The Foretelling of Georgie Spider by Ambelin Kwaymullina

Check out my reviews for books one and two in the series

The Foretelling of Georgie Spider The Tribe Book Three
Written by Ambelin Kwaymullina
Science Fiction, Dystopian, Cultural
Published August 1st 2015
448 Pages
★★★★
A storm was stretching out across futures to swallow everything in nothing, and it was growing larger, which meant it was getting nearer... Georgie Spider has foretold the end of the world, and the only one who can stop it is Ashala Wolf.

But Georgie has also foreseen Ashala's death. As the world shifts around the Tribe, Ashala fights to protect those she loves from old enemies and new threats. And Georgie fights to save Ashala. Georgie Spider can see the future. But can she change it?
Prime Talbot has been removed from the office of Gull City and Prime Belle Willis has been instated. With the change of power, comes the prospect of having the Citizenship Accords banished, something Ashala and The Tribe at Firstwood have been fighting for. Ashala has been summoned to the city to speak with neighbouring Primes, as the symbol of illegals everywhere. Taking Connor with her, Ashala has left Daniel and Georgie in charge of The Tribe in her absence, especially since the group of illegals are on edge.

Georgie continues to weave her maps, intricate threads connecting The Tribe with the land. But when she discovers that Ashala's life is in danger, The Tribe will rally around their leader to keep her safe. Ashala is the key to saving not only Firstwood, but the world as they know it. Terrance is determined to enslave the illegals, and The Tribe in in danger of becoming little more than a small pocket of resistance, who fought for a better world.

Ponderings of a Booknerd

The Tribe series has been an incredibly journey. Engaging, enthralling and so incredibly unique. It follows the story of three girls, Ashala, Ember and now Georgie. All three girls hold the unique ability to see into the past, the present and future, using their insight to guide not only The Tribe but for humanity. Woven throughout the series is the beautiful and mesmerising history of the Aboriginal Dreaming, passing on important knowledge, cultural values and belief systems to later generations. It made my heart soar. Not often in Australian young adult do we see the inclusion of indigenous beliefs, making the series a phenomenal experience.

But woven throughout is the story of three girls who will ultimately change the world, the world is on the verge of dying. The Firstwood where The Tribe call home is thriving, members feeding the soul of the forest and the forest giving them life in return. In The Foretelling of Georgie Spider, we finally learn about Georgie and her gift to weave maps, foreseeing into the future. She dwells in the caves of the Firstwood, weaving the futures of The Tribe, along with Daniel and her masses of helper spiders. She committed and frenzied in her work, staying behind while others fight against the oppression of the ruling Primes, and the illegal ruling to outcast and detain those with special abilities. But when one of their own is in trouble, The Tribe rally around their leader and vow to keep her safe.

The final verdict

The Tribe series is phenomenal. It blends the magical Dreaming with relatable characters and an underlying message of to take care of our environment and each other. Ambelin Kwaymullina is a beautiful and haunting voice in Australian young adult fiction, and I can't wait to discover what she's working on next.

AMBELIN ON DIVERSITY IN YOUNG ADULT

We do not live in a monochrome or one dimensional world. We live in a diverse one, and as an Indigenous author, I am part of that diversity. But the world in which the human species exists is not reflected in YA literature. There are consequences of this for those of us who are part of the excluded; an ever increasing sense of isolation and disconnection. This is a topic that has been addressed by many diverse Australian YA writers. Sarah Ayoub has written that "Across Australia teens of diverse backgrounds are hungry for the comfort these stories offer, showing them they’re not alone in whatever identity struggle they might be facing." Erin Gough has said that the biggest imperative behind her writing is "to give readers who may not have seen themselves represented in YA before that thrill of recognition, and the message that they mean something, that they matter." And I have asked people to imagine a world where no mirror ever shows you your own reflection, or worse still, only a distorted one - if that was the only face you ever saw, if that was the image continually reflected back at you, might you not come to believe that it was all you could ever be?

Books by diverse authors are windows into other realities. They are also inherently respectful places where the author has made choices about what they wish to share of their realities, and how they wish to share it. So when I want to learn of things outside of my experience I go looking for a storyteller to tell me of their world – and in so doing, I expand and enrich my own.

FOLLOW THE BLOG TOUR

Monday, 21st September The Loony Literate.
Tuesday, 22nd September Cassie the Weird
Wednesday, 23rd September Diva Book Nerd
Thursday, 24th September Inside My Worlds
Friday, 25th September Genie in a Book

Thank you to Ambelin and Walker Books Australia

30 comments

  1. I love this trilogy so much. The fact that it incorporates Aboriginal Dreaming is one of the many aspects that make it a standout. We certainly need more books with this type of diversity in it. Great review. I'm glad you really enjoyed this one. I can't wait to see what Ambelin comes up with next either.

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    1. Me too Rochelle! I loved how effortlessly the storyline flowed, the Dreaming woven throughout was so incredibly unique and really showcases our Indigenous authors and how phenomenal they truly are. So glad you enjoyed this one as well.

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  2. I have the first book to this series. I think it's time I dust it off. I always find something magical about a book written by an Aussie author. It's very unique and so different from their North American counterparts. Brilliant, as always, Kelly!

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    1. This is completely different from most Aussie authors even Joy, as it incorporates the indigenous Dreaming throughout the storyline, which is native to the first Australians. I'd love to see what you think of it, so better start dusting and crack it open.

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  3. I clearly need to read this trilogy. CLEARLY. I will make a special request at our bookstore to order this one especially for me. As a Filipino who doesn't find books and or characters to fully identify with in YA literature, it makes me happy to see this level of diversity in this series. A book about a particular indigenous tribe? COUNT ME IN, PLEASE. I so want to learn about them and their culture and the things they believe in. Hopefully, time will come that someone out there will write the same things about us or any of our indigenous tribes as well in mainstream literature!

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. It's actually the Aboriginal Dreaming woven throughout Faye and it's incredible! It really sets the bar high for diversity in young adult. The journey that Ambelin takes the reader on is breathtaking. I really hope you can nab a copy Faye, I'd love to see what you think of it.

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  4. Thanks for sharing. I haven't heard of this trilogy, I don't believe. That's great you love it so much and really liked the third book too. You just never know about an ending. But yes, I agree that there should be more diversity in YA books.

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    1. I think it'll always be something that authors struggle with though, to provide realistic young adult that really represents us all. That's why this series was such a breath of fresh air.

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  5. Love her words on diversity <3 I'm so glad it's becoming more important to the authors, readers, bloggers...everyone. That makes me so happy!!

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    1. Me too! And especially diversity in Australian young adult too. We're so incredibly diverse here and I love how our fiction is leading the charge in reflecting that.

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  6. These books sound action-packed! I haven't heard of them before, but the past-present-and-future-seeing aspect reminds me a lot of oracles from Greek mythology (I think especially because I noticed you're reading Magnus Chase...Rick Riordan...haha....). I'll have to add these to the TBR!

    Claire @ Cover to Cover

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    1. Yeah, a little bit and I didn't click onto that actually. It's pretty similar, but obviously the indigenous Australian Dreaming woven throughout the storyline which gives it that unique spin not seen before in young adult. It's incredible Claire and I'd love to see what you think of the series.

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  7. Okay, I just added the first book to my wishlist, because I definitely need to read these.

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    1. It'll be one of those most unique and engaging dystopian fusion series you'll read Christy. I do hope you can grab a copy soon.

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  8. I hadn't heard of this series before and I'm feeling like an idiot! Through her work my Mother has had a lot to do with aboriginal welfare and I think seeing this series would bring a smile to her face. I'm going to have to try and get my hands on a paperback copy of number one asap, then nick, oops I mean borrow it off of her once she's read It.

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    1. She'd absolutely love this Sarah and that sounds like an awesome plan. Buy her a copy and then after she's done, give it a read as well. It's by far one of the most engaging and unique series I've read. I think you'd really enjoy it.

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  9. OMG that cover. It's creepy and utterly fascinating.
    I love that you're always introducing me to these interesting books, Kelly. The characters all sound incredibly well-written and I love that it tackles environment and has elements of magic to it. Plus, diversity! I'm always up for that.
    Wonderful review, Kelly!

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    1. Thanks Nick. This series is incredible and something I can almost guarantee that you'd really enjoy. It's diverse, fantastically written and not only uniquely Australian but will appeal to both dystopian and fantasy young adult readers as well.

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  10. This sounds like an amazing series. It's not often that we see Aboriginal tribes highlighted in YA. I am not sure we have these books locally, as the covers look amazing, I want to own them!

    ~ Dre @ Sporadic Reads

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    1. We don't do we and it was incredible, I'd love to see more indigenous beliefs woven through our Aussie fiction. It gives it that added dimension and diversity we so desperately need.

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  11. I'm glad you loved the ending of this series that I had no idea about until now. ;) It sounds like something I would really enjoy, though! What with the character trying to save the world. I love that series is also teaching readers to save the environment :)

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    1. Me too Sarah. That underlying environmental and social message was just so lovely seeing it woven throughout the storyline. I love young adult books with a social conscious and this series really was incredible.

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  12. I haven't heard of this series before, and I'm so sad about that. I'm definitely going to be reading the first book as soon as I can! It sounds like a unique voice in Aussie YA, and we need more of that! Thank you for sharing Kelly :)

    - Wattle @ Whimsical Nature

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    1. We certainly do Wattle and it's amazing! I can almost guarantee you'll adore The Tribe series, it's one of the very best we have in Aussie young adult. Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

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  13. This one is new to me Kelly - it sounds promising though. Especially in view of its underlying message and the way in which you describe how the characters in this prose impart important knowledge, cultural values and belief systems into the generation that precedes them. You don't stumble upon such themes in dystopian narratives; great review!

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    1. You really don't Claudia and thanks a great point you've made. It's so important to have that story told, to pass on that knowledge even through fiction. I love the underlying social messages too. The series has been one of my favourite reads.

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  14. Oh wow, I love her take on diversity! I haven't heard about this series at all, but it sounds so damn good! I love how all the girls have magical abilities to see into the past and future, so I definitely want to pick up the first book off of that aspect alone! Prime Belle Willis, my last name is Willis, clearly the author put me into her story lmao.

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    1. She did. She totally did. But it's awesome Tika, the diversity and the magical aspect added in the Dreaming. I'm sad to see this series end, but can't wait to see what the author is working on next!

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  15. This series is amazing! And so unique! I loved the Aboriginal Dreaming aspect, it always fascinated me when we studied it at school.
    Great guest post. Diversity is so important in fiction, because the world is so diverse, and fiction is supposed to be a reflection of the world.

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    1. Me too Cassie and it was absolutely brilliant! Especially in Australia as well, we're all so incredibly diverse and I love that as a whole, our home grown fiction represents our differences really well.

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