In Other Lands

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In Other Lands
AuthorSarah Rees Brennan
CountryIreland
LanguageEnglish
GenreYoung adult fantasy
PublisherBig Mouth House
Publication date
August 15, 2017
ISBN978-1-6187-3120-3
Followed byTears Waiting to Be Diamonds 

In Other Lands is a 2017 young adult fantasy novel by Sarah Rees Brennan. It was nominated for numerous awards and won the 2017 Bisexual Book Award for Teen/Young Adult Fiction.[1]

Plot[edit]

Elliot Schafer, a 13 year old English boy, learns he can see across the Border (a wall that separates our world from a fantasy world). He decides to go to a military training school there after meeting Serene-Heart-in-the-Chaos-of-Battle (also known as Serene,) a young elf girl who Elliot is immediately enamored with. Elliot also meets classmate Luke Sunborn, a boy from an affluent local family, and dislikes him. While at school, Elliot's prickly personality causes rifts between him and his classmates. When summer comes, Elliot returns home to his father (his mother abandoned the family shortly after Elliot was born.)

Elliot continues his schooling, becoming increasingly frustrated by the political processes that emphasize war over peace talks in conflicts. He starts writing treaties and participating in international negotiations. When he is 15, Elliot and Serene begin dating, but their relationship is short-lived. While on a summer trip with friends, Elliot realizes he is bisexual, and dates a man, Jase, for some time before realizing the relationship is unhealthy. Eventually, Elliot and Luke begin dating, and Elliot provides support to Luke (who is still reckoning with his newly-learned identity as half-harpy.)

Reception[edit]

In Other Lands was well received by critics, including starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews[2] and Publishers Weekly.[3] Kirkus referred to the novel as "stellar, if dense and lengthy,"[2] whereas Publishers Weekly called it "hilarious, irreverent, and multilayered."[3]

Booklist's Cindy Welch highlighted how "Brennan turns stereotypes upside down" and noted that "this is a school story for older youth, with freewheeling (but not explicit) sexuality, a dedicated pacifist as a main character, and slightly cynical humor that masks great heart."[4] Welch recommended pairing the novel with J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, Terry Pratchett's books, Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle, and William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.[4] Lee Mandelo, reviewing from the Tor.com magazine, described the novel as a "satisfying, thoughtful, and fun read".[5]

Awards and honors[edit]

In Other Lands is a Junior Library Guild book.[6] In 2017, The New York Times included it on their list of the fall's best young adult fantasy novels.[7]

Awards for In Other Lands
Year Award Result Ref.
2017 Bisexual Book Award for Teen/Young Adult Fiction Winner [8]
Goodreads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction Nominee [9]
2018 European Science Fiction Society Award for Best Work of Fiction Finalist [10]
Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book Finalist [11]
World Science Fiction Society Award for Best Young Adult Book Finalist [12][13]
2019 ALA Rainbow List Selection [14]
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature Finalist [15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2017 Bisexual Book Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2018-06-04. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  2. ^ a b "In Other Lands". Kirkus Reviews. 2017-07-02. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  3. ^ a b "In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan". Publishers Weekly. 2017-08-07. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  4. ^ a b Welch, Cindy (2017-09-14). "In Other Lands". Booklist. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  5. ^ Mandelo, Lee (2017-08-17). "I Never Fight: In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan". Tor.com. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
  6. ^ "In Other Lands: A Novel by Sarah Rees Brennan". Junior Library Guild . Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  7. ^ "Who's a Hero? Who's a Villain? It's Anyone's Guess in This Fall's Best Y.A. Fantasy". The New York Times. 2017-11-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  8. ^ "2017 Bisexual Book Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2018-06-04. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  9. ^ "In Other Lands". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  10. ^ "2018 ESFS Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2018-07-23. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  11. ^ "2018 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2018-06-23. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  12. ^ "2018 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 2018-03-15. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  13. ^ "2018 Hugo and Campbell Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2018-08-20. Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  14. ^ "The 2019 Rainbow Book List". Rainbow Book List. American Library Association. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  15. ^ "2019 Mythopoeic Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2019-08-05. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
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