Between Sun and Shadow by Laura Genn

Blurb:

Hades and Persephone reimagined on a tidally locked planet, for fans of queer romance, mutant superpowers, eccentric robots, and speculative tech.

Featuring fun and stylish case art beneath the hardcover dust jacket!

Sixteen-year-old Kori struggles to be a dutiful heiress to the Daylands, a post-cataclysmic society reliant on chip implants to retain memory. With a strict routine and an overly cautious mother, Kori has only one friend, Aspect—an industrial robot she's repurposed. Determined to awaken sentience in her metal companion, Kori crash-lands in enemy territory while hunting for a memory that might do the trick.

Ravaged by radiation from a meteorite, the citizens of the Shadowlands have evolved into beast-like creatures with supernatural abilities. Adria, a winged mutant, has wrested control of the Shadowlands from her bloodthirsty parents—but not everyone is so willing to embrace her leadership. What better way to instill confidence in her court than by capturing a foreign princess and demanding ransom?

However, what began as a political maneuver transforms into a potent attraction as Kori's longing for relationship echoes Adria's own. Granted free rein of Adria's fortress, Kori stumbles upon a startling revelation that could upend the Daylands entirely. As rebellion grows and Adria's precarious hold on her throne wavers, Adria and Kori must join forces to avert all-out war. Does a queen of shadows really stand a chance with a princess of sunlight? Or has the chasm between their nations grown too wide?

A science fantasy "Beauty and the Beast," this action-packed adventure is written in dual point of view and layered with a charming robot, a cuddly three-headed dog, mind-bending twists, and sapphic yearning.

Review:

Meant to play the part of a loyal, dutiful, responsible heiress to the Sunfolk in a post-cataclysmic society reliant on chip implants to retain their memories, Kori struggles to fill the shoes that don’t seem to fit her. Following a strict set of rules, a torturous schedule, and lorded over by a wary, cautious mother who also happens to be the ruler of the Sunfolk, she feels as though she has one friend: a robot named Aspect, who she repurposed against her mother’s orders. Desperate to escape the life she lives, Kori spends her time trying to instill sentience in Aspect–and amid her efforts, crash-lands in enemy territory while hunting for a memory that might lend the robot the cognizance she seeks for it to have.

Amid a wasteland populated by radiation left behind by an ancient meteorite, the people of the Shadowlands have evolved into monstrous forms in order to survive in the wilderness, using supernatural abilities granted by their mutations. Adria is one such mutant, with wings sprouting from her back, and has recently taken control of the Shadowlands from her bloodlusting parents–and is facing potential uprising as a consequence of her newfound government. When she discovers Kori crash-landing in her domain, she sees an opportunity: capture the foreign princess, demanding ransom, and instilling her peoples’ confidence in her ability to rule.

But what starts out as a noble endeavor to garner the favor of her people and establish her expertise in the political atmosphere between the two lands soon shifts into a forbidden relationship between Kori and Adria. Allowed to wander Adria’s fortress, Kori discovers secret after secret that has her questioning everything she’s ever known–secrets that could destroy the Daylands, if she allows them to surface.

Rebellion mounts, Adria’s control over her people slackens, and Kori must decide if she will partner with Adria to avoid open warfare between their peoples–and risk everything they love by working together.

I don’t know what I expected from this novel, but it was honestly one of the most unique, interesting dystopian-focused novels I have ever read. An engaging mix of fantasy and science fiction, of technology of magic, everything in this story felt palpable. From the magic the Nightfolk wielded to the memory chips the Dayfolk implemented, the worldbuilding was so original and potent that I couldn’t turn a page without marveling at Genn’s prowess in storytelling.

Between Sun And Shadow is weird in the best way possible. Endlessly entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable, it’s the kind of book that twist common tropes and evokes a sort of unique characterization not often seen in modern fiction. It’s a strongly written narrative featuring incredible passion, high stakes, and impossible decisions–the recipe for a phenomenal novel!

Something I loved was how the main characters grew throughout the narrative’s progression. Adria and Kori both started with false assumptions, false knowledge, and false emotions that gradually changed throughout the narrative. Their weaknesses and faults (and secrets and inaccurate beliefs) alongside their longing for a better world made them both relatable and easy to root for. It was like reading a pair of friends I’ve known for ages finally coming together and becoming the people I’ve always known they could be.

Atmospheric and well thought out, Between Sun And Shadow is the kind of book that makes readers ask questions, and those are often the best kinds of books. Deeper than the basic questions of “what’s at stake” and “when will they kiss”, this novel provoked inquiries like “what could happen to make a world like this” and “how can the spread of misinformation and lies alter the trajectory of an entire civilization”?

Overall, this novel was masterfully done, and I’m looking forward to seeing whatever this author puts out next!