The Toll

SYNOPSIS:

I DO NOT SPEAK WITH THE VOICE OF THE THUNDER, BUT THE THUNDER DOES SPEAK THROUGH ME.

Everything has changed in the world of the scythes. Citra and Rowan have disappeared. The floating city of Endura is gone. It looks like nothing else stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute power. Now that the Thunderhead is silent, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll and the Thunder.

REVIEW

(5 STARS)

The Arc of Scythe has become one of my favourite series of all time. Neal Shusterman is probably one of the best writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The work he put into this series, and the care with which he wrote this story - thinking about every little piece and detail -, is outstanding and jaw-dropping. Usually, authors leave a lot of questions unanswered, especially when they’re writing a book set in a dystopian world. To finish a book with one hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred questions is probably something no one loves, but we (the readers) have come to terms with it because it's the norm. Well, not with Shusterman! I’m not saying we’re given closure (because how can one have closure when the Thunderhead sent people to space - that in itself is a whole new trilogy), but we’re given a solution to the most pressing problems. The only person that knows more than the reader and the characters is the Thunderhead, and we all know it doesn’t leave anything to chance.

With that in mind, it’s best if you know the book had a slow start (and, I must admit, extremely confusing timelines), as well as several POVs. Now that I’ve finished it, I can’t imagine it being done any other way, but it took me a while to get used to it. Besides following the perspective of every main character (Rowan, Citra, Greyson, Faraday and Goddard), new POVs are introduced (Loriana, Munira, Jerico, Rand, and others). It feels a bit overwhelming at first, but it’s a great tool that gives you some perspective about what’s going on in other characters’ minds. Everyone feels things differently. Throughout the book, their beliefs and motives change, so you're aware of those changes, at all times. The timeline issue is a bit more critical since you only figure it out on page 231. The first thing you ought to know is that this book happens in three different timelines: the first, is during the year of Endura’s sinking; the second is 3 years later when Sythe Possuelo and Jerico rescue the Vault, and the third (barely a page long) is set a hundred years in the future (and sets the tone for the comments we read of “historians”, discussing the past events, probably in Astrid’s colony, judging by the religious references). It takes a while to get used to the first two timelines, mainly because it’s not something that we’re informed about - we realise too late that it's happening. Eventually, the first two timelines converge, so it gets less confusing.

Everything else in the book is just pure perfection. Not even Citra spoiled my fun. Ok, a few more Rowan chapters wouldn’t hurt, but I must admit I was much more invested in Greyson’s story (even though at first I thought all that power was going to climb to his head)! He was the character with the best growth, his arc felt complete: he goes from an aspiring Nimbus agent to having his dreams crushed and his beliefs questioned, to being the only one deserving of a direct line to the Thunderhead. He goes through the worst only to be rewarded with the best thing in the world, but his personality and chore values stay the same. His character remains pure. It was wonderful to see, especially because we’re not used to seeing people of integrity (both in fiction and reality). I also loved Jerico, they were chef’s kiss! And the whole idea that Madagascar was an experimental zone for non-binary people was brilliant! I think Shusterman did an amazing job writing Jerico, BUT I totally understand why some people found his decision complacent. Tatiana tackled this issue perfectly. She talked about Jeri being the only gender-fluid character portrayed in this book. Maybe he read some comments regarding this flaw and decided to make his book more inclusive, but still, it felt a bit odd because you have no other reference to LGBTQ characters. I’m sure Shusterman didn't make it on purpose, he was just blind to these issues - all we can do is hope that next time, he does better.

Overall, I think "The Toll" was the perfect ending for this trilogy (that became one of my favourites). I urge you to read it if you're into dystopian worlds and if you like to read books that explore Artificial Intelligence.