Book Review
Written by Peadar Ó Guilín
David Fickling Books hardback
Release Date Out now

“There is but one law. Eat or be eaten.” This is the law Stopmouth and his family live by – until a stranger from the sky challenges his belief system, his role within his tribe…even his life as he knows it...

The Inferior is an impressive debut novel. The tale depicts a savage world where flesh is both food and currency. Inter-species communication is limited to a basic agreement between the Humans and their nearest counterparts, the Hairbeasts, to trade Hairbeast young for the Humans’ old and infirm.

It is a harsh existence. Stopmouth is a young hunter, thought of as inferior by his tribe because of his stutter. His brother, Wallbreaker, is everything he is not: gifted with words, brave, ideal hunter material. And as such, it is Wallbreaker who is admired and revered, especially by Mossheart, the young woman Stopmouth has fallen in love with. All is not as it seems, however. Wallbreaker is not the brave hunter he makes himself out to be, merely clever – and it is a cleverness that masks his terror at the life he has to live, making him cruel and underhanded in his efforts to win respect and stay alive.

On the day that one of the mysterious floating Globes is shot down to reveal a woman (Indrani) inside everything changes. It becomes apparent that Indrani’s race has technology – and all of a sudden the focus of the novel shifts to that of Stopmouth’s battle to save Indrani and return her to her people in the Roof.

The novel also depicts the Humans’ struggle to survive when other species join forces against them. Tribal solidarity and bravery is vital if the Humans are to endure. Woven throughout is the story of Stopmouth’s and Wallbreaker’s rivalry and battle to succeed – at any cost.

This is the first part of a trilogy, and I would be interested to see where the tale goes from here. A new Young Adult SF novel to be proud of. Marie O’Regan

VERDICT: 8/10

A SF tale of a brave, not so new world. Not to be missed.