I stare open-mouthed. My heart sinks. I know what it is. It’s small and sodden. A broken red hull, spattered with holes. A tattered and soggy white sail. The mast is gone. The rudder is gone, but the small box that would have contained two days’ food and water is still fastened in place beneath the broken seat. The initials R.T. are clearly carved into the side.
The sad remnants of a little boat. Ren’s boat. I stumble backwards. It can’t be his boat. But I know it is. There is the seat he sat on when he left Littleton. There are his initials, carved into the wood.
There’s nothing else it can be.
Merel is held captive on the mysterious ship, The Miracle, after the deception of book 1. In the opening chapter she is faced with the double loss of her friend, Ren, who sacrificed his life for her. But in the second book in The Edge of Light trilogy, Merel must face even more deception when The Miracle’s voyage introduces her to the world outside her village of Littleton.
A M Dixon’s unique world is recognisable as planet Earth in a possible future. It is an exciting new addition to the tradition of post-apocalyptic fiction based in Aotearoa New Zealand. Here humans continue to cling to life in communities bound by harsh rules deemed necessary for the continued survival of humanity.
The Edge of Light 2: The Miracle
About the Author:
A M Dixon is an award-winning short story writer, novelist, poet and creative writing tutor at the School for Young Writers and Hagley Writers Institute and is a volunteer fire-fighter in the local community on Banks Peninsula. Dixon writes adult literary fiction, contemporary fiction, and fantasy for younger readers, and has been published and anthologised internationally in collections such as Best Small Fictions, Best Micro fiction, and We Are New Zealand.
Reviews:
New Dawning is well written and has interesting and likeable characters. The first part sets the scene and hints at more adventure, danger and revelations to come for Merel, Ren, and their families. I am keen to discover what happens next when the second part releases. [KidsBooksNZ]
New Dawning compels readers to continue turning pages by steadily tightening the screws of suspense. Life in the island community is richly detailed, but every detail gradually makes the reader more uneasy, from the spying pigeons to the rigidly enforced work rules. This is a gripping novel with a skilfully constructed plot, a convincing premise and engaging characters. The moving conclusion to New Dawning sets up a range of possibilities, for the two volumes which follow. They are Book 2: The Miracle and Book 3: Fire Coming. [Magpies]
Awards:
Book 1 in this trilogy was awarded a Storylines Notable Award 2023
and was a finalist in the NZCYA Awards YA 2023