The Swan Riders is the sequel to The Scorpion Rules, in the Prisoners of Peace series (I am assuming there will be a third book, but can’t confirm from looking at the author’s website). The Swan Riders action carries on immediately from the first book, and this is where the reader may become confused, as the main character, Greta, feels like a different character. The plot is confusing, with her going through the process of changing from a girl into an artificial intelligence (AI).
There is much action in both of these books, with climate change and war dramatically altering Greta’s nation, where she was once a princess. She has escaped from being held hostage, and is traveling by horseback across the rural plains of Saskatchewan, accompanied by a band of human Swan Riders is to protect her and Talis, the AI who rules the world.
Greta’s transformation into an AI is destroying her mortal body. Will she survive? Will she be able to take over the body of one of the Swan Riders when the time comes? And if her physical body doesn’t fail her, will she be able to survive the rebellion?
This dystopian novel features a strong 16 year old girl as the protagonist, and will appeal to YA readers of this genre, if they have first read The Scorpion Rules.