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tommulhern's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy this series. Great ending and a lot of fun to read
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
Given how surprisingly the previous novel, THREE ended, I wasn't sure how things were going to turn out or where this story was really going to go. That said, I was pleasantly surprised and mostly happy with the way things progressed. There were new and complex characters, including a fun military squad that spends a lot of time with Cass and the Awakened, who are more connected with Wren. I liked all of the characters––the squad was a lot of fun and helped contribute a lot to Cass' storyline, and Painter, who is completely engaging and complex in his connection to Wren and Wren's adversaries. Once again, the story was well paced and action-packed, especially when it came to Cass. The story didn't have as much impact as its predecessor, but I'm still glad I got to read and enjoy it. The ending is intense and demands for a continued reading, and I can't wait to see how it all wraps up!
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Wren's term as Governor of Morningside is short-lived when it becomes apparent he's been targeted by people within the Council. With his mother and a group of trusted allies, he flees the city. But who is working against him and why are the Weir massing in greater numbers?
I got this from Angry Robot via Netgalley.
The Weir threat escalates in the second entry in the Duskwalker series. Wren is struggling to grow into his role as boy governor of Morningside and the influx of people into Morningside, both the dwellers outside the walls and the Awakened, the former Weir, are making the rest of the population uneasy. Sound pretty good? Well...
Okay, here's the deal. I loved Three, the first book in this series. However, I didn't love this book. I felt like it very much suffers from "Second book in the Trilogy" syndrome. There's a lot of setup toward bigger things down the road but mostly there's a lot of running through the wastelands shooting at Weir. There is no new character to take Three's lead role so we get a lot of interchangeable warrior types acting as Wren's bodyguards and with no lynchpin character driving things forward, my attention waned quite a bit. If it weren't for the last 20% of the book, I probably would have given it a 2.
The last 20% made up for a lot of my distaste for the rest of the book. A lot of stuff happens. Wren figures out how to stop the Weir, the mastermind is revealed, and a battle of monstrous proportions happens. The revelation of who the blindfolded man was was very satisfying. The third book is going to be an asskicker of Muhammed Ali proportions.
Morningside Fall is worth a read but I don't think it holds up very well when compared to Three. I do plan on sticking with the series, though. Three out of five stars.
I got this from Angry Robot via Netgalley.
The Weir threat escalates in the second entry in the Duskwalker series. Wren is struggling to grow into his role as boy governor of Morningside and the influx of people into Morningside, both the dwellers outside the walls and the Awakened, the former Weir, are making the rest of the population uneasy. Sound pretty good? Well...
Okay, here's the deal. I loved Three, the first book in this series. However, I didn't love this book. I felt like it very much suffers from "Second book in the Trilogy" syndrome. There's a lot of setup toward bigger things down the road but mostly there's a lot of running through the wastelands shooting at Weir. There is no new character to take Three's lead role so we get a lot of interchangeable warrior types acting as Wren's bodyguards and with no lynchpin character driving things forward, my attention waned quite a bit. If it weren't for the last 20% of the book, I probably would have given it a 2.
The last 20% made up for a lot of my distaste for the rest of the book. A lot of stuff happens. Wren figures out how to stop the Weir, the mastermind is revealed, and a battle of monstrous proportions happens. The revelation of who the blindfolded man was was very satisfying. The third book is going to be an asskicker of Muhammed Ali proportions.
Morningside Fall is worth a read but I don't think it holds up very well when compared to Three. I do plan on sticking with the series, though. Three out of five stars.
mxsallybend's review against another edition
2.0
With Morningside Fall, Jay Posey's Legends of the Dustwalker saga is beginning to remind me of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Saga. Both series started off strong, with first novels that really impressed me with their imagination and their storytelling, and which guaranteed I would keep on reading. Unfortunately [minor spolier here], the second volume in both series suffers from the absence of the protagonist who made the first book so compelling.
That absence made this a frustrating reading experience for me. The world building was taken to the next level, the threat of the Weir was far better explored, and we finally get something of a primary antagonist in the final portions of the book. In addition, the writing was just as solid as it was in the first book, contributing to an enhancement of the overall atmosphere. There really was a lot to enjoy and appreciate here, but Wren is no Three, and that's a very big 'but' indeed.
I didn't like Wren much in the first book, and I didn't come to like him any better here. He's too innocent, too precocious, and too vulnerable. I wasn't necessarily looking for him to stand up and become a hero, but I was hoping he would serve some purpose other than to be the typical kid who needs to be rescued. He just rubs me the wrong way, leaving me exasperated and anxious to move on to the next scene that doesn't center on him. As for his mother, I really liked the darkness and the edge of Cass in the first book, but at lot of that seems blunted here. Sadly, it seems as if she's just not as interesting without Three there to challenge her on a personal and intellectual level.
It's not a bad read, and the last 100 or so pages are worth sticking it out for, but it was a long, slow, difficult read getting to that point. I found myself skimming in places, and getting tired of all the walk-on auditions to replace Three as Wren's guardian. Morningside Fall definitely suffers from middle-book syndrome, adding to the issue of trying to replace a protagonist, but it ends with enough promise to make a third book a likely-to-read, if not quite a must-read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
That absence made this a frustrating reading experience for me. The world building was taken to the next level, the threat of the Weir was far better explored, and we finally get something of a primary antagonist in the final portions of the book. In addition, the writing was just as solid as it was in the first book, contributing to an enhancement of the overall atmosphere. There really was a lot to enjoy and appreciate here, but Wren is no Three, and that's a very big 'but' indeed.
I didn't like Wren much in the first book, and I didn't come to like him any better here. He's too innocent, too precocious, and too vulnerable. I wasn't necessarily looking for him to stand up and become a hero, but I was hoping he would serve some purpose other than to be the typical kid who needs to be rescued. He just rubs me the wrong way, leaving me exasperated and anxious to move on to the next scene that doesn't center on him. As for his mother, I really liked the darkness and the edge of Cass in the first book, but at lot of that seems blunted here. Sadly, it seems as if she's just not as interesting without Three there to challenge her on a personal and intellectual level.
It's not a bad read, and the last 100 or so pages are worth sticking it out for, but it was a long, slow, difficult read getting to that point. I found myself skimming in places, and getting tired of all the walk-on auditions to replace Three as Wren's guardian. Morningside Fall definitely suffers from middle-book syndrome, adding to the issue of trying to replace a protagonist, but it ends with enough promise to make a third book a likely-to-read, if not quite a must-read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
tyrean's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Jay Posey does it again. I have to admit I don't expect much from the middle book of a trilogy and this one seemed to start slowly, but it kept getting packed with details I knew I would need later . . . and I was right. When this book kicks off from the exposition/introduction into the rising action, it just goes full throttle until the resolution that leaves the reader satisfied, but still wanting the next book.
Highly recommended if you like sci-fi, apocalyptic fiction!
Highly recommended if you like sci-fi, apocalyptic fiction!
alishajenkins's review against another edition
5.0
DAMN.
ASHER is one of the best villains I've found in books. I hate that guy so fucking much.
ASHER is one of the best villains I've found in books. I hate that guy so fucking much.
kimmicat_bookstack's review against another edition
1.0
A big string of actions scenes with a short story's worth of actual plot. Doesn't live up to expectations set by "Three" which was amazing.
dragontomes2000's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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
4.0
This sequel was a storm of political intrigue, action, and heart. I am super pleased with how much I am enjoying this series so far. Especially with how Jay Posey is executing the story and characters. I think his world building could still use a bit of work but other then that very impressed.
Morningside Fall picks up a year after the events of Three and it plunges the reader straight into the action. Wren is the head of the story this time. Our eight year old has taken on a new role as Governor of Morningside. We are introduced to a slew of new characters like Swoop, Painter, Aron, North, Vye, and Blindfold. We do get to to see some old faces as well. Wren is dealing with a lot especially for an eight year old in this sequel. He is a governor, he is still trying to understand his powers, and he is still being hunted. All this boils down to who does an eight year old trust. Jay Posey does this very well. I think Jay tackles this very well. He never makes it unbelievable. In Three, I had some connection issues when it came to the characters but Morningside Fall had characters I was rooting for right away. Some highlights for me are definitely Swoop, Blindfold, and Painter.
Now let's talk plot, Morningside Fall is an adrenaline Rollercoaster from beginning to end. I enjoyed the story so much, the action was incredible, the political aspects were handled very delicately, and we had stakes. I would go into details but this is a sequel and I am not one for spoilers. Three left off with a really big cliffhanger and I can't even discuss that because a lot of what happens in Morningside is because of those events.
This sci-fi story is taking me for a shocking ride and I am here for it. I kind of went in with no expectations and that was the right call. I would like to recommend this series to people because it and Jay Posey are highly underrated.
Morningside Fall picks up a year after the events of Three and it plunges the reader straight into the action. Wren is the head of the story this time. Our eight year old has taken on a new role as Governor of Morningside. We are introduced to a slew of new characters like Swoop, Painter, Aron, North, Vye, and Blindfold. We do get to to see some old faces as well. Wren is dealing with a lot especially for an eight year old in this sequel. He is a governor, he is still trying to understand his powers, and he is still being hunted. All this boils down to who does an eight year old trust. Jay Posey does this very well. I think Jay tackles this very well. He never makes it unbelievable. In Three, I had some connection issues when it came to the characters but Morningside Fall had characters I was rooting for right away. Some highlights for me are definitely Swoop, Blindfold, and Painter.
Now let's talk plot, Morningside Fall is an adrenaline Rollercoaster from beginning to end. I enjoyed the story so much, the action was incredible, the political aspects were handled very delicately, and we had stakes. I would go into details but this is a sequel and I am not one for spoilers. Three left off with a really big cliffhanger and I can't even discuss that because a lot of what happens in Morningside is because of those events.
This sci-fi story is taking me for a shocking ride and I am here for it. I kind of went in with no expectations and that was the right call. I would like to recommend this series to people because it and Jay Posey are highly underrated.
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