In the first sequel of author Lance Erlick’s series featuring
Regina Shen as protagonist, which critics have compared to other dystopian
youth fiction such as the Hunger Games trilogy, two years of training have
elapsed for Regina, after which she seeks to leap beyond the barrier into the
World Federation in search of her sister Colleen, although fate has different
plans in store for her. As in the book’s predecessor, the Federation has
condemned Regina and her family to live outside the barriers sheltering the
country from rising waters caused by climate change, with Regina avoiding
capture during her training.
The Federation yearns to use Regina’s distinctive DNA in
want of supposedly saving the human race from its downfall, although she would
rather perish that assist those that kidnapped her sibling. Department of
Antiquities Inspector Joanne Demarco continues her pursuit of Regina, although
she has a new rival who wishes to use Regina to her own advantage. During her
adventure, Regina consumes written word forbidden by the Federation, with her
consequential distinctive knowledge making her something of an outcast to her
peers, although it helps her reach a University beyond the walls, and she finds
that life within the Federation isn’t necessarily any better than that outside.
Most of the sequel’s action occurs at the University, where
Regina befriends a few Professors that shield her from the Department of
Antiquities agents. Aside from Regina’s first-person narration, there are
frequent third-person excerpts focusing on the rival Antiquities Investigators,
which consequentially keep the story fresh, with the action very rarely letting
down. Ultimately, the first Regina Shen sequel is a good one, with endearing
heroes and villains, although there are occasional errors in the print version
that the editor overlooked such as a reference to “the Demarco’s trunk,” and it
can be easy to forget the characters certain nicknames refer to such as
“Coarse-face.” Even so, the second book is easily recommended to fans of the
first.
He was raised by a roaming aerospace engineer, growing up in various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as traveling through Asia. He took to stories as his anchor, including the works of Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein, and has been writing since age eleven.
Growing up, he was inspired by his father’s engineering work on cutting-edge aerospace projects to look to the future.
In an ideal world, Lance would find time loops where he could step out for a week at a time to read and write. Then he would return to the moment he left, without life getting in the way. Of course, since everyone would have the same ability, he suspects life would still sneak in.
Lance is also the author of short stories and novelettes.
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