review; across a star-swept sea

Across A Star-Swept Sea
by Diana Peterfreund

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction – the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars – is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

Review:

Well that is quite the ending line. It is romantic and intense, and wonderfully crafted. I am not at all familiar with the source material for this novel, but it has been written very well. It has been believable from the beginning to the end that despite her young age and her seemingly frivolity, Persis Blake is very much capable of all she does in the story.

She is a strong character, with her moments of vulnerability. She is layered, and multi-faceted, as are all the characters of the novel. This story is more science-fiction oriented than the first novel, with a lot more technological babble and information into the Reduced, and the meshing of the world of the first book and this was handled very well.

The love story takes place second stage to the political intrigue and the action of the plot, but the story is all the more rich for it. The development of the relationship between Persis and Justen is believable and slow, with their preconceived notions and misunderstanding and lies clouding their feelings. Logic and emotion collide within themselves and between them both, and it comes out in beautiful prose.

I cannot help but wonder if there is supposed to be more after this, because it seems like the revolution is not fully handled. Yes, the Wild Poppy’s story has come to an end, but what of the rest of the world? What of the healing of the forced Reduction? What of the DAR? What of the world Kai and Elliot and their handling of Reduction? There are so many possibilities, and I would not be disappointed if the author delved back into this verse and expanded it further.