Guardian of the Dark

Teya Rosenberg teaches children’s literature at the University of
Alberta.

Senedu, a post-holocaust society enclosed beneath the earth’s surface,
is the setting for this novel of a young man’s coming-of-age. Gen, son
of Senedu’s Guardian, is struggling with his role as heir to the
Guardian, the duties attached to that role (which separate him from his
peers), and his father’s seeming lack of love. In his attempts to find
some unregulated space where he can assert his identity, Gen discovers
the world of ancient technology existing outside the walls of Senedu,
and, following the traditional hero pattern, he saves his society from
destruction. In the process, Gen finds his place outside the primitive
and restricted society and leads a portion of Senedu’s population to a
new life based on knowledge and freedom.

Guardian of the Dark is a satisfying adventure, which uses well the
conventions of the hero tale and of science fiction. Although slow at
the beginning, it soon picks up the pace, and Gen’s discoveries about
himself, his friends, and the world beyond the walls of his society are
believable and intriguing. Because of its use of well-worn science
fiction conventions, the story is, at times, clichéd, but on the whole,
it is well written and enjoyable. Recommended.