We Speak Through the Mountain

The Annual Migration of Clouds #2

by Premee Mohamed, Eva Tavares (Narrator)

The enlivening follow-up to the award-winning sensation The Annual Migration of Clouds Traveling alone through the climate-crisis-ravaged wilds of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, 19-year-old Reid Graham battles the elements and her lifelong chronic illness to reach the utopia of Howse University. But life in one of the storied “domes” ― the last remnants of pre-collapse society ― isn’t what she expected. Reid tries to excel in her classes and make connections with other students, but still grapples with guilt over what happened just before she left her community. And as she learns more about life at Howse, she begins to realize she can’t stand idly by as the people of the dome purposely withhold needed resources from the rest of humanity. When the worst of news comes from back home, Reid must make a choice between herself, her family, and the broken new world. In this powerful follow-up to her award-winning novella The Annual Migration of Clouds , Premee Mohamed is at the top of her game as she explores the conflicts and complexities of this post-apocalyptic society and asks whether humanity is doomed to forever recreate its worst mistakes.

Genres: Science Fiction, Novella, Audiobook, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Canada

5 pages, Audible Audio

First published June 18, 2024

About the author

Premee Mohamed is a Nebula award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She is an Assistant Editor at the short fiction audio venue Escape Pod and the author of the 'Beneath the Rising' series of novels as well as several novellas. Her short fiction has appeared in many venues and she can be found on Twitter at @premeesaurus and on her website at www.premeemohamed.com.

Reviews

[Hannah (hngisreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looooved this sequel sm!!!! I can’t wait for the next!!!!!

And while I’m thinking about it… fuck you Elon Musk!!!!

[Me, My Shelf, & I · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds is even more stunning than the first.

What Came Before:
Post-apocalyptic, Canadian-based scifi-- this is climate fiction that takes place after the downfall of our current society.

In the first novella we became acquainted with the desperation of those living on the fringes and the lengths they go to to survive, as well as the fungal/parasitic/symbiont/antagonistic/often lethal entity known colloquially as "Cad" that resides in 20-100% of the human population.

Where We Start:
Now, having battled through hell -and putting all her faith in the chance that it truly exists- Reid has finally made it to Howse... only it both is and isn't the utopia she always imagined.

Scifi:
Not gonna lie, the descriptions of this world and the environment she has to adapt to greatly reminded me of the 2005 film The Island. Monochromatic clothing in which everyone looks the same, high technology, isolation from the rest of a post-apocalyptic world, and a sense of fragility and atrophy that comes from being so overly protected from the outside are all present and accounted for.

Themes:
But what most engaged me was the dichotomy between the more Capitalistic mindset of the haves and the more Socialist mindset of the have-nots; the way that the two butt heads because the core of their knowledge is so greatly different from one another that they're having completely parallel conversations. Without agreeing on the truths of the fundamentals, how can they ever convey their arguments and see eye to eye?

What Comes Next:
Based on that ending I imagine that this will not be the last in the series-- there is more of Reid's story still to be told. But I really loved this one and can't wait to read the next installment.

Note: I think you could mostly understand through context clues the major plot beats of the novella that preceded this one and read this as a standalone, but the most emotional depth will come from having read both chronologically.

Side note: How cute are those whiskeyjacks on the cover? Apparently they're an adorable (and sneaky, thieving, devious) corvid species native to Canada (and part of the story!).

Thank you to ECW and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions and corvid research are my own.

Audiobook Notes:
I enjoyed this audiobook, and especially how the narrator voiced the accent discrepancies as the main character was realizing them between herself and the Howse kids.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point I will read anything by this author. We Speak Through the Mountain is a riveting followup to the dystopian sci-fi novella The Annual Migration of Clouds. In this novella, we follow Reid as she travels to the supposedly utopian university she has been accepted into. But while they have medication to stop the semi-sentient fungus slowly taking over her body, and resources for anything they might need, she is facing the fact that they stay locked away. Never helping the outside world, never seeing the suffering that people outside their borders experience. And Reid has difficult to choices to make. It's beautifully written and I couldn't put it down. It also feels very timely. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Kaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The first half was great, but I felt like the ending was rushed, without enough set up for it to feel believable and to connect the dots for the reveals. Still, an interesting continued exploration of the world laid out in The Annual Migration of Clouds.

[Chadia Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoy the writing, but the plot was very generic. I liked the first book more.

[Jassmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first book - in my opinion - but I enjoyed myself. Can't wait for the third book to come out!

Review later

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As intriguing as the first novella, but with a mismatch between action and... philosophizing. I still want to know how Reid fares on her journey so bring on the third installment. 

[Ai Jiang]

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

What I love most about Premee Mohamed’s work is the beautiful writing, interiority, and emotions. WE SPEAK THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN highlights themes of a dying world, and within it, the unequal access of information and its censorship. There is a focus a community that reaches only for the future while suppressing the past. Mohamed explores the idea of how it is a privilege to unsee, unfeel, unhear violence and disaster, to bask in comfort and forget there had ever been pain, of wanting change but not having the power to make it happen. And raises the question: Does comfort, safety, stability, make us weak?

Yet, the novella offers the hope that small scale change, starting first at the individual level, eventually builds—ripples becoming waves. That even in darkest moments, there are those who show us hope and compassion, and those are the ones we desperately hold onto, hoping that this is the difference we are looking for, that these are the people who can help change the world. At its core, the story is suggesting that humans are made for community and sometimes a helping hand can go a long way. We cannot do everything alone.

A bleak yet hopeful story that will be sure to rekindle hope in those who might be feeling powerless.

[Runalong · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent sequel to an excellent book this time in a utopia exploring the power of knowledge and what that means for those with power and those without. Very impressive and thoughtful

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Ziggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐ pour la suite des aventures de Reid rencontrée dans le premier tome "La migration annuelle des nuages". Ce tome-ci nous raconte la vie de Reid dans l'université qu'elle a fini par rejoindre. Dans ce nouvel environnement, il y a peu d'interactions humaines, mais le confort est important, on mange à sa faim, l'eau est à disposition et des traitements sont donnés pour éradiquer le Cad, le parasite présent dans le corps de Reid. Pourtant celle-ci pressent le ver, vous savez, celui qui creuse la pomme... Il y a quelque chose de pourri dans ce nouveau monde...
Pourtant plus dynamique que le premier tome, j'ai moins aimé ce second opus, moins profond et moins original que son prédécesseur. Reste la plume de Premee Mohamed, toujours aussi fluide et agréable à lire. Y aura-t-il une suite, la question peut se poser, tant la fin reste ouverte.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Speak Through the Mountain was a great follow up to The Annual Migration of Clouds. I enjoyed following Reid again as she journeyed to and resided at university. The way the story explores what it means to be part of a community, what it means to be a friend, the significance of treatment vs cure when treatment ties you to a place that's away from your family and community, and the complexities of disability/chronic illness are compelling and thought-provoking. I did find myself wishing it was longer, but I still enjoyed it as is. I'm looking forward to reading the final installation when it's released this fall.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reid is picked up by University personnel after a difficult trip on bicycle. They treat her injuries, then offer her a course of treatment to send her fungal parasite into remission. Of course Reid immediately accepts, but is also angry that the people of the Dome never shared this lifesaving drug to anyone outside the done.

Reid meets Clementine, another recently arrived student, and Cad survivor. Both bond over their similarities, and differences between them and the longtime residents of the Dome, such as their fellow students, who regard the outsiders as “you people”, and cannot understand Reid’s concerns about the bounty here, versus the scarcity everywhere else.

The clash of worldviews highlights just how privileged the people of the Dome are, and how lucky they are to be able to not think about the short, terrible lives of those on the outside.

I love the parallels Reid draws between the unwillingness of the insiders to answer certain questions and the situation in Strawberry’s nightmare of a warren in “Watership Down”. There is certainly a reluctance to engage, or even contemplate, life elsewhere, in the both the Dome and the warren.

At the same time, Reid is not utterly alone in her concerns. She connects with a fellow student, who, though his experiences are utterly different from hers, shows a willingness to listen and engage. This indicates that there is the possibility for hope, and maybe even a tiny chance for a positive change for settlements like those of Reid's people.

The ending easily points to more adventures for Reid in this dystopian land from author Premee Mohamed, and I for one an eager to find out what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

So so so so SO good, but ohmygosh these cliffhangers are slaying me. Minor spoilers for the first book to follow:

In this sequel to the *wonderful* (and, I fear, under-read) The Annual Migration of Clouds, we pick up right where that novella left off, with our MC Reid headed out into the post-apocalyptic wilds in hopes of attending this university? to which she's been accepted. The self-styled universities, if they're what they claim to be, are the descendants of the rich and privileged who hid themselves in secret domes and hoarded resources while the rest of the world went out in not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper style. Their locations are still kept super-secret, and it's clear from the invitation Reid received that the inhabitants of the domes are living in an absurdly different era when it comes to technology. If they were so happy to wall themselves off, why do they accept a very few student applicants from "out there" (implied shudder) every year?

Lots of mysteries afoot. This 2nd installment answers some and raises more. Cannot WAIT for the next one!

I received a digital ARC from ECW Press and Netgalley and am grateful, but honestly, it was just a case of laying hands on it sooner. As soon as I finished The Annual Migration of Clouds, there was no chance I wasn't reading We Speak Through the Mountain. As always, my views are my own.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read We Speak Through the Mountain by Premee Mohamed ever since it was announced that there would be a sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds. You definitely need to read that one before reading this one. It’s a great follow up to learn about Reid’s journey to the university and her experiences there. I loved the post apocalyptic Alberta setting. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator Eva Tavares was excellent. I can’t wait for the third book in this series and I hardly ever read series!

Thank you to ECW Press for my gifted review copy!

[Yuyine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ce qui se dit par la montagne est une suite tout aussi formidable que son tome précédent. On retrouve la plume formidable de son autrice ainsi que ses questionnements particulièrement pertinents sur la question du libre arbitre et de l’injustice. Reid est une héroïne formidable qu’on prend grand plaisir à voir évoluer. On ressent et on comprend parfaitement la rage qui l’anime et elle nous inspire à changer le monde. Coup de cœur.

Critique complète sur yuyine.be!

[Feliciana · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Speak Through the Mountain is a great follow up to the Annual Migration of Clouds. This picks up with Reid traveling through the mountains to make it to Howse University. I would describe this as a climate dystopian series with examinations of the collective vs the individual. I assume based on the ending that there will be a book 3, which I will definitely be on the look out for.

Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ceinwen Langley]

I enjoy Premee Mohamed, and I really enjoy novella series. Looking forward to seeing where this goes next...

[Karley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just wish this was a little bit longer! I wanted less time jumps and more of Reid’s experiences at Howse, but I still really enjoyed this and will read the next one!

[Robert Bridgewater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since its short, they're some things that feel like they weren't fleshed out well enough.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished "We Speak Through The Mountain". I was glad I had this on hand to get into right after I finished the first one. This one follows Reid as she makes her way to Howse University where only a handful of students are picked to attend each year. She is torn between leaving her community and learning skills to help her in the future.
She compares her group to the Morlocks in The Time Machine and feels like an outsider.
Even though this book is set it a destroyed future landscape, it has many parallels to our work today.

[Mabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following on directly from the end of the first book, we see Reid make her way towards the University and begin her studies there. Similarly to the first book, the plot is relatively minimal, and the focus is primarily on Reid's thoughts surrounding the cultural differences between the students coming from further afield and those who have always lived in the relative comfort of the University town, and the question of whether the University has a moral obligation to aid nearby communities and share knowledge and resources.

While I enjoyed this book as much as the first, I gave a lower rating because I felt that this one ended before the plot had concluded. The first novella left off at the right point for the series to continue, but still had its own self-contained story. Whereas We Speak Through the Mountain started strongly, introduced a conflict and potential mystery to uncover, but then ended before any conclusions could be drawn or any answers were provided. I have no doubt that the plot points will be addressed in the next book in the series, but really it feels like this was only the first half of a book, rather than a full novella.

Thank you to ECW Press who provided me with an eARC through Netgalley.

[kavreb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels a bit more YA than the previous one, which in my book is not a positive, but Mohamed hasn't lost what made the first book such an interesting specimen - realistic characters grappling with a timely enemy in the form of ecological collapse and, now as well, class inequality.

When in the first book it was clear there are some people who have hidden themselves away in their little paradises to sail in comfort into post-apocalypse, here our lead finds herself closer to them than she ever expected.

Closer, but not quite there, because if anything the people in this book, even if sheltered, are not the ultra-rich, but just better off, and quite content to be insulated in their considerably higher quality of life, because even if they're not the ultra-rich, they still lead lives that don't much care for those worse off, and certainly don't try to help them.

So pretty close to the situation of most people reading this book.

The way the lead goes about it does feel a bit melodramatic, and the ending of the novella feels even more sudden than that of the first one, but by now it's pretty much clear Mohamed is either building towards something bigger, or just doesn't have much story to tell.

Because essentially, these novellas are more about the world Mohamed has come up with, and what the discoveries the lead makes tell us about our world and humanity, but not really about the characters or the narrative. The characters’ relationships with each other are less important for the plot and drama, and more for what it means for this world.

Which is not to say there isn't any excitement or character drama or juicy twists, it just feels a bit less involved than the book’s setting.

But whatever my criticism (or even grade), I enjoyed the novella and I'm looking forward to where Mohamed is leading her story. The skill with which she has constructed her world is undeniable, and I'm very much in agreement with the worries she has for our world.

Plus I guess that a tiny part of me even wants to see what boy she’ll pick in the grand old YA tradition. Personally, I'm pulling for the girl.

[Nora Suntken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book in this series almost three years ago while surreptitiously resting my kindle on the keyboard at the few stations at work. I’d been fresh out of my mycology course and was fascinated by “cad” and Premee Mohamed’s craft. This sequel, however, surpassed its predecessor in about a million and one ways. I loved Reid’s character here and the earnestness of her classmates. The climate fictions aspects of this felt very real with the tremendous disparity between the average person and the Howse students. The environment here felt so real and Reid’s emotions were conveyed so elegantly that I felt angry and excited and sad right alongside her. The science here was, once again, so very interesting with the complexities of the intricacies of cad and Reid’s struggle with being apart from something (and other many things) for the first time in her life. I am desperately hoping we get another book in this series as I can’t wait to see what happens to Reid—and Clementine and St. Martin—after the events of this novella.

[Jay Brantner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like the first in the duology, the arc of this book points toward stepping out in a firm decision more than to any firm results. But also like the first book in the duology, the main character is leaning pretty hard in that direction when the story starts. So the book itself is more about firming up a decision, via episodes in the life of the character.

Instead of scraping out an existence in a postapocalyptic commune, this time the slices of life are about going into a privileged enclave that refuses to share their resources, and a combination of culture shock and moral approbation. The cultural aspects are done very well; if they make villains of the enclave, well, that’s not much of a surprise. And the sentence-level prose is good, as Mohamed’s always is. It’s just a bit of an oddly-shaped story, heavily focused on a theme but acting like it’s focused on a plot that just doesn’t go anywhere surprising. Generally a good read, bound to appeal to those who liked the first.

First impression: 15/20. Full review to come www.tarvolon.com

[Emms-hiatus(ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough follow up. I was disappointed at most of the decisions the fmc makes. While I enjoyed her thoughts and emotions as she discovers things - I feel like being more stealthy and working the system would’ve actually gained her the things she wanted. Being brash, antagonistic, and reckless just doesn’t come off as realistic if you really want to change the world 🤷‍♀️

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.

Continuing the story from the first book, We Speak Though the Mountain is a lyrical, contemplative dive into the bands we form in crisis and the lure of protection.

Like the last book, this story follows Reid, but now she’s made it to Howse University. While the previous book was wholly post-apocalyptic, this book focuses on a place that exists in a protective bubble within the outer wasteland. Reid is forced to wrestle with not only her disease but the new challenge of being considered lesser in a society that’s never really known hardship.

This book diverges from the first thematically, in that its focus is on disparity. The Howse students have grown up in a zone with technology and food and security, and don't understand why Reid is concerned with what she sees as hoarding when others are suffering. They also have very much a “turn away” mentality to problems outside of their own, which Reid also has trouble reconciling. Reid has to balance her frustrations with this system and her gratitude for the opportunity to be part of a place where she doesn’t have to worry about her current meal potentially being her last. In a way, it’s critiquing our world today from not only an income disparity perspective but a colonialist and sustainability view, especially in the vein of climate change.

The book also touches on the loss of knowledge, how we are losing touch with how to do things today, things that should be simple, like building a fence. Yet, of course, this does contradict the idea that our goal with technological progress is that we don’t need to know these things, that instead of spending days building a fence we can have a robot do it and we can thus spend that time on, for example, artist pursuits, but at the same time, have we lost a sort of critical, practical way of thinking? It’s complex, and this book is more of a jumping-off point than a deep dive into any of these things, but, still, it spurs discussion.

The writing is lovely, just like the first book, and Reid, while she does change a bit, stays true to herself and her character.

There’s also a fantastic part about an elk that exemplifies what it’s like to really connect with nature, in the sense of recognizing that we, as humans, really are not as powerful as we think, especially those of us who lives in cities and rarely, or never, experience the raw outdoors.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this novella and hope there will be a third!

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to ECW Press and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

We Speak Through the Mountains is the sequel to The Annual Migration of Clouds. In this story Reid is travelling to Howse University. Unfortunately she got a very bad infection from the pig bite and becomes a little delirious. The Howse University spots her through her tracker and pick her up nonetheless.

Reid isn't sure what to think of the university. It seems like an utopia. But all she sees are resources and cures that the people outside of the dome could use. These aren't being shared however. The history of things are apparently also off limits. This tickles Reid the wrong way.

I loved following along Reids story, even more in this installment. Meeting the other students, and especially her roommate. There is a clear cultural difference between those who come from outside the dome and those that grew up in the dome. The students are mixed which shows their differences even more.

The dome has a lot of privileges compared to those outside it. They have electricity, they have processed food, they have something that holds off CAD. It has to feel incredibly unfair to those that come from outside of the dome. Yet they aren't allowed to share anything with the people they left behind.

The people in the dome aren't evil. They are still working towards things, things that are meant to improve the world again. But they have been living too long in their own little bubble, and can't see outside of that. They keep working further when the people outside of the dome need help now.

It is a really interesting story and the ending clearly suggests that there will be at least one more. I hope that there will be more than just one more as there is a lot left to discover in this world and with these characters.

[BethFishReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in a dystopian series set in Canada and begins almost immediately after the first book ended.

At the end of the first book, Reid left her mother and settlement behind after accepting an invitation to study at university. This novel starts as she is making her own way to the campus, which involves an arduous trip alone in the wilderness. All Reid knows about her destination is that no one who has ever left for the school has ever returned.

Coming from a world with limited and diminishing resources, Reid is overwhelmed with the university's technology, medicine, food, clothes, and housing. But once she settles in, she begins to suspect that things are not what they seem.

When she learns her mother is sick and will likely die, Reid is given permission to return to her home village to say her goodbyes. Before she leaves, she steals medical supplies that will ease her mother's last days. When she is caught, Reid essentially escapes, telling her few friends that she'll return.

Mohamed offers a unique twist to climate dystopian novels (a parasitic disease) but also relies on familiar tropes: the privileged have everything and have isolated themselves from the people outside, the privileged invite others into their community for specific reasons, the privileged really don't care what happens to the outsiders.

I liked the first book better, but this installment held my interest. The novel ends with the promise of a followup. I'm curious enough about Reid's fate to pick up the next installment, but the series isn't a must-read for me.

The audiobook was read by Eva Tavares, who narrated the first book. She does a good job with Reid's emotions and with the action scenes.

Thanks to ECW press for the review copy.

[Caro Mélu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

J’ai beaucoup aimé ce tome 2 et, tout particulièrement la 1ere partie où l’autrice est capable de nous faire prendre conscience des inégalités et de systèmes de pensées diamétralement opposés en quelques phrases :
« - Qu'au moins certains profitent de la soupe, plutôt que personne. Vous pourriez tirer au sort, non? Pour que ce soit équitable.
- C'est tout le monde ou personne. »
Je suis aussi perplexe qu'elle. On se dévisage un moment. »

Alors si on schématise, je dirais « capitalisme vs marxisme » mais ça va bien au-delà. Disons que la société d’où vient Reid n’a pas le choix, c’est le collectif avant tout si on veut survivre (parce que même comme ça des gens meurent chaque jour). D’ailleurs, l’importance du collectif reste un des thèmes centraux du texte comme nous le prouve la fin…

J’ai trouvé ça aussi intéressant la place que le parasite prend dans l’intrigue… on croit faussement qu’il est en arrière plan alors qu’il reste au cœur du récit.

De nouveau, ce texte dystopique fait tellement écho à notre monde actuel (malgré tout) que c’en est souvent douloureux…

J’ai juste une petite crainte : en lisant le résumé du tome 3, j’ai compris qu’on allait plutôt suivre le meilleur ami de Reid qui part de son côté… j’ai un peu peur qu’on nous laisse sur notre faim concernant le fil narratif de Reid et des dômes.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the follow up to the cli-fi, sci-fi, fungal fiction novella The Annual Migration of Clouds, we follow Reid as she makes her way towards Howse University. The trip was especially grueling but one she initially believes was worth it. She's in awe of just how different, and technologically advanced, things are there. And though it's the first time she's truly felt like an outsider, she doesn't let that stop her from being her naturally curious and exploratory self.

And the curiosity certainly pays off. Reid quickly learns that the rumors weren't far off the mark when she uncovers why it is that no one ever seems to return from this place. Rather than accept things as they are in this strange new utopia, Reid challenges her fellow students to look deeper, to question everything, to refuse to take things at face value.

We Speak Through the Mountain explores the power of inquisitiveness, what it means to have knowledge without the ability or willingness to share it, and the influence one can have over many. Hope and light continue to push against the fear and darkness...

This one ended on a much cliffier cliffhanger, so I fully anticipate at least one more book in the series before this post apocalyptic world is done with us!