Haven

Desolace #2

by Lucian Barnes

Katie finds that the town of Haven is not what it seems as she continues her journey across the strange world of Desolace, searching for her friend, Julie. During her travels Katie makes new friends, but also makes a horrifying discovery. The creatures that she thought to exist only in myths and legends, while she grew up on Earth, are very real on this world! The only bright spot is a message that Katie receives from Julie, but the message is filled with a sense of urgency. Will she find Julie in time? Or will the darkness of this world consume Julie first, leaving only a useless husk of flesh behind?

Genres: Paranormal, Horror

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2012

About the author

I spent most of my youth in rural Ohio and began writing stories at an early age. Many of these early attempts at story-telling were inspired by mysteries, such as those found in the old Hardy Boys books and the cartoon antics of Scooby Doo. As I entered my teenage years I began to drift away from writing stories, instead picking up my pencil to compose lyrics for heavy metal songs because my new dream was to become a musician. That vision remained hopeful for many years after my high school graduation, but like most dreams of this nature it died out as I became older.

After working several menial jobs through the years that followed, my thoughts again began to turn toward writing books. Inspired by my favorite author, Stephen King, I took an online creative writing course and slowly began to develop my skills. In late 2010 I was given a violent shove, both by the job market (which was horrible to say the least, and still is) and by the persistent encouragement of close friends, to pick up my pen and begin writing again.

In early 2012, I gave birth (that's almost what it felt like) to my very first published book, Desolace. Finally having a completed novel in my hand was the best feeling in the world for me, giving me a sense of accomplishment I had waited a lifetime for. Since then it has gotten easier for me with each book I have published. Since the initial release of Desolace, I have published twelve more novels as well as an omnibus edition ebook of the entire Desolace series. Currently, The Art of Living is in the development stage.

Reviews

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was really impressed with Haven. It was so much better than Desolace was. With Haven you are more in the world of Desolace and you get a feel of everything.

Haven picks up where Desolace left off. Katie and her friends are still searching for her friend Julie who was abducted by Mr. M, their old school bus driver who has been dubbed "The Headhunter" by authorities because of what he does with his victims. He is now working for someone called The Black Knight and is abducting people in this other world to go and work at the factory.

While Katie is on her mission to find Julie she also has a mission to fight and defeat The Black Knight with the help of others. She needs a magician who is Edward, a healer, and a warrior named Mike. How are they suppose to defeat him they do not know, but with all of them working together they should be able to stop him before it is too late.
Katie learns that her best friend is alive but for how long? Will she get to her in time?
I did get one little chuckle out of this whole book the part where George enters into a town which was 33% into the book:
"It was so quiet where he stood that if a mouse were to suddenly fart, the noise of it would be deafening." That honestly had me chuckling a bit to where my husband looked at me very weirdly. Thanks for that little bit of humor in the book.
Haven is action packed from start to send, you will meet new characters, new enemies, myths that will come alive and the ending will have you wanting to read more in this series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven (Desolace 2), starts off right where the cliff hanger of Desolace ended making it an easy transition to book 2. In this book we say goodbye to Mike (twice). In between these two goodbyes we see his struggles dealing with his impulse actions and I can’t help but wonder……..what will become of the horse?

We are also introduced to a few new characters that join the group and aid in the quest of Katie (to find her friend Julie who was kidnapped by Mr. M, the parallel story in this book) and Edward the great (to get rid of the evil in the world of Desolace).

What I like best about this book is that the story flows along quickly and does not drag on. Like the 1st book, this one also ends with a cliff hanger leaving me anxious to read the 3rd book, Outpost 13.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review.
What a brilliant follow-on from "Desolace", exceptionally well written.
The journey and trials that Katie must endure, with the help of her new friends is brilliant and had me wishing I could read faster to see what happened next. As for the ending I cannot believe it ended like that, very teasing of the author :)
I am now anxiously awaiting the next book to see what happens next on Katie's journey and to see if she finally manages to save Julie.
A must read for anyone :)

[Jennifer Treviño · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I look forward to the next!
Haven was a great read! I had not read the 1st book Desolace beforehand, but I have to say I was not confused at all nor did I feel I was lacking info. to enjoy this book. ;) The author gave us plenty of background & details to put us right into the story. I enjoyed the characters & watching their relationships progress. There was plenty of action, magic, & just enough drama. I'll be sure to read the next book to see what happens next! :)

[Alicia Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucian has grown a lot as an author since releasing Desolace, and boy are you in for a treat! Just when you think you have an idea of the direction Barnes is leading you on, he slams you around and sends you head whirling. You are given a wonderful mix of horror, fantasy and paranormal as new characters are introduced into the storyline. Keeping reading, you won't regret it.

[April Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed book 2 just as much as the 1st one.
I don't even like books that have anything to do with werewolves and vampires, but I liked this one. Maybe because it wasn't the main subject of the story.
Now I'm off to read the 3rd book of this series!

[Terri Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the new adventures and characters in this book... I can't wait to see what happens next. Outpost 13 can't come fast enough! LOL

[Christoph Fischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Haven” by Lucien Barnes is an ambitious project, combining elements of the fantasy genre with the paranormal. The story focuses on a woman from Earth trying to find her friend who has been abducted by a serial killer, now operating in a different world that can only be reached via a portal.
Slavery, bats, werewolves and a Black Knight are just a few of the ingredients in this rich and busy story. I personally felt that this genre bending did not always come off properly but I enjoyed the creative ideas and the potential the concept added to the story telling. As we are already moving in a world full of possibilities I found this twist refreshing and adequate. I am not a regular to either genre and I was at times amazed at the huge volume of creatures and beings that were to be found in one and the same book but once I had put my (not needed ) rational mind to rest I rather liked the experience.
If I were to name one thing that I did not like about “Haven” it would be the language Barnes uses, which in my opinion varies too much between heroic speech and colloquial expressions. Having said that, there is an appeal in what can be seen as ‘realistic’ dialogue in contrast to the other-worldly affected style of language, and maybe all it needs is a little more consistency in its usage.
I liked the descriptive style the author uses to paint the scenes in his book. We can imagine the creatures and places very well, something quite vital to the genre, and another area where Barnes succeeds.
The pace of the story is very rapid at times which does not always give the characters enough time to absorb the new events and plot, an area that needs to be looked at for the next instalment of the series. At the same time, it is this thick and evolved plot that made the story so readable and left me frustrated when the book ends with a beginning rather than a conclusion.
I am sure that Lucien Barnes, a writer with talent and plenty of ideas, will become a great and regular contributor to the genre.

[Heather Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up right where Desolace left off. Katie and her friends are still searching for Julie, who was abducted by a serial killer dubbed the Headhunter and taken through a portal to an alternate dimension. There he is working for The Black Knight, kidnapping villagers to work in the Black Knights factories. While looking for Julie, Katie has another mission, she has to find A magician-Edward, a hunter-herself, a warrior-Mike, a healer, and a religious person. They are the people who are supposed to help her defeat the Black Knight and his robotic minions. They are under attack right away and there is non stop action from beginning to end. One of the members of her group will be forever changed by an event and she will find another one of the people to fill one of the missing slots. Accompanied by old and new friends, she will find out that the things that she thought were only myths, are actually real. Vampires, werewolves,fish people, are they friends or foes? Katie does get confirmation that Julie is alive, but for how long? She is much closer to finding Julie, but at what cost? She will lose a member of her group and still must continue. Not only to save Julie, but to save the world. This book is rich with fantasy and fantastic creatures. The evil robotic animals, insects, etc. are very original and very deadly. This young girl is a great heroine, she keeps on plugging away no matter what happens. There definitely will be another book, as she has to finish finding the people that will complete her group and still has to find Julie.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series must be read in order. Each new book picks up where the other left off for an almost seamless story flow. The first book is Desolace.

Katie and Edward continue their quest to thwart evil and find Julie. Amid the mystery that engulfs them their group ebbs and swells creating all sorts of havoc. Above all they must weather the trials before them and complete their mission no matter the cost. They must ellude metal creatures and the serial killer George.

There is plenty of action and adventure to be had for the characters. Mysteries abound among all the thrills and chills. I really enjoyed this book even though the horror was toned way back from the levels found in the first book. The fantasy angle being expanded made up for it nicely :) I would reccomend this series to Clive Barker fans and I cant wait to read the next one!!

*** this book is suitable for adult readers only

[A Belle & A Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Haven picks up right where Desolace left off. I like that there is not a lot of flash backs and retelling from the first story. Barnes get right to it. (It's a series. You should know what happened.) There is a lot going on in this series from George collecting people for the Black Knight to Edward and Katie building there team to locate Julie. The series is complex and full of twists and turns. I enjoy how the author weaves in elements of paranormal and science fiction into this thriller.


I feel guilty giving this story only 3.5 stars. I love the storyline; however, unlike Desolace, Haven tells the story without painting you the picture. Barnes leaves it up to your imagination. I am new to his books and I prefer more flowery writing BUT the story itself it good enough to stand on its own. I highly recommend this series.

[Mark Bordner · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reader, do you get tired of books that seem to have the same flavor as so many others within a particular genre ?

I found this one a rather delightful mix of fantasy, horror, and even a touch of sci-fi. It takes skill to successfully mesh two different genres, let alone three. I knew straightaway that this was going to be a journey over uncharted territory, and the experience was refreshing.

Scenes are described in vivid detail. The characters believable, and so importantly, relatable. You care about them, and the author's writing style allows you to take part in the story through their eyes.

Haven is book 2 in the Descolace series, yet another that I'm compelled to add to my growing collection of reads.

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading book one I was excited to find a true thriller!
When the author jumped to a paranormal edge I found it disconcerting!

So hen I started book 2 in the seriesI was somewhat nervous!
This time however the author stayed in the paranormal genre and the book, plot line etc flowed much better!

The story linecsomewhat reminds of Stephen Kings -- The Dark Tower series with the drawing of the three etc!
This is however quite unique and turned out to be a nice read!

With thevamount of growth the author has shown I can honestly say I look forward to reading his next book in this series!
WaAr

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Haven is the second book in the Desolace Series. Katie has traveled to Desolace in order to rescue her best friend from a serial killer. Can she find her in time?

Haven is a quick, fun read. The character development is good and the action/quiet ratio is just about perfect. I would like to see a bit more polish, there is some awkwardness in the dialogue, but nothing off putting. All in all, Haven is a good read.

Haven can be classified in the YA fantasy genre and I would not hesitate to have anyone over the age of 10 read it.

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel this book continues the series well as it does take off where Desolace left off. Seemed to me to be well written with well developed characters. The dialog and story line flowed smoothly. More of the paranormal elements were brought in including werewolves and vampires and the metal bugs were kind of cool. There was also a bit more of a scifi element also with going to Desolace which seemed to me to be a bit like a planet.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

In book 2 we follow the group on their way to find Mr. M. We pick up a few new characters and lose just as many. The story line was really good but wasn't scary to me. I wished it had more of the serial killer aspects to it. I enjoyed the read as more of a sci fi then horror. Can't wait to read book 3! WaAR

[Michael Darkstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven was just as mind-bending as Desolace. So many twists and turns that you never knew what was coming next. That's one of the main things I like about this author...his unique unpredictability. The only thing predictable is that if it's really nasty...you can bet it's not dead yet!...Or maybe it is...

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following on from Desolace, Haven continues the story of Katie’s hunt for her missing friend Julie.

This book is definitely an easier read than Desolace. The story is not disjointed and has less waffle than it’s predecessor. The problem I had with book one was that it started off as a really good thriller but then in a surprise twist the paranormal aspect was introduced. I have nothing against paranormal, but for me the way it was woven in didn’t work well and kind of spoiled the story for me.

The difference here is that from the out set it is clear that the storyline centers around a different dimension with ghosts and supernatural beings, so we know from the start what we are getting. Lucian’s writing skills have also improved, he has reduced the amount of overwritten scenes of mundane actions that slow the pace to a crawl, and has increased the amount of show not tell that aid tension building and feeling.

I can see how much growth this writer has shown between book one and two of this series and can only imagine that as he works on book three, his gained experience and reader feed back will only prove to help him produce an even better piece of work. I look forward to reading it.

[A Belle & A Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven is Book 2 in the Desolace Series by Lucian Barnes. The author writes an amazing prologue to bring the reader up to speed in case it has been awhile since you read Book 1, Desolace.

Haven not only continues the murderous path George began on Earth but also Katie's search for her friend, Julie. The story turns more scifi-ish (is that a word?) with time travel and 3 headed robotic creatures.

There are so many elements to this series. It just keeps getting more interesting with each turn of the page.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought Haven was much better than Desolace only because I knew where we started and where we were going. There wasn't a conflicting plots. The characters get a little more developed and seem to grow a bit. I was sad to see Mike spend such little time on the journey. Even after dying and returning to life as a vampire. I am still waiting for him to show up alongside Amber every night. This is a good read I would recommend to the YA reader.