The Calling by Branwen OShea - Book Tour & Review + Giveaway

The Calling

by Branwen OShea 

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GENRE: YA Sci-fi

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BLURB:

Humanity’s wake-up call. Answer it or face extinction.

When Bleu’s little sister shows symptoms of the deadly Sickness, a strange vision directs him to leave humanity’s subterranean haven and seek the cure on Earth’s glacial surface. Joining the expedition team, Bleu expects extreme temperatures, not a surface ruled by ingenious predators.

Rana and her fellow star beings have co-existed with Earth’s top carnivores since the humans disappeared. But when her peers transform into Crowned Ones, the final stage of star being development, she fears remaining Uncrowned like her parents. To prove her worth, she undertakes a dangerous mission—contacting the hostile and nearly extinct humans.

But Rana’s plan backfires, and Bleu’s team retaliates. As war with the more advanced star being civilization looms, both Rana and Bleu separately seek a way to save their people.

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EXCERPT

“All right, get out, men.” Savas had never experienced such peace on the last mission. This was truly pleasant. They climbed out of the rover, and he tripped on his own feet as if drunk.

Laughing at himself, he reminded the others, “Guns out. Stamf, take the lead. I’ll bring up the rear.”

He paused, swaying a bit, while the other two men passed him and then proceeded slowly down the left branch. Sparkling light from farther down the tunnel lit their way. With a quick glance back toward the entrance, he took up the rear.

Then a voice as ethereal as the wind sang, “Caaaaaahm heeeeeeeere…caaaaaaaaaahm heeeeeeeere…”

What the hell?

Savas shook his head, blinked, and tapped his ear communicator. Stamf and Abdul, farther ahead, had frozen and appeared confused, swaying in place.

Something was terribly wrong. Was this cave filled with noxious fumes? Had they all gotten cold sickness? The databases talked of arctic workers becoming weak and confused by the extreme temperatures.

Think! Think. Savas wanted to lie down and nap. What’s wrong with me? Images from his childhood tumbled through his head. Not now. Not again. I control my own mind.

“Caaaaaaaaahm heeeeeeeeere,” the voice lulled, endlessly peaceful.

They all mindlessly continued forward, as if in a dream. A small part of Savas’ brain screamed in warning. I. Control. My. Own. Mind. He grunted with the effort. Fighting the urge to relax, Savas forced his hands to raise his weapon.

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My Review The Calling is a YA sci-fi novel that happens to be really, really long. It's almost 600 pages, but it packs a lot of story into those pages. The world building is really detailed and vivid, and the characters are well-written and engaging. The plot, though, was a little slow in spots. I found myself struggling a bit to get into it, but things started to get interesting, and as the story progressed, I found myself immersed and intrigued. While I normally do prefer books that are a little more fast-paced, I did enjoy The Calling because of how different it was. The story is set in a time when the surface of the Earth is frozen. Humanity now lives underground, but a Sickness is spreading, and a cure must be found. Bleu, one of our main characters, believes the answer lies above ground. He joins a team leading the trek to find a cure, and what they discover on the surface is not what they were expecting. There are star beings living above them. And when war breaks out, Bleu and Rana, a star being, must find a way to stop it before it's too late. A fascinating, futuristic story reminiscent of The Giver (which I read in middle school). Very bleak at times, and sometimes the multiple POVs get a little confusing, but overall not a bad read. Fans of dystopian/sci-fi novels may like this one. 3.5 stars from me.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.

Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.

Website: www.branwenoshea.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/branwenoshea

Instagram: www.instagram.com/branwenoshea

Facebook: www.facebook.com/branwenoshea

Order Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735915998

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Branwen OShea will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner

via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway