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Overview
PART ILondon is in ruins, a once highly advanced city now a gated wasteland. Within its walls, a bloody war rages between two clans. Hope is sparse, but the people believe the gods have risen from the dead.
Odin himself has come to play a part in the lives of two twins, a brother and sister from the Volson clan. Siggy and Signy must come to grips with their destiny as London's future teeters on the edge of a knife....
Synopsis
PART I
London is in ruins, a once highly advanced city now a gated wasteland. Within its walls, a bloody war rages between two clans. Hope is sparse, but the people believe the gods have risen from the dead.
Odin himself has come to play a part in the lives of two twins, a brother and sister from the Volson clan. Siggy and Signy must come to grips with their destiny as London's future teeters on the edge of a knife....
Publishers Weekly
Based on the first part of the 13th-century Icelandic Volsunga saga, this searing novel by the author of Junk combines a gory and incestuous revenge story with a futuristic premise that recalls The Island of Doctor Moreau. The result is a page-turner, a shocker and a resonant piece of writing. Post-apocalyptic London is populated by halfmen and humans; the former are slave-composites of people and animals, achieved through genetic engineering; the latter are prejudiced, power-hungry rulers, crippled by economic depression. Two warring human gangs have dominated the city for years, and now attempt to unite by marrying 14-year-old Signy to "King" Conor of the opposing crew. Treachery ensues, and innocent Signy soon becomes a vengeful deceiver: "I'll open my legs with a loving smile.... If I have to bear his children, I'll do that too, just so that I can slit their throats before his eyes," she says. People are eaten alive by a pig halfman, others are hung by their heels until dead; Signy and her twin brother have fairly graphic sex while she is inhabiting the body of a shape-changing creature, and the resulting baby is cloned; the dead are resuscitated; Signy's hamstrings are cut in two; and cyborg/animal gods control people's fates. Narrated alternately by various characters and by an omniscient narrator, the storytelling may challenge less proficient readers; yet without a doubt, Burgess's bleak and breathless vision will spark imaginations and discussions. Ages 14-up. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Based on the first part of the 13th-century Icelandic Volsunga saga, this searing novel by the author of Junk combines a gory and incestuous revenge story with a futuristic premise that recalls The Island of Doctor Moreau. The result is a page-turner, a shocker and a resonant piece of writing. Post-apocalyptic London is populated by halfmen and humans; the former are slave-composites of people and animals, achieved through genetic engineering; the latter are prejudiced, power-hungry rulers, crippled by economic depression. Two warring human gangs have dominated the city for years, and now attempt to unite by marrying 14-year-old Signy to "King" Conor of the opposing crew. Treachery ensues, and innocent Signy soon becomes a vengeful deceiver: "I'll open my legs with a loving smile.... If I have to bear his children, I'll do that too, just so that I can slit their throats before his eyes," she says. People are eaten alive by a pig halfman, others are hung by their heels until dead; Signy and her twin brother have fairly graphic sex while she is inhabiting the body of a shape-changing creature, and the resulting baby is cloned; the dead are resuscitated; Signy's hamstrings are cut in two; and cyborg/animal gods control people's fates. Narrated alternately by various characters and by an omniscient narrator, the storytelling may challenge less proficient readers; yet without a doubt, Burgess's bleak and breathless vision will spark imaginations and discussions. Ages 14-up. (Nov.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.KLIATT
The setting is a futuristic London, run by gangs and ringed by roving bands of beast-like "halfmen." Val, a gang lord, gives his 14-year-old daughter Signy in marriage to a rival gang lord, Conor, to cement a treaty between them. Signy's twin brother, Siggy, angry at having his beloved sister treated as "a lump of meat, something to barter," doesn't trust Conor, but at first Signy finds Conor surprisingly loving and tender. Siggy is proved right, however, when Conor turns out to be a treacherous tyrant who kills Val, imprisons Signy, and tries to kill Siggy, though he escapes death with the help of Signy's shape-changing cat. When Signy has a child, she gives Siggy the child's clone to raise, to help wreak revenge on Conor and destroy his empire. This is a grim and brutal British fantasy, based on the first part of the Icelandic Volsunga Saga. Ancient gods like Odin and Loki appear, and there are echoes of The Sword in the Stone as well. The characters are well drawn, and there are some imaginative ideas and beings here; perspective shifts between various viewpoints. Like Smack, the author's bleak, award-winning novel about heroin addiction, this is a savage and disturbing read. It's a tale of war and intrigue with much violence and bloodshed and some profanity, sex, and even incest. The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel. It's a compelling story, especially for those interested in mythology, but it's not for sensitive souls. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 1999, Tor, 372p., $24.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick; KLIATT , November 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 6)Children's Literature
Based on the first part of the Icelandic Volsunga saga but set in the not-too-distant future, Burgess's novel presents a dystopian world of nightmarish violence, populated by Norse gods and bizarre technologically-modified "halfmen." At the center of the tale are twins, Signy and Siggy, the daughter and son of Val Volson, one of two rival ganglords struggling to control London. When fourteen-year-old Signy is given in marriage to Val's rival Conor as part of a treaty, the strong-willed girl feels betrayed by her father. Unfortunately, this is but the first betrayal, as Conor not only doesn't uphold the treaty but actually slays Signy's father and two older brothers. Kept apart by Conor's tyrannical rule, Signy and Siggy each plot revenge in their own way; ultimately, however, their vengefulness also leads them to betray each other. Although the novel's horrific violence and frank sexuality (including an incest plot) may lead many to classify this as an adult rather than young adult novel, mature teens already well-versed in adult fantasy and science fiction will become engrossed by a powerful revenge tragedy set in a vividly imagined world. 2001, Tor, $24.95. Ages 14 to 18. Reviewer: Norah PiehlKLIATT
To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, November 2001: The setting is a futuristic London, run by gangs and ringed by roving bands of beast-like "halfmen." Val, a gang lord, gives his 14-year-old daughter Signy in marriage to a rival gang lord, Conor, to cement a treaty between them. Signy's twin brother, Siggy, angry at having his beloved sister treated as "a lump of meat, something to barter," doesn't trust Conor, but at first Signy finds Conor surprisingly loving and tender. Siggy is proved right, however, when Conor turns out to be a treacherous tyrant who kills Val, imprisons Signy, and tries to kill Siggy, though he escapes death with the help of Signy's shape-changing cat. When Signy has a child, she gives Siggy the child's clone to raise, to help wreak revenge on Conor and destroy his empire. This is a grim and brutal British fantasy, based on the first part of the Icelandic Volsunga Saga. Ancient gods like Odin and Loki appear, and there are echoes of The Sword in the Stone as well. The characters are well drawn, and there are some imaginative ideas and beings here; perspective shifts between various viewpoints. Like Smack, the author's bleak, award-winning novel about heroin addiction, this is a savage and disturbing read. It's a tale of war and intrigue with much violence and bloodshed and some profanity, sex, and even incest. The ending leaves open the possibility of a sequel. It's a compelling story, especially for those interested in mythology, but it's not for sensitive souls.VOYA
I didn't hate it. It was very imaginative, but it was not for me. The writing was good, but something in the story did not work right. It was slow moving. I liked the characters and the setting. [Reviewer Note from Gillian Wiseman:Colin got bored with this novel after three chapters and skipped to the end! I asked him if he recognized the mythology/legend aspect, and he said, "no." This reaction is from a teen who reads all the fantasy he can lay his hands on and can tell you all about the Greek/Roman pantheons.] VOYA CODES:3Q 2P S A/YA (Readable without serious defects;For the YA with a special interest in the subject;Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12;Adult and Young Adult). 2001, Tor, 384p, $24.95. Ages 15 to Adult. Reviewer:Colin Weber, Teen Reviewer—VOYA, December 2001 (Vol. 24, No. 5)Library Journal
In a far future, two warring gangs, the Conors and the Volsons, rule the ruins of London. When the leader of the Volsons gives his daughter Signy in marriage to the leader of the Conor family, the stage is set for a tale of vengeance and tragedy. This postmodern retelling of the saga of the Volsungs from Iceland by the author of Smack does not stint on graphic portrayals of violence. Twin themes of love and death provide an inexorable tension in this dark dystopian fable. For most fantasy or general fiction collections. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-British author Melvin Burgess (Junk) weaves a tale of deception, revenge, and redemption in this well-written, gripping novel (Tor Books, 2001) based on the 13th-century Icelandic Volsunga saga and set in a futuristic London that is populated by humans and halfmen. The Volson and Conor families wage war against each other in a London that contains both modern and medieval elements. The warring clans cease fighting to affirm a truce with the marriage of Volson's daughter, Signy, to Conor. What follows is a remarkable adventure story that effortlessly combines science fiction and the lore of Arthurian legends and medieval sagas. There are some graphic portrayals of violence and sex. Expertly narrated by actor Colin Moody, this novel is a winning blend of the voices of different characters that yields a satisfying whole. This book, like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, creates an entirely new world of unforgettable characters and stories. Young adult readers who enjoy this title may be interested in reading such classics as The Once and Future King by T. H. White, Malory's L'Morte d'Arthur, and The Song of Roland. An excellent addition to young adult collections.-Larry Cooperman, Seminole High School, Sanford, FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.From the Publisher
"A dystopian vision that will rank with the twentieth-century classics!" —The Sunday Telegraph"Straddling a dystopian future and a myth-ridden past, Bloodtide is a savage story of betrayal, passion, hatred, and the corrupting nature of power. Bloodtide shies from nothing, making it both cruel and magnificent." —The Guardian
"A magnificent drama." —The Sunday Observer
"Powerfully conceived, Bloodtide is a novel of bristling intrigue. In sharp, confident prose Burgess imagines a startling world of humans and shapeshifters, predators and prisoners, villains and heroes. It's a fierce adventure that forces your attention and refuses to let go." —Adele Griffin, author of Sons of Liberty, a National Book Award finalist