faithtrustpixiedust's review against another edition
5.0
I received this ARC from Orca Book Publishers via LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book in any way.
I have never cried reading a book so much; it has all the feels. I absolutely love it.
The Writing and Worldbuilding
The writing had some of the pacing issues the first one had where it tended to run a little slow in the beginning, but, like Dominion, once it picked up, it was steady and intriguing throughout all the way to the end.
Shane is great at writing believable, wonderful character arcs and themes. He doesn't shove them into your face, he just gently prods you with them. I absolutely loved the themes in this: blame, shame, fear, anger, weariness, and above all, responsibility were major themes. Those are some of my favorite themes in any book, so it was truly great to read them in this. Besides that, it has themes of revolution, of equal rights and social liberty. This book is so relevant to today's society.
The world expanded a lot and I really enjoyed learning more about and understanding the unique magic system and alternate history timeline Arbuthnott created. It was masterfully crafted and the visuals were fantastic.
The Characters
Molly: Molly struggles with her conscience, her desire to do what's right, and her fear that her efforts are only hurting people and spirits. She learns a lesson that was very personal to me, a lesson I've been struggling with all my life: that it is okay to take a break, that it is not quitting; that you are not responsible for the decisions of others, only your own actions are yours to judge, and that being a little selfish is not a bad thing, but being self-centered is. She is melancholy and depressed for a lot of the book, understandably so, but she learns to use her emotions to drive her to do what she knows she needs to do, instead of trying to fight them, trying to ignore her own sadness. Molly is most definitely one of my favorite characters of all time.
Da (man, I don't think he even has a name): Molly's father grows so much in this book. In Dominion, he was a bit of a stereotype, though still really interesting; but the book didn't really focus on him and so he didn't really have much room to show who he really was and to grow into a better person. Terra Nova gave him all the room, and he definitely used it. He became one of my favorite characters, a deeply complex man trying to protect his children but knowing that they might not need him anymore. Ultimately, he was selfless and strong.
Arkwright: As usual, Arkwright was super creepy, but he wasn't an Obvious Villain™. Rather, he was also deeply complex and flawed and frankly, frightening in his intensity and drive. His ideology was so interesting and I found him to be a very compelling villain.
Rory: As usual, Rory was a riot and I absolutely adore him. He was so funny and great, but he also grew a lot and I found a lot of depth in him. His sibling bond with Molly was palpable and even had understandable reasons. I love him.
Kiernan: He wasn't as fleshed out as the rest of the family, but he was still very consistent and well written. I cared about his character a lot.
Theresa: She was a new addition, but she was fantastic, and I really liked her. She is smart, and motherly even, acting as a great mother figure and friend to Molly when she needed it most.
Ariel: She played less of an important role in this, but she did provide a lot of comfort and sage advice to Molly.
Brighid: She was expanded a lot more in this, and if there is another book (which I suspect there won't be, because everything was wrapped up rather nicely), I would like to have her character explored more.
Conclusion
I love Shane Arbuthnott's writing. I cried so much reading this, and I felt the story so deeply in my soul. This series has quickly become one of my all-time favorites, and I sincerely want him to write many more books, either in this world, or otherwise. I will read anything this man writes.
I have never cried reading a book so much; it has all the feels. I absolutely love it.
It's always worse before you start. So start.
The Writing and Worldbuilding
The writing had some of the pacing issues the first one had where it tended to run a little slow in the beginning, but, like Dominion, once it picked up, it was steady and intriguing throughout all the way to the end.
Shane is great at writing believable, wonderful character arcs and themes. He doesn't shove them into your face, he just gently prods you with them. I absolutely loved the themes in this: blame, shame, fear, anger, weariness, and above all, responsibility were major themes. Those are some of my favorite themes in any book, so it was truly great to read them in this. Besides that, it has themes of revolution, of equal rights and social liberty. This book is so relevant to today's society.
"Identifying who began something like this is like picking out the stone that began an avalanche. It began somewhere, true enough [...] but once it well and truly begins, we are all just stones moving together. One stone rolling down a mountain changes nothing unless others move with it."
The world expanded a lot and I really enjoyed learning more about and understanding the unique magic system and alternate history timeline Arbuthnott created. It was masterfully crafted and the visuals were fantastic.
The Characters
"You forget this from time to time, Molly, but you are not alone. I am here. Your family is here. [...] Not every responsibility is yours."
Molly: Molly struggles with her conscience, her desire to do what's right, and her fear that her efforts are only hurting people and spirits. She learns a lesson that was very personal to me, a lesson I've been struggling with all my life: that it is okay to take a break, that it is not quitting; that you are not responsible for the decisions of others, only your own actions are yours to judge, and that being a little selfish is not a bad thing, but being self-centered is. She is melancholy and depressed for a lot of the book, understandably so, but she learns to use her emotions to drive her to do what she knows she needs to do, instead of trying to fight them, trying to ignore her own sadness. Molly is most definitely one of my favorite characters of all time.
"So the good things you've accomplished, those you had help with. But the danger. The blame. Those belong to you alone?"
Da (man, I don't think he even has a name): Molly's father grows so much in this book. In Dominion, he was a bit of a stereotype, though still really interesting; but the book didn't really focus on him and so he didn't really have much room to show who he really was and to grow into a better person. Terra Nova gave him all the room, and he definitely used it. He became one of my favorite characters, a deeply complex man trying to protect his children but knowing that they might not need him anymore. Ultimately, he was selfless and strong.
"I did not survive this long by being fragile, and I have found other ways to get what I need."
Arkwright: As usual, Arkwright was super creepy, but he wasn't an Obvious Villain™. Rather, he was also deeply complex and flawed and frankly, frightening in his intensity and drive. His ideology was so interesting and I found him to be a very compelling villain.
Rory: As usual, Rory was a riot and I absolutely adore him. He was so funny and great, but he also grew a lot and I found a lot of depth in him. His sibling bond with Molly was palpable and even had understandable reasons. I love him.
Kiernan: He wasn't as fleshed out as the rest of the family, but he was still very consistent and well written. I cared about his character a lot.
"It is selfish, true, but there is nothing wrong with selfish thoughts. Sometimes they provide good counsel. But those thoughts must be tempered with more generous ones, lest we [...] forget that the world is filled with beings of equal significance to ourselves."
Theresa: She was a new addition, but she was fantastic, and I really liked her. She is smart, and motherly even, acting as a great mother figure and friend to Molly when she needed it most.
Ariel: She played less of an important role in this, but she did provide a lot of comfort and sage advice to Molly.
Brighid: She was expanded a lot more in this, and if there is another book (which I suspect there won't be, because everything was wrapped up rather nicely), I would like to have her character explored more.
Conclusion
I love Shane Arbuthnott's writing. I cried so much reading this, and I felt the story so deeply in my soul. This series has quickly become one of my all-time favorites, and I sincerely want him to write many more books, either in this world, or otherwise. I will read anything this man writes.
She looked down at the city. It was changing, and she didn't know what it would look like when it was done. Maybe it would never be done.
waclements7's review against another edition
4.0
This is an excellent sequel to Dominion, in which we were introduced to Molly Stout and her family. Terra Nova finds Molly joined by her family in rescuing spirits from machines, while her sister Brighid is working for Haviland Industries making speeches against her. Molly does a lot of growing and goes through some harrowing experiences in this book, all of which strengthen her resolve to free the spirits and bring down Haviland Industries. She makes new friends in unlikely places to help make her mission possible. I really liked that her family backed her in this book. I also like how the dependence on spirits for energy can be likened to, say, our dependence on fossil fuels. Granted, they aren’t sentient, but using them is destroying the planet just as much as Haviland Industries grand plans for using their top of the line harvesters to vacuum up fonts and all of their spirits, essentially bleeding them dry, was going to destroy Terra Nova and the spirit realm. This is a grittier book, because it moves away from the ideas and gets into the actual execution of the plans to take down Haviland. It involves more risks for Molly, and Disposal is getting better at keeping up with her. Meeting enough like-minded people really helps her, I think. I especially liked (I’m not sure that’s the right word—appreciated?) the use of the asylum to lock away dissenters, because that’s so true to life. It’s an excellent way to discredit people, and I felt that was very well done. I admire Molly for her stubbornness and her willingness to listen to the spirits to begin with. I think she’s a wonderful example of how empathy and kindness are much more important values than avarice and the willingness to follow blindly. I don’t know if there will be another book in this series or if Mr. Arbuthnott is working on something new, but I highly recommend this book and would definitely read anything else he wrote.
ARC supplied by Orca Press. Opinions are entirely my own. As this was the second of two books Orca kindly provided a copy of Dominion as well, which is greatly appreciated, because it made it easier to understand what was happening in the second book.
ARC supplied by Orca Press. Opinions are entirely my own. As this was the second of two books Orca kindly provided a copy of Dominion as well, which is greatly appreciated, because it made it easier to understand what was happening in the second book.
deannaksmith's review against another edition
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Can I just start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book? This is a series that pulled me in entirely because I loved the covers but they have been so much fun to read and I really think that I’ll reread them sometime soon. If you haven’t read the first one yet but are looking for a great middle grade/young YA series then definitely check out the first one!
This book takes place about a year after the events of the first book but we’re thrown into the action immediately. Molly is now 15 and has spent the last year with her family trying to free as many spirits as possible. Molly is once again what makes this book for me, she’s such a lovely character. She definitely has her flaws but she’s also a kid who’s growing and learning and I think that it’s represented quite well. I also really liked her family in this one, their relationships aren’t perfect but they are realistic and I liked reading about how they interact. The new characters were also really well done! Theresa is definitely my favourite but all the others have an important part in the story.
The story in these books is also just really fun, it’s kind of a darker topic but it’s handled well and I really love that Molly acknowledges that she’d like to do more to help but is also okay with just doing what she’s capable of doing, it’s a nice viewpoint to read about. And the spirits themselves! I loved all of them so much, they have such unique personalities and it was always easy to distinguish between them.
Honestly I just really really loved reading this book. It took me no time at all because it’s so fast paced and you just get sucked into the story. I loved the way that this one ended and I don’t know if there’s going to be another book but if there is I will definitely be picking it up!
Can I just start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book? This is a series that pulled me in entirely because I loved the covers but they have been so much fun to read and I really think that I’ll reread them sometime soon. If you haven’t read the first one yet but are looking for a great middle grade/young YA series then definitely check out the first one!
This book takes place about a year after the events of the first book but we’re thrown into the action immediately. Molly is now 15 and has spent the last year with her family trying to free as many spirits as possible. Molly is once again what makes this book for me, she’s such a lovely character. She definitely has her flaws but she’s also a kid who’s growing and learning and I think that it’s represented quite well. I also really liked her family in this one, their relationships aren’t perfect but they are realistic and I liked reading about how they interact. The new characters were also really well done! Theresa is definitely my favourite but all the others have an important part in the story.
The story in these books is also just really fun, it’s kind of a darker topic but it’s handled well and I really love that Molly acknowledges that she’d like to do more to help but is also okay with just doing what she’s capable of doing, it’s a nice viewpoint to read about. And the spirits themselves! I loved all of them so much, they have such unique personalities and it was always easy to distinguish between them.
Honestly I just really really loved reading this book. It took me no time at all because it’s so fast paced and you just get sucked into the story. I loved the way that this one ended and I don’t know if there’s going to be another book but if there is I will definitely be picking it up!
novelbloglover's review
5.0
great sequel really looked a lot deeper into the world and the spirits in them, but it also introduced some new interesting dynamics that I didn't see coming can't wait to read more from this author.
hdbblog's review against another edition
4.0
Such a wonderful follow up book to the first! Shane Arbuthnott did an excellent job of showing Molly's growth as a person, both physically and mentally. While I loved her youthful vigor and passion in the first book, I loved her tenacity and selflessness in this book even more. Molly comes to understand that she's part of something so much bigger than herself and, rather than shy away, she embraces it wholeheartedly. Consequences be damned.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was that it felt a little slow in places. I know that there was a lot to pack into this second book, and so I was willing to let it go, but I did miss the breakneck pace and adventure of the first book. This second installment is much more internal, or much more character based. It doesn't make it bad, by any means. Just different. I acknowledge that.
I'll follow Molly wherever she goes next. You can count on that.
The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was that it felt a little slow in places. I know that there was a lot to pack into this second book, and so I was willing to let it go, but I did miss the breakneck pace and adventure of the first book. This second installment is much more internal, or much more character based. It doesn't make it bad, by any means. Just different. I acknowledge that.
I'll follow Molly wherever she goes next. You can count on that.
elizabethd's review
4.0
I so enjoyed this series! Totally engrossing with a fun and very capable female protagonist. Great read!
lilyn_g's review
5.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review consideration.
On the surface, Terra Nova is a beautifully written follow-up to Dominion, the first book in the Molly Stout Adventures. It takes us back to the world of Terra Nova and plunges us into Molly’s life shortly after the events of Dominion. It’s fast-paced, filled with action, and a sheer pleasure to read. Terra Nova is a world where instead of building on the back of human slaves, denoted as less worthy by skin color or some other chosen arbitrary measurement, we harnessed the power of some more beings more obviously ‘other’. It gives us a steampunk world only a few steps removed from our own.
I zoomed through Terra Nova, reading it in a couple hours. From the very first page, Arbuthnott had me entranced and right back in the thick of it beside Molly. My stomach was churning, my emotions were roiling, and I was completely absorbed in this book. He is a fantastic writer, and I thoroughly enjoyed his story-telling abilities and the fictional aspects of his work.
But I want to talk about the other part of it, as well.
Terra Nova is a call for young people to realize their worth, their power. To understand that they have a voice, and if they use that voice, they can get things accomplished. It is a call to arms for a younger generation to lead others down the right path, to do what everyone else seems afraid to do. To not be a sheep.
"I wish we could just go flying together instead of always skulking around, Molly thought. But if that's what I want, I guess we have to make a world where that can happen."
But it's about more than that as well. It's about growing up. About realizing that while you need to own your mistakes or consequences, you need to recognize that some are not yours to make or take on.
It's a solid story, with great writing. Terra Nova makes me simultaneously want to stand up and applaud, whilst also making me squirm uncomfortably. Because this also spoke to me as an adult. Terra Nova reminded me that it is my job to guide my child, but it is not - nor will it ever be - my job to rule my child. If at some point in the future, she gets set on doing something she believes is the right thing, my job will be to keep her as safe as possible while she does it, not to stop her from doing it.
Sometimes a book comes along that rocks you back on your heels, smacks the self-pity, the selfishness, and ignorance out of you, and makes you ashamed of your own timidity. And sometimes that book happens to be a kids’ book.
Read Dominion, and then read Terra Nova. Read them for you. Read them for your kids. Read them to your kids. Let your kids read them and ask you questions. I don’t care how you do it, I’m just asking you to do it.
deereadsthings's review
4.0
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Can I just start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book? This is a series that pulled me in entirely because I loved the covers but they have been so much fun to read and I really think that I’ll reread them sometime soon. If you haven’t read the first one yet but are looking for a great middle grade/young YA series then definitely check out the first one!
This book takes place about a year after the events of the first book but we’re thrown into the action immediately. Molly is now 15 and has spent the last year with her family trying to free as many spirits as possible. Molly is once again what makes this book for me, she’s such a lovely character. She definitely has her flaws but she’s also a kid who’s growing and learning and I think that it’s represented quite well. I also really liked her family in this one, their relationships aren’t perfect but they are realistic and I liked reading about how they interact. The new characters were also really well done! Theresa is definitely my favourite but all the others have an important part in the story.
The story in these books is also just really fun, it’s kind of a darker topic but it’s handled well and I really love that Molly acknowledges that she’d like to do more to help but is also okay with just doing what she’s capable of doing, it’s a nice viewpoint to read about. And the spirits themselves! I loved all of them so much, they have such unique personalities and it was always easy to distinguish between them.
Honestly I just really really loved reading this book. It took me no time at all because it’s so fast paced and you just get sucked into the story. I loved the way that this one ended and I don’t know if there’s going to be another book but if there is I will definitely be picking it up!
Can I just start off by saying that I absolutely loved this book? This is a series that pulled me in entirely because I loved the covers but they have been so much fun to read and I really think that I’ll reread them sometime soon. If you haven’t read the first one yet but are looking for a great middle grade/young YA series then definitely check out the first one!
This book takes place about a year after the events of the first book but we’re thrown into the action immediately. Molly is now 15 and has spent the last year with her family trying to free as many spirits as possible. Molly is once again what makes this book for me, she’s such a lovely character. She definitely has her flaws but she’s also a kid who’s growing and learning and I think that it’s represented quite well. I also really liked her family in this one, their relationships aren’t perfect but they are realistic and I liked reading about how they interact. The new characters were also really well done! Theresa is definitely my favourite but all the others have an important part in the story.
The story in these books is also just really fun, it’s kind of a darker topic but it’s handled well and I really love that Molly acknowledges that she’d like to do more to help but is also okay with just doing what she’s capable of doing, it’s a nice viewpoint to read about. And the spirits themselves! I loved all of them so much, they have such unique personalities and it was always easy to distinguish between them.
Honestly I just really really loved reading this book. It took me no time at all because it’s so fast paced and you just get sucked into the story. I loved the way that this one ended and I don’t know if there’s going to be another book but if there is I will definitely be picking it up!
kyraslibrary's review
4.0
** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
When I got the second book I had hoped to enjoy it more than the first one. Unfortunately I couldn't get into it again. My friend's little sister loved the first one so I'm sure she will love this one. Though these books aren't for me, I'm not that into steampunk and that seems to be a genre of this two book series. The writing was great and so were the characters but this isn't my type of book.
When I got the second book I had hoped to enjoy it more than the first one. Unfortunately I couldn't get into it again. My friend's little sister loved the first one so I'm sure she will love this one. Though these books aren't for me, I'm not that into steampunk and that seems to be a genre of this two book series. The writing was great and so were the characters but this isn't my type of book.
aoife26935's review
4.0
Oh, poor Molly. I really hoped things would work out after the last book, and they didn't quite. But you didn't let that get you down. Even when you were suffering awful losses - a couple of those really hurt, Shane! - you kept fighting and doing what was right, even when it was almost impossible. I'm glad you got the ending you did this time.
I hope there's more to your story, but if this is the end is a good one. Thanks for bringing me along with you.
I hope there's more to your story, but if this is the end is a good one. Thanks for bringing me along with you.
More...