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Dronefall #2
Lightwaste
The strongest lies are invisible.
Halcyon Slavic wanted to disappear. That was why she ran away from society in the first place. She could slip under the radar, do what she believed was right, be whoever she wanted to be. In her smothered world, these simple desires all require some degree of anonymity.
Yet when she accidentally discovers that she has in fact, no legal identity on the world-wide database, something changes. Apparently, the facts of her own identity are being hidden, but why? In a fevered search for the answer, Halcyon leaves the shadows of District Three Point Five and returns to the exposure and control of the world she was raised in—a world that dangles by a fragile string of well-told lies.
She’s come to get the answers. She’s come to pull the mask off. And she’s come to wreck the equilibrium in ways she never thought she could.
Halcyon Slavic wanted to disappear. That was why she ran away from society in the first place. She could slip under the radar, do what she believed was right, be whoever she wanted to be. In her smothered world, these simple desires all require some degree of anonymity.
Yet when she accidentally discovers that she has in fact, no legal identity on the world-wide database, something changes. Apparently, the facts of her own identity are being hidden, but why? In a fevered search for the answer, Halcyon leaves the shadows of District Three Point Five and returns to the exposure and control of the world she was raised in—a world that dangles by a fragile string of well-told lies.
She’s come to get the answers. She’s come to pull the mask off. And she’s come to wreck the equilibrium in ways she never thought she could.
344 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2025
8 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Buehrer
10 books65 followersSetting aside her childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot in favor of an occupation where she was slightly less likely to die, A. L. Buehrer started writing fiction as a teenager. Since then, she has dedicated her life to creating compelling and unforgettable stories for Christian audiences.
She also runs a serial fiction blog called Unsweeteneddarjeeling.com where she shares a weird variety of short stories with anyone who wanders in out of the cold.
She also runs a serial fiction blog called Unsweeteneddarjeeling.com where she shares a weird variety of short stories with anyone who wanders in out of the cold.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 22, 2019
This series occupies a very special shelf in my brain. (What, you're going to act like you don't have them? You know you do...) For lack of a better term, I shall call it the "I will jump on this immediately the moment I see it available, no matter the current state of my book budget" shelf. Which is a step above the "I will add this to my TBR as soon as it's advertised and buy it as soon as I reasonably can" shelf where most of my favorite authors and series gather. Seriously, I cannot put into words how hard these books suck me in. For example, there was a few weeks' delay in finishing this book while I muddled through some technical issues on Amazon's end, but the minute I checked to see that the problem had been corrected, I was immediately back to "how can I not drop everything and finish this now?!?" mode. (Sadly, I was at work, so it wasn't possible. The agony!!!)
Suffice it to say that only a few series have ever made me react quite like this, so my feelings for it are a little hard to describe. But I will try...
I have missed all my lovely District 3.5 characters so much! I was a little afraid that I wasn't going to see much of them because of Halcyon's extended stay at the school, but not to fear! All my other babies were still present and vital enough that I didn't feel deprived. Also, not sure why, but Shep's poem made me laugh more than any other part. XD And Zoltan's story--I now want to hug him more than ever. <3<\3 With all the intensity, uncertainty, and apartness (is that a word?) through most of the story, I missed all the lovely banter a bit, but the last chapter melted my heart into little pieces. <3<3<3
Also, must take a minute to talk about Halcyon. She really surprised me in this book; with the way she's been so good at keeping her head down and slipping out of the spotlight, I was amazed at how many times she put herself out there, speaking the truth even when it was dangerous, not backing down from what was important, and refusing to go along to get along. In other circumstances, it might have felt inconsistent, but that wasn't really the feeling I got. More like this was an aspect of her that we've only seen glimpses of but that's becoming more defined and probably will continue to grow and mature as the series continues.
The setting and descriptions were as well-defined as ever, and you guys probably can't understand what a serious compliment that is coming from me. I am not a real setting and description person by any stretch of the imagination, I usually feel bogged down when an author spends a lot of time on details, and I usually pretty much ignore the background and focus my attention on the characters--to the point where most of the books I read end up playing out across a nondescript gray canvas, no matter how much work the author puts into painting the picture. I can't pinpoint what A.L. Buehrer does differently, but her settings literally pop off the page for me, to the point where I see them without trying and they don't distract me at all. Not sure how or why, but wow! Definitely keep up the good work!
So, the plot in this one built on a few things that happened in Dronefall, introduced a lot of brand-new complication, and left a lot of threads hanging, both from this book and the first one. What on earth is going on? How is it all connected? If a certain person is actually connected in a way that another certain person suspects they might be, why on earth aren't they doing something about the certain other person? What on earth is their game? And the Ambassadors' game? And everyone's game?!? Yeah, I know you're probably confused, but so am I. But not in a bad way, just in a "must find out" way! *glares at remaining unpublished books*
I really loved Halcyon's perception of the school and everything related to it and the way that her observations told us so much about both the system and herself. And honestly, the "logic" and conclusions this society has come to are all the more disturbing because they're not that far off from what's already going on today. So realistic it's very believable. And yet the thread of hope hasn't broken, for which I am very grateful.
