Written by contributor Tom Hitchen
The Arc of Scythe series is an absolute sensation of a trilogy. The first book, Scythe, ponders the question of life without death; the second book, Thunderhead, raises the stakes of a politically charged world; and the final book, The Toll, is where everything takes off. But most often, in order to soar, you must at first fall.
Written by Neal Shusterman, author of the popular “old-school” Unwind series, The Toll opens following the harrowing ending of its predecessor and propels the reader through a world in conflict.
Scythe, which was published in 2016, introduced the reader to a world where humanity had conquered everything: poverty, hunger, war, disease, and most prominently, death. The latter is controlled by the Scythedom; the highly respected group of professional reapers that cull the population in order for the world to continue running smoothly.
Well, as smooth as possible, for when god-like figures are allowed complete jurisdiction over life, there will always be danger and treachery lurking in the shadows. While the first instalment in the series primarily followed the two leads, Citra and Rowan, as they embarked on their thrilling, albeit unwanted, scythe apprenticeships, this third and final entry into the series widens the lens on the deeply turbulent world of the Scythes and the impact their actions have on the rest of humankind.
For such an ensemble cast, the author does a standout job of capturing the motives of each one. Even the side characters are well constructed and are never used conveniently to push the story forward. Often times it’s the smaller roles that get relegated to the funny one-liners or end up as cut-out stock characters pulled from an A-Z catalogue. Here, each one is crafted well and gives the book a significant polished finish.
What Shusterman also does well is manage his timelines. Every part of this book is huge in scope: the landscape, the politics at play, the character’s ambitions. Every essence of what makes The Toll, The Toll, is carefully placed and intricate in its execution. The author does this fantastic thing where he feeds you enough information to generate a spark in your chest that says, “something isn’t right here”, but it’s not until its finally happening, until the fuse is lit, that the penny drops and you’re left reeling at the outcome.
Much like the “Great Resonance” that fissures its way through the book, The Toll has cemented itself as one of the strongest and smartest conclusions in recent years. Shusterman’s trilogy is a masterpiece of clever world-building, dynamic characters and a universe which challenges the moral perception of life and death. This series will resonate with readers for years to come and serves as documentation of the turbulent time in which it was published. From a rising dictatorship to the mass branding of large communities, The Toll, even in all of its embroidered and bejewelled glory, is far too close to home and serves as a worrying reminder at the state our world currently finds itself in.
The Toll is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes the thrilling conclusion to the Printz Honor–winning series Arc of a Scythe.
It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.
In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.
