Frontier is a debut novel by Grace Curtis, a writer and video game journalist. In the distant future, climate change has ravaged Earth to a wasteland. Saints and sinners, lawmakers and sheriffs, gunslingers and horse thieves abound. Society is as diverse and divided as it has always been - except for its shared suspicion when a stranger comes to town. One night, a ship falls from the sky bringing the planet’s first visitor in nearly three hundred years. This visitor is looking for someone, and this someone is a past lover.
Frontier is an engrossing read that will immediately pull you into its grip. Curtis’s world-building is on another level. She transforms Earth into an Earth we’ve never before seen or imagined - a barren wasteland, devastated by climate change. The Earth Curtis creates for us is one where humanity is desperately trying to redeem itself. This image of our world in the distant future was thought-provoking. It also chimed a warning bell for what is to come if we continue on as we are. Furthermore, Curtis takes great care to really build upon this universe that she creates by taking snippets from history books and inserting them into the novel. In this way, she makes the world feel incredibly real and developed. This was also added to by the introduction of religion and the Earth-God Gaia. These many small details created a well-rounded book that felt particularly fleshed out.
Moreover, the structure of the story is cleverly done. We follow our main character, The Stranger, through the eyes of those she encounters on her journey. This narrative style allows us to understand the character of The Stranger in a way that we would otherwise not be able to. Through the many different characters we meet, we see every aspect of her character - her dangerousness, her compassion, and her turmoil. The narrative style also builds up an immense level of suspense, making the book unputdownable. Curtis slowly reveals The Stranger to us as she parcels out information in small chunks, never giving away too much all at once. This makes for a truly addictive read.
Frontier is a fascinating novel that strikes a great balance between adventure and romance. It will be great to see where Curtis takes this universe in her next book, Floating Hotel. Frontier will be available to purchase from 9th March 2023.
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