Reaper’s Return Book Recommendation!
Reaper's Return by Ren Cummins Series: Chronicles of Aesirium #1
Published by Talaria Press on March 10th 2011
Genres: Middle-Grade Fiction, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook
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What if Death wore a pretty black dress?
Everyone in Oldtown had heard talk of the Reapers. Even though nobody had seen one in years, everyone whispered the tales: flying from rooftop to rooftop, stealing the souls of the unwary, letting their undead beasts hunt through the streets for any member of the community too reckless or fearless to heed the nightly curfew ... mysterious and terrifying, most feared to even mention them by name, lest they appear and gather your spirit away.
For 11-year-old Romany, her greatest fears were less about the mythological Reapers and more about surviving a miserable life
inside of Oldtown's solitary orphanage. Her stark white hair made her an obvious target for the bullies, and the cruel nickname of "Ratgirl" had followed her for years. But if Rom thought her troubles were behind her, being struck dead by a bolt of lightning would only open the door to an entire life of new ones.
First on the list? Finding out that she herself...is a Reaper.
Normally when I read an e-book and listen to an audio book I have a set preference between the two. In this case I enjoyed both equally. The audio book has a brilliant narrator who seamlessly transformed this singularly unique novel. Neither version outshines the other and I was easily able to switch between the two without hesitation. Not to mention the narrator’s voice is striking and captivating without being a distraction from what is happening in the story.
I would say this novel can reach out to middle grade through adults with a steampunk flair, compelling story line and a full range of emotions. So many novels have a few emotions surrounding a story line but this fast paced adventure has, well, for lack of a better explanation, “ALL THE FEELZ”. This imaginative story features Romany and Kari who both have distinctive personalities that complement one another. They navigate through what must be the most imaginative world I can remember reading about, a unique blend of steampunk and sci-fi that reminded me of my manga/anime days. I could imagine this being turned into an anime. The scenes played out in my mind almost as thought it had been written like an anime; full of action, emotion and of course crazy amazing mech.
Overall, the author still has room to grow but his imagination it’s already out of this world! A full 5 stars for enraptured me in this vibrant tale. I would heartily recommend this novel to anyone looking for a step away from the usual. Don’t let the summary for this novel fool you, this book is a breed apart.
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I write. I’m a writer, perhaps much the way my act of breathing makes me a breather. Wait, that’s a poor example.
I began with sketching, but my love of music and math turned me into a musician, and from there prose and poetry fashioned me into a writer. My first series, the young adult (steampunk) fantasy series “CHRONICLES OF AESIRIUM” about a young girl who becomes an angel of death, marked my work as a light hearted and optimistic look into death and darkness, but I’m sure that’s just the lip of the rabbit hole.
I also helped found Talaria Press, a loosely affiliated gang of misfits whose work can be found at www.talariapress.com
- come join the parade, there’s space enough for all.
