Book Review: Olivia Maes

Flint & Fern: The Karma of the Condor 

I really enjoyed reading Flint and Fern: the Karma of the Condor. While the book is aimed at teenagers and therefore has not much in the way of flourishes in language, the subject matter is still interesting to an adult too.

I very much enjoyed reading a book which is set in a utopian future rather than a dystopian future, especially since sometimes it feels like we are already in the dystopian future. But what if we got it right? Took action on climate change and moved away from consumerism? How could we live together harmoniously in a more community-focused society where we honour nature and each other? The story shows what such a future might look like. Of course, there are many possibilities and this one may not be to everyone's taste but it is a very interesting thinking exercise.

The story describes the coming-of-age of a group of young people, as well as having a quest element. So whether you enjoy character development or an action adventure you will find something to your liking.

There are a number of terms which may or may not be familiar to the average reader, which have not been defined in a glossary at the back. It would have been useful and this could be done for future editions. However, there are not that many of them, so it does not detract from enjoyment of reading. There are some subtle references to Eastern philosophy and Christianity but again, if religion is not your thing, it is not a large components of the story and should not put you off reading it.

While over all the story pleasingly resolves the storylines from the book, it also leaves us on a cliff hanger. This did make me want to read more and look forward to the next instalment.

I declare that I was given a free copy of the book to provide a review. However, I do not feel it impacted an impartial assessment of the book, since the book relates to subject matter that I care about anyway.
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~ Olivia Maes (23/08/2021)