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| Endurance (Razorland #1.5) by Ann Aguirre |
Summary from Goodreads:
"When rebellion destroys the underground world in which Thimble and Stone have grown up, they take Stone’s son and try to escape the chaos. Along the way, they must evade the Freaks, beings who feed on human flesh. Leaving behind the roles of Builder and Breeder which they were assigned at birth, they wander the underground tunnels, looking for safety yet afraid to go “topside” where legend has it that the light and water will burn their skin from their bones.
Their journey takes them upward to an unimagined world of tinned food, comfortable furniture, and books. Away from their regimented society for the first time, and still facing imminent danger, Thimble and Stone acknowledge the forbidden attraction which both have denied for years."
Rating:
WARNING: Contains spoilers.
There is unease amongst the enclave. Some feel that their leaders are being unjust, while some side with them and feel that their leaders are only doing what’s best for the enclave. When chaos finally breaks within, Stone is thrown into the combat, fighting for his life. But could a breeder fight like a hunter? Meanwhile Thimble, a simple builder, tries to be brave and takes care of the brats, trying to feed and comfort them amidst all the havoc. After the brutal battle, few are left to defend the enclave from the Freaks. College has fallen. Freaks feast on the dead. Thimble, Stone and Stone’s son miraculously escape. But without a hunter’s skills, how far can they go and how long will they survive?
Endurance is a short story where readers get to see what happened to the enclave after Deuce and Fade were exiled. In Enclave, readers see the story in Deuce’s eyes while here in Endurance, readers are shifted between Thimble and Stone in third person view.
It was sad to see College fall. It was heart-breaking to find the characters I’ve know from Enclave die for a cause that could’ve been solved in a more peaceful way if only both sides allowed it. And yet I felt a sense of pride over how Silk and the rest of what’s left of the hunters fought nobly until their last breath.
I was really pleased to find another point of view over this series. Deuce is a great character, but it’s always nice to find something new. I was glad to get to know Thimble and Stone myself than from Deuce’s eyes, surprised to find that they feel deeply for each other more than the enclave allowed them to. It’s sweet and all but there are times that I feel the narration over their feelings seem a bit redundant. I mean, I get it, I just wish they wouldn’t keep saying it over and over again, just express it already!
Endurance was a really enjoyable book for me because it showed me an even deeper side of Ann Aguirre’s Razorland world. Top Side isn’t the only vast place to discover. Down Below, there are still secrets yet to be exposed.
