2016-08-17
Following The 13th Continuum (2016), Myra and Aero (and friends) journey in search of the First Continuum. Myra’s and Aero’s groups each landed farther from the First Continuum than they would have hoped, meaning they separately must traverse the barren planet with minimal resources. Myra’s group deals with dwindling supplies; Aero’s faces probes from the villainous Vinick, who wants their continuum’s Beacon back from Aero (and wants Aero dead). Chapters away from the two main protagonists show, along with glimpses of Vinick, a plotline of social upheaval on the 13th Continuum and introduce another point-of-view character, Seeker, from yet another continuum, the Seventh. This other one has fared even worse, suffering a radiation leak that led to a devolved, mutated population of cannibals. Myra and Aero’s dream meetings are impeded by a mysterious, looming darkness, then interrupted by Beacon damage. Though the writing frequently tells instead of showing (often in the form of thesaurus-scented adjectives: one woman has both “coquettish” smiles and “bawdy” laughter, and another’s skirts are described as “maudlin”), the pacing and action are noticeably stepped up in this second outing. The characters eventually join up, establishing a predictable love-triangle storyline, which never rings true. The ending sets up a new villain with unclear motivations. Will please fans of the first. (Science fiction. 12-17)
Praise for Return of the Continuums:
"Strong female and male characters join forces to save what’s left of the world, while a subplot of love triangles adds emotional suspense. Classic themes of loyalty in the face of adversity and good vs. evil underpin this plot-driven science fiction adventure. Although this is the second volume of a trilogy, enough backstory is included to allow teens to pick it up without having read the first installment. Fans of The 13th Continuum will not be disappointed with this lively sequel." - School Library Journal
"Likeable characters, an intricate world, and imaginative settings combine to make a satisfying young-adult read in Jennifer Brody’s Return of the Continuums, the second book of the dystopian Continuum series." - Foreword Reviews
"The pacing and action are noticeably stepped up in this second outing [...] will please fans of the first." Kirkus
"Jennifer Brody does it again with her imaginative dystopian young adult fiction follow-up to The 13th Continuum,. . . [Brody] just gets it; she understands that readers don’t just want another post-apocalyptic tale of survival, but that the book needs characters that can hold up against the bleak and hopeless setting, turning it from nothing to something that is full of life and hopeful. It’s the characters that bring completeness to this novel. Those who were fans of the first installment of The Continuum Trilogy will definitely be fans of the second book, no question. I recommend this to any reader who is a dystopian junkie like me. Pick up this book and find that you can’t possibly put it down."—The Roanoke Times
"The follow up novel to The 13th Continuum is nothing less than a home run for author Jennifer Brody. It builds on a fully realized universe, dense with an ingenious mythology, from book one, yet manages to take readers to a whole new world (pun intended!). Be ready to be angry at the ending, though, because it’s going to leave you clamoring for the final chapter in The Continuum Trilogy!"—Kirby Howell, author of Autumn in the City of Angels
"Return of the Continuums is a riveting, action-packed sequel that kept me up well past my bedtime needing to know how Myra and her friends would survive the dangers of the surface and reach The First Continuum. With plenty of unfolding secrets and an ever-expanding world, this is a series that just gets better and better." - Stephanie Diaz, author of the Extraction series
Praise for The 13th Continuum:
"Brody writes an intelligent narrative that is entertaining as it is introspective about the human race, its fate and where we might end up."-Roanoke Times
"Fans clamoring for a new dystopian science fiction series may appreciate this latest addition to the genre." - School Library Journal
"This gripping read is recommended not only for advanced teen readers, but for adults who enjoy solid sci-fi dystopian settings." - Donovan's Bookshelf
"A fascinating premise and compulsively readable debut. It totally sucked me in." —Robin Talley, author of Lies We Tell Ourselves
"With meticulous world-building and an epic scope, Jennifer Brody has created a fascinating sci-fi story. Readers will flip the pages, anxious to answer a question that will determine the future of humanity: Will they reach the surface? —Pintip Dunn, author of Forget Tomorrow
"The 13th Continuum manages to be smart, surprising, and a good time, all at once. That's hard magic to pull off, but Jennifer Brody makes it seem easy. Swift and surprising, this novel is such a confident debut. Here's to many more."—Victor LaValle, author of New York Times Notable Book of the Year, The Devil in Silver
