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The Between #3
The Nothing
When people in Wakeworld begin dying in their sleep, Vivian Maylor travels through an increasingly unstable Between on a quest to stop the mysterious epidemic. Although she has no love for the dark magic of the Sorcieri, they hold the only hope of stopping the disaster. Vivian has one chance to save the worlds – if she can persuade the Master of the Sorcieri to share his secrets, and if she is willing to sacrifice everything she loves…
- GenresUrban FantasyFantasy
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2015
1 person is currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Schafer
22 books218 followersKerry Schafer (aka Kerry Anne King) is the Amazon Charts and Washington Post bestselling author of thirteen novels. An incorrigible genre hopper, Kerry has written fantasy, paranormal mystery and book club fiction. Known for her lyrical writing and memorable characters, Kerry weaves deep emotional insights, humor, and often a touch of magic into all of her tales. Her most recent writing venture is an amateur sleuth novel, Party Planning Can Be Murder, releasing in March of 2025.
In addition to writing, Kerry co-hosts the One Happy Thing podcast with bestselling authors Jennifer Moorman and Maddie Dawson and runs Author Genie, where she provides virtual assistant services to fellow authors.
Kerry lives in a small town in northeastern Washington with her real-life Viking and a crew of neurotic rescue animals—two dogs and four cats—whose favorite pastime is interrupting her writing.
In addition to writing, Kerry co-hosts the One Happy Thing podcast with bestselling authors Jennifer Moorman and Maddie Dawson and runs Author Genie, where she provides virtual assistant services to fellow authors.
Kerry lives in a small town in northeastern Washington with her real-life Viking and a crew of neurotic rescue animals—two dogs and four cats—whose favorite pastime is interrupting her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 13, 2017
This is an awesome read!
I knew things would be difficult and I knew not everyone was going to make it out in one piece, or even alive, but I still hoped and rooted for all my favorites.
What an emotional roller coaster!
Vivian and the others encounter lots of danger, difficult decisions, and heartache. There are choices to be made, sacrifices... I can tell you I shed some tears over events in this book.
Everything leads up to an edge of your seat finale that blew me away. What a great ending to a wonderful and emotional series. This series is a keeper for sure!
I knew things would be difficult and I knew not everyone was going to make it out in one piece, or even alive, but I still hoped and rooted for all my favorites.
What an emotional roller coaster!
Vivian and the others encounter lots of danger, difficult decisions, and heartache. There are choices to be made, sacrifices... I can tell you I shed some tears over events in this book.
Everything leads up to an edge of your seat finale that blew me away. What a great ending to a wonderful and emotional series. This series is a keeper for sure!
June 18, 2017
I absolutely loved this book! It was skillfully written, fast-paced, and extremely suspenseful. From the very first page, the reader can see how bad things are. All of the worlds have been damaged; people and creatures are dying. The stakes are very high for Vivian and her friends.
I can’t think of another book off-hand where a character had so many lives and deaths to feel responsible for, and Vivian handles the pressure commendably. She doesn’t wallow in guilt for her failures or snap under all the responsibility. She trudges on despite the difficulty and grief.
The Nothing picks up right where Wakeworld left off. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. I’m sad that this was the last book.
Vivian and Zee (and others) go right from one dangerous, fantastical situation to the next. I had no problem suspending disbelief because Shafer makes everything so detailed and realistic. She is a highly creative author.
Some elements in this book felt like twisted versions of other stories such as the fable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the nothing from The Neverending Story, and the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, and perhaps a little of The Matrix. If you have read this book, you probably know what I am talking about. Some people might see this as copying, but I didn’t. More than one person can have the same idea. Plus, these things are only vaguely reminiscent. They are in no way identical. I liked that bit of familiarity.
I loved how the women in the book were strong and could defend themselves, and how the men were strong but not overly bossy.
I also appreciated the multiple points-of-view because the reader needed to know things going on in other locations at the same time. It helps the reader see how truly unstable the worlds are.
I was confused in one part because I didn’t understand why Isobel didn’t count as Vivian’s “blood of her blood” or “flesh of her flesh.” This wasn’t that big of a deal to me. It doesn’t affect my overall impression of the book.
For some readers, there might be too much death in the story. While I was saddened at the deaths, it made me understand how truly dire the situation was for everyone.
The romance was developed naturally, allowing the characters to work through their differences and love one another for who they truly were. They had to come to terms with themselves and with one another, accepting the bad with the good. When they finally made love, it was perfect. I thought it was handled very tastefully.
The Nothing is now one of my favorite urban fantasy books. It leans more toward fantasy because a lot of the story takes place in worlds that are not our own. If you like a lot of danger, some romance, and well-built fantasy worlds, I recommend reading The Between series by Kerry Schafer. It is definitely a series I would read again and again.
I can’t think of another book off-hand where a character had so many lives and deaths to feel responsible for, and Vivian handles the pressure commendably. She doesn’t wallow in guilt for her failures or snap under all the responsibility. She trudges on despite the difficulty and grief.
The Nothing picks up right where Wakeworld left off. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. I’m sad that this was the last book.
Vivian and Zee (and others) go right from one dangerous, fantastical situation to the next. I had no problem suspending disbelief because Shafer makes everything so detailed and realistic. She is a highly creative author.
Some elements in this book felt like twisted versions of other stories such as the fable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the nothing from The Neverending Story, and the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, and perhaps a little of The Matrix. If you have read this book, you probably know what I am talking about. Some people might see this as copying, but I didn’t. More than one person can have the same idea. Plus, these things are only vaguely reminiscent. They are in no way identical. I liked that bit of familiarity.
I loved how the women in the book were strong and could defend themselves, and how the men were strong but not overly bossy.
I also appreciated the multiple points-of-view because the reader needed to know things going on in other locations at the same time. It helps the reader see how truly unstable the worlds are.
I was confused in one part because I didn’t understand why Isobel didn’t count as Vivian’s “blood of her blood” or “flesh of her flesh.” This wasn’t that big of a deal to me. It doesn’t affect my overall impression of the book.
For some readers, there might be too much death in the story. While I was saddened at the deaths, it made me understand how truly dire the situation was for everyone.
The romance was developed naturally, allowing the characters to work through their differences and love one another for who they truly were. They had to come to terms with themselves and with one another, accepting the bad with the good. When they finally made love, it was perfect. I thought it was handled very tastefully.
The Nothing is now one of my favorite urban fantasy books. It leans more toward fantasy because a lot of the story takes place in worlds that are not our own. If you like a lot of danger, some romance, and well-built fantasy worlds, I recommend reading The Between series by Kerry Schafer. It is definitely a series I would read again and again.
September 25, 2015
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Review Courtesy of: Books That Hook
The Nothing is the third and final book in the Between series.
I absolutely loved this book! It was skillfully written, fast-paced, and extremely suspenseful. From the very first page, the reader can see how bad things are. All of the worlds have been damaged; people and creatures are dying. The stakes are very high for Vivian and her friends.
I can’t think of another book off-hand where a character had so many lives and deaths to feel responsible for, and Vivian handles the pressure commendably. She doesn’t wallow in guilt for her failures or snap under all the responsibility. She trudges on despite the difficulty and grief.
The Nothing picks up right where Wakeworld left off. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. I’m sad that this was the last book.
Vivian and Zee (and others) go right from one dangerous, fantastical situation to the next. I had no problem suspending disbelief because Shafer makes everything so detailed and realistic. She is a highly creative author.
Some elements in this book felt like twisted versions of other stories such as the fable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the nothing from The Neverending Story, and the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, and perhaps a little of The Matrix. If you have read this book, you probably know what I am talking about. Some people might see this as copying, but I didn’t. More than one person can have the same idea. Plus, these things are only vaguely reminiscent. They are in no way identical. I liked that bit of familiarity.
I loved how the women in the book were strong and could defend themselves, and how the men were strong but not overly bossy.
I also appreciated the multiple points-of-view because the reader needed to know things going on in other locations at the same time. It helps the reader see how truly unstable the worlds are.
I was confused in one part because I didn’t understand why Isobel didn’t count as Vivian’s “blood of her blood” or “flesh of her flesh.” This wasn’t that big of a deal to me. It doesn’t affect my overall impression of the book.
For some readers, there might be too much death in the story. While I was saddened at the deaths, it made me understand how truly dire the situation was for everyone.
The romance was developed naturally, allowing the characters to work through their differences and love one another for who they truly were. They had to come to terms with themselves and with one another, accepting the bad with the good. When they finally made love, it was perfect. I thought it was handled very tastefully.
