“Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Dark, tragic and intense sequel to Blood Red Road.
Opening Sentence: It’s late afternoon.
The Review:
Living in the Dust Lands can be cold, cruel and harsh and from the beginning Moira Young makes sure you don’t forget that. Rebel Heart opens up with Jack traveling to the Lost Cause to visit with the lovely Molly, personally telling her the bad news from Blood Red Road. The Tonton and their new ruler are terrorizing the lands and forcing people under their rule. They have truly come up with a nasty setup that ensures people will follow them from branding, forced labor and outright killing those who are old or disobey.
Saba is traveling to the west with her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi towards a happy, settled down future. Unfortunately, they are stuck in the desert on the way west. Saba is convinced that Jack should have met back up with them by now. He has been gone too long. While stranded, Saba begins to be haunted by her memories, so much so that it is hard to determine what is real and what isn’t.
Rebel Heart continues with Saba receiving bad news about Jack that she just can’t believe. The news has Saba and her group traveling back into Tonton land where Saba is the number one most wanted criminal in search of Jack. Saba runs into friends, old and new, on her journey that is filled with heartbreak, tragedy and some bad decisions.
Rebel Heart left me speechless and enthralled at times, especially the scenes with Saba and DeMalo. I couldn’t put the book down. For some reason, I really wanted to like DeMalo until I realized he’s a little *whoohoo* crazy. His ideas are sound but his methods are just plain cruel and wrong. Saba does have quite a few “whoa is me” pity party moments throughout the novel. I just want to shake her and tell her to get over it. But in the end, it is her determination to do what is right that has me liking her.
Rebel Heart has the same dark, gritty tone that Blood Red Road had. The first “chapter” of the book is told through Jack’s first person point of view before returning to Saba for the rest of the journey. The insight into Jack answered some questions but still left him a mystery for the most part. The bizarre speech patterns were not as noticeable in this novel, either I was just used to it or it was toned down a bit.
Overall, Rebel Heart was a dark, tragic novel. Saba’s journey reeled me in and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. It seems that nothing can go right for her. The ending left me with many questions and theories. I absolutely cannot wait for the last and final book in the Dust Lands Trilogy.
Notable Scene:
Eli eases up on my windpipe. Jest enough fer me to croak, No, Nero! Go!
Nero retreats. He circles overhead, callin out his alarm.
You ain’t no quack’s woman, says Eli.
He yanks my sheema back. His eyes widen as he sees my tattoo. He smiles.
I’m facin the side of the Cosmic. There’s a movement at the air grille.
Hey, RiverLee, says Eli, who d’you s’pose—
The thud of a bolt shooter.
Eli’s head jerks back. His arms fly out. He hits the ground.
Eli! RiverLee starts screamin.
I’m on my knees, gaspin for air. Lugh leaps from the back of the Cosmic, bolt shooter in hand.
RiverLee fires wildly at him.
He shoots her dead.
FTC Advisory: Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Rebel Heart. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.”
Dark Faerie Tales wrote this review Friday, January 25, 2013.
Was this review helpful? Yes | No