Across the Sand audiobook

4 Stars for Across the Sand: The Sand Chronicles, Book 2 (audiobook) by Hugh Howey read by Jeremy Arthur. I’m sure glad I read Sand first. I would have been lost in this book if I hadn’t. This is a revenge story for blowing up the town in the last book. This is a really interesting world. I expect that there’ll be a third book. Hopefully we won’t have to wait 6 years for it.

I read "Across the Sand" not knowing that it was a sequel until the afterword. While the book worked very well as a standalone novel, I think I would have had a deeper experience if I'd read the first novel, Sand. I plan to read Sand next. I picked this novel up because I love apocalypse stories, and Hugh Howey told one of the best I've ever read in his Silo Saga. The Wool omnibus, in particular is a masterwork of apocalyptic fiction. Across the Sand seems to be set in the same universe, but the connection is loose, and it very much has its own unique feel and tone. This novel is science fiction, but it has a fantastical element that I enjoyed. The cast of characters experience realistic, appreciated growth throughout the story, and the different points of view weave together in a wonderful way. I highly recommend this book, and while I wish I hadn't read out of order, I'm glad I have another in the series to enjoy.Edit: I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley.

QUICK TAKE: I haven't read SAND in a few years, so I struggled to pick up the hanging story threads here, though was still able to enjoy the sequel as a standalone. Fans of the first book or Howey in general will find a lot to like here. Very solid.

Received an Advance Reader's Copy via the giveaway.I am very much liking this book. I do recommend reading Book #1 SAND of the sand chronicles in order to have a better understanding of this book. Definitely can be read as a stand alone but obviously not meant to be. ****Update: Halfway through and still loving it!!!****Update: Just finished reading this and OMG I cannot wait to buy a copy of SAND (Book #1) and I can't wait for #3! So Mr. Howey, with all due respect, get to work (laughing)! ♡♡♡As soon as I purchase my copy of SAND, I plan to reread this book and give a better review of the series beginning on both book pages.

I received an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway. I was excited to read this one because I loved Howey’s Silo series. Dystopian fiction is one of my favorite genres. This book was richly detailed with strong character development and engrossing plot elements. I especially enjoyed the way Howey describes post apocalyptic Colorado and expertly used it as a setting for the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.It has been six long years since Hugh Howey released a new novel and the wait has been a long one for me who considered him among my favorite authors in the early-mid 2010s. The first novel in this series, Sand, was released way back in 2014 so this has been a long-time coming to say the least. Across the Sand picks up right where Sand left off with its agonizing cliffhanger. Across the Sand follows the same family as Sand but introduces some new characters and whole new perspective with the addition of Anya - a child from the other side of No Man's Land.While Sand felt like a family drama set within a post-apocalyptic treasure hunt, Across the Sand finds Howey exploring the limits of the sand shifting technology and really leaning into the sci-fi aspects more. I actually feel this serves the book very well because it breathes new life into the excellent world building of Sand and avoids the sequel feeling like a retread of the original. The drama, action, and social commentary from the first are still found here but the stakes are raised and the new perspective added by Anya provides additional depth and understanding of how things came to be.If you were a fan of Sand I strongly encourage you to strap on your suit and visor and dive back in to this world. One final word of advice though is to brush up on the events from Sand because there is not much in the way of a recap woven into Across the Sand.

4 stars, Metaphorosis ReviewsSummaryTwo sets of young people try to make their way in a post-apocalyptic, desert landscape while their home communities are at odds.ReviewHugh Howey’s one word titles (Wool, Silo, Shift, Dust, Sand) were originally eye-catching. Now, however, I seem to have trouble telling them apart, though I’ve only read two. Also, perhaps because the stories were originally released in installments, I have difficulty remembering how they fit together. Wool, for example, is the first installment in the Silo series, but later packaged with further installments into a single volume, also titled Wool, and followed by the book Shift, which also comprised several installments, and Dust, which was a more monolithic volume in the series.Because of all this, I (mis-)understood that Across the Sand, was the start of a follow-on series to Sand, which I have not read. Now that I’ve finished Across the Sand, though, and done some more checking, it looks like Sand was a compendium of installments, to which Across the Sand is a monolothic sequel. Rather than picking up the start of a second series, then, I picked up a current series right in the middle, which I’m loth to do.The sequencing showed. While Howey takes some steps to let this book work as a standalone, he doesn’t really succeed. It’s always clear that there’s substantial backstory, and that the book would work better for readers who knew it. Even – and perhaps especially – at the end, I was substantially confused by two or more sets of inter-related children, all of whom seemed to have partially absent fathers with secrets. I had only the faintest grasp of who was whom and how they all fit together. To make matters worse, the book starts and ends with references to a specific result of the prior book (or installments).Despite all that, the book is well written, with Howey’s usual firm hand and interesting, engaging characters facing difficult decisions. I wavered between 3.5 and 4 stars, but settled on the high side because the book generally moves well. It’s got interesting concepts in it as well, but they’re never really explained; presumably the first book does so in detail.All in all, a good read, but only recommended for those who have read the first book.

ACROSS THE SANDI was excited that I was given an ebook from one of my favorite authors in exchange for an honest review. ACROSS THE SAND by Hugh Howey, it’s the second book in his SAND series. Split between two viewpoints of people on differing sides of society. One is just trying to eek out a living on the miles deep sand that covers the old world, and one that is determined to ruin those people in any way they deem necessary. It’s a harsh existence on both sides but one side finds ways to enjoy it as much as possible and one side seems to only find pleasure in watching the world burn. This is a great dystopian novel and its really intriguing to see the world in this way and how it’s being inhabited. I can’t wait to read more in this series. 5 stars!!Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for letting me review this book, I truly appreciate it.

As in all HH’s books, it was great in ways I never expected. The beginning was magnificent, the first third kind of bumpy as many of the characters were new and the jumping from one to the other was a bit frustrating. But the about halfway, like a sarfer picking up speed and hitting its rhythm with the wind, the rest of the book sailed! There’s a feel to HH’s books that draws you back and reminds you, if it’s been awhile, of the worlds he creates and that you’ve experienced through his books.Another great read!

I’ve read a few of Hugh Howey’s books now and I’ve really liked all of them. Across the Sand is no different. Definitely read “Sand” first though. You’ll be able to read this book without reading Sand and get it okay but it won’t have the same impact as it does when you know the characters and the previous events that are talked about throughout this book. This book never really slows down. It splits into various character POVs and then by the end, all the characters come together. I do feel that the ending was a little rushed and somewhat anticlimactic, but it was still pretty good overall. Hugh Howey is the king of Adult Dystopia. Read all of his books!

I re-read Sand first. Great read. A little more YA language than Sand but the story doesn't seem YA at all.

I want to start off with a big thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager and Hugh Howey for an eARC. Hugh Howey is am amazing author and story teller. After reading Wool I have been hooked ever since. Across the Sand was another great story that keeps you turning the pages. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as the Wool stories, it was great. Howey's world building is top notch. From Wool and all the Silo series books to Beacon 23 and The Hurricane. You can't go wrong with Hugh Howey. My only compliant would be about Netgalley (sorry) with this one. This was the first book I have been approved for that would only let me read in the app. At first that was hard to get used to, but got better as the story went on. Now I know what to look for when requesting future books that may only be allowed to be read within the app.

** spoiler alert ** I got this ARC through a Goodreads giveaway last month. If you read and liked any of the Silo saga (Wool was the first book) you will enjoy Sand and this book, Across the Sand. The book follows two separate stories: siblings Palmer, Connor, Rob, and Violet as they live their lives in post-apocalyptic Colorado; and Anya and Jonah as they struggle to make sense of a nuclear blast that destroyed their city. The two paths eventually converge and things get…tense. Hugh Howey is a master world builder. He creates realistic places and beautiful characters. They were people that I genuinely cared about and wanted to make sure that they were okay.I’d recommend the series to anyone who loves post-apocalyptic literature.