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The Knowledge Keeper

In a climate-changed world, the Library is the lifeblood of civilisation. And it’s about to have a heart attack…

If it hadn’t been for the man in white body paint appearing out of the darkness, my Bus would now be a broken steel carcass in a smoking hole.

Someone set a landmine in ambush for the Library vehicle, a mobile repository of information saved from before the War. A beacon of knowledge in the ashes of civilisation, and my sole responsibility. Someone tried to take it from me. To stop the flow of free information. To steal from the people scratching out a living on the dusty frontier, just one cloudship delivery away from desiccation.

Now, other Keepers are missing. And not just Keepers. People have been disappearing from camps and settlements scattered across the outback. Why didn’t we know about it? The Library is supposed to know everything. That’s its whole purpose, to save and share knowledge. Isn’t it?

I have to warn New Pearth. After all, this is what I was trained for. Though the Library could never have predicted a plot this savage, or this well-organised.

But first, with only a psychotic ex-slave and a digital ghost to help, I have to survive the trip…

Written by J L Pawley

$26.00 incl. GST

2 in stock

Description

The Knowledge Keeper is perfect for YA scifi fans who are looking for a fresh, more optimistic and less dystopian take on a post-World War Three and climate change action thriller. Featuring a diverse cast of characters, from cranky airship pilots, snarky AIs, and badass teenage Pasifika-descendent warrior librarians, to a snakeskin-tattooed soldier called Gladys, it’s been described as “Mad Max meets The Magic School Bus” — you’ve never read anything like this adventure before!

The Arid Earth Saga is a new YA series from the author of the award-winning Generation Icarus science fiction series, which earned over 1 million reads on Wattpad before it was picked up by a publisher, translated into several languages, and optioned for adaptation to the screen. An early version of The Knowledge Keeper was shortlisted for the Tessa Duder manuscript award in 2016, and was also read thousands of times on Wattpad before it was signed for publication.

Contains medium violence, mild language and drug references. Suitable for ages 13 and older.

About the Kiwi author

J L Pawley authorWriting as J L Pawley, Jess’ YA series, Generation Icarus, garnered over a million reads on Wattpad and has been optioned for the screen. The second Generation Icarus book, Take Flight, was named a Storylines Notable Book in 2019. Her next YA book, Knowledge Keeper, was shortlisted for the Tessa Duder Award in 2016. From 2020, Jess stepped back from authoring to focus on supporting her students and family through COVID, then in 2023 received a Massey University Doctoral Scholarship for her research into educational strategies to increase teen enjoyment of reading in the digital age. Now, writing as Jessica Pawley, The Fairy Hive, is her first book for intermediate-age readers.

Additional information

Weight400 g
Dimensions21.6 × 13.9 cm
ISBN

9798372136953

Format

Paperback edition

Page count

338

Published by

Nineteenth House Publishing

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