Shadows (Ashes Trilogy, #2)

Oct 11, 2012 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-or-galley, dystopia-or-post-apocalyptic, post-apocalyptic

Terrifying, gripping. Dull, disappointing. Talk about confliction. Shadows has very much left me in a whirlwind of mixed emotions. Is it possible to enjoy and dislike a book at the same time? For that’s the reaction this sequel to Ashes drew from me. The edge-of-my-seat excitement blurred with boredom. The love I had for the characters fluctuated periodically to exasperation. Yet, when I wasn’t tired of the endless descriptions, I was revelling in awe of the beautifully detailed writing. As soon...more Terrifying, gripping. Dull, disappointing. Talk about confliction. Shadows has very much left me in a whirlwind of mixed emotions. Is it possible to enjoy and dislike a book at the same time? For that’s the reaction this sequel to Ashes drew from me. The edge-of-my-seat excitement blurred with boredom. The love I had for the characters fluctuated periodically to exasperation. Yet, when I wasn’t tired of the endless descriptions, I was revelling in awe of the beautifully detailed writing. As soon as I felt the urge to put the book down for a while, it picked up pace and impressed me with its fantastic scenes of action. Needless to say, I am of two minds here.

Shadows commences where Ashes left off, with Bick’s apocalyptic world serving as the backdrop. Familiarising with the characters is not an easy task, especially with very little recapping from the first book and the sudden introduction of several other points of view. Multiple perspectives are awfully commonplace now, and with very few authors successfully using it to their advantage, my automatic response is to groan inwardly. Which is exactly what I did here. Admittedly, the many perspectives worked better towards the end, even if the constant switching back and forth fragmented the climax horribly. At first, however, it only succeeded in reducing the pacing of the story to a frustratingly slug-like speed. It took at least a third of the novel for me to fully engage with whatever was happening, and before that, a lot of head-scratching, yawning and reluctance to continue.

Once my attention was fully captured by this book, I began to appreciate how genuinely horrifying it was. With the Changed herding people like cattle to slaughter, there is a lot of gore, blood and bones in this novel. Bick doesn’t hesitate to describe the awful stench of death, or the putrid taste of lust, and she most definitely does not hold back when it comes to the stomach-turning corners of cannibalism. It’s a gritty story to follow (perhaps a shade too disturbing for younger readers), but one that is rich in sensory imagery and very rewarding for those, like me, who enjoy the deliciously dark. Oftentimes during this, my skin would crawl with the imaginary scratch of broken teeth or of a bloodied knife. There was an intensity to this grisly story that I thoroughly appreciated.

Alex’s heightened sense of smell added wonderfully to descriptions, but, as the previous main character, I felt somewhat distanced from her in this instalment. Perhaps the multiple points of view were to blame for this. Having to follow several other characters – some of which I had very little interest in – took a significant portion of time away from her. Conversely, however, my appreciation for the likes of Chris, Tom and Lena increased dramatically. While very few characters in this book created a large enough impression to linger in my thoughts, I did enjoy reading about that small group in particular.

Shadows was incredibly readable at times, and enjoyable overall, but if I take a step or two back from this novel, I have to admit that it’s far too long for the little progression that is made. I’m hesitant to diagnose it with Middle Book Syndrome, but I feel I may just have to. Regardless, I look forward the final book in this trilogy and hope it shows a greater resemblance to the first instalment than this one.

(This review also appears on my blog)(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thank-you-bea-or-ala, why-yes-i-ya

sigh.

yup - three stars. and i am angry at having to give this book three stars, because i was so looking forward to it! life is unfair.

okay - here are my gripes.

if you are planning on reading this one - do yourself a favor: review ashes. trust me. do you remember every single person alex encountered in rule? i sure didn't. and there are so damn many of them. and so many additional characters. here you go, just from a quick flipping of pages of shadows: jed, grace, tom, ray, ruby, leopard, acne,...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Sara marked it as might-read-sequel · review of another edition

I'm still recovering from the bitter disappointment of the last 200 pages of the first book Ashes. I'll probably read this second installment, hoping, praying, it will be as great as the first half of its prequel. Sadly, not holding my breath though.

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Sep 26, 2012 Aditi (READioactive Book Blog) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-review, read-in-2012

Reviews & all that jazz : That READioactive Book Blog
description

I received an ARC of this book from EgmontUSA in exchange for an honest review.

READioactivity on a scale of 5 - Three

So I thought I would settle down to read a nice fun book the previous weekend. And true to my form, I did not do what I thought I would do.
Shadows is not "nice". No sir it is not. It is about Zombies. And the Apocalypse. And it gave me the heevy jeevies.

I have come a long way since the days I used to hide behind the sofa w...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Penny rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crazypants-protagonist, disappointing, dystopian, grrrl-power, meh, netgalley, sci-fi, we-are-all-going-to-die, apocalyptic

*sigh* Who is this book written for? It can't be for the female population, at least, not the vast majority of females. I mean, sure, I like violence and gore but I'm an exception. Most women will cringe away from the blood and guts violence-pa-looza within the pages of this book. And because the first book in this series does pander to the female population, albeit in a bloody valentine type way, it is clearly more for teh ladies. This second book? I can't say. And honestly I don't want to know...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, dystopian-apocalyptic, own-on-nook-kindle, series, netgalley, creepersville-makes-me-shudder, 2012-publication

My original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

***Note:*** Christina received an e-galley of this title from the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence her review in any way.

