Endless Water, Starless Sky (Bright Smoke, Cold Fire, 2)

I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Endless Water, Starless Sky, the second half of the story begun in Rosamund Hodge's previous novel, Bright Smoke, Cold Fire. And after practically swallowing it whole, I can report that it does not disappoint. It is, however, very hard to discuss without giving away spoilers to anyone who hasn't read the first book. Therefore, my remarks will be general.As usual, Hodge's prose is beautifully written, and her background in mythology and folklore continues to inform her work. (view spoiler) As always, she brings to her Y.A. novel a level of complexity and depth which I appreciate and do not always find in this genre.If you love fantasy world building, true love against all odds, swordplay, zombies, romance, loyalty, and friendship, (not to mention humor despite grim circumstances) Endless Water, Starless Sky will meet or exceed your expectations. But if you also want something more, you'll find that too.One element which particularly struck me was the importance of individual choices even when you cannot see how anything you can do will make any difference. Another was the validity of beauty, even when everything seems meaningless. I was also interested in seeing how the four protagonists confronted the religious or philosophical assumptions which they had absorbed from their individual clans or prior experiences.Can I also say that I really loved Paris? And by the end of the book, I was even fond of Romeo.

Plunging back into the world of this duology required a little will-power. After all, part one had ended not just with tragedy all around but with darkness and a stench of blood that made me cringe. Then Hodge’s Romeo walked across the page, and I was in. I <i>cared.</i>Naturally, everything got even worse. Naturally, everything was a overwrought and melodramatic--this is Romeo and Juliet with zombies, after all. Furthermore, it is an unflinching portrayal of the hopelessness of a world bereft of hope, grace, and the bare concept of divine mercy.I found myself wondering how Ms. Hodge could possibly end this story properly. The ostensibly obvious solution--bringing in some kind of Christ-figure whose sacrifice would redeem the world--wouldn’t work. The point was clearly made that no one was righteous. No one was innocent. Not even the good characters. When the ending finally came, it involved scenes I will remember for a long time. I’m still thinking about them. Ms. Hodge has a habit of taking YA conventions that are annoying or even unhealthy and then subverting them. They become a vehicle for a story that acknowledges the brokenness of the world and offers hope. It’s quite a remarkable thing to accomplish and I will absolutely be picking up her next title.

With the ending to Bright Smoke, Cold Fire I had been dying to get my hands on this one and this turned out to be a solid conclusion. This book has a great cast of characters with so many intertwined relationships.The angst in this book is real! Romeo and Juliet are both fighting on opposite sides of a war and neither ever seems to realize what the other is up to. Waiting for them to run into one another was torture. But I kinda loved that push and pull. I also love how complicated and intertwined the relationships are and that the friendships are just as important (if not more so) than the romantic ones. Nothing is ever easy and things always have to be earned. It would help if they would work together instead of constantly trying to protect one another, but at the same time you can really see how much these characters care for one another.My favorite of them all is definitely Juliet. She is so strong and determined and she will protect those she cares for at all costs. She’s also willing to sacrifice a lot to save those she cares for. I also love that she can be a bit unlikable at times. Her flaws make her great. Honestly every single character in this book is flawed and I love them all more because of that.Rosamund Hodge really knows how to take a story we know and add that fantasy twist. She creates a bloody world here but the writing is so good and immerses you in their weird and bloody world. This book is definitely a slow build, but it builds to something great.All in all, this was a good conclusion to Bright Smoke, Cold Fire and even though it took me a while to get through, I really savored this one.

I've been waiting for this since "Bright Smoke, Cold Fire" - Hodge set up a masterful cliffhanger in the first volume of this series! - and was not disappointed. The story picks up immediately, with a reimagined Romeo and Juliet both trying to find a way to be together without killing each other or their families, all while striving to save their post-apocalyptic city from a Master Necromancer and from the Realm of Death itself.I was caught up in the surprising yet authentic development of each character and each relationship - and I loved that the supporting characters felt as real as the main ones. The vivid expansion of the world and cultures in it captivated me. I especially loved the climactic sequence, a dream-like journey, especially built on foundations ranging from Homer to C.S. Lewis to Blue Oyster Cult, but in unexpected and profound ways. Loved it!

Wonderful second half of the story started in Bright Smoke Cold Fire. Hodge creates a world that is beautiful, strange, and frightening. The story is fast paced and complex. Her characters are three dimensional, no cookie cutter heroes and villans. Can’t wait to read her next book.

Imagine Dante meeting Shakespeare meeting Diana Wynne Jones. This is a splendidly inventive story, intricately plotted, with such interesting myths and magic—and its heart isn’t only romance but also friendship, justice, the homecoming of the soul.