Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain
Kayla is a cadet Sky Rider, training at the Sky Academy in Sophiatown. Her only friend is her pangron, Faro, and when he is stolen from her, she will stop at nothing to get him back.
Alethea is a healer living in the Blue District, the poorest in Ataria. She is trying to continue her father’s work, helping others, particularly against the Scourge, a deadly disease killing many in the city and beyond. When her grandmother shows signs of the disease, Alethea knows she must leave the city to seek a cure.
Rustus also lives in Ataria- but in the Red District. Desperate to gain positive attention from his disdainful father, he is determined to come first in the Scorching Ceremony, a test by which the Unscorched become the Scorched- esteemed warriors of the Atarian army. But when he fails this initiation, he is banished to the Beastlands.
And here their worlds collide-and they find themselves an unlikely team, united in a quest to save Faro and find a cure for the Scourge…
Hearing Jess French speak at the FCBG Conference this weekend reminded me of just how much I enjoyed this book- and that I hadn’t reviewed it! Jess’s passion for nature and living things shines through the world she has created which in many ways reflects our own.
The care and attention to detail used in building the world of Ramoa, where the story is set, is phenomenal! Readers share in Rustus’s wonder as he sees the plants and creatures outside the city walls for the first time, realising that he has been misled by those within. Alethea’s passion for plants, her curiosity about them and respect for what they can do is infectious. Atmospheric and evocative, Jess’s writing is a joy to read- and read aloud!
Time is devoted at the beginning of the book to the development of each character, making the reader feel invested in each and ready to join them on their quest. Rustus, Alethea and Kayla are very different personalities from very different backgrounds yet they complement each other brilliantly. Kayla is the most resistant to relying on and working with others as her experiences have taught her to be wary, but she learns to trust, finding that true friends are worth having and can be depended upon. Rustus is a great example of how people are not always what they seem -or are expected to be- finding his place in the world- a place not defined by his father.
The plot romps along at a pleasing pace and would make an excellent class story or guided reading text. As well as an exciting and engaging tale, there is so much to discuss, explore and enjoy here such as showing respect and understanding for the plants and creatures of the world, working in harmony with the world rather than exploiting its bounty, empathising with and getting to know others rather than labelling and judging. Fortunately, the ending sets the scene for more books to come as I was very reluctant to leave this world as the story came to an end. Loved it!
Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain
Jess French
Piccadilly ISBN: 978-1800784062