sawyl | Emilie and the Hollow World (Reply)

And so to one of Martha Wells' YA novels, Emilie and the Hollow World. Set in a strange steampunk world where natural philosophy and magic rub shoulders and daring explorers seek to probe their world's mysteries, the action follows Emilie, a young runaway, as she accidentally embarks on a career as an adventuress.

Born the daughter of an actress, something no better than a prostitute in her uncle and aunt's eyes, Emilie has never been able to live up to her family's expectations. Finally fed up with her guardians' insinuations, she has decided to run away and find herself a job at her cousin's school. Unfortunately she fails to realise just how expensive running away can be and finds herself without the necessary funds to catch the coastal ferry. When her attempt to stow away fail, she makes a swim for it, ending up on the landing platform of the Sovereign. While waiting for a convenient moment to escape, the ship is attacked by raiders and Emilie is forced to take cover inside. By the time the battle is over, the ship is underway, bound for parts unknown under the command of Lord Engal.

Eavesdropping on the adventurers, Emilie learns that the ship is equipped with a aetheric engine that will allow it to pass through the earth into the hollow world at the planet's core. The ship is partly on a mission to explore and partly on a mission of mercy: alerted to the loss of her father's airship by Kenar, a native of the world below, Miss Vale Marlende has engaged Lord Engal to help bring her father the parts he needs to rebuild his aetheric engine. Once Emilie makes her presence known to the crew, her astute observations and cool-headedness in crisis win over the crew and encourage Kenar to believe in her. Thanks to a combination of luck and daring, Emilie finds herself in the right place to tip the balance of the mission.

Although not as sophisticated as Wells' adult novels, Emilie and the Hollow World is an enjoyable boys' own adventure that just happens to have a highly competent and likeable girl in the leading role. The other characters are well balanced, with Kenar and Miss Marlende playing the more thoughtful roles with Lord Engel and Rani, Kenar's partner, as the people of action. The dialogue is suitably snappy and I particularly Rani's comment to Emilie that "...I wish to retrieve Kenar as soon as possible. Men are not good left on their own, you know. They pine." Or the way Emilie pretends not to care about a young man being held hostage remarking, "I am impervious to physical attraction", a strategy that doesn't entirely convince the villain and makes the reader wonder whether Daniel might not be being lined up to appear in a possible sequel.

An enjoyable light read for children of all ages...