Book Review: Obernewtyn (The Obernewtyn Chronicles #1) by Isobelle Carmody

For Elspeth Gordie freedom is-like so much else after the Great White-a memory.

It was a time known as the Age of Chaos. In a final explosive flash everything was destroyed. The few who survived banded together and formed a Council for protection. But people like Elspeth-mysteriously born with powerful mental abilities-are feared by the Council and hunted down like animals...to be destroyed.

Her only hope for survival to is keep her power hidden. But is secrecy enough against the terrible power of the Council?

Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody is the first book in The Obernewtyn Chronicles.  It was first published in 1987, but still holds up today as a well written dystopian novel.  The book starts off a little slow for me, though I'm sure it's hard to build and describe a dystopian world.  Today's books usually start off with more action, but Carmody took her time to give us a true sense of the world.

The story is told in first person narrative.  Quite often that made things more passive.  Instead of relating what was said in exact words, Elspeth will tell us that she told them such and such and they said okay.  I'd rather the actual interaction was played out.  Also, dialects were used in some of the characters speech such as, "Dinna worry 'bout 'er."  That was hard to read. Characters could have been more well rounded, but as it's a series, I hope that happens as the books progress.

The world and storyline were well written.  It helped me to overlook the other minor annoyances and keep me reading.  I do want to know what happens next!

Here are my reviews for some other books in the series:

2.    The Farseekers
3.    Ashling

4.   The Keeping Place

 I give this book 3 Bookworms.