Review: Breath

Book Three of the Riders of the Apocalypse
By Jackie Morse Kessler
Available now from Graphia (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Review copy
Read my reviews of HUNGER, RAGE, and LOSS and my two interviews with Jackie

I have enjoyed the Riders of the Apocalypse story more with each book.  Jackie Morse Kessler has brought her series to a fitting, stirring conclusion, albeit one that won't make sense to readers who haven't read the three previous books in the series.  BREATH is not only the story of Death, but also the end of the stories of each of the Horsemen.

Death is not like the other Horsemen and never has been.  He is older and more powerful and never human.  But that doesn't mean he can't become suicidal.  And if Death commits suicide, then the world dies with him.  The world's only chance is Xander Atwood.  Death owes him a boon and can't end the world until he repays it.  Xander, who can barely face his own issues, is thrust into the position of confidant and therapist.

I loved how the stories of Tammy, Missy, and Billy weaved into the stories of Death and Xander.  BREATH could have easily felt overstuffed, but I thought all of the elements worked together.  And I was especially happy to get more of Tammy's story, considering I mentioned long ago in my 2010 review of HUNGER, "Tammy's story has no resolution."  Turns out I was wrong.  Kessler also addresses the issues I had with Missy and Death's relationship, and briefly touches again on her sister.  Billy's connection to his predecessors continues to be important to the story, just as he continues to be my favorite Horseman.  Leaving threads hanging can make stories seem more realistic, but I'm happy that Kessler finished her tapestry neatly.

I have been fascinated by the figure of Death through HUNGER, RAGE, and LOSS.  I wondered how Kessler could ever reveal more about him without ruining everything, but I think she managed.  Death's tale contains love, betrayal, creation, despair, the whole of our universe.  It's an intriguing origin and makes him no less interesting.

I enjoyed Xander's story too.  I felt it was a bit easy to figure out what happened to him, but I'm  not sure it was supposed to be a huge mystery.  Kessler certainly wasn't leery of giving clues.  But I loved his personality, very giving and compassionate.  He was the right character at the right time, albeit one with a life punctuated by inopportune moments.

I highly recommend the Riders of the Apocalypse series as a whole.  They're a unique blend of urban fantasy and issue novels and each piece comes together so wonderfully.  Kessler's afterword tells how much of the story was unplanned, which is amazing given how wonderfully constructed the series is.

Review: Loss

Riders of the Apocalypse (Book 3)
By Jackie Morse Kessler
Available now from Graphia (Houghton Mifflin)
Review copy
Read my reviews of HUNGER and RAGE
Read my two interviews with Jackie

I've been reading the Riders of the Apocalypse series since the beginning and I think that each one is better than the last. LOSS tells the story of Billy Ballard, bullied at school and caring for his grandfather with Alzheimer's at home. You may be wondering how bullying connects to Pestilence, since the other issues explored in the series have tied tightly to the Horseman. In this case, there isn't much of a connection because Billy doesn't go through the standard succession process. The current White Rider tricks him into the position.

Billy's grandfather does bring disease into the story. Jackie Morse Kessler explains in the afterword that she intended for the Alzheimer's to be a larger part of the story, but it just didn't work. I can only be thankful; lately I keep running into dementia story lines and I would prefer to avoid them at the moment. Billy's relationship with his grandfather is realistic and touching.

I loved how Kessler wove myths and legends into Pestilence's past. At first the inclusion of King Midas and Robin Hood seemed odd, but those passages really worked. In HUNGER and RAGE, the minor characters were often too slight. But LOSS is as much the incumbent White Rider's story as Billy's. The two are simultaneously the same being and very different people.

Death continues to be a delight and I cannot wait for BREATH, the conclusion to the Riders of the Apocalypse. LOSS can be read as a standalone, but I do recommend picking up the whole series.

