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The Outlands Pentalogy #2
A History of Madness
The four remaining fugitives are now spread across the Kingdom. And with the fate of the others unknown to him, Nate Anteros prays for a fast execution.
Yet execution does not come. After a meeting with the King which leaves Nate questioning his sanity, he’s sent to a workcamp in Argon Basin for five years of hard labour. It’s there that Nate learns what became of his friends upon their arrest.
And as his strength returns to him, and he’s plagued by dreams which are much too real to be ignored, Nate decides five years is far too long to wait …
Yet execution does not come. After a meeting with the King which leaves Nate questioning his sanity, he’s sent to a workcamp in Argon Basin for five years of hard labour. It’s there that Nate learns what became of his friends upon their arrest.
And as his strength returns to him, and he’s plagued by dreams which are much too real to be ignored, Nate decides five years is far too long to wait …
258 pages, Paperback
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August 27, 2021
R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to A History of Madness! ★ ★ ★ ★
'Anais is one of the few places in the world where scars can be erased by creams and lotions. I hate that I know that now. I hate that I've seen how many things can be erased, as if they never happened. As if the damage was all a dream.'
'You cannot live in a cage forever, darling,' he said. 'Humans were meant to be free. One day you'll wish you came with me.'
'Dangerous words.'
'We're dangerous creatures; some of us have just forgotten how.
Evermore memorable. Evermore intense. Curious hereafter, a wall-to-wall dystopian teeming with wall-to-wall passion, and I do love a chase for freedom. If this title doesn’t accurately (fortuitously) pay a personal homage to me, it’s like we were made for each other. But I’m not here to drop a deluge and flesh over over the innards of my fragile sanity. No, I’m hoping to do that with Rebecca Crunden’s hero, Nathanial Anteros.
I was fully mindful of just how excited I'd be (by benchmark of design) to re-enter the darkly dystopic and grossly imperfect Kingdom that centres Rebecca Crunden's Outlands Pentalogy. The book that establishes and launches this series completely took me by surprise, the author affecting such a crystal-clear simplicity and character-driven complexity that the pages turned unbidden and the protagonists’ artlessly eased their way inside the humble lodging I call my heart. For all my fear for their fates, my desire to follow them anywhere is perhaps as radical as Nate’s audacity. And I'd be damned if that preface didn't whisk up a rippling flush of sweeping expectancy.
The forecast: expectedly unknown if not for a widespread overlay of symptomatic, characteristic depression and despair, machinated by Crunden's trademark close-to-the-bone indelicate justice that never bridles the binds or blows to befall these characters in a setting sick with educated diminution. Nate and Kitty aren’t pardoned from suffering. There Is no saint or saviour or saving grace prowling in the shadows, even for the flush-pocketed. Ever since I completed A Touch of Death, the rest of this powerful and painfully mortal world has mulled an earthy tune in my mind, a returning birdsong that demanded I reorganise my reads and prioritise this character-driven marvel.
It might be nearing on only a handful of years since I knighted myself as a book-loving sleuth of fictional locales (late reader that I am) but it might be nearing on less than that as I later dubbed myself a lover of dystopian fantasies. The author deposits us back in this demonstrably familiar and frightening Kingdom of punishing orthodoxy with a terrifying shortage of freedom. Old beliefs haven been broken, newer ones have taken their place, and the rest is left to the heavens of chance.
Deference is demanded. Discipline, encouraged. Law is safeguarded and to be free is to be a disbanded menace to legislation. This is a world with something all-encompassing to fight for, something important to fight against while surviving out of sheer establishment and demand makes this a colonised land where free will and autonomy died with the ancestors that devastated the future for posterity to come.
We know Nate as the red-haired rebel who once seared with molten ire. Challenger to the Kingdom. Despiser of its council. Hater to the limbs of the law. Antagonist to its devastating ethic. His freedom-fighting spirit dropped after being criminally brutalised in a Kingdom that had never permitted him his own mind. With little left to fight for but to lock eyes with the only place he can't be caged, home to the human race's immemorial enemy, the Outlands dangles his ripe and waiting salvation. There, he can’t be disturbed by law. There he’s a free man. There, his soul cant’ be touched.
In A Touch of Death we knew Nate through Kitty's mind and saw him through Kitty's eyes. In A History of Madness, we're graced with a POV change as we read from Nathanial Anteros, a Firebird in irons, incarcerated, as his loathing for a diabolical Kingdom only grows. While his mind dances a mercurial anthem from dejection to desperation, from mayhem to misery, the shuddering, palpitating flux of his mind boasts a biography of madness that speaks to a famine for freedom. And it’s where Nate, Crunden’s highly-feeling and thoroughly tormented hero is concerned, that the author titles this instalment with perfection.
History seems wickedly primed for a repeat because while Nate attracts life with a resolve that sabotages his need to meet his maker, he's back in the hell where all his nightmares materialised. Nate and his friends were what felt like one last sprint away from freedom, but with no news of what happened to Evander, Kitty, Tove and Zoe, his despairing wait for execution unexpectedly changes to a five year sentence bound to a labour camp on the flip of a choice. He doesn't know how or why this change of fate has fallen, how he's evaded death yet again. But as he builds his strength within an encampment of convicts, he needs to know what happened to Kitty while he toiled away in the gruelling workforce.
It's time for a fugitive homecoming and a convict jailbreak because this furious jailbird now intends to fly free like his favourite animal of choice. The quartet reunite and while they plan to follow through in departing a dastardly kingdom, they're on the same trail of evading capture, hoping for the best, fearing the worst and pulling themselves evermore through the cutting hand that has sliced through their hope, their conviction, their credence and all that is decent time and time again.
Rebecca Crunden lets her characters bruise, burn, suffer and rage as their world thieves from them In this sequel still. While Nate spoke about Kitty as the ‘silver-tongued’ woman with bite, bravery and intelligence that claimed his heart, she’s now subdued, withdrawn and contemplative in a way she wasn’t after enduring a sacrifice to see her friends spared. She’s not the same as she once was as she and Nate close the distance between their separation, and while we’re no longer a guest to her point of view, we’re privy to her transformation through Nate’s sight. If you think these characters haven’t been put through enough, the suffering doesn't quite stop here.
As with the first in series, we're dropped into the indefinite. We’re in a world that was once ravaged and savaged by a mysterious disaster. We're blessed with horror without quite knowing from whence it came, only its current state of becoming. We're aware of the world's current tyranny, law, penology and layered structure. From the bits of provided backstory we know about the Devastation that levelled land and race, we know about the Last War between humans and Mutants and we know how far the rulers of the world went to secure power.
In this sequel, the author is still in no elaborate rush to allay discretion and spill every secret but we do learn more about the state of the world, about the rabids and Radiants, about the strange dreamland I was really curious about and why the world became a ruin before its rebirth. The Kingdom does take us to a few different places, having us meet new characters. Just in A Touch of Death, we have a world that slowly but surely reveals itself, with continuity, mystery and a taste for newer developments that I'm so excited to see the advantage in.
I’m really looking forward to learning more about their mutant mutuals, to see what Nate and Kitty’s newly acquired adapted genes might grant them and to undress the rest with the prophecy and the budding insurgency angle. The author smartly reveals without revealing too much, even if I was hoping for a few more giveaways. The pace doesn’t bulldoze and neither does it dawdle but I did feel that the edge of suspense was amiss. The pace aims to comfort as opposed to inflame so I did feel it slacken in that respect.
I need to get to the heart of this book and that is the man who already inhabits mine. I love, dote and champion everything that is Nate - he makes my heart pinch, ache and crumble all at once. The author consistently draws out the narrative, the tone and the continuity of her characters but if she arguably masters anything, it’s her leading man Nathanial Anteros. His home is with the misfits, criminals and lawbreakers. He’s as brittle and breakable as a time-sensitive explosive with a heart etched from feeling fire. Delicately anxious and courageously enraged by a civilisation that defeats human nature.
Characterised by passion and a bleeding heart, Nate is deeply-feeling, deeply fearful, complex and restlessly haunted, a man poised at the edge of ruin, always a hand’s width short of losing himself. While Kitty is his light, his brother is his lifeline and despite Thom’s announced death, Nate still feels his aliveness in every part of him, an immortal awareness he won’t let go of. The Kingdom is his sickness and the Outlands is his recovery. I have an unfounded gravitational pull towards the passionate, and with Nate’s raw sting, his smouldering resistance, his sharp grief and of course, his always-welcomed smug sarcasm he’s just a fictional keeper for me. The author doesn’t aim to tame her characters, even if some are more contained than others, but they’re all fallible and abraded with unseasoned authenticity.
There’s an overarching feeling that the main characters really are alone in this world. With their urgency, self-reflection, rest, unrest, displaced morality and adjusting identities, my sympathy soared as high as the walls of their Kingdom and I just wanted to hoard them, dress them in the finery of faith, arm them with love, swaddle them with curative salves for their scars and free them like butterflies trapped in a jar. There’s still a sense of wonder though - if they’ll see each other, if they’ll see their destination, see the fall of a wretched complex of control, gauging who to trust after being burned, where to go with no solid plans and hoping that hope isn’t as ethereal as it seems. Nothing really is certain.
Something that hadn’t escaped my notice is how acutely the author highlights the physical grind and grit that surviving is for the central characters. Their bodies are pushed through a lot and Crunden describes the exhaustive toll of this imperious world as equal harassment on their minds and bodies; they’re not their own, used, abused, bargained and traded. As they travel, as they flee, as they’re captive, as they weather what’s out of their control, the author makes sure to give weight to the corporeal malaise, the shifting map of their changing bodies; scarred, starved, violated and honed by the uncharted.
The above deepens the material durability of the characters; their worn bodies aren’t without discomfort and aren’t free from the oppression. It’s clear that surviving does age them quickly, almost expedites it and it’s all done without a sense of sensationalising the struggle or lingering on the terrible. We can see the struggle and the hardship, we know it’s bad, and we’re left to deal with it as the characters scramble to do the same. The struggle is physical as it is emotional, existential without being overly sympathetic to sentimentality.
I don't think there's another genre as relatable and inherently speculative of the human race as a flawed society. Survival is one of my favourite tropes, perhaps the main reason for my fascination of a hard-hitting dystopian. The pool of Indie-published titles are congested and choked with leagues of creativity and Rebecca Crunden’s ‘Cuttaverse’ delivers a memorably original sample of great dystopian literature. This futurised era is excellently imagined and the author doesn’t pacify the darkness by way of a one-for-all restorative, remedial tonic. Everyone is robbed of the right to their ancestral history, of their human nature, educated with a legion of told enforcement, told lies, and with characters who don’t quite know their own strengths.
