Bloodtide

by Melvin Burgess

Overview

PART I

London is in ruins, a once highly advanced city now a gated wasteland. Within its walls, a bloody war rages between two clans. Hope is sparse, but the people believe the gods have risen from the dead.

Odin himself has come to play a part in the lives of two twins, a brother and sister from the Volson clan. Siggy and Signy must come to grips with their destiny as London's future teeters on the edge of a knife....

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416936152
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	05/22/2007
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	924,485
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	730L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Melvin Burgess has produced a body of work that is both
challenging and thrilling, including the seminal teen drug and love
novels Smack and Doing It. His books have been adapted
for film, stage, and television.

Editorial Reviews

Based on the first part of the 13th-century Icelandic Volsunga saga, this searing novel by the author of Junk combines a gory and incestuous revenge story with a futuristic premise that recalls The Island of Doctor Moreau. The result is a page-turner, a shocker and a resonant piece of writing. Post-apocalyptic London is populated by halfmen and humans; the former are slave-composites of people and animals, achieved through genetic engineering; the latter are prejudiced, power-hungry rulers, crippled by economic depression. Two warring human gangs have dominated the city for years, and now attempt to unite by marrying 14-year-old Signy to "King" Conor of the opposing crew. Treachery ensues, and innocent Signy soon becomes a vengeful deceiver: "I'll open my legs with a loving smile.... If I have to bear his children, I'll do that too, just so that I can slit their throats before his eyes," she says. People are eaten alive by a pig halfman, others are hung by their heels until dead; Signy and her twin brother have fairly graphic sex while she is inhabiting the body of a shape-changing creature, and the resulting baby is cloned; the dead are resuscitated; Signy's hamstrings are cut in two; and cyborg/animal gods control people's fates. Narrated alternately by various characters and by an omniscient narrator, the storytelling may challenge less proficient readers; yet without a doubt, Burgess's bleak and breathless vision will spark imaginations and discussions. Ages 14-up. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

In a far future, two warring gangs, the Conors and the Volsons, rule the ruins of London. When the leader of the Volsons gives his daughter Signy in marriage to the leader of the Conor family, the stage is set for a tale of vengeance and tragedy. This postmodern retelling of the saga of the Volsungs from Iceland by the author of Smack does not stint on graphic portrayals of violence. Twin themes of love and death provide an inexorable tension in this dark dystopian fable. For most fantasy or general fiction collections. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-British author Melvin Burgess (Junk) weaves a tale of deception, revenge, and redemption in this well-written, gripping novel (Tor Books, 2001) based on the 13th-century Icelandic Volsunga saga and set in a futuristic London that is populated by humans and halfmen. The Volson and Conor families wage war against each other in a London that contains both modern and medieval elements. The warring clans cease fighting to affirm a truce with the marriage of Volson's daughter, Signy, to Conor. What follows is a remarkable adventure story that effortlessly combines science fiction and the lore of Arthurian legends and medieval sagas. There are some graphic portrayals of violence and sex. Expertly narrated by actor Colin Moody, this novel is a winning blend of the voices of different characters that yields a satisfying whole. This book, like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, creates an entirely new world of unforgettable characters and stories. Young adult readers who enjoy this title may be interested in reading such classics as The Once and Future King by T. H. White, Malory's L'Morte d'Arthur, and The Song of Roland. An excellent addition to young adult collections.-Larry Cooperman, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

"A dystopian vision that will rank with the twentieth-century classics!" —The Sunday Telegraph

"Straddling a dystopian future and a myth-ridden past, Bloodtide is a savage story of betrayal, passion, hatred, and the corrupting nature of power. Bloodtide shies from nothing, making it both cruel and magnificent." —The Guardian

"A magnificent drama." —The Sunday Observer

"Powerfully conceived, Bloodtide is a novel of bristling intrigue. In sharp, confident prose Burgess imagines a startling world of humans and shapeshifters, predators and prisoners, villains and heroes. It's a fierce adventure that forces your attention and refuses to let go." —Adele Griffin, author of Sons of Liberty, a National Book Award finalist

From the Publisher