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schnaucl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was an interesting book and also a very sad one. I keep thinking about the social implications of the system where children are offered an opportunity to essentially become superheroes. Of course many of them agree (and of course there would be all kinds of propaganda encouraging it) even if it means their eventual deaths because superheroes are cool and you don't really have an appreciation of what death is at that age.
I don't think it was mentioned, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't something for the family members. The heralds promise they'll be safe, but I don't think there was anything like a government stipend or death award or anything.
It sounds like it is truly meritocratic in the sense that heralds only offer the job to children who have the innate talent they're looking for, but it's also important that they only make the invitation to children likely to say yes. I think both of the survivors didn't have much in the way of stable homes but I can't remember if that was true of everyone. I can see where the children of wealth and privileged are both watched like hawks and have it drilled into them that they have to say no to any invitation.
I think the book is supposed to end on an optimistic note. The teams are in the process of being restored! They have a millennium to figure things out! The chosen know more than they used to!
And yet, I have a feeling it will all end in tears. First of all, humans are really, really bad at dealing with future threats. Just look at climate change. I'm sure they'll start seriously trying to find a solution in about 980 years or so. And I realize that's why the heralds have to stick around, to provide an ever present threat, I'm just not sure how many people will believe that a herald growing up would be a world ending event. It seems clear now, at least to the chosen, but stuff gets lost in time.
And I'm not really sure why the heralds are still sticking around. I guess both because leaving is very dangerous for them but even if they loved humanity before, we starved them, tortured them, apparently vivisected some of them still alive...why would they forgive that?
I don't think it was mentioned, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't something for the family members. The heralds promise they'll be safe, but I don't think there was anything like a government stipend or death award or anything.
It sounds like it is truly meritocratic in the sense that heralds only offer the job to children who have the innate talent they're looking for, but it's also important that they only make the invitation to children likely to say yes. I think both of the survivors didn't have much in the way of stable homes but I can't remember if that was true of everyone. I can see where the children of wealth and privileged are both watched like hawks and have it drilled into them that they have to say no to any invitation.
And yet, I have a feeling it will all end in tears. First of all, humans are really, really bad at dealing with future threats. Just look at climate change. I'm sure they'll start seriously trying to find a solution in about 980 years or so. And I realize that's why the heralds have to stick around, to provide an ever present threat, I'm just not sure how many people will believe that a herald growing up would be a world ending event. It seems clear now, at least to the chosen, but stuff gets lost in time.
And I'm not really sure why the heralds are still sticking around. I guess both because leaving is very dangerous for them but even if they loved humanity before, we starved them, tortured them, apparently vivisected some of them still alive...why would they forgive that?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal death, Death, Torture, and War
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