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The Annual Migration of Clouds #2
We Speak Through the Mountain
The enlivening follow-up to the award-winning sensation The Annual Migration of Clouds Traveling alone through the climate-crisis-ravaged wilds of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, 19-year-old Reid Graham battles the elements and her lifelong chronic illness to reach the utopia of Howse University. But life in one of the storied “domes” ― the last remnants of pre-collapse society ― isn’t what she expected. Reid tries to excel in her classes and make connections with other students, but still grapples with guilt over what happened just before she left her community. And as she learns more about life at Howse, she begins to realize she can’t stand idly by as the people of the dome purposely withhold needed resources from the rest of humanity. When the worst of news comes from back home, Reid must make a choice between herself, her family, and the broken new world. In this powerful follow-up to her award-winning novella The Annual Migration of Clouds , Premee Mohamed is at the top of her game as she explores the conflicts and complexities of this post-apocalyptic society and asks whether humanity is doomed to forever recreate its worst mistakes.
152 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Premee Mohamed
62 books473 followersPremee Mohamed is a Nebula award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is an Assistant Editor at the short fiction audio venue Escape Pod and the author of the 'Beneath the Rising' series of novels as well as several novellas. Her short fiction has appeared in many venues and she can be found on Twitter at @premeesaurus and on her website at www.premeemohamed.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 12, 2024
The sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds is even more stunning than the first.
What Came Before:
Post-apocalyptic, Canadian-based scifi-- this is climate fiction that takes place after the downfall of our current society.
In the first novella we became acquainted with the desperation of those living on the fringes and the lengths they go to to survive, as well as the fungal/parasitic/symbiont/antagonistic/often lethal entity known colloquially as "Cad" that resides in 20-100% of the human population.
Where We Start:
Now, having battled through hell -and putting all her faith in the chance that it truly exists- Reid has finally made it to Howse... only it both is and isn't the utopia she always imagined.
Scifi:
Not gonna lie, the descriptions of this world and the environment she has to adapt to greatly reminded me of the 2005 film The Island. Monochromatic clothing in which everyone looks the same, high technology, isolation from the rest of a post-apocalyptic world, and a sense of fragility and atrophy that comes from being so overly protected from the outside are all present and accounted for.
Themes:
But what most engaged me was the dichotomy between the more Capitalistic mindset of the haves and the more Socialist mindset of the have-nots; the way that the two butt heads because the core of their knowledge is so greatly different from one another that they're having completely parallel conversations. Without agreeing on the truths of the fundamentals, how can they ever convey their arguments and see eye to eye?
What Comes Next:
Based on that ending I imagine that this will not be the last in the series-- there is more of Reid's story still to be told. But I really loved this one and can't wait to read the next installment.
Note: I think you could mostly understand through context clues the major plot beats of the novella that preceded this one and read this as a standalone, but the most emotional depth will come from having read both chronologically.
Side note: How cute are those whiskeyjacks on the cover? Apparently they're an adorable (and sneaky, thieving, devious) corvid species native to Canada (and part of the story!).
Thank you to ECW and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions and corvid research are my own.
Audiobook Notes:
I enjoyed this audiobook, and especially how the narrator voiced the accent discrepancies as the main character was realizing them between herself and the Howse kids.
What Came Before:
Post-apocalyptic, Canadian-based scifi-- this is climate fiction that takes place after the downfall of our current society.
In the first novella we became acquainted with the desperation of those living on the fringes and the lengths they go to to survive, as well as the fungal/parasitic/symbiont/antagonistic/often lethal entity known colloquially as "Cad" that resides in 20-100% of the human population.
Where We Start:
Now, having battled through hell -and putting all her faith in the chance that it truly exists- Reid has finally made it to Howse... only it both is and isn't the utopia she always imagined.
Scifi:
Not gonna lie, the descriptions of this world and the environment she has to adapt to greatly reminded me of the 2005 film The Island. Monochromatic clothing in which everyone looks the same, high technology, isolation from the rest of a post-apocalyptic world, and a sense of fragility and atrophy that comes from being so overly protected from the outside are all present and accounted for.
Themes:
But what most engaged me was the dichotomy between the more Capitalistic mindset of the haves and the more Socialist mindset of the have-nots; the way that the two butt heads because the core of their knowledge is so greatly different from one another that they're having completely parallel conversations. Without agreeing on the truths of the fundamentals, how can they ever convey their arguments and see eye to eye?
What Comes Next:
Based on that ending I imagine that this will not be the last in the series-- there is more of Reid's story still to be told. But I really loved this one and can't wait to read the next installment.
Note: I think you could mostly understand through context clues the major plot beats of the novella that preceded this one and read this as a standalone, but the most emotional depth will come from having read both chronologically.
Side note: How cute are those whiskeyjacks on the cover? Apparently they're an adorable (and sneaky, thieving, devious) corvid species native to Canada (and part of the story!).
Thank you to ECW and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions and corvid research are my own.
Audiobook Notes:
I enjoyed this audiobook, and especially how the narrator voiced the accent discrepancies as the main character was realizing them between herself and the Howse kids.
May 8, 2024
At this point I will read anything by this author. We Speak Through the Mountain is a riveting followup to the dystopian sci-fi novella The Annual Migration of Clouds. In this novella, we follow Reid as she travels to the supposedly utopian university she has been accepted into. But while they have medication to stop the semi-sentient fungus slowly taking over her body, and resources for anything they might need, she is facing the fact that they stay locked away. Never helping the outside world, never seeing the suffering that people outside their borders experience. And Reid has difficult to choices to make. It's beautifully written and I couldn't put it down. It also feels very timely. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
February 16, 2024
This series is so important to me!! In a rare occasion, the sequel also surpasses the first book!!!!
Reid's story picks up right where we left off in Annual Migrations, and continues. After making the decision to attend, she makes her way to the very real Howse University situated in the Rocky Mountains. The region is astonishingly beautiful. Lush, full of flora & fauna and incredible geology, as well as the domes and school itself, are discovered to be shockingly luxurious and technologically advanced. A very stark difference from Reid's home, the barren and lackluster campus that can barely support its population. However, the beauty of her home is in the way that the community is knit together, the families that care for eachother and the knowledge that is preserved and passed along. It appears the Rockies stunning facade is making up for something here...
With room for a third in the series, I can't wait for what else Premee has in store <3 Big thanks to ECW Press for my ARC
Reid's story picks up right where we left off in Annual Migrations, and continues. After making the decision to attend, she makes her way to the very real Howse University situated in the Rocky Mountains. The region is astonishingly beautiful. Lush, full of flora & fauna and incredible geology, as well as the domes and school itself, are discovered to be shockingly luxurious and technologically advanced. A very stark difference from Reid's home, the barren and lackluster campus that can barely support its population. However, the beauty of her home is in the way that the community is knit together, the families that care for eachother and the knowledge that is preserved and passed along. It appears the Rockies stunning facade is making up for something here...
With room for a third in the series, I can't wait for what else Premee has in store <3 Big thanks to ECW Press for my ARC
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March 10, 2024A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!
What I love most about Premee Mohamed’s work is the beautiful writing, interiority, and emotions. WE SPEAK THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN highlights themes of a dying world, and within it, the unequal access of information and its censorship. There is a focus a community that reaches only for the future while suppressing the past. Mohamed explores the idea of how it is a privilege to unsee, unfeel, unhear violence and disaster, to bask in comfort and forget there had ever been pain, of wanting change but not having the power to make it happen. And raises the question: Does comfort, safety, stability, make us weak?
Yet, the novella offers the hope that small scale change, starting first at the individual level, eventually builds—ripples becoming waves. That even in darkest moments, there are those who show us hope and compassion, and those are the ones we desperately hold onto, hoping that this is the difference we are looking for, that these are the people who can help change the world. At its core, the story is suggesting that humans are made for community and sometimes a helping hand can go a long way. We cannot do everything alone.
A bleak yet hopeful story that will be sure to rekindle hope in those who might be feeling powerless.
What I love most about Premee Mohamed’s work is the beautiful writing, interiority, and emotions. WE SPEAK THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN highlights themes of a dying world, and within it, the unequal access of information and its censorship. There is a focus a community that reaches only for the future while suppressing the past. Mohamed explores the idea of how it is a privilege to unsee, unfeel, unhear violence and disaster, to bask in comfort and forget there had ever been pain, of wanting change but not having the power to make it happen. And raises the question: Does comfort, safety, stability, make us weak?
Yet, the novella offers the hope that small scale change, starting first at the individual level, eventually builds—ripples becoming waves. That even in darkest moments, there are those who show us hope and compassion, and those are the ones we desperately hold onto, hoping that this is the difference we are looking for, that these are the people who can help change the world. At its core, the story is suggesting that humans are made for community and sometimes a helping hand can go a long way. We cannot do everything alone.
A bleak yet hopeful story that will be sure to rekindle hope in those who might be feeling powerless.
July 6, 2024
Reid is picked up by University personnel after a difficult trip on bicycle. They treat her injuries, then offer her a course of treatment to send her fungal parasite into remission. Of course Reid immediately accepts, but is also angry that the people of the Dome never shared this lifesaving drug to anyone outside the done.
Reid meets Clementine, another recently arrived student, and Cad survivor. Both bond over their similarities, and differences between them and the longtime residents of the Dome, such as their fellow students, who regard the outsiders as “you people”, and cannot understand Reid’s concerns about the bounty here, versus the scarcity everywhere else.
The clash of worldviews highlights just how privileged the people of the Dome are, and how lucky they are to be able to not think about the short, terrible lives of those on the outside.
I love the parallels Reid draws between the unwillingness of the insiders to answer certain questions and the situation in Strawberry’s nightmare of a warren in “Watership Down”. There is certainly a reluctance to engage, or even contemplate, life elsewhere, in the both the Dome and the warren.
At the same time, Reid is not utterly alone in her concerns. She connects with a fellow student, who, though his experiences are utterly different from hers, shows a willingness to listen and engage. This indicates that there is the possibility for hope, and maybe even a tiny chance for a positive change for settlements like those of Reid's people.
The ending easily points to more adventures for Reid in this dystopian land from author Premee Mohamed, and I for one an eager to find out what happens next.
Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Reid meets Clementine, another recently arrived student, and Cad survivor. Both bond over their similarities, and differences between them and the longtime residents of the Dome, such as their fellow students, who regard the outsiders as “you people”, and cannot understand Reid’s concerns about the bounty here, versus the scarcity everywhere else.
The clash of worldviews highlights just how privileged the people of the Dome are, and how lucky they are to be able to not think about the short, terrible lives of those on the outside.
I love the parallels Reid draws between the unwillingness of the insiders to answer certain questions and the situation in Strawberry’s nightmare of a warren in “Watership Down”. There is certainly a reluctance to engage, or even contemplate, life elsewhere, in the both the Dome and the warren.
At the same time, Reid is not utterly alone in her concerns. She connects with a fellow student, who, though his experiences are utterly different from hers, shows a willingness to listen and engage. This indicates that there is the possibility for hope, and maybe even a tiny chance for a positive change for settlements like those of Reid's people.
The ending easily points to more adventures for Reid in this dystopian land from author Premee Mohamed, and I for one an eager to find out what happens next.
Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.
May 6, 2024
So so so so SO good, but ohmygosh these cliffhangers are slaying me. Minor spoilers for the first book to follow:
In this sequel to the *wonderful* (and, I fear, under-read) The Annual Migration of Clouds, we pick up right where that novella left off, with our MC Reid headed out into the post-apocalyptic wilds in hopes of attending this university? to which she's been accepted. The self-styled universities, if they're what they claim to be, are the descendants of the rich and privileged who hid themselves in secret domes and hoarded resources while the rest of the world went out in not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper style. Their locations are still kept super-secret, and it's clear from the invitation Reid received that the inhabitants of the domes are living in an absurdly different era when it comes to technology. If they were so happy to wall themselves off, why do they accept a very few student applicants from "out there" (implied shudder) every year?
Lots of mysteries afoot. This 2nd installment answers some and raises more. Cannot WAIT for the next one!
I received a digital ARC from ECW Press and Netgalley and am grateful, but honestly, it was just a case of laying hands on it sooner. As soon as I finished The Annual Migration of Clouds, there was no chance I wasn't reading We Speak Through the Mountain. As always, my views are my own.
In this sequel to the *wonderful* (and, I fear, under-read) The Annual Migration of Clouds, we pick up right where that novella left off, with our MC Reid headed out into the post-apocalyptic wilds in hopes of attending this university? to which she's been accepted. The self-styled universities, if they're what they claim to be, are the descendants of the rich and privileged who hid themselves in secret domes and hoarded resources while the rest of the world went out in not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper style. Their locations are still kept super-secret, and it's clear from the invitation Reid received that the inhabitants of the domes are living in an absurdly different era when it comes to technology. If they were so happy to wall themselves off, why do they accept a very few student applicants from "out there" (implied shudder) every year?
Lots of mysteries afoot. This 2nd installment answers some and raises more. Cannot WAIT for the next one!
I received a digital ARC from ECW Press and Netgalley and am grateful, but honestly, it was just a case of laying hands on it sooner. As soon as I finished The Annual Migration of Clouds, there was no chance I wasn't reading We Speak Through the Mountain. As always, my views are my own.
June 24, 2024
An excellent sequel to an excellent book this time in a utopia exploring the power of knowledge and what that means for those with power and those without. Very impressive and thoughtful
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
March 6, 2024
We Speak Through the Mountain is a great follow up to the Annual Migration of Clouds. This picks up with Reid traveling through the mountains to make it to Howse University. I would describe this as a climate dystopian series with examinations of the collective vs the individual. I assume based on the ending that there will be a book 3, which I will definitely be on the look out for.
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 2, 2024
I read the first book in this series almost three years ago while surreptitiously resting my kindle on the keyboard at the few stations at work. I’d been fresh out of my mycology course and was fascinated by “cad” and Premee Mohamed’s craft. This sequel, however, surpassed its predecessor in about a million and one ways. I loved Reid’s character here and the earnestness of her classmates. The climate fictions aspects of this felt very real with the tremendous disparity between the average person and the Howse students. The environment here felt so real and Reid’s emotions were conveyed so elegantly that I felt angry and excited and sad right alongside her. The science here was, once again, so very interesting with the complexities of the intricacies of cad and Reid’s struggle with being apart from something (and other many things) for the first time in her life. I am desperately hoping we get another book in this series as I can’t wait to see what happens to Reid—and Clementine and St. Martin—after the events of this novella.
June 5, 2024
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Continuing the story from the first book, We Speak Though the Mountain is a lyrical, contemplative dive into the bands we form in crisis and the lure of protection.
Like the last book, this story follows Reid, but now she’s made it to Howse University. While the previous book was wholly post-apocalyptic, this book focuses on a place that exists in a protective bubble within the outer wasteland. Reid is forced to wrestle with not only her disease but the new challenge of being considered lesser in a society that’s never really known hardship.
This book diverges from the first thematically, in that its focus is on disparity. The Howse students have grown up in a zone with technology and food and security, and don't understand why Reid is concerned with what she sees as hoarding when others are suffering. They also have very much a “turn away” mentality to problems outside of their own, which Reid also has trouble reconciling. Reid has to balance her frustrations with this system and her gratitude for the opportunity to be part of a place where she doesn’t have to worry about her current meal potentially being her last. In a way, it’s critiquing our world today from not only an income disparity perspective but a colonialist and sustainability view, especially in the vein of climate change.
The book also touches on the loss of knowledge, how we are losing touch with how to do things today, things that should be simple, like building a fence. Yet, of course, this does contradict the idea that our goal with technological progress is that we don’t need to know these things, that instead of spending days building a fence we can have a robot do it and we can thus spend that time on, for example, artist pursuits, but at the same time, have we lost a sort of critical, practical way of thinking? It’s complex, and this book is more of a jumping-off point than a deep dive into any of these things, but, still, it spurs discussion.
The writing is lovely, just like the first book, and Reid, while she does change a bit, stays true to herself and her character.
