A woolly and complicated space opera that combines several familiar elements.
Anderson’s galaxy-spanning YA SF novel rewrites the history of humankind.
Ancient humanity was a successful and glorious space empire, spanning the “Verse” in symbiotic partnership with another species—the gentle, sasquatchlike Rothen. Humanity and Rothen-kind complemented each other spiritually and intellectually; then an insidious alien species called the Greys (the spindly, bigheaded types of UFO lore) used a horrific zombie-creating virus and other weapons to overthrow humans, taint their “meta-mind” artificial intelligence tech, and exterminate most Rothen. For 70,000 years, the Greys have indoctrinated captive humans with fake history and sham science and warehoused them on an alien gulag-planet—Earth—where archaic myths about dragons, mages, and monsters draw on distorted memories of the truth. A small number of humans persist in the cosmos, resisting the Greys and their equally horrid allies. Rain is a bully-hating, Earth schoolgirl ignorant of her messiahlike status, even as her multiple superpowers emerge. Lor is another human orphan wonder-girl with interesting abilities, who’s hunted by Greys on a horrific clone-factory planet that has a small, rare population of Rothen. Tonjin is a legendary warrior from another world whose actions on the planet Rien—humanity’s true home world—are destined to turn tragic. Multiple cliffhanger action takes place on multiple stages in Anderson’s novel, and it's a puzzler how the timelines match up. The kind-of-cool narrative is part space-opera comic book, and part metaphysical conspiracy saga that recalls Philip K. Dick’s famous theory that humans are secretly trapped by evil forces in an illusory but soul-stifling and awful prison. However, Anderson’s version has Wookieelike beings; a tangible Star Wars influence comes through, as does a debt to The Hunger Games, although the author credits Orson Scott Card’s work as an influence. A lengthy afterword describes the long gestation of the manuscript and the decision to render it as YA-level reading. Sequels are planned.
A woolly and complicated space opera that combines several familiar elements.Pub Date: April 22, 2022
ISBN: 9798808656956
Page Count: 401
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
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