Hadn't previously read this prequel to the Tripods trilogy. I found it a little underwhelming and not entirely consistent with the main series, as it is set in the late 20th century in contrast to the mid 20th century invasion implied in the original books (it was written 20 years later, long after I first read the main series). It's still an enjoyable read, mainly for the family dynamics between the young narrator and his Swiss stepmother and stepsister. ( )

I get the motivation to write a prequel, and what results certainly slots in nicely with the other three books. It lays out plainly what is hinted and referenced in the other three books, I'm not sure it really explores any new ground. Nothing wrong with it, just maybe not worth reading if you got 'enough' out of the main series. ( )

This was the prequel to the Tripods trilogy which tells the story of the Tripods invasion of Earth and the beginnings of the first cell of resistance in the White Mountains. There was a 20 year difference between the publishing of this and the final book in the original series, and I think that gap showed a lot in John Christopher's writing for the better. My two biggest complaints with the trilogy had been that it was told primarily in summary rather than scene and that there were next to no female characters (none at all after the first book). This book at least attempted to rectify both problems. Though still not perfect, this book told a lot more of its story in scene and was therefore easier to get into. Also, there were several female characters, both secondary and tertiary. It felt as though the author had realized his mistake in not including women at all before, as he did mention "the men and women fighting against the Tripods" in this book. At the end, the main character also mentioned that girls seemed more difficult to convince and recruit than boys, which I think the author included simply to give himself an excuse for not including girls in the trilogy, though considering one of the original group's first ever recruits was female, this felt hard to believe.

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing the invasion of the Tripods in person rather than just hearing about it in vague description, and I definitely recommend that anyone who enjoyed the original series read this, as well. ( )

Enjoyable young adult prequel to the original Tripods Trilogy which I enjoyed as a teenager - my copy is very well read. I think it probably works best if (like me) you leave plenty of time (years) between reading it and the originals as then it's not too irritating that essentially you know the plot already. Nice to see it all in detail and my only main irritation is the lack of YA girls in the story - it was a bit of a jolt when I suddenly twigged the narrator was a boy. ( )

perfect prequel to the original Tripod Trilogy ( )