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Dead Trees
Dead Trees 1 & 2
A 'boxed' set of books 1 & 2 (plus a bonus story entitled "Day of Amarok," exclusive to this set).
Dead Trees 1 Blurb:
Subterranean humanoids, existing since the dawn of man, arose from the belly of the planet. Humanity was unprepared. The undergrounders came with nails and claws and speed to kill people in the night, dragging bodies downward into dark tunnels teeming with rabid life. Civilization is now a ghost of yesterday and the remaining humans fight for survival.
One thing’s for sure- a scientist mommy battling beasties better be handy with a scalpel.
Elise Swanson is a widow and mother. She fights and prays that she can keep her little, broken family safe. She drives and drives, day after day, trying to escape a threat that seems… inescapable. Her hope fades, food is scarce and she watches her eldest daughter’s attempts to soothe the younger babe. Then she meets Jason- a father mourning the loss of his son, masking his pain with bravado and charm. He’s strong, despite his sadness, and love re-grows within him. Weeks pass and Jason’s singular desire becomes the continued safety of Elise and her daughters.
Bloody fights with beasties define the survival-road the companions travel. Even a few moments of safety and relaxation elude the group; time and time again, Elise must kiss her children goodbye, just in case tomorrow never arrives.
Against all odds, they reach a government safe zone. Even there, Elise finds that there’s no rest for the weary.
Doctors O’Toole and Peters have been studying the beasties under lock and key, trying to find an answer, but the doctors aren’t interested in saving humanity. Forced to lead two lives, Elise assists the good doctors in their pursuits while working secretly in sublevel lab 8 with her own team, Nick and Jamie. Their combined knowledge may be the key- the only hope humanity has of reclaiming the planet from the beasties. As long as they can keep their research secret, safe from O’Toole and Peters, they might discover the way home, the formula to click Dorothy’s sparkling red shoes three times and begin to recreate Earth as it was… before the humanoids came out to play on the surface.
What will happen when Elise, a neural engineer, Jamie, a medical researcher, and Nick, a computer wizard, are humanity’s best hope? The answer might be surprising. Wrapped up in all the uncertainty, violence, science lingo and beasties, they will find a strange solution to a new Earth.
And her name is Margaret.
******
Dead Trees 2 Blurb:
Two years of peace in a primitive setting can make anyone forget a past full of science, beasties, and blood.
******
On the day of her son’s birth, the past invades the Yukon valley where Elise and her family reside and they are once again forced to travel survival-road. The General has found her… tracked her across the miles. Elise is his obsession; he wants her for reasons beyond comprehension.
******
H2H was supposed to be the answer, but the world’s ‘savior’ has created a new pack of demons. The Rippers, beasties on steroids. Wild undergrounders are a mild nightmare in comparison.
Thankfully, humanity has an ace up its sleeves.
The question is: This time, when a new solution for saving humanity is put into action, what will the consequences be?
Dead Trees 1 Blurb:
Subterranean humanoids, existing since the dawn of man, arose from the belly of the planet. Humanity was unprepared. The undergrounders came with nails and claws and speed to kill people in the night, dragging bodies downward into dark tunnels teeming with rabid life. Civilization is now a ghost of yesterday and the remaining humans fight for survival.
One thing’s for sure- a scientist mommy battling beasties better be handy with a scalpel.
Elise Swanson is a widow and mother. She fights and prays that she can keep her little, broken family safe. She drives and drives, day after day, trying to escape a threat that seems… inescapable. Her hope fades, food is scarce and she watches her eldest daughter’s attempts to soothe the younger babe. Then she meets Jason- a father mourning the loss of his son, masking his pain with bravado and charm. He’s strong, despite his sadness, and love re-grows within him. Weeks pass and Jason’s singular desire becomes the continued safety of Elise and her daughters.
Bloody fights with beasties define the survival-road the companions travel. Even a few moments of safety and relaxation elude the group; time and time again, Elise must kiss her children goodbye, just in case tomorrow never arrives.
Against all odds, they reach a government safe zone. Even there, Elise finds that there’s no rest for the weary.
Doctors O’Toole and Peters have been studying the beasties under lock and key, trying to find an answer, but the doctors aren’t interested in saving humanity. Forced to lead two lives, Elise assists the good doctors in their pursuits while working secretly in sublevel lab 8 with her own team, Nick and Jamie. Their combined knowledge may be the key- the only hope humanity has of reclaiming the planet from the beasties. As long as they can keep their research secret, safe from O’Toole and Peters, they might discover the way home, the formula to click Dorothy’s sparkling red shoes three times and begin to recreate Earth as it was… before the humanoids came out to play on the surface.
