A review by wyrmbergmalcolm
City of Thirst by John Parke Davis, Carrie Ryan
4.0
In the first book, we travelled to a few interesting and imaginative places and I left that book looking forward to visiting more places in this one. With that expectancy, I was a little disappointed that we only visited a couple. However, they were indeed interesting and imaginative with the titular city being the setting for most of the story.
There was a lot of emphasis on want and need that drove many plot points and threats, which made for a different type of 'engine' running the story. Unlike most stories where this need is realised in the stealing of that gold or the murdering of that competition, this need is more of that unspent yearning which is spun into something tangible. It encompasses most of the characters and plot points as well as shine the first book in a more needy light. Fin's need to be remembered, Marrill's need for her mother's recovery, the Naysayer's need to look after the cat, Coll's need to keep on sailing and Ardent's need to find his lost love.
In a bid to keep this world 'fresh' they Marrill's teenage babysitter was dragged along too and she played the fish-out-of-water character. Beyond that, there wasn't really anything she added to the story or the plot, which was a wasted opportunity. In some scenes she may as well not even be there and it's only when she finally speaks or reacts to something that I'm reminded that she's even in the story.
As with book one, the story is accompanied by some fabulous pieces of artwork that feel like they're stills from an animated TV series or film and accentuate the story beautifully.
There was a lot of emphasis on want and need that drove many plot points and threats, which made for a different type of 'engine' running the story. Unlike most stories where this need is realised in the stealing of that gold or the murdering of that competition, this need is more of that unspent yearning which is spun into something tangible. It encompasses most of the characters and plot points as well as shine the first book in a more needy light. Fin's need to be remembered, Marrill's need for her mother's recovery, the Naysayer's need to look after the cat, Coll's need to keep on sailing and Ardent's need to find his lost love.
In a bid to keep this world 'fresh' they Marrill's teenage babysitter was dragged along too and she played the fish-out-of-water character. Beyond that, there wasn't really anything she added to the story or the plot, which was a wasted opportunity. In some scenes she may as well not even be there and it's only when she finally speaks or reacts to something that I'm reminded that she's even in the story.
As with book one, the story is accompanied by some fabulous pieces of artwork that feel like they're stills from an animated TV series or film and accentuate the story beautifully.