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The Last Sanctuary #1
Rising Storm
A rebel bent on revenge. An heiress hiding secrets. And a ship about to burn...
In the near future, the world balances on the brink of chaos. The Grand Voyager promises lavish decadence--but only for the powerful elites. But beneath the glittering façade, the ship hides explosive secrets.
Posing as a ship's officer, ruthless Gabriel will do anything to bring down the corrupt elites--until he falls for the daughter of his sworn enemy. Beautiful, privileged Amelia is much more than she appears. And when loyal Micah uncovers a deadly conspiracy, he must make a terrible choice.
Everything changes in an instant when the ship is hijacked. Hurled into a terrible nightmare, each passenger faces danger, treachery, and their own worst fears. There's nowhere to run, no one to trust, and nothing is as it seems. To escape, they'll have to risk everything they love.
But an even greater threat looms, one that may shatter the world as they know it. Survival is only the beginning . . .
In the near future, the world balances on the brink of chaos. The Grand Voyager promises lavish decadence--but only for the powerful elites. But beneath the glittering façade, the ship hides explosive secrets.
Posing as a ship's officer, ruthless Gabriel will do anything to bring down the corrupt elites--until he falls for the daughter of his sworn enemy. Beautiful, privileged Amelia is much more than she appears. And when loyal Micah uncovers a deadly conspiracy, he must make a terrible choice.
Everything changes in an instant when the ship is hijacked. Hurled into a terrible nightmare, each passenger faces danger, treachery, and their own worst fears. There's nowhere to run, no one to trust, and nothing is as it seems. To escape, they'll have to risk everything they love.
But an even greater threat looms, one that may shatter the world as they know it. Survival is only the beginning . . .
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2017
1628 people are currently reading
946 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
October 31, 2024
☆☆☆☆☆
WHAT A GREAT ACTION-PACKED THRILLER
If you're looking for a mind-blowing, action-packed, thriller that will hold your interest throughout, this is a great book for you.
Rising Storm: A Near-Future Apocalyptic Thriller (The Last Sanctuary Book 1) by Kyla Stone is well written and the characters are clearly defined and you will find yourself routing for the good guys and cheering when the bad guys are taken out. At the same time, you'll find yourself sad at the loss of innocent lifes and the evil in which others show so easily towards those who can not protect themselves.
I enjoyed this first book in this series and plan to continue on. I hope you, too, will enjoy reading this book.
WHAT A GREAT ACTION-PACKED THRILLER
If you're looking for a mind-blowing, action-packed, thriller that will hold your interest throughout, this is a great book for you.
Rising Storm: A Near-Future Apocalyptic Thriller (The Last Sanctuary Book 1) by Kyla Stone is well written and the characters are clearly defined and you will find yourself routing for the good guys and cheering when the bad guys are taken out. At the same time, you'll find yourself sad at the loss of innocent lifes and the evil in which others show so easily towards those who can not protect themselves.
I enjoyed this first book in this series and plan to continue on. I hope you, too, will enjoy reading this book.
February 6, 2021
Rising Storm is the first book in a wonderful apocalyptic dystopian series.
In a future America that is even more divided than we are now, the rich and powerful Elites are feared and hated by the rest of society, who are mostly barely getting by.
Amelia is the daughter of a scientist, one of the highest Elites, and as most Elites, she has always been taught to fear and despise the people in the lower castes.
When a terrorist group attacks a lavish cruise ship, carrying several very prominent Elites, including Amelia, her mother, father and brother, she finds herself dependent on Gabriel, a lowly worker on the ship, for her survival.
The characters in this book really come to life and draw you into the story.
This is one of the best Apocalyptic Dystopian series I have read.
In a future America that is even more divided than we are now, the rich and powerful Elites are feared and hated by the rest of society, who are mostly barely getting by.
Amelia is the daughter of a scientist, one of the highest Elites, and as most Elites, she has always been taught to fear and despise the people in the lower castes.
When a terrorist group attacks a lavish cruise ship, carrying several very prominent Elites, including Amelia, her mother, father and brother, she finds herself dependent on Gabriel, a lowly worker on the ship, for her survival.
The characters in this book really come to life and draw you into the story.
This is one of the best Apocalyptic Dystopian series I have read.
November 29, 2019
Couldn't put it down! Great storytelling and characters.
December 31, 2022
It took me a bit to get into this book, but I’m really glad I did.
April 27, 2022
This was brutally slow and I hated most of the characters. I love cruising and LOVED this authors EMP series so I though this would be a slam dunk. Nope. DNF at 25%
August 29, 2022
Overall, this book had an interesting premise with a bleak future, power plays and a deliberate pandemic. The writing and editing were good. I struggled a bit with the characters. The first chapter is Amelia alone and fleeing terrorists on the ship and then it skips to before the attack during the cruise of the uber-elite. As we follow Amelia through the story to the end of this book one, she was never alone in the fashion suggested in the beginning. There are a lot of subplots to keep track of as well as the questions of what is Declan Black hiding and what will Gabriel do? I kind of stopped wondering on the last question and some of the tension is lost with a bit of meandering around the plot. Both Willow and Amelia are fairly young women, the first with a lot of responsibility and the second just the need to be pretty, but somehow both are able to go toe-to-toe with terrorists and prevail. The best character was Micah and Silas has some possibility going forward.
March 7, 2023
An excellent read.
As soon as I saw the words hijacked, cruise and ship I knew it was a book for me to read. I love disaster books and sometimes films. It's an absolutely fantastic book that doesn't give you a minute to think about what your reading because it's so fast-paced it's hard keep the pages turning. It's a riveting read you really need to read it and I promise you won't be disappointed. I hope.
As soon as I saw the words hijacked, cruise and ship I knew it was a book for me to read. I love disaster books and sometimes films. It's an absolutely fantastic book that doesn't give you a minute to think about what your reading because it's so fast-paced it's hard keep the pages turning. It's a riveting read you really need to read it and I promise you won't be disappointed. I hope.
December 10, 2020
3 stars
I had high hopes for this one and it only mildly followed through on them. The book wasn't amazing but also wasn't terrible.
The writing in this book was actually much better than I was expecting (I have some mistrust with some kindle unlimited books and their quality). The flow was really nice but one of my biggest issues was just quite how much POV switching there was. Each of the characters were essential (though it took me a while to see that) but I think the switching was happening a little too often that it was hard for me to get attached to what was going on before we were back to one of the other characters doing something entirely different. Especially right when the conflict started and I was really getting into the story only to have to see the conflict start from 3 other povs before we could really get going.
I will say that my favorites changed from the beginning to the end. I was really interested in Amelia and Gabriel at the beginning and really didn't care for Micah and Willow but by the end??? Entirely opposite. Willow and Micah, the two meekest characters had some major growth in this book and I was looking forward to their chapters while Amelia and Gabriel just had me face palming.
I'm really hoping in the next book Amelia actually DOES SOMETHING. I had really high hopes for her character from the first chapter which showed her hiding on the ship with gunmen coming to find her and hinting that she had done something bad but then like... THAT NEVER HAPPENED???? I don't know if the author and her editor just missed that but that scene never came to fruition. Not even close. Amelia literally was a prisoner the entire book and only did something at the very end of the book which is the only reason I have hope for her character in the future books because I think she'll finally start to stand up for herself which she just straight up didn't do in this book.
Gabriel... Frankly I just didn't really get him at all. I mean it was very YA of him and Amelia to fall in love after only a few stolen glances and speaking literally on 2 different occasions but this man made some wild decisions I won't mention because of spoilers that I didn't really understand but oh well.
The futuristic setting was interesting because it wasn't too far off and the fact that there was a bat flu going around was really... let's say fun with all the corona stuff going on. Especially with the vaccine causing more issues (just as we start rolling out a vaccine here I will say). I look forward to seeing more of the virus and it's complications in the future books since it played more of a background character here as opposed to the pirates and stuff which honestly I could have done with WAY more of. The only characters that really dealt with them were Willow and Micah which I think is why I started to like them more because they were really in the action.
Anyway, I think I'll read the other books. I'm interested enough to figure out what's gonna happen next.
I had high hopes for this one and it only mildly followed through on them. The book wasn't amazing but also wasn't terrible.
The writing in this book was actually much better than I was expecting (I have some mistrust with some kindle unlimited books and their quality). The flow was really nice but one of my biggest issues was just quite how much POV switching there was. Each of the characters were essential (though it took me a while to see that) but I think the switching was happening a little too often that it was hard for me to get attached to what was going on before we were back to one of the other characters doing something entirely different. Especially right when the conflict started and I was really getting into the story only to have to see the conflict start from 3 other povs before we could really get going.
I will say that my favorites changed from the beginning to the end. I was really interested in Amelia and Gabriel at the beginning and really didn't care for Micah and Willow but by the end??? Entirely opposite. Willow and Micah, the two meekest characters had some major growth in this book and I was looking forward to their chapters while Amelia and Gabriel just had me face palming.
I'm really hoping in the next book Amelia actually DOES SOMETHING. I had really high hopes for her character from the first chapter which showed her hiding on the ship with gunmen coming to find her and hinting that she had done something bad but then like... THAT NEVER HAPPENED???? I don't know if the author and her editor just missed that but that scene never came to fruition. Not even close. Amelia literally was a prisoner the entire book and only did something at the very end of the book which is the only reason I have hope for her character in the future books because I think she'll finally start to stand up for herself which she just straight up didn't do in this book.
Gabriel... Frankly I just didn't really get him at all. I mean it was very YA of him and Amelia to fall in love after only a few stolen glances and speaking literally on 2 different occasions but this man made some wild decisions I won't mention because of spoilers that I didn't really understand but oh well.
The futuristic setting was interesting because it wasn't too far off and the fact that there was a bat flu going around was really... let's say fun with all the corona stuff going on. Especially with the vaccine causing more issues (just as we start rolling out a vaccine here I will say). I look forward to seeing more of the virus and it's complications in the future books since it played more of a background character here as opposed to the pirates and stuff which honestly I could have done with WAY more of. The only characters that really dealt with them were Willow and Micah which I think is why I started to like them more because they were really in the action.
Anyway, I think I'll read the other books. I'm interested enough to figure out what's gonna happen next.
April 15, 2022
A great start to what I hope will be an equally great series. I've fallen hard for Kyla Stone's work, my first exposure to her coming from her Edge of Collapse series. So far, literally every book I've read has rated highly, and this one was no different. It wasn't absolute perfection, though. The first chapter, meant to rouse your attention, was never resolved. I also didn't quite care for the swift resolution to the entire affair. I'll expand on these a bit later, but...despite them all, this was still a solidly strong start with interesting characters, tense situations, believable violence, and shocking moments. It was the perfect concoction to whip up my attention.
I'm not delving too deeply into the premise since Goodreads, Amazon, and Google have done a fine job of it. But we've got a high-jacked cruise ship populated by the wealthiest of the wealthy, one of which is the highest target of the infiltrators. Meanwhile, a deadly viral outbreak is ravishing the mainland, and the only key to stopping it may very well be found on the ship. Or IS it? Without knowing who's an enemy and who isn't, things get messy for our main characters Amelia, Gabriel, Michah, and Willow. All of these characters face their own battles, some battles tougher than others. Needless to say, this book is the perfect starter of the newest threat to mankind: Virus.
As I said earlier, my complaints were mainly two things. One was the first chapter, which was meant to hook you into a hectic moment with the character Amelia. It was an effective draw and had ended in a cliffhanger. The following chapter goes back two days in the past, so naturally, you would expect those two days to lead back into the events of the first chapter. But sadly, as the story went on and then ended, that first chapter was never resolved. Whatever Amelia had gotten into, whatever narrative thoughts she shared, none of it actually mattered. It's as if Kyla literally forgot about that entire chapter. So now it's simply a homeless chapter, just sitting there without aim, without source, and without an actual point to existing. This was a big shame.
Second complaint, I didn't quite care for the swiftness of the story's end. I felt like once it reached a certain precipice, Kyla seemed intent on just very quickly wrapping things up so it can reach its new cliffhanger ending to prepare for the next in the series. Suddenly a chapter ended on a weird note and didn't pick up where I'd expect. However, I did appreciate that no character's arc was left too neglected, so there's that. It still prepared me for the next book well enough; I just wish it maintained the pace it did to get there and didn't just rapidly squabble to the end just for the sake of it.
Looking forward to the rest!
I'm not delving too deeply into the premise since Goodreads, Amazon, and Google have done a fine job of it. But we've got a high-jacked cruise ship populated by the wealthiest of the wealthy, one of which is the highest target of the infiltrators. Meanwhile, a deadly viral outbreak is ravishing the mainland, and the only key to stopping it may very well be found on the ship. Or IS it? Without knowing who's an enemy and who isn't, things get messy for our main characters Amelia, Gabriel, Michah, and Willow. All of these characters face their own battles, some battles tougher than others. Needless to say, this book is the perfect starter of the newest threat to mankind: Virus.
As I said earlier, my complaints were mainly two things. One was the first chapter, which was meant to hook you into a hectic moment with the character Amelia. It was an effective draw and had ended in a cliffhanger. The following chapter goes back two days in the past, so naturally, you would expect those two days to lead back into the events of the first chapter. But sadly, as the story went on and then ended, that first chapter was never resolved. Whatever Amelia had gotten into, whatever narrative thoughts she shared, none of it actually mattered. It's as if Kyla literally forgot about that entire chapter. So now it's simply a homeless chapter, just sitting there without aim, without source, and without an actual point to existing. This was a big shame.
Second complaint, I didn't quite care for the swiftness of the story's end. I felt like once it reached a certain precipice, Kyla seemed intent on just very quickly wrapping things up so it can reach its new cliffhanger ending to prepare for the next in the series. Suddenly a chapter ended on a weird note and didn't pick up where I'd expect. However, I did appreciate that no character's arc was left too neglected, so there's that. It still prepared me for the next book well enough; I just wish it maintained the pace it did to get there and didn't just rapidly squabble to the end just for the sake of it.
Looking forward to the rest!
October 1, 2025
☀︎𝖱𝖨𝖲𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖲𝖳𝖮𝖱𝖬☀︎ Is the first full length post apocalyptic book in (The Last Sanctuary World) series by Kyla Stone. Multiple POV's.
Ususall I dislike multiple POV's but in this case I think it transitioned smoothly each time and was a vital part of the storyline.
Amelia Black (18) She had an illness which was kept secret from the world. The daughter of Declan Black, Billionaire CEO, a powerful leader of the Coalition. Corruption and greed run rampant within his veins. Her brother Silas (16) who appears older than his years.
Gabriel (21) and brother Micah (19) He was hired as part of the wait staff. Gabriel was on a mission but from all intents and purposes he was hired as a ships security officer. Declan Black was the sole reason why both their parents were dead. He was there to take down Declan Black.
Willow (17) siblings Zia (13) and Benjie (8). They were only on this luxurious cruise due to her mother winning the lottery.
They were all on the Grand Voyager. The ninth day of the cruise things were drastically going to change.
This kept my attention throughout, action packed, enjoyed the storyline, and am definitely keen to jump into the next book in this series.
I enjoyed the setting, so many on a luxurious cruiser, nowhere to hide, nowhere to run when terrorists attack, many innocent lives were lost, children included.
Ususall I dislike multiple POV's but in this case I think it transitioned smoothly each time and was a vital part of the storyline.
Amelia Black (18) She had an illness which was kept secret from the world. The daughter of Declan Black, Billionaire CEO, a powerful leader of the Coalition. Corruption and greed run rampant within his veins. Her brother Silas (16) who appears older than his years.
Gabriel (21) and brother Micah (19) He was hired as part of the wait staff. Gabriel was on a mission but from all intents and purposes he was hired as a ships security officer. Declan Black was the sole reason why both their parents were dead. He was there to take down Declan Black.
Willow (17) siblings Zia (13) and Benjie (8). They were only on this luxurious cruise due to her mother winning the lottery.
They were all on the Grand Voyager. The ninth day of the cruise things were drastically going to change.
This kept my attention throughout, action packed, enjoyed the storyline, and am definitely keen to jump into the next book in this series.
I enjoyed the setting, so many on a luxurious cruiser, nowhere to hide, nowhere to run when terrorists attack, many innocent lives were lost, children included.
December 25, 2017
I was really quite surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I received an ARC copy for an honest review. Kyla gave the reader a lot to think about in this dystopian book. In this book the future continues to be controlled by the rich and powerful. What are considered to be menial jobs are taken over by robots which leaves the poor with even fewer opportunities to take care of their families. Without giving away any spoilers I will just say that a new revolution is about to occur thanks to the treatment imposed by the corrupt and evil elite. Unfortunately as with any fight the sides are not as clear cut as many believe. This story is told from the viewpoint of 4 young adults all from similar backgrounds who end up at different spots by the time the book takes place. All of them discover their world is not what they thought and they must make some very hard decisions. Who will they ally themselves with during this horrific event and how will they survive? I cannot wait to read the sequel and find out what else will happen with these young adults and the world as they know it.
September 9, 2024
So far, I'm hooked on the series. I loved it. I'm really hoping I'm going to enjoy the 2nd one as much as the first. I have all the books except the last one, so I forsee a series binge readathon coming up.
In this futuristic world, there's the elite & the poor. I've yet to see middle class. Now let's put these elite people on board a cruise ship. Naturally, the poor working class is serving the elite.
Enter our main characters, Willow, Micah, Amelia & Gabriel. Micah and Gabriel, two brothers, one who has lost his way and make a serious error in judgment. Willow, her mom won an all expense paid trip for her and her 3 kids, to bad she ends up working for the entire trip. Last is Amelia, who has many secrets & does her family.
These four characters' lives intersect throughout the story. I went into this book only reading the back & it was a great representation of what the book was about.
The story drew me in from page one. This was a fast-paced, action-packed story with great characters.
It's suggested the book is for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Rossi, and having read those authors, I'd agree.
Highly recommend this book!!
In this futuristic world, there's the elite & the poor. I've yet to see middle class. Now let's put these elite people on board a cruise ship. Naturally, the poor working class is serving the elite.
Enter our main characters, Willow, Micah, Amelia & Gabriel. Micah and Gabriel, two brothers, one who has lost his way and make a serious error in judgment. Willow, her mom won an all expense paid trip for her and her 3 kids, to bad she ends up working for the entire trip. Last is Amelia, who has many secrets & does her family.
These four characters' lives intersect throughout the story. I went into this book only reading the back & it was a great representation of what the book was about.
The story drew me in from page one. This was a fast-paced, action-packed story with great characters.
It's suggested the book is for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Rossi, and having read those authors, I'd agree.
Highly recommend this book!!
May 23, 2020
Enjoyable read
This is my first time reading a novel by Kyla Stone, after seeing her books advertised to me and suggested. Let’s just say I’m not disappointed.
Rising Storm is an amazing read it follows four teens perspective during what should have been a smooth sailing voyage, yet it’s far from that. And the title definitely embodies the storyline.
The characters are well written and each of them unique, each play to their strengths and weaknesses. What I love is seeing them develop throughout the disaster they find themselves in, seeing them struggle with right and wrong. They felt very human to me seeing this, in many novels you see the characters almost hardened straight away and don’t seem affected by events. But Stone has done it perfectly, her characters a very relatable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Would definitely recommend this book 110%.
This is my first time reading a novel by Kyla Stone, after seeing her books advertised to me and suggested. Let’s just say I’m not disappointed.
Rising Storm is an amazing read it follows four teens perspective during what should have been a smooth sailing voyage, yet it’s far from that. And the title definitely embodies the storyline.
The characters are well written and each of them unique, each play to their strengths and weaknesses. What I love is seeing them develop throughout the disaster they find themselves in, seeing them struggle with right and wrong. They felt very human to me seeing this, in many novels you see the characters almost hardened straight away and don’t seem affected by events. But Stone has done it perfectly, her characters a very relatable.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Would definitely recommend this book 110%.
February 8, 2022
3.5 Stars
Rising Storm is the beginning of Kyla Stone's Last Sanctuary Series featuring the richest Elite and the terrorist uprising against them. Set on board a ship in the middle of the Atlantic, Stone takes you on a journey as the beginning of pandemic sweeps the world. A series of characters fight as their ship is overtaken by the new Patriots set on finding the cure for the Hydra Virus.
Stone creates a variety of interesting characters with this one. From the richest Elite to the smallest child, each one has an interesting story throughout this book. Gabriel and Micah are two of the most interesting characters considering their brotherhood and intensely different outlooks on life. Morality is a huge player in this novel and their relationship. Although this one is slightly less than what I'd call "thrilling" it's adventurous enough that it kept me reading and actively wondering about what would come next if they survived.
Rising Storm is the beginning of Kyla Stone's Last Sanctuary Series featuring the richest Elite and the terrorist uprising against them. Set on board a ship in the middle of the Atlantic, Stone takes you on a journey as the beginning of pandemic sweeps the world. A series of characters fight as their ship is overtaken by the new Patriots set on finding the cure for the Hydra Virus.
Stone creates a variety of interesting characters with this one. From the richest Elite to the smallest child, each one has an interesting story throughout this book. Gabriel and Micah are two of the most interesting characters considering their brotherhood and intensely different outlooks on life. Morality is a huge player in this novel and their relationship. Although this one is slightly less than what I'd call "thrilling" it's adventurous enough that it kept me reading and actively wondering about what would come next if they survived.
December 23, 2023
Vote: 3,50
Class: L-A3 (FP)
(first book out of five)
I read the omnibus edition (The Last Sanctuary Omnibus #1-5: The Complete Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series) and it starts really well with this opening book the opens the way to... the end of the world maybe!
The story and the setting is well written and the characters are quite good.
It was sometimes just a bit too much on the young side of the young-adult genre and it didn't go very far in describing the world descending into chaos (I was expecting more).
That said it's a good series but not a great one.
I enjoyed reading it at first but slowly my interest dimmed.
Class: L-A3 (FP)
(first book out of five)
I read the omnibus edition (The Last Sanctuary Omnibus #1-5: The Complete Post-Apocalyptic Survival Series) and it starts really well with this opening book the opens the way to... the end of the world maybe!
The story and the setting is well written and the characters are quite good.
It was sometimes just a bit too much on the young side of the young-adult genre and it didn't go very far in describing the world descending into chaos (I was expecting more).
That said it's a good series but not a great one.
I enjoyed reading it at first but slowly my interest dimmed.
April 16, 2018
This book was a complete surprise as to how much I really enjoyed it. It kept me interested from the beginning..to the end. It's hard to get into the plot without giving away certain information. It follows the story of a very rich and powerful family who are members of the rich and powerful elite. Of two brothers whose parent have died of the viruses that has taken over the world who have jobs on the ship, and a young girl whose Mother works on the ship and has won a trip for her family on the ship.
That's all I'm going to say because it is complicated to explain. But it is very good. It is a very original plot for a dystopian series, which I will be continuing! I definitely recommend this one!
That's all I'm going to say because it is complicated to explain. But it is very good. It is a very original plot for a dystopian series, which I will be continuing! I definitely recommend this one!
December 22, 2017
I live and breathe words, but I’ve grown up in a visual world, so I sometimes find it easiest to compare books I’ve read to the movies I’ve seen. This book makes me think of a skillful amalgamation of Vantage Point with all its individual points of view surrounding the main event, with Poseidon and its unnatural disaster on the high seas, and a little bit of Under Siege sprinkled through to get the proper terrorist threat and rampant destruction. I loved having the different perspectives on what was happening from these very unique characters. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.
September 16, 2018
Great story line, kept me interested and was not predictable. Loved the insights into the characters but way too much angst repeated over and over. After a while I felt insulted. I got it the first time and all it did was slow the pace so much that I found myself skipping pages ahead only to find the character was still on his/her emotional rollercoster. Editing needed some work, but overall it didn't jar too much. I'm going to read the next one because I am invested in the characters, but I feel cheated that I will have to skim through so much to get to the meat if the author continues restating for the sake of word count.
October 18, 2023
This was a great start to this series. The characters are soon developed, mostly due to the switches in points of view - all of which fit perfectly into the plot.
The elite are aboard a luxury ship, expecting the best but trouble erupts to spoil their decadence. There's the threat of a pandemic, there are villains and heroes and those trying to do their best - or worst. It seems to be set in the future due to things like work bots and advanced technology.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story - the plot, the thoughts, feelings, action and twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
The elite are aboard a luxury ship, expecting the best but trouble erupts to spoil their decadence. There's the threat of a pandemic, there are villains and heroes and those trying to do their best - or worst. It seems to be set in the future due to things like work bots and advanced technology.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story - the plot, the thoughts, feelings, action and twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
March 1, 2018
This book started so fun! I loved the luxury and opulence on the cruise ship, and I was very intrigued by the weird father-daughter dynamic between Amelia and Declan. Unfortunately though, it kind of fizzled. There were so many ways the author could have expanded upon these awesome Dystopian ideas she was creating. Also, the narration was told through multiple characters and started awesome but got kind of tedious by the end of the book.
But hey! This was on Kindle Unlimited. So I read it fo free! Can’t knock that.
But hey! This was on Kindle Unlimited. So I read it fo free! Can’t knock that.
