The Arc of a Scythe Trilogy (Boxed Set): Scythe; Thunderhead; The Toll

My wife gave me a copy of Scythe about a couple months before Thunderhead released. After reading the first chapter I had to wait till I had both then I found out it was a trilogy, so I waited. I’m glad I did, the art for the boxed set is gorgeous, the hardback books have both lovely covers and beautifully embossed fronts underneath the covers. My wife who hasn’t seen me actively reading a book for enjoyment in a long while saw me devour Scythe in a day. The writing is superb! I’m a futurist and usually able to read human nature in everything from books, to movies, to even life to the point I can quite accurately predict what one will do. Neal Shusterman is one of the few authors that is so skilled I couldn’t see the twists the first book would take and I’m already seeing my predictions fail in Thunderhead. It’s thrilling to not be able to tell what’s going to happen next with any certainty. I absolutely love the way things play out in Scythe as well as how one of the scythes chose to handle their gleanings. The characters are vibrant and alive, the story is well paced and always adds a new twist or turn to keep you wondering. I will be adding more of Mr. Shusterman’s work to our library!

Amazing book series! It was amazing to read the story of Rowan (Scythe Lucifer) and Citra (Scythe Anastasia). The roller coaster of events were perfectly written and balanced, there were a perfect valence of emotional parts in the book as well as events and time skips. I also really enjoyed the way this perfect world was set up which made having the Scythes very interesting in the way that they changed the perfect world. I would definitely recommend the Arc of The Scythe by Neal Shusterman to anyone who enjoys reading about the perfect world also grim reapers in a way, but in the end it was just such and amazing Trilogy and would definitely recommend to anyone. (Sorry if this is a kinda sloppy review I tried not to say much about the book so I wouldn’t add any spoilers.)

I am legend. Yet every day I wish that I was not.—Schythe. Let’s talk about this amazing story. This is the world of the postmortal era, humans have conquered death, disease, crime, has destroyed the government; sounds good? The answer for you and I maybe is yes, of course everyone wants a world without problems, basically utopical, but, If we can’t die, how the hell does the world have enough space for everyone? Well is the work of “The Scythe'', a group of trained assassins to kill randomly some people. In Scythe we met Rowan Damish and Cytra Terranova, a couple of teens who have been chosen by Scythe Faraday to be his students in the art of killing. Through the book we learn about their journey, their ideas about death and in some point, about a conspiracy inside this organization. So, basically we are learning about a world without natural death but with some dark twists about the mission of the Scythe. Here we find an amazing story, a huge world building, there’s action in every page, intrigue, politics, a villain very well written. Scythe is more than a book, because it has the power to introduce us some philosophical thoughts about morals, about death, about human nature itself. The main characters are so real, I could sense Cytra’s worries, Rowan’s fears, I can imagine this world with resuscitation centers instead of morgues, and I can feel the fear of the unknown of death. As a scientist who works with death in ancient cultures i really can imagine with this story what will happen if humans couldn't die naturally and how this can change the whole conception about death, because, as humans we experiment our own reality in function of our limited time on earth. In this world, humans have an unlimited time to do everything they want, even reboot themselves to look younger, until a Scythe appears in their doors, and that changes the game. and that's my friends, is why I gave this book 5 solid stars.

Neal Shusterman's "Arc of a Scythe" trilogy presents a thought-provoking narrative set in a future where death has been conquered, and scythes are tasked with maintaining the balance of life and death. As Citra and Rowan navigate their roles as apprentices to an enigmatic scythe, they are thrust into a moral quandary that challenges their beliefs and forces them to confront the realities of power, control, and what it truly means to take a life. Throughout the series, Shusterman masterfully blends philosophical questions with gripping storytelling, exploring themes of ethics, duty, and rebellion. Each installment, including "Scythe," "Thunderhead," and "The Toll," builds upon the intricate world-building and character development, leading to a satisfying and thought-provoking conclusion. "The Arc of a Scythe" trilogy is a captivating read for fans of speculative fiction and anyone interested in deep moral dilemmas that resonate in an age of technological advancement.

Really good series. Nothing goes as you think it will and that makes this series absolutely delightful. I have been savoring this series so I only read a book every few months. To say this series is on my best of list is an understatement! Not just best book of the month, year, decade....these sit on my all time favorite books ever shelf.

They like there gift.

Was a gift and they loved it. Nice boxed set.

My grandson had to read the first book for school. He is a reluctant reading so I said I would read it too. Got hooked and bought the whole set. Even though he only had to read the first one he is almost done with the third. I am thrilled he is volunteering to read. That never happens.