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rosieclaverton's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this dystopian future - and then the EU referendum happened, and I had to take a few days off from it.
Despite the conspiracy of politics, the story was compelling, the characters great to spend time with, and I didn't mind the first-person narrative, which is something I usually avoid. I did predict the major plot thing, but it was well-executed.
My one big complaint? That was not an ending. I really hate it when books in series don't end at a nice concluding point, but leave you feeling as if you're at the end of a chapter.
But yes, I will read the next one, so maybe it did its job.
Despite the conspiracy of politics, the story was compelling, the characters great to spend time with, and I didn't mind the first-person narrative, which is something I usually avoid. I did predict the major plot thing, but it was well-executed.
My one big complaint? That was not an ending. I really hate it when books in series don't end at a nice concluding point, but leave you feeling as if you're at the end of a chapter.
But yes, I will read the next one, so maybe it did its job.
nottherae's review against another edition
2.0
When I picked up this book, I thought it might be interesting reading, but no. It was disappointing. I had no motivation to read this book, but I finished it since it had been laying on my table for eternity.
michalice's review
5.0
There were no written tales or pictures of the blast. What was the point of writing it, or drawing it, when it was etched on every surface? Even now, more than four hundred years after it had destroyed everything, it was still visible in every tumbled cliff, scorched plain, and ash-clogged river. Every face. It had become the only story the earth could tell, so who else would record it?
[Excerpt from page 5 of UK edition]
Cassandra and Zach, Omega and Alpha, Siblings, Twins.
The Fire Sermon is an amazing story from author Francesca Haig. Cassandra and Zach are twins, who live in a world after this blast, they have no knowledge of the 'before' only of the 'after', and one of the results from this blast is each child born has a twin, either an Alpha or an Omega. Society thought they could dispose of these Omega's, the sickly or mutated twin, until they realised that they need Omega's to live, for every Omega killed, their Alpha dies too, and vice versa, making this new world a world of survival, and trust, and keeping your twin safe no matter what, your life literally depends on it.
Cassandra and Zach however were not your usual twins, they were not split till 13 years of age due to the lack of physical mutation, of Casandra's ability, a Seer. Once discovered she is shunned and sent away with minimal food and water to live in settlement with other Omegas until she is eventually captured and kept in a safe prison, away from people out to kill her brother.
Cassandra's life is not easy at all. As the story progresses she soon finds herself a target from both Alpha's and Omega's, both sides determined to watch her brother die for the acts he has committed. However Cassandra is strong willed and determined to do what is right for all, to survive each new day in order to put an end to the fighting.
Having Cassandra as a protagonist was a refreshing change, most female heroines are instantly perceived as strong and tough, yet Cassandra has a hidden strength, she may appear weak but her determination and perseverance definitely make her a strong person. Cassandra is different from everyone else. She doesn't see the world as 'us' and 'them', she see's it in a unique way, and that no matter who dies, that there are two who have lost a life and not just the Alpha or Omega. She wants to see twins getting along without the need for brutality, slavery, and captivity.
Kip, Cassandra's travelling friend, is an enigma, rescued from tanks he has no memory of who or what he is, making him an ally but also a threat. Who's side is he really on and can he be trusted to help Cassandra?
The Fire Sermon takes us on a path of discovery fraught with danger, but the need of wanting to see the end, to follow Cassandra and Kip and see them fulfill their own desires, their own needs, kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. The twists and turns kept me guessing over what would happen next, and while I did see certain aspects of this story happening, there was a major twist that completely threw me, I did not see it coming at all and it took me a while to convince myself I had really read those words, that this event really happened.
The world within the pages of The Fire Sermon were full of life in this dying world, a real diamond in the rough, full of rich descriptive words and feelings. The characters are both likable and unlikable, and I found it easy to distinguish most of the characters into one of these groups. The Fire Sermon is the start of a new series I intend to stalk.
Final Verdict
A fantastic start to a promising new series that I can't wait to read, The characters are likable and easy to become invested in. I need to have the next book in my hands now.
boofhead's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
patchworkbunny's review
4.0
People have always been fascinated with the connections between twins; that somehow they have a supernatural sense when their other half is in danger. Here the idea is taken further. What would happen if the ruling classes were inexplicably linked to the lower classes they were trying to oppress? If tyrants wanted to wipe out an entire race but doing so would kill themselves, they need to think up new ideas.
Some of those ideas are plain scary when you think about them. But The Fire Sermon is also a tale of siblings, of a love that doesn’t break because one of them has made mistakes. As Cass and Zach grow up together, there is suspicion but there is also a friendship, maybe forced by their unique situation, but neither has anyone else to play with.
The naming of the town of Wyndham is not coincidental. The mutations and the segregation of those possessing them, the concealment of mental powers by those who can’t be identified otherwise, the blast and the deadlands. Even the idea of a place where those with mutations can go and be safe, they all remind me of The Chrysalids. Francesca wanted to give a nod to Wyndham and Miller, a reminder that this post-apocalyptic world is not a new fad but one that started decades ago. I have not read A Canticle for Leibowitz however she cites that as the more influential work on her writing. I will definitely be reading that some time in the future.
It did take me a while to get into the story but when I did, I was hooked and now I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s a good debut novel, from a writer whose background is in poetry, but I did think in some areas the writing could be a bit more polished. But once I was sucked into the world and characters, I loved it.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Some of those ideas are plain scary when you think about them. But The Fire Sermon is also a tale of siblings, of a love that doesn’t break because one of them has made mistakes. As Cass and Zach grow up together, there is suspicion but there is also a friendship, maybe forced by their unique situation, but neither has anyone else to play with.
The naming of the town of Wyndham is not coincidental. The mutations and the segregation of those possessing them, the concealment of mental powers by those who can’t be identified otherwise, the blast and the deadlands. Even the idea of a place where those with mutations can go and be safe, they all remind me of The Chrysalids. Francesca wanted to give a nod to Wyndham and Miller, a reminder that this post-apocalyptic world is not a new fad but one that started decades ago. I have not read A Canticle for Leibowitz however she cites that as the more influential work on her writing. I will definitely be reading that some time in the future.
It did take me a while to get into the story but when I did, I was hooked and now I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s a good debut novel, from a writer whose background is in poetry, but I did think in some areas the writing could be a bit more polished. But once I was sucked into the world and characters, I loved it.
Review copy provided by publisher.
bridget_coe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
kitkat13's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
chery_swedish's review against another edition
2.0
2.5🌟
Me ha costado la vida terminar este libro. Lo empecé en junio de 2016 y en febrero del 18 por fin lo acabé. La historia es entretenida pero siento que todo es como muy sosillo. A la novela le falta un poco de actividad, porque es más pasiva que una tortuga. Los personajes se me hicieron muy ok, no logré conectar con ninguno, la verdad es que me daba igual lo que les sucediese a cada uno de ellos. De hecho, uno de ellos muere en un momento de la novela y para mi fue indiferente,me sorprendí pero pensé -pues muy bien, sigamos. Por decir algo bueno, diría que la idea de los gemelos me pareció muy chula.
Volviendo a lo malo... No entiendo ese amor ciego que siente Cass hacia Zach, jelou???? A mí si encierran AÑOS y planean meterme en un tubo, si escapo, a mi hermano le falta tierra para esconderse. Pero el cerebro de esta mujer no funciona adecuadamente y pues todo es mihermanimihermanomihermano 🤣
ΩΩΩ (acabo de descubrir esto de repente en mi teclado,así que obviamente tengo que ponerlo😂 ) En la movida final te explican una “gran revelación“ sobre un personaje, y sorpresaaaa..... se veía venir. Es como si en toda la novela te lo hubieran estado tirando a la cara. Cualquiera con más de dos dedos de frente se hubiera dado cuenta, por lo que no me impresionó nada lo que dijo X personaje sobre X personaje. La química entre Kip y Cass es la misma que la de una patata y un sofá, la relación no se me hacía creíble la verdad. Como consecuencia, la shippeaba más con otro personaje (no es que haya amor recíproco pero como con Kip la cosa no quedaba bien pues es lo que le quedaba a mi corazoncito shippeador. )
A pesar de mis críticas me gustaría continuar con la trilogía simplemente porque me gustó el mundo. Sin embargo, esta no es una lectura que vaya a ir recomendando por ahí.
Me ha costado la vida terminar este libro. Lo empecé en junio de 2016 y en febrero del 18 por fin lo acabé. La historia es entretenida pero siento que todo es como muy sosillo. A la novela le falta un poco de actividad, porque es más pasiva que una tortuga. Los personajes se me hicieron muy ok, no logré conectar con ninguno, la verdad es que me daba igual lo que les sucediese a cada uno de ellos. De hecho, uno de ellos muere en un momento de la novela y para mi fue indiferente,me sorprendí pero pensé -pues muy bien, sigamos. Por decir algo bueno, diría que la idea de los gemelos me pareció muy chula.
Volviendo a lo malo... No entiendo ese amor ciego que siente Cass hacia Zach, jelou???? A mí si encierran AÑOS y planean meterme en un tubo, si escapo, a mi hermano le falta tierra para esconderse. Pero el cerebro de esta mujer no funciona adecuadamente y pues todo es mihermanimihermanomihermano 🤣
ΩΩΩ (acabo de descubrir esto de repente en mi teclado,así que obviamente tengo que ponerlo😂 ) En la movida final te explican una “gran revelación“ sobre un personaje, y sorpresaaaa..... se veía venir. Es como si en toda la novela te lo hubieran estado tirando a la cara. Cualquiera con más de dos dedos de frente se hubiera dado cuenta, por lo que no me impresionó nada lo que dijo X personaje sobre X personaje. La química entre Kip y Cass es la misma que la de una patata y un sofá, la relación no se me hacía creíble la verdad. Como consecuencia, la shippeaba más con otro personaje (no es que haya amor recíproco pero como con Kip la cosa no quedaba bien pues es lo que le quedaba a mi corazoncito shippeador. )
A pesar de mis críticas me gustaría continuar con la trilogía simplemente porque me gustó el mundo. Sin embargo, esta no es una lectura que vaya a ir recomendando por ahí.
apolodelimalimon's review against another edition
5.0
Adictivo hasta decir basta. Vives con intensidad cada uno de los paisajes y situaciones que viven Cass y Kip; recorres la tierra del Consejo con ellos y en vez de centrarse en una única aventura que se aferra a ti, vives cada pocos capítulos una que te hace querer leer el desenlace hasta presentarse el desenlace final.
No sé cómo lo hace la autora pero es de las pocas veces que, leyendo un libro, he sentido esa tensión constante que se forma en la boca del estómago como cuando ves una película de acción y no sabes si van a sobrevivir los personajes.
Maravillado por el mundo del Después, por la Deflagración, por los alfas y los omegas y con muchas ganas de la segunda entrega de esta saga, que promete ser épica.
Por cierto, enhorabuena a Francesca Haig que tiene la capacidad de usar la metáfora de la forma más gráfica posible, aún sigo estremecido por la forma en la que Cass describe cómo la Confesora se le introduce en la mente, cuando lo compara con su madre vaciando mejillones de río con el filo de un cuchillo. Totalmente recomendada.
No sé cómo lo hace la autora pero es de las pocas veces que, leyendo un libro, he sentido esa tensión constante que se forma en la boca del estómago como cuando ves una película de acción y no sabes si van a sobrevivir los personajes.
Maravillado por el mundo del Después, por la Deflagración, por los alfas y los omegas y con muchas ganas de la segunda entrega de esta saga, que promete ser épica.
Por cierto, enhorabuena a Francesca Haig que tiene la capacidad de usar la metáfora de la forma más gráfica posible, aún sigo estremecido por la forma en la que Cass describe cómo la Confesora se le introduce en la mente, cuando lo compara con su madre vaciando mejillones de río con el filo de un cuchillo. Totalmente recomendada.
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
5.0
I received this novel in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to Francesca Haig for this opportunity!
---
When Zach and I were born our parents must have counted and recounted: limbs, fingers, toes. We were perfect. They would have been disbelieving: nobody dodged the split between Alpha and Omega.
Nobody.
They were born together and they will die together.
One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.
The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.
The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.
Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.
The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.
---
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: Well-written plot; action that never stops; intriguing dynamic and characters; solid world-building; clear-cut, understandable (though slightly sickening) motivations; intense emotional pull
For almost thirteen years, Cass and Zach have remained unsplit--a feat that is almost entirely unheard of in the new world after the blast. Just one set of twins in a world overrun with them, Cass and Zach's parents (and their town) have been watching for signs of their imminent split--both physically perfect, it is difficult to tell from the outside which of the twins is the Alpha...and which is to be cast aside.
Not long into their thirteenth year, Zach and Cass's father falls ill. His Aunt, the Omega of the pair, is summoned from a nearby refuge camp under the premise of making her better. It does not help; both twins die.
Not long after this, Zach's obsession with renouncing Cass and outing her as the Omega takes on a new vengeance. As secrets begin unraveling, Zach leads his sister into a trap, forcing her to admit to her "crime" (of being "damaged") and gets her sent away. As an Omega, Cass is seen as "poison," "a freak," "not worth the space she takes up"....but must, at the same time, be protected, because if one twin dies, so does the other.
As years pass, the Alphas crack down even further on their Omega twins, seeking a way to stunt them, to be rid of them without resorting to violent means. But there are whispers of bigger things at work; disappearances and strange, sudden deaths permeate the air. When Cass escapes her brother's clutches and unwittingly frees a boy from a strange sort of life-support, she thinks they are only running from certain imprisonment. She doesn't realize just how far the Alphas are willing to go to be free of the risk their "contaminated" twins leave them in...but she'll find out soon enough.
There are a lot of words that could be used to describe this novel, but I think it's summed up pretty well in just one: WOAH.
I received this in the mail yesterday afternoon and started reading last night before bed; in less than 24 hours, I've finished, and am blown away by what I've just read. I can't claim to know what I'd do under similar circumstances; I'm not even sure whether I'd be an Alpha or an Omega in this future world...but this book makes me hope that we never, as a species, have to find out.
The characters are well-written; Cass is a strong female lead despite her rank in life as an Omega (as a seer, she was born perfect, but this leads to segregation from BOTH sides instead of just one). I feel perhaps, overall, she doesn't quite step into herself as fully as I'd have liked her to; she holds awfully tight to a naivete I'm not sure she should have in such a harsh, cold world. Having been cast out as an Omega years before and then held captive by her Alpha brother, you'd think she'd have a few more reservations about holding onto her hopes so willfully. Kip, while bits and pieces of his life have been removed from him in the years of being Tanked, finds himself quickly on their journey and discovers a side of himself he might not otherwise have been allowed to.
I feel as if we maybe also don't get enough of the OTHER side. We hear a lot about the Alpha counterparts, but we don't much get to see or hear FROM them, and while we know there are Alphas helping the resistance or sticking close to their twins, I don't think we get enough motive behind Zach and the Confessor's actions to justify the ending of this book. I feel like there are a lot of unanswered questions percolating in my head, and I'm hoping that book two will help to clear some of the confusion up.
That being said, this was a quick and enjoyable read. Francesca Haig did a great job on the writing, taking care to describe the world and characters so readers get a sense of the story. There are some awesome, gut-clenching action scenes and some heart-breaking twists near the end that had me wanting to scream and throw the book across the room.
Overall, an action-packed, intensely-moving read! I'd recommend to any lovers of dystopians, science fiction/fantasy, and action/adventure. I will most definitely be waiting with keen eyes for book two in the future!
---
When Zach and I were born our parents must have counted and recounted: limbs, fingers, toes. We were perfect. They would have been disbelieving: nobody dodged the split between Alpha and Omega.
Nobody.
They were born together and they will die together.
One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.
The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.
The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.
Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.
The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.
---
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: Well-written plot; action that never stops; intriguing dynamic and characters; solid world-building; clear-cut, understandable (though slightly sickening) motivations; intense emotional pull
For almost thirteen years, Cass and Zach have remained unsplit--a feat that is almost entirely unheard of in the new world after the blast. Just one set of twins in a world overrun with them, Cass and Zach's parents (and their town) have been watching for signs of their imminent split--both physically perfect, it is difficult to tell from the outside which of the twins is the Alpha...and which is to be cast aside.
Not long into their thirteenth year, Zach and Cass's father falls ill. His Aunt, the Omega of the pair, is summoned from a nearby refuge camp under the premise of making her better. It does not help; both twins die.
Not long after this, Zach's obsession with renouncing Cass and outing her as the Omega takes on a new vengeance. As secrets begin unraveling, Zach leads his sister into a trap, forcing her to admit to her "crime" (of being "damaged") and gets her sent away. As an Omega, Cass is seen as "poison," "a freak," "not worth the space she takes up"....but must, at the same time, be protected, because if one twin dies, so does the other.
As years pass, the Alphas crack down even further on their Omega twins, seeking a way to stunt them, to be rid of them without resorting to violent means. But there are whispers of bigger things at work; disappearances and strange, sudden deaths permeate the air. When Cass escapes her brother's clutches and unwittingly frees a boy from a strange sort of life-support, she thinks they are only running from certain imprisonment. She doesn't realize just how far the Alphas are willing to go to be free of the risk their "contaminated" twins leave them in...but she'll find out soon enough.
There are a lot of words that could be used to describe this novel, but I think it's summed up pretty well in just one: WOAH.
I received this in the mail yesterday afternoon and started reading last night before bed; in less than 24 hours, I've finished, and am blown away by what I've just read. I can't claim to know what I'd do under similar circumstances; I'm not even sure whether I'd be an Alpha or an Omega in this future world...but this book makes me hope that we never, as a species, have to find out.
The characters are well-written; Cass is a strong female lead despite her rank in life as an Omega (as a seer, she was born perfect, but this leads to segregation from BOTH sides instead of just one). I feel perhaps, overall, she doesn't quite step into herself as fully as I'd have liked her to; she holds awfully tight to a naivete I'm not sure she should have in such a harsh, cold world. Having been cast out as an Omega years before and then held captive by her Alpha brother, you'd think she'd have a few more reservations about holding onto her hopes so willfully. Kip, while bits and pieces of his life have been removed from him in the years of being Tanked, finds himself quickly on their journey and discovers a side of himself he might not otherwise have been allowed to.
I feel as if we maybe also don't get enough of the OTHER side. We hear a lot about the Alpha counterparts, but we don't much get to see or hear FROM them, and while we know there are Alphas helping the resistance or sticking close to their twins, I don't think we get enough motive behind Zach and the Confessor's actions to justify the ending of this book. I feel like there are a lot of unanswered questions percolating in my head, and I'm hoping that book two will help to clear some of the confusion up.
That being said, this was a quick and enjoyable read. Francesca Haig did a great job on the writing, taking care to describe the world and characters so readers get a sense of the story. There are some awesome, gut-clenching action scenes and some heart-breaking twists near the end that had me wanting to scream and throw the book across the room.
Overall, an action-packed, intensely-moving read! I'd recommend to any lovers of dystopians, science fiction/fantasy, and action/adventure. I will most definitely be waiting with keen eyes for book two in the future!