The Ice Ghost (Rewilding Reports, #2) by Kathleen O’Neal Gear – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Cli-fi, Ice Age, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Post Apocalyptic, sci fi, series

Review of The Ice Lion

Quiller is the victim of Trogan’s prophetic visions.  While he forces her to find the Old Woman of the Mountain, Quiller’s husband RabbitEar and her friend Lynx try to rescue her.  The adventure through the underworld will test everyone involved, reveal some of the Jemen’s secrets and raise more questions about how the people living in the current Ice Age came to be and what their purpose is. 

God save me from religious leaders. Especially if the flock is kept ignorant.  The mysterious leaders can make anything up!  I’m talking about Trogan, who Quiller’s people believe is an evil witch.  Evil is a pretty good description for him.  High-handedness, threats and violence are not justified because Trogan, is being led by a ‘god’. 

While Quiller and company are trekking through the underworld, her tribe, the Sealion People are threatened by the Rust People (Trogan’s tribe). Among the tribe is Quiller’s adopted family, which includes enigmatic son Jawbone.

I have found this evolving story to be fascinating.  Between a post-apocalyptic ice age, human genetic manipulation, advanced human abilities, and the humanity of the Ice Age archaic peoples, I have embraced the story arc.  To get the most out of this book, read The Ice Lion first, then pick up The Ice Ghost.  The next installment will be highly anticipated by this reader.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you this review.

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About The Ice Ghost by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

In the brutal Ice Age caused by the ancient Jemen war, many archaic human species, including Denisovans and Homo erectus, hover on the verge of extinction. There seems no way out, until the greatest Neandertal holy man, Trogon, has a vision. Legends say the truce that ended the old war left one hostage in the hands of the victorious rebels: the godlike Jemen leader known as the Old Woman of the Mountain. According to Trogon’s vision, only one person knows the location of that burial cave. Trogon must capture young Quiller and force her to lead him there…for the Old Woman may not be dead. She may only have been in stasis for a thousand summers, and when reawakened she will save them from oblivion.

But according to the Denisovans–Quiller’s people–Trogon is the most powerful witch alive. He’s up to something evil that will surely spell their destruction. He must be stopped before it’s too late.

Quiller’s best friend Lynx must brave towering glaciers, dire wolves, and prides of giant lions to save her and stop Trogon.

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The Ice Lion (Rewilding Reports, #1) by Kathleen O’Neal Gear – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, Cli-fi, Ice Age, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Post Apocalyptic, sci fi, series

About The Ice Lion by Kathleen O’Neal Gear

One thousand years in the future, the zyme, a thick blanket of luminous green slime, covers the oceans. Glaciers three-miles-high rise over the continents. The old stories say that when the Jemen, godlike beings from the past, realized their efforts to halt global warming had gone terribly wrong, they made a desperate gamble to save life on earth and recreated species that had survived the worst of the earth’s Ice Ages.

Sixteen-summers-old Lynx and his best friend Quiller are members of the Sealion People—archaic humans known as Denisovans. They live in a world growing colder, a world filled with monstrous predators that hunt them for food. When they flee to a new land, they meet a strange old man who impossibly seems to be the last of the Jemen. He tells Lynx the only way he can save his world is by sacrificing himself to the last true god, a quantum computer named Quancee.

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Review of The Ice Lion

If you don’t read the blurb (which is an iffy representation of the book, by the way), when you start reading this truly awesome book, you might think this is a story about some prehistoric people. You will read about tribes such as the Sea Lion people, living off the land, struggling against both nature and each other. Then stuff gets thrown in. Like the zyme (a slime that covers the ocean surface). Like the name Hoodwink, which stands out among names like Lynx, Ice Giant, Bluejay, and Mink. And talk of the Jemen, the more advanced beings from that past. There is also a mysterious watcher, observing members of one tribe help another and wondering if he can hope.

It will become obvious that the story takes place far into the future, after man has brought ruin to his environment and caused an ice age. But the tribes don’t know this, because the live only for today and tomorrow.

Lynx is a young member of the Sea Lion tribe. He has been accused of cowardice, because his wedding party, including his wife, was slaughtered by Lions. As punishment, he is abandoned in the wilderness to experience a spirit quest. Survival means he may become a gifted shaman. Otherwise, he faces death. During his quest, Lynx meets Arakie, and old man that Lynx believes to be one of the Jemen. The reader knows there is both more and less to the old man. He is wise, but not all-knowing. He seems to be part archeologist, part biologist, part futurist. He really is quite enigmatic and I really like his place in this story. The travels of Lynx and Arakie will put Lynx in the position of changing the life of an outsider.

Quiller is Lynx’s friend. Ex-lover really. Disappointed when he decided to marry someone else, she is still determined to help him make it back alive. But first she must join a scouting group looking for the Rust people, their tribe’s mortal enemy. In doing so, Quiller will connect with the Rust people in an unforeseen way.

The icy setting with its mountains and ocean, provide a cold backdrop to the warmth of the peoples, who’s lives are going to be inescapably altered when paths cross and the past is excavated.

I loved this book with it’s juxtaposition of primitive people against a technologically advanced past. The people are in for some big changes and I am eager to see where the story goes.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book so that I could bring you this review.

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The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut, #3) by Mary Robinette Kowal – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, extinction event, Hugo Award Winner, lady astronaut, Mars, Mary Robinette Kowal, Moon, Nebula Award Winner, sci fi, series, space program

About The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal

The Earth is coming to the boiling point as the climate disaster of the Meteor strike becomes more and more clear, but the political situation is already overheated. Riots and sabotage plague the space program. The IAC’s goal of getting as many people as possible off Earth before it becomes uninhabitable is being threatened.

Elma York is on her way to Mars, but the Moon colony is still being established. Her friend and fellow Lady Astronaut Nicole Wargin is thrilled to be one of those pioneer settlers, using her considerable flight and political skills to keep the program on track. But she is less happy that her husband, the Governor of Kansas, is considering a run for President.

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Review of The Relentless Moon

In The Relentless Moon, the gist of the story is more of a thriller, making it a slight departure from the previous two books in the series.  Bad things are happening to the space program, astronauts and related property and people.  One or two incidents may be written off as maintenance needs, or accidents.  But when the events start to pile up on the moon after Nicole Wargin arrives, the Lady Astronaut becomes a detective.  Power outages, de-humidifiers not working, even an outbreak of a crippling illness may all tie back to the Earth First agenda.

Nicole is over 50 years old, making her one of the oldest protagonists I’ve read about recently.  She also has arthritis and is anorexic.   Throughout the story, Nicole’s flaws affect her.  And the love for her husband, who is still on earth, is always on her mind. But her experience and wisdom and her old hat ways give her insights the younger astronauts and colonists do not have.   As the wife of a politician, she is also calm, cool and collected.  Nicole will use that wisdom to stop the terrorists.

There is a lot going on in this book.  In addition to the suspense plot, there is the ongoing story of Earth reaching out into space to find a new home because Earth is doomed.  Like the first two books in the series, The Relentless Moon also tackles issues of racism and sexism.  Nicole’s anorexia is an important part of her character as is her status as a senior astronaut.  The author’s views on society are not hard to figure out.

When Earth Firsters cause a riot, this line comes up.  “They say that they’re protesting your policies, and then go after an innocent shopkeeper.  It’s just and excuse for looting.”   Hmmm.  I’ve had my advance copy of this book for several months, so I know the author was not citing current events.  But hmmm.

There is also a great passage where Nicole explains what a poor taste it is to joke about possible spousal abuse if a woman had a bandage on her face.

To offset the societal issues, there are plenty of good things going on.  In the end, it is an uplifting story that I would recommend to anyone.

(Possible spoiler here if you have not read The Fated Sky.)  There was an especially touching passage marking the death of one of the Mars astronauts.  It ended with “They would never hang in silence as they orbited the Moon with him, worshipping at the same altar. “ The love of flying, planes or rockets, sings through the pages in so many ways.

The Relentless Moon takes place in the same time period as The Fated Sky.  I think the books can be read in either order.  There a possibility of spoilers regardless of what order you read them.  For me, knowing some of the events that were to occur in The Relentless Moon, did not spoil it in any way.

I signed up for a giveaway and was rewarded with an advance copy of this book. Thanks to the publisher!

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