From the book description, I really wasn’t sure what to expect when reading “Singer.” The narrative moves back and forth between two different parties endeavoring to reach the center of the “Nameless City,” each with a mysterious girl who sings and is unsure of her purpose, but feels a strong “pull” toward the city.

From the prologue, you get a glimpse of the destruction and danger lurking in the center of the Nameless City and how it is intricately tied to machines. The random appearance of various machines was slightly predictable, while adding a twist to the storyline and consistently moving the plot along. However, the machines being such a focal point to the story made me wonder what the author, Brigid Collins, was trying to say about technology in our world (if anything). I may be reading too much into the metaphor and trying to find substance and meaning in what is simply a fun and easy read. Overall, it’s a good, quick read for young adult sci-fi and fantasy bookworms.

For my full review, please visit: https://thebookbasics.wordpress.com/2016/05/12/man-vs-machine-vs-singer/ ( )

I'm so pleased with how this story came together, especially the last third of the book!

"Singer" by Brigid Collins starts out as the adventure of the eponymous character, a woman who would be mute if she couldn't sing the most beautiful wordless melodies. Singer teams up with a ragtag group of adventurers on their way to plunder the mysterious depths of the bluntly named "Nameless City", to which she is inexplicably drawn. As they travel through a place so old that everyone who has ever lived there is dead with their bones turned to dust, it becomes clear it's every bit as dangerous as predicted. And the storytelling and imagery remains excellent right up to the finale.

Admittedly the action starts slowly, and during the first few chapters I didn't quite know why I kept reading. However it was easy prose, well worth continuing, as my empathy towards the characters grew organically as a result of the pacing. By the time the threats start showing up deep inside the Nameless City you're invested in everybody, so I would say the pacing works out well enough. Besides which I want to give credit where credit is due and recognize that the monsters were fuck-off scary and I feared for character's lives, so good job there. I'm hesitant to spoil anything, so it the most vague terms I'll say my personal experience as a computer programmer was irked by a plot point. It was bad, but it wasn't "Hackers" bad.

Continued at my personal blog. ( )

I recommend this fun adventure book. Several small groups of people are headed to a forgotten dead city for different reasons. Many have tried to get there before them and never returned home. There is excitement, hardship and death along the way. Once in the city they encounter creatures that are 2 millennia old. You will enjoy the travelers adventures. ( )

I received a free copy of this book for an honest and impartial review: I need to start out with this review stating that I have no idea whom the target audience was for this book. The premise behind Singer is two separate groups of travelers entering a devastated city in search for a legendary sword. The prologue is probably the best chapter that I read by far. The main character can only sing, but not with words. Only the term "ah" is used with different intonations.I could only make it through half of the book despite numerous attempts. In my opinion, the writing style in this book would have made a fairly good children's book. If that was the thought, then bravo. The character development was basic at best and the characters themselves were shallow in thought and communicated through basic dialogue provided by the writer. ( )