Those Beyond the Wall

Starred review from January 1, 2024

Scales is a mechanic and enforcer in Ashtown, working under the powerful, deadly Emperor to help keep balance in their desert town. When a close friend dies horrifically in front of Scales, she is tasked with finding out the truth about their violent death--especially when there was no murderer in sight. When it is discovered that more deaths have occurred, both in Ash and in the walled and wealthy Wiley City, Scales must work with two frustrating men--her Emperor-compliant partner Cross and annoyingly brilliant scientist Adam--to discover what is killing people. As the truth is uncovered, so is the buried past that Scales has tried to overcome, one of blood and secrets. Yet more secrets and more blood will be spilled, and the answers could destroy their world. This book packs an emotional punch, as brutality lies next to the thin edge of caring, wrapped up in friendship and rage, and love will not stop hearts from shattering. VERDICT Set 10 years after The Space Between Worlds, this novel provides a new protagonist, returning characters, and a multiverse of paths for all of them. Johnson's tense sci-fi thriller is exciting and immersive.--Kristi Chadwick

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2024
In a telling introductory note to this fierce, noir vision of a postapocalypse Earth, Compton-Crook Award winner Johnson (The Space Between Worlds) distinguishes between rage, which has a target, and anger, which has none. Conceived during the 2020 sit-in at Nashville’s People’s Plaza aimed at “institutionalized racialized violence,” this thought-provoking novel’s rage is fueled by “dreams of a different but possible future.” Scales, the most effective enforcer for the ruler of the Black community of Ashtown, witnesses her friend Helene X inexplicably torn to pieces by an unseen force. After more, similarly shattered bodies appear throughout Ashtown and the neighboring, walled-in white enclave of Wiley City, Scales is ordered to investigate. Her quest is textured by her anger issues, lingering trauma from childhood abuse, and unrequited love for a man she’ll never have. Also complicating things is the sinister influx of “dops,” alternate versions of existing people from parallel universes. Wrenching scenes of physical and psychological torture are tempered only slightly by a closing vision that things could be better, “by fire if necessary.” This searing and demanding novel is sure to stir readers.

March 1, 2024
In Johnson's thrilling sequel to The Space between Worlds (2020), readers explore Ashtown, the city beyond Wiley City's atmospheric protection, through the eyes of Scales, sister to the emperor. Traversers arrive from a parallel universe, killing this world's version of themselves upon arrival. The leaders of Ashtown scramble for some manner of defense against the interdimensional threat, pulling old enemies--scientist Adam Bosch and traverser Cara--into their efforts and cementing a sanctuary agreement within the city. As Ashtown prepares for Wiley City's anticipated betrayal, Scales confronts the differences between the two cities' justice systems, channeling righteous rage against the city's discriminatory enforcement, leveraging it to protect everybody. The systemic changes Scales desires will require personal sacrifices as she rushes to protect Ashtown's people. The characters in this unique world evolve both in their understanding of and place in the world throughout the novel. Johnson's riveting dystopian story carries thinly veiled messages stemming from the protests that swept the U.S. during the summer of 2020, the gritty setting reminding readers that this injustice can--and does--happen in reality. Those beyond the Wall will appeal to fans of classic sf that portrays parallels to current social issues.

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