The Lowdown: Shadows picks right up where Ashes ended, throwing us headlong into a world ravaged by flesh-eating teenagers, also known as Chuckies & The Changed, and the survivors who are just trying to make it day to day. However, in this installment, we learn more about how...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Katja rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received Shadows via Netgalley and EgmontUSA , in exchange for an honest review.

Shadows is the second book in the Ashes Trilogy, and starts off exactly where the first book ended...which was on a major cliffhanger. So, the first chapter throws the reader right back into the gut-churning action of a world in which only the fittest survive. I thought it was perfectly okay to start the book this way, because Ashes was such a memorable book for me, but I've seen comments by fellow bloggers statin...more I received Shadows via Netgalley and EgmontUSA , in exchange for an honest review.

Shadows is the second book in the Ashes Trilogy, and starts off exactly where the first book ended...which was on a major cliffhanger. So, the first chapter throws the reader right back into the gut-churning action of a world in which only the fittest survive. I thought it was perfectly okay to start the book this way, because Ashes was such a memorable book for me, but I've seen comments by fellow bloggers stating they hated this opening because they couldn't remember half of the townsfolk from Rule - where Alex lived for the latter part of the first book.

Ilsa J Bick's writing is smooth and the main characters are just as compelling and consistent as they were in Ashes, but I was disappointed to find that the gore factor is ratcheted up even further in this sequel. Personally, I find it bad enough thinking of a world in which some people have been turned into cannibals without having to have the full details of the 'chow-down'. I felt in the first book that it was the parts which hinted at extreme danger that I really connected with - more than the detailed gruesome scenes, so I thought it a shame that Alex witnesses more and more of the stuff I wasn't interested in. However, this is a personal preference, so If you're into gore then rest assured this book does not scrimp on bloodshed in its various forms (eye-gouging, arterial spray and more...)

The pace in Shadows is more balanced than in Ashes - which was for the most part relentless and then calms down to to near placidity - albeit a creepy calm before the storm! Shadows continues Alex's story, a tale filled with action, horror and a touch of romance. The intense focus of book one gives way to Shadow's more panoramic view, as the narration purely from Alex's point of view is now supplemented by the experiences of other characters. The trade off for this broader perspective is that having more than one voice means I didn't feel as connected to Alex as I did in the first book; though focusing on characters other than her allows for more progression within the plot than if we had simply stayed with Alex. The story progression does provide some answers to a few questions that Ashes had raised, whilst simultaneously introducing newer considerations.

Although 'survival of the fittest' is the name of the game, this sequel highlights that those survivors who weren't mentally affected by the catastrophe, have more than the threat of cannibals to deal with - the threat was very much 'out there' in the first book, but this book makes clear the threat to humanity is within too...no where seems safe any longer.

Overall: The violence is on a scale I'm not used to and I was close to giving this a 2.5 out of 5 rating. However, putting my squeamishness aside I can't fault the writing style. The characters are well-drawn, and even though it's horrific I can't say that the world-building isn't anything but vivid. Last October I rated the first book, Ashes, 4.5 out of 5 stars; and it only fell short of perfection because of all the detailed blood-letting. In Shadows I missed my previous 'connectedness' to Alex and I preferred the thriller/suspense parts of book one which balanced out the gore but were here overwhelmed by explicit- and gratuitous - gruesomeness. Balancing the pros and the cons, I still like the premise and most of the delivery so I''ve settled on a rating of 3.5 out of 5.
(less)

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Sep 28, 2012 Caroline McMaster rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: zombie, arc

*Just putting this out there- this book is available free to everyone right now on netgalley; thats where I got my copy*

Real Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Alex is now on her own, fighting mentally and physically against the Changed, wondering if Tom ever survived. Tom is with an older couple, wondering if Alex ever made it to Rule and what her reaction was when she had come back and he was no where to be seen. Chris has teamed up with an unlikely few and Peter is going through more horror than he could eve...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Paradoxical rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reading-list, books-otherwise

This book. This entire book was like dangling a piece of candy in front of you, and when you walk along trying to get to the piece of candy, it moves away so you're endlessly chasing after it. Emotional payoff? What emotional payoff. This entire book feels like a buildup to the third, which should be huge and all over the place and (maybe) satisfying--but that's not this book. This book is the teaser. It's the one nudging all the chess pieces into place in preparation for the final move.

It does...more This book. This entire book was like dangling a piece of candy in front of you, and when you walk along trying to get to the piece of candy, it moves away so you're endlessly chasing after it. Emotional payoff? What emotional payoff. This entire book feels like a buildup to the third, which should be huge and all over the place and (maybe) satisfying--but that's not this book. This book is the teaser. It's the one nudging all the chess pieces into place in preparation for the final move.

It doesn't help that this book has alternating POVs. Where the first book was Alex's voice, this one jumps from Chris to Tom to Alex to a few other characters that I only half cared about. Which means it jerked from something SUPER EXCITING only to leave you at a cliffhanger to run back to another character who would probably leave you at another cliffhanger as it jumps back to someone else. It's frustrating, honestly, because you get to a good part and you're jerked around and it's like "LET ME FINISH AN ENTIRE SCENE ALREADY".

If you thought the first book was gory, this one ramped it up, with added torture. I don't mind, but your mileage may vary, so if you're a little squeamish then I'd probably steer clear or skim over chunks of the book.

