I grabbed Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson not realizing it was going to be a series. It seems like most of the books I read any more are series. It’s okay, as long as I get to find out the final result, beginning to end, but that doesn’t always happen. Anyways I did enjoy Sketching Rebellion. I was on a binge of apocalyptic/dystopian reading and got a little click happy, grabbing willy nilly.
Sketching Rebellion’s target audience is teen and young adult. I do enjoy a good coming of age story and Breel was a fascinating character. Normally, I like a little more brutality and depth of despair in my apocalyptic reading, but the blurb states that Breel is seventeen years old, so that is a clue for the target group.
As usual, those in power wield a heavy sword to keep everyone in line, using the threat of execution for the slightest infraction, like sketching/drawing, when she is forbidden to do so. How far can you push someone, no matter the age, before they push back? And what happens when they do?
One of the scariest things is…there is no punishment for those who report other citizens. In fact, they are rewarded for it. Who can you trust? You can never be sure what is going on in someone’s mind. Family turning in family, friends turning in friends, coworkers…Instead of ‘lock her up’, it’s take her out.
Some of the most unlikely people will be those who support taking action against the regime. Some will fall, and the ending….I was saddened, afraid for the ones who chose to reshape their world into something better. BUT, that is for another day. I am hooked and I look forward to finding out what comes next. I rated Sketching Rebellion with the target audience in mind.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sketching Rebellion by Felicia Ketcheson.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Conformity is mandatory. But seventeen-year-old artist Breel rebels anyway.
In the city of Lexum, personal choice is nonexistent, and defiance is severely punished. Breel is alone in seeing the injustices in her world. Isolated due to her beliefs and haunted by the disappearance of her uncle, she finds solace in the forbidden act of drawing. Creating art is a rebellion against an oppressive regime that stifles self-expression.
When a glimmer of hope emerges in the form of a resistance group, Breel faces a decision. Will she risk execution to join their fight for a society which would celebrate rather than condemn her artistic skills? Or will she continue hiding her non-conformity?
The outcome of her choice will not only define her own fate but may also set in motion a revolution that could reshape her world forever.
2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist (Juvenile/YA) .
Genre: Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Technothriller, Thriller, Young Adult [ Previously published as Intercludae.]
320 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2023
ABOUT FELICIA KETCHESON
Felicia Ketcheson is the author of Intercludae, which was a 2022 Killer Nashville Claymore Award finalist (Juvenile/YA category). At age seven, she wrote her first book about a dog, cat, and bee. Four years later, she randomly started writing a short novel, catapulting her into the world of series writing. When she’s not devising ways to destroy the lives of her fictional characters, she works as a medical researcher and database developer. Database developing is a passion she simultaneously loves and hates. She lives in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
ASIN: B0C7DQ18TW Publisher: Dropship Publishing (July 11, 2023) Publication Date: July 11, 2023 Language: English
Blade Runner meets Judge Dread and The Running Man in this no-holds-barred cyberpunk thriller from Dragon Award Nominee Stu Jones. Start this neon-soaked thrill ride today!
In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
ONE WAY IN. NO WAY OUT
In the super-city of Neo Terminus, millions of tech-addicted fans surround a walled-off inner-city wasteland to watch nano-boosted gladiators called Enforcers fight to the death in the Conglomerate-controlled event known as The Zone. Enforcers are promised wealth and celebrity—if they survive.
Officer Chance Griffin fights to clean up the mean streets of Neo Terminus, and scrape together enough money for his infant son’s vital surgery. Driven by his family’s need, Chance signs on as an Enforcer for The Conglomerate.
As Chance rises to the top of the Enforcer ranks, The Glom’s mysterious Founders coerce him into competing in the greatest Zone trial ever conceived. Chance knows he’s the favorite to win. He believes his family is safe. He believes his son will get the medical care he urgently needs.
Chance is wrong.
Too late, he uncovers a plot by The Glom to rig the trial and enslave the citizens of Neo Terminus, ensuring obedience—forever.
Blinded by fame and fortune, and used as a pawn by the corporate machine, Chance resists. But he is about to discover that every deal with the devil has its price…
You can purchaseThe Zone at the following Retailers:
MY REVIEW
I haven’t read a lot of cyberpunk, but I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. The Zone sounds like something different for me, maybe a little bit scifi, a little bit techno, and a little bit superhero? Either way, if Stu Jones wrote it, I’ll read it.
I love the wonderful illustrations and quickly immersed myself in the wold of Neo Terminus. A world that had me, at times, thinking of The Hunger Games, for its gladiator sports, and The Walking Dead, for its have and have nots and what the haves will do to keep it and the have nots do to survive. Even though I knew some of what is to come, I still found myself sickened and disgusted, rallying behind those who want to change their world for the better.
The cast of characters is phenomenal, and even those who passed quickly, I enjoyed my time with, even the baddies. Not much enjoyable about them, but they do supply their share of chills and thrills. After all, can there be good guys without bad guys? And, when I say guys, I mean both males and females.
When I began The Zone by Stu Jones, I never thought of it being a series, but we have more to come for The Zone, and I hope to be there for it. It has all the things I love about a book: mystery, danger, darkness and light, evil villains, inspiring heroes and heroines, romance, the struggle for survival in an apocalyptic/dystopian world…with more to come.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Zone by Stu Jones.
4 Stars
Photo Content from Stu Jones
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary. He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle who thinks he’s human.
I have been loving Carmen Webster Buxton’s novels and have come to the final one on my reading list, Turmabout. This apocalyptic/dystopian, science fiction novel is about a teenage boy who loves jazz, carries a flip phone and Turns.
One day, caught in a girl’s bedroom, trapped in a closet he finds himself teleported to his home. How did this happen? He discovers that left handed people are the only ones that Turn and it only happens to him when he is turned on and scared to death.
The next time he Turns, he finds himself in Makoro, a place where women rule and men are in very short supply. The Folly happened when scientists tried to create a biological weapon that would kill enemy soldiers, but instead it killed a lot of men. The Rage was the women’s response, taking over the government through whatever means necessary.
He is a prisoner, protected and used to procreate.
It was hilarious when he escaped and dressed like a woman to hide in plain sight.
I had fucking boobs. Small as they were, they got in the way when I moved my arms.
It was almost like wearing a cup, but one that someone had stepped on first.
I loved this wonderfully original coming of age science fiction novel. Carmen Webster Buxton’s creative writing makes it easy to place myself in her character’s world, walking in their footsteps. I had some laughs and some sad moments, as Jason finds friends in the strangest places. The loss of one broke my heart and made me angry. I do love an author who isn’t afraid to kill off their characters for the good of the story.
I sincerely hope Carmen is busy writing. How about it, Carmen? Anything in the works?
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Jason Miller’s biggest worries were keeping up with his homework, paying for his classic jazz habit,and hiding the fact that he carried a flip phone. But then one day he finds himself teleporting from place to place, a talent he can’t control. It gets worse when he lands in an alternate world, one that has many, many more women than men. It sounds great until Jason learns the downside to being a precious commodity: Having a harem is no fun when you’re the one who’s locked up.
List: Apocalyptic and Dystopian Fiction, Science Fiction
Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2017 by Cracked Mirror Press
ABOUT CARMEN WEBSTER BUXTON
Carmen Webster Buxton spent her youth reading every book published by Ursula LeGuin, Robert Heinlein and Georgette Heyer. This combination of far-future worlds, alien cultures, and old-fashioned courting customs influenced her writing, especially in her ThreeCon series.
Carmen was born in Hawaii and experienced a peripatetic childhood, as her father was in the US Navy. Having raised two wonderful children, she now lives in Maryland with her husband Charlie, and a beagle named Cosmo. She writes science fiction (often including a romance, and mostly set in the far future), and the occasional fantasy.
Carmen has published many books:
WAKANREO SERIES Alien Bonds Alien Vows Alien Skies
HAVEN SERIES The Sixth Discipline No Safe Haven
THREECON SERIES (can be read in any order) The Nostalgia Gambit Saronna’s Gift Shades of Empire Tribes Worlds Apart
ALTERNATE HISTORY King of Trees
YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION Turnabout Drifters
FANTASY Where Magic Rules Bag of Tricks Hidden Magic
THE NAMELESS WORLD SAGA (coming in 2021) The North Edge of Nowhere Oaths and Promises
Carmen often blogs about ereaders, digital publishing, writing, and speculative fiction. Visit her blog to see what’s coming out next! To ask questions or to provide feedback on her books, send email to carmen.webster.buxton (at) gmail.com.
I knew I was tackling an epic read when I began The Phoenix Project Compendium by M R Pritchard, but I eagerly ‘cracked open’ my ereader and never quit until the last book was read. I will break them down, book by book, but I highly recommend the Compendium for the value. It is worth every penny.
Book I, The Phoenix Project:
The Phoenix Project, Book I, lays the foundation for the series. I quickly became involved in the character’s lives. Andie Somers worked in genetics, but left to become a nurse. Her family includes her husband, Ian, and a five year old sweetie pie, Lina. When her world falls apart, Andie finds out she is considered special, indisposable. She meets Adam, who at times I couldn’t decide if he was good or bad. The more I read, the more involved I became. I love apocalyptic/dystopian novels and I am eager to see where M R Pritchard plans to take me. Utopia? Or is a madman making the world in his own image?
Book II, The Reformation:
“It’s starting. I thought we had more time.”
“It’s the Reformation.”
“They’re overthrowing the United States.”
“Someone is hellbent on starting the human race over and they’ve found the means to do it…”
“The Districts are the only safe havens for those who were lucky enough to be chosen.”
Andie has been chosen. She is special, because she is the only way that knows how to perform the genetic engineering that the Districts require. But….
The book follows the normal pattern of an apocalyptic/dystopian novel with a special science fiction twist and a drastic and grotesque form of population control. Earth is fighting back and this is the solution. We have the struggle to find supplies, avoid people that want to kill you, and find a safe haven.
Crane is the man of the hour and his cruelty knows no bounds. I hated him and wanted to see his demise. He uses Andie’s love of Lina to control her. Could there be a method to his madness that is required for the survival of humanity? How far is too far?
I love that Andie’s daughter, Lina, reads her a story, instead of the usual, mother reading to daughter. Lina is a sweetie pie and when M R Pritchard shares her moments, they put a smile on my face. The children are the future and I am eager to see what she will become in the future books.
Andie is romantically torn between her husband, Ian, who has been drugged and taken from her, paired with another, or Adam, the Volker soldier that puts his life on the line to keep her safe.
I love the Guardians, genetically altered dogs.
Andie had tried to escape the District and paid a heavy price. I thought WTH…Now, she is being sent to travel the country, visiting the five other Districts. It turns about to be something other than what both Andie and I thought, and I love it.
By the end of The Reformation, things become clearer and my heart is broken.
Book III, Revelation:
The characters struggle to find their place and there is always a plan running in the background, that the higher powers refuse to share.
We have a lot of action as Andie is forced to leave the safety of Phoenix.
A surprise pops up, but my spidey senses told me that would happen. Things are not as they appear to be and by the end of Revelation we will find out why and I did not see that coming.
Revelation, Book III of The Phoenix Project by M R Prichard had me gobbling up the words, each chapter leading me deeper into the story, wanting….no…having to know what comes next. I couldn’t stop reading. At times I thought of The Walking Dead, without zombies, other times I thought of The 100, because of all the scientific angles, other times I thought of The Stepford Wives, because of what they have done to the Residents. It’s still a case of the have nots wanting what the haves are determined to keep for themselves.
Revelation does provide a lot of food for thought.
Book IV, Inception:
We bounced from one point of view to another in Book IV of The Phoenix Project: Inception by M R Pritchard. Each book is filled with tension and action with a pace that pulls me along, never wanting to stop reading, having to know what happens next to who. M R Prichard is not afraid to kill off her characters. I knew not all of them could make it, even thought of one or two who would be lost, but couldn’t be sure until it was in front of my eyes. The characters are growing, changing, struggling to survive, facing insurmountable odds that will test them to their very limits. There is an underlying current of danger throughout, wondering who to trust and who will betray them. I have devoured one book right after the other and won’t quite until the last page is turned and the last word read.
Book V, Origins:
We have learned the Origins of the principal characters, how they came to be what they are, their superpowers included. Each has a gift, or a curse, it depends on how you look at it. I was surprised by many things and it seems no one is all good or all bad, but playing God can backfire. Manipulating people and nature to get the result you want may not work out the way it was planned.
The more I read, the more lost I become in this epic story of science fiction and an apocalyptic/dystopian world. I am invested in these children’s lives as they grow into adulthood, along with all the other characters I have been with throughout The Phoenix Project, and am curious to see how M R Prichard will end the story.
I was able to visualize some of the action and characters and, I must admit, Norah and Jill stole my heart in this one. Imagine a two year old child, riding a goat, talking like an adult….and so much more. She is just the latest character that I have become infatuated with.
The end is near as I crack open the sixth book, Resurrection, in this compendium.
Book VI, Resurrection:
I have loved every step I took with the characters of The Phoenix Project and read the sixth book in the series, Resurrection, with feelings of regret. I have spent so much time with them, I will miss them dearly.
Much of the book is like a synopsis of the previous books, filling in the blanks with more details of what has happened to the characters, explaining how they got to where they are now. I learned a lot about their motivations and the horror that they have been put through because of those who wish to play God, thinking they know what is best for the world and how to accomplish their goals. They will use whatever horrendous methods they can create to make man in the image they wish, and they don’t stop there. Want a Pegasus? A flying pig? How about a child that can fly? Want to live forever?
Through all the angst, torture, terror and struggle to survive, there were light moments of sweetness and laughter. How about Andromeda and Adam:
She picks up a large stick and throws it at the shadows….She hears a thud and a grunt…
“That was not nice….”
I laughed out loud and it is something that you may have had to be there to enjoy. Talk about push/pull, these two have had a hellacious relationship and I am curious to see how it will all pan out, seeing they are immortal.
“No one has ever come back for me,” his voice is weak. “Not once.” His voice is breathless. “Not in all of my time on this earth…”
“No grave can hold me. I’ll crawl back to you. Always.
How far do you believe man should go to change the world for the better? Are there no limits?
“…to build a new world you’ve got to tear the old on down.”
And they did.
I loved the ending and never saw it coming. I am sad to say goodbye to the characters I have come to know and love. I want to commend M R Pritchard for a job well done!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Phoenix Project Compendium by M R Pritchard.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
*The Phoenix Project complete six book series*
Love, deception, and conspiracies in a post-apocalyptic America, this is how dystopia is created.
Andie is searching for her family. The Reformation is blocking her every move. She must alter the populations genetic code or never see them again.
Expected publication June 13, 2023 by Midnight Ledger
ABOUT M R PRITCHARD (from Amazon)
M. R. Pritchard is a two-time Kindle Scout winning author, her short story “Glitch” has been featured in the 2017 winter edition of THE FIRST LINE literary journal, and her short story “Moon Lord” has been featured in Chronicle Worlds: Half Way Home (Part of the Future Chronicles). M. R. Pritchard holds degrees in Biochemistry and Nursing. She is a northern New Yorker transplanted to the Gulf Coast of Florida who enjoys coffee, mint chocolate, cloudy days, and reading on the lanai.
Visit her website MRPritchard.com and sign up for her newsletter. You’ll get a monthly newsletter with updates, day to day shenanigans, and book deals.
Cara Winter has laid the foundation for the Evolution series in Sacrifice and I am thinking, if Book II, Quest, continues in this vein, it may be a mind blower. I quickly got caught up in this apocalyptic/dysopian, debut novel.
We are in the future, 2080 to be precise. Scientific advancement may have taken place, but humanity is still the same, with all its foibles and climate change has done its damage.
“Mental Spectrum Disorder: Humans 2.0.
I love diverse characters and have been reading more and more books with them in it. Thomas Novak is autistic, but there is so much more going on than his disability. He is labeled MSD. Him and others like him are not looked at as human. They are an anomaly, only to be enslaved and suit the purpose of those that enslave them.
Thomas is the Leader of Project 587. Really, it is a surveillance software, enabling everyone to be spied on and tracked, and it is food for thought of what our future could become…or already is. After all, think of all the cameras we have now, all the software programs we use, how dependent we are on technology that has already taken away our privacy.
His begins to question his world, when a ‘friend’ and coworker commits suicide. He is the fifth that Thomas knows of and is charged with covering up, acting like they were assigned another task. THEN, he meets Eve Brighton, an empath, and his world is forever changed. He is awakened and sees the possibility of a different future. A future where he will not be watched every second of every day. Could there be freedom and love in his future?
I think we may find out in Book II, Quest and I want to know. Everything about Evolution has captured me, from the storyline to the characters, to Cara Winter’s ability to leave me wondering… what if…
We end with Thomas saying:
“Thank you, Ms Brighton. Regardless of what happens next..I am forever in your debt.”
Doesn’t that make you want to know what happens next?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Evolution: Sacrifice by Cara Winter.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The Year is 2080. London is flooding. And 23-year-old Thomas Novak feels certain he’s cursed.
Each of Thomas’ idiosyncratic quirks – even his next-level intuition with technology – are the result of Mental Spectrum Disorder (“MSD”), a genetic condition akin to Autism.
Like Thomas, MSD live and work apart from the rest of the population. MSD is the reason Thomas hasn’t seen his family in over 17 years. It’s the reason he doesn’t hear from them, doesn’t know where they are, and barely even remembers them.
And, it’s also the reason the love of his life just took his own life.
After his lover’s death, Thomas’ ability to work and carry out his duties as MSD Leader declines rapidly. Even with the “P” he’s given daily, it’s impossible to focus, impossible to think. Everything – his position, his status, his relative freedom – hangs on whether or not the project he’s been developing, Platform 587, can be released on time. But who can focus, who can work… when they’re heartbroken?
But, a chance encounter with a mysterious woman who can feel Thomas’ pain – an Empath, named Eve – changes everything.
The Evolution Series is their story; that of Thomas, and Eve, and the ongoing evolution of the planet, of human beings, and even Love, itself… in a world that will do anything and everything (even annihilate itself) to remain the same.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2021
ABOUT CARA WINTER
Cara Winter has been a writer, actress & director for over two decades. Cara has penned a number of essays on TV, theater, food, and more for such outlets as BroadwayWorld.com, TVWriter.com, and GrokNation.com. In 2021, Cara’s original TV pilot TWIRL was optioned by Bohemia Group Originals and is now in development. EVOLUTION Vol. 1: Sacrifice is her debut novel.
I was so excited that I won a copy of Primitives by Erich Krauss. Everything about it grabbed me. I was not disappointed. Just look at this beautiful hard cover. Doesn’t it pop?
I saw this book on a book tour and had to have it. I stalked the book and…voila…I got me a gorgeous hardcover book to add to my bookshelves!
Yeah, I did let it languish on the bookshelf, staring at me, making me think, “I gotta read that.” Finally…I have…and I was not disappointed. It wasn’t everything I hoped it was, but now that I know there is another one coming, I understand. The depth and detail of the apocalyptic/dystopian world Erich Krauss has created is amazing. I was able to follow the storyline easily, vividly imagining the world the characters are in. I walked in their footsteps, because of The Walking Dead series. We just replaced the zombies with a virus.
My hands ached from holding the hardcover. I did not want to stop reading. I knew I would have to stay up for many hours to get through 424 pages. I knew pretty quickly it would be up to the characters to engage me. And they did. We went through two points of view and past and present times. Erich Krauss made it work. Now that is some good writing.
Why do some scientists think they are entitled to play God? I think that role is already filled(?). Narcissists. Egomaniacs. I am intelligent. I have all the answers. I know what is best. I am right. You are wrong. It doesn’t matter what you think. It is of no value. Go along to get along. Shut up and sit down…or I’ll make you.
I love books that cause me discomfort, make me question….things…
We have all the good and bad of humanity filling the pages with their actions. Trust does not come easy. Your life depends on you making the right decisions. I love a book that gets my own thoughts flowing, me almost helping write the pages as the action flows on the pages. Maybe even adding whatever pops in my head over and above what is written.
I think Erich Krauss’ inspiration came from his personal life and the Covid Epidemic. Be sure and read his bio. It may be short, but it is fascinating. I haven’t read any of his other books, but as I scrolled through them, I thought, I would read that. Yeah, that’s not something I would have thought of reading, like Got Fight?: The 50 Zen Principles Of Hand To Face Contact. But, ya know what? I would now. I may need it when I return to the butte and Seth, Sarah, and I meet the Merry Men.
I want to leave you with this question. Does humanity deserve to survive?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Primitives by Erich Krauss.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Erich Krauss comes Primitives, the story of two unlikely heroes thrust into a post-apocalyptic mission to restore humanity.
Thirty years after The Great Fatigue infected the globe—and the treatment regressed most of the human race to a primitive state—Seth Keller makes a gruesome discovery in his adoptive father’s makeshift lab. This revelation forces him to leave the safety of his desert home and the only other person left in the world…at least, as far as he knows.
Three thousand miles away in the jungles of Costa Rica, Sarah Peoples has made her own discovery—just as horrific, and just as life-changing. It will take her far from the fledgling colony of New Haven, yet never out of reach of its ruthless authoritarian leader.
On separate journeys a world apart, Seth and Sarah find themselves swept up in a deadly race to save humankind. Their fates will come crashing together in an epic struggle between good and evil, where the differences aren’t always clear. Among the grim realities of civilization’s demise, they discover that the remaining survivors may pose an even greater threat than the abominations they were taught to fear.
Fighting for their lives, they’re confronted with a haunting question.
Does humanity deserve to survive?
Primitives, the first book of this saga, is a tale of bravery and self-discovery found in the ruins of a dying world, where the darkest sides of human nature are revealed.
ABOUT ERICH KRAUSS
ERICH KRAUSS is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than thirty books. Inspiration for his stories comes from more than twenty years traveling the globe, from living in the Amazon rainforest to fighting professionally in the Muay Thai rings of Thailand. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Georgina.
Three ideas. Three directions. Not everyone will survive.
REVIEW
OMG! Five hundred and nine pages of suspense with characters to die for…and Benjamin X Wretlind is not afraid to kill them off. Some I mourned, others, well…
As I read, I kept thinking of The Walking Dead, only on an alternate planet. Instead of zombies, we have vicious creatures. And the evil humans, we have them too.
