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The Marian Series #3
The Cloud
When the bomb dropped, everything changed.
Even worse than the mountains of salt where oceans used to be, worse than the armies of mercenaries, worse than HydroSystems Worldwide’s rise to power, was the Cloud.
In the area closest to the bomb’s blast, the very fabric of reality was damaged. The air there can steal a person’s humanity, even as it gives great power. The Cloud is home to a deadly cult and nightmarish creatures, and it is fifteen-year-old Ethan Denby’s only hope of survival. If he ever wants to make it home, he’ll have to go where he always knew his journey would end. He will have to go into the heart of the Cloud.
The Cloud is a post apocalyptic pirate adventure, equal parts Mad Max and Pirates of the Caribbean. It is the last book of The Marian Trilogy.
Even worse than the mountains of salt where oceans used to be, worse than the armies of mercenaries, worse than HydroSystems Worldwide’s rise to power, was the Cloud.
In the area closest to the bomb’s blast, the very fabric of reality was damaged. The air there can steal a person’s humanity, even as it gives great power. The Cloud is home to a deadly cult and nightmarish creatures, and it is fifteen-year-old Ethan Denby’s only hope of survival. If he ever wants to make it home, he’ll have to go where he always knew his journey would end. He will have to go into the heart of the Cloud.
The Cloud is a post apocalyptic pirate adventure, equal parts Mad Max and Pirates of the Caribbean. It is the last book of The Marian Trilogy.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2016
About the author
Taylor Hohulin
10 books93 followersTaylor has worked in the Christian radio industry since 2008, in roles ranging from on-air personality to webmaster. Currently, he is a morning show host in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he lives with with his wife, his cat, and his dog. He has lost track of the number of times he's eaten a whole sleeve of Oreos.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 24, 2016
I've been in a book slump, but then I picked up The Cloud. The 3rd book in The Marian series. It was like going back home, to my family. I missed the crew.
Ethan and his crew have a plan! Get to The Cloud, say some magical words, Alacazam, body swapping all around and BOOM everyone is happy. Seems simple, right? But you my friend are wrong. Oh so wrong. Nothing in this world is simple. It never it. Because right when you feel safe and secure and happy like a well-fed baby, there is a gut punch and the world goes black. Oh, it's no lights out by any means, it's a twist, that lures you in, taking you in a new direction, leading you down a new more hopeful path!
the shit has really hit the fan and things couldn't get much worse, or could they? What is the fate of the crew and the ship? This book had me on edge and I just couldn't put it down. At one point I was yelling at the book while reading, my mind was going in a million different directions with all the twists and turns. This book kept me engaged from chapter 1. Again, I was part of the crew, fighting to stay alive, fighting to keep other's alive!!
Ethan and his crew have a plan! Get to The Cloud, say some magical words, Alacazam, body swapping all around and BOOM everyone is happy. Seems simple, right? But you my friend are wrong. Oh so wrong. Nothing in this world is simple. It never it. Because right when you feel safe and secure and happy like a well-fed baby, there is a gut punch and the world goes black. Oh, it's no lights out by any means, it's a twist, that lures you in, taking you in a new direction, leading you down a new more hopeful path!
the shit has really hit the fan and things couldn't get much worse, or could they? What is the fate of the crew and the ship? This book had me on edge and I just couldn't put it down. At one point I was yelling at the book while reading, my mind was going in a million different directions with all the twists and turns. This book kept me engaged from chapter 1. Again, I was part of the crew, fighting to stay alive, fighting to keep other's alive!!
March 30, 2021
I finished book two at 9:30pm and thought, “Hey, I’ll just start the next book before bed.”
Now it’s 12:30 am because I had no other option than to read it all in one sitting.
Taylor, my tiredness tomorrow is entirely your fault!
Now it’s 12:30 am because I had no other option than to read it all in one sitting.
Taylor, my tiredness tomorrow is entirely your fault!
June 22, 2018
Brilliant
Loved this trilogy, loved these characters! The world Taylor built is bleak but fascinating. I want to read more-about Ethan’s life in his time, about the crew of the Marian before they joined Duncan, and their lives after the end of The Cloud. The mechanisms and weapons and tools were very well thought out and ingenious. I highly recommend this trilogy and look forward to reading more from Taylor!
Loved this trilogy, loved these characters! The world Taylor built is bleak but fascinating. I want to read more-about Ethan’s life in his time, about the crew of the Marian before they joined Duncan, and their lives after the end of The Cloud. The mechanisms and weapons and tools were very well thought out and ingenious. I highly recommend this trilogy and look forward to reading more from Taylor!
October 10, 2016
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
When I got an email from Taylor asking if I wanted to review the last book in his Marian trilogy, I immediately got excited. Obviously things have been a little (okay, a lot) hectic and slumpy for me lately, and the first two books in the trilogy were so easy to read and fast paced that I knew The Cloud would be no different. I haven't read a book in more than a month, and The Cloud was so easy to pick up and get lost in.
If you've read the first two books in the series, you'll know that things are getting pretty dire for our cast of characters in a big "life or death" kinda way. I'm happy to report that you will literally be biting your nails to the last minute because there are some characters that I was SO WORRIED ABOUT. There are twists and turns that will blow your mind around every corner in The Cloud, and believe me when I say nobody is safe from their share of pain and suffering. I mean, apparently that included me also, as there was a moment or two along the way where my emotions were a little.. *cough* heightened. (okay I cried)
The biggest and most obvious hang up that I picked up on is that there are a few storylines that are left open. Do not expect to leave this book feeling like everything is going to be okay, and that everything has been dealt with. I mean, it's not like the book doesn't feel finished. It certainly feels like the end of a trilogy. However, there are questions and doubts left hanging in the air. I totally understand this choice, and Taylor actually explains a bit about it in the author's note.
All in all, I'm a little sad that this trilogy is over. It's been such a fun ride, and I ended up getting pretty attached to our little band of misfits and rebels. If you're ever in the mood for something action packed (with pirates and mercenaries) and full of friendship (with pirates and mercenaries!) and even some magic (WITH PIRATES AND MERCENARIES), give The Marian Trilogy a go. The Cloud was a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.
When I got an email from Taylor asking if I wanted to review the last book in his Marian trilogy, I immediately got excited. Obviously things have been a little (okay, a lot) hectic and slumpy for me lately, and the first two books in the trilogy were so easy to read and fast paced that I knew The Cloud would be no different. I haven't read a book in more than a month, and The Cloud was so easy to pick up and get lost in.
If you've read the first two books in the series, you'll know that things are getting pretty dire for our cast of characters in a big "life or death" kinda way. I'm happy to report that you will literally be biting your nails to the last minute because there are some characters that I was SO WORRIED ABOUT. There are twists and turns that will blow your mind around every corner in The Cloud, and believe me when I say nobody is safe from their share of pain and suffering. I mean, apparently that included me also, as there was a moment or two along the way where my emotions were a little.. *cough* heightened. (okay I cried)
The biggest and most obvious hang up that I picked up on is that there are a few storylines that are left open. Do not expect to leave this book feeling like everything is going to be okay, and that everything has been dealt with. I mean, it's not like the book doesn't feel finished. It certainly feels like the end of a trilogy. However, there are questions and doubts left hanging in the air. I totally understand this choice, and Taylor actually explains a bit about it in the author's note.
All in all, I'm a little sad that this trilogy is over. It's been such a fun ride, and I ended up getting pretty attached to our little band of misfits and rebels. If you're ever in the mood for something action packed (with pirates and mercenaries) and full of friendship (with pirates and mercenaries!) and even some magic (WITH PIRATES AND MERCENARIES), give The Marian Trilogy a go. The Cloud was a solid 4 out of 5 stars for me.
October 13, 2016
“Donovan Johns clearly preferred motivating his people to stick to Plan A by leaving them woefully unprepared for Plan B.” (Kindle Locations 1480-1481).
Ethan’s last hope lies in a three-way soul swap between the water dictator Donovon Johns, Duncan, and Ethan himself. All they have to do is go into the Cloud and get Duncan out of Ethan’s home dimension, use the blood from all three, and get someone to read from a book so powerful it corrupts. Easy, right? The Marian and its crew is committed to helping out Ethan, not just because he’s part of the crew now, but because they can change the face of the post-Bomb water scarce world for good.
Excellent trilogy. Excellent ending. Excellent book. The Marian Trilogy is the best steampunkian series I’ve ever read. It’s well written and the plot makes sense on both the individual book level and as a series. There’s action, adventure, and tension. There’s depth, complexity and the characters are interesting and multi-faceted.
Every part of this story felt tight and well-edited. I never questioned a single scene or moment or piece of dialogue. I simply read the book (and the series) as a well-written story should be read: at the edge of my seat and without putting it down.
The evil HydroSystems and Donovon Johns were fleshed out and clever enough to give the Marian and its crew a run for its money. The good guys weren’t all good though – they were conflicted and sympathetic. And we finally get to see Duncan ‘in the soul’ with this final book! After so much hype about how great and motivating he is, even after abandoning his crew and a random soul to its own sordid fate, Duncan did live up to all that everyone thought he was. I very much enjoyed this book and the series and look forward to what Hohulin will write next!
I received a free copy of this novel.
Ethan’s last hope lies in a three-way soul swap between the water dictator Donovon Johns, Duncan, and Ethan himself. All they have to do is go into the Cloud and get Duncan out of Ethan’s home dimension, use the blood from all three, and get someone to read from a book so powerful it corrupts. Easy, right? The Marian and its crew is committed to helping out Ethan, not just because he’s part of the crew now, but because they can change the face of the post-Bomb water scarce world for good.
Excellent trilogy. Excellent ending. Excellent book. The Marian Trilogy is the best steampunkian series I’ve ever read. It’s well written and the plot makes sense on both the individual book level and as a series. There’s action, adventure, and tension. There’s depth, complexity and the characters are interesting and multi-faceted.
Every part of this story felt tight and well-edited. I never questioned a single scene or moment or piece of dialogue. I simply read the book (and the series) as a well-written story should be read: at the edge of my seat and without putting it down.
The evil HydroSystems and Donovon Johns were fleshed out and clever enough to give the Marian and its crew a run for its money. The good guys weren’t all good though – they were conflicted and sympathetic. And we finally get to see Duncan ‘in the soul’ with this final book! After so much hype about how great and motivating he is, even after abandoning his crew and a random soul to its own sordid fate, Duncan did live up to all that everyone thought he was. I very much enjoyed this book and the series and look forward to what Hohulin will write next!
I received a free copy of this novel.
January 13, 2017
Good triology!!
Good story, enjoyed it thoroughly! Glad Ethan made it home, but too many questions left unanswered! Hope to read more stories about the people he left behind, and the world they live in .
Good story, enjoyed it thoroughly! Glad Ethan made it home, but too many questions left unanswered! Hope to read more stories about the people he left behind, and the world they live in .
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews