Just a Few Arc of Scythe Books I DEVOURED

This feature is for short reviews, reviews of books in a series where it might feel repetitive, or (as Michelle suggested) books I was too lazy to write a “real” review for. Today’s books come from the same series – Arc of Scythe.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Series: Arc of a Scythe #1
Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers on November 22, 2016
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Young Adult
Pages: 435
Length: 10 hours 32 minutes
Format: eBook, Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Thou shalt kill.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Okay so I started Scythe for book club as an eBook. And then I had to drive and didn’t want to listen to ANYTHING else because my brain was in Scythe. So I bought the audiobook too – yes, I paid for the ebook and the audiobook. I rarely do this when it’s not a sale.

And then I DEVOURED it. The world building is on point. What a great world. Yes, I still have questions – but not that distracted from my ability to enjoy the book. More just, I was so immersed in this world I want to know everything about it. The characters are great. They are flawed as hell. They grow. They learn. They are likable (or hate-able as appropriate) from beginning to end. So clever. The romance is minimal, but enough.

While it does not end on a cliff hanger at all — the ending was very satisfying and if I HAD to wait I could — I was thrilled book 2 was already out. I bought it immediately (even though it’s really expensive for an eBook because it was still a new release at the time) and I even got the audiobook, because yeah I knew I was going to want to whispersync it. And since writing this review I have purchased a physical copy of the book too, because it needs to go on my shelves. Because book 2, equally good… as you’ll see below.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Series: Arc of a Scythe #2
on January 9, 2018
Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Young Adult
Pages: 504
Length: 13 hours 1 minute
Format: eBook, Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Rowan has gone rogue, and has taken it upon himself to put the Scythedom through a trial by fire. Literally. In the year since Winter Conclave, he has gone off-grid, and has been striking out against corrupt scythes—not only in MidMerica, but across the entire continent. He is a dark folk hero now—“Scythe Lucifer”—a vigilante taking down corrupt scythes in flames.

Citra, now a junior scythe under Scythe Curie, sees the corruption and wants to help change it from the inside out, but is thwarted at every turn, and threatened by the “new order” scythes. Realizing she cannot do this alone—or even with the help of Scythe Curie and Faraday, she does the unthinkable, and risks being “deadish” so she can communicate with the Thunderhead—the only being on earth wise enough to solve the dire problems of a perfect world. But will it help solve those problems, or simply watch as perfection goes into decline?

Wowza! As much as I LOVED Scythe (book 1), Thunderhead was even better!

Remember I said I had some unanswered questions at the end of Scythe – they weren’t nagging, just curiosities? Well, Thunderhead answered them! I wanted to know more about the Thunderhead – how it operates, how people feel about it, etc. And yeah, we spent large fractions of the book in the “mind” of the Thunderhead, coming to see how it interacts with the populace… and those it doesn’t interact with. I also was curious about people who are rebels. Had society completely cured this “ill” or do those people still exist, despite the apparent lack of crime. Well, Thunderhead answered that as well – giving us a very close look at the Unsavories – a designation for those people who just prefer to be rebels – and how the Thunderhead created a space for them.

But beyond the answered questions – the plot is gripping. Rowan has become Scythe Lucifer and has become judge, jury, and executioner for the Scythes. Meanwhile Citra – Scythe Anastasia – has become a voice of change in the Scythdom. They’re both shaking things up and facing an uphill battle. I loved watching the way all the pieces come together – sometimes effortlessly and sometimes like bulldozers crashing. The character development continues to be amazing; Not just Citra and Rowan, but the more significant Scythes too. I loved getting to know the characters better.

But holy hell – that ending!

First off, did not see that coming.

Second, Shit!

Third, how long until the next book. This one is a definite cliff hanger ending (unlike the first) and I’m really REALLY wishing the third book were out right now, because I WOULD already be reading it.

And listening to it. I’ve been whisper sync reading these books because I don’t want to wait until I can read (or listen) – they’re just that good. The audio is fantastic and Greg Tremblay is a narrator that will go on my must listen list for sure.

And now to wait, until… I think September 2019 🙁 I’ve already checked and I cannot preorder it yet.

Berls is sharing Just a Few Arc of a Scythe Books she DEVOURED. Have you read them? Share on X

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