⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 Stars – An excellent prequel/sequel that introduces Silo 1 and adds more depth, intruige and tragedy to the world.
Format: Kindle
Read: May 2024
This is the second book in my re-read of the Silo trilogy. Rather than following on from Wool, Shift takes us back to the origins of the Silos and the people behind it.
I was just a gripped as with the first book, and relished learning about the people and events that lead up to the purposeful destruction of humanity. Although I missed Jules and am eager to continue her story, Shift fleshed out the world even more beyond the walls of Silos 17 and 18 and into Silo 1.
Silo 1 is a whole different kettle of fish. It answers the question of how the show is run, and most of the why, given that the surface of the planet won’t be safe for hundreds of years. Somebody has to be in charge to safeguard the Legacy; that person on the other end of the radio whom we saw Bernard, Lukas and Solo are speaking to at one point or another. After being so invested in Silo 18 and Silo 17 it was interesting to see them from the perspective of outside observers.
They might be running the show but life in Silo 1 is not an existence that I envy! Endless days of routine work waiting for the shift to be over, until you sleep in deep freeze for another six months before being woken again. With all your memories of life before wiped. Is that living?
There are a handful of new characters introduced, and Hugh Howey keeps up the excellent work in making them three-dimensional believable people. I was so captivated by the new stories that I didn’t miss Silo 18.
I really liked Donald, the unwitting architect of the Silos, and had a lot of sympathy for him. He suffers really quite cruelly and has everything he held dear torn away without his consent only to find himself part of a world he didn’t want or know was coming, I really felt for him. I still feel a bit angry about what fate he has been dealt!
We also get to meet residents of Silo 17 from a previous uprising, although I was actually a bit confused by those chapters and what the whole point of it was. I had very little attachment to Mission and, despite having read this book twice now, I am honestly still lost on the whole thing with Rodney and The Crow. Perhaps it was just meant to be an example of how a Silo can fall apart, and it’s not that deep…
This novel also spends time with Jimmy, or Solo as we know him better, and how he came to be alone in Silo 17. My heart also breaks for Jimmy!
I really don’t want to say too much because there are number of spoilery twists in this book. All of them are easy to see coming (not that I minded that), but I would hate to ruin the fun for anybody else.
Needless to say I highly recommend this one again. I’m in awe of how skilfully Hugh Howey as crafted this world, and how he continues to expand it. I’ve given this one four stars rather than five because I did find the Mission chapters weaker and it is possible that I missed something in them. Aside from that I loved this as much as the first book, and it really helps to set things up for what I hope will be a satisfying conclusion in Dust when we catch up with Jules again!
REVIEW SUMMARY
I LIKED
- This book expands the world and increases the stakes beyong just Silo 18.
- I loved learning the history of the Silos and who some of the people behind the curtain are.
- I became very emotionally invested in Donald and found his story equally frustrating and moving.
- I also appreciated learning Jimmy’s history in Silo 17.
I DIDN’T LIKE
- I remain confused about the Mission section and what was actually supposed to be going on with Rodney and The Crow… but maybe it’s not that deep..
