Obsidian and stars

Julie Eshbaugh

Book - 2017

While working to secure her future with Kol, Mya finds herself facing an impossible choice when she learns her brother has arranged an unfavorable marriage.

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Subjects
Genres
Fantasy fiction
Romance fiction
Published
New York, NY : HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers [2017]
Language
English
Main Author
Julie Eshbaugh (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
359 pages ; 22 cm
ISBN
9780062399281
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Mya and Kol, from two different ice-age clans, have fought to be together, and just as that day finally seems to be arriving, threats new and old appear. Traitors from the Bosha are working with a new enemy, the Tama, to overcome both Mya's Olen and Kol's Manu clans, and they will stop at nothing to exterminate the leadership of both. Danger is raw and ever-present in this sequel to Ivory and Bone (2016), which continues to develop Mya and Kol's story. The primitive historical setting necessitates the simple language and basic tools of life, but the human parts of the story are universal and deal with complexities such as child abuse, forced marriage, and duty to one's family. Eshbaugh is a pretty good hand at building tension during confrontations between humans and animals, as well as among humans themselves. Readers looking for a fresh setting or a respite from the steady diet of supernatural creatures and teenage angst will appreciate this survival story, which also incorporates romance and weaponry.--Welch, Cindy Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

Gr 8 Up-This follow-up to Ivory and Bone begins with Mya's visit to Kol's clan to establish her betrothal to him. Upon arriving at the clan's camp, Mya is disappointed that Kol is out hunting. After spending the day waiting, everyone realizes that something is wrong and that Kol and his family are in trouble. Mya and her family head out and find Kol and the others trapped by mammoths in a cavern. After a tense stand-off, almost everyone in Kol's hunting group survives. Sadly, Kol's father is killed, which now makes Kol head of his clan. The night before Kol's father is buried, Kol and Mya's betrothal is established, and Chiv, Mya's brother and the High Elder of her clan, announces that Mya's youngest sister, Lees, will be betrothed to his friend, Morsk, rather than to the boy she loves. Mya and Lees decide to send a strong message to Chiv by running away. This sets off a series of events that will change the lives of both clans. The previous volume was told from Kol's perspective, and this installment switches to Mya's point of view. While the plot often stretches the limits of possibility for prehistoric times, the characters are compellingly formed and the setting is beautifully detailed. Mya embodies all the best traits of a leader, and Kol is not threatened by her abilities. Readers will want to see how Mya and Kol forge a new beginning in the next novel. VERDICT A strong choice where Eshbaugh's debut is popular.-Nicole Detter-Smith, Homestead High School, IN © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review

The sequel to prehistoric Pride and Prejudice retelling Ivory and Bone (2016) feels more akin to George R.R. Martin than Jane Austen.Despite her tight emotional reserve, Mya is more than willing to leave her own clan to be with Kol, yet in order to protect her sister from an unwanted betrothal, both young women flee to a distant island. But romantic woes are soon overshadowed by tragedy and violence, as two different clans with vindictive agendas target Mya, Kol, and everyone they love. With each tribe's survival at stake, both Mya and Kol must choose whether their responsibility is to their peopleor their future together. After animal attacks, earthquakes, drowning, illness, betrayal, warfare, and murder, the deaths and near escapes number in the dozens, yet Mya's restrained first-person present-tense narration remains oddly detached. Occasionally her musings on nature or the (female) Divine approach a stark poetry; more often her meticulous reportage becomes numbing. Eshbaugh has clearly done her research, and the characters and their culture feel convincing and distinct from any modern peoples, although some elements seem scientifically implausible. Mya herself is strong, capable, and of immense integrity; her personal arc, from tentative wariness to a trusting openness to love, is compelling. Despite its historical-romance package, the emphasis on complicated intertribal politics and the proper manufacture of atlatl darts might appeal more to those interested in anthropology or wilderness survival. (Historical fiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.