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Libyrinth #2
The Boy from Ilysies
The magical sequel to Pearl North's critically acclaimed debut novel, Libyrinth
On a world light-years away, Earth is long forgotten, except for the knowledge protected in the vast libyrinth. But that knowledge was threatened by the Singers, who for generations beyond remembering have relied on oral storytelling. They sought to destroy the books in the libyrinth, which they thought would--if read--kill the words they sing, and the knowledge in their songs.
Now a Song has created peace between the Singers and the Libyrarians who work in the libyrinth. However, the libyrinth is quickly running out of food, and the survival of the ancient edifice and those who serve it may depend on Po, a young Ilysian who has had trouble adjusting to life at the libyrinth. Caught between his longings for acceptance and the Machiavellian tactics of his queen, Po is tricked into a crime that causes him to be cast out. He may return only if he retrieves a legendary artifact that may be the answer to all of the libyrinth's problems…or could turn the world into a barren, lifeless ruin. For Po, life has finally become exciting…but the cost may be his life, and the lives of those he loves.
The Boy From Ilysies is an exciting, fast-paced novel about acceptance, growing up, and learning to trust oneself.
On a world light-years away, Earth is long forgotten, except for the knowledge protected in the vast libyrinth. But that knowledge was threatened by the Singers, who for generations beyond remembering have relied on oral storytelling. They sought to destroy the books in the libyrinth, which they thought would--if read--kill the words they sing, and the knowledge in their songs.
Now a Song has created peace between the Singers and the Libyrarians who work in the libyrinth. However, the libyrinth is quickly running out of food, and the survival of the ancient edifice and those who serve it may depend on Po, a young Ilysian who has had trouble adjusting to life at the libyrinth. Caught between his longings for acceptance and the Machiavellian tactics of his queen, Po is tricked into a crime that causes him to be cast out. He may return only if he retrieves a legendary artifact that may be the answer to all of the libyrinth's problems…or could turn the world into a barren, lifeless ruin. For Po, life has finally become exciting…but the cost may be his life, and the lives of those he loves.
The Boy From Ilysies is an exciting, fast-paced novel about acceptance, growing up, and learning to trust oneself.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
read-but-unowned
May 16, 2011I guess when I read Libyrinth I missed something key about Ilysies. I knew it was a matriarchal society, but I failed to notice that men are greatly outnumbered and treated as second class citizens. It is this second class status that has Po all mixed up in The Boy from Ilysies. Not only is he having problems thinking of Princess, I mean, Libyrarian Selene as just one of the girls and no more than anyone else, but he's also having trouble seeing himself as no less than. He's used to serving women like Selene, not working alongside them, and he's used to being emotionally taken care of, in return, by a matriarchal figure. All of this equality has left him feeling very alone and unsupported.
Much of the book is spent on this dilemma. It's interesting and important and turns gender stereotypes on their heads, but it wasn't what I was looking for in a sequel to the action-packed, literature-rich, POC and LGBTQ-featuring Libyrinth. I wanted more action than intrigue, more of Clauda's brashness and less of Po's confusion, more of the books' wisdom and less erections as feelings, more of the look-how-I've-grown Selene and less of the back-to-the-beginning Selene, more Nod(s), more Haly, and for the love, more Clauda AND Selene. When Po finally left on a quest, along with former Censor Siblea, Selene, and a few others, I was so happy. I just wish that moment had come before I was halfway through the book.
But that second half of the book was totally worth it for me. The above group sets out for the former Singer headquarters to look for a tool from the legends of every major cultures' folklore that will hopefully make the land around the libyrinth fertile enough to support the community living there. Of course, when they get there, things do not go as planned, but in the course of the search and the fighting, we find out more about the foundations of the Singers' society. Their (former) reasoning behind the fear and demonization of the written word isn't exactly spelled out, but it makes a lot more sense now. Their still present culture of abuse and neglect of women also butts up against Po's sensibilities in a way that makes him take action rather than wallow in confusion and self-pity. The trip is also filled with danger, suspense, a cute but damaged girl for Po, and a cliff-hanger of an ending. I'm re-sucked in to this trilogy (or series?) an eagerly awaiting the as yet untitled Book 3.
Book source: Philly Free Library
Much of the book is spent on this dilemma. It's interesting and important and turns gender stereotypes on their heads, but it wasn't what I was looking for in a sequel to the action-packed, literature-rich, POC and LGBTQ-featuring Libyrinth. I wanted more action than intrigue, more of Clauda's brashness and less of Po's confusion, more of the books' wisdom and less erections as feelings, more of the look-how-I've-grown Selene and less of the back-to-the-beginning Selene, more Nod(s), more Haly, and for the love, more Clauda AND Selene. When Po finally left on a quest, along with former Censor Siblea, Selene, and a few others, I was so happy. I just wish that moment had come before I was halfway through the book.
But that second half of the book was totally worth it for me. The above group sets out for the former Singer headquarters to look for a tool from the legends of every major cultures' folklore that will hopefully make the land around the libyrinth fertile enough to support the community living there. Of course, when they get there, things do not go as planned, but in the course of the search and the fighting, we find out more about the foundations of the Singers' society. Their (former) reasoning behind the fear and demonization of the written word isn't exactly spelled out, but it makes a lot more sense now. Their still present culture of abuse and neglect of women also butts up against Po's sensibilities in a way that makes him take action rather than wallow in confusion and self-pity. The trip is also filled with danger, suspense, a cute but damaged girl for Po, and a cliff-hanger of an ending. I'm re-sucked in to this trilogy (or series?) an eagerly awaiting the as yet untitled Book 3.
Book source: Philly Free Library
June 7, 2011
This one started off a little rocky. There was a lot of Po trying to get a girl and not fitting in with anyone in the new settlement, and trying to get a girl, and reading too much into innocent conversations and looks from girls, and trying to get a girl. A little much when it seemed like the whole first part of the book was about one boy trying to get laid. The second half picked up when the Chorus of the Word goes back to the Citadel to search for the pen and discovers that a band of outlaws has taken over and is terrorizing the town. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first in this trilogy, but I enjoyed the way it ended and am intrigued enough with the direction North is headed to read the final book.
October 23, 2021
With a full list of characters a fifteen year old boy named Po has been added, and becomes the focus through out this fast paced story. Po was raised in Ilysies which is a Matriarchal society to the extreme. Ruled by a very cruel and self indulgent queen. With whom Po has clumsily made a serious mistake that could, and most likely was going to cause his death along with the rest of the males of his family, and all of the females would be marked. We feel all of his strong emotions, fears and frustrations. This was a very strong and emotional story. I suffered with Po in many ways, being looked down on and angrily misunderstood by almost everyone, those that weren't angry thought there was something wrong with him but in spite of all of his many differences with most of the other characters, he does have a few that care for him, they try their best to help him through his personal trials, and to convince him to have trust in his own abilities to fit in. But for Po it is a real struggle, learning how the Libyrinth's society works and as well as the Singers who are both trying to mesh their different beliefs since, after the miracle of the Redemption which were both different from were Po was from. He has a very difficult time trying as hard as he could to do the right things, but still finds his efforts ridiculed by one group or the other. Po can't understand what he is doing wrong and decides to separate himself from those that he felt hated him and just work as hard as he could learning a medical talent for those who needed him. Since Po was brought to the Libyrinth to live after he escaped Ilysies and was soon ready to run away and back to what he knew and could understand from a distance, when all hell breaks out and the food was becoming scarce it was very tense times. So a group called 'The Chorus of the Word' of which Po has been relegated to, to get him out of the community and out into the open country, Hopefully to bring back with them on their return, a mysterious thing that was a legendary myth, but maybe a tangible magical object known as Endymion's rose which supposedly held great power and terror too, it was also similar to another historical object called the Lion's Bloom, which might be something that could help the plants to propagate and flourish. But for sure to trade with other settlements for as many seeds for planting new crops after a wind driven fire that destroyed their last crop that was ready to be harvested. It was going to be in barely enough time to feed a near starving community.
