November 20, 2017
In this fast-paced SF adventure from the coauthors of the Starbound trilogy, a scholar and a scavenger reluctantly join forces to unravel the secrets of an alien temple. For 16-year-old Mia Radcliffe, discovering the long-lost technology of an extinct race known as the Undying could allow her to free her sister from indentured servitude. Jules Addison wants to redeem the reputation of his father, who decoded the Undying’s transmission and then repudiated his own work. Together, they must solve the Undying’s riddles and traps, all while being pursued by a ruthless mercenary team bent on exploiting the temple’s supposed riches. As Mia and Jules learn to trust—even care for—each other amid constant tension and brushes with death, they come closer to uncovering the Undying’s greatest secret. Mia and Jules have chemistry and work well together, their partnership is entertaining and believable, and the villains and dangers are similarly plausible. A nerve-racking cliffhanger will leave readers eager for the second half of this planned duology. Ages 14–up. Agency: Adams Literary.
October 4, 2017
Unearthed is an explosive action-adventure with a touch of romance set on an alien planet. Earth is a devastated planet where resources are scarce and humans are desperate. When an intercepted broadcast from an ancient civilisation, the Undying, suggests they have left behind technology on the distant planet Gaia that could potentially transform millions of lives on Earth, the race is on to see what humanity can salvage. Mia is a thief trying to steal artefacts in order to buy her sister out of indentured servitude. Jules is a star pupil from Oxford University who wants to redeem his father, a famous archaeologist imprisoned for releasing Gaia’s coordinates and opening it up to scavengers and military attempting to unlock its secrets. Gaia’s ancient temples are booby-trapped with codes and puzzles, where a wrong step means certain death, and Mia and Jules must join forces to solve the mysteries that the Undying have left behind. Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner know this genre well, having tread similar ground in their ‘Starbound’ trilogy. The pace tends to slow in the last quarter, but the final twist is a thrilling shock that ends the book on a cliffhanger. It’s no surprise that film rights were sold prior to publication; this is an action-packed, fun and feisty space-adventure that sits somewhere between Indiana Jones and Illuminae. It will have readers aged 12 and up eager for more.
Angela Crocombe is the manager of Readings Kids