Lightning

Stone Braide Chronicles #2

By Bonnie S. Calhoun

Selah has been reunited with the father she never knew about, but Glade is so focused on his quest to reach the West and the Third Protocol of Landers that Selah seldom spends much time with him. And since they arrived in Tic City Selah hasn't seen much of Bodhi. The bond between them seems broken, but Selah still feels it.

Having become a novarium has left Selah with more questions than answers and there is no one she can ask. There are no other living novarium that she can ask and the information she has is limited and vague. Even more unsettling are the symptoms that she is experiencing - flashes of power and visions of destruction.

As Selah tries to adjust to the changes she is undergoing, she is being drawn into a situation that could very well leave her imprisoned with the Mountain. Time is running out as Selah must find her family and save them from the coming disaster. A disaster which Selah fears she may be the cause of. Little does she realize just what she is about to bring about and the sacrifice that she will be called upon to make.

Fans of Thunder will definitely want to check-out the newest addition to the Stone Braide chronicles. And, yes, you need to read the first book first, and if it has been a few months since you closed the cover pick it and give yourself a refresher.

This book has more action in it and less "romance" which should please those who were a bit put off by the romance in the previous book. Also be prepared to possibly shed a tear or two as there are a few scenes that are a bit heartbreaking. Have a tissue handy.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of such films and books like Hunger Games and Divergent will love the Stone Braide Chronicles series, now into its second novel Lightning. This is definitely NOT a series you can just pick up any of the books and hope to gain an understanding as to what is happening, but once you begin, you will find yourself on a very different adrenaline rush adventure you will not want to see come to an end. With each novel in this series, author Bonnie Calhoun has only excelled at pulling out all the stops in her ability to transport the reader into a vastly different world than the one we are living in, in this case a post apocalyptic America, now named TicCity, the remainder of what used to be Atlantic City. It's the only thing remaining, a billboard baring the partial name.

The citizens refer to the nuclear war as the Time of Sorrows and now they have taken to rebuilding what remains of the world now that survivors have begun populating the earth again. The people that arrive from the sea are referred to as Landers, and Selah Rishon, has just be transformed from a Lander to what is called a novarium. With this recent change in her body, she is having what is referred to as "Lightnings" or burst of power that her fellow mind reading recipients can feel but no one can explain what is happening. All Selah knows is that if her father, Glade and his team can not locate what is referred to as the Third Protocol of Landers, Selah will fracture and she will cease to exist.

Meantime there are those who believe that within Selah's blood lies the answer to immortality and they will stop at nothing to harness that power. The search will lead them to the Mountain, where her family and friends have ventured in search for any answers that might help her, but first she has to figure out who she can trust, and who she can't. The only problem is the Mountain is where her and her father were held captive against her will and it is the last place where she had ever hoped to venture back. What is she willing to risk to discover the answers about her future and her past?

I received Lightning by Bonnie Calhoun compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Revell Publishing Group for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel to review, and the opinions contained here are my honest and personal ones. This is such a great novel because if you have been following the series up to this point, it has been a true nail biter all the way, just getting tidbits each time Bonnie publishes a full length novel of the prequels that go in between each of them. This is definitely something that hasn't been done before and for me this is what makes it work so well. It's combining a bit of science fiction along with a post apocalyptic dystopian element that catapults you on to each new addition. For me this one is an easy 4.5 out of 5 stars, but trust me start at the beginning. I have listed the series below for you to ensure you are reading them in order. (1) Tremors - Prequel, (2) Thunder - First novel in the series, (3) Aftershock, prequel to Lightning, and (4) Lightning, the Second Novel in the Series.

Bonnie S. Calhouns Lightning picks up where Thunder left off. Selah Rishon has transformed into a novarium or enhanced human. She grows in power and skill as she continues to find out more about her biological father and his people. In the meantime, Selah discovers that her mother, little brother, and step-father have disappeared, and she embarks on a journey back to the mountain to find her family and to find out all she can about what she is becoming. The evil that is in the mountain threatens to destroy Selah and her family, but she must do all that she can to rescue them before it may be too late. At great personal cost, she survives to begin a new journey to the west where she must find the Third Protocol that will complete her transformation.

