What do you think?
Rate this book
Dust Lands #3
Raging Star
Her passion kept them alive. Now it may destroy them all.
Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo...until she meets him and finds herself drawn to the man and his vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to build a stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. The young and the healthy. Under his control.
Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Presumed dead, he's gone undercover, feeding Saba crucial information in secret meetings. Saba hides her connection with DeMalo and commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi, Saba leads a small guerilla band against the settlers and the Tonton militia. But the odds are overwhelming. Saba knows how to fight—she's not called the Angel of Death for nothing. But what can she do when the fight cannot be won? Then DeMalo offers Saba a chance—a seductive chance she may not be able to refuse. How much will she sacrifice to save the people she loves?
The road has never been more dangerous, and betrayal lurks in the most unexpected places in the breathtaking conclusion to the Dust Lands Trilogy.
Saba is ready to seize her destiny and defeat DeMalo...until she meets him and finds herself drawn to the man and his vision of a healed earth, a New Eden. DeMalo wants Saba to join him, in life and work, to build a stable, sustainable world…for the chosen few. The young and the healthy. Under his control.
Jack’s choice is clear: to fight DeMalo and try to stop New Eden. Presumed dead, he's gone undercover, feeding Saba crucial information in secret meetings. Saba hides her connection with DeMalo and commits herself to the fight. Joined by her brother, Lugh, and her sister, Emmi, Saba leads a small guerilla band against the settlers and the Tonton militia. But the odds are overwhelming. Saba knows how to fight—she's not called the Angel of Death for nothing. But what can she do when the fight cannot be won? Then DeMalo offers Saba a chance—a seductive chance she may not be able to refuse. How much will she sacrifice to save the people she loves?
The road has never been more dangerous, and betrayal lurks in the most unexpected places in the breathtaking conclusion to the Dust Lands Trilogy.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2014
197 people are currently reading
11656 people want to read
About the author
Moira Young
12 books2,226 followersMoira Young is from Vancouver, BC and now lives in the UK. A former actor and opera singer, her debut novel, Blood Red Road, first in the Dustlands trilogy, was published in 2011 to international acclaim. It won a host of prizes including the Costa Children’s Book Award, the British Columbia Book Prize for Children’s Literature and France's Le Prix des Incorruptibles. In the USA it won a Cybils Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction and was an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults book. It is being developed for film by Ridley Scott. The second Dustlands book, Rebel Heart, was a finalist in Canada for the Sunburst Prize, BC Stellar Award and Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The last part of the Dustlands trilogy, Raging Star, was published in May 2014. The Dustlands books are published in 30 countries.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,043 reviews
July 11, 2016
Ok i'ma rant right now. I just finished Rebel Heart and i'm unsatisfied.
1st: How the hell is Saba just gonna leave without finishing that vudo magic trick with Ewdice, or whatever her name is. Like bitch, you could already tell dark foreshadowing, you need to haul your ass back to Ewdice and finish your spell cast!!
2nd: Jack's just annoying the shit outa me. Saba goes through all that trouble tracking his ass and he's all chill like, i'm trying to do the right things Saba and i'm sorry I made you go through all that but I can't go with you anymore. Like BiiiiiiHiitch
I am this close to pushing you off that tower. This might be wrong but when Saba first saw him, she head over heels and staring at him in wonder. What the hell was he doing? Focusing on other shit like helping Emmi and getting all of them outa there. I mean that's great and all, good for you Jack! But don't you think he woulda had even a little reaction to Saba. It doesn't even have to be all that time consuming- just give her a heart-felt glance. I'm just so pissed right now.
3rd: He comes back to her in the end just to go again. So i'm assuming they sleep together (someone correct me) but that doesn't exclude the fact that HOW THE HELL DOES SHE GO BACK TO HER OLD FEELINGS SO FUCKING SUDDENLY AFTER HATING HIM. IT'S LIKE FREAKING DYING WITH NO CLUE!!
Oh, sweet BUDDHA- someone help this poor soul.Jack could treat her better. Just coming back to her, then leaving again.(Also, what a scumbag having a kid at 14). Telling her he's not good for her. Telling her that he's keeping the big water safe for her. No bitch, you're not only doing it for her, you're mostly doing it to take down the government using the confusing good of your heart (which can't be much).
4th: Saba goes through a lot of emotions and sleeps with Seth (otherwise known as sheila-the-great-- no i'm just kidding. Otherwise known as DeMalo). All right, that's chill. Not really, but whatever.
PREDICTIONS: In the end, I first thought that the italics pov was DeMalo but it was actually Tommo. I think that he'll play a big role in the future. Maybe he turns his back against Saba and the rest of them. Sabotages them? Also, Lugh annoys the shit outa me but enough of that. He's not worth my word count space.
But there's one good thing about the ending. The drama. I can't wait to see what happens next. Is Saba pregnant?(I hope she is) I feel like she still has a chance with DeMalo. But then again DeMalo is kinda confused (loony). They said he got headaches, maybe someone's messing with his head, making him rule the country a certain way, putting their ideas into his head. Either way, I still don't see why she jumps at the chance to get with Jack. I mean, the heart stone don't lie.In the end I was just waiting for Saba to tell Jack that she might be pregnant, was anybody else? OMG SO MUCH DRAMA!! I CAN'T WAIT!
Also, I don't understand how she goes around kissing girls. I mean, that's a minor issue, but still; I never pictured her doing that.
What else? This better not be a trilogy. I just checked, it's a trilogy. I don't think that Maev's dead. If she is, I will remain uncaring. I hope Jack gets a slap in the face when he realizes that Saba's having a baby. I also hope that Saba has trouble choosing between DeMalo and Jack. I hope if she has to choose, she'll choose DeMalo. I mean, it's kind of his kid too and Jack can just screw himself. He just CANNOT make up his mind and keeps playing with Saba, whether he meant to do that or not. He's like a much crappier version of Jace Herondale.
Ok. I'm done. Give your ops. I'm out.
EDIT JAN 8 2013
Last thing, i'm not sure of this but I think that Saba will be pregnant but then have a miscarriage. I mean you mostly read about teens having a dark past by having a miscarriage but then it works out for them when they find "the one" because they now don't have a child with a different dad in their way. Who knows, either way Saba will choose Jack. I mean, you don't make the first book revolve around the guy just to have him go in the end. No. It doesn't make any sense. Either someone dies or they get together.(I'm hoping someone dies. Much more interesting ending).
Update
Finally got around to reading it. Jack is still a jackass and it was meh. I give it 2 stars.
1st: How the hell is Saba just gonna leave without finishing that vudo magic trick with Ewdice, or whatever her name is. Like bitch, you could already tell dark foreshadowing, you need to haul your ass back to Ewdice and finish your spell cast!!
2nd: Jack's just annoying the shit outa me. Saba goes through all that trouble tracking his ass and he's all chill like, i'm trying to do the right things Saba and i'm sorry I made you go through all that but I can't go with you anymore. Like BiiiiiiHiitch
I am this close to pushing you off that tower. This might be wrong but when Saba first saw him, she head over heels and staring at him in wonder. What the hell was he doing? Focusing on other shit like helping Emmi and getting all of them outa there. I mean that's great and all, good for you Jack! But don't you think he woulda had even a little reaction to Saba. It doesn't even have to be all that time consuming- just give her a heart-felt glance. I'm just so pissed right now.
3rd: He comes back to her in the end just to go again. So i'm assuming they sleep together (someone correct me) but that doesn't exclude the fact that HOW THE HELL DOES SHE GO BACK TO HER OLD FEELINGS SO FUCKING SUDDENLY AFTER HATING HIM. IT'S LIKE FREAKING DYING WITH NO CLUE!!
Oh, sweet BUDDHA- someone help this poor soul.Jack could treat her better. Just coming back to her, then leaving again.(Also, what a scumbag having a kid at 14). Telling her he's not good for her. Telling her that he's keeping the big water safe for her. No bitch, you're not only doing it for her, you're mostly doing it to take down the government using the confusing good of your heart (which can't be much).
4th: Saba goes through a lot of emotions and sleeps with Seth (otherwise known as sheila-the-great-- no i'm just kidding. Otherwise known as DeMalo). All right, that's chill. Not really, but whatever.
PREDICTIONS: In the end, I first thought that the italics pov was DeMalo but it was actually Tommo. I think that he'll play a big role in the future. Maybe he turns his back against Saba and the rest of them. Sabotages them? Also, Lugh annoys the shit outa me but enough of that. He's not worth my word count space.
But there's one good thing about the ending. The drama. I can't wait to see what happens next. Is Saba pregnant?
Also, I don't understand how she goes around kissing girls. I mean, that's a minor issue, but still; I never pictured her doing that.
What else? This better not be a trilogy. I just checked, it's a trilogy. I don't think that Maev's dead. If she is, I will remain uncaring. I hope Jack gets a slap in the face when he realizes that Saba's having a baby. I also hope that Saba has trouble choosing between DeMalo and Jack. I hope if she has to choose, she'll choose DeMalo. I mean, it's kind of his kid too and Jack can just screw himself. He just CANNOT make up his mind and keeps playing with Saba, whether he meant to do that or not. He's like a much crappier version of Jace Herondale.
Ok. I'm done. Give your ops. I'm out.
EDIT JAN 8 2013
Last thing, i'm not sure of this but I think that Saba will be pregnant but then have a miscarriage. I mean you mostly read about teens having a dark past by having a miscarriage but then it works out for them when they find "the one" because they now don't have a child with a different dad in their way. Who knows, either way Saba will choose Jack. I mean, you don't make the first book revolve around the guy just to have him go in the end. No. It doesn't make any sense. Either someone dies or they get together.
Update
Finally got around to reading it. Jack is still a jackass and it was meh. I give it 2 stars.
August 14, 2014
SPOILER ALERT.
OKAY. Just finished Rebel Heart. Let's just say it's done a good job. Now we all have to wait a year or two for the final book to come out.
What I hope will happen
Saba doesn't get pregnant and Jack never knows of Saba's betrayal.
Lugh dies. Hopefully it's on his way to that utopia of his so the readers will laugh at the irony. Or the ugly Tontons get him again.
If not dead, Lugh realizes how awesome Jack is and apologizes.
Meav comes back to life (but doesn't choose Lugh).
Saba kills DeMalo because I think he drugged her into...yeah. Oh and she rips up all of DeMalo's dresses. That'd be nice too. 'Cause the dresses are just plain creepy.
Or maybe Saba pretends to be pregnant and goes ninja undercover so she and Jack will work together against DeMalo's people. Saba doesn't think DeMalo doesn't know about her and Jack, and he pretends to not. And this leads to some epic finale.
What I need to know
What happened to Lugh when the Tonton took him?
What will happen to Saba now that her mind is "open"?
Why didn't Saba just kill DeMalo when he was unconscious?
Does DeMalo actually like Saba?
Who's going to be on book three's cover? DEMALO? [Oct Update: both Saba and Jack (at least I think it's him. Maybe it's DEMALO) are on the cover).
Why the heck is DeMalo the only guy in the book who can speak perfect English?
What will probably happen
Lugh ends up betraying Saba 'cause he's some undercover agent working for the Tontons. This gives Saba the right to kill him (yay!). Saba is pregnant, which is the only reason why the author talks about Molly and Jack's Gracie in the first place. She'll have a daughter and they'll name her Gracie after his previous daughter. Or maybe a combination of Gracie and Seth (I don't know how that will work). She'll fight with a million and one guns and kill all the Tontons. But Jack will be taken hostage and she has to make "the ultimate sacrifice". Probably has to choose between her baby and Jack [Oct Update: Synopsis says she will have to make a choice, so I think I'm getting close!], and miraculously, she gets both.
APRIL 2013 EDIT
So the title will be "Raging Star".
...sounds angry.
OCT 2013 UPDATE
THAT COVER. Anyone else thought the cover would be blue? Just so we can cover all three primary colours. The cover style reminds me of Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky series: first book cover is the girl, second is the guy and third is the two of them.
FEBRUARY 2014 UPDATE
Book's going to be released on my birthday? Awesome.
OKAY. Just finished Rebel Heart. Let's just say it's done a good job. Now we all have to wait a year or two for the final book to come out.
What I hope will happen
Saba doesn't get pregnant and Jack never knows of Saba's betrayal.
Lugh dies. Hopefully it's on his way to that utopia of his so the readers will laugh at the irony. Or the ugly Tontons get him again.
If not dead, Lugh realizes how awesome Jack is and apologizes.
Meav comes back to life (but doesn't choose Lugh).
Saba kills DeMalo because I think he drugged her into...yeah. Oh and she rips up all of DeMalo's dresses. That'd be nice too. 'Cause the dresses are just plain creepy.
Or maybe Saba pretends to be pregnant and goes ninja undercover so she and Jack will work together against DeMalo's people. Saba doesn't think DeMalo doesn't know about her and Jack, and he pretends to not. And this leads to some epic finale.
What I need to know
What happened to Lugh when the Tonton took him?
What will happen to Saba now that her mind is "open"?
Why didn't Saba just kill DeMalo when he was unconscious?
Does DeMalo actually like Saba?
Who's going to be on book three's cover? DEMALO? [Oct Update: both Saba and Jack (at least I think it's him. Maybe it's DEMALO) are on the cover).
Why the heck is DeMalo the only guy in the book who can speak perfect English?
What will probably happen
Lugh ends up betraying Saba 'cause he's some undercover agent working for the Tontons. This gives Saba the right to kill him (yay!). Saba is pregnant, which is the only reason why the author talks about Molly and Jack's Gracie in the first place. She'll have a daughter and they'll name her Gracie after his previous daughter. Or maybe a combination of Gracie and Seth (I don't know how that will work). She'll fight with a million and one guns and kill all the Tontons. But Jack will be taken hostage and she has to make "the ultimate sacrifice". Probably has to choose between her baby and Jack [Oct Update: Synopsis says she will have to make a choice, so I think I'm getting close!], and miraculously, she gets both.
APRIL 2013 EDIT
So the title will be "Raging Star".
...sounds angry.
OCT 2013 UPDATE
THAT COVER. Anyone else thought the cover would be blue? Just so we can cover all three primary colours. The cover style reminds me of Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky series: first book cover is the girl, second is the guy and third is the two of them.
FEBRUARY 2014 UPDATE
Book's going to be released on my birthday? Awesome.
September 23, 2014
Mother. Fucking. Dustlands.
Every book I finish of this series, I snap shut with the same reaction.
I...I have very mixed feelings on this series' end.
Why is it I walk away from these books with nothing but positive recommendations, yet as I read, I skim, drag, and look ahead, every sign of a bad book? I am not in the moment during these books. I am anxiously waiting for them to get better.
These books have been an emotional struggle for me. I love them in theory, and sometimes in practice. Jack and Saba have enough potential to last for several seasons of television for me, I could never get enough of them, and there never was enough. Ever. Every book had a painful lack of Jack and Saba. The tone is dark, gritty, and so readable when it's done well. The side characters have such a strong presence. The world building is so cool. And don;t get me started on the motherfucking Free Hawks. Best. Idea. Ever. I want a Free Hawks spin-off.
Yet I have to force my way through the plot of every book, painfully so. Young has always been unsentimental, killing characters before their time, lingering on plot instead of people, which I'd rather have time to care about these people, and to see them live past twenty. (Maev, what the fuck Moira?).
Notice how the Free Hawks are gone after book 1? It's Like Moira Young hates what makes her readers happy.
Here's what I hate, plot, side characters (there are too fucking many to keep track of and many lump together to serve the same purpose), Lugh, Red Herrings, "dramatic" reveals.
Here are the dramatic reveals:
1. Lugh
2. DeMalo
3. Molly
4. Saba
5. Emmi
6. Big Bad Ending
I just...too much was lost for the ending to feel rewarding. Saba had too many demons. There was no triumph, and for a character put through so many trials, riding off into the sunset with a love interest, with no finite reward, isn't enough. Saba loses everything except one guy. One fucking guy. I...maybe I'll be able to formulate new opinions once the shock fades, but honestly, I read ahead for all these books just to motivate myself to the "happy ending" and this one was no exception. So I was numb to the twists, trails, and pains. It was predictable and unsentimental, I didn't feel the author cared about the characters so neither did I.
Every book I finish of this series, I snap shut with the same reaction.
I...I have very mixed feelings on this series' end.
Why is it I walk away from these books with nothing but positive recommendations, yet as I read, I skim, drag, and look ahead, every sign of a bad book? I am not in the moment during these books. I am anxiously waiting for them to get better.
These books have been an emotional struggle for me. I love them in theory, and sometimes in practice. Jack and Saba have enough potential to last for several seasons of television for me, I could never get enough of them, and there never was enough. Ever. Every book had a painful lack of Jack and Saba. The tone is dark, gritty, and so readable when it's done well. The side characters have such a strong presence. The world building is so cool. And don;t get me started on the motherfucking Free Hawks. Best. Idea. Ever. I want a Free Hawks spin-off.
Yet I have to force my way through the plot of every book, painfully so. Young has always been unsentimental, killing characters before their time, lingering on plot instead of people, which I'd rather have time to care about these people, and to see them live past twenty. (Maev, what the fuck Moira?).
Notice how the Free Hawks are gone after book 1? It's Like Moira Young hates what makes her readers happy.
Here's what I hate, plot, side characters (there are too fucking many to keep track of and many lump together to serve the same purpose), Lugh, Red Herrings, "dramatic" reveals.
Here are the dramatic reveals:
1. Lugh
2. DeMalo
3. Molly
4. Saba
5. Emmi
6. Big Bad Ending
I just...too much was lost for the ending to feel rewarding. Saba had too many demons. There was no triumph, and for a character put through so many trials, riding off into the sunset with a love interest, with no finite reward, isn't enough. Saba loses everything except one guy. One fucking guy. I...maybe I'll be able to formulate new opinions once the shock fades, but honestly, I read ahead for all these books just to motivate myself to the "happy ending" and this one was no exception. So I was numb to the twists, trails, and pains. It was predictable and unsentimental, I didn't feel the author cared about the characters so neither did I.
Want to read
December 24, 2016AT THE RISK OF SOUNDING DESPERATE, SETH DEMALO, IF SABA DOESN'T WANT TO JOIN YOU, I'M AVAILABLE. I WILL GLADLY AND WILLINGLY FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE. EVEN IF YOU TURN OUT TO BE A HEARTLESS BASTARD.
(apparently I have a thing for creepy and/or awkward fictional guys. And DeMalo certainly fits that category.)
Jack, please don't make me choose between you and DeMalo. Because at this point I'm pretty sure I will pick DeMalo.
And by the way, I still hope you die, Lugh :)
____________________________________________
2014?!
This is ridiculous! There are just way too many terrible things that can happen from now until 2014. Why torture us like this?!
Here is what I think is gonna happen in this book:
EITHER
Hurry up 2014!
OR
Here's what I HOPE happens: Here's hoping!
May 29, 2017
I waited about a week to write this review...mostly because I didn't think it deserved one. I've seen some of the reviews other people have written and most of them are in the 4-5 star range. To those people I can only say that I'm glad you didn't feel that you wasted your time reading this, because I sure as hell did.
This book is hands down the worst book I've read all year. Granted, it's only May, but I will bet anyone who reads this review that it will remain the worst for the next half of the year too. There was so much I hated about this book that I could go on for hours.
The biggest problem I had with it is that it was so freaking boring. The only thing that got me through to the end was the idea that I'd finally be finished with this shitty series. Don't get me wrong, I loved Blood Red Road, but Rebel Heart left me feeling so unsatisfied with Saba's character and everything that happened in the book. I got over it and attributed it to the fact that it was a second book in a trilogy and those rarely go well, but I can't give that same excuse to Raging Star. The plot is meaningless and was so dull, not to mention totally stupid and Saba and Jack's relationship went to shit all the way through it. And Saba was just annoying and made dumb decisions more than half of the time.
Most of all, I miss the fast-paced action and stirring banter between Jack and Saba from the first book. This was not the ending I was hoping for. It was almost like the author just tried to copy Suzanne Collins' ending (those of you who have read both Mockingjay and Raging Star will understand that comparison) but it just didn't work here. One of those deaths was unnecessary and the whole ending, in fact, was rushed. The whole book moved along at a snail's pace and then all of a sudden you're thrown into an action packed scene that not only makes no sense but lacks any sort of direction.
The only good thing I can say about this book is that it's done. For those of you who haven't read this series yet, do yourselves a favour and only read Blood Red Road and treat it like a single book. You can make up a better ending in five minutes than what you get by reading the rest of the series.
This book is hands down the worst book I've read all year. Granted, it's only May, but I will bet anyone who reads this review that it will remain the worst for the next half of the year too. There was so much I hated about this book that I could go on for hours.
The biggest problem I had with it is that it was so freaking boring. The only thing that got me through to the end was the idea that I'd finally be finished with this shitty series. Don't get me wrong, I loved Blood Red Road, but Rebel Heart left me feeling so unsatisfied with Saba's character and everything that happened in the book. I got over it and attributed it to the fact that it was a second book in a trilogy and those rarely go well, but I can't give that same excuse to Raging Star. The plot is meaningless and was so dull, not to mention totally stupid and Saba and Jack's relationship went to shit all the way through it. And Saba was just annoying and made dumb decisions more than half of the time.
Most of all, I miss the fast-paced action and stirring banter between Jack and Saba from the first book. This was not the ending I was hoping for. It was almost like the author just tried to copy Suzanne Collins' ending (those of you who have read both Mockingjay and Raging Star will understand that comparison) but it just didn't work here. One of those deaths was unnecessary and the whole ending, in fact, was rushed. The whole book moved along at a snail's pace and then all of a sudden you're thrown into an action packed scene that not only makes no sense but lacks any sort of direction.
The only good thing I can say about this book is that it's done. For those of you who haven't read this series yet, do yourselves a favour and only read Blood Red Road and treat it like a single book. You can make up a better ending in five minutes than what you get by reading the rest of the series.
June 26, 2014
Alright Blood Red Road was definatly a promising book that got me hooked right away. Rebel Heart like oh hot damnn. But honestly I hated Lugh. Is it bad to say I hope he dies in the third book. Seriously the kid is all oh I love you sis and then like two pages later he goes all phsyco on her. And whenever she left to go do what she does rescuing people and saving the day he always stopped her or tagged along slowing her down. Like dude back off.
Let's talk about DeMalo. Okay that guy is insane. like mentally insane. I never trusted him a second and I swear he drugged her and that is why she was with him. Wine does voodoo to the mind so why not. Oh and she can't be pregnant. I really hope Moors is just trying to freak us out because I hare how Saba now has ties to Demalo. I want him to just disappear or something. I have to admit though it would be awesome seeing Jack and Demalo in some kind of fight over Saba in the next book. DRAMA!
Oh Jack. How you disappointed me. I thought he was the most amazing guy in Blood Red Road but no. Their little reunion turned me off. It's like oh hey Saba you have a knife in your hand and I'm just going to stand here and complain about your sister that everyone knew about other than you at that point. I felt like screaming half the time. Like really you cant put any worry in there like she was going to kill you. And that crape about not being good enough for her. Seriously? I wanted to punch him and slap him. She went through all of that just to help you know your pushing her away like NO.
Now Tommo is that kid no one pays attention to but I feel like he is going to play a HUGE role in the third book. Like that last part in the book is either Tommo or Lugh and I'm leaning more towards Tommo because of their conversation. Lugh is totally pushing her out of the way. Tommo is definalty someone to look at now.
Anyway the whole book awkwardly fell into place in the end. Everything that confused me sort of found a place for itself in the end. Not clearly but it did fit into the seams. I loved Saba's adventure and delemas. They are so interesting and easy to get caught up in. Brilliant story from one book to the next. I just wish it will turn out to NOT be a dissapointment like so many other trilogies.
AFTER
This book left me in tears at the end. I did not enjoy the first half but after getting over that rather large speed bump, it turned into something strangely amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better ending. p.s. it left me in tears, like ugly crying. Never saw that one coming but the last section got me big time. :) happy readings everyone. One story down, another one awaits.
Let's talk about DeMalo. Okay that guy is insane. like mentally insane. I never trusted him a second and I swear he drugged her and that is why she was with him. Wine does voodoo to the mind so why not. Oh and she can't be pregnant. I really hope Moors is just trying to freak us out because I hare how Saba now has ties to Demalo. I want him to just disappear or something. I have to admit though it would be awesome seeing Jack and Demalo in some kind of fight over Saba in the next book. DRAMA!
Oh Jack. How you disappointed me. I thought he was the most amazing guy in Blood Red Road but no. Their little reunion turned me off. It's like oh hey Saba you have a knife in your hand and I'm just going to stand here and complain about your sister that everyone knew about other than you at that point. I felt like screaming half the time. Like really you cant put any worry in there like she was going to kill you. And that crape about not being good enough for her. Seriously? I wanted to punch him and slap him. She went through all of that just to help you know your pushing her away like NO.
Now Tommo is that kid no one pays attention to but I feel like he is going to play a HUGE role in the third book. Like that last part in the book is either Tommo or Lugh and I'm leaning more towards Tommo because of their conversation. Lugh is totally pushing her out of the way. Tommo is definalty someone to look at now.
Anyway the whole book awkwardly fell into place in the end. Everything that confused me sort of found a place for itself in the end. Not clearly but it did fit into the seams. I loved Saba's adventure and delemas. They are so interesting and easy to get caught up in. Brilliant story from one book to the next. I just wish it will turn out to NOT be a dissapointment like so many other trilogies.
AFTER
This book left me in tears at the end. I did not enjoy the first half but after getting over that rather large speed bump, it turned into something strangely amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better ending. p.s. it left me in tears, like ugly crying. Never saw that one coming but the last section got me big time. :) happy readings everyone. One story down, another one awaits.
Want to read
May 13, 2013Came on to Goodreads today to see when this book comes out, because I thought it was soon. My reaction when I saw I saw 2014:
Which was immediately followed by this:
TRILOGIES (especially this one):
Yup, I need to know how a story ends.This is probably some messed up way of teaching us how to be patient.
Which was immediately followed by this:
TRILOGIES (especially this one):
Yup, I need to know how a story ends.
Want to read
May 15, 2014Edit: 9/2/13-
WAIT. IS THAT THE COVER. WHAT.
Well, to be honest, I'm not a big fan of these covers. But whatever. It's what's inside that counts.
Well...
The very last paragraph of Rebel Heart was just like...
WAIT. IS THAT THE COVER. WHAT.
Well, to be honest, I'm not a big fan of these covers. But whatever. It's what's inside that counts.
Well...
The very last paragraph of Rebel Heart was just like...
Want to read
August 7, 2016I have to wait till May!! for this book???? whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? Mrs. Young you are making me suffer!!!!!!!!!!=(
May 30, 2016
A finished unsolicited copy was provided by the publisher for review.
I was highly anticipating the release of Raging Star but I also wanted to make sure I was ready for the conclusion. I avoided reading this for a couple of months only because I didn't want it to end. You can say I wanted to keep myself immersed in Saba's story.
In that case, I got my wish because this was all about Saba taking down DeMelo. His tyranny had to end and what better way then infiltrate his mission in life? I found the beginning to be very slow and boring. The only parts driving me go keep going was the parts where the traitor was talking about Jack. The middle finally picked up and the ending was just intense. I didn't know what to feel to be honest. I'm still upset about it. The traitor is finally revealed and even though I guessed right, I still didn't want it to be that person. I mean it tore me apart..AHHH
Overall, it was a great ending to the trilogy, even if there were some twists and turns coming at you from every corner. I will miss Saba and the gang, though they'll always be in the books so we can re-read them over again.
I was highly anticipating the release of Raging Star but I also wanted to make sure I was ready for the conclusion. I avoided reading this for a couple of months only because I didn't want it to end. You can say I wanted to keep myself immersed in Saba's story.
In that case, I got my wish because this was all about Saba taking down DeMelo. His tyranny had to end and what better way then infiltrate his mission in life? I found the beginning to be very slow and boring. The only parts driving me go keep going was the parts where the traitor was talking about Jack. The middle finally picked up and the ending was just intense. I didn't know what to feel to be honest. I'm still upset about it. The traitor is finally revealed and even though I guessed right, I still didn't want it to be that person. I mean it tore me apart..AHHH
Overall, it was a great ending to the trilogy, even if there were some twists and turns coming at you from every corner. I will miss Saba and the gang, though they'll always be in the books so we can re-read them over again.
January 21, 2018
4.5/5 stars
I definitely liked this one the best of the 3 but I don’t know that I can give it 5 stars. I really like that it actually preached nonviolence while NOT BEING violent.
I felt like the ending was a little rushed but besides that I really enjoyed the conclusion of this trilogy and also I’m very emotional.
ALSO I CALLED A FEW OF THE TWISTS I DID.
I definitely liked this one the best of the 3 but I don’t know that I can give it 5 stars. I really like that it actually preached nonviolence while NOT BEING violent.
I felt like the ending was a little rushed but besides that I really enjoyed the conclusion of this trilogy and also I’m very emotional.
ALSO I CALLED A FEW OF THE TWISTS I DID.
March 25, 2018
I enjoyed this little, dystopian trilogy and the third volume was, in my opinion, the best. It was pretty hard hitting and upsetting in places and I was certainly more engaged with it than I was the previous volumes.
While this will never be an all-time favourite, I definitely enjoyed it enough to read more from this author in the future.
While this will never be an all-time favourite, I definitely enjoyed it enough to read more from this author in the future.
February 9, 2017
SERIES RATING AND SPOILER-FREE REVIEW:
This is the most conflicted I have ever felt about book series. I adored some parts of this trilogy and hated the others. Let's see what are pluses and minuses of Dust Lands trilogy.
(+) REALISTIC NARRATOR
Saba, the narrator and heroine of this trilogy, is bold, rude, vicious and very determined. On the top of that she is selfish and stubborn. Surprisingly, instead of being annoyed with Saba, these character traits made her look more human in my eyes (not some idealized unrealistic saint).
(+) SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS
Sibling relationships play a big role in this series and author introduced very interesting take on it. Either it is between Saba and her twin brother or between Saba and her younger sister, author masterfully shows us how shaky such relationships can be and how much they change over the time.
(+) HUMANITY VS. SURVIVAL
Do you know what I like the most about dystopian genre? I love how it focuses on humanity, on its worst and best parts, showing the depths to which people would go to survive. The constant struggle, the constant fight between morals and selfish will to survive in wicked world so different from ours, that is what I like the most about dystopian novels. And Dust Lands series is full of it. You can feel it from every page (especially in Blood Red Road). I love this kind of intensity because it gives me big feels. And emotional reads always stay with me for the longest.
(+) CHEMISTRY IN THE FIRST BOOK
There was so much chemistry between Saba and Jack in Blood Red Road. Just the two of them talking together was sparkling. What a shame it doesn't reach next books in trilogy.
(-) PARTICULAR WRITING STYLE
Made up slang, no proper grammar, no quotation marks, etc. I admit that I found it interesting and unique at the beginning. But later on it was very distracting and discouraging.
(-) SEQUEL FIASCO
Surely, you are wondering what possessed me to rate sequels so poorly after liking first book in series so much. Answer is simple. Everything that I liked about characters and storyline in Blood Red Road was missing in sequel. Thrilling fights for survival - gone. Smart heroine - gone. Potent chemistry - gone. Addictive plot - gone. I was so disappointed that I even contemplated to forget that I ever read sequel and to pretend that Blood Red Road was a standalone. Rebel Heart turned into something I hate - almost every important male character had romantic feelings for Saba. I hate this trope in all kinds of genres. It's huge pet peeve of mine and if it wasn't for great first and last chapter, I would give Rebel Heart only one star. But curious creature that I am, I had to pick the third book up as well. Even though Raging Star was slightly better than Rebel Heart, it still didn't live up to my expectations I had after falling in love with first book.
(-) THE DARKLING SYNDROME
I am not fan of The Darkling Syndrome and unfortunately, this series suffers from it. (Those of you who are not familiar with Grisha Trilogy, The Darkling Syndrome is what I call a situation in books when heroine develops some kind of feelings/connection to villain and this connection disables her to fight villain properly.) It drove me crazy. So even though storytelling in this series is great, I didn't like at all how story developed. It had negative effect on my emotional investment in the story and sadly, I wasn't rooting for the heroine in books #2 and #3. But it is only my personal feeling. I do think that first book is worth reading. And who knows, maybe you would feel differently about the story development that I did.
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
Book 1: Blood Red Road- 4 STARS
Book 2: Rebel Heart - 2 STARS
Book 3: Raging Star - 2.5 STARS
This is the most conflicted I have ever felt about book series. I adored some parts of this trilogy and hated the others. Let's see what are pluses and minuses of Dust Lands trilogy.
(+) REALISTIC NARRATOR
Saba, the narrator and heroine of this trilogy, is bold, rude, vicious and very determined. On the top of that she is selfish and stubborn. Surprisingly, instead of being annoyed with Saba, these character traits made her look more human in my eyes (not some idealized unrealistic saint).
(+) SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS
Sibling relationships play a big role in this series and author introduced very interesting take on it. Either it is between Saba and her twin brother or between Saba and her younger sister, author masterfully shows us how shaky such relationships can be and how much they change over the time.
(+) HUMANITY VS. SURVIVAL
Do you know what I like the most about dystopian genre? I love how it focuses on humanity, on its worst and best parts, showing the depths to which people would go to survive. The constant struggle, the constant fight between morals and selfish will to survive in wicked world so different from ours, that is what I like the most about dystopian novels. And Dust Lands series is full of it. You can feel it from every page (especially in Blood Red Road). I love this kind of intensity because it gives me big feels. And emotional reads always stay with me for the longest.
(+) CHEMISTRY IN THE FIRST BOOK
There was so much chemistry between Saba and Jack in Blood Red Road. Just the two of them talking together was sparkling. What a shame it doesn't reach next books in trilogy.
(-) PARTICULAR WRITING STYLE
Made up slang, no proper grammar, no quotation marks, etc. I admit that I found it interesting and unique at the beginning. But later on it was very distracting and discouraging.
(-) SEQUEL FIASCO
Surely, you are wondering what possessed me to rate sequels so poorly after liking first book in series so much. Answer is simple. Everything that I liked about characters and storyline in Blood Red Road was missing in sequel. Thrilling fights for survival - gone. Smart heroine - gone. Potent chemistry - gone. Addictive plot - gone. I was so disappointed that I even contemplated to forget that I ever read sequel and to pretend that Blood Red Road was a standalone. Rebel Heart turned into something I hate - almost every important male character had romantic feelings for Saba. I hate this trope in all kinds of genres. It's huge pet peeve of mine and if it wasn't for great first and last chapter, I would give Rebel Heart only one star. But curious creature that I am, I had to pick the third book up as well. Even though Raging Star was slightly better than Rebel Heart, it still didn't live up to my expectations I had after falling in love with first book.
(-) THE DARKLING SYNDROME
I am not fan of The Darkling Syndrome and unfortunately, this series suffers from it. (Those of you who are not familiar with Grisha Trilogy, The Darkling Syndrome is what I call a situation in books when heroine develops some kind of feelings/connection to villain and this connection disables her to fight villain properly.) It drove me crazy. So even though storytelling in this series is great, I didn't like at all how story developed. It had negative effect on my emotional investment in the story and sadly, I wasn't rooting for the heroine in books #2 and #3. But it is only my personal feeling. I do think that first book is worth reading. And who knows, maybe you would feel differently about the story development that I did.
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
June 11, 2014
Impressions right after Rebel Heart:
Too bad Jack didn't manage to kill himself while blowing up the Tonton ammo storage. Let's hope he makes a quick exit in book 3...
Update after reading Raging Star...
It wasn’t as terrible as I had expected, as the plot had some direction this time, but it’s hard to like a book when you don’t feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. Moira Young finally managed to portray DeMalo as the villain, but there were a couple of points that made me uncomfortable.
The relationships were downright creepy. A woman in her thirties with a 18 year old boy . A man in his thirties with an 18 year old girl . They’re cradle robbers if not pedophiles... I had issues with the promiscuity of the characters overall.
The tone was dark all the way, with nothing to balance it. The killing spree at the end didn’t make much sense . Some of the secondary characters felt like fillers , and I would be hard pressed to qualify the ending as hopeful.
Last but not least, no explanation was given for why the heartstone heated up for both DeMalo and Jack. A polyandry topic is hardly appropriate for a YA book...
Too bad Jack didn't manage to kill himself while blowing up the Tonton ammo storage. Let's hope he makes a quick exit in book 3...
Update after reading Raging Star...
It wasn’t as terrible as I had expected, as the plot had some direction this time, but it’s hard to like a book when you don’t feel an emotional connection to any of the characters. Moira Young finally managed to portray DeMalo as the villain, but there were a couple of points that made me uncomfortable.
The relationships were downright creepy. A woman in her thirties with a 18 year old boy . A man in his thirties with an 18 year old girl . They’re cradle robbers if not pedophiles... I had issues with the promiscuity of the characters overall.
The tone was dark all the way, with nothing to balance it. The killing spree at the end didn’t make much sense . Some of the secondary characters felt like fillers , and I would be hard pressed to qualify the ending as hopeful.
Last but not least, no explanation was given for why the heartstone heated up for both DeMalo and Jack. A polyandry topic is hardly appropriate for a YA book...
Want to read
September 28, 2012why would it take soooooooo long? 2014 are you fu**ing kidding me?!
March 12, 2015
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Good grief, what happened to this series? Upon finishing Blood Red Road my response was something along the lines of “OMG ALL THE STARS. YOU GET ALL THE STARS YOU AMAZING BOOK.” There may have also been some arm flailing. And then came the interminable wait for the next installment, Rebel Heart, but as soon as it had released I begin hearing the most disappointing things about it, most especially those dreaded words: “Middle Book Syndrome.” I decided I’m going to binge read the last two when the last one comes out so that I don’t have to deal with that disappointment. Well, let me tell you what. Binge reading (or listening if you want to be specific) Rebel Heart and Raging Star back to back is not the way to go because it was 22 hours of mind-numbingly boring storytelling. For a series to have such an amazing start, it’s really disappointing for the rest of the story to have caused nothing short of narcolepsy.
Me. While Reading.
Blood Red Road was constant intensity and that action was sorely lacking in the final two installments. What happened to girl cage-fighting or the hellwurms or Saba just being a total badass? None of these things happened following book one. The plot ended up shifting focus to lesser important (or interesting) aspects of this world with more focus on the drama and I disliked it greatly. Saba’s character transformation in Rebel Heart continued into Raging Star and we have our ongoing soap opera episode between her and Jack and DeMalo, oh and I suppose Tommo can be included too.
Raging Star is a slow meandering end to the trilogy with a sudden burst of activity at the very end that felt disjointed and unexpected. The action came far too late for me to be emotionally invested in anything that happened at that point. Very disappointing end to a series that started off with major potential.
I received this book free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Good grief, what happened to this series? Upon finishing Blood Red Road my response was something along the lines of “OMG ALL THE STARS. YOU GET ALL THE STARS YOU AMAZING BOOK.” There may have also been some arm flailing. And then came the interminable wait for the next installment, Rebel Heart, but as soon as it had released I begin hearing the most disappointing things about it, most especially those dreaded words: “Middle Book Syndrome.” I decided I’m going to binge read the last two when the last one comes out so that I don’t have to deal with that disappointment. Well, let me tell you what. Binge reading (or listening if you want to be specific) Rebel Heart and Raging Star back to back is not the way to go because it was 22 hours of mind-numbingly boring storytelling. For a series to have such an amazing start, it’s really disappointing for the rest of the story to have caused nothing short of narcolepsy.
Me. While Reading.
Blood Red Road was constant intensity and that action was sorely lacking in the final two installments. What happened to girl cage-fighting or the hellwurms or Saba just being a total badass? None of these things happened following book one. The plot ended up shifting focus to lesser important (or interesting) aspects of this world with more focus on the drama and I disliked it greatly. Saba’s character transformation in Rebel Heart continued into Raging Star and we have our ongoing soap opera episode between her and Jack and DeMalo, oh and I suppose Tommo can be included too.
Raging Star is a slow meandering end to the trilogy with a sudden burst of activity at the very end that felt disjointed and unexpected. The action came far too late for me to be emotionally invested in anything that happened at that point. Very disappointing end to a series that started off with major potential.
February 20, 2017
Book Title: Raging Star
Author: Moira Young
Narration: Heather Lind
Series: Dust Lands #3
Genre: Dystopian, Love & Stuff, YA
Source: Audiobook (Library)
OVERALL RATING: 2.5/5 STARS
SERIES RATING: 3.5/5 STARS
(Blood Red Road -4.7 Rebel Heart -3.5 Raging Star -2.5)
Find my full review with video included for book song at Leah's Bookish Obsession
⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 3/5
The Feels: 2/5
Addictiveness: 3/5
Theme: 1/5
Flow: 2/5
Backdrop (World Building): 2/5
Originality: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Ending: 2.5/5 Cliffhanger: no
Will I read more from this Author? Idk????
⇝My Thoughts⇜
This series has ultimately disappointed me…I've tried to figure out if I regret reading it at all, and to tell the truth…I'm just not sure…a part of me is, though. I have loved the narration on this series by Heather Lind, but even that got on my nerves towards the end of this book. Maybe, that's Saba's fault too.
I'm just not happy with the decisions that Saba, Jack and Tommo have been making. I was also seriously disappointed in the heart stone, (really, it is sort of a character) how could it light up for both of them? I didn't like that at all. After the debacle that was Rebel Heart, where everyone made some rash decisions, it was clear that Raging Heart had to have something epic happen to put it back on the 'loving this' train. Clearly, that didn't happen for me.
⇝Sex Factor⇜ Yes, there is sex but not explicit. It's not a clean read, for sure.
Author: Moira Young
Narration: Heather Lind
Series: Dust Lands #3
Genre: Dystopian, Love & Stuff, YA
Source: Audiobook (Library)
OVERALL RATING: 2.5/5 STARS
SERIES RATING: 3.5/5 STARS
(Blood Red Road -4.7 Rebel Heart -3.5 Raging Star -2.5)
Find my full review with video included for book song at Leah's Bookish Obsession
♪♫My Pick For Book Theme Song♫♪
Flares by The Script --The words are for Saba…Did you regret nothing???
♫Did you lose what won't return?
Did you love but never learn?
The fire's out but still it burns
And no one cares, there's no one there
Did you find it hard to breathe?
Did you cry so much that you could barely see?
You're in the darkness all alone
And no one cares, there's no one there♫
⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜
Plot: 2.5/5
Characters: 3/5
The Feels: 2/5
Addictiveness: 3/5
Theme: 1/5
Flow: 2/5
Backdrop (World Building): 2/5
Originality: 4/5
Book Cover: 4/5
Narration: 4/5
Ending: 2.5/5 Cliffhanger: no
Will I read more from this Author? Idk????
⇝My Thoughts⇜
This series has ultimately disappointed me…I've tried to figure out if I regret reading it at all, and to tell the truth…I'm just not sure…a part of me is, though. I have loved the narration on this series by Heather Lind, but even that got on my nerves towards the end of this book. Maybe, that's Saba's fault too.
I'm just not happy with the decisions that Saba, Jack and Tommo have been making. I was also seriously disappointed in the heart stone, (really, it is sort of a character) how could it light up for both of them? I didn't like that at all. After the debacle that was Rebel Heart, where everyone made some rash decisions, it was clear that Raging Heart had to have something epic happen to put it back on the 'loving this' train. Clearly, that didn't happen for me.⇝Sex Factor⇜ Yes, there is sex but not explicit. It's not a clean read, for sure.
May 27, 2014
*heavy sigh*
Just finished and I feel very disappointted..
Firstly, I didn't remember the narration was with slang all the way and that there were no speech marks at all.. I'm not sure why I didn't remember that, I read the other 2 books. But that required heavy concentration...which made me fall asleep every time I picked up the book! (I swear I fell asleep at least 4 times while reading it).
Secondly, (which may be another reason), I waited (not too patiently) for the book to start.. and that happened at 85%. So yeah, stuff happens from 85% !!
There were long talks about Saba's character changing from book 1 to 2. Well, after that one, I would say that: it isn't Saba that's changed, it's the whole storyline. The whole Angel of Death concept was good but turned out to be non existant after book 1.
I really think this was a 1 book deal, not 3. I'm giving 2 stars because I originally loved BRR so much, I feel I owe it to Saba, but really, I didn't like this one.
Just finished and I feel very disappointted..
Firstly, I didn't remember the narration was with slang all the way and that there were no speech marks at all.. I'm not sure why I didn't remember that, I read the other 2 books. But that required heavy concentration...which made me fall asleep every time I picked up the book! (I swear I fell asleep at least 4 times while reading it).
Secondly, (which may be another reason), I waited (not too patiently) for the book to start.. and that happened at 85%. So yeah, stuff happens from 85% !!
There were long talks about Saba's character changing from book 1 to 2. Well, after that one, I would say that: it isn't Saba that's changed, it's the whole storyline. The whole Angel of Death concept was good but turned out to be non existant after book 1.
I really think this was a 1 book deal, not 3. I'm giving 2 stars because I originally loved BRR so much, I feel I owe it to Saba, but really, I didn't like this one.
November 29, 2018
My daughter and I listened to this whole series several years back as we would travel the 45min. commute back and forth to her school. This series is perfect for YA's and adults alike.
The female protagonist is a fantastic role model for young girls, showing that women are not just objects to be admired by men, but so much more, hearing this series hits home for young girls that they can also be incredibly strong and physically fit, as well as more intelligent than their male counterparts. Have no shame in their game, and always do you and let it shine! Another important message is finding a way to accept that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and life. Without growing pains we never learn how to cope and move on.
My husband even listened to the Dust Lands series whenever in the car with us, and he too was hooked! Needless to say, were all sad when it ended. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Sigh. . .
Highly Recommend!
The female protagonist is a fantastic role model for young girls, showing that women are not just objects to be admired by men, but so much more, hearing this series hits home for young girls that they can also be incredibly strong and physically fit, as well as more intelligent than their male counterparts. Have no shame in their game, and always do you and let it shine! Another important message is finding a way to accept that making mistakes is a natural part of learning and life. Without growing pains we never learn how to cope and move on.
My husband even listened to the Dust Lands series whenever in the car with us, and he too was hooked! Needless to say, were all sad when it ended. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Sigh. . .
Highly Recommend!
July 11, 2015
A four-sentence review: I think Blood Red Road could've worked better as a standalone, as the last two books didn't add anything besides predictable character development.
The plot thickens, but it is nowhere near as intense and fast-paced as before - in fact, Raging Star moves slow as a snail and the story loses steam. The very end is acceptable, but so similar to others in the genre. I highly recommend the first book, but you could skip the next two unless you want to be underwhelmed.
The plot thickens, but it is nowhere near as intense and fast-paced as before - in fact, Raging Star moves slow as a snail and the story loses steam. The very end is acceptable, but so similar to others in the genre. I highly recommend the first book, but you could skip the next two unless you want to be underwhelmed.
Read
July 1, 201407/01/13:
Simply put, I am obsessed with this series. The dialect, the world, the characters… I love it all.
In this final installment, a threat from DeMalo leaves Saba with seven days to either surrender her fight or find a way to defeat him and his plans for New Eden. This ticking-clock element keeps the pacing tight and tensions high. A few masterfully crafted scenes written in third person reveal a traitor within Saba’s group, though the details are vague. I was constantly torn between who I thought the traitor might be and only figured it out pages before the actual reveal. Kudos to Young for that. The ending is not an easy one, perhaps even closer to heartbreaking than bittersweet, but Saba’s story is one that will sit with me for years. And I know, without a doubt, that this will be one of the rare series I revisit again and again.
Originally reviewed here.
11/14/13: Ugh, and now it's pushed back another month. *cries* Seriously, this wait is killing me. I do not have a more highly anticipated book for 2014.
7/2/13: And now I share a release date with this book. EEEE! I know how I'll be celebrating FROZEN's launch next April...
6/17/13: AHHH it has a name! Pardon my intense fangirling!!!
11/18/12: I might die from the wait for this book. That's not even an exaggeration. (Okay, maybe a little.)
Simply put, I am obsessed with this series. The dialect, the world, the characters… I love it all.
In this final installment, a threat from DeMalo leaves Saba with seven days to either surrender her fight or find a way to defeat him and his plans for New Eden. This ticking-clock element keeps the pacing tight and tensions high. A few masterfully crafted scenes written in third person reveal a traitor within Saba’s group, though the details are vague. I was constantly torn between who I thought the traitor might be and only figured it out pages before the actual reveal. Kudos to Young for that. The ending is not an easy one, perhaps even closer to heartbreaking than bittersweet, but Saba’s story is one that will sit with me for years. And I know, without a doubt, that this will be one of the rare series I revisit again and again.
Originally reviewed here.
11/14/13: Ugh, and now it's pushed back another month. *cries* Seriously, this wait is killing me. I do not have a more highly anticipated book for 2014.
7/2/13: And now I share a release date with this book. EEEE! I know how I'll be celebrating FROZEN's launch next April...
6/17/13: AHHH it has a name! Pardon my intense fangirling!!!
11/18/12: I might die from the wait for this book. That's not even an exaggeration. (Okay, maybe a little.)
Want to read
October 11, 2012You just take your time, Moira. I can wait. :)
October 23, 2017
Quick review for a quick read. "Raging Star" is the final book in the Dust Lands Trilogy by Moira Young. I've taken my time with this series, reading it over the course of several years, and for what its worth, I'm glad that I was able to finish it. Yet, I'm of two minds upon the conclusion of this book - like "Rebel Heart" there were parts of this book that I really liked and others that I just...didn't.
This book picks up where the last left off, with Saba carrying the weight of several secrets and encounters that she knows will drive a wedge between the people she trusts the most and the causes she wants to work towards. Granted, the goal is to take DeMalo down, and she has to work with her family, and with Jack, though he's mostly at a distance in this novel given the events of "Rebel Heart." The rolling action and peril in this book reflect shades of "Blood Red Road" and puts Saba in prime fighting mode for some scenes, but this book still reflects flaws that I found to slow the book down in "Rebel Heart". The character I felt showed the most growth throughout the series was Emmi, and she stepped up in some big ways through the course of this novel that I felt were satisfying for her character. Jack's role is more supportive in this novel, and I liked some of the moments that he and Saba shared, but it's not a prominent focus given the larger events that occur. Saba, Tammo, Lugh, and Emmi (among others) find themselves in an ongoing fight with the Tonton, though Saba comes up with the idea of warring with De Malo without resorting to violence, which is the opposite of what he would expect them to do (and counter to Saba's role as an angel of death. What follows are some emotional twists and turns (including a reveal of a traitor and several emotional character demises that I'll admit did catch me through the course of the story) that build to a dramatic conclusion.
In reflection of all this, I'll admit I'm still disappointed in the route Saba's character went in comparison with her strong establishment in "Blood Red Road". She felt more reactive than proactive as the series went onward, and there were places I felt her character could have had better representation for her stresses and roles that the series' conflict presented. I knew where it wanted to go and why, but I just felt Saba's character was more frustrating than well-rounded. A key frustrating aspect to this is that a good portion of the conflict in this novel (as well as "Rebel Heart") is driven by the secrets that Saba keeps from her loved ones in order to "protect" them, but such actions end up having dire consequences despite her best intentions and fatigue with the purported role she's said to fulfill.
I'd honestly like to read more of Moira Young's books in the future based on this overarching series. The Dust Lands Trilogy had moments that thrilled and surprised me, despite frustrating moments of uneven presentation. I enjoyed the journey overall, though I wish the series had as much momentum as it'd begun.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
This book picks up where the last left off, with Saba carrying the weight of several secrets and encounters that she knows will drive a wedge between the people she trusts the most and the causes she wants to work towards. Granted, the goal is to take DeMalo down, and she has to work with her family, and with Jack, though he's mostly at a distance in this novel given the events of "Rebel Heart." The rolling action and peril in this book reflect shades of "Blood Red Road" and puts Saba in prime fighting mode for some scenes, but this book still reflects flaws that I found to slow the book down in "Rebel Heart". The character I felt showed the most growth throughout the series was Emmi, and she stepped up in some big ways through the course of this novel that I felt were satisfying for her character. Jack's role is more supportive in this novel, and I liked some of the moments that he and Saba shared, but it's not a prominent focus given the larger events that occur. Saba, Tammo, Lugh, and Emmi (among others) find themselves in an ongoing fight with the Tonton, though Saba comes up with the idea of warring with De Malo without resorting to violence, which is the opposite of what he would expect them to do (and counter to Saba's role as an angel of death. What follows are some emotional twists and turns (including a reveal of a traitor and several emotional character demises that I'll admit did catch me through the course of the story) that build to a dramatic conclusion.
In reflection of all this, I'll admit I'm still disappointed in the route Saba's character went in comparison with her strong establishment in "Blood Red Road". She felt more reactive than proactive as the series went onward, and there were places I felt her character could have had better representation for her stresses and roles that the series' conflict presented. I knew where it wanted to go and why, but I just felt Saba's character was more frustrating than well-rounded. A key frustrating aspect to this is that a good portion of the conflict in this novel (as well as "Rebel Heart") is driven by the secrets that Saba keeps from her loved ones in order to "protect" them, but such actions end up having dire consequences despite her best intentions and fatigue with the purported role she's said to fulfill.
I'd honestly like to read more of Moira Young's books in the future based on this overarching series. The Dust Lands Trilogy had moments that thrilled and surprised me, despite frustrating moments of uneven presentation. I enjoyed the journey overall, though I wish the series had as much momentum as it'd begun.
Overall score: 3/5 stars.
April 22, 2018
Raging Star was good.. just not as good as the first two books which really disappointed me.
Saba just confused me because she basically left Ewdice without finishing what she was doing there. I didn't really understand her reasoning but okay - I'll go with it. Then there was Jack who was just rubbing me the wrong way. Yup, he was an annoying little shit head. I really don't understand what these two were doing.. or what the hell was going through their minds in this book. I was beyond frustrated.
Besides that she has this sort of lame ass triangle of love going on. At one point I gave zero fucks about who she would end up picking. DeMalo or Jack?? Meh, I'm good. I didn't care but then when she finally did choose.. I was so freaking lost and confused. It was like I was reading Astrophysics or something and my brain was not computing one bit of information.
Then the whole ending was so anti-climatic. I didn't care for it one bit. It could have been better in my eyes because it didn't feel like an ending to this series..and it's been three years since this book was written. So WTF is going on here people?!?
Overall, I'm disappointed. I expected better since the first two books, Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart were so much better than this. I'm so mad. I need to sit and think about this book some more.
Saba just confused me because she basically left Ewdice without finishing what she was doing there. I didn't really understand her reasoning but okay - I'll go with it. Then there was Jack who was just rubbing me the wrong way. Yup, he was an annoying little shit head. I really don't understand what these two were doing.. or what the hell was going through their minds in this book. I was beyond frustrated.
Besides that she has this sort of lame ass triangle of love going on. At one point I gave zero fucks about who she would end up picking. DeMalo or Jack?? Meh, I'm good. I didn't care but then when she finally did choose.. I was so freaking lost and confused. It was like I was reading Astrophysics or something and my brain was not computing one bit of information.
Then the whole ending was so anti-climatic. I didn't care for it one bit. It could have been better in my eyes because it didn't feel like an ending to this series..and it's been three years since this book was written. So WTF is going on here people?!?
Overall, I'm disappointed. I expected better since the first two books, Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart were so much better than this. I'm so mad. I need to sit and think about this book some more.
January 31, 2022
I didn't like that ending at all.
June 20, 2017
Son kitaba kadar gelip de en sonda karakterleri öldürmek nedir ya.Hadi biri neyse de diğeri ölmemeliydi.Sonu da güzeldi.
October 8, 2017
What a read! Raging Star is a surprisingly different read from what I anticipated but it was still go good that I couldn’t put it down, and it’s definitely an unforgettable finale!
Moira Young is back with the long awaited finale in her Dustlands series, and this time we see Saba, Jack and the guerilla band trying to take down DeMalo and his Tonton militia in a number of different ways. Saba’s hiding many secrets – especially her connection with DeMalo and that one weak moment where Saba gives into him, that moment where Jack can never find out about. But now she knows that DeMalo is evil, his visions are lies and she is more determined than ever to try and win this war the right way. Can Saba do the impossible and save New Eden from DeMalo? But most importantly can she keep all her loves ones safe?
Raging Star is every bit enjoyable as Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart, and it’s one that’s left me emotionally drained because there’s just so much going on that your emotions are tugged all over the place – but in a such a good way. I am completely fascinated with Moira Young’s writing and her unique story telling about these amazing characters and their journey for survival. It was one heck of a journey and I still can’t believe it’s over!
I’ve always been a fan of Saba’s. I love that she isn’t perfect and makes mistakes like any normal person. I like that she’s hard-headed and stands up for what she believes in, but mostly I love her love for her family, friends and of course Jack. Without her lover for them, she would be a completely different person. Their love is what makes her stronger, makes her work harder at achieving the life they all want. Even when people do wrong by her, she still continues to love them. I admire her for that. She’s strong and brave and even when she doesn’t know the right direction to go in, she tries and tries until she find a solution.
It’s her relationship with Jack that I love the most though. These two are perfect together – sure they fight but they love too and that’s what is most important. Saba does a lot of thinking about Jack in Raging Star, she never wants him to find out about DeMalo and it plays on her mind, she can’t risk losing him. I was expecting a little more time in their relationship during this book, but if you read the story, you will see why their time was very limited. But I definitely think the hardships that they’ve gone through definitely makes them stronger in the end. And the story wouldn’t have been the same without Molly, Emmi, Slim, Tommo and Lugh. One of these characters I really came to dislike by the end of the book, no matter their good intentions, I found myself quiet relieved with that particular characters ending, and I just couldn’t feel sorry for them.
The plot of the story was exciting and all though it’s not as action driven as the first two books, it’s still a very driven story. It’s unpredictable and nerve-racking, full of suspense and more importantly, has a great ending.
In all, Saba and Jack are going to be very hard characters to leave behind. Their journey was hard and tough but it was definitely unforgettable, and it’s one that I’ll hold close to my heart for a long time!
Favourite Quote: "When did you git so gawdamn virtuous? He swipes a gentle finger down my cheek. I dunno, he says. The moment I seen yer face?" Saba & Jack
Thank you to Scholastic for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!
Moira Young is back with the long awaited finale in her Dustlands series, and this time we see Saba, Jack and the guerilla band trying to take down DeMalo and his Tonton militia in a number of different ways. Saba’s hiding many secrets – especially her connection with DeMalo and that one weak moment where Saba gives into him, that moment where Jack can never find out about. But now she knows that DeMalo is evil, his visions are lies and she is more determined than ever to try and win this war the right way. Can Saba do the impossible and save New Eden from DeMalo? But most importantly can she keep all her loves ones safe?
Raging Star is every bit enjoyable as Blood Red Road and Rebel Heart, and it’s one that’s left me emotionally drained because there’s just so much going on that your emotions are tugged all over the place – but in a such a good way. I am completely fascinated with Moira Young’s writing and her unique story telling about these amazing characters and their journey for survival. It was one heck of a journey and I still can’t believe it’s over!
I’ve always been a fan of Saba’s. I love that she isn’t perfect and makes mistakes like any normal person. I like that she’s hard-headed and stands up for what she believes in, but mostly I love her love for her family, friends and of course Jack. Without her lover for them, she would be a completely different person. Their love is what makes her stronger, makes her work harder at achieving the life they all want. Even when people do wrong by her, she still continues to love them. I admire her for that. She’s strong and brave and even when she doesn’t know the right direction to go in, she tries and tries until she find a solution.
It’s her relationship with Jack that I love the most though. These two are perfect together – sure they fight but they love too and that’s what is most important. Saba does a lot of thinking about Jack in Raging Star, she never wants him to find out about DeMalo and it plays on her mind, she can’t risk losing him. I was expecting a little more time in their relationship during this book, but if you read the story, you will see why their time was very limited. But I definitely think the hardships that they’ve gone through definitely makes them stronger in the end. And the story wouldn’t have been the same without Molly, Emmi, Slim, Tommo and Lugh. One of these characters I really came to dislike by the end of the book, no matter their good intentions, I found myself quiet relieved with that particular characters ending, and I just couldn’t feel sorry for them.
The plot of the story was exciting and all though it’s not as action driven as the first two books, it’s still a very driven story. It’s unpredictable and nerve-racking, full of suspense and more importantly, has a great ending.
In all, Saba and Jack are going to be very hard characters to leave behind. Their journey was hard and tough but it was definitely unforgettable, and it’s one that I’ll hold close to my heart for a long time!
Favourite Quote: "When did you git so gawdamn virtuous? He swipes a gentle finger down my cheek. I dunno, he says. The moment I seen yer face?" Saba & Jack
Thank you to Scholastic for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review!
May 22, 2014
This review can also be found at The Starry-Eyed Revue.
Blood Red Road was a very strong debut. Rebel Heart was an epic sequel. And Raging Star was...well, it was beyond my wildest dreams. Moira Young certainly didn't pull any punches with the ending to the Dust Lands trilogy, that's for damn sure. Makes it worth that extra-long wait between the second and third books. ;) But I'm going to keep this as succinct as possible, just to give you a feel for the novel without spoiling anything.
What I loved best about this series finale was the fact that it was just so unpredictable. I had certain expectations going into this final book -- and they were met, boy howdy, were they met! -- but I still didn't see half of what this book was throwin' at me until it hit me square in the face. And I'm usually one to figure out the twists way before I'm meant to and then I hate myself for making so many educated guesses in the first place and ruining the book for myself. So, yeah, the surprises in this story were pleasant, indeed. Well, on one level, anyway.
Saba and crew are still on their mission to free the people of New Eden, though if you'll remember, they're short a few. Tensions are running high in this group, and not everyone's on board with Saba's new plan. In-fighting, treachery, and betrayal are high on Saba's list of problems. If you thought you knew these characters, you thought wrong. As we discover more about each character and what they're capable of, they're all learning more about each other and themselves. And it ain't all rainbows and pixie dust. I thought what Saba suffered in Rebel Heart was pretty trying, but that was nothing compared to what she's facing in this final installment.
And despite everything, DeMalo still wants to claim her as his own. But there is no love triangle. I repeat, there is no love triangle. So if you were one of those who were worried about this series for that reason, let me assuage your doubts now. I think it's pretty clear from the first book with whom Saba's heart lies, but there were some major hiccups along the way. Saba's known all along that she's been making mistakes left and right: with Emmi, with Jack, even with Tommo. And in this book, she's making amends as best she can, but there are some things she just can't change. Some matters of the heart can't be taken back, but they can be moved past with some effort.
Suffering, sacrifice, and betrayal...all aspects that come together to make this story this series heartbreaking yet hopeful. And definitely worthy of many re-reads. I purchased the hardcover to finish up my set, but I also downloaded the audio so that I could get to the story that much sooner. That's also after (re)listening to the first two audiobooks in anticipation of this final book. And I still maintain that Heather Lind is the perfect narrator for this series. I can't imagine anyone else providing the voice for Saba and everyone else, and after seeing her as Anna Strong in Turn, I can see why. She is great in the role as the strong-willed, outspoken spy, which plays right into the characterization of Saba. Seriously, I'll listen to anything she narrates.
And I'll gladly read anything Moira Young writes. I can still remember how hesitant I was to start this series because of the writing style and the fact that it's written in the vernacular. But I'm glad I gave it a try...it's become one of my very favorite series, and that's saying a lot because I don't rank very many dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels very highly these days. But this one is epic, and this final installment was pretty phenomenal.
GIF it to me straight:
Yep. Pretty much. But I loved it, and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Blood Red Road was a very strong debut. Rebel Heart was an epic sequel. And Raging Star was...well, it was beyond my wildest dreams. Moira Young certainly didn't pull any punches with the ending to the Dust Lands trilogy, that's for damn sure. Makes it worth that extra-long wait between the second and third books. ;) But I'm going to keep this as succinct as possible, just to give you a feel for the novel without spoiling anything.
What I loved best about this series finale was the fact that it was just so unpredictable. I had certain expectations going into this final book -- and they were met, boy howdy, were they met! -- but I still didn't see half of what this book was throwin' at me until it hit me square in the face. And I'm usually one to figure out the twists way before I'm meant to and then I hate myself for making so many educated guesses in the first place and ruining the book for myself. So, yeah, the surprises in this story were pleasant, indeed. Well, on one level, anyway.
Saba and crew are still on their mission to free the people of New Eden, though if you'll remember, they're short a few. Tensions are running high in this group, and not everyone's on board with Saba's new plan. In-fighting, treachery, and betrayal are high on Saba's list of problems. If you thought you knew these characters, you thought wrong. As we discover more about each character and what they're capable of, they're all learning more about each other and themselves. And it ain't all rainbows and pixie dust. I thought what Saba suffered in Rebel Heart was pretty trying, but that was nothing compared to what she's facing in this final installment.
And despite everything, DeMalo still wants to claim her as his own. But there is no love triangle. I repeat, there is no love triangle. So if you were one of those who were worried about this series for that reason, let me assuage your doubts now. I think it's pretty clear from the first book with whom Saba's heart lies, but there were some major hiccups along the way. Saba's known all along that she's been making mistakes left and right: with Emmi, with Jack, even with Tommo. And in this book, she's making amends as best she can, but there are some things she just can't change. Some matters of the heart can't be taken back, but they can be moved past with some effort.
Suffering, sacrifice, and betrayal...all aspects that come together to make this story this series heartbreaking yet hopeful. And definitely worthy of many re-reads. I purchased the hardcover to finish up my set, but I also downloaded the audio so that I could get to the story that much sooner. That's also after (re)listening to the first two audiobooks in anticipation of this final book. And I still maintain that Heather Lind is the perfect narrator for this series. I can't imagine anyone else providing the voice for Saba and everyone else, and after seeing her as Anna Strong in Turn, I can see why. She is great in the role as the strong-willed, outspoken spy, which plays right into the characterization of Saba. Seriously, I'll listen to anything she narrates.
And I'll gladly read anything Moira Young writes. I can still remember how hesitant I was to start this series because of the writing style and the fact that it's written in the vernacular. But I'm glad I gave it a try...it's become one of my very favorite series, and that's saying a lot because I don't rank very many dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels very highly these days. But this one is epic, and this final installment was pretty phenomenal.
GIF it to me straight:
Yep. Pretty much. But I loved it, and I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.
April 28, 2014
I just finished this book and absolutely loved it. The final installation in the Dust Lands trilogy did not disappoint. Despite all the 'If you liked Hunger Games you'll love this' comments, I actually preferred this trilogy. I felt it was more consistent in terms of pacing, and the ending in 'Raging Star' was much more satisfying and well-planned (and less rushed!) than 'Mockingjay'. Also, the author's world-building was amazing. I couldn't put it down. What am I going to read now?
February 6, 2017
Raging Star was niet het slotstuk dat ik had gehoopt. Na een originele start verzande ook de Dust Lands trilogie in een doorsnee post-apocalyptisch verhaal met een door mij zo gehekelde liefdesdriehoek. De imperfectie van de personages begon me na drie boeken toch wat tegen te staan en de fonetische schrijfstijl voegde nog weinig toe aan het verhaal. Tel daar een afgeraffeld einde bij op en je hebt een niet meer dan redelijk verhaal.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Mijn complete recensie lees je op Oog op de Toekomst.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,043 reviews