Remnants

March 15, 2014
In a physically and spiritually war-torn post-apocalyptic world, prophesied warriors bring hope. Andriana's an Ailith, one of the caste prophesied to save the world. Ailith are divided into Remnants, like Andriana, and the Knights, who protect them. Andriana's Knight is Ronan--she's trained for years with him so that they'll be in perfect sync, but unfortunately, their closeness has yielded a forbidden attraction. Remnants have "high gifts," special powers given by the Maker that mark them as enemy to anti-religious political powers and the Sons of Sheol, the dark, mysterious brotherhood that serves those forces. Andriana and Ronan are summoned to the Citadel, where they are ceremonially presented with symbolic armbands and boosts in power with another Remnant-Knight pair. Their mission is to gather other Ailiths, an adventure that takes them through trading camps, deserts and dangerous cities, to rescue imprisoned Ailith Kapriel--twin brother to the evil emperor of superpower Pacifica, also an Ailith. Andriana and her team must assemble, rescue Kapriel and save the world. Exposition relies too heavily on dialogue, and worldbuilding is disorienting--physical size and distance descriptions are scarce, the prophecy is vague, and the unevenness of characters' knowledge about Kapriel is never explained. The plot meanders, but there's always action, and the ending provides an intriguing villain for the rest of the quest. A dense, if uneven, religious fantasy. (name pronunciation guide) (Fantasy. 13 & up)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 7-10-This fantasy is set in a distant and barely recognizable future, in which faith is a dangerous thing to have. A prophecy foretold the coming of the Ailith, or the Remnants-believers with special abilities sent to help the faithful fight against the demonic forces that plague humanity. The story begins as protagonist Andriana, one of gifted teens born on the seventh day of the seventh month, begins her first assignment as a Remnant. Complete with adventure, danger, swordplay, and even a little romance, this action-packed series opener told from a first-person point of view will engage young fantasy and dystopian fans. While the characters and world-building could have used a little more development and expansion, readers will be caught up in the suspense, especially as the truly scary villains chase after the superpowered Remants on their journey. A solid purchase for libraries where fantasy is popular.-Sarah Jones, Clinton-Macomb Public Library, MI

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