With action and peril throughout, Bonnie Calhoun delivers a story that includes what makes her happy as a writer: body count, blood, and blowing things up. It all appears in this action-packed story along with well-written characters that convey bravery as well as fear, conflict as well as strength, darkness as well as light. Although the story takes place a few hundred years in the future in the ruins of what was once America before a super volcanic eruption wiped out most of the country, hope still survives in the midst of treachery and turmoil. These characters are believable and portray both the best and worst of human beings. Even those who are on the right side are shown as flawed, which adds to the realism of the story along with providing for an interesting plot.

Those who read this novel will certainly look forward to book three of the Stone Braide Chroniclescoming fall 2016!

I think that out of all of the books in the Stone Braide Chronicles Ive read, I enjoyed this one the most :) Some of the things that go on in these books can definitely be a little confusing though. It is kind of hard to explain so Im not even going to try lol, but I guess just keep that in mind if you are considering reading the series. Some things actually did start to make more sense in the second book however, especially about Glade, Selahs father.

I loved how even though Glade and Bodhi pretty much could not stand each other in the beginning, as the story progressed, they were able to at least appreciate one another and grow to like the other person more in time. It was a little funny to see Glade also be that tough and protective father figure and not wanting Bodhi to date Selah :P Even though Glade has only known Selah for about three months XD, I still liked that he was trying to watch out for her and keep her safe :)

This book started off a little slow and took a little while for me to get invested into it, but, whew, then it started to pick up and I never wanted to put it down! I definitely liked it more than Thunder I think because I understood stuff a little moreThere were some things I didnt necessarily like, and some things that made me so mad/sad, but some of that was kind of in a good way, if thats even possible XD

A couple of my favorite characters were not in this book, like Amaryllis. And other characters--things just happen to them that make me really sadhoping that it will somehow change in the next book, and it end up just being some cruel ploy to trick you because its not fun when authors mess with your favorite characters, you know haha :P I cant say too much about that, but just knowIm really upset about the situation lol (I know that's very vague, but I can't get too in detail about it because of spoilers :p)

Even though I wouldnt describe this book as Christian Fiction, (Its more Dystopian) I still enjoyed it as a book overall and Im glad I continued on with the rest of the series because THIS BOOKthis book surprised me by how much it made me feelI almost cried so many times while reading itI dont know if thats a good or bad thing necessarily :P But Im really happy to have book three, Storm, with me on my bookshelf because for certain things I.NEED.ANSWERS!!! XD

*Thank you Revell and Baker Publishing Group for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

This is the second book in Calhoun's dystopian Stone Braide Chronicles.

At the end of Thunder, Selah had finally found her real father. She and the others had escaped from the Mountain but still had work to do. Selah wants to be reunited with her mother and younger brother. When evidence is found that they have been taken to the Mountain, Selah wants to go back there and rescue them. To add to the drama, Selah's father indicates that something terrible will happen to Selah in nine months if they cannot find The Third Protocol. Unless Glade can find a way west through the mountains, Selah will fragment her brain and physical functions will fall apart.

We learn a bit more about the post-apocalyptic world Selah inhabits. The native Landers were once ordinary humans who had left the Mountain before the great disaster. They changed afterward, somehow taking on incredible powers. We also find out that Selah, as the novarium, has elements in her blood that some think might heal or produce immortality.

Traveling back to the Mountain is dangerous. There are splinter groups that would like to capture Selah and sell her to the highest bidder. Even some who appear to want to protect Selah are traitors. We meet some interesting people too, such as those who live in trees. I felt this part of the novel was a bit slow and did not move the plot forward well.

Much of the action in this novel takes place back in the Mountain. I found that lack of description frequently detracted from my appreciation of the action. There is plenty of action but I had difficulty visualizing it. The group travels within the Mountain to cities with different color designations but I was unclear what made them different. Even within the Mountain there are many factions and people warring against each other.

One aspect of the plot that I got tired of was the animosity between Glade and Bodhi. It just seemed they would argue, come to terms, repeat.

Selah is an interesting heroine. There were times when she was amazingly effective while other times she was nearly overwhelmed. I had to keep reminding myself she was an eighteen year old developing superhuman powers and then her actions generally made sense and are appropriate for this young adult fiction.

I enjoyed this book in the series. I am still looking for some Christian or otherwise redemptive aspect to the book. There is mention of future good and evil so I trust it is coming in the sequel.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.