There is so much I want to say, but this is the third book in the series and I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. It is worth learning everything for yourself. The beginning does give us a quick recap, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning.
In All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three by Benjamin X Wretlind, three children will be pushed into adulthood when they make their exodus from a sanctuary which has become too dangerous. The main focus is on Miriam Page. She is the leader of the first group to leave their sanctuary. The second group is led by Joel, the thinker who wants to find a way to go back to Earth. The third group is led by Micah, who was the Scribe.
Doubts will arise as the dangers do too. The leaders find themselves second guessing their decisions, but keep taking the next step forward. They realize there is no going back.
All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three by Benjamin X Wretlind is described as an anthropological science fiction series. I find it is a wonderful description. The people, who Benjamin has no problem killing off, struggle to survive. Some things they do because they must, other things they do because they have lost their humanity. Does it always come down to kill or be killed? Can’t we learn to get along?
I will caution that there is brutality, torture, danger and death. There are also moments of levity, smiles, laughter and love. But isn’t that life?
Nemeth is a character that began to take a position front and center for me.
I was able to visualize the world, the characters and their actions, because of Benjamin X Wretlind’s vivid and detailed descriptions, at times making me feel like I am walking beside them, battling creatures and the elements, looking for their new home.
Questions are answered and new questions arise. There will be nine books in the series. I am already so invested I don’t know how I will manage to wait for the next book and the next book and the next book and the next book and the next book and the next book.
I feel my review does not do the book justice, but I was afraid of giving something away, so this is what you get. Want to know why the book blew me away? Read it. 🙂
At the end of the book is a list of the characters and a glossary of definitions.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of All We Leave Behind: Transits Of Three by Benjamin X Wretlind.
5 Stars
BLURB
Following the exodus from rising floodwaters, the surviving descendants of those who came to create a society on a planet far from Earth have struggled to rebuild within the remains of an ancient temple. Now, as disease and an unfamiliar environment threaten to destroy them yet again, everyone seems to have an opinion about what to do next.
Miriam and Tobias Page, newly married, believe there may be a possible home beyond a distant canyon. Their journey with a quarter of the population doesn’t start well and soon nature and their own humanity will conspire to end it all. Meanwhile, Miriam’s two cousins, Joel and Micah, have different ideas. Joel is convinced the best course of action is to return to the mountains they left to mine for the ore that would make a great return to Earth possible. Micah hopes to stay, learn all he can about the temple’s previous occupants, and prove both of them wrong. But soon, he and his new partner Patience realize that no option is truly safe.
As the transits of three different groups get underway, new dangers and surprises emerge from within the rainforests, mountains, and deserts of the planet…and one of those may have followed them from Earth. While a final home is a dream away, present nightmares must be dealt with first if any of them are going to survive.
EXCERPT
“How many?” Moran asked.
“Four. Just up ahead.” Tobias tightened his grip on his weapon.
“Bethany is waiting for us.”
Moran stopped and watched as the caravan slowly edged toward the right, away from immediate danger. “Wish we had more to spare.”
“So do I.” Tobias took in a calming breath and let it out slowly. The nervousness in his stomach eased up. Miriam had taught him several techniques for dealing with fear, for calming his anxiety and sharpening his mind. He would forever be grateful to be married to a counselor, a therapist, a wise wizard of the brain’s complications.
“Ready?” Moran asked.
They both walked slowly toward Bethany’s position, their eyes locked on the trees where Tobias saw the four animals.
“Eight,” Bethany whispered as they approached. “Four more in a cluster of trees to the right of the others.”
“Typical pack. Haven’t heard the growl, yet,” Moran said. “Maybe they didn’t see us.”
“Oh, they did.” Tobias pointed to the tree with the first rychat he spotted. “I swear I saw that one lick its lips.”
“Well, we’ll have to take care of that.”
Moran raised his crossbow and took aim at the one Tobias pointed out. In tandem, both Tobias and Bethany raised their own weapons.
“One on the trunk,” Tobias whispered.
Bethany responded. “The big one to the right.”
The three were silent as they steadied themselves.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Benjamin, a speculative fiction author, ran with scissors when he was five. He now writes, paints, uses sharp woodworking tools and plays with glue. Sometimes he does these things at the same time.
