Rosie Black is back and so is the danger. She had hoped after destroying the Helios base on Mars and exposing their part in MalX epidemic that they would disappear. If only fairy-tales came true. As if Helios wanting her dead wasn’t enough, someone has leaked footage of her administering the MalX cure to her Dad. Now the Senate want a piece of her too. Once again Rosie must try to save her own life and the lives of those she loves. And deal with the rivalry between the two hot guys who both want to claim her heart. It’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Equinox certainly pumps up the action, amps up the mistrust and has our hearts in our mouths the whole time.

Rosie is stronger, smarter and more determined than ever to bring Helios down once and for all- and once again she’s bringing the fight to their doorstep. This time Rosie is leading the charge rather than finding herself suddenly wrapped up in the fight.  There is no Space adventure in this volume; instead we spend our time exploring a bit more of post-melt Australia, and the adventure is just as terrifying and delightful. Most of our favourite players from the first volume are back and there are plenty of new faces to discover. Although some of them will have you wanting to turn on your heel and run as fast and far as you can. It’s also an absolute brainteaser trying to figure out just who can be trusted and will keep you guessing right up to the very end.

If like me, you’re often wary of a sequel especially after such a stellar first instalment, Morgan has not let us down. The character development is just as strong; the plot is still as twisted and complex as its predecessor and still packs the same knockout punch. Morgan’s world is rich with schemes, adventure and a beautiful tale of first love and ultimates sacrifices. Equinox easily lives up to Genesis and takes the story another notch higher. The cliff-hanger ending surely assures that Rosie will be back- and no doubt better than ever.

The  Rosie Black Chronicles-Equinox

Lara Morgan

Walker Books

ISBN:978-1-921529-40-5

Released November 1^st 2011

It’s 500 years into the future and the world is certainly a different place. The Melt has come and gone, and the city of Newperth is divided into three factions. The haves, known as the “Centrals”; the have-nots, the “Bankers” and those that dwell on society’s fringe, the “Ferals”.

16 year old Rosie Black is a Banker dreaming off a future among the stars, following in her Aunt’s footsteps as a spaceship pilot. Rosie’s life is anything but idyllic, but when she finds a box while exploring the old city- she has no idea of the explosive secrets hidden within. With her life on the line, Rosie is forced to rely on two complete strangers. But can she trust Pip- the Feral she finds herself falling for, or his mysterious boss?

From Earth to Mars, Rosie needs to keep one step ahead and hope to discover the truth before it’s too late.

I absolutely adored Rosie’s story. Evil corporations, deadly disease, space travel, blossoming romance and one kick butt adventure all team up to make this one thrill ride of a read. This is post-apocalyptic fiction at its best.

This is Morgan’s first YA offering and it certainly delivers on heck of a punch. Morgan’s voice is unique and she has created a world full of depth and intrigue that will draw you in from the very first page.

Despite Rosie finding herself thrown into a world of chaos that even the most resourceful adult would have a hard time dealing with, she handles it all with courage and determination. The inter-play between the characters on both sides is a delight. From the utterly evil you just want to rid the world of once and for all, to the sweet affection budding despite the mistrust- this will take you through every emotion and leave you hanging for more.  The mix of ages in our central cast of “good guys” is a wonderful addition and it’s a wonderful change to see Rosie work alongside the adults rather than see them as added obstacles to overcome.

The plot mainly centres on the age old struggle of “good versus evil”, but Morgan has made it her own and the struggle feels fresh and brand new. The imagination is stretched into hyper-drive with the vivid descriptions of this whole new world so similar, yet uniquely different.

I certainly can’t wait to dive into the next instalment- the soon to be released Equinox.

The Rosie Black Chronicles- Genesis- Lara Morgan.

Walker Books

ISBN:978-1-921529-39-9

454 Pages

1. The Rosie Black Chronicles are set 500 years into the future. Why did you choose a science fictional landscape? Or did it choose you?

It was a definite choice to set it in a Sci Fi landscape because the idea for Rosie’s world came from me thinking about the kind of place Earth would become if the current problems associated with global warming aren’t dealt with, but I also have a great love for space opera and space westerns and I wanted to also write about a world that had space travel as well, so of course it had to be Sci Fi.

2. You describe your protagonist as a 16 year old Banker. Can you explain a little about your world and her place in it?

The world Rosie Black lives in has much harsher environmental and social conditions to what we have today. It is a hotter place and many of the world’s coastal cities have been swallowed by rising sea levels, climate refugees have infiltrated the major continents, water shortages are common place and an incurable disease known as the MalX is killing people off – especially if you’re poor.

In Rosie’s world, unless you are wealthy, you only drink recycled water, rarely eat real meat and exist on a diet of soy protein replacements and seaweed products. Politically the Earth is basically run by a global government called the United Earth Commission which has satellite representatives in the continents, known as The Senate in Rosie’s part of the world.  Rosie’s place in the world is almost as low as you can get.

Newperth is divided into social and economic classes with the top of the rung being Centrals – who live in the centre of the city and have various holiday estates – followed by the Rim dwellers, Bankers and at the very bottom, the Ferals who have no housing and live in camps in the ruins of the old city. Rosie is a Banker and lives in the housing complexes along the banks of the river, a prime MalX infection zone, and she has to struggle to help her dad make ends meet. As a Banker her prospects are few and it is only due to the help of her aunt she is able to go to school.

3. How are the Rosie Black Chronicles different from the plethora of paranormal fantasy in the marketplace? How does the SF setting add a point of difference?

Well I think it’s really different because Rosie is more in the dystopian camp than the paranormal. There are no supernatural elements in the book and it is more a futuristic adventure story with romantic elements than paranormal fantasy so the SF setting is definitely a point of difference. The greatest difference, I think, is that I have set it in Australia and reference strong post global warming themes. I’ve also mixed in space travel and planet colonisation in with the dystopian elements – what I call my Star Wars influence – and I don’t think other YA dystopian novels out there have done that.

4. Which of your character’s in your books Burn’s Brightest?

I would have to say Rosie because she has to be so independent and tough. She comes up against some very frightening people but never quite loses hope despite the loss she suffers. Hope is important and she carries it with her and never gives up, no matter how bad things get she manages to keep going despite her fears. She’s a hero in the true sense of the word.

Lara is currently on Blog Tour. You can find details of it here:

https://www.facebook.com/therosieblackchronicles

To win a giveaway of Equinox (Rosie Black 2) – head straight to:

https://www.facebook.com/BurnBright

One of the best parts of being an avid reader is finding that book. You know, the one you’ve never heard of; you don’t know the author; you haven’t read the internet buzz so you’re not hanging out for release day – but it’s that book that completely and utterly blows you away.

This year, for me that book is Divergent by Veronica Roth.

Roth’s world is dystopian Chicago. Long after society has self-destructed, it has been rebuilt and divided into five ‘factions’, each dedicated to a particular virtue. There’s Candor, dedicated to honesty, who provide trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Eurdite, dedicated to intelligence who supply society with brilliant teachers and researchers; Amity, the peaceful, provide understanding counsellors and caretakers; Abnegation, the selfless, fulfil the need for selfless leaders in government and finally – Dauntless, the brave who provide safety from threats, both within and without.

Protagonist Beatrice Prior was born into an Abnegation family, but like all 16 year olds, must choose whether she’ll stay with them and lead a life dedicated to serving others; or follow her heart into another faction. At the choosing ceremony, she surprises everyone – herself included – when she decides to leave her parents and all she knows and trusts for a dangerous new beginning.

Fans of The Hunger Games will be right at home within the pages of Divergent, however, unlike THG, the monsters in this world aren’t man-made mutants, but the humans themselves. Roth has created a society which functions well on the surface, but deep under the ideal infrastructure lies greed, hate and plenty of violence. War between the factions is brewing, and it can only end one way. This isn’t a story for those who like their future pretty and peaceful. It’s tough and distressing and Roth hasn’t shied away from using gory scenes to get her point across.

The growth in Beatrice (who becomes known as Tris) is believable and heartbreaking, and at the same time makes you want to cheer out loud for such a gutsy character. Inch by inch throughout the story, she learns to trust in herself, her own values, and most of all her own heart – and that’s where things get really interesting. On the first day at her new faction, she meets the enigmatic Four, her instructor while she’s in training. The chemistry between Tris and Four is so subtle, it’s perfect. At first Four seems to be ruthless, an explosive character to be wary of. But there’s so much more to him than that. Tris manages to scrape away the layers bit by bit, and finds a kindred soul not much different to herself. Theirs is a love story with zero gross-factor, there’s no room for soppiness in a world where only the toughest survive.

Divergent is the first of a planned trilogy, with the second book, Insurgent due in May 2012. If you’re a fan of gritty dystopian fantasy, I can’t recommend getting your hands on it fast enough. This is an incredibly fast paced story that will horrify and surprise you – and leave you begging for just one more chapter after the last page is turned.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Published by Harper Collins.

ISBN – 978-0-00-742041-4

Paperback, 487 pages.

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