Apparently I read this book and LOVED it and never got a chance to write up a full review. My final comments on Goodreads upon finishing the book and rating it 5 stars were: " Damn. So many feelings. I don't know how I'm going to write an actual review for this book. And I'm really not looking forward to the wait for book three."

DNF @40%. While I liked the plot progression and pacing, the book felt rough around the edges and felt like it required some major editing before reaching print.

It was a mere coincidence when I stumbled upon „The Flight of the Silvers“ back in 2013. It must have been a rather random retweet on Twitter and the book only caught my attention because I found the cover quite nice and the rainbow effect of the shiny silver dust jacket looked pretty cool – as you might know I always fall easily for pretty books. So I went to Goodreads, looked up some details of the book and read the blurb and just a few minutes later I had already pre-ordered the title which at that time wouldn’t come out until another few weeks. I was really excited for the book, however I tried to keep my expectations low since both the publisher Blue Rider Press and the author Daniel Price were completely unknown to me and I somehow saw nobody else talking about the book. And as much as I was intrigued by the description I had to admit that it also sounded pretty crazy and I was secretly a bit afraid that „The Flight of the Silvers“ might turn out to be a completely disaster – especially since I’m far away from being a hardcore science fiction fan but I actually do like wrecking my brain with a thought-provoking time travel story from time to time because I like playing around in my head with all the „what ifs“.

How I once stumbled upon a little gem of science fiction

When the book finally arrived I immediately started reading and it only took me the first few pages of the prologue to get me completely hooked. I had been a little bit worried that it might take the story a while to develop and pick up some speed because „The Flight of the Silvers“ was quite a massive book with more than 600 pages but on the first 30 pages I already witnessed a dramatic car accident with weird alien lifesavers, the shocking destruction of our planet Earth and the complete extinction of mankind – well, „complete“ except for six lucky (or unlucky, depending on the events that were supposed to follow…) survivors that suddenly woke up on an alternate Earth and discovered that they had suddenly developed some really cool and impressive talents but also that they had just as unexpectedly become persons of interests that were hunted down by several different parties with different intentions – some of them good but most of them not.

Six ordinary people in an extraordinary world

I flew through the pages and was amazed by Daniel Price’s worldbuilding which made this alternate earth setting with all it’s time-manipulation stuff, psychic superpowers, flying restaurants and the like completely believable without being a boring physics lecture that you could only understand if you had a Harvard degree. I also loved the characters (well, most of them, since a certain someone named Amanda Given was a real pain in the ass for me) who were just six completely normal people with lots of flaws who had suddenly become some kind of superheroes, lab rats for a dubious bunch of scientists and targets for everyone on this alternate Earth who didn’t like that six aliens with special abilities uninvitedly showed up on their planet and accidentally caused a lot of chaos.

Getting in touch with the author

I couldn’t help sharing my excitement through various status updates on Goodreads and Twitter and suddenly got a reply from Daniel Price himself who let me know that he was happy that I apparently enjoyed reading his novel. Besides making me a bit nervous in a „Oh my God the author of the book I’m currently reading is reading my thoughts about his book“ way it also made me even more excited about the book because I still considered myself a blogging rookie and it must have been the first time I actually got in contact with an author. Fortunately I immensely enjoyed „The Flight of the Silvers“ until the end and didn’t have to pretend still liking it and when I was done I knew that I had found a new favorite book of mine. I also hadn’t known that the book was the beginning of a series so that I was super curious how the story would continue and wanted to read the next one right away. Sadly I had to realize that it would still take the author some time to write the second book and I could also read between the lines that it wasn’t even 100% sure that he would be able to publish the whole series since „The Flight of the Silvers“ was only his second novel and being a rather unknown author he had to hope that his book would be successful enough.

Let the book pushing begin!

I was lucky that I managed to push „The Flight of the Silvers“ on Crini, one of my book blogging friends, who loved the book just as much as I did and so we made it our mutual goal to make as many people as possible read the novel so that we would have more people to discuss it with but also to do our part in ensuring that the Silvers series would live long enough to see its ending. We teamed up for some blog events like read-alongs, giveaways and even a „Flight of the Silvers“ game, knowing that we had found a little gem that deserved much more attention. Through this we also intensified the communication with Daniel Price who supported us a lot, answered our questions and kept us posted about his progress with the sequel. All this made „The Flight of the Silvers“ a real special book for me and sometimes it was really hard to be patient while desperately waiting for a release date of book two.

Three years of waiting are finally over!

Now that day has finally come and „The Song of the Orphans“ is out for everyone to read and the book is not only just as amazing as the first one, it’s even better! It’s also even more massive than the first one and comes with almost 750 pages now but be assured that not a single one of them is only even slightly boring. The story of the sequel sets in about six months after the events of „The Flight of the Silvers“ and once again it only takes the prologue to immediately pull you into the story (if you’ve already read the preview in the paperback edition of book 1 then you know exactly what I mean…). The six Silvers we already know from the first book (the sisters Hannah and Amanda Given, cartoonist Zack, (ex-)alcoholic Theo, Australian Nerd David and the insecure teenager Mia) once again have to face several serious problems: first of all they need to stop their new home planet from suffering the same fate as their old Earth and based on what they know so far they only have a short time left to do so and they’re also probably the only ones who can prevent the Cataclysm. Unfortunately the people known as the Gothams – natives of the parallel universe with similar abilities as the Silvers that derive from a catastrophic event in the planet’s past – think that it’s the Silvers who triggered the upcoming Cataclysm and that the only way to stop the apocalypse is to kill them. And of course the Gothams are not the only ones who are working against the Silvers since there’s still the Domestic Protections agency, Alt-America’s version of the FBI, who still have some unfinished business with the Givens and their friends.

Some long-awaited answers and many new questions

That’s already all I want to say about the story of „The Song of the Orphans“ since everything else would be a spoiler and the plot is too complex anyway to give it a short summary that does the story justice. For those who have been impatiently waiting for answers to all the many questions that the first book raised (and let’s face the truth, who didn’t have tons of questions after all that went down in „The Flight of the Silvers“) it’s probably most important if Daniel Price finally delivers at least some of the most pressing answers and thankfully he does. Of course you don’t get to see the whole picture and there will be dozens of new questions because there’s still going to be a third book but you’ll get much more information about the Gothams, you’ll meet other people from the Silvers’ home world and probably the most interesting part is what you’ll learn about the Pelletiers, the three weird beings who brought the Silvers to this new world in the first place.

Epic action scenes

While „The Flight of the Silvers“ in some parts felt like a road trip because the Silvers were on a wild chase for a big part of the novel the second book is a bit more stationary but that doesn’t mean that you don’t get to see any action. In fact „The Song of the Orphans“ almost felt like living through two or three huge and epic action scenes that led you through the story. If you’re not that much into action scenes (I for myself have a hard time staying focussed when I read too much action without a break) then be assured that these parts are very well-written and do a lot to continue the storyline. There are often multiple dramatic events happening at the same time so that you don’t even get a chance to get bored.

Complex personalities and relationships

However there’s still enough time for character development and while Daniel Price already did a good job in „The Flight of the Silvers“ and made his protagonists very complex and with interesting personalities you’ll learn even more about the Silvers in this one, especially regarding their relationships which play a huge role in the plot of the sequel. Don’t worry, „The Song of the Orphans“ didn’t suddenly became a space opera or some other kind of annoying romance but you should know that coupling plays an important role in the storyline. Personally I would have liked a little bit less relationship issues in this book but it’s definitely necessary to drive the plot forward.

A little bit of criticism…

Overall „The Song of the Orphans“ is exactly the kind of sequel I’ve been hoping for. You get even more epic parallel world action than in the first book and the story is even more complex and fascinating, especially what concerns the Pelletiers and their plan and motives. I already liked (almost, sorry Amanda…) all the characters in „The Flight of the Silvers“ but they grew on me even more and I really liked the new characters that joined the Silvers on their mission. The only things that bothered me a little bit were the already mentioned very strong focus on relationships and the fact that I sometimes had the impression that especially the Silvers had sometimes grown a bit too powerful which in my opinion made it a bit too easy once or twice to escape dangerous situations. Also I felt that Amanda was left out a bit compared to the other characters and after what I’ve said about her after the first book I still can’t believe that I’m actually complaining about that…

There’s always more to discover

If you’ve read the first book a while ago already and are unsure if you need to re-read it before you start the sequel then you might be interested in the plot summary Daniel Price wrote himself where he wraps up everything important that had happened so far in a very helpful and highly amusing way. And let me also tell you that you probably want to re-read „The Flight of the Silvers“ AFTER you’ve finished „The Song of the Orphans“ because there are some twists that let you see everything in a whole new light. And this is one of the many reasons why I love the Silvers series so much: It’s perfect if you just want an action-packed and mind-blowing science fiction adventure but it’s even more fantastic for readers who like to re-read because with every read you always find more little details that help you understand the story and it’s fun to go through the story again with the new knowledge and look for clues you might have missed the first time.

The fantastic sequel I’ve been waiting for

So if you’re only the tiniest bit interested in science fiction, time travel, parallel worlds, great worldbuilding, deep characters, epic action scenes and complex stories then do yourself a favor and go get „The Flight of the Silvers“ and „The Song of the Orphans“ right away and dive into a world that will keep you hooked from the first minute – trust me, you won’t regret it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I quite loved the second book in this series. Similarly, to the first book, it took me a bit to get into the story - I don't know why the start seemed so slow but then it took off. But opposite to the first book, there were no real issues with the plot. Yes, I still think the whole "making babies" because the Pelletiers want that is gross, but I am less irked by that as there is a purpose to it. In book #1, all the lovey-dovey stuff felt unnecessary YA.

The Song of the Orphan also presented some really good character development giving the protagonists a lot more depth. As in the first book, we encountered a lot of plot twists and a few of them were quite surprising. Additionally, I liked the introduction of several new characters. I'm especially partial to Rose Tyler now! The author showed a good sense of humor as well - I am honestly still laughing about the Stephen King reference - this might be one of my favorite jokes in any book.

Overall, I found this book engaging, a fast read, and one I'd like to discuss with friends. I am really looking forward to the final installment of this trilogy!

I had read the first book in this series quite some time ago, so when I saw book 2 on Netgalley, I pretty much jumped for joy. The first book stayed with me for years and I was able to dive right into book 2. To set this one up, think about that time isn’t linear, rather there are thousands of different versions of events happening simultaneously. The Orphans are on an alternative Earth and trying to just survive the different factions that want them gone. All while trying to more or less save Earth and trying to not piss off the powerful beings that brought them to this mess. They find out more of why they were chosen and what their future might hold. This is an amazing series that dives into familial and friend relationships, ends justify the means and it has some great character building. Plus the world building is fantastic and the magic system is pretty awesome. If you like the manipulation of time, a cool magic system and great characters, pick up this series!

I love the thought and creativity that go into this series. Price has to know his timeline forward and backward. I love it. When does #3 come out?

Last month I wrote about Daniel Price and an article he wrote in Literary Hub about developing strong, non-sexist female characters and how he responded to criticism of his novel The Flight of the Silvers. After he solicited additional input from one of his readers, he writes that he took that input and applied it to his second book in the series, The Song of the Orphans. When I saw the book on NetGalley, I requested a copy.

Because his two lead characters were criticized as sexist in the first book, I broke a personal rule of mine to always read series books in order (okay I actually did that twice last month). Using Price’s entertaining but thorough guide to Book One on his website, I jumped into Book Two.

First, I’ll attempt to explain the premise. At the beginning of Book 1, Earth is destroyed, and two godlike creatures known as the Pelletiers save a small number of humans by transmitting them to an alternate Earth using bracelets of silver, gold, copper, etc. The series is about the six Silvers. There are two sisters, Hannah and Amanda, guys Zack and Theo, and two teenagers, David and Mia. Once on the Alt-Earth, the six Silvers each develop a different superhuman power. They flee the scientists who want to keep them in a lab, and then are pursued by a group of superhumans called the Gothams, and the Alt-Earth version of the FBI. Complications and battles ensue.

Book Two begins with the six Silvers being found dead in a theater. They aren’t actually dead, so this is either a weird time loop or it’s some kind of hoax. The Silvers have learned that their new planet is on the same course of destruction as their last one, and so their mission is to use their powers to stop what’s coming. Unfortunately, the Silvers are merely puppets, and the Pelletiers are pulling the strings. I was reminded of the Q character from Star Trek TNG, only the Pelletiers are way more manipulative. The Silvers need help but they can’t trust anyone.

These books are quite long and complicated, but easy to read. They would work great as a TV series, with all the different characters and plotlines. There’s plenty of action, and Price has created a really interesting world. Some of Price’s powers are pretty inventive, most revolving around time. Mia receives cryptic messages from her future self. Hannah can move super-slow or super-fast, causing time to either speed up or slow down. David can recreate the past.

I’m happy to say I did not find Price’s characters or writing to be sexist, nor were they tropish or superficial. Interestingly, Price says the lead characters in Book One were Hannah and Amanda, but I did not find that the case in Book Two. I’d say Zack and Mia were the lead characters if anyone was and both were characters I really liked, partly because they go through very rough times in this book. I will say, however, that the book suffers from having so many characters, it’s difficult to fully develop any of them. While Zack is pretty distinctive, Theo is not, and I frequently confused the two in my head. I sometimes confused Amanda and Hannah. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t properly introduced to those characters in Book One. But I tend to like stories focused on a few characters rather than a big ensemble, so I struggled with that here.

Price introduces two new characters, Jonathan and Heath. Heath is interesting, a young boy on the autism spectrum, forced to adapt to an entirely new world. I found Jonathan uninteresting (except for his superpower) and not fleshed out at all. Aside from being Heath’s friend/guardian and a love interest for one of the female Silvers, he doesn’t seem to have a personality in his own right.

This book is a fun science fiction read – it’s long, but a page turner — if you’re looking for world-building and interesting characters and powers. It doesn’t explore scientific concepts in any great depth, so if you’re looking for deep thoughts, you’ll be disappointed. It’s more a whirlwind of a book, a roller coaster ride. For many it will be a perfect summer read. I can’t say whether you should start with Book 1 or not, but I’d love to hear if you’ve read either one and what you thought.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley and publisher Penguin Group. The book was released July 4, 2017.

DNF at about the halfway mark (46% on my reader). I'm sorry, but it's just so long, and the quality just isn't there to justify reading the whole thing. Which in turn means that my review is obviously incomplete in the sense that it's possible (if not very likely) that my opinion of the book would have changed for the better if I'd stuck it out until the end.

I couldn't remember a thing about the first book when I started this sequel but as soon as I started reading, and after some hasty wikipedia-reading, it all came back to me. Now, the upside with this sequel is that the writing is slightly more polished, slightly less amateurish in feel and tone. The downside is that the problems of plot, tone and general ethical tenor are all very much there, and if anything, heightened in this sequel. But here's the thing. That's not actually what's wrong about this book for me. Normally I don't pay a huge amount of attention to what writers do outside the writing of their books. But when I started the sequel I remembered stumbling across an interaction between Price and a reader on Goodreads, which basically resulted in Price asking his "fans" to post critical comments on this reader's (unfavourable) review of the first book. And, as far as I remember, that's exactly what happened; the reader was inundated with hostile comments and I imagine she eventually deleted the post. Setting aside the totally inappropriate incitement to bullying, I was just stunned that a seemingly professional writer would ever consider getting involved in reader reviews in this way, and it unfortunately confirmed exactly the issues I had with the ethical "feel" of the first book. And that sense of an insecure jock-bully leering over girls and angrily bullying the smart kids in school was still very much present in this sequel. So no thanks Mr Price. Take your insecurities elsewhere please.

