Beyond the Red

Last updated
The Beyond the Red trilogy
Beyond the Red cover.jpg
First edition cover of the first book
  • Beyond the Red
  • Into the Black
  • The Rising Gold
AuthorGabe Cole Novoa (as Ava Jae) [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Science fiction, dystopian, young adult
Publisher Sky Pony Press
Published
  • March 1, 2016
  • November 14, 2017
  • October 2, 2018
Media type Hardcover, paperback, e-book, audiobook
No. of books3
Website

The Beyond the Red trilogy is a series of young adult dystopian science fiction novels by Gabe Cole Novoa, writing under the pen name Ava Jae. [1] Set on a planet where humans and a humanoid native species are in violent conflict, the books include action, forbidden romance, political intrigue, and queer themes.

Contents

Beyond the Red is Novoa's debut novel and was written while he was in college. The story, which follows a half-human who finds himself caught in the middle of two cultures, was informed by Novoa's experiences as a white-passing latinx person. The book was released in 2016 and received critical praise for its worldbuilding. It was followed by the sequels Into the Black (2017) and The Rising Gold (2018).

Plot

On the fictional exoplanet of Safara, humans are second-class citizens, ruled over by a humanoid native species: the tall, tattooed Sepharon. The novels are written in first person, and switch back and forth between the perspectives of Kora and Eros. Kora is a young Sepharon, and the first female ruler of her province of Elja. Eros is a young half-human, half-Sepharon soldier who has grown up with nomadic "redblood" humans in a world where "half-breeds" like him are generally killed at birth.

Beyond the Red

After much of Eros's family and camp is killed in a Sepharon raid, Eros is captured and becomes Kora's personal servant and bodyguard. Even though Kora ordered the raid, the two find themselves developing feelings for each other, and Kora becomes increasingly sympathetic to the humans' cause.

Kora and Eros must contend with a coup by Kora's more militant brother Dima, who frames Kora for attempted murder and forces them to flee the province. They go beyond the red sands of their native region to the white-sanded capital city of Asheron. Kora's and Eros's feelings intensify, but Kora dithers on whether she wants a relationship with Eros, which leaves Eros feeling heartbroken.

Kora and Eros learn that Eros is actually the descendant of the previous Sira (the ruler of the planet), and that Eros is the rightful heir to the throne. They also learn that Roma, the current Sira, intends to wipe out all of humanity in a genocidal nanite attack. With the help of Roma's good-natured brother Serek, they are able to thwart Roma's plan and disable the world's nanites, but not before many humans die. In a climactic fight, Roma winds up in a permanent coma and Serek receives a fatal blow. In his dying moments, Serek announces to the world that Eros is heir to the throne.

Into the Black

An emergency council is called. Former rulers from all over the planet meet in the capital city of Asheron, to determine whether a half-human can be permitted to become the next Sira. A DNA test confirms that Eros is the son of former Sira Asha, and Eros also has the golden eyes that mark the royal line. But Lejv, a cousin of Asha's, also vies for the position. Eros fears if the council does not recognize him as Sira, he will be executed, along with his blind and orphaned human nephew Mal, whom Eros has been looking after. Eros finds an ally in Deimos, a charismatic gay Sepharon bounty hunter and member of a royal family, and the two develop a flirtatious relationship.

Kora, meanwhile, learns that her region is in chaos and that her people are revolting against her draconian brother. She returns to Elja, her homeland, and convinces her brother to give power back to her, and forgives him for the coup that deposed her. To appease the people, she asks them to elect a populist representative who will work with her, and they pick a man named Uljen.

Back at the capital, it is determined that Eros and Lejv must fight to the death for the role of Sira. Before the fight, Eros is jumped by anonymous attackers, who break his ribs and send him into a starry, black unconsciousness. He survives, and the council determines that the fight will continue, even though Eros is injured. Eros is ultimately able to subdue Lejv, but decides not to finish him with a killing blow. As Eros broke the rules of the match, the council seems poised to rule that Lejv should become the next Sira. But Eros finds a hidden message in a royal ring from the former Sira Asha, and in the message, Asha confirms that he wanted Eros to be the next-in-line. This is enough to sway the council to grudgingly grant Eros the title.

The Rising Gold

Eros now rules the planet, and he must contend with the Remnant: a violent group of human activists led by Eros's ruthless biological mother Rani. As one of his first acts as Sira, Eros makes it illegal to enslave humans. But Rani and the Remnant demand more: they want the monarchy abolished and a democratic system put in place.

Meanwhile, Deimos has become both Eros's top advisor and his boyfriend. As Eros has little sexual experience, and none with other men, the two take the relationship slowly. When Deimos catches an embarrassed Eros looking at gay pornography for research, the two become sexual with each other for the first time.

In her home territory of Ejos, Kora also develops a sexual relationship with her advisor Uljen. Meanwhile, Kora's twin brother Dima is tried for his various crimes and sentenced to death. Kora, who still loves her brother, is devastated. When she learns that Dima is escaping the city with the help of his boyfriend and former advisor Jarek, she chooses not to intervene.

In the capital city, the Remnant unleash a biological weapon: many Sepharon are infected with a deadly virus that humans (and half-humans like Eros) are immune to. The Remnant also kidnaps Eros's nephew Mal. Eros, Deimos, and a team of bodyguards are able to track down Mal and rescue him, and a team of Asheron scientists are able to develop a cure for the virus. Eros meets with Rani and negotiates a peace: he doesn't agree to abolish the monarchy, but does agree to a formation of a democratic human advisory council.

The future for humans seems brighter, but many humans still feel unwelcome on the planet, and, at Mal's suggestion, Eros offers them an option: he has his team of scientists restore the massive, ancient spaceship that humans arrived on the planet on many generations ago. Eros announces that humans who want to can board the ship and return to earth. To Eros's surprise, Mal decides he wants to join the expedition. Eros and Deimos hold hands and watch as the spaceship departs: a rising gold streak in the sky.

Development

Novoa wrote the trilogy while a student in college [2] and graduate school. [3] In an interview, he said he took inspiration from the authors Ted Dekker, Tahereh Mafi, and Beth Revis. [4] On his vlog, he said that Beyond the Red was the tenth book he wrote, but the first to be accepted for publication. In 2013, he won representation from Louise Fury, a literary agent with The Bent Agency, by submitting an excerpt of Beyond the Red to an internet contest; this ultimately led to the book being published in 2016. [5]

Themes

Novoa is described in an author's blurb as "a Latinx trans masculine author who writes speculative fiction featuring marginalized characters grappling with identity." [6] In an article for Latinxs in Kids' Lit , Novoa wrote that his experience as a white-passing latinx person informed the story, which involves a half-human caught between two different cultures. [7]

The diversity of the characters in the books has been noted, with Kirkus Reviews saying that "Humans and Sepharons alike come in varying shades of brown to pale" and that Eros is queer. [8] On Twitter, Novoa noted that the books get "increasingly queer" as they go along. [9]

Language

Novoa developed an alien vocabulary for the books. [10] A partial glossary:

Publication

First edition covers of the three books Beyond the Red trilogy covers.jpg
First edition covers of the three books

History

Details

The audiobook of the first novel was performed by Caitlin Davies and Will Damron and produced by Brilliance Audio. [11]

The paper and e-book versions of the novels were published by Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing. The cover for the first book was designed by Sarah Brody, the second by Sammy Yeun, and the third by Kate Gartner.

The first two books are recommended for ages 12–18 and the third book for ages 14–18. [12]

Reception

Of the first book, Publishers Weekly said "Jae's smooth worldbuilding and solid pacing make this a highly readable SF romance" but complained that the romantic attraction between Eros and Kora was "hard to believe, considering that Kora is responsible for the death of Eros's family." [13] Booklist said "Jae spins a cinematic tale of forbidden love and Machiavellian politics. With detailed history, architecture, customs, inventions, and landscape, Jae creates a fascinating new world to explore." [2] The School Library Journal called it "An engaging and amusing read", but said "the concepts and characters are not fully developed." [14] Study Breaks listed the first book as one of "5 YA Books By Hispanic Authors To Read During National Hispanic Heritage Month", and said "it starts big and stays strong throughout." [15]

Meanwhile, Kirkus Reviews called the first book "deeply flawed", and complained of "pacing issues, plot holes, and flat secondary characters", [16] but said the second book was "an improvement on the first outing" [17] and that the third book was "dramatically improved over previous entries". [8]

The books' alien vocabulary has been both praised and criticized. The School Library Journal indicated that the language was part of what made the books' world "beautifully conceived...with unique details", [14] but Kirkus Reviews complained about "the inaccessible and forced jargon". [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Have Space Suit—Will Travel</i> 1958 SF novel by Robert A. Heinlein

Have Space Suit—Will Travel is a science fiction novel for young readers by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published by Scribner's in hardcover in 1958. The last Heinlein novel to be published by Scribner's, it was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1959 and won the Sequoyah Children's Book Award for 1961. Heinlein's engineering expertise enabled him to add realistic detail; during World War II, he had been a civilian aeronautics engineer at a laboratory which developed pressure suits for use at high altitudes.

<i>Time Enough for Love</i> 1973 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein

Time Enough for Love is a science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in 1973. The book made the shortlist for the Nebula, Hugo and Locus awards for best science fiction novel of that year, although it did not win. It did win a retrospective Libertarian Futurist Society award: the Prometheus Hall of Fame award for 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thanos</span> Supervillain appearing in Marvel Comics

Thanos is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in The Invincible Iron Man #55. An Eternal–Deviant warlord from the moon Titan, Thanos is regarded as one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He has clashed with many heroes including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Fantastic Four, the Eternals, and the X-Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Fairweather</span> Musical artist

Steven Kenneth Fairweather is a Canadian musician, radio show host and comic book writer. He is the bassist of the Canadian punk rock band Gob and founder of the Internet radio station, Stranger Radio.

<i>Dawn</i> (Hunter novel) 2005 novel by Erin Hunter

Dawn is a children's fantasy novel, the third book in the Warriors: The New Prophecy series. Dawn was written by Kate Cary under the pen name of Erin Hunter. It was published on 27 December 2005 by HarperCollins. The book follows the adventures of the four warrior cat Clans after five questing cats return to the forest with a grave message to find a new home. Together, the Clans cross a mountain range and meet another group of cats, the Tribe of Rushing Water. At the end, a new territory is found beside a lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children of Ares</span> Fictional characters appearing in DC Comics publications and related media

The Children of Ares are several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics publications and related media, commonly as recurring adversaries of the superhero Wonder Woman. Primarily based on eponymous Greek mythological figures, they are malevolent progeny of Wonder Woman's nemesis, the war god Ares. Three in particular – Deimos, Phobos and Eris – have emerged as especially enduring characters, appearing in every era of Wonder Woman's comic book adventures since debuting in 1969's Wonder Woman #183. Beginning in the Silver Age of Comic Books, these three characters have often been presented as Ares’ principal legates in his campaigns for universal conquest, and have also confronted Wonder Woman on their own, individually as well as with one another, as antagonists independent of their father.

<i>Survivors</i> (novel series) Childrens book series

Survivors is a novel series written by a team of authors under the pseudonym Erin Hunter. Survivors follows the adventures of a group of former domestic dogs who form a pack with the help of protagonist Lucky, after an earthquake separates them from their owners. The first book, The Empty City, was released on 21 August 2012, and was followed by eleven more books written between 2013 and 2019.

Laura Aguilar was an American photographer. She was born with auditory dyslexia and attributed her start in photography to her brother, who showed her how to develop in dark rooms. She was mostly self-taught, although she took some photography courses at East Los Angeles College, where her second solo exhibition, Laura Aguilar: Show and Tell, was held. Aguilar used visual art to bring forth marginalized identities, especially within the LA Queer scene and Latinx communities. Before the term Intersectionality was used commonly, Aguilar captured the largely invisible identities of large bodied, queer, working-class, brown people in the form of portraits. Often using her naked body as a subject, she used photography to empower herself and her inner struggles to reclaim her own identity as “Laura”- a lesbian, fat, disabled, and brown person. Although work on Chicana/os is limited, Aguilar has become an essential figure in Chicano art history and is often regarded as an early "pioneer of intersectional feminism” for her outright and uncensored work. Some of her most well-known works are Three Eagles Flying, The Plush Pony Series, and Nature Self Portraits. Aguilar has been noted for her collaboration with cultural scholars such as Yvonne Yarbo-Berjano and receiving inspiration from other artists like Judy Dater. She was well known for her portraits, mostly of herself, and also focused upon people in marginalized communities, including LGBT and Latino subjects, self-love, and social stigma of obesity.

Warriors: The Prophecies Begin, originally known as Warriors, is the first story arc in the Warriors juvenile fantasy novel series about feral cats. The arc comprises six novels which were published from 2003 to 2004: Into the Wild, Fire and Ice, Forest of Secrets, Rising Storm, A Dangerous Path, and The Darkest Hour. The novels are published by HarperCollins under the pseudonym Erin Hunter, which refers to authors Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry and plot developer/editor Victoria Holmes. The sub-series details the adventures of the housecat Rusty, who joins ThunderClan, one of four Clans of feral cats living in a forest which adjoins the human town in which he originally lives. The arc's major themes deal with forbidden love, the concept of nature versus nurture, and characters being a mix of good and evil. Though the novels have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List and have been nominated for several awards, none of the novels in the Warriors sub-series have won a significant literary award.

<i>The Secret of the Martian Moons</i> 1955 novel by Donald A. Wollheim

The Secret of the Martian Moons is a science-fiction novel by Donald A. Wollheim. It was first published in 1955 by the John C. Winston Company. Playing world-class hide-and-seek with the Martians, Nelson Parr believes that he has found them... until the real Martians show up. This is the second novel that Wollheim wrote for Winston, the other two being The Secret of Saturn's Rings (1954) and The Secret of the Ninth Planet (1959).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierce Brown</span> American science fiction author

Pierce Brown is an American science fiction author who writes the Red Rising series, consisting of Red Rising (2014), Golden Son (2015), Morning Star (2016), Iron Gold (2018), Dark Age (2019), and Light Bringer (2023). He has also written a six-issue prequel comic book series, Red Rising: Sons of Ares, which was published in 2017.

<i>Beyond</i> (book)

Beyond: Our Future in Space is a non-fiction book by astronomer and professor Chris Impey that discusses the history of space travel and the future trajectory of human exploration of space. Impey's third popular science book for Norton was published as a hardcover in 2015.

<i>Morning Star</i> (Brown novel) 2016 science fiction novel by Pierce Brown

Morning Star is a 2016 science fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown, the third in his Red Rising trilogy. Morning Star picks up as the lowborn Darrow escapes capture and resumes his campaign against the tyrannical Sovereign of the Society. Pragmatic as ever, he begins to amass the resources and allies he needs to defeat the forces of the Sovereign.

Amie Kaufman is an Australian author. She has authored New York Times bestselling and internationally bestselling science fiction and fantasy for young adults. She is known for the Starbound Trilogy and Unearthed, which she co-authored with Meagan Spooner; for her series The Illuminae Files, co-authored with Jay Kristoff; and for her solo series, Elementals. Her books have been published in over 35 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delilah S. Dawson</span> American author

Delilah S. Dawson is an American author, primarily of fantasy and science fiction. She writes fantasy as Lila Bowen, and has written erotica as Ava Lovelace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meg Elison</span> American author and feminist essayist

Meg Elison is an American author and feminist essayist whose writings often incorporate the themes of female empowerment, body positivity, and gender flexibility. Her debut novel, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, won the 2014 Philip K. Dick Award, and her second novel, The Book of Etta, was nominated for the award in 2017. Elison's work has appeared in several markets, including Fantasy & Science Fiction, Terraform, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Catapult, and Electric Literature.

Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kacen Callender</span> Saint Thomian author

Kacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children's/Middle Grade.

<i>Blowout</i> (book) 2019 non-fiction book by Rachel Maddow

Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth is a 2019 non-fiction book by Rachel Maddow. It is her second book and was published by Crown on October 1, 2019. It concerns corruption in the oil and gas industry and the Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.

<i>Dragon Pearl</i> Novel written by Yoon Ha Lee

Dragon Pearl is a middle grade novel written by Yoon Ha Lee and published on January 15, 2019, by Disney Hyperion under their "Rick Riordan Presents" publishing imprint. The book is a mix of Korean mythology and science fiction as the main character travels the galaxy. A short story by Lee about the characters in the book was featured in the anthology book The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities.

References

  1. 1 2
  2. 1 2 Carton, Debbie (2016-03-01). Beyond the Red (Booklist) . Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  3. ↑ bookishpixie (2018-12-25). "My 2018 Accomplishments". youtube.com. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  4. ↑ "March SST: Beyond the Red by Ava Jae Interview + Giveaway!!!". ReadWriteLove28. 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
  5. ↑ bookishpixie (2018-07-31). "My Debut's Publication Timeline". youtube.com. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  6. ↑ "Item #81: Signed Book & Matching Bookmark". writersforhope.com. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  7. ↑ "Author Ava Jae on Not Writing Latinx Characters". Latinxs in Kid Lit. 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  8. 1 2 3 "The Rising Gold (Kirkus Reviews)". 2018-07-30. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  9. ↑ @thegabecole (October 2, 2018). "THE RISING GOLD is out today which means you can buy my increasingly queer YA SF trilogy all at once, should your heart desire!" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-05-28– via Twitter.
  10. ↑ Jae, Ava (2018). The Rising Gold. New York: Sky Pony Press. pp. glossary. ISBN   9781510722385. OCLC   1049151841.
  11. 1 2 "Beyond the Red (Hardcover)". "Beyond the Red (Digital Audiobook)". "Beyond the Red (MP3 CD)". "Beyond the Red (Paperback)". "Into the Black (Hardcover)". "Into the Black (Paperback)". "The Rising Gold (Hardcover)". "The Rising Gold (Paperback)".indiebound.org. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  12. ↑ Jae, Ava (31 October 2017). Beyond the Red (Simon & Schuster). Sky Pony. ISBN   9781510722408.Jae, Ava (25 September 2018). Into the Black (Simon & Schuster). Sky Pony. ISBN   9781510738669.Jae, Ava (2 October 2018). The Rising Gold (Simon & Schuster). Sky Pony. ISBN   9781510722385. Retrieved 2019-09-14.
  13. ↑ "Beyond the Red (Publishers Weekly)". 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  14. 1 2 Bayci, Emily (2016-03-01). "Beyond the Red (School Library Journal)" . Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  15. ↑ "5 YA Books by Hispanic Authors to Read During National Hispanic Heritage Month". Study Breaks. 2018-09-07. Retrieved 2019-05-27.
  16. ↑ "Beyond the Red (Kirkus Reviews)". 2016-01-09. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  17. ↑ "Into the Black (Kirkus Reviews)". 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.