Kateiko’s epic quest
Crest (The Call of the Rift, Book Three)
by Jae Waller
Toronto: ECW Press, 2021
$23.95 / 9781770414587
Reviewed by Myshara Herbert-McMyn
*
Have you ever wanted a fantasy novel that reads like a historical adventure romance, but tampers with the fabric of reality?
I didn’t know such a book existed until I began reading The Call of the Rift series and saw how smooth that combination could be. Melbourne-based, Prince George-raised Jae Waller is a master of world-building, and The Call of the Rift books are an example of her talent for everything from the large strokes of socio-political landscapes to the smallest details about hunting, fishing, and growing up in a world being turned upside down.
The first two novels follow Kateiko as she leaves her jouyen—her tribe and family—for the first time to join another. This is the only way she’ll be able to leave the Rin-jouyen for good. What she finds as she searches for the jouyen her brother joined is a world crawling with criminals and factions on the brink of war. Over the course of a few years, we see Kateiko grow up in a world where she must exist on the edge as someone she is not, lest someone learn too much and turn her in for being Rin. Her adventures are aplenty and there is never a moment where the excitement or drama wanes.
It is here I will note that these first two books are required reading for the third book. The explanation of jouyen system, the socio-political climate, and the timeline of events are all incredibly important to understand the strange shift that happens at the beginning of Crest.
Crest rewinds the clock and shoves the reader into a parallel world where we see a very different life for our Kateiko. Her parents are alive, her love life is healthy, and she doesn’t have a burning need to flee her home in search of something better.
I do wish it was clearer at the beginning of Crest where we were in time. I eventually pieced it together, but I wasn’t aware that we were jumping into a parallel world. It threw me off to see her parents alive and for Kateiko to not want to leave the Rin-jouyen at all. I love that we get to see both sides though—her glimpses into this other world throughout Flight and Veil were intriguing and made for wonderful hooks to keep me reading. I was constantly watching to see those moments from the other perspective and looking for the similarities and differences between Kateiko’s worlds.
Kateiko’s dual character development provides a different track than most point of view characters follow. The events of the first two books have Kateiko reacting with anger and the screaming desperation for independence that draws the reader into relatable emotions. Her decisions are informed by those emotions, and her naivety shows in how little she applies logic and how she acts in the moment rather than thinking everything through. As the story progresses, she learns from the consequences of those decisions.
In this third book, Kateiko is driven and purposeful. The sense of listlessness is gone, and she knows exactly what her purpose is. Her parents being alive makes a massive difference to how her powers develop too, which affects her solidity. Love doesn’t play as big of a role in the third book, and it feels like the plot has accelerated because Kateiko and her powers are ready earlier. I felt this made Crest into a character-driven story full of excitement and action.
The plot certainly advances throughout Crest. The characters learn many of the key points sooner: the threat of the Rúonbattai and Suriel, the existence of the rifts, Tiernan’s abilities and knowledge about magic, and Kateiko’s possible part in how to combat the forces that threaten her world. I found it very helpful. I was worried that this novel would slowly build like the first of the series do, but Waller builds a story that paces itself with the reader.
I’m greatly enjoying reading The Call of the Rift series. It’s the perfect blend of historical fantasy with a dab of science fiction and a literary leaning. It tickles my brain in all the right places. I’ve already started the fourth novel, Wake, and I cannot wait to see the conclusion of this mystical, multiversal tale.
*
Myshara Herbert-McMyn is a book reviewer and aspiring writer living in Kelowna. She runs the blog Lit&Leta. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from Thompson Rivers University. [Editor’s note: Myshara Herbert-McMyn has reviewed books by Kate Gateley, S.M. Freedman, Tiana Warner, Brooke Carter, Becky Parisotto, Sara Desai, Tara Moss, and Sonya Lalli for BCR.]
*
The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors, 2023-26: Trevor Marc Hughes (non-fiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie
Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies.
“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster