Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan

Brennan's inspiration for this piece is The Tale of Two Cities by Dickens.

This happens to be one of my favourite stories by Dickens, so I admit to being interested in her interpretation or rather how the inspiration unfolds in the story.

Aside from the opening sequence/quote the similarity isn't really evident throughout the book, aside from the rebellion between Light and Dark, until the very end. Perhaps because a lot of dystopian stories are based on the core element of oppression, rebellion and uprisings.

Not many readers will think of equating that to a novel by Dickens or the French Revolution for that matter.The plot of Tell the Wind and Fire is strong enough and good enough to do without the link at all.

Lucie feels empathy for the doppelgänger Carwyn. They both share the Darkness and have connections to the Light. I wonder if given the chance whether she might have connected to him and loved him instead of Ethan.

Carwyn was definitely the most interesting character, far more intriguing and appealing than weak Ethan. In the end he shines as brightly as Sydney Carton did, he is devastatingly sad, filled with righteousness and a sense of justice.

It's a good read with complex world building.The ending doesn't leave much space for further development, which makes me wonder whether this was always intended to be a stand-alone, and if so, why?

Buy Tell the Wind and Fire at Amazon UK or go to Goodreads for any other retailer.