Scan barcode
judeandolin's review against another edition
2.0
Review copy courtesy of NetGalley.
DNF at 68%. I feel terrible about this, but I just can't finish it. I really wanted to so it would count toward my 2016 goal... Alas. I was slowly losing interest throughout the entire thing, but when people start turning into birds, I'm out.
Short description:
On the run from a massive, fiery cataclysm (of unknown origin), a group of tube workers escapes from the underground through a door that leads to ... a rocky ocean shore. And when they turn around, the door is gone. Stranded in a strange new world where the moon is too big and the stars are gone, they meet a man with wolves on chains who tells them to go find the geomancer. Using the skills between them, they set off across the wild, empty world, wondering if they could be walking into a trap.
This book is different. It's weird. It's a mixture of elements I love, like survival and magical realism, time travel (sort of), portal fantasies, etc. The whole time I was reading, I wasn't anticipating the next plot point like so many other novels tend to make me do; instead, I was simply along for the ride, waiting to see what would happen next.
I really love the idea of having the ability to simple "reset" and start over, and it was interesting to see the way that the author shaped the effects of this freedom on different characters. Some thrived, some stayed out of the way, some wanted nothing more than to go home, and some questioned what it was they truly wanted. It was a large cast of characters, to be sure, but with only two POVs I think the author handled it well. Another great thing: this cast is so diverse. The two main characters are Mary, a bad-mouthed orphan with a knack for not following the rules, and Dalip, a young Sikh and engineer.
Dalip struggles with his idea of identity in a place that doesn't even have his religion, and Mary struggles with who she wants to be: as a reformed criminal and orphan before she came to this world, she has a choice now: she can either run away and make a life for herself with no rules and no one to tell her what to do, or she can rescue the people she may have come to think of as friends.
My biggest issue, and the reason I simply can't read any further, is that I couldn't actually connect with these characters at all. I didn't feel anything for any of them, and I couldn't really root for their success.
Of what I did read, up to about 68 percent, I'd give it a 2/5. It was interesting, but not very original (portal fantasy with light magical elements [including a dragon]), and throughout the book there was so little explanation of what was going on that it all felt kind of pointless. I wanted to learn more, but I'd like that learning to be sprinkled throughout the book, not just dumped at the end so as to blow my mind.
DNF at 68%. I feel terrible about this, but I just can't finish it. I really wanted to so it would count toward my 2016 goal... Alas. I was slowly losing interest throughout the entire thing, but when people start turning into birds, I'm out.
Short description:
On the run from a massive, fiery cataclysm (of unknown origin), a group of tube workers escapes from the underground through a door that leads to ... a rocky ocean shore. And when they turn around, the door is gone. Stranded in a strange new world where the moon is too big and the stars are gone, they meet a man with wolves on chains who tells them to go find the geomancer. Using the skills between them, they set off across the wild, empty world, wondering if they could be walking into a trap.
This book is different. It's weird. It's a mixture of elements I love, like survival and magical realism, time travel (sort of), portal fantasies, etc. The whole time I was reading, I wasn't anticipating the next plot point like so many other novels tend to make me do; instead, I was simply along for the ride, waiting to see what would happen next.
I really love the idea of having the ability to simple "reset" and start over, and it was interesting to see the way that the author shaped the effects of this freedom on different characters. Some thrived, some stayed out of the way, some wanted nothing more than to go home, and some questioned what it was they truly wanted. It was a large cast of characters, to be sure, but with only two POVs I think the author handled it well. Another great thing: this cast is so diverse. The two main characters are Mary, a bad-mouthed orphan with a knack for not following the rules, and Dalip, a young Sikh and engineer.
Dalip struggles with his idea of identity in a place that doesn't even have his religion, and Mary struggles with who she wants to be: as a reformed criminal and orphan before she came to this world, she has a choice now: she can either run away and make a life for herself with no rules and no one to tell her what to do, or she can rescue the people she may have come to think of as friends.
My biggest issue, and the reason I simply can't read any further, is that I couldn't actually connect with these characters at all. I didn't feel anything for any of them, and I couldn't really root for their success.
Of what I did read, up to about 68 percent, I'd give it a 2/5. It was interesting, but not very original (portal fantasy with light magical elements [including a dragon]), and throughout the book there was so little explanation of what was going on that it all felt kind of pointless. I wanted to learn more, but I'd like that learning to be sprinkled throughout the book, not just dumped at the end so as to blow my mind.
kat7890erina's review
4.0
This sci-fi/fantasy is unpredictable. Morden explores the complexities of human nature and motivation well in a world where magic is real and the horrors of reality are only a portal away. I'm keen to read on.
hewlettelaine's review against another edition
4.0
I won this book in a Giveaway
I really enjoyed this novel. It centres on a group of Londoners who find themselves trapped in a disaster. At this moment of crisis, a mysterious door appears and the group find themselves thrust into the world of Down. A land of magic and danger, Down presents the trio of main characters with choices. Who are they - and who will they become?
This is a really good read for anyone who enjoys sci-fi/fantasy. Down is most certainly a fantastical setting and Morden shapes it well as a character in itself. Its origins and purpose are entirely mysterious and the reader is left to discover its secrets alongside the characters. The trio of main characters are very well drawn. Mary, a loudmouth troublemaker; Dalip, a well educated and reserved Sikh; and Stanislav, a tough survivor. The plot centres on their search for a way home and, as their situation becomes increasingly dangerous, on how they are each forced to face who they were in their old lives and what they might be capable of in their new one. It's a very entertaining read and a well written novel. I look forward to the next part!
I really enjoyed this novel. It centres on a group of Londoners who find themselves trapped in a disaster. At this moment of crisis, a mysterious door appears and the group find themselves thrust into the world of Down. A land of magic and danger, Down presents the trio of main characters with choices. Who are they - and who will they become?
This is a really good read for anyone who enjoys sci-fi/fantasy. Down is most certainly a fantastical setting and Morden shapes it well as a character in itself. Its origins and purpose are entirely mysterious and the reader is left to discover its secrets alongside the characters. The trio of main characters are very well drawn. Mary, a loudmouth troublemaker; Dalip, a well educated and reserved Sikh; and Stanislav, a tough survivor. The plot centres on their search for a way home and, as their situation becomes increasingly dangerous, on how they are each forced to face who they were in their old lives and what they might be capable of in their new one. It's a very entertaining read and a well written novel. I look forward to the next part!
patchworkbunny's review
3.0
My favourite part of Down Station was the beginning, where we are introduced to our cast in the belly of the London Underground. Mary is one of the forgotten people who clean the tracks after hours, finding lost and discarded items and a whole load of rubbish. On parole, she works with others society might like to forget.
On the other hand, there is Dalip, a Sikh engineering student learning the practical side by shadowing one of the men, Stanislav who repairs the rails. Stanislav has his own past which he is hiding from, a trait that most of the people underground seem to share. Except for Dalip who is happy and well adjusted, his faith not the most important thing in his life but it keeps him grounded.
Whilst at work, something terrible happens and the tunnels fill with fire and molten tar. The passages where they flee from this unknown disaster are full of tension and pace. We never really know what happened that night because the survivors flee through a doorway to a different world.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that the land of Down didn’t reflect London at all. I’ve re-read the blurb and it sounds like a few places share names that I missed and there is a river which divides north and south, but I’m not sure I picked up on that. And there was a point I started to wonder if it was all a bit like Lost. Maybe they never made it out of London at all.
I would have liked a bit more character depth, especially as one of the themes was that Down showed you who you really were. It’s a chance for a fresh start but that all depends on being true to yourself and your decisions. Stanislav, for instance, has something that happens to him that felt very sudden. It could have been explored more carefully and gradually, and therefore been a more powerful moment.
The secondary characters were very cardboardy. They all came from London at different points in time, yet this isn’t taken advantage of in their behaviour or dialogue. Yes, maybe they have been in Down a long time, but most of them were living in isolation. There’s very little sense of being lost somewhere strange and potentially dangerous.
It’s a perfectly readable portal to another world story but nothing special. There’s some interesting magic elements like the buildings growing out the ground where people choose to live, and the ability to change into another form connected to who you are.
Review copy provided by publisher.
On the other hand, there is Dalip, a Sikh engineering student learning the practical side by shadowing one of the men, Stanislav who repairs the rails. Stanislav has his own past which he is hiding from, a trait that most of the people underground seem to share. Except for Dalip who is happy and well adjusted, his faith not the most important thing in his life but it keeps him grounded.
Whilst at work, something terrible happens and the tunnels fill with fire and molten tar. The passages where they flee from this unknown disaster are full of tension and pace. We never really know what happened that night because the survivors flee through a doorway to a different world.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that the land of Down didn’t reflect London at all. I’ve re-read the blurb and it sounds like a few places share names that I missed and there is a river which divides north and south, but I’m not sure I picked up on that. And there was a point I started to wonder if it was all a bit like Lost. Maybe they never made it out of London at all.
I would have liked a bit more character depth, especially as one of the themes was that Down showed you who you really were. It’s a chance for a fresh start but that all depends on being true to yourself and your decisions. Stanislav, for instance, has something that happens to him that felt very sudden. It could have been explored more carefully and gradually, and therefore been a more powerful moment.
The secondary characters were very cardboardy. They all came from London at different points in time, yet this isn’t taken advantage of in their behaviour or dialogue. Yes, maybe they have been in Down a long time, but most of them were living in isolation. There’s very little sense of being lost somewhere strange and potentially dangerous.
It’s a perfectly readable portal to another world story but nothing special. There’s some interesting magic elements like the buildings growing out the ground where people choose to live, and the ability to change into another form connected to who you are.
Review copy provided by publisher.
tanninsandtales's review
3.0
London is burning. Six Underground maintenance workers are faced with a choice: cross the door to another world or surrender to the flames. This is how they arrive at Down, a world not very dissimilar to ours except for the fact that in it magic thrives and mysteries abound.
Interestingly enough, none of the six new inhabitants of Down are white British. It was very refreshing to see an actual depiction of London demographics in literature. The story is told from the points of view of Mary, a veteran of the care system and Dalip, an overprotected engineering student from a Sikh family. Very relevant real world issues such as identity, national identity and classism are addressed in this science fantasy novel.
There is some really good world-building in [b: Down Station|26251608|Down Station|Simon Morden|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1442044211s/26251608.jpg|46248060] as well as an intelligent magic system. Actually, at times these two elements seem to be two sides of the same coin. Mary, Dalip and Stanislav are fleshed-out and likeable characters. It is a pity that the same cannot be said of their companions and of the other denizens of Down.
At first, I was a bit reluctant to recommend this book for one single reason: I felt that this was a story that needed a lot more pages to be told. Fortunately, there is a sequel to this book. [b:The White City|30760003|The White City|Simon Morden|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1467027915s/30760003.jpg|51311066] is to be published later on this year. I just wished I had started this installment knowing it was not a stand-alone.
(Many thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for the review copy).
Interestingly enough, none of the six new inhabitants of Down are white British. It was very refreshing to see an actual depiction of London demographics in literature. The story is told from the points of view of Mary, a veteran of the care system and Dalip, an overprotected engineering student from a Sikh family. Very relevant real world issues such as identity, national identity and classism are addressed in this science fantasy novel.
There is some really good world-building in [b: Down Station|26251608|Down Station|Simon Morden|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1442044211s/26251608.jpg|46248060] as well as an intelligent magic system. Actually, at times these two elements seem to be two sides of the same coin. Mary, Dalip and Stanislav are fleshed-out and likeable characters. It is a pity that the same cannot be said of their companions and of the other denizens of Down.
At first, I was a bit reluctant to recommend this book for one single reason: I felt that this was a story that needed a lot more pages to be told. Fortunately, there is a sequel to this book. [b:The White City|30760003|The White City|Simon Morden|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1467027915s/30760003.jpg|51311066] is to be published later on this year. I just wished I had started this installment knowing it was not a stand-alone.
(Many thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for the review copy).
abookloversdiary's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
readwithmeemz's review against another edition
3.0
3-3.5 stars.
I'm an Indigo Employee, and I received a copy of this book - from Indigo Books and Music - in exchange for my honest feedback.
I liked this book, but not as much as I thought/hoped I would. I felt pretty disconnected from the characters... They were kind of interesting, but even as I kept reading, I just didn't connect with them, or feel invested in what was happening to them. I also felt like the book didn't flow well - I don't quite know how to explain it.
I liked how fast-paced the book was, because it didn't get boring. The world building was pretty great - I liked the magic system and I think Morden is a good writer.
I'm not sure exactly what it was, but this book just wasn't for me. Although hearing other people's rave reviews about this has made me wonder if maybe I should give the next book in the series a chance.
I'm an Indigo Employee, and I received a copy of this book - from Indigo Books and Music - in exchange for my honest feedback.
I liked this book, but not as much as I thought/hoped I would. I felt pretty disconnected from the characters... They were kind of interesting, but even as I kept reading, I just didn't connect with them, or feel invested in what was happening to them. I also felt like the book didn't flow well - I don't quite know how to explain it.
I liked how fast-paced the book was, because it didn't get boring. The world building was pretty great - I liked the magic system and I think Morden is a good writer.
I'm not sure exactly what it was, but this book just wasn't for me. Although hearing other people's rave reviews about this has made me wonder if maybe I should give the next book in the series a chance.
brennaw's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5