A review by sarrie
Flight & Anchor by Nicole Kornher-Stace

emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 
Flight & Anchor by Nicole Kornher-Stace is such a strange and fun novella. A lot of times with stories like these people want to put it somewhere before or after the novel it ties to, but with this one I’m not sure if I can! I read this one after Firebreak, and for that reason it really colored my reading one way, but thinking about it I genuinely wonder what someone’s reading might be like if they were to read it first then read Firebreak! 

This story is about 06 & 22 who are children, kidnapped from the ruins of their homes and families who themselves were victims of a war between corporations that own swathes of America. The two children, along with many others are subjected to tests and modifications to create super soldiers for one of these corporations. 06 & 22 break out one evening and make a run for it. 

In Firebreak we meet both of these characters as adults, and we get an idea of their personality but here we see the beginnings of that. How they were as kids, and I genuinely could see clearly how even in their young childhood they were already showing the signs of what they’d be like as adults. As I mentioned, reading Firebreak before this really colored my reading of Flight & Anchor but I still had a ton of fun despite the sad feelings. The new character addition of the AI nano-probe creature was delightful, and added a much needed note of humor to the story. The PoV chapters from the Director too were fascinating. The way she managed to put just a hint of relatability in that woman’s view really got to me. I despise that woman! But still… I smiled and got along with her sentiments at times. 

I’d definitely recommend this for people who haven’t read Firebreak and for those who have. I think it’d be an interesting jumping in point, and for those who have read the full length novel it’d be a fantastic addition to 06 & 22’s stories. Evidently there are even more stories out there, and I’m excited to track those down and find out more! 

4 out of 5 ‘mysteriously’ appearing pizzas 
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