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The Broken Lands

by Kate Milford (Goodreads Author), Andrea Offermann (Illustrator)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 107 ratings · 32 reviews

A crossroads can be a place of great power.

So begins this deliciously spine-tingling prequel to Kate Milford’s The Boneshaker, set in the colorful world of nineteenth-century Coney Island and New York City. Few crossroads compare to the one being formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, and as the bridge’s construction progresses, forces of unimaginable evil seek...more

Hardcover, 461 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Clarion Books

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Oct 26, 2012 Kate added it · (Review from the author)

Again, grain of salt, cause, you know, I wrote the thing...but I like it a lot.

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Dec 11, 2012 Cleo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books, review-copy

I loved Kate Milford's The Boneshaker, so I was really looking forward to this one, which just came out on September 4th (I got a review copy from Harcourt Children's Books.) I wouldn't say it was quite as good as The Boneshaker, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it. The Broken Lands is set in 1877 in New York City (mainly in Brooklyn.) The Brooklyn is just going up, and dark forces are rising at the crossroads of the East River and the new bridge. The mysterious Jack wants to claim New York for his ow...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

The Broken Lands, by Kate Milford (Clarion Books, Sept. 2012, YA), takes place in New York, just after Civil War; the title is both a reference to the raw wounds of the war, and is the name of a hotel on Coney Island. It's on Coney Island, with its crime, poverty, and exuberant energy, that we meet young Sam, making a living beating holiday makers from the big city at cards....

And to this place, through coincidence (possibly) or design, come others. The Chinese firework maker, and his adopted da...more The Broken Lands, by Kate Milford (Clarion Books, Sept. 2012, YA), takes place in New York, just after Civil War; the title is both a reference to the raw wounds of the war, and is the name of a hotel on Coney Island. It's on Coney Island, with its crime, poverty, and exuberant energy, that we meet young Sam, making a living beating holiday makers from the big city at cards....

And to this place, through coincidence (possibly) or design, come others. The Chinese firework maker, and his adopted daughter, Jin (who becomes a central character). Tom Guyet, black veteran of the Civil War, now guitar playing Traveller of the roads. And other travellers, those who live lives that cross the borders of what is real. But a sinister evil is drawing close to New York as well. Jack Hellcoal seeks to make New York his own literal hell on earth. And his sinister henchmen have been sent before him, to open the city to him through the death its five guardians.

Sam and Jin become inexorably drawn into this bloody, supernatural struggle. And in a new reality of things impossible to believe, they must believe in themselves, and their unique abilities. Or else the city will fall.....

So intricate is the world building, so scary the story, so fond I grew of Sam and Jin and their friends (and so happy to watch Sam and Jin moving cautiously toward love), and so poignant the flashes of pain from this wounded land and the wounded people I cared for that I fell, hard, for the book. But so twitchy the book made me--the middle two hundred pages or so of darkness encroaching and things being scary--that though I wanted desperately to find out what was going to happen, I had to keep putting it down! And then so riveted I was in the last hundred pages that I stayed up too late to finish.

In short, I really really liked The Broken Lands. I couldn't quite love it, because of being made so twitchy (a weakness in me, rather than the book), and because of a niggling feeling that maybe it could have been pared down just a tad), but boy did I appreciate it emotionally and intellectually. The Broken Lands is a prequel of sorts to The Boneshaker (2010), though it stands alone, and that one I only was able to appreciate intellectually. Here, though, the characters won my heart (the good guys are good, and well intentioned, and vulnerable, and care about each other; it's about how families can be made from friendships, about healing from emotional pain), and my intellect was more than satisfied by the tremendous, intricate world of Milford's New York, with supernatural tendrils stretching along the roads that cross the country. This one, also, differs from The Boneshaker in that it is most definitely Young Adult-- the central characters are teenagers, with age-appropriate concerns, as it were, and there is much dark violence of a savage kind. This is primarily of the supernatural sort, but there are shadows of human violence too (Jin's feet, for instance, were bound when she was an orphaned child being raised for a single, unsavory, purpose).

