The Continent

January 22, 2018
A privileged young woman struggles to survive after being stranded in unfamiliar, hostile territory. Aspiring mapmaker Vaela Sun has grown up in the nation of the Spire, in a culture that has abolished war. For her 16th birthday, her parents take her on an airship tour of the Continent, where the rival Xoe and Aven’ei peoples appear determined to wipe each other out. When the airship is destroyed, Vaela’s only hope is to make a new life among the Aven’ei until she can get home. As she assimilates into their society and falls for handsome Noro, she adopts a new goal: persuade the Spire to intervene and end the war. Drake’s debut novel comes with a controversial pedigree, having been substantially revised following early criticism of the depiction of the cultures of the Continent. That aspect is improved, but Drake still offers a predictable romance coupled with a “sheltered protagonist goes native” storyline; in one scene, Kaela gleefully attempts to introduce indoor plumbing to the Aven’ei, only to discover she has no idea how it works, either. The worldbuilding and premise have potential, but the story falls short in execution. Ages 12–up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

February 15, 2018
Grief-stricken and stranded far from home, a sheltered young woman must rebuild her life and reconsider all she believes to be true.Apprentice cartographer Vaela Sun thinks she's the luckiest teen in the Spire when her parents announce they have obtained coveted tickets for a family heli-plane tour over the Continent. Peopled by the warring Xoe and Aven'ei, this icy, remote land has long been cut off from the Four Nations who regard its inhabitants as little more than curiosities. When their heli-plane crashes in the wilderness, blonde, fair-skinned Vaela is the sole survivor. Rescued by Noro, a bronze-skinned, black-haired Aven'ei assassin with whom she soon falls in love, Vaela makes a new life for herself on the Continent, learning to survive without the aid of servants and even taking a job shoveling manure. Coming from a technologically advanced land where peace and prosperity are taken for granted and various ethnicities intermarry without prejudice, Vaela struggles to understand the values of her new homeland. Her gradual awakening hews closely to the well-worn trope of the young Westerner who achieves self-actualization through experiencing the seemingly simple pleasures of the developing world. While apparently attempting to critique poverty tourism and indifference toward the struggles of developing countries and indigenous peoples, the novel falls short in never probing the responsibility developed nations bear for contributing to these problems in the first place. The resolution similarly deprives the people of the Continent of agency. A sizzling romance cannot compensate for the blind spots. (Fantasy. 12-16)

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March 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old apprentice cartographer Vaela Sun is going on a tour of the Continent for her birthday. The trip is a highly coveted one among her peers, and Vaela is excited to be going despite the ongoing war ravaging the country. The Aven'ei and Xoe have been fighting for centuries with no signs of peace. Vaela and her family live in the Spire. The Spire is an affluent nation that has abolished warfare and vowed to remain neutral no matter what. Unfortunately, Vaela will witness the Continent's fighting firsthand. When a tragic accident leaves her stranded in the desolate wasteland, Vaela finds herself at the mercy of the warring local tribes. This fast-paced story attempts to address the stark disparity between prosperous civilizations and war-torn nations as well as the moral implications of remaining neutral in a violent conflict but fails and instead includes racist undertones. While some may find the setting unique, the plot is simple and lacks nuance. The problematic "white savior" trope is employed throughout, making this difficult to recommend. VERDICT A strictly additional purchase.-Ariel Birdoff, New York Public Library

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