On Risingshadow recently, Seregil of Rhiminee reviewed Forbidden Alliance, the second book in the Blueprint trilogy from Katrina Mountfort. He enjoyed Future Perfect, the first book in the trilogy, last year (“one of the best modern YA sci-fi novels ever written”), so he was eager to read this one. He says it was “everything that I hoped it would be” and Katrina has done an impressive job of creating an “original vision of dystopian future”. He says it is “the kind of sequel that all sequels should be like” building on the story of the first book in an intriguing way that “is exceptionally immersive and addictive because of the well-created and three-dimensional characters”. Although it may seem to be a YA novel, Seregil says it is “passionately written”, will “charm its readers” and “please readers of all ages who are looking for an entertaining science fiction story to read”. He recommends it for young adults and adults alike, and says it is “something special for fans of good YA sci-fi stories”.
Seregil observes that the way the narrative shifts between the viewpoints of Joy and Cathy adds a lot of depth to the story because, although similar, they are different characters with different perspectives and feelings. He says that Katrina writes realistically about relationships, families and about life outside the citidomes, adding that “Descriptions of how the village is kept alive are wonderfully realistic and nuanced, because the author pays attention to many minor details.” Katrina knows, he says, how to include “romantic elements without alienating her readers”, and excels at writing about the characters’ feelings in a deep way. She “has a talent of making the story flow easily”, immersing her readers and making us care about the characters and their fates – which not many authors achieve in young adult novels!
He concludes by saying that Katrina brings a “breath of much-needed fresh air to young adult science fiction genre” with the Blueprint trilogy. The story is “strong and full of passion” and her “characters are so vivid that it feels like you’re reading about real people”. He says fans of Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth will surely enjoy this trilogy. He says he can “wholeheartedly recommend it to all readers” because Future Perfect and Forbidden Alliance are among the best YA science fiction novels ever written, because there’s “a strongly beating human heart at the core of both novels that will make you fall in love with the story and the characters”. He is looking forward to the final book of the trilogy, Freedom’s Prisoners.
You can read Seregil’s full review here.