What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dwellers #1
Glimpse
Orion Draper is not your typical Dweller. She is a non-conformist with an insatiable appetite for adventure. And trouble. So it is no surprise when she finds herself eavesdropping on a Constable meeting. One word that makes no sense, "Earth", sends Orion on a quest for answers.
What is this "Earth"? And why has it never been mentioned before? Her search is soon over, but not without a heavy price to pay. Forced to leave behind the only home she has ever known, Orion fights for the chance to return. Every corner holds a new danger, and every shadow hides a secret. No one can be trusted, and no town is permanent.
Will Orion ever return to Dandux? Or is she forever condemned to repeat this hell she now knows?
What is this "Earth"? And why has it never been mentioned before? Her search is soon over, but not without a heavy price to pay. Forced to leave behind the only home she has ever known, Orion fights for the chance to return. Every corner holds a new danger, and every shadow hides a secret. No one can be trusted, and no town is permanent.
Will Orion ever return to Dandux? Or is she forever condemned to repeat this hell she now knows?
278 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2012
1 person is currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Sara Daniell
24 books65 followersSara Daniell’s story started in the quiet little town of Cedarburg, Wisconsin until her dad’s job transferred him to Arkansas. She thought life would officially be over with that move, but to her surprise, Arkansas is where she found love, married her best friend and had her two amazing daughters.
For years, Sara was a closet writer. Something most knew nothing about because she felt like she’d be looked down upon since most weren’t accepting of writing about fantasy worlds and magic. It wasn’t until her best friend and husband told her she needed to pursue what made her happy and to hide that for no one. So, with a deep breath and a beat up laptop, she did it.
Sara has made many close friends in the writing business and says it feels like a family more than anything else. She says she feels more confident in herself for pursuing what she loves and not letting the limited perceptions of others’ define who she is. She’s a go getter, a dream chaser, and if that makes her crazy, that’s fine with her.
For years, Sara was a closet writer. Something most knew nothing about because she felt like she’d be looked down upon since most weren’t accepting of writing about fantasy worlds and magic. It wasn’t until her best friend and husband told her she needed to pursue what made her happy and to hide that for no one. So, with a deep breath and a beat up laptop, she did it.
Sara has made many close friends in the writing business and says it feels like a family more than anything else. She says she feels more confident in herself for pursuing what she loves and not letting the limited perceptions of others’ define who she is. She’s a go getter, a dream chaser, and if that makes her crazy, that’s fine with her.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 3, 2012
I'd like to thank the author, Sarah Daniell, for providing me with an ecopy ARC of this book for an honest review.
Orion is a Dweller living in the Sphere who does not conform to her society. She is angry, curious and always looking for trouble. It's no surprise when she finds her suddenly transported from Dandux to a place called "Earth", a place she has never heard of that has been kept secret from the Dwellers. When she gets stuck on Earth, she is desperate to find a way back. She is fights for her life and she lives on the run trying to keep away from Hunters who are sent to Earth to find those Dwellers who escape. When she meets Plath, a hunter, she believes she is done for. But Plath is not who he seems to be. Will she continue to run from those trying to kill her, or will she face them and return home?
Orion is a spunky girl. She is doesn't take anything from anyone. She speaks her mind and doesn't allow herself to become emotionally involved with anyone, except her brother. And she doesn't conform to what her society believes she should be. This gets her in trouble on more than one occasion. And her curiosity for adventure puts her in danger and keeps her on the run throughout the story. She is also selfish, wanting to return home to Dandux and find her family but not caring who she sacrifices along the way. She has no intentions of spending the rest of her life on Earth and on the run.
Her friend Sage joins her on this adventure. She moves around with Orion. I have to say that I didn't get much of a feel for Sage as a person: who she was, why she chose to go with Orion other than being a good friend, what she looks like. Of course the story wasn't focused on Sage as it was told from Orion's point of view.
Plath is a hunter sent to find and kill all Dwellers who have left the Sphere. The Contsble, the government within the Sphere, believe that Earth will taint their society, and cause them to lose control over their people. They rely on hunters such as Plath to help keep the peace. Plath is specially trained, the best of the best. He is chosen specifically to find Orion because there is something different about her that the government wants to use. He forms a relationship with her, but he is torn throughout the book because he has feelings for her that he is finding hard to deny.
I have to say it was a bit unclear to me how Orion and Sage actually ended up on Earth. I suppose that is part of the mystery of how the Sphere is kept separate from the rest of the planet. At one moment she and Sage are in Dandux and in the next sentence they are on Earth. This lends to the reason why Orion is unable to get back to Dandux, she has no idea where to go in order to get back.
This book is fast paced. I was able to read it in less than a day. I love the concept behind it: a society that completely separates themselves from everyone else so the government can have complete control over it's inhabitants. The dystopian elements are cleary present, despite the fact that we don't get to see much of what it is like living in the Sphere as Orion reaches Earth in the very beginning of the book. Perhaps we will get more of an idea of what the Sphere is like in book #2. And there are paranormal elements present towards the end of the book which I find very inuring.
Daniell has written a fast paced, adventurous story that keeps you wanting to turn the pages and see what happens next. And the end is certainly a cliff hanger making you want to read the next story in this adventure.
I give this book a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Review also posted on the following sites:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008...
http://www.librarything.com/work/1285...
http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/
Orion is a Dweller living in the Sphere who does not conform to her society. She is angry, curious and always looking for trouble. It's no surprise when she finds her suddenly transported from Dandux to a place called "Earth", a place she has never heard of that has been kept secret from the Dwellers. When she gets stuck on Earth, she is desperate to find a way back. She is fights for her life and she lives on the run trying to keep away from Hunters who are sent to Earth to find those Dwellers who escape. When she meets Plath, a hunter, she believes she is done for. But Plath is not who he seems to be. Will she continue to run from those trying to kill her, or will she face them and return home?
Orion is a spunky girl. She is doesn't take anything from anyone. She speaks her mind and doesn't allow herself to become emotionally involved with anyone, except her brother. And she doesn't conform to what her society believes she should be. This gets her in trouble on more than one occasion. And her curiosity for adventure puts her in danger and keeps her on the run throughout the story. She is also selfish, wanting to return home to Dandux and find her family but not caring who she sacrifices along the way. She has no intentions of spending the rest of her life on Earth and on the run.
Her friend Sage joins her on this adventure. She moves around with Orion. I have to say that I didn't get much of a feel for Sage as a person: who she was, why she chose to go with Orion other than being a good friend, what she looks like. Of course the story wasn't focused on Sage as it was told from Orion's point of view.
Plath is a hunter sent to find and kill all Dwellers who have left the Sphere. The Contsble, the government within the Sphere, believe that Earth will taint their society, and cause them to lose control over their people. They rely on hunters such as Plath to help keep the peace. Plath is specially trained, the best of the best. He is chosen specifically to find Orion because there is something different about her that the government wants to use. He forms a relationship with her, but he is torn throughout the book because he has feelings for her that he is finding hard to deny.
I have to say it was a bit unclear to me how Orion and Sage actually ended up on Earth. I suppose that is part of the mystery of how the Sphere is kept separate from the rest of the planet. At one moment she and Sage are in Dandux and in the next sentence they are on Earth. This lends to the reason why Orion is unable to get back to Dandux, she has no idea where to go in order to get back.
This book is fast paced. I was able to read it in less than a day. I love the concept behind it: a society that completely separates themselves from everyone else so the government can have complete control over it's inhabitants. The dystopian elements are cleary present, despite the fact that we don't get to see much of what it is like living in the Sphere as Orion reaches Earth in the very beginning of the book. Perhaps we will get more of an idea of what the Sphere is like in book #2. And there are paranormal elements present towards the end of the book which I find very inuring.
Daniell has written a fast paced, adventurous story that keeps you wanting to turn the pages and see what happens next. And the end is certainly a cliff hanger making you want to read the next story in this adventure.
I give this book a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Review also posted on the following sites:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008...
http://www.librarything.com/work/1285...
http://thecovercontessa.blogspot.com/
September 15, 2012
The book was short,fast paced,interesting and really capturing one...i read it in very less time and i liked it!The story genre kinda falls as dystopian.
Orion is a very different from other "dwellers" around her..she is smart ass,cocky with ton's of attitude and ego but mostly she get's angry..a lot..which other's don't or fake that they don't and she could never understand why!
Sphere is where she lives and it is controlled by constables..so when her curiosity gets best of her and after listening that there is a whole new world apart from sphere she tries to explore it and lands on Earth..with her friend...by accident.
Things doesn't get any better as now she is away from home,family, friends and she is being HUNTED..but why?Why is it so important that escaping sphere and coming to earth to hunters?what wrong / right has she done?
Things only get worse when plath ..a hunter who instead of killing her ..tries to protect her..but there's a whole new politics going on and with her new discovered abilities she may be a pawn in it!So what does she choose..to hunt or hunted?
Glimpse is a fun,fast read..i loved orion's attitude and her interaction with Plath...excited for next book in series!
Sri.
Orion is a very different from other "dwellers" around her..she is smart ass,cocky with ton's of attitude and ego but mostly she get's angry..a lot..which other's don't or fake that they don't and she could never understand why!
Sphere is where she lives and it is controlled by constables..so when her curiosity gets best of her and after listening that there is a whole new world apart from sphere she tries to explore it and lands on Earth..with her friend...by accident.
Things doesn't get any better as now she is away from home,family, friends and she is being HUNTED..but why?Why is it so important that escaping sphere and coming to earth to hunters?what wrong / right has she done?
Things only get worse when plath ..a hunter who instead of killing her ..tries to protect her..but there's a whole new politics going on and with her new discovered abilities she may be a pawn in it!So what does she choose..to hunt or hunted?
Glimpse is a fun,fast read..i loved orion's attitude and her interaction with Plath...excited for next book in series!
Sri.
September 28, 2012
Starting with the things I loved: I loved the cover and the summary. The rebel girl with the blue hair made me think the story would be about an outsider with attitude. The summary sounded like a mysterious, dystopian-like survival story. All of which led me to have high hopes for the story.
Unfortunately, the story did not live up to my expectations. In fact, it was a bit of a mess. The story started out interesting, albeit a bit confusing. The set-up of the wold is not really explained, but it seems that most emotions are not allowed, particularly anger. Orion predictably gets in trouble, and must satisfy her curiosity about “Earth”, an unknown location that she overhears mentioned.
The story fell apart once Orion found her way to Earth. She is only there for a brief scene before time jumps and it’s 3 years later. This time jump is the thing that confuses me. How did the girls adjust? They go from being completely new to the world to having apartments, and jobs and school careers. All in 3 short years? I want to know happened during the missing time.
Overall, there was just too much missing from the story for me to enjoy it. Not only was there a lot missing to explain how the girls acclimatized to Earth, but there seemed to be a lot of gunfire with no police presence. Every few hours it seemed that someone was shooting someone else, usually to death, and yet there was no legal implications? It just didn’t seem reasonable.
Unfortunately, the story did not live up to my expectations. In fact, it was a bit of a mess. The story started out interesting, albeit a bit confusing. The set-up of the wold is not really explained, but it seems that most emotions are not allowed, particularly anger. Orion predictably gets in trouble, and must satisfy her curiosity about “Earth”, an unknown location that she overhears mentioned.
The story fell apart once Orion found her way to Earth. She is only there for a brief scene before time jumps and it’s 3 years later. This time jump is the thing that confuses me. How did the girls adjust? They go from being completely new to the world to having apartments, and jobs and school careers. All in 3 short years? I want to know happened during the missing time.
Overall, there was just too much missing from the story for me to enjoy it. Not only was there a lot missing to explain how the girls acclimatized to Earth, but there seemed to be a lot of gunfire with no police presence. Every few hours it seemed that someone was shooting someone else, usually to death, and yet there was no legal implications? It just didn’t seem reasonable.
September 11, 2013
Wow! This is the first book I’ve read by Sara Daniell but it won’t be the last. I’m already looking forward to book two in the Dwellers series, but I’ve gotten ahead of myself. This review is for Glimpse: The Dwellers #1, by Sara Daniell. The author has crafted an exciting book filled with plot twists and created a dark world that is gritty and all too real. The intensity starts in the Prologue! “I never thought one decision could change my life forever. But it did. I know this because I made a bad decision, a very bad one. Now my nightmares don’t come while I’m asleep, but while I’m awake . . . I’m hunted day and night.” I mean, how could you not rip into the next page!?
Orion is a tough and complex character who doesn’t put up with any BS, she complains, and we love her for it, because she know she doesn’t belong and we know she’s right. We wouldn’t want to be there either, there, in that world that the author has painted us into. But this review is getting long, you can read the book description to find out more about the plot. All I have to tell you is if it’s good or not . . . well, it’s great! I’ve already downloaded Sway: The Dwellers #2
Orion is a tough and complex character who doesn’t put up with any BS, she complains, and we love her for it, because she know she doesn’t belong and we know she’s right. We wouldn’t want to be there either, there, in that world that the author has painted us into. But this review is getting long, you can read the book description to find out more about the plot. All I have to tell you is if it’s good or not . . . well, it’s great! I’ve already downloaded Sway: The Dwellers #2
August 3, 2012
This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down, and I can't wait for the next one. Sara Daniell is an amazing and talented author who is able to capture and hold my attention. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a fast-paced suspense. It is amazing! I can't say enough good things about this book and the author. You will fall in love with the characters, and you will feel their pain and triumphs as if they were your own.
August 21, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. Action packed from beginning to end. The main character Orion is full of spunk, she kicks butt! Plath is hott! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
May 28, 2017
This is definitely a different type of book. One that sparked my interest from page one..Throughout the book, I came across some pages that had me scratching my head. I was a little bit confused. But that didnt necessarily take away from the story. In fact, it had me reading faster to search for answers.
Orion stepped to a different beat. Her own. She has the take no crap attitude. She lives by her own rules. Decisions are that of her own. She doesn't care much for authority.
Her decisions land her and her friend Sage in a difficult situation. One that has them stranded somewhere they don't need to be..One person who is sent to get her just may be the one who saves her!!!
There is so much more to this story that what I have written. Give this book a read. Its definitely a change in most of the books I have read. ❤❤❤
Orion stepped to a different beat. Her own. She has the take no crap attitude. She lives by her own rules. Decisions are that of her own. She doesn't care much for authority.
Her decisions land her and her friend Sage in a difficult situation. One that has them stranded somewhere they don't need to be..One person who is sent to get her just may be the one who saves her!!!
There is so much more to this story that what I have written. Give this book a read. Its definitely a change in most of the books I have read. ❤❤❤
September 24, 2012
Glimpse is a story about Orion and her life as a Dweller in the Sphere, speficially Dandux. Orinio is tagged as a troubled teen according to the Spheres code and that doesn’t suit well with Orion. She maybe a little different but troublemaker she is not. Together with her friend Sage she snoops around the perimeter of Dandux after eavesdropping at a secret meeting and that night turned her and Sages life around.
Orion is a bull headed girl who doesn’t take sh*t from anybody as long as she does what she think is right. Someone who will do anything to prove her point eventhough death can be a possibility. Sage is a very faithful friend. Very colorful character, street smart and devoted to her friend. Together they try to fight hunters to survive inevitable death. They meet Plath, a lead hunter who seems to be on their side after an encounter where Plath left them and helped them live but is Plath one of the good guy or bad guy?
The world building was phenomenal, I couldn’t put it down. The pacing was fast and I finished this book in one sitting. The story felt like dystopian-ish (a genre that I don’t usually read) but it worked well for me. The end of the story was intriguing so I can’t wait to read on what will happen to Orion in the next book. An awesome book to start what seems like a great series. For only $.99 this is definitely recommended and worth it.
Orion is a bull headed girl who doesn’t take sh*t from anybody as long as she does what she think is right. Someone who will do anything to prove her point eventhough death can be a possibility. Sage is a very faithful friend. Very colorful character, street smart and devoted to her friend. Together they try to fight hunters to survive inevitable death. They meet Plath, a lead hunter who seems to be on their side after an encounter where Plath left them and helped them live but is Plath one of the good guy or bad guy?
The world building was phenomenal, I couldn’t put it down. The pacing was fast and I finished this book in one sitting. The story felt like dystopian-ish (a genre that I don’t usually read) but it worked well for me. The end of the story was intriguing so I can’t wait to read on what will happen to Orion in the next book. An awesome book to start what seems like a great series. For only $.99 this is definitely recommended and worth it.
May 31, 2015
Exciting, New, Fresh, Full of Twists, Suspenseful, A Perfect Must Read for all!I love reading this novel, An Unfortunate Journey! A spectacular novel that will keep readers coming back. The dialogue throughout was used properly and made for a funny yet suspenseful read.The main character is strong and she has a way of luring readers to feel her pain of the restraint of the rules enforced on her and others in her world. At first she is rebellious but then again some of the problems are ones where readers would say heck yes, she's right. And sometimes, the problems shouldn't be dealt with physical ends. Like fighting. But you have done an incredible job of writing an addictive as hell novel from a teenager's point of view on everything she knows and her feelings of frustration in how the situations are being dealt with. As well as how she deals with the unknow like being taken to Earth. Which is completely unknown to her. I loved reading this and I know many others will fall in love with it just like I did. Sara Daniell's talent with words, brings her novel to life and makes your characters realistic to us readers. I am definitely going to look forward to reading more of your brilliant work in the future! I highly recommend this novel to readers everywhere!
March 24, 2013
My Review: I loved the concept of this book. A world within a world. Orion and her best friend Sage live in a sphere that is on Earth but not of it. The people of her sphere know nothing about Earth and Earth knows nothing about the spheres of her world. Orion is very rebellious. Something not tolerated well in her world. She accidentally ends up being transported to Earth when she travels outside of the safe zone in her world. This is when it gets a little shaky. We do not know exactly how she ends up on Earth. Or why she ends up in the middle of a street in Iowa when the portal to her sphere seems to be outside of a town in Thailand. The story skips ahead several years instead of going into how the learns to adapt to this new world. They are constantly on the run from hunters from their sphere, who they are always killing then running without ever being hunted by the police of Earth, even though with blue hair and lots of tattoos they could be traced easily. That is just a few of the holes in the book. It needs a serious edit. It does have plenty of action. With a little more work it could be a good series. I give this book 3 stars.
September 25, 2012
This book is creative, fun, intense and at times downright creepy! Not a bad creepy, either, but a creepy that gets under your skin and makes you shiver as you thank your lucky stars you're not going through what the main character, Orion, is going through. She gets in gunfights, drinks, smokes, is on the run from a government that is trying to hunt her...oh, and she's a skilled shooter with no hesitation to kill. Orion is a rebel and a revolutionary, a witty, fiesty and temperamental heroine who will keep you on your toes all the way through this fast paced and exciting book. Glimpse is some parts dystopic, some parts science fiction, and other parts fantasy, which makes it a truly unique and one of a kind novel. Daniell does an excellent job creating memorable and realistic characters, and her imagination is truly amazing. I cannot wait to read the next of the Dwellers series and find out what happens next!
September 20, 2012
Anyone interested in viewing our world through the eyes of someone who comes from a very different society should read this novel. Sage and Orion are two very strong and determined young women whose thirst for truth and knowledge is admirable. The story is action packed from the very start as they accidentally leave everything they know behind and embark on a journey, running and killing to save themselves.
Daniell creates characters that you can’t help but become fascinated with. There is no awkward moment when you realise the heroine needs a strong man’s help, which is always refreshing. Her relationship with the main male of the story is complex and ever-changing, keeping you on your toes as you try to work out what his true agenda is. It is quite a short read, so the cliffhanger at the end is certain to leave you wanting more.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com
Daniell creates characters that you can’t help but become fascinated with. There is no awkward moment when you realise the heroine needs a strong man’s help, which is always refreshing. Her relationship with the main male of the story is complex and ever-changing, keeping you on your toes as you try to work out what his true agenda is. It is quite a short read, so the cliffhanger at the end is certain to leave you wanting more.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Wright on behalf of BestChickLit.com
September 9, 2013
I got this book for free on amazon and this book a great read. We have Orion Draper she is a Dweller. She lives in a sphere called Dandux and this sphere is on earth but not part of earth. The sphere has special rules to keep everybody under control and peaceful. Orion is curious and trouble always seems to find her. So it is no surprise when she finds herself eavesdropping on a Constable meeting. One word that makes no sense, "Earth", sends Orion on a quest for answers.
But now she's living as a fugitive together with her best friend Sage who came with her, the hunters hot on their tail. Orion is spunky she speaks her mind, she's cool and if she has to she can kick and kill to stay alive. Everything changes when Plath a special agent in the hunters crosses path with orion. Plath and Orion have some chemistry and between trying to kill each other fall for one another.Plath is keeping secrets and you wonder what's he hiding???
But now she's living as a fugitive together with her best friend Sage who came with her, the hunters hot on their tail. Orion is spunky she speaks her mind, she's cool and if she has to she can kick and kill to stay alive. Everything changes when Plath a special agent in the hunters crosses path with orion. Plath and Orion have some chemistry and between trying to kill each other fall for one another.Plath is keeping secrets and you wonder what's he hiding???
October 4, 2012
Great premise but some things just didn't make sense. One thing that really annoyed me was the dialogue. People use contractions when they speak - the dialogue was stilted and didn't flow. A lot of the time, I felt like I was reading a book written by someone that is not a fluent English speaker. As another reviewer noted, there was a lot of shooting but never any problems with the law. We didn't get much information about the world they came from and I didn't feel as if I knew them very well at all. Then there's the location of where they come from - when she crossed she was in the US ..............
Definately won't be reading the next one.
Definately won't be reading the next one.
November 5, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
An Unexpected Journey The Tale of Orion is a wonderful written story about a girl named Orion. She didn’t follow the rules and questioned everything. One day she and her friend Sage accidentally end up on Earth. From that day on she was living life on the run. Orion will learn that she is part of a bigger picture.
This story is amazing! It started off one way and then took a turn and went a whole other direction. I’ll admit I cried. It does give you feels. The author did a great job on the characters. Team Orion! If you like adventure with a little sci-fi then this read is for you! I give this 5 stars
An Unexpected Journey The Tale of Orion is a wonderful written story about a girl named Orion. She didn’t follow the rules and questioned everything. One day she and her friend Sage accidentally end up on Earth. From that day on she was living life on the run. Orion will learn that she is part of a bigger picture.
This story is amazing! It started off one way and then took a turn and went a whole other direction. I’ll admit I cried. It does give you feels. The author did a great job on the characters. Team Orion! If you like adventure with a little sci-fi then this read is for you! I give this 5 stars
September 21, 2012
"Glimpse" is an adventurous fast paced story where the action starts from the beginning. I had a hard time putting the book down as I wanted to see what happens next. Ms. Danielle pens her characters believable and you will find yourself falling in love with them. Recommended for all suspense/romance fans.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
July 22, 2015
3.5/5.0
“An Unfortunate Journey: The Tale of Orion” by Sara Daniell is a sci-fi tale of a young girl whose curiosity and incorrigible behavior places her on the run from the despicable Constable and the Sphere Hunters.
Read full review in the 2015 July/August issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“An Unfortunate Journey: The Tale of Orion” by Sara Daniell is a sci-fi tale of a young girl whose curiosity and incorrigible behavior places her on the run from the despicable Constable and the Sphere Hunters.
Read full review in the 2015 July/August issue of InD'tale Magazine.
January 30, 2013
The main character, Orion, is a bitch and outwardly disrespectful to people of power in a dystopian society. I don’t get why they tolerate this taboo behavior and because I she’s so unlikeable, I don’t care to find out. - DNF
June 6, 2013
3.5 stars
I had this book for some time, and i thought, well it is time to read it, so i did, i started and finished the same day. Now i need the second book.
Spoilers!
This book is kind of Divergent, there is this girl who can affect people, but she can not be affected, like Tris..
I had this book for some time, and i thought, well it is time to read it, so i did, i started and finished the same day. Now i need the second book.
Spoilers!
This book is kind of Divergent, there is this girl who can affect people, but she can not be affected, like Tris..
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews