Girls at the Edge of the World

June 1, 2021

Gr 8 Up-Natasha is the principal flyer for the Royal Flyers, a silks dancing group that preserves the traditions in her land. Ella is foreign, brought to Kostrov by a thirst for revenge, and joins the Royal Flyers in order to get closer to her target, King Nikolai. Although the Royal Flyers are well-taken care of, their standing among the royals is uncertain. Kostrov faces constant storms, foretold by their religious book Captain's Log, and the world will eventually flood. The kingdom is building a fleet of ships but will not have enough room to save everyone. When Natasha finds out the Royal Flyers are no longer guaranteed a spot on the royal fleet, she makes up her mind to marry Nikolai and bring her friends with her on the fleet when the world ends. But will she be drawn to Nikolai, or to the mysterious new flyer with a hidden mission? This is a charming LGBTQIA+ novel. Ella is marked as a siren, a woman who enjoys the company of other women, and she must endure the negative implications it has for her in Kostrovian society. Natasha grows from an uncertain protagonist into a strong character who makes her own choices. The worldbuilding creates a believable, almost-dystopian background to the rest of the plot, and the novel is fleshed out with a cast of well-rounded characters. Natasha is pale and freckled and Ella has olive-toned skin. VERDICT A recommended purchase for fantasy lovers.-Stacey Shapiro, Cranford P.L., NJ

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2021
In a world facing storms and floods of biblical proportions, survival isn't guaranteed. Everyone in Kostrov expects the Royal Flyers, whose aerial silk performances preserve the country's cultural heritage, to accompany the court on the ships that will sustain royals, nobles, and pious commoners during the impending yearlong flood prophesied in the Sacred Breath scripture. So when, with only months to spare, Natasha discovers that the Flyers aren't on the roster, she joins the many Kostrovian girls competing for King Nikolai's hand in hopes of guaranteeing passage for herself and her troupe. Refreshingly, despite Natasha's love of fairy tales, it's clear she considers marrying the king a strategic, rather than romantic, endeavor--while the way she feels around Ella, the newest Flyer, is less quantifiable. But Ella has a secret: She's part of a vengeful plot to assassinate Nikolai. Though the girls' objectives are directly at odds, their intense attraction to one another threatens their plans. Their slow-burn romance, told in alternating perspectives, grounds the plot amid increasingly devastating storms that illuminate Robson's rich worldbuilding of a country divided by class, privilege, and beliefs. An immersive and clever tribute to the natural world and the longevity and power of storytelling, this book is also a subtle yet incisive critique of patriarchal structures and the male gaze. Natasha and Ella read as White; the supporting cast is diverse in skin tone. Sobering, complex, unexpected--and wholly un-put-down-able. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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