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A review by thiefofcamorr
Lotus Blue by Cat Sparks
4.0
Lotus Blue reminds me of what Mad Max could have been if they lacked resources. Back to the ideas of camels and slow-moving caravans, we have a sand-based adventure that has echoes of Tatooine and various Glenda Larke or Sean Williams worlds - yet this of course is utterly Sparks' own - and just another mark of how the endless plains of Australian emptiness have made their mark on our writers.
We're quickly thrown into a handful of characters, each vivid and although many to keep track of, they seem instantly like characters we've known for longer than half a chapter. Although there are many characters to choose from, the main protagonists are Star and her sister Nene who are the medics in the caravan, though Star dreams of things far greater - like somehow making their fortune enough to stay put somewhere, and opening a clinic in some back alley they can call home. Despite her child-like self-centredness we're still endeared to her simply for her drive and outlook on life, and how she faces her regrets head on, and has such a will to save not only herself, but her sister.
The plot is lively and action non-stop, making this book fly by and seem shorter than it really is. What really works about this novel is the history that makes the world-building sing, as we hear how their world is now, thanks to errors and calamity of old. Sparks is a genius of climate change and it shows in this book.
Overall, this novel has so much going for it, and it's brilliantly delivered.
We're quickly thrown into a handful of characters, each vivid and although many to keep track of, they seem instantly like characters we've known for longer than half a chapter. Although there are many characters to choose from, the main protagonists are Star and her sister Nene who are the medics in the caravan, though Star dreams of things far greater - like somehow making their fortune enough to stay put somewhere, and opening a clinic in some back alley they can call home. Despite her child-like self-centredness we're still endeared to her simply for her drive and outlook on life, and how she faces her regrets head on, and has such a will to save not only herself, but her sister.
The plot is lively and action non-stop, making this book fly by and seem shorter than it really is. What really works about this novel is the history that makes the world-building sing, as we hear how their world is now, thanks to errors and calamity of old. Sparks is a genius of climate change and it shows in this book.
Overall, this novel has so much going for it, and it's brilliantly delivered.