Surviving a disintegrating planet. The aftermath is even worse. After earthquakes nearly destroy the sky cities, a small colony of sky-born migrate to the drought-stricken surface of Tara, where each day is a struggle just to stay alive. They try and eke out a semblance of a normal life, but they haven’t factored in the dangers lurking on the surface, as well as a hostile race of earth-born living nearby, whose presence creates trauma for some in the colony. The story explores the challenges of surviving with little or no water and food, and attacks by unknown creatures in a hostile environment. The plot follows the lives and destinies of Freya, now crowned queen, the earth-born Fin, and several key sky-born characters as they face increasingly difficult challenges on Tara’s surface. There’s a heart-warming naivety at the core of this dystopian tale, but also emotional layers that readers will savour as they’re stripped away from characters.
Elizabeth Klein, grew up in a small village in New South Wales. She trained as a teacher and taught for almost thirty years, but in 2015, she and her husband left Sydney to travel around Australia in a caravan. She’s written three YA books, two junior fiction and two educational texts, with four more to be released soon. She has also written many short stories, articles, plays and poems.
The second book in the gripping story of a planet that has been shattered first by an alien race which mined minerals from the planet,extracted the water leaving it a barren desert resulting in earthquakes not only on the surface but also on the sky cities where those with wings live.
When the alien race was destroyed in the end of book one some survivors of the largest sky city which Freya now became queen of chose to go to the surface because of the unsafe conditions above. With Fin and her fellow sky hosts they try to eke out an existence on the unforgiving land. One unlucky girl is caught by a despicable excuse for a human being and brutalized leaving her broken in more ways than one. A fellow sky born follows her and is also captured. They find the earth born split into two camps those who would be friendly towards their race and those who aren’t. They also discover a source which could save them both from dying if they can work together.
Meanwhile monsters from their world fall from the sky and terrorize them and destroy their lives and the crops they’re trying to grow. However, two people are able to recover after much effort their father’s notebooks which will help them survive and a land girl like Fin appears with a gift as well which is also immeasurable to their survival!
This book doesn’t pull any punches as things look very dark for Quill, Cal, Jiz, Loren, Freya, Fin, Elowen and the rest as the two earth sides rise up against each other in a coup and monsters from the sky and below attack our friends.
It’s an intense, adrenaline, heart stopping, page turning adventure you’re sure to enjoy but you must read book one Elizion Shield first to get the background to enjoy this book fully!
This book shows what can happen if people from two different races can accomplish if they can work together and put their differences aside. Wouldn’t that be nice if we here on our own planet could do that ourselves?
I heartily recommend you get and read both of these books! They are excellent and are well written! They will keep you glued to the pages and the plot as you race through the story but at the same time I hope you’ll also reflect on what you’re reading and hoping if you see things you don’t like being pushed that could destroy our planet you would take action before it’s too late!
Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. The second installment into this awesome series is different, but complimented the first book by describing the emotions of the sky born after they had to make a home on Tara while their world fell apart. You can feel the heartaches, the tension and fear of the unknown. The fights and confrontation fit well into the story as people met with the unknown. But, I could cheer, because for each bad event that took place, it turned into mind blowing discoveries. The complicated plot flowed smoothly with nothing confusing. The more I read, the harder it was to it down. Like a rollercoaster that made a slow ascent to the top of the first hill, then picked up speed and excitement as I read all the twists and turns. I loved all the feelings of hope, even after a brutal defeat. The way you described the planet healing and having underground pockets of what used to be on the surface is a very interesting concept, and you made it totally believable. If I could rate this story with more than 5 stars, I would.
Loved this quick developing story! Can’t wait for part 3. This book begins with attempts at environmental renewal of Tara while Ataraxia continues to crumble. Sky born and Earth born are having to create new alliances while challenges to their efforts to provide food and water for their communities are seemingly futile all while greedy, monstrous creatures dog them at every turn, and old prejudices hamper new beginnings. A page turner I couldn’t put down! Hurry up with the next one please!
Ataraxia is collapsing under the weight of severe earthquakes. The citizens, winged individuals known as the sky-born, must strive to find a way to exist on the earth planet Tara. But Tara’s terrain is extremely dry and hostile. Water is almost non-existent. Fierce creatures prowl through the desert surface destroying life and wreaking havoc, making survival an almost impossible task. More than half of the sky-born population have chosen to remain in their homes on Ataraxia, which continues to crumble. Add into the mix the suspicion and mistrust of the sky-born and earth-born population to work together and create a solution for life for all. What is the way forward?
Elizion Fractured is the sequel to The Elizion Shield, where the reader is introduced to the earth-born man, Fin, and the sky-born queen Freya. They form a strong bond of friendship and collaboration, but over the years, things distance their relationship. Queen Freya works with representatives from other empires to form allegiances, but there is much at stake. Would the alliances even work, let alone be able to provide aid and solutions to the massive problems of food & water shortage, let alone the catastrophic earthquakes which continue to plague Ataraxia?
Elizabeth Klein has skilfully woven a tense tale of survival, fight and flight, mistrust, treachery, death and destruction, but in the end, hope for the future. Her myriad of characters and creatures include those who are both entrancing and hateful. With setbacks, violence and betrayals, this story keeps the reader turning the page, willing the innocent and “good guys” to win and survive, despite the odds.
Highly recommended for both young adult and adult readers, this dystopian tale will keep the reader hooked to the end. We can only hope there will be a third Elizion adventure to anticipate in the future. Five out of five stars.
After the Long Drought, Tara has become very inhospitable. Freya it trying hard to be the queen the Sky Born need her to be, but it is obstacle after obstacle. Fin is there but the difficulties fray that relationship. Even they other visiting Sky Born can't be trusted to help her vision come true.
You will absolutely feel yourself drawn into this world as the author's description wraps the challenges around you. You will reach for that glass of water as you will feel every bit as dry as the red desert sands.
To compound their misery beings whose existence was assumed to be nightmares are not. Everything is struggling for life, including your worst nightmares.
If you enjoy being totally immersed in a fantasy world, welcome to the world the author brings you. Allow yourself to travel there and you will feel all the emotions. There is anger, love, despair, sorrow, gallantry, and just about everything else you can imagine.
This is the second book of this series and it does not disappoint. It is full of action.
Some of the sky-born are now living on the surface of Tara. It is hot and dry with red dust everywhere. Not only do they have to survive lack of water and food, but there are dangerous creatures that cause havoc to their colony.
Freya has now been crowned queen with the death of her father and sister. She struggles to rule. Fin tries to help but is shunned at times by her.
This is an enjoyable read and I hope there is a third book.