What will happen when Elise, a neural engineer, Jamie, a medical researcher, and Nick, a computer wizard, are humanity’s best hope? The answer might be surprising. Wrapped up in all the uncertainty, violence, science lingo and beasties, they will find a strange solution to a new Earth.
And her name is Margaret.
******
Dead Trees 2 Blurb:
Two years of peace in a primitive setting can make anyone forget a past full of science, beasties, and blood.
******
On the day of her son’s birth, the past invades the Yukon valley where Elise and her family reside and they are once again forced to travel survival-road. The General has found her… tracked her across the miles. Elise is his obsession; he wants her for reasons beyond comprehension.
******
H2H was supposed to be the answer, but the world’s ‘savior’ has created a new pack of demons. The Rippers, beasties on steroids. Wild undergrounders are a mild nightmare in comparison.
Thankfully, humanity has an ace up its sleeves.
The question is: This time, when a new solution for saving humanity is put into action, what will the consequences be?
800 pages, ebook
First published May 29, 2014
1 person is currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Eli Constant
77 books83 followersEli Constant also writes as Eliza Grace.
The Victoria Cage Series and more.
***
Stalk Eli on social media:
Twitter @Author_EliC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorEliCon...
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The Victoria Cage Series and more.
***
Stalk Eli on social media:
Twitter @Author_EliC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorEliCon...
Books on Amazon: http://bit.ly/Author_EliConstant_Amaz...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 31, 2015
Review of Dead Trees, Book 1:
Eli Constant is an amazing writer. I knew that when I finished her first book, a dystopian novella, DRAG.N, which I loved so much I went on to read another of her books, a full-length novel, Mastic, which was very beautifully written. Therefore I couldn’t miss Dead Trees, and I’m happy I had the chance to read it because as with the first two books, it combines powerful writing with excellent characterization.
Dead Trees is a dystopian novel where humanity is attacked by undergrounders – humanoids who lived hundreds and thousands of years underground and now made their appearance to put humanity’s existence at risk.
The main character is Elise Swanson, a 41-year-old widow and mom of two little girls, fleeing from one place to another in hope to find shelter from the undergrounders, which is never an easy task. The book description on Amazon and Goodreads is detailed enough so I won’t go into too much detail about the book’s plot. What I’d love to say is that for the third time I was amazed at Eli Constant’s ability to create loveable 3-D characters who you get to know so well you start thinking of them as someone you really know and care about.
I’m a huge fan of Eli’s writing and I hope to read more books by her in the near future.
*** I got myself a copy of Dead Trees 2 and can't wait to get to it! ***
Eli Constant is an amazing writer. I knew that when I finished her first book, a dystopian novella, DRAG.N, which I loved so much I went on to read another of her books, a full-length novel, Mastic, which was very beautifully written. Therefore I couldn’t miss Dead Trees, and I’m happy I had the chance to read it because as with the first two books, it combines powerful writing with excellent characterization.
Dead Trees is a dystopian novel where humanity is attacked by undergrounders – humanoids who lived hundreds and thousands of years underground and now made their appearance to put humanity’s existence at risk.
The main character is Elise Swanson, a 41-year-old widow and mom of two little girls, fleeing from one place to another in hope to find shelter from the undergrounders, which is never an easy task. The book description on Amazon and Goodreads is detailed enough so I won’t go into too much detail about the book’s plot. What I’d love to say is that for the third time I was amazed at Eli Constant’s ability to create loveable 3-D characters who you get to know so well you start thinking of them as someone you really know and care about.
I’m a huge fan of Eli’s writing and I hope to read more books by her in the near future.
*** I got myself a copy of Dead Trees 2 and can't wait to get to it! ***
April 12, 2017
Continuing on from book 1. The cure for the undergrounders H2H has made 99% of the affected beasties placid and comatose but that 1% have evolved into something else. The general is back and stalking Elise after a two year gap. We find a heavily pregnant Elise and her family in the Yukon territory with the Vuntuta tribe. Filled with tragedy and death as the family try to survive and getting help from a new character along the way. This is a great book. Something that I enjoyed was that Elise annoyed me. It's not often that a main character does this. Despite being a protective mother she was also thoughtless and hypocritical. She didn't want her daughter in law starting a family due to the dangers of the apocalypse while herself heavily pregnant and because she had no bullets for Liv's gun she left it behind as it was no use to her but Lorne had treasured the gun. There were just little bits of her character I didn't like. The ending was left open for another book so I am waiting for part three. Why were the book titles changed?
All in all an excellent series if a bit long.
All in all an excellent series if a bit long.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews