Unity

by Laura Maisano

The fires in Illirin have died down, and the survivors are suffering under Emperor Nor’s tyranny. Unfortunately, Illirin isn’t the only world in danger of oppression. Nor’s pet wizard, Matt, has issued an insane ultimatum to Earth’s world leaders. Now Gabe and Lea are running out of time. Again.

For the past three months, Gabe has taken refuge on Earth with Lea. He’s broken and grieving, but he’s got to pull himself together to save those he left behind. Meanwhile, Lea prays Merlin’s prophecy of becoming powerful will come true. She’s busted her butt practicing her newfound magic. Too bad for her, she still sucks at it. Matt has had a lifetime to master his gift, and she’s fated to face him? Merlin must’ve made a mistake.

Together, Gabe and Lea go to Illirin hoping to locate help, but the Winged survivors won’t aid Gabe, who they hold responsible for their losses. While short on friends and adding new enemies, Gabe and Lea must find a way to defeat Nor and stop Matt’s plan. Failure could mean being torn apart, the Winged hunted to extinction, and Earth at the mercy of a wizard bent on domination.

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 28, 2016

About the author

Laura has an MA in Technical writing and is a Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian Fiction. She's the author of the Illirin series, SCHISM and UNITY.

Her gamer husband and amazing daughter give support and inspiration every day. Their cats, Talyn and Moya, provide entertainment through living room battles and phantom-dust-mote hunting. Somehow, they all manage to survive living in Texas where it is hotter than any human being should have to endure. http://lauramaisano.com

Reviews

[Cranky - The Book Curmudgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

***** 5 Cranky Stars *****

I read this book for The Twisted Book Curmudgeon and give it five stars. This series is a lot of fun to read with its action packed page turning adventures and romance too. The author has once again reminded me why I love to read her stories.



This is a fantasy adventure story with the themes of love, family and tolerance for those who are different. It takes place on Earth and another world, Illirin.



Lea, the lead character, finds she is not just a brilliant and strong young woman, but also a sorceress.



Gabe is the leading man. His role is not domineering, but compassionate. Don't get me wrong he is very courageous, and a talented fighter, but he is not an over the top alpha.



All the characters have a good and bad side, which makes them enjoyable to read about.



In Unity, the Earth is in peril and Illirin is in turmoil. It is up to both Earthlings and Illirinains to band together to save both worlds.



The twists in the story are wonderful. I just needed to know what would happen next.



The book is the second in the series and while I would recommend reading book one, it is not needed to understand the story line, nor the connections between the characters.

[D.L. Hammons · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a little more than I year since I read the first book in this series, SCHISM, and I’m happy to report that the follow up – UNITY -- was easier than I expected when it came to picking up with the characters. When I read Laura Maisano's first book, I said then - For me, one of the traits of a good book is when it’s able to overcome one or more inherent prejudices of the reader. Urban Fantasy is not a genre I'm particularly fond of, nor are books that are obviously part of a larger series, but neither of these elements prevented me from enjoying what turned out to be a very enjoyable reading experience. That sentiment still holds true here. The second book resumes the action three months after the events of the first book and it doesn’t take long before we’re back in the thick of things. With the Winged are defeated back in Illirin and Gabe struggling with his part of the slaughter, the plot kicks into high gear when Matt (the Reaper) sends Earth a message: he’ll provide access to unlimited power without the harmful effects to the environment, in return our leaders must simply submit to his rule. The thinly veiled threat sends Gabe and Lea back to Illirin to deal with Nor and fulfill the prophecy Lea has been struggling to come to grips with.

I’m not a big fan of multi-part series that seem to go on and on just for the sake of selling more books, so I was pleasantly surprised with the ending of UNITY. Each of the characters, both new and old, have a carefully laid out arc that had me invested in their journey, which even included the “bad guys”. My biggest compliment has to be saved for the conclusion, which brought forth a very satisfying (and a bit surprising) close. Once again Ms. Maisano has done a wonderful job interweaving resonating emotional content inside a very detailed plot, and making it all seem effortless. Her knack for believable world building, something that is far too often overlooked in books of this genre today, shines here.

No matter what genre you prefer, this is a pleasant tale that almost anyone would enjoy. I devoured it in a single day, which was a shame, because the experience was one I would have enjoyed drawing out for several.

[S. Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review assumes that you have read Schism, and contains spoilers for book 1.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Unity picks up three months after Heten Nor took control of the Stand of Unity and with it, all of Illirin. The Winged are defeated, with just a handful of survivors suffering under the control of the Seers. Gabe and Lea have had a few months to rest and heal, but Gabe is wracked by guilt over his part in the battle. Matt appears and gives the leaders of Earth an ultimatum: submit to his rule in exchange for unlimited, pollution-free power. Matt’s threat to Earth prompt Gabe and Lea to return to Illirin to end Nor’s rule.

Gabe and Lea find a small resistance movement, including Gabe’s sister Aimee, fighting back against Nor’s army and providing refuge for survivors. Lea struggles to learn how to control her abilities, and studies the book of magic reputed to have been written by Merlin himself. They have to find a way to break the power that Nor and Matt hold over both worlds, and the book might hold clues if only they can decipher them in time.

I particularly enjoyed that none of the main characters are perfect. With both Earth and Illirin threatened, the stakes are higher. Gabe, Lea and Aimee worry not only their own safety, but the extinction of the Winged and the threat of a brutal dictatorship taking over both linked worlds. They undertake dangerous missions because they know they have to, but success is not guaranteed. They show their ignorance, luck, pride, jealousy, ingenuity, and sometimes let their emotions get the better of them.

Earth’s response to Matt’s threats struck me as unrealistic. Humans are a belligerent species, the USA in particular, so I expected squads of soldiers in armor and breathing gear to show up at any time and join the fray. However, their intrusion may have been too much to add to an already full cast of characters. The last third of the book is an action-packed page turner that I couldn’t put down until the very end.

Overall, Unity is a satisfying conclusion to the Illirin duology. In keeping with the overall themes and characters of the series, there is no guaranteed happily-ever-after, but the lessons learned will shape the dual worlds of Illirin and Earth for years to come. If you enjoy this series, check out the prequel novella, “Breaking the Schism” available for free.

[Lisa Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review... and was more than glad to catch up with Gabe and Lea!

Laura Maisono's recently released SF/Fantasy novel, UNITY, provides a satisfying conclusion to the story begun in her debut novel, SCHISM.

In the early chapters of UNITY, the author inserted bits of backstory to refresh the reader's memory. She also reintroduced the world of Illirin with rich language that fully immersed the reader in the physical setting. Several months or more had passed since I read the first book, so I found the reminders helpful. The vivid descriptions were simply beautiful.

UNITY is told from multiple points of view. Because I was reading the book at a busy time, catching a chapter here and a chapter there, there were a couple times I had to flip back a few pages to keep track of an individual character's storyline. This probably would not have been an issue if I had been able to read at a more relaxed time. Overall, the author made clear shifts between points of view - no wondering whose head I was in - and the multiple viewpoints served the story well in developing the characters and their relationships with one another. I especially appreciated the intrigue added by knowing just enough of a certain character's motivation.

Stylistically, the writing was clear with a nice balance of poetic narrative and snappy humor. The dialogue was realistic, heartfelt and funny in turn. At times elegant, at times contemporary, the writing fit well with the theme of converging worlds - modern-day Earth and the more fantastical Illirin. Humor interspersed throughout the narrative brought the characters to life and a smile to my face. The book did contain some language that might be offensive to some readers. I, personally, didn’t have a problem with it, but it's something to be aware of if the occasional swear word is an issue. On the other hand, more conservative readers will appreciate the protagonist's commitment to "save that action for the wedding night."

SCHISM and UNITY together tell a tender story of friendship, love, and healing. The relationships between characters throughout the series, and especially in UNITY, make this a series I would recommend to Young Adult and New Adult readers in search of a story with a whole lot of world-hopping heart!

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I want to avoid any big spoilers for the first book, I'm going to try to avoid discussing the events of Unity in detail in this review. However, I do want to say that I loved how familiar this book felt when I picked it up. It had been a year or so since I read the first book, and at first, I was worried that I would be confused going into book two. Not only did everything from book one come back to me easily, there was a familiarity to the world that you just couldn't get from the first book, since it was your introduction to the world, and that was a pleasant surprise. It was a nice aspect of the book that definitely added to my enjoyment as I read.

Because I'm so used to series being trilogies or longer, I wasn't expecting the sequel to so strongly wrap everything up and conclude the story. That was a nice surprise, and another one that I greatly enjoyed. It was nice to read a story that, even though it expanded two books, was rather short in comparison to many series. I feel like the characters achieved what they needed, and I almost wish I was okay with adding spoilers to this review just so I could talk more about the ending.

As I said in my review for the first book, there are some elements of this series that I almost remind me of science fiction even though the series is fantasy. It adds a very unique flavor to the story that I quite like, and I think it might broaden the appeal of the story to some who aren't always up for fantasy.

But no matter what genre the book is, it's a nice story, and I think there are many people out there who would enjoy reading a fun series that's only two books long as opposed to getting into a longer series that may take ages to actually finish.

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/20...

[Jane Lebak · Rating 5 out of 5]

YEAH! All the characters from Schism are back, and with a vengeance. Literally. Gabe has it in for Matt because of everything he's done (actions that have earned him the non-coveted title of Reaper), but he's still...well, he's Matt. Lea's struggling to learn her power so she can survive fulfilling that centuries-old prophecy. And then there's Gabe's half-sister who's trying to figure out where everyone stands now that they're all struggling under a tyrant dictator who doesn't trust anyone, including his own daughter.

If you loved the first book, you really need the second. Do it!!!!

[Crystal Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little heartbroken at the conclusion of the last book. I'm not going to lie. So in opening this one, I was looking for redemption, and redemption I found. The plot twisted places I didn't want it to go, but that means I was feeling overly protective of the characters. Because I'm attached. Because the author did a fabulous job with them. Let me just say, I really hate the villains. Still, I got an ending that made me happy. A wonderful conclusion and a great journey, what more could a body ask for?

[Russ Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why not a trilogy?

Fine, I'll have to settle for only two. Unity is a good follow through which really ups the stakes for Lea and Gabe. Imaginative world with an almost anime feel, this series should appeal to young and new adult readers. More than a simple romance between the two this series explores a unity of sex, race, trait, mundane and magical. Enjoyable and quirky from start to finish.

[Esther Haddie's Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! I love the follow-up to the last book. I love every aspect; the author's writing is great. Gabe and Lea; I love their relationship. Had me going for a moment when Lea took off and then is brainwashed. Sheesh! Fantastic story, I could not put it down.

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking back into a good series. This book continues were Shism left us. This series for me is action packed and a wonderful adventure. I loved reading this series and think it ended well. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*