Children of the Outback

Tales from the Outback, Book 1

By: Amanda N. Newman

Narrated by: Angela Peters

Sometimes those with the worst reputation are your best chance at survival.

A long-ago civil conflict has left Australia divided into two societies, the urbanized New Australian Republic to the east and the rural Outback to the west, separated by the now-electrified dog fence. Elite dark magic wielders maintain order in the Outback, while slaver gangs patrol the border, searching for trespassers to capture and add to the slave trade.

Grace Walker has become one of those slaves. Captured at a young age, she has spent the past four years confined to a slave camp, but now it’s her time to become a part of the trade. If that wasn’t bad enough, she finds herself at the mercy of “one of the greatest torturers in the Outback”.

Skar Shepard has always walked a dangerous path, but entering into a deal with a Republic soldier isn’t just dangerous. For a magic wielder, it’s outright suicidal, but his conscience won’t let him refuse. Now, he’s forced to uphold his end of the bargain while the soldier struggles to follow through on his end.

Rudolfus Lesikar is no stranger to darkness. Born into a family infamous for their work with torture magic, he’s used to people regarding him with fear. But when the evil and trauma from his past threatens his future, he can either face it or try to run from it.

Trigger Warning: This book contains dark themes that some individuals may find upsetting or disturbing. This includes, but is not limited to, references and/or depictions of self-harm, torture, rape, sexual assault, abuse, child-loss, mental illness, suicide, etc. Listener discretion is advised.

©2019 Amanda LaFratta (P)2021 Amanda LaFratta

Expansive story that demands attention

There is a lot going on in the outback. It sprawls out storylines from all around the Outback and Australia’s New Republic, the two factions formed after a civil war. While the story is well told through multiple first-person viewpoints, the origin of the conflict is never explained. If it was, I missed it.
Nonetheless, each character has a distinct voice and tells their own tale in a way that easily weaves their stories together. Author Amanda N. Newman cleverly waits for the right moments to drop verbal bombshells and exposition that surprise, explain, and exhilarate.
The characters are slaves, their traders, magic wielders, and government soldiers. While there is little in the way of why the factions have separated and remain enemies, that mystery does not detract from the humanity of the characters. Each one wants something, and they all struggle to get it. And each of their struggles are completely unique.
I am trying not to drop any spoilers, but Magic Wielders can torture and kill with wands and spells. Bitzers (who are slave traders) are the antithesis of the Republic soldiers. As for Dingoes, some have magic, some do not. They are the elite ruling class of the Outback. And Slaves, like the main character Grace Walker, are generally captured as children from the Republic, by Bitzers, and sold to Dingoes in the Outback.
As an audiobook, actor Angela Peters does a fantastic job bringing each unique voice to life. Within a page or paragraph, she sometimes changes timbre to accommodate three or even four characters, and does so unflinchingly, so that you always know who is talking. Her male voices do not go extremely deep, but it was easy to hear the subtle differences between Ben, Rudolfus Lesikar (one of the coolest names ever), and Skar, when these men were in conversation, so you knew who was talking.
Each chapter (over 40 of them!) is a first-person account by any of the main 5 characters, maybe more, who come in and out to give us their take on their lot in life, how they deal with the others around them, and their situations, many of which are impossibly edgy.
In all, this dystopian vision is filled with surprises and that is what makes it great. Things happen that you do not expect, and then it leads to another surprise. This is exactly what great storytelling is, and with the authentic Australian narrator to lead you through the outback, you feel like you are there.