Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and
fantasy. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for
Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and
Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella, Dragon Forged, was a
finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017, and she is the
curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story
competition. Her short story “On the Other Side of the Sea” (Omenana, 2017) was
shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo
for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF
authors’ co-operative Skolion and is an active member of the Africa Speculative
Fiction Society.
Boa chooses the bear…
Boa is a whore’s daughter, and her clan won’t let her forget it. Every day brings the contempt of people who think themselves her betters. She has no rank, no coin, no magic – only one ambition: to ride with the Dust Clan cavalry.
The odds are bad, but she’s fearless – enough to tame a bear no one else would touch. Yet is this enough? Her clan is still reeling from its rout at the Obsidian Battle, and her training washes out stronger recruits by the week.
Every trial she faces earns her enemies. A few earn her allies. And the further Boa pushes, the clearer it becomes: her fate and the future of the whole peninsula are inextricably entwined – whether the people who mocked her like it or not.
Now onto my review of All is Dust :
I truly loved this book. Boa was fighting through so many things stacked against her to come out on top. From living through the insults of her mother's career choice to looking after a bear to being a fearless warrior who could outshine a man any day.
I loved how she protected her mom by killing the man who was abusing her, and standing up for herself when she, as a woman, was disregarded because the men saw her as "weak. The truly best part for me, though, is when the bear saved her from being killed. Such a full-circle moment for me. And meeting and agreeing to marry to protect her people shows just how strong she is.
For me, Boa was such a strong female character, and I do feel most books lately lack that. She went out to prove she will make a better life for herself.
Overall, this book was truly such a great read, and I can truly recommend this 5-star read.
Now onto the second book, same author, different story to share.
So let me share a little blurb with you about the book :
In the deep dark, screaming won't save you.
Anathi is paying for crimes that were never his. For what his parents did, he's sent
down into the Pits, where the Shadow Clan's condemned fight the cast in the dark
and many die there.
The sentence intended to break him instead forges a hero a disgraced clan didn’t
know it needed – and the timing could not be worse. Humanity is losing its grip on
the peninsula, and the relentless enemy that creeps and crawls through the dark is
patient.
He can hold the line against the dark. Whether he can hold it against his own is
another question.
The book makes you feel sorry for Anathi, who is forced to pay his parents' debts. He is sent to fight in the mines to protect the Pits, where he watches many of the people who became his friends die daily. On top of that, he is constantly bullied and punished for others' actions.
I love how he stood up for everyone and wanted to protect them, even if it meant he would be punished. My heart truly broke for Anathi.
Overall, of the two books, I preferred Boa's story, but Anathi's story is a well-written story about endurance, standing up for yourself and others, and keeping your head above water.
Overall, these are 2 great books, and I loved reading both .
"I love how he stood up for everyone and wanted to protect them, even if it meant he would be punished." -> I think we've all been there before. Very relatable character arc.
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