Dove Exiled

December 15, 2015
Even though she is on Earth, Phaet can't hide from the evil, totalitarian Lunar government for long. Months after Phaet and Wes' desperate flight from the Moon in Dove Arising (2015), they've taken refuge at his home, Saint Oda, where Phaet's become a member of the island community. Still, they cover up what actually happened on Wes' mission as well as the fact that Phaet's from the Moon--the highly religious Odans, who've previously suffered unprovoked Lunar attacks, call Lunars "demons." But when a representative from Pacifia, one of the two large, rival Earthbound powers, shows up with video footage of the Lunar forces torturing Phaet's imprisoned brother, Phaet covertly uses Odan technology to contact one of their Moon spies. She learns that Lunars have allied with Pacifia, located her and Wes, and will attack Saint Oda shortly. Her identity unveiled, Phaet's sent on a suicide mission against Pacifia to halt the attack, only to have Wes join her and decide instead to take them to Pacifia's enemy, Battery Bay, for help. The narrative moments that explore the Earthbound civilizations are interesting but over quickly. When the attack comes, Phaet sneaks back to the Moon to rescue her brother but finds she has become a symbol of the resistance. The slow Lunar plot culminates in elections for the all-powerful council. Glaring weak spots include secondary characters' unconvincing motives and tacked-on romantic plots. Its protagonist of Asian heritage aside, it's a standard-issue dystopian middle volume. (Science fiction. 13-18)

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December 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-When readers last saw Phaet in Dove Arising (Viking, 2015), she was fleeing the Moon in order to escape its controlling and dangerous ruling authority, the Committee. Now, Phaet finds herself in exile on Earth, forced to hide her true identity. She is miserable, desperate to find a way to return home and save her young siblings from the wrath of the Committee. She soon finds her opportunity when war breaks out on Earth. It becomes clear that the Committee's power has spread so far that even Earth can no longer escape its influence. Upon her return to the Moon, Phaet is surprised to discover that she has become a symbol of a burgeoning revolution: the "Girl Sage" who stood up to the Committee. The ending sets the stage nicely for the action that is to come in the next installment. Bao has employed a multitude of familiar young adult speculative fiction tropes here, including a controlling and immoral government, a reluctant heroine, and a guilt-ridden love triangle. While the first volume primarily focused on Phaet's militia training, this one steers more toward romance and the building of new alliances. Despite this emphasis on relationships, however, the characterization falls flat, with the main love interest reading more like the concept of the perfect boy than as a real person. Luckily, there is still plenty of action to keep readers intrigued. VERDICT Bao's second effort is not quite as original as her first but should still appeal to teens who enjoy predictable speculative fiction with a dose of romance.-Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN

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