Chasing the Valley (Skye Melki-Wegner, Random House)

Sixteen-year-old Danika is a street kid in a world where a tyrant king keeps the population cowed with alchemy bombs dropped by royal biplanes. The only way to escape to a better life is to join a refugee crew and make for Magnetic Valley, the path to the next country. Crews are ruthlessly hunted and only adults, who each develop their own magic when they come of age, have any chance of making it. But when Danika stumbles on a crew of teenagers planning an attempt, she’s feeling reckless enough to try. Chasing the Valley is Skye Melki-Wegner’s debut novel, and the first of a trilogy. It’s an exciting premise, but the book doesn’t fully live up to it. The plot develops in predictable and sometimes clunky ways, and the characters never develop very much depth. But the action moves quickly, and there are some neat elements to the world-building, such as the way that magic is something that everybody develops. The setting feels Australian in a refreshingly understated way, although there’s a notable lack of ethnic diversity to the world. It will probably appeal to younger YA readers who enjoy fast-paced adventure and a little romance.

Jarrah Moore is a primary literacy editor at Cengage Learning Australia

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews