Promise of Mercy

Dreamscape Warriors #3

by Kurt D. Springs

Deirdre watched as Marisa turned and looked at her. She was shocked when she saw the child in her enemy’s arms. The Gothowan woman turned away to shield the child. Deirdre saw the child’s face. The child was looking right at her. Her expression was more curious than frightened. Deirdre knew she could take the fugitive without touching the child. She reoriented her aim, and her finger began to tighten.

It is twenty-five years after the events of Price of Vengeance. Deirdre and her sisters have returned to their home planet of Etrusci after completing their training with the Finnian Shock Forces. Their homecoming plans are disrupted when their mother, High Priestess Celinia, and other leaders of the clergy are taken hostage, and their father, Colonel Liam O’Connor, disappears. In their desperate search for their father, they discover that the Rebellion is secretly building weapons that could end civilization as they know it.

Meanwhile, Liam has been befriended by a Rebel war criminal, a woman Deirdre has sworn to kill. Will Deirdre cast herself into the role of judge, jury, and executioner, or will she discover the promise of mercy?

409 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2015

About the author

Kurt D. Springs is presently an adjunct professor teaching anthropology, archaeology, and geography in New Hampshire. He holds a PhD. in anthropology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, as well as a Master of Literature in archaeology from the National University of Ireland, Galway, and a Master of Liberal Arts in anthropology and archaeology from the Harvard University Extension School. His main area of interest is megalithic landscapes in prehistoric Ireland.

Reviews

[LAWonder10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention all 'Star Wars' fans! This continuing action-packed second book of Kurt D. Springs series, contains continual action, drama, family relationships, unusual characters, inter-racial interactions, and suspense continually ongoing! Liam is separated from his family by an evil force. Survival of the family unit rests upon his daughters' skills. He could be forever lost to those who love and idolize him! Is there any possibility he is still alive?

The reader's interest never falters! Even better in this story, is the violence is not as graphic and the partial profane words are GONE! This book can be recommended for older YA s, with a warning of violence. Young Adult girls will especially enjoy it...It contains GIRL POWER!

Kurt Springer is a talented author with a very creative mind. The only problem - besides violence - I have with his sequel is it was distracting to me trying to figure out the wide variety of weird names. There is no Glossary to assist in the pronunciation, plus, there are several new characters added in this second book, to add o the confusion However, his creativeness of the characters is unique - albeit confusing - in the descriptions plus specific species titles.

I do truly enjoy the way the species come to an arrangement and live together peacefully, after overcoming their differences. I also appreciate the way the author alludes to the fact "you cannot judge a book by its' cover".

This was a very good tale.

*This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, of which I have given.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good to visit with Celinia, Liam, and Randolf again from the first book, Price of Vengeance. I grew close to all of them, especially Liam. Now, twenty-five years later I am introduced to Liam and Celinia's three daughters. It did seem as if the focus was on one particular daughter, Deirdre. So I became connected to her the most.

I liked the set up for the kidnapping and the motive but I did find that it seemed to stretch a little long with no action. Action is what I got spoiled on by the first book. It was instant action. So this lack of it up front made it a little harder for me to read this book as fast. However about half way is when the story picked up for me. From here I was able to really enjoy the book and read it faster. Deirdre is quite the warrior, just like her father. The world and the characters that the author has created is wonderful. If you are a fan of sci-fi, military, or just looking for a new author to read then you have to check out this series. You will not regret it.

[Victoria Brinius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marisa is an enemy with a child in her arms. She is trying to protect the baby from Deidre, her enemy. Deidre gets ready and aims, she wants to shoot Marisa and she knows she can and not hurt the child. 25 years have passed and Deidre's mother the High Priestess has been abducted. Her father is gone and Deidre has come back to fight with her sisters. Deidre must work fast to find and save her father before anyone else gets killed. Will she be able to change her feelings? I give this book a 4/5. I was given this book for a review and these are my opinions.
- See more at: http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com/2...

[Andreea Zelenyak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I officially died and went to heaven when I had this book in my hands! I had really high expectations, and I'm happy to say...I wasn't disappointed!
I liked it even more than the first book, maybe because of Deirdre, which was my favorite character...and then we have Liam...:)))
From the first pages we discover that the three daughters of Liam and Celinia...Deirdre, Aisling and Bayvin are 'pains in the ass' at school (well, the cover did show them as badasses, so,...).
In a small compound on the Isle of Circe, three aged humans , the Utopian Founders were resting in their stasis chambers, put there by Marisa (who was Azurius lover, before dumping him) and Azurius promising them new and young bodies.
Kergan, a rebellion against the Galactic Alliance and a protege of Azurius, before Liam killed him was trying to wake them up after six centuries.
Then we see Liam, Celinia and their other son waiting for the arrival of their three beautiful daughters. Meanwhile the three Founders planned an attack on the Temple. The plan was to take the priestesses prisoners and inject them with a drug that neutralizes their telepathic abilities (they missed one of them though, Kia), to get rid of Liam by sending him through an inter-dimensional portal and to kill Liam's children.....the third thing though, didn't go as planned.
Now the action begins.....the girls have to rescue their mother and the other priestesses and find their father, who apparently ended up on Terra (where his ancestors once lived) and found an ally in Marisa, who apparently has a daughter (and in a way, Liam is her father....he and Azurius).
Rescuing the priestesses was very intense and interesting...the three girls were brave and their brother was trying to help them. In the end, everything worked out perfectly and they managed to save everyone!
And then, we have Liam, who is so good and gentle and tries to help Marisa's daughter to get rid of some mean ghosts that were trying to scare her...
Then Liam's daughters and his wife managed to open the portal and go get their father and husband back home, safe and sound!
Liam's son just didn't impressed me much and I just couldn't connect with him at all...the girls though, I loved them. Deirdre was fantastic, wonderful, courageous and because of her, it was difficult to put the book down and stop reading...I was so curious to see how the adventure will end!
I enjoyed the battle on Terra.... the fight between Kergan and Liam; the fight between Deirdre and Kergan in the dreamscape; the way Marisa was trying to run and save her daughter. I even have to admit that Aidan was brave and did a great job in defeating the enemies.
In the end Deirdre didn't kill Marisa. She just couldn't do it. So, Marisa managed to escape with her daughter - and although she was bad and crazy in the first book, I'm happy to see that she reconsidered her actions and decided to make things right!
A very interesting, exciting and entertaining story with a beautiful and epic ending!!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful! A book that keeps you wanting more!

I loved this book! Promise of Mercy, Book 2 of Kurt's, Dreamscape Warriors, immediately had my full attention! Nothing got in the way of my reading Promise of Mercy. I'd been waiting for Kurt's next book and couldn't wait to see what was next find out of the gate with Ian's children the next family generation of Kurt's first offering, The Price of Vengeance. Liam's, children, four to be exact, didn't fall too far from the proverbial tree. His identical triplets are smart, savvy, well mannered and fully military trained. What a handful! Each is exceptional in her own way, but there's so much of their father in them. They learn fast, know how to survive and were gifted with a hybrid blend of unusual gifts from both parents. You'd think their little brother never had a chance, but his gifts blend well with the older trio and lead to nothing but success.

Springs is a master storyteller. His imagination flies and you can't stop reading! You'll get a dose of his magic every time you open one of his books. Take a unique reading experience, add a dash of authentic Gaelic, a pinch of ornery and shake well. Now, peek inside. You'll find Kurt's bag of stars, his universe, and you'll love it there!

Book 1 - Price of Vengeance - tells the tale of how Liam is the only survivor of his family, members of genetically enhanced, human race. Their creators, called the Founders were geneticists, left earth, Terra, to begin their experiments on another planet. Their objective was to create a war machine. The machine? A human warrior, tweaked through biology. These warriors would win every war and conquer Terra.

Book 2 - Promise of Mercy - Liam and his family, along with the other Finnian Clansmen, fight for survival in a galaxy that won't behave. Their story reveals growing pains, wisdom, honor and strength. Each character has knowledge of the chaos created by the Founders, and until the greedy are decimated, "The Fat Lady ... Hasn't Sang."

Until Book 3 has a release date from Tate Publishing, visit or connect with Kurt D. Springs, on nearly every area of Social Media. Learn his other gifts, and find out how an Adjunct Professor of Archeology, became a writer!

•Twitter @kurtsprings1

•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view...

•Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KurtSpri...

•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Price.of.Ven...

•Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
and more ...

•thestoryreadingapeblog.com

•Kurt's Frontier is an independent book review blog, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery. The blog may be found at http://kurtsfrontier.wordpress.com

I truly hope that you'll become acquainted with Kurt's, work. This reviewer, looks forward to each one of his future books, and I know you will too.

[Adam Oster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the fantastic people at iRead book tours in exchange for an honest review.



Promise of Mercy is actually the second book in a series of books by the author, but I was assured when being sent this book that knowledge of the events of the first book were not important for being able to enjoy this book. And for the most part, I believe this to be true. There are a couple things that came up often that I'm guessing were more appropriately described in the previous chapter of this saga that I still feel aren't quite fully emerged ideas within my head.

But those were all rather small things, things that my own background in science fiction allowed me to make up, even if I would question whether or not my version of the idea was actually matching up with the author's intent.

However, this title is much larger than minor issues with descriptions. This novel is a sweeping action piece that is located directly in the center of a major dynamic shift of an entire population of planets. That's right, planetS, plural. Right away at the beginning we are introduced to the revived Founders, the people who centuries prior had actually genetically crafted the beings that would become the population (or at least most of it) that we were talking about a couple sentences ago. They've been re-awakened, as part of a plan they laid out upon their deaths, and aren't exactly happy with what they see has been done with their creation.



But it doesn't just stop there, because this leads into a much larger conflict that has been brewing for years, which just so happens to have been nearing a giant battle right as these Founders came up for air.



It's a huge book, it's greatly high concept, while also being some fantastic hard science fiction. And, I'll admit that for the most part I enjoyed it. I mean, there's some really fun stuff going on here. There's an interesting juxtaposition of science and magic within all the science fiction-y action. It's all quite clever.

And this book doesn't really stop the action. The heroes of the tale seem to constantly be on the move to stopping the next issue in order to stay on top of everything and keep the world the way they need it to be.

And here is where my one real issue comes into play. Although the book is action-packed, the action can get rather slow. I can't quite put my finger on it as to whether it's an issue with the prose or with the plotting of the action or what, but often I found myself disinterested at rather exciting moments in the narrative. But, of course, that could have been more of a personal issue with my problems with heavily political titles than it really was an issue with the writing itself.

All the same, it's a fun/fast read and if you have any fun with hard science fiction titles, I'm sure you'll get a kick out of this one.

Buy it now!

[Jalynn Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Book:
Deirdre watched as Marisa turned and looked at her. She was shocked when she saw the child in her enemy’s arms. The Gothowan woman turned away to shield the child. Deirdre saw the child’s face. The child was looking right at her. Her expression was more curious than frightened. Deirdre knew she could take the fugitive without touching the child. She reoriented her aim, and her finger began to tighten.

It is twenty-five years after the events of Price of Vengeance. Deirdre and her sisters have returned to their home planet of Etrusci after completing their training with the Finnian Shock Forces. Their homecoming plans are disrupted when their mother, High Priestess Celinia, and other leaders of the clergy are taken hostage, and their father, Colonel Liam O’Connor, disappears. In their desperate search for their father, they discover that the Rebellion is secretly building weapons that could end civilization as they know it.

Meanwhile, Liam has been befriended by a Rebel war criminal, a woman Deirdre has sworn to kill. Will Deirdre cast herself into the role of judge, jury, and executioner, or will she discover the promise of mercy?

My Review:
Twenty-five years have passed and Liam as made an amazing family with High Priestess Celinia. Three girls and one boy, have become Liam’s life. But the girls don’t plan to follow in their mother’s footsteps, no, they have a dream to head to war.

Deirdre knows it’s her time to take a stand, just like her father had to. She promises to shows mercy to every person she must fight against. All but one, a Gothowan woman named Marisa. Deirdre’s loathsomeness goes far beyond hate, she wishes for nothing more than to kill her with her bare hands. But in the midst of it all, Deirdre’s mother is taken hostage and her father is missing. There is no time for fun and games, she must take action now before it’s to late. When she finds out that her father has befriended Marisa, fury boils within her, just waiting to escape.

Promise of Mercy is book two in the Dreamscape Warriors series. This book was just as adventurous as the first. It was full of excitement and action! I loved how this book, just picked up where it left off. I hope the author writes another book real soon!

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the author.

[Remy G · Rating 4 out of 5]

*may contain spoilers for Price of Vengeance*

As was the case with the first installment of Kurt D. Springs’ Dreamscape Warriors series, the second’s publisher bases its creed upon the biblical Psalm 68:11, though again, there aren’t a whole lot of religious overtones aside from some references to the Creator, and one character in the text mentioning that they’re not religious. The author dedicates the sequel to the late Andre Norton, the “Granddam” of science fiction, and further thanks family, friends, the editor, and the cover artist, alongside aid with occasional Irish Gaelic terms within the text and readers and reviewers responsible for the continuation of the sci-fi saga.

The prologue opens with Ambassador Jarek of the Galactic Alliance from the first book camping out on the planet Etrusci, his homeworld being Gothow Prime, alongside his various charges, which marks the first time Neo-Etruscans and Finnians come together, his business on the planet being a meeting with the High Council. Utopians striving to create a perfect society also receive mention. The main chapters pick up eleven years later at a small compound on the Isle of Circe in the Arctic zone above the Northern Continent of Etrusci, where three Utopian Founders find themselves broken out of cryonic stasis, and conspire.

Liam, also from the first book, is now married to Celinia, and has three daughters, chief among them Deirdre, and a son, Aidan; Swift Hunter the bear-lizard also has sundry scion, among them being his grandson Ted. Liam and her children ultimately find themselves in conflict with Marisa, and repeatedly throughout the book characters enter the dreamscape to espy upon one another, this ability figuring significantly into the book’s plot, which resolves nicely, in spite of occasional confusion, the need to reread passages to make more sense of things, and the need to be fully familiar with the first book to enjoy the second. Even so, those that enjoyed the first entry of the series will likely appreciate the second.

[Joanne Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:
Promise of Mercy
Kurt D. Spring
Tate Publishing

5-Star Sci-Fi Adventure
An exciting page-turning sequel even better than the original

Kurt D. Springs’ exciting sequel continues the story of Liam O’Connor and his family as they fight against the Rebels in a universe some six hundred years in the future.
In his first book, Price of Vengeance, we are introduced to a world of advanced mental capabilities. Priestesses use their mental capacities to heal body and spirit. Finians like Liam O’Connor can ‘dream walk’, leaving their physical bodies behind to explore and interact with other persons or things. Liam and others can step out of time, suddenly stopping external time while moving about in space and time. We were also introduced to lizard-bears who have telepathic abilities.
In his second novel, Promise of Mercy, Springs brings us twenty years into the future. He has adult triplet daughters who have followed in his footsteps into military careers. He has a younger son who has befriended a young lizard-bear. Together, they have planned a future in space with him as a pilot and his lizard-bear friend the astronavigator.
Enter ‘the Founders.’ Six hundred years earlier they had manipulated human genomes that ultimately led to both the priestesses and the Finians. The Founders have been reincarnated and are dismayed that their progeny have strayed from the ideals and purposes they had intended for them. Taking advantage of differences between different groups, they attempt to destroy the current civilizations, replacing them with their original ideals. The Founders target the Priestesses and the Finians knowing that they are his principal enemies.
I encourage you to read these exciting books to learn the outcome of this confrontation between past and present, between utopian ideals and harsh reality.

[Sondra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kurt Springs Has Done it Again!
By sondra kelly-green
on July 7, 2015
Format: Paperback
Dark secret: I am not a science fiction reader. But having read Price of Vengeance I was eager to read Spring's second. With more intergalactic gadgetry than James Bond, unique character development and sustained character sympathy, Promise of Mercy draws you into the portal of Spring's rich and fully imagined universe. While the action sequences were breathless and suspenseful, I most enjoyed the interaction of hero Liam's family. The fact that Springs chose three young women to dominate the action is, I believe, a breath of fresh air in what I perceive as a somewhat misogynist genre. And dominate they do, along with their young brother Aiden, who has all the mood swings, adventuresome drive and competitiveness of a teen and a youngest child. The family members are so compelling and it so rings true that you could place the story, with a few adjustments, in any time or place. That attention to detail, the tiny character faults, which bring them to life, and the ultimate triumph of justice makes for a swift and satisfying read indeed. Of course as any good book does, Promise of Mercy keeps you imagining once you've closed its cover. If only Kia and Michael had followed their heart... but that may be for the next book, as well as the possibility of a relationship between an older Gayla and Aiden... But again, I don't want to second guess a writer who has made his mark and continues to please. The story lies in gifted hands and I'm eager for Kurt's next book!!

[David Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

25 years after a viscous battle was fought on the planet Etrusci there is a new conflict. Deirdre and her sisters have returned to their home planet after their training with the Finnian Shock Forces. They find that their mother, High Priestess Celinia, and other leaders of the clergy have been taken hostage, and their father, Colonel Liam O’Connor has disappeared. As they struggle to find their father, Deirdre finds evidence of a plot to start a new war and Liam has made friends with a rebel war criminal. Will Deirde kill the rebels or show them mercy.

Promise Of Mercy by Kurt D. Springs is the sequel to Price Of Vengeance but it’s also a stand alone novel. I loved how fast paced this novel is and I liked it a little more than the first book for the simple reason that I was more familiar with the setting in this story. I liked the characters and the setting so much that it was nice to revisit it.

The thing I liked the most about Promise Of Mercy is the world that Kurt D. Springs has created. Everything is described in great detail and I enjoyed hearing about how they use their dreams to travel and how their weapons work. I also liked the concept in the story of someone having to show kindness to their sworn enemy. Promise Of Mercy is a great Science Fiction adventure set in a world that resembles ours in several ways but is different enough that it feels totally original. This is a great book for anyone who likes a well told story in a fantastic setting.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great continuation from Price of Vengeance! I love that it was 25 years after the first book. I also love that while the author did continue with a focus on Liam (who is a pretty awesome character), he added the story following his 4 children. Liam's triplet daughters were pretty bad-ass. Deirdre, Aisling, and Bayvin were so different... while being similar and complimentary to one another. And, while their brother Aiden was younger... he was really coming into his own before the end of the book. They're all really deep and well thought out characters. I wish there had been more time to get to know each of them more.

I can absolutely see that this series could go on in a number of directions by still following Liam, or any number of characters. Without a doubt... we need to see where Gayla's story takes her. There's no doubt she needs to come back into contact with Liam... as well as Deirdre.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the sequel to The Price of Vengeance, Liam's family has grown up and is having adventures of their own. When a rebellion takes over the temple, trapping Liam's wife, sister-in-law and other family members, it's up to his triplet daughters to save the day.

Dr. Springs writes a compelling read that I couldn't put down. I was drawn into the world of New-Terra and how a civilization comes together after a devastating change to Earth. Promise of Mercy is an exciting, fast-paced story of moral judgments and keeping the focus on doing what is right to the betterment of everyone.

In this brave new world, space travel, portals and other advances are possible but it's still the focus on family, compassion, community and love that keeps you entertained and dying to read more.

I highly recommend this series to fans of the great sci-fi masters.

[Crystal Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first book and was looking forward to spending more time with characters I love. Granted, I was a little disoriented at first, puzzling together all the new faces and sorting through the lesser characters I didn't quite remember from book 1, but by a couple chapters in I had my feet under me.

This is not a hasty book, a fact I appreciated. I could take my time and enjoy it. In the end, I was extremely satisfied and came away nodding my head.

A word to potential readers: This is deep Sci-fi. If you're a dabbler, this is probably not the book for you. If you enjoy futuristic societies, spaceship technology, and battle sequences, this book is the perfect fit.

Content warning: War violence.