I loved the Scythe series and it was great reading these short stories. I wanted more! It was nice to get more insight into some of the characters and be apart of that world again!

The Scythe series is one of the best dystopian series I've ever read (and I've read a LOT). When I saw that this anthology was coming out, I was understandably thrilled... I'm so happy to say now that it lived up to the hype!

The stories are so varied and come from before, during, and after the happenings of the original trilogy. The origin stories we get in this book are so much fun because we finally get to find out how the most beloved and hated Scythes became what they were during the trilogy.

I think my favorite stories were the ones that happened before or during the trilogy that happened outside of the world of our main characters. We get to see how the Scythedom works in different areas and how different countries across the world operated in this time.

While I understand that Shusterman wanted the story of the main characters to end with The Toll, I really wanted to see our beloved main characters in their current world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

The world of Scythe is one of my favorite literary creations. It’s novel, it’s incredibly deep, and the characters are nuanced and perfectly developed. When I learned there would be a short story collection written in the world, I was ecstatic. And in all but one story, that joy was well placed. Martian Minute stands out as a uniquely brilliant and cleverly tied-in tale. I also loved meeting scythes outside of the normal canon. But “Perchance to Glean” was awful. Simply awful. It added a weird communal dreaming aspect to the mythos, had a rambling and super confusing plot, but worst of all. The worst. Dayne and Alex are always referred to as Dayne and Alex unless they are together, in which case they are referred to as “they”. I am a huge proponent of use whatever pronouns you want. But for god’s sake, at least use pronouns. There is nothing more “third grader writing their first fictional story” than to use names over and over. It was distracting how many times their names appeared on each page. I had to reread portions bc I got so overwhelming by the amount of the same 2 names. And for a story that already sucked, that was a big nail in the coffin.

But the rest of the stories? Epic. Absolutely epic.

Loved this series and loved revisiting this world. I think you’d need to have read the Scythe series to really enjoy this book. My favorite were the stories with Mdme Curie!

What worked: I'm a huge fan of Neal Shusterman's Scythe series and of short story anthologies. GLEANINGS delivers on both of these and more!

Readers get to read about other Scythes in this very engaging novel.

Here's a few of my favorite short stories:

NEVER WORK WITH ANIMALS is a haunting tale of not underestimating animals from those you might glean.

A DEATH OF MANY COLORS shows what happens during a town's Hallow Eve when they believe conspiracy theories that include that Scythes aren't real. Only in this case, the consequences are very deadly.

UNSAVORY ROW where after a sibling's gleaning a former rule follower decides maybe being unsavory isn't that bad after all.

THE MORTAL CANVAS is a very chilling portrayal of a scythe rivalry that leads to the unique mortal canvas.

All stories are highly engaging, thought-provoking, and haunting. For example, PERCHANCE TO GLEAN shows how not even dreams are safe from being gleaned. The cost of immortality is almost too much with the fear of being chosen to be gleaned for the better good of this futurist world.

Captivating future stories set in the world of Arc of a Scythe trilogy. Highly recommend.

This was an INCREDIBLE novella for the Scythe series. Neal Shusterman remains one of the few authors that can chill me to the bone with his writing. We got more in terms of world building and character backgrounds and it was insightful for the events at the end of The Toll. Sometimes novellas are really just fun extra content for a series but this one really added so much to the series. Genius.

Will never be anything but impressed and psyched by the scythe series. Truly love. I do wish this had been a novel vs short stories but I felt like they were related enough to pretend it was a novel.

Gleanings is the perfect accessory book to the Arc of a Scythe series. I didn’t even know that I needed this book, but once I read it I can’t imagine not having these stories. Gleanings is an anthology of stories which expand on the characters from the series. While some of the short stories give us a background or a prequel to characters from the book, others just expand on what we already know. I felt it was a flawless way of showing us more depth to the characters and the Scythdom. Reading this helped expand on parts of the original series that were vague in description. Each story was unique and well written and I enjoyed that they were shorter stories that could be read individually.

