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Title details for The Ancients by John Larison - Available

The Ancients

by John Larison
ebook
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A richly imagined, sweeping novel set in the climate-changed world of our own descendants, by the acclaimed author of WHISKEY WHEN WE'RE DRY 'This richly imagined journey into a dystopian future is at once cautionary and provocative, inviting us to heed the lessons of the Ancients' - Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass A young boy and his older sisters find themselves suddenly and utterly alone, orphaned in an abandoned fishing village. Their food supplies dwindling, they set out across a breathtaking yet treacherous wilderness in search of the last of their people. Down the coast, raiders deliver the children's mother, along with the rest of their human cargo, to the last port city of a waning empire. Determined to reunite with her family, she plots her escape—while her fellow captives plan open revolt. At the center of power in this crumbling city, a young scholar inherits his father's business and position of privilege, along with the burden of his debts. As the empire's elite prepare to flee to new utopia across the sea, he must decide where his allegiance lies. With a rapidly changing climate shifting the sands beneath their feet, these three paths converge in a struggle for the future of humanity—who will inherit what remains and who gets to tell its story. At once a sweeping survival story; an epic of the distance future; and a post-apocalyptic vision of hope and optimism, THE ANCIENTS weaves a multilayered narrative about human resilience, hope, and stewardship of our world for future generations.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 2, 2025

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781835010563

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781835010563
      • File size: 3342 KB

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 12, 2024
      Larison (Whiskey When We’re Dry) spins a provocative if tedious story of survival decades after an ecological collapse. After Maren, 12, and Kushim, nine, discover their parents are missing, they set off from their remote fishing village with their older sister, Leerit, to find the extended family who abandoned them. A parallel narrative follows their mother, Lilah, forced into slavery by her abductors, who killed their father in the struggle. Lilah toils for wool producer Cyrus to meet the new quota set by the emperor, who’s promised to transport their city’s residents to a land of plenty aboard an ark.. Cyrus, however, would rather spend time studying the scrolls with fragments of ancient stories (readers will recognize faint biblical echoes and canonical poetry). After Kushim is attacked and grievously injured by a bear, the siblings are split up, with imperial forces rushing Kushim to the city for care, and Leerit leaving Maren with sheep herders to join a band of guerrillas against the emperor. The pacing tends to drag under the weight of so many plot threads, but Larison fascinates with his core themes, showing how stories are used for societal control. Those willing to go the distance will find a thoughtful twist on climate fiction. Agent: Chris Parris-Lamb, Gernert Co.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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