What do you think?
Rate this book
Dingo & Sister
Winner of Best Fantasy Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Winner of Best Young Adult Short Story, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Finalist for Best Science Fiction Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Anika has nowhere left to run.
Stuck at the edge of the desert and unable to return home, she and her dingo companion steal from travellers about to cross the climate-ravaged sands to Alice Springs.
Such journeys are fraught with danger: heatstroke, dehydration, snakebite. Many people die trying to reach Alice, Anika knows this first hand. She tried once and nearly lost everything.
But when she gets caught stealing, her hand is forced. With a group of enraged, gun-toting travellers on her trail, she must run one last time.
She must face the desert and its ghosts again.
This time, there's no turning back.
Winner of Best Young Adult Short Story, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Finalist for Best Science Fiction Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Anika has nowhere left to run.
Stuck at the edge of the desert and unable to return home, she and her dingo companion steal from travellers about to cross the climate-ravaged sands to Alice Springs.
Such journeys are fraught with danger: heatstroke, dehydration, snakebite. Many people die trying to reach Alice, Anika knows this first hand. She tried once and nearly lost everything.
But when she gets caught stealing, her hand is forced. With a group of enraged, gun-toting travellers on her trail, she must run one last time.
She must face the desert and its ghosts again.
This time, there's no turning back.
- GenresDystopiaYoung Adult
ebook
Published January 24, 2021
2 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Nikky Lee
26 books90 followersNikky Lee is an award-winning author who grew up as a barefoot 90s kid in Perth, Western Australia on Whadjuk Noongar Country. She now lives in Aotearoa New Zealand with her family, a dog, and a couch potato cat. In her free time, she writes speculative fiction, often burning the candle at both ends to explore fantastic worlds, mine asteroids and meet wizards. She's had over thirty stories published in magazines, anthologies and on the radio.
Her fantasy, sci-fi and horror fiction has won three Australian Aurealis Awards, three New Zealand Sir Julius Vogel Awards, three Indie Ink Awards, Bronze at the Foreward INDIES Book of the Year, and a Ditmar Award for Best New Talent.
Her fantasy, sci-fi and horror fiction has won three Australian Aurealis Awards, three New Zealand Sir Julius Vogel Awards, three Indie Ink Awards, Bronze at the Foreward INDIES Book of the Year, and a Ditmar Award for Best New Talent.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 28, 2022
…the dunes. They rise red out of the land like waves, burying and uncovering the tracks with each one of their strange tides.”
This was a beautiful tribute to the Australian Outback even though the setting is after a world natural disaster. The land is parched and everyone must ry to reach the town of Alice hoping there is life and hope there.
I absolutely can envision Anika’s trek through the empty landscape and her harrowing time fending off violent people and nature. In such a short time we learn about her sister’s fate and their relationship. Other characters like Mason, the young boy, and Rosa, the violent, cruel woman, are depicted vividly in my mind.
But my favorite character is Dingo. She’s wild and wonderful and loyal. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see her fate. I’m a sucker for animal companions!
I strongly recommend this beautiful gem of a short story. It pulls t your heart strings and keeps you wondering the outcome until the end. I would read more about Anika, Mason, Rosa, Arlen, and of course Dingo!
This was a beautiful tribute to the Australian Outback even though the setting is after a world natural disaster. The land is parched and everyone must ry to reach the town of Alice hoping there is life and hope there.
I absolutely can envision Anika’s trek through the empty landscape and her harrowing time fending off violent people and nature. In such a short time we learn about her sister’s fate and their relationship. Other characters like Mason, the young boy, and Rosa, the violent, cruel woman, are depicted vividly in my mind.
But my favorite character is Dingo. She’s wild and wonderful and loyal. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see her fate. I’m a sucker for animal companions!
I strongly recommend this beautiful gem of a short story. It pulls t your heart strings and keeps you wondering the outcome until the end. I would read more about Anika, Mason, Rosa, Arlen, and of course Dingo!
June 19, 2022
Haunting, fascinating, gritty.
April 8, 2023
The atmosphere and intrigue were so well done in this one. I also thought the MC‘s emotions were pretty realistic and came across very well for a short story. The dread especially was what I could feel myself. I’m a big fan of animal companions too, of course, so I enjoyed this one a lot.
January 4, 2023
This short story is gripping right from the opening page. Dropping us into a high-stakes survival story in medias res, we are introduced to a girl and the dingo who guides and protects her through a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Things go south when the girl runs into a stray band of desert travelers, and in 31 short pages, Lee manages to have us on the edge of our seats. The worldbuilding is there enough to be a proper stage for the heavily character-driven story.
Things go south when the girl runs into a stray band of desert travelers, and in 31 short pages, Lee manages to have us on the edge of our seats. The worldbuilding is there enough to be a proper stage for the heavily character-driven story.
February 20, 2021
I read it in one sitting
A beautiful tale of a girl and a dingo trying to reach a better life in a ruined world.
The characters and setting are vivid, even curled up on my couch I could feel the desert heat and reached for my water bottle.
The connection between the dingo and the sister is beautiful and heartfelt. A very worthwhile read from an excellent author.
A beautiful tale of a girl and a dingo trying to reach a better life in a ruined world.
The characters and setting are vivid, even curled up on my couch I could feel the desert heat and reached for my water bottle.
The connection between the dingo and the sister is beautiful and heartfelt. A very worthwhile read from an excellent author.
June 6, 2022
This is a lovely story of, essentially, a girl and her dog. But in this version of the age-old story the girl is a scavenger in an arid Australian desert ravaged by climate change. And the dog is a wild animal who stays with the girl of its own volition. The girl and the wild dog have a mental connection that is never explained. However, I didn't really mind that the telepathic Dingo dog was not explained. Maybe it's because I too live in a desert and I talk to my dog a lot. And, as she has grown older, my dog has become quite skilled at talking back. So there, my life really isn't that different than this story and maybe that explains why I liked the book so much. I would highly recommend you read it.
November 29, 2023
8/10
Lee manages to do a good job creating investment in a short period of time. I was concerned for the main character and it did feel as though the world was unforgiving. I do wish that the protagonist’s sister was a bit more fleshed out. I also found the antagonist to not have as large of a presence as I would have wanted them to have. That said the last encounter with brought out their presence as an antagonist. Overall though, this was a strong short read that I would revisit.
Lee manages to do a good job creating investment in a short period of time. I was concerned for the main character and it did feel as though the world was unforgiving. I do wish that the protagonist’s sister was a bit more fleshed out. I also found the antagonist to not have as large of a presence as I would have wanted them to have. That said the last encounter with brought out their presence as an antagonist. Overall though, this was a strong short read that I would revisit.
February 9, 2021
I did really enjoy this short story! Liked the ideas & characters, it is a well written dystopian adventure & worth a quick read! I will look for more by this author!
January 27, 2021
32 pages.
❤🧡🐺 Entertaining and original 🦊
Sister waits patiently hidden on the sand of the Australian desert.
She watches the group, she is hungry, she is thirsty, so thirsty...
------------
A dark, entertaining and exotic survivalist dystopia that chronicles the dangerous adventures of a young girl and her companion animal.
A book to discover❤
❤🧡🐺 Entertaining and original 🦊
Sister waits patiently hidden on the sand of the Australian desert.
She watches the group, she is hungry, she is thirsty, so thirsty...
------------
A dark, entertaining and exotic survivalist dystopia that chronicles the dangerous adventures of a young girl and her companion animal.
A book to discover❤
January 27, 2021
An easy read.
Good story and characters, moves right along with suspense and drama. Raises the question of what will the future be like.
Good story and characters, moves right along with suspense and drama. Raises the question of what will the future be like.
January 1, 2022
Fantastic read!
A very short read (only about 20 pages in my version), but it had a surprising amount of action and drama. Characters were well thought-out and the author did a wonderful job building the world and pulling me into it. A scary possibility of what the future could hold...
Thank you Voracious Readers and Nikky Lee for my copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A very short read (only about 20 pages in my version), but it had a surprising amount of action and drama. Characters were well thought-out and the author did a wonderful job building the world and pulling me into it. A scary possibility of what the future could hold...
Thank you Voracious Readers and Nikky Lee for my copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 2, 2021
This novella really packs a lot into a short space!! The world-building is concise but easy to understand, even though it's quite different from real life, and makes for a gripping setting. Tension is there from the first to the last page.
The most amazing thing about this short book is the amount of emotion it evokes. I cried! I'm so impressed the author was able to create characters that I cared enough about, in such a short period, that I cried!
I look forward to reading more from Nikky Lee.
The most amazing thing about this short book is the amount of emotion it evokes. I cried! I'm so impressed the author was able to create characters that I cared enough about, in such a short period, that I cried!
I look forward to reading more from Nikky Lee.
May 10, 2022
I received a copy of this novella from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
This was a really quick read, clocking in at about 76 pages. I don't know whether it's post-apocalyptic, or just seems so as it's set in the Australian outback, but it packs a lot of character and mystery into its relatively few pages.
We follow Anika, a teenaged Aussie who seems to have a very strong, almost sisterly connection to a dingo who has become her travelling companion. Unfortunately, Anika is taken hostage by a trio led by a harsh woman named Rosa, and she must figure out a way to stay alive in the middle of the outback with little food or water, and bound up with rope to boot.
This is a horrible description of what in actuality is a gripping character study. The story is told as an internal monologue from Anika, so her point of view is necessarily the one we're privy to. Her past history and traumas, her thinking a few steps ahead and willingness to put herself in danger if need be ... all are accounted for and it's a great little psychological study.
Eight wicked wanderers out of ten.
This was a really quick read, clocking in at about 76 pages. I don't know whether it's post-apocalyptic, or just seems so as it's set in the Australian outback, but it packs a lot of character and mystery into its relatively few pages.
We follow Anika, a teenaged Aussie who seems to have a very strong, almost sisterly connection to a dingo who has become her travelling companion. Unfortunately, Anika is taken hostage by a trio led by a harsh woman named Rosa, and she must figure out a way to stay alive in the middle of the outback with little food or water, and bound up with rope to boot.
This is a horrible description of what in actuality is a gripping character study. The story is told as an internal monologue from Anika, so her point of view is necessarily the one we're privy to. Her past history and traumas, her thinking a few steps ahead and willingness to put herself in danger if need be ... all are accounted for and it's a great little psychological study.
Eight wicked wanderers out of ten.
May 27, 2024
Dingo & Sister
Nikky Lee
ASIN: B08S74VNYQ
Publisher: Caelestis Books (January 24, 2021)
Publication date: January 24, 2021
Winner of Best Fantasy Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Winner of Best Young Adult Short Story, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Finalist for Best Science Fiction Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
In this award-winning novella, Dingo & Sister, by author Nikky Lee, we explore how hope, grief and promises can transition the barrier between the living and the dead. When her sister suddenly dies, desperation, deep trauma and a promise all come together in Anika, Nikky Lee’s main character, with the manifestation of a protective dingo that can speak to her telepathically.
The storytelling is intense and the author, Nikky Lee, adds such a tremendous amount of vivid detail to Dingo & Sister that it will keep you turning the pages as Anika’s personal quest unfolds.
I sincerely recommend this novella!
Nikky Lee
ASIN: B08S74VNYQ
Publisher: Caelestis Books (January 24, 2021)
Publication date: January 24, 2021
Winner of Best Fantasy Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Winner of Best Young Adult Short Story, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
Finalist for Best Science Fiction Novella, 2020 Aurealis Awards.
In this award-winning novella, Dingo & Sister, by author Nikky Lee, we explore how hope, grief and promises can transition the barrier between the living and the dead. When her sister suddenly dies, desperation, deep trauma and a promise all come together in Anika, Nikky Lee’s main character, with the manifestation of a protective dingo that can speak to her telepathically.
The storytelling is intense and the author, Nikky Lee, adds such a tremendous amount of vivid detail to Dingo & Sister that it will keep you turning the pages as Anika’s personal quest unfolds.
I sincerely recommend this novella!
March 16, 2022
This is a short, dystopian fantasy, sometimes maudlin, which is set in a future Australia where nature has made over the earth. The characters are interesting but before they can be fully developed the story is over. A nice read for an evening, this tale leaves the reader looking for more. I received an ARC and this is my honest appraisal if this novella.
April 11, 2022
Uhmmm honestly is not bad written but its not the most awesome of all that I have read in the last months… basically this girl tries to rob the water and food of a bunch of people in the Australian desert, she gets caught, and then she is forced to travel with them to be sold… she mentally talks with a dingo that in turn talks back to her. I did like that the dingo had her own voice, but that doesn’t make it or break it for me… maybe its me and you will like it much more than me, its not overly violent, its more like a travel book.
Thank you StoryOrigin and VoraciousReaders for the opportunity to read this ARC, I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you StoryOrigin and VoraciousReaders for the opportunity to read this ARC, I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 31, 2021
I really enjoyed this story, even though it was set in a harsh reality with death and haunting loss. I hope the story continues with happiness for all the surviving characters (I don't want to leak any spoilers.)
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2023
Fantastic!
I absolutely loved this. The writing was incredibly cinematic, the world felt treacherous and believable, and the characters were deeply constructed. I was captivated the whole time.
Will definitely check out the authors other work!
I absolutely loved this. The writing was incredibly cinematic, the world felt treacherous and believable, and the characters were deeply constructed. I was captivated the whole time.
Will definitely check out the authors other work!
October 12, 2021
Well written short story. Insightful to the extreme differences in countries and peoples.
November 13, 2021
Dingo & Sister, Nikky Lee
The relationship with the wolf was close & meaningful. Throughout their desert treck it was the wolf that made me keep reading. Otherwise I searched for a credible story over & above that about the wolf & failed to find one. To me this was a shallow tale without much to it.
The relationship with the wolf was close & meaningful. Throughout their desert treck it was the wolf that made me keep reading. Otherwise I searched for a credible story over & above that about the wolf & failed to find one. To me this was a shallow tale without much to it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2022
Amazing short story about the struggles of the Aussie outback. Finished in one sitting. Found it thanks to voracious readers
April 12, 2022
A fascinating quick read full of rich characters you feel like you know instantly. A dystopian world where there is more sand than air, and a journey I won’t soon forget. I enjoyed it.
December 25, 2022
A good story of desperation and hope with a magical twist.
November 15, 2023
beautiful
A beautiful story of love and loss and hope. Images so vivid you’ll feel the sun scorching your skin and Dingo’s tongue on your cheek.
A beautiful story of love and loss and hope. Images so vivid you’ll feel the sun scorching your skin and Dingo’s tongue on your cheek.
December 8, 2023
This was a great little story about a girl and her dingo. It took some turns I wasn't expecting and really tugged at my heart strings.
February 18, 2022
I loved the discriptive flow which had me feeling the heat and uncomfortable sand of the Australian outback. Loved the relationship between Dingo and the main character. A believable futuristic dystopian novella which left me wanting more stories set in this world.
Read this if you like Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn
Note: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only but this is an honest review.
Read this if you like Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn
Note: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only but this is an honest review.
January 13, 2022
This is an amazing, heartfelt story about a girl searching for a better life in a desolate world destroyed by global warming. It's vivid imagery and intense storytelling keeps the reader invested in the story from the first page to the end. Nikky adds so much detail in such a short number of pages. highly recommend this novella!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews