The Great Machine That Controls Us All

First Paragraph:

"The Ironclads lifted Finn and heaved him into the moving engine. He kicked and bucked, skinning the knuckles of his left hand on the hatch as he tried to stop himself, but it was no good."

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Engn by Simon Kewin is a little fantasy, steampunk and adventure all rolled into one.

PLOT

Finn lives in a small village in the mountains. Like other children, he grew up hearing stories of the brutal Ironclads and their home base- Engn. Few have seen it and returned. Engn is said to be one great machine. Every day it grows more and more, so more hands are needed to man it. The masters of Engn take the labour they require. They send their Ironclads out into every village, every home, picking up children to be brought to their city. It is not a request you can refuse.

Finn's sister was taken when he was little. Though painful, his parents assured him this meant he was safe. They can't take more than one per family, and he lives his life in relief. Until they show up at his door, and the long journey to the contained city begins. No one gets in unless they're taken. No one gets out, apart from those tasked with bringing in more hands.

But Finn has a plan. A promise he made with two friends years ago. One was taken, the other vanished. Their promise- to destroy Engn. But that is easier said than done. It's only when he arrives in Engn that he realises what a task that is. An iron dictatorship runs the city. The people are slaves. Broken and beaten, their bodies used to fuel the furnaces when they're deemed useless. Eyes are everywhere. What can one boy do against the might of Engn?

REVIEW

The first quarter of the book is told alternating between past and present. Most of the time spent in the former- we see Finn's life so far, and how he came to be where he is now. By the first third, he has reached Engn and the story really begins.

This is a slow-paced novel. There are action sequences, but they're so short and few that most of the story drags. What should be a tension-filled book, lacks it because most of it is spent seemingly doing nothing. Reading this book was like walking from A to B. You can enjoy the walk, the scenery can be varied and pleasant, but in the end you're still just trying to get to point B. There's nothing engaging enough about the scenery to make you stop and enjoy it. This isn't a hugely long book, but it felt very drawn out, and I found myself just wanting to reach point B.

The story isn't bad, the characters aren't bad, the plot isn't bad. In fact there's nothing bad about this book, but there's something lacking that means the story doesn't work as it should. I can like or dislike a slow-paced book depending, but for a slow story to still be gripping and enthralling, it has to be done extremely well, and unfortunately this isn't. 

The ending is predictable. In fact, there aren't really any surprise plot-twists at all. I could guess the main plot points, which isn't a bad thing in itself, as long as they keep you interested. It's been a long time since I've read a book I had to force myself through, and regrettably this is one of those. 

The basic premise sounds interesting enough, but the writing and pace let it down. Steampunk world in a dystopian setting sounds like something that could be great. The Pavlovian argument that people can be conditioned- that if you 'train' them enough, they'll respond subconsciously to your orders is one we've seen before. Done right, it can create a chilling atmosphere, but done wrong and it serves no real purpose. I'm afraid to say it's the latter in this story. 

I've been pretty negative about the story, so I want to reiterate- this is not a bad book. The main hurdle to overcome with this book is its pace. If you can get past the fact that nothing ever seems to be happening, even during crucial 'saving-the-world' scenes, you might enjoy this book. The characters aren't bad, but I didn't really feel attached to any of them as I usually would. The story just comes off a little flat, lacking depth and character. 

It's amazing that the book could tell us so much, without really telling us anything. Nothing is ever explained. I don't even think that any of the characters knew anything. They were just doing it because it's the way of things. This may sound ironic considering my above comments, but a little more description would've been nice. For instance, I have no idea where or when this book is set. It's clearly not our world, and I'm pretty sure it's on another planet, but like I said, it's not explained. Not that is needs to be. It wouldn't really add anything to the story, but it would solidify the setting a little more.

I don't regret reading it, but I don't think I'd do so again. In this end, this was just getting from point A to B.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.

