(Want to know more about my scoring system? Click here)

I don’t do as much book reviews as I would like, honestly. It’s not that I don’t enjoy reading, it’s just difficult to finish a book these days as my critical eyes have levelled from more editorial experience. I know what I hate, and I make a point not to promise a review to something I may not finish reading. Which reminds me, I should write up a review for Shop of Liars soon.

Oh, right. Today I’m reviewing We Lost the Sky‘s sequel, Seeking Shelter by Marie Howalt. The read and promise to appraise was a calculated gamble, as you’ll soon see in the spoiler-free review. 

BACKGROUND AND LORES

Despite being a sequel, the story was very well self-contained, though still keeping its plot and history with its predecessor in full view. I always appreciate that in a series.

And the novel does this incredibly well, keeping a slew of lores and life in the background of its characters focused story, drawing breath to a world very close to our own.

Since this is science-fiction, I will have to nitpick the “science” part of that fiction for a moment. There was a mention of a functioning satellite, which did pique me. A lot of effort went into keeping the science grounded, and to have a satellite be able to survive its orbit longer than half a dozen decades was a stretch. But that’s just me. This really doesn’t affect the score.

(EDIT: So this satellite thing was a minor copy error that’s gonna be fixed in the release of the book. So I’m just going to be looking like an idiot. Yay 😀 !!!)

(19/20)

PLOT

I’ve said before that Howalt has this amazing ability to write personal topics and feel as if they had devastating world shattering consequences. This really brings out a personal level of cost and effect that is easy to identify with. 

The main plot boils down to “friends in danger, get help”. The global stakes aren’t high, but the individual ante skyrockets. These kinds of stories are usually difficult to write, as the drive for progression isn’t as readily available. There are no big bads, just a single dogged pursuit of an outcome. 

Yet Howalt manages to make each chapter page turning by focussing more on each character’s personal struggle, using the singular main plot simply as a glue to hold onto these masterfully crafted short stories. 

(18/20)

CHARACTERS

Renn, Luca, and Theo returns as the mains, while Mender the AI robot nurse is relegated to a secondary role, overtaken by Marco and Esmia. Straight up, they are all beautiful individuals.

Esmia replaces Renn as the outsider, a lone wanderer who finds solace in a community. And as Theo grows into her role as a leader, Marco takes on her previous curious eyes about the outside world. The new characters compliment the story greatly, letting readers return to seeing the same fascinating world through fresh eyes while keeping the development of returning faces.

But the crowning glory of this book had to be its various supporting players. Mender has a great scene which stood for an allegory to coming out, I felt, with a huge tinge of personality. Arsenio, a hard-boiled cop-like figure returns from the previous book, and his exchanges with Luca grew both characters. Then there’s Clara and Giuliano, who I will get to shortly.

Despite all these lauded praises, it was surprisingly Renn I had issues with, as story wise, his perspective was wasted. He had but 1 chapter which he did not share much screen time with any of the other main characters, in a storyline that I felt affected Theo more than him. Meaning it’s highly possible to replace all his perspectives through the others eyes’, which I felt would have been better, given his new “wanderlust Zordon” vibe and his lack of a personal arc.

Renn played more of a foil role in this story, and it would have been interesting to explore his actions more through the eyes of his companions before delving deeper into his story in the next book of the trilogy, which seems to be where it’s headed. 

It would have also been better to have Mender’s perspective in the story, as his experience as an independent sentient AI would have worked as a great juxtaposition to this book’s antagonists. 

(15/20)

FLOW AND PACING

Sadly, there were more noticeable language errors within the novel itself than prior, enough that I will have to deduct a point. Though honestly, that detracts little.

As mentioned in the beginning, reading this book was a calculated gamble. If I had not liked it, I would likely have dragged on reading it over the weeks, if not months, leaving a late review despite a promise to have one done before September (be the result positive or negative).

I bring this up because I was willing to stake my time on Howalt’s abilities to capture the mind, and they did not disappoint. After the first half dozen or so chapters, I set aside a single night, and finished the remaining 250+ pages in a single sitting.

Yes, Howalt’s writing is that captivating.

(19/20)

THEMES

Like We Lost the Sky, the second book stays true to its name, Seeking Shelter. It’s not this grand questioning of everything under the big blue and leaving it, but rather a more personal search for our characters in a sort of coming-of-age story.

Which meant the themes were focused on individuals finding their place during changes – instead of grand ideas. Aside from Renn, the other main characters had their personal ideologies truly challenged and spoke for empathy in a growing community. For the main characters, Howalt writes the challenge of findings ones place well.

Though I wished the more interesting religious undertones swinging from Clara to Giuliano, and even Luca to Renn, were explored in more depth. The word “shun” was used at one point, which carries a connotation commonly attributed to cult behaviours, but was not explored past its single use. These topics felt like a lost opportunity.

(17/20)

CONCLUSION

Like all second books in a trilogy, Seeking Shelter is a rebel with a cause, fighting to grow out of its original’s shadow, doing so wonderfully. It is an epic of a minute scale, which can cure the lethargic heart of society with empathy and grace. 

Seeking Shelter by Marie Howalt gets a glass showering 88% approval.