Spoiler Free Book Review

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“…forgiveness crippled evil, drew the poison from it like lancing a boil.”

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I couldn’t help but compare Swan Song to The Stand as both are epic tales of a post apocalyptic world and follow the people left, trying to survive. Despite these similarities, each story is uniquely its own, and each deserves every bit of praise they’ve received. 

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Robert McCammon has a way of drawing you into the world he creates so you feel like you’re one of his characters. I walked with Sister and Artie, hid with Josh and Swan, and willed us all to meet up so we could fight together against the evils of a frightening new world. 

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The protagonists were great and I was rooting for them all, especially Sister and Josh, but I felt the most emotion for the baddies. The man with the scarlet eye had a great character arc and the leaders of the Army Of Excellence made my skin crawl. I didn’t expect a few of the scenes to be as dark and brutal as they were, but I loved it! The scene with Lord Alvin (blue light special) literally had me at the edge of my seat and biting my fingernails as I turned the pages. 

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At over 900 pages, this is a long book, but I was never bored. The pacing and multiple points of view kept my interest and I was quickly invested in every page, every paragraph, every word. The balance between hope and despair was handled perfectly. I didn’t cry at the end, but I might have had some dust in my eye. 

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“Even the most worthless thing in the world can be beautiful…It just takes the right touch.”

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A special thanks to @gengaservesthebeam and everyone else who told me to read this one. You were right, all of you.