10 must-read SFF books to cuddle up with this November
By Lacy Baugher
The Toll – Neal Shusterman
The highly anticipated conclusion to Neil Shusterman’s “Arc of a Scythe” series, The Toll is a furiously paced attempt to wrap up all the loose ends in this bold dystopian saga.
Three years have passed since the events of the series previous installment, Thunderhead, took place. And in that time, the basically omniscient artificial intelligence system has refused to speak to anyone but Grayson Tolliver. Known now as “The Toll”, Grayson attempts to mediate between various disaffected groups as unrest grows among the Scythe population. He’s got more than his fair share of problems, though.
Dangerous and unbalanced, Scythe Goddard, stokes prejudice and fear. Scythes Anastasia and Lucifer remain on the run, pursued by those who support the new self-appointed Overblade. And questions of belief, politics and faith plague everyone – what does life mean, if one cannot die? What does one believe in, if the gods fall silent? Who are you when everything you’ve believed in is no more?
The official synopsis of the story’s conclusion is…well, not exactly detailed.
"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."
The Toll is available on November 5.