Archivist Wasp

March 2, 2015
Why would an intelligent, skeptical killer allow herself to remain enslaved by a priest? Readers who find enough justification for Wasp’s submission will enjoy the full adrenaline ride of Korner-Stace’s (Desideria) second novel, while those unconvinced by references to two big dogs and the man’s mean streak may be left by the wayside. Wasp was deity-selected to join the “upstarts,” knife-wielding female apprentices who vie for the role of Archivist by battling to the death. Having become Archivist, it’s not surprising that Wasp is willing to do the dirty work of trapping and destroying ghosts that terrorize her isolated village, keeping records, and waiting for her own death-by-upstart. What is surprising is that in 400 years of this torturous cycle, no girl has figured out effective leverage against the controlling priest. Instead, Wasp believes her best hope lies with an articulate, substantial ghost, who offers Wasp a priceless relic if she will help him hunt the ghost of a lost colleague. Kornher-Stace writes a mean action sequence, but going beyond the moment to connect and contextualize plot points is a spottier proposition. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kate McKean, Horward Morhaim Literary Agency.

Starred review from March 1, 2015
A ravishing, profane, and bittersweet post-apocalyptic bildungsroman transcends genre into myth.In a desolate future, young girls marked by the goddess Catchkeep fight to the death to become Archivist, needed but feared and shunned for her sacred duty to trap, interrogate, and dispatch ghosts. After three years as Archivist, Wasp is weary of killing, of loneliness, of hunger, of cruelty, of despair, so she barters with a supersoldier's ghost to find his long-dead partner in exchange for a chance at escape. But looking for answers in the land of the dead only reveals that everything Wasp knew was a lie. Equal parts dark fantasy, science fiction, and fable, Wasp's story is structured as a classic hero's journey. Her bleak and brutal world, limned with the sparest of detail, forges her character: stoic, cynical, with burning compassion at the core; in contrast, the rich and mosaic (if capricious and violent) underworld overflows with symbol and metaphor that tease at deeper meanings never made fully explicit. Meanwhile, the nameless ghost's history, told through disconnected snatches of memory, encompasses heroism, abuse, friendship, and betrayal in a tragedy only redeemed by the heart-rending convergence of their separate narratives. Names (and their absence) form a constant leitmotif, as identity is transformed by the act of claiming it. Difficult, provocative, and unforgettable-the most dangerous kind of fiction. (Science fiction/fantasy. 14 & up)

March 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-In a desolate town haunted by the souls of the dead, Wasp must fight three other girls to the death to retain the title of Archivist. All her life, Wasp has been told she was chosen by the goddess Catchkeep to capture and study ghosts. She has endured beatings, lived as a hated and feared outcast, and murdered-all in the name of Catchkeep. Yearning to escape her cruel life, she makes a bargain with the ghost of a long-dead super soldier. The ghost promises to help her escape if she can track down his only friend, a fearless female super soldier with a story not so different from Wasp's. Kornher-Stace has crafted a gritty read that will appeal to fans of violent, postapocalyptic fantasy and science fiction. Teens will empathize with Wasp's brutal existence and root for her as she struggles to develop her first real relationship. The author parallels the super soldier's tale of high technology gone awry, told through flashbacks, with Wasp's story of a corrupt post-civilization society, in order to illustrate what happens when people refuse to learn from past mistakes. Young adults will be able to relate to Wasp's inner turmoil and her battle to understand a world full of inexplicable hatred and violence. The fast pace and graphic action will draw in reluctant readers. VERDICT A must-have for dystopian fans who prefer to avoid love stories and pat endings.-Kimberly Ventrella, Southwest Oklahoma City Library

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