Piper at the Gates of Dusk

When a series such as Chaos Walking has been quite so iconic (winning Patrick Ness the first of his two Carnegie Medals), one cannot help but approach a sequel with some (of course entirely unfounded) apprehension. Time for us has passed pretty much as it has in New World and needless to say, we  original fans are all deeply curious about what has been happening to the unforgettable Todd and Viola, in the last near twenty years. We find them in a New World, which has been transformed by a ‘cure’ for the Noise and where the uneasy truce with the indigenous Land still holds, despite politicians who twist truth to their own purposes and racist preachers who still refer to the native species as Spackle. This story is  now narrated from the alternating viewpoints of their sons, Ben and Max, who I can see will become just as real and important to a new generation of fans. Despite the inventiveness of the incredible world building, thought provoking, timely political themes and the nail-biting tension of the plotting, it is the characterisation and the relationships which are the true strength of Ness’s writing. The way in which he so skilfully presents issues such as disability and gender identity as relevant traits of  multifaceted, complex and very real characters, rather than as an issue to be artificially woven into a plot, is exemplary. So, we gradually realise that Max was adopted and assigned female at birth, despite having Noise. Both boys were given the cure, but this has left Ben without the power of speech.  The boys are very different, but despite this, a strong bond exists,  with each other and with their parents, who have given them an inherent moral compass with which they navigate their world and face the challenges thrown at them. Another classic Ness trait is his breathtaking openings. Literally, here,  the roar of a huge burning ‘god’ pursuing Max and Ben across their farmland. As the god lunges for them, it falls into the river and vanishes in a cloud of Noise. There is also a mysterious object  in the sky, and hideous Noise filled nightmares are plaguing all the young people,  significantly apart from Ben, and more frequent appearances of these burning figures who target and snatch both human and Land youngsters indicate a terrible threat to all the inhabitants of the planet. The brothers and their parents find themselves split, following different,  dangerous and deadly paths toward answers, with Max and Todd on a quest into Land history and Ben and Viola left behind in the city. Ultimately, we readers face with  them a terrifying cliffhanger ending, leaving us all desperately waiting for the next instalment. Meanwhile I have no doubt new readers will go in search of the original trilogy to discover more about the background to this story, which will have embedded itself inextricably into their consciousness. This is compulsively readable yet philosophical and thought-provoking science fiction at its very best and a thrilling sequel, with the delicious prospect of so much more to come, to one of YA’s most groundbreaking series.

Patrick Ness is the subject of an Authorgraph interview.