book review: The Other Realm

The Other Realm by Tristan Hui

⭐⭐⭐(3.5/5 stars)

This fantasy story is the debut novel from the young author Tristan Hui, who won Stone Soup Magazine's 2020 book contest. It follows the journey of two girls, one a human from this world, and the other from the world known as the Lower Realm. 

Azalea Morroe, the human, finds herself in the Lower Realm after falling through the floor of her old apartment. Realizing that this is the perfect opportunity to save her father's job, she embarks on a journey to get to Cambelt, an island in the realm with an excellent view of the stars. Meanwhile, Sunny, from Ambergard in the Lower Realm, has been pushed by her mother to travel to the very same Cambelt and find her older brother, who may be able to help with Ambergard's water system problem. 

Through a chance meeting, Azalea and Sunny find they have a common goal. They team up to travel across the desert and the strait that leads to Cambelt. Along the way, unexpected dangers — and sometimes friends — meet them, and through this journey they both discover more about each other, their worlds, and themselves. 

Tristan Hui's writing style is distinct and beautiful, and her descriptions make every setting come alive. And the descriptions don't subtract anything from the suspense created — after reading one chapter, I just wanted to read the one after that, and the one after that... until the book was over. 

Sunny's character arc was beautifully drawn, and her external and internal conflicts were tied up so well by the end. However, the amount of focus on Azalea was a little confusing. There isn't quite enough focus for her to be a main character, despite the blurb, since her thoughts and feelings at key moments are left out and her character doesn't develop much. Yet several chapters of the story, and primarily the first one, are only about her and her situation. 

Also, there are other loose ends that would benefit from answers or explanation, such as the conveniently abandoned car (automobile!) stocked with supplies, which Sunny and Azalea find and use for almost their entire journey. More spotlight on Azalea's parents would have been nice too, if she was supposed to be portrayed as the main character. (If a sequel were written that addressed these points, I would love to read it. However, I don't think there is any second book planned and so these questions just leave the reader hanging.) 

But overall, this was an impressive piece of writing. I want to congratulate the author, since it's no small feat to write a book at any age, and especially at 14 — 👏👏 amazing job! I can't wait to see what Tristan writes in the future.