Frostlands

October 15, 2018

As the world succumbs to the ravages of climate change and provisions become scarce, octogenarian Rachel Leopold maintains a garden and grows heirloom apples in the utopian community of Arcadia, taking up arms against its attackers. A former glaciologist, Rachel also secretly researches methods to reverse the polar ice melt, which could save Earth's dwindling population and prevent the release of methane pockets under the permafrost. As she nears success, Arcadia comes under fire from the multinational group CRISPR. To save Arcadia and possibly the world, Rachel must decode clues left by her late ex-husband, Julian, while around her the walls of Arcadia are breached by bots and her trust in her compatriots is tested. VERDICT This fast read picks up after the death of Julian, the protagonist of Splinterlands, and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone sequel to the first book in the series. Its sense of urgency inspires readers to keep going and a pale glimmer of hope at the end is welcome after the quick, harrowing ride.--Jennifer Beach, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 24, 2018
Feffer expands the urgent environmental warnings of Splinterlands in a slim, standalone sequel that’s equally dire and sinister but more leisurely paced. The world of 2051 is marked by mass extinctions, crop failures, and melting ice caps. From the Arcadia farming commune in Vermont, 80-year-old Rachel Leopold is fending off drone attacks from CRISPR International, a devious genetic engineering corporation. If her research into regenerating the melting permafrost to slow down global warming is successful, the elites will be less likely to purchase CRISPR’s pricey longevity treatments. Rachel contacts Emmanuel Puig, the biographer of her ex-husband, Julian (narrator of the dystopian Splinterlands). Puig suggests she reach out to her children—jaded Aurora in Brussels and wealthy Gordon in Ningxia—for cryptic clues to infiltrating CRISPR’s headquarters. Rachel’s other son, Benjamin, a former guerilla fighter turned hacker, is deep underground targeting CRISPR. As CRISPR seems to know Rachel’s every move, she suspects a mole within Arcadia. Devotees of near-future science fiction adventures will root for resolute and energetic Rachel on her quest to save Earth.