Interview with Jackie Morse Kessler

Jackie Morse Kessler is the author of the Riders of the Apocalypse series as well as several books for adults. You can read my review of HUNGER now and my review of RAGE later today. You can also read my previous interview with Jackie to find out more. The next stop on this tour is Wicked Awesome Books. Scroll to the bottom for a cool contest.

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1. The scenes where Missy cuts herself are emotionally intense. How did you ensure that Missy's story felt emotionally authentic?

JK: Writing those scenes, and the ones leading up to them, left me feeling emotionally raw, and very drained. I tried to be honest to the story and not gloss anything over. (I also wound up eating a lot of chocolate. To soothe the nerves, you know!) I don’t think any writer can ensure anything. All we can do is our best, and hope it works.

2. HUNGER and RAGE address real world issues in a fantastical manner. What advantages are there in using genre conventions to approach the more difficult parts of reality?

JK: I’ve always loved the notion of using monsters and fantastical creatures to show the struggles of humanity. In RAGE, a cutter has the opportunity to use her new blade — the Sword of War — to destroy the world, or possibly to save it. Writing fantasy, or magical realism, elevates personal battles to the level of the mythic. Doesn’t every emotional battle we go through feel like that, like the world itself depends on the outcome?

3. In HUNGER, Lisa visits some real places and some made up places as Famine. Missy visited an unnamed place as War; did it have a real world analogue?



JK: All the places Lisa visits are real places—or I suppose it’s more accurate to say they’re based on real places. Some, like Egypt, are more apparent than others. The climax of that book, for example, takes place in a country that’s, loosely speaking, Haiti. As for RAGE, the place where Missy visits as War is based on Yemen.

4. Part of the proceeds of HUNGER are donated to NEDA and part of the proceeds of RAGE are donated to To Write Love on Her Arms. Both are probably the most prominent charities addressing the issues in the novels. From what you've revealed about LOSS, it will deal with bullying. Do you already have a charity in mind? Most of those that I can think of that deal with bullied youth focus on LGBTQ kids.

JK: I do have a charity in mind, but I’ll talk about it after I’ve completed the book. :)

5. You've stated that you didn't plan to write about the other horseman until your agent asked about them. Was it harder to write Missy's story since you hadn't been planning it for years?

JK: OMG, YES. There were times when it was a true struggle. Maybe part of that is because writing HUNGER was very cathartic for me, partially because I used to be bulimic. I never self-injured, so I had to do a lot of research to understand what self-injury is, and what it’s not. But the story itself took a vastly different turn from what I had planned. HUNGER, I just wrote. For RAGE, I came up with a synopsis, but I wound up throwing it out about a third of the way into the actual writing. I had no idea how the book was going to end until I wrote the last two chapters. That was sort of terrifying, in a very cool way. (And I ate a lot of chocolate during that time. Did I mention that it soothes the nerves? Or, at least, my nerves? **grin** )

6. Which authors inspired you the most? Do you have different influences for your YA fiction than your adult fiction?



JK: So many authors!!! In terms of Horsemen of the Apocalypse influences, there’s Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (read GOOD OMENS. Read it. READ IT!!!) and Piers Anthony (ON A PALE HORSE — terrific stuff). Reading Laurie Halse Anderson’s SPEAK was truly eye-opening as to what YA fiction could be, as was John Green’s LOOKING FOR ALASKA. In terms of being inspired to write something personally meaningful, I absolutely tip my hat to Heather Brewer and Amy King.

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Riders of the Apocalypse giveaway! Three lucky winners will receive one copy each of HUNGER and RAGE along with postcards and a mini-poster! To enter, send an e-mail to RageGiveaway@gmail.com. In the body of the e-mail, include your name and e-mail address (if you're under 13, submit a parent's name and e-mail address). One entry per person and prizes will only be shipped to US or Canadian addresses. Entries must be received by midnight (PDT) on 4/30/11. Winners will be selected in a random drawing on 5/1/11 and notified via email.