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The Pariah Child #2
Sarafina's Return
Lyrica is at war.
This is the message Sarah receives after having left the mythical world Lyrica nearly three years ago. She is no longer a timid thirteen-year-old and has learned to survive in her small town despite the hateful gossip her neighbors spread about her.
But Lyrica and the friends she met there are never far from Sarah’s mind. So, when she begins to see children made of mist running through the woods and knights with odd symbols carved into their armor, Sarah wonders who these phantoms could be. And why would they reveal themselves to her?
While Lyrica calls to her, Sarah’s family is suddenly struck by tragedy and she finds herself having to decide between two worlds: Does she remain on earth to help her family or does she return to Lyrica to end a war?
This is the message Sarah receives after having left the mythical world Lyrica nearly three years ago. She is no longer a timid thirteen-year-old and has learned to survive in her small town despite the hateful gossip her neighbors spread about her.
But Lyrica and the friends she met there are never far from Sarah’s mind. So, when she begins to see children made of mist running through the woods and knights with odd symbols carved into their armor, Sarah wonders who these phantoms could be. And why would they reveal themselves to her?
While Lyrica calls to her, Sarah’s family is suddenly struck by tragedy and she finds herself having to decide between two worlds: Does she remain on earth to help her family or does she return to Lyrica to end a war?
288 pages, ebook
Published August 1, 2019
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Natasha D. Lane
17 books74 followersNatasha D. Lane is a friend of most things caffeinated, a lover of books, and a writing warrior to her core.
As a believer that “the pen is mightier than the sword,” she graduated from Juniata College in 2015 with hopes to become a journalist. Instead, life took her on a different path, and Natasha found herself digging up a manuscript from her childhood.
This dusty stack of papers would become the first book in her Pariah Child series-- a series that was her launch into self-publishing. Since completing her first series, Natasha has continued exploring the fantasy and science fiction genres to make sense of a chaotic yet interesting world.
As a believer that “the pen is mightier than the sword,” she graduated from Juniata College in 2015 with hopes to become a journalist. Instead, life took her on a different path, and Natasha found herself digging up a manuscript from her childhood.
This dusty stack of papers would become the first book in her Pariah Child series-- a series that was her launch into self-publishing. Since completing her first series, Natasha has continued exploring the fantasy and science fiction genres to make sense of a chaotic yet interesting world.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 5, 2019
Sarafina’s return is the second book from The Pariah Child’s series. The story picks up from where it left off with Sarah receiving the news of Lyrica being under attack. She isn’t that young little girl anymore, though. A few years have passed, and she is living in the same town among people who don’t really like her.
The story takes a turn when Sarah finds herself at a loss. She also sees things, and the urge of returning to Lyric runs through her mind and body. She also feels an obligation to her family. All these emotions brought out the best of her character and made the story more appealing.
The bloodshed had increased, and characters like Jacob and Serafina displayed more depth which made the story all the better. I particularly enjoyed the style of the author’s writing. Every sentence felt thought out and presented a well-structured way of storytelling.
The fantasy world of Lyrica has much to say, and I believe a third book can close up some of the sideline stories that were left open. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to everyone who likes to read fantasy, adventure stories.
The story takes a turn when Sarah finds herself at a loss. She also sees things, and the urge of returning to Lyric runs through her mind and body. She also feels an obligation to her family. All these emotions brought out the best of her character and made the story more appealing.
The bloodshed had increased, and characters like Jacob and Serafina displayed more depth which made the story all the better. I particularly enjoyed the style of the author’s writing. Every sentence felt thought out and presented a well-structured way of storytelling.
The fantasy world of Lyrica has much to say, and I believe a third book can close up some of the sideline stories that were left open. I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to everyone who likes to read fantasy, adventure stories.
September 15, 2019
~Story
The Pariah Child: Serafina’s Return is a fantasy sequel, following young Serafina as she returns to her beloved alternate world, Lyrica. It’s been two years (Earth time) since Sera last entered Lyrica and now, sixteen years later in Lyrican-time, the world of Lyrica is at war.
While on Earth, Sera has her own troubles, such as a mother who proclaims her a devil child, and vicious high-school bullies, these are nothing compared to the troubles the Lyricans now face a the hands of human intruders.
Finding herself back in Lyrica by chance, Sera must risk her life to try and help the mythical beings to fend off the cruel humans.
One thing I noticed while reading was the increased amount of bloodshed, working to stress the terrible nature of the war between mythical folk and human beings. The story progressed quickly and had a satisfying ending, although I’m hoping there’s a book three, because I can’t wait to see what might happen next.
~Characters
Of all the characters explored, my favourites were Serafina, and Jacob.
As usual, Serafina is adventurous, quirky, and un-apologetically herself. Her bright and intuitive nature help her to navigate through many difficult situations, with her sheer determination to help her Lyrican friends seeing her able to take life if deemed necessary.
Jacob, a fallen angel was a difficult character for me to trust, at first. His allegiance seemed to lie with multiple groups, all with different, conflicting goals. As the story progressed, he had to make some very difficult decisions that had me emphasizing with him on a much deeper level. Overall, he was a kind and heroic character, with many secrets that once revealed, devastated the main cast.
~Writing
Lane’s style moves the story along with every sentence. Hers is one of my favourite styles as she explores Serafina’s emotions and thoughts in depth, alongside the gripping action and general description of the lush world of Lyrica. Every detail builds on some previous, important piece of the story puzzle, gradually fleshing out the world more and more. I found this sequel to be well-structured and emotionally moving.
~Quotes
‘People fear what they don’t understand, but what is not understood is not inherently bad.’
This quote really spoke to me. There are many things in the world which we may not understand. Often, this lack of understanding leads to fear, confusion, and at times, rage. In order to overcome these reactions, further information is often needed, so that the lack of understanding can be resolved.
I don’t find the news to be helpful in regards to this as their general fear-mongering leads people to become divided, fearing those different to them. There’s a lot of this out in the world at the moment, especially when we look at the current political climate.
Although there were other hard-hitting quotes in this book, this one had the largest impact on me. Hopefully, it will leave you thinking- about how we understand others in our world, with their various differences.
~Overview
Overall, Serafina’s Return was a delight to read. It showed the damage of one type of being imposing their views of what is right on others, leading to widespread destruction, division, and death as the lyricans fight for survival.
This is the third book of Lane’s I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last.
My Rating? 5 stars.
Would I recommend this? Definitely, to lovers of fantasy stories with alternative worlds and mythical beings.
The Pariah Child: Serafina’s Return is a fantasy sequel, following young Serafina as she returns to her beloved alternate world, Lyrica. It’s been two years (Earth time) since Sera last entered Lyrica and now, sixteen years later in Lyrican-time, the world of Lyrica is at war.
While on Earth, Sera has her own troubles, such as a mother who proclaims her a devil child, and vicious high-school bullies, these are nothing compared to the troubles the Lyricans now face a the hands of human intruders.
Finding herself back in Lyrica by chance, Sera must risk her life to try and help the mythical beings to fend off the cruel humans.
One thing I noticed while reading was the increased amount of bloodshed, working to stress the terrible nature of the war between mythical folk and human beings. The story progressed quickly and had a satisfying ending, although I’m hoping there’s a book three, because I can’t wait to see what might happen next.
~Characters
Of all the characters explored, my favourites were Serafina, and Jacob.
As usual, Serafina is adventurous, quirky, and un-apologetically herself. Her bright and intuitive nature help her to navigate through many difficult situations, with her sheer determination to help her Lyrican friends seeing her able to take life if deemed necessary.
Jacob, a fallen angel was a difficult character for me to trust, at first. His allegiance seemed to lie with multiple groups, all with different, conflicting goals. As the story progressed, he had to make some very difficult decisions that had me emphasizing with him on a much deeper level. Overall, he was a kind and heroic character, with many secrets that once revealed, devastated the main cast.
~Writing
Lane’s style moves the story along with every sentence. Hers is one of my favourite styles as she explores Serafina’s emotions and thoughts in depth, alongside the gripping action and general description of the lush world of Lyrica. Every detail builds on some previous, important piece of the story puzzle, gradually fleshing out the world more and more. I found this sequel to be well-structured and emotionally moving.
~Quotes
‘People fear what they don’t understand, but what is not understood is not inherently bad.’
This quote really spoke to me. There are many things in the world which we may not understand. Often, this lack of understanding leads to fear, confusion, and at times, rage. In order to overcome these reactions, further information is often needed, so that the lack of understanding can be resolved.
I don’t find the news to be helpful in regards to this as their general fear-mongering leads people to become divided, fearing those different to them. There’s a lot of this out in the world at the moment, especially when we look at the current political climate.
Although there were other hard-hitting quotes in this book, this one had the largest impact on me. Hopefully, it will leave you thinking- about how we understand others in our world, with their various differences.
~Overview
Overall, Serafina’s Return was a delight to read. It showed the damage of one type of being imposing their views of what is right on others, leading to widespread destruction, division, and death as the lyricans fight for survival.
This is the third book of Lane’s I’ve read and it certainly won’t be the last.
My Rating? 5 stars.
Would I recommend this? Definitely, to lovers of fantasy stories with alternative worlds and mythical beings.
August 23, 2020
Somehow I ended up reading part 2 before reading part 1, which explains my confusion in part 1- nevertheless I’m glad I got to read this book! Let me first say that Lucille was still a hot mess! Who actually burns books and scares their four year old child with visits to mental institutions? This lady annoyed my entire spirit. I loved the way Paul (Sarah’s dad) protected her against her crazy mom. This story unwraps how Sarah came to experience Lyrica! It follows Sarah as she discovers who she is and the power she possesses. The readers follow Sarah as she faces a variety of different challenges. I appreciated the attention to detail the author provided throughout the story! The fight scenes included great descriptive language which allowed for me to thoroughly enjoy each scene. Additionally, I really appreciated the unveiling of different characters in Lyrica that readers could both root for and/or hate! I despised Alex’s parents along with the cursed wolves! I loved Solar, Jacob, Alex, and the Tree People (I would’ve actually appreciated more from the Tree People). The story also provides readers with a love story to devour between Serwa and Alex- anyone else love forbidden loves? This book is a nice reminder that Black women can write fantasy! If you enjoy fantasy you’ll enjoy this read!
BTW this is actually the cover for the 2nd book, but I’m posting it since I got the books mixed up initially!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2019
A Review of Natasha Lane's The Pariah Child: Sarafina’s Return
Natasha Lane’s new novel The Pariah Child: Sarafina’s Return is a sequel to her earlier novel The Pariah Child and the Ever-Giving Stone. Ms. Lane takes us once again into the life of Sarah and her phantasmagoric exploits in the magical world of Lyrica. This is a well deserved and worthy sequel in terms of its scope and ambition. Like its predecessor, it deals with the themes of identity, adventure, war, magic, fantasy and violence.
A nation is an intermediate between an object and a concept- A nation has a geography and psychography. Psychography is essential to consolidate a geography. For example, Antartica is not a nation because it has only a geography. The theocratic state of Tibet is not a nation because it has only a psychography. A nation therefore combines an objective space and a conceptual estimate.
Sarah lacks a sense of nationality and identity. Sarah is human but people do not acknowledge her existence. She lacks a sense of belonging in the human world. She is an outcast who is ostracized by her family and peers. She feels a sense of kinship with Lyrica but she is not Lyrican. To her, the Lyrican friends and the magical world of Lyrica is where her notion of home gets manifested. Her dilemma in choosing to stay with the humans or to return to the world of Lyrica plunges her into a state of liminality. She occupies a space of in-betweenness. This reinforces her identity crisis and her sense of homelessness. The quest to Lyrica may be seen as a quest for realizing one’s own identity and one’s home or one's nationality. It is a journey inwards; a journey into her own being.
Benedict Anderson conceives of nation as an “imagined community.” Anderson means that there is an invisible force that binds and coheres the community of people in a nation. This invisible force is the cultural inheritance of the people of the nation irrespective of their territorial occupation. So “imagined community” is a paradigm for cultural identity constructed from the cultural coherence of the community. The cohesive bonds are always cultural. Anderson also emphasizes that nations evolve not naturally but out of the necessity for consensual governance. He argues that nations are not natural, but evolves from communal consensus.
Physically spaced along with humans, Sarah feels alienated and has a longing for Lyrica. She is psychologically connected to Lyrica and the Lyricans despite her physical absence. Lyrica calls to her for help during the time of crisis. This is subtly represented in the narrative through the phantoms and the apparitions she encounters. When the time comes, she joins the Lyricans in war to save them from the cruelty of humans. This is a result of a psychological symbiosis between Sarah and Lyrica. The invisible bond with Lyrica pulls her closely towards the community of Lyricans. This is a call towards home and community. Sarah’s existence is defined by the world of Lyrica.
War becomes a major theme in the novel: the war between the Lyricans and the humans. The atrocity and animosity of war is described through rampant and grotesque violence. War is always political and is a human construct. War disrupts the normative functioning of social life. It affects all aspects of life in an uncanny manner. It leads to the disruption of home, identity, culture, territoriality and society. It also results in mass annihilation, displacement, dislocation, relocation and poverty. The history of human civilization is a history of war and bloodshed and they have found a new target: Lyrica and its inhabitants. The violence in the novel reminds us of the horrors of war described through the war poems of Wilfred Owen.
The war between the humans and the Lyricans is reminiscent of the war between the humans and the Nightbreed in Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (a film adaptation of his novel Cabal) . The onslaught, by the humans, on the Lyrican community can be seen as a metaphor for the genocide of indigenous communities by supremacist forces or hegemonic and dominant ideologies or power structures. Humans have always tried to dominate and appropriate nature and other human communities to meet the greedy needs of culture. The war in the novel is also a war between culture and nature. It is ecocide and enthnocide.
" “A specter is haunting the world — the specter of capitalism” - Don DeLillo
Natasha Lane’s new novel The Pariah Child: Sarafina’s Return is a sequel to her earlier novel The Pariah Child and the Ever-Giving Stone. Ms. Lane takes us once again into the life of Sarah and her phantasmagoric exploits in the magical world of Lyrica. This is a well deserved and worthy sequel in terms of its scope and ambition. Like its predecessor, it deals with the themes of identity, adventure, war, magic, fantasy and violence.
A nation is an intermediate between an object and a concept- A nation has a geography and psychography. Psychography is essential to consolidate a geography. For example, Antartica is not a nation because it has only a geography. The theocratic state of Tibet is not a nation because it has only a psychography. A nation therefore combines an objective space and a conceptual estimate.
Sarah lacks a sense of nationality and identity. Sarah is human but people do not acknowledge her existence. She lacks a sense of belonging in the human world. She is an outcast who is ostracized by her family and peers. She feels a sense of kinship with Lyrica but she is not Lyrican. To her, the Lyrican friends and the magical world of Lyrica is where her notion of home gets manifested. Her dilemma in choosing to stay with the humans or to return to the world of Lyrica plunges her into a state of liminality. She occupies a space of in-betweenness. This reinforces her identity crisis and her sense of homelessness. The quest to Lyrica may be seen as a quest for realizing one’s own identity and one’s home or one's nationality. It is a journey inwards; a journey into her own being.
Benedict Anderson conceives of nation as an “imagined community.” Anderson means that there is an invisible force that binds and coheres the community of people in a nation. This invisible force is the cultural inheritance of the people of the nation irrespective of their territorial occupation. So “imagined community” is a paradigm for cultural identity constructed from the cultural coherence of the community. The cohesive bonds are always cultural. Anderson also emphasizes that nations evolve not naturally but out of the necessity for consensual governance. He argues that nations are not natural, but evolves from communal consensus.
Physically spaced along with humans, Sarah feels alienated and has a longing for Lyrica. She is psychologically connected to Lyrica and the Lyricans despite her physical absence. Lyrica calls to her for help during the time of crisis. This is subtly represented in the narrative through the phantoms and the apparitions she encounters. When the time comes, she joins the Lyricans in war to save them from the cruelty of humans. This is a result of a psychological symbiosis between Sarah and Lyrica. The invisible bond with Lyrica pulls her closely towards the community of Lyricans. This is a call towards home and community. Sarah’s existence is defined by the world of Lyrica.
War becomes a major theme in the novel: the war between the Lyricans and the humans. The atrocity and animosity of war is described through rampant and grotesque violence. War is always political and is a human construct. War disrupts the normative functioning of social life. It affects all aspects of life in an uncanny manner. It leads to the disruption of home, identity, culture, territoriality and society. It also results in mass annihilation, displacement, dislocation, relocation and poverty. The history of human civilization is a history of war and bloodshed and they have found a new target: Lyrica and its inhabitants. The violence in the novel reminds us of the horrors of war described through the war poems of Wilfred Owen.
The war between the humans and the Lyricans is reminiscent of the war between the humans and the Nightbreed in Clive Barker’s Nightbreed (a film adaptation of his novel Cabal) . The onslaught, by the humans, on the Lyrican community can be seen as a metaphor for the genocide of indigenous communities by supremacist forces or hegemonic and dominant ideologies or power structures. Humans have always tried to dominate and appropriate nature and other human communities to meet the greedy needs of culture. The war in the novel is also a war between culture and nature. It is ecocide and enthnocide.
" “A specter is haunting the world — the specter of capitalism” - Don DeLillo
September 25, 2019
Beautifully written Fantasy Tale
I read the first book in this series by Miss Lane a while ago and was really excited to find out what had happened to Seraphina and get to visit the magical world of Lyrica again. Let me just first say that Lane is a master of spinning a whimsical story world filled with danger, adventure and intrigue. Lyrica has representatives of all your favorite fantasy creatures and the way they are written truly brings them to life.
This second book starts out in a real world setting, once again. Sadly, things in the human world are not going well for Seraphina. She’s three years older now—16—and the town still treats her as an outcast. Worst of all, her relationship with her mother has declined severely. It seems her only advocates in the earth realm are her father, a teacher and one friend. I was relieved when Sera finally found her way back to Lyrica where she wouldn’t be shunned for her magical gifts. But only for half a second because, on her return, she finds that Lyrica has aged about twelve years in her absence and is now in the midst of a brutal war.Once again, it is up to Sera to save Lyrica.
There are a lot of new faces mixed in with character favorites from the last book. I was happy to see Jacob come back into the mix as well as Gan and Serwa. I love a good zero to hero adventure and this series surely fits the bill. So if you enjoy high fantasy with strong characters and a ton of action, this series is a must read. Five stars for this epic adventure, YA Fantasy!
I read the first book in this series by Miss Lane a while ago and was really excited to find out what had happened to Seraphina and get to visit the magical world of Lyrica again. Let me just first say that Lane is a master of spinning a whimsical story world filled with danger, adventure and intrigue. Lyrica has representatives of all your favorite fantasy creatures and the way they are written truly brings them to life.
This second book starts out in a real world setting, once again. Sadly, things in the human world are not going well for Seraphina. She’s three years older now—16—and the town still treats her as an outcast. Worst of all, her relationship with her mother has declined severely. It seems her only advocates in the earth realm are her father, a teacher and one friend. I was relieved when Sera finally found her way back to Lyrica where she wouldn’t be shunned for her magical gifts. But only for half a second because, on her return, she finds that Lyrica has aged about twelve years in her absence and is now in the midst of a brutal war.Once again, it is up to Sera to save Lyrica.
There are a lot of new faces mixed in with character favorites from the last book. I was happy to see Jacob come back into the mix as well as Gan and Serwa. I love a good zero to hero adventure and this series surely fits the bill. So if you enjoy high fantasy with strong characters and a ton of action, this series is a must read. Five stars for this epic adventure, YA Fantasy!
September 26, 2019
It has been almost three years ago since Sarah has returned home and things have not been the same ever since. Living in a small community, it is hard to escape from all the gossips about her. However, one day she starts hearing and seeing mists of those from Lyrica. Strange occurrences are happening and it seems like Lyrica is in trouble once again but with a sudden tragedy happens, Sarah is torn between returning to help Lyrica or remain on Earth.
I will not say much about the plot because it feels like I am repeating myself. But like I have said with my previous review, the plot is interesting and Natasha Lane was able to keep it that way to the second book. One thing I will say is that since Lyrica's time is different from Earth, it does felt like Sarah had missed a lot. With some books I have read, it sometimes does not feel as if a long period of time was missed by the main character
Full review: sammiereadsbook.wordpress.com/2019/09...
I will not say much about the plot because it feels like I am repeating myself. But like I have said with my previous review, the plot is interesting and Natasha Lane was able to keep it that way to the second book. One thing I will say is that since Lyrica's time is different from Earth, it does felt like Sarah had missed a lot. With some books I have read, it sometimes does not feel as if a long period of time was missed by the main character
Full review: sammiereadsbook.wordpress.com/2019/09...
July 21, 2019
I'm a little bias here because I'm the author! :)
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews