Hvaldi by KJ Simpson

Hvaldi is set in a post-apocalyptic world where archaeology is banned, officially to control access to the technology which destroyed the world, but actually because ancient sites contain secrets to undermine the ruling order. There's a first person narrator, and her voice is convincing and engaging. The journey she undertakes is exciting and the main relationship that develops along the way is sweet and authentic. I also really liked her second travelling companion, but after that I struggled to distinguish and remember the other characters, who weren't drawn with the same level of detail. This is probably an unavoidable feature of a journey-story, because characters who were met on the way there (who I thought were minor characters) re-appeared on the way back.

The multiple realms were interesting and the dead city was, well, haunting. All in all, a thought-provoking and enjoyable read. I can happily recommend it.