Land of the Frozen Sun
Empathy toward an alien creature propels magical adventures in the heartwarming science fiction novel Land of the Frozen Sun.
Set on another planet, A. P. Malloy’s lush science fiction novel Land of the Frozen Sun is about empathy and alien companionship.
Lightning and Thunder, kezel siblings, are part of the Sugarfoot clan on the planet Aranae. While on a hunt for food, the siblings discover an object containing a small alien being. Lightning connects to the creature, which she calls Joy, and vows to protect it, even though this is unusual behavior for a kezel. Her previous convictions about the world around her are challenged: Though she was taught that other creatures are noncommunicative and are thus the kezel’s simple and mindless prey, she finds that she is able to mind-speak with Joy. Her world opens up, and she is later able to build relationships with other beings too.
However, as Lightning’s relationship with Joy grows, she faces exile from her community. Forced from her homeland, she and Joy find sanctuary with a society of bombas. Later, they are thrust into treacherous, unforgiving landscapes, battling to stay together and stay alive.
Lightning is an empathetic heroine, developed in terms of the kindness she shows toward others. Early on, she helps her brother despite his protests; she expresses a desire to do right by those she cares about. Her experiences of grief, acceptance, and self-empowerment flesh her out further. As the book progresses, alliances between kezels and bombas are tested, new relationships are birthed, and love and compassion continue to bring alien beings together.
Moving through its dramas and adventures with speed, this is a tense story in which the heroine navigates unfamiliar landscapes and new relationships on repeat. At every turn, Lightning is faced with the twin arduous tasks of determining whom she can trust and what is best for Joy. The magic of her world is always in the background, vivified by her enthralling observations, as of “colorful yits sporting translucent wings [who] flutter and swoop through sunbeams [and] one-eyed virbles in bushy green coats [that] delve the frosty ground.” On her planet, cosmic shifts in moon patterns produce lethal storms, which, in turn, propel aspects of the story. Though the settings shift, all is kept tangible thanks to clear language, apt metaphors, and Lightning’s consistent ability to learn to trust others.
In the inspiring science fiction novel Land of the Frozen Sun, a young, empathetic creature on an ethereal planet protects her found family.
Reviewed by
Jennifer Maveety
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