As The Ice Creeps In, The Monsters Will Follow and Enemies Will Be Revealed

First Paragraph:

"It was cold, the kind of cold that made bones feel brittle and hands ache. My breath streamed from my lips like smoke, and my feet made wet, crunching sounds in the snow as I slipped through the forest. As I ran, my lungs ached and my sack of yarn thumped against my back. My cloak tangled around my ankles, but I yanked it free without stopping."

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Frost by Kate Avery Ellison is the first book in the Frost Chronicles series. 

Set in a cold world, elusive monsters called "Watchers" exist. Hiding in the forest, they are rarely ever seen, hunt at night, are immune to weapons and are only held at bay by snow blossoms (sky blue flowers) that people keep around their thresholds and wear as necklaces for protection. However, they don't guarantee your safety.

The villagers of Iceliss (just known as "the village" to locals) have hard lives in the Frost. To survive in the frozen, forested landscape every man, woman and child needs to do their part. There are quotas to make sure of it. If you don't meet your quota, you don't get your rations for the week. There are a multitude of different tasks, such as hunting, farming, weaving, dyeing, gardening, etc. From your profession, your surname is derived.

Lia Weaver's job is to spin wool into yarn. She also manages a farm no other villager wanted, as it lies on the outskirts of village, with nothing but forest and Watchers beyond. She must also look after her twin brother, John (who is unable to walk) and free-spitired younger sister, Ivy, after their parents were killed by Watchers.

No one is entirely sure what happened to her parents. They were found without their snow blossom necklaces and were last seen entering the forest with members of the Brewer family. The Brewer family made it back, but Lia's parents didn't.

Now more than ever, her remaining family must follow the rules to survive. If the village believes her unfit, they will take her siblings away. Suddenly, Lia reaches a critical point when the terrifying Farthers come to her village. They come from the city of Aeralis, in the far South. They are known as a brutal race, who imprison and abuse any and all. They are also technologically advanced, especially compared to the little village in the Frost, where technology will get you killed (as it attracts the attention of the Watchers). Aeralis has airships, gas lamps and seems to be similar to cities that exist in the Steampunk world. A dark, frightening place- whose rumours are warning enough.

When a wounded boy turns up in the forest by their house, Ivy is adamant that they save him. He is obviously a Farther and helping him is strictly against the rules, but Lia gives in to Ivy's request. It soon becomes clear that the Farthers are searching for this strange boy, but why? Was it a mistake to help him?

As Lia tries to find answers, her world is turned upside down. Who are The Thorns? What is the Gate? Who can she trust? And how did her parents really die? In this harsh world, one mistake will lead to your death, whether by exposure, Watcher or human. 

The plot is fast-moving and sets a great pace. The descriptive writing is done well and depicts the severe world the characters live in realistically. Reading the story, I could feel the icy wind against my face and the constant threat of danger surrounding them. At no point do you ever feel that the characters are safe. This is simply because a safe world does not exist for them. Even without the threat of monsters all around, or brutal soldiers attacking, the elements alone are enough to kill you if you aren't careful. 

The characters themselves are realistically nothing special. What I mean is that not every person in the real world is the Chosen One or has ninja fighting skills. Some people you meet might not even be interesting. Some will stick out more than others and some you won't even notice. And that's exactly what the characters are like in this book. Normal, everyday people. Some you relate to and some you forget as soon as they're gone. 

The ending leaves you with just enough curiosity to keep reading. For those who don't want to continue the series (for whatever reason), it's also just complete enough to be a stand-alone story. Personally, I enjoyed this book. It held my attention and kept me guessing. Normally, I can figure out what the plot-twists will be or what secrets will be revealed, but this book had a few that surprised me.  The finale happened so quickly that I was left wanting to immediately start the next book. I've always been the type of person who has to finish a story once I've started it and I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the series. If you're a fan of young adult books, fantasy or just interested, why not try it too?

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by the author through a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.