Back to waiting for the next book in the series... Definitely pick these up if you haven't--especially if you enjoy complex dystopian (minus all the cliches; seriously, not a love triangle in sight!), diverse and lovable characters, and innovative, tech-saturated futuristic settings with lots of intense action! Actually, I'm not sure how many of these things would have been on my shortlist of "things I love" until I started this series, so even if you're on the fence, you might want to check them out anyway. These books might just surprise you! ;)
Content--some illegal activity against a repressive government; intense action, including chases, explosions, etc.; some mention of wounds and blood (not graphic); mentions of vaping and paraphernalia (used by villains); mentions of burning witches, etc. in anti-religious propaganda; mentions of profanity; mentions of children being taken from parents for "psychological abuse" as a result of religious beliefs; brief mention of a suicide
Suffice it to say that only a few series have ever made me react quite like this, so my feelings for it are a little hard to describe. But I will try...
I have missed all my lovely District 3.5 characters so much! I was a little afraid that I wasn't going to see much of them because of Halcyon's extended stay at the school, but not to fear! All my other babies were still present and vital enough that I didn't feel deprived. Also, not sure why, but Shep's poem made me laugh more than any other part. XD And Zoltan's story--I now want to hug him more than ever. <3<\3 With all the intensity, uncertainty, and apartness (is that a word?) through most of the story, I missed all the lovely banter a bit, but the last chapter melted my heart into little pieces. <3<3<3
Also, must take a minute to talk about Halcyon. She really surprised me in this book; with the way she's been so good at keeping her head down and slipping out of the spotlight, I was amazed at how many times she put herself out there, speaking the truth even when it was dangerous, not backing down from what was important, and refusing to go along to get along. In other circumstances, it might have felt inconsistent, but that wasn't really the feeling I got. More like this was an aspect of her that we've only seen glimpses of but that's becoming more defined and probably will continue to grow and mature as the series continues.
The setting and descriptions were as well-defined as ever, and you guys probably can't understand what a serious compliment that is coming from me. I am not a real setting and description person by any stretch of the imagination, I usually feel bogged down when an author spends a lot of time on details, and I usually pretty much ignore the background and focus my attention on the characters--to the point where most of the books I read end up playing out across a nondescript gray canvas, no matter how much work the author puts into painting the picture. I can't pinpoint what A.L. Buehrer does differently, but her settings literally pop off the page for me, to the point where I see them without trying and they don't distract me at all. Not sure how or why, but wow! Definitely keep up the good work!
So, the plot in this one built on a few things that happened in Dronefall, introduced a lot of brand-new complication, and left a lot of threads hanging, both from this book and the first one. What on earth is going on? How is it all connected? If a certain person is actually connected in a way that another certain person suspects they might be, why on earth aren't they doing something about the certain other person? What on earth is their game? And the Ambassadors' game? And everyone's game?!? Yeah, I know you're probably confused, but so am I. But not in a bad way, just in a "must find out" way! *glares at remaining unpublished books*
I really loved Halcyon's perception of the school and everything related to it and the way that her observations told us so much about both the system and herself. And honestly, the "logic" and conclusions this society has come to are all the more disturbing because they're not that far off from what's already going on today. So realistic it's very believable. And yet the thread of hope hasn't broken, for which I am very grateful.
Back to waiting for the next book in the series... Definitely pick these up if you haven't--especially if you enjoy complex dystopian (minus all the cliches; seriously, not a love triangle in sight!), diverse and lovable characters, and innovative, tech-saturated futuristic settings with lots of intense action! Actually, I'm not sure how many of these things would have been on my shortlist of "things I love" until I started this series, so even if you're on the fence, you might want to check them out anyway. These books might just surprise you! ;)
Content--some illegal activity against a repressive government; intense action, including chases, explosions, etc.; some mention of wounds and blood (not graphic); mentions of vaping and paraphernalia (used by villains); mentions of burning witches, etc. in anti-religious propaganda; mentions of profanity; mentions of children being taken from parents for "psychological abuse" as a result of religious beliefs; brief mention of a suicide
February 4, 2025
I loved this deeper look into the futuristic world of Dronefall. I felt like I knew the characters—mainly Halcyon, but also Zoltan—better in this installment, and they were beginning to fulfill some of the potential that the first book didn’t quite live up to. Halcyon’s self-reliance and loner tendencies make her one of the most relatable characters I’ve read about in a long time. The side characters are all uniquely interesting, although I’m not so sure about Dorian. St. Cloud is an intriguing if seldom-present character, and I’m curious to find out what he’s hiding—hopefully he’ll play a greater role in future books.
The characters aren’t the only aspect of this novel that stands out. The setting is a fitting backdrop for the dystopian plot. But what stood out to me most was the expertly integrated social commentary regarding the often-misguided attitudes many people have about Christianity. Woven into the plot about Halcyon’s old school, it didn’t seem preachy or out-of-place at all.
My only criticism, if it even counts as one, is that I still have so many unanswered questions about Global Mind, the new drones, the mysterious complex near District 3.5, and most importantly, how Halcyon fits into it all. Though I prefer to read books where important information is distributed throughout, with each installment revealing secrets of its own, I’m more than willing to read to the end of the series in order to find answers.
The characters aren’t the only aspect of this novel that stands out. The setting is a fitting backdrop for the dystopian plot. But what stood out to me most was the expertly integrated social commentary regarding the often-misguided attitudes many people have about Christianity. Woven into the plot about Halcyon’s old school, it didn’t seem preachy or out-of-place at all.
My only criticism, if it even counts as one, is that I still have so many unanswered questions about Global Mind, the new drones, the mysterious complex near District 3.5, and most importantly, how Halcyon fits into it all. Though I prefer to read books where important information is distributed throughout, with each installment revealing secrets of its own, I’m more than willing to read to the end of the series in order to find answers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews