Is-land is a Gaian paradise in the middle of a blasted world - but its success comes at a dark price.
Like every child in Is-Land, all Astra Ordott has ever wanted is to get her Security Shot, do her National Service and defend her Gaian homeland from Non-Lander 'infiltrators'. But when one of her Shelter mothers, the formidable Dr Hokma Blesser, tells her the shot will limit her chances of becoming a scientist and offers her an alternative, Astra agrees to her plan.
Then the orphaned Lil arrives to share Astra's home and Astra is torn between jealousy and fascination. Lil's father taught her some alarming ideas about Is-Land and the world, but when she pushes Astra too far, the heartache that results goes far beyond the loss of a friend.
If she is to survive, Astra must learn to deal with devastating truths about Is-Land, Non-Land and the secret web of adult relationships that surrounds her . . . or her actions could bring the whole community toppling down.
Naomi Foyle was born in London, grew up in Hong Kong, Liverpool and Canada, and currently lives in Brighton. She spent three years in Korea, teaching English, writing travel journalism and acting in Korean educational television. She is a highly regarded poet and performer.
Title: Astra (The Gaia Chronicles)
Author: Foyle, Naomi
ISBN: 9781780876368
Binding:
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
Publication Date: 2015-02-05
Number of Pages: 400
Weight: 0.2813 kg
A complex and daring literary story * Upcoming4.me *
I enjoyed Astra immensely. The novel's plot is fascinating . . . all of it set down in Foyle's smooth and flowing writing style * A Fantastical Librarian *
This is excellent Science Fiction and I heartily recommend it . . . reminiscent of LeGuin * Birmingham SF Group *
A friend recommended Astra as an invigorating sort of escapism. She was right. My first experience of SF enchanted and stimulated me * Dervla Murphy, author of Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle *
It's hard-hitting, but it's poignant and incredibly thought-provoking . . . Naomi Foyle has a mastery of plotting and a way with words that's truly remarkable * Over the Effing Rainbow *
Foyle has built a fascinating portrait, often reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin in its layered complexity, and threaded into a fascinating coming of age story. Gripping * Love Reading *
This ambitious, thought-provoking take on a dystopian future paints a depressingly credible picture of environmental collapse . . . as events go hurtling towards the book's dramatic conclusion, I couldn't put it down . . . * Brain Fluff *