Without any sort of embellishment, I confess that I honestly just can’t stop turning the pages with this pentalogy! I suppose that makes this a page-turner because needing to know what happens next is a must and I resent having to put these books down when I’m no longer primed to imbibe. Only two books in and my brain keeps turning over what might happen next while chastising me to catch up. You can look forward to the rage of injustice that lights up Nate’s bedeviled soul, flawed and flaking characters intimately bonded by their travels, a continuation of Nate and Kitty’s slow burn romance and a star-crossed brotherhood unlike any I’ve read before as a ride-or-die peregrination sees to believe in a life past the dividing frontier.
As Nate sees Kitty and Thom as the stars that guide him as long as their lights remain aglow, I need this author to do the same for me and hopefully see me safely through the rest of this series! A History of Madness ends taut but excitingly and I now hurriedly run into the arms of the next book as it is a truth universally acknowledged that to wait is to deny a fine pleasure. I don’t think I've ever read a book where the love between two brothers runs deeper than love, that runs harder than the romance; the devotion is enviable. The author is a talent and so far this series pulls flush with moreish grit.
C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: Mentions (retrospectively) moments of self harm, self-destruction and attempts at suicide. General warnings for violence, alcohol consumption and profanity. Mentions being hanged, drowned, starved, beaten and whipped. Also deals with themes of forced/arranged marriage, past miscarriages and there is an on-page abortion scene that may be sensitive to readers. Bear in mind that there is sensitive content surrounding this including absent attitudes towards the death of life. Also mentions execution and off-page rape (there are conversations that allude to rape throughout). Detailed descriptions of tortured bodies and there is one non-descriptive/vaguely described bedroom scene. The main male character's struggle with anxiety and PTSD is also chronic.
E X T R A_T H O U G H T S
1) Another minor theory on the way (perhaps don’t read on further if you haven’t read this book!).
2) With Kitty and Nate’s relationship, I am truly invested in them as a couple but I still think they need more development. Clearly, they’re on the run and there’s always an intensive and worrisome burnt-out edge which doesn’t give way a lot of romantic exploration. I do feel the intimacy between them but I’m hoping to see more communication between them. We know that Nate’s love for her is diehard but I’m feeling that Kitty has a ways to go in getting there and I’m looking forward to seeing how the author might nurture their connection.
3) So, this comment really speaks to my weak kness for a hero who takes a common term of affection/endearment and individualises it. Every time Nate calls anyone 'darling' my giddy heart does take a turn *grins*
----------------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
----------------------------------------------------
'Anais is one of the few places in the world where scars can be erased by creams and lotions. I hate that I know that now. I hate that I've seen how many things can be erased, as if they never happened. As if the damage was all a dream.'
'You cannot live in a cage forever, darling,' he said. 'Humans were meant to be free. One day you'll wish you came with me.'
'Dangerous words.'
'We're dangerous creatures; some of us have just forgotten how.
Evermore memorable. Evermore intense. Curious hereafter, a wall-to-wall dystopian teeming with wall-to-wall passion, and I do love a chase for freedom. If this title doesn’t accurately (fortuitously) pay a personal homage to me, it’s like we were made for each other. But I’m not here to drop a deluge and flesh over over the innards of my fragile sanity. No, I’m hoping to do that with Rebecca Crunden’s hero, Nathanial Anteros.
I was fully mindful of just how excited I'd be (by benchmark of design) to re-enter the darkly dystopic and grossly imperfect Kingdom that centres Rebecca Crunden's Outlands Pentalogy. The book that establishes and launches this series completely took me by surprise, the author affecting such a crystal-clear simplicity and character-driven complexity that the pages turned unbidden and the protagonists’ artlessly eased their way inside the humble lodging I call my heart. For all my fear for their fates, my desire to follow them anywhere is perhaps as radical as Nate’s audacity. And I'd be damned if that preface didn't whisk up a rippling flush of sweeping expectancy.
The forecast: expectedly unknown if not for a widespread overlay of symptomatic, characteristic depression and despair, machinated by Crunden's trademark close-to-the-bone indelicate justice that never bridles the binds or blows to befall these characters in a setting sick with educated diminution. Nate and Kitty aren’t pardoned from suffering. There Is no saint or saviour or saving grace prowling in the shadows, even for the flush-pocketed. Ever since I completed A Touch of Death, the rest of this powerful and painfully mortal world has mulled an earthy tune in my mind, a returning birdsong that demanded I reorganise my reads and prioritise this character-driven marvel.
It might be nearing on only a handful of years since I knighted myself as a book-loving sleuth of fictional locales (late reader that I am) but it might be nearing on less than that as I later dubbed myself a lover of dystopian fantasies. The author deposits us back in this demonstrably familiar and frightening Kingdom of punishing orthodoxy with a terrifying shortage of freedom. Old beliefs haven been broken, newer ones have taken their place, and the rest is left to the heavens of chance.
Deference is demanded. Discipline, encouraged. Law is safeguarded and to be free is to be a disbanded menace to legislation. This is a world with something all-encompassing to fight for, something important to fight against while surviving out of sheer establishment and demand makes this a colonised land where free will and autonomy died with the ancestors that devastated the future for posterity to come.
We know Nate as the red-haired rebel who once seared with molten ire. Challenger to the Kingdom. Despiser of its council. Hater to the limbs of the law. Antagonist to its devastating ethic. His freedom-fighting spirit dropped after being criminally brutalised in a Kingdom that had never permitted him his own mind. With little left to fight for but to lock eyes with the only place he can't be caged, home to the human race's immemorial enemy, the Outlands dangles his ripe and waiting salvation. There, he can’t be disturbed by law. There he’s a free man. There, his soul cant’ be touched.
In A Touch of Death we knew Nate through Kitty's mind and saw him through Kitty's eyes. In A History of Madness, we're graced with a POV change as we read from Nathanial Anteros, a Firebird in irons, incarcerated, as his loathing for a diabolical Kingdom only grows. While his mind dances a mercurial anthem from dejection to desperation, from mayhem to misery, the shuddering, palpitating flux of his mind boasts a biography of madness that speaks to a famine for freedom. And it’s where Nate, Crunden’s highly-feeling and thoroughly tormented hero is concerned, that the author titles this instalment with perfection.
History seems wickedly primed for a repeat because while Nate attracts life with a resolve that sabotages his need to meet his maker, he's back in the hell where all his nightmares materialised. Nate and his friends were what felt like one last sprint away from freedom, but with no news of what happened to Evander, Kitty, Tove and Zoe, his despairing wait for execution unexpectedly changes to a five year sentence bound to a labour camp on the flip of a choice. He doesn't know how or why this change of fate has fallen, how he's evaded death yet again. But as he builds his strength within an encampment of convicts, he needs to know what happened to Kitty while he toiled away in the gruelling workforce.
It's time for a fugitive homecoming and a convict jailbreak because this furious jailbird now intends to fly free like his favourite animal of choice. The quartet reunite and while they plan to follow through in departing a dastardly kingdom, they're on the same trail of evading capture, hoping for the best, fearing the worst and pulling themselves evermore through the cutting hand that has sliced through their hope, their conviction, their credence and all that is decent time and time again.
Rebecca Crunden lets her characters bruise, burn, suffer and rage as their world thieves from them In this sequel still. While Nate spoke about Kitty as the ‘silver-tongued’ woman with bite, bravery and intelligence that claimed his heart, she’s now subdued, withdrawn and contemplative in a way she wasn’t after enduring a sacrifice to see her friends spared. She’s not the same as she once was as she and Nate close the distance between their separation, and while we’re no longer a guest to her point of view, we’re privy to her transformation through Nate’s sight. If you think these characters haven’t been put through enough, the suffering doesn't quite stop here.
As with the first in series, we're dropped into the indefinite. We’re in a world that was once ravaged and savaged by a mysterious disaster. We're blessed with horror without quite knowing from whence it came, only its current state of becoming. We're aware of the world's current tyranny, law, penology and layered structure. From the bits of provided backstory we know about the Devastation that levelled land and race, we know about the Last War between humans and Mutants and we know how far the rulers of the world went to secure power.
In this sequel, the author is still in no elaborate rush to allay discretion and spill every secret but we do learn more about the state of the world, about the rabids and Radiants, about the strange dreamland I was really curious about and why the world became a ruin before its rebirth. The Kingdom does take us to a few different places, having us meet new characters. Just in A Touch of Death, we have a world that slowly but surely reveals itself, with continuity, mystery and a taste for newer developments that I'm so excited to see the advantage in.
I’m really looking forward to learning more about their mutant mutuals, to see what Nate and Kitty’s newly acquired adapted genes might grant them and to undress the rest with the prophecy and the budding insurgency angle. The author smartly reveals without revealing too much, even if I was hoping for a few more giveaways. The pace doesn’t bulldoze and neither does it dawdle but I did feel that the edge of suspense was amiss. The pace aims to comfort as opposed to inflame so I did feel it slacken in that respect.
I need to get to the heart of this book and that is the man who already inhabits mine. I love, dote and champion everything that is Nate - he makes my heart pinch, ache and crumble all at once. The author consistently draws out the narrative, the tone and the continuity of her characters but if she arguably masters anything, it’s her leading man Nathanial Anteros. His home is with the misfits, criminals and lawbreakers. He’s as brittle and breakable as a time-sensitive explosive with a heart etched from feeling fire. Delicately anxious and courageously enraged by a civilisation that defeats human nature.
Characterised by passion and a bleeding heart, Nate is deeply-feeling, deeply fearful, complex and restlessly haunted, a man poised at the edge of ruin, always a hand’s width short of losing himself. While Kitty is his light, his brother is his lifeline and despite Thom’s announced death, Nate still feels his aliveness in every part of him, an immortal awareness he won’t let go of. The Kingdom is his sickness and the Outlands is his recovery. I have an unfounded gravitational pull towards the passionate, and with Nate’s raw sting, his smouldering resistance, his sharp grief and of course, his always-welcomed smug sarcasm he’s just a fictional keeper for me. The author doesn’t aim to tame her characters, even if some are more contained than others, but they’re all fallible and abraded with unseasoned authenticity.
There’s an overarching feeling that the main characters really are alone in this world. With their urgency, self-reflection, rest, unrest, displaced morality and adjusting identities, my sympathy soared as high as the walls of their Kingdom and I just wanted to hoard them, dress them in the finery of faith, arm them with love, swaddle them with curative salves for their scars and free them like butterflies trapped in a jar. There’s still a sense of wonder though - if they’ll see each other, if they’ll see their destination, see the fall of a wretched complex of control, gauging who to trust after being burned, where to go with no solid plans and hoping that hope isn’t as ethereal as it seems. Nothing really is certain.
Something that hadn’t escaped my notice is how acutely the author highlights the physical grind and grit that surviving is for the central characters. Their bodies are pushed through a lot and Crunden describes the exhaustive toll of this imperious world as equal harassment on their minds and bodies; they’re not their own, used, abused, bargained and traded. As they travel, as they flee, as they’re captive, as they weather what’s out of their control, the author makes sure to give weight to the corporeal malaise, the shifting map of their changing bodies; scarred, starved, violated and honed by the uncharted.
The above deepens the material durability of the characters; their worn bodies aren’t without discomfort and aren’t free from the oppression. It’s clear that surviving does age them quickly, almost expedites it and it’s all done without a sense of sensationalising the struggle or lingering on the terrible. We can see the struggle and the hardship, we know it’s bad, and we’re left to deal with it as the characters scramble to do the same. The struggle is physical as it is emotional, existential without being overly sympathetic to sentimentality.
I don't think there's another genre as relatable and inherently speculative of the human race as a flawed society. Survival is one of my favourite tropes, perhaps the main reason for my fascination of a hard-hitting dystopian. The pool of Indie-published titles are congested and choked with leagues of creativity and Rebecca Crunden’s ‘Cuttaverse’ delivers a memorably original sample of great dystopian literature. This futurised era is excellently imagined and the author doesn’t pacify the darkness by way of a one-for-all restorative, remedial tonic. Everyone is robbed of the right to their ancestral history, of their human nature, educated with a legion of told enforcement, told lies, and with characters who don’t quite know their own strengths.
Without any sort of embellishment, I confess that I honestly just can’t stop turning the pages with this pentalogy! I suppose that makes this a page-turner because needing to know what happens next is a must and I resent having to put these books down when I’m no longer primed to imbibe. Only two books in and my brain keeps turning over what might happen next while chastising me to catch up. You can look forward to the rage of injustice that lights up Nate’s bedeviled soul, flawed and flaking characters intimately bonded by their travels, a continuation of Nate and Kitty’s slow burn romance and a star-crossed brotherhood unlike any I’ve read before as a ride-or-die peregrination sees to believe in a life past the dividing frontier.
As Nate sees Kitty and Thom as the stars that guide him as long as their lights remain aglow, I need this author to do the same for me and hopefully see me safely through the rest of this series! A History of Madness ends taut but excitingly and I now hurriedly run into the arms of the next book as it is a truth universally acknowledged that to wait is to deny a fine pleasure. I don’t think I've ever read a book where the love between two brothers runs deeper than love, that runs harder than the romance; the devotion is enviable. The author is a talent and so far this series pulls flush with moreish grit.
C O N T E N T_W A R N I N G: Mentions (retrospectively) moments of self harm, self-destruction and attempts at suicide. General warnings for violence, alcohol consumption and profanity. Mentions being hanged, drowned, starved, beaten and whipped. Also deals with themes of forced/arranged marriage, past miscarriages and there is an on-page abortion scene that may be sensitive to readers. Bear in mind that there is sensitive content surrounding this including absent attitudes towards the death of life. Also mentions execution and off-page rape (there are conversations that allude to rape throughout). Detailed descriptions of tortured bodies and there is one non-descriptive/vaguely described bedroom scene. The main male character's struggle with anxiety and PTSD is also chronic.
E X T R A_T H O U G H T S
1) Another minor theory on the way (perhaps don’t read on further if you haven’t read this book!).
2) With Kitty and Nate’s relationship, I am truly invested in them as a couple but I still think they need more development. Clearly, they’re on the run and there’s always an intensive and worrisome burnt-out edge which doesn’t give way a lot of romantic exploration. I do feel the intimacy between them but I’m hoping to see more communication between them. We know that Nate’s love for her is diehard but I’m feeling that Kitty has a ways to go in getting there and I’m looking forward to seeing how the author might nurture their connection.
3) So, this comment really speaks to my weak kness for a hero who takes a common term of affection/endearment and individualises it. Every time Nate calls anyone 'darling' my giddy heart does take a turn *grins*
----------------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @VicariousHearts
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
----------------------------------------------------
November 18, 2019
In a dark, dystopian world built on hate and a lust for absolute power, Rebecca Crunden takes us back into the Outlands in book two, A HISTORY OF MADNESS. Trust me, this one only makes book one more memorable as the intensity ratchets up through the emotions and even despair of the characters she has created.
This is Nate’s story and, as readers turn each page, they will be drawn deeper and deeper into this Hell-on-Earth tale. Facing execution, Nate receives and strange last minute reprieve that finds him fated for five long years of hard labor. Will Nate discover what happened to his friends and allies, now strewn across the kingdom to suffer their own fate? Will he find his friends or the young woman he loves? Will he ever see them again? Will he learn to true fate of his brother before he has been broken by the rules of a cruel society? How can he rescue his friends when he can’t even rescue himself?
When one of the most vile monsters in the kingdom is the father of the woman you love, how can you reconcile the fate of the world that may include her in a dark prophecy that could destroy her very soul?
Rebecca Crunden doesn’t soften any sharp edges, but puts it all out there for readers to become addicted to as they feel the brittleness of this tale. No sugar-coating, no hero coming out of the darkness, this is survival of the fittest, the strongest of wills and the truest of hearts.
I read this one straight through, because…how could I not? I needed to know what happens, I needed to hear Nate’s version of the horrors of these events. Fabulously dark, raw and untamed, a brutal world comes to life and you will believe you are there.
I received a complimentary copy from Rebecca Crunden! Highly recommended! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Outlands Pentalogy - Book 2
Publication Date: July 13, 2017
Publisher: Rebecca Crunden
Genre: Dark Fiction | Dystopian
Print Length: 257 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
This is Nate’s story and, as readers turn each page, they will be drawn deeper and deeper into this Hell-on-Earth tale. Facing execution, Nate receives and strange last minute reprieve that finds him fated for five long years of hard labor. Will Nate discover what happened to his friends and allies, now strewn across the kingdom to suffer their own fate? Will he find his friends or the young woman he loves? Will he ever see them again? Will he learn to true fate of his brother before he has been broken by the rules of a cruel society? How can he rescue his friends when he can’t even rescue himself?
When one of the most vile monsters in the kingdom is the father of the woman you love, how can you reconcile the fate of the world that may include her in a dark prophecy that could destroy her very soul?
Rebecca Crunden doesn’t soften any sharp edges, but puts it all out there for readers to become addicted to as they feel the brittleness of this tale. No sugar-coating, no hero coming out of the darkness, this is survival of the fittest, the strongest of wills and the truest of hearts.
I read this one straight through, because…how could I not? I needed to know what happens, I needed to hear Nate’s version of the horrors of these events. Fabulously dark, raw and untamed, a brutal world comes to life and you will believe you are there.
I received a complimentary copy from Rebecca Crunden! Highly recommended! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Outlands Pentalogy - Book 2
Publication Date: July 13, 2017
Publisher: Rebecca Crunden
Genre: Dark Fiction | Dystopian
Print Length: 257 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
February 29, 2020
What a fascinating read! I can’t get enough of Crunden’s gripping world and equally gripping story! For future readers of this series, this novel is written in Nate’s POV, and I absolutely loved the change.
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At first, I was unsure about the novel being in Nate’s POV after the cliffhanger in A Touch of Death that left me waiting for this book where I could see how Catherine’s situation would play out, but everything worked! Nate’s character was complex and relatable, with mixed feelings about both Thom and Kitty as well as an undying hate for the world. I loved how Crunden elaborated on how much the characters changed over the course of the series, and managed to show Kitty’s change as well despite it not being in her POV. The development between the two characters’ relationship was intriguing and moving-I cant get enough of it! Overall, hardly a thing I would change in A History of Madness. A job well done!
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While I was locked into this story for the whole ride, there were a few minor drawbacks I would like to illuminate. First off, with my writing I would be careful with mentioning controversial topics such as abortion. The reader could take the author’s view in a less than kind manner, and I also believe books should be more of a reprieve from the controversial hardships of our world, so by including them into the story it could have a negative effect on the read. I feel it doesn’t take away from the story much at all; this is just a simple recommendation for future novels. That is my only tip, and either way, with or without the scene, this novel is incredible and should be picked up by readers around the globe.
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A hooking read that inspires rebellion against the reader’s everyday oppressors, a great work that must be read!
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Final grade: 5/5⭐️
.
At first, I was unsure about the novel being in Nate’s POV after the cliffhanger in A Touch of Death that left me waiting for this book where I could see how Catherine’s situation would play out, but everything worked! Nate’s character was complex and relatable, with mixed feelings about both Thom and Kitty as well as an undying hate for the world. I loved how Crunden elaborated on how much the characters changed over the course of the series, and managed to show Kitty’s change as well despite it not being in her POV. The development between the two characters’ relationship was intriguing and moving-I cant get enough of it! Overall, hardly a thing I would change in A History of Madness. A job well done!
.
While I was locked into this story for the whole ride, there were a few minor drawbacks I would like to illuminate. First off, with my writing I would be careful with mentioning controversial topics such as abortion. The reader could take the author’s view in a less than kind manner, and I also believe books should be more of a reprieve from the controversial hardships of our world, so by including them into the story it could have a negative effect on the read. I feel it doesn’t take away from the story much at all; this is just a simple recommendation for future novels. That is my only tip, and either way, with or without the scene, this novel is incredible and should be picked up by readers around the globe.
.
A hooking read that inspires rebellion against the reader’s everyday oppressors, a great work that must be read!
.
Final grade: 5/5⭐️
June 16, 2021
Thank you to the author, Rebecca Crunden, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
With the huge cliffhanger ending of the first book, I naturally jumped at the chance to read the second book as well! And I am so glad that I did! I really liked the first one and I loved this one even more. It was darker and revealed so much more of the history of the world. Thank you again to Rebecca Crunden for letting me read and review this one as well!
First of all, like in the first book, the writing style was wonderful to read, and you can really see how much the author has grown and improved in terms of writing since the previous book. Again, it was fast-paced and action-packed and the combination of clear but also beautiful writing with the darker and grittier tone of the second book made for a truly enjoyable read!
Some words were better left unsaid, but strange things occurred in the darkness; words that would never be utterable in the daylight suddenly seemed necessary in the night.
Somewhat unexpected was the fact that the second book is told from a different perspective. Whereas the first book was told from Kitty’s point of view, the second one follows Nate’s point of view. I actually really enjoyed this shift as I think the differing perspectives reveal more about the story than you would get if you only got to see it from the mind of one person. As I already mentioned, this second book is a lot darker, which reveals itself in the story and the horrible topics it deals with such as forced marriage, rape, and torture. What I especially liked is that Rebecca Crunden doesn’t soften any edges and just writes about it straight up. The topics aren’t romanticized which makes them as realistic and unapologetic as they are, which I think is very important.
What made me really happy is that we got so much more history and information on the world and its peoples and cultures in this second book, but I just can’t help wanting more! It is both an interesting and terrifying world with secrets and war and you never know what is true and what is made up by the government in an attempt to indoctrinate and control the people. The most interesting part for me was the history of the Outlands and the Mutants that live there. I really hope to see more about them in future books!
‘Why would anyone defy King Markas?’ said the boy, ‘He keeps us safe.’
[…] ‘Very good. And what does he keep us safe from?’
‘Freedom,’ chorused the boys.
Finally, as in the first book, it is the characters that really make the book come to life! They are all so unique and real and go through so much growth, each in their own way. Additionally, the relationships and dynamics between the characters shifted as well as the story went on and they had to go through all those horrible things and that was really well done in my opinion! You could really see how those events affected them individually and as a group. Reading the story from Nate’s perspective also gave me new insights into both his characters and the other characters and made me love them all even more!
All in all, A History of Madness is the perfect sequel in this intriguing and fantastic dystopia, and I am so curious to see what happens next! It definitely keeps you at the edge of your seat and you can really see the growth of the author as well as the characters and the story!
With the huge cliffhanger ending of the first book, I naturally jumped at the chance to read the second book as well! And I am so glad that I did! I really liked the first one and I loved this one even more. It was darker and revealed so much more of the history of the world. Thank you again to Rebecca Crunden for letting me read and review this one as well!
First of all, like in the first book, the writing style was wonderful to read, and you can really see how much the author has grown and improved in terms of writing since the previous book. Again, it was fast-paced and action-packed and the combination of clear but also beautiful writing with the darker and grittier tone of the second book made for a truly enjoyable read!
Some words were better left unsaid, but strange things occurred in the darkness; words that would never be utterable in the daylight suddenly seemed necessary in the night.
Somewhat unexpected was the fact that the second book is told from a different perspective. Whereas the first book was told from Kitty’s point of view, the second one follows Nate’s point of view. I actually really enjoyed this shift as I think the differing perspectives reveal more about the story than you would get if you only got to see it from the mind of one person. As I already mentioned, this second book is a lot darker, which reveals itself in the story and the horrible topics it deals with such as forced marriage, rape, and torture. What I especially liked is that Rebecca Crunden doesn’t soften any edges and just writes about it straight up. The topics aren’t romanticized which makes them as realistic and unapologetic as they are, which I think is very important.
What made me really happy is that we got so much more history and information on the world and its peoples and cultures in this second book, but I just can’t help wanting more! It is both an interesting and terrifying world with secrets and war and you never know what is true and what is made up by the government in an attempt to indoctrinate and control the people. The most interesting part for me was the history of the Outlands and the Mutants that live there. I really hope to see more about them in future books!
‘Why would anyone defy King Markas?’ said the boy, ‘He keeps us safe.’
[…] ‘Very good. And what does he keep us safe from?’
‘Freedom,’ chorused the boys.
Finally, as in the first book, it is the characters that really make the book come to life! They are all so unique and real and go through so much growth, each in their own way. Additionally, the relationships and dynamics between the characters shifted as well as the story went on and they had to go through all those horrible things and that was really well done in my opinion! You could really see how those events affected them individually and as a group. Reading the story from Nate’s perspective also gave me new insights into both his characters and the other characters and made me love them all even more!
All in all, A History of Madness is the perfect sequel in this intriguing and fantastic dystopia, and I am so curious to see what happens next! It definitely keeps you at the edge of your seat and you can really see the growth of the author as well as the characters and the story!
December 10, 2020
Thank you to Rebecca Crunden for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
TW/CW: Slavery | Mentioned Rape | Mentioned Miscarriages | Talk of Abortion | On Page Abortion | Murder
Dystopians always take me a bit to pick up. A lot don't work for me, and sometimes they are just too real with our current situation. The Outlands Pentalogy is certainly a Dystiopan world that works for me. And after having read A Touch of Death earlier this year I finally made time for the sequel.
I think what charmed me most in A History of Madness is how it deals with certain topics. The world in this series is not very nice. Nate gets locked up but not executed as expected. Because the important people in the world depend on deals and their nad that is what happened. But also what happened to Cat. A forced marriage where the only need that her husband has for her is to create an offspring or two. Rape is not on the page but clearly hinted at. It also talks about how women have to make the own decisions with their body when it comes to pregnancy.
Another thing I really liked about this book is how we are getting a bit more the history of this world. We get clear ideas of what happened from our society to come to where they are now. And how the Outlands were actually created. Who those people actually are. Especially this bit I am very interested in reading on for.
Other than that we now get the point of view of Nate, as oppose to Cat's in A Touch of Death. I think that was a good call to make, to change the point of view. Nate is a very different person and his journey through the start of this book was much easier to get settled back into than Cat's journey would have been. Nate's decision also creates more actions. I would like to see more of our side characters. The fellow refugees that are with Nate and Cat.
Overall though I enjoyed this read and I can't wait to read on with the third installment.
TW/CW: Slavery | Mentioned Rape | Mentioned Miscarriages | Talk of Abortion | On Page Abortion | Murder
Dystopians always take me a bit to pick up. A lot don't work for me, and sometimes they are just too real with our current situation. The Outlands Pentalogy is certainly a Dystiopan world that works for me. And after having read A Touch of Death earlier this year I finally made time for the sequel.
I think what charmed me most in A History of Madness is how it deals with certain topics. The world in this series is not very nice. Nate gets locked up but not executed as expected. Because the important people in the world depend on deals and their nad that is what happened. But also what happened to Cat. A forced marriage where the only need that her husband has for her is to create an offspring or two. Rape is not on the page but clearly hinted at. It also talks about how women have to make the own decisions with their body when it comes to pregnancy.
Another thing I really liked about this book is how we are getting a bit more the history of this world. We get clear ideas of what happened from our society to come to where they are now. And how the Outlands were actually created. Who those people actually are. Especially this bit I am very interested in reading on for.
Other than that we now get the point of view of Nate, as oppose to Cat's in A Touch of Death. I think that was a good call to make, to change the point of view. Nate is a very different person and his journey through the start of this book was much easier to get settled back into than Cat's journey would have been. Nate's decision also creates more actions. I would like to see more of our side characters. The fellow refugees that are with Nate and Cat.
Overall though I enjoyed this read and I can't wait to read on with the third installment.
January 23, 2022
I only have two bad things to say about this book.
1) It made me break my New Year's resolution to be lights out by 11pm every night. I couldn't stop reading!
2) I was too busy reading it to work on my own book.
I didn't think the first book of the pentalogy could be improved upon, but A History of Madness managed to do just that. From Nate's suffering after being arrested to Kitty's ordeal as Complement to a monster, Crunden beautifully illustrates the strength of the human spirit and our ability to persevere through hardship and be sustained by love. The story is fast-paced. The world is wonderfully imagined and we get to see places we never have before as the characters seek to reconnect and escape to the freedom (and danger) of the Outlands.
Will Nate, Kitty, Zoe, and Tove find each other again? Will they survive long enough to escape? What dangers await them if they do? Is Nate's belief that Tommy survived correct? What became of Nate's and Kitty's mutant abilities? I can guarantee you'll enjoy learning the answers to these questions and more as much as I did and immediately download book three.
1) It made me break my New Year's resolution to be lights out by 11pm every night. I couldn't stop reading!
2) I was too busy reading it to work on my own book.
I didn't think the first book of the pentalogy could be improved upon, but A History of Madness managed to do just that. From Nate's suffering after being arrested to Kitty's ordeal as Complement to a monster, Crunden beautifully illustrates the strength of the human spirit and our ability to persevere through hardship and be sustained by love. The story is fast-paced. The world is wonderfully imagined and we get to see places we never have before as the characters seek to reconnect and escape to the freedom (and danger) of the Outlands.
Will Nate, Kitty, Zoe, and Tove find each other again? Will they survive long enough to escape? What dangers await them if they do? Is Nate's belief that Tommy survived correct? What became of Nate's and Kitty's mutant abilities? I can guarantee you'll enjoy learning the answers to these questions and more as much as I did and immediately download book three.
March 21, 2019
From page one you are pulled into Nate's story and cannot stop wanting more. It is a page turner for sure and you will not be able to put it down. I absolutely love this writers character and world building style. I enjoyed this second of the series and look forward to the next. I highly recommend this series to those that enjoy a good dystopian/scifi thriller. You will not be disappointed!
I received and ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
I received and ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.
March 25, 2022
Really enjoyed this book...its fast-paced and picks up where book 1 left off. This dystopian world is unforgiving and the characters are in a race for their lives. The ending of this one hits you and will make you eager to start book 3. Highly recommend
January 4, 2019
Sigh.
You know the times you get a sequel to a series debut that you hope to God isn't a piece of crap. And when you think, nah way this is going to beat the first one but here goes.
Yes. Well. This. Ain't. One.
Now, I think it might be because each book (just finished #3) has a different perspective (Kitty in #1, Nate in #2), which means you're getting a fresh look each time and you're getting a fabulous amount of time for each character, as well as getting to know how they feel about each other. Not only that, things you think you know, and things you think are happening, might not quite be what they seem.
Nate's the kind of character I love. Broken, passionate, bullish, uncompromising except for the very few (and even then...). He makes decisions I don't agree with, ones I do, ones that make me go NOOOO!!! But the wonderful thing about the writing in the series so far is that we still have an array of varied characters around him for him to (usually) butt heads with, but occasionally get on with. and THEY all have personalities. They all have good and bad ideas, conflicts, determination (or not) and passion of their own. Though set in a world we wouldn't recognise, these people are real, and you want them to win their fights.
Without breaching into telling you how the story develops, the turn it takes nearer the end with the Outlands (which, being The Outlands Pentalogy, had to come around, so not a spoiler) recharges the narrative again, with a whole new vision of this world and discoveries to be had.
It is not easy to get such a layered story, strong narrative, fluent world building and absorbing writing all in one book, let alone two (or three).
Now, I'm writing this already knowing what happened in book 3. And let me tell you, you're in for some fabulous stuff!
You know the times you get a sequel to a series debut that you hope to God isn't a piece of crap. And when you think, nah way this is going to beat the first one but here goes.
Yes. Well. This. Ain't. One.
Now, I think it might be because each book (just finished #3) has a different perspective (Kitty in #1, Nate in #2), which means you're getting a fresh look each time and you're getting a fabulous amount of time for each character, as well as getting to know how they feel about each other. Not only that, things you think you know, and things you think are happening, might not quite be what they seem.
Nate's the kind of character I love. Broken, passionate, bullish, uncompromising except for the very few (and even then...). He makes decisions I don't agree with, ones I do, ones that make me go NOOOO!!! But the wonderful thing about the writing in the series so far is that we still have an array of varied characters around him for him to (usually) butt heads with, but occasionally get on with. and THEY all have personalities. They all have good and bad ideas, conflicts, determination (or not) and passion of their own. Though set in a world we wouldn't recognise, these people are real, and you want them to win their fights.
Without breaching into telling you how the story develops, the turn it takes nearer the end with the Outlands (which, being The Outlands Pentalogy, had to come around, so not a spoiler) recharges the narrative again, with a whole new vision of this world and discoveries to be had.
It is not easy to get such a layered story, strong narrative, fluent world building and absorbing writing all in one book, let alone two (or three).
Now, I'm writing this already knowing what happened in book 3. And let me tell you, you're in for some fabulous stuff!
March 21, 2021
I was provided with an e-copy of the book by the author in exchange for a honest review.
"We are no better simply because we have language and industry and technology. If anything it's made us worse."
I was expecting this book to be good. But I wasn't really expecting it to be better than the first. But this book managed to do it. I really, really liked it.
Crunden has an undeniable talent to make everything she writes sound beautiful. I absolutely love her writing style and how it catches my attention and makes me unable to put the book down. Her writing style is addicting and makes the story addicting as well.
And, truth be told, I believe that more than anything else, it was the writing style that made me keep reading in the beginning. Don't get me wrong, the story was amazing, but it was focused on Nate and no matter how much I love Nate (and I truly love him), after the ending of the first book I needed to know what Kitty was going through and I coudn't understand how Crunden was going to tell me that while talking about Nate who was so far from her.
But Crunden did solve the problem, making it feel almost effortless. In fact, the only thing I didn't like about her solution was the fate of the people Nate took with him. Well, actually the problem wasn't their fate, but Nate's reaction to it. He didn't even think twice about them and even though I understand he was desperate to find Kitty, it makes him sound kind of heartless and it bothered me a lot since I imagine Nate anything but heartless.
Of course, he made it up later, proving to me once again how much of a sweetheart he is. 😍 And this sentence would be for sure a great excuse to write about Nate and how much I love him, but I kind of did it when I reviewed A Touch of Death. So, I'll just say that it would be really, really great if some authors read this book and understood that they can give us a loveable male protagonist without making him a toxic stereotype.
Anyway, let's continue with the review. There's one other thing that bothered me. The way they all seemed to know what the others have been through even though we get no reference to them sharing it. I mean, we do get the reference to them sharing some things, but not all of them and yet it feels like they went through everything together. Of course I am not saying Crunden should have wasted all of her book telling us everything, but perhaps a reference to them sharing their stories one night before sleep. Because the absence of something like that forced me to be the one telling my brain that that was what happened, even though I have no proof of it, just to force myself to accept their knowledge of each other's life and be able to move on with the story.
An effort that I only did because of the plot (and maybe a little because of the writing style). I was truly loving it - the feeling of being living everything again and yet feeling like nothing is the same, because everyone had grown and changed. It's really hard to explain it, but the point is I was loving it and I was not ready to give it up just because a small thing that with a little effort I could ignore was bothering me.
Something I am more than glad I didn't. Giving this book up would have been a shame. The plot is good, the characters are extraordinary - the only thing about them that makes me sad is the fact that I still don't get enough about Zoe and Tove to truly connect with them; right now I feel more connected to Engus than to them and I don't really know how to feel about that -, the writing style is perfect. And that endddddd!!
Another cliffhanger I absolutely hated to love. It is amazing and made me desperate to get my hands on the next book. I really, really need to know how things will work out now. But let's try to write something a little bit more rational about the ending. Let's split it, so I can talk about both the ending of the last chapter and the epilogue. About the first, I can't really say it was a surprise, it was even kind of predictable. I mean, not the situation itself, but the person they saved. It was quite obvious, but it didn't take strength away from the cliffhanger and since Crunden didn't try to make that revelation sound like the discovery of the century I don't really have anything against it. I even enjoyed to be sure of something Nate and Kitty didn't know.
About the second, all I can say it that it made me really worried about Nate and Kitty, especially because all I have right now are theories and none of them is pleasant. I just hope none of them is correct either... 😅
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommed it. You are undoubtely losing a great series if you don't give this one a shot. The whole story is amazing and the fabulous writing style only makes it better. Just like the first one, I am sure this book won't leave my mind for a very long time.
SCORE: 4.50 out of 5.00 stars
You can also find this review on my blog
"We are no better simply because we have language and industry and technology. If anything it's made us worse."
I was expecting this book to be good. But I wasn't really expecting it to be better than the first. But this book managed to do it. I really, really liked it.
Crunden has an undeniable talent to make everything she writes sound beautiful. I absolutely love her writing style and how it catches my attention and makes me unable to put the book down. Her writing style is addicting and makes the story addicting as well.
And, truth be told, I believe that more than anything else, it was the writing style that made me keep reading in the beginning. Don't get me wrong, the story was amazing, but it was focused on Nate and no matter how much I love Nate (and I truly love him), after the ending of the first book I needed to know what Kitty was going through and I coudn't understand how Crunden was going to tell me that while talking about Nate who was so far from her.
But Crunden did solve the problem, making it feel almost effortless. In fact, the only thing I didn't like about her solution was the fate of the people Nate took with him. Well, actually the problem wasn't their fate, but Nate's reaction to it. He didn't even think twice about them and even though I understand he was desperate to find Kitty, it makes him sound kind of heartless and it bothered me a lot since I imagine Nate anything but heartless.
Of course, he made it up later, proving to me once again how much of a sweetheart he is. 😍 And this sentence would be for sure a great excuse to write about Nate and how much I love him, but I kind of did it when I reviewed A Touch of Death. So, I'll just say that it would be really, really great if some authors read this book and understood that they can give us a loveable male protagonist without making him a toxic stereotype.
Anyway, let's continue with the review. There's one other thing that bothered me. The way they all seemed to know what the others have been through even though we get no reference to them sharing it. I mean, we do get the reference to them sharing some things, but not all of them and yet it feels like they went through everything together. Of course I am not saying Crunden should have wasted all of her book telling us everything, but perhaps a reference to them sharing their stories one night before sleep. Because the absence of something like that forced me to be the one telling my brain that that was what happened, even though I have no proof of it, just to force myself to accept their knowledge of each other's life and be able to move on with the story.
An effort that I only did because of the plot (and maybe a little because of the writing style). I was truly loving it - the feeling of being living everything again and yet feeling like nothing is the same, because everyone had grown and changed. It's really hard to explain it, but the point is I was loving it and I was not ready to give it up just because a small thing that with a little effort I could ignore was bothering me.
Something I am more than glad I didn't. Giving this book up would have been a shame. The plot is good, the characters are extraordinary - the only thing about them that makes me sad is the fact that I still don't get enough about Zoe and Tove to truly connect with them; right now I feel more connected to Engus than to them and I don't really know how to feel about that -, the writing style is perfect. And that endddddd!!
Another cliffhanger I absolutely hated to love. It is amazing and made me desperate to get my hands on the next book. I really, really need to know how things will work out now. But let's try to write something a little bit more rational about the ending. Let's split it, so I can talk about both the ending of the last chapter and the epilogue. About the first, I can't really say it was a surprise, it was even kind of predictable. I mean, not the situation itself, but the person they saved. It was quite obvious, but it didn't take strength away from the cliffhanger and since Crunden didn't try to make that revelation sound like the discovery of the century I don't really have anything against it. I even enjoyed to be sure of something Nate and Kitty didn't know.
About the second, all I can say it that it made me really worried about Nate and Kitty, especially because all I have right now are theories and none of them is pleasant. I just hope none of them is correct either... 😅
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommed it. You are undoubtely losing a great series if you don't give this one a shot. The whole story is amazing and the fabulous writing style only makes it better. Just like the first one, I am sure this book won't leave my mind for a very long time.
SCORE: 4.50 out of 5.00 stars
You can also find this review on my blog
April 20, 2020
Check to my full review up on my website: CLICK HERE
REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Rebecca Crunden for providing me with an e-copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A history of madness is the second book in The Outland's Pentalogy series. I read the first book in January. I gave the book 4.5 stars. The world-building is fascinating. We have the mutants and humans at war with each other. Both species have their own views about how the world came to be the way it is now. The humans have ruled the world that emerged after the devastation with firm hands and is ruthlessly enacting laws and regulations to keep the citizens from finding freedom. The indoctrination of the Kingdom is deeply rooted in a falsified history. Things haven't changed much from book 1. Nate and Kitty are separated. Nate, Zoe, and Tove are all separated and sent to work camps. Nate is fed up with life and looks forward to dying finally for the crimes put against him by the Kingdom. Things are definitely shifting. The dynamics of this group are also changing with the situations they get put in. We see the group trying to get acquainted with the new life they were given. The world is expanding and there is more information about the world and the people before and after the Devastation. I really enjoyed reading Nate and Kitty's journey. There are more layers added to their characters and the story is taking us forward steadily with new developments. The world beyond The Wall is intriguing and I loved everything about it. The book ended on a very surprising turn of events and I can't wait to read more about Nate and Kitty and their group of friends. I highly recommend checking this book out and fantasy readers should give this book a try if you love a bit of Sci-Fi added into your fantasy with some cool technologies and interesting world. I gave the book 5 stars and can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.
REVIEW :
DISCLAIMER : Thank you Rebecca Crunden for providing me with an e-copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A history of madness is the second book in The Outland's Pentalogy series. I read the first book in January. I gave the book 4.5 stars. The world-building is fascinating. We have the mutants and humans at war with each other. Both species have their own views about how the world came to be the way it is now. The humans have ruled the world that emerged after the devastation with firm hands and is ruthlessly enacting laws and regulations to keep the citizens from finding freedom. The indoctrination of the Kingdom is deeply rooted in a falsified history. Things haven't changed much from book 1. Nate and Kitty are separated. Nate, Zoe, and Tove are all separated and sent to work camps. Nate is fed up with life and looks forward to dying finally for the crimes put against him by the Kingdom. Things are definitely shifting. The dynamics of this group are also changing with the situations they get put in. We see the group trying to get acquainted with the new life they were given. The world is expanding and there is more information about the world and the people before and after the Devastation. I really enjoyed reading Nate and Kitty's journey. There are more layers added to their characters and the story is taking us forward steadily with new developments. The world beyond The Wall is intriguing and I loved everything about it. The book ended on a very surprising turn of events and I can't wait to read more about Nate and Kitty and their group of friends. I highly recommend checking this book out and fantasy readers should give this book a try if you love a bit of Sci-Fi added into your fantasy with some cool technologies and interesting world. I gave the book 5 stars and can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.
December 8, 2022
*I received a free DRC of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
A History of Madness is the second book in the Outlands Pentalogy, the sequel to A Touch of Death, and not only do I recommend reading them in order but I strongly recommend reading them quite closely together! I had quite a gap between reading books one and two, and it took me a little while to get back into the flow of the action and characters. Once I did, though, I was hooked right in again!
This book begins where the previous one left off, with Nate in a prison camp and Kitty bonded to an abusive letch. It is quite a slow-paced instalment of the story, with more delving into the history and mythology of the world and more background about Radiants/mutants and demons/humans.
There are a few content warnings here, with miscarriage and rape referenced (not shown on the page) and a DIY abortion attempt which forms part of the main plotline. These issues are handled sensitively in context and the reader understands the emotional weight of the issues on the characters – there is some important character development involved in this book.
I did feel that it would have been nice to get some of the chapters from Kitty’s point of view – despite the difficulties of showing us some of what she was going through – as I felt that the way her side of the story was presented left me feeling a little disconnected from what was happening with her up until she met back up with Nate.
The twist ending wasn’t really the surprise to the reader that it was to the characters, as we had been building up to this particular cliffhanger since the beginning of book one, but now we have reached this climactic plot point I can’t wait to see what happens next!
This series is ideal for anyone looking for a thoughtful and immersive dystopian fantasy adventure with a little romance and a lot of fascinating worldbuilding.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
A History of Madness is the second book in the Outlands Pentalogy, the sequel to A Touch of Death, and not only do I recommend reading them in order but I strongly recommend reading them quite closely together! I had quite a gap between reading books one and two, and it took me a little while to get back into the flow of the action and characters. Once I did, though, I was hooked right in again!
This book begins where the previous one left off, with Nate in a prison camp and Kitty bonded to an abusive letch. It is quite a slow-paced instalment of the story, with more delving into the history and mythology of the world and more background about Radiants/mutants and demons/humans.
There are a few content warnings here, with miscarriage and rape referenced (not shown on the page) and a DIY abortion attempt which forms part of the main plotline. These issues are handled sensitively in context and the reader understands the emotional weight of the issues on the characters – there is some important character development involved in this book.
I did feel that it would have been nice to get some of the chapters from Kitty’s point of view – despite the difficulties of showing us some of what she was going through – as I felt that the way her side of the story was presented left me feeling a little disconnected from what was happening with her up until she met back up with Nate.
The twist ending wasn’t really the surprise to the reader that it was to the characters, as we had been building up to this particular cliffhanger since the beginning of book one, but now we have reached this climactic plot point I can’t wait to see what happens next!
This series is ideal for anyone looking for a thoughtful and immersive dystopian fantasy adventure with a little romance and a lot of fascinating worldbuilding.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
September 2, 2019
5 CRANKY STARS
BOOK 2 in this saga gives us an epilogue that explains the prophecy of the chosen female that will return to reunite the Radiants and the humans. With her will come a new era of peace. In this world of the humans, there is a wall around the country protecting them from Joro, the home of the Radiants. The Kingdom is what the humans call their land. It is a mean and cruel place. Anyone who defies the king is placed in prison and is subjected to torture and or hanging. The Hangman is the King’s right-hand man and is cruel beyond measure. He is also, Kitty’s father. We learn how she became good friends with Nate and Thom.
Nate is in a prison camp and his whole goal in life is to rescue Kitty from her wicked husband Gabriel. He must not only escape the prison camp but travel hundreds of miles to rescue her. As he put his plans into place, he discovers Zoe and knows he must rescue her too. Once he gets to Kitty, they must find a way to get to Zoe and then cross the wall to the Outlands. Will they find the Radiants and survive? All their hopes lie in their faith in the knowledge that there must be something better on the other side. Besides, for Nate, he must be out there. If Thom is alive, as he truly believes, they promised to meet in the Outlands.
This series is well written but must be read in order. I don’t advise reading any of these books as a standalone. There is way too much information the reader needs in each book to understand the next book.
BOOK 2 in this saga gives us an epilogue that explains the prophecy of the chosen female that will return to reunite the Radiants and the humans. With her will come a new era of peace. In this world of the humans, there is a wall around the country protecting them from Joro, the home of the Radiants. The Kingdom is what the humans call their land. It is a mean and cruel place. Anyone who defies the king is placed in prison and is subjected to torture and or hanging. The Hangman is the King’s right-hand man and is cruel beyond measure. He is also, Kitty’s father. We learn how she became good friends with Nate and Thom.
Nate is in a prison camp and his whole goal in life is to rescue Kitty from her wicked husband Gabriel. He must not only escape the prison camp but travel hundreds of miles to rescue her. As he put his plans into place, he discovers Zoe and knows he must rescue her too. Once he gets to Kitty, they must find a way to get to Zoe and then cross the wall to the Outlands. Will they find the Radiants and survive? All their hopes lie in their faith in the knowledge that there must be something better on the other side. Besides, for Nate, he must be out there. If Thom is alive, as he truly believes, they promised to meet in the Outlands.
This series is well written but must be read in order. I don’t advise reading any of these books as a standalone. There is way too much information the reader needs in each book to understand the next book.
March 2, 2020
Starting off, I would like to thank Rebecca again for sending me a copy of this book! I’m glad I was given the chance to review and help authors with their books!
I really enjoyed this book! Seeing the world expand and new characters coming into play was one of my favorite things about this book. I loved seeing where Nate’s story went, as well as Catherine’s story, even though it wasn’t told in her p.o.v. I think that’s what I was most impressed with; that Rebecca was able to show the character development of a character, even when we couldn’t see what that character was thinking.
I really liked this book, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
I really enjoyed this book! Seeing the world expand and new characters coming into play was one of my favorite things about this book. I loved seeing where Nate’s story went, as well as Catherine’s story, even though it wasn’t told in her p.o.v. I think that’s what I was most impressed with; that Rebecca was able to show the character development of a character, even when we couldn’t see what that character was thinking.
I really liked this book, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!
March 3, 2020
The main characters Nate and Kitty, are once again strong in this continuing tale. However, this book concentrates on Nate. I really liked the tie in with Nate’s dreams (and I’m leaving it there – no spoiler – read the book!). This author does a nice job of engaging the reader in the adventure and voyage parts of the story. They also do a great job of giving the reader an irritating and despicable character (or two) to keep an eye on and hope for their demise. The author does a nice job with a recap from the previous book.
January 29, 2018
Completely and utterly spectacular, and so very detailed and full of emotional depth. I was hooked on every word and scene. Loved this installment and can't wait to read the next. Bravo to the author too for creating this world and such fantastic characters.
November 25, 2019
very good story.. amazing writing.. good characters and interesting plot. it was well written and i enjoyed it
July 22, 2020
After reading "A Touch of death" I was so eager to read the second book as it ended with a cliffhanger. I had a lot of expectations in the second book before starting it and it didn't disappoint me, not even for a single time. "A History of Madness" by Rebecca Crunden is the second book in "The Outlands Pentalogy". As per the name of the book, it reveals many histories of the Kingdom of Cutta and the protagonist Nate.
This book was from Nate's side of view which was unexpected as the first book ended with Catherine's side of view. I loved Nate in this book more than I love him in the first book. The story started with the his childhood memories. His relationship with his younger brother was described so beautifully. I always loved the brotherhood bond between the characters in the novels and shows. Nate and Thom became one of my favourites.
Catherine aka Kitty, the female protagonist had a gradual development in her character which is one of the things I loved most in this series. I love Kitty more than Catherine who had been through a lot yet managed to stay strong. The love between Nate and Kitty was bloomed so beautifully. It was so lovely to see how caring and supportive Nate was towards Kitty. I just adore them.
The plot was not dragging throughout the book. At first, it was a little boring when Nate just followed the sleeping, working and eating routine but it was logical too. I'm a lover of adventures and there are plenty of it in this book. In the first book, I said there were not clear explanations about mutants, but that was solved in this book. The part with mutants pov was great to know how they thought about humans.
I loved the world-building of Outlands than the Kingdom of Cutta. I guessed the twist at the end but that didn't affect the plot. I'm even more eager to read the third book in the series. And I guessed whose pov it might have. Actually, I was waiting for that person's pov since the first book. I just don't want to disclose that character's name, as it would be a spoiler. So this book is as great as the first book or I could say even greater than the first book. Couldn't wait to read the third book in the series.
This book was from Nate's side of view which was unexpected as the first book ended with Catherine's side of view. I loved Nate in this book more than I love him in the first book. The story started with the his childhood memories. His relationship with his younger brother was described so beautifully. I always loved the brotherhood bond between the characters in the novels and shows. Nate and Thom became one of my favourites.
Catherine aka Kitty, the female protagonist had a gradual development in her character which is one of the things I loved most in this series. I love Kitty more than Catherine who had been through a lot yet managed to stay strong. The love between Nate and Kitty was bloomed so beautifully. It was so lovely to see how caring and supportive Nate was towards Kitty. I just adore them.
The plot was not dragging throughout the book. At first, it was a little boring when Nate just followed the sleeping, working and eating routine but it was logical too. I'm a lover of adventures and there are plenty of it in this book. In the first book, I said there were not clear explanations about mutants, but that was solved in this book. The part with mutants pov was great to know how they thought about humans.
I loved the world-building of Outlands than the Kingdom of Cutta. I guessed the twist at the end but that didn't affect the plot. I'm even more eager to read the third book in the series. And I guessed whose pov it might have. Actually, I was waiting for that person's pov since the first book. I just don't want to disclose that character's name, as it would be a spoiler. So this book is as great as the first book or I could say even greater than the first book. Couldn't wait to read the third book in the series.
January 23, 2020
I received a free copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. Just. Wow.
After A Touch of Death, I was super eager to continue with the story, but I was also worried. I’m always worried when reaching the second book of a series. That’s usually when the overall plot sags, and it makes for an uncomfortable read. Especially when the POV character changes.
That was not the case with this sequel. My mind is utterly blown, and I love Nate more than I did in the first book, which I didn’t think was possible. He’s an amazingly thought out character. There are points when he gets preachy, and while I might not agree with him or think he needs to calm down, I adore that it’s a flaw that makes him feel so real. I could have a conversation with Nate, and it would be an intellectually satisfying experience. That’s rare for a story like this.
Oh, Kitty. She’s as breathtaking as she was in the first book—more so—and while I love seeing her have development, the cost is so high. What she’s gone through between the end of the first book and the start of this one is horrifying, but she reacts to in a raw way that tugged on my heartstrings throughout the entire book. I can’t wait to see where she goes. Will all this break her or will she become stronger because of it?
I can’t get enough of Nate and Kitty together. They’re tragic and not ideal in the slightest, but it’s not annoying. They’ve come together organically due to the events of the two books, and I can’t say what’s going to happen. They don’t even know, which makes sense. Theirs is a terribly right relationship that might work, or it might implode, and it’s exciting watching it unfold.
The rest of the characters are great. They don’t feel unnecessary, and they have their own agendas and plans and act accordingly. They’re developing alongside Nate and Kitty without overshadowing them.
We meet mutants! I didn’t get a total feel for their overall appearance, but I don’t mind. There’s so much revealed about them that that concern fell to the wayside. I like how different they are to the humans without coming across as an obvious contrast that’s shoved down my throat. There’s a nuance to them that a more unskilled author wouldn’t portray correctly.
Two big twists are revealed, and neither was surprising. If they were handled differently, I might have hated guessing what was coming. But, while I knew what was going to happen, the reveals were done well. It’s also nice having no idea how this information will play out. I have some theories, but with the way this author can spin a tale, my theories will mean nothing, or they’ll be explored to incredible heights I couldn’t construct.
This book deserves more than 5 stars. I can’t express how much I enjoyed this or how excited I am to read what comes next. You’d be crazy not to dive into this series.
Wow. Just. Wow.
After A Touch of Death, I was super eager to continue with the story, but I was also worried. I’m always worried when reaching the second book of a series. That’s usually when the overall plot sags, and it makes for an uncomfortable read. Especially when the POV character changes.
That was not the case with this sequel. My mind is utterly blown, and I love Nate more than I did in the first book, which I didn’t think was possible. He’s an amazingly thought out character. There are points when he gets preachy, and while I might not agree with him or think he needs to calm down, I adore that it’s a flaw that makes him feel so real. I could have a conversation with Nate, and it would be an intellectually satisfying experience. That’s rare for a story like this.
Oh, Kitty. She’s as breathtaking as she was in the first book—more so—and while I love seeing her have development, the cost is so high. What she’s gone through between the end of the first book and the start of this one is horrifying, but she reacts to in a raw way that tugged on my heartstrings throughout the entire book. I can’t wait to see where she goes. Will all this break her or will she become stronger because of it?
I can’t get enough of Nate and Kitty together. They’re tragic and not ideal in the slightest, but it’s not annoying. They’ve come together organically due to the events of the two books, and I can’t say what’s going to happen. They don’t even know, which makes sense. Theirs is a terribly right relationship that might work, or it might implode, and it’s exciting watching it unfold.
The rest of the characters are great. They don’t feel unnecessary, and they have their own agendas and plans and act accordingly. They’re developing alongside Nate and Kitty without overshadowing them.
We meet mutants! I didn’t get a total feel for their overall appearance, but I don’t mind. There’s so much revealed about them that that concern fell to the wayside. I like how different they are to the humans without coming across as an obvious contrast that’s shoved down my throat. There’s a nuance to them that a more unskilled author wouldn’t portray correctly.
Two big twists are revealed, and neither was surprising. If they were handled differently, I might have hated guessing what was coming. But, while I knew what was going to happen, the reveals were done well. It’s also nice having no idea how this information will play out. I have some theories, but with the way this author can spin a tale, my theories will mean nothing, or they’ll be explored to incredible heights I couldn’t construct.
This book deserves more than 5 stars. I can’t express how much I enjoyed this or how excited I am to read what comes next. You’d be crazy not to dive into this series.
January 21, 2019
It felt good to step back into this world and pick up where we left off with the characters. In some ways I liked this installment more because it was familiar and I was cheering for these people to succeed. I also love how Nate and Kitty's relationship has now blossomed and that cliffhanger was so unfair cause I wanted to read more!
August 30, 2017
Awesome, dark, and some good twists. Looking forward to the next one. :)
February 13, 2021
It just goes to show, when you scope out the self-published offerings out there, sometimes you find a real gem. And, in my opinion, that is certainly the case here. There are a few bumps along the way - no book is perfect, after all - but for every thing that could be a little more polished there are ten more things that just tugged at my heartstrings and made me eager to continue. There’s so much raw emotion in this book that it’s actually hard for me to put into words just what made it so darn readable, for lack of a better word. But I will give it my best shot!
What I Liked
The Characters - As in the first book of the series, A Touch of Death, the characters are the heart and soul of this story. If you looked up the term “character-driven plot” in the dictionary, this would pretty much be the only thing on the page, and it would sum it up perfectly. The main cast is packed full of endearing people, all of whom are delightfully human and fallible and altogether a joy to read about. Nate and Catherine (or Kitty, now) continue to be my favourite part of this story, and seeing their relationship develop even further through this story was an absolute treat. Give me more of them please!
The Outlands - I don’t want to give away too much here, but the summary does promise an escape from the Kingdom, so I feel okay about revealing this part at least. The Outlands are a breath of fresh air from the claustrophobia of the Kingdom, and their introduction means that we’re delving even further into the history of the world and how it all came to be! What was the Devastation? What are the mutants? How did humanity survive? How did the kingdom come to be?! Even if all these questions aren’t quite answered in detail, there’s certainly the promise of more to come. And if there’s anything I love in a story, it’s lore.
The Ending - Holy moly does this story end on such a tense beat. So much is promised at the final chapter, and I cannot wait to see what comes about. There are so many threads and plots and questions and schemes that I hardly know where to begin, but I do know that I want to see it all unfold in spectacular fashion.
The Section Headings - Returning to this little nit-pick, there were a lot more chapter/section breaks in A History of Madness then there were in the first book and I could not be happier about it. I love reading into the night, but I need a place to catch my breath! Luckily this feels a lot more spread out with more natural breaks and sections, and that really makes it easier to read. 10/10 for improved reading experience!
What I Didn't
The Pacing - Looking at this story and how it unfolded, while I was certainly invested, I think the plot points as they unfolded here were a little too quick in some places and a little too slow in others. If you’re in it for the characters, there’s a lot here to love, but the plot may be a little frustrating if you’re looking for more action and suspense.
The “Magic” - It’s really more like unexplained science as it’s used here, but as it stands, the “magic” system is a bit confusing, particularly towards the end when it begins to be used more and more. I don’t want to explain too much here to avoid any spoilers, but I do hope we get more of an explanation about some limitations and rules in the next book, just so I can keep my head straight.
Trigger Warning :
A History of Madness is a well crafted follow up to the beginning of a promising series. With revolutions on the horizon, the mysteries of the past to unravel, and a great cast of characters to keep us entertained along the way, the Outlands Pentalogy is funny, heartfelt, and full of passion. A must for anyone looking for some excellent dystopian fun.
My Rating: 3.5/5
What I Liked
The Characters - As in the first book of the series, A Touch of Death, the characters are the heart and soul of this story. If you looked up the term “character-driven plot” in the dictionary, this would pretty much be the only thing on the page, and it would sum it up perfectly. The main cast is packed full of endearing people, all of whom are delightfully human and fallible and altogether a joy to read about. Nate and Catherine (or Kitty, now) continue to be my favourite part of this story, and seeing their relationship develop even further through this story was an absolute treat. Give me more of them please!
The Outlands - I don’t want to give away too much here, but the summary does promise an escape from the Kingdom, so I feel okay about revealing this part at least. The Outlands are a breath of fresh air from the claustrophobia of the Kingdom, and their introduction means that we’re delving even further into the history of the world and how it all came to be! What was the Devastation? What are the mutants? How did humanity survive? How did the kingdom come to be?! Even if all these questions aren’t quite answered in detail, there’s certainly the promise of more to come. And if there’s anything I love in a story, it’s lore.
The Ending - Holy moly does this story end on such a tense beat. So much is promised at the final chapter, and I cannot wait to see what comes about. There are so many threads and plots and questions and schemes that I hardly know where to begin, but I do know that I want to see it all unfold in spectacular fashion.
The Section Headings - Returning to this little nit-pick, there were a lot more chapter/section breaks in A History of Madness then there were in the first book and I could not be happier about it. I love reading into the night, but I need a place to catch my breath! Luckily this feels a lot more spread out with more natural breaks and sections, and that really makes it easier to read. 10/10 for improved reading experience!
What I Didn't
The Pacing - Looking at this story and how it unfolded, while I was certainly invested, I think the plot points as they unfolded here were a little too quick in some places and a little too slow in others. If you’re in it for the characters, there’s a lot here to love, but the plot may be a little frustrating if you’re looking for more action and suspense.
The “Magic” - It’s really more like unexplained science as it’s used here, but as it stands, the “magic” system is a bit confusing, particularly towards the end when it begins to be used more and more. I don’t want to explain too much here to avoid any spoilers, but I do hope we get more of an explanation about some limitations and rules in the next book, just so I can keep my head straight.
Trigger Warning :
A History of Madness is a well crafted follow up to the beginning of a promising series. With revolutions on the horizon, the mysteries of the past to unravel, and a great cast of characters to keep us entertained along the way, the Outlands Pentalogy is funny, heartfelt, and full of passion. A must for anyone looking for some excellent dystopian fun.
My Rating: 3.5/5
July 3, 2021
Title: A History of Madness
Author: Rebecca Crunden
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi/Dystopian
Publication: 14 July, 2017
My rating: 5/5
My take:
A History of Madness by Rebecca Crunden is the second book in the Outlands Pentalogy series and one of my favourite reads of the year. Last year I read the first book, A Touch of Darkness, and was very excited to read the second book, A History of Madness, as the first book ended with a cliffhanger. I must say that I loved this book more than the first one.
The story begins with the prison hangman of Cutta educating some of the local children about the horrific punishments of their Kingdom and the importance of not violating their law. The two main protagonists, Nate and Kitty, covered most of the plot and their characters were well described.
I liked how the author made the character Tommy( Nate's brother) alive throughout the book without his presence in any of the scenes. Nate was not very expressive in the first book, but we got to see his emotional side in this book. You can feel his unconditional love for his younger brother Tommy in his every conversations.
There are so many unique secondary characters in this book and their part was also equally intriguing. Each of their backstory helped me understand why and how they are connected with Nate's life. I also liked Engus chapter where we get to know how Radiants see humans. Like her previous book, this one also ends with a cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the third book in this series which I'm sure is going to be in Tommy's point of view.
In short, Rebecca Crunden's Outlands series is an underrated gem and the best dystopian fiction I read till date. It has adventure, slow burn romance, sibling bond, travel trope and everything that can be expected of a good novel. If you love dystopian fiction, then do yourself a favor and pick this up. I highly recommend this series.
*Thanks to the author for the review copy. All opinions are my own.*
Author: Rebecca Crunden
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi/Dystopian
Publication: 14 July, 2017
My rating: 5/5
My take:
A History of Madness by Rebecca Crunden is the second book in the Outlands Pentalogy series and one of my favourite reads of the year. Last year I read the first book, A Touch of Darkness, and was very excited to read the second book, A History of Madness, as the first book ended with a cliffhanger. I must say that I loved this book more than the first one.
The story begins with the prison hangman of Cutta educating some of the local children about the horrific punishments of their Kingdom and the importance of not violating their law. The two main protagonists, Nate and Kitty, covered most of the plot and their characters were well described.
