First I would like to show my gratitude for being able to have access to this e arc! I did go back and read the first book before reading this one... I think I have found a new must buy author. Let's start with the things I didn't like, or would have wanted to see done a bit differently. I just want more... another book or the current ones made into full length novels I don't mind. The world is ravaged by sickness and the ecological collapse but Reid (mc) is focused on change for the better. They apply to go to university that demands them to leave their community behind for 4 years and embark on a terrifying and dangerous journey to get there. This book follows Reid on the journey and what happens there after is mind-blowing! There's so many elements of social commentary and the ways humans can and do behave in the face of life changing situations. I think you could read this without having read the first one, but I would recommend reading both. This is mainly because they are both novella length books and reading both just allows you to have a little more time to connect with the characters and understand the world. I don't know if Premee Mohamed will be writing more in this series but I really would be excited to read more in this world and with this characters.
Now for the spoiler section of this review.... I liked that the story carried on where it left off in the first book and that certain aspects were not forgotten... like the death of one of the characters. It became an integral part of the motivations of Reid and I really appreciated that. I did however, think it was strange that the university were open to Reid going back to their Mum... it wasn't clear if that was because Reid was causing problems with testing the boundaries or wether it was what they would have done anyway. If it was the first reason then it was a bit soon considering the pattern in change of behaviour that St Martin pointed out.

This was a really solid follow up to The Annual Migration of Clouds and took the story in an interesting direction. I liked the change of setting and thought that the conspiracy element was a nice addition. Overall I enjoyed this second installment and will be eagerly awaiting the next one!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the book.

I really loved the first part of this series and was one of my favourite 2023 reads. I couldn't wait to read this and I loved it just as much. The universe is expanded so much more and I enjoyed seeing the university.

This novella is so vividly described that I had the strangest dreams for the couple days it took me to finish it. I hope for more from the series to continue Reid's journey (and hopefully eventual success though I don't think it's that kind of story)

Thank you NetGalley for the copy!

We Speak Through the Mountain, a dystopian sci-fi novella, by Premee Mohamed is a sequel to Mohamed's collection of stories 'The Annual Migration' of clouds. With themes of unequal dispersion of resources and information leading to a dichotomy society; and ending world and a thriving world. This dichotomy brings with it privilege, discrimination and an 'us and them' treatment; to me a take on discrimination based on class and race in our society. However, this story is also a story of activism and hope. A presentation on how change can start with one person but how much more powerful one can be backed by compassion and the helping hand of others.
This novella raises so many questions and thoughts about our world and society and I cannot wait for more from this author.

This was a very powerful follow up to The Annual Migration of Clouds. We follow Reid as she makes it to the "domes" and tries to settle in. While life seems easier many things about her new life makes Reid uneasy and unsure if she is suited for this life. A wonderfully done story with emotions and unexpected twists and turns. I know this book just came out, but I already can't wait for the next!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This novella picks up pretty much right where The Annual Migration of Clouds ended. If you haven’t read that one yet, go read it before you continue with this one.

Reid arrives where she has been told to go and activated her tracker. She is brought into Howse and her medical issues are treated (in ways that could not have happened at home). Once she is healthy enough to leave the medical ward, she starts classes and learns about life at Howse.

This story was very good. I liked it even better than the first one. Major themes include culture shock, classism, and social responsibility. If you liked the first one, this one will probably also work for you. I look forward to reading any further stories in this series.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and ECW Press. The opinions expressed are my own.

Reid is picked up by University personnel after a difficult trip on bicycle. They treat her injuries, then offer her a course of treatment to send her fungal parasite into remission. Of course Reid immediately accepts, but is also angry that the people of the Dome never shared this lifesaving drug to anyone outside the done.

Reid meets Clementine, another recently arrived student, and Cad survivor. Both bond over their similarities, and differences between them and the longtime residents of the Dome, such as their fellow students, who regard the outsiders as “you people”, and cannot understand Reid’s concerns about the bounty here, versus the scarcity everywhere else.

The clash of worldviews highlights just how privileged the people of the Dome are, and how lucky they are to be able to not think about the short, terrible lives of those on the outside.

I love the parallels Reid draws between the unwillingness of the insiders to answer certain questions and the situation in Strawberry’s nightmare of a warren in “Watership Down”. There is certainly a reluctance to engage, or even contemplate, life elsewhere, in the both the Dome and the warren.

At the same time, Reid is not utterly alone in her concerns. She connects with a fellow student, who, though his experiences are utterly different from hers, shows a willingness to listen and engage. This indicates that there is the possibility for hope, and maybe even a tiny chance for a positive change for settlements like those of Reid's people.

The ending easily points to more adventures for Reid in this dystopian land from author Premee Mohamed, and I for one an eager to find out what happens next.

Thank you to Netgalley and to ECW Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars rounding up. I appreciated [book:The Annual Migration of Clouds|56996758] a lot. It was an interesting take on a <a href=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScavengerWorld>"Scavenger World"</a> type archetype story, with its short length only allowing it to really focus on a character getting ready to leave her home settlement in search of one of the remaining enclaves of high technology. No higher stakes than that, but a lot of humanity, and it was a good time. Now, here in the sequel, we have that character arriving at said technological enclave, and a bit of world-building around that, and hints at a larger story with world-changing stakes, because I guess you have to have that? But the book gets a little stuck in the middle, there. It's again quite short, and so the story ends up feeling somewhat abbreviated, a clear middle chapter in what presumably could be four or more novellas if they keep up this size and pacing. And so I appreciate it, again, but it feels very incomplete. The first book could have stood alone as a complete story, admittedly with an unorthodox chronological position in the usual "hero's journey" arc, but this one is unfulfilling by comparison.

Science fiction has rightly praised the power of knowledge - finding out how things work and how things can be improved is what brought us out of the Dark Ages, made us leave Earth and solve problems from pandemics to sanitation. But there is an inverse that knowledge itself is power and how that gets used is rental to the future too. This is explored powerfully in Premee Mohamed’s excellent science fiction novella We Speak Through The Mountains which is in dialogue to how those with knowledge are themselves worthy of examination.

A brief recap of the story so far. The Earth is ravaged through pollution, climate change and so much more. Fractured communities live in the ruins of the past eking out hard lives and populations are declining with the added arrival of the Cad - a strange crossing of fungus and parasite that kills, maims and infects others. There are though some hopes a bright young woman named Reid Graham has been accepted into Howse University a mysterious hidden place of learning that has granted Reid a place. The journey there has been hard physically and emotionally and Reid herself is battling Cad. She reaches the destination and finds Howse is full of contradiction and not what she expected but can it save her world?

I loved this story as an extension of the excellent Annual Migration of Clouds which neatly inverses the original story but also has a strong examination on power, privilege and learning. The core of the book is Reid finding herself inside a utopia that isn’t really aware it too has hidden rules and prejudices. While all are equal there are bigger societal differences between those already part of the generation of the powerful taking their terms and staying and the outside young people Howse has recruited. Mohamed captures the culture which of a place where water is suddenly plentiful; food is too rich and medicine and technology are many years ahead of what they have back home. It is a place of wonder but it’s not necessarily a kinder place.

There is a fascinating set of interactions where we see those from outside judged harshly. Their outside skills are praised but more with curiousity and just a touch of nervousness. Why would you go outside a paradise? Why do you even want to share rooms with people and there are definitely many similarities with experience of anyone who comes from a background of the working class coming to a university of the privileged middle class who seem there more as it expected than any driver to improve things. Mohamed captures that difference of views and worlds perfectly.

Improving the world is a core part of the conflict of the book. Reid studied the history of the pace and notes it was less science than business and ultimately the safe haven for future rich people that would protect them from outside. That starting point builds the philosophy of the place and the key question what is Howse for? Reid sees the medicine, knowledge and technology as a way to help the wider communities outside including her won. Her fellow students and in particular its principle find this alien - knowledge is for the purist of knowledge and Howse’s continuance. There is a building tension between these two sides that is explored in small confrontations in classrooms and meetings but one external event makes Reid decide to act and that’s when Howse starts to push back? Will anyone else help Reid is the difficult question we then explore.

I love this exploration of a theme explored so well and also this book is in disgust with its successor. There Reid was battling the instinct to leave home and be further educated but now Reid is finding her place of learning too is flawed and not enough. There is certainly room for another story to come in this series and I’m intrigued to see what Reid can bring about. This is excellent thoughtful science fiction and I strongly recommend it.

Premee Mohamed’s WE SPEAK THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN is out today! This sequel to THE ANNUAL MIGRATION OF CLOUDS begins with Reid traveling through Alberta’s Rocky Mountains to reach Howse University—supposedly one of the last remaining locations where life carries on as it did before society collapsed. Reid is excited by the opportunity to attend Howse, and all she thinks about is how she’ll be able to help rebuild the world after she graduates. But life at Howse is different from what she expected. Driven by her curiosity and love, Reid questions her new circumstances and the people around her. In Reid’s quest for answers, Mohamed explores power and morality in a society that refuses to change.

Much like the first book, WSTTM grapples with the theme of duty. But instead of discussing what we owe our loved ones, this book tackles what we owe to each other as humans sharing a planet. Every action is a choice, and not helping others when you have the power and resources to do so is also a choice. Similar to how most of us are baffled by the inaction of our peers who aren’t standing in solidarity with oppressed peoples, and the continued complicity in the suffering of people across the world by those in power, Reid struggles to understand the choices of the university when she has experienced the suffering of life beyond Howse’s walls firsthand.

My favourite thing about Reid in this book is her strong moral compass and her desire to create a better world. Reid’s values ground the story and lead the way for thought-provoking discussions about morality and ethics. It’s interesting to watch her adapt to a new environment and come to terms with life at Howse. She’s surrounded by people who do not value community as much as she does and this is a constant challenge for her throughout the book. These challenges drive the plot alongside Reid’s quest for answers.

Most excitingly, readers get to learn more about Cad, the mysterious mind-altering parasitic fungi from the first book. This sequel answered a lot of my questions about Cad but also sparked some new ones. I’m glad it was explored more and it was one of the reasons that compelled me to keep reading.

The more I think about these novellas the more I love them. It’s been a month since I read TAMOC and it has stayed with me. TAMOC is striking in its exploration of anger, guilt, grief and love, and WSTTM expands on those feelings and this world while exploring different themes that complement the first book well. I love this series and I hope you check it out. I’m excited to find out what happens in the next book 👀

Thank you ECW Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.

Rating: 4.5/5

Following on directly from the end of the first book, we see Reid make her way towards the University and begin her studies there. Similarly to the first book, the plot is relatively minimal, and the focus is primarily on Reid's thoughts surrounding the cultural differences between the students coming from further afield and those who have always lived in the relative comfort of the University town, and the question of whether the University has a moral obligation to aid nearby communities and share knowledge and resources.

While I enjoyed this book as much as the first, I gave a lower rating because I felt that this one ended before the plot had concluded. The first novella left off at the right point for the series to continue, but still had its own self-contained story. Whereas We Speak Through the Mountain started strongly, introduced a conflict and potential mystery to uncover, but then ended before any conclusions could be drawn or any answers were provided. I have no doubt that the plot points will be addressed in the next book in the series, but really it feels like this was only the first half of a book, rather than a full novella.

DNF'd as I just couldn't get into it and then discovered it is actually a sequel. Unsure if it can be read as a standalone but when books are billed as a series I prefer to stick to the order given. However, as nothing about this book stuck with me, I don't intend to attempt the first book

I didn't read the first novel in this series but this one was an excellent reading experience
I'm loving whatever Premee Mohamed writes as the stories, the characters, and the world buidling are fabolous. The storytelling kept me reading and I loved what I read.
Well done, highly recommended
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The world that Reid Graham battles her way through is a dystopia that seems to have suffered through a long slide rather than an actual apocalypse. There’s not really a day or an event that people point to, more like a slow collapse that is still ongoing.

Actually kind of like now, if you squint. Which feels intentional if not exactly in your face. Although it certainly is in Reid’s face as she makes her way from her dying home village to the secret location of the rarefied elite enclave, Howse University.

Reid intends to use the four years of her scholarship to learn everything she can so she can bring that knowledge back home where it’s needed. The powers-that-be at H.U. have other plans. Plans that become obvious to Reid long before the equally obvious brainwashing is able to kick in.

If it ever can or ever will.

Howse University is kind of an Eden, but the parable is a bit reversed. It’s not so much about eating from the tree of knowledge as it is her unwillingness to let go of the knowledge she came in with.

She knows, from bitter experience, that the terrible situation back in her home wasn’t because her people were lazy, or because they didn’t try to make things better, or because they were stupid or any of the other things that elites say to blame poverty and disease on the people suffering them instead of on the systems that keep them down.

Reid’s people are in the position they are in because the diseases brought by the creeping climate apocalypse keep sapping their strength and energy and pulling them down by force. Her people are too caught up in caring for the sick and burying the dead and keeping everyone fed and barely housed to have the time to work on recapturing the tech and the knowledge they used to have.

Knowledge and tech that Howse University and its network of other institutional enclaves are keeping to themselves, for themselves, as they look down upon the have-nots their own ancestors created.

So Reid reminds the H.U. students and faculty of all the truths they’d rather forget, hoping to dig deep enough to find a conscience in a few of them. Even as the classes and the restrictions and the safety protocols and the many, many, health enhancements that H.U. administers keep the deadly, debilitating disease she brought up the mountain with her at bay.

But never cure – because they want her to be dependent and easily influenced, and that’s what the disease does for them. A truth which condemns Reid and sets her free, all at the same time.

Escape Rating B+: I had not read The Annual Migration of Clouds before I picked up We Speak Through the Mountain, and I’m not sure that was such a good idea – so I’ve rectified that omission in the months since, because now that I’ve read that first book, I can tell that I would have rated this one higher when I read it if I’d had more of the background.

Consider this a warning not to make the same mistake. Both stories are novellas, so neither is a long read, but I think they work better together rather than separately. Not that I didn’t get enough to find my way in this book, but I think they work a whole lot better as a whole.

This second book has strong hints of The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, another novella that pokes hard at the stratification and ossification of society, and the way that academia reinforces such tendencies no matter how liberal it likes to think it is.

As I said, this is a bit of an Eden parable in that Howse University is paradise and she is thrown out both because she has eaten from the tree of knowledge within H.U. and because she came in having already eaten from that tree – at least a different branch of it -and refusing to stop.

Reid tries her best but the entrenched privilege is too real, and the brainwashing of each class of recruits has been too successful. Which doesn’t erase the questions asked but not answered throughout the story.

What do the descendants of the haves – who continue to have and to exclude – owe the descendants of the have-nots? If the author returns to this world, and I hope she does, I’ll be very interested to see how things proceed from here, because it feels like Reid’s journey is not over. Now that I’m invested I want to see what happens next – and what Howse University decides to do about it.

I missed the first novella but that didn't matter because this packs a powerful punch, Reid discovers there's more to the peaceful society she thought she'd found at the university- and she's not sure she likes it. I would have liked more world building (but again, I missed the first book) and to better understand some of the issues (again missed the book) but I am a fan of Reid. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is well done dysoptian fiction.

A fantastic dystopian novella follow up to her debut collection of stories that had me invested from the start and unable to stop listening. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Cherie Dimaline, this was thought-provoking and easily immersive and I can't wait for more! Also can we just mention what AMAZINGLY gorgeous covers both Premee's books have? I am absolutely OBSESSED!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I read Premee Mohamd's The Annual Migration of Clouds back in 2022 as it was recommended as prompt for The FOLD reading Challenge and I enjoyed the creative and inventive way she told her Dystopian novel.

When I saw their was a sequel I jumped at a chance for an opportunity to read it and see what happens to Reid as she attends Howse University secluded in the Alberta Rocky Mountains where she hopes to learn the tools that could help her community after she graduates.

However when she gets there, something more insidious at work and struggles to navigate the changes that have her forced to face making Reid feel like an outsider.

Premee Mohamd has a way with reading a clear and concise story in less then 200 pages and I wish there were more Sci-Fi novels like this. This was a fantastic follow up and should be a staple in the more recent Cli-Fi Genre. I'm really hoping there's a 3rd book because what a cliff hanger of an ending.

We Speak Through the Mountain is the follow-up to Premee Mohamed's The Annual Migration of Clouds, and continues the story of Reid as she makes her way to university after having been accepted.

Like The Annual Migration of Clouds, this book is highly introspective, and deals with Reid's perception of the world around her, and how this post-apocalyptic society functions. Throughout the book, Reid makes insightful comments about the privilege that those who have grown up at the university possess, and how this colours their world view, and defines the choices they are and are not willing to make. Although these sections were poignant and beautifully written, the book ultimately felt very slow-paced. While in the first one, I could accept this slow pacing as it was clear that it was setting things up for book 2, it was a little disappointing to have so little actually happen in this book, though the story is certainly set up to be able to continue.

All in all, it was still enjoyable to read, and Premee Mohamed's writing is wonderful, though I hope that when the series does continue, we see a bit more definitive action occur.

Picking up right where The Annual Migration Of Cloud left off, this short novel continues to follow Reid through a post-apocalyptic Canada, as she grapples ultimately with what humanity is.
Less metaphorical than it's predecessor (the clouds metaphor is replaced by the mountain but it's used less frequently and with less effect), this story continues to unearth humanity's flaws, determination, ambition and motivation.
I hope there is a third book in this story of Reid!