Latshaws novel takes place in a somewhat dystopian future
where the remainder of humanity has fled to the top of a mountain above the
clouds in order to escape the threat lurking below them. We meet the main
character of our story Icelyn very early on when she is following her friend Adorane
further down the mountain, a direction they are forbidden to go in, as he has
discovered something he wants to show her. It is during this initial exchange
we discover that society has split itself into two distinct groups, one which
values knowledge above all else and those with more physical prowess who carry
out more of the grunt work to allow the former to dedicate themselves to
intellectual pursuit.
It is easy to see that Icelyn and Adorane are from these two
different segments and it allows the author to quickly establish the power flow
in their society while also giving us a good look at the characters personalities
in a not too obvious way which allows us to understand their actions as the
story progresses.
Unfortunately for the residents of Mountain Top it quickly
becomes evident that there is an issue with their water supply and they decide
the only viable solution is to send a team of their strongest and most skilled
warriors into the uncharted territory below in attempt to find the source of
the problem and eradicate it. Icelyn sneaks away from the settlement and joins
their expedition with the unwitting help of her intended, (read fiancé/arranged
marriage) Torrain which means he gets dragged along also.
I really like Icelyn as a character, she’s well written and
acts accordingly with the situations around her while still staying true to
herself. She has an old head on young shoulders and at several points in the
book she seems to feel a weight of responsibility that while unfairly placed on
her, she handles in a very mature way. Sometimes it’s easy to forget she is
only a teenager but this is nicely balanced by when she begins to feel the
typical teenage feelings she may have missed had she never went on this
adventure such as exploring her feelings for Adorane and Torrain while really
coming into her own and recognising her own power as the story progressed.
Adorane and Torrain are both brilliant supporting characters
and while Torrain plays the moody teenager brilliantly at the start of the
novel I really like his redemption arc where he is able to do right by his
friends and really prove himself as a valuable member of the society on
Mountain Top. Adorane comes across as a bit of a loveable goof in my eyes but his
unwavering devotion to Icelyn and his protection of her on this trip really
hints at his true affection and loyalty for her.
As always I don’t want to give away any of the plot and
spoil it for anyone waiting to read it but there are definitely some bits in
there that will surprise you and I highly recommend you check it out!
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