Blood moon bride by Demet Divaroren

Blood moon brides are the young girls who at the age of 16 are taken to Show Day to be matched with the highest bidders to become their brides. It’s a kind of slave market. But now, suddenly, the age has been lowered to fifteen by Governor Kira eager to have more progeny with whom to build his army of soldiers in the ongoing wars at his borders. Rehya realises that time has run out for her to escape, and she will be among the girls delivered prematurely into a life she abhors.

This is the setting for Demet Divaroren’s latest novel, a departure from the gritty realism of Living on Hope Street (2017) or the earlier co-edited Growing up Muslim in Australia (2014). Blood moon bride is a magical fantasy, but it deals with issues relevant to current times: child marriage, demonisation of the 'other', dictatorships, lies and fake news, and the need for connection with the natural world. The fantasy world of Governor Kira’s regime, with his manipulation of his subjects, annihilation of people who are different, and the brain-washing of anyone who questions or rebels, is presented in a way that young readers can explore safely through the world of imagination.

It is an exciting story, with believable characters, and, unusually for the genre, without a thread of romance. The emphasis is on friendship and collaboration, uniting together to stand against what is inherently wrong. On her website, Divaroren writes that ‘Storytelling . . . is an invitation to build empathy and challenge our misconceptions and the negative vitriol of 'the other' that is fuelled by the media.’ Blood moon bride is an excellent example of this.

Themes: Fantasy, Magic, Child marriage, Oppression, Tyranny, Female empowerment.

Helen Eddy