One of the twin is cursed and doing evil.

 

One of the twin is desperately trying to save the other.

 

In the meantime, the magical characters from the Fairy world and the characters created by Conner united to fight against the evil witches. 

 

Fun read. There is some sacrifice, and some characters destroyed. But it is not scary, so this is suitable for younger children. 

 

The last book is fun and a good ending for the series, that centralised on the adventure of a pair of twin, Conner and Alex. 

 

The self doubt is a curse. That life is unexpected but if everyone going to see from the basic human side of things, things are not as bad as it seems. 

 

Enjoy. 

When Worlds Collide is a book that delighted me on basically every level. It completely caught me up and swept me away. Once I was immersed within it, the world that has developed since the 30s ceased to exist. A delightful surprise. I wasn’t expecting much going into this. I’ve just come off reading an H.G. Wells novel that was a mire to wade through at times (In the Days of the Comet). I was kind of expecting antiquated language and ridiculous execution. Wylie and Balmer defied my expectations in the best of ways.

The drama — Oh, the drama! When Worlds Collide is obviously going to be full of dramatic happenings, but it is written in a way that drips with it. Each word seems carefully chosen to wrest every bit of emotion from the situation. If it was something written today, I’d probably roll my eyes at it. (Actually, I might have rolled my eyes once or twice while reading it.) Mostly, though, I just grinned and gave into the cheese. It flipped my ‘bad SyFy movie lover’ switch early on, and I had no problem basking in the gloriousness of it for the rest of the book.

Now, obviously given the time this was written in, there are going to be some things that offend modern sensibilities. The fact that the main female character is lauded for how unusual she is in the fact that she ‘thinks like a man’. The eager-to-please “Jap servant”. I’m not going to talk about them too much because this book was written 85 years ago. It was very much a different time then, and to fuss about the content in a pulp book written that long ago seems silly. We’ll just say that yes, there are issues that definitely exist, and leave it at that.

The science of When Worlds Collide is… interesting? Interesting is a good word for it. Much more apt than “accurate”. Most of it is good, but there were a few things that even had me giving it the stink-eye. However, this is one of those cases where two things step in and save the day. Firstly, it was such a good read that I just didn’t care. Secondly, it was written 85 bloody years ago. I’m gonna cut them some slack.

This is the one of the earliest written ‘end of the world’ novels that I have read. (The other two were both by H.G. Wells: War of the Worlds, The Time Machine). It is also the only one I’ve ever read that dealt with the passage of another planet bringing an end to life as we know it. Asteroids, zombies, nuclear war, etc, have all had their day in the sun, but stray planets get little love.

Overall, I expect that When Worlds Collide will end up being one of the best novels I’ve read this year. It’s a wonderful book that bulls-eyed me right into my happy zone. I highly recommend it!!

Oasis in the Clouds (When Worlds Collide...

I started this with a degree of trepidation -- I've been burned lately by sub-par fantasy novels, and try as I might, I couldn't ignore that when I pulled this up. Thankfully, it took less than a chapter to dispel the trepidation, and not much longer to win me over.

Niri is the Crown Princess and the subject of prophecy. Which is why she's been kidnapped, imprisoned in an idyllic floating island, and had her memory wiped. Or so she's been told by a rescuer. She's really not sure, because, well, that whole memory wipe thing.

 

Why don't bad guys, misguided people's champions, pranksters, etc. ever learn what prophecy means before trying to defeat it? We're not talking weather forecasting, punditry, or statistical analysis -- we're talking prophecy. It's going to happen. (not really a spoiler, here) Sure, we'd lose out on some good stories if not for this stubborn refusal to pay attention to definition -- or self-deception. And, it needs to be remembered, not every prophecy is going to be interpreted correctly.

 

Anyway, I need to jump off of that particular rabbit trail . . . her rescuer helps her start to retrieve her memories, as well as to develop magical abilities she didn't know she had (even before the memory wipe), in an effort to confront her kidnapper, fulfill the prophecy and save the kingdom.

 

The book blurbs give away less than most, and I'm going to try to honor that here, so that's it for plot from me.

 

I liked the characters -- the King and Queen aren't as useless as most authors would make them, Niri's kid sister is a pretty good character, Love Interest Guy seems pretty decent, too. Niri's allies are great (I wouldn't have minded the snarky one being snarkier). I liked Niri and started rooting for her almost instantly. The villain of the story is believable and fairly sympathetic. Really well-drawn.

 

The writing is warm and engaging -- it could be better, some of the dialogue is stilted; there are goofs like using "implicated" instead of "implemented" (just a guess, but given context, I'm betting that's what she was going for); commas out of place, someone having a "photo" in a fantasy kingdom -- minor, and relatively rare, goofs. The story and people C. Esther has wrapped around these flubs are entertaining and compelling enough that you shake them off and move on.

 

This is a fun book -- it could've used a little more polishing, sharpening up some plot points and character beats a little. But it's good enough as it is to recommend it. Fun, a little out of the norm, with a satisfying conclusion. That's good enough for me. Check this one out.

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. Honest, not punctual. Really sorry for the delay, C. Esther.

Sunset Rising Trilogy
S.M. McEachern
(Sunset Rising #1-3)
Publication date: December 25th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Limited Time Preorder price of just $4.99! Have it delivered December 25th!

 

Special edition of the ebook set of the Sunset Rising Trilogy, which includes: Sunset Rising, Worlds Collide, New World Order, and—available in ebook format for the first time—all seven satellite stories!

 

 

Sunset Rising: Born a slave inside a government biodome, seventeen-year-old Sunny O’Donnell becomes a pawn in a political plot that sparks a rebellion. Accused of treason and facing execution, she escapes with a man she considers an enemy and discovers she not only has to work with him to survive, but also lead the revolution.

A Readers Favorite 2015 Book Award Gold Medal winner!

 

Worlds Collide: Sunny and Jack must continue a life of subterfuge in order to stay alive and find a way to free the Pit. But in their attempt to save the urchins, they uncover the horrifying truth about President Holt and the evil he could unleash on the world.

 

New World Order: While Sunny and Jack struggle to find each other in the lawless post-apocalyptic world, tensions between the Pit and the Dome escalate. In the action-packed conclusion of the Sunset Rising Trilogy, friends will become enemies and enemies will become friends on a journey that will lead to a new world order.

 

Satellite Stories: For the first time in ebook format, the seven satellite stories are included with the trilogy. Find out what’s happening in the Pit between books one and two, and get a closer look at some of the other people in Sunny’s life.

Goodreads / Amazon

The Sunset Rising Trilogy ebook boxed set is up for the special pre-order price of $4.99 and includes seven satellite stories.

—

EXCERPT BOOK 1 – Sunset Rising:

(Sunny O’Donnell and Jack Kenner on starting a rebellion)

 

I went at him as fast as I could, and when I saw the nose of the gun come up, I pushed it down and used it to give me balance. I raised my leg and kicked him in his side. His grip on the gun loosened for a second, and I grabbed it with both hands while swinging my leg in a backward arc that brought me behind him. I brought the gun up under his throat and held it there. I heard people clapping and looked up to see them staring at me.

 

“You do catch on quickly,” Jack said, smiling.

 

I loosened my grip on the rifle, and he lowered it. “Am I scaring you, Jack?”

 

Suddenly Jack’s hands were on me, and he threw me over his hip. I hit the floor with an ungraceful flop.

“A little bit.” He stepped away and left me to pick myself up. “It’s going to be lights out soon, so we should wrap it up,” he said to the room.

 

“Can we try again tomorrow?” Raine asked.

 

Jack looked around the room to see if anyone else was interested. Most people wanted to come back. Jack asked the guards, and they agreed as well.

 

“You were amazing tonight,” Jack said once we were alone. “You blew me away.”

 

“I guess it went well.”

 

“You were great, but we only had maybe fifty people in that room, not nearly enough to take on the few hundred guards that patrol down here. I told you before, power comes with numbers, and we don’t have numbers.”

 

“I don’t think we stand much of a chance anyway. I expect someone in that room will gladly turn us in for the four hundred credits Holt is offering.”

 

When we arrived at our apartment, I scanned my hand across the lock and went in.

 

“I know. I think that too.” Jack shut the door behind him. Then he picked up one of the chairs and put it under the doorknob. I gave him an inquisitive look. “At least it will give us a little notice if someone comes.”

 

“I’ve always known we’ll be caught eventually, but now that it might be real, I’m scared.”

I didn’t want to die now that I had found a reason to live. I wanted to see this rebellion through and free Summer from Holt; have the chance to find my father if he was still alive; help liberate the Pit from centuries of slavery. I wanted time to finish what we started.

 

“You’re scared?” he asked in surprise. “I can’t believe the girl who stood up on a chair and convinced an entire room to start a rebellion is scared.”

 

“And you’re not?”

 

“Terrified. Hey, what was wrong with Raine’s wife? She seemed a little out of it.”

 

“Women get that way after they’re sterilized.”

 

“After they’re what?”

 

“Sterilized.” He had an odd look on his face. “You must know about the Sterilization Program. Your government came up with it ten years ago. If a couple doesn’t qualify to have a child, the woman is sterilized, and whatever they inject her with makes her go… blank. The injection changes a woman. She’s not as full of life as she used to be.”

 

Jack was staring at me with a horrified look on his face when the lights went out, leaving us in darkness. Maybe he didn’t know about that program.

 

“We should get some sleep,” I said.

 

“I’ll take the chair.”

 

“No. We shared last night, we can do it again tonight.” Considering the way I responded to his kiss this morning, it probably wasn’t a good idea. But we both needed a decent sleep. Jack was exhausted from sleeping in the chair, and I couldn’t afford to be tired and sloppy with Madi as my supervisor.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah. Just stay on your on side of the bed.” But I didn’t really mean it. I walked toward the bedroom.

 

“That bed isn’t big enough to have sides.” He stumbled after me, knocking a chair over.

 

“You really can’t see, can you?”

 

“And you’re surprised? It’s pitch black in here.”

I took him by the hand and guided him toward the bedroom. He took off his t-shirt and flopped down on the bed. Since he was blind in the dark, I stripped off my vest and put my t-shirt back on before I climbed in.

 

“It’s not pitch black in here. The guards use nightlights, and it leaks into the apartment.”

He opened his eyes as wide as he could and looked around the room. “I guess you have to born in the Pit to find light where there isn’t any.”

 

I rolled that thought over in my mind and realized just how true it was.

 

 

S.M. McEachern (also known as Susan) comes from the rocky shores of Canada’s East Coast. As a resident of Halifax during her early adult years, she attended Dalhousie University and earned an Honors Degree in International Development Studies with a focus on ocean development. Throughout her academic studies and early career, Susan had the privilege to study and work with Elizabeth Mann Borgese (daughter of nobel prize winner, Thomas Mann). An author in her own right and a political activist for world peace, Mrs. Mann Borgese played a significant influence on Susan’s view of the political world stage.

 

Sunset Rising is Susan's debut novel, which was published in November 2012. The second novel of the series, Worlds Collide was released in March 2014 and she is currently working on the third book of the series titled, New World Order, due to be released January 2015. For writing inspiration, Susan likes to go on long walks with her iPod (Keane and Moby are among her favorites). A few fun facts about Susan: she loves lattes, red wine, snorkelling, hiking and talking about herself in the third person.

 

If you'd like to read some satellite stories on the Sunset Rising series, visit her at her:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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When Worlds Collide - Maggie Walsh I was so excited to get to this one! I couldn't wait for Phenex and Ryland to get their HEA, and I wasn't disappointed. I was also happy to see that I was right, and Mathew is Raith's son. I'm really, really hoping Lord Lucifer gets his own book also!