World-building, treachery, romance
Wake (The Call of the Rift, Book Four)
by Jae Waller
Toronto: ECW Press, 2023
$23.95 / 9781770414594
Reviewed by Myshara McMyn
*
Wake by Jae Waller is the fourth of The Call of the Rift series and it was by far my favourite of the bunch. Each book builds so dramatically on top of the earlier books, leading straight to the moment where there’s no other possibility: Kateiko must cross from one timeline into the other to save herself and her world.
Building on the intriguing plot of Crest, Kateiko finds herself amid politics of marriage and state, traitors, murder, and the troubling disappearance of Tiernan, her mercenary friend. In order to find him, she puts her skills of trusting others to the test and encounters a variety of machinations that have already been set into motion around her. Around every corner, Rúonbattai and enemy agents wait for her. Trust won’t come easily. Whether politics, love, or friendship, Kateiko has reasons to be suspicious of those who try to get close to her.
Kateiko has matured, growing up in a world that has provided her heartbreaks and devastation, yes, but also the opportunity to heal and work through her trauma in a constructive way. Seeing her at the hospital, healing and going to therapy, and then beginning to work there herself, it felt like she had finally found her place in the world. She was a warrior in the first timeline (in Flight and Veil) but that isn’t her path here.
In this world, she grew up with her parents and had more protection and support from her family and her jouyen, which allowed her to learn more about giving care to others and less about the need to fight for every inch of ground. Healing was the natural choice, both in its juxtaposition to killing and because both exist in tandem on the battlefield. Each version of Kateiko will be prepared for what is to come in her own way.
A point I left out of my review of Crest, but do not want to skip over here, is the wide array of LGBTQ+ representation in Waller’s series. The opening pair in the series has subtle mentions of bisexual and sapphic characters, but Crest and Wake is where the representation really ramps up. Kateiko is openly bisexual and explores romances with both men and women. There are side characters that are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and aro/ace. Every little bit of queer representation I see in genre fiction–and fantasy specifically–makes my heart so happy. I grew up with friends with all of those identities and more, and every time I read a book where the main character has friends like mine it helps their world feel just that much more relatable and important to learn about.
In the first book, Kateiko makes some naïve choices that lead her to struggle in matters of the heart. This time around, her love life includes romances with both male and female characters. Though these were still rocky, she heals from betrayal and the healthy choices she makes after the ending of those relationships give her a perspective of contentment with her choices, rather than the self-resentment that she has in the world of Flight and Veil.
Waller’s descriptions of cities and landscapes are vivid and portray the depth to which this world has been developed. Wake introduces cities that Kateiko has never seen before. The wonder of their differences contrasts well with the new dangers that these environments present as Kateiko was learns about the political machinations of self-serving “friends.” As always, Waller’s depictions of the world surrounding these cities are rich in detail and purpose—the land serves those who know how to use it and thrive in it, from simply foraging for food to understanding the spiritual forces that allow the world to continue spinning. Those that do not treat the world with kindness find that kindness is not given.
The distinctiveness of the Call of the Rift series itches itself into my brain often. I think about Kateiko and what is going to happen to her family, her friends, and the people who have made themselves her enemies. I am left with questions, as I’m sure Waller intends. Will she survive the battle that is looming? Across the series, what is so important about seeing her grow up in the two distinct ways? What will become of her world and loved ones?
I admire Northern BC-born Waller’s ambition to write four books that include two duologies and a fifth volume (in 2026) where they dovetail. Not only does Waller succeed, but she does so with two branching timelines that have a massive crossover of characters, cities, histories, and wars. By the time Wake ends, two histories have played out in Kateiko’s past. Wake sets the stage for an uncertain future for all.
As the snow is falling outside my window, I have begun to think this series will keep me company this winter. I’m contemplating rereading all four books–but especially Wake–before the final book comes out in the spring. Though I’ve gotten so much out of them, I’m sure I’ve missed so many details, and I want to understand the full scope of what both Kateikos have experienced and how they’ve been preparing for the final act.
*
Myshara McMyn is a marketing coordinator, social media manager, and aspiring writer in the Shuswap. She runs the blog Lit&Leta. She spends her time teaching Dungeons and Dragons, reading as much as she can, and helping out on her family’s farm. She holds a BA in English and Creative Writing. [Editor’s note: Myshara has reviewed recent books by Sebastien de Castell, Judith Lepore, Courtney Shepard, Kate Gateley, Elle Tesch, Jae Waller, Kate Gateley, and S.M. Freedman for BCR.]
*
The British Columbia Review
Interim Editors: Trevor Marc Hughes (nonfiction), 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 now 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. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.
“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster