In The Orphans of New Lur by Blake Vanier, we follow five orphans Iona, Ryder, Thea, Korbin and Nero, as they travel around on the planet Anterra. This book is the first one of The Anterra Collection.
Firstly, I would like to say kudos to the author for being innovative in his book! It’s difficult to come across unique stories these days, but Blake has done it with distinctive characters, an original world and an enthralling plot.
The plot and story were nicely crafted. The adventure starts quite soon after the book begins. It also meant it takes a while for the readers to understand what is going on. That was not an issue as the story is gripping and keeps your attention. The ending was surprising and a sign that this book has a sequel.
This book also boasts five well-developed main characters. The five orphans are childlike and silly, which adds light-heartedness to the story. We see them deal with challenging situations, and the character development was interesting to read. There is more focus on Nero and Iona than the other three orphans in this instalment of the series. All the characters, including the villains, are complex, and Blake has done an excellent job creating them.
The writing style was tied into the intricacy of the fantasy setting the author intended to create. The writing was detailed, and this factor helped in the well-rounded world-building, and the map was a nice touch. Vocabulary was intense at times, but I appreciate that in a book.
However, there were a few negatives. It was hard to read at times. There was too much detail in certain parts, and some paragraphs had narration mixed with dialogues at constant intervals. Overall, editing could’ve been better. Additionally, some topics, such as slavery, death, etc., made this book inappropriate for a young teen or younger audience.
The Orphans of New Lur has a captivating story and great characters. If you don’t mind the topics mentioned above, I suggest the book to you. I am looking forward to reading the other books of The Anterra Collection.