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War of the Realms #1
Ninth City Burning
For fans of Ender’s Game , Red Rising , and The Hunger Games comes an explosive, epic science fiction debut...
Cities vanished, gone in flashes of world-shattering destruction. An alien race had come to make Earth theirs, bringing a power so far beyond human technology it seemed like magic. It was nearly the end of the world—until we learned to seize the power, and use it to fight back.
The war has raged for five centuries. For a cadet like Jax, one of the few who can harness the enemy’s universe-altering force, that means growing up in an elite military academy, training for battle at the front—and hoping he is ready. For Naomi, young nomad roaming the wilds of a ruined Earth, it means a daily fight for survival against the savage raiders who threaten her caravan.
When a new attack looms, these two young warriors find their paths suddenly intertwined. Together with a gifted but reckless military commander, a factory worker drafted as cannon fodder, a wild and beautiful gunfighter, and a brilliant scientist with nothing to lose—they must find a way to turn back the coming invasion, or see their home finally and completely destroyed.
Cities vanished, gone in flashes of world-shattering destruction. An alien race had come to make Earth theirs, bringing a power so far beyond human technology it seemed like magic. It was nearly the end of the world—until we learned to seize the power, and use it to fight back.
The war has raged for five centuries. For a cadet like Jax, one of the few who can harness the enemy’s universe-altering force, that means growing up in an elite military academy, training for battle at the front—and hoping he is ready. For Naomi, young nomad roaming the wilds of a ruined Earth, it means a daily fight for survival against the savage raiders who threaten her caravan.
When a new attack looms, these two young warriors find their paths suddenly intertwined. Together with a gifted but reckless military commander, a factory worker drafted as cannon fodder, a wild and beautiful gunfighter, and a brilliant scientist with nothing to lose—they must find a way to turn back the coming invasion, or see their home finally and completely destroyed.
496 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2016
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November 18, 2016
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/11/18/...
Ninth City Burning is an impressive debut, built upon an array of inventive ideas and wildly original world-building. It may be a science fiction novel at its core, but it also contains plenty of elements that would not be out of place in a fantasy epic. The story, which takes place hundreds of years in the future, is told through no less than half a dozen diverse narratives all woven together to form its brutal premise of war between humanity and an invading alien race. Despite this feast of creativity though, in some respects, Ninth City Burning is also an excellent example of too much not always being a good thing. It is ambitious for sure, but like a lot of debuts, I feel it also stumbles a bit from attempting to accomplish more than it can handle.
Five hundred years ago, Earth was nearly destroyed by the “Valentines”, named for the day they attacked. They brought a seemingly unstoppable weapon, a reality-bending force known as thelemity which they used to raze entire cities to the ground. But in doing so, the aliens also unwittingly “unlocked” the latent ability to use thelemity in a number of humans, thus giving Earth a fighting chance.
However, even though humanity now possesses the same weapon as the enemy, the Valentines are still gaining ground, putting pressure on the various Earth precincts to provide more resources and soldiers for the war. Involuntary drafts are in effect to keep fighters flowing to the front, and those with a talent to manipulate thelemity are swiftly identified by the Legion and sent to military academies to hone their power. Those who refuse to fight are banished to the far realms, forced to live as disassociated wanderers and outcasts.
Pretty much every group involved in the war is represented in this novel, starting with Jax, a 12-year-old boy already with the weight of the world on his shoulders. As a Fontanus, he has been identified by Legion as a source of thelemity, which means his survival on the battlefield is paramount and entire squads are trained on how to keep him safe. But though he is always surrounded, Jax has always felt a sense of loneliness created by the distance between himself and fellow soldiers. Then there is Naomi, a young girl from one of the unincorporated groups who had no idea that humanity was even at war with aliens. Her world turns upside down when she is suddenly identified as one of the rare individuals who can bend thelemity. Naomi’s sister Rae, a woman in her late teens faces a similar shock as she is sent to a military academy to train with students much younger than her. Another key character is Torro, a factory worker in a settlement that churns out soldiers and supplies for the war effort who becomes a reluctant but brave fighter after he is caught in the draft. On the Legion side of things, there’s Vinneas, an officer and a brilliant tactician, as well as Kizabel, an eccentric engineering genius.
There were probably a couple more POVs, but at this point I think I’ve named all the memorable ones. As I had alluded to before, this book could have been improved by cutting back in some areas, and the first thing I would have reduced is the number of perspective characters. The story reached the critical mass of POVs early on and I felt that more actually became unnecessary, distracting, and even ineffectual.
The concept of thelemity could have been introduced earlier as well, and that might have been possible if the introduction had been shorter and less cumbersome. Even so, I actually enjoyed the first half very much; it was the second half that ultimately took away much of my initial excitement by expounding on the details of the war against the Valentines. So, maybe just an overall trimming down of the various plot threads to improve pacing and flow wouldn’t have been such a bad thing either.
Still, there were some great ideas in here, when the story wasn’t struggling under their weight; I loved the concept of thelemity, which in akin to magic in many ways, and there were also numerous examples of fantastic and original world-building. One thing I can say for this book is that it is wholly unique, and it also has genuine wide appeal for audiences across the YA and adult spectrums.
In sum, Ninth City Burning might not be perfect, but it would also be a mistake to dismiss it out of hand. It is a solid, dynamic debut with some strong ideas, and J. Patrick Black is clearly a talented writer with lots of potential. This being the start of a new trilogy I hope that the sequels will move away from “first book” problems as the series matures.
Ninth City Burning is an impressive debut, built upon an array of inventive ideas and wildly original world-building. It may be a science fiction novel at its core, but it also contains plenty of elements that would not be out of place in a fantasy epic. The story, which takes place hundreds of years in the future, is told through no less than half a dozen diverse narratives all woven together to form its brutal premise of war between humanity and an invading alien race. Despite this feast of creativity though, in some respects, Ninth City Burning is also an excellent example of too much not always being a good thing. It is ambitious for sure, but like a lot of debuts, I feel it also stumbles a bit from attempting to accomplish more than it can handle.
Five hundred years ago, Earth was nearly destroyed by the “Valentines”, named for the day they attacked. They brought a seemingly unstoppable weapon, a reality-bending force known as thelemity which they used to raze entire cities to the ground. But in doing so, the aliens also unwittingly “unlocked” the latent ability to use thelemity in a number of humans, thus giving Earth a fighting chance.
However, even though humanity now possesses the same weapon as the enemy, the Valentines are still gaining ground, putting pressure on the various Earth precincts to provide more resources and soldiers for the war. Involuntary drafts are in effect to keep fighters flowing to the front, and those with a talent to manipulate thelemity are swiftly identified by the Legion and sent to military academies to hone their power. Those who refuse to fight are banished to the far realms, forced to live as disassociated wanderers and outcasts.
Pretty much every group involved in the war is represented in this novel, starting with Jax, a 12-year-old boy already with the weight of the world on his shoulders. As a Fontanus, he has been identified by Legion as a source of thelemity, which means his survival on the battlefield is paramount and entire squads are trained on how to keep him safe. But though he is always surrounded, Jax has always felt a sense of loneliness created by the distance between himself and fellow soldiers. Then there is Naomi, a young girl from one of the unincorporated groups who had no idea that humanity was even at war with aliens. Her world turns upside down when she is suddenly identified as one of the rare individuals who can bend thelemity. Naomi’s sister Rae, a woman in her late teens faces a similar shock as she is sent to a military academy to train with students much younger than her. Another key character is Torro, a factory worker in a settlement that churns out soldiers and supplies for the war effort who becomes a reluctant but brave fighter after he is caught in the draft. On the Legion side of things, there’s Vinneas, an officer and a brilliant tactician, as well as Kizabel, an eccentric engineering genius.
There were probably a couple more POVs, but at this point I think I’ve named all the memorable ones. As I had alluded to before, this book could have been improved by cutting back in some areas, and the first thing I would have reduced is the number of perspective characters. The story reached the critical mass of POVs early on and I felt that more actually became unnecessary, distracting, and even ineffectual.
The concept of thelemity could have been introduced earlier as well, and that might have been possible if the introduction had been shorter and less cumbersome. Even so, I actually enjoyed the first half very much; it was the second half that ultimately took away much of my initial excitement by expounding on the details of the war against the Valentines. So, maybe just an overall trimming down of the various plot threads to improve pacing and flow wouldn’t have been such a bad thing either.
Still, there were some great ideas in here, when the story wasn’t struggling under their weight; I loved the concept of thelemity, which in akin to magic in many ways, and there were also numerous examples of fantastic and original world-building. One thing I can say for this book is that it is wholly unique, and it also has genuine wide appeal for audiences across the YA and adult spectrums.
In sum, Ninth City Burning might not be perfect, but it would also be a mistake to dismiss it out of hand. It is a solid, dynamic debut with some strong ideas, and J. Patrick Black is clearly a talented writer with lots of potential. This being the start of a new trilogy I hope that the sequels will move away from “first book” problems as the series matures.
February 10, 2017
A very solid and creative military SF novel. The book is written using multiple points of view from at least half a dozen different characters. Black does a great job of giving each of the characters very distinct voices, reflecting huge differences in personalities and backgrounds.
There are some particularly interesting female characters: Kiz, the amazingly intelligent creator/engineer; Naomi, a member of an outsider group known as Walkers, who turns out to be a rare source of thelemity (magic, for lack of a better term); and her sister Rae, a formidable and fearless fighter. The main male characters are for the most part refreshingly lacking in Alpha tendencies, something that seems hard to avoid in military SF. The romance element is so slight as to be practically nonexistent, which felt real and in keeping with the characters and their situations. (If I'm being honest, though, I do have my fingers crossed for certain characters if there is another book!)
The worldbuilding here is a highlight, interesting and different, but not so much that it is hard to understand or imagine. Black uses quite a few made up words to describe essential elements in the world, but they seem natural in context.
It's clear from the end of the book that there is more to come in this story, but that said, I wouldn't describe the ending as a cliffhanger, and I think this book can be read quite satisfactorily as a standalone. Although this book was ultimately nothing like I expected it to be, I really enjoyed it and would definitely read more from Black. Recommended.
There are some particularly interesting female characters: Kiz, the amazingly intelligent creator/engineer; Naomi, a member of an outsider group known as Walkers, who turns out to be a rare source of thelemity (magic, for lack of a better term); and her sister Rae, a formidable and fearless fighter. The main male characters are for the most part refreshingly lacking in Alpha tendencies, something that seems hard to avoid in military SF. The romance element is so slight as to be practically nonexistent, which felt real and in keeping with the characters and their situations. (If I'm being honest, though, I do have my fingers crossed for certain characters if there is another book!)
The worldbuilding here is a highlight, interesting and different, but not so much that it is hard to understand or imagine. Black uses quite a few made up words to describe essential elements in the world, but they seem natural in context.
It's clear from the end of the book that there is more to come in this story, but that said, I wouldn't describe the ending as a cliffhanger, and I think this book can be read quite satisfactorily as a standalone. Although this book was ultimately nothing like I expected it to be, I really enjoyed it and would definitely read more from Black. Recommended.
February 24, 2024
Una din cele mai intersante și mai complexe opere SF citite vreodată și probabil cea mai dificilă traducere de care m-am lovit până acum. Ne aflăm la cinci sute de ani în viitor și omenirea se luptă de cinci secole cu o rasă de extratereștri care se folosește de o știință asemănătoare cu magia, numită thelemitație. Pe Terra au mai rămas doar douăsprezece orașe mari, în interiorul cărora au fost montate tunuri uriașe ce trag în invadatori atunci când aceștia testează vigilența oamenilor. Personaje principale: Rae și Naomi, două nomade cu puteri excepționale, Jax, un tânăr de doisprezece ani cu puteri asemănătoare cu Naomi (pot invoca și dirija thelemitația, alimentând tunurile orașelor), Vinneas, Imway și Kizabel, trei tineri extrem de bine pregătiți, ce vor ajuta omenirea în încercarea aproape disperată de-a respinge un atac devastator al extratereștrilor, și Torro, un tânăr racolat de Principate, cele care au înființat Orașele, pentru a servi drept „carne de tun.” Amestec de hard-SF, military science-fiction, space opera și fantasy..., în timp ce personajele vorbesc pe voci diferite, cu stiluri diferite: poetic, științific, militarist, tipic unor tineri sau unor savanți de talie mondială. Cartea a apărut la Editura Nemira.
June 17, 2016
Set in a post-catastrophe future Earth where alien invasion has unleashed power of magic J Patrick Black's Ninth City Burning is a finely crafted and original science fantasy epic full of wonder and spectacle. Highly recommended.
September 5, 2016
Just so you know, this author created a world and he is going to tell you about every single detail of every single corner of this world down to the tiniest minutiae. Hope you’re comfortable.
Especially considering I just read FIRST KING OF SHANNARA and I found it such a slog because it was so overwritten, I was not expecting to get thrown right into another. Any action in the story, any character development, all lost in the expansive pit of detail that is this book. And I don’t say that lovingly. I felt like I was being schooled half the time. If I wanted to read an engineering textbook, I’d just read an engineering textbook. I zoned out on about half of the book. It just couldn’t hold my attention with all of the unnecessary detail about how every little element of this world worked. You seriously could have cut out about 3/4 of NINTH CITY BURNING and you’d still have the same story.
Character development? Uh . . . not much of it? I felt people like Rae and Naomi, who were supposed to be tribal nomads who wandered the country, were erratic at best. I don’t know if their style of speech was supposed to be satirical or not but it was so ridiculous I couldn’t keep my focus. Naomi is a twelve-year-old and she talks like she’s in a MFA program trying to showcase her bank of SAT words. Apparently this is how the tribes talk? Before they got brought into the city they came across another tribe that sounded like a bunch of lawyers. I don’t know if this is a “instead of having poorly educated tribespeople I’m going to have highly educated tribespeople but not actually substantiate why” type of thing but it just didn’t fit. Plus Rachel, the older sister, was supposed to be so concerned about Naomi going to war but they basically forgot about each other for a third of the book. Only to get reminded of each other at the end.
Kizabel’s POV chapters had footnotes. Some of them were seemingly meant to be pithy and cute and a nominal play on pop culture, but I was over it. When I’m already slogging through an overwritten book the last thing I need are chapters riddled with footnotes.
Torro was just annoying to read. I hated his voice. Somewhat stream-of-consciousness and supposed to be of a lower educational level but things kept slipping through that he probably wouldn’t say, things about how systems worked, technological details, etc. The kid was a canner. As in a guy who canned food and lived in what is basically a low income settlement. Yes, he was on par with Kizabel, and engineer, in explanting how things worked. All unexplained as to how he would know any of it.
Vinneas I didn’t see much change in. He was probably the dullest character of them all and most forgettable. Jax would be second to Vinneas on the dull scale. At least he grew a little bit as a character. He started off an afraid little boy and ended up still a little boy but one that would jump head-first into a fight for the greater good.
All of the characters seemed to have the same level of knowledge about the science and magic going on in this world and when talking about it they all sounded exactly the same. I’m going to go ahead and call this one authorial insert and leave it at that.
The story in NINTH CITY BURNING is secondary to all of the world-building Black has done. There’s actually very little story here. The aliens are faceless mentions for the majority of the book, until the very end at the first major battle and even then you don’t get to see what they actually look like. They’re a distant threat that I’m supposed to care about when they attack. Only I can’t muster up the energy to.
I was so incredibly bored reading this book. And it took me so long to read because of the dry-science-class lectures I kept getting on world-specific science. I’m not kidding when I say 3/4 of this book can be cut and you’d still get the same story. It’s unnecessarily long, there’s very little character or plot development, very little story, and next to no conflict outside of an unknown, distant force. Any action is drowned out in extraneous detail or told in a way that completely removes the reader from immediacy, many times it being from a character that wasn’t involved and is relaying what had happened in past tense.
The plot sounds so good and the execution of it was so bad. I applaud you if your eyes don’t glaze over reading this. It really does make me sad because it really is a good plot. But holy crap, author, get out of the book. Let the story tell itself and stop flooding my head with all of your unnecessary world detail.
1
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Especially considering I just read FIRST KING OF SHANNARA and I found it such a slog because it was so overwritten, I was not expecting to get thrown right into another. Any action in the story, any character development, all lost in the expansive pit of detail that is this book. And I don’t say that lovingly. I felt like I was being schooled half the time. If I wanted to read an engineering textbook, I’d just read an engineering textbook. I zoned out on about half of the book. It just couldn’t hold my attention with all of the unnecessary detail about how every little element of this world worked. You seriously could have cut out about 3/4 of NINTH CITY BURNING and you’d still have the same story.
Character development? Uh . . . not much of it? I felt people like Rae and Naomi, who were supposed to be tribal nomads who wandered the country, were erratic at best. I don’t know if their style of speech was supposed to be satirical or not but it was so ridiculous I couldn’t keep my focus. Naomi is a twelve-year-old and she talks like she’s in a MFA program trying to showcase her bank of SAT words. Apparently this is how the tribes talk? Before they got brought into the city they came across another tribe that sounded like a bunch of lawyers. I don’t know if this is a “instead of having poorly educated tribespeople I’m going to have highly educated tribespeople but not actually substantiate why” type of thing but it just didn’t fit. Plus Rachel, the older sister, was supposed to be so concerned about Naomi going to war but they basically forgot about each other for a third of the book. Only to get reminded of each other at the end.
Kizabel’s POV chapters had footnotes. Some of them were seemingly meant to be pithy and cute and a nominal play on pop culture, but I was over it. When I’m already slogging through an overwritten book the last thing I need are chapters riddled with footnotes.
Torro was just annoying to read. I hated his voice. Somewhat stream-of-consciousness and supposed to be of a lower educational level but things kept slipping through that he probably wouldn’t say, things about how systems worked, technological details, etc. The kid was a canner. As in a guy who canned food and lived in what is basically a low income settlement. Yes, he was on par with Kizabel, and engineer, in explanting how things worked. All unexplained as to how he would know any of it.
Vinneas I didn’t see much change in. He was probably the dullest character of them all and most forgettable. Jax would be second to Vinneas on the dull scale. At least he grew a little bit as a character. He started off an afraid little boy and ended up still a little boy but one that would jump head-first into a fight for the greater good.
All of the characters seemed to have the same level of knowledge about the science and magic going on in this world and when talking about it they all sounded exactly the same. I’m going to go ahead and call this one authorial insert and leave it at that.
The story in NINTH CITY BURNING is secondary to all of the world-building Black has done. There’s actually very little story here. The aliens are faceless mentions for the majority of the book, until the very end at the first major battle and even then you don’t get to see what they actually look like. They’re a distant threat that I’m supposed to care about when they attack. Only I can’t muster up the energy to.
I was so incredibly bored reading this book. And it took me so long to read because of the dry-science-class lectures I kept getting on world-specific science. I’m not kidding when I say 3/4 of this book can be cut and you’d still get the same story. It’s unnecessarily long, there’s very little character or plot development, very little story, and next to no conflict outside of an unknown, distant force. Any action is drowned out in extraneous detail or told in a way that completely removes the reader from immediacy, many times it being from a character that wasn’t involved and is relaying what had happened in past tense.
The plot sounds so good and the execution of it was so bad. I applaud you if your eyes don’t glaze over reading this. It really does make me sad because it really is a good plot. But holy crap, author, get out of the book. Let the story tell itself and stop flooding my head with all of your unnecessary world detail.
1
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2016
Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black is an exceptional and graceful debut novel that takes place on Earth approximately five hundred years from now. An alien race—often referred to as the “Valentines” due to the day of their arrival are in an apparent deadlock with the legions from the principates of Earth.
I fell in love with the multiple perspectives Black writes from, especially Jax, Rae, and Kizabel—three of the seven perspectives with whom you will explore this similar, but foreign environment. The novel takes on its unique theme with the remnants of the human race fighting for control of Earth against mysterious aliens, using an alien(ish) weapon to aid their struggle—thelemity. The entirety of Ninth City Burning put together faintly reminds the reader of colossal series headed by books like Starship Troopers, Ender’s Game, and Red Rising.
I was taken off guard countless times by how much I found myself giggling and laughing throughout Ninth City Burning. It is rare to find an author who is a master at using humor within a book that has stakes much higher than The Hunger Games or Divergent series combined. Most of the main characters in the novel are young, and this could easily be read by adult and young-adult audiences.
My favorite thing about Ninth City Burning is the slow start and the constant build up to what is the truth and what is a myth. Black leaves a lot for readers to discover with the help of seven important characters along the way. You will go into the novel not knowing a lot, and will be partially confused at times. Trust me, it is completely worth it, and the pay off in the end is enormous. This has turned into my unquestionable favorite read of 2016, so far! I have high expectations for the rest of the series, which is supposed to contain at least two more books. Warning… the math, science, and technology in this book will blow your mind. Black explains everything so well that you will begin to believe that thelemity is real…
I fell in love with the multiple perspectives Black writes from, especially Jax, Rae, and Kizabel—three of the seven perspectives with whom you will explore this similar, but foreign environment. The novel takes on its unique theme with the remnants of the human race fighting for control of Earth against mysterious aliens, using an alien(ish) weapon to aid their struggle—thelemity. The entirety of Ninth City Burning put together faintly reminds the reader of colossal series headed by books like Starship Troopers, Ender’s Game, and Red Rising.
I was taken off guard countless times by how much I found myself giggling and laughing throughout Ninth City Burning. It is rare to find an author who is a master at using humor within a book that has stakes much higher than The Hunger Games or Divergent series combined. Most of the main characters in the novel are young, and this could easily be read by adult and young-adult audiences.
My favorite thing about Ninth City Burning is the slow start and the constant build up to what is the truth and what is a myth. Black leaves a lot for readers to discover with the help of seven important characters along the way. You will go into the novel not knowing a lot, and will be partially confused at times. Trust me, it is completely worth it, and the pay off in the end is enormous. This has turned into my unquestionable favorite read of 2016, so far! I have high expectations for the rest of the series, which is supposed to contain at least two more books. Warning… the math, science, and technology in this book will blow your mind. Black explains everything so well that you will begin to believe that thelemity is real…
March 3, 2017
I admit I didn't even read the blurb of this book, I chose it purely out of Justine's review and recommendation. It simply panned out great! I'm not even a sci-fi reader, I usually prefer my fantasy technology-free, thank you very much. But the idea of "military science fantasy, no alpha tendencies and a slight romance element" sealed the deal for me. So, this is an interesting and ambitious debut book, a diamond in the rough as the saying goes; for example the mijmere are really exciting! The pacing instead needs some work and a trimming of the perspectives wouldn’t hurt, either, while the Valentines could use some fleshing-out. Also, I feel I'm familiar with most of the specifics here, but hey, the result is engaging. I’ll be watching out for this author!
Molded into one edge of the fountain is a gigantic chair, known as Macduff
How could I not love this book?
There are several viewpoints. At first I was confused, I was just warming to Jax's (which reminded my of Marie Lu's Legend) when I was catapulted into Naomi's totally different reality and when I was starting to settle, then bam! It’s Torro's turn, a factory laborer with yet another lifestyle. Then again comes a PoV from Jax's entourage. So mhhh okay, I can follow, even if -shifts asides- every narrator has different knowledge, beliefs, background and style. That’s actually one of the strengths of the tale. I quickly got caught up in it, feeling the injustice of what happens to the protagonists, the dread even. No time to get accustomed though, another PoV comes unexpectedly, I had my theories, but anyway, I was compelled to go on and then some because I got truly hooked.
Maybe it’s just me, but some situations and devices reminded me of the anime Evangelion, assorted studio Ghibli movies, Upside Down and a game of chess :). I like the contradiction of the world the author depicts, without giving the plot away, I can say it's a mix of modern and ancient and both elements are jealous about their secrets. The training parts are cool, too. All the characters are interesting and besides the protagonists, the cast is pretty wide. I liked the way the characters' assumptions played against them, and I loved the worldbuilding. There are twists after twists, some unfortunately are not easy to follow and made me wonder (the Force uh? Why not Yoda too?), but it was nonetheless a satisfying ride.
3.5 rounded up to a large 4 because the second half of the book builds great momentum and the battle scenes are truly immersive.
Had there been time to bicker and scheme and maneuver, it’s likely anyone with a remotely reasonable claim to the IMEC would still be bickering and scheming and maneuvering, but fortunately—for the purposes of expediency, anyway—the world was about to end, and so the debate only lasted about three hours.
Molded into one edge of the fountain is a gigantic chair, known as Macduff
How could I not love this book?
There are several viewpoints. At first I was confused, I was just warming to Jax's (which reminded my of Marie Lu's Legend) when I was catapulted into Naomi's totally different reality and when I was starting to settle, then bam! It’s Torro's turn, a factory laborer with yet another lifestyle. Then again comes a PoV from Jax's entourage. So mhhh okay, I can follow, even if -shifts asides- every narrator has different knowledge, beliefs, background and style. That’s actually one of the strengths of the tale. I quickly got caught up in it, feeling the injustice of what happens to the protagonists, the dread even. No time to get accustomed though, another PoV comes unexpectedly, I had my theories, but anyway, I was compelled to go on and then some because I got truly hooked.
Maybe it’s just me, but some situations and devices reminded me of the anime Evangelion, assorted studio Ghibli movies, Upside Down and a game of chess :). I like the contradiction of the world the author depicts, without giving the plot away, I can say it's a mix of modern and ancient and both elements are jealous about their secrets. The training parts are cool, too. All the characters are interesting and besides the protagonists, the cast is pretty wide. I liked the way the characters' assumptions played against them, and I loved the worldbuilding. There are twists after twists, some unfortunately are not easy to follow and made me wonder (the Force uh? Why not Yoda too?), but it was nonetheless a satisfying ride.
3.5 rounded up to a large 4 because the second half of the book builds great momentum and the battle scenes are truly immersive.
Had there been time to bicker and scheme and maneuver, it’s likely anyone with a remotely reasonable claim to the IMEC would still be bickering and scheming and maneuvering, but fortunately—for the purposes of expediency, anyway—the world was about to end, and so the debate only lasted about three hours.
September 29, 2019
This book is a lot of things all at once.
It blends Science Fiction and Fantasy while splitting the difference between YA and 'regular' writing.
Instead of having one angsty teen protagonist, Black introduces multiple viewpoint characters, who thankfully go light on the overwrought teen-drama that makes parts of The Hunger Games hard to push though.
And it does all these things pretty well.
I really enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.
It blends Science Fiction and Fantasy while splitting the difference between YA and 'regular' writing.
Instead of having one angsty teen protagonist, Black introduces multiple viewpoint characters, who thankfully go light on the overwrought teen-drama that makes parts of The Hunger Games hard to push though.
And it does all these things pretty well.
I really enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.
Read
December 1, 2016I grabbed this on a whim from the “New Releases” shelf at the library and ended up falling in love. This sci-fi/fantasy/war story is definitely for people who like their worldbuilding complex and their magic epically destructive. Not for people who dislike multiple narrators, pseudoscience, or the multiverse.
— Megan Cavitt
from The Best Books We Read In October 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/31/riot-r...
— Megan Cavitt
from The Best Books We Read In October 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/31/riot-r...
July 12, 2016
Just finished ‘Ninth City Burning’ and I’m already lamenting I won’t get to hear more from Rae, Jax, Naomi, Vines, Imway, Kizabel, and Torro until the next book. (Write faster Pat!)
This is a clever and creative story that weaves together a post-apocalyptic world with enough science to be believable and enough magic to be fanciful. But the true heart of the story are the people who live in this intricately detailed world.
Delightfully, the ladies in the story were written three dimensionally with as many (if not more) desires, quirks, plans and badassery as any other character -something that is typically so sorely missed in science fiction (although getting better).
Also, I’m a sucker for the interwoven “time that goes before” references to our current time period throughout the story, there’s something so deliciously satisfying in “getting” the pop culture references.
Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a delightful, funny read that blurs the line between Young Adult and “Grown Up” fiction. You won’t regret it.
(Note: I received a free review copy of this book.)
This is a clever and creative story that weaves together a post-apocalyptic world with enough science to be believable and enough magic to be fanciful. But the true heart of the story are the people who live in this intricately detailed world.
Delightfully, the ladies in the story were written three dimensionally with as many (if not more) desires, quirks, plans and badassery as any other character -something that is typically so sorely missed in science fiction (although getting better).
Also, I’m a sucker for the interwoven “time that goes before” references to our current time period throughout the story, there’s something so deliciously satisfying in “getting” the pop culture references.
Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a delightful, funny read that blurs the line between Young Adult and “Grown Up” fiction. You won’t regret it.
(Note: I received a free review copy of this book.)
February 8, 2018
Un military SF cu adaos de fantasy în doze rezonabile. Şi nişte adolescenţi puşi pe salvat Pământul. Lectură agreabilă cu mici hopuri ici-colo unde secvențele descriptive puteau fi scrise în mai puţine cuvinte. Remarc în mod deosebit traducerea, bravo Liviu S., ai făcut o treabă de calitate, migălită cum trebuie. De acum înainte cărţile care vor avea în caseta tehnică numele tău vor câştiga un loc în faţă pe lista lecturilor mele.
July 18, 2017
My first ever book won in a giveaway! I am so pleased, especially considering that the synopsis to “Ninth City Burning” hits some themes I can’t get enough of: post-apocalyptic tale and resisting an alien invasion. However, J. Patrick Black’s first book suffers from a first book problem: every good idea ever, jam-packed into one book.
For the first 150 or so pages, we are evolving in a world we can assume to be Earth several hundred years in the future, but we don’t really know why or who it got to the state it is until one of the characters gets a convenient explanation. Once we do figure it out, a lot of things start making a lot more sense, but it can be jarring, and keeping up for over a hundred pages without explanation behind the world building is a little irritating.
That being said, since this is apparently the first book of a trilogy, the idea that it is one massive introduction makes a little more sense. The story blends sci-fi and fantasy elements nicely, and when the action gets going, the book is very gripping and hard to put down. Getting to that point simply requires a lot of patience, but it is rewarding because the world-building is complex and impressive. Things also get really fun and awesome after the halfway point.
We meet Jax, Naomi and her sister Rae, Torro and Kizabel (and a few others, but those are really the most interesting ones). They live on Earth, five hundred years after an invasion attempt by aliens – an invasion that backfired when the aliens accidentally triggered unknown powers in some humans, a power called thelemity, which is sort of like magic but also like the Force in Star Wars. This power allowed humans to fight back and the war to defend our planet has been going on for centuries, but it has been at a stalemate for a long time. All our characters lead very different lives on this post-apocalyptic Earth, but their paths will soon cross as the invader readies itself for an attack of unprecedented magnitude.
Multiple POVs is tough: giving everyone a distinct voice requires a lot of skills, and while it sometimes works brilliantly, there are passages here and there where it lack credibility, specifically with the chapters narrated by Naomi, who sound way older than she is supposed to be. But I just loved Kizabel’s chapters: I have a soft spot for mad scientists and she is spunky and mouthy, just my type!
3 ½ stars, because it took so long to really get going, but it has excellent world-building, engaging characters and because J. Patrick Black is clearly a Star Wars fan and he speculates people will still listen to the Clash ever after the apocalypse, and I am so on board with that!
For the first 150 or so pages, we are evolving in a world we can assume to be Earth several hundred years in the future, but we don’t really know why or who it got to the state it is until one of the characters gets a convenient explanation. Once we do figure it out, a lot of things start making a lot more sense, but it can be jarring, and keeping up for over a hundred pages without explanation behind the world building is a little irritating.
That being said, since this is apparently the first book of a trilogy, the idea that it is one massive introduction makes a little more sense. The story blends sci-fi and fantasy elements nicely, and when the action gets going, the book is very gripping and hard to put down. Getting to that point simply requires a lot of patience, but it is rewarding because the world-building is complex and impressive. Things also get really fun and awesome after the halfway point.
We meet Jax, Naomi and her sister Rae, Torro and Kizabel (and a few others, but those are really the most interesting ones). They live on Earth, five hundred years after an invasion attempt by aliens – an invasion that backfired when the aliens accidentally triggered unknown powers in some humans, a power called thelemity, which is sort of like magic but also like the Force in Star Wars. This power allowed humans to fight back and the war to defend our planet has been going on for centuries, but it has been at a stalemate for a long time. All our characters lead very different lives on this post-apocalyptic Earth, but their paths will soon cross as the invader readies itself for an attack of unprecedented magnitude.
Multiple POVs is tough: giving everyone a distinct voice requires a lot of skills, and while it sometimes works brilliantly, there are passages here and there where it lack credibility, specifically with the chapters narrated by Naomi, who sound way older than she is supposed to be. But I just loved Kizabel’s chapters: I have a soft spot for mad scientists and she is spunky and mouthy, just my type!
3 ½ stars, because it took so long to really get going, but it has excellent world-building, engaging characters and because J. Patrick Black is clearly a Star Wars fan and he speculates people will still listen to the Clash ever after the apocalypse, and I am so on board with that!
February 29, 2016
This is a fun science fiction novel that is perfect for people of all ages!
This epic science fiction novel takes place in an Earth bound together against a common enemy they've been fighting for centuries. This is a world very different, but still similar in ways that will make the reader smile with how Black incorporates old forms of pop culture into this new society.
Along with this well-described world comes a group of characters who are fighting this war in their own ways. The multiple perspectives aren't daunting and, instead, are welcoming in giving the reader the idea of how truly world wide this war is.
I loved it so much. Readers of sci-fi will not be disappointed. This could also appeal to commercial fiction readers and has great YA Crossover Potential.
This epic science fiction novel takes place in an Earth bound together against a common enemy they've been fighting for centuries. This is a world very different, but still similar in ways that will make the reader smile with how Black incorporates old forms of pop culture into this new society.
Along with this well-described world comes a group of characters who are fighting this war in their own ways. The multiple perspectives aren't daunting and, instead, are welcoming in giving the reader the idea of how truly world wide this war is.
I loved it so much. Readers of sci-fi will not be disappointed. This could also appeal to commercial fiction readers and has great YA Crossover Potential.
July 31, 2016
I read about 100 pages of this book and could not get interested in it at all. The story, as far as I read, was told from the point of view of several teenagers. There was a draft, reminiscent of Hunger Games and there was the selection of gifted children, reminiscent of Ender's Game. It didn't feel terribly original. I finally gave up. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 19, 2016
This took some time to power through. Lots of details in the early part of the story that was hard to see how it all fits together. Took about 200 pages to really get the characters figured out. The story sets up for an epic conclusion in the next book or books. Now we wait !
September 15, 2016
This review was originally posted on my website: My Bookshelf Dialogues
3.5 stars*
What this book is about:
In the distant future planet Earth and its citizens have been in war with alien forces reffered to as "Valentines" or "Romeo". Earth has been defending its place in this universe for many years now and seems to be winning the fight against Romeo. But things might not be as good as they appear and our planet will soon find itself in grave danger..
Ninth City Burning is a debut young adult, science fiction novel that follows many different perspectives each presented in a chapter - very much like George R. R. Martin does on his
Game of Thrones series, if you've read any of the books. The main characters range from 12 years until 20-ish years of age and are both males and females. The book is organised in four parts containing small chapters no bigger than 10 pages each that read in a first person perspective - unlike the Game of Thrones series - and specifically one character's chapters include footnotes that she has written explaining some terms, some of which we know as citizens of the 21st century and some of which we don't understand as...citizens of the 21st century.
A better story than The 5th Wave? I hate to make a comparison between two books, and this is just my personal opinion, but when I first picked up Ninth City Burning and started loosing myself in the story, I couldn't help these thoughts in my head exclaiming that "this is everything I wanted The 5th Wave to be but... wasn't". I'm telling you, this book was so much fun and I didn't have to read too long before I felt the excitement of a great story sparking in my chest. Finally, a YA SF story that is not too YA and not hard SF but hard enough to be realistic, am I making any sense? What I mean to say is that, the science fiction aspect of this novel is everywhere and the whole plot is based on science and not magic or unexplainable phenomena. We actually get a great big deal of explaining of the scientific system and how it works in plain enough terms that do not let the book become overwhelming or boring but rather quite enjoyable and...fun! J. Patrick Black's vast imagination has created a somewhat dystopian society with a hierarchical system that might be complicated but is so plainly explained and built for young adult readers. I loved the magnificent, far-in-the-future look of our little planet from an author with a wonderful, fresh perspective who tells a story that has been told many times over in a way that is entertaining, light and enjoyable.
Visiting the old "muliple-perspectives" style of story writting was a great idea in a novel that constantly shows how simply a multilayered and complicated a story can be told. So who are these characters? We are initially introduced to Jax who is a 12-year-old kid with the most important position in the Legion of all as literally the source of the city's power; a Fontanus. There is little Naomi, a girl who comes from a coda of the unincorporated peoples who live a nomadic life, fending off the land and have never even heard of the war with the alien enemy. Torro is a teenage guy who works at a factory in old Setlement 225 and provides, along with the rest of the population of the setlements, food and resources to the big cities who fight in the war. And many other characters which I will leave you to discover by yourselves as you read along.
But if this book was such a wonderful, fun read why did I rate it with 3.5 stars? Well, I will tell you why. When I joined the Legion (as a mere reader of course) I encountered a few small problems that bothered me a little. For example, the fact that the author chose to use some fancy words that don't really have such an exciting meaning but just exist to give a feeling that you are reading a hard science fiction book. You have a great idea for a story, you have a pleasant, easy writing style, you are not afraid to use crude language and treat your readers like adults, then why do you feel the need to show off (or at least that's how it seemed to me)?Also, the romance in the story felt very unnecessary and really didn't add at all to the plot. These YA-isms (I just invented a word, deal with it) are really not my thing. With these two complaints, this book had a solid 4 star rating from me. But..when authors write a great book, they are faced with the very difficult task to give the people a grand finale. Something worth the beginning and middle of their beautiful creation. This was a case of a mild failure here. While the ending was not horrible, it was not great either. Rather anti-climactic, too YA-ish, too simple and completely not fitting to the rest of the story in my view and perspective on how I felt during the first 80% and last 20%.
I realise that I haven't really given much of a synopsis, or a real sense or description of what this book is all about and what you should expect going into it but that's because the conception of the world building is quite massive and while the story is rather simple "aliens want to destroy Earth", the most fun part of diving into this book is to discover every little detail by yourself, and while reading, experience the creation of great imagination come to life. This was a treat of a story, a welcomed break from reality and dull routine and I can't wait for the next book in the series to see where J. Patrick Black is taking us next. Young adult readers, do not hesitate to pick this one up and science fiction friends, you do the same.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars*
What this book is about:
In the distant future planet Earth and its citizens have been in war with alien forces reffered to as "Valentines" or "Romeo". Earth has been defending its place in this universe for many years now and seems to be winning the fight against Romeo. But things might not be as good as they appear and our planet will soon find itself in grave danger..
Ninth City Burning is a debut young adult, science fiction novel that follows many different perspectives each presented in a chapter - very much like George R. R. Martin does on his
Game of Thrones series, if you've read any of the books. The main characters range from 12 years until 20-ish years of age and are both males and females. The book is organised in four parts containing small chapters no bigger than 10 pages each that read in a first person perspective - unlike the Game of Thrones series - and specifically one character's chapters include footnotes that she has written explaining some terms, some of which we know as citizens of the 21st century and some of which we don't understand as...citizens of the 21st century.
The Academy Handook talks a lot about courage. It says it's OK to be afraid, that fear is part of bravery. It says you'll know what to do when the time comes, you just have to trust your training. But it doesn't tell you what to do while you're waiting, alone under the open sky, sure everyone you've ever met is going to die because you're not strong enough to save them.
A better story than The 5th Wave? I hate to make a comparison between two books, and this is just my personal opinion, but when I first picked up Ninth City Burning and started loosing myself in the story, I couldn't help these thoughts in my head exclaiming that "this is everything I wanted The 5th Wave to be but... wasn't". I'm telling you, this book was so much fun and I didn't have to read too long before I felt the excitement of a great story sparking in my chest. Finally, a YA SF story that is not too YA and not hard SF but hard enough to be realistic, am I making any sense? What I mean to say is that, the science fiction aspect of this novel is everywhere and the whole plot is based on science and not magic or unexplainable phenomena. We actually get a great big deal of explaining of the scientific system and how it works in plain enough terms that do not let the book become overwhelming or boring but rather quite enjoyable and...fun! J. Patrick Black's vast imagination has created a somewhat dystopian society with a hierarchical system that might be complicated but is so plainly explained and built for young adult readers. I loved the magnificent, far-in-the-future look of our little planet from an author with a wonderful, fresh perspective who tells a story that has been told many times over in a way that is entertaining, light and enjoyable.
"The Legion needs you. All of you. Make no mistake - I will turn you into fighters the likes of which you never imagined, but I will have failed in my duty unless, by the end of your training, every one of you considers yourself a volunteer."
Visiting the old "muliple-perspectives" style of story writting was a great idea in a novel that constantly shows how simply a multilayered and complicated a story can be told. So who are these characters? We are initially introduced to Jax who is a 12-year-old kid with the most important position in the Legion of all as literally the source of the city's power; a Fontanus. There is little Naomi, a girl who comes from a coda of the unincorporated peoples who live a nomadic life, fending off the land and have never even heard of the war with the alien enemy. Torro is a teenage guy who works at a factory in old Setlement 225 and provides, along with the rest of the population of the setlements, food and resources to the big cities who fight in the war. And many other characters which I will leave you to discover by yourselves as you read along.
We never saw them coming. All at once, cities just started disappearing. A city would be there, everything totally normal, then it would be gone, nothing but rubble and a cloud of dust. By the time we figured out we were under attack, half the cities in the world had already been destroyed.
But if this book was such a wonderful, fun read why did I rate it with 3.5 stars? Well, I will tell you why. When I joined the Legion (as a mere reader of course) I encountered a few small problems that bothered me a little. For example, the fact that the author chose to use some fancy words that don't really have such an exciting meaning but just exist to give a feeling that you are reading a hard science fiction book. You have a great idea for a story, you have a pleasant, easy writing style, you are not afraid to use crude language and treat your readers like adults, then why do you feel the need to show off (or at least that's how it seemed to me)?Also, the romance in the story felt very unnecessary and really didn't add at all to the plot. These YA-isms (I just invented a word, deal with it) are really not my thing. With these two complaints, this book had a solid 4 star rating from me. But..when authors write a great book, they are faced with the very difficult task to give the people a grand finale. Something worth the beginning and middle of their beautiful creation. This was a case of a mild failure here. While the ending was not horrible, it was not great either. Rather anti-climactic, too YA-ish, too simple and completely not fitting to the rest of the story in my view and perspective on how I felt during the first 80% and last 20%.
Usually when something goes wrong, I can at least think, like try to work out a way through it, but right now I can't even do that. Inside my head, it's just a mess. All I know is I wrecked everything, just totally wrecked everything. I don't feel like I'm floating anymore.
I realise that I haven't really given much of a synopsis, or a real sense or description of what this book is all about and what you should expect going into it but that's because the conception of the world building is quite massive and while the story is rather simple "aliens want to destroy Earth", the most fun part of diving into this book is to discover every little detail by yourself, and while reading, experience the creation of great imagination come to life. This was a treat of a story, a welcomed break from reality and dull routine and I can't wait for the next book in the series to see where J. Patrick Black is taking us next. Young adult readers, do not hesitate to pick this one up and science fiction friends, you do the same.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2017
J. Patrick Black’s debut novel, Ninth City Burning, is an incredibly intense ride alongside humanity’s bid for survival against an alien race seeking Earth’s destruction. Complete with a wide cast of unique characters with their own voices, this novel has earned its place among my favorites.
More often than not, I’m wary of books with shifting first-person. In this case, readers meet seven different points of view – and every single one of those characters have their own voices. I find this impressive, considering the frequency with which Black switches between his cast. (Actually, I find myself wondering how he approached writing the different views, as they are so starkly different.)
For the most part, all but two of these characters feel real. Jax and Naomi are the exception, as they both appear extremely mature for their age. While Jax does have a military upbringing, Naomi is a bit too advanced for a child of a nomadic lifestyle. There’s also a dash of romance in this book that feels a bit too forced.
Ninth City Burning also manages to blur the line between science-fiction and epic fantasy, which is an oddly unique feeling to encounter while reading. Magic and science both play heavy roles in this novel, and I imagine the former of those two, coupled with the camaraderie between the main characters, is precisely why this book is recommended for fans of Harry Potter.
The agonizingly slow build-up to action further lends to the epic fantasy feel of this book, a feat that I remain unsure of presently. While it leads to less action and battle in the meat of the book, it also serves as an opportunity for Black to further unravel this beautiful world he has created.
Ninth City Burning is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to my friends and readers who prefer science-fiction. I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
More often than not, I’m wary of books with shifting first-person. In this case, readers meet seven different points of view – and every single one of those characters have their own voices. I find this impressive, considering the frequency with which Black switches between his cast. (Actually, I find myself wondering how he approached writing the different views, as they are so starkly different.)
For the most part, all but two of these characters feel real. Jax and Naomi are the exception, as they both appear extremely mature for their age. While Jax does have a military upbringing, Naomi is a bit too advanced for a child of a nomadic lifestyle. There’s also a dash of romance in this book that feels a bit too forced.
Ninth City Burning also manages to blur the line between science-fiction and epic fantasy, which is an oddly unique feeling to encounter while reading. Magic and science both play heavy roles in this novel, and I imagine the former of those two, coupled with the camaraderie between the main characters, is precisely why this book is recommended for fans of Harry Potter.
The agonizingly slow build-up to action further lends to the epic fantasy feel of this book, a feat that I remain unsure of presently. While it leads to less action and battle in the meat of the book, it also serves as an opportunity for Black to further unravel this beautiful world he has created.
Ninth City Burning is definitely a book I’ll be recommending to my friends and readers who prefer science-fiction. I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
June 6, 2016
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Please come and destroy this world so that I can gain thelemity and become fontani. Passing into fontani usuuki and being in my mijmere sounds like one hell of an experience I want, but the responsibility of being one might be too overwhelming so perhaps revenni is my calling.
The above sounds nonsensical for someone who hasn't read "Ninth City Burning" but I hope it has piqued your interest. This debut starts off an explosive new series that has quite the imaginative world-building and admirable characters you will root for. It's billed for fans of Red Rising, Starship Troopers, and Enders Games, and while all very apt, there is a genre-bending ease to it that widens up the playing field. "Ninth City Burning" also has flavours of The Giver and Guillermo del Torro's Pacific Rim movie... even streaks of a futuristic Harry Potter vibe with sci-fi magic. It's all a very odd mix but it melds and reads so well!
It's a simple premise to start: an alien race, known as the Valentines, invaded Earth on the very fateful lovers' day 500 years ago. They bring about destruction, and a power that is also activated in humans; this sort of sci-fi magic, "thelemity". A smart reader can begin putting the pieces together as the story is layered in. More of the history is eventually explained chapters in, yet there is always a sense that there is more than meets the eye. Even after finishing it and seeing the progression of this arc, the feeling that something is not quite right nags at me. This anticipation of an impending revelation that will throw everything off course, funnily enough, only excites me more for the next book.
J. Patrick Black's style is very reminiscent to that of David Mitchell, an author I highly admire. Both have an uncanny ability to inhabit various voices and perspectives. With a young group of characters in "Ninth City Burning," there was a risk of them blurring together but Black distinguishes them not just by what they have to contribute to the narrative, but also in the way they relay their thoughts. While you'll play favourites with Kizabel and Jax, you'll also find yourself having a soft spot for the rest of the kiddos (yes, including the pompous Imway). There is definitely a very natural growth of character for all seven perspectives. Best of all, Black doesn't milk every scene dry but lets them flourish under their own pace without boring the reader. The subtleties in the characters and their actions, thus, shine through.
Words like 'associative architecture', 'ocularoclastic node', 'palakesis', 'ingesis', etc., made me wish there was an accompanying glossary to this world but the fact that I followed the thread in which they were used made it so much fun. Honestly, it's an accomplishment on the part of Black for writing an accessible and entertaining story, one I believe will find and please both hard core science-fiction readers and a crossover audience. It's really something so wonderful, this book.
The above sounds nonsensical for someone who hasn't read "Ninth City Burning" but I hope it has piqued your interest. This debut starts off an explosive new series that has quite the imaginative world-building and admirable characters you will root for. It's billed for fans of Red Rising, Starship Troopers, and Enders Games, and while all very apt, there is a genre-bending ease to it that widens up the playing field. "Ninth City Burning" also has flavours of The Giver and Guillermo del Torro's Pacific Rim movie... even streaks of a futuristic Harry Potter vibe with sci-fi magic. It's all a very odd mix but it melds and reads so well!
It's a simple premise to start: an alien race, known as the Valentines, invaded Earth on the very fateful lovers' day 500 years ago. They bring about destruction, and a power that is also activated in humans; this sort of sci-fi magic, "thelemity". A smart reader can begin putting the pieces together as the story is layered in. More of the history is eventually explained chapters in, yet there is always a sense that there is more than meets the eye. Even after finishing it and seeing the progression of this arc, the feeling that something is not quite right nags at me. This anticipation of an impending revelation that will throw everything off course, funnily enough, only excites me more for the next book.
J. Patrick Black's style is very reminiscent to that of David Mitchell, an author I highly admire. Both have an uncanny ability to inhabit various voices and perspectives. With a young group of characters in "Ninth City Burning," there was a risk of them blurring together but Black distinguishes them not just by what they have to contribute to the narrative, but also in the way they relay their thoughts. While you'll play favourites with Kizabel and Jax, you'll also find yourself having a soft spot for the rest of the kiddos (yes, including the pompous Imway). There is definitely a very natural growth of character for all seven perspectives. Best of all, Black doesn't milk every scene dry but lets them flourish under their own pace without boring the reader. The subtleties in the characters and their actions, thus, shine through.
Words like 'associative architecture', 'ocularoclastic node', 'palakesis', 'ingesis', etc., made me wish there was an accompanying glossary to this world but the fact that I followed the thread in which they were used made it so much fun. Honestly, it's an accomplishment on the part of Black for writing an accessible and entertaining story, one I believe will find and please both hard core science-fiction readers and a crossover audience. It's really something so wonderful, this book.
June 8, 2017
4.5 stars
I am an Indigo employee, and I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Indigo Books and Music, in exchange for my honest feedback.
I had low expectations going into this book, and although it was slow to start, I found myself hooked into this gripping dystopian tale of science and magic. My one complaint is that there was quite a lot of jargon and terminology that often went over my head, and I felt like I had to read and re-read paragraphs because they went over my head the first time. HOWEVER, the fast-paced, action-packed plot more than made up for it.
Although this book did follow quite a few characters, I never felt like it was too much, nor did I feel like any character didn't get enough of a role, or enough character development. There was quite a LOT going on in this book, but Black made it work, and I never felt like he had bitten off more than he could chew. Well written, with a great plot, I found myself unable to put this book down - losing a lot of sleep in the process (but it was so worth it!). I loved that it was kind of a dystopian fantasy, but everything was explained with science - it felt like a great sci-fi/fantasy crossover - for when you're not quite sure what you're in the mood for.
It also had that great dystopian 'is the government working against us?' vibe that is especially topical these days - but I liked that nothing was black or white, that all the character motivations seemed to be making sense (except maybe Valentine's - can't wait to find out more about him!). Honestly really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait until the next one comes out!
I am an Indigo employee, and I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Indigo Books and Music, in exchange for my honest feedback.
I had low expectations going into this book, and although it was slow to start, I found myself hooked into this gripping dystopian tale of science and magic. My one complaint is that there was quite a lot of jargon and terminology that often went over my head, and I felt like I had to read and re-read paragraphs because they went over my head the first time. HOWEVER, the fast-paced, action-packed plot more than made up for it.
Although this book did follow quite a few characters, I never felt like it was too much, nor did I feel like any character didn't get enough of a role, or enough character development. There was quite a LOT going on in this book, but Black made it work, and I never felt like he had bitten off more than he could chew. Well written, with a great plot, I found myself unable to put this book down - losing a lot of sleep in the process (but it was so worth it!). I loved that it was kind of a dystopian fantasy, but everything was explained with science - it felt like a great sci-fi/fantasy crossover - for when you're not quite sure what you're in the mood for.
It also had that great dystopian 'is the government working against us?' vibe that is especially topical these days - but I liked that nothing was black or white, that all the character motivations seemed to be making sense (except maybe Valentine's - can't wait to find out more about him!). Honestly really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait until the next one comes out!
August 20, 2016
Ninth City Burning is the first book by J. Patrick Black so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was an amazingly complex novel and far more than I expected in a debut novel. This is a standalone with no cliffhanger, though it is open-ended for future books in what I hope will be a series. I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. There is violence, as this book is about a war with an alien species.
At times this novel seemed more like reading a textbook. Not surprising since the first part of the book is set in classrooms, with pre-teen and early-teen "kids". Ninth City Burning will appeal to those those readers who are more left-brained. Other readers will find parts of it, especially in the beginning, too dry and too educational. It gets better if you keep on reading through the dry parts.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that all of that info here. The author did a great job of explaining the "magic" (thelemety) as simply as possible so a complicated subject could make sense to the reader. This is a story of science, magic, battle strategy and saving Earth and what's left of humanity after centuries of war with the aliens. It definitely kept me riveted.
I look forward to reading more of his books and really hope he continues this story as a series. I received an ARC copy of this book from First to Read in exchange for an honest review.
At times this novel seemed more like reading a textbook. Not surprising since the first part of the book is set in classrooms, with pre-teen and early-teen "kids". Ninth City Burning will appeal to those those readers who are more left-brained. Other readers will find parts of it, especially in the beginning, too dry and too educational. It gets better if you keep on reading through the dry parts.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that all of that info here. The author did a great job of explaining the "magic" (thelemety) as simply as possible so a complicated subject could make sense to the reader. This is a story of science, magic, battle strategy and saving Earth and what's left of humanity after centuries of war with the aliens. It definitely kept me riveted.
I look forward to reading more of his books and really hope he continues this story as a series. I received an ARC copy of this book from First to Read in exchange for an honest review.
November 9, 2016
After the unpleasant shock of this being a young adult SF, the shocks just continued. Every new PoV had a new voice and every next one seemed more nasal, American and adolescent. The droning went on for hours and hours and hours and I kept listening because my next credit on the Audible-subscription is not for weeks. Gods this was rubbish. It helped me sleep though.
The story: 500 years ago Earth was attacked by aliens. Only nine cities are left on the planet. Young people are recruited to fight the aliens. A major development brings the war closer to home. Heroes rise. Oh and there's magic. But it's not magic, it's called thelemity and some have it and some don't. But the war effort needs it to power machines. I think. I lost the plot and I didn't care.
This book was just awful. The language is inconsistent - quite ordinary words are explained, yet other more difficult ones are used so casually. Images from the 21st century are used to explain things that shouldn't need explaining. In doing so, confusing subplots are added. I think. Most of the adolescent characters (where are the grown-ups anyway?) are interchangeable. And, as another reviewer pointed out, after the first few chapters the info-dumps just keep coming.
Whomever dared to write Ninth City Burning was reminiscent of Ender's Game should be banished to a library with nothing but tech manuals.
The story: 500 years ago Earth was attacked by aliens. Only nine cities are left on the planet. Young people are recruited to fight the aliens. A major development brings the war closer to home. Heroes rise. Oh and there's magic. But it's not magic, it's called thelemity and some have it and some don't. But the war effort needs it to power machines. I think. I lost the plot and I didn't care.
This book was just awful. The language is inconsistent - quite ordinary words are explained, yet other more difficult ones are used so casually. Images from the 21st century are used to explain things that shouldn't need explaining. In doing so, confusing subplots are added. I think. Most of the adolescent characters (where are the grown-ups anyway?) are interchangeable. And, as another reviewer pointed out, after the first few chapters the info-dumps just keep coming.
Whomever dared to write Ninth City Burning was reminiscent of Ender's Game should be banished to a library with nothing but tech manuals.
November 24, 2022
Here's the problem I have with 2016 (besides the world falling to shit)... I keep reading these amazing books that ruin the experience of reading, at least for a little while. Again, I was pulled into an immersive and deadly world. Again, I fell down the rabbit hole and was consumed with the book. I would read it just about every chance I got. Why? With exceptional world building and great character development, it was easy to fall into the book.
The story could be described in so many different ways, drawing comparisons to numerous other books. But, I won't do that. As a whole, the book was refreshingly original. There were even some parts that induced audible "holy shits" whilst reading the book. I thought the characters were real, the landscape well done, and the action executed to perfection.
The best way I can describe this book: even thought it has its flaws, even though there are some sill parts, its like a summer blockbuster movie. Its something that I can see returning to again, and something that will entertain a lot of people.
While they are few, there are a few issues I had with the book... One, it seems to drag A LOT in the first part of the story. I know it's all set up, and we'll be better because of it in later books, but it just draaaaaged for me. I almost gave it up. BUT, I pushed through and I was damn glad that I did.
I think the reason it did drag was because of the amount of characters in the book, and the different storylines you had to continually follow (second issue I had). At times, it felt like I needed a notepad to keep the characters straight in my head. The other downside to having so many characters: their voice started to blend together. I know it was probably because I read to fast, but early on I had trouble differentiating the characters, even though I knew who's chapter it was...
I received this through an early review site, and I am happy to say that I loved it. I had issues, sure, but the experience and story were amazing. J. Patrick Black is on my watch list now, and I look forward to the books in this series!
The story could be described in so many different ways, drawing comparisons to numerous other books. But, I won't do that. As a whole, the book was refreshingly original. There were even some parts that induced audible "holy shits" whilst reading the book. I thought the characters were real, the landscape well done, and the action executed to perfection.
The best way I can describe this book: even thought it has its flaws, even though there are some sill parts, its like a summer blockbuster movie. Its something that I can see returning to again, and something that will entertain a lot of people.
While they are few, there are a few issues I had with the book... One, it seems to drag A LOT in the first part of the story. I know it's all set up, and we'll be better because of it in later books, but it just draaaaaged for me. I almost gave it up. BUT, I pushed through and I was damn glad that I did.
I think the reason it did drag was because of the amount of characters in the book, and the different storylines you had to continually follow (second issue I had). At times, it felt like I needed a notepad to keep the characters straight in my head. The other downside to having so many characters: their voice started to blend together. I know it was probably because I read to fast, but early on I had trouble differentiating the characters, even though I knew who's chapter it was...
I received this through an early review site, and I am happy to say that I loved it. I had issues, sure, but the experience and story were amazing. J. Patrick Black is on my watch list now, and I look forward to the books in this series!
August 23, 2016
3 stars
The basic premise is a world set in another universe with different laws of science. It's a cross of alien invasion/military SF and YA, with the drawbacks of both. There's a new vocabulary to learn (thelemity and fontani are just two of many), and multiple narrators (seven, I think), all from the first person perspective. And of course it's written in the present tense, because that's what all YA authors seem to do these days.
People have scattered across the land, some choosing to be wanderers, others preferring city life. Each group, naturally, tends to look down on the others and have scornful nicknames for them. Some try to work with the system, others within in and still others against it. There's a certain amount of magic too, or maybe it's just Asimov's high technology, but some parts are really cool... but every time I started getting invested in one, it would switch to a different narrator.
I was constantly having to remind myself who was narrating and where they were (geographically as well as within the plot), and at least one of the narrators didn't really seem to serve any point. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this device has become overused and is now quite stale to me, and the military aspect, while reminding me a little of Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series, was just hard to reconcile. The end result was that it took too much effort just to keep track of who was what and where. Honestly, it probably would have been a DNF if I hadn't felt obliged to plough through to the end.
Unfortunately I didn't realize that Penguin only used ADE editions, and this one did not play well with my Kindle, resulting in a format that was very hard to read. That didn't help the issues I was already having, especially as it mucked up the footnotes one narrator used, but in the end I don't think it would have changed my rating - I just would have finished it in 2 days rather than 3.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Penguin's First To Read program in exchange for an honest review.
The basic premise is a world set in another universe with different laws of science. It's a cross of alien invasion/military SF and YA, with the drawbacks of both. There's a new vocabulary to learn (thelemity and fontani are just two of many), and multiple narrators (seven, I think), all from the first person perspective. And of course it's written in the present tense, because that's what all YA authors seem to do these days.
People have scattered across the land, some choosing to be wanderers, others preferring city life. Each group, naturally, tends to look down on the others and have scornful nicknames for them. Some try to work with the system, others within in and still others against it. There's a certain amount of magic too, or maybe it's just Asimov's high technology, but some parts are really cool... but every time I started getting invested in one, it would switch to a different narrator.
I was constantly having to remind myself who was narrating and where they were (geographically as well as within the plot), and at least one of the narrators didn't really seem to serve any point. Maybe I'm being too harsh, but this device has become overused and is now quite stale to me, and the military aspect, while reminding me a little of Myke Cole's Shadow Ops series, was just hard to reconcile. The end result was that it took too much effort just to keep track of who was what and where. Honestly, it probably would have been a DNF if I hadn't felt obliged to plough through to the end.
Unfortunately I didn't realize that Penguin only used ADE editions, and this one did not play well with my Kindle, resulting in a format that was very hard to read. That didn't help the issues I was already having, especially as it mucked up the footnotes one narrator used, but in the end I don't think it would have changed my rating - I just would have finished it in 2 days rather than 3.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Penguin's First To Read program in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2016
I must start off by saying that I was really surprised how long it took me to read this book. I usually get through books pretty quickly, but this one took me 5 or 6 nights instead of my normal 2 or 3. It was a little slow, but not boring, slow. There is just a whole lot of world building, but this definitely adds to the story.
So, by day 5, I was ready to finish it up, but I wasn't upset that I still had another few chapters to read on day 6. It was a really good book.
The author does a great job of weaving a few very different POVs in throughout the book. This is what makes it a little slow. Each character has a completely different life at the beginning, some in completely different settings (and almost different worlds). So, when I say there is a lot of world-building, it's not necessarily just one world. He did a great job of making it not boring, though.
I saw a couple of reviews that said this book was too slow and featured too many characters and POVs. I don't think so, though. I think the author just wanted to make sure all the world and all its characters were well-established. I think the fact that he did this in Ninth City Burning will definitely contribute to the next book. Even though it might have made this book longer, it will make it a lot easier to jump into the next book, since we already know everything we need to know about Ninth City and its characters.
Looking forward to seeing what happens next with Torro, Naomi, Jax, Rae, Venn, Kez and everybody else! I'll definitely read the sequel!
I received this book from the publishers, via First to Read, in exchange for my honest opinion.
So, by day 5, I was ready to finish it up, but I wasn't upset that I still had another few chapters to read on day 6. It was a really good book.
The author does a great job of weaving a few very different POVs in throughout the book. This is what makes it a little slow. Each character has a completely different life at the beginning, some in completely different settings (and almost different worlds). So, when I say there is a lot of world-building, it's not necessarily just one world. He did a great job of making it not boring, though.
I saw a couple of reviews that said this book was too slow and featured too many characters and POVs. I don't think so, though. I think the author just wanted to make sure all the world and all its characters were well-established. I think the fact that he did this in Ninth City Burning will definitely contribute to the next book. Even though it might have made this book longer, it will make it a lot easier to jump into the next book, since we already know everything we need to know about Ninth City and its characters.
Looking forward to seeing what happens next with Torro, Naomi, Jax, Rae, Venn, Kez and everybody else! I'll definitely read the sequel!
I received this book from the publishers, via First to Read, in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 19, 2016
I didn't really think genre-blending like this would work...but it did! Excellent world-building and very well written. I've been describing it to people as "Station Eleven meets Ender's Game meets Harry Potter," and I stand by that description--though it's probably best not to think of it in those terms while you read it. :) I definitely recommend this book!
September 1, 2016
A book I was anticipating to read, it disappointed me. I couldn't finish this book so therefore I stopped reading it at 40%. I have no regrets. The writing is complicating and so are the characters. Too much happens at one time.
December 31, 2017
Couldn’t finish it. “Like” and “whatnot”. Really.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
August 23, 2017I'm having trouble nailing down why Ninth City Burning is such a struggle for me. What it comes down to, I think, is that it's frankly a boring book. I used it four nights in a row to put myself to sleep when I was feeling anxious and restless. That is not flattering. Usually I'm all for a slow burn, but Ninth City Burning has no plot, no character development, and surprising lack of world-building.
Did not finish at 41%.
Did not finish at 41%.
November 7, 2018
For a book that was intended to be epic and grand, it felt very silly. I like Naomi and Rae, but couldn't bring myself to car for Jax or Torro. Neither of these boys seemed to be able to project to me how dire there situation was. They felt very young. The bad guys were called 'Valentines' due to the fact that they arrived on Valentines day, but it didn't help in making them seem dangerous or ominous.
Ultimately I'd pass on this book if I were you. I'm glad I found it on sale.
Ultimately I'd pass on this book if I were you. I'm glad I found it on sale.
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