First of all, this is a middle book, and as it starts in medias res after the accelerating events of the previous, The Flight of the Silvers, new readers should really, really not begin here.

The six ‘Silvers’ (so named for the bracelets put on them by three mystery people before their/our? Timeline is destroyed in the opening chapter of the previous book) are again thrown into the middle of action, starting on the very first page.


The story is very complex, with a large cast, and several timelines, plus all the emotional crises our main characters go through as they progress from the ordinary people of the first book to considerably powerful people in this. Who are being chased with intent to kill.

This book I thought was a cut above the first—for one thing, younger sister Hannah was no longer identified repeatedly by the size of her boobs. Yay!

They have to stop their new Timeline suffering the same fate as their old one, but they are racing the clock. They may be the only ones who can prevent total cataclysm, but they have so much to learn as well as dangers to dodge.

Unfortunately the people known as the Gothams – natives of the parallel universe with powers similar to those of the Silvers – believe the Silvers are at fault for triggering said cataclysm. Therefore to stop the disaster, they must kill the Silvers.

And of course the Gothams are not the only ones who are working against the Silvers. There’s still the creepy alt-FBI, and oh yes, the mysterious three whose motivations may or may not be understood as events accelerate toward crisis, and leave us freefalling until the next book.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I kept putting it down and then coming back to it, hoping I would be interested. I don't think it was the right book for me. Thank you for allowing me to try it out.

This is so not my usual genre (in fact- what genre is it really?) but it's a darn good read. Price is a story teller who kept me reading even when some of the tale was a little more "out there" than I usually like. The characters- all of them- are fascinating. This kept me guessing, not only with regard to what was actually going on but also as to who was a "good guy" and who was a "bad guy." I do think I might have enjoyed it more if I'd read the first book but now I think I'm invested enough in these people that I'm going to haunt the book news for a heads up when the next one is coming out. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm pretty sure I would not have picked this up at the library but I'm really glad now that I read it. Recommend to those who like sci-fi and questioning books. Appropriate as both an adult and a YA novel.

Science fiction lends itself particularly well to the creation of a book series. Building a world over the span of multiple books allows for the environmental thoroughness in which so much sci-fi thrives.

Author Daniel Price laid the foundation for quite a world indeed in 2014’s “The Flight of the Silvers,” creating an alternate America where time itself served as a natural resource – and where a handful of refugees from the utter destruction of their (and our) Earth discover their own unique connections to the powers of this new place.

The second book in the Silvers series is “The Song of the Orphans” (Blue Rider Press, $30). The adventure continues for the survivors as they struggle to find their place in this new world, dealing with friends who are enemies and adversaries that become allies. All the while desperately searching for a way to help their new home avoid the fate of the old one.

Six months have passed since the Silvers arrived in AltAmerica. Hannah, Amanda, Zack, Theo, Mia and David are quickly gaining new mastery of their temporal abilities. And they need every bit of it; they’re surrounded by potential foes – the shadowy government agency tasked with their destruction, the native-born chronokinetics (known as Gothams) whose underground existence is threatened with exposure, the sinister time-benders of the Pelletier family whose motives are as mysterious as their actions are deadly – all with their own vendettas.

But Theo – the augur of the bunch – might be the only person who can steer the world toward the singular possible future that doesn’t end in utter annihilation in just a few short years. There are those who seek to help the Silvers – exiled Gotham Peter, government agent Melissa – but for the most part, the world (and the vast majority of the most powerful people in it) are against them.

Even when they learn that they aren’t the only survivors of their world – they hook up with a musician named Jonathan and a high-functioning autistic teen named Heath who have been making it on their own since their escape. They join in the effort to bring the rest of their Earth’s people together.

However, being pulled in all directions at once is unsustainable. Something’s got to give, and when it does, the fate of the world itself is at stake.

“The Song of the Orphans” is very much a second book – and I mean that in the most complimentary way. The meticulous detail of Price’s fictional Earth is such that context is fairly important; while there’s enough narrative oomph and contextual exposition to make reading this one without reading “TFotS” doable, there’s obvious benefit to experiencing “Orphans” as a second chapter rather than a beginning.

That isn’t to give short shrift to Price’s character work – he’s juggling a good-sized cast and finding effective ways to lend depth to all of them. The evolution of that cast and the development of secondary and tertiary relationship dimensions has created a vivid sense of character and a bright view of how and why these people have entangled.

And lest we forget, there’s a lovely cleverness here. Price wears his pop culture sensibilities and sense of humor on his sleeve - and he’s unafraid to lean into either. The music of the Beatles plays a key role in the story, for instance. And he engages in occasional wordplay that makes me chuckle while simultaneously wondering if I should groan. An example: at one point, an oddly-shaped path between buildings is referred to as a “Salvadored alley” and I laughed for two solid minutes.

“The Song of the Orphans” is a sharp, smart piece of science-fiction. Price has not only recaptured the grand scale of Book One, but expanded upon it. It’s a narrative that unspools cinematically in the mind’s eye; there’s a visual acuity at work here that is wonderful and rare.

Here’s hoping that the wait for Book Three will be a short one. After all, the world is running out of time.

Have you ever felt there’s not much difference between a bracelet and a manacle? If so, you’ll appreciate the situation of the Silvers, a silver-bracelet clad group stranded in an alternate world after the destruction of our own earth. They’re in AltAmerican through the intervention of a family of scientists, who now want to control their fate. These scientists, the Pelletiers, who come from the far-future, saved selected individuals from earth and transported them to another, similar earth. Individuals from earth, also known as Orphans, are resettled s in different new cities. Each geographic group is distinguished by the material of bracelet that the Pelletiers gave them. All the members have special powers, activated by the cataclysm that destroyed our earth, but no one has the broad range of powers that the Pelletiers do.
It doesn’t sound so bad to get a silver bracelet, and be saved from death, but the Pelletier family aren’t altruists. To them, earth’s survivors are just pawns in an ultimate game, there to serve the goal of the Pelletiers. As Semerjean Pelletier says to one of the Silvers, “Think about the future. Be someone I need.” You’ll find out Semerjean needs, and how the Silvers are expected to help, before the seven-hundred odd pages are over.
To use one of the original terms that Price coined for his series, it does become somewhat of a fustercluck for the Silvers. Not only do our orphaned earthlings have to deal with the Pelletiers, there’s also AltAmerica’s equivalent of the NSA, a police force called Integrity. Plus a crazed guy called Rander Evans, and a group of AltAmericans, also with special powers, who don’t trust the Silvers. There’s also an enemy disguised as a friend, and a friend who is mistaken for an enemy. Estranged children and romantic pairings lend an emotional component to the complicated politics.
Put all these ingredients in a blender, pulse and spin, and you have a whirling, frenetic, exotic refreshment. Original and substantive, Song of the Orphans is a book to read for long lazy summer days.
While the Song of the Orphans is the second book in the series, and not intended as a stand-alone, I was able to follow the plot after immersing myself in the first chapters.

It's been several years since Daniel Price's first novel in the Silvers series landed, but thankfully The Song of the Orphans remains pretty accessible, and the author catches readers up to speed in short order. If you need a refresher on what happened in 2014's The Flight of the Silvers, Price has you covered on his website, where he has published A Badly-Drawn Recap and a few other helpful guides to remind you of all the things you may have forgotten in the last three years.

The Song of the Orphans picks up a short time after the conclusion of Silvers #1, and with one hell of a hook. The titular Orphans (the sole survivors of our doomed planet, who were transplanted to an alternate Earth) arrive in a movie theater via portal...each of them dead, dead, dead. And yet, simultaneously, these very same Orphans are stomping around New York as wanted fugitives. So, what the heck is going on here?! Price lays out several tantalizing possibilities over the course of his multiverse superhero saga - time travel? clones? something else? - with all roads leading back to the enigmatic, nefarious (or are they?!), and vicious Pelletiers.

Clocking in at 750 pages, Price delivers a King-sized doorstopper epic of superhuman proportions. This sucker is jam-packed with X-Men by way of Fringe action scenes, each one carefully crafted and massive in scope. One of the neat things, and without spoiling anything, is how Price stages each of his large set pieces, and then makes them even larger, and the doubles that again. The dude has clearly plotted the heck out of this series, and I'd wager he's spent more than a few sleepless nights crafting power sets and character sheets for each of his super-powered heroes and villians, and how he can best use their abilities to generate conflict, defeat, reversals, and victories. And like a good Dungeon Master, Price doesn't let any of his players off easy. There's a constant escalation to each of the events that occur within these pages, and there's always a massive toll in the end, both physical and emotional. And when you've got some characters who can heal others and wind back the clock, this isn't always an easy thing to pull off.

In addition to the huge action scenes, Price devotes plenty of space to the characters and their developing dramas and emerging relationships. There's plenty of surprises to be had on the people front, too, particularly as dynamics shift and change, or continue to adapt, to the strange new world the Orphans find themselves in.

The wait-time may between books may have been a bit rough for us fans of the first Silvers novel, but having spent plenty of time as a Dark Tower junkie and reader of George R.R. Martin, the three year gap wasn't all that bad, all things considered. Hugely cinematic, and packed to the rafters with fight scenes and conflict galore, The Songs of the Orphans was well worth the wait. Fans will be pleased to take another trip to AltAmerica, but now begins the wait for book three. I shall wait patiently, or at least try to.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the author and publisher via NetGalley.]

I was a huge fan of The Flight of the Silvers and couldn’t wait for the next book in the series to come out. Given how epic the worldbuilding was in the first book, and how complicated it is to use time in all its incarnations as a large part of the plot, I was willing to wait.
And the wait was more than worth it as Price delivered 752 pages of mind-bending drama.

I’m generally not one for chase or fight scenes, but rarely in this book am I tempted to skim as skip over these sections of the story as each scene was either full of details and rules that could only exist in this particular world, or there were sneaky little clues about other important characters that were worth minding.

In the first half of the book I started getting a little worried about inconsistencies- why would this character do this? Why is this a thing? But over the course of the rest of the book some answers were provided in a satisfying way, and those few lingering questions don’t feel irksome as we prepare ourselves for the eventual third book. Many plotlines are resolved, while setting up next steps for the main characters that left me eager once again to keep reading more of the series.

If you haven’t read the first book, I highly recommend that you do.
If you have read it then I think you’ll be pleased with the character growth, the expansion of the already vast and interesting world, and the new info about the Pelletiers.
Price has shared on social media that if you’re thinking of rereading the first book, wait until after you read the new one as information shared in this one will shed a new light on the previous book.

And without spoiling anything I have to share that when I reached the final pages I cried.
I had become so invested in these characters and like many of them, keep hoping for the best. Price also does an amazing job of weaving the majesty of The Beatles into his work, and it’s never a finer piece of work than in those last few pages.

A fantastic followup, The Song of the Orphans is a wonderful read. Alternate history meets X-men and Doctor Who, I loved this book and will be recommending it to my customers.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33283527-the-song-of-the-orphans" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Song of the Orphans" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1481091811m/33283527.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33283527-the-song-of-the-orphans">The Song of the Orphans</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/202807.Daniel_Price">Daniel Price</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1946166691">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
A fun sequel to Price's first book. If this series doesn't get picked up for TV, it's a shame. It reads so seamlessly. Fairly ripe and ready for adaptation.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1256589-elton">View all my reviews</a>