Thursday 12 September 2013

DUST by Hugh Howey




Spoiler warning: I have made an effort not to reveal plots although I may have unknowingly done so.  If you haven’t read 'Wool' or 'Shift' yet you may want to read them before my review and especially before reading 'Dust'.

You can read my review on 'Wool' & 'Shift' here.

Initial rating 3.5 but once it got going rose to a steady 4.0

I loved 'Wool', it was hauntingly atmospheric and beautifully written. 'Shift', as a prequel of sorts had an interesting backstory, and 'Dust' picks up from where 'Wool' left off.  We rejoin some familiar and much missed characters and follow them to the climactic finale.

'Dust' is released in one volume unlike its predecessors 'Wool & Shift' which were in episode format initially.  Not sure if it was because of this that I found the pace slower. I wondered if Howey had lost his 'magic touch', but then it picked up pace and pretty much kept going.

We still find the majority of people in the silo living in ignorance of a terrible truth which is being discovered by the inquisitive few. They are comfortable remaining in the dark, living routine lives.  What will happen when they are confronted by the truth after their world is sabotaged?

Howey creates some unforgettable, believable characters and uses several strong assertive women, as well as male protagonists, with a sense of vulnerability without feeling patronising or going 'over the top'.  There are some intense moments throughout and in one scene I felt absolute angst and sorrow after finding out that maybe one of the villains wasn't so bad after all... Who could they have trusted without being betrayed or misunderstood.   It was an highly emotive discovery.

Dust is an exciting, thought-provoking, action-packed read which kept me guessing right through to the very end.  An absolute 'must read' for those who have already invested in Wool & Shift wanting to find closure, and those of you wanting an extremely well written, easy to read Dystopic, sci-fi tale.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.

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