Illustrator(s)
Pasi Pitkänen
Publication date
2019
Publisher
Piggsvin Forlag & WSOY
Format info
200 pp.

Kepler62 The New World 2: The Island

Kepler62 - Uusi maailma: Saari

The story of the children on planet Kepler62 continues…

Marie’s group are convinced that Vallvik should be their leader, which means that Marie – Vallvik’s daughter – faces pressure to step up in his absence. Marie is surprised to find that she rather enjoys being adored by the others. Is she more like her father than she’d like to believe? But soon her step-sister Olivia starts questioning Marie’s choices, which doesn’t bode well for their relationship. Marie can’t trust Olivia, who still seems to be keeping secrets from her – secrets that involve their father. Marie is convinced that her father is a threat and decides that it’s her responsibility to stop him. She finds out exactly which strange island he’s on and, without thinking about the danger she may face, decides to confront him. But what awaits her?

Bestseller authors Timo Parvela (b. 1964) and Bjørn Sortland (b. 1968) continue their award-winning formula of taking it in turns to write books. Illustrator Pasi Pitkänen’s (b. 1984) powerful illustrations of their alien world and its inhabitants complements their storytelling perfectly.

In season two of Kepler62, a motley crew of children and few grown-ups find themselves divided into two camps. Parvela and Sortland focus on the trials and tribulations of one tribe each, with their stories eventually converging as the series progresses. Each book in season two tells a stand-alone story, unlike the continuous story told in the series’ first season. Timo Parvela is the author of books 1, 3 and 5, while Bjorn Sortland is the author of books 2 and 4.

Series

Season 1: Kepler62
Book 1: The Invitation, 2015
Book 2: The Countdown , 2015
Book 3: The Voyage , 2016
Book 4: The Pioneers, 2016
Book 5: The Virus, 2017
Book 6: The Secret, 2017

Season 2: Kepler62 The New World
Book 1: Two Tribes, 2018
Book 2: The Island, 2019
Book 3: The Whisperer’s Lair, 2019
Book 4: The Cave, 2020
Book 5: Gaia, 2020

Season 3: Keper62 Terra
Book 1: The Clones, 2021
Book 2: Heart 2022

Format

4-colour illustrations
Age: 9+

Material

Finnish PD

Rights sold

Chinese, Simplified (Mysterium/Guangxi Normal University Press Group Co., Ltd)
Polish (Widnokrąg)
Russian (Rozovy Zhiraf /Pink Giraffe)

Reviews

“The package is well put together….a great action story as well as a relevant discussion of important questions about right and wrong, power and morality. Reading the book, adults will be reminded of William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies, and many of Marie’s dilemmas belong to the fundamental questions in literature and ethics. On the surface, this book is suspense literature, genre-smart and well-composed. Upon reading, the book feels like a series of fundamental choices for Marie. Both children and adults will appreciate this combination which embodies the essence of science fiction at its best.” – Aftenposten newspaper, Norway

“The details and the plot of Parvela and Sortland’s ambitious series are carefully polished. The series gets off to such a flying start that you are powerless to resist the pull of its most extraordinary world.” Savon Sanomat newspaper

“Right from the very first book, Parvela and Sortland bring up many themes that add depth to their dystopia, while the book still remains primarily an entertaining and fast-moving novel. In this case, the entertainment and fast-moving plot are advantages as Kepler 62 also draws in children who tend not to enjoy books. But bookworms shall also enjoy the collaboration between Parvela, Sortland and Pitkänen. After all, who doesn’t love a well-written adventure?” Lumiomena blog

“Pasi Pitkänen’s illustrations are a major part of the book and in places the particularly dark pictures, which speak volumes, create powerful additional tension alongside the text… [The illustrations] are so well-placed within the text and are so successful that the pictures immediately catch the reader’s eye, move the story forward and, at the most exciting parts, even send a shiver down your spine…” Nuorille ja naperoille blog