Here's what I loved best of all: the supernatural card game based on medieval haigiography. It is my Favorite Fictional Card Game Ever. Here's a bit of it: "By the strange logic of Santine, Sam had defeated the black plague (remembering this time to use a Nothelfer rather than a Marshal), a deluge, and a plague of locusts. He'd lost a few of his cards to torture and apostasy" (pp 372-373). And then Sam gets to counter a play of two Stylites (the dudes that sat up on pillars all day) with a pair of Cephalophores (the saints that get to carry their own beheaded heads in their arms)--

"Walker jabbed a finger at Sam's cards. "What the hell kind of play is that?"
Sam shrugged. "Figured they could throw their heads and knock the Stylites down." Sam had no idea whether this was a legal move, but as far as he could tell it followed Santine's logic" (p 373).

Highly recommend to fans of historical fantasy, paranormal horror that doesn't involve vampires/zombies etc., and teenagers saving the world (or city) while falling in love. Also recommended to fans of fireworks. They play an important part in the story.
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Aug 23, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2012

In these lands, these broken lands of these United States of America in 1877, the Civil War and the Reconstruction have left ugly scars. In these lands, these broken lands, the new cohabit with the old, poverty with riches, ancient traditions with wondrous technologies, bigotry with tolerance. In the crossroad formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, a man without a country wishes to claim this place for his own – by blood, by fire and by getting rid of its five pillars.

Teenagers Sam, t...more In these lands, these broken lands of these United States of America in 1877, the Civil War and the Reconstruction have left ugly scars. In these lands, these broken lands, the new cohabit with the old, poverty with riches, ancient traditions with wondrous technologies, bigotry with tolerance. In the crossroad formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, a man without a country wishes to claim this place for his own – by blood, by fire and by getting rid of its five pillars.

Teenagers Sam, the son of an Italian immigrant and a card player, and Jin, a Chinese girl and a fireworks expert are part of a group that stand on this man’s way: a group formed by people from all walks of life who embody these broken lands and are old and new, rich and poor, traditional and modern, prejudiced and tolerant.

A crossroads can be a place of great power; this should not come as any surprise. It is a place of choosing, of testing, of transition, and there is power in all of those things.

These motifs permeate The Broken Lands – a prequel to Kate Milfod’s excellent The Boneshaker – to tell a story that inevitably wishes for these broken lands to be mended and to be healed. Not that this is an easy thing. It can’t be an easy thing when so many different threads coexist. But a conscious effort is made by the characters that inhabit this story – they are tested to their limits, they are allowed to choose and they are central figures in a transitional moment of their story. I loved the themes of this novel as much as I loved the incredible characters and the development of the plot to thwart the villains – all of it blended together seamlessly.

If Boneshaker was definitely Middle Grade, The Broken Lands is firmly set in YA territory: its main characters are a bit older, its horrors are lot more graphic and a lovely romance develops between its two main characters. Just like its predecessor, The Broken Lands is a novel that seeks its inspiration in folklore and religious themes but which shapes and bends stories in a way that is both old-fashioned and extremely bold:

There is the development of an idea about a mythical as well as mystical creation of a country, via its cities and its people. In it, each place is held together by its community’s pillars – men and women who hold offices and positions like for example, that of a history/story-keeper. What is all the more interesting is that these pillars change over time, as do their functions: here, power is a fluid thing and as changeable as the times. It comes as no surprise that – without spoiling too much – the people that hold New York together are not simply old white folks but a mixture, an encounter of immigrants that helped shape America: from Ireland, from China, from Italy; as well as American born and bred, including African Americans. Its concept of family is that of bond rather than blood and heroism is what you choose to do rather than what you are.

Its central character, Jin, is a Chinese girl who is strong, determined, enterprising and fierce. Who takes to what she must do to save this city and its citizens with aplomb and only a little reluctance. Her Italian friend Sam shares the point of view in this story and is equally enterprising but functions more as a side-kick. Someone who is full of admiration for the very characteristics that make Jin so independent. These two develop a relationship – friendship and eventually something more – in a natural way that is superbly well-done.

