From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—This follow-up to Ivory and Bone begins with Mya's visit to Kol's clan to establish her betrothal to him. Upon arriving at the clan's camp, Mya is disappointed that Kol is out hunting. After spending the day waiting, everyone realizes that something is wrong and that Kol and his family are in trouble. Mya and her family head out and find Kol and the others trapped by mammoths in a cavern. After a tense stand-off, almost everyone in Kol's hunting group survives. Sadly, Kol's father is killed, which now makes Kol head of his clan. The night before Kol's father is buried, Kol and Mya's betrothal is established, and Chiv, Mya's brother and the High Elder of her clan, announces that Mya's youngest sister, Lees, will be betrothed to his friend, Morsk, rather than to the boy she loves. Mya and Lees decide to send a strong message to Chiv by running away. This sets off a series of events that will change the lives of both clans. The previous volume was told from Kol's perspective, and this installment switches to Mya's point of view. While the plot often stretches the limits of possibility for prehistoric times, the characters are compellingly formed and the setting is beautifully detailed. Mya embodies all the best traits of a leader, and Kol is not threatened by her abilities. Readers will want to see how Mya and Kol forge a new beginning in the next novel. VERDICT A strong choice where Eshbaugh's debut is popular.—Nicole Detter-Smith, Homestead High School, IN Read more Review “Stark poetry. Eshbaugh has clearly done her research.” (Kirkus Reviews)“Eshbaugh is good at building tension. Readers looking for a fresh setting will appreciate this survival story, which also incorporates romance and weaponry.” (Booklist Online)“The characters are compellingly formed and the setting is beautifully detailed. A strong choice.” (School Library Journal)“Julie Eshbaugh is a unique new voice with talent enough for a whole team of writers. Ivory and Bone transported me to a richly crafted world of life-and-death stakes, and I’m still under the spell of her storytelling.” (Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and These Broken Stars (on Ivory and Bone))“Exquisitely written, ferocious, and haunting--what a breath of fresh air! Ivory and Bone is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Don’t miss this one!” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (on Ivory and Bone))“Debut author Eshbaugh portrays Neolithic culture with grace and authenticity. This is an involving story solidly told, doing credit to its inspiration and sources.” (Kirkus Reviews (on Ivory and Bone))“Eshbaugh debuts with an exciting and unusual adventure with emphasis on the power of storytelling.” (Publishers Weekly (on Ivory and Bone))“Eshbaugh creates a spare yet memorable account of the interpersonal and interclan politics. There is much to value here.” (ALA Booklist (on Ivory and Bone))“Eshbaugh packs her debut with a classic love triangle, feuding clans, a well-drawn prehistoric setting, and a handful of fan fiction elements that will appeal to teens. Compellingly out of the ordinary.” (School Library Journal (on Ivory and Bone))“The Ice Age setting is richly described, and the sometimes desperate struggle for food and survival is palpable. Highly recommended; readers will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (on Ivory and Bone)) Read more See all Editorial Reviews
A**T
I love a good prehistoric love story!
It's not often I say this but this sequel was way way way better than the first book. It's based in Mya's pov and it made literally all the difference. There was so much more character depth in this one than in the first, found myself understanding why the characters were acting a certain way and why it mattered. I loved the relationships between Mya and her sisters, and brother and felt it was more fleshed out. Though I liked the relationship I didn't like her brother Chev, he kept talking of putting the clan first and sure that sounds great as long as it doesn't make you a horrible person. Also his friend, enemy at the beginning, I never felt he was actually redeemed from his actions because...jerk! The romantic moments were super cute though and I'm ended up happy with the ending overall. Kol spent most of the book sickly but I didn't really care, compared to Mya he's dull. I will say there were a whole lot of deaths in this book and I won't spoil them I will say I didn't care. I know that sounds awful especially when you read it and find out who died I just wasn't attached to the characters and didn't like some of them. Mostly it was a fun book, I liked the story, easy to read through without emotional attachments that make some books to heavy. I still like the prehistoric elements and find it different looking at like before civilization and guns, making due with the ability of your own hands.
V**9
Book 2
Loved this book! Prehistoric drama; angsty teenagers.
K**N
Beautiful, epic, and action packed! Perfect conclusion to this duology!
"The stars in the obsidian sky may be beautiful, but they show the past, not the future."Obsidian and Stars was another brilliant story in this duology. I am sad to leave this fantastical world behind, but I am in love with how both stories were a perfect balance to each other. In Ivory and Bone we are told the story from Kol’s perspective, and the fascinating part is we are listening to him tell the story of how he first met Mya to her for the majority of the timeline. In Obsidian and Stars, we are moved forward in the timeline and now experience a new story from Mya’s POV. Mya isn’t telling us the story like Kol did, which I loved, but I still devoured every page. This is just one part of what makes these books so original, but also that it is technically prehistoric fiction but written in the most poetic, contemporary voice.Mya had a very mysterious and closed off attitude in book one, so I was so curious to see how I would feel about her now. From the very beginning you can still feel her struggle of reconciling her grudges while knowing she was in love with Kol. Mya is determined and selfless. She would do anything for her family and her clan. She has put them above herself all her life, and now when she finally wants something for her, she again puts it all on the line in hopes of bettering her family.I absolutely love Kol, he is passionate and smart. My heart was so heavy for him. He knew Mya was the one for him, but he never expected to deal with all this intensity at the start of their budding relationship. Kol wears his emotions on his sleeve and is the complete foil to a closed-off Mya. I hate that he has been dealing with so much love and loss, but it seems this is the way of life for these clans.Without giving away too much, I can tell you that this book is bloody. There are epic battles with mammoths, with clans, with the elements, and within themselves. I couldn’t stop reading, the exciting plot combined with the most beautiful prose. As much as I am sad to let these characters go, I feel complete after finishing Obsidian and Stars.This is truly an epic romance, set in prehistoric times, where life and death is the core component, but you have to remember that love conquers all. I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves an alluring world filled with elegant writing.
J**E
Four Stars
Book 2
Y**E
The Prehistoric Romance You Need in Your Life
I am completely captivated by the setting of these books. It is so original. I’ve never read, or even heard of, another book set during this time period, and I am so impressed by the level of creativity that Julie displays not only in the premise of the story, but in the execution of it as well.When I first reviewed Ivory and Bone, the first book in the series, I gave it a four-star rating. After finishing Obsidian and Stars though, I went back and bumped it up to a five-star, because in reading this book, I feel like I was better able to grasp the real brilliance of the first book as well.Julie has such different approaches to the telling of each story. In Ivory and Bone, Kol narrates the story using second-person pronouns. This isn’t something you see done often in literature, and it is something that has to be done with such skill in order to pull readers in, but in that book it truly feels like Kol is telling us a story, bringing it to life and making readers feel as if they are Mya. It’s absolutely beautiful and so impressive.In Obsidian and Stars, the POV switches, and we get to see this story from Mya’s point of view. I very much enjoyed reading from her perspective. Mya is so intelligent, and she exhibits such strength of body, mind, and soul throughout the story. She is just a phenomenal female lead. And while Julie did not use the second-person pronouns in Obsidian and Stars that I so enjoyed in Ivory and Bone, she has taken a more plot-driven approach to this novel that I enjoyed just as much. This book is action-packed. There is blood, and tragedy, and romance, and it moves at a much faster pace than the first book did. I truly love them both for different reasons.One of the really neat things about these books is that they’re set in a prehistoric time period, and there are so many elements that do feel so true to the era. But at the same time, there is this overarching tone to them that very much reads like a Regency romance and is just so much fun.Julie exhibits such skill in these books. I love to see the different writing techniques she employs to craft these stories, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the future!
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