Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis (review)

Doctors believe that seventeen-year-old Nolan Santiago has a rare form of epilepsy, which is causing him to have daily seizures and hallucinations. Nolan, however, knows that during those seizures he is seeing a different world through the eyes of Amara, a mute servant on a planet that relies on and has nearly been destroyed by magic. Amara, gifted with the ability to heal almost instantaneously, is on the run with the exiled Princess Cilla and is forced to endure painful magical attacks meant for the princess—attacks that Nolan suffers as well as he helplessly looks on. An accidental overdose on his latest medication allows Nolan to gain control of both his visions and Amara’s body, but it also strips Amara of her healing ability, leaving her and Cilla vulnerable. Debut author Duyvis constructs characters that run the gamut of diversity, from the multiracial Nolan, who also has a physical disability, to the sexually fluid Amara, whose romantic relationship with her male lover Maart is complicated by her attraction to Cilla. The portrayals are believably complex, avoiding gimmickry or heavy-handed messages in favor of subtle, nuanced examinations of power dynamics and privilege. Framing all this is a brilliantly paced edge-of-your seat adventure, as Amara and Cilla flee from one danger to the next, that’s paired with an intriguing, twist-filled mystery, as Nolan tries to sort out his connection to this other world and his role in it. Fantasy and speculative fiction fans will no doubt enjoy the ride, while authors should take note—this is how you do fantasy in a global world.