Petrified City

Chronicles of the Wraith #1

by S.C. Green, Lindsey R. Loucks

Welcome to Petrified City, where the dead don’t stay in the ground.

Ten years ago, an accident at the city chemical plant leaked toxins into the soil of the historic Brookwood Hill Cemetery. From the poisoned ground emerged the wraith – ghosts of the long dead who gorge on the energy sucked from the city’s dwindling population. Desperate to contain the threat, the government enclosed the city in a giant dome, trapping the wraith and the residents inside.

Now, there’s almost nothing left.

Sydney Cale – a thief with a strange and secret power – attempts to escape from the city’s jailers, only to find herself facing off against the wraith. She teams up with Alain, a raven shapeshifter who is a member of the Order of the Reapers, a powerful force who work to banish the wraith back to the underworld. Alain agrees to protect Sydney and her friend Diana in exchange for her help. She must enter the Citadel – the wraith compound in the center of the city – and steal back his kidnapped daughter.

But what Sydney finds inside the Citadel will change everything. The wraith are evolving, drawing energy from the decaying city itself. Soon, they will be powerful enough to break free of the dome. Sydney and Alain must stop the wraith before they escape and infect the world, even if that means dooming themselves, and everyone they love, to petrifying inside the dying city.

Described by reviewers as "a masterpiece of dystopian fantasy" and "edge-of-your-seat action", Petrified City is the first in a new urban fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author S C Green and international bestselling author Lindsey R Loucks. Packed with action, passion, and retribution, this novel will be impossible to put down!

Genres: Dystopia, Romance, Magic, Fantasy, Paranormal

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2016

About the author

S C Green lives in an off-grid house on a slice of rural paradise near Auckland, New Zealand, with her cantankerous drummer husband, their two cats, and their medieval sword collection. She writes dark, dystopian fantasy featuring heavy historical elements. Her latest novel, The Sunken, explores an alternative Georgian London where dinosaurs still survive. The second book in the series, The Gauge War, is due out early 2015.

She also writes humorous fantasy under the name Steff Metal.

She writes about metal music, her books, living off-grid, and her adventures with home-brewing on her blog www.steffmetal.com.

Stay up to date with her books by signing up to her newsletter at http://steffmetal.com/subscribe, or like her Facebook page at http://facebook.com/steffmetal.

Reviews

[Lukasz · Rating 1 out of 5]

This won’t be a positive review. To be blunt, I did not like the book. As always it’s subjective. If you enjoy the book don’t feel bad because I don’t. I’m really glad that you do. It’s just not my experience.

“Even the Reapers didn’t know this tunnel existed. There are a lot of secrets in the Rim we have yet to penetrate.”
The way he said that word, so throaty, so forcefully. It was hot as hell. Damnit. It must have been too long since I’d had a good shag if I was melting into a puddle over a Reaper."

I’m not a girl. I’m no longer fifteen. I look for complex characters and interesting plots. I like unusual settings. That’s the source of issues I have with Petrified City. The book is simplistic, predictable (I knew who the bad guy was since he was introduced, none of the “twists” surprised me) and it lacks plot.

We have a dystopian society. Some people try to survive under the dome and it’s not an easy task as the evil wraiths suck energy from them and leave only hollow, lifeless husks. Only the Reapers (tall, broad-shouldered, incredibly handsome men who turn into ravens) guard the city. Main protagonist Sydney is a human. She’s special. She’s the city last hope although she doesn’t fully realize the real extent of her powers. Happily for the society hot Reaper Alain does.

While there’s a dangerous world around, a treason in the Reaper order, sex slaves trafficking it’s really hard to say what’s this book about. The plot is a mess. It reminds me a Herlequin novel in which there’s some plot but it serves just as a pretext for characters to have sex and fall in love.
Characters were one dimensional and ridiculous. Sydney is emotional and has mommy-issues. Her IQ isn’t high judging by her actions. Other characters feel cartoonish as well. Some depth is supposed to be given by descriptions (piercing grey eyes, poignant stare, clenching fists) but it’s done in a very YA-ish way.

The romance is done in unconvincing way. Truth be told, it feels as a calque based on bad quality telenovela. It’s silly and lacking in chemistry. There is no gradual build or development. Alain is introduced to the reader as a hot and dangerous type and their entire romance consists of Sydney going googly-eyed over him. Check these dialogues:

“The kiss …” His eyes bore into mine. “It meant that as much as I want to push you away, I’m drawn to you.”
“You looked at me with such horror, such disgust.” I shook my head, trying not to remember his expression and failing miserably.
“I wasn’t disgusted at you. You could never disgust me. I was horrified at myself. May was critically injured, and here I was kissing a woman who wasn’t her mother.” He gazed down at the floor, his jaw flexing.
“Alain, I know you appreciate me going after May. You don’t have to kiss me to say thank you. And in fact, I’d prefer that you didn’t. It just … it confuses things and I—”

Guess what happens next? Yes, you’re right. They have sex. Shocking and unexpected.

I’m sorry to say it but I see very little redeeming qualities in this story. It’s naïve and painfully generic. On the other hand, I believe the main problem is that I’m the opposite of a target audience for the book.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petrified City by S.C. Green and Lindsey R. Loucks is book 1 in the Chronicles of the Wraith series. In this story we are introduced to a world of where things are very much different. The characters that we are introduced to are living in a domed city called Petrified City. They are trapped there with creatures called wraith that are killing the residents one by one, husking them, and stealing their life energy for themselves. There is no escape from the dome because of the wraith who the government are trying to contain since they cannot destroy them so they have left the people to die with no way in or out, no supplies and only what was left inside when the dome was put in place. We are quickly introduced to our main character Sydney. Sydney has managed to survive in the section called the Rim, which is the furthest part of the city, the outskirts, for the past 10 years since the dome was put in place. But right now she’s in jail out cleaning up the husks of those killed by the wraith. Sydney has a special gift that she developed of where she is able to peel back the layers of things and see through them and gain information. She uses this when an opportunity presents itself to escape the warden and her fellow jail mates. In doing so she is rescued by a man named Alain. Alain is a Reaper. He is a shifter who takes the souls of the deceased to the underworld and he needs Sydney’s help. His daughter has been taken by the wraith and he desperately wants to get her back. Sydney sees the opportunity to create a symbiotic relationship and agrees to help him if he helps her get medicine for her sick friend, Diana. Sydney believes that she and Diana are going into a place where they will be safe but soon discovers that there is no safe place inside the dome as the Reapers soon finds themselves the prey of the wraith as well.
Petrified City is a truly unique and engaging story that pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages as you go along. There is so much going on in this story that makes this a truly wonderful read. You read about Sydney doing whatever it takes to help keep her friend Diana alive. She dreams of the day when the dome will no longer be there but she also remembers when the government first came when the wraith first started to show up and how they soon discovered there was no way for them to stop them. Life is hard under the dome in Petrified City but many have managed to survive in their own way, some better off than others. The wraith are getting stronger but no one knows why or understands what is going on until Sydney goes into where they congregate and discovers a dark truth as to what is happening and what is soon to come.
This story engaged me from the very beginning and had me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I couldn’t get enough of it. There are twists that will catch you by surprise and some that if you’re looking for the truth you’ll piece the puzzle together and learn it before the story tells you. You see the human nature of characters as they struggle to stay alive. There will be hard decisions made as well as sacrifices but there is hope and beauty as well. The strength of the characters is really something because it takes the story to a whole new level.
There are some sexual scenes in this story but nothing so graphic of where it’s too much for this story. The scenes create a mixed emotion scenario because of what the character has been told earlier in her life due to a bad situation she found herself in. This story really has it all – hope, love, anger, despair, resolution, defeat and victory. The authors have truly done a dynamic job of bringing this story to life and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is a book that I will most definitely be recommending. The reason for the name of the story, Petrified City, is most definitely explained in the story which I loved and it just draws you in and leaves you wanting more. Yes, it does leave you with some questions but since it’s the first book in the series you can know that there will be answers to those questions coming very soon. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars and will be moving on to the next book promptly.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Post-apocalyptic setting, strong female character, fascinating premise. This book had all the right ingredients for a stonking good read. The start is exceptionally strong, with a well-planned prison break, and fairly decent intro to our main character. In a similar fashion, the male protagonist is also given a good intro, and we get to see a little more of the world. With the set-up, backstory and potential, I settled down to read with eagerness, fully intended to give this five stars, but at the quarter mark, I started to downgrade. Reasons are below..

