FICTION

Stone in the Sky

by Cecil CASTELLUCCI
272p. ebook available. Roaring Brook. Feb. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781596437760.
COPY ISBN
Gr 9 Up—In the sequel to Tin Star (Roaring Brook, 2014), readers catch up with Tula Bane after she flees the Yertina Feray space station following Brother Blue's arrival with the Imperium forces and must hitchhike around the galaxy. Tula searches for evidence of her nemesis Brother Blue's crimes, warns groups of Human Wanderers of his duplicity, and attempts to stay in contact with her long-lost friends Reza and Caleb, and her potential alien lover, Tournour, who is back on the Yertina Feray. In wordy prose that teens unfamiliar with adult science fiction may find difficult to keep up with, Castellucci weaves a tale of intergalactic politics, intrigue, war, and love. The potential interspecies romance between Tula and Tournour is a fascinating look at diversity in a sci-fi setting. Their relationship grows and changes as both characters face many challenges attempting to simply stay alive. Although the romance is important to the story, it is not always at the forefront of Tula's mind. When faced with space pirates, deadly Imperium soldiers, and forced servitude, the heroine doesn't have much time to think about love. A great book for readers who enjoy traditional science fiction titles.—Eden Grey, Kenton County Public Library, KY
The life of Tula Bane (Tin Star), the only Human inhabitant of Yertina Feray Space Station, is upended when a vital medicinal plant is discovered on the planet the station orbits. Castellucci's robust galaxy is convincing, with a gutsy heroine who must navigate interspecies politics and affairs of the heart, while grappling with what it means to be Human.
After three years on the Yertina Feray Space Station, Tula Bane, its only Human inhabitant, is "an almost respectable citizen," selling sweets, salts, and bottled water at her popular cafe. But Tula's quasi-normal life -- at the start of this Tin Star (rev. 3/14) sequel -- is quickly upended when alin, a vital medicinal plant, is discovered on the planet the Yertina Feray orbits. Reappearing to profit from the alin rush is Brother Blue, the powerful Human villain who has tried -- more than once -- to kill Tula. To escape his execution orders, Tula travels into space and soon learns what he's really up to. But she's left with a tough choice: will she jeopardize Earth to bring down Brother Blue? Castellucci's world (scratch that: her galaxy) is robust and convincing, with a caste system that eschews standard sci-fi tropes by ranking Earth at the bottom. She never lets the action get bogged down, relying instead on just enough detail to provide readers with a strong sense of context, be it historical, geographic, linguistic, social. And she's crafted a gutsy heroine who comes into her own here, learning to navigate interspecies politics and affairs of the heart, all while grappling with what it means to be Human. tanya d. auger
Reviewed by Eden Grey , Jan 01, 2015

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