jbronderbookreviews

Dreamwalker (Dreamwalker – 1) by CS Friedman

(Excerpt from Goodreads) All her life Jessica Drake has dreamed of other worlds, some of them similar to her own, others disturbingly alien. She never shares the details with anyone, save her younger brother Tommy, a compulsive gamer who incorporates some aspects of Jessica’s dreams into his games. But now someone is asking about those dreams…and about her. A strange woman has been watching her house. A visitor to her school attempts to take possession of her dream-inspired artwork.

Following clues left behind on Tommy’s computer, determined to find her brother and bring him home safely, Jessica and two of her friends are about to embark on a journey that will test their spirits and their courage to the breaking point, as they must leave their own world behind and confront the source of Earth’s darkest legends – as well as the terrifying truth of their own secret heritage.

My Review

4 stars

Jessica Drake is a teenager with her brother Tommy and mother. Her mother usually works long hours and you can find Tommy on marathon online video games at all hours of the day. One day while Tommy is home “sick” he sees a strange lady watching the house. The same lady is also very interested in Jessica’s artwork. But things don’t get rolling until a DNA test shows that Jessica is not her parent’s child. Through research she learns that this is not as uncommon as most people think and meet up with two other Changelings, Devon and Rita.

Then Jessica wakes up to learn that someone has set her house on fire and kidnapped Tommy. She goes on a quest to get Tommy back and learns that there are many versions of this world and that he has been taken to one of these worlds. Now Jessica, Devon, and Rita must learn that workings of this new world quickly or they are not going to be saving Tommy and returning back to their world.

Jessica has been having strange dreams all of her life and has the ability to see patterns. But when she learns that her DNA doesn’t match her parents she starts to worry about what is happening. But when she goes to another world, similar yet not to ours, to save Tommy she starts learning more about the Changelings. Jessica is such a strong character but I do have to say that she is very rash in her pursuit of Tommy.

I loved the world building and the background story is fantastic. But the story is not over and I cannot wait to see what happens next in Dreamseeker.

To purchase Dreamwalker make sure to check out Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and CS Friedman’s website.

I received Dreamwalker for free in exchange for an honest review.

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After Impact (After Impact – 1) by Nicole Stark

(Excerpt from Goodreads) Avalon wakes up from a 100 year old cryosleep in a new habitat with few memories and lots of questions. At first, HOPE (Humanity’s One Plan for Escape) habitat appears to be a well-oiled machine, preparing 5,000 carefully chosen inhabitants for a new Earth. However, a medical assistant named Ilium reveals that certain members of the habitat have been falling ill from a mysterious virus they were inoculated against. Soon, HOPE habitat’s tranquil illusion is shattered as Avalon plays a perplexing message left by her father. If Avalon is to survive this dangerous new environment , she will have to find the strength to navigate a habitat enveloped in secrets.

This is a relentless page-turning thriller, and the first in a series by debut author Nicole Stark.

My Review

4 stars

Avalon’s father discovered the asteroid that was going to hit the Earth. The government prepared the Humanity’s One Plan for Escape (HOPE) habitat to try and save people. 5,000 people are selected and put into cryosleep to survive through the destruction o the Earth. Now they are waking up. Avalon awakens earlier than the rest with a message from her father to not trust anyone.

There are classes of people just life before the impact. And as everyone is learning their roles, Avalon notice people are disappearing and some are coming down with a sickness that was supposed to have been cured. Her and Ilium are working together to try and figure out what is happening. Will they figure out what is happening or will they find themselves banished from HOPE?

I am a huge fan of apocalyptic and dystopian stories so this was a big hit. I liked following along pre-impact and after. The mystery of what was really happening made the story even better. I loved how the story made so many twists and turns that you had a hard time figuring out what was happening.

The only thing I don’t really like are love triangles. I did feel having one was a bit annoying but it’s not as bad as some books I have read. Mind you I was cheering for Ilium the whole time.

This is a great story and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next story.

To purchase After Impact make sure to check out Amazon, Goodreads, and Nicole Stark’s website.

I received After Impact for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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