I downloaded Contributor by Nicole Ciacchella on 4.8.15. After reading it, and Creators, a ninety page novella that introduced me to the series, I wonder why I waited so long. Oh, wait, it’s because I can’t help downloading the next book, and the next one, and the next one…Do you know what I mean? Do you one click…because you can? LOL
A book, and series, like Contributor by Nicole Ciacchella, really strike home for me. I love books that deal with things that ‘could’ happen. I mean, think about it…what would you do to survive? And what would those who could save humanity do to make sure the right people were chosen?
What happens to a person when they are no longer ‘useful’ to the system that operates on limited resources? Are people disposable?
In Contributor by Nicole Ciacchella, we see what happens to those deemed disposable by the Creators. I was filled with anger and disgust, yet there are always those characters that will rise to the occasion and shine brightly.
Dara Morrow, a seventeen year old girl has been given everything. Her eyes are opened when she realizes not only must she must earn it, but when her mother becomes ill, what happens when a Contributor is no longer able to contribute.
Nicole Ciacchella has the creep factor going in full force when we meet the Head of Engineering, Andersen. Dara is competing to become his assistant. I love when an author can surprise me, and I was surprised when help came from an unexpected source.
The characters range from the worst of the worst to the best of the best. The danger is subtle, but I knew it was always there. I do wonder if a novel like this could be insight to what our future could be? I love ecological stories that highlight current events in real life, which has become truly frightening. Famine? Storms? Are books like this a warning? Something to think about with this thought provoking series.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When the Great Famine threatened the existence of mankind, the Creators saved humanity. Humanity has been their loyal subject ever since.
This history has been ingrained in seventeen-year-old Dara Morrow since her first day of Creator-sponsored school. Grateful for the life-giving necessities her Creator provides, Dara is thrilled to be one of three students chosen for an elite, year-long apprenticeship program. Now is her chance to prove herself a devoted Contributor.
But Dara’s competition is ruthless and will stop at nothing to win the competition. Worse yet, her exacting master has little patience for her.
Then Dara’s mother is seriously injured, and Dara realizes the price of being a Contributor: once you’ve outlived your usefulness, you’re discarded. Can Dara learn to manipulate the system to save not only herself, but everyone she loves?
ABOUT NICOLE CIACCHELLA
Nicole has never met a genre she doesn’t like. She dabbles in everything from science fiction to contemporary rom-coms to fantasy fiction.
Nicole has previously published under the pen names Elizabeth Darcy and Anne Wentworth, but is no longer using those names.
Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn’t writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.
One of Nicole’s other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.
Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.
I grabbed Creators by Nicole Ciacchella on 6.9.14. Don’t ask me why I waited so long to get to Creators and Contributors (which is free on Amazon, but be sure and check). Books seem to get lost as I download and download and download…
Scrolling through my books, looking for something to read, I came across Creators by Nicole Ciacchella, a ninety page novella in the Contributor series. I find the cover and title interesting, making me curious, and I do love apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. When I saw it was about the food system being threatened, I thought….could this be a portent about what is to come for us?
With all the ecological damage being done to the planet, the overpopulation, what happens when there isn’t enough left for everyone to survive? Who makes the choice of who to save and who to leave to their own devices? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
Well, we shall see. Even good people have to make hard choices. Would you choose to stay behind and let someone else have your spot?
A lot of my emotions rose to the surface. I felt disgust for those who had no thought for anyone but themselves, empathy for those knowing what is going on and having to make difficult choices, despair for those who figure things out and know they are being left to fend for themselves, almost no food, no water, the planet a barren landscape.
What would I do? What would you do? Does throwing ourselves to the wolves benefit anyone? How do we live with ourselves?
Glad I have Contributor, Book I, by Nicole Ciacchella to see what happens next.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When the imminent collapse of the world’s food system threatens to all but eradicate the human race, it’s up to nineteen-year-old Liang Zhang to determine which of his company’s employees will live and which will die.
Liang and the other Job Creators have only weeks to choose which of their staff and families to move into the domes, the last refuges on the barren planet. Despite their best efforts, the Job Creators are unable to keep their selection project under wraps, spurring violent protests against the privileged few.
Now, Liang must race: against starvation, against insurrection, and against his own conscience.
ABOUT NICOLE CIACCHELLA
Nicole has never met a genre she doesn’t like. She dabbles in everything from science fiction to contemporary rom-coms to fantasy fiction.
Nicole has previously published under the pen names Elizabeth Darcy and Anne Wentworth, but is no longer using those names.
Nicole has had a lifelong passion for the written word. As a child, one of her most treasured Christmas gifts was an electric typewriter, which enabled her to crank out her stories even more quickly than she could with a pen. Naturally, the personal computer is one of her favorite inventions. When she isn’t writing, Nicole can usually be found curled up in a chair, whiling away the hours with a good book.
One of Nicole’s other great passions is travel, and she has visited Europe, as well as traveling to many of the fifty states. Her favorite trips include visits to Paris, Maui, and various parts of Belgium. She feels fortunate that she is married to a native Belgian, as it gives her plenty of reasons to visit Europe as often as possible. Also, it gives her an excuse to eat Belgian waffles regularly.
Born and raised in Michigan, Nicole lives there still with her husband and two beautiful children. She thinks Michigan is the greatest state in the country, and Michigan State University is the greatest university in the world.
Blackout Trail Linda Naughton Publication date: January 10th 2023 Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic
Doctor Anna Hastings is no stranger to disasters, having spent much of her career as an aid worker in conflict zones around the world. Yet when an electrical phenomenon known as an EMP brings down the power grid, Anna faces catastrophe on a scale she never imagined. She must learn what it means to be a doctor in a world deprived of almost all technology.
As the blackout causes planes to fall from the sky, Anna crosses paths with devoted father Mark Ryan in the chaos at the airport. Mark convinces Anna to travel with him and his seven-year-old daughter Lily to their family’s cabin in remote Maine. There Mark hopes to reunite with his wife, and find a safe refuge from a society on the brink of collapse.
Journeying across a thousand miles of backcountry trails, they will face a daily struggle against nature. Their biggest peril, though, may come from their fellow survivors. As Anna grows closer to Mark and Lily, she resolves to see them safely home. But can she hold onto her humanity in a world gone mad?
I lowered the phone and narrowed my eyes at the blank display. No indicators, no clock —nothing. How could it be dead already? I’d charged it before I left Jess’ house last night, and the damn thing was barely a month old. I scowled. “Oh, come on.”
The nearby baggage carousel ground to a shuddering halt. A collective groan from the other passengers drew my attention away from the useless brick in my hand. Snatches of disjointed conversation reached my ears.
“Can you hear me? I think we got cut off. Frank?”
“The hell? I had plenty of charge left.”
“Moooommy! My movie stopped!”
A growing sense of dread pooled in my stomach. It wasn’t just our baggage carousel that had stopped; they all had. Both the overhead lights and the computer screens showing the baggage carousel assignments had gone dark too. The only light streamed in from the floor-to- ceiling windows lining the perimeter of the baggage claim area. Why hadn’t the emergency lights kicked on?
The automatic sliding doors had also stopped, confounding a gaggle of college kids trying to leave. Beyond the doors, an ominous stillness had replaced the constant bustle of parking shuttles, cars, and taxis creeping along the pickup lane. There should’ve been engine sounds. Horns. Something. Now there were just a bunch of confused and pissed-off people getting out of their vehicles.
Grumbling from the other passengers gave way to a stunned hush. Panic bubbled just beneath the surface. You couldn’t set foot in an American airport these days without being bombarded with reminders of terrorism. Everyone looked at each other, the same question written on our faces: Was this some kind of attack? What should we do? I expected some sort of alert or explanation over the loudspeaker, telling everyone to remain calm, but none came.
A thunderous crash from the opposite end of the terminal had me ducking and covering my head. Metal screeched on metal, accompanied by the tinkle of shattered glass and an ear- splitting grinding sound. A chorus of terrified cries erupted around me. I’ll admit it—I screamed too. I caught a glimpse of a plane fuselage crashing through the airport ceiling before plowing into the ground.
The plane flattened the south end of the building as casually as a child knocking over a stack of blocks, and the resulting fireball sent flaming debris flying in all directions. At the opposite end, the shock wave knocked me off my feet. A rush of hot air stung my face and hands.
People started picking themselves up off the ground. Dozens of survivors made a mad dash for the exits. Their screams sounded distant to my ringing ears. Non-functioning doors proved to be a mild hiccup for the exodus. The lucky ones smashed through or pried the doors open before they got smashed against the glass.
Catching my breath, I rose to a crouch. The putrid smell of aviation fuel mixed with acrid smoke tickled my throat and made my eyes water. Heart hammering, I surveyed the destruction in slack-jawed horror. The rectangular terminal stretched for the length of a football field, and nothing remained of the south half but fiery rubble. Between here and there was a wide stretch where it looked like a bomb had gone off.
Author Bio:
Linda Naughton is a writer, software engineer, paramedic, and mother of two. She’s the author of several novels, gaming products, and the blog Self-Rescuing Princesses. A proud geek and gamer girl, she enjoys TV, movies, video games, and role-playing games. Visit her website at https://lindanaughton.com.
