Relic
by Heather Terrrell The Books of Eva, book one
When Eva’s twin brother, Eamon, falls to his death just a few months before he is due to participate in The Testing, no one expects Eva to take his place. She’s a Maiden, slated for embroidery classes, curtseys, and soon a prestigious marriage befitting the daughter of an Aerie ruler. But Eva insists on honoring her brother by becoming a Testor. After all, she wouldn’t be the first Maiden to Test, just the first in 150 years.
Eva knows the Testing is no dance class. Gallant Testors train for their entire lives to search icy wastelands for Relics: artifacts of the corrupt civilization that existed before The Healing drowned the world. Out in the Boundary Lands, Eva must rely on every moment of the lightning-quick training she received from Lukas—her servant, a Boundary native, and her closest friend now that Eamon is gone.
But there are threats in The Testing beyond what Lukas could have prepared her for. And no one could have imagined the danger Eva unleashes when she discovers a Relic that shakes the Aerie to its core. (Description from Goodreads.com)
This post-apocalyptic dystopia opens a new series that is both an exciting tale of self-discovery and one of great societal commentary. In Eva’s world the polar ice caps have melted and modern civilization was destroyed. Survivors turned to a simpler lifestyle, one more easily controlled by those in power. It's a cold world, both climatically and in temperament. Eva feels stifled and longs to learn more about her world, an opportunity she can't turn down once she decides to undertake The Testing.
Slowly, you get to piece together New North’s history as Eva uncovers startling revelations about her own hidden background. Deft world-building creates a believable society in an icy clime with a strong and well-rounded main character. Eva’s choices for the future left me anxious to see her tale continue in the series’ next installment. I found this to be a refreshing new addition to the dystopian field.
When the motto of your village is "never say die," you have a lot to live up to. . . .
At home in Canada's Arctic, Nick Thrasher is an accomplished Inuit hunter at fifteen. About to bring home a caribou for his ailing grandfather, Nick loses the meat to a fearsome creature never before seen in the wild. It's half grizzly, half polar bear. Experts will soon be calling it a "grolar bear."
Returning to his village, Nick receives a letter from the half brother he's never met. A former Grand Canyon river guide, Ryan Powers is now a famous wildlife photographer. He'll soon be coming to Nick's part of the world to raft the remote Firth River in search of huge herds of migrating caribou. Ryan also wants to learn what Inuit hunters are saying about climate change in the Arctic. He invites Nick to come along and help him find the caribou.
Barely down the river, disaster strikes. Nick and Ryan are both thrown into the freezing river and find themselves under a ceiling of solid ice. With nothing but the clothes on his back and the knife on his hip, Nick is up against it in a world of wolves, caribou, and grizzlies. All the while, the monstrous grolar bear stalks the land. (description from Amazon.com)
I actually enjoyed this book a lot. It was full of action and danger. It was a book that made me look things up, but not like I was learning stuff in school, more like I was just so curious to see if the nature-related stuff was real or not. This book made me think about how we're affecting the environment and how that will reflect back and affect us later on. I liked how Nick stays true to his heritage, even as he thinks about the larger world. This book was very different from what I normally read, but it was a good one!
Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan
Uido is ecstatic about becoming her tribe's spiritual leader, but her new
position brings her older brother's jealousy and her best friend's mistrust. And
looming above these troubles are the recent visits of strangers from the
mainland who have little regard for nature or the spirits, and tempt the tribe
members with gifts, making them curious about modern life. When Uido's little
brother falls deathly ill, she must cross the ocean and seek their help. Having
now seen so many new things, will Uido have the strength to believe in herself
and the old ways? And will her people trust her to lead them to safety when a
catastrophic tsunami threatens? Uido must overcome everyone's doubts, including
her own, if she is to keep her people safe and preserve the spirituality that
has defined them. (description from Amazon.com)
I thought that this was a really interesting, slightly magical easy read. I liked how it is based on real natives from real islands off the coast of India. I had no idea they were even there! I thought the culture clash was well depicted and that the spiritual journey Uido faced was intriguing.
My Name is Not Easy
by Debby Dahl Edwardson
My name is not easy. My name is hard like ocean ice grinding the shore . . .
Luke knows his Iñupiaq name is full of sounds white people can’t say. So he
leaves it behind when he and his brothers are sent to boarding school hundreds
of miles away from their Arctic village. At Sacred Heart School,
students—Eskimo, Indian, White—line up on different sides of the cafeteria like
there’s some kind of war going on. Here, speaking Iñupiaq—or any native
language—is forbidden. And Father Mullen, whose fury is like a force of nature,
is ready to slap down those who disobey. Luke struggles to survive at Sacred
Heart. But he’s not the only one. There’s smart-aleck Amiq, a daring leader— if
he doesn’t self-destruct; Chickie, blond and freckled, a different kind of
outsider; and small, quiet Junior, noticing everything and writing it all down.
They each have their own story to tell. But once their separate stories come
together, things at Sacred Heart School—and the wider world—will never be the
same.
(description from Amazon.com)
There were parts of this book I really enjoyed. I thought the characters were well drawn and I learned a lot about Alaskan culture during the Cold War. I had no idea that Eskimos and other native tribes were all thrown together in schools far from their own homes. I did feel, though, like this book was disjointed - I had trouble tracking the time passing, etc.
Promise the Night
by Michaela MacColl
Beryl moved with her family to the highlands of Kenya as a toddler. Not long after, her mother and brother returned to England, abandoning her with her rough though loving father. MacColl's account begins when a leopard steals into Beryl's hut and attacks her dog—the child leaping from her bed to give chase. Though she loses the leopard in the night, the next morning, she and her new friend, a Nandi boy, Kibii, find the dog still alive and save it. Later she insists on being part of the hunt for the leopard. Young Beryl wants nothing more than to be a warrior, a murani, and to be able to leap higher than her own head. Her jumping skills progress apace, but young white girls, no matter how determined, cannot become part of the Nandi tribe. Her relationship with Kibii's father, the wise Arap Maina, along with a growing awareness of the consequences of her actions, help lead her into a more mature—though still wildly impulsive and daring—life. (description from author's website)
I *really* liked this one. It is the story of Beryl Markham's wild childhood in Africa, with the chapters interspersed with actual journal entries and interviews that Beryl did as a grown woman when she became a famous pilot. Beryl's interaction with the local Nandi tribe were also interesting and funny. Well written and very engaging!
The Bones of the Holy by Jennifer Allison Gilda Joyce, book five
When Gilda Joyce's mother announces her engagement to a man from St. Augustine, Florida, Gilda is appalled. She hasn't even given him the "Joyce Family Application" yet! But as the wedding preparations get under way, Gilda realizes she has much bigger concerns. Why does her soon-to-be stepdad keep calling Mrs. Joyce by his ex-wife's name? And why is Mrs. Joyce acting like she's possessed?
With only a few short days before her mother says "I do," Gilda knows this much for sure: it's going to take every ounce of her sleuthing skill and psychic savvy to solve this one! (description from Amazon.com)
This series is the perfect antidote to too much "paranormal romance." Gilda is a smart, vivacious, and hilarious mini-detective and her adventures are just the right mix of realistic fiction and the paranormal. I love how even when Gilda is trying to deal with her ghostly encounters, it's even more important that she continues to build the real relationships in her life.
The way that she interacts with her mom and brother are so sweet and yet, true to life. She and her best friend, Wendy, also have a wonderful and thoroughly realistic relationship. I love how they stay in touch even when Wendy goes to camp or Gilda travels through letters and phone calls.
This particular entry into Gilda's adventures was full of really interesting background info. Just like after reading the last book when I wanted to immediately go to the Spy Museum in D.C., now I want to visit St. Augustine, Florida! I had no idea it was the oldest city in the US or that it had such a rich and mixed cultural history. Very intriguing.
For fun mysteries, hilarious hijinks, and a family that will make you smile, give the Gilda Joyce series a try.
