SOLVED. Sci/fi or fantasy, one group of people life on the barren/desert planet, another live high above them in structures. [s]

[Antolin]

MC is a girl from the planet dwelling people whose mother disappeared ages ago
She somehow gets into the structures that the other people live in to find her and instead finds a half sibling and step dad (?) as her mother had been taken by these people but then rescued by one of them and had a romance

The planet dwelling people are physically different from the people that live above because of exposure to the sun, pressures of gravity and lack of nutrients

[Valerie]

Maybe, Earth Girl?

[Emma]

how about the moon dwellers by david estes

[Llybel]

That sounds Identical to a trilogy I have been looking for. Future /post apoc. Everyone lives in tower cities due to deadly radiation. Life outside the cities is suspose to be impossible except the girl grew up in the desert. Step father believed mother died as part of experiment to modify humans so they can survive the radiation. If it is that one I am 90% sure the author was female. Possibly with first name Sara. The books were quiet large - almost A4. I read them around 2009 when my school library had the first 2.

[Antolin]

Valerie wrote: "Maybe, Earth Girl?"

Not that sorry! It's more like she and her group (tribe/family/etc) live on the planet surface as a separate society form the others.

Thanks anyway though!

[Antolin]

Emma wrote: "how about the moon dwellers by david estes"

Not this either unfortunately - there's no 'big bad' that I can remember chasing her etc -

[Antolin]

Llybel wrote: "That sounds Identical to a trilogy I have been looking for. Future /post apoc. Everyone lives in tower cities due to deadly radiation. Life outside the cities is suspose to be impossible except the..."

This sounds similar! Although was she the only one living in the deserts? Because they book i remember she had a whole family group that she lived with. But yes her mother did disappear in unknown circumstances - attributed to the people that live in the towers. Does that sound similar?

[Sarah]

I’m not sure either of these is it:

Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
Storm glass by Jeff Wheeler

[Sarah]

It also sounds like it could be Mortal Engines by Phillip Reeves. It’s Wikipedia page talks about the missing parents aspect.

Sorry- all of these are on my TBR so I can’t be more helpful. The people above/people below is a concept I like.

[Antolin]

Sarah wrote: "I’m not sure either of these is it:

Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig
Storm glass by Jeff Wheeler"

Unfortunately not either of those! There's no ruling monarchy situation or government mandated control of the desert dwelling people below - they're very separate and don't interact socially, politically, scientifically or otherwise as far as I can remember. They just happen to live on the same planet and the MC happens to have a missing parent who she believes was kidnapped by the sky people.

Not Mortal Engines either - they're very stationary.

Thank you for you ideas anyway!

[Llybel]

Tolly wrote: "Llybel wrote: "That sounds Identical to a trilogy I have been looking for. Future /post apoc. Everyone lives in tower cities due to deadly radiation. Life outside the cities is suspose to be imposs..."

That sounds right. I can't remember how many people were in the desert - Just that the people in the City believed life in the desert was impossible due the the radiation. I think I also remember that the MC had gone to meet her mom but just before she got there she saw some kind of aircraft taking of and thats why she thinks her mom is in the city.

[Rainbowheart]

Perfect Ruin?

The Floating Islands?

[Antolin]

Llybel wrote: "Tolly wrote: "Llybel wrote: "That sounds Identical to a trilogy I have been looking for. Future /post apoc. Everyone lives in tower cities due to deadly radiation. Life outside the cities is suspos..."

Yes, it definitely seems as if we're looking for the same book!

[Antolin]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Perfect Ruin?

The Floating Islands?"

Nothing floating in the book I'm looking for! They're definitely tower structure that are still connected to the earth. And the MC is a girl who lives on the earth level.

Thanks anyway!

[Llybel]

Have spent hours in the last week trying to find it but no luck. I think one of the books had the tower on the cover with an orange sky. And where it was in my old school library, it was somewhere between d and m

[Antolin]

I agree with that cover image! That sounds very familiar. It was also in my school library as well - but I can't recall where.

[Rainbowheart]

Breakaway?

[Antolin]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Breakaway?"

Not that one! the MC is a girl whose mother was taken (still on the same planet though)

Thanks anyway!

[Rainbowheart]

I keep thinking of The Summer Prince, but that's not it, either.

[Llybel]

Have spent hours looking for this now and still no luck. Anyway bumping incase someone can remember

[Llybel]

*Bump*

[Stephen]

Anthony Eaton's "Darklands" series, starting with Nightpeople?

[Antolin]

Stephen wrote: "Anthony Eaton's "Darklands" series, starting with Nightpeople?"

Yes that is it! Thanks Stephen!

[Llybel]

Yes, yes, YES!!! Thank you

[Stephen]

Happy to help!