SHADOWS IN DREAM STONE

An unfairly imprisoned woman fights back—in more ways than one—against her oppressors in Branyik’s dystopian novel.

In the early 25th century, Abaddon Ordell becomes an inmate of the Earth-based prison Dream Stone. Her crime was suffering a miscarriage—the U.S. justice system charged her with murder, as it does all women who suffer the same tragedy. Abaddon’s fellow prisoners include humans as well as a variety of Descendians—beings like the gray, four-armed Drek that hail from other planets. She can hold her own against inmates looking for trouble, since her late Marine father ingrained combat skills into her and her little sister. But Abaddon must also watch out for vicious male guards, particularly one who relishes taunting her. When she finally takes a stand, it’s a violent one that seemingly earns the other prisoners’ admiration. Abaddon focuses on surviving while also plotting revenge against those responsible for her agony. But should she be worried about her cellmate, Kila, one of the rare Äzé, who are known as formidable assassins? Branyik imbues this tautly written narrative with a strong feminist theme: “…she had nothing left to care about in this world. Perhaps she could be a warrior for women everywhere.” Some elements of this theme are surface-level, like the blatantly cruel and ferocious male guards who scream insults and beat the women without provocation, but there’s subtlety, too; the U.S. courts, which mercilessly punish those who seek abortions, seem determined to take control of women’s bodies. While the distant-future setting plays an integral part, this story is first and foremost a prison tale—threats come from everywhere, and Abaddon is forcibly separated from her loving sister. Other forms of discrimination that pop up, like racism, classism, and xenophobia, take a back seat to the gender issues that unite the inmates. The ending leaves plenty of room for a sequel.

This feminist story delivers an indelible hero and a powerful, timely message.