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Darklands #1
Nightpeople
I’ve come a long way to get you. You’re special. More than you realise. A lot of people have been suffering for a long time so you might have a chance to live. Some have even died for it.
Saria has grown up in the secluded valley, Ma Lee her only companion and the old Dreamer Gaardi the only visitor. But that changes when Dariand arrives to take her away. Only now does Saria start to understand how special she is – the last of her kind and the final child of the Darklands. In a dying world, she is the last hope for her people. But how can she fulfil this hope when nobody understands just what it is she must do?
Nightpeople is an outstanding beginning to a new fantasy trilogy from award-winning West Australian author Anthony Eaton. Set in a sparse desert, quarantined because it has been contaminated many years ago by the mysterious Nightpeople, the story explores a future, which although it is fantasy, is frighteningly believable. The landscape, too, will be eerily familiar to many Australian readers.
This is fantasy at its best – a well-woven, absorbing tale with characters that are likeable yet flawed enough to make the story real.
Saria has grown up in the secluded valley, Ma Lee her only companion and the old Dreamer Gaardi the only visitor. But that changes when Dariand arrives to take her away. Only now does Saria start to understand how special she is – the last of her kind and the final child of the Darklands. In a dying world, she is the last hope for her people. But how can she fulfil this hope when nobody understands just what it is she must do?
Nightpeople is an outstanding beginning to a new fantasy trilogy from award-winning West Australian author Anthony Eaton. Set in a sparse desert, quarantined because it has been contaminated many years ago by the mysterious Nightpeople, the story explores a future, which although it is fantasy, is frighteningly believable. The landscape, too, will be eerily familiar to many Australian readers.
This is fantasy at its best – a well-woven, absorbing tale with characters that are likeable yet flawed enough to make the story real.
381 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
10 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Eaton
17 books69 followersBorn in Papua New Guinea in 1972, ANTHONY EATON spent an idyllic childhood growing up in the Perth hills, and on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
He attended High School and University in Perth, and studied a plethora of subjects before settling on a career in Teaching. He worked at Trinity College in Perth as a Literature and Drama teacher for eight years, during which time his first novel, 'The Darkness' was published by the University of Queensland Press. The novel was awarded the 2001 Western Australian Premier’s award for Young Adult Literature, and encouraged Anthony to turn his hand to further writing. In 2005, his historic fiction novel Fireshadow also won the WA premier’s award for Young Adult Literature and was named an honour book in the CBCA Book Of the Year awards.
His most recent book is 'Into White Silence', an historic Gothic novel set in Antarctica at the turn of the century, and dealing with the disappearance of an expedition to reach the pole from the East Coast of the Antarctic Continent. As a part of this, he spent Christmas 2005 at Casey Station in Antarctica as part of the Australian Antarctic Division’s Arts Fellowship programme. In April 2009, 'Into White Silence' was selected as an Honour Book by the Children's Book Council of Australian in the 'Older Readers' category of their annual 'Book of the Year' Awards.
In 2010, Daywards the long-awaited final book of his Darklands Trilogy will be released. He's pleased to finaly have this story out of his head.
He lives in Canberra, with his wife Imogen, son Tobias, and a slightly deranged Kelpie named Chelsea. He is an assistant professor of creative writing and literature studies at the University of Canberra.
He attended High School and University in Perth, and studied a plethora of subjects before settling on a career in Teaching. He worked at Trinity College in Perth as a Literature and Drama teacher for eight years, during which time his first novel, 'The Darkness' was published by the University of Queensland Press. The novel was awarded the 2001 Western Australian Premier’s award for Young Adult Literature, and encouraged Anthony to turn his hand to further writing. In 2005, his historic fiction novel Fireshadow also won the WA premier’s award for Young Adult Literature and was named an honour book in the CBCA Book Of the Year awards.
His most recent book is 'Into White Silence', an historic Gothic novel set in Antarctica at the turn of the century, and dealing with the disappearance of an expedition to reach the pole from the East Coast of the Antarctic Continent. As a part of this, he spent Christmas 2005 at Casey Station in Antarctica as part of the Australian Antarctic Division’s Arts Fellowship programme. In April 2009, 'Into White Silence' was selected as an Honour Book by the Children's Book Council of Australian in the 'Older Readers' category of their annual 'Book of the Year' Awards.
In 2010, Daywards the long-awaited final book of his Darklands Trilogy will be released. He's pleased to finaly have this story out of his head.
He lives in Canberra, with his wife Imogen, son Tobias, and a slightly deranged Kelpie named Chelsea. He is an assistant professor of creative writing and literature studies at the University of Canberra.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 5, 2012
Loved this book. I found it in the YA section of the library when I was trolling for some younger fiction. How long has it been hiding there?!?
This is a good quality fantasy/dystopian novel. It was in the young adult section but I really am not sure why. The protagonist is a child but all of her companions are much older.
Both the plot and the world are built slowly and skillfully as the book progresses. It is a pleasant change to read a book of this genre that does not dump everything into the first chapter. It is pleasant reading a book of this genre that is not a romance novel dressed up as lamb. I loved learning more and more about the characters as the novel progressed.
The writing is simple, perhaps this is why it is in the YA section, however this simplicity added to my enjoyment. I read every word, I neither skimmed nor skipped, nothing seemed wasted. I was never subjected to a description of the colour of the protagonist's hair, or the beauty of her smile. The book just told the story and allowed me to imagine the details.
I am trying very hard not to describe the plot because the author did such a fantastic job of weaving the details throughout the entire book that I don't want to give anything away. I feel just naming the genre has given too much away. It isn't that there were great plot twists, but there was a sense of satisfaction on learning things. The discoveries felt right, as if they were something you had always known. I liked that.
I am so very impressed with this book (have I said that enough yet?). I am so very glad that I borrowed the sequel at the same time (and kudos to the people who wrote 'Book 1' on the cover, all trilogies should be required to do this so that the reader knows!!).
Oh and for all those people who thought The Selection had good cover art (not me)... I want to say that this book has good cover art... my kind of cover art. I could stare at that cover for a long time just imagining the world that Eaton has built.
Oh and (pps?) it is set in a place like Australia... brilliant.
This is a good quality fantasy/dystopian novel. It was in the young adult section but I really am not sure why. The protagonist is a child but all of her companions are much older.
Both the plot and the world are built slowly and skillfully as the book progresses. It is a pleasant change to read a book of this genre that does not dump everything into the first chapter. It is pleasant reading a book of this genre that is not a romance novel dressed up as lamb. I loved learning more and more about the characters as the novel progressed.
The writing is simple, perhaps this is why it is in the YA section, however this simplicity added to my enjoyment. I read every word, I neither skimmed nor skipped, nothing seemed wasted. I was never subjected to a description of the colour of the protagonist's hair, or the beauty of her smile. The book just told the story and allowed me to imagine the details.
I am trying very hard not to describe the plot because the author did such a fantastic job of weaving the details throughout the entire book that I don't want to give anything away. I feel just naming the genre has given too much away. It isn't that there were great plot twists, but there was a sense of satisfaction on learning things. The discoveries felt right, as if they were something you had always known. I liked that.
I am so very impressed with this book (have I said that enough yet?). I am so very glad that I borrowed the sequel at the same time (and kudos to the people who wrote 'Book 1' on the cover, all trilogies should be required to do this so that the reader knows!!).
Oh and for all those people who thought The Selection had good cover art (not me)... I want to say that this book has good cover art... my kind of cover art. I could stare at that cover for a long time just imagining the world that Eaton has built.
Oh and (pps?) it is set in a place like Australia... brilliant.
February 10, 2018
Individually, the title or cover alone would have had me interested. But together? I had to read this!
The story was a bit slow and fairly uneventful... well, maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting. I don't usually care for dystopian books, but like I said -- the title and cover grabbed me. Plus it's Australian, and I love Australia. It was good, but it wasn't un-put-down-able. Still, it interested me enough that I've already borrowed the second book.
I have to mention something that annoyed the hell out of me. I read this ebook through the Overdrive app. I'm not sure how ebooks work, as in I don't know how they are converted from the physical book. What I'm getting at is that this was FULL of punctuation errors. SO MANY. There were a few spelling mistakes, but not enough to bother me. (I had to chuckle when it said A round instead of Around.) There was an appalling amount of missing periods. It was SO weird! I knew there was supposed to be a period because the next word was capitalised, but still. Really weird. In all honesty, if the physical copy was as bad as the ebook, I wouldn't have finished it. It really was that bad.
The story was a bit slow and fairly uneventful... well, maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting. I don't usually care for dystopian books, but like I said -- the title and cover grabbed me. Plus it's Australian, and I love Australia. It was good, but it wasn't un-put-down-able. Still, it interested me enough that I've already borrowed the second book.
I have to mention something that annoyed the hell out of me. I read this ebook through the Overdrive app. I'm not sure how ebooks work, as in I don't know how they are converted from the physical book. What I'm getting at is that this was FULL of punctuation errors. SO MANY. There were a few spelling mistakes, but not enough to bother me. (I had to chuckle when it said A round instead of Around.) There was an appalling amount of missing periods. It was SO weird! I knew there was supposed to be a period because the next word was capitalised, but still. Really weird. In all honesty, if the physical copy was as bad as the ebook, I wouldn't have finished it. It really was that bad.
February 25, 2015
It seems fitting that, after reading an Australian YA book anticipating the end of the world, that I read some post-Apocalyptic YA.
Nightpeople, the first of Tony Eaton's Darklands Trilogy, is set in a desolate wasteland - the Darklands - where the remnants of humanity struggle to survive. Most children are born deformed, with no chance of survival, and those who are born pure are taken away by the mysterious Nightpeople who fly in on their machines when a child is born.
Saria is the last of the Darklanders to be born pure, and hidden away at birth by the Dreamers. Many years later, as a teenager the time has come for her to return to the Darklands, as her people's final hope for survival, as she starts to discover her hidden talents that have been passed on to her by her mother... but there are those who would sell her out to the Nightpeople, as life becomes more desperate for the Darklanders.
This is a compelling work of speculative fiction, creating an evocative vision of Australia in the distant future - indicated by familiar (albeit distorted) place names such as Woormra and Coob. Whilst it draws from numerous tropes of the genre (i.e. Last of her people, mutations from nuclear contamination) it is still distinctly Australian in its landscape, and its characters. Though not overly explicit, themes echo the political issue of Australian's "Stolen Generation" of Indigenous people - a hot topic around the time of the book's publication, further alluded to by drawing from Indigenous spirituality, with Saria's connection to "earthwarmth" and her relationship with the land.
Ultimately, this was a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking read, and I couldn't wait to pick up the second book, "Skyfall".
Nightpeople, the first of Tony Eaton's Darklands Trilogy, is set in a desolate wasteland - the Darklands - where the remnants of humanity struggle to survive. Most children are born deformed, with no chance of survival, and those who are born pure are taken away by the mysterious Nightpeople who fly in on their machines when a child is born.
Saria is the last of the Darklanders to be born pure, and hidden away at birth by the Dreamers. Many years later, as a teenager the time has come for her to return to the Darklands, as her people's final hope for survival, as she starts to discover her hidden talents that have been passed on to her by her mother... but there are those who would sell her out to the Nightpeople, as life becomes more desperate for the Darklanders.
This is a compelling work of speculative fiction, creating an evocative vision of Australia in the distant future - indicated by familiar (albeit distorted) place names such as Woormra and Coob. Whilst it draws from numerous tropes of the genre (i.e. Last of her people, mutations from nuclear contamination) it is still distinctly Australian in its landscape, and its characters. Though not overly explicit, themes echo the political issue of Australian's "Stolen Generation" of Indigenous people - a hot topic around the time of the book's publication, further alluded to by drawing from Indigenous spirituality, with Saria's connection to "earthwarmth" and her relationship with the land.
Ultimately, this was a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking read, and I couldn't wait to pick up the second book, "Skyfall".
December 15, 2011
First up, Nightpeople was amazing. It was sad, haunting, 'eerily familiar', and it reminded me of what might happen in the future if we don't protect the environment and conserve our energy sources. The story was extremely well written, but the plot was a bit...meh. I pretty much guessed what happened, but there was one unexpected twist in the end about Saria's mother that I wouldn't have guessed.
The characterisation was really, really good. Saria was thoroughly believable, and so was Dariand, although he was a bit annoying at times--he's the sort of character that you love and hate at the same time. There was a point in the story when I wasn't sure whether Dariand was a good or a bad guy, and I loved how Anthony Eaton didn't tell us, straight out.
I also enjoyed the mystery of the Nightpeople. While Dariand and Saria have to duck or hide every time the Nightpeople patrol the Darklands, in the end when Saria is willingly taken by the Nightpeople, they don't seem quite so bad. I'll find out more about that in the next book.
Saria being able to enter someone else's mind and even 'reach' into the Earth is really intriguing, and I look forward to reading more. There was so much left untold in Nightpeople, but I guess that is a good thing, since Eaton will have to keep us interested for another two books.
The characterisation was really, really good. Saria was thoroughly believable, and so was Dariand, although he was a bit annoying at times--he's the sort of character that you love and hate at the same time. There was a point in the story when I wasn't sure whether Dariand was a good or a bad guy, and I loved how Anthony Eaton didn't tell us, straight out.
I also enjoyed the mystery of the Nightpeople. While Dariand and Saria have to duck or hide every time the Nightpeople patrol the Darklands, in the end when Saria is willingly taken by the Nightpeople, they don't seem quite so bad. I'll find out more about that in the next book.
Saria being able to enter someone else's mind and even 'reach' into the Earth is really intriguing, and I look forward to reading more. There was so much left untold in Nightpeople, but I guess that is a good thing, since Eaton will have to keep us interested for another two books.
August 2, 2009
4.5 stars (It would be 5, but I loathe the "wait, we're just starting!" trick at the end of first books of trilogies. Yeah, yeah, I know. But I'm taking off .5 of a star anyway.)
WOW! Seriously, I knew this book was going to blow me away when I reached page 12 (end of the prologue) and literally had to stop to catch my breath.
This may well be the most original post-apocalyptic story I have ever read. Not to mention breathtakingly powerful.
My only regret is that I didn't also take book #2 with me when I went to my parents' place this weekend, and I'm unlikely to have time to read it before NEXT weekend.
Also, book three has not yet been published. This could be a problem . . .
WOW! Seriously, I knew this book was going to blow me away when I reached page 12 (end of the prologue) and literally had to stop to catch my breath.
This may well be the most original post-apocalyptic story I have ever read. Not to mention breathtakingly powerful.
My only regret is that I didn't also take book #2 with me when I went to my parents' place this weekend, and I'm unlikely to have time to read it before NEXT weekend.
Also, book three has not yet been published. This could be a problem . . .
March 18, 2010
This book is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Eaton does a wonderful job of restricting the readers point of view so that you have some idea of what might be going on but are still mystified somewhat like the characters you are reading about.
Since I don't have the 2nd book yet I was a little annoyed that there wasn't a little more revelation at the end of this book. Even though this book is almost 400 pages it felt very short.
Since I don't have the 2nd book yet I was a little annoyed that there wasn't a little more revelation at the end of this book. Even though this book is almost 400 pages it felt very short.
June 3, 2010
I picked this book up randomly in an airport wanting a good read, and this is what i got!! A fascinating read, easy, and a great concept. More of a teenage read, but an awesome creative escape!
The story of a future our children's children may encounter, strangely, it seems realistic in a crazy kind of way. It was great to read a story that was based on Australian landscapes, and mostly around Perth too. It made the scene more easy to imagine and even more real for me.
The story of a future our children's children may encounter, strangely, it seems realistic in a crazy kind of way. It was great to read a story that was based on Australian landscapes, and mostly around Perth too. It made the scene more easy to imagine and even more real for me.
May 6, 2010
May have done a happy dance hen I realised this was set in Australia :P Great si-fi novel, kept me guessing as its one of those books that only tells you what you need to know at the time and everything else is in the dark.
May 18, 2015
Can't give a proper rating, didn't finishhhh
January 26, 2020
A post apocalyptic world ,a dying planet and people struggling to survive, it's a nicely written book . The story is steady paced, the plot is nicely revealed by the neat clear narration. The characters are nice, I like the protagonist, she's not a clueless girl who has power on account of a prophecy, the author gives the sense that a powerful girl who's growing everyday to prove said prophecy right. I also like the way he's portrayed how adversity can push people to do brave things or extremely cruel things depending on their inherent nature, the mob-mentality is also portrayed nicely. Worth a read.
November 15, 2020
I didn't realise until I started reading it that this was a YA novel. I like YA so no dramas. This book is very slow going and took me a while to read because I didn't find it very engaging. I might read another in the series if I happened across it, but I won't be actively seeking them out.
Given that the book is basically about how remote Aboriginal communities surrounding a mining site got completely effed when something went wrong and the author uses traditional beliefs in the plot of his book, maybe a shout out to the traditional land owners of the area, either before or after the start or end of the book, wouldn't have gone amiss. Even an acknowledgement of country.
Given that the book is basically about how remote Aboriginal communities surrounding a mining site got completely effed when something went wrong and the author uses traditional beliefs in the plot of his book, maybe a shout out to the traditional land owners of the area, either before or after the start or end of the book, wouldn't have gone amiss. Even an acknowledgement of country.
June 15, 2018
Unfortunately this one didn't make it to the end, just not the right read for me at the moment... while the concepts were a fascinating mix of sci-fi, fantasy and drama, and the setting was hauntingly familiar, I wasn't drawn into the story of Saria - last child of the Darklands. Perhaps will try read again one day, as the author's work had shadows of oppression of indigenous people/environmental destruction, which are important themes to weave into an Australian futuristic novel.
April 15, 2019
I had a lot of down time on a trip when reading this and finished in just a few days. Otherwise, I might have felt that it was taking to long to get deep into some of the characters. It did hold my attention as I enjoy apocalyptic dystopian stories, but this one seemed to use a lot of pages repeating itself before getting to the real meat of things. I will probably still read the next book, even though the storyline is a bit predictable.
January 13, 2021
Enjoyed this book a lot more than expected. Picked it up from a free library.
Had enough mystery left by the end I decided to go to the second one.
Like the characters and the pacing in this one. And how it sets up the world for us. Could also tell it was written by an Australian from a km away. Has certain writing qualities that make it a dead give away.
Would recommend for anyone whose into scifi with a hint of old world magic and post apocalyptic seasoning.
Had enough mystery left by the end I decided to go to the second one.
Like the characters and the pacing in this one. And how it sets up the world for us. Could also tell it was written by an Australian from a km away. Has certain writing qualities that make it a dead give away.
Would recommend for anyone whose into scifi with a hint of old world magic and post apocalyptic seasoning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2022
I read this for the first time as child, actually probably around the time it came out.
This book sparked helped spark my love of reading and sci fi, and helped shape my view of the world. I cant recommend it enough for young readers.
This book sparked helped spark my love of reading and sci fi, and helped shape my view of the world. I cant recommend it enough for young readers.
May 24, 2023
I was bored reading this book that my eyes moved yet I read nothing. I was making better scenarios in my head while my eyes moved.
Idk if it has potential or not, maybe I didn’t get to the exciting bit yet. But I’ll rather not waste my time.
Idk if it has potential or not, maybe I didn’t get to the exciting bit yet. But I’ll rather not waste my time.
January 5, 2018
Probably a 3.5
January 29, 2024
This book series would benefit from cultural sensitivity readers
June 12, 2010
I was inclined to read ‘Nightpeople’, the first novel in Anthony Eaton’s Darklands trilogy, because I would be going to a workshop run by him at the Sydney Writers Festival. To tell you the truth, I hadn’t heard of Anthony Eaton before and wasn’t really sure what to expect from one of his books. I found myself browsing the library and under his name found a variety of books from several different genres, by was ultimately drawn to his fantasy novels.
Nightpeople is set in a dystopic version of what is very similarly described as an ‘Australian desert landscape’. The surroundings are desolate, sandy and full of Australian fauna such as lizards and wild dogs. It is the people, however, that set this novel apart from the country many of us call home today.
The novel is written mainly from the perspective of Saria, who is taken from everything she knows out into a world she has never seen, and told that she has a destiny to fulfill, and she cannot know anything about it.
The premise of this books was interesting, but I just couldn’t get into it. At times, I wanted to put it down because there just wasn’t enough happening to hold my interest. The concept was interesting, as was Saria’s ability to slip into the minds of animals. I have always wanted to see the world from my dogs’ eyes, and Saria got to do just that!
Quite a lot of the plot is left unexplained, obviously leading up to the other two books in the series, titled ‘Sky Fall’ and ‘Daywards’, though I found this a little annoying as very little is revealed in the book, though there are a few plot twists that I guessed, though that’s not really unusual.
The characters were interesting, and each was different, though I found myself having a mixed bag of reactions towards one of the main characters, Dariand. One minute I hated him, the next I didn’t mind him, the next I hated him again. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to think.
I apologise for my short review, but it has been a while since I read this and I hadn’t been able to get to the review until now – oh, and stupid me didn’t take notes while I was reading this one! So I’m going to stop now before I start babbling about something that didn’t actually happen.
Nightpeople was an alright book, though it didn’t grab me as I had hoped it would. It had interesting ideas backing it, though not much was revealed in this first installment. I will eventually get around to finishing the series, but not just yet. The reason I am only giving Nightpeople the rating that it got is not because it was a bad book overall, but it just didn’t grab me personally. Who knows, it might be your type of book…but it wasn’t really mine.
Nightpeople is set in a dystopic version of what is very similarly described as an ‘Australian desert landscape’. The surroundings are desolate, sandy and full of Australian fauna such as lizards and wild dogs. It is the people, however, that set this novel apart from the country many of us call home today.
The novel is written mainly from the perspective of Saria, who is taken from everything she knows out into a world she has never seen, and told that she has a destiny to fulfill, and she cannot know anything about it.
The premise of this books was interesting, but I just couldn’t get into it. At times, I wanted to put it down because there just wasn’t enough happening to hold my interest. The concept was interesting, as was Saria’s ability to slip into the minds of animals. I have always wanted to see the world from my dogs’ eyes, and Saria got to do just that!
Quite a lot of the plot is left unexplained, obviously leading up to the other two books in the series, titled ‘Sky Fall’ and ‘Daywards’, though I found this a little annoying as very little is revealed in the book, though there are a few plot twists that I guessed, though that’s not really unusual.
The characters were interesting, and each was different, though I found myself having a mixed bag of reactions towards one of the main characters, Dariand. One minute I hated him, the next I didn’t mind him, the next I hated him again. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to think.
I apologise for my short review, but it has been a while since I read this and I hadn’t been able to get to the review until now – oh, and stupid me didn’t take notes while I was reading this one! So I’m going to stop now before I start babbling about something that didn’t actually happen.
Nightpeople was an alright book, though it didn’t grab me as I had hoped it would. It had interesting ideas backing it, though not much was revealed in this first installment. I will eventually get around to finishing the series, but not just yet. The reason I am only giving Nightpeople the rating that it got is not because it was a bad book overall, but it just didn’t grab me personally. Who knows, it might be your type of book…but it wasn’t really mine.
November 16, 2015
Time & Place of the story:
Post-apocalyptic world. A desert environment with distinct boarders and what lies beyond these is unknown. The people left have dispersed into villages which are poverty stricken. Even though it is never fully revealed, the history we learn of the place hints at a nuclear type accident.
Main Character (description, challenges, changes):
Saria – the last of her kind, the final child of the Darklands. throughout the novel She must survive unseen by the Nightpeople and realise her power and potential to the Darklands.
She learns that the she plays an important role in any future for the people of the Darklands. She must learn to let go of selfish notions and surrender her fate to that of the Darklands.
Plot action & summary:
Births are rare and survival of healthy baby rarer still. Healthy babies are taken by the Nightpeople.
One healthy baby is hidden and raised in a secret valley. The story centres on her journey back to her village and learning of the past which has shaped the place and people.
Author’s point:
There is a strong environmental message – a theme of “listening” to nature and working with the earth as opposed to plundering it for our own needs.
There is a fundamental belief in citizenship that what we contribut is more important than any of our talents or individual needs.
Personal Opinion:
A good read. Opening is excellent. then the plot development is a little slow – not a page turner. Good character development and I was hooked by the end. Keen to read the next in the series.
Post-apocalyptic world. A desert environment with distinct boarders and what lies beyond these is unknown. The people left have dispersed into villages which are poverty stricken. Even though it is never fully revealed, the history we learn of the place hints at a nuclear type accident.
Main Character (description, challenges, changes):
Saria – the last of her kind, the final child of the Darklands. throughout the novel She must survive unseen by the Nightpeople and realise her power and potential to the Darklands.
She learns that the she plays an important role in any future for the people of the Darklands. She must learn to let go of selfish notions and surrender her fate to that of the Darklands.
Plot action & summary:
Births are rare and survival of healthy baby rarer still. Healthy babies are taken by the Nightpeople.
One healthy baby is hidden and raised in a secret valley. The story centres on her journey back to her village and learning of the past which has shaped the place and people.
Author’s point:
There is a strong environmental message – a theme of “listening” to nature and working with the earth as opposed to plundering it for our own needs.
There is a fundamental belief in citizenship that what we contribut is more important than any of our talents or individual needs.
Personal Opinion:
A good read. Opening is excellent. then the plot development is a little slow – not a page turner. Good character development and I was hooked by the end. Keen to read the next in the series.
December 25, 2014
Nightpeople hooked me from the start, a first book in a fantasy trilogy that I feel could aklso class as Sci-Fi and definitely as dytopian.
Set in a sparse desert, a small and dying people have obviously lost all modern science and are clearly living in radioactively contaminated areas. There are still technologically advanced people, these are the nightpeople who appear in aircraft to take away any infants born in the arid lands.
There is of course resistance to dying out and some babies are hidden, this story follows the journey of one of these hidden children as she is fetched from the hidden valley where she grew up.
This is the outline, what I enjoyed most about this book though was the understated yet deft and absorbing writing style. No strong mention of time and place ruffles the story but the vivid descriptions of the Australian deserts are intoxicating to anyone who has enjoyed travelling through them.
The characterisations of individuals are vivid and believable, none of them are perfect or always wise but they are more believable for that. There are strange and shamanistic powers in a few of the cast, but they meld seamlessly into tracking and desert wise skills that you would see in people living in harsh environments, and this makes these powers feel less 'fantasy' and almost practical.
I read this book with great pleasure and then ordered the next two. The third has arrived first and I am exercising all my self control to keep my hands off it until I can read the second one; definitely want more of this author and this story!
April 28, 2014
I generally enjoy a sci fi post apocalyptic novel. Most of the ones I have read have been set in England, so it is a pleasure to read one set in Australia. The Darklands is clearly the desert area near South Australia, and the land has been severely damaged by nuclear testing and mining for Uranium- not that this is ever said directly- we need to work it out from the stories and hints given to us by the characters. It is fast paced, but well written and I recommend it for those who enjoy this genre.
September 23, 2012
I'd wager that the author of this book is or was a fan of John Wyndham's The Chrysalids. That aside, it takes a little time to get going and when the book is in motion, it's an engrossing and uneven ride. This story promises so much and does it continue the good work it started in the next two books? Read my reviews and find out.
January 27, 2014
This is a good "first of the trilogy" book. Engaging with a touch of mystery, I had to read the next book to find out what happened. I was pleased when the final book in the trilogy was less predictable.
January 5, 2008
Sci-fi type of book, set in a future Australia. Based on a girl who has psychic abilities. Good read ^^
August 1, 2009
Set in Australia, an exploration of the postapocalyptic world which results after the haves retreat to 'sky towers'and lose their humanity. Bk 2
March 4, 2010
really great sci-fi/fantasy by an Australian author
November 7, 2010
so far so good.
I tried to like it. I really did. I could not finnish it. I still have it for now but I can't seem to pick it up.
I tried to like it. I really did. I could not finnish it. I still have it for now but I can't seem to pick it up.
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