June 15, 2019
Was able to read this for free with kindle unlimited. I read the entire series and was surprised at how much I liked it. The whole series is a post-pandemic story that moves from sea, to land, through cities, mountains, farmland, and really makes you consider “What would you do?” The main female character is a bit typical in some aspects, and sometimes a little over dramatic, but overall I ended up liking her and rooting for her and her friends. This ended with many side characters whose stories I would like to read as well.
April 12, 2022
This started off pretty good for me and I like the concept for the series, but the storyline and characters just kind of fell flat at some point. I have read several other of Stone's books and LOVED them. But this one, I could just not stay hooked and kept losing interest. I also couldn't really get into the romance part of it, and I normally love romance and the whole "bad boy" thing. But definitely check out some of Stone's other series if you like dystopian, especially Edge of Collapse! And maybe you'll even come back and get into this one more than I did.
October 10, 2019
I was really surprised at the graphic descriptions in this book. It brings the reader into the book with the characters. There was no one to be trusted on this voyage of doom. If fact, the terrorist couldn't even trust each other. This is a well written book that keeps you you on the edge of your seat and turning the pages to see what will happen next. It is sometimes to graphic, but in view of the type of book it is, it wouldn't be as thrilling to read. I will read the complete series.
March 17, 2022
This book certainly gets you thinking
Good start for a new series, a vaccine injected into thousands of the poorer people in the society, that mutates and becomes highly contagious. The new patriots take over the ship to get the cure to save the population. But end up murdering hundreds on board. There's lots of corruption by the elites, lots of different characters, with various views on the new Bio identification chip. Looking forward to reading book 2
Good start for a new series, a vaccine injected into thousands of the poorer people in the society, that mutates and becomes highly contagious. The new patriots take over the ship to get the cure to save the population. But end up murdering hundreds on board. There's lots of corruption by the elites, lots of different characters, with various views on the new Bio identification chip. Looking forward to reading book 2
December 24, 2023
A very enjoyable YA adventure about a luxury cruise ship hijacked by terrorists hell bent on death, destruction and revenge for crimes committed by a billionaire, who is on board with his disaffected family. His daughter Amelia relies on him for an essential medicine and so cannot displease him, but when the terrorists strike, allegiances are blurred as the mostly rich, privileged people start to die. Fast-paced and frenetic storytelling. Phew.
December 23, 2017
Wow!! Rising Storm, The Last Sanctuary Book One is well written and very suspenseful. It kept me engaged until the end. I didn't know if I would like the different point of views, however, I did and it was easy to follow. I really like the characters and the plot. I'm not sure who my favorite characters are yet, but I am really looking forward to the second book to find out.
August 20, 2020
Very entertaining
The writer describes a world that has sunken in to depression era lasting over a decade with many impoverished souls. The storyline is a different take on an apocalyptic world, as it takes place on a luxury cruise ship. They are boarded by pirates and terrorists. Some passengers are held hostage for ransom others are gunned down, men, women an children.
The writer describes a world that has sunken in to depression era lasting over a decade with many impoverished souls. The storyline is a different take on an apocalyptic world, as it takes place on a luxury cruise ship. They are boarded by pirates and terrorists. Some passengers are held hostage for ransom others are gunned down, men, women an children.
February 6, 2022
Ugh I’m so sad. I mean did Kyla even write this? Because it was nothing like any other book I’ve ever read of hers. It just lagged on. I kept reading thinking okay it’s got to get better. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. 2 stars because I really dig the author. Wouldn’t have finished it if anyone else wrote it
July 23, 2022
The characters were really underdeveloped and unlikeable. I found myself not rooting for any of them and not caring how it ended.
However, the actual premise of the book was great.
I’m convinced this author is prophetic and doesn’t know it. It’s scary how this plot is becoming our reality.
However, the actual premise of the book was great.
I’m convinced this author is prophetic and doesn’t know it. It’s scary how this plot is becoming our reality.
December 2, 2022
Meh...undecided
This book is meant for preteens or super young teenagers.
The story is interesting enough, but just..not written in a mature enough manner for me to truly like it.
The future love triangle or quadrangle is obvious. The characters are stereotypical romance novel characters mixed with blah.
I started getting bored and just wanted it to end.
This book is meant for preteens or super young teenagers.
The story is interesting enough, but just..not written in a mature enough manner for me to truly like it.
The future love triangle or quadrangle is obvious. The characters are stereotypical romance novel characters mixed with blah.
I started getting bored and just wanted it to end.
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