Mirna Z. (otherworldgirl) reviewed on
Helpful Score: 2
Haven is one of the planets settled by humanity after Earth was depleted. Almost completely covered by water, the planet's north island is ruled by a rigid aristocratic society in which men tend to outlive their wives many times over, and girls are taught to be pious and resigned to whatever fate may hold in store for them, while the south island is ruled by an even stricter theocracy. Genevieve, a noble's daughter, is forced to abandon her preferred role of observer when an unwanted marriage and a forbidden love enter her life. Starting out as a combination fantasy of manners/space opera, the story places Genevieve at the very core of Haven's fate and a crucial time for the society she was raised to alter from within, blending Maori myths, espionage, interplanetary invasion, ecofeminism, adventure, a searing indictment of social injustice and a sly sense of humor in a page-turning sci-fi fable.
