Recently I read a new novel by Maurice Gee which really impressed me. Salt is the first book in the Salt trilogy and won the Young Adult fiction section of the 2008 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.
Salt is the first book in the Salt trilogy by New Zealand author, Maurice Gee. It’s something completely different. Many fantasies follow a familiar pattern but not this one.
In a wonderful satiric twist, it’s loosely based on an economic model. The hero, Hari, lives in the Barrows, a savage slum area outside the city of Ceebeedee. In the city live the ruling Families. Everyone serves The Company. And the people of the Barrows are rounded up as slaves do the worst jobs of all.
When Hari’s father is captured, his insolence earns him an assignment to Deep Salt. The mine no man ever returns from.
The heroine is Pearl (Radiant Pearl of the Deep Blue Sea), a daughter of the Bowles Family, who runs away from an arranged marriage to the cruel Ottmar, owner of Deep Salt. Accompanied by her maid, Tealeaf, she escapes the city into the country.
Both outcast, both chased by the families, Hari and Pearl are destined to cross paths. With Tealeaf’s help, they learn to first tolerate, then respect each other. Tealeaf is more than a maid, she is a Dweller, sent to seek out others who share her races’ mind abilities. Like Hari and Pearl.
Hari is determined to first rescue his father. Everything else must wait. And so it should. There is a great threat in the mine. Deep Salt will become terrifyingly familiar to the reader – it is the glowing light that makes hair fall out and skin fade. Here in our world we have a different name for it and it carries the same terrible risk in ambitious hands.
I was completely surprised by the ending. Suddenly the hero and heroine were older, married and had moved away from the Dweller village. I felt lost. After all, this is a trilogy and I expected to be following Hari and Pearl for another book. At least. Then I realized what a master stroke Gee had wielded. I have no idea what will happen next. All I know is I want to read Gool (Book 2) as soon as possible. No wonder Salt won the NZ Post Book Award for Best Young Adult Fiction.
Oh drat! I have so many books in my TBR pile already, but I can’t not read this one! Your review makes it sound so intriguing. I don’t know Maurice Gee at all, but it’s great to hear of awards going to wonderful stories. I see it’s Puffin, and they don’t send me books to review, but I’ll keep an eye open in my library.
Thanks for the feedback. In NZ it’s distributed by Puffin but elsewhere it is distributed by Text Publishing who sent me a review copy. They have some wonderful YA and children’s titles on their list – lots of Australian and NZ authors including the new Bernard Beckett <>Jolt<> in April and Amra Pajalic’s debut novel <>the good daughter<> in May.
I just finished the Salt Trilogy and I loved it! It was amazing. I live in NZ and in some of Maurice Gee's books in explains about a place and sometimes I know that place! It is amazing. I love the Salt Trilogy, and my favourite characters will have to be Xantee, Hana and Duro. I just love their personalities!
I totally agree. Have you read any of Brian Falkner's books? He's another one of my favourite NZ authors.