Nattavaara – roman i katastrofernas tid – Nattavaara – a novel in the time of catastrophe
By Thomas Engström & Margit Richert
Erik finds his parents dead in the sauna. Since the neighbours in the village fear a new epidemic Erik is banned, and with his little sister Sofia in tow he is forced on a venturesome ramble towards Kiruna (in the North part of Sweden). There is the jarl – and Erik’s only chance to get back the farm.
The crofter Marja, previously middle manager in the home-help service, is captured by a gang of criminals who are ravaging the small villages in the Norrbotten county. At the same time her husband Mårten has gone missing without a trace. Now she has to court her warders and become one of them to survive.
Nattavaara is the first thrilling installment in the trilogy about Nordmark, a grandiose vision about a near future where climate catastrophes, pandemics and financial crises have torn the society apart. Norrbotten has broken free from Sweden and is ruled by an autocratic jarl. In the countryside there’s famine and the people are constantly fighting for survival, in a world where compassion and ruthlessness can be the difference between life and death.
ABOUT THE BOOK
First published by Bokfabriken, autumn 2020
RIGHTS SOLD
Finland, Into Kustannus
REVIEWS
At times it’s like reading Game of Thrones mixed with Mad Max II, or why not a more pessimistic version of Isaac Asimov’s classical science fiction novels in the Foundation series.
Aftonbladet
Nattavaara offers a well written, engaging, entertaining and alarming portrayal of how fast everything we have taken for granted can be turned upside down and destroyed.
Svenska Dagbladet
[…] What Engström & Richert write so wonderfully good about, and which makes me incapable of stop reading, is the human’s sincere longing to find light, even in the rain grey dawn. The authors make us feel that everyone, oppressors as well as oppressed, have a long journey ahead, wherever they are and wherever they think they are going.
Sydsvenskan
The absolutely best thing is however the characters, both the ones we get to follow and those we encounter. No one is evil, but everyone is in their own way and for their own reasons egoistic. It’s always pleasurable to read a book where the authors trust that the characters they are creating are enough to make the reader continue reading.
It’s a fantastic book and I very much look forward to the sequel.
Science Fiction bokhandeln
They know how to portray our future … believable. Far from unbelievable that Engström and Richert actually portray the future of mankind.
Borås tidning
Linguistically they are brilliant and let no one become a superhero. It’s not that kind of book where some person saves the world. It’s planned to be a trilogy and why not? There’s a lot to say about the future, like a mirror of the present.
Nisse Scherman, DAST
It’s very thrilling, incredibly elaborate, nice work, good language. The longing after the second installment in this trilogy!
Titti Schultz, Go’ Kväll
Brilliant, thrilling and skillfully written!
Jennies Boklista
In a very tasteful way the reader is invited to see what the world has gone through and in a dramatic way see how it is to live in a dystopia. From the first page I am hooked in this captivating, frightening dark story. […] I strongly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading fast paced dystopias, but also likes reading about human destinies.
marlenes_bokhylla
Nattavaara is a thrilling and easyread first installment in a planned trilogy. The characters engage and are not perceived as static, which also makes the reader wonder which path they will take. It’s clear that someone who is looking for light must be prepared to work for the darkness, and that people change when the world around them does so.
BTJ
BOOKS
Fiction