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beaktastic's review against another edition
3.0
I had quite a few issues with this book. It was good and enjoyable but it was quite hard to get into and a little confusing and infuriating at times. I don't know how much of this was because it took me like 6 months to read (I only really read it occasionally on my breaks at work and I would have like 10 minutes max to do so) or whether it's the book itself.
So basically, the story follows a young man/boy called Cale, who's an orphan in a this post-apocalypticy (I assume anyway, it's never really made clear) world in a place called the Sanctuary, which is run by militant asshole priests called Redeemers who really abuse these boys in their care. Cale is pretty badass himself, for reasons which are finally revealed about halfway through the book. One day, he and friends Kleist and Vague Henri see something they shouldn't in one of the forbidden areas of the Sanctuary and decide they have to runaway and escape, which they do. And from there the main plot begins as they encounter this new world and try to survive and make the most of it.
Cale was an alright protagonist. He's a bit of an ass at times and I found it kinda hard to really relate to him, but at the same time I could kinda sympathise with him and I liked how his character grew and developed over the course of the novel. Kleist and Vague Henri were nice secondary heroes, fairly typical, in that one is smart but more quiet and follower-y while the other is a bit of a smartass-y type guy. Hoffman introduces a wide variety of characters and it does kinda become hard to keep track of all of them an their motives, although that may be because of how long it took me to read.
From the writing style and stuff it felt like Hoffman was trying to be a bit like Stephen King or Justin Cronin with the covering of multiple perspectives and stuff but it just kinda fell flat.
The world itself was interesting but a little confusing as well, and I would have appreciated a few ore details about it and stuff.
Overall, it was a good book, and I liked it, but I felt that Hoffman didn't really fully explain it all and the reasons people did various things and the ending was just a bit rubbish and silly. Basically, I'm not desperate to start reading the sequel.
So basically, the story follows a young man/boy called Cale, who's an orphan in a this post-apocalypticy (I assume anyway, it's never really made clear) world in a place called the Sanctuary, which is run by militant asshole priests called Redeemers who really abuse these boys in their care. Cale is pretty badass himself, for reasons which are finally revealed about halfway through the book
Spoiler
- basically, he had a bit of brain trauma or something when he was young and now he can kinda foresee what his opponent is going to do in battle and so is pretty damn awesome in a fightCale was an alright protagonist. He's a bit of an ass at times and I found it kinda hard to really relate to him, but at the same time I could kinda sympathise with him and I liked how his character grew and developed over the course of the novel. Kleist and Vague Henri were nice secondary heroes, fairly typical, in that one is smart but more quiet and follower-y while the other is a bit of a smartass-y type guy. Hoffman introduces a wide variety of characters and it does kinda become hard to keep track of all of them an their motives, although that may be because of how long it took me to read.
From the writing style and stuff it felt like Hoffman was trying to be a bit like Stephen King or Justin Cronin with the covering of multiple perspectives and stuff but it just kinda fell flat.
The world itself was interesting but a little confusing as well, and I would have appreciated a few ore details about it and stuff.
Overall, it was a good book, and I liked it, but I felt that Hoffman didn't really fully explain it all and the reasons people did various things and the ending was just a bit rubbish and silly. Basically, I'm not desperate to start reading the sequel.
maria_joao_silva's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
alishajenkins's review against another edition
It’s not for me. It’s for 12-15 year old boys & that’s okay. Out of curiosity I read the last chapter (it’s only 3 pages long) & that helped me to know I was making the right choice to DNF it
caramalised's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
diany's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mellhay's review against another edition
3.0
Shotover Sanctuary is the religious grounds of the Redeemers. Boys are sent here under the age of ten and only about half of them make it to fifteen... or leave by way of a blue sack, to the grave yard. This is where Cale has lived since he can really remember, he is now fourteen or fifteen years old. One of the many strict rules here is you are not allowed to have friends, and there are plants to "befriend" you - planted by the Redeemers - and you pay dearly for being caught with friends. But Cale has two of friends, Vague Henri and Kleist. One night while delivering a message to the Redeemer of Discipline, Cale sees something the Redeemer is doing that is so horrible to him, he attacks the Redeemer. In the Sanctuary Cale's results of this act would end in death for him, as punishment. So he runs, taking his two friends so they don't get dragged in to the mess, and the girl with him... This is the journey of these four trying to make it.
The book seemed to break into four sections for me.
In the beginning ninety pages we are introduced quickly to many Redeemers and the world they live in - religion and way of life - along with the boys of the story. You really get an inside look at how stern and brutal the world in on the in side of these walls, from minimal amounts of tasteless gray porridge to eat, to not being creative and being physically punished if they are. These boys are very physically fit for their ages and their training is very brutal. In the first ninety pages this world starts here and grows the suspense of the war the Redeemers are fighting with the Antagonists and what the boys are trained for and why then moves to the outside world.
But then it slows down as Cale and company make their journey to Memphis. The next hundred or so pages where them running off. I enjoyed meeting new characters such as IdrisPukke and liked his character. But they are trying to get away and I felt as if they really didn't worry about being in danger from the all feared and wonderful assassins of the Redeemers. They where quite relaxed and not worrying about who knew who they were. Like no one would be looking for them, yet they knew they where after them. I know there is the deal made in capturing the boys and the Redeemers where not to interfere as it would offend the leader of whom they talked to, but the Redeemers are this feared group. The Redeemers are to be the hard core ones who don't let escapees get far or away for long. But it seems as they don't care so deeply about Cale and his friends being free. Or maybe this was part of a plan to move things along in a different direction. Almost using Cale to get what they want. But in this section we wonder away from what I had thought to be a major plot in the book - the Redeemers and the war they are fighting.
The next ninety to a hundred pages started to pull back toward the main plot. Getting back to the Redeemers hunting Cale and starting into some action and movement of the characters. Getting everyone back into the idea of corruption and scheming going on behind the scenes.
The last 80 pages brings the action in full swing and the ties all start to fit together some. There are still questions for me with some of the actions and reasons behind it all. I am curious of the Redeemers and the war they are fighting, and why what was done was so. But there are two more books left to read.
With all this being said, I did enjoy the book. I thought the two middle sections could have been combined together with the ending eighty pages - as I think it slowed down in the middle parts. But all in all I did enjoy the idea of the Redeemers and the curiosity has got me, I will pick up book two to see where the conspiracies all go.
The book seemed to break into four sections for me.
In the beginning ninety pages we are introduced quickly to many Redeemers and the world they live in - religion and way of life - along with the boys of the story. You really get an inside look at how stern and brutal the world in on the in side of these walls, from minimal amounts of tasteless gray porridge to eat, to not being creative and being physically punished if they are. These boys are very physically fit for their ages and their training is very brutal. In the first ninety pages this world starts here and grows the suspense of the war the Redeemers are fighting with the Antagonists and what the boys are trained for and why then moves to the outside world.
But then it slows down as Cale and company make their journey to Memphis. The next hundred or so pages where them running off. I enjoyed meeting new characters such as IdrisPukke and liked his character. But they are trying to get away and I felt as if they really didn't worry about being in danger from the all feared and wonderful assassins of the Redeemers. They where quite relaxed and not worrying about who knew who they were. Like no one would be looking for them, yet they knew they where after them. I know there is the deal made in capturing the boys and the Redeemers where not to interfere as it would offend the leader of whom they talked to, but the Redeemers are this feared group. The Redeemers are to be the hard core ones who don't let escapees get far or away for long. But it seems as they don't care so deeply about Cale and his friends being free. Or maybe this was part of a plan to move things along in a different direction. Almost using Cale to get what they want. But in this section we wonder away from what I had thought to be a major plot in the book - the Redeemers and the war they are fighting.
The next ninety to a hundred pages started to pull back toward the main plot. Getting back to the Redeemers hunting Cale and starting into some action and movement of the characters. Getting everyone back into the idea of corruption and scheming going on behind the scenes.
The last 80 pages brings the action in full swing and the ties all start to fit together some. There are still questions for me with some of the actions and reasons behind it all. I am curious of the Redeemers and the war they are fighting, and why what was done was so. But there are two more books left to read.
With all this being said, I did enjoy the book. I thought the two middle sections could have been combined together with the ending eighty pages - as I think it slowed down in the middle parts. But all in all I did enjoy the idea of the Redeemers and the curiosity has got me, I will pick up book two to see where the conspiracies all go.
lisade's review against another edition
2.0
ugh. started good and then quickly slid into annoying and tedious. but i finished it so not a 1 star.
willsnow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jason_pym's review against another edition
4.0
A tough one to categorise, as it takes place in a historical setting that doesn't exist (we hear vague European references, but it's clearly nowhere real). Nothing fantastic happens, but it will appeal to fantasy readers. And it's not alternate history, because it doesn't alter the course of real history. But none of that is important I guess, it's a book I genuinely couldn't put down. Great stuff.