So much is happening all the way through this story and it only escalates from here.
Now I will start book #3 'The Book of the Night'
So much is happening all the way through this story and it only escalates from here.
Now I will start book #3 'The Book of the Night'
May 19, 2011
I really enjoyed Libyrinth, but found this book a bit of a disappointing followup. For one thing, Po is just not as much fun as a main character. Yes, the role reversal is interesting, but after a while his issues just got repetitive and annoying. He was flitting from one woman to another and always having the same reaction. I really wanted him to just man up. The first 3/4 of the book was just so slow moving and North really does a disservice to her characters from the first book. We learned to love Haly, Clauda and Selene and she barely uses them here. I think Clauda probably has a total of 25 pages in the entire book and Haly not much more. The book really could have used their presence. The last 1/4 of the book did move along at a nice clip and did set up for the last of the trilogy, which I will probably read. But I really do hope that it is better than this one.
August 26, 2019
I am... confused.
I really, really liked the first Libyrinth book, but has for unknown reasons put off reading the sequel for literal years. And now that I finally did pick it up, I'm really kinda disappointed. It's partly because I spent the entire story missing Haly and Clauda - who're barely in it, even if they were main characters in the first book - and partly because the pacing is just. Not good. Barely anything happens in the first half, and then all too much in the second, but in a very summarized way where character growth and explanations were clumsy and rushed.
There is good stuff in there. We get to follow Po, who has moved from a society where he was a second class citizen to one where everyone is an equal, and now doesn't know what to do with his new found freedom. It's rarely we get to see stories about people dealing with oppression and abuse in this way - usually they are all rebellion or at least quiet resentment, but it doesn't always work like that in reality. A life long conditioning in self hate isn't something you just shrug off; there's a reason so many go right back to their abuser, and we see that here. I really wanted to like Po's journey to self discovery.
But so much of it felt forced and over the top, the messages being blatant and obvious instead of challenging the reader. Po's journey is rushed and his relationships with other characters shallow. Again, there was good stuff in there, but the whole story felt a bit like a first draft. I still think I'll read the last book in the trilogy, but I'll be going in a lot more sceptical than I did with this one.
I really, really liked the first Libyrinth book, but has for unknown reasons put off reading the sequel for literal years. And now that I finally did pick it up, I'm really kinda disappointed. It's partly because I spent the entire story missing Haly and Clauda - who're barely in it, even if they were main characters in the first book - and partly because the pacing is just. Not good. Barely anything happens in the first half, and then all too much in the second, but in a very summarized way where character growth and explanations were clumsy and rushed.
There is good stuff in there. We get to follow Po, who has moved from a society where he was a second class citizen to one where everyone is an equal, and now doesn't know what to do with his new found freedom. It's rarely we get to see stories about people dealing with oppression and abuse in this way - usually they are all rebellion or at least quiet resentment, but it doesn't always work like that in reality. A life long conditioning in self hate isn't something you just shrug off; there's a reason so many go right back to their abuser, and we see that here. I really wanted to like Po's journey to self discovery.
But so much of it felt forced and over the top, the messages being blatant and obvious instead of challenging the reader. Po's journey is rushed and his relationships with other characters shallow. Again, there was good stuff in there, but the whole story felt a bit like a first draft. I still think I'll read the last book in the trilogy, but I'll be going in a lot more sceptical than I did with this one.
November 3, 2018
This is the second book in the series. Now that there is peace between the Libyrarians and the Singers, they now must turn to the task of surviving. They begin reaching out to the neighboring communities, spreading the word of what has happened. A new character, Po, becomes the focus of the story. He is an Ilysian, and in their female dominated culture, the men are the consorts and fight between themselves for the privilege. Hurting a woman is against their culture. Po is tricked and becomes an outcast, but his powers as a healing adept may be his salvation as he joins the search for a legendary object, that has the power to green the desert. I didn’t like this one as much as the first book, as I wasn’t crazy about the main character, although he did improve over the course of the book. The new elements will lead to some interesting changes in the third book in the series.
March 8, 2018
Another one that I just could not torture myself anymore by reading. The main characters annoyed me, I couldn’t get passed that at all. I honestly wanted to DNF.
January 21, 2011
I picked up this novel on a whim, and from the first page was completely hooked. I had not realized that the book is actually a sequel to Libyrinth. I frequently complain about too much exposition in books... I like it when an author simply thrusts you into a world, trusting you to figure out, or at least muddle through until the clues start to come together and the rules of the world become more clear. This book, though, is probably that rare exception, where I could have used just a pinch more information to catch me up with the backstory. It was a bit of a challenge, but not impossible, to figure out who was who at first.
We start out knowing that Po, a lone subservient young man from the strictly matriarchal Ilysies society, is struggling to adjust to life in a new settlement, where patriarchal Singers and egalitarian Libyrarians are attempting to mend their differences. Everyone in the settlement recently fell under the effects of a powerful magical spell, one which temporarily created peace, and inspired them to try a more permanent blending of their cultures. Naturally, once the magic fades, the hard work of creating a new society is easier said than done. The casually insulting manner towards women that Singer males cannot seem to shake causes Po to instigate frequent fistfights. As is normal for his culture, Po is often quite weepy, just another thing which causes him to stick out like a sore thumb amongst the more stoic males in the settlement. Suffering from low self-esteem, eager to abdicate responsibility to a wife who can manage matters for him, and unable to stop himself from continually prostrating himself before Ilysian Princess Selene, who does not appreciate reminders of her former life of privilege, poor Po can't seem to figure out how to fit in.
Unfortunately, Selene's ruthless mother, Queen Thela, is able to step in and take advantage of Po's naivete. When the settlement's struggling first crop is burned, Po is framed for it. To redeem himself, he must journey to a nearby enemy city to find the long-hidden Endymion's Rose - a legendary magical artifact that could save them all. Most remarkable, to me, was Po's utter shock and initial lack of understanding of things such as prostitution, rape, or unwanted pregnancy. Po's upbringing in an all-powerful matriarchy where fertility is revered, and violence against women results in an instant death sentence for the offending male and all of his living relatives leaves him completely unprepared for some of the harsher aspects of living in a patriarchy.
The worldbuilding in this book is complex and the cast of characters fairly large. There are hints that all of the warring factions are descended from a long-ago Earth, especially when they quote novels such as Peer Gynt, Moby Dick, or Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The planet's inhabitants study what appear to be ship's logs as their holy texts, hoping to divine clues which will help their survival. They do rely on technology, especially personal flying jets, yet this is a world where magic is ever-present as well. Po learns to develop his skill as a healer with the use of trance-like visions where he sees a beautiful garden setting. With it's abrupt entry into the story, and cliffhanger ending, The Boy From Ilysies is clearly the middle-volume of a trilogy. Fans of Ursula Le Guin's feminist science-fiction, with it's exploration of culture clashes and gender roles will feel right at home in the world of Libyrinth. Recommended for older teens.
We start out knowing that Po, a lone subservient young man from the strictly matriarchal Ilysies society, is struggling to adjust to life in a new settlement, where patriarchal Singers and egalitarian Libyrarians are attempting to mend their differences. Everyone in the settlement recently fell under the effects of a powerful magical spell, one which temporarily created peace, and inspired them to try a more permanent blending of their cultures. Naturally, once the magic fades, the hard work of creating a new society is easier said than done. The casually insulting manner towards women that Singer males cannot seem to shake causes Po to instigate frequent fistfights. As is normal for his culture, Po is often quite weepy, just another thing which causes him to stick out like a sore thumb amongst the more stoic males in the settlement. Suffering from low self-esteem, eager to abdicate responsibility to a wife who can manage matters for him, and unable to stop himself from continually prostrating himself before Ilysian Princess Selene, who does not appreciate reminders of her former life of privilege, poor Po can't seem to figure out how to fit in.
