Tarinja: Invasion

by J.P. Kaeden

The rest of the world has been taken over by the Invaders, hulking armoured cyclopes who appeared out of nowhere. Tarinja is one of the few survivors, his tribe managing to survive in their ancestral caves deep in the desert. His father, Two-bob is a powerful ngangkari, a keeper of lore of the tribe, who believes the answers to their salvation lies in the ancient knowledge of their ancestors. However when the Invaders draw nearer, the tribe can no longer hide and Tarinja must seek the answers they need. Meanwhile Samuel, a trans man and his cisgendered brother Flynn head north, seeking other survivors to band with. Their journey's entwine as they learn the truth of the Invader's origins in the quest to save their people, the oldest living civilisation on earth.

Tarinja: Invasion is a Aboriginal Apocalyptic speculative fiction book which draws on the stories of Central Desert tribes of Australia and incorporates the Indigenous languages of Arrernte and Walpiri. It explores the topics of intergenerational trauma, colonisation, cultrual identity and gender identity.

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2021

Reviews

[Chris Marmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarinja is a fast paced action and science-fiction novel wrapped in a deep examination of Aboriginal Australian dreamtime, family drama and the depth and weight of culture all at once.

It is set in a near future, where a nation of indigenous Australians are waiting on their traditional lands for the Invaders to arrive - aliens who possess vicious powers and relentless aggression, hoping they’ll be able to survive what others haven’t.

Whilst the story stays firmly grounded in the outback, Kaeden paints a picture of an Australia (and a world) on its last legs. There are climate change parallels to be made, but this book is primarily about colonisation as a precursor to climate change. It’s also about a unique kind of colonisers - the non-human kind.

This is a story of multiple perspectives, including two cousins scouting out war machines, and a tribal elder and his sister navigating their complex web of history and obligation. It threads these perspectives to build a compelling world, which is helped in no small part by the use of traditional Arrernte and Walpiri languages and a deep knowledge of dreamtime stories. This book has an excellent sense of place, and keeps the story cracking through a high-stakes plot.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope it’s one of many.

[Joe McCullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rarity

I thought I would take . Certainly glad I did. This work cracked open a door to realms New to me. Well worth the time. Thanks.