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In a future world where the fundamentalist government distorts true Christianity, a winged girl named Caitlyn escapes to the Outside but soon finds herself on the run again from an organization seeking her body's genetic information.Tags
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whitewavedarling Though the writing styles and scopes are different, and Flight of Shadows is the sequel of Brouwer's earlier work Broken Angel, readers of one of these books will likely find the other worth diving into. Similar character types and situations make the books well-matched for each other as quick new-world reads that explore the ethics and moralities of a newer and more classed version of our familiar reality. It's worth noting, though, that while Santa Olivia is absolutely appropriate for young adult readers, Flight of Shadows contains graphic violence that you may or may not want to pass on to your teenager--certainly, I read far worse as a teenager, but you might not want your young adult to come across some of the material in Flight of Shadows without reading it first.
MyriadBooks For being able to tell who the bad guy is because he eats rats.
MyriadBooks Ethics. Genetics. Wings.
Member Reviews
In Broken Angel, Sigmund Brouwer introduces us to Caitlyn Brown, a young girl hidden away in dystopian fundamentalist Christian Appalachia with her father. By the end of that book, she learns the truth about her background and why she's so different from the others around her, and has escaped to the even more dystopian cities outside. Now in Flight of Shadows, Brouwer continues her story - her attempt to contact someone who can help her with her disfigurement, the attempt to get away from the government trying to capture her for her special nature. Brouwer brings a freshness to the story with new characters, while still involving some of the best characters from Broken Angel.
As with the previous book, Flight of Shadows stays safely in show more the genre. It's a dystopian novel plain and simple, but it's a good one with a few flaws. The sociopathic bounty hunter is still mostly a caricature, and the helpers from the previous book still don't have a lot of depth. I thought the attempts at social commentary were clumsy, but didn't spoil the story. Although it didn't bother me, some may not appreciate the brief overtly Christian message found in two short spots.
In spite of these things, Flight of Shadows is a decent read. These sorts of books need to be focused on plot with a quick pace and plenty of action to drive the story, and Brouwer does that pretty well. The introduction of Razor nicely made the transition from the simpler Appalachia to the more complicated cities and surrounding societies, and I expect that if there are more of these books, he'll be back. At least, I hope so! show less
As with the previous book, Flight of Shadows stays safely in show more the genre. It's a dystopian novel plain and simple, but it's a good one with a few flaws. The sociopathic bounty hunter is still mostly a caricature, and the helpers from the previous book still don't have a lot of depth. I thought the attempts at social commentary were clumsy, but didn't spoil the story. Although it didn't bother me, some may not appreciate the brief overtly Christian message found in two short spots.
In spite of these things, Flight of Shadows is a decent read. These sorts of books need to be focused on plot with a quick pace and plenty of action to drive the story, and Brouwer does that pretty well. The introduction of Razor nicely made the transition from the simpler Appalachia to the more complicated cities and surrounding societies, and I expect that if there are more of these books, he'll be back. At least, I hope so! show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Caitlyn Brown is the result of a scientific experiment in a dystopian American future. Within her very DNA, there is a secret that can change mankind; as such, her life is not her own. She is on the run from an evil bounty hunter, the government, and the people who “created” her. She is lost and desperate, and doesn’t know who to trust. In this fast-paced, engaging story, Caitlyn maneuvers through an eerie landscape of cities and shanties, and a caste-like social hierarchy trying find her only friends. As she searches, she endeavors to come to terms with who and what she is, and make peace in her own heart with the father she feels has abandoned her to a hopeless future.
Though writing for a “Christian” audience, Brouwer is not show more afraid to describe truly frightening people and situations. There is awful ugliness and violence in this imagined world (as there is in the real one) and the author doesn’t shirk from it. Though not the kind of book that lends to complex characterizations, Brouwer does a convincing job demonstrating different aspects of his characters’ personalities. The vilest character has passing moments of tenderness. Gentle-natured characters contemplate murder. Despite a bleak setting, the reader understands there are redemptive opportunities for all the characters, some of which are chosen and some not. Yet, this is not a “preachy” book with a neat and tidy gospel message at the end. How refreshing: letting the story speak for itself.
Be mindful that Flight of Shadows a sequel to an earlier Brouwer book Broken Angel. Though the former can probably be read as a stand alone, reading the latter will definitely help contextualize the characters.
This is a satisfying and easy read for adventure-seeking readers who find explorations of the dark side of humanity intriguing. show less
Though writing for a “Christian” audience, Brouwer is not show more afraid to describe truly frightening people and situations. There is awful ugliness and violence in this imagined world (as there is in the real one) and the author doesn’t shirk from it. Though not the kind of book that lends to complex characterizations, Brouwer does a convincing job demonstrating different aspects of his characters’ personalities. The vilest character has passing moments of tenderness. Gentle-natured characters contemplate murder. Despite a bleak setting, the reader understands there are redemptive opportunities for all the characters, some of which are chosen and some not. Yet, this is not a “preachy” book with a neat and tidy gospel message at the end. How refreshing: letting the story speak for itself.
Be mindful that Flight of Shadows a sequel to an earlier Brouwer book Broken Angel. Though the former can probably be read as a stand alone, reading the latter will definitely help contextualize the characters.
This is a satisfying and easy read for adventure-seeking readers who find explorations of the dark side of humanity intriguing. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Before reading Flight of Shadows I was unfamiliar with fellow Albertan and Christian author Sigmund Brouwer’s work. Although Flight of Shadows is the sequel to Broken Angel, I couldn’t resist the chance to review it, and I’m not disappointed at all. With few Christian authors delving into the edgier realms of dystopian futurism and genetic engineering, I couldn’t wait to read Brouwer’s take.
Our heroine Caitlyn has escaped from a life of sheltered stigmatism, marked by the hump on her back, her childhood in a tightly controlled religious community has ended (read Broken Angel for more detail than I can provide.) She now finds herself struggling for survival in a world bent upon capturing her. Whether for government experiments, show more or personal vendetta’s, Caitlyn finds herself on the run as she navigates a world still largely unfamiliar to her.
Brouwer has created a realistic near-future world with entirely plausible outcomes of many events and situations that we find in today’s society. His writing is filled with action and suspense and manages to fill in first time readers on the back-story without lumping it all together in a single chunk of expository back story. Rather these facts are subtly, and skillfully woven throughout the novel itself, making for a smooth reading experience.
The only area that suffers somewhat from jumping in mid-story is that there is some character development missing. The new characters are very well drawn, as well as a surprisingly likeable government agent in pursuit of Caitlyn, but the existing characters aren’t entirely fleshed out – a risk that potential readers should be aware of taking with most sequels.
Flight of Shadows is darker than a lot of Christian fiction, there are some dark themes including violence, and the internal motivations and desires of some of the antagonists, many are deviant, and as such, this is a title best reserved for adult readers. Few of the characters are ostensibly believers, with only a couple expressing a personal faith. Others clearly have knowledge of God but do not seem (based upon this book taken as a read alone) to be engaged in a personal relationship with Him.
Now, that being said, I thought that Flight of Shadows was a great read. I could barely put it down! The premise is interesting, and the story incredibly engaging. I’m not sure if another title is planned for the series, but I’ll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for another installment!
Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com show less
Our heroine Caitlyn has escaped from a life of sheltered stigmatism, marked by the hump on her back, her childhood in a tightly controlled religious community has ended (read Broken Angel for more detail than I can provide.) She now finds herself struggling for survival in a world bent upon capturing her. Whether for government experiments, show more or personal vendetta’s, Caitlyn finds herself on the run as she navigates a world still largely unfamiliar to her.
Brouwer has created a realistic near-future world with entirely plausible outcomes of many events and situations that we find in today’s society. His writing is filled with action and suspense and manages to fill in first time readers on the back-story without lumping it all together in a single chunk of expository back story. Rather these facts are subtly, and skillfully woven throughout the novel itself, making for a smooth reading experience.
The only area that suffers somewhat from jumping in mid-story is that there is some character development missing. The new characters are very well drawn, as well as a surprisingly likeable government agent in pursuit of Caitlyn, but the existing characters aren’t entirely fleshed out – a risk that potential readers should be aware of taking with most sequels.
Flight of Shadows is darker than a lot of Christian fiction, there are some dark themes including violence, and the internal motivations and desires of some of the antagonists, many are deviant, and as such, this is a title best reserved for adult readers. Few of the characters are ostensibly believers, with only a couple expressing a personal faith. Others clearly have knowledge of God but do not seem (based upon this book taken as a read alone) to be engaged in a personal relationship with Him.
Now, that being said, I thought that Flight of Shadows was a great read. I could barely put it down! The premise is interesting, and the story incredibly engaging. I’m not sure if another title is planned for the series, but I’ll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled for another installment!
Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com show less
Please note that there are SPOILERS in this review.
I admit that I read this cold. I know there’s a prequel book to this one, and I even picked up the prequel with the intention to read it but I never did. I instead dove right into Flight of Shadows as soon as it arrived in the mail, and the only real disadvantage there proved to be my feelings of profound indifference to some of the major sympathetic characters. But I loved Flight. I loved the setting, I loved the city, and it grabbed me hard. And kick ass the character Razor is awesome.
Now, Billy has been set up to be Caitlyn’s romantic interest since apparently sometime in the first book, but Razor is introduced in this book and Caitlyn is disturbed by how attracted she is to him show more and I cannot possibly blame her for that. I’m a very character-focused reader, and Razor interests me-the-reader a hell of a lot more than Billy does. I might’ve cared about Billy if I’d bothered to read the earlier book but, like I said, I didn’t, and I’m frankly never going to; stories about surviving in slick, shadowy cities amid info-espionage and underground elements appeal to me so much more than stories about escaping idyllic pastoral settings held by mal-benevolent theocratic governments that spend their spare time preventing the population from learning how to read. Razor, on the other hand, is the quintessential secondary character who stole the show. He just took off running. I'd happily read a whole series about him, and if Flight had been tweaked as a standalone novel with Razor as the primary character I would have rated it five stars.
Remainder of review moved offsite for more flexible HTML formatting. show less
I admit that I read this cold. I know there’s a prequel book to this one, and I even picked up the prequel with the intention to read it but I never did. I instead dove right into Flight of Shadows as soon as it arrived in the mail, and the only real disadvantage there proved to be my feelings of profound indifference to some of the major sympathetic characters. But I loved Flight. I loved the setting, I loved the city, and it grabbed me hard. And kick ass the character Razor is awesome.
Now, Billy has been set up to be Caitlyn’s romantic interest since apparently sometime in the first book, but Razor is introduced in this book and Caitlyn is disturbed by how attracted she is to him show more and I cannot possibly blame her for that. I’m a very character-focused reader, and Razor interests me-the-reader a hell of a lot more than Billy does. I might’ve cared about Billy if I’d bothered to read the earlier book but, like I said, I didn’t, and I’m frankly never going to; stories about surviving in slick, shadowy cities amid info-espionage and underground elements appeal to me so much more than stories about escaping idyllic pastoral settings held by mal-benevolent theocratic governments that spend their spare time preventing the population from learning how to read. Razor, on the other hand, is the quintessential secondary character who stole the show. He just took off running. I'd happily read a whole series about him, and if Flight had been tweaked as a standalone novel with Razor as the primary character I would have rated it five stars.
Remainder of review moved offsite for more flexible HTML formatting. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Flight of Shadows is the fast-paced sequel to Broken Angel: A Novel. So fast-paced, in fact, that the whole book only covers a few days. In Flight of Shadows, we learn more about the history that has brought society to this point. The Water Wars, the return to a near-feudal caste system, and why thousands of people are living in soovie parks - large communities of disabled SUVs that are now good for nothing except keeping the rain off.
Caitlyn has escaped to the Outside and safety and made contact with Billy and Theo, but when threatened, they all quickly flee to another city and live in poverty while trying to stay "under the radar". They soon learn that that's not possible.
When Caitlyn is forced to defend herself from a brutal show more attacker, she sets in motion a chain of events that leaves all of them running for their lives again. She is befriended by Razor, a young man who is a master of disguise and can be found hacking a computer system one moment and braving the horrifying subterrainian community the next.
One of the things that makes a good thriller for me is never being sure who is one which side. Who can the good guys trust? Flight of Shadows is definitely a good thriller. And it's not just Caitlyn who has to watch her back. Most of the main characters in the book are betrayed at some point. Not a good way to live, but it makes for a great story.
I suppose you could read Flight of Shadows as a stand-alone book. The author does give a lot of background. I would recommend reading Broken Angel first, though.
I received this book free from the publisher as part of the Blogging for Books program.
See more reviews at http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com show less
Caitlyn has escaped to the Outside and safety and made contact with Billy and Theo, but when threatened, they all quickly flee to another city and live in poverty while trying to stay "under the radar". They soon learn that that's not possible.
When Caitlyn is forced to defend herself from a brutal show more attacker, she sets in motion a chain of events that leaves all of them running for their lives again. She is befriended by Razor, a young man who is a master of disguise and can be found hacking a computer system one moment and braving the horrifying subterrainian community the next.
One of the things that makes a good thriller for me is never being sure who is one which side. Who can the good guys trust? Flight of Shadows is definitely a good thriller. And it's not just Caitlyn who has to watch her back. Most of the main characters in the book are betrayed at some point. Not a good way to live, but it makes for a great story.
I suppose you could read Flight of Shadows as a stand-alone book. The author does give a lot of background. I would recommend reading Broken Angel first, though.
I received this book free from the publisher as part of the Blogging for Books program.
See more reviews at http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com show less
I really, really dislike books in which no chapter is longer than five or six pages. Many chapters in this book were no longer than three pages. (These pages aren't crammed with words, either.)
This is what happens when I go to the library and start grabbing things off of the shelf...I get a little indiscriminate. Flight of Shadows isn't the worst book I've ever read, but the note from the author at the end of the book put the plot points in a different light. I guess if I were a Christian Conservative or a member of the Religious Right, as the author apparently is, I might not be so annoyed, but since I'm not, I'm annoyed. I'm thinking a little more moral ambiguity could be in order here--in other words, maybe he should keep his show more specific polemics on his web page or something, and out of his books. show less
This is what happens when I go to the library and start grabbing things off of the shelf...I get a little indiscriminate. Flight of Shadows isn't the worst book I've ever read, but the note from the author at the end of the book put the plot points in a different light. I guess if I were a Christian Conservative or a member of the Religious Right, as the author apparently is, I might not be so annoyed, but since I'm not, I'm annoyed. I'm thinking a little more moral ambiguity could be in order here--in other words, maybe he should keep his show more specific polemics on his web page or something, and out of his books. show less
Caitlyn Brown is not a typical young woman. She thought that she was deformed but has learned that she has been genetically modified. This modification allows her to extend and retract wings. Although she has made it "outside" she knows that she won't be safe as long as the government is still hunting her. Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer continues Caitlyn's quest for truth and help.
Flight of Shadows begins with Caitlyn working the night shift at a hotel in what was formerly known as Washington, D.C. This is now a walled city-state and only the "Industrials" (workers with minimal human and society rights usually sporting facial barcodes) and the "Influentials" (extremely wealthy) are found inside. What should have been a routine show more room cleaning becomes an attempt at subjugation and possible rape and results in proof of Caitlyn's physical modification.
Unfortunately Caitlyn is on her own in the city and she is still being hunted by Casper Pierce (a National Intelligence or NI agent) and Mason Lee (a bounty hunter from Appalachia). Caitlyn knows that they don't necessarily want her alive, they just want to harvest her eggs and possibly some blood. Her genetic modification is much more than just having wings, but only a few people are aware of how different she is compared to other "experiments."
Theo and Billy are outside the city walls, working in a smelting factory and living in a soovie park. Apparently since cars are only owned and used by the "influentials,” the "illegals" (workers or refugees without rights) are residing in cannibalized SUVs, vans and minivans in soovie park ghettos. There's no electricity in most "soovies" and running water is hard to find. If that wasn't bad enough, the sick are always at the mercy of "death doctors" that euthanize the ill and dying while hoards surround the occupied soovie to scavenge the dead's property.
Although Caitlyn suffers greatly, she is fortunate to come across people always willing to help her. In Broken Angel she had Billy and Theo, and now she has Razer, a wealthy street-smart kid that helps her hide and escape detection by the NI. Flight of Shadows reveals more about Billy and Theo and spends a little more time discussing their trials while waiting to reconnect with Caitlyn. Mason Lee is still a bad guy on the hunt for Caitlyn, Billy and Theo. He also hopes to get revenge against Pierce for breaking his arm, forcing him to run and the suffering he incurred as a result of his run from Appalachia.
The caste-like society is more prevalent in Flight of Shadows, and the disparity between the have and have-nots is highly visible. Although the city-states don't govern as tightly as the religious leadership in Appalachia, the rules regarding the various castes are just as rigid and unjust. And like most societies, past and present, those with money are allowed to abuse the system at will. This dystopian future is shocking and abhorrent but regrettably one is able to see the seeds of this future being sown by present actions. Caitlyn does escape in the end and is joyfully united with her father, Billy and Theo. The program that created her is destroyed but will its destruction be permanent or is the government just biding its time before they begin again? Although Flight of Shadows is filled with abject poverty and grave injustices, it ends with hope and a sense of purpose. show less
Flight of Shadows begins with Caitlyn working the night shift at a hotel in what was formerly known as Washington, D.C. This is now a walled city-state and only the "Industrials" (workers with minimal human and society rights usually sporting facial barcodes) and the "Influentials" (extremely wealthy) are found inside. What should have been a routine show more room cleaning becomes an attempt at subjugation and possible rape and results in proof of Caitlyn's physical modification.
Unfortunately Caitlyn is on her own in the city and she is still being hunted by Casper Pierce (a National Intelligence or NI agent) and Mason Lee (a bounty hunter from Appalachia). Caitlyn knows that they don't necessarily want her alive, they just want to harvest her eggs and possibly some blood. Her genetic modification is much more than just having wings, but only a few people are aware of how different she is compared to other "experiments."
Theo and Billy are outside the city walls, working in a smelting factory and living in a soovie park. Apparently since cars are only owned and used by the "influentials,” the "illegals" (workers or refugees without rights) are residing in cannibalized SUVs, vans and minivans in soovie park ghettos. There's no electricity in most "soovies" and running water is hard to find. If that wasn't bad enough, the sick are always at the mercy of "death doctors" that euthanize the ill and dying while hoards surround the occupied soovie to scavenge the dead's property.
Although Caitlyn suffers greatly, she is fortunate to come across people always willing to help her. In Broken Angel she had Billy and Theo, and now she has Razer, a wealthy street-smart kid that helps her hide and escape detection by the NI. Flight of Shadows reveals more about Billy and Theo and spends a little more time discussing their trials while waiting to reconnect with Caitlyn. Mason Lee is still a bad guy on the hunt for Caitlyn, Billy and Theo. He also hopes to get revenge against Pierce for breaking his arm, forcing him to run and the suffering he incurred as a result of his run from Appalachia.
The caste-like society is more prevalent in Flight of Shadows, and the disparity between the have and have-nots is highly visible. Although the city-states don't govern as tightly as the religious leadership in Appalachia, the rules regarding the various castes are just as rigid and unjust. And like most societies, past and present, those with money are allowed to abuse the system at will. This dystopian future is shocking and abhorrent but regrettably one is able to see the seeds of this future being sown by present actions. Caitlyn does escape in the end and is joyfully united with her father, Billy and Theo. The program that created her is destroyed but will its destruction be permanent or is the government just biding its time before they begin again? Although Flight of Shadows is filled with abject poverty and grave injustices, it ends with hope and a sense of purpose. show less
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208+ Works 13,652 Members
Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer was born in Central Alberta to Dutch immigrant parents. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and an Honours Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Carleton University. He published many articles in American and Canadian magazines before he got his big break as a show more novelist. The first book he published was entitled, "Accidental Detectives," aimed at youth fiction. He is best known for his adult fiction novel, "Double Helix," published in 1995. Brouwer teaches writing courses at Red Deer College and is on the Board of Directors of the Red Deer College Press. Brouwer also played semi-pro hockey as well as a stint as the editor for National Raquetball Magazine. He has taught mystery writing seminars and in 1993, co-founded The Young Writer's Institute to encourage today's youth to follow their dreams of a career in writing. Brouwer has won the Alberta Film and Literary Arts Writing Grant twice. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Flight of Shadows
- Original publication date
- 2010-05-18
- People/Characters
- Caitlyn Brown; Razor; Mason Lee
- Important places
- Appalachia
- First words
- Caitlyn,
We had agreed—the woman I loved and I—that as soon as you were born, we would perform an act of mercy and decency and wrap you in a towel to drown you in a nearby sink of water, like a kitten in a sack dro... (show all)pped into a river. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Papa!"
- Blurbers
- Robinson, Jeremy
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, Christian Fiction, Science Fiction, Teen
- DDC/MDS
- 813 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American fiction in English
- LCC
- PZ7 .B79984 .F — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 125
- Popularity
- 259,751
- Reviews
- 22
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 5
- ASINs
- 2