Unfortunately, Selene's ruthless mother, Queen Thela, is able to step in and take advantage of Po's naivete. When the settlement's struggling first crop is burned, Po is framed for it. To redeem himself, he must journey to a nearby enemy city to find the long-hidden Endymion's Rose - a legendary magical artifact that could save them all. Most remarkable, to me, was Po's utter shock and initial lack of understanding of things such as prostitution, rape, or unwanted pregnancy. Po's upbringing in an all-powerful matriarchy where fertility is revered, and violence against women results in an instant death sentence for the offending male and all of his living relatives leaves him completely unprepared for some of the harsher aspects of living in a patriarchy.
The worldbuilding in this book is complex and the cast of characters fairly large. There are hints that all of the warring factions are descended from a long-ago Earth, especially when they quote novels such as Peer Gynt, Moby Dick, or Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The planet's inhabitants study what appear to be ship's logs as their holy texts, hoping to divine clues which will help their survival. They do rely on technology, especially personal flying jets, yet this is a world where magic is ever-present as well. Po learns to develop his skill as a healer with the use of trance-like visions where he sees a beautiful garden setting. With it's abrupt entry into the story, and cliffhanger ending, The Boy From Ilysies is clearly the middle-volume of a trilogy. Fans of Ursula Le Guin's feminist science-fiction, with it's exploration of culture clashes and gender roles will feel right at home in the world of Libyrinth. Recommended for older teens.
March 14, 2016
This review and more can be found at The AP Book Club!
I really enjoyed Libyrinth, and was really excited to read its sequel. And it did not disappoint! If anything, The Boy From Ilysies is even better than the first book. This series does not suffer from second-book-syndrome in any way, and it was very refreshing.
One of my favorite things about this book was that it took a previously minor character and turned him into the unlikely hero. In the first book, Po is the kinesthesiologist's apprentice and just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up flying with Clauda in the wing. At the beginning of this book, he's lost and homesick and wants to leave the Libyrinth to return home to Ilysies. But throughout the book, he matures and grows and begins to accept the other ways of life as not being so different from the one he knows. He's definitely one of the most well-developed characters in the series and in YA in general I think, and it's a real shame not more people know about him. At the start of this book, I did not like Po at all but by the end I found myself cheering him on.
Another thing that Pearl North does exceptionally well is building a new and fascinating world. I mean, I can't even begin to fathom how she came up with this concept. There are four main groups of people (the Libyrarians, the Singers, the Ayorites, and the Ilysieans), and each group has totally different viewpoints on the roles of men and women, on what/who the Ancients were, on what the driving force behind everything is, and so much more. I could barely keep them straight as the reader, I can't even imagine how North was able to create this world and then expand upon it. I thought I knew enough from the first book, but somehow North gives us even more insight into the world of these books and expands the world so much.
The plot moves a little slowly at first, but I think it ends up being alright because we get to learn more about Po and his feelings about the Redemption and life at the Libyrinth. Once the group leaves and their mission is underway though, things pick up quite considerably. There is very little downtime, and we find ourselves right in the middle of all of the action. I also thought that switching back and forth between characters as narrators was a really great technique, and is done very well. Not only do we see what Po and his group are experiencing, but we also get to see a little bit of what is going on back at the Libyrinth.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who read and enjoyed Libyrinth. It's better than the first one, and you don't want to miss this next chapter in the trilogy! I would also recommend this series to anyone who is looking for an excellent fantasy series to start. They're easy reads, but I think they have appeal for both younger and older audiences. Anyone who loves books would love this series, regardless of age. A 4/5! I can't wait to read The Book of the Night!
I really enjoyed Libyrinth, and was really excited to read its sequel. And it did not disappoint! If anything, The Boy From Ilysies is even better than the first book. This series does not suffer from second-book-syndrome in any way, and it was very refreshing.
One of my favorite things about this book was that it took a previously minor character and turned him into the unlikely hero. In the first book, Po is the kinesthesiologist's apprentice and just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and ends up flying with Clauda in the wing. At the beginning of this book, he's lost and homesick and wants to leave the Libyrinth to return home to Ilysies. But throughout the book, he matures and grows and begins to accept the other ways of life as not being so different from the one he knows. He's definitely one of the most well-developed characters in the series and in YA in general I think, and it's a real shame not more people know about him. At the start of this book, I did not like Po at all but by the end I found myself cheering him on.
Another thing that Pearl North does exceptionally well is building a new and fascinating world. I mean, I can't even begin to fathom how she came up with this concept. There are four main groups of people (the Libyrarians, the Singers, the Ayorites, and the Ilysieans), and each group has totally different viewpoints on the roles of men and women, on what/who the Ancients were, on what the driving force behind everything is, and so much more. I could barely keep them straight as the reader, I can't even imagine how North was able to create this world and then expand upon it. I thought I knew enough from the first book, but somehow North gives us even more insight into the world of these books and expands the world so much.
The plot moves a little slowly at first, but I think it ends up being alright because we get to learn more about Po and his feelings about the Redemption and life at the Libyrinth. Once the group leaves and their mission is underway though, things pick up quite considerably. There is very little downtime, and we find ourselves right in the middle of all of the action. I also thought that switching back and forth between characters as narrators was a really great technique, and is done very well. Not only do we see what Po and his group are experiencing, but we also get to see a little bit of what is going on back at the Libyrinth.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who read and enjoyed Libyrinth. It's better than the first one, and you don't want to miss this next chapter in the trilogy! I would also recommend this series to anyone who is looking for an excellent fantasy series to start. They're easy reads, but I think they have appeal for both younger and older audiences. Anyone who loves books would love this series, regardless of age. A 4/5! I can't wait to read The Book of the Night!
October 20, 2012
I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book, but I'm not really sure what to say about it. I finished it and I just know very little of events and stuff that lead up to the plot..... I really feel the characters are run of the mill (almost unforgettable), the plot is a bit out there, and we have a lot of people who want to get laid.
Basically, this whole book revolves around a boy who wants to get laid, but can't because the girls don't like him. Said boy is socially awkward, an outcast, etc..... His whole goal in life is to get laid....
Oh, yeah there are some other plot elements like famine, bad guys and stuff, but really all I remember is the 100 or so pages dedicated to said boy wanting to get laid and having issues with it.
I plan on reading the third book, because I feel like I need to know what happens (not with the boy who wants to get laid with the other stuff), but I'm not sure I'd really recommend this book to anyone.
Basically, this whole book revolves around a boy who wants to get laid, but can't because the girls don't like him. Said boy is socially awkward, an outcast, etc..... His whole goal in life is to get laid....
Oh, yeah there are some other plot elements like famine, bad guys and stuff, but really all I remember is the 100 or so pages dedicated to said boy wanting to get laid and having issues with it.
I plan on reading the third book, because I feel like I need to know what happens (not with the boy who wants to get laid with the other stuff), but I'm not sure I'd really recommend this book to anyone.
December 23, 2010
This is the sequel to Libyrinth and, I must admit, more delightful. I found Libyrinth to be very good, but slightly predictable (read my review here). The Boy from Ilysies didn't have any of these problems at all. I was pleasantly suprised the entire book. The plotting was unpredictable but believable, and Po was a delightful, believable character with a unique voice and a great story. Double-Plus, and I'll be looking much more forward to the next book in this series!
April 8, 2011
The strange world of the Libyrarians is now seen through the eyes of Po, a teenage boy who has been brought up in an abusive matriarchal system. The way he interprets relationships is squirm-inducing, but fascinating. Others have varying degrees of understanding how he experiences things while he's trying to break out of conditioning. Meanwhile, there's an adventure - this strange world is winding down and it needs to be saved and we get another glimpse behind the curtain.
November 17, 2010
North continues to showcase her amazing worldbuilding, filling in many details of the cities and cultures of this future land. Po is a sweet enough character, but I missed hearing Haly's special talent.
December 22, 2010
Read from 12/14 - 12/16.
April 20, 2011
Would have been good to read the first book but still well done as a continuation (not too confusing!). Some very interesting gender stuff in this!
August 31, 2013
deals with sex and gender roles, as well as the value of culture when it comes into conflict with equality.
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February 20, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13808460
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13808460
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