Astra

The Gaia Chronicles Book 1

By: Naomi Foyle

Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins

Like every child in Is-Land, all Astra Ordott wants is to have her Security Shot, do her National Service and defend her Gaian homeland from Non-Lander 'infiltrators'. But when one of her Shelter mothers, the formidable Dr Hokma Blesser, tells her the shot will limit her chances of becoming a scientist and offers her an alternative, Astra agrees to her plan.

When the orphaned Lil arrives to share Astra's home, Astra is torn between jealousy and fascination. Lil's father taught her some alarming ideas about Is-Land and the world, but when she pushes Astra too far, the heartache that results goes far beyond the loss of a friend.

If she is to survive, Astra must learn to deal with devastating truths about Is-Land, Non-Land and the secret web of adult relationships that surrounds her.

(P)2014 WF Howes Ltd©2014 Naomi Foyle

Critic reviews

A complex and daring literary story

I enjoyed Astra immensely. The novel's plot is fascinating . . . all of it set down in Foyle's smooth and flowing writing style

This is excellent Science Fiction and I heartily recommend it . . . reminiscent of LeGuin

A friend recommended Astra as an invigorating sort of escapism. She was right. My first experience of SF enchanted and stimulated me

It's hard-hitting, but it's poignant and incredibly thought-provoking . . . Naomi Foyle has a mastery of plotting and a way with words that's truly remarkable

Foyle has built a fascinating portrait, often reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin in its layered complexity, and threaded into a fascinating coming of age story. Gripping

This ambitious, thought-provoking take on a dystopian future paints a depressingly credible picture of environmental collapse . . . as events go hurtling towards the book's dramatic conclusion, I couldn't put it down . . .