There’s also a fantastic part about an elk that exemplifies what it’s like to really connect with nature, in the sense of recognizing that we, as humans, really are not as powerful as we think, especially those of us who lives in cities and rarely, or never, experience the raw outdoors.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this novella and hope there will be a third!
Continuing the story from the first book, We Speak Though the Mountain is a lyrical, contemplative dive into the bands we form in crisis and the lure of protection.
Like the last book, this story follows Reid, but now she’s made it to Howse University. While the previous book was wholly post-apocalyptic, this book focuses on a place that exists in a protective bubble within the outer wasteland. Reid is forced to wrestle with not only her disease but the new challenge of being considered lesser in a society that’s never really known hardship.
This book diverges from the first thematically, in that its focus is on disparity. The Howse students have grown up in a zone with technology and food and security, and don't understand why Reid is concerned with what she sees as hoarding when others are suffering. They also have very much a “turn away” mentality to problems outside of their own, which Reid also has trouble reconciling. Reid has to balance her frustrations with this system and her gratitude for the opportunity to be part of a place where she doesn’t have to worry about her current meal potentially being her last. In a way, it’s critiquing our world today from not only an income disparity perspective but a colonialist and sustainability view, especially in the vein of climate change.
The book also touches on the loss of knowledge, how we are losing touch with how to do things today, things that should be simple, like building a fence. Yet, of course, this does contradict the idea that our goal with technological progress is that we don’t need to know these things, that instead of spending days building a fence we can have a robot do it and we can thus spend that time on, for example, artist pursuits, but at the same time, have we lost a sort of critical, practical way of thinking? It’s complex, and this book is more of a jumping-off point than a deep dive into any of these things, but, still, it spurs discussion.
The writing is lovely, just like the first book, and Reid, while she does change a bit, stays true to herself and her character.
There’s also a fantastic part about an elk that exemplifies what it’s like to really connect with nature, in the sense of recognizing that we, as humans, really are not as powerful as we think, especially those of us who lives in cities and rarely, or never, experience the raw outdoors.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this novella and hope there will be a third!
April 22, 2024
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
We Speak Through the Mountains is the sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds. In this story Reid is travelling to Howse University. Unfortunately she got a very bad infection from the pig bite and becomes a little delirious. The Howse University spots her through her tracker and pick her up nonetheless.
Reid isn't sure what to think of the university. It seems like an utopia. But all she sees are resources and cures that the people outside of the dome could use. These aren't being shared however. The history of things are apparently also off limits. This tickles Reid the wrong way.
I loved following along Reids story, even more in this installment. Meeting the other students, and especially her roommate. There is a clear cultural difference between those who come from outside the dome and those that grew up in the dome. The students are mixed which shows their differences even more.
The dome has a lot of privileges compared to those outside it. They have electricity, they have processed food, they have something that holds off CAD. It has to feel incredibly unfair to those that come from outside of the dome. Yet they aren't allowed to share anything with the people they left behind.
The people in the dome aren't evil. They are still working towards things, things that are meant to improve the world again. But they have been living too long in their own little bubble, and can't see outside of that. They keep working further when the people outside of the dome need help now.
It is a really interesting story and the ending clearly suggests that there will be at least one more. I hope that there will be more than just one more as there is a lot left to discover in this world and with these characters.
We Speak Through the Mountains is the sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds. In this story Reid is travelling to Howse University. Unfortunately she got a very bad infection from the pig bite and becomes a little delirious. The Howse University spots her through her tracker and pick her up nonetheless.
Reid isn't sure what to think of the university. It seems like an utopia. But all she sees are resources and cures that the people outside of the dome could use. These aren't being shared however. The history of things are apparently also off limits. This tickles Reid the wrong way.
I loved following along Reids story, even more in this installment. Meeting the other students, and especially her roommate. There is a clear cultural difference between those who come from outside the dome and those that grew up in the dome. The students are mixed which shows their differences even more.
The dome has a lot of privileges compared to those outside it. They have electricity, they have processed food, they have something that holds off CAD. It has to feel incredibly unfair to those that come from outside of the dome. Yet they aren't allowed to share anything with the people they left behind.
The people in the dome aren't evil. They are still working towards things, things that are meant to improve the world again. But they have been living too long in their own little bubble, and can't see outside of that. They keep working further when the people outside of the dome need help now.
It is a really interesting story and the ending clearly suggests that there will be at least one more. I hope that there will be more than just one more as there is a lot left to discover in this world and with these characters.
June 18, 2024
Following on directly from the end of the first book, we see Reid make her way towards the University and begin her studies there. Similarly to the first book, the plot is relatively minimal, and the focus is primarily on Reid's thoughts surrounding the cultural differences between the students coming from further afield and those who have always lived in the relative comfort of the University town, and the question of whether the University has a moral obligation to aid nearby communities and share knowledge and resources.
While I enjoyed this book as much as the first, I gave a lower rating because I felt that this one ended before the plot had concluded. The first novella left off at the right point for the series to continue, but still had its own self-contained story. Whereas We Speak Through the Mountain started strongly, introduced a conflict and potential mystery to uncover, but then ended before any conclusions could be drawn or any answers were provided. I have no doubt that the plot points will be addressed in the next book in the series, but really it feels like this was only the first half of a book, rather than a full novella.
Thank you to ECW Press who provided me with an eARC through Netgalley.
While I enjoyed this book as much as the first, I gave a lower rating because I felt that this one ended before the plot had concluded. The first novella left off at the right point for the series to continue, but still had its own self-contained story. Whereas We Speak Through the Mountain started strongly, introduced a conflict and potential mystery to uncover, but then ended before any conclusions could be drawn or any answers were provided. I have no doubt that the plot points will be addressed in the next book in the series, but really it feels like this was only the first half of a book, rather than a full novella.
Thank you to ECW Press who provided me with an eARC through Netgalley.
May 24, 2024
A huge thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it!
Wow! We Speak Through the Mountain is waaayyyy better than The Annual Migration of Clouds. While I enjoyed some of the interactions and overall theme in the first novella, this one has a greater sense of refinement in story, characters, and prose. The narrative felt to propel with purpose, and even the dialogue felt more polished. The author’s degree in biology and environmental conservation certainly shines through in this sequel, making for some wonderful descriptions.
I hope this isn’t the end of Reid’s story!
Wow! We Speak Through the Mountain is waaayyyy better than The Annual Migration of Clouds. While I enjoyed some of the interactions and overall theme in the first novella, this one has a greater sense of refinement in story, characters, and prose. The narrative felt to propel with purpose, and even the dialogue felt more polished. The author’s degree in biology and environmental conservation certainly shines through in this sequel, making for some wonderful descriptions.
I hope this isn’t the end of Reid’s story!
June 20, 2024
4.5⭐️
I was so excited to finally read the follow-up to The Annual Migration of Clouds and I thought We Speak Through the Mountain was even better than her first! I couldn’t stop once I started this and thankfully it is just 141 pages so it was easy to devour in a short time.
Set across Canada, this post-apocalyptic story picks up where the last left off with a journey through the Canadian Rockies. From the stunning landscape, to the personal journey of our main girl Reid there is so much packed into these pages. I loved it and can’t wait to read book 3, especially because it ended on another cliffhanger!
Thank you ECW Press for the #gifted copy.
I was so excited to finally read the follow-up to The Annual Migration of Clouds and I thought We Speak Through the Mountain was even better than her first! I couldn’t stop once I started this and thankfully it is just 141 pages so it was easy to devour in a short time.
Set across Canada, this post-apocalyptic story picks up where the last left off with a journey through the Canadian Rockies. From the stunning landscape, to the personal journey of our main girl Reid there is so much packed into these pages. I loved it and can’t wait to read book 3, especially because it ended on another cliffhanger!
Thank you ECW Press for the #gifted copy.
January 31, 2024
"We Speak Through the Mountain," the second novella in Premee Mohamed's "The Annual Migration of Clouds" series, quickly plunged me into a world grappling with a climate crisis. The story follows Reid, a strong-willed and relatable protagonist, on her journey to Howse University, and how she navigates university life so far away from home.
Mohamed's writing is beautifully descriptive, and the world-building is thorough, being seamlessly woven into the narrative. The writing is also brilliantly clever, where pushes and pulls to portray the character’s emotions perfectly. Reid's panic is palpable through the prose, maintaining a relentless pace.
While the inclusion of scientific jargon may challenge some, my only qualm is that the brevity of the story leaves me craving more exploration of characters like Clementine and St. Martin.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novella to dystopian fiction, sci-fi lovers, and science enthusiasts. This novella promises an engaging series continuation, which I can’t wait to explore further.
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Mohamed's writing is beautifully descriptive, and the world-building is thorough, being seamlessly woven into the narrative. The writing is also brilliantly clever, where pushes and pulls to portray the character’s emotions perfectly. Reid's panic is palpable through the prose, maintaining a relentless pace.
While the inclusion of scientific jargon may challenge some, my only qualm is that the brevity of the story leaves me craving more exploration of characters like Clementine and St. Martin.
I wholeheartedly recommend this novella to dystopian fiction, sci-fi lovers, and science enthusiasts. This novella promises an engaging series continuation, which I can’t wait to explore further.
Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 8, 2024
A fantastic dystopian novella follow up to her debut collection of stories that had me invested from the start and unable to stop listening. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Cherie Dimaline, this was thought-provoking and easily immersive and I can't wait for more! Also can we just mention what AMAZINGLY gorgeous covers both Premee's books have? I am absolutely OBSESSED!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
July 3, 2024
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
So, this book pretty much picks up right from where The Annual Migration of Clouds ended, so you absolutely must read that one before reading this one.
We have Reid making her way to the university where she has been accepted to study, traveling by bike and by foot over the Rocky Mountains (from Alberta to BC), while dealing with her chronic illness. She's an absolute wreck when she arrives and is in the infirmary for days before she is well enough to leave. While there, she is told that they have a medicine that will sort of bury the symptoms of her illness. So, as long as she takes the medicine, she will be symptom free.
But as she tries to make friends and do well in her classes, it becomes very clear that there is a divide between herself and the students who were born there. It is very much a story about an outsider trying to fit it, and not really succeeding.
Reid gets word that her mom's illness has gotten much worse and she needs to go home immediately, so she asks if she can have some of the medicine to make her mom feel better, and is told no. So she asks for painkillers, and is again told no. This really came across as a critique of capitalism and big pharma, hoarding life-saving medicines and only allowing those who they deem to be worthy of accessing them. As though the people who are living through the apocalyptic conditions that are the fallout of late stage capitalism and the climate crisis are somehow going to abuse these medicines.
There were definitely a lot of parallels to the current state of late stage capitalism that we are living in right now, when we look at the effects of climate change on the global south, and how because they're not offered the same opportunities that those in the global north are, they are more susceptible to disease, poverty, and exploitation. I think Mohamed is telling a really interesting and timely story with this series, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.
So, this book pretty much picks up right from where The Annual Migration of Clouds ended, so you absolutely must read that one before reading this one.
We have Reid making her way to the university where she has been accepted to study, traveling by bike and by foot over the Rocky Mountains (from Alberta to BC), while dealing with her chronic illness. She's an absolute wreck when she arrives and is in the infirmary for days before she is well enough to leave. While there, she is told that they have a medicine that will sort of bury the symptoms of her illness. So, as long as she takes the medicine, she will be symptom free.
But as she tries to make friends and do well in her classes, it becomes very clear that there is a divide between herself and the students who were born there. It is very much a story about an outsider trying to fit it, and not really succeeding.
Reid gets word that her mom's illness has gotten much worse and she needs to go home immediately, so she asks if she can have some of the medicine to make her mom feel better, and is told no. So she asks for painkillers, and is again told no. This really came across as a critique of capitalism and big pharma, hoarding life-saving medicines and only allowing those who they deem to be worthy of accessing them. As though the people who are living through the apocalyptic conditions that are the fallout of late stage capitalism and the climate crisis are somehow going to abuse these medicines.
There were definitely a lot of parallels to the current state of late stage capitalism that we are living in right now, when we look at the effects of climate change on the global south, and how because they're not offered the same opportunities that those in the global north are, they are more susceptible to disease, poverty, and exploitation. I think Mohamed is telling a really interesting and timely story with this series, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.
January 26, 2024
Wow just… wow. I was kindly gifted this ARC on NetGalley and for a short book this took me a long time to finish and I loved every second.
At least every chapter I had to put it down to think about the world, the possibilities and the parallels to our own future, the moral challenges for the characters and just the pure emotion that is so intelligently conveyed through this book.
I can’t write a long review without a tonne of spoilers but know that this book will be on my mind for many days to come. These characters and this setting will be sticking with me and you will not regret giving this novella a go.
At least every chapter I had to put it down to think about the world, the possibilities and the parallels to our own future, the moral challenges for the characters and just the pure emotion that is so intelligently conveyed through this book.
I can’t write a long review without a tonne of spoilers but know that this book will be on my mind for many days to come. These characters and this setting will be sticking with me and you will not regret giving this novella a go.
June 14, 2024
The world that Reid Graham battles her way through is a dystopia that seems to have suffered through a long slide rather than an actual apocalypse. There’s not really a day or an event that people point to, more like a slow collapse that is still ongoing.
Actually kind of like now, if you squint. Which feels intentional if not exactly in your face. Although it certainly is in Reid’s face as she makes her way from her dying home village to the secret location of the rarefied elite enclave, Howse University.
Reid intends to use the four years of her scholarship to learn everything she can so she can bring that knowledge back home where it’s needed. The powers-that-be at H.U. have other plans. Plans that become obvious to Reid long before the equally obvious brainwashing is able to kick in.
If it ever can or ever will.
Howse University is kind of an Eden, but the parable is a bit reversed. It’s not so much about eating from the tree of knowledge as it is her unwillingness to let go of the knowledge she came in with.
She knows, from bitter experience, that the terrible situation back in her home wasn’t because her people were lazy, or because they didn’t try to make things better, or because they were stupid or any of the other things that elites say to blame poverty and disease on the people suffering them instead of on the systems that keep them down.
Reid’s people are in the position they are in because the diseases brought by the creeping climate apocalypse keep sapping their strength and energy and pulling them down by force. Her people are too caught up in caring for the sick and burying the dead and keeping everyone fed and barely housed to have the time to work on recapturing the tech and the knowledge they used to have.
Knowledge and tech that Howse University and its network of other institutional enclaves are keeping to themselves, for themselves, as they look down upon the have-nots their own ancestors created.
So Reid reminds the H.U. students and faculty of all the truths they’d rather forget, hoping to dig deep enough to find a conscience in a few of them. Even as the classes and the restrictions and the safety protocols and the many, many, health enhancements that H.U. administers keep the deadly, debilitating disease she brought up the mountain with her at bay.
But never cure – because they want her to be dependent and easily influenced, and that’s what the disease does for them. A truth which condemns Reid and sets her free, all at the same time.
Escape Rating B+: I had not read The Annual Migration of Clouds before I picked up We Speak Through the Mountain, and I’m not sure that was such a good idea – so I’ve rectified that omission in the months since, because now that I’ve read that first book, I can tell that I would have rated this one higher when I read it if I’d had more of the background.
Consider this a warning not to make the same mistake. Both stories are novellas, so neither is a long read, but I think they work better together rather than separately. Not that I didn’t get enough to find my way in this book, but I think they work a whole lot better as a whole.
This second book has strong hints of The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, another novella that pokes hard at the stratification and ossification of society, and the way that academia reinforces such tendencies no matter how liberal it likes to think it is.
As I said, this is a bit of an Eden parable in that Howse University is paradise and she is thrown out both because she has eaten from the tree of knowledge within H.U. and because she came in having already eaten from that tree – at least a different branch of it -and refusing to stop.
Reid tries her best but the entrenched privilege is too real, and the brainwashing of each class of recruits has been too successful. Which doesn’t erase the questions asked but not answered throughout the story.
What do the descendants of the haves – who continue to have and to exclude – owe the descendants of the have-nots? If the author returns to this world, and I hope she does, I’ll be very interested to see how things proceed from here, because it feels like Reid’s journey is not over. Now that I’m invested I want to see what happens next – and what Howse University decides to do about it.
Originally published at Reading Reality
Actually kind of like now, if you squint. Which feels intentional if not exactly in your face. Although it certainly is in Reid’s face as she makes her way from her dying home village to the secret location of the rarefied elite enclave, Howse University.
Reid intends to use the four years of her scholarship to learn everything she can so she can bring that knowledge back home where it’s needed. The powers-that-be at H.U. have other plans. Plans that become obvious to Reid long before the equally obvious brainwashing is able to kick in.
If it ever can or ever will.
Howse University is kind of an Eden, but the parable is a bit reversed. It’s not so much about eating from the tree of knowledge as it is her unwillingness to let go of the knowledge she came in with.
She knows, from bitter experience, that the terrible situation back in her home wasn’t because her people were lazy, or because they didn’t try to make things better, or because they were stupid or any of the other things that elites say to blame poverty and disease on the people suffering them instead of on the systems that keep them down.
Reid’s people are in the position they are in because the diseases brought by the creeping climate apocalypse keep sapping their strength and energy and pulling them down by force. Her people are too caught up in caring for the sick and burying the dead and keeping everyone fed and barely housed to have the time to work on recapturing the tech and the knowledge they used to have.
Knowledge and tech that Howse University and its network of other institutional enclaves are keeping to themselves, for themselves, as they look down upon the have-nots their own ancestors created.
So Reid reminds the H.U. students and faculty of all the truths they’d rather forget, hoping to dig deep enough to find a conscience in a few of them. Even as the classes and the restrictions and the safety protocols and the many, many, health enhancements that H.U. administers keep the deadly, debilitating disease she brought up the mountain with her at bay.
But never cure – because they want her to be dependent and easily influenced, and that’s what the disease does for them. A truth which condemns Reid and sets her free, all at the same time.
Escape Rating B+: I had not read The Annual Migration of Clouds before I picked up We Speak Through the Mountain, and I’m not sure that was such a good idea – so I’ve rectified that omission in the months since, because now that I’ve read that first book, I can tell that I would have rated this one higher when I read it if I’d had more of the background.
Consider this a warning not to make the same mistake. Both stories are novellas, so neither is a long read, but I think they work better together rather than separately. Not that I didn’t get enough to find my way in this book, but I think they work a whole lot better as a whole.
This second book has strong hints of The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, another novella that pokes hard at the stratification and ossification of society, and the way that academia reinforces such tendencies no matter how liberal it likes to think it is.
As I said, this is a bit of an Eden parable in that Howse University is paradise and she is thrown out both because she has eaten from the tree of knowledge within H.U. and because she came in having already eaten from that tree – at least a different branch of it -and refusing to stop.
Reid tries her best but the entrenched privilege is too real, and the brainwashing of each class of recruits has been too successful. Which doesn’t erase the questions asked but not answered throughout the story.
What do the descendants of the haves – who continue to have and to exclude – owe the descendants of the have-nots? If the author returns to this world, and I hope she does, I’ll be very interested to see how things proceed from here, because it feels like Reid’s journey is not over. Now that I’m invested I want to see what happens next – and what Howse University decides to do about it.
Originally published at Reading Reality
June 29, 2024
We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed is the second part of the story she began a couple of years ago in The Annual Migration of Clouds. It’s another strong novella that continues the story of nineteen year-old Reid, surviving in a post-apocalyptic western Canada. The story picks up directly from where the last one left off so I’ll sketch that background to give a few essential facts, though you could get them from context if you haven’t read the earlier novella.
Reid, with her family, friends and a small community, have survived the ruin of earth (though we’re not told exactly what happened) on a university campus. Most of the natural world has been poisoned, buildings collapsed, the population drastically cut down, but there a few surviving communities, like Reid’s, where the people have learned to make use of everything at hand to stay alive. But everyone has been infected with an incurable disease that’s like a parasite growing in flesh until it kills the host. Its visible branching tree-like formations are the visible sign of the illness, and it is thriving in Reid. There are said to be isolated domed communities that preserve more advanced technology and have learned to overcome the illness, called Cad. One day Reid receives an invitation to join one of these, and The Annual Migration of Clouds takes the story to the moment when Reid is giving up her old life and starting on the journey to a new one.
We Speak Through the Mountain opens with Reid badly injured and nearly delirious on a mountain as she’s struggling to reach the university community called Howse. She has a tracker that will send a signal when she is getting close. A party of Howse security will then go out to find her to take her the rest of the way. Just as she is collapsing, hands grab her, she is sedated and wakes up inside her new community. The sedation is designed to keep any outsider from learning the full route to Howse so it can avoid being overrun by “them”. This is Reid’s introduction to being “othered.” Once awake, she finds that everyone lives alone in well-appointed rooms and are supplied with the same style and color of clothes. Each room has its own food center that creates whatever is wanted.
Reid can’t bear the idea of living completely alone and finds another outsider, Clementine, to talk to. They ask long-time residents about a dining hall and are met with blank stares – eating together is just not done in Howse. Worse still, Reid is mocked by one man, who finds it delightful to hear the ideas “you people” come up with. It’s like hearing a talking dog, he says. When Reid tries to create a club dedicated to sharing things with outsiders, none of the insiders at Howse can comprehend the idea, and it goes against policy to have contact with the survivors outside the domes. They don’t want just anyone to find out their exact location and be able to get inside.
Even more basic to the idea of life at Howse is the forgetting of the past. Everyone talks only about the future, as if they had nothing to do with the previous destruction of the world around them. Yet, for Reid, acknowledging the past is central to her vision of the future, for knowing how productive the old technology was, as well as its destructive power, offers guidance to a better future where earlier mistakes can be avoided while the best of the old knowledge can help rebuild life. But the Howse administration will have none of that. They have their own technological marvels and want to keep progressing on their terms, eyes only on the future. Individuals think of themselves as assets, growing or diminishing in value, always in the future.
They do have a treatment for Cad, and Reid receives this as soon as she arrives. It only puts the disease in remission, at this point in its development, so she needs to keep getting periodic shots. But the branching tree structures she used to see in the surface of her skin retreat and become invisible, though she knows they are still lurking under the surface and can return if she stops the treatment for any reason.
......
We Speak Through the Mountain packs in a lot of ideas about community, the exploitation of the natural world, colonization, othering but all of it wrapped into an interesting story about a young woman pushing all the boundaries for survival not only of herself but of the larger community. It’s memorable, exciting and so relevant to the tensions between the have’s and have not’s of today.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
Reid, with her family, friends and a small community, have survived the ruin of earth (though we’re not told exactly what happened) on a university campus. Most of the natural world has been poisoned, buildings collapsed, the population drastically cut down, but there a few surviving communities, like Reid’s, where the people have learned to make use of everything at hand to stay alive. But everyone has been infected with an incurable disease that’s like a parasite growing in flesh until it kills the host. Its visible branching tree-like formations are the visible sign of the illness, and it is thriving in Reid. There are said to be isolated domed communities that preserve more advanced technology and have learned to overcome the illness, called Cad. One day Reid receives an invitation to join one of these, and The Annual Migration of Clouds takes the story to the moment when Reid is giving up her old life and starting on the journey to a new one.
We Speak Through the Mountain opens with Reid badly injured and nearly delirious on a mountain as she’s struggling to reach the university community called Howse. She has a tracker that will send a signal when she is getting close. A party of Howse security will then go out to find her to take her the rest of the way. Just as she is collapsing, hands grab her, she is sedated and wakes up inside her new community. The sedation is designed to keep any outsider from learning the full route to Howse so it can avoid being overrun by “them”. This is Reid’s introduction to being “othered.” Once awake, she finds that everyone lives alone in well-appointed rooms and are supplied with the same style and color of clothes. Each room has its own food center that creates whatever is wanted.
Reid can’t bear the idea of living completely alone and finds another outsider, Clementine, to talk to. They ask long-time residents about a dining hall and are met with blank stares – eating together is just not done in Howse. Worse still, Reid is mocked by one man, who finds it delightful to hear the ideas “you people” come up with. It’s like hearing a talking dog, he says. When Reid tries to create a club dedicated to sharing things with outsiders, none of the insiders at Howse can comprehend the idea, and it goes against policy to have contact with the survivors outside the domes. They don’t want just anyone to find out their exact location and be able to get inside.
Even more basic to the idea of life at Howse is the forgetting of the past. Everyone talks only about the future, as if they had nothing to do with the previous destruction of the world around them. Yet, for Reid, acknowledging the past is central to her vision of the future, for knowing how productive the old technology was, as well as its destructive power, offers guidance to a better future where earlier mistakes can be avoided while the best of the old knowledge can help rebuild life. But the Howse administration will have none of that. They have their own technological marvels and want to keep progressing on their terms, eyes only on the future. Individuals think of themselves as assets, growing or diminishing in value, always in the future.
They do have a treatment for Cad, and Reid receives this as soon as she arrives. It only puts the disease in remission, at this point in its development, so she needs to keep getting periodic shots. But the branching tree structures she used to see in the surface of her skin retreat and become invisible, though she knows they are still lurking under the surface and can return if she stops the treatment for any reason.
......
We Speak Through the Mountain packs in a lot of ideas about community, the exploitation of the natural world, colonization, othering but all of it wrapped into an interesting story about a young woman pushing all the boundaries for survival not only of herself but of the larger community. It’s memorable, exciting and so relevant to the tensions between the have’s and have not’s of today.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
June 18, 2024
Premee Mohamed’s We Speak Through the Mountain is out today! This sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds begins with Reid traveling through Alberta’s Rocky Mountains to reach Howse University—supposedly one of the last remaining locations where life carries on as it did before society collapsed. Reid is excited by the opportunity to attend Howse, and all she thinks about is how she’ll be able to help rebuild the world after she graduates. But life at Howse is different from what she expected. Driven by her curiosity and love, Reid questions her new circumstances and the people around her. In Reid’s quest for answers, Mohamed explores power and morality in a society that refuses to change.
Much like the first book, WSTTM grapples with the theme of duty. But instead of discussing what we owe our loved ones, this book tackles what we owe to each other as humans sharing a planet. Every action is a choice, and not helping others when you have the power and resources to do so is also a choice. Similar to how most of us are baffled by the inaction of our peers who aren’t standing in solidarity with oppressed peoples, and the continued complicity in the suffering of people across the world by those in power, Reid struggles to understand the choices of the university and her peers when she has experienced the suffering of life beyond Howse’s walls firsthand.
My favourite thing about Reid in this book is her strong moral compass and her desire to create a better world. Reid’s values ground the story and lead the way for thought-provoking discussions about morality and ethics. It’s interesting to watch her adapt to a new environment and come to terms with life at Howse. She’s surrounded by people who do not value community as much as she does and this is a constant challenge for her throughout the book. These challenges drive the plot alongside Reid’s quest for answers.
Most excitingly, readers get to learn more about Cad, the mysterious mind-altering parasitic fungi from the first book. This sequel answered a lot of my questions about Cad but also sparked some new ones. I’m glad it was explored more and it was one of the reasons that compelled me to keep reading.
The more I think about these novellas the more I love them. It’s been a month since I read TAMOC and it has stayed with me. TAMOC is striking in its exploration of anger, guilt, grief and love, and WSTTM expands on those feelings and this world while exploring different themes that complement the first book well. I love this series and I hope you check it out! I’m excited to find out what happens in the next book 👀
Thank you ECW Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.
Rating: 4.5/5
Much like the first book, WSTTM grapples with the theme of duty. But instead of discussing what we owe our loved ones, this book tackles what we owe to each other as humans sharing a planet. Every action is a choice, and not helping others when you have the power and resources to do so is also a choice. Similar to how most of us are baffled by the inaction of our peers who aren’t standing in solidarity with oppressed peoples, and the continued complicity in the suffering of people across the world by those in power, Reid struggles to understand the choices of the university and her peers when she has experienced the suffering of life beyond Howse’s walls firsthand.
My favourite thing about Reid in this book is her strong moral compass and her desire to create a better world. Reid’s values ground the story and lead the way for thought-provoking discussions about morality and ethics. It’s interesting to watch her adapt to a new environment and come to terms with life at Howse. She’s surrounded by people who do not value community as much as she does and this is a constant challenge for her throughout the book. These challenges drive the plot alongside Reid’s quest for answers.
Most excitingly, readers get to learn more about Cad, the mysterious mind-altering parasitic fungi from the first book. This sequel answered a lot of my questions about Cad but also sparked some new ones. I’m glad it was explored more and it was one of the reasons that compelled me to keep reading.
The more I think about these novellas the more I love them. It’s been a month since I read TAMOC and it has stayed with me. TAMOC is striking in its exploration of anger, guilt, grief and love, and WSTTM expands on those feelings and this world while exploring different themes that complement the first book well. I love this series and I hope you check it out! I’m excited to find out what happens in the next book 👀
Thank you ECW Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.
Rating: 4.5/5
June 26, 2024
In the sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds, Mohamed depicts Reid's experiences at Howse University and the ways that Reid fights to maintain the promise she made to herself: that she would return home with whatever she could to help her community. It's not a surprise that she has to fight, but what's interesting is watching the ways she changes the people at Howse, even in the brief year she's there.
We Speak Through the Mountain is significantly different in pacing and plot development than its precursor - it moves quickly, easily jumping over unnecessary scenes while still providing emotional connections to Reid and the other characters. These supporting characters are a bit sketched out in comparison to the supporting characters of Clouds, but they're still and unique enough that, by the end of the novella, I regretted not having more time with them.
At the same time, the strong worldbuilding continues in this novella, with Reid sharing even more details about her community while learning about Howse, from its creation to its present-day utopia. Of course, Reid (being Reid) sees the issues behind the utopia, in particular its unjust isolation from the rest of the world, and she makes a few comparisons to H. G. Wells's The Time Machine that suggest more could be going on beneath the surface. Mountain engages with a number of dystopian literature tropes, as well as magical school and YA tropes, but Mohamed uses them to enhance the narrative and keep it steadily moving. Then, at the end, she plays with the tropes, twisting narrative expectations in a way that makes the ending more exciting, creating a fresh take on the YA dystopia genre that isn't couched in violence or malevolence, but instead in community.
Ultimately, my only critique is that the novella is too short. It was just getting thrilling when it ended, and it leaves so many unanswered questions - more than even Clouds did, with its greater sense of finality when Reid leaves home. Here, there's so much up in the air, so much Reid needs to do and figure out before we reach a satisfying ending. Hopefully, the third book is longer and able to further explore this world and these characters' lives. For now, I may have to re-read Mountain more slowly to better savour Mohamed's vivid and lyrical writing.
We Speak Through the Mountain is significantly different in pacing and plot development than its precursor - it moves quickly, easily jumping over unnecessary scenes while still providing emotional connections to Reid and the other characters. These supporting characters are a bit sketched out in comparison to the supporting characters of Clouds, but they're still and unique enough that, by the end of the novella, I regretted not having more time with them.
At the same time, the strong worldbuilding continues in this novella, with Reid sharing even more details about her community while learning about Howse, from its creation to its present-day utopia. Of course, Reid (being Reid) sees the issues behind the utopia, in particular its unjust isolation from the rest of the world, and she makes a few comparisons to H. G. Wells's The Time Machine that suggest more could be going on beneath the surface. Mountain engages with a number of dystopian literature tropes, as well as magical school and YA tropes, but Mohamed uses them to enhance the narrative and keep it steadily moving. Then, at the end, she plays with the tropes, twisting narrative expectations in a way that makes the ending more exciting, creating a fresh take on the YA dystopia genre that isn't couched in violence or malevolence, but instead in community.
Ultimately, my only critique is that the novella is too short. It was just getting thrilling when it ended, and it leaves so many unanswered questions - more than even Clouds did, with its greater sense of finality when Reid leaves home. Here, there's so much up in the air, so much Reid needs to do and figure out before we reach a satisfying ending. Hopefully, the third book is longer and able to further explore this world and these characters' lives. For now, I may have to re-read Mountain more slowly to better savour Mohamed's vivid and lyrical writing.
April 15, 2024
Around the World in 52 Books 2024: 6. A book with wings on the cover
Dragon Challenge 2024: Ice habitat (Alberta province in the winter)
I really liked the writing in the first novella in this series and was excited to see that Reid's story would continue. And it picks up pretty much where the first book left off. I would not recommend reading this without reading The Annual Migration of Clouds first. Reid is struggling through the mountains to find access to the university that has promised her admittance. Once she gets there, she goes through the difficult process of navigating a different culture.
This feels like a book that was written during COVID. The natives of the university tend to stay isolated. They eat alone in their rooms, watch shows "together" but in different rooms, and look down their noses on the students who have come from the outside.
Reid sees the seductiveness of a place that has plenty of food, clothing, buildings, all the resources that her home lacks and she is not drawn in. Instead, she is enraged that the university people, who have a treatment that keeps her Cad fungus infestation in remission, don't go out into the wider world to share any of their resources, technology or knowledge with the people who are forced to live, sick, in that environment and who are slowing dying out. In fact, many of the university student natives have the notion that the people suffering on the outside could live just like they do if they tried harder- this feels like a familiar argument.
Reid discovers more than the university wants to teach her. I just wasn't really sure about the point of this book other than Reid's feelings. The plot was miniscule. Maybe it was about the seductiveness of comfort? Reid ends the book much as she ended the previous one, about to go on the road. This novella feels very much more like the middle of a book than a complete work on its own. At the same time, it feels like the author hit the themes she wanted but didn't expand them in enough depth. I would like to see what happens to Reid next because it sure seems like there's going to be another book here. But this novella didn't grab me as much as the last one.
Dragon Challenge 2024: Ice habitat (Alberta province in the winter)
I really liked the writing in the first novella in this series and was excited to see that Reid's story would continue. And it picks up pretty much where the first book left off. I would not recommend reading this without reading The Annual Migration of Clouds first. Reid is struggling through the mountains to find access to the university that has promised her admittance. Once she gets there, she goes through the difficult process of navigating a different culture.
This feels like a book that was written during COVID. The natives of the university tend to stay isolated. They eat alone in their rooms, watch shows "together" but in different rooms, and look down their noses on the students who have come from the outside.
Reid sees the seductiveness of a place that has plenty of food, clothing, buildings, all the resources that her home lacks and she is not drawn in. Instead, she is enraged that the university people, who have a treatment that keeps her Cad fungus infestation in remission, don't go out into the wider world to share any of their resources, technology or knowledge with the people who are forced to live, sick, in that environment and who are slowing dying out. In fact, many of the university student natives have the notion that the people suffering on the outside could live just like they do if they tried harder- this feels like a familiar argument.
Reid discovers more than the university wants to teach her. I just wasn't really sure about the point of this book other than Reid's feelings. The plot was miniscule. Maybe it was about the seductiveness of comfort? Reid ends the book much as she ended the previous one, about to go on the road. This novella feels very much more like the middle of a book than a complete work on its own. At the same time, it feels like the author hit the themes she wanted but didn't expand them in enough depth. I would like to see what happens to Reid next because it sure seems like there's going to be another book here. But this novella didn't grab me as much as the last one.
April 29, 2024
This is a great followup to The Annual Migration of Clouds which feels spiritually similar but is very much its own thing. Mohamed's prose is gorgeous as usual and I continue to be fascinated by the worldbuilding in this series.
There are some biting cultural critiques in here, and like most of my favorite books, there's a few different interpretations of it. At its most basic, this book is a critique on class divides and privilege, but given the context of a pandemic of sorts, it's hard not to look broader than that. I personally felt like it had a lot to say about the way developed countries treat developing ones - from refusing to give out medicines and treatments that are widely available here but in desperate need elsewhere, or letting in a few refugees as a service while thousands more die on the journey. The alienation Reid feels upon arrival to this supposed utopia and the casual cruelty of those around felt super realistic. Reid's voice is fiery and this story managed to be thematically rich without feeling didactic.
This is 4 stars and not 5 because it sort of lost me at the ending. It becomes more action-packed and faster paced and I thought the inclusion of was over-the-top and unnecessary. The ultimate conclusion leaves room for more in the series and I'll gladly pick the next one up, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the last few pages of this one.
I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone who liked the first one, and I'd recommend The Annual Migration of Clouds to anyone who wants to give Mohamed's novellas a try.
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review
There are some biting cultural critiques in here, and like most of my favorite books, there's a few different interpretations of it. At its most basic, this book is a critique on class divides and privilege, but given the context of a pandemic of sorts, it's hard not to look broader than that. I personally felt like it had a lot to say about the way developed countries treat developing ones - from refusing to give out medicines and treatments that are widely available here but in desperate need elsewhere, or letting in a few refugees as a service while thousands more die on the journey. The alienation Reid feels upon arrival to this supposed utopia and the casual cruelty of those around felt super realistic. Reid's voice is fiery and this story managed to be thematically rich without feeling didactic.
This is 4 stars and not 5 because it sort of lost me at the ending. It becomes more action-packed and faster paced and I thought the inclusion of was over-the-top and unnecessary. The ultimate conclusion leaves room for more in the series and I'll gladly pick the next one up, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the last few pages of this one.
I'd still highly recommend this book to anyone who liked the first one, and I'd recommend The Annual Migration of Clouds to anyone who wants to give Mohamed's novellas a try.
Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review
June 29, 2024
“I tell the story of myself in present tense, but they use future. And they think of themselves as assets that will appreciate or depreciate, also in the future, instead of a system in motion, with a then and a now and a later.”
The writing of this book enchants me in a truly special way. There is something about being privy to the thoughts of a young adult who is struggling so immensely with trying to belong, trying to figure out right from wrong, being torn between home and the future, that is so enthralling to me.
I spent the entire time rooting for Reid but being right alongside her in not knowing what the right answer is. This book follows a previous novella the detailed Reid leaving a small insulated life and this sequel introduces this entirely new expansive setting that was fascinating to learn about.
There seriously is not a single thing that I can complain about with this book. The characters are great, the underlying conflict and uncertainty is amazing, the plot moves quickly and doesn’t stop, the exploration of a post environmental apocalypse world is interesting, and the constant discussion of the morals of hording resources out of greed and fear is so great.
If you even kind of like science fiction I seriously recommend these novellas to you. The sci-fi elements aren’t super overwhelming. The world is still recognizable and the not too distant future disaster feels very real and plausible.
Fully recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The writing of this book enchants me in a truly special way. There is something about being privy to the thoughts of a young adult who is struggling so immensely with trying to belong, trying to figure out right from wrong, being torn between home and the future, that is so enthralling to me.
I spent the entire time rooting for Reid but being right alongside her in not knowing what the right answer is. This book follows a previous novella the detailed Reid leaving a small insulated life and this sequel introduces this entirely new expansive setting that was fascinating to learn about.
There seriously is not a single thing that I can complain about with this book. The characters are great, the underlying conflict and uncertainty is amazing, the plot moves quickly and doesn’t stop, the exploration of a post environmental apocalypse world is interesting, and the constant discussion of the morals of hording resources out of greed and fear is so great.
If you even kind of like science fiction I seriously recommend these novellas to you. The sci-fi elements aren’t super overwhelming. The world is still recognizable and the not too distant future disaster feels very real and plausible.
Fully recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 1, 2024
3.5 stars rounding up. I appreciated The Annual Migration of Clouds a lot. It was an interesting take on a "Scavenger World" type archetype story, with its short length only allowing it to really focus on a character getting ready to leave her home settlement in search of one of the remaining enclaves of high technology. No higher stakes than that, but a lot of humanity, and it was a good time. Now, here in the sequel, we have that character arriving at said technological enclave, and a bit of world-building around that, and hints at a larger story with world-changing stakes, because I guess you have to have that? But the book gets a little stuck in the middle, there. It's again quite short, and so the story ends up feeling somewhat abbreviated, a clear middle chapter in what presumably could be four or more novellas if they keep up this size and pacing. And so I appreciate it, again, but it feels very incomplete. The first book could have stood alone as a complete story, admittedly with an unorthodox chronological position in the usual "hero's journey" arc, but this one is unfulfilling by comparison.
Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for the ARC.
January 24, 2024
This novella is a follow-up to “The Annual Migration of Clouds”, which I have not yet had a chance to read. However, I had an inkling that I’d be able to read it as a standalone, and for the most part, that is true. There were mentions of previous events from time to time, but not so much that I was confused or pulled out of the current story.
Premee Mohamed is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. “The Butcher of the Forest”, coming out in about a month (February 2024) is a five star read. While I prefer the novella just mentioned, I did enjoy this one also.
Reid is a fascinating character, traveling to attend a university that first served as a bunker for the wealthy and connected before the world went to hell. She has a unique perspective of life outside the dome/barrier of Howse University (note: life is brutal outside) and is introduced to a very cushy life inside the dome. Reid is understandably suspicious and angry about why the scientists inside can’t/won’t help those suffering and dying of a horrific disease outside.
She ain’t afraid to shake things UP.
You can pick up a copy of this in June. And now I must go do things backward and read the previous novella set in this world. 😁
Many thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Please keep the stories coming, Premee!!
Premee Mohamed is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. “The Butcher of the Forest”, coming out in about a month (February 2024) is a five star read. While I prefer the novella just mentioned, I did enjoy this one also.
Reid is a fascinating character, traveling to attend a university that first served as a bunker for the wealthy and connected before the world went to hell. She has a unique perspective of life outside the dome/barrier of Howse University (note: life is brutal outside) and is introduced to a very cushy life inside the dome. Reid is understandably suspicious and angry about why the scientists inside can’t/won’t help those suffering and dying of a horrific disease outside.
She ain’t afraid to shake things UP.
You can pick up a copy of this in June. And now I must go do things backward and read the previous novella set in this world. 😁
Many thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Please keep the stories coming, Premee!!
July 7, 2024
I want to cry. Cry for how good this was. For Reid, for Dr. Gibson, for Clementine, for St. Martin. THEY did that!
This struck a chord with me and I think a lot of it has to do with how Reid is positioned as the main character. She is somehow so predictable in nature but her thoughts and feelings make her slightly more complex as a person.
[potential spoilers ahead]
Basic run down of the story: Reid is inflicted with Cad, a destructive and deadly disease, but she makes it to Howse University, a seemingly picturesque utopia where critical thinking and survival tactics aren’t really taught and instilled in the students. At Howse, Reid receives treatment for Cad that will keep it in remission. Also at Howse, Reid befriends another from outside the dome like herself named Clementine as well as St. Martin (sort of). While at Howse, Reid challenges their societal framework and thought process. Then she learns that her mother’s Cad has her very nearly on Death’s doorstep. And you can kind of guess what happens next.
I really hope Premee continues this story. I want to know what happens to Reid. I want to know the fates of Clementine, St. Martin, and Dr. Gibson… Will things begin to change at Howse? Will Howse finally do more for the world outside its dome?
This struck a chord with me and I think a lot of it has to do with how Reid is positioned as the main character. She is somehow so predictable in nature but her thoughts and feelings make her slightly more complex as a person.
[potential spoilers ahead]
Basic run down of the story: Reid is inflicted with Cad, a destructive and deadly disease, but she makes it to Howse University, a seemingly picturesque utopia where critical thinking and survival tactics aren’t really taught and instilled in the students. At Howse, Reid receives treatment for Cad that will keep it in remission. Also at Howse, Reid befriends another from outside the dome like herself named Clementine as well as St. Martin (sort of). While at Howse, Reid challenges their societal framework and thought process. Then she learns that her mother’s Cad has her very nearly on Death’s doorstep. And you can kind of guess what happens next.
I really hope Premee continues this story. I want to know what happens to Reid. I want to know the fates of Clementine, St. Martin, and Dr. Gibson… Will things begin to change at Howse? Will Howse finally do more for the world outside its dome?
March 19, 2024
Thank you ECW Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
First of all, this cover is so gorgeous. And second, this book was so good, I liked it even more than The Annual Migration of Clouds.
This book follows Reid as she makes her way to Howse University, and her time there as a student. I particularly loved seeing how Reid navigated this new setting, seeing the dynamics between her and the new characters, and the politics of the university itself. Reid’s roommate, Clementine, was incredible. I wish she were my friend, irl.
The kids, like Reid and Clementine, that come from the outer cities have a hard time adjusting to university life, after living surrounded by their communities.The kids who grew up at Howse prefer to eat in their rooms alone, to watch media synced together in their own rooms, and to send messages, rather than speak in-person. As Clementine puts it “Wanting to be alone all the time is some serial killer shit.” Reid notices that people from Howse don’t like talking about the past, which makes it difficult for her to adjust, as her past and the past of her people is always on her mind, and is one of the primary reasons she came to the university.
I really liked the message of the importance of collective power, which was also a big part of The Annual Migration of Clouds. I really hope this series continues!
Edit: I liked this book so much I made a short playlist inspired by it: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28c...
First of all, this cover is so gorgeous. And second, this book was so good, I liked it even more than The Annual Migration of Clouds.
This book follows Reid as she makes her way to Howse University, and her time there as a student. I particularly loved seeing how Reid navigated this new setting, seeing the dynamics between her and the new characters, and the politics of the university itself. Reid’s roommate, Clementine, was incredible. I wish she were my friend, irl.
The kids, like Reid and Clementine, that come from the outer cities have a hard time adjusting to university life, after living surrounded by their communities.The kids who grew up at Howse prefer to eat in their rooms alone, to watch media synced together in their own rooms, and to send messages, rather than speak in-person. As Clementine puts it “Wanting to be alone all the time is some serial killer shit.” Reid notices that people from Howse don’t like talking about the past, which makes it difficult for her to adjust, as her past and the past of her people is always on her mind, and is one of the primary reasons she came to the university.
I really liked the message of the importance of collective power, which was also a big part of The Annual Migration of Clouds. I really hope this series continues!
Edit: I liked this book so much I made a short playlist inspired by it: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/28c...
July 8, 2024
Simple but ornate. A common cluster of themes resound in this short piece of fiction, but somehow their “newness” makes them feel revealing. Many classic foes are employed – Young versus the old, deprived versus the gifted, sick versus the healthy . . .These themes are etched deeply in this post apocalyptic tale.
Reid, the main character, is a 21st century 21-year old rebel whose character belongs more in 1969 anti-Viet Name War era. She says it like she sees it, and will do most anything to pursue her course of action, whether allowed by her elders or prohibited.
That element of her character is what makes the book alluring. The strength of her being is what attracts the reader to the ensuing pages. A page turner, so they say. One sitting, and I read this work.
The writing is first class. It is light and easy. But, there is a sophistication to the writing which makes it deceivingly simple. A gifted writer.
This is a fun book.
NOTE: I did not read the book “The Annual Migration of the Clouds” before reading this. It is not necessary. But, it would have helped. I will now read that book so as to obtain a clearer understanding of the character(s). And, after such, I will write a postscript to this review.
Postscript: I have now read TAMOTC. Big mistake to have read this before TAMOTC. The rwo novellas really are one novel. And, the character development, insight into the health crisis (and more) make TAMOTC a necessary prerequisite to reading this novel.
Reid, the main character, is a 21st century 21-year old rebel whose character belongs more in 1969 anti-Viet Name War era. She says it like she sees it, and will do most anything to pursue her course of action, whether allowed by her elders or prohibited.
That element of her character is what makes the book alluring. The strength of her being is what attracts the reader to the ensuing pages. A page turner, so they say. One sitting, and I read this work.
The writing is first class. It is light and easy. But, there is a sophistication to the writing which makes it deceivingly simple. A gifted writer.
This is a fun book.
NOTE: I did not read the book “The Annual Migration of the Clouds” before reading this. It is not necessary. But, it would have helped. I will now read that book so as to obtain a clearer understanding of the character(s). And, after such, I will write a postscript to this review.
Postscript: I have now read TAMOTC. Big mistake to have read this before TAMOTC. The rwo novellas really are one novel. And, the character development, insight into the health crisis (and more) make TAMOTC a necessary prerequisite to reading this novel.
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