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atamano's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Car accident
bookishlucy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was an extremely nice addition to the series. When I finished the Toll I was craving for more content in the Scythe universe and this book did not disappoint. It beautifully tied up some loose ends while also expanding the world and answering questions about it I hadn't even started to ask myself while I was reading the trilogy. I highly recommend this one if you enjoyed the other books in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Stalking
voldycat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gore
Minor: Self harm, Suicide, and Vomit
micaelamariem's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I am not usually a short story girlie but I enjoyed these! It was nice to dive back into the world of the scythed on and even find out what happened to some of the characters 👀
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
rachelditty's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I loved getting to read more about the Arc of a Scythe universe after the series was concluded a few years ago. The timing was perfect -- I'd just finished reading the series for the second time when I came across this bind-up of new short stories. I think each of the installations were very interesting and fun to read, every one of them adding onto an element from the main series that we didn't get to see explored very much, or even at all. Some were more impactful than others, and some were just downright odd to the point of wondering why they were included at all, but I think they were a very good mix of preposterous and perfect.
I loved getting to read about Scythe Curie's beginnings in Formidable, the way she had a dark purple robe when the first started and only turned it inside out when it was blood-stained, giving her the signature lavender look we all know. I also LOVE the image that gives off, of her walking out of the building after gleaning the president and his cabinet without any blood on her. That was so cool. We didn't get to see much of Faraday in any of these stories, but I think it's fitting given how much we see of him in The Toll.
Never Work with Animals was the most bizarre of the bunch, in my opinion. I just wasn't sure why we needed to read about it. Don't get me wrong, I was so excited when Scythe Lucifer made his appearance, but the entire story revolving around a sentient and extremely intelligent dog was just so out of left field for me. It made a point of how far technology and advancements had come, but we already knew that given how much was in the original trilogy. The only thing that really made me care for this story was Scythe Lucifer being in it. And the ending where the scythe had to sleep on the dog bed. That was funny.
A Death of Many Colors was SO interesting to me; the concept that some areas are so buried beneath their own stories that they don't even believe scythes exist? And the Thunderhead can't really correct them because they just think everything the Thunderhead says is just another layer to the story? That was pretty cool. I liked the scythe in this story and how she comes across her robe, and that the glean victim's friend is the only one in the entire neigborhood who will ever understand that scythes are a real thing now that she's met one and got to walk away from it. Getting to see the scythe's wings were cool, too. A very interesting story oveall.
Unsavory Row was a bit underwhelming considering we saw a lot of the unsavory lifestyle through Grayson in Thunderhead, but I loved getting to understand the different teirs of unsavory life. "Apocolyte" is SUCH a cool name.
A Martian Minute was definitely one of the top three stories in the entire bind-up. Getting to see Carson and his early years of being a menace, the selfishness of his actions relflecting in him even when he was young, and even getting more build up on Xenocrates's character before we see him in the main series. It's so crazy how Xenocrates was the one to really push Carson into the destruction of the colony, and then years later in the main trilogy, we see how that plays against Xenocrates once Goddard has so much power in the world. It was great to see so much background in Carson's story. Hate that guy.
BY FAR my favorite story in this book was The Mortal Canvas. Everything about this story--and I mean everything--was just beautiful. The philosophical discussions of what it means to create art when you're on the cusp of history changing forever; what it means to be an artist in a world that has no real struggles anymore, and therefore nothing to really fight against except death itself, and even that seems to be a far-off concept for everyone; how students can learn from a teacher and a humanity as a whole may only truly feel accomplishment if they have something to strive for in their lifetimes, and therefore achieving immortality has taken away the ability to truly do anything meaningful with a person's life. This whole story was just so impactful to me, especially the part toward the end when the scythe is talking to Morty and tells him he's just made the very last piece of original artwork of the mortal age. How FUCKING insane, that's SUCH an insane sentence to come out of a person's mouth. I loved this story.
Cirri was short, but a very nice piece of insight into what the new artificial intelligence is like in comparison to the Thunderhead.
I never really thought about Ben and the rest of Citra's family after she becomes Scythe Anastasia, but getting to know a little more about them in Anastasia's Shadow was a great peek into the happenings of Scythe Constantine and the rest of those fighting against Goddard after Endura sank. Their plans to use Ben as a further chess piece against Goddard was such a stretch for them, but they were only working with what they had, and while it was upsetting, it was also understandable. And Ben being gay? Great.
I think, personally, The Persistence of Memory was another one of the stories I just couldn't really find myself caring too much about. I liked seeing two scythes from the same region having such opposing views on gleaning and their methods, but aside from that, I didn't quite care a lot for the scythe or his vendetta against this girl who he was going to glean out of spite, or how he saw his own daughter in her.
I did, however, really enjoy Meet Cute and Die. I thought it was interesting to learn more about scythes from regions outside of the Mericas, so getting to read about ones from the East was cool. I loved watching a citizen kill a scythe and not face any consequences because she knew how to manipulate not only the system of immunity, but also knew how to push her aunt's buttons in just the right way. This one was cute and clever.
Perchance to Glean gave some insight into the Antarctic region and their communal dreaming, as well as the way a scythe in that region usually goes around gleaning people. In my opinion, the ending seemed a bit unbelievable; I feel as though the scythe agreeing to continue chasing the boy because it was "Fun" just felt a little like a cop out, like the scythe was persuaded too easily. But getting to know more about communal dreaming was cool.
Finally, A Dark Curtain Rises was so bittersweet. Seeing Susan's consciousness put into someone's body after the ships took off, but having her leave behind Scythe Curie and everything we readers knew her as, was both vindicating and sad. It also stung knowing she likely would never get to have contact with Citra or Faraday ever again, because she was leaving that life behind. But it's SO gratifying to know that the Thunderhead, out of the entirety of history, chose Scythe Curie to be one of thirty-thousand figureheads to supplant into someone's body. That's so touching. And what a fitting end--the short stories started with Curie, and ended with Curie being left behind for a new life. SO well done.
Also worthy of note, I listened to the audiobook, and I LOVED the music playing in the background of the Closing remarks. I wish I knew what that soundtrack was. I loved it.
I will say, I'm surprised we didn't get any direct appearances from Citra like we did with Rowan, and I'm also surprised we didn't get a small epilogue of Citra and Rowan's life on a new planet, but I'm not mad about it. I think it's fitting that their perspectives closed off in the main series.
Some quotes I liked:
"And as you take that first swing, they laugh at you. You try to rise above their derision; to be noticed in some small way; to find favor from the old ones who were never old; to gain respect from the young ones who have slain their own youth; to justify the arrogance that comes with the pride of being chosen," (00:01:43).
"You may not be the father of falsehood... but you're certainly in the family," (2:49:03).
"Art is holding your heart in your hand and trying to figure out how the hell it got there," (5:49:06).
"History was just one peculiar habit abandoned for the next," (5:51:04).
A great companion novel to the original trilogy. Can't wait to pick up a physical copy when it comes out in paperback.
I loved getting to read about Scythe Curie's beginnings in Formidable, the way she had a dark purple robe when the first started and only turned it inside out when it was blood-stained, giving her the signature lavender look we all know. I also LOVE the image that gives off, of her walking out of the building after gleaning the president and his cabinet without any blood on her. That was so cool. We didn't get to see much of Faraday in any of these stories, but I think it's fitting given how much we see of him in The Toll.
Never Work with Animals was the most bizarre of the bunch, in my opinion. I just wasn't sure why we needed to read about it. Don't get me wrong, I was so excited when Scythe Lucifer made his appearance, but the entire story revolving around a sentient and extremely intelligent dog was just so out of left field for me. It made a point of how far technology and advancements had come, but we already knew that given how much was in the original trilogy. The only thing that really made me care for this story was Scythe Lucifer being in it. And the ending where the scythe had to sleep on the dog bed. That was funny.
A Death of Many Colors was SO interesting to me; the concept that some areas are so buried beneath their own stories that they don't even believe scythes exist? And the Thunderhead can't really correct them because they just think everything the Thunderhead says is just another layer to the story? That was pretty cool. I liked the scythe in this story and how she comes across her robe, and that the glean victim's friend is the only one in the entire neigborhood who will ever understand that scythes are a real thing now that she's met one and got to walk away from it. Getting to see the scythe's wings were cool, too. A very interesting story oveall.
Unsavory Row was a bit underwhelming considering we saw a lot of the unsavory lifestyle through Grayson in Thunderhead, but I loved getting to understand the different teirs of unsavory life. "Apocolyte" is SUCH a cool name.
A Martian Minute was definitely one of the top three stories in the entire bind-up. Getting to see Carson and his early years of being a menace, the selfishness of his actions relflecting in him even when he was young, and even getting more build up on Xenocrates's character before we see him in the main series. It's so crazy how Xenocrates was the one to really push Carson into the destruction of the colony, and then years later in the main trilogy, we see how that plays against Xenocrates once Goddard has so much power in the world. It was great to see so much background in Carson's story. Hate that guy.
BY FAR my favorite story in this book was The Mortal Canvas. Everything about this story--and I mean everything--was just beautiful. The philosophical discussions of what it means to create art when you're on the cusp of history changing forever; what it means to be an artist in a world that has no real struggles anymore, and therefore nothing to really fight against except death itself, and even that seems to be a far-off concept for everyone; how students can learn from a teacher and a humanity as a whole may only truly feel accomplishment if they have something to strive for in their lifetimes, and therefore achieving immortality has taken away the ability to truly do anything meaningful with a person's life. This whole story was just so impactful to me, especially the part toward the end when the scythe is talking to Morty and tells him he's just made the very last piece of original artwork of the mortal age. How FUCKING insane, that's SUCH an insane sentence to come out of a person's mouth. I loved this story.
Cirri was short, but a very nice piece of insight into what the new artificial intelligence is like in comparison to the Thunderhead.
I never really thought about Ben and the rest of Citra's family after she becomes Scythe Anastasia, but getting to know a little more about them in Anastasia's Shadow was a great peek into the happenings of Scythe Constantine and the rest of those fighting against Goddard after Endura sank. Their plans to use Ben as a further chess piece against Goddard was such a stretch for them, but they were only working with what they had, and while it was upsetting, it was also understandable. And Ben being gay? Great.
I think, personally, The Persistence of Memory was another one of the stories I just couldn't really find myself caring too much about. I liked seeing two scythes from the same region having such opposing views on gleaning and their methods, but aside from that, I didn't quite care a lot for the scythe or his vendetta against this girl who he was going to glean out of spite, or how he saw his own daughter in her.
I did, however, really enjoy Meet Cute and Die. I thought it was interesting to learn more about scythes from regions outside of the Mericas, so getting to read about ones from the East was cool. I loved watching a citizen kill a scythe and not face any consequences because she knew how to manipulate not only the system of immunity, but also knew how to push her aunt's buttons in just the right way. This one was cute and clever.
Perchance to Glean gave some insight into the Antarctic region and their communal dreaming, as well as the way a scythe in that region usually goes around gleaning people. In my opinion, the ending seemed a bit unbelievable; I feel as though the scythe agreeing to continue chasing the boy because it was "Fun" just felt a little like a cop out, like the scythe was persuaded too easily. But getting to know more about communal dreaming was cool.
Finally, A Dark Curtain Rises was so bittersweet. Seeing Susan's consciousness put into someone's body after the ships took off, but having her leave behind Scythe Curie and everything we readers knew her as, was both vindicating and sad. It also stung knowing she likely would never get to have contact with Citra or Faraday ever again, because she was leaving that life behind. But it's SO gratifying to know that the Thunderhead, out of the entirety of history, chose Scythe Curie to be one of thirty-thousand figureheads to supplant into someone's body. That's so touching. And what a fitting end--the short stories started with Curie, and ended with Curie being left behind for a new life. SO well done.
Also worthy of note, I listened to the audiobook, and I LOVED the music playing in the background of the Closing remarks. I wish I knew what that soundtrack was. I loved it.
I will say, I'm surprised we didn't get any direct appearances from Citra like we did with Rowan, and I'm also surprised we didn't get a small epilogue of Citra and Rowan's life on a new planet, but I'm not mad about it. I think it's fitting that their perspectives closed off in the main series.
Some quotes I liked:
"And as you take that first swing, they laugh at you. You try to rise above their derision; to be noticed in some small way; to find favor from the old ones who were never old; to gain respect from the young ones who have slain their own youth; to justify the arrogance that comes with the pride of being chosen," (00:01:43).
"You may not be the father of falsehood... but you're certainly in the family," (2:49:03).
"Art is holding your heart in your hand and trying to figure out how the hell it got there," (5:49:06).
"History was just one peculiar habit abandoned for the next," (5:51:04).
A great companion novel to the original trilogy. Can't wait to pick up a physical copy when it comes out in paperback.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, and Grief
just_a_bibliophile's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Short stories anthologies are always a bit of a hit and miss situation, and Gleanings was no different. I absolutely loved some of these stories, which really allowed me to get back into the Scythe mindset and come across many familiar - and unfamiliar - faces. The stories which gave us a further insight into how others outside of our main characters get by in this world were particularly fascinating, as it's only really touched on briefly within the main trilogy. Some of the stories felt slightly ridiculous, but some of them were explored in such a depth that you wouldn't expect in a short story. I felt like we really got to understand the characters, even those that we'd never came across before, on a great level, and there didn't seem to be any flat characters throughout.
I do think it would have been a *little* better if there'd been more stories about some of the main characters in the series, like Citra and Rowan, who we hardly heard from in any of the stories, and for me, there was just a *few* too many misses in this anthology to absolutely love it. Although some of the others sure did make up for it, I think if there was a couple of stories cut out here and there to include others focusing in on the main characters from the series, I would have enjoyed it a fair bit more. Saying this, there was a ton of stories I adored, particularly those focusing on Scythe Curie before and after the main Scythe series, as well as Goddard's villain backstory.
It wasn't entirely as I'd expected, in positive and less positive ways, but it's undoubtedly worth a read for any Scythe fans wanting to get back into this world.
Rating: 3.5 stars
I do think it would have been a *little* better if there'd been more stories about some of the main characters in the series, like Citra and Rowan, who we hardly heard from in any of the stories, and for me, there was just a *few* too many misses in this anthology to absolutely love it. Although some of the others sure did make up for it, I think if there was a couple of stories cut out here and there to include others focusing in on the main characters from the series, I would have enjoyed it a fair bit more. Saying this, there was a ton of stories I adored, particularly those focusing on Scythe Curie before and after the main Scythe series, as well as Goddard's villain backstory.
It wasn't entirely as I'd expected, in positive and less positive ways, but it's undoubtedly worth a read for any Scythe fans wanting to get back into this world.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Blood
booktalkwithrae's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I tend to be someone who doesn’t normally enjoy short story behind apps, or even novellas. I find there is not enough time to fully develop a storyline that is enjoyable. But Neal Shusterman did it in this short story bind up.
Even though it has been so long, since I’ve read the original trilogy, I still found it easy to remember specific characters when their short stories came up. It was always interesting, because every short story that started, I would immediately think of this one’s going to be boring and then halfway through the story I was hooked and cannot wait to read it to the end. Of course, throughout this bind up, I have many favorites, but each one I enjoyed for a different reason. I think there was only one or two stories that I didn’t like as many as the others but considering how big this book is, it was terribly enjoyable.
If you love the Scythe trilogy and want to get back into it I highly recommend reading this short story bind up. It made me want to pick up the original trilogy all over again, and it reminded me how much I miss this world that Neal Shusterman had created.
I also highly recommend the audiobook. They use a variety of narrators, including Neal Schusterman himself, and they all do a phenomenal job!
Even though it has been so long, since I’ve read the original trilogy, I still found it easy to remember specific characters when their short stories came up. It was always interesting, because every short story that started, I would immediately think of this one’s going to be boring and then halfway through the story I was hooked and cannot wait to read it to the end. Of course, throughout this bind up, I have many favorites, but each one I enjoyed for a different reason. I think there was only one or two stories that I didn’t like as many as the others but considering how big this book is, it was terribly enjoyable.
If you love the Scythe trilogy and want to get back into it I highly recommend reading this short story bind up. It made me want to pick up the original trilogy all over again, and it reminded me how much I miss this world that Neal Shusterman had created.
I also highly recommend the audiobook. They use a variety of narrators, including Neal Schusterman himself, and they all do a phenomenal job!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Suicide
esme_may's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Never Work With Animals is my favourite by far, Meet Cute and Die coming in second. Was so nice to revisit this series and I’d love to see more from it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, and Medical content
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved these short stories! It was great being back in the world and with some new and old characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Blood