Kidnapped to be buried alive a matter of days before Osidian is to become God Emperor, he and Carnelian are unwittingly reprieved, only to be destined to be sold into slavery as trophies. But even from that fate they are rescued only to become captive of the Plainsmen of Earthsky

To effect their own escape the Plainsmen plan to leave the two Masters behind as a decoy, but in a snap decision Carnelian pleads with them that they take him and Osidian with them. As they struggle for survival finding a circuitous route to Earthsky, with Osidian ever weakening with fever, Carnelian becomes drawn to his captors and is prepared to make his way with them, but will Osidian, if he survives, so readily accept such a fate?

Above all it is the character Carnelian who makes the story so compelling; young as he is, his strong sense of loyalty, love and compassion, and his vulnerability cannot fail to win the reader’s heart. It is those very qualities that make the dilemma of his situation so difficult, and the restraints he imposes on his growing relation with Fern especially touching.

An enthralling sequel to the Chosen and perhaps even more captivating and more readily accessible, The Standing Dead is a brilliantly conceived story. Pinto creates a fantastic and vividly portrayed prehistoric landscape, an environment at times luxuriantly rich in flora and fauna, but at other times arid and unbearably hot. The suffering Plainsmen lead a tribal life rich with its own customs; it is not surprising that Carnelian is drawn to theses close knit people as he sees the suffering the domination of the Masters causes. But it is not long before Carnelian realises that he may be the cause of something even worse, the very downfall of everything here he has come to cherish. ( )