First Shift - Legacy (Part 6 of the Silo Series) (Wool) [Formato Kindle]

What you need to know:

If you haven't read Wool Omnibus Edition (Wool 1 - 5), read that first. It's true that this is a prequel to that story, involving completely different characters, so you might think you could read this as a stand-alone novel. But don't. Knowing where things are headed is critical to understanding and appreciating the events in this novel. Go buy the WOOL Omnibus, and read that first! You won't regret it.

If you HAVE read the WOOL Omnibus, then what are you waiting for? You know you're going to buy this book: so get on with it already!

* * *

First Shift: Legacy is better than the WOOL Omnibus.

This is the rare prequel that doesn't just add to the original story, but actually elevates the entire preceding series to a whole new level. It's rich in characterization, packs a real emotional wallop, and it paints a frighteningly believable story of how our real-world could get from here to... well, there. And like all great sci-fi, it makes you think. In describing how things came to be, First Shift: Legacy delves much more deeply into the Orwellian themes raised in WOOL; and it doesn't present any easy, pat answers. This is the kind of book that you won't be able to put down -- and when you're finished, you won't be able to put it out of your mind. This is a fantastic story; WOOL fans will not be disappointed.

I purchased First Shift Legacy as soon as it came out and ended up read it from start to finish in one sitting. From the very first page, I simply couldn't put it down. Fans of the Wool series will not be disappointed, this is Hugh Howey at his best. The story is gripping, fast-paced, incredibly shocking and the characters are once again fleshed out and "real".

Also, references to current events (such as the CDC's recently published Zombie Apocalypse Survival guide) and emerging technology (such as nanotechnology) really brings the story to life. Because of Hugh's use of realistic technology, this book could soon be disregarded as science fiction and instead be viewed as science reality. After reading this book, my views on nanotechnology have actually changed taken a u-turn. I won't spoil the story for you by telling you which way they turned! Also, by the end of the book I was definitely left pondering our future and wondering if living in a silo is in fact that far-fetched.

First Shift Legacy is also full of memorable passages that you will find yourself reading over and over due to Hugh Howey's uncanny ability to exquisitely portray ideas and emotions. The two that resonated with me the most are:

"It was the pain of a chronic boredom mixed with the discomfort of time wasted."

and

"Here was Washington encapsulated as far as Donald was concerned. It was as though he had the same two choices: he could spin in circles, completely lost and doing little, or he could dive down one avenue and forsake the others, always fearing he'd picked poorly."

In conclusion, First Shift Legacy is an incredible start to the prequel chapter of the Silo Series. I knew the book was going to be good after reading the Wool Omnibus, but I didn't that it would be THIS good. First Shift Legacy is hands down my favorite book in the Silo Series and Hugh Howey only seems to be getting better and better with every single release. I can't wait for the next part!

You're here because you read Wool 1-5 and couldn't wait to put your hands on number 6. Then before you clicked "buy it now" you decided to scan the reviews to see if it's the genuine article. Impressive number of 5 stars, and they're all saying it's good old Hugh and you're not going to be disappointed. A few 4s and 3s, probably those cynics who always have something to say. The 1s are generally rubbish - those who don't really read the book and just want the general score to go down, or those with serious attitude issues.

But the 2s are different. The 2s belong to people who were utterly disappointed, and you wonder why.

The only other reason someone would read these lines is if they were Hugh Howey himself - if it's you, Hugh, I'm terribly sorry to dampen your mood and hope you're busy with writing Wool 7, which I promise to buy because I have no doubt it will be as great as Wool 1-5.

And for those of you who are not Hugh, I'll start by saying I gave a 5 rating to Wool Omnibus. It's an amazing project, and definitely one of the best books I read for a long while. Since you read it yourself you know what I'm talking about.

Wool 6 is everything Wool Omnibus isn't: unimaginative, predictable, and you cannot identify with the heroes even for a single moment.

I kept hoping that at some point Hugh will pull a dirty trick, some kind of clever Ender's Game style twist that will dwarf all of the pain I had to go through reading so far, but it never came. There WAS something at the last quarter of the book, some sort of plot trick that under other circumstances may have pulled a 'wow' out of me, but it was lost in the general gloom of reading a book that just didn't live up to the high standards of its predecessors.

I had that hope for a brilliant plot break even at the last few pages, and kept checking the progress bar on my Kindle: 96%. No groundbreaking truth. 97%. No amazing U-turn. 98%. No gut-twisting revelation. 99%. It's almost over, I can't believe there was nothing at all. 100%. It's really over, and you know what, I'm actually glad it did.

Whereas Wool Omnibus is a real page turner and you can't put it down, I often found myself finding excuses NOT to read a few more pages of Wool 6. To be honest, Hugh attempted something few writers dare do: tell a tale where the end is already well known to the user and make it interesting. It's a daunting challenge and unfortunately Hugh did not succeed.

I could go on explaining why, but here's the bottom line. You either believe the 5 star reviews, buy Wool 6 and then find out for yourself, or you frown, get some serious doubts, and read more of the 2 star reviews and realize: it's a trap. Run away. Skip Wool 6, read a spoiler to find out what you missed from a story-arc side, and just wait anxiously for Wool 7. Check if it continues the Wool 5 story just to make sure (unlike Wool 6 which is a prequel), and buy it without bothering with any reviews. I guarantee that it will rock. Why am I so sure? Because it will be written by Hugh Howey, a magician who had a mental lapse in Wool 6 but will have surly recovered by the time you read Wool 7.