Gleanings : Stories From The Arc Of A Scythe

Rating 🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀

Review

I've not read from the author before even though the Scythe books have been on my TBR so I pounced on the opportunity to read an ARC through Rockstar Book Tours and I'm glad they took me on the team!

The book is a collection of short stories that happened alongside and before the Scythe triology books, the stories are all written in a way that would have the readers hooked! The author's penmanship is remarkable, the stories are unique and intriguingly familiar to people who read the triology(I started reading it too!) The book is on the origin stories and will probably make more sense to read the triology before tackling this book but I found it interesting and a whole new world of SCYTHEs! If you ask me my favorite was "A death of many colors" It was beautiful, subtle and interesting. Overall this is a book every Scythe lover would devour!

As a huge fan of the Scythe series , I was so excited that there was going to be a whole book of stories set in this world! And they certainly didn't disappoint. As with all the books in this series (and honestly, every book Neal Shusterman has ever written), Gleanings is both incredibly thought-provoking and extremely relevant to our own society. Every story in the book is smartly written, and intricately woven into the greater arc of the series.

Sure, I enjoyed some slightly more than others, but every story added something to the narrative, and was a welcome addition. We got to meet new characters, and be reacquainted with some we've already read about but now get a deeper look and insight into. We are also given glimpses, at various points in the history of the Scythedom, to the world at large and how certain events came to fruition.

Bottom Line: If you have read the series thus far, you will certainly enjoy this collection, and if you haven't read it yet, what the heck are you waiting for?

I enjoyed the world of Arc of a Scythe and was pretty excited to read more stories from the world within in. Like most anthologies there are stories that are great and add more to the world that we knew and then there are those that are just meh.

The strongest stories for me were the ones that touched on other characters I knew from the initial series. For instance A Martian Minute was one of the best developed short stories in the series and was the origin story for Goddard. I was so interested in how the moon settlement was going and what would have driven him to such extremes. It was a great story of how some small decisions led to some very big changes in the boy Goddard was to the Scythe he would eventually become. I felt so bad for the Thunderhead and how it had no power due to following the rules of not interfering in Scythe business.

The beginning and end of the Anthology follow Scythe Curie. The First Swing shows one of her first acts as a Scythe when she killed many who were still trying to be politicians who wanted to dismantle the Thunderhead. This set her up to be the Scythe we knew in the trilogy. The end story, A Dark Curtain Rises, explores one of the ships that made it to a new world and what former Scythe Curie's new role could be with the others who arrived. Kinda fitting beginning and end to the anthology.

There were a few stories that I just downright disliked. Never Work With Animals was by far the worst story in the book. Besides seeing Scythe Lucifer for a minute the rest was just so mediocre for me. There was another, Perchance to Glean, about people who shared communal dreams of a sort. All gleanings happen in the dream world and while parts of it were interesting overall I didn't love the story.

I did like A Death of Many Colors as it explored how art was going to change in a new age if there was not a fear of death and most of the volatile emotions can be soothed with nanites. Meet Cute and Die was also one of the stories I connected with a little more and I really did enjoy the two characters it focused on.

Overall: if you liked the original trilogy there is will be some very good stories in this for you. If you have never read the trilogy do not read this book as nothing will make any sense to you. Most stories in the book get 3.5 to 4 stars with a few that I would rate at a 2 star.

This is a collection of short stories in the Arc of the Scythe’s world. Backstories of some new characters and some old to expand on the already published stories of the Scythes. The timeline of the stories are not linear an do jump around. There are many new characters to get to know and some of the old favorites or not so favorite Scythes to reconnect with. If you loved the original novels and weren’t ready for the series to end- this book is for you.

It’s no secret that I love Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series. I’ve reviewed his books before, and I even had the honor of meeting him in person earlier this fall.

Now I was surprised partway through Thunderhead when I learned that the series wasn’t a duology, but in fact had a third book announced just a few days prior. I was even more excited when I found out that he was returning to the setting with a new collection of short stories. Gleanings hit store shelves yesterday, and folks, it is fantastic.

It feels so good to be back in this dystopia. Shusterman’s worldbuilding is second to none, and even through brief snippets of poetry and prose, it all came rushing back. A planet full of immortals, a small order of people who can render others permanently dead (and in fact are required to do so), and an artificial intelligence that oversees everything but doesn’t interfere with the business of Scythes: all of these components are now familiar. This anthology presents a wide array of new stories, from Scythe Curie’s first conclave after her apprenticeship and her earning of her legendary title to a Halloween party that echoes Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Shusterman and his various co-authors are bringing even more depth to an already expansive world. I can’t thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster enough for an eARC in exchange for a fair review. Gleanings is out on shelves as of yesterday. Enjoy!

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2022/11/09/gleanings-a-review/

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: November 8, 2022

For readers of Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, this collection of short stories gives us a glimpse into some of the Scythe origin stories. This was a great way to revisit the series and also give some glimpses into the future.

Arc of the Scythe is by far one of my favorite series and when I found out about a new book taking place in the world I totally freaked!

This book is a collection of stories by Neal and guest authors so each one has a different vibe.

My favorite stories were Marie’s backstory, get to see how she got her title and the one where a dog gets the upper hand! I love dogs and love how that plays out, hilarious!, but also Rowan makes a cameo so that’s a huge YAY 😃

This awesome collection of stories comes out November 8 and I hope you all love it as much as I did!

🖤 I absolutely loved this book! It’s a little different than the rest of the series. It’s not particularly a prequel or anything of the sort. But rather the origin stories of some of our favorite scythes, as well as poems and dairy notes from the scythes themselves. Which I find captivating as we dive deeper into each and personal world of a scythe.

We also read about new scythes and apprenticeships. I particularly loved a certain character which I won’t talk about as to not give to much away!
However if you loved the series, you will definitely enjoy this one.

As always, this book was a trip and a half. Definitely wasn't quite up to the original trilogy, but an okay extension from it.

I absolutely LOVE the Scythe series and could not wait to get my hands on more stories from the Scythedom. I did not love how the third book ended, so this was just addition I needed.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book spans over several different time periods, but is meant to be read after The Toll because of spoilers. Some stories involve characters from Arc of a Scythe, and others are unrelated but help flesh out the world of Scythe. If you enjoyed the series, you'll appreciate the short stories included in this anthology.

I received this ARC courtesy of Netgalley, in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Gleanings by Neal Shusterman is a short story collection involving the Arc of the Scythe series. The Arc of the Scythe series is about the Earth figuring out a way where humans can no longer die, the came up with a way to limit population is that they have people called Scythes who have a quota to kill so much people as a way of population control. Goodreads has it marked as 3.5 as it has 2 out of the 13 stories that go beyond the Arc of the Scythe. But most of the stories take place during the series, with 3 taking place before the series (which I feel are the best stories) and 3 that don't reference time and can take place anyplace where Scythes are. I liked the mix of stories some add insight to characters and events that were referenced in the series, some are about the interesting world of Scythes and what makes them tick, and we get more insight into the Thunderhead the Big Brother that watches all except Scythe business. I would recommend you read the Arc of the Scythe series before reading this but some stories do not require it. This is a book that will give you a better understanding of the fascinating world of the Scythes, but if you read this book hoping for more insight on the characters that left on the shuttles then the book only has two stories and they aren't about the main characters, but they are mentioned. My rating for the short stories are 3 five star, 5 four star, 3 three star and 2 two star. I was selected to read Gleanings through Netgalley from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Gleanings is published on November 8 2022.
Plot Summary and Ratings:

The First Swing is a poem about Scythes that okay it deals with the burden of Scythes who have a job to do. I rated it 2 out of 5 stars.

Formidable is a Story about how Scythe Curie came to be and her style and it is about the fall of the world under Scythe rule as the President of the United States doesn't want to adapt to the new way of society. This story took a second to get into I liked the climax and what is says of this new society. I rated this story 4 out 5 stars.

Never Work With Animals coauthored by Michael H. Payne A mostly dark comedy tail about Scythe Fields gleaning a couple for there dog, but get way more than he bargained for with the dog. I t has a nice twist and an appearance by Scythe Lucifer making this short story around the Toll. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars. It was a little long and it repeated its self a little too often.

A Death of Many Colors is a tail told by the Thunderhead about Scythe Sojourner Truth infiltrating an All Hallows Eve party, that is full of doubters. The Scythe makes an example out of one guest to get more to believe. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars. A very focused story that was pretty short and sweet.

Unsavory Row is about a girl deemed unsavory after she deals with grief after Rowan (scythe Lucifer) was an apprentice killed her friend. She joins the group the Apocalyte's as she tries to take down the Thunderhead servers and finds a secret out about the group. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars. It was very interesting story how the thunderhead watches the unsavories even though it can't.

A Martian Minute a really cool tale that will have you guessing where in the Ark of the Scythe the story takes place and you will be wrong. It does cleverly tie -in to the series. This story is a long one but it has a cool twist and a gut punch at the end. I rated this story 5 out of 5 stars. I was hovering between 4 and 5 but the end pushed me over.

The Mortal Canvas co authored by David Yoon, a story about a class on creative art is interrupted by a scythe, that makes an art challenge, the winner will be given a year of immunity, and the losers get ... they don't know but all are thinking death. The story takes place soon after immortality is created, and Scythe's are fairly new. I rated it 2 out 5 stars. it was too slow.

Cirri is the first story that takes place in the future of The Arc of the Scythe it is a short and sweet story about how the life vessels are maintaining life and birth. One of my favorite B characters from the Toll dies but some beautiful happens. I rated this story 4 out of 5 stars.

Anastasia's Shadow a tale about Citra's Brother Ben and Constantine's plan to make Ben a scythe. we saw a quick version of this in the Toll but it was great and more emotional. It as a crazy love story. I rated this story 4 out of 5 stars. This story had the fastest pace.

The Persistence of Memory Co -Authored by Jarrod and Sopia Lapuente is about dueling scythes in Spain. This is one of my favorites, a really interesting backstory on Scythe Dali and a really good climax that was perfect. The pace was really good. The conversations on death were very poignant. I rated this story 5 out of 5 stars.

Meet Cute and Die is a romantic tale about a Scythe niece who is accident prone and meets a man who is just as accident prone. The niece doesn't reveal who her aunt is for fear of what she might do. but when they both die the scythe visits the guy and invites him to their home. The niece is very weary and will fight for her guy even if it is with a scythe. A pretty cute and short tale. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars.

Perchance to Glean Co-Authored by Michelle Knowlden an interesting story where a Scythe can hunt in a dream an if he kills you you have 12 hours where he kills you in real life. It was an interesting take but it felt more middle grade than Young Adult. the story felt out of place. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars.

A Dark Curtain Rises is a story after Arc of Scythe Trilogy about how Scythe Curie is reborn in one of the transport vessels. The shortest story but it felt right knowing what happened at the end of The Toll. I rated this story 4 out of 5 stars.

What I Liked: The variety of stories there a lot to explore and still a lot to explore. The couple stories that were on the downfall of society after reaching immortality could easily be a book. The insight in to the main villain of the series was really cool, his story I want explored more as well. I liked all the new stories on Scythe Curie. I liked that we got something after the Arc of the Scythe trilogy even though I wanted a lot more.

What I Disliked: I wanted a lot more about Scythe Anastasia after she left earth. A Scythe Faraday story would have been nice at any time in his life we get just a taste with Scythe Curie backstory.

Recommendation: If you love Arc of the Scythe series then this book has a whole lot of insight into what makes the Scythes tick. If you just want to know about the main characters from the Arc of the Scythe series there's only a couple of mentions and two stories involving them, so this book might not be for you. This book cover really interesting backstories on villains and supporting characters in the series. There's an interesting variety of stories that go places that i didn't think about like dream Scythes. I rated Gleanings by Neal Shusterman 4 out of 5 stars.