Book Review | The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco

Also known as the one where I completely dropped the ball.

You see, this review was supposed to be posted on October 21 as part of a blog tour. I was super excited for it. I read the book early – as opposed to the weekend before, which is how it usually goes for me. I have been talking about it to friends, and on social media. And then October 21 came and went, and I completely forgot about the post.

So, my sincerest apologies to everyone affected; Fantastic Flying Book Club, the hosts of the tour, Rin Chupeco, author of The Never Tilting World, and HarperCollins & HarperCollins Canada, publisher of The Never Tilting World (HarperCollins Canada provided me with my review copy prior to my joining the tour)

(I will be posting about the reasons for my lack of blogging lately in a post after this, but I owe everyone a review, and that comes first!)

I received this book for free from the author or publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Generations of twin goddesses have long ruled Aeon. But seventeen years ago, one sister’s betrayal defied an ancient prophecy and split their world in two. The planet ceased to spin, and a Great Abyss now divides two realms: one cloaked in perpetual night, the other scorched by an unrelenting sun.

While one sister rules Aranth—a frozen city surrounded by a storm-wracked sea —her twin inhabits the sand-locked Golden City. Each goddess has raised a daughter, and each keeps her own secrets about her sister’s betrayal.

But when shadowy forces begin to call their daughters, Odessa and Haidee, back to the site of the Breaking, the two young goddesses —along with a powerful healer from Aranth, and a mouthy desert scavenger —set out on separate journeys across treacherous wastelands, desperate to heal their broken world. No matter the sacrifice it demands.

A demoness is what men call a goddess they cannot control.

Four viewpoints take us on a journey through a world that has ceased spinning in The Never Tilting World. One side is doomed to eternal darkness, and the other is forever bathed in the glow of an unrelenting sun. And neither side is without its monsters.

Though this is a fantasy novel, it is woven with commentary on the state of our planet and the climate change we find ourselves staring at. It is refreshing to see YA novels taking that particular issue on.

As always, Rin Chupeco creates superb, multifaceted characters who you can’t help but love. She crafts a plot that leaves you breathless with its twists and turns, and she builds a world that is lush and evocative.

The twin goddesses Haidee and Odessa are fairly sheltered, but they learn quickly on their respective journeys. The cast is diverse, with characters fighting through mental illness (PTSD) and physical disability (missing arm) to overcome this harsh and beautiful land. And of course, queer representation.

The one spot I wished for more in The Never Tilting World was the story about Haidee and Odessa’s mothers. We see them briefly, and learn about them through their daughters’ eyes, but we don’t really learn about the conflict that caused the world to stop turning. I have hope though, as this is a duology, and Rin Chupeco has yet to disappoint with filling in the gaps in a story.

I also struggled because the journey that Odessa and Lin go through on the dark side of Aeon is darker than the one Haidee and Arjun encounter on the side in the sun. And it felt a little clichéd to me. That said, I feel like Rin Chupeco is also a strong enough author that she can engage in some cliché-play without making me put down her books.

With The Never Tilting World I am officially naming Rin Chupeco a favourite author of mine. I will read her grocery lists.

Have you read this one yet, awesome nerds? What did you think?

Stay bookish, lovelies! ❤