Title:
Shattered Skies: Beginning’s End
Author: Heather Linn
Series: Shattered Skies Saga (#1)
Genre: SciFi/Horror/Fantasy
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: Dec 19 2012
Goodreads: Add to TBR List
Purchase Links: Amazon
Blurb/Synopsis: Shattered Skies, Beginning’s End, is a dramatic story of twisted
killings and love and hate that takes place within a horrific world where alien
vampires have taken over the earth and made humans their slaves. The vampires
have created a new genetic race, the Dominus, breeding a scary blood-drinking
race of human and vampire that prey off the humans that are left. People are
relegated to the classes of slaves, food and mates.
This is a world where sex kills and a rogue group of humans
kills as many of the Dominus as they can by bedding them. This warrior group is
led by mysterious doctor who has raised the 16 members of the group since
infancy, hidden away in an underground bunker.
The plot twists and turns as the heroine, the unselfish
Catalina, rejects her traditional female role and demands to fight the Dominus
alongside the men, bedding and killing as she goes. Her emotions tear her apart
as she struggles with herself, torn between a mad attraction for the Dominus
King and her fellow warrior, Darien.
As the clashes between Dominus and Vampire and Humans continue,
Catalina is forced to face herself. Could she really be destined to save the
world as the enigmatic Doctor’s ancient prophecy predicts?
Walking to the cell that held Jewel, I think I relived a
lifetime of memories with her. She didn’t deserve what was coming to her. She
was better than all of this. She belonged in a world that we could only dream
about. I could never tell her I was there to kill her. I knew she deserved the
truth, but I couldn’t look her in the eye and tell her that I was there to end
her life. I was a coward, but if being a coward would spare my sanity, then so
be it.
Jewel saw me walk into the room and for a second her eyes
brightened, and then just like she had been taught, she forgot right then and
there that she even knew me. The fact that she was calm enough to remember how
important it was to not recognize me made the horror of what I was there to do
crash over me like a furious wave.
I quickly put my finger up to my lips to silence Jewel until
I was sure the guards were out of hearing range. “I am going to get you out of
here Jewel, but first I need you to whisper to me as fast and as quietly as you
can. Tell me everything that happened quickly, understand?”
Jewel rapidly nodded her head and began to tell me her
story. “Right after you ran out, Darien and Jaden started out after you. Doctor
Walker begged them not to go. He told them that you would calm down and come to
your senses, but Darien said something about not giving you the chance to
disappear, and then they left together. It was less than two minutes later when
a group of six thugs burst through the door. I thought for a second that it was
Darien coming back, but when I turned around they grabbed me by the neck. I
couldn’t even scream out a warning because they covered my mouth and silenced
me. By the time everyone else noticed what was going on; there wasn’t any time
to hide. No one had expected them to come. I stood there trapped by one of
them. He held me up and made me watch as they killed the other girls. There was
nothing I could do Cat,” she said sobbing. “The guys tried to fight, but they
were too surprised; there just wasn’t time. They killed everyone except me and
Dr. Walker. But before they could get to him, he set his office on fire. Dr.
Walker put up a hell of a fight; it was like he was one of them! But that ended
when he was knocked out. They dragged him out ahead of me. They threw us in a
black van. That is all I remember and then I woke up here.”
“Oh my God Jewel! I am so sorry. This is all my fault. If I
hadn’t left, Darien and Jaden wouldn’t have run after me and the monsters would
never have discovered us. Everyone would still be safe instead of dead.” I
wanted to break down right then and there. I was responsible for the deaths of
people that I loved. I knew if the monsters had broken in so soon after Darien
and Jaden had left, then Darien and Jaden must be gone too. If it wouldn’t have
been for what I must do to Jewel, I would have walked right up to Akia and told
him that I was one of the missing vermin that he was so intent on
exterminating. I was going to do what I had to do with Jewel and then I was
done. I couldn’t live alone. I couldn’t and I wasn’t going to.
“You listen to me Catalina and you listen to me now. You had
every right to behave the way you did. What Dr. Walker and Darien did to you
was not only dangerous, but it was senseless too. You took their abuse more
graciously than I would have. But none of that matters now. Right now, you are
the only one that has any chance of getting me out of here. I don’t want to die
today Cat, not by their hands. I don’t want them to touch me anymore. I can’t
take it Cat. Please don’t let them touch me anymore...”
I was going to grant her wish; she wouldn’t die by their
hands; she would die by mine. “I promise no one else will hurt you Jewel. I
won’t let them touch you again.” I walked up to her and gave her a kiss on her
forehead “Now all we need is a plan.”
I raised my hand to her forehead like I was going to wipe
away the remnants of my kiss. I had convinced her that she was safe because she
never even moved. With all my strength I smashed her head against the stone
wall behind her. I heard a sickening wet thud. Her eyes clouded over and she
slipped away without a sound.
Something was wrong. I just stood there and waited; I waited
for the tears or the shakes or anything to come to let me know that I was
human, but nothing came; not a single tear fell. I was cold, not the kind of
cold that a blanket can fix, but cold from the inside out and I knew that
nothing could fix that. I would never again feel warm. From this point on; I
knew that I would live only to get back at the monsters that had done this to
my family. I took one last look at Jewel as she slumped down the blood stained
wall of her cell and I fled. I died when I murdered her; she had killed me in
return. It was pure justice for both of us.
My Rant: This story brings a new twist on vampires and human existence. The Humans are in Hiding because the vampires rule. But it doest stop there. The several human that are alive are raised and trained to kill the vampires by their leader but there is a secret that the leader is holding that was a little shocking. I found the love triangle in this book interesting. Two characters are falling in love but are on the opposite side of the fences. This book reminded me of the west-side story. As a reader you hate the enemy because they are on the bad side and you want to root for Cat but this connection between her and the vampire king is twisting those feelings for you, I want to hate him, need to hate him but I just cant. How ironic is that. I wonder how all this is going to play out. Cat is the savior of the human race but she doesn't know it and now she is smitten by the vampire king. Interesting...... I guess I'm going to have to wait for the next installment.
My Recommendation:
I rated this book 3 1/2 out of 5 Purple Rant Hearts.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author, editor, publisher, or Promo Host. This is my honest opinion about this book and I did not receive any monetary compensation for writing this review nor was I obligated to write a positive one.
Shattered Skies Saga (#1)
2. Night Waves
I am a
mother to three beautiful children, they keep me busy. I live in a small town
that’s filled with monsters and really nice people alike. I love taking walks
around the mountain trails where I live and I love taking trips to the Ocean,
especially the South Carolina beaches. The ocean brings me tranquility and
refreshes me, but I don’t get to go there often enough. Some mornings I listen
to nothing but sad country songs for hours but when I write, I usually buckle
down with my headphones and listen to something raw and angry like Seether,
and Stone Sour. I can be shy
around people but I’m mostly always honest within myself. In many ways, on many
levels, I express different parts of myself through my characters. Someone told
me once that you are only as old as you feel
and I love that! In fact, I love that idea because personally, have no
intentions of ever growing up! I want to
be 18 forever no matter what they do to me. LOL!
Author Links
HAPPY RANTING AND RAVING !!!
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