Shift

The Caelian Cycle #3

by Donnielle Tyner

An alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here.

Chaos is what rules Sadie’s life. Separation, lies, and an overpowering Talent have pushed her fragile sanity to the breaking point. Without Kian to fall back on, Sadie has to learn that her strength comes from within – as well as from those she loves. Just when Sadie begins to attain some stability, the true nature of her Talent reveals itself, causing her world to shift.

War is on the horizon. Tensions are rising at an exponential pace between the US government and the Caelian citizens of America ever since the exploits of the HPC were exposed. Communities are being torn apart. The United States is on the brink of another civil war. Mistrust, hatred, and fear are the fuel behind the violence plaguing its citizens. Something needs to shift.

Peace is what unites the HCA and the Caelian families who strive for positive change. Some progress is being made, until Miles Koenig reveals his master plan 20 years in the making. Hoping to enact change and unify the nation, Sadie embarks on a dangerous mission not only to stop her grandfather, but to transform the pending war into a revolution for peace.

Everything is going to SHIFT

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2016

About the author

Hello! I’m Donnielle Tyner, writer of Science Fiction for young and new adults, reader of just about anything that catches my interests – mainly books with science fiction, paranormal/ fantasy, and romantic themes, and lover of science, tabletop games, anime, comic books, and crude humor.

I grew up in north Texas on a cattle ranch and although I have travelled extensively, I cannot seem to find myself living more than an hour away from where I was raised. Growing up, I was always the weird girl in school and luckily, I never lost my ability to always be the weirdest one in the room. You will always find me making inappropriate jokes and gigglesnorting at every double entendre.

If you want to join my Nerd Herd and be informed of new releases, possible ARC opportunities, and other important information, please sign up for my newsletter - http://eepurl.com/bpBYc9. I try to release a book every four months, but life is unpredictable when you have two small dictators living in your home.

Until next time… Stay Awesome!

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Political leaders can’t do it, but Sadie is determined to unify the US and the Caelian citizens of America in a revolution for peace while fighting the evil machinations of one vile man, her grandfather. Donnielle Tyner is back with Shift as one young woman with a powerful Talent learns the meaning of true strength and its origins as she stands against the odds stacked against her.

Sadie is caught up in a world of chaos and confusion, separated from those she loves and depends on, faltering, alone and afraid. Something is happening to her and she is yet to understand it, yet to uncover all the hidden truths and lies. Is her fragile mind disintegrating with each day?

This time out Donnielle Tyner allows Sadie to lead the way with more depth as the subtle shift she undergoes becomes obvious. Brilliantly, Ms. Tyner cultures more character depth and less action as she puts the finishing touches on a series that is fast-paced and tense. Her writing style is crisp, detailed and flows like magic from start to finish! Who wouldn't like a series that brings the force of youth, with their capacity to find romance in the worst of times and the will to prevail enthralling?

Anyone looking for fresh characters, intrigue and that never-ending battle between power-hungry monsters and heroes with heart against all odds, this series is an excellent choice and the final book is like icing on the cake.

I received an ARC edition from Donnielle Tyner in exchange for my honest review.

Series: The Caelian Cycle - Book 3
Publication Date: July 22, 2016
Publisher: Donnielle Tyner
ISBN-10: 153519894X
ISBN-13: 978-1535198943
Genre: Teen/YA Fantasy | Sci-fi
Print Length: 252 pages
Available from: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5/5

Shift is the third and last installment in the Caelian Cycle, a paranormal dystopian series by Donnielle Tyner.

Let’s recap and draw some context: the world is divided by Caelians, with DNA mutations that give them new Talents, and Norms, whose DNA is not altered. Of course, both sides have extremist groups that plot against each other. So, there is a political (and violent) fight over power in order to take down the opposite group. And the key piece that can make a difference in this conflict is Sadie.

Things have escalated to a point of no return in this dystopian world divided by Caelians and Talent-less Norms, and the only one who can put a stop to this whole mess is Sadie, our heroine. But there's something she needs to do before saving everyone she loves: save herself first. This third and last book in the series revolves around the most important quest Sadie has seen herself in: self-dicovery and the understanding of her Talent.

I think that what I loved the most about this series is the main character, Sadie. I understood her, connected with her and seriously liked her. She is not one of those heroines that throws herself into anything just because. She thinks, listens to the people around her and her best trait is that she values friendship over anything. Her friends are her family and she does anything in her power to protect them.

This was a good wrap-up for the Caelian Cycle series! The only thing I missed was little bit more of action.

If you are looking for a paranormal YA dystopia, I would definitely give this series a try.

*I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

[czai · Rating 3 out of 5]

this review is also posted at: the Blacksheep Project. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

* * *

So much excitement! But that was such a quick end.

Shift is the final book in the Caelian Cycle which I must say was a good series. I liked its world (the separation of those with and without Talents, how it started, and the inequality that's further rising) and its heroine (who really went through a lot since her Talent came out). It has good story development and as the series goes, Tyner basically delve into Sadie and into her Talent further.

I think Tyner has slowly but surely develop Sadie. She's a heroine with special abilities. She didn't know anything about her family until recently. It's so easy to like and understand her. And Tyner basically further develops Sadie into a stronger person who can stand for herself yet at the same time, knows that there are people around her who'd catch her. I also like how her ability was further molded into something really interesting.

My only gripe for this book is how it lack action and thrill. There were so many things going on and surely they were interesting. I like how a few more things were revealed which really built up Sadie further but then after all the planning and Talent discovery, the finale (or final battle) was just a chapter or so (but admittedly, it was epic!) and honestly lack the action.

OVERALL, Shift is a nicely written finale. It may not be an action-packed way to end a series, it had its own way of bringing unity into its world and that is utilizing Sadie's ability which I must say went through a great deal of things. The center of this series is Sadie. She had a great development and her ability evolved so much as throughout the series. The Caelian Cycle is a good quick read for those who enjoy scifi/fantasy dystopian that involves characters with unusual abilities.

POINTS ARE: (1) the world is super great (unusual powers = Talents!), (2) the heroine, Sadie, had such great development, (3) the romance also got a lot better (I LOVE how it's not overpowering the story, how it's there but as a support to Sadie, and a romance to ship!! haha), (4) the series was well wrapped up. The ending was beautiful and highly satisfying (but the action was not satisfying. let's move on from that, shall we?), (5) did I mention how much I LOVE the news reports in-between chapters?

[C.P. Cabaniss · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm a bit torn on this book. While I found it enjoyable enough I didn't love it. There wasn't enough happening. Uo until about halfway it felt like everything was just being cycled over again and again. Even the last half had some of that. And there was a lot of potential for conflict and growth among Sadie and her group of friends, but I didn't feel like it was ever met. Everything was too neatly brushed aside or plain ignored.

It had a satisfactory ending to the series, but this installment was not the best.

Full review will he on my blog on July 22 for release day.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Shift
Author: Donnielle Tyner
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Donnielle Tyner for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I would also like to make readers aware of the fact that I am reviewing an unfinished ARC and that things may be changed.

I have actually have the pleasure of reading this entire series as ARCs and found myself really enjoying them. This final book (I'm assuming final book) really does wrap everything up nicely. While it is no longer than the other books, I feel that there is more in it. I do feel that this final book was more character driven than plot. This does actually work for this series. In the other two books, I feel like there wasn't a lot of character exploration and this book just gives us a better look at the characters.

The main character, Sadie, pretty much has a mental breakdown in this one and is struggling to regain herself. It really is kind of refreshing to read this. It makes Sadie seem more human. In fact, she really did remain me of Katniss Everdeen. A strong character who goes through something awful, only to come out even stronger. It's just great! The fact that she is also becoming the face of something bigger than herself also really adds to the story. I would almost compare this entire book, not just Sade, to Mockingjay. I can't say how Sadie overcame everything, because it will ruin the book.

I did love all the current event clippings. They really added to the story. Those short entries allowed us to see what was going on the larger context of the book's world-without adding more characters. They were written in a way that was haunting and it just made it seem like you were actually reading a newspapers from the book.

The plot was pretty good. As pointed out, it was more character driven than anything. There wasn't a much action as the first two books. Most of the action was packed into the last twenty or so pages. It was still a well written book. Normally, I don't like that are more character driven than plot driven, but Donnielle does pull it off. She manages to wrap everything up without really dragging the series out longer than it needs to be.

Overall, not a bad read. I really do think fans of Mockingjay will enjoy this one! This is the third book in a series and should not be read out of order or as a standalone.

[Sarah-Jayne Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

Having had the opportunity to read the first books in this series, I was happy to be able to read the final book in this series, though I didn't remember everything about the previous books.

It was good to see Sadie again and I did like seeing the effects of the situation with Kian, even though I felt she could have handled that a bit better. It seemed somewhat odd that she went from not talking to him at all to everything being fine after just a brief conversation.

I liked being able to see Sadie training both in combat and with her Talent, though I would have liked to see both of those a bit more. Like her time with the psychiatrist, all I saw were the after-effects.

I especially liked learning some more about the different Talents, in particular Marianne's and Lily's. I couldn't help feeling a lot of sympathy for Lily, as it seemed she was quite alone.

It was also good to learn about Sadie's Talent as the book went on and to see that she wasn't immediately perfect at what she could do. I would have liked to see more of her interactions with the other characters, but it was interesting to see how she felt like an outsider at times. I would have liked to see her interacting a bit more with her aunt, as I didn't have a clear picture of their relationship even by the end of the book.

I really disliked Sadie's grandfather even more by the end of this book and although there were a lot of good elements of tension throughout, the traitor was someone I didn't really get to see at all in the book... and since I didn't remember them from the previous books, I couldn't really care so much. The same with the people who were killed towards the end.

I thought it was really interesting to see the articles and news reports about the hostility between the Normals and the Caelians, though I would have liked to see more from the outside.

I did really like this book and I thought it ended really well. In the future, I would really like to read more books by this author.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series and not a stand alone, since this continues to build where the other books left off.

Sadie is a caught at her aunt's mansion, separated from her friends and love interest, Kian. She's sure she's a prisoner, although all insist that's not the case, and she simply needs to find her position in the family. Her confusion and frustration is clear as she tries to figure out what to do from there.

This book isn't as much action as the first two but centers more on Sadie's attempt to dig through truth and lies to figure out who she really is and what the real intentions are of the people around her. The secrets aren't easy to crack, and the author does a wonderful job at letting only bit by bit come to light so as to keep the uncertainty and tension high.

Most is told from Sadie's vantage point, although a few short chapter jabs are sprinkled in like news flashes to give a hint at what chaos is happening outside of Sadie's mansion world, which worked better and fit in nicer than I might have expected. This created a lovely atmosphere for Sadie and her relationships with the others to mature as she discovers not only their true intentions, but the truth concerning her own talent as well.

The characters are well rounded off in this final book and there's a couple new ones introduced as well. Especially the 'mountain' guru adds a nice touch, and I was sad not to get more from him.

This is an easy story to sink into and I had no trouble reading it in one sitting. There are plenty of unexpected twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. The only disappointment came toward the end of the story and the final 'battle'. Here, the plot turns toward the outside world but never takes on the depth to really dive in, allowing the ending to come too fast and without the depth it deserved.

Summed up: This is a fun read which wraps up the series in most ways. The characters are especially well done and it's sad to see them go.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the final edition of The Caelian Cycle, we start off with Sadie as she spends her time with her aunt. With Finicky Francis there to tell her what she should be doing and wearing at any given time, her time there isn't as much 'fun' as she was expecting. However, this all changes with the arrival of Luca and McCredie. With tragedy and loss to contend with, Sadie has her work cut out for her.

This IS the third book in a series, so you do have to have read the first two for it to make any sense whatsoever. However, if you have read them, then you are in for a treat. This book isn't as full of action as the others, being more introspective as Sadie tries to understand her Talent before it overwhelms her.

I did feel that the ending came about all too quickly for my liking. I was completely engrossed in the story and then (it seemed) like within a few pages, it was all done and dusted. This was slightly disappointing as it was what the three books had been building up to. Also, there was the question of the moles and how it impacted Sadie and Co once they knew who they were.

Shift was extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors to distract the eye. The only thing taking away that fifth star was the abruptness of the ending. However, everything was still concluded nicely so, with that, I would have no hesitation in recommending this series or this book.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 22, 2016

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this last insatllment of the Caelien Cycle series, we find Sadie a little worse for the wear. She is forced to reside at her Great aunt's house while the war that was instigated by her Grandfather wages between Caelien's and the norms. Sadie is struggling with PTSD and her new environment missing her friends. She struggles to get her talent under control. With the help of some new faces and her old friends they seek to make Sadie better so she can play her part in ending the war. At what cost will it come to Sadie will she lose friends or possibly more?

In an Oyster Shell - It was a bittersweet ending to the Caelien Cycle series, I recommend this book and the whole series!


Full review: Writing Pearls

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, and the entire series really. The message behind it was amazing and the way the characters developed felt genuine... and the ending was just perfect. I don't want to give away anything but will say that I found the plot to be very fast-paced and overall I just couldn't put the book down.. I definitely would have read it a lot faster had I not had to do real life things, like work :)

I would highly recommend this author, series, and this book to everyone who enjoys a good supernatural suspense book. Just read this series, you won't be sorry.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this trilogy on my kindle, and the ending of the epic battle between norms and Caeliuns comes to a head between the Koenigs and the Moreaus, including Sadie and her friends old and new. A less heavy sci-fi/dystopian story than some, but still escapist fun. 3 stars.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

The story was on point!! The whole story was fantastic let just say it was short but interesting story. Loved every single word. The descriptions an the love that each character had for each other was amazing. Im very happy with the end of the book it gave me the chills

[E.A. Turley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shift by Donnielle Tyner.
4 out of 5 stars.
This is the last book in the trilogy, and although it kept me glued to it, I'm afraid the ending was a bit disappointing! It lacked the razzle dazzle of a big finish that you're not going to forget and fell flat on its face.
But don't misunderstand me, this is a good book that will keep you turning the pages, just like the other two books in the trilogy Lost and Bound as they entertain you.
It starts off with Sadie, now having been transferred to the Moreau Family, and trying to get used to being on her own as she adjusts to a whole new life, but her grandfather, Miles Koenig, hasn't finished with her yet. Although he has given up trying to win her over to his side, he isn't above killing off everyone she cares about, including herself!
I recommend this book , along with the rest of the trilogy, to everyone.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

review to come. this was a good book the series went from strength to strength