Marika is the 3rd book in the 'Chronicles of Tonath' series written by Mari Collier. While you don't need to read them in order, it's probably a good idea to give it a try if you can. I chose to read this one first (the latest) because I liked the plot line and wanted to sample something by the author. I can easily say that Collier is a wonderful writer, and I will continue to read more from her.
The people of Tonath have been through a tremendous amount. Some of them, like Marika, have secrets that have yet to be discovered, even by the secret keeper themselves! The book kicks off with Marika as a young girl at religious / spiritual services with her mother and several brothers in an institution. She has a weird out-of-body experience where a voice speaks to her and warns her that someone is in danger. Marika tries to tell the person, but her mother prevents her from speaking the truth and chalks it up to a young girl's imagination. We soon learn Marika's mother wants the property her daughter inherited from her recently deceased father. We're unsure if her mother is good or bad, but we continue to see the relationship spin and evolve for the next 10+ years as Marika grows up and must wait until her 18th birthday to formally decide what to do with the land.
Meanwhile, as Marika tries to understand these strange powers building inside her mind, someone from the past visits her and provides a quest that she is destined to follow. Marika wants to be informed about her life, the truth, and her planet's history before she listens to her mother to sell the property and get married. Two suitors are interested, but Marika won't commit. Then she decides to follow the quest that someone puts before her... revealing Marika's true lineage and purpose in the world. What must this amazing young woman do to accept the truth and protect those around her?
Collier takes her readers on a wild science fiction and fantasy ride through life on another planet. We know a little bit about Tonath, but not everything (perhaps it's covered in earlier books), so we're learning a lot as we go on this journey. Marika's gift and responsibilities run deep. Will she be able to contain them? Once she makes a decision about whom to marry, and how to deal with her mother's relentless grip on things, Marika's mind and world open up to the past. She discovers what happened years ago, what she needs to do, how to stay alive for longer than most, and how to fall in love the right way. She learns to trust and become part of the solution rather than just another cog in the system that does little to help the world around her.
Collier has created a believable world with lots of emotional situations for her characters. While everything feels human, there is another layer to the complexity of Marika's past and her powers, so as readers... we're always wondering what else might happen. She's suffered a lot, and when she meets people like the teacher / professor and some of the brothers in the institution, it's clear to tell she is special - but we also know some do not want her to survive.
I'm always impressed by writers in this genre when they create the unimaginable for me. I live with walls and structure, yet on another planet, so much can happen. It's intriguing to discover how authors like Collier can dream up such fantastic worlds we've never been in but make them feel so real. Kudos for a well-written story that just happens to have a basis in science fiction and reality. While that's an important component, what readers will enjoy most here is the maturation process of a young girl who yearns to find the truth about her father, the past, and her purpose. She's a role model for many, and I look forward to seeing more of her in future books perhaps.
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A work of exceptional talent
The love story of Marika and Dickon will ring in my mind long after the Star Shifts are over and the book comes to an end with the haunting final words.Collier knows her science to explain the catastrophes that overwhelm the planet Tonath at irregular intervals when space / time shifts. Although the previous novels in this series must better explain the lineages and genealogy of the aliens with two hearts, Marika stands alone as a work of exceptional talent.
Top reviews from other countries
Kenna McKinnon
A work of exceptional talent
Reviewed in Canada on February 24, 2019