#black light express

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

Chandni Hansa from Black Light Express is aromantic asexual!

[razreads]

Black Light Express by Philip Reeve

Challenge #22 ~ “A book you have high expectations or hope for.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

My opinion in three sentences:

I'll be the first to admit that prequel Railhead was among my favourite books that I read last year, and it was hands-down my choice to win the Carnegie medal. Black Light Express, that didn't even make this year's shortlist, was a bit of a let-down, with the lack of a real driving plot to propel the reader through. In all other ways, however, Reeve nailed it - characterisation, language and the rest - so I'm hoping the final installment of the trilogy will redeem it all.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

Black Light Express is definitely a sequel, and yet Reeve references things in such a way that it sparks a memory of the event - I certainly found myself remembering events I'd totally forgotten about. The imaginative work and beautiful language from the first book also seeps into the second, and once again Reeve transports the reader to a wonderfully-crafted universe of majesty.

A warning for the book:

The reader needs some self-motivation to get into the real action. Reeve spends a considerable amount of the book setting up for the final quarter of non-stop action, relying on the burning question of "Who were the Railmakers, and what happened to them?" to propel the reader through. The question isn't really enough alone, however, and as such it can be a bit of a drag in places.

Recommended for fans of:

     - Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

     - All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

     - Unearthed by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

[crow-caller]

railhead is good

railhead is such a weird series. I’m just thinking about it, as it is SHORTLISTED for a carnegie (!!! super rare! if reeve wins he’ll be the eighth person to ever win two). I still love Mortal Engines more, but railhead is delightfully imaginative. It’s just such a big, cool world. It’s skewed a little more for younger readers too (still YA, but 14 more than 18), and I think if I read it when I was like 15 I would have LOVED it

it’s also, beyond being a cool space opera adventure tale, neat in its diversity. reeve turned 51 this year, and honestly? I’m pleased a 51 year old english middle class guy has been moving more towards embracing diversity in his YA. it’s just not where most diversity comes from 

so railhead would’ve ALSO been really cool for my younger self too, in that it’s a world that is awesome, aliens, robots, politics, adventure... but also general acceptance of gay relationships, a genderfluid robot, book 2 has a loving, explicitly gay relationship between an older man and a computer god, book 2 also has chandri who I swear is 100% aroace (and also just even the casual thought of a girl thinking another girl is hitting on her, and it’s not with disgust, just a possibility)

and also a sci-fi world where white is the minority by a lot, and most humans are descended from india/china!

so what I’m saying is, Railhead is a really good series. They’re good books, but they also represent a lot of good ideas- completely the kind of things kids will want to read, while also introducing them to very casual diversity (and the ever lovely concepts of moral greyness too).

please check them out!

[aroaessidhe]

Did anyone else know about the Railhead stuff Philip Reeve just tweeted about?

An official soundtrack // An unofficial soundtrack // His Railhead pinterest

Because I did not

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Black Light Express | Author: Philip Reeve | Publisher: Oxford University Press (2016)

[gjgriff736]

Railhead/Black Light Express - Philip Reeve

Railhead/Black Light Express – Philip Reeve

Author: Philip Reeve Rating: 4.5 Stars for both More Info Author Bio Where to buy: Amazon | BN | Strand This review is going to be a two-fer.  I was originally tasked with reviewing Philip Reeves’ second book in his Railhead series, Black Light Express.  But I figured I would read the first book to make sure I knew what was what and who was who.  Boy, am I glad I did. Railhead is a story like I…

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[mobilepubliclibraryteens]

Zen and Nova have ridden a train from one world to another before. They come from the Network Empire, whose stations are scattered across half the galaxy. But this time it's different. They've passed through a gate which shouldn't exist at all. They did terrible things to open it, they don't know where it leads, and now they can never go back. Chandni Hansa has just been defrosted from the prison freezers by the new Empress of the Great Network. When railwar erupts around them, the two find themselves running for their lives. But where can they run, when nowhere is safe? And all the while, the mysterious Black Light Zone is calling them. But as their lines separate and intersect, among trainsong and engine-roar, battle cries and gunfire, will they find a way home? If home even exists any more...

[mugglenet]

Book Review: "Black Light Express" by Philip Reeve - http://blog.mugglenet.com/2017/08/book-review-black-light-express-by-philip-reeve/