The main character is never given an age, and judging by the time she thinks about sex, you get the impression she's at least in her twenties. The problem is she reads like a fifteen year old girl, complete with wangsty mommy issues, that really weren't that terrible. She also seems to be TSTL, or too stupid to live. I figured out the bad guy, about 100 pages before the main character even considered it, and she's supposed to be a tough, don't trust no-one type. She's inconsistent, and falls far too quickly for the hawt male character. I could have bought insta-lust, but it's love far too quickly.

The main, male character, and for that matter, the rest of the male cast, are fairly interchangeable.

I really wasn't certain of the plot. Was it kill the wraith? Was it to deliver babies to a bunch of supernatural hunters? (And I really wasn't sold on that) Was it free the women from sexual slavery? Was it to get out of the dome? The plot did bounce about far too much, and it felt ludicrous.

Having said that, I liked a good deal of the book. I liked the ideas about the dome, and the wraith, I wanted more on the Reapers, but unfortunately the book didn't deliver.

I would recommend a read, but it won't be gracing my shelves as a physical copy.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am stunned by this work of pure art!

This is not what I was expecting, and for that reason I am even happier that I got the chance to read this book. I am stunned by just how creative this story was. You have reapers, wraiths as well, along with a very unique human girl with an extraordinary gift that could save the world from complete destruction.

Not only was this book based on survival, but it has some harsh life thrown in because of all that had happened to the world. This book is definitely for adults that are looking for a story of survival with some paranormal thrown in.

I really thought this book was well written. The world fell together within minutes of starting the book. The characters fell together so accurately that I could picture it all, and ultimately become a part of the book instead of just picturing it. I was there living it all, and it was one heck of a release to sit down and become part of another life. I will always choose to live more than one life, and books is how I do that.

This book was not something that I just became a part of, it also has a place in my heart, because it became a part of me, and has shown me there is always hope in every situation. Having faith can be your key to survival. In this book hope is what brought others together, and that made me appreciate the book so much more.

[Denise Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book it did hold my interest enough to get to the end about three quarters of the way through it got real good for about a chapter maybe two. I don't want to put the book or the author down too much it was a solid read. Well I read The next book in the series? No.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received a review copy of this book so I could give my honest review**

Well, to be honest, I was not a big fan of the love interest, Alain. I did not feel any chemistry between them. The romantic parts were definitely at the wrong times, and I did not feel like there was a love connection at any point.

I did however enjoy the relationship with Diana. I had a few tears at the end, which is very rare for me. The world of the Reapers and Wraith was intriguing and I enjoyed Sydney as a main character. I'm on the fence about reading the next in the series.

[Stephanie Herman · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.C. Green has really outdone herself with Petrified City. I was hooked from the very beginning and it was tremendously hard to put the book down. The strong heroine Sydney is trapped along with the rest of the city when the government puts up a dome to save the world from the wraiths they made mixing chemicals and a graveyard. All she wants is to keep her young friend Diana safe and to survive. When Sydney meets Alain, everything in her world changes and secrets unfold. Greens strong voice and unique storyline will captivate you. You do not want to miss this supernatural thriller!

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it

Loved this book. The story definitely was so well written that I did not see the twist coming. So good

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very good. It was unusual enough to keep my attention. While the story has an ending, it is not The End. There is room for sequels.
Sydney lives in a city where a chemical accident has resulted in a dome being erected that keeps all the inhabitants in and everything else out. This means that there is very little food or water to be had, at least for the poor inhabitants, along with a loss of all services. Sydney has survived by being a thief for hire. Unfortunately she got caught and there is apparently still some semblance of law that has landed her in prison.
Along with all the human inhabitants of the city there are some inhuman ones. The worst ones are the wraith. The wraith are the reason the dome was constructed. These creatures kill by sucking all the energy of the human away and leaving a husk. The Reapers are the only one that can fight the wraith. Reapers are raven shapeshifters whose former job was to ferry the souls of the dead to the next world. They can't really kill the wraith, but they can disable them, or at least they could.
Sydney has a strange ability. She can see through objects and inside them. One of the Reapers needs this ability to allow him to rescue his daughter from the wraith.
I will leave you to read the story for yourselves. I don't want to ruin it for you.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is darker than some UF I’ve read but that didn’t dissuade me from reading it. I loved the book. Excellent world building. This ends on HEA but you also know it’s not the end. Normally there isn’t much romance in UF but this has a bit in it.

10 years ago there was a chemical spill and the government created the Dome to save their own lives but left so many to fend for themselves. They have no contact with outside the Dome. Inside is known as The Rim. There are Wraiths who were once human and died and instead of moving on to the afterlife those same chemicals did something to them turning them into soul suckers. Turns humans into husks leaving the others not only fighting to find food and water but trying to hide and survive. The Reapers are shape-shifting Ravens who take the dead to the other side…think Grim Reapers. That’s their only job but they have taken it upon themselves to try and police the Wraiths. It’s getting harder and harder and weapons aren’t as effective.

Sydney is a prisoner and is on a job to clean up husks of dead people. She’s gifted and has some interesting powers. She’s had it rough and is a survivor and can hold her own. She’s a tough woman and has had to be after leaving home years ago. She does escape but is cornered by Wraiths only to be saved by Alain, a Reaper. He’s been watching her for some time and needs her help or more importantly her powers to get his daughter, May back from the Wraiths. For some reason they didn’t husk her right away which is very curious. Sydney is kind of forced into helping but she is sympathetic because she has a friend, Diana a little girl, who needs protection as well and they come to an agreement.

Alain has had some tragedy in his life. I mean everyone has. The woman he loved, May’s mother Raine, disappeared outside the Dome and he did find out she knew about it all and left them anyways. He was devastated for a long time. He starts a relationship with Sydney but things go sideways when she tries to warn him of the things his best friend is doing. Dorian was well liked even by Sydney at first. She feels something isn’t right. Alain refuses to see it. After she witnesses something horrific and May of all people not backing her up she refuses to live there any longer and takes Diana and leaves. Diana and Syndey are back at The Rim trying to survive and Sydney does manage to take down a sex trafficking ring. Sydney is the only one who can save them all. No pressure! Will she succeed and survive? Will Alain come to his senses and see all the evil his friend is doing?

I loved the story. These aren’t necessarily bad or negative things. I am just noting them.
At first Alain’s character was badass but then it tapered throughout the book so I am not sure what happened there. I think he knew some stuff was going on but he wasn’t acknowledging it because it involved his best friend Dorian. We still don’t know everything about everyone but hopefully that will come in the next books. Something that wasn’t dealt with was the betrayal Sydney felt with Alain. He didn’t trust or believe her when she tried to tell him something about his friend. He basically called her a liar. It just seemed too easy because it wasn’t really talked about.

[Stephen Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific story. I was told it was out of the ordinary and it was. Fast paced ,great dialogue and very interesting characters had me completely intrigued. Highly recommended and waiting for the follow up book with happy anticipation

[Christine Karmelreads2665 W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something Ghostly Wicked Gets Solid

This is my first book by these authors and I have to say job well done. This book is not my usually reading genre but once I started it I really got sucked into the story.

The author made the characters come alive in such a way that you could picture them in action. The shape shifting Reapers that are lean and gorgeous and the jewel of the story Sydney tough and special and possibly the savior for those under the dome.

If you are into stories that deal with hardship, end of the world tendency, being trapped under a dome from the rest of the world and having to out run Wraiths that will suck all the moisture out of your body then this is the book for you.

Great start to a new series!

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

[Marinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by the author in exchange for a honest review. 

Let me start by saying I'm a book snob and in the paranormal genre it's quite hard to impress me that being said this book seriously impressed me!! 

What's not to love about a story of the dead coming back and sucking the souls of the living who are trapped with them under a dome cut off from the rest of the world. There's raven shapeshifting Reapers who want to save the people of the city and send the Wraiths back to the underworld. Also there's a strong woman who has powers that can help the Reapers win the fight but there's lots of problems with this idea. There are some people who want to destroy the dome and let the Wraiths loose on the world who left them to die. 

There's lots of action, loss, death and destruction under the dome. There's also hope, love and passion.  I love that the main female character is so strong and brave even when she doesn't want to be brave. I can't wait to read more of this amazing story and what happens with the people stuck in Petrified City.


Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock

[Jessica Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life under the dome sucks, literally. When soul sucking wraiths raise from their graves, the government isolates the city in an inescapable dome. Reapers are crow shifters that carry souls to the underworld and the only people with the weapons to fight the wraiths. Sydney exchanges care for her ill young charge for a mission to save the reapers' last surviving female. A human with psychic powers, Syd can see through any object she can touch. Thinking she's safe in the reapers' compound, Syd falls in love with Alain but soon discovers things at the compound aren't what they seem. Conspiracies and betrayal abound and soon Syd leaves to embark on the battle to stop the evil in her world. She soon discovers new allies but suffers unbelievable loss. This book draws you into the dome with its ups and downs and Syd's toughness and ability to keep fighting. With a fast pace and action driven plot, I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Lyn Mckenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing book!!! I absolutely adored this book and I am dying to find out what happens next in this world. The authors of this book are so so talented!!!

I loved the storyline in this book, it is filled with twists and turns that you just don't see coming, it is seriously action packed, in a desperate world where there is fear, desperation but there is also hope and love. This is a serious page turner of a book, you definitely find yourself compulsively turning pages to find out what happens next!

The characters in this book are just awesome!!! I don't want to mention too many of them as I don't want to give away too much of this story but I have to mention Sydney... She is such a strong brave woman and I adore her character. No matter the situation she is strong, she feels fear and hopelessness but keeps it to herself and stays strong. The people she cares about are lucky as she will do anything for the people that she loves, the people that she sees as family. She proves that family is not always blood, it can be connections formed through pain and love. I really enjoyed Diana's character in this book especially the more the book goes on, although its obvious she has had a really hard time she always seems to see the positive aspect and she is also very strong in her own way. And of course I have to mention Alain... A strong and honourable man who has a huge heart that is only staring to open up again, he will always do what he thinks is right, no matter the consequences to him.

This is a simply awesome book that everyone needs to read, I cant describe how amazing this book is from the world building, the character and the level of the descriptions in this book, the attention to detail is just outstanding. Brilliant brilliant must read!!!!

[BooksForHope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lost city... inhabitants left for dead... a sinister force threatens the fragile hold on life that the survivors cling to.

I really enjoyed this book, it had humor, love, loss, death, and depravity. We see this life through the eyes of Sydney. She's a thief with a hidden talent for seeing beneath the surface. She meets Alain, a raven shifter tasked with trying to keep what's left of the city alive. While there is romance in this book, it certainly isn't the main focus.

I liked the world building and imagery of an almost literal city of the dead. The words and scenes gripped me like the fingers of the wraith and held me captivated. I read it in one sitting.

There is quite a lot going on in this book. While at times it seemed like too much (side plots), I also think it added to the mystery and intrigue of what was going on within the city. Certain scenes were a bit unnecessary and the order of events seemed a bit disorganized. I think if it had been reordered just a bit, it would have been practically flawless.

I loved and hated the side characters, like I think I was supposed to. I felt betrayed when the main character was. I felt her love and loss, her happiness and sadness. The author was able to draw me in and keep me tangled throughout the whole book. That's something I always enjoy, even if I'm left feeling at a loss at the end.

I truly look forward to the next book in the series. I'd love to know what is going to happen to our characters next.

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

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a destroyed city threatened by wraith, several extraordinary human beings fight along with Reapers a desperate battle to banish the horrible creatures from Earth and regain their freedom.
Sydney is taken from jail due her mysterious and exceptional power - her touch enables her to see into the core of objects. Cooperating with Alain, one of the Reapers, she uncovers some deadly secrets kept by the Reaper leaders and saves Alain´s daugther May during what seems to be a suicide mission. Sydney also finds love despite the circumstances and proves herself capable of finishing any difficult task.
What I absolutely loved about this book was the overall atmosphere. Chilling, intense, emotional and dark, driven by passions, power hunger and despair, both selfish and selfless motives. It made me feel very human and aware of my own emotions and view of this world. I also admire the characters. They are strong, complex, absolutely believable; supernatural and yet very human. Sydney is the kind of heroine one loves to follow; Alain is the kickass fighter who does not restrain his emotions; and Dorien is a typical example how one could be corrupted by harsh environment, becoming manipulative and reckless. Even the delicate child Diana possesses a strong personality.
The story is written very well, with balance between dialogues and descriptions, fast paced and full of action and twists. I would love to read more. Great book.

[Julia Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just with reading the first chapter I'm hooked. Sydney is soooo cool and funny, some of her inner dialogue cracked me up. Especially meeting Alain, holy man does he sound HOOOTTT!!! Yep first chapter got me excited about the rest of the book.
Sydney has a gift that she keeps secret so she can't be used by people. She still has other skills that are useful. Sydney hasn't had it easy so has to watch her own back, but she also watches out for Diana as if she is her own kid. She would do anything to keep her safe. Alain has seen her secret gift and needs her help to rescue his daughter from the Wraith. Did I mention Alain is a reaper? No? Well he is a Raven shifter who help fight the Wraith and all hotness.
Omg this book was just so AWESOME!!!! I cried and I laughed. I just got so caught up with everything that was happening. The Wraith are not the only threat happening in the Dome. Soooo much hurt and betrayal. But Sydney kept fighting for a better world for Diana. The ending had me in tears of pain and happiness. God I could go on forever but I don't want to accidently let the story slip. You have to experience it yourself. So ease read this and you will get caught up with these people as if you was with them.
AMAZING !!!!!
 

[Rickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the start you are thrown head first into the story. Well, in this case feet first for Sydney into the husk of what was once a living being. She is part of a prison cleanup crew and a hope of escape in the making. From there she jumps from the frying pan into the fire when faced with a Reaper that saw it all since he’d been watching everything happen. This is just the beginning, and one that you won’t want to miss out on. You have Wraith’s on one hand and Reaper’s on the other without any meeting in the middle to walk away clean. Syd just wants to get to Diana before she is no longer safe.

This story isn’t in my usual genre, but once in, I couldn’t put it down and I’m glad I took the time for something new. It is fast paced, the characters are alive and vibrate, there are more twists than you can find in a bag of pretzels, and then you have the romantic head that is filtered in as well. Just when you think you know what’s going on….you take another left hand turn into the unknown. Nope….no spoilers since I want you to enjoy the book as much as I did. The blurb alone will draw you in. Get it now!

I was given this as a free read for an honest review. I’m definitely keeping my eyes open for what is next to come.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was a mixture of paranormal, fantasy, romance with some horror throwed in.
Sydney was a strong heroine. She's been on her on in a crumbling city for awhile. She was in prison for stealing and trying to find away to break out to get back to Diana, a little lost girl who had no family. They were killed by the Wraith. Scary,terrifying being who suck the souls out the living. The only ones who are able to stop them are the Reapers.
But something is going wrong. The Wraith's are getting stronger. Sydney is rescued by Alain, a Reaper who needs her help to rescue his daughter from the Wraith's. In exchange for protection for her and Diana. After an attack at the compound. Alain and Sydney know there's no time to waste rescuing May and the mimir. What Sydney finds in the Citadel will change everything. The Wraith's master plan could spell doom for everyone.
This book was edge of your seat action. Sydney had so much against her but she didn't let it stop her. I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[David Bullman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living under a dome with Raven shifters and wraiths,one girl against all odds

This was great book. Sydney was a girl on a mission. One minute she's escaping from jail only to get blackmailed into helping a Reaper. What else could go wrong? Only everything. She's is drug into the middle of chaos. While saving the daughter of the reaper she learns that shes the only person that possibly can eliminate all the wraiths plaguing her city under the dome. Sydney false in love with the last person she ever thought she'd find, Diana, a girl that shes taken care of as her own daughter almost is used against her at every turn, and now she learns the secrets of the Reaper. Only they aren't what they appear to be.

This book keeps you guessing and just when you are rooting for the good guy, it changes. You will not be disappointed at all. I could not put it down once I started. The characters make you laugh,cry and everything in between. First book I've read from S.C. Green, but it won't be the last

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Petrified City was a very difficult book to put down. The author is a master of her craft and has a pleasant writing style. She has developed a very unique plot that has some nicely developed twists integrated. Throughout the book you have this feeling of foreboding put you just can't put your finger on it. The web the author weaves around you is intricate and you can only escape when she provides you with more insight. The book has a great pace, never too fast to feel rushed nor do you feel like any scene drags out.

The characters go through quite some development during the book. Sydney, the heroine of the story, is an extremely likable character and you can't help but cheer her on. She protects the ones she loves to the extreme and will stop at nothing to make sure to do right. Her friend Diana is a great addition and really adds to it all, explaining so much about Sydney.

I don't think I have read anything like this and am looking forward to more. I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

First a big thank you to S C Green and Lindsey Loucks for the wonderful review copy. This was a totally different type of paranormal read for me. The story does hold your attention from the first page with the action non stop. The main characters are Sydney who human but has some startling power abilities and Alain a Reaper who is definitely not human as he turns into a raven. Petrified City is covered by a dome and the people cannot leave so they do what they can to survive. Inside the dome wraiths roam looking for food, which just happen to be the humans.The Reapers carry the souls of the dead to the underworld. Sydney is forced into an agreement with Allain to break into the Citadel to recover his daughter May who is the only female Reaper. The Reapers have rescued Sydney's friend Diana who she has looked after since she found her as a child. Sydney would do anything for Diana even breech the Citadel home of the wraiths. Highly recommend this book and authors.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book ! Brookwood Hill Cemetery had chemicals leaked into the ground from an accident from a city chemical plant the results where not great from the ground emerged the wraith . Sydney Cale is a thief with a strange and secret power who has tried to escape from the domed city’s jailers but runs into the wraith her best friend is Diana. Sydney meets Alain, a raven shape shifter who is a member of the Order of the Reapers, a powerful force who work to banish the wraith back to the underworld. He promises to keep them save but he wants help getting his kidnapped daughter back from the wraith and Sydney must try to get into their stronghold. What is going on there? Will they get his daughter? This is a different book from what I usually read but I found it to be a very deep story. I was gifted a copy for an honest review.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review, from Lovers of Paranormal and the author.***
This was an amazing book, about Sydney and a young girl Diane trying to survive under a Dome that has surrounded the city and trapped them in. She meets up with Alain who is a Reaper and shifts into a Raven.
The story goes that she is set on a mission (well blackmailed into it) to save Alain’s daughter from the wraith who are husking all the souls in the city. The reason she has been given this mission is she has a particular power that can defeat the wraith but she doesn’t know this and doesn’t know how to control it.
I found this book by S C Green and Lindsey R Loucks a very compelling read and was totally sucked into the story. I’m looking forward to the next instalment in the “Chronicles of the Wraith.”

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world that has been ravished and is full of reapers and wraiths, this amazing story takes us on an action packed journey to see if love can once again flourish in never ending bleakness. The characters have been fully formed quickly and they waste no time grabbing your attention. This storyline moves quickly and seamlessly. I glided through these pages willingly and allowed my emotions to ride the rollercoaster. Beautifully written, this book is sure to keep you highly entertained. A definite must read! This ARC was given to me for an unbiased review.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully layered story line with surprising twists and turns to keep the reader fully vested. I enjoyed this read from start to finish. Well drawn characters, both good and evil, added to masterful pacing, engrossed me into the early hours of the morning. Excellent writing--Well done.

[Signi Siemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. A definite riveting read!!! At first I wasn't too sure about what this book would be about, but after I got into the book a little ways, I "did not" want to put it down!! The author certainly made the story come to life with very good imagery and imagination. It's hard to separate the book and rate each aspect of it. I felt that it was an excellent book all around! I certainly enjoyed reading it, and can't wait for the next book!!!

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read!

This review is from: Petrified City (Chronicles of the Wraith) (Volume 1) (Paperback)
I was a little slow getting into the book at first. It was confusing to understand this horrible dying world in which Sydney was trying to survive. She had a little esp that helped her and she kept it to herself, she thought. She didn't know she was supposed to save her little world. Wonderful read. *I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Arc in exchange of honest review.

I loved the book! Great pace, strong characters with strong backstory, logical thinking of the heroine, some unexpected plot twists and the thing I liked the most - it's great as a standalone read!