I liked how the author made the character Tommy( Nate's brother) alive throughout the book without his presence in any of the scenes. Nate was not very expressive in the first book, but we got to see his emotional side in this book. You can feel his unconditional love for his younger brother Tommy in his every conversations.
There are so many unique secondary characters in this book and their part was also equally intriguing. Each of their backstory helped me understand why and how they are connected with Nate's life. I also liked Engus chapter where we get to know how Radiants see humans. Like her previous book, this one also ends with a cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the third book in this series which I'm sure is going to be in Tommy's point of view.
In short, Rebecca Crunden's Outlands series is an underrated gem and the best dystopian fiction I read till date. It has adventure, slow burn romance, sibling bond, travel trope and everything that can be expected of a good novel. If you love dystopian fiction, then do yourself a favor and pick this up. I highly recommend this series.
*Thanks to the author for the review copy. All opinions are my own.*
August 24, 2019
Death, he knew, would be far better than this.”
This installment of The Outlands Pentalogy chronicles Nate’s daring escape from the oppressive Kingdom of Cutta to the Outlands, and his devotion and love for Kitty, the Hangman’s daughter (and his late brother’s Complement).
The story itself is tightly plotted from day one, when out of the ashes of the old world rose the Radiants, who mutated and adapted to the new world. There’s a whole backstory of how the inhabitants came to be and why they are mistrustful of one another still to this day, that I found unique and interesting to read about.
The world Crunden has created is richly detailed and almost three dimensional – it’s quite the sensory experience. I especially enjoyed the different “beings” aside from the humans, like the Rabids, Mutants, and the Radiants. Part Four features the perspective of a rather charming Radiant and I really liked that we got to see the world through his eyes, too. I also found the dreamworld segments clever and I liked how they connected the characters in a surprising way.
Concepts of oppressive social control and futuristic imperfect societies, coupled with a protagonist who questions society and goes against the rules made this for an exciting dystopian science fiction story. A nightmarish journey and series of injustices left me at the edge of my seat, wanting to see Nate find his ideal world on the other side of the Wall. I don’t want to give away too much, but the chapter before the epilogue brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps to my arms. And that epilogue… well, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
Highly recommended for its smart writing, witty dialogue, pulse-pounding action, and incredible adventure. Well done.
“Best you kill me. If ever I am free, I would be very, very worried.”
This installment of The Outlands Pentalogy chronicles Nate’s daring escape from the oppressive Kingdom of Cutta to the Outlands, and his devotion and love for Kitty, the Hangman’s daughter (and his late brother’s Complement).
The story itself is tightly plotted from day one, when out of the ashes of the old world rose the Radiants, who mutated and adapted to the new world. There’s a whole backstory of how the inhabitants came to be and why they are mistrustful of one another still to this day, that I found unique and interesting to read about.
The world Crunden has created is richly detailed and almost three dimensional – it’s quite the sensory experience. I especially enjoyed the different “beings” aside from the humans, like the Rabids, Mutants, and the Radiants. Part Four features the perspective of a rather charming Radiant and I really liked that we got to see the world through his eyes, too. I also found the dreamworld segments clever and I liked how they connected the characters in a surprising way.
Concepts of oppressive social control and futuristic imperfect societies, coupled with a protagonist who questions society and goes against the rules made this for an exciting dystopian science fiction story. A nightmarish journey and series of injustices left me at the edge of my seat, wanting to see Nate find his ideal world on the other side of the Wall. I don’t want to give away too much, but the chapter before the epilogue brought tears to my eyes and goosebumps to my arms. And that epilogue… well, you’ll have to read it for yourself.
Highly recommended for its smart writing, witty dialogue, pulse-pounding action, and incredible adventure. Well done.
“Best you kill me. If ever I am free, I would be very, very worried.”
August 23, 2021
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I loved the first book in this series, and I couldn't wait to dive into this one as well. Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed this book too and was left wanting more thanks to the compelling story and cliffhanger ending. The world-building in this book added a lot of history and nuance to the dystopian society. I particularly enjoyed getting to see the mutant factions and experiencing some of the story from their point of view. Nate's point of view was also explored in this novel, and seeing the events at the end of book one through his eyes was interesting. His POV allowed for an exploration of different types of love, as well, which I enjoyed. The author tackled some serious topics with this book, including forced marriage, rape, and abortion, without shying away from them at all. It realistically incorporated and portrayed PTSD and continued to explore the concept of freedom in a deep way. Many moments made me cringe from the awfulness of the events and feel so sad for these characters, but the story was so compelling I couldn't stop reading. The writing was fantastic, yet again, and the pacing of the story kept me anticipating what would happen next. This was a great book, and if you like dystopian fiction, I highly recommend it. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Book number three is now very high on my TBR!
I loved the first book in this series, and I couldn't wait to dive into this one as well. Unsurprisingly, I enjoyed this book too and was left wanting more thanks to the compelling story and cliffhanger ending. The world-building in this book added a lot of history and nuance to the dystopian society. I particularly enjoyed getting to see the mutant factions and experiencing some of the story from their point of view. Nate's point of view was also explored in this novel, and seeing the events at the end of book one through his eyes was interesting. His POV allowed for an exploration of different types of love, as well, which I enjoyed. The author tackled some serious topics with this book, including forced marriage, rape, and abortion, without shying away from them at all. It realistically incorporated and portrayed PTSD and continued to explore the concept of freedom in a deep way. Many moments made me cringe from the awfulness of the events and feel so sad for these characters, but the story was so compelling I couldn't stop reading. The writing was fantastic, yet again, and the pacing of the story kept me anticipating what would happen next. This was a great book, and if you like dystopian fiction, I highly recommend it. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. Book number three is now very high on my TBR!
March 19, 2019
4.5/5
A History Of Madness by Rebecca Crunden is the sequel to A Touch Of Death and the 2nd book in the Outlands Pentalogy. After reading the first book, and really liking it, I was really eager to read this one and to my pleasant surprise, this book turned out to be as good as (actually even better) than the last one. I love when a series goes from strength to strength and this series is turning out to be just that, though I've just read 2 books so far. Given the opportunity, I'd love to read the next part of this well-developed saga for sure.
The characterization was the highlight of this book. I loved how the author uses a different character as the main POV character for this part as it gave a fresh vibe to the series, instead of taking the story ahead with the same POV character. It was really good to know the motivations, inner conflicts, impulses and feelings of Nate as I really liked his as the main character.
The writing was good just like the last book and the world building was a true step ahead. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and would recommend this series to all dystopian readers and fantasy readers.
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
A History Of Madness by Rebecca Crunden is the sequel to A Touch Of Death and the 2nd book in the Outlands Pentalogy. After reading the first book, and really liking it, I was really eager to read this one and to my pleasant surprise, this book turned out to be as good as (actually even better) than the last one. I love when a series goes from strength to strength and this series is turning out to be just that, though I've just read 2 books so far. Given the opportunity, I'd love to read the next part of this well-developed saga for sure.
The characterization was the highlight of this book. I loved how the author uses a different character as the main POV character for this part as it gave a fresh vibe to the series, instead of taking the story ahead with the same POV character. It was really good to know the motivations, inner conflicts, impulses and feelings of Nate as I really liked his as the main character.
The writing was good just like the last book and the world building was a true step ahead. I enjoyed reading this book a lot and would recommend this series to all dystopian readers and fantasy readers.
You can also read this review on www.thereadingbud.com
December 2, 2020
So here we go again:
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
So as a book blogger and reader of many indie authors more often than not a sequel and after ensuing books in a series either do not live up to the hype from the first book or kind of platoe – giving you just enough of a buzz to keep going and enjoying the book.
Yay me – this did not happen again. I went from reading a very interesting, creatively written world with really well rounded characters first book to reading and even bigger novel. Ms Crunden really threw a spanner in the works by doing the second book in the series from a completely different P.O.V. and following the story from Nate’s perspective kind of gave the feel of reading a completely different series with the same characters.
Once again she created a world so epically well thought out with so many details that made the entire fantastical idea completely believable.
I enjoyed watching all our characters grow into just so much more and grew so attached to them and the story line that I found myself reading until 02h30 this morning. This series has left me with such a longing for more. I can only imagine how much better things will be getting going forward.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
So as a book blogger and reader of many indie authors more often than not a sequel and after ensuing books in a series either do not live up to the hype from the first book or kind of platoe – giving you just enough of a buzz to keep going and enjoying the book.
Yay me – this did not happen again. I went from reading a very interesting, creatively written world with really well rounded characters first book to reading and even bigger novel. Ms Crunden really threw a spanner in the works by doing the second book in the series from a completely different P.O.V. and following the story from Nate’s perspective kind of gave the feel of reading a completely different series with the same characters.
Once again she created a world so epically well thought out with so many details that made the entire fantastical idea completely believable.
I enjoyed watching all our characters grow into just so much more and grew so attached to them and the story line that I found myself reading until 02h30 this morning. This series has left me with such a longing for more. I can only imagine how much better things will be getting going forward.
July 19, 2020
I loved that this book kept the same feeling of adventure as the one previous, and the stakes just keep getting higher for these characters.
While I still absolutely loved this book, I will admit I didn't like reading from Nate's perspective as much as I did from Kitty's. I think that is just a personal preference now that I've thought about it more though. You're always going to like reading from the perspective of characters you like better. I originally tagged this read as four stars because I didn't really like Nate as much in this book as I did in the first book, but it's still a really well written story that is worth reading. I think my actual rating would be 4.5 if goodreads let us do that.
I also appreciated some darker themes being explored as we get more and more little hints throughout about how the kingdom works and how everyone is connected.
(Also I definitely should've put two and two together about Nate, all the hints were there, but I did not and I almost gasped when I found out.)
While I still absolutely loved this book, I will admit I didn't like reading from Nate's perspective as much as I did from Kitty's. I think that is just a personal preference now that I've thought about it more though. You're always going to like reading from the perspective of characters you like better. I originally tagged this read as four stars because I didn't really like Nate as much in this book as I did in the first book, but it's still a really well written story that is worth reading. I think my actual rating would be 4.5 if goodreads let us do that.
I also appreciated some darker themes being explored as we get more and more little hints throughout about how the kingdom works and how everyone is connected.
(Also I definitely should've put two and two together about Nate, all the hints were there, but I did not and I almost gasped when I found out.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2019
All I can say is I was hooked from the start. After reading the first one I knew I had to read the sequel. The start of this book is so intense you'll find it hard to put it down and the author does such a good job of making you feel such strong positive and negative emotions for different characters. Absolutely brilliant and can't wait to read the next one!
February 8, 2020
Oh man! It was so good being back in this world and I think I loved this book even more than the first. We had so much character development for both Nate and Kitty when they became separated from each other. This is the second book in the series so I won't be going into much detail plot wise.
Read my full review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/20...
Read my full review here: https://feedthecrime.wordpress.com/20...
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