Dove Exiled

Gr 7 Up—When readers last saw Phaet in Dove Arising (Viking, 2015), she was fleeing the Moon in order to escape its controlling and dangerous ruling authority, the Committee. Now, Phaet finds herself in exile on Earth, forced to hide her true identity. She is miserable, desperate to find a way to return home and save her young siblings from the wrath of the Committee. She soon finds her opportunity when war breaks out on Earth. It becomes clear that the Committee's power has spread so far that even Earth can no longer escape its influence. Upon her return to the Moon, Phaet is surprised to discover that she has become a symbol of a burgeoning revolution: the "Girl Sage" who stood up to the Committee. The ending sets the stage nicely for the action that is to come in the next installment. Bao has employed a multitude of familiar young adult speculative fiction tropes here, including a controlling and immoral government, a reluctant heroine, and a guilt-ridden love triangle. While the first volume primarily focused on Phaet's militia training, this one steers more toward romance and the building of new alliances. Despite this emphasis on relationships, however, the characterization falls flat, with the main love interest reading more like the concept of the perfect boy than as a real person. Luckily, there is still plenty of action to keep readers intrigued.