Sci-fi? Garth Nix?! [Paradox. Unsolvable simultaneously. Shutting down.]
Well, yes. It seems that Mr. Nix is multi-talented, after all. But one quick look at the cover, it's so damn obvious that it's still a fantasy-type story. Sure, they've got grenades, guns and holographic machine-mind entities... but that was present in the Old Kingdom Trilogy too. (Minus the holographic egoistical bastard, Shade.) So, nah, it's not really a sci-fi story after all.
It did have a Blade Runner-esque feel to it though, even if I haven't seen the movie and thus have no real authority to say that. Ahem. Anyway, it's set in a post-apocalyptic future where no adults are present and the world is overpopulated by Creatures created by the Overlords. Apparently, sometime fifteen years ago, when the Change happened, they came (from another dimension, presumably) and translocated all adults into, you guessed it, another dimension. Shocking.
What happened to the children then? Well, in true Big Brother-style, the Overlords put all of them in the Dorms, where they are bred, fed and when they reach their 14th birthday, carried off to the Meat Factory (or as the Overlords called it, the Central Processing Facility) to be made into Creatures. I can't stress how B-movie that all sounded. *rolls eyes*
Actually, despite the Lava3 premise, Shade's Children is an enjoyable read. The four characters (Gold-Eye, Ninde, Ella and Drum) are quite endearing. The way they interact with each other and their views are fascinating. On that merit alone, this book would have scored 8 out of 10, but...
Y'see, Mr. Nix never really explained how the Overlords came and who they really are. It's frustrating to learn the existence of a supremely evil race of villains only to be deprived of the essential knowledge of who and what they are, much less why they came here in the first place. It's a lot like Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII but at least in that game, the designers had the decency to explain why he wanted to destroy the world, even if that explanation is a clichéd one. With the Overlords, apparently all they wanted to do was pit their creatures against one another, kind of like a violent version of a Magic: The Gathering tournament. Imagine if Sephiroth was really a 12 year old pimply geek... *shudders*
Shade was also another complaint. It was so friggin' obvious that he's going to betray them (maybe I've read one too many Dan Brown novels), you just want to bitch-slap Ella and point her to the blinking neon sign above Shade's robotic spider head that said, "U R SCREWED MUAHAHAHAHA!" Honestly, people, if you're a team leader you should've picked it up and there really is no excuse since Ninde is a mind-reader, for God's sakes!
Lastly, the ending wasn't as satisfying as one should be. Maybe it's Mr. Nix's one flaw, because most of his endings are done this way: abrupt. Though, in this case, it was atrocious; I had to re-read it several times, and I still don't get it! *grumble grumble* So, in that fashion, I shall end this by rating the book 5 out of 10.
And I'm being nice.
[Shut down and restart.]
5 comments:
Yikes. If there's anything more annoying than someone who spoils a book for you, it's a book that spoils itself. Staying away...
I don't agree with your review. I think Shade's Children is a masterpiece. I've read it three times in the last 5 years and I seriously cannot wait for a movie.
buh! i think it's quite great too, and also Ninde can't read the minds of humans,(too many thoughts at once) and shade doesn't really have a "brain" persay....so yeah....and i'd love to see a move as well
The Books ending isn't what I would call abrupt its a perfect ending. The setting is mysterious, the origin is mysterious and at the end of one of the most terrifying premises I've ever heard, all the children get set free, no longer do they have to live through hell for the amusement of the Overlords. I dont what you're talking about. Also the original cover art is much better.
worth a sequel? i think yes but still how would he do it. i would love to see a movie
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