The Spackle are coming. The Answer have been labelled terrorists for attacking Prentisstown, and President Prentiss is determined to bring them down, but now they have another foe. One Spackle escaped the President’s slavery, and he wants revenge at any cost. He wants to kill Todd most of all.

The first scout ship from Viola’s colony has arrived, and it has superior weapons to both the army and the Spackle. But is using them the right thing to do? There are thousands of colonists due in weeks, and they will be landing in an all out war.

Todd and Viola’s work on achieving peace has just begun. President Prentiss is acting strangely and so are his men. How does he achieve such control over his army? He keeps Todd at his side, claiming to want peace for everyone, but all Todd wants is Viola’s safety.

Viola is pleased to see people from her colony, but she too is conflicted on what to do. Is Todd keeping an eye on the psychotic President or has he joined his side? Mistress Coyle is getting more frustrated by the day as she sees the President gaining control again.

No-one can be trusted and Viola and Todd find out the hard way. Soldier, Rebel and Spackle throw one power play after another as ego’s, confusion, grief and revenge swirl in the maelstrom of indecision.

Monsters of Men was awarded the prestigious 2011 Carnegie Medal for it’s “extraordinary achievement” in highlighting the horrors of war “and the good and evil that mankind is capable of.”

This is exactly that with characters swinging from good to evil, between trust and mistrust, saviour and sacrifice. In this episode the reader gets to know the Spackle, how they think, interact and deal with the same challenges that face the humans they hate.

President Prentiss’ malevolence deepens even further, despite seeming kinder and more truthful to Todd. Trust is a flimsy thing though, and something Viola will not do. A brilliant conclusion to an astonishing trilogy.

Author – Patrick Ness

Age – 12+

Read a review for the first two books in the Trilogy

(2010, Walker Books, Series, Trilogy, Sci-fi, War, Control, Guns, Madman, Love, Aliens, Manipulation, Mind Control, Slavery, Multiple viewpoints, Choices, Loyalty, Revenge, Carnegie Medal, Action, Power, Grief, Animals, Conflict)