4 out of 5 stars
On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads
How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.
In a Nutshell: Post-apocalyptic fantasy, YA.
The star of this story is Jymn, a 13 year old boy who has lived almost all his life on board a ship, in slavery with the promise of being able to 'repay his debt' and be free at some point in the future. His life is hard, with his eye deformity that provokes mockery from his peers, and a diet of only salt-rice. Nevertheless, he is a hard worker, a talented engineer, and not one to let adverse circumstances get him down.
The book is set many years after an apocalyptic event in our future, and the ways of the old world are gone, save for treasures to be scavenged, and the intriguing remains of the 'teck' (technology, though they don't know this word). The world building is intricate without being too detailed, and evokes images in the mind. Life changes for Jymn when his ship comes into contact with The Archon, a vessel carrying pirates.
The further I read, the more the book appeared to be intended for the younger end of the YA market, which was not apparent from the blurb or its categories on Amazon. It's a rip-roaring, imaginative adventure, well-written, and a story I would have loved when I was about twelve, though it does come across as one of those 'stories for children of all ages', like the Narnia and Harry Potter books, in that it can be enjoyed by adults too.
A fine debut, and I loved the post-apocalyptic aspect, though I doubt I belong within the intended demographic.
