{Blog Tour} The Tribe Series by Ambelin Kwaymullina - Review/Guest Post/Giveaway

Friday 25 September 2015


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Series Review



This is a series which takes the typical dystopian novel to a new level with an original slant. Ambelin Kwaymullina has not just written a trilogy which is refreshingly original, but also incorporates the unique elements of Aboriginal mythology in the Indigenous Futurisms genre. I would call these books 'speculative thrillers', as they're set a few hundred years into the future and provide a glimpse into how the world, and people within it who hold special abilities could be. As each book progresses and there is more information revealed, it all gets all the more intense and vividly told.

Admittedly, at the beginning of The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf I wasn't completely convinced that I would enjoy it. I felt thrown into this situation where there was a lot going on and obviously some big drama over her capture, but no idea how or why she got there. Though her narrative voice wasn't always fluent and the flashbacks could seem longwinded, I did appreciate the amount of worldbuilding and detail that went into creating this book. The descriptions of each of the young adults in detention and those who had rebelled, as well as how they connected to their animal abilities was fascinating to read about. I could see how the Dreamtime plays a big role in providing a rich symbolic backdrop to the action which takes place.

Following on, in The Disappearance of Ember Crow The Tribe is thrown into a whole new set of issues. The Reckoning may have had lasting effects before, and they still linger now. It was great to see more of Ashala's character development here, as well as the perspective of Ember which added extra depth. For Ashala especially it was lovely to see her act as a strong leader who yes, still had her faults but continued to be gallant and look out for her people. This is about restoring balance to the world, saving a friend, and even finding room for some romance on the side. Once again, like the first novel this is a gripping read with a creativity that is impossible to ignore.

And finally - The Foretelling of Georgie Spider. In this installment, Ashala, Ember and Georgie act as three equally valiant leads who are determined to set things right in their society and make a change. Ashala's voice still comes through as it has since the beginning of the trilogy, though Georgie's is also equally evocative. Building on the abilities of the Illegals and raising some harrowing questions about Australia's history is interestingly done, with a sensitive probing that leaves room for thought. There is enough danger, twists and turns in this book to keep fans of the series entertained, and everything comes together in a satisfying ending.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

This is a series that gets better as it goes - each idea is developed and the world-building is ON POINT. It's so nice to see Australian YA making a hit with novels like this, especially ones that connect with Indigenous heritage as well. If you want a post-apocalyptic trilogy with a unique twist unlike anything else out there, then this is for you.




Guest Post by Ambelin Kwaymullina - Speculative Fiction and Indigenous Futurism

I am a writer of Indigenous Futurisms, which is to say, I am one of the many Indigenous peoples worldwide who use the speculative fiction genre to challenge colonialism and to imagine Indigenous futures. And in so doing I am conscious of both the failings and the promise of speculative fiction. 

Speculative fiction, like all Western literary genres, is guilty of the unthinking reproduction of colonial stereotypes. Indigenous peoples have appeared in spec fic narratives as the ‘primitives’ to be conquered; the spiritual but child-like natives who require a white savior to deliverm them from themselves; and the ‘savages’ who lurk beyond the boundaries of what is said to be ‘civilisation’. But if the failing of speculative fiction is continue colonial story-cycles, its promise is to overcome them. For in imagining new worlds it is possible to discard old ideas and to confront the evils of colonialism in new contexts, free of the preconceptions that hinder understanding.

My ancestors taught me to look to the future. They always spoke hopefully of a better world in the worst of times and circumstances, gazing through time to the point when the injustices that dominated so much of their existence were a thing of the past. We do not yet live in that world - as was reported by the UN’s State of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples report, Indigenous peoples across the globe continue to be subjected to discrimination and live in conditions of extreme disadvantage. But my ancestors never did lay down their hope; they passed it on to be carried by those of us who came after them.

I am a writer of Indigenous Futurisms, which is to say, I am one of the many Indigenous peoples worldwide who hopes for a just world.


Giveaway - 2 sets of the trilogy (AU only)

And now thanks to Walker Books Australia, I'm giving away two sets of the trilogy with all three books to a couple of lucky Australian winners!

14 comments :

  1. I've absolutely adored reading all these guest posts - they're so interesting and informative, too. I'm glad you ended up liking the series after a rocky start - there are certainly no other dystopians like them.

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    1. They are definitely unique - it's so good to have something that breaks the mould of the 'factions/districts' type of dystopian setting.

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  2. Australian YA IMO is amazing because of unimaginably long list of things, but one of my favourite things about it is the "natural" diversity that usually accompanies it. In books that are set in American high schools - i.e. pretty much every YA book ever - there are normally an abundance of stereotypes - jocks, cheerleaders, nerds etc. But Aussie YA never - in my experience - has that. Probably because we are like that in RL, but I simply love that. No one wants to read about stereotypes all the time. We want diversity!

    P.S. I love this guest post! I've never even heard of this specfiic genre before so I'm keen to try it out. :)

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    1. What a great point Rachel - it's so true that Australian YA has a diverse nature to it and stands out.

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  3. Wonderful post! This sounds like a really interesting series and I love how diverse it sounds! We need more Indigenous representation, so I'm glad these books exist. Hopefully there'll be lots more to come in the future. Also: I love that OzYA offers this unflinching, honest look at what life is like for Australian young adults.

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    1. Thanks Rebecca! It's good to see Indigenous culture represented in some way in fiction. Australian YA definitely has that hard-hitting, edgy quality to it which really makes you think. Thanks for stopping by :)

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  4. Great guest post from Ambelin. I have enjoyed each one she has written, they are very interesting. I love this series and would love to to read more like it. Great review.

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    1. I'd love to read more like it as well - we need more post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels that are refreshingly different! :)

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  5. It seems like the first book was more of an introductory one where the plot got a kickstart and the world was set up, but the other two books were a whole lot more enjoyable. I am glad that they were!

    My recent post: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2015/09/nails-extravaganza-girl-meets-boy.html

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    1. Yes, it did seem to play out that way - it's definitely worth continuing on with the series and I ended up enjoying it :)

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  6. I adore this series! It deserves way more attention than it gets.
    And I agree, the series does get better as it goes. I did love the first one, but the series most definitely improved as it went on.

    I'm loving these guest posts from Ambelin. So interesting.

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    1. I agree - it definitely should get more recognition! It's always great to see what authors themselves have to say about their books/the genre they write in - I really loved her post too :)

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  7. I've seen this series floating around the blogosphere, but hadn't really known what they were about. Now that I do, it seems like I have to read them. The storyline sounds amazing, and the fact that there is Indigenous representation written by an Indigenous author is so, so wonderful. We need more of this in Australia, and the publishing world in general.

    And the fact that it turns spec fic on its head is beyond amazing.

    As for your giveaway question: I love Aussie YA because it is so much more relateable than US or UK YA fiction. Even though the themes of YA books can be universal, the Australian experience of growing up can differ SO MUCH from that of other countries. So I love seeing my YA years accurately represented in YA ^.^

    Great review, lovely! <3

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    1. So true Chiara - Australian YA is unique to our country and culture, and that's something which we can all relate to just that little bit more. I hope you get to reading this series at some point :)

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Feel free to leave a comment below - I love reading them!