Mana Ray by Julia Maslova

A magical, message-laden allegory from a playful and creative pen, Mana Ray: Summer Magic by Julia Maslova is an otherworldly novel about peeling back the facade of a “perfect life” and embracing one’s true nature. On the Earth-like planet Odagea, Mana Ray is rising eagerly through society, moving closer to her dream of becoming an upper-class doctor. However, a twist of fate sends Mana out into the wilderness, where forbidden magic still exists, which allows her to finally see the cruel truth of the hierarchical and oppressive paradise she once called home. Essential in its message of class consciousness, albeit a bit heavy-handed in its metaphors, this imaginative read is a provocative, timely, and sharply critical assessment of a world structured around power and privilege, which will immediately hit home for contemporary readers.