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Divided World #2
Serenity Falling
scifi thriller
319 pages, Paperback
Published December 26, 2017
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9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 26, 2020
Serenity Falling is the second book in G.L. Cromarty’s Divided World series. A science fantasy novel set on an earth-like planet, the story revolves around the technologically advanced civilisation living in the eponymous city of Serenity, and their neighbours who exist in a fantasy type world. Cromarty’s world is incredibly real, and the world-building is seamless slotted into the narrative.
The book continues the story from where Divided Serenity finished, carrying on in the same vein. There are a lot of characters in the book, most of whom are well written and individual. The exploration of these characters is interesting, although there does seem to be an abundance of psychopathic men in Cromarty’s head. This doesn’t make the characters unrelatable though, and even the ‘bad guys’ are sufficiently fleshed out with relatable backgrounds. The focus character of the previous book, Hannah, also takes less of a lead role in this book, which leaves a void in terms of female characters.
The book is very well written and edited. There is plenty going on to keep the reader engrossed, with several major plots running along side the overarching main. There is plenty of action, but this doesn’t stop the book moving forward at a good pace. The book has a lot of twists and turns, and a couple of surprising moments. Overall, I am looking forwards to reading the final instalment.
I have given this book 4.4 stars, and would recommend getting into this series if you’re fan of fan of fantasy or sci-fi.
The book continues the story from where Divided Serenity finished, carrying on in the same vein. There are a lot of characters in the book, most of whom are well written and individual. The exploration of these characters is interesting, although there does seem to be an abundance of psychopathic men in Cromarty’s head. This doesn’t make the characters unrelatable though, and even the ‘bad guys’ are sufficiently fleshed out with relatable backgrounds. The focus character of the previous book, Hannah, also takes less of a lead role in this book, which leaves a void in terms of female characters.
The book is very well written and edited. There is plenty going on to keep the reader engrossed, with several major plots running along side the overarching main. There is plenty of action, but this doesn’t stop the book moving forward at a good pace. The book has a lot of twists and turns, and a couple of surprising moments. Overall, I am looking forwards to reading the final instalment.
I have given this book 4.4 stars, and would recommend getting into this series if you’re fan of fan of fantasy or sci-fi.
April 30, 2018
Whilst I experienced book 1 as a bit slow this book was definitely a bit more fast paced and in this book you understand more about the people of Aterra, the Shadowlanders and the Jaru. This book certainly ended on a "What!!!!" moment for me. I lovev GL Cromarty's writing style and how the author progressed in writing style in this book. I thought this was a 2 book series and was excited when reading the end to see that there is another book available. I can't wait to get my hands on the third book to see how everything will come together and who will triumph. I would recommend reading book 1 before picking up book 2. Great reading!!!
May 17, 2018
serenity falling by g l cromarty.
a fantastic read. this is book 2. now Hannah has fixed the station will she be able to go back to aterran? or will she be stuck in the Shadowland?
I loved the story and the characters. Hannah was my favourite character. and what a twist. didn't see that coming. can't wait to read next part. 5*.
a fantastic read. this is book 2. now Hannah has fixed the station will she be able to go back to aterran? or will she be stuck in the Shadowland?
I loved the story and the characters. Hannah was my favourite character. and what a twist. didn't see that coming. can't wait to read next part. 5*.
May 10, 2018
Serenity Falling is the second of the Divided World series and picks up directly where Divided Serenity ends. There is enough early exposition through references to the events of the first book to allow the reader to start with this book but I would recommend reading Divided Serenity first.
The author has created an interesting and engaging world full of contrasts. One is society cossetted within a protected world, enjoying lavish technology and comfort and a seemingly utopian lifestyle. Meanwhile, outside the impenetrable walls, a more medieval existence has created a very different society devoid of technology where brutally and death are commonplace and it is very much survival of the fittest, provided that the fittest are also merciless when necessary. It is the continued interaction between the two worlds and the key players within them that make for very entertaining fast-paced story-telling. Much like the first book in the series, look forward to some surprises, a good dollop of intrigue, plenty of action and a healthy dose of sex and violence. I can’t wait to read part three!
The author has created an interesting and engaging world full of contrasts. One is society cossetted within a protected world, enjoying lavish technology and comfort and a seemingly utopian lifestyle. Meanwhile, outside the impenetrable walls, a more medieval existence has created a very different society devoid of technology where brutally and death are commonplace and it is very much survival of the fittest, provided that the fittest are also merciless when necessary. It is the continued interaction between the two worlds and the key players within them that make for very entertaining fast-paced story-telling. Much like the first book in the series, look forward to some surprises, a good dollop of intrigue, plenty of action and a healthy dose of sex and violence. I can’t wait to read part three!
May 15, 2018
The story cracks straight on from book one and does not let up. This whole story has been so well planned and thought out and the seperate stories that are going on in all different areas are really well done that I am going straight into book 3 to see how it all comes together!
May 20, 2018
Review Books 1 and 2
I was fortunate to be given copies of these books through The Book Club on Facebook and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Serenity. A world that is divided. The Aterran people live inside a “virtual” wall with a land is progressive and based upon technology. Outside the wall live the Shadowlanders and the Jaru, two groups of people sharing as much hatred for each other as for the Aterrans.
Bill Bremmer and John Tanis are sworn enemies, once best friends. Bremmer is the leader of the Aterran people whilst Tanis has been banished from Aterra and is now a fully-fledged Shadowlander. When the normal pattern of war between the Shadowlanders and the Jaru seems to have changed, and Bremmer receives intelligence that there might be Aterran technology within the hands of the Shadowlanders, the already shaky status quo is threatened.
Aterran technology is maintained with the help of so called “ancient technology” stations situated beyond the wall in the heart of Shadowland. When one of these stations misfunctions and power the Aterran is lost, teams of field agents and scientists are sent to repair the technology. The youngest and brightest of these scientists is Hannah Duvall, who is in a relationship with Bill Bremmer and has never been into Shadowland before. The question is why is the Aterran leader sending his partner to near certain death? Or is there more fuelling Bremmer’s motives, such as his intense hatred for Tanis? Is his need to see John Tanis dead taking over everything?
Hannah and her party must ride on horses to the station, making their journey perilous and prone to attack. But who will attack the small group and who will accompany them to the station? Jaru or Shadowlanders? Can Aterrans be accepted in the Shadowland and how will Hannah fare when she comes face to face with John Tanis, half Aterran half Shadowlander?
I could continue with a plot synopsis, but I can’t write more without giving away spoilers!
This is not a genre that I would normally reach for, but since joining various book clubs I am enjoying reading different styles of storyline – plus my children have introduced me to Game of Thrones type dystopian fantasy in both books and television! Initially I struggled to get into the story as it felt slow and slightly disjointed – but after a couple of chapters, once Hannah was in Shadowland, I was completely hooked. Honestly, I could not put these books down and read them back to back.
Once the story got going I found the plot to be pacey and action packed with some very complex characters. Warning: this is not for the squeamish as the battle scenes are described in great detail – there is blood and gore in copious amounts, and life has little value amongst the soldiers. The characters really develop throughout the novels and are fleshed out as their past is disclosed to the reader. Bremmer remains an unlikeable man and as the story moves into the second book, it becomes increasingly apparent that he is a deeply flawed character. Tanis should also be equally unlikeable, with his apparent lack of emotion and his bloodthirsty warrior gene, yet for me I felt that I started to understand him and actually empathise with him the more I found out about him. Hannah, as the only female main character, seemed weak and too naïve early on in the story, particularly regarding her relationship with Bremmer. However, it is her character that probably grows the most and the quickest, to show an inner strength and steely core that surprises Hannah herself.
Secondary characters include the geneticist mother of Tanis, disabled genius scientist and mentor to Hannah – Dan, Hannah’s sister Ella, Tanis’s half brothers and father, and the mysterious Theo and Nate. The fate of all the characters became important enough that I wanted to know what happened to them!
The premise of the story is good, and for me the book is well structured and well written. The fine line between a world entirely led by technology alongside one that is so primitive is explored well with a survival of the fittest theme, and I love the idea of the virtual wall. The conflict, the power struggles, and the personal emotions spilling into the professional world is fascinating and could just as easily be in our world as in this dystopian land. I am itching to get my hands on the third book.
A fast, exciting, bloody read – 5 stars.
I was fortunate to be given copies of these books through The Book Club on Facebook and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Serenity. A world that is divided. The Aterran people live inside a “virtual” wall with a land is progressive and based upon technology. Outside the wall live the Shadowlanders and the Jaru, two groups of people sharing as much hatred for each other as for the Aterrans.
Bill Bremmer and John Tanis are sworn enemies, once best friends. Bremmer is the leader of the Aterran people whilst Tanis has been banished from Aterra and is now a fully-fledged Shadowlander. When the normal pattern of war between the Shadowlanders and the Jaru seems to have changed, and Bremmer receives intelligence that there might be Aterran technology within the hands of the Shadowlanders, the already shaky status quo is threatened.
Aterran technology is maintained with the help of so called “ancient technology” stations situated beyond the wall in the heart of Shadowland. When one of these stations misfunctions and power the Aterran is lost, teams of field agents and scientists are sent to repair the technology. The youngest and brightest of these scientists is Hannah Duvall, who is in a relationship with Bill Bremmer and has never been into Shadowland before. The question is why is the Aterran leader sending his partner to near certain death? Or is there more fuelling Bremmer’s motives, such as his intense hatred for Tanis? Is his need to see John Tanis dead taking over everything?
Hannah and her party must ride on horses to the station, making their journey perilous and prone to attack. But who will attack the small group and who will accompany them to the station? Jaru or Shadowlanders? Can Aterrans be accepted in the Shadowland and how will Hannah fare when she comes face to face with John Tanis, half Aterran half Shadowlander?
I could continue with a plot synopsis, but I can’t write more without giving away spoilers!
This is not a genre that I would normally reach for, but since joining various book clubs I am enjoying reading different styles of storyline – plus my children have introduced me to Game of Thrones type dystopian fantasy in both books and television! Initially I struggled to get into the story as it felt slow and slightly disjointed – but after a couple of chapters, once Hannah was in Shadowland, I was completely hooked. Honestly, I could not put these books down and read them back to back.
Once the story got going I found the plot to be pacey and action packed with some very complex characters. Warning: this is not for the squeamish as the battle scenes are described in great detail – there is blood and gore in copious amounts, and life has little value amongst the soldiers. The characters really develop throughout the novels and are fleshed out as their past is disclosed to the reader. Bremmer remains an unlikeable man and as the story moves into the second book, it becomes increasingly apparent that he is a deeply flawed character. Tanis should also be equally unlikeable, with his apparent lack of emotion and his bloodthirsty warrior gene, yet for me I felt that I started to understand him and actually empathise with him the more I found out about him. Hannah, as the only female main character, seemed weak and too naïve early on in the story, particularly regarding her relationship with Bremmer. However, it is her character that probably grows the most and the quickest, to show an inner strength and steely core that surprises Hannah herself.
Secondary characters include the geneticist mother of Tanis, disabled genius scientist and mentor to Hannah – Dan, Hannah’s sister Ella, Tanis’s half brothers and father, and the mysterious Theo and Nate. The fate of all the characters became important enough that I wanted to know what happened to them!
The premise of the story is good, and for me the book is well structured and well written. The fine line between a world entirely led by technology alongside one that is so primitive is explored well with a survival of the fittest theme, and I love the idea of the virtual wall. The conflict, the power struggles, and the personal emotions spilling into the professional world is fascinating and could just as easily be in our world as in this dystopian land. I am itching to get my hands on the third book.
A fast, exciting, bloody read – 5 stars.
September 18, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed Serenity Falling. The book can be dark at times, but it isn't relentlessly miserable like so many other fantasy books today. G.L Cromarty has created a world that is rich and well developed, with believable characters. Hannah is an interesting protagonist. She isn't a warrior and so she can't rely on brute strength to get her out of problems which makes her, and her situation far more relatable.
There are a ton of surprises and a lot of action. The ending is spectacular.
G.L. Cromarty is a talented author and I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
ps. If the author ever reads this, I'm leaving a strong hint for a standalone novel about Nate. :)
There are a ton of surprises and a lot of action. The ending is spectacular.
G.L. Cromarty is a talented author and I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.
ps. If the author ever reads this, I'm leaving a strong hint for a standalone novel about Nate. :)
September 12, 2017
One good thing about Hurricane Irma - Time to read! Finally got to Serenity Falling and enjoyed it more than book 1, which I liked. The characters are more developed, and the scene setting remains top notch. The mixture of high tech, old fashion lives, and ageless human frailties creates a world worth visiting, and revisiting. I sometimes find I'm missing some nuance in a character, and wish I had more background, but the flow is never lost. Excellent descriptive prose.
September 3, 2017
This is the second book and in the series. Like the first one, it is wonderful. Lots of action, perfectly paved and filled with tension. I loved it!
April 29, 2018
I’m loving this series! A tight, thrilling sequel which sees the war drawing closer, as Bill’s megalomania reaches new heights.
Tanis is a great character, complex, driven and flawed. Which makes him very attractive.
I’m very much hoping that this is a trilogy as I need to get to the end of the story!
My thanks to TBConFB for this copy.
Tanis is a great character, complex, driven and flawed. Which makes him very attractive.
I’m very much hoping that this is a trilogy as I need to get to the end of the story!
My thanks to TBConFB for this copy.
September 1, 2020
Really enjoyed book 2, Serenity Falling. Went through it in about 4 days which is a record for me. Characters have progressed nicely. Really looking forward to further books in the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews