The imposing façade of the thick stone walls towered above him, the heavy blocks of light coloured stone gleaming in the late afternoon sun. Kaidan accelerated again, sliding around the corners of the stone buildings of Scholars' Precinct in his rush to arrive at the appointed meeting place.

He knew that students of the same family always stood together during the ceremony - they'd talked about it on the road into Watchtower just that morning, when they'd arranged their meeting place. She chewed the end of one of her braids impatiently. Where on earth was Kaidan this time? she thought, standing on tiptoes to peer over the jostling crowd. SHANNA tapped one foot as she waited outside the Records Precinct. It is just as any good fiction book really should be. the author built tension and climax skillfully. The pacing of the novel is essentially perfect and from about a third of the way through I found myself sneaking every chance I could get to read it in order to get to the next bit and the next. In fact, the story itself is very believable as it draws you convincingly and thoroughly into the Frontier world. The characters are accessible, and empathetic and there is a pragmatism to their interactions that makes them very believable. The Frontier landscape, flora and fauna is intriguing and the author carefully unravels its mystery throughout the adventure, always avoiding heavy over-description which I have found can plague fantasy novels. Janis Hill - author of Bonnie's Story - A Blonde's Guide to Mathematics A spectacular adventure with wonderful 'companions' It takes a very good author to do that to you. I am so happy there is a sequel coming out next year and I really look forward to reading it. It really did keep me wanting to read and wanting to know more. And done so by accepting the planet and all its dangers and moulding themselves to fit into it all, rather than try and mould it to fit them. But rather a very dangerous one and these are some very clever people to have survived for so long over the centuries. As the story progresses the world of Frontier starts as the usual sci-fi survivor camp now settlement type story but then unfurls its tendrils of mystery and danger to show it’s not your typical sort of world. Yes I grew up in a part of Australia where plants and animals (and even the dirt) was poisonous and or venomous and we had storms with the potential to flatten the city every year, but I don’t think that’s why I clicked with the story so quickly!Īlthough the beginning and its Remembrance Ceremony could have been setting the scene for any of your typical ‘we crash landed’ sort of sci-fi story, you quickly learn to relate to Shanna and her brother Kaiden and their lives with their starcats. I rarely come across one I so freely was able to fall into and become a part of so quickly. This book really was an amazing 'let yourself go and be absorbed by this world’ sort of book.

I'll definitely be watching for the sequel.Ĭhristina - Ensconced in YA Five out of five - an amazing 'be absorbed by this world' book The starcats are an ingenious invention - they are beautifully written and described - I wish I had one of my own! I loved all the adventures Below, the uncharted terrain of their home planet, and all of the new species that they encounter of both plant and animal life. But even more, I marveled at the world building. She struggles with trying to teach an older classmate, which is an intriguing storyline. She is likeable and spunky, and it is easy to read about her as she works very hard to learn new skills but with a humility beyond her years.

Possibly the strongest aspect of the book is Shanna, the true heroine of the piece. There are so many wonderful things about this book. Dangers lurk on their home planet as well as beyond, and the Scouts need to use all of their talents together to save the planet they call home. She has grown up training Starcats, the gorgeous colorful panther like creatures, who are the permanent companions of each Scout. A very strong first novel with terrific charactersįrontier Incursion by Leonie Rogers was an unexpected find for me - I didn't realize I would love it so much! This book stars Shanna (and to a lesser extent her brother, Kaiden), who is a teenager who has decided to become part of the Scouts, an organization whose purpose is to explore the uncharted territories of their planet.

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