***Series Review*** The Kin by Peter Dickinson

I think that an overall review is a great way to summarise a series without having to trawl through the internet without looking for loads of reviews.


Pros


1. Brilliant premise

2. Well Written

3. Full of excitement

4. Beautiful covers

5. The oldtales between the chapters add another layer to the story.

Cons


1. I didn't find the characters easy to connect with.

2. They got a bit repetitive

3. Quite a lot of people die.

4. The language is quite simple as it's a children's book.

5.  They were'n long enough.


Best Book: Both Suth's Story and Noli's Story are equally as good.


Worst Book: Mana's Story

My Rating


3.5 stars - Although flawed and weakened by the final story this is still a quality series. if you have children or just like books about how human evolution may have happened then you should definitely give this series a read.


The Individual Reviews


The Kin: Suth's Story
The Kin: Noli's Story
The Kin: Ko's Story
The Kin: Mana's Story

***Review*** The Kin: Mana's Story The Kin #4 by Peter Dickinson

On the Back of the Book


'Blood falls,' said the voice. 'Men follow.'  Mana knows the awful prophecy could mean the end of the Kin.

The long journey of the children of the Kin has led them to a distant land. But here they are threatened by the deadliest enemy of all. People. Terrifying demon men, collectors of human skulls ...

The Kin's plan to trap the demon men is clever, horrifying, and very dangerous. But it is their only chance of survival. And it depends on Mana ...


Pre Read Thoughts


The final book in the Kin series and like the rest it was an impulse buy that cost me £1.50. I have to say, considering it's a second hand book it's in stunning condition. I'v seen brand new books that look tattier than this. Once again the cover illustration is absolutely gorgeous. It really draws you to it and makes you want to dive into it to see what it's all about. The synopsis is brilliant, I find myself so excited to read the book so that I can know what the Kin have to face next. I can't wait to finish the series.


Post Read Thoughts


The author changed things with this book and I don't think it worked. The main thing is the style of the oldtales, I personally didn't like the simpler way of telling them. I get that it's how the Kin would have told them but after three books of the other way it wasn't necessary to change the style. Also I think the plot of this story was slower than the others and it didn't grab me as the others did. I had to force myself to sit down and read the story. Saying that, the wirting and scene setting were phenomenal and I enjoyed them very much.

This is Mana's story and if I'm honest I wish it wasn't. Mana never really stood out in the previous stories as she had no personality or any quirks whatsoever. Wuth that opinion pretty much on my mind as I picked this up I hoped that the author was going to change my mind. That didn't happen though. She was dull as dishwater and being stuck with her PoV nearly bored me to tears. Tan was barely even mentioned but the other former children of the Kin (Suth, Tinu, Noli and Ko) seemed to have rediscovered the closeness of the first two books which I was glad to see.

Overall this book isn't as good as the others and I'm really disappointed by this. The oldtales were weak, the plot never really got going and the lead character failed to connect with me. As this is the last book I was hoping that such a good series would have a strong end. I found that there were still some loose ends that I would've liked clearing up. As it is this is pretty forgettable. I only finished this 2 hours ago and the details are starting to slip away. However I stand by my positive notes, the writing and scene setting were incredible and I think that having the children that were abandoned by the Kin close to one another is incredibly important.


My Rating


3 stars - I knew about halfway through the book that this wa gonna be my rating. I wish that this had been from either Tan or Tinu's PoV, I feel that using Mana was the wrong decision and this really held the story back.



***Review*** The Kin: Ko's Story (The Kin #3) by Peter Dickinson

On the Back of the Book

Ko is full of dreams. In his imagination he's always the hero who saves the Kin. Now he must face real dangers, real enemies...

The rains have failed, there is no food, and starving beasts are one of the many perils that face the Moonhawk Kin. Their long journey in search of Good Places meets an impassable marsh, where hungry crocodiles lie in wait. Ko, of course, dreams of finding a way across. And his adventures lead the Kin to an astonishing discovery ...


Pre Read Thoughts

As with the rest of the series, this was an impulse buy I made a couple of years ago. It cost me £1.50 at my favourite used book shop and it's in incredibly good condition. The cover illustration is once again absolutely stunning, it tells you so much about the story at a glance. The synopsis is filled with danger and tension and it makes me want to read the book so much.


Post Read Thoughts

This didn't grab me as much as the previous two books. I wasn't entirely sure why at first but I figured it out a bit later on in the paragraph. This book doesn't lack anything that the other two had, the scene setting was beautiful, the oldtale was wonderful and the writing sublime. Now I'll get on to why I didn't fully enjoy this book as I promised I would. It wasn't the book in any way, shape or form, it was me. I've been distracted all day in preparation of one of my other passions in life: the British Touring Car Championship qualifying (It's a form of motorsport and my personal favourite. Just in case you were wondering).

The main character of this story is Ko and I have to say I really liked him, he reminds me of myself. He's a dreamer and I found myself connecting with him in a way that I hadn't with Suth and Noli. I hadn't liked him in the previous books because some of his actions were incredibly stupid and although he's hardly mature in this one I found myself liking him anyway. Noli, Suth, Tan and Tinu aren't mentioned as much in this one and I think that it's a shame as the closeness they had in books 1 and 2 was integral to the story.

Overall I liked the book but my distraction and quite possibly the lack of chemistry between the characters made this book slightly less enjoyable. I still liked the author's writing style but some things that I personally thought were important weren't mentioned and I'd have liked them to be. I think if you've read the previous books it's definitely worth picking this one up.


My Rating

3.5 stars - A great book but probably the weakest in the series. I still want the books to be longer so that, as the reader I can learn more about the lives of the Kin members. I can't wait to read the final book in the series.

***Review*** The Kin: Noli's Story (The Kin #2) by Peter Dickinson

On the Back of the Book


Noli heard Moonhawk's voice inside her head. 'Go!' it said. She felt the mountain shudder. Was there time to escape?

Noli, Suth and their little band of orphans are all that's left of the brave Moonhawk Kin. Fleeing from an erupting volcano, they seek safety in a huge ravine. But Noli's visions warn of more terrifying violence from beneath the earth... And when they reach what seems to be safety they find a new and fearsome enemy waiting for them.

Pre Read Thoughts


As with book one this was an impulse buy. It cost me £1.50 at the same used book shop and is in excellent condition considering it's 12 years old. The cover illustration is stunning, I adore it. I think it's a lot different to what would be put on the cover of a children's book now. The synopsis is enough to intrigue you and make you want to delve into the story. I'm really excited to see if this book's as good as its predecessor.

Post Read Thoughts


I have to say that I loved this one too. It was every bit as good as Suth's Story. The scene setting was once again incredible, I could picture the landscapes in my mind clearly. I also adored the oldtales in between the chapters. They add another story into the mix as we learn of the legends and beliefs of the Kins. Once again the writing was of great quality and I found myself craving more.

The main character of this story is a girl called Noli (as you'd probably figured from the title). I liked her in the first book and I liked her even more in this one. She is wise beyond her years and her maturity shines through beautifully. Although Noli is likeable I wouldn't go so far as to say I loved her. Once again my favourite character was Tinu, she was even better in this book. She's a painfully shy girl but she's also incredibly intelligent and her ideas help to keep the Kin alive.

Overall this is another awesome story. I can see the ideas growing as each Kin member becomes an adult and also as they discover new things about the world that they live in. The writing is really good, the author knows exactly what he's doing and it shows. Once again I recommend this to people of all ages.

My Rating


4 stars - Another book that deserves 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact  I wish it were longer, I'd have loved to know some of the things that happened in more detail. In a way being a children's book is what stops this from getting 5 stars.

***Review*** The Kin: Suth's Story (The Kin #1) by Peter Dickinson

On the Back of the Book

Suth is the leader now. It is up to him to bring the others to safety.

The Kins have been scattered and the old, good ways are gone for ever. Only Suth's skill and courage can save his little band of orphansas he leads them on a desperate journey out of the desert. The discovery of a mysterious, green valley seems to promise safety. But Suth suspects that the unknown Kin who live there could be the most dangerous enemy of all...


Pre Read Thoughts

I don't remember what drew me to this book in order for me to buy the whole set but it was a couple of years ago now. Actually it was probably because I have this desperate urge to buy books every time I go out. I bought the series at my favourite used book shop for £1.50 each (That makes £6 for the whole series. That's cheaper than one brand new book.) The whole series are in excellent condition and I'm very happy with my purchase. The cover is striking, it really appeals to me even though I'm 20 and this is a kids book. The synopsis is really intriguing and makes me really excited to read the book.


Post Read Thoughts

Wow. I loved this book so much. The scene setting was incredible and the chapters being broken up with oldtales inbetween them really helped to keep the story fresh and added depth to the whole thing. I loved the oldtales because they gave an insight into how the people believed their world began. The writing was exquisite, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also want to point out that the premise intrigued me and I'm so glad I enjoyed this story because I would've been gutted if I hadn't.

The only character that truly matters in this story is Suth because it's his story into the world of adulthood. He's written extremely well and doesn't automatically get everything he's ever desired. His emotions are well portrayed and I think they're obvious even to the kids that this book is actually aimed at. Although Suth is the most important character, he wasn't my favourite. My favourite character was a girl called Tinu. I think she was written realistically and I loved every moment that she was on the page.

Overall I adored this, really I did. The premise is huge and would make an awesome adult novel but the author has managed to make it an awesome kids story. I keep saying kids because I can't believe it, I personally think it's harder to make a story understandable for children as you aren't always sure what words they know and which they don't. As I have already said, the writing was stellar and the story solid. I recommend this to people of all ages.

My Rating

4 stars - This is a solid opening to this 4 part series. I never considered giving this 5 stars although I'm not entirely sure why., maybe I would have liked more detail and a longer story? I'll let you know if I ever figure it out.