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Book Divas (227 KP) rated Light Years in Books

Dec 12, 2017  
LY
Light Years
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Though I personally didn't find myself connecting with the characters the story line kept me interested until the end. This book is packed with a bit of everything from a dysfunctional and broken family to a deadly virus and the author's writing style often takes on a poetic voice which I believe is the real reason why I enjoyed reading it. When I first reached the abrupt ending I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth but I went back and read the last three chapters again and the ending took on a different meaning for me. I recommend that this book be read with an open mind. I will end my review with some of my favorite quotes.



"You have nothing to lose here, whatever happens. You just be yourself and let go of the results."



"The world is everyone's oyster if they step up to crack it open."



"Can you feel it? The wind? That's God's hand, washing you clean."



"If you begin with a belief that the world is flat, you'll never be able to conceive of it as a sphere. Your brain will just stop there, deciding that it knows. It will never allow you to consider an alternate perception."



{I received an E-ARC via The Fantastic Flying Book Club and the Publisher via NetGalley and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}
  
Back in the late-to-mid 80s, the band R.E.M. sang

'That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes ... It's the end of the world as we know it'

They might as well have been talking about this, the final book in Rachel Caine's <I>Weather Warden</I> series.

Again, picking up directly from the end of the last book, this has Joanne and David still on board the liner sailing home from their showdown with 'bad Bob', and with the 2 lead characters stripped of their powers. Not long before making landfall, however, the Earth starts to wake up and is not best pleased, instigating what basically amounts to Armageddon. The majority of the book deals with the Wardens attempts to placate the Earth and cancel this from happening, with Joanne and David regaining their powers in the process.

I was, I must admit, quite surprised at one point when one of the key characters of the series was called off (just over the 1/2 way mark): I hadn't really seen that coming. However, when they do (finally) make contact with Mother Earth, I found that portion of the plot to be resolved almost too easily, after what had went before.

The series, as a whole, had both it's peaks and troughs: while this entry may not (IMO) live up to some of the previous entries, nor was it the worst of them all.
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Ancient Fall in Books

Jun 28, 2019  
Ancient Fall
Ancient Fall
Jaime Lee Mann | 2019 | Children, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jaime Lee Mann continues to enchant readers in the seventh book in the Legend of Rhyme series.Ancient Fall begins with the characters in various states of confusion. Twins, Ariana and Asher, find themselves lost in an ice-covered land and their mentors have vanished into thin air. Other characters are desperately trying to return to the magical realm of Coraira, however, the land appears to have died. Not only has Coraira been destroyed, but the Earth is not faring much better.

The Ancients have failed to look after the world and the humans, under a dark curse, have been abusing the planet for centuries. Mother Earth has decided to fight back. If she wins, it will mean the end of human life. By removing the powerful Ancients, Mother Earth does not think anyone will be able to stop her, however, she underestimates the heirs of Elora and Larque who join together to attempt to lift the curse. The only problem is, they are running out of time.

In the previous books, the main goal has been to protect the twins - of which there is more than one set - because they have a vital role in the future of the land of Rhyme. The fight has always been between good and evil, however, things are different in this final(?) book. Most of the baddies have been defeated and it is Mother Earth that is the antagonist. But is Mother Earth really evil? For years, humans have been polluting the world beyond repair and destroying everything is the only way Mother Earth can end her pain.

Although Ancient Fall is a work of fiction, it strikes close to the truth of the current predicament our own world is facing. Unless we completely change our ways, we will destroy the Earth and everything on it. Unfortunately, unlike Ariana, Asher and friends, we do not have magic on our side.

Admittedly, the last few books of the series have felt a little tedious, the story being dragged out to involve more and more characters. Once reading the seventh installation, however, the importance of each character becomes clear as they join together in a battle against nature.

Until now, Jaime Lee Mann has subtly alluded to issues relating to pollution and climate change, however, now the references are obvious. Children (or adults) will be thinking about the planet whilst they read and enjoy the storyline. If only Ariana and Asher were real!