Santa Olivia

Starred review from April 6, 2009
Departing from epic fantasy (Kushiel’s Dart
, etc.), Carey sets this powerful near-future tale in Outpost 12, a small town trapped in a “buffer zone” shielding Texas from pandemic-stricken Mexico. Two half-siblings chafing under General Argyle’s military rule make very different plans to beat the status quo. Tom, the son of a soldier, lives at the gym, where he trains in boxing and hopes to win his freedom from the town by defeating the general’s boxing champion. Loup, who has inherited her escaped father’s oddly engineered genes, joins a group of church wards called the Santitos, a tight gang of vigilantes who masquerade as the local saint, Santa Olivia. Carey’s fans will enjoy meeting another strong, fearless heroine with special powers, while new readers will appreciate the tight focus that intensifies the depth of character and emotion.

April 15, 2009
In an indeterminate future, the border town of Santa Olivia, TX, has become Outpost Number 12, occupied by the U.S. Army. Residents rely on soldiers for commerce and, in the case of Carmen Garron, companionship. Carmen has a child with a rogue soldier, who claims to be the result of genetic experiments breeding humans with wolves to create preternatural fighters. Their daughter, Loup, inherits her father's animal reflexes and superhuman strength. When Carmen dies, Loup moves to the church's orphanage and puts her strengths to work as she and a ragtag group of orphans impersonate an avenging saint, Santa Olivia, and pull vigilante pranks around town. Though Loup eventually evolves into an appealing young protagonist, Carey's latest lacks the well-developed sweep and sense of place of her popular "Kushiel's Legacy" series. For larger libraries.Karen Kleckner Keefe, Deerfield P.L., IL

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