I feel like I should have waited for the third book before reading this one (or, rather, read all three at the same time). Because now I'm left with these feelings that mainly make me go ARGH. Which, I suppose, is partially what the author is going for, but, dear author, a little emotional payoff would have been great. Just a little. It doesn't have to be major, but--okay, okay, shutting up.

I still get sucked into the book, though I'm not as attached as I was in the first. The prose helps in that regard, being fluid and horrifying and the action bits are fantastic. But I could feel myself kind of disliking what I was reading, even if I kept reading because I couldn't help myself. It's a strange feeling.

Overall, I'm torn. I can't get over the fact that the entire book is one giant tease, and the multiple POV thing just kind of annoyed me. On the other hand, I pretty much read the book straight through and found it kind of fascinating. So I suppose it's pretty good, but don't expect any real conclusion in anything. If you can, I suggest waiting until the third book comes out and reading this one and that one together. I'm sure the third has to resolve something. Right? 3 stars.(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Agustina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shadows by Ilsa J Bick was just as fantastic as her the first book in the trilogy; Ashes. This book is filled with action packed and gory scenes, yet they are page turning scenes. This book also had me on my toes the entire time. This is because there is one part in the book where all the character are all looking for each other, but they don't know they are all 50 feet away from each other. Although, it drove me crazy the author was smart to keep it because it made me want to keep reading and s...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

‟Ashes – Tödliche Schatten“ von Ilsa J. Bick ist der zweite Band einer endzeitlichen Trilogie für junge Erwachsene.

Inhalt: Immer noch herrscht Chaos in Nordamerika. Nach dem merkwürdigen Impuls vor einigen Monaten, haben sich immer mehr Jugendliche in Menschenfleisch-fressende Wilde verwandelt, doch ihre Entwicklung wird sogar noch beunruhigender, denn sie scheinen klüger zu werden. Nach ihrer Flucht aus Rule trifft Alex auf eine Horde veränderter Jugendlicher und muss um ihr Überleben kämpfen,...more ‟Ashes – Tödliche Schatten“ von Ilsa J. Bick ist der zweite Band einer endzeitlichen Trilogie für junge Erwachsene.

Inhalt: Immer noch herrscht Chaos in Nordamerika. Nach dem merkwürdigen Impuls vor einigen Monaten, haben sich immer mehr Jugendliche in Menschenfleisch-fressende Wilde verwandelt, doch ihre Entwicklung wird sogar noch beunruhigender, denn sie scheinen klüger zu werden. Nach ihrer Flucht aus Rule trifft Alex auf eine Horde veränderter Jugendlicher und muss um ihr Überleben kämpfen, während Tom sich weit entfernt aus einem sicher geglaubten Versteck auf die Suche nach ihr macht und in Rule, der sicheren Stadt, harte Entscheidungen getroffen werden, die einige in die Wildnis zwingen. Dort ist es nicht nur wegen der Veränderten gefährlich, denn jemand macht Jagd auf junge Leute, wie Peter, der nach einer letzten Versorgungsfahrt nicht nach Rule zurückkehrte, schmerzhaft feststellen muss. Was steckt hinter diesen Entführungen? Woher kam das Signal, dass die Veränderungen auslöste? Und was steckt hinter der Sicherheit von Rule?

Wie so oft bei Trilogien leidet meiner Meinung nach auch der zweite Band von ‟Ashes“ darunter, der Mittelteil zu sein. Nach dem ersten Kennenlernen der Figuren und der eingeleiteten Krise im ersten Band, darf der zweite diese zwar fortführen, aber unter gar einen Umständen auch nur ansatzweise lösen, um genügend Sprengstoff für das große Finale im letzten Band übrig zu lassen. Dem Mittelband steht daher einmal mehr nur die Lückenfüller-Rolle zu, die ihn dazu verdammt ohne große Höhepunkte auszukommen. So geht es auch ‟Tödliche Schatten“, das sich im Vergleich zum Vorgänger leider nicht nur zum Positiven entwickelt hat.

Schon am Anfang hatte ich große Schwierigkeiten mit dem Buch. Es gab kaum Rückblicke, welche mir Ereignisse aus dem ersten Band noch einmal in Erinnerung hätten rufen können. Normalerweise stellt dies für mich auch kein Problem dar, aber im Vergleich zu ‟Ashes – Brennendes Herz“ entwickelte sich dieser zweite Band sofort nicht etwa nach vorne, sondern ging sehr stark in die Breite. Während der Fokus vorher auf Alex lag, war Toms Schicksal nach dem ersten Band ungeklärt. Dies ändert sich gleich zu Beginn des zweiten Bandes. Der Leser erfährt, wie es Tom ergangen ist und er wird fortan zu einem aktiv erzählendem Protagonisten. Das allein wäre als Änderung sicher noch leicht nachzuverfolgen gewesen, aber es ist nicht nur Tom, der ab jetzt seine eigenen Kapitel erhalten wird, welche die Lage der Dinge aus seiner Sicht erzählen, sondern auch noch einige andere Charaktere, die ich kaum noch auf dem Schirm hatte, bekommen diese Gelegenheit.

Es sind mehrere Figuren aus Rule, die plötzlich von – für mich – unbedeutenden Nebenfiguren zu wichtigen Handlungsträgern werden. Dadurch wird die Geschichte sehr breit: viele Perspektiven von sich an unterschiedlichen Orten aufhaltenden Personen erzählen nicht direkt zusammenhängende Handlungsstränge. Dem konnte ich gerade am Anfang gar nicht folgen. Die Charaktere, plötzlich so wichtig, waren mir als Randfiguren nur noch in dunkler Erinnerung, die ich erst mühsam wieder hervorkramen musste, wobei das Buch durch fehlende Rückblicke nicht gerade hilfreich war. Bei anderen Reihen würde ich zu viele Rückblenden durchaus kritisieren, da sie ein Buch am Anfang oft ein wenig ausbremsen und es im Spannungsaufbau behindern, aber in diesem Band ist das Gegenteil der Fall: Zu wenige Rückblicke, wenn vormals Nebencharaktere plötzlich zum Fokus der Handlung wurden, verschafften mir einen sehr holprigen Zugang zum Buch..

Zudem empfand ich Alex' Aufenthalt in Rule im ersten Band schon als den schwächeren und uninteressanteren Teil der Geschichte und hatte gehofft, dass sich dieser Abschnitt mit ihrer Flucht nun erledigt hätte – immerhin gäbe es genug spannendere Fragen zu klären, als die, warum Rule ist, wie es ist. Die Herkunft des Impulses zum Beispiel, der das alles erst ausgelöst hat. Mit einer Entwicklung in diese Richtung hätte ich gerechnet, aber nicht im Traum damit, dass Rule und seine Bewohner plötzlich solch tragende Rollen übernehmen würden. Gerade der Anfang braucht in vielen Handlungssträngen – eigentlich in allen abgesehen von demjenigen, der von Alex handelt – sehr lange, bis er in Schwung kommt und war dadurch eher langweilig. Nur mit Alex ist der Leser gleich wieder mitten im Geschehen, doch durch die oft wechselnden Perspektiven kann er nicht lange bei ihr bleiben.

Spannung kam dadurch leider erst mit einer gewissen Verzögerung von etwa 150 Seiten auf. Danach wurde es aber richtig gut und hat mir sogar besser gefallen, als große Teile des ersten Bandes. Nach der ersten Eingewöhnungszeit konnte ich mich mit den neuen Handlungsträgern abfinden, von Tom war ich sogar begeistert und mit mindestens einem weiteren – Chris – konnte ich mich mehr oder weniger anfreunden. Eine der schwierigsten, aber dafür auch intensivsten Geschichten entfaltete sich allerdings um eine andere Figur aus Rule, Peter, den im zweiten Band ein schreckliches Schicksal ereilt. Leider wurde seine Perspektive eher sporadisch in die Handlung eingestreut und das, obwohl sie neben Alex und Tom eine der spannenderen und auch die einzige war, die sich sehr nahe am Kern der zentralen Fragen dieses Romans abspielte.

Nach dem schleppenden Anfang wurde es allerdings in allen Handlungssträngen sehr spannend. Aber – und das sollte man nicht vergessen, wenn man zu dieser Reihe greift – auch sehr blutig. Sehr, sehr blutig. Es ist ein Endzeitroman, zu vergleichen mit einem Zombiefilm, und es wird nicht ‟nur“ getötet: Es ist ein einziges Gemetzel. Mit Blut oder den Beschreibungen herausgerissener Körperteile sollte man also definitiv keine Probleme haben, sonst wird dieses Buch einem möglicherweise ein schreckliches Kopfkino mit großem Potenzial für einige schlaflose Nächte bescheren.
Ein wenig frustrierend bleibt die Handlung leider, vermutlich aufgrund ihres Daseins als mittlerer Band einer Trilogie, vor allem, was das Zusammenspiel der einzelnen Figuren angeht. Aber da möchte ich nicht zu viel verraten.

Sprachlich ist ‟Ashes – Tödliche Schatten“ sehr überzeugend. Die Autorin fürchtet die direkte Beschreibung schrecklicher Details nicht, versteht sich aber auch darin, nur mit leichten Andeutungen Gänsehaut zu erzeugen. Kapitel brechen oft an den spannendsten Stellen ab, was die Sogwirkung des Romans sehr stark macht. Nach dem eher schwerfälligen Anfang, konnte ich das Buch irgendwann nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. So eine düstere Atmosphäre, mit so eindringlichen Schilderungen perfekt vermittelt, erlebe ich ganz selten. Es war, als wäre der tiefste Winter Nordamerikas zu mir ins Wohnzimmer gekrochen.

Fazit: Der plötzlichen Masse an neuen Hauptprotagonisten war ich am Anfang des Buches, auch durch fehlende Rückblicke, kaum gewachsen. Leider wurde es dadurch zu Beginn etwas langatmig, bevor es zu alter Stärke zurückfand und abermals einen atemberaubenden Endzeit-Roman präsentierte. Definitiv nichts für Zart-Besaitete, aber die Spannung und die packende Atmosphäre ließen mich den langweiligen Anfang fast vergessen – aber nur fast. Dafür gibt es 4 Sterne. (less)

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Mar 13, 2013 Joseph rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ashes (the first in the trilogy) is a jovial runaway train of a young adult horror/adventure novel; replete with peril, mystery and a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse genre. But as is the way with runaway trains, Ashes crashed. The last third of the book is a tedious slog through a totalitarian post-apocalyptic society where Ilsa Bick becomes so concerned with not spoiling the mysteries too soon that she's unable to properly describe the setting or let anything consequential happen.

And if the...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Aoife rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shadows for me, was not as good as Ashes.

Unfortunately, I began reading Shadows without re-reading Ashes as a friend had borrowed it. So I found myself saying, who is this? what happened here? I have no idea what it going on...

I did, eventually, begin to understand what was happening but by that time, things had gone from fast paced in Ashes to an almost death like trudge in Shadows..the pace of the book just wasn't what I expected and I found myself getting bored in parts with a book I had neve...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Lydia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, horror, zombies

Premise: After the ending of the first book, Ashes, I was looking forward to finding out more about the Changed kids and how exactly they had Changed. I also really wanted to know if Tom, Ellie and Alex would find each other again.

Characters: The problem with this book is that there are so many characters in this one and it leapfrogs between the POV of each one of them. Whereas Ashes was told from Alex's perspective and had a clear line of development, in Shadows there is so much jumping around...more Premise: After the ending of the first book, Ashes, I was looking forward to finding out more about the Changed kids and how exactly they had Changed. I also really wanted to know if Tom, Ellie and Alex would find each other again.

Characters: The problem with this book is that there are so many characters in this one and it leapfrogs between the POV of each one of them. Whereas Ashes was told from Alex's perspective and had a clear line of development, in Shadows there is so much jumping around that character and plot development is almost painfully slow and disjointed, and it's easy to get confused. Despite Alex being the main character last time, she has little attention in this book (view spoiler). The only positive thing I can say about the POV-hopping is that it gives the reader a better insight into Tom, and I felt more connected with him as a character. The rest of the characters are switched between so rapidly and have such brief sections that they are barely worth being there at all, (view spoiler). As for one of the main characters in the first book, Ellie, we don't even hear anything from her except a tantalizing suggestion at the very end.

Plot: Compared to Ashes, which was exciting and scary (at least in the first half), Shadows has a very confused plot. In the second book, Bick increases the horror to a whole new level - it is far more grisly and brutally disturbing, especially the sections concerning the lifestyle of the Changed, who behave like cannibalistic Neanderthals who know how to use guns. Aside from these parts, the plot bounces around so much it seems like hardly anything happens up until the climax, which isn't very satisfying either. The story is very Rule-centric (view spoiler) with little information actually given about the actual intentions of other characters such as the militia. What was going on in Rule and which people knew what was very unclear.

Other Comments: While I had thought Bick to be a very good writer after reading Ashes, Shadows came as a big disappointment. This time Bick is far too fond of repeating phrases such as 'arabesques' of snow and people 'arming' blood from their faces, as well as continually spoiling the tense moments of action by saying things like 'later, when she had done this, Alex would think about this moment'. It was very unnecessary and very irritating. I only hope that the third and final book returns to the quality of the first.(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this but at the same time it was one of the most baffling books I have read in a while. It's my fault really for not re-reading Ashes but I couldn't really remember who anyone in Rule was and what their hinted backstory was.

As for Alex's journey, I'm not a fan of the whole 'as she stared certain, definite, deadly death in the face she refused to look away, locking his gaze and drinking in the very last face she would see, ever... Because she is seconds away from dying... Not kidding thi...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Rachel Fisher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For more of my reviews, visit www.rachelefisher.com

Title: Shadows: The Ashes Trilogy
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Rating: 3 Stars

Amazon Summary: The Apocalypse does not end. The Changed will grow in numbers. The Spared may not survive.

Even before the EMPs brought down the world, Alex was on the run from the demons of her past and the monster living in her head. After the world was gone, she believed Rule could be a sanctuary for her and those she’d come to love.
But she was wrong.

Now Alex is in the fight...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Holy poo. I feel like I've been violated, but in a good way. If that's possible. The love stories remain un-Twilighty, the internal politics remain opaque, but the violence has reached a whole new level.
Serial cannibalism, anyone?
I only have two problems with this book. The first is that there are too many characters having too many problems in too many places for the third book in the series to competently wrap up the story. Yes, I can follow multiple plotlines, but the problem is in the clim...more

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Oct 27, 2012 BookHookup rated it 3 of 5 stars

The original review for this title can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

Christina's Review:

***Note:*** Christina received an e-galley of this title from the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence her review in any way.

The Lowdown: Shadows picks right up where Ashes ended, throwing us headlong into a world ravaged by flesh-eating teenagers, also known as Chuckies & The Changed, and the survivors who are just trying to make it day to day. However, in this installment, we l...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Ms. Newman DHSlibrary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, horror, netgalley, mature-ya

Something changed the world 6 months ago, most people are gone, those that remain are either older grandparent-types or children. Most of the teenagers have become "Changed" or "Chuckies". They are driven by some disease that makes them cannibals, eating those that have been "spared". It's a new cruel world. Alex has been driven out of the safe-haven town of Rule, and is now forced to follow a band of Changed awaiting her death. There is a group attempting to secretly overthrow Rule, but for wha...more

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Oct 06, 2012 P.M. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alex and Tom were separated after an attack by some Chuckies. Tom has been rescued by a military vet and his wife while Alex found refuge in Rule. All of that has changed once Alex escaped Rule to look for Tom. She has been overwhelmed and captured by a group of Changed whose leader looks remarkably like Chris Yaeger with whom she established a bond in Rule. Meanwhile Peter has led his group into an ambush and been captured by a survivalist group which is is experimenting on the Spared and the C...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Dorine White rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Today I have a review of Shadows, by Ilsa Bick, the second book in the Ashes trilogy.

The Story-
When we last saw Alex, she had been led into a trap by some of the people of Rule. Four zombies against one girl- you can probably guess what happens- or maybe not. Alex is a really tough cookie. We learn about Rule's horrible trade- safety for delivering humans to zombies. And Alex is caught right in the middle of it.

We are also given the story from other character's POV. We have Tom, who is living...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Heidi Norrod rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating and Review:

3/5 stars

Ms. Bick does it again with this second installment to the Ashes trilogy. If you read the first installment you're going to want to read the second...but after reading the second I'm disenheartened. If I read the third installment, I'm not sure I'll be in any hurry.

Actually reading this second book saddened me. While the first one had a strong plot and a single POV throughout the novel, Shadows I found confusing.

Several characters were introduced in the first book,...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shadows kept my adrenaline pumping, just as Ashes did, but the gruesome descriptions also left me a bit queasy! This review may contain some spoilers from Ashes... so you have been warned.

It hasn't been that long since I read Ashes, but I still had some difficulty remembering all the characters that came back in Shadows. I made a list of character names, the old and the new, which helped. After the first couple chapters, this wasn't a problem any more.

The story is told from several different per...more Shadows kept my adrenaline pumping, just as Ashes did, but the gruesome descriptions also left me a bit queasy! This review may contain some spoilers from Ashes... so you have been warned.

It hasn't been that long since I read Ashes, but I still had some difficulty remembering all the characters that came back in Shadows. I made a list of character names, the old and the new, which helped. After the first couple chapters, this wasn't a problem any more.

The story is told from several different perspectives, but I don't want any spoilers, so I'm going to be vague about just whose perspectives we are given.

Alex has to go through much in her quest to find Tom. Chris finds out a lot about the Rule compound and the way it is being run, and let's just say it is rather shocking. I didn't expect it, but after finding out, it makes sense -- dreadful as it is. We get to learn more about some of the people outside of Rule, and what they are doing to survive and possibly solve the mystery of The Changed. It is also extremely shocking.

People get killed. A lot. Every death is gruesome and precisely described, so much so, that at times I dreaded picking the book up again because I knew I was going to lose my appetite. There were very few breaks from these grisly descriptions, and I found myself very anxious to get finished with Shadows. This was NOT a pleasant read.

But, I was compelled to finish. I needed to know what happens. The end is spectacular, and of course, leaves questions about who has survived.

If you like to munch while reading, this book probably won't work for that. If you are trying to cut down on how much you are eating, Shadows would be great! Seriously, I've never been so grossed out by an entire book. Usually there are gross parts in a book. But this book is entirely macabre.

I would recommend Shadows. It's compelling, and sucks you into this horrible world. The characters are well described, although there aren't many that I really "liked." I will definitely need to read the conclusion. I'm hooked, no matter what my stomach has to go through.

I already have one student waiting for Shadows -- she's just finishing Ashes. I know there will be more.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Megs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this even more than the first, which surprised me.
I also loved the multiple perspectives, which also surprised me.

This book was even more fast paced than the first, I honestly couldn't stop reading. I think I finished it in about a day and a night. I kind of regret that because now I have to wait a whole year to find out what happens!! The whole reason I started this trilogy was to stop thinking about The Hunger Games, but now I can't stop thinking about Ashes!!!

I loved this book, and I...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Ellen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, ya, trilogies

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Okay, I was so looking forward to this sequel to ASHES. ASHES was interesting, well-paced, and a slightly different flavor of zombie-post apocalyptic horror story. ASHES also had decent character development, strong sense of place (the town of Rule was a character itself), and romance. SHADOWS, on the other hand, is nearly all action. Violent, bloody, gory at that. 500+ pages of violent action, and if there was a quiet moment, it was usually one of quiet terror/suspense, or really boring talking...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Livi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Da dies die Rezension zu Band 2 ist, enthält sie SPOILER. Wer Teil 1 nicht kennt, bitte nicht weiterlesen!

Der Einstieg in den zweiten Band war... anfangs recht verwirrend, auch wenn ich mich schnell wieder einfand. Ständige Perspektivwechsel machten es mir als Leser nicht leicht und sie zogen sich auch durch das gesamte Buch! Dies war teilweise etwas störend, denn an jedem Ende eines Kapitels gab es einen Minicliffhanger und das neue Kapitel war dann wieder aus einer anderen Sicht, die man gar n...more Da dies die Rezension zu Band 2 ist, enthält sie SPOILER. Wer Teil 1 nicht kennt, bitte nicht weiterlesen!

Der Einstieg in den zweiten Band war... anfangs recht verwirrend, auch wenn ich mich schnell wieder einfand. Ständige Perspektivwechsel machten es mir als Leser nicht leicht und sie zogen sich auch durch das gesamte Buch! Dies war teilweise etwas störend, denn an jedem Ende eines Kapitels gab es einen Minicliffhanger und das neue Kapitel war dann wieder aus einer anderen Sicht, die man gar nicht richtig genießen konnte, da man ständig überlegte wie es wohl bei der anderen Person weiterging. Wenn DIESE Szene dann auch noch einen Cliffhanger besaß, befand man sich in einer Art Teufelskreis und bei mir führte das dazu, dass ich schnell las. Sehr schnell. Allerdings muss ich zugeben, dass auch eine ziemliche Spannung dadurch aufgebaut wurde.

Der Schreibstil Ilsa J. Bicks war, wie in Band 1 auch, einfach fantastisch. Bildreich und kopfkinomäßig. Mehr gibt es dazu nicht zu sagen, auch wenn ich sagen muss, dass in diesem Teil die Anzahl der Toten und die grausamen ARTEN des Todes nochmal zugenommen haben. Es gibt teilweise sehr brutal zu und dieses Buch ist garantiert nichts für schwache Nerven!
Die Storyidee die hinter alldem steckt finde ich gut, auch wenn ich langsam mal wissen will, wie und wo und warum das alles geschah! Perfekt umgesetzt - wirklich klasse.Die vielen Perspektivwechsel hatte ich ja bereits negativ erwähnt, doch hier möchte ich noch einmal sagen, dass ich es faszinierend finde, wie die Autorin die Figuren zueinander führt. Es hat auch schon Anzeichen auf interessante Treffen zwischen Personen, die wir bereits kennen (sie sich aber noch nicht), gegeben.
Charaktermäßig ist "Ashes" ebenfalls sehr zu loben. Alex ist keins von diesen "Alles ist so schrecklich, lass uns heulen!"-Mädchen sondern sie ist stark. Stark, sympathisch und einfach toll, auch wenn sie an manchen Stellen ein paar mehr Emotionen hätte zeigen können. Genauso wie die Protagonistin sind auch alle anderen Figuren farben- und facettenreich, super gestaltet und sehr individuell. Es macht einfach Spaß zu lesen! Teilweise traten mir Tränen in die Augen, teilweise war ich so geschockt dass ich nicht mal mehr weinen konnte! Ein unglaublich bewegendes Buch mit einem so fiesen Ende!!!

Es tut mir Leid, dass ich mich etwas kürzer gefasst habe, aber meiner Meinung nach ist alles gesagt!
ICH WILL WEITERLESEN!(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Marie-Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Den verheerenden Anschlag auf die Welt hat die siebzehnjährige Alex überlebt, aber nun muss sie sich den schwerwiegenden Folgen stellen. In den Städten, die nicht zerstört wurden, rotten sich diktatorische Tyranneien zusammen, in denen sich menschliche Abgründe auftun. Außerhalb der Schutzwälle droht der sichere Tod. Denn dort lauern Horden Jugendlicher, die sich seit dem Unglück in bestialische Kannibalen verwandeln. Und schließlich bleibt noch die Ungewissheit, ob Alex selbst noch zu so einem...more Den verheerenden Anschlag auf die Welt hat die siebzehnjährige Alex überlebt, aber nun muss sie sich den schwerwiegenden Folgen stellen. In den Städten, die nicht zerstört wurden, rotten sich diktatorische Tyranneien zusammen, in denen sich menschliche Abgründe auftun. Außerhalb der Schutzwälle droht der sichere Tod. Denn dort lauern Horden Jugendlicher, die sich seit dem Unglück in bestialische Kannibalen verwandeln. Und schließlich bleibt noch die Ungewissheit, ob Alex selbst noch zu so einem Monster mutiert. Warum sind ausgerechnet sie und ein paar wenige Ausnahmen von dieser Verwandlung bisher verschont geblieben?

"Tödliche Schatten" ist der zweite Band der "Ashes"-Trilogie von Ilsa J. Bick.
Im Vergleich zu "Brennendes Herz" ist dieser Nachfolgeband ein wenig schwächer, aber immer noch ungebrochen spannend.
Die Spannungskurve bleibt ab der ersten Seite konstant hoch, dadurch entsteht eine nervenzerreißende Spannung, die die bedrückende Atmosphäre perfekt unterstreicht.
Handlungstechnisch wird dieses Buch nahtlos an Band 1 fortgeführt und spinnt die verschiedenen Handlungsstränge weiter.
Da die Autorin viel Wert auf die Authentizität ihrer dystopisch- apokalyptischen Welt legt, geht es in "Tödliche Schatten" um einiges blutiger, brutaler, aber auch teilweise ekliger zu. Es vergeht kaum ein Kapitel ohne eins dieser Elemente, wobei diese stets heftig und ausführlich geschildert werden, sodass dieses Buch definitiv nichts für zartbesaitete Personen ist, da sich selbst hartgesottenen Lesern hier ab und an der Magen umdrehen kann.
Die bedrückende und düstere Atmosphäre begleitet den Leser durch die gesamte Geschichte hinweg und ist dabei so realistisch, dass sich diese durchaus aufs Gemüt legen kann.
"Tödliche Schatten" wird aus verschiedenen Sichtweisen erzählt, sodass eine atmosphärisch dichte und schlüssige Story entsteht, die durch viele überraschende Wendungen immerwährende Kurzweil beschert.
Das Ende ist auch hier sehr offen gehalten, sodass das Warten auf Band 3 sehr schwer gemacht wird. Ich hoffe, dass in diesem finalen Band dann alle Fragen geklärt werden und ein zufriedenstellendes Ende dieser spannenden dystopischen-apokalyptischen geschaffen wird.

Die Charaktere dieses Bandes sind wieder sehr authentisch und facettenreich gestaltet worden. Man sympathisiert mit Tom und Alex und fiebert mit ihnen mit. Sie sind die elementaren Figuren, um die sich diese Trilogie rankt und würdige Helden.
Allerdings wurde das Lesen durch die vielen Nebencharaktere etwas erschwert, da die des ersten Bandes nicht mehr allzu geläufig waren und zusätzlich in diesem Band viele weitere hinzugekommen sind.

Ils J. Bick schreibt sehr realistisch und lebendig. Sie schafft es, eine Authentizität zu schaffen, die dem Plots angemessen ist. Ihre Erzählweise ist heftig, da sie auch bei den brutalen, blutige und ekeligen Szenen ins Detail geht; aber das ist es, was dieses Buch zu etwas Besonderem werden lässt.
Dabei schreibt sie stets schnörkellos und schafft eine erdrückende Atmosphäre. Mit der flüssigen Sprache lässt sich "Tödliche Schatten" packend lesen.
(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Steffi und Kay his-and-her-books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zitat:
"...denn sie waren zwei Seiten derselben Medaille, die eine hell, die andere der dunkle Doppelgänger. Und keine war schlecht. Beide gehorchten lediglich ihrer eigenen Natur."
(S.180)

Inhalt:
Normalerweise gebe ich den Inhalt des Buches selbst wieder. Aber aufgrund der so häufig wechselnden Perspektiven greife ich ausnahmsweise auf den Klappentext zurück. Genaueres über den Inhalt erfahrt ihr bei der Beschreibung der Protagonisten.
Klappentext:
Den verheerenden Anschlag auf die Welt hat Alex übe...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: has-read

So seriously, your going to just end the book lie that? Such a fipping tease. Tom & Alex is apart the whole book! And then... Ugh. I promise I'm not going to spoil it for you, just know that the reason I gave the book 2.5 stars instead of 3 was because after reading through the whole book wanting just a little bit of Alex & Tom, I didn't get it.

Everyone's lives in this book run parallel. None intersect. Chris is running, Alex is running, and Tom is running. Literally none of them interac...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Nicole Sanglay rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: addictive, dystopian, most-loved, i-own, post-apocalyptic, zombies

Shadows was really horrifying. It elicited a myriad of emotions from me, most of which were incredibly tiring. It was a different ride from Ashes, which I think, is a good thing. The author has proven to me that Ashes was not just a lucky shot.

In Shadows, instead of just following Alex’s story, the narration was divided into four characters: Alex, Tom, Chris and Peter. I do think it was necessary for the story, but as to how I read it, it was easy for me to lose interest. There were parts that w...more Shadows was really horrifying. It elicited a myriad of emotions from me, most of which were incredibly tiring. It was a different ride from Ashes, which I think, is a good thing. The author has proven to me that Ashes was not just a lucky shot.

In Shadows, instead of just following Alex’s story, the narration was divided into four characters: Alex, Tom, Chris and Peter. I do think it was necessary for the story, but as to how I read it, it was easy for me to lose interest. There were parts that were kind of boring; mostly the scenes in Tom’s and Chris’s point of view. I think some are even a bit unnecessary to the story even though they did offer a bit of something to the reader (a feeling which I cannot accurately pinpoint; or maybe I just don’t want to know). I do like Tom and Chris as characters, but the scenes that unfolded before them, I found a bit lacking, in Bick standards.

Alex, though, was still the same Alex in Ashes. She is such an amazing heroine. I love how strong and how courageous she is. She is even more admirable in combat, because she never, ever gives up. I hated the last scene told in Alex’s POV, though. It was so disappointing. I mean, after everything she’s been through? I am still a bit irked with that, but I am truly hoping that in the last book, there is a very important reason as to why there was a fleeting scent of Wolf near the mines.

Ashes is a more intimidating title than Shadows. The title “Ashes”promises action and horror and grief. The title “Shadows” promises coldness and darkness and mystery. But with what I’ve read, my guess wasn’t very accurate. I feel like I can’t rate this book properly. I got thoroughly confused. As a reader, I love dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels the most because of the survival thing going on. I like how the harsh environments pull out the courage and strength of the characters in the story. Yes, Ashes is about that. But this book… Shadows was all about breaking the characters—breaking their spirit and their courage and sapping their strength so they would be reduced into mere shadows of themselves. Of course, that is, excluding Alex. Alex is the only one who didn’t break under all that pressure. But still, it was horrifying to read how the other characters slowly reached their breaking point.

Its sequel is also different from Ashes because of the horrors that were presented to the reader. In the first book, it was horrifying because of all the gore and the animalistic instinct that took over humanity. They turned into these rabid cannibals that seemed to have lost their mental faculties. They completely became inhuman. However, in Shadows, it was shown that humans, even without losing their capacity to think, can still lose their humanity. Some of the things in this book were so inhumane that I was thoroughly bothered, my guts twisted unpleasantly. Yes, gore can make your stomach flip, but this more evil kind of horror will creep the hell out of you. Some of the scenes were just so chilling and… numbing.

Despite my opinion with regard to the themes of Shadows, I still cannot help but find the writing beautiful. I still marvel at the metaphors that Bick uses. They amaze me even though they horrify me at the same time.

The synopsis in the back of the book, I also found inaccurate. I thought this book was all about Rule. That was even the promise of the ending of Ashes—but it wasn’t what I expected. Yes, there were a few secrets about Rule that were uncovered, but none as powerful as the secret revealed in the ending of Ashes.

Well, I don’t really know how I’m supposed to rate Shadows. Judging by my review, I should give it a two- or a three-star rating. However, my initial thought was to give it four stars. And I still feel like giving it four stars, but I cannot justify why, because the only reason I could think of is that the writing is beautiful and that the characters were consistent and Alex was admirable. This is really frustrating.
(less)

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Shadows (Ashes Trilogy #2)

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