There is also a lovely appreciation for the art of reading and for what a reader brings to and takes from a book.

And this is what I take from this book: The Broken Lands goes beyond formulas and clichés. It has an awesome plot, full of twists and turns and adventurous moments and also, EXPLOSIONS. It has romance and awesome characters left and right. It is truly scary as any horror novel should be. Ultimately, it is more than a simple story: it is a book that has heart and soul and whose ideas will engage each reader in a different way.

This is the sign of a True Book and Kate Milford is a Master of Methods. (less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Laurie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is set in an alternate history New York of 1877 and populated with a diverse and appealing cast of characters. It’s a fantasy, a battle of good vs. evil, and a coming of age tale. And it’s magical. It captured me almost instantly.

A force of evil is coming to New York, and his advance troops- a couple of supernatural beings- are planning on delivering the city to him. But they aren’t the only supernatural beings in the city, and when some of them get wind of the plot, a small group for...more This book is set in an alternate history New York of 1877 and populated with a diverse and appealing cast of characters. It’s a fantasy, a battle of good vs. evil, and a coming of age tale. And it’s magical. It captured me almost instantly.

A force of evil is coming to New York, and his advance troops- a couple of supernatural beings- are planning on delivering the city to him. But they aren’t the only supernatural beings in the city, and when some of them get wind of the plot, a small group forms to stop them. It’s a diverse group: people with magical powers, teen aged orphans, and a journalist who actually existed, Ambrose Bierce. The teenagers risk their lives numerous times and have a huge learning curve to develop the skills that will allow them to take on the evil beings, but while they question their ability to do the job (and their sanity for trying it), they persevere. It’s a large cast of characters, but the main ones are Sam, a 15 year old card sharp, and Jinn, a young maker of explosives who travels with a fireworks show.

Milford tackles –lightly- some of the social issues of the day that would have affected the characters, like race and class prejudice. Jinn is a Chinese girl, Sam is poor, one character is black and poor, and one half black- but thankfully she has money. Not that that protects her entirely from the nastiness of bigots. There is also the issue of how poor Chinese girls could end up treated when there was no one to protect them, feet bound and used as slaves. These things are treated casually and not much is made of them -it’s just how it was then – but it’s there. The author has not tried to clean up the world of 1877 and make it look like 2012, and I think that’s a very good thing.

The characters are appealing and well done, and the plot is compelling, but Milford’s genius is in description. The places come alive with sounds, textures and smells. The magic becomes real in her hands, and I was reluctant to leave her world when the book ended.
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Mar 12, 2013 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wonderful - I stayed up way too late finishing it.

This was an impulse check-out at the library. Cover caught my eye (I often judge books by their covers...) and then I read the dust jacket. "A crossroads can be a place of great power..." AND there is a bridge in the story. The only thing that could have made it better would be the addition of a dragon.

I was pretty much hooked after the first chapter: "A crossroads can be a place of great power; this should not come a any surprise. It is a place...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Jasana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, covers-i-like, historical-fiction, has-awesome-characters, read-in-2012, summer-reads-2012, young-adult, won-on-goodreads, fantasy

This is an amazing book! I love,love,love it!

Usually, I don't like reading historical fiction. But this book is an exception.

The characters in this book are great! I loved them. Each one was interesting, and different from the another. They were developed really well, even the minor ones!

The plot was fantastic! It kept me interested and made me not want to stop reading. I would have finished this in one sitting, had not my family kept interrupting me. (But I did manage to sneak this into bed,...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, bea

I picked this book up, as an Advance Readers Copy, at BEA--and there will be a blog post to follow about it (probably as soon as it becomes July and I have more than three minutes to spare not working with Middle School kids)

Let me begin by saying this wasn't a book I was looking for at BEA, it actually wasn't even a book I had heard about, I was just talking to a friend and she had picked it up and was looking at it, then handed it to me, and I started reading it, and couldn't stop.

