Series: The Venerate Saga #3
Published by KDP on July 9, 2019
Pages: 298
Amazon UK, Amazon US
Goodreads
Also by this author: The Venerate Order
Strafe and Yessa, along with Strafe’s twin-brother Zixin and their wolves, return to Earth after ending an apocalypse on the distant world of Eternia. They believe they have found peace, but when the demons of Zixin’s past begin to torment him, his mental health begins to deteriorate rapidly. Strafe notices Zixin inflicting self-harm and waking in screaming nightmares daily. The race to find a solution and heal his brother become Strafe's priority while avoiding the threat of the remaining Federation forces. On top of that, Strafe's weapon, the God Blade, remains shattered from his final battle on Eternia and is a shell of its former self. He no longer carries the power he once did.
The situation is complicated by Yessa's yearn to find her parents who she believes were abducted by the Federation. As a former prisoner of war, she is steadfast in her mission to rescue them from the same fate. She finds hope through the newest and most advanced military branch ever created, the Space Force. Internally conflicted, Yessa will make the most difficult decision of her life; leave or stay. This one choice could mean the end of her relationship with Strafe or the death of her parents.
Unknown to the three of them, something else followed them home.
It is hunting them relentlessly and leaving a trail of blood and carnage in its wake. The only people who seem to know what’s going on are a mysterious hacktivist group called the Salvators. Strafe questions their end goal but has no choice but to trust them to save his brother. On top of all that, a virus begins to spread globally, turning anyone it comes into contact with into crystalized monsters called Slates. Unless Strafe and Yessa crack the code on who unleashed it, everyone they know will fall.
The real question is: How do you deal with pain that nobody can see?
Closing the tour for Troy is a true honour and if a bit honest blinking terrifying!! Since I read his first book in the series The Venerate Order we have struck a nice friendship. So writing this review is more terrifying for me if anything. Will I do the book a disservice? Was it any good?? Let us find out! I also have to state that this has no way influenced my review whatsoever especially as I did love the series before we became friends.
✮ My Review ✮
Where do I begin? How when I had a moment to read the book I was absorbed? How the descriptions within the narration transported me to all the places? How I have missed Strafe and Yessa? That I really need to drink some water after shouting at the characters for not doing as they were told?
Now I read The Venerate Order last year and it was one of my first ever book tours and I was blown away by Troy’s writing and the imagery. It really was like reading a book that could be made into a Final Fantasy game! I had forgotten a lot of what had happened, and I got confused thinking I had read the second book but I haven’t yet! So ok, I am missing a bit in the middle but it did not take away the enjoyment of this book at all! I loved being back on Earth and seeing how Yessa and Strafe, along with his twin brother Zixin were getting on! By the sounds of things, it has been a hard journey and it was not getting any better for them!
There is so much action, and the fight scenes made me tempted to get out my Xbox controller and tap A and line up my moves. It makes for great reading, the scenes are tight and intense and you can not always foresee what might happen. I adored the setting when we were in Tibet, it definitely gave you a sense of peace but also set up the foreboding of the events that were to come. It was the calm before the storm.
Even with so much going on at once, Troy manages to make it clear what is going on. You have, my favourite, the chapters split into the viewpoints of Strafe and Yessa. Seeing the Salvators, an underground group wanting to destroy the Federation, from their different viewpoints and from their different experiences since parting ways. Seeing how their lives have taken different paths in separate places and the explosion when they collide again. Everyone has definitely come a long way since book 1! Yet, their personalities still shine off the page, and all their emotions become your emotions.
However, my heart has been completely broken, when the events that unfurled and the meet up previous characters happened I got nervous and then bam…you broke me! Not quite sure if I can get past it! I had to put the book down and was tempted to do a Joey and put the book in the freezer because I did not want the outcome I had been presented with! Troy!! We need to have words!
I have adored two of the books in this series and I will be going back to read the second because then I can live in bliss and pretend that nothing ever happened!
Until next time xxx
Giveaway Time!!!
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule
Week One:
5/20/2019- BookHounds– Excerpt
5/21/2019- words_on_the_shelves– Review
5/22/2019- The Books I Read– Review
5/23/2019- The Bookworm Drinketh– Review
5/24/2019- Here’s to Happy Endings– Excerpt
Week Two:
5/27/2019- Two Chicks on Books– Excerpt
5/28/2019- The Reading Corner for All– Review
5/29/2019- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review
5/30/2019- Literary Portals– Review
5/31/2019- Dazzled by Books– Excerpt
Week Three:
6/3/2019- Mythical Books– Excerpt
6/4/2019- Books a Plenty Book Reviews– Excerpt
6/5/2019- Bean’s Bookshelf– Review
6/6/2019- Confessions of a YA Reader– Excerpt
6/7/2019- Good Choice Reading– Spotlight
Week Four:
6/10/2019- Jaime’s World– Excerpt
6/11/2019- Kat’s Books– Review
6/12/2019- Lone Tree Reviews– Excerpt
6/13/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Spotlight
6/14/2019- Parajunkee– Excerpt
Week Five:
6/17/2019- Owl Always Be Reading– Excerpt
6/18/2019- JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder– Excerpt
6/19/2019- Smada’s Book Smack– Review
6/20/2019- Moonlight Book Reader– Review
6/21/2019- Zooloo’s Book Diary- Review
Thank you so much to Jaime at Rockstar Book tours for the tour invite and Troy for a signed copy of his book in return for my honest and unbiased review
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