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archergal's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a nice surprise! It starts out as a sort of post-apocalyptic story. Then the story fills in a little here, a little there, and we gradually get an idea of what's going on, and what made the world what it was. It goes from a pseudo-medieval sort of fantasy world to a bit more science-fiction-y story.
The heroine is blind, too (mostly blind, anyway - it's all explained in the book.) She's interesting and curious and trouble-making.
There's lots of story-telling going on here, and a few folksy sorts of poems. One of them could totally be a hobbit song!
It's a fairly upbeat story for a time after the end of (most of) the world. Good work, Mr. Giesler!
I read most of this book while I was knitting my mitered scarf. :D
The heroine is blind, too (mostly blind, anyway - it's all explained in the book.) She's interesting and curious and trouble-making.
There's lots of story-telling going on here, and a few folksy sorts of poems. One of them could totally be a hobbit song!
It's a fairly upbeat story for a time after the end of (most of) the world. Good work, Mr. Giesler!
I read most of this book while I was knitting my mitered scarf. :D
abookishtype's review against another edition
4.0
In the prologue at the beginning of The Nothing Within, by Andy Giesler, we see two characters fighting over a terrible decision. It’s not clear until later what that decision is: nullifying all of the advanced nanotechnology in the world. (And it’s not until much later that we find out why those characters made that decision.) Centuries later, a woman named Root tells the story of her life to a group of young children. So much has changed for a society that, these days, is still not allowed to develop any kind of technology beyond 1700s-level. Stories are the only way to pass on knowledge…but it appears that those stories haven’t always told the truth...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free coy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free coy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
lindzy's review against another edition
4.0
Full Review Here
The Nothing Within is a futuristic dystopian novel. It explores humanity reverting to before technology, where being different means being feared – and condemning you to the pit to be cleansed by fire. Nothing unique is allowed to emerge in this society, or the consequences are dire.
The premise caught my eye, but I was confused for around half of the book. It’s told through two different timelines and narrators, but I didn’t understand how they connected. The characters are interesting; you want to know their story, but it was difficult to figure out what that story was.
Once the plots started coming together, however, this a gripping and intriguing read that I didn’t want to put down, determined to find out what would happen next.
Root is different, and being blind is only one of the factors setting her apart. She wants more and she’ll ask for it, despite being frowned upon. Her experiences lead her to question whether their society works, and the answers leave a lot of innocent people dead for no good reason.
It’s not enough for Root. She craves knowing more – why are things this way, what made them so? Root is headstrong and determined and you root (pun not intended) for her from the beginning. The narration is told by her as an old lady, so you know she survives the danger. But you don’t know how, or what it costs her to do so.
While exploring Root’s history, it also introduces us to Ruth. It’s clear that Ruth’s story is set in a different time, just as dangerous but in ways that are perhaps more familiar: guns and greed, with technology enhancing the peril. There’s depth to Ruth, but I found her a harder character to warm to. There’s a darker undertone to Ruth’s story, despite the events Root lives through.
This is an in-depth world, where the rules are different to anything familiar to readers now. Root’s story unfolds as she narrates her own tale to an eager audience, and I love the occasional snippets as she interrupts the narration, reminding us there is a future for her, however events appear to be unfolding. This is a fractured system, and breaking the flow of the narration gives the reader that same jarred experience the characters go through as they start to understand how they’re being manipulated.
There are multiple secondary characters aside from Root and Ruth. Some of these spans the distance between the two stories, making connections that would have otherwise left me floundering how this pulls together. Gabriel is a mysterious figure who may be more than he seems, but a lot of the others are passing names rather than anyone we get to know.
Despite not being certain about The Nothing Within when I first started it, this was an engaging story that drew me into this world. Once you start to see the big picture, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable book and I’m glad to have picked it up.
The Nothing Within is a futuristic dystopian novel. It explores humanity reverting to before technology, where being different means being feared – and condemning you to the pit to be cleansed by fire. Nothing unique is allowed to emerge in this society, or the consequences are dire.
The premise caught my eye, but I was confused for around half of the book. It’s told through two different timelines and narrators, but I didn’t understand how they connected. The characters are interesting; you want to know their story, but it was difficult to figure out what that story was.
Once the plots started coming together, however, this a gripping and intriguing read that I didn’t want to put down, determined to find out what would happen next.
Root is different, and being blind is only one of the factors setting her apart. She wants more and she’ll ask for it, despite being frowned upon. Her experiences lead her to question whether their society works, and the answers leave a lot of innocent people dead for no good reason.
It’s not enough for Root. She craves knowing more – why are things this way, what made them so? Root is headstrong and determined and you root (pun not intended) for her from the beginning. The narration is told by her as an old lady, so you know she survives the danger. But you don’t know how, or what it costs her to do so.
While exploring Root’s history, it also introduces us to Ruth. It’s clear that Ruth’s story is set in a different time, just as dangerous but in ways that are perhaps more familiar: guns and greed, with technology enhancing the peril. There’s depth to Ruth, but I found her a harder character to warm to. There’s a darker undertone to Ruth’s story, despite the events Root lives through.
This is an in-depth world, where the rules are different to anything familiar to readers now. Root’s story unfolds as she narrates her own tale to an eager audience, and I love the occasional snippets as she interrupts the narration, reminding us there is a future for her, however events appear to be unfolding. This is a fractured system, and breaking the flow of the narration gives the reader that same jarred experience the characters go through as they start to understand how they’re being manipulated.
There are multiple secondary characters aside from Root and Ruth. Some of these spans the distance between the two stories, making connections that would have otherwise left me floundering how this pulls together. Gabriel is a mysterious figure who may be more than he seems, but a lot of the others are passing names rather than anyone we get to know.
Despite not being certain about The Nothing Within when I first started it, this was an engaging story that drew me into this world. Once you start to see the big picture, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable book and I’m glad to have picked it up.
borisslocum's review against another edition
5.0
I like this story quite a lot. It is written in a long-winded and freewheeling style that usually I find abhorrent. Somehow, that same narrative style is part of the charm of the story. The backbone of the narrative is presented in the voice of a young woman from a far distant future, relating her tale in the first person. It switches occasionally to the third person, where other voices work as a sort of chorus. (I find that particular point disconcerting, but it didn't detract terribly from the story.)
I'll not give away any plot points. Part of the joy is piecing together who is who and what roll each person plays in the story. (It is complex and spans many generations.) But I will say the narrator is a funny, charming, and appealing character, who serves as the main protagonist of the tale. She has great grit and determination (both qualities I admire in a main character) and is both unusually forgiving and ruthlessly merciless as circumstance demand. Those shifts of her personality always are natural and understandable.
The science of the story might be difficult to believe, but it is anchored in place by good writing, compelling characters, and great wit and humor.
I generally don't like tales what could even loosely be called Dystopian, but if you do, I think you'll like this. I recommend it.
I read this book thru Netgalley
I'll not give away any plot points. Part of the joy is piecing together who is who and what roll each person plays in the story. (It is complex and spans many generations.) But I will say the narrator is a funny, charming, and appealing character, who serves as the main protagonist of the tale. She has great grit and determination (both qualities I admire in a main character) and is both unusually forgiving and ruthlessly merciless as circumstance demand. Those shifts of her personality always are natural and understandable.
The science of the story might be difficult to believe, but it is anchored in place by good writing, compelling characters, and great wit and humor.
I generally don't like tales what could even loosely be called Dystopian, but if you do, I think you'll like this. I recommend it.
I read this book thru Netgalley
ninjuko's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Been a while since I've been so immersed in a story. Nothing about this was boring or meaningless.
officerripley's review against another edition
5.0
Really loved this book; the plotline, the characters, and the ending were so well done. Although Mr. Giesler writes with his own voice and is obviously not doing the wanna-be-Tolkien thing, the world-building he did drew me in instantly as few books have done since the first time I read The Fellowship of the Ring (and that was back in the 60s!).
Hope there's a sequel; but even if there isn't, this book stands very well on its own. Highly recommended. Thanks for your art, Mr. Giesler!
Hope there's a sequel; but even if there isn't, this book stands very well on its own. Highly recommended. Thanks for your art, Mr. Giesler!