffhangers of the previous novel. Overall, a very good read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who read the first novel.
ikvindlezenleuk_mathilde's review against another edition
3.0
Lees mijn recensie op Ikvindlezenleuk: http://www.ikvindlezenleuk.nl/2016/11/shepherd-jacht/
melissasbookshelf's review
4.0
This is a rare case where the second book is better than the first! The first book had an interesting enough plot to make me want to read the second book. When I got the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of The Hunt, I didn't hesitate.
In the second book, the characters are more fleshed out. The world they are in is really interesting and raises that moral question of how we treat lesser species. This time, the five teenagers are in a different environment. Leon, who escaped is secretly working with the Mosca, a black market group who operate illegally in the Kindred world. The other four have been sent to The Hunt, a safari-like place where Kindred can pretend to kill real animals from Earth with guns that wound but do not kill. This is all a cover for Cora though who works with Cassian to develop her extrasensory powers. Cassian believes they can use the Gauntlet (a series of difficult tests/puzzles) to show humans are just as capable as the Kindred and worthy of being free. If Cora can successfully pass the Gauntlet, she and the other humans might be set free. Cora struggles with her feelings for Cassian and whether she can trust him. Meanwhile, Lucky struggles with the treatment of the animals and also his feelings for Cora. Mali is there as well just trying to survive. Nok and Rolf are sent to an enormous dollhouse where their every move is watched by the Kindred as they prepare for the birth of their baby. One Kindred in particular gets a little too obsessed with the yet to be born baby.
This book is full of twists, turns, and betrayals. The first third of the book took me awhile to get into, but by the end it was hard to stop listening. The narrator does a fantastic job with all the voices and creates unique voices for each character. This book leaves on a cliffhanger and I am excited to pick up the third book. Just a warning, those sensitive to language should know that one character in particular uses the F-bomb a few times along with other swear words. It's not throughout the book, but just thought I'd throw that out there.
In the second book, the characters are more fleshed out. The world they are in is really interesting and raises that moral question of how we treat lesser species. This time, the five teenagers are in a different environment. Leon, who escaped is secretly working with the Mosca, a black market group who operate illegally in the Kindred world. The other four have been sent to The Hunt, a safari-like place where Kindred can pretend to kill real animals from Earth with guns that wound but do not kill. This is all a cover for Cora though who works with Cassian to develop her extrasensory powers. Cassian believes they can use the Gauntlet (a series of difficult tests/puzzles) to show humans are just as capable as the Kindred and worthy of being free. If Cora can successfully pass the Gauntlet, she and the other humans might be set free. Cora struggles with her feelings for Cassian and whether she can trust him. Meanwhile, Lucky struggles with the treatment of the animals and also his feelings for Cora. Mali is there as well just trying to survive. Nok and Rolf are sent to an enormous dollhouse where their every move is watched by the Kindred as they prepare for the birth of their baby. One Kindred in particular gets a little too obsessed with the yet to be born baby.
This book is full of twists, turns, and betrayals. The first third of the book took me awhile to get into, but by the end it was hard to stop listening. The narrator does a fantastic job with all the voices and creates unique voices for each character. This book leaves on a cliffhanger and I am excited to pick up the third book. Just a warning, those sensitive to language should know that one character in particular uses the F-bomb a few times along with other swear words. It's not throughout the book, but just thought I'd throw that out there.
petalish's review against another edition
3.0
The ending of the first book left me hopeful that this story would develop beyond the insta-love between Cora and the alien Cassian, but unfortunately it was not to be. As well the whole pregnancy and breeding of teens felt a bit off for a YA novel.
zu_reviews's review against another edition
2.0
I'll preface this by saying I still like the concept of this series. There was witty dialogue that I enjoyed, and I'll continue with the series as the third book sounds like something I will really enjoy. I love a good gauntlet trope.
That being said, a lot of this book felt like prolonged filler. It escalated for escalations sake. It also seemed to go against so much of the world building in the first book. There were plot holes everywhere:
-Leon was literally insane at the end of the first book. Totally fine now, doesn't even need a therapist.
-The Kindred can read minds when cloaked... but Nok and Rolf get away with CONSTANT lying while being nearly constantly observed by cloaked Kindred. So do several other characters.
-Kindred are sworn to never kill, but they're still responsible for so many deaths??? There's no consistency.
Cora continues to be "not like other girls" and her almost-a-romance with Cassian still makes ZERO sense. There's no believable chemistry between them, not even in a Stockholm syndrome kind of way. Not only that, but Cora is often purposefully obtuse and it is SO frustrating. It's one thing to have characters make poor choices, but this just went against every logic constantly.
That being said, a lot of this book felt like prolonged filler. It escalated for escalations sake. It also seemed to go against so much of the world building in the first book. There were plot holes everywhere:
-Leon was literally insane at the end of the first book. Totally fine now, doesn't even need a therapist.
-The Kindred can read minds when cloaked... but Nok and Rolf get away with CONSTANT lying while being nearly constantly observed by cloaked Kindred. So do several other characters.
-Kindred are sworn to never kill, but they're still responsible for so many deaths??? There's no consistency.
Cora continues to be "not like other girls" and her almost-a-romance with Cassian still makes ZERO sense. There's no believable chemistry between them, not even in a Stockholm syndrome kind of way. Not only that, but Cora is often purposefully obtuse and it is SO frustrating. It's one thing to have characters make poor choices, but this just went against every logic constantly.
freyaluna's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 ster
Duidelijk een tussenboek met een redelijk voorspelbaar verloop. Maar toch erg spannend en leuk. Ik ben geen mega fan van de serie, maar het leest goed.
Duidelijk een tussenboek met een redelijk voorspelbaar verloop. Maar toch erg spannend en leuk. Ik ben geen mega fan van de serie, maar het leest goed.