City of Refuge

City of Refuge continues the story that began in The Fifth Sacred Thing, following survivors in a post-apocalyptic California split between two contrasting societies. The northern region centers around an ecologically-minded San Francisco, while the southern Stewards maintain control through militaristic rule. The narrative tracks multiple characters navigating between these divided worlds as they work to protect their communities and ideals. Their journey involves establishing new settlements, developing sustainable practices, and facing threats from those who oppose their way of life. The book focuses on themes of community resilience, ecological restoration, and the struggle between opposing social systems in a resource-depleted world. The contrasts between scarcity and abundance, violence and peace, and control versus cooperation form the philosophical foundation of this speculative vision of California's future.

Readers view City of Refuge as a hopeful sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing that explores practical solutions for building sustainable communities. Readers appreciated: - Detailed descriptions of permaculture and ecological systems - Focus on conflict resolution without violence - Character development, particularly Maya's evolution - World-building of post-apocalyptic San Francisco Common criticisms: - Pacing drags in middle sections - Too much technical detail about infrastructure/systems - Less compelling than The Fifth Sacred Thing - Some found the solutions oversimplified Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (570 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (115 ratings) One reader noted: "The engineering and social systems are fascinating but sometimes overtake the story." Another wrote: "Shows how communities can rebuild through cooperation rather than force." Several readers mentioned they read it multiple times to absorb the practical details about sustainable living, while others felt it worked better as a permaculture manual than a novel.

The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk A tale of resistance against ecological devastation in a future California combines spirituality with social justice themes.

Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy This story moves between a mental institution and a utopian future society built on environmental balance and gender equality.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler In a collapsed California, a young woman creates a new belief system while leading survivors toward a sustainable community.

Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin The story presents a future Pacific Coast society that has returned to tribal, sustainable living after industrial civilization's end.

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin Two contrasting worlds—one anarchist and communal, one capitalist and hierarchical—explore different paths for human society.

🌟 Author Starhawk is a renowned eco-feminist and one of the founders of the Reclaiming tradition of modern Pagan witchcraft 🌱 "City of Refuge" is the sequel to "The Fifth Sacred Thing" and was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised over $80,000 🏘️ The novel explores themes of sustainable living and permaculture principles, reflecting Starhawk's real-world work as a permaculture designer and teacher ⚔️ The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic California split between an ecologically-minded northern society and a militaristic southern regime 🌍 Many of the environmental solutions depicted in the book are based on actual permaculture and regenerative design techniques that Starhawk has implemented in communities worldwide