The Nothing is now one of my favorite urban fantasy books. It leans more toward fantasy because a lot of the story takes place in worlds that are not our own. If you like a lot of danger, some romance, and well-built fantasy worlds, I recommend reading The Between series by Kerry Schafer. It is definitely a series I would read again and again.
Review Courtesy of: Books That Hook
The Nothing is the third and final book in the Between series.
I absolutely loved this book! It was skillfully written, fast-paced, and extremely suspenseful. From the very first page, the reader can see how bad things are. All of the worlds have been damaged; people and creatures are dying. The stakes are very high for Vivian and her friends.
I can’t think of another book off-hand where a character had so many lives and deaths to feel responsible for, and Vivian handles the pressure commendably. She doesn’t wallow in guilt for her failures or snap under all the responsibility. She trudges on despite the difficulty and grief.
The Nothing picks up right where Wakeworld left off. This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. I’m sad that this was the last book.
Vivian and Zee (and others) go right from one dangerous, fantastical situation to the next. I had no problem suspending disbelief because Shafer makes everything so detailed and realistic. She is a highly creative author.
Some elements in this book felt like twisted versions of other stories such as the fable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the nothing from The Neverending Story, and the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, and perhaps a little of The Matrix. If you have read this book, you probably know what I am talking about. Some people might see this as copying, but I didn’t. More than one person can have the same idea. Plus, these things are only vaguely reminiscent. They are in no way identical. I liked that bit of familiarity.
I loved how the women in the book were strong and could defend themselves, and how the men were strong but not overly bossy.
I also appreciated the multiple points-of-view because the reader needed to know things going on in other locations at the same time. It helps the reader see how truly unstable the worlds are.
I was confused in one part because I didn’t understand why Isobel didn’t count as Vivian’s “blood of her blood” or “flesh of her flesh.” This wasn’t that big of a deal to me. It doesn’t affect my overall impression of the book.
For some readers, there might be too much death in the story. While I was saddened at the deaths, it made me understand how truly dire the situation was for everyone.
The romance was developed naturally, allowing the characters to work through their differences and love one another for who they truly were. They had to come to terms with themselves and with one another, accepting the bad with the good. When they finally made love, it was perfect. I thought it was handled very tastefully.
The Nothing is now one of my favorite urban fantasy books. It leans more toward fantasy because a lot of the story takes place in worlds that are not our own. If you like a lot of danger, some romance, and well-built fantasy worlds, I recommend reading The Between series by Kerry Schafer. It is definitely a series I would read again and again.
August 17, 2015
I finished reading Wakeworld and immediately picked up The Nothing. Almost a 1-sit read. I think it was a 2 –sit read due to work calling ;-)
The Nothing closes the trilogy begun with Between, and though this story is now satisfactorily and happily ended, the ending leaves it open for another adventure as soon as the heroine and her companions are rested enough to take it on.
Vivian and Zee must overcome some serious problems, both for the Dreamworlds, which are dying, and themselves. If the Dreamworlds die, people will be unable to dream, and they will die. Vivian must reconcile her three personas—Dreamshifter, Dragon, and Sorceress in order to save the day. But, if she shifts to Dragon one more time, she will die, thanks to a wound by dragonstone when Zee threw the knife at her.
People live in Dreamworld, and people die in Dreamworld, and people make sacrifices in Dreamworld for those they love just as they do in our world, Wakeworld. Having said that, I will say the ending is more than satisfactory.
Seldom do I read a series that MUST be read in order, but this is one of them. While you may be able to read them out of sync, it will be ever so much easier if you start at the beginning of the story and read through to the end. Not only will the worlds make better sense, so will the characters. We have the marvelous opportunity to see them change, grow, learn, and in many cases become people I wish were real and I could meet. A well-written and skillfully produced series of books. My world is better for having read them.
And, yes, Poe is in this book, too. He's so marvelous. He's one of the characters I'd love to know. If Vivian ever needs a penguin sitter, I'm her gal. And Bob. Bob can stay with me, too. Any time.
The Nothing closes the trilogy begun with Between, and though this story is now satisfactorily and happily ended, the ending leaves it open for another adventure as soon as the heroine and her companions are rested enough to take it on.
Vivian and Zee must overcome some serious problems, both for the Dreamworlds, which are dying, and themselves. If the Dreamworlds die, people will be unable to dream, and they will die. Vivian must reconcile her three personas—Dreamshifter, Dragon, and Sorceress in order to save the day. But, if she shifts to Dragon one more time, she will die, thanks to a wound by dragonstone when Zee threw the knife at her.
People live in Dreamworld, and people die in Dreamworld, and people make sacrifices in Dreamworld for those they love just as they do in our world, Wakeworld. Having said that, I will say the ending is more than satisfactory.
Seldom do I read a series that MUST be read in order, but this is one of them. While you may be able to read them out of sync, it will be ever so much easier if you start at the beginning of the story and read through to the end. Not only will the worlds make better sense, so will the characters. We have the marvelous opportunity to see them change, grow, learn, and in many cases become people I wish were real and I could meet. A well-written and skillfully produced series of books. My world is better for having read them.
And, yes, Poe is in this book, too. He's so marvelous. He's one of the characters I'd love to know. If Vivian ever needs a penguin sitter, I'm her gal. And Bob. Bob can stay with me, too. Any time.
January 20, 2016
A nice wrap to a unique and fast-paced series. Schafer earns 4.5 out of five stars from me here.
Some of the tension points felt forced to me. Since I'm not one to spoil a read for others, I won't go into specifics. Let's just say that The Nothing conveniently swallowed some people and things that ripped conflict away. Sure, it added trepidation about the end of all things, but it felt too easy in a few cases.
I was unhappy to say goodbye to a character I had struggled to like but who grew on me, like mold in the Pacific Northwest. Other "sacrifices" also felt a little convenient. If the groundwork had been laid a little more, I could have accepted one of them.
A couple events made me think "there's more to it" but they weren't revisited, so either I was wrong or the author didn't know she left loose threads. Or perhaps she wanted to leave an opening for more books later.
In any case, I devoured this series in short order. If you like paranormal or urban fantasy, this series is certain to pat your fur in the right direction.
Some of the tension points felt forced to me. Since I'm not one to spoil a read for others, I won't go into specifics. Let's just say that The Nothing conveniently swallowed some people and things that ripped conflict away. Sure, it added trepidation about the end of all things, but it felt too easy in a few cases.
I was unhappy to say goodbye to a character I had struggled to like but who grew on me, like mold in the Pacific Northwest. Other "sacrifices" also felt a little convenient. If the groundwork had been laid a little more, I could have accepted one of them.
A couple events made me think "there's more to it" but they weren't revisited, so either I was wrong or the author didn't know she left loose threads. Or perhaps she wanted to leave an opening for more books later.
In any case, I devoured this series in short order. If you like paranormal or urban fantasy, this series is certain to pat your fur in the right direction.
June 19, 2015
Wow. This book is amazing. And to think, it almost didn't get published. That would been a sad, sad thing. Thanks to everyone who helped Kerry Schafer bring this book into being. Out of The Nothing, so to speak. Kind of fitting in a way that this book should be born the way it was then, I guess.
If you haven't read the rest of the series, go do that. Then pick up a copy of The Nothing. It was awesome and everything I hoped it would be.
And now I'm kinda sad it's over. =o\
BTW, since the gov't goons say so, I have to tell you that I consider Kerry Schafer a friend of mine, but she didn't give me this book. I paid for it. And she didn't ask me to even write a review, let alone a good one. The good review is strictly for the awesome story. I wouldn't play it any other way.
If you haven't read the rest of the series, go do that. Then pick up a copy of The Nothing. It was awesome and everything I hoped it would be.
And now I'm kinda sad it's over. =o\
BTW, since the gov't goons say so, I have to tell you that I consider Kerry Schafer a friend of mine, but she didn't give me this book. I paid for it. And she didn't ask me to even write a review, let alone a good one. The good review is strictly for the awesome story. I wouldn't play it any other way.
April 30, 2015
Shame I am reading this book or trying.. I got it through ILL, but the book they sent me the print is so small I can't read it (reading)
April 30, 2017
End of an imaginative series with both cool dreamworlds and the very dangerous Between connecting them. High stakes and lots of action leading to a satisfactory conclusion. Lots of difficult choices faced by Vivian and Zee.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews