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Earthcore #2
Volcano City
New Zealand’s largest city. Forty-nine volcanoes. What’s one more?
Away from the thermal springs and legendary creatures of Rotorua, Anira’s supernatural brainpower and memory have faded. She’s forgotten the events of summer and even the friends who became the Earthcore team. Tiger, Graeme and Bethany come to the big city too, each unsettled in their own way.
But their maniacal opponent has arrived in Auckland, wielding mind control and bent on revenge, terrorism and profit. When the earth becomes restless from his meddling, Anira must fight to remember her gifts, to bring the team together again, and to call the ancient taniwha to help protect her hometown from a disastrous eruption.
In the Earthcore series, every book is a self-contained adventure and can be read as a standalone.
Away from the thermal springs and legendary creatures of Rotorua, Anira’s supernatural brainpower and memory have faded. She’s forgotten the events of summer and even the friends who became the Earthcore team. Tiger, Graeme and Bethany come to the big city too, each unsettled in their own way.
But their maniacal opponent has arrived in Auckland, wielding mind control and bent on revenge, terrorism and profit. When the earth becomes restless from his meddling, Anira must fight to remember her gifts, to bring the team together again, and to call the ancient taniwha to help protect her hometown from a disastrous eruption.
In the Earthcore series, every book is a self-contained adventure and can be read as a standalone.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
176 pages, ebook
First published August 21, 2018
About the author
Grace Bridges
66 books108 followersGrace Bridges is a geyser hunter, cat herder, editor and translator, and Kiwi. A former longtime president of writers' organisation SpecFicNZ and Chair of GeyserCon, New Zealand's 40th national science fiction and fantasy convention held in Rotorua in 2019, she is often found poking around geothermal sites or under a pile of rescued kittens. She is a two-time winner of the Sir Julius Vogel Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand, a founding member of Realm Makers, an editor and mentor for Young NZ Writers, and has edited dozens of published books including many anthology projects. Her own published books include Irish cyberpunk, a shared-world space opera project, and the Earthcore urban fantasy series based in New Zealand. More information and free stories at www.gracebridges.kiwi.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 23, 2018
I and my teen daughter really enjoyed the first book in this series ("Rotovegas") so we were excited to see the second book come out. It was just as good as the first! The glimpses of New Zealand culture and location are a treat. The more I read about the place, the more I want to visit. The beaches, the hot springs, the volcanoes!
But the really fun thing about this book is the twist on the idea of superheroes. It's not just a book for "young adults" but a book for all ages, and the characters who have super powers are of all ages, too. The everyday impact of needing to trade shifts with your co-workers so you can stop the bad guys from blowing up a major city is a nice touch of reality. The practicalities of managing powers that are dependent on a physical substance -- the water from the special hot springs in Rotorua -- again adds a neat feeling of reality to the story.
The supernatural elements are woven into the story very well, and just like the practicalities of super powers mentioned above, they are handled with an eye to powerfully imagine what it would be like if something from the spirit realm showed up in the real world.
Highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys stories about ordinary folk given special powers to fight evil!
But the really fun thing about this book is the twist on the idea of superheroes. It's not just a book for "young adults" but a book for all ages, and the characters who have super powers are of all ages, too. The everyday impact of needing to trade shifts with your co-workers so you can stop the bad guys from blowing up a major city is a nice touch of reality. The practicalities of managing powers that are dependent on a physical substance -- the water from the special hot springs in Rotorua -- again adds a neat feeling of reality to the story.
The supernatural elements are woven into the story very well, and just like the practicalities of super powers mentioned above, they are handled with an eye to powerfully imagine what it would be like if something from the spirit realm showed up in the real world.
Highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys stories about ordinary folk given special powers to fight evil!
October 18, 2024
The pacing is relentless, with thrilling sequences that blend urban adventure and mythical elements. Anira’s struggle to remember her gifts and summon the ancient taniwha adds an exciting layer of folklore to the plot, enriching the story's setting and stakes.
Volcano City not only builds on the excitement of the first book in the series but also deepens character dynamics and expands the world. Anira’s journey of self-discovery, courage, and teamwork resonates, making this a must-read for fans of YA fantasy. With its mix of heart-pounding action, brilliantly orchestrated mayhem, and compelling friendships, this installment deserves a solid 5 stars and leaves this reader eagerly anticipating Anira’s next adventure.
Volcano City not only builds on the excitement of the first book in the series but also deepens character dynamics and expands the world. Anira’s journey of self-discovery, courage, and teamwork resonates, making this a must-read for fans of YA fantasy. With its mix of heart-pounding action, brilliantly orchestrated mayhem, and compelling friendships, this installment deserves a solid 5 stars and leaves this reader eagerly anticipating Anira’s next adventure.
January 18, 2019
Volcano City by Grace Bridges is the second book in her Earthcore series. The only superheroes who get their powers from geothermal springs.
But in this book our heroes find themselves separated from the source of their powers.
I loved this book, perhaps even more than the first one.
The complication of needing to find alternate Water sources intrigued me. Additionally the stakes for failure were much higher this time around.
The New Zealand setting was just as rich and scenic as one would expect from a native.
I am looking forward to the Release of the third book.
But in this book our heroes find themselves separated from the source of their powers.
I loved this book, perhaps even more than the first one.
The complication of needing to find alternate Water sources intrigued me. Additionally the stakes for failure were much higher this time around.
The New Zealand setting was just as rich and scenic as one would expect from a native.
I am looking forward to the Release of the third book.
May 26, 2020
After being sucked into this world again, I'm interested to see what happens with this group of extraordinary people. I have to get the rest of the series.
Grace Bridges does a great job of creating interesting events and intriguing characters. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. :-)
Grace Bridges does a great job of creating interesting events and intriguing characters. Can't wait to read the rest of the series. :-)
November 4, 2020
Fun read!
October 5, 2019
In Volcano City, book two in Grace Bridges’s YA Earthcore series, the crazed and villainous Mr B is back, and out for revenge on Anira and the superpower-endowed Earthcore team. Only now, instead of paving over and hiding natural wonders, he intends to prod a magma bubble into erupting and obliterating everyone in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city. He coerces a boy from Rotorua, also gifted with superpowers, into helping him. While running tests on equipment provided by a mind-controlled British scientist, they trigger a series of earthquakes of increasing intensity. Will Anira and her friends figure out what is happening in time to stop it?
The action in this story is in Auckland but the Earthcore team’s superpowers are tied to the mineral-laden waters of Rotorua, and this is a major stumbling block for them. Away from home, the boy with the phenomenal eyesight is nearly blind. Anira’s mind is clouded, and she can’t remember what happened in Rotorua. Drinking water carried from the hot springs revives them and restores Anira’s memory, but a trip to Rotorua to collect the water and the other members of the team costs precious time, and they can fit only a limited amount of water and people in one vehicle.
The taniwha, the guardian spirits, are also tied to Rotorua, but they can travel with their chosen Earthcore humans when necessary, and when the humans call on them for help, the results are rather unexpected.
The elements that made RotoVegas, the first Earthcore book, appealing are still here: the teamwork involving a wide range of ages and abilities, the blending of Maori myth and modern New Zealand culture, and the sense of place, this time in Auckland. We learn a bit more about the taniwha and what they are capable of. Unfortunately, we also have to put up with Mr B and his cartoonish evil schemes, but if you enjoyed the first book in the series you will like this one, too.
Audience: primarily teens, but a clean, light read for anyone.
This review was first published on This Need to Read.
The action in this story is in Auckland but the Earthcore team’s superpowers are tied to the mineral-laden waters of Rotorua, and this is a major stumbling block for them. Away from home, the boy with the phenomenal eyesight is nearly blind. Anira’s mind is clouded, and she can’t remember what happened in Rotorua. Drinking water carried from the hot springs revives them and restores Anira’s memory, but a trip to Rotorua to collect the water and the other members of the team costs precious time, and they can fit only a limited amount of water and people in one vehicle.
The taniwha, the guardian spirits, are also tied to Rotorua, but they can travel with their chosen Earthcore humans when necessary, and when the humans call on them for help, the results are rather unexpected.
The elements that made RotoVegas, the first Earthcore book, appealing are still here: the teamwork involving a wide range of ages and abilities, the blending of Maori myth and modern New Zealand culture, and the sense of place, this time in Auckland. We learn a bit more about the taniwha and what they are capable of. Unfortunately, we also have to put up with Mr B and his cartoonish evil schemes, but if you enjoyed the first book in the series you will like this one, too.
Audience: primarily teens, but a clean, light read for anyone.
This review was first published on This Need to Read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews