On an island of sandy beaches, dense jungles, and slumbering volcanoes, colonists seek to apply archaic laws to a new land, bounty hunters stal... read full description
reviews
May 01, 2011
Catie
rated it: 
I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like The Lost Conspiracy. Maybe that’s why this book isn’t very well known: it’s hard to describe, let alone label, package, and sell. This book is just amazing though; it’s like a triple whammy of great writing, fully realized and complex characters, and an amazing story. So seriously, just stop reading this review right now and go get it.
Still here? Okay, okay, keep going. But just know that I will be harping on about this book in v More...
Still here? Okay, okay, keep going. But just know that I will be harping on about this book in v More...
42 comments
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Jun 15, 2011
Think about a teacher from your past who was really hard on you but also forced you to learn important things. That's how I feel about this book. It expected a lot from me. I had to really pay attention to keep up. But the reward was an incredible story.
The language was amazing. The rhythm, the imagery, the ebb and flow were all masterful. The words were at times soothing and forceful and playful.
The setting was pure genius. Not only was it one of the most vivid setting More...
The language was amazing. The rhythm, the imagery, the ebb and flow were all masterful. The words were at times soothing and forceful and playful.
The setting was pure genius. Not only was it one of the most vivid setting More...
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Jan 22, 2011
Thomas
rated it:
Gullstruck Island is ruled by the Lost, a group of revered oracles whose souls are not permanently connected to their bodies. The Lost send their minds to gather information, track storms, spy on neighbors; meanwhile, their bodies remain behind as empty shells until their minds return.
The Lace people are poor, as well as distrusted and unsupported by any other towns. Their last hope of survival lies in Hathin's sister Arilou, who, with her absent mind and vacant expressions, may be the More...
The Lace people are poor, as well as distrusted and unsupported by any other towns. Their last hope of survival lies in Hathin's sister Arilou, who, with her absent mind and vacant expressions, may be the More...
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(12 people liked it)
Nov 16, 2010
BookKids
rated it:
The Lost Conspiracy is a complex fantasy written about two sisters, Arilou and Haithin. Arilou is a Lost — a person gifted with the ability to leave her physical body behind and allow her five senses to travel nearly anywhere. Haithin is her younger, nearly invisible, sister who cares for Arilou and her body when her senses are wandering away. Both girls are members of the Lace tribe, an indigenous people distrusted by all the other people of the island of Gullstruck — both other indigenous p
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Aug 12, 2010
Rebecca
rated it: 
I'm still trying to decide how I felt about this book, which I picked up because it got so many wonderful reviews. It does have a lot of unusual elements, like the tropical-volcanic setting, the culture of the Lace tribe (which has nothing to do with making lace), the disconnected senses of the Lost, and a character who may (or may not) be profoundly autistic. It also weaves in a number of ancient beliefs--sentient landforms, ancestor worship, sympathetic magic--to create a world in which the re
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Aug 05, 2010
Bonnie
rated it:
A dark fantasy aimed at teens, but the great writing, original plot, and serious themes should bring this novel a wider audience. The story takes place on a large island that many years ago had been colonized by invaders who sailed to its shores and conquered the different tribes of people already there. The story centers around two sisters who belong to the outcast seacoast dwelling tribe-the Lace. Haithin is quiet but strong, all her life she has been watching over her beautiful and strange
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Mar 02, 2010
I tried, I really did. The glowing reviews, great cover, and wonderful writing in this hefty fantasy should have had me gripped, but somehow didn't. I've been mired at p. 159 for too long now. Will come back to this.
Favorite quotes:
"Young Lost were notorious for becoming entranced with distant places and forgetting their own discarded bodies, or even failing to notice that their bodies existed. As a consequence, nobody ever lamented when a child seemed slow to learn More...
Favorite quotes:
"Young Lost were notorious for becoming entranced with distant places and forgetting their own discarded bodies, or even failing to notice that their bodies existed. As a consequence, nobody ever lamented when a child seemed slow to learn More...
Dec 02, 2009
Eva
rated it:
Readers will note many parallels to the colonization of native people in Africa and South America, to the Holocaust, and to any situation in which cultures clash. The tribes of Gullstruck have elements of Aztec and Mayan cultures, of certain Asian cultures, and so on - but they are very much original creations and absolutely unique. The Lace, for example, all have semi-precious stones and coral and shells embedded in their teeth, and they all smile all the time, whether they are happy or not. In
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Oct 28, 2009
Lesley
rated it:
This is one of those books that people will either love with a passion or--not hate--but simply not read because it's very long and very wrong for them. The language is amazing--it's hard to find the language to describe it. But if you can't throw yourself into the foaming stream of metaphors and let it sweep you along, you might end up getting stuck in an eddy of words (see? I tried!). The world that's created with these words is just as complex and densely packed and you'd better keep up becau
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(2 people liked it)
Jul 06, 2010
Jacki
rated it: 
While the plot is incredibly slow and the book could have been better had it been at least 100 pages shorter, the writing here is beautiful and the world-building is flawless. The civilizations and their customs ring true, and are more reminiscent of ancient South American cultures than the standard pre-industrial European-type villages so popular in fantasy works. I will say that all the talk of installing gems in teeth made me wince, though! The heroine showed plenty of grit in her actions, bu
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Aug 18, 2011
Good heavens, what a writer. The author of FLY BY NIGHT tells the story of an island where the Lost can send their senses out of their bodies, acting as oracles; the aristocratic descendants of the original colonists set aside more and more land for the ashes of their ancestors; and the clever Lace people hide their ingenuity and strength behind permanent smiles. One terrible day, all the Lost are simultaneously, mysteriously killed...except for Arilou, a Lace girl who may be a Lost but who ma
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May 22, 2010
Marybeth
rated it:
Wow, all i can say is wow. Francis Hardinge spins an incredibly complex and mesmerizing tale that leaves you torn between yearning for a sequel yet not wanting to ruin the brillaince of this epic legend. Set on a mysterious, dangerous island filled with strange creatures, exotic tribes, and volcanoes that seem to have minds of their own,this book follows a young, over-looked girl named Hathin, who has always simply lived in the background of her older sisters beauty and power. But when when cala
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Apr 14, 2010
Destinee
rated it:
First of all, let me say upon finishing this book: Wow. Now let me start from the beginning: This is a big, thick doorstop of a book. I almost decided it wasn't worth the commitment, but then I re-read the glowing reviews and resigned myself to lugging it around for a week. When I was halfway through, I realized that this book is enormous for a good reason. The epic story that takes place in this book could have easily been spread into a trilogy (or more) but the author bit the bullet and told t
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Jan 10, 2010
Annie
rated it:
I started this 2009, so technically I only read half of it in 2010. And for the last quarter, I did a lot of skimming.
I picked it up because it was on a "best" list in some newspaper, and I can see why it made it. "The Lost Colony" is a fully realized epic, pulling from a lot of different island cultures and volcano lore, but making a world that feels complete, and colorful and intriguing.
I liked the main character, too, a little girl whom no one value More...
I picked it up because it was on a "best" list in some newspaper, and I can see why it made it. "The Lost Colony" is a fully realized epic, pulling from a lot of different island cultures and volcano lore, but making a world that feels complete, and colorful and intriguing.
I liked the main character, too, a little girl whom no one value More...
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Mar 22, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
What a wonderful book! I have to admit that the cover art and the opening scenes had me thinking that this was a book for a relatively young audience, but the story is actually much darker and more complex than it initially appears.
The title of this book doesn't refer to a conspiracy that's gone missing - rather, it's about a group of people called the Lost who are able to disconnect their senses from their bodies to see, hear, touch, etc., things from far away. Only a very small pe More...
The title of this book doesn't refer to a conspiracy that's gone missing - rather, it's about a group of people called the Lost who are able to disconnect their senses from their bodies to see, hear, touch, etc., things from far away. Only a very small pe More...
Nov 18, 2010
Janeen-san
rated it:
The Lost Conspiracy is a very thick and really complex story. It takes place on an island called Gullstruck Island, where many volcanoes pepper the landscape. Throughout the story, the reader gets to know the volcanoes, each with a different story to tell. With these stories within a story, you get to learn more about the island's history.
The Lost Conspiracy is about a young girl and her sister, one of the legendary Lost. The Lost are people born with the powers to, shall we say, More...
The Lost Conspiracy is about a young girl and her sister, one of the legendary Lost. The Lost are people born with the powers to, shall we say, More...
Aug 23, 2010
Jean
rated it:
I enjoyed this story quite a lot and highly recommend it, despite a few minor after-thoughts. But I'm not going to address those (surely someone else on Goodreads will) or discuss the story's highlights, as there is something else I feel compelled to discuss!
The edition I read, published in the U.S.A. in 2009, disappoints in its design. The cover art is woefully misleading: the perspective and costume choice make the girl look like a tiny fairy creature in story for much younger chi More...
Jan 09, 2010
Leslie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Nov 07, 2009
Patrick
rated it:
Engaging But Not My Favorite Hardinge
I really wish I had liked this book more, only because I absolutely adore Frances Hardinge (and that because she has such a way with words, using delightful phrases, metaphors and descriptions that are like little precious gems hidden amongst the rustling fields of her stories).
The Lost Conspiracy is no exception to that, filled with tons of Hardinge wordy goodness, but what I didn't really get into as much was the story. It's rea More...
I really wish I had liked this book more, only because I absolutely adore Frances Hardinge (and that because she has such a way with words, using delightful phrases, metaphors and descriptions that are like little precious gems hidden amongst the rustling fields of her stories).
The Lost Conspiracy is no exception to that, filled with tons of Hardinge wordy goodness, but what I didn't really get into as much was the story. It's rea More...
Jun 02, 2010
Gatorgal21
rated it:
Wow, all i can say is wow. Francis Hardinge spins an incredibly complex and mesmerizing tale that leaves you torn between yearning for a sequel yet not wanting to ruin the brillaince of this epic legend. Set on a mysterious, dangerous island filled with strange creatures, exotic tribes, and volcanoes that seem to have minds of their own,this book follows a young, over-looked girl named Hathin, who has always simply lived in the background of her older sisters beauty and power. But when when cala
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Mar 28, 2010
Courtney
rated it:
When Neil Gaiman spoke at Wellington Town Hall a few weeks ago, the thing I was most struck by were his comments on CS Lewis.
Like me (and many, many fortunate people) Gaiman didn't get the Christian references in the Narnia series until quite late in the series (me, I had to wait til my born-again uncle told me). He observed, sweetly, that as a Christian allegory, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was obviously a bit of a failure. He felt instead that Lewis crammed into TLTW&TW al More...
Like me (and many, many fortunate people) Gaiman didn't get the Christian references in the Narnia series until quite late in the series (me, I had to wait til my born-again uncle told me). He observed, sweetly, that as a Christian allegory, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was obviously a bit of a failure. He felt instead that Lewis crammed into TLTW&TW al More...
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Jan 11, 2010
Donna
rated it:
On a volcanic island far, far away a struggle plays out between invading and native cultures. Hathin and her revered sister Arilou are members of the Lace, a secretive people who the other residents of Gullstruck Island fear and despise for reasons that aren't clear. Arilou is also one of the Lost, people who have the natural ability to send their five senses out from their physical bodies and who are tasked with exploring and reporting back on doings around the island. Someone wants the Lost
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Mar 23, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
Haithin is an incredible character and I really enjoyed watching her develop as the story moved along. At some points the plot moved a little slowly, but I think it actually worked with the characters in the story. Everything wrapped up extremely neatly...I would have liked to have seen a little less closure, to tell the truth. However, it was excellent to have a well written book for kids that didn't have kissy romance in it at all and focuses on human interactions.
My only object More...
My only object More...
Nov 17, 2009
Phoebe
rated it:
This upper level fantasy story is peculiar, but if readers can get through the first chapters, they will be well-rewarded with a compelling and really original story. Hathin has always covered for her older sister, who is one of the Lost (people who can leave their bodies and travel with their minds), but also mentally disabled. When all the Lost on Gullstruck are killed at the same time, Hathin is not sure why Arilou is spared, but it seems to confirm her doubts that Arilou might not really be
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Jan 13, 2010
Charlou
rated it:
I enjoy Frances Hardinge and was happy to see a new one. She creates amazing well-developed original characters and places. In this one she draws from legends of native peoples around the world. Hathin cares for and speaks for her sister, Arilou, considered one of her peoples 'Lost'. The Lost have the ability to send their spirit out to see and communicate with other groups in their world. When all Lost, but Arilou, die mysteriously, and their village is destroyed, Hathin must reach beyond her
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May 06, 2010
Hayden
rated it: 
i am on page 81 of the lost conspiracy. i am very confused in it they just expect you to know what they are talking about but you don`t. they think that you live in that same world that they do. right now i have just found out that the lost is a person that can leave there bodies to roam around and they can choose the senes they take with them.sometimes they cant find there way back to there bodies. now the lost is very few people and a girl was born and she is a lost that has not found her body
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Dec 03, 2009
Ms.
rated it:
Wow. As I picked up THE LOST CONSPIRACY, that's the first thing that popped in my head. It's 550+ pages long and I knew that it'd have to take a special something to keep me 'in' the story. It starts off promising by introducing Hathin, the younger sister and attendant of Arilou. Arilou is a Lost -- one of a special group whose spirits can leave their bodies. The Lost are revered on the island and looked to as leaders. Hathin is worried about the tests that the Lost inspector will perform
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Sep 30, 2009
Craig
rated it:
It was hard for me to decide how to rate this book, despite the fact that I ended up giving it 5 stars. I almost gave up on it several times - early on - but by the end, I was a bit in awe. The author has created an incredibly strange, complex, very odd world, and has used wonderfully poetic language to do so. Yet, like one of the Lost whose senses roam the world divorced from their bodies, you are kept at just a bit of a remove from all that happens - at least partially because much of the worl
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Feb 10, 2009
Hallie
rated it:
Wow. This was amazing. Will write it up as soon as I can manage a bit of coherence, and can pick and choose between all the many flagged quotes I want to share...
Write-up here.
Write-up here.
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Nov 20, 2009
Alex
rated it:
The Lost Conspiracy is one of those challenging books that so thoroughly creates an entire world, that it often takes a couple hundred pages to figure out what is what and who is who. The heart of the story is a revenge tale of two sisters, who are being hunted because of their background and race. One sister is grounded and determined, the other has a unique ability to go beyond her own mind and physical body and can travel all over, including into other people. As the sisters try to escape
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