Eye-bulging escapades tempered with invention and mordant wit, perfectly complemented by the author’s own pen-and-ink...
Moby-Dick meets Kidnapped by way of the Strugatsky brothers’ Roadside Picnic: Another astonishing blend of cyberpunk, steampunk, fantasy and science fiction, from the hugely talented author of Embassytown (2011, etc.).
In a world of endless land threaded and interwoven with train tracks, gigantic and voracious subterranean rats, stoats, millipedes and the like, layer upon layer of archaeological remains and a poisonous upper sky inhabited by flying angels, Capt. Naphi of the moletrain Medes hunts Mocker-Jack, a colossal yellow molelike moldywarpe. Other moletrain captains like Naphi are equally obsessed with pursuing their “philosophy,” while other trains make a living salvaging the plentiful and often incomprehensible detritus of past civilizations and the discarded junk of passing aliens, while still others ply more orthodox trades. Young Sham Yes ap Soorap is Medes’ apprentice doctor, a profession he has little aptitude for or interest in. While investigating a wrecked train, with which the landscape is littered, he discovers an ancient camera card whose pictures show, impossibly, a part of the Railsea that has narrowed down to a single set of tracks. Who took the pictures, and where might the tracks lead? Many folks, including pirates and some of Medes’ own crew, dream of treasure. Miéville’s omniscient, detachedly amused narrator (whose identity is eventually, slyly, revealed) follows these and other points of view in relating a yarn that can be read as pure adventure, tongue-in-cheek homage, gleeful satire or philosophical meditation. It’s billed as YA and, indeed, Miéville’s usual high level of violence and sex is toned down, often to the point where the characters appear gender free (in one case, literally so).
Eye-bulging escapades tempered with invention and mordant wit, perfectly complemented by the author’s own pen-and-ink drawings of the Railsea’s weird denizens.Pub Date: May 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-345-52452-2
Page Count: 433
Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PROFILES
A witty and enthusiastic tale about a powerful tween; a veritable delight.
In this debut YA fantasy, a girl inadvertently reveals her magic ability, precipitating a witch hunt in a kingdom that hates and fears her kind.
Twelve-year-old Aurella is a witch, at least according to the school bullies who relentlessly taunt her. They tend to leave her alone if she’s with her teen guy pal, Mavic, who lives and works at the orphanage in the Dovice kingdom. But when Mavic spots Aurella in disguise (a spell she unknowingly casts), he drops a doozy: she really is a witch. She was adopted as an infant, but she’s surprised that Mavic seems to know about her birthparents. He further relays Dovice’s history: humans once lived in peace with warlocks and witches, but a warlock-sparked war led to a split country (the Dovice and Rashtica kingdoms) and a subsequent witch hunt. Aurella secretly practices her spells, chiefly manipulating others into seeing or hearing things. One day, however, trying to aid Mavic in an unfair fight, Aurella uses her powers in full view of villagers. Certain that people will respond with another witch hunt, Mavic suggests Aurella head for possible refuge in Rashtica. He joins her, with the two soon encountering allies and adversaries, while Aurella learns more about her past—and a few new spells. Sezate’s appealing tale retains a brisk pace (primarily Aurella and Mavic fleeing through a forest) and winsome characters. Aurella, for one, is a believable tween but with a welcome maturity, often calm in confrontations. Her relationship with Mavic is akin to siblings, and their banter never wears thin, complete with teasing and endearing insults. There are several solid plot turns, including the appearance of others capable of magic and tension riled up by deterrents: excessive spells ignite a blinding headache for Aurella. No timeline specification allows for a hefty batch of modern vernacular, though it’s occasionally repetitive, particularly utterances of “crap.” Sezate thoroughly wraps up Book 1 but ends on a cliffhanger, surely leaving readers on the hunt for a sequel.
A witty and enthusiastic tale about a powerful tween; a veritable delight.Pub Date: May 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5455-9611-1
Page Count: 368
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A diverting tale that champions nature as convincingly as its heroes do.
In Johnson’s (The Sword is Whet, 2017, etc.) middle-grade fantasy, a young girl and a squirrel, communicating telepathically, endeavor to broker peace between humans and forest creatures.
A squirrel named Mr. Wollo Bushtail believes that it’s time to embark on the Great Journey—leaving the forest to cross the dangerous place that humans call “the Road.” His subsequent encounter with a “man-creature” is quite a surprise, as the man understands The Speech, a telepathic communication known by all “forest people” (“animals” is considered an offensive term). Because of humans’ destructive nature, the Spirit of the Forest took The Speech away from them long ago. Wollo eventually befriends 9-year-old Sara Springborn and soon learns that humanity, as a whole, is even worse than forest people suspected. This is especially true of Sleemy Verm, president and CEO of Addicto-Chips, who wants to use the friends’ think-speech to transmit subliminal advertisements. Sara vows to save the Great Forest from harmful humans by warning the U.S. president. She also must confront a threat against her own kind: black bear Mr. Wintersleeper King, who can make people and things disappear—an ability that he proves by making a national monument vanish. Sara and Wollo race to Washington, D.C., before humans and forest people wind up destroying one another. Johnson’s thoroughly entertaining tale is a quick but memorable read. Names of characters and places, in particular, stand out, from Mr. Slitherlielow, whom Wollo wisely distrusts, to Saraville, Sarastate, where Sara lives. The story has a strong point of view as well as educational value; the villainous Verm, for example, is a junk-food peddler (complete with an evil taunt: “Nyah nyah nyah...”), and there are reminders that some forest creatures are indeed dangerous (Mr. Wintersleeper King, for instance, promises to eat any hecklers at a council meeting). Other baddies, such as one working with Verm, prove to be genuine menaces to Sara and Wollo, but the two also find an unexpected ally during a harrowing escape.
A diverting tale that champions nature as convincingly as its heroes do.Pub Date: Nov. 15, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-978015-30-2
Page Count: 214
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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