The charac...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I got an advanced reading copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. I absolutely loved Milford’s first book, Boneshaker, and was so excited to read her next book. The Broken Lands doesn’t disappoint, it is supposed to be a prequel to Boneshaker and was an absolutely wonderful read.

This book takes place on Coney Island in the late 1870's. The main protagonists are a 15 yr old boy named Sam who is a card shark and a similarly aged Chinese girl named Jin who is a fireworks expert...more I got an advanced reading copy of this book to review through the Amazon Vine program. I absolutely loved Milford’s first book, Boneshaker, and was so excited to read her next book. The Broken Lands doesn’t disappoint, it is supposed to be a prequel to Boneshaker and was an absolutely wonderful read.

This book takes place on Coney Island in the late 1870's. The main protagonists are a 15 yr old boy named Sam who is a card shark and a similarly aged Chinese girl named Jin who is a fireworks expert. Together along with the Pillars of the City they need to combat Walker and Mr. Bones and save the city from becoming the personal property of a devil-like creature named Jack.

This book was incredibly inventive with lots of colorful characters and fun details about pyrotechnics; I really enjoyed it a ton. This book, like the Boneshaker, is about the power of a crossroads (in this case the Brooklyn Bridge). This book also has a wonderful balance of darkness with humor.

Sam and Jin are both interesting and likable characters. A little romance happens between them and, as a result, this book has more romance than Boneshaker did and is probably aimed more at the YA audience than the middle grade crowd. Both protagonists have undergone incredible hardship in their lives, but rather than have that hinder them they have become stronger and more resourceful because of it.

Surrounding Sam and Jin are a wonderful array of quirky characters. Some of them not quite as human as they first seem and others wield more power than can be imagined.

The villains are also very well done. Walker and Mr. Bones are creepy, viscous, and just the perfect embodiment of evil. The mysterious Jack hovers over the story giving it a sense of urgency.

The plot is very well done, with multiple storylines weaving together to make one complete story. Milford has done some excellent research for this book. As the reader we learn a ton about Coney Island in that era, lots about cards and gambling, and a ton about fireworks. I especially loved reading about Jin and her pyrotechnics; I love the chemistry of creating brilliant colors from burning powders.

I just enjoyed everything about this story so much. I loved the interesting characters, the precise and easy to read writing style, the carefully crafted plot, and all of the fun tidbits you learn about the era and about fireworks themselves.

Overall this was a spectacular book. Fans of Boneshaker will be pleased with this book as well. A perfect read for those who like nostalgic fantasy with a dark tone to it. It’s a little bit paranormal, a little bit historical fantasy, with some wonderful mystery. Highly recommended to fantasy fans everywhere.(less)

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Dec 09, 2012 C.j. rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Best not to go looking for yourself on the roads. The view changes, but there's no guarantee you will." So says a roamer of a character in Milford's The Broken Lands, and it's a theme that she set bloody well throughout. On top of madcap chases, peril, firecrackers and intrigue -- not to mention the textured taupe of State-side post-Civil War rot and unrest -- Milford neatly wove the self-discovery thread. It climbed through each character, uniquely, and came out to the aforementioned quote for...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I just loved, loved, loved Kate Milford's The Boneshaker. I can't say I loved The Broken Lands as much, but, I still really liked it. I think I loved the narration more in Boneshaker. With The Boneshaker, it was love almost from the first page, it definitely took me longer to connect with the characters and the story from this newest book. But. Once I started caring about Sam and Jin, I did care. Both books, of course, are about good versus evil, and being brave enough to make the right choices...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, death, dorks-nerds-underdogs, abuse, fantasy-science-fiction, friendship, murder, orphan, spl-mock-newbery, teen, violence

I really struggled through this one. Long, drawn-out, extremely flawed writing style (so much passive language and sentences I had to read over and over before they made sense!). Murky world-builing: I never really understood what was going on with certain aspects of this book's mythology, not in the good, I-can't-wait-to-figure-it-out way, but the bad, I-really-don't-care!-how-many-pages-are-left? way. So many minor characters with similar names and descriptions, I had to stop and think to reme...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Bethany Miller rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: royal-may-2013

The Broken Lands is set in an alternate version of New York in 1877; the Civil War is over and slavery has been abolished, but the country is still in a state of unrest. Walking amongst the humans are human-like roamers, one of whom is looking to claim New York City for his own. Sam is an orphan who earns his living as a card sharp on Coney Island. Jin is a young Chinese girl who creates beautiful fireworks displays with her uncle Liao. The two meet by chance at The Broken Lands Hotel where Fata...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction-read, my-library, series, young-adult-read

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

My Summary: The Civil War has ended, but the United States of America is in bad shape. The war has left the country broken and scarred, but the people are resilient as ever.

My Thoughts: As a lover of all things historical fiction, I had a great feeling about this novel before I even began. A little research told me that it was a prequel to another book - which I plan to go out and get ASA...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Brandy Painter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: galleys, middle-grade, fantasy, historical-fiction, young-adult

Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

The Boneshaker has been on my TBR for a while now. I have been eager to read her writing, having heard so many good things about it. When her newest book, The Broken Lands, which is a prequel to Boneshaker, became available on NetGalley I requested it immediately. It's no secret I love historical fantasy and this is historical fantasy set in Industrial New York, just as the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge is coming to an end.

There are a l...more Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.

The Boneshaker has been on my TBR for a while now. I have been eager to read her writing, having heard so many good things about it. When her newest book, The Broken Lands, which is a prequel to Boneshaker, became available on NetGalley I requested it immediately. It's no secret I love historical fantasy and this is historical fantasy set in Industrial New York, just as the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge is coming to an end.

There are a lot of characters introduced in the first few chapters, but Sam and Jin are by far the most important, and the ones I became the most attached to over the course of the story. Sam is a card sharp and trickster who makes his living fleecing others. He is not terribly proud of this, and has a definite desire to do more with his life. Jin is a Chinese girl and a master pyrotechnic. She can create marvels with fireworks. Her past is a nightmare that she is still trying to overcome. She was brought to San Fransisco as a toddler, her feet were bound, and she was raised for one purpose only. Milford did an excellent job of conveying the exact nature of Jin's terrible past without describing it at all. Those who know of what she is talking about will understand what happened to her. For those who are maybe younger and without as much knowledge, it will go right over their heads. I appreciate this ability to convey what needs to be conveyed without the lurid details. My heart ached for both Sam and Jin as their relationship unfolded amidst the awful situation they were facing. There were some truly beautiful scenes with these two depicting their evolving relationship that stood in stark contrast to the horror of their circumstances. Through both Sam and Jin and their newfound compatriots we are given a glimpse of what people can do when they band together to stand for something greater than themselves.

Milford brings 19th century Coney Island to life perfectly. The story has a definite sense of place. Her prose is vivid and descriptive and she glosses over nothing. Through the characters and plot of the story she shows both the humanity at its finest and inhumanity at its foulest. The plot is fast paced and gets off to a quick start. The bodies start piling up soon and characters find themselves in peril within the first few pages. It is exciting reading for sure, and near impossible to put down. In fact, I didn't put it down until I had finished it. The fantastical elements of the story have a Gothic creepiness to them that works perfectly with the setting. Eastern mysticism is mixed with Faustian legend and the old Jack Tales (one in particular) to make for a unique story. I love that Milford took such rich source material and truly made it her own.

This is a book that straddles the MG/YA genres. I can see older more savvy Middle Grade readers liking and understanding it. It is complex, creepy, and Jin's back story is one that requires some understanding of the world to access fully. I would recommend this to anyone in their early teens or older who enjoys thrilling creepy stories with a lot of adventure. After reading this I'm definitely interested in reading more by Kate Milford.

Note on Content (For my fellow Christian parents.): There is quite a bit of eastern mysticism used in the story. This is definitely a story of good vs evil where the good triumphs, yet while there are definite supernatural forces of evil the supernatural forces for good are not as easily distinguishable. It should make an excellent opportunity for a discussion comparing belief systems and worldviews if your kids want to read it.

I read a galley of this made available via NetGalley. The Broken Lands is on sale September 4.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 LeAnn Suchy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Originally reviewed at Minnesota Reads.

I loved Kate Milford’s first book The Boneshaker. I was surprised such great writing came from a new author, but excited that I’d get to read a lot more from her in the years to come.

Her latest book, The Broken Lands, has cemented her place as an author I will continue to watch.

The Broken Lands takes place in the broken United States in 1877, where the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction is still felt, and new innovations are battling against old...more Originally reviewed at Minnesota Reads.

I loved Kate Milford’s first book The Boneshaker. I was surprised such great writing came from a new author, but excited that I’d get to read a lot more from her in the years to come.

Her latest book, The Broken Lands, has cemented her place as an author I will continue to watch.

The Broken Lands takes place in the broken United States in 1877, where the aftermath of the Civil War and Reconstruction is still felt, and new innovations are battling against old traditions. Nowhere else can this be better shown than in the crossroads of Brooklyn and New York City, where the Brooklyn Bridge is being built, rich men are making money, and the poor are thieving, gambling, and scrambling to make it through each day. But there are evils afoot that could tear apart these crossroads for everyone.

Some non-human entities enter the scene in an attempt to find the five pillars of society, those people they need to conquer in order for their boss to sweep in and claim the lands for himself. To find these five pillars, they commit murder and set demons free in the cities to sniff them out. But these beings didn’t expect some humans to team up and attempt to defeat them.

Sam, a teenager and son of an Italian immigrant, makes his living by taking tourists in card games. He’s a smart, scrappy kid, who knows his way around the good and bad parts of the cities, and who has young and old friends everywhere. Jin, a Chinese girl and fireworks aficionado, is in town to put on a show, but gets mixed up in this whole mess when she discovers the murder victim. They team up, along with a slew of other eccentric characters, to try to save their cities.

I realize that this description sounds odd, but the book is odd. In a good way.

The history is vibrant with the sights and sounds of New York and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I could feel the pride and sadness in the townspeople because it’s an engineering marvel but lives were lost in its construction. This created an unnerving feeling which just carried on when magical creatures enter the scene and they are much more powerful than any of the humans. These people are already wounded from the Civil War, continue to be wounded as they try to move forward with new innovations, and while they’re at their weakest they need to deal with magical, powerful beings. This overall sense of anxiety and worry carried through the story in so many different ways, and by the end my anxiety was on high and I was scared.

The reason this book is odd is that it’s not really like other books in its genre. It’s clearly fantasy, but it’s so much more. Milford does in The Broken Lands what she did so well in The Boneshaker – mix together history, traditions, folklore, and a little bit of magic to create a mysterious, absorbing tale, all while creating some really strong characters. I loved Sam and Jin and I could read more tales with these two.

I honestly can’t compare The Broken Lands to other books because it stands apart from them. Like The Boneshaker, it consistently bucks traditions and cliches to bring something new and fresh while still being old-fashioned and full of folklore. I don’t know how Kate Milford does it, but I dig it. (less)

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Nov 08, 2012 Batsheva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantastical, historical, rogues, deliciously-weird, new-york

Fantastic novel (in both senses of the word) set in 1877 Coney Island. Mysterious and malevolent beings seek to establish stronghold in NYC and Brooklyn. Can a teenage cardsharp, a civil war veteran, some dudes in a saloon, and a fireworks prodigy foil their evil plans? Incorporates tremendous detail about sense of place and people of the real New York at the time, as well as deftly incorporating truly creepy fantastic elements. The characters are 3 dimensional, detailed and empathy inspiring. I...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Lisa B. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-things-netgalley, 2012-books

My Thoughts

This was excellent. I’ve been telling everyone this book is Stephen King-ish, a descriptive term meaning ookie spookie.

I fell in heavy like with Jin and Sam. For young teenagers, they have already experienced many of life’s unpleasant moments. Jin is resilient and strong. Sam is street smart and loyal. Together they must stand up against evil.

I was not aware when I requested this book that it was classified as juvenile fiction and honestly, I could not tell this from the writing. It w...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Pamela added it

Kate Milford is a wonderful writer. I enjoyed her first book tremendously which is why I'm quite cross at the moment with The Broken Lands. Good characters, good plot, but honestly it's way too descriptive and burdened with tedious details that don't move the story along. This would be fine perhaps for an adult novel, but Young Adult lit should be faster paced in my opinion. (Where were you o'editor and friend?)

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Dec 12, 2012 Matthew Galloway rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was even better than the first. It truly gave me everything I wanted -- so much more insight and back stories into the hints from the first book. Of course, it seeded even more questions and wonders... But that's I want. I want to keep exploring this alternate America with the roaming tall tales and to learn more about the past that created these wonderful characters.

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Jun 01, 2013 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

Really excellent story! All about the heart and soul of a city, but also about the unexpected fragility of a civilization. I love the lore with the fangshi and waidan and the perspective on fireworks (art that began in war). It's a book that looks at passions and memory in unexpected ways. Definitely a keeper!

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Jan 06, 2013 Martha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, middle-school

Prequel to The Boneshaker. Once I realized that, I finally got through the first 100 pages. When the action and friendships started, it was much better reading for me. I kept at it because a couple of "my kids" really like this one. Is there such thing as dystopian in the past instead of future?

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Feb 03, 2013 Melyssa Williams rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved this book in the beginning. I already couldn't wait to read the second, The Boneshakers. Somehow, though, it lost speed for me about 2/3 of the way through and I really struggled to finish it. I felt I owed it my complete attention, but my mind had checked out. The research the author did was great, but sometimes all the descriptions felt like reading a textbook about fireworks. The supernatural things got a little weird, though I loved those too in the beginning (it reminded me of a YA...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Brian Regan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This sort-of-prequel to the Boneshaker is equally gothic and epic and creepily fun. Not for the casual reader, but for someone willing to sink their teeth into a story, with twists and turns to spare, recommended.

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Dec 09, 2012 Chelsea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-fiction

The size is daunting, but this is a great adventure fantasy. I loved the aspects of American folklore, and Jin and Sam are fantastic protagonists, interesting and unsure yet determined. The villains are delicious, though their true effect is often hampered by Milford's tendency toward over-description, and the diversity of the main characters is so refreshing. I also loved the theme of the Broken Lands, of a USA still vulnerable from the effects of the Civil War. Milford's world-building is comp...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Ticklish Owl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, historical-fiction, n-america, beautiful-writing, fantasy, folklore, ebook

If you liked this book, you might also enjoy The Apothecary, Beyond the Deepwoods, Foundling, or The Night Circus.

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May 21, 2013 Nicole marked it as dnf

I could not get into this which was super unfortunate.

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Jan 12, 2013 Maggie Stiefvater rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This was quite agreeable. I've ordered the next one.

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Jun 28, 2012 Ms. Yockey marked it as to-read

HMH
Sept 2012
Ask Ellen

prequel to Boneshakers

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Jun 15, 2013 Saskia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is strange, in both the subject-matter and the writing. The story sounds as if it's tailored for middle schoolers -- it's clumsy. However, it discusses issues for an older audience, from racism to prostitution. I feel like the fantasy elements were a bit overdone, though I liked the way they were grounded in historical context and folklore. It seemed, too, that the author was attempting to create strong female characters, but they came off as timid and ineffectual in some moments. Over...more

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Genres

Fantasy

25 users

Young Adult

21 users

Historical Fiction

18 users

Adventure

4 users

New York

3 users

Young Adult > Teen

3 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

3 users

Literature > 19th Century

3 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

2 users

Folklore

2 users

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About Kate Milford

Kate is the author of THE BONESHAKER, THE BROKEN LANDS (Clarion, 9/2012), and THE KAIROS MECHANISM, which is a companion to THE BROKEN LANDS and is currently on Kickstarter. You can read more about it here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3...

Originally from Annapolis, MD, Kate now lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband Nathan and their dogs, Ed and Sprocket. She has written for stage and scre...more

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