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Earthbound
Ally Reynolds is a veterinarian specializing in raptor rehabilitation in New Hampshire. Other than one horrific incident in her childhood and a little extra “spark” for healing in her hands, both of which she has kept secret from even her best friend, her life has been singularly boring. It has also been extremely lonely. Ally longs for someone to share her life with, but how can she trust someone with her secret?
Matthew Blake, an ornithologist at Cornell University, calls Ally, asking for her help with an injured raptor. Matthew grew up in New Zealand and has lived around the world. He has read about Ally’s high success rates in raptor rehabilitation and suspects there is more to it than is generally known.
Matthew has some secrets of his own; he is a demon hunter. He suspects Ally’s healing powers could benefit him. He wants her to join him and thinks they’d make a great team.
Can Ally trust him or is he just using her? Matthew definitely has more secrets, and some of them are about her.
Matthew Blake, an ornithologist at Cornell University, calls Ally, asking for her help with an injured raptor. Matthew grew up in New Zealand and has lived around the world. He has read about Ally’s high success rates in raptor rehabilitation and suspects there is more to it than is generally known.
Matthew has some secrets of his own; he is a demon hunter. He suspects Ally’s healing powers could benefit him. He wants her to join him and thinks they’d make a great team.
Can Ally trust him or is he just using her? Matthew definitely has more secrets, and some of them are about her.
185 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2020
43 people want to read
About the author
Melora Johnson
5 books53 followersA writer who daylights as a librarian because that's where she hears the best stories. Melora lives in Upstate New York with her husband, daughter, Hemi the cat, and assorted chickens.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 2, 2020
Rating: 3.5/5.0
This story has an original premise that is presented in a creative manner.
Read full review in the 2020 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
This story has an original premise that is presented in a creative manner.
Read full review in the 2020 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
January 11, 2020
I love Johnson's characters and her writing! This book is fun, bright, and inventive with unforgettable characters along with a story that builds toward what I hope is the first of many books in this series.
December 1, 2019
Melora Johnson's writing is thoroughly engrossing. With a delicious variety of characters, all of whom we get to know well, this is a story that takes you on a fun ride. There are wonderful passages which set the scene so clearly, I felt that I was sitting in the room with the characters! This is a romance, and a thriller, and a fantasy. My only complaint is that the epilogue came too quickly. More! More!
December 3, 2019
Such a wonderful journey! Johnson's writing is insightful, exciting, and delightful. I can't wait to read more!
February 17, 2020
God—Earthbound. What a story.
I’m the type of person who loves the books and movies about demons, angels, mystical forces, and the supernatural. Earthbound was literally perfect for me.
A bit slow to start, the beginning of the story does a fantastic job of introducing the reader to Ally’s life, her personality, and the world in which she lives. She can heal animals, a gift she’s had since childhood—maybe even birth. But, it’s when our heroine finds out her true destiny that the story really picks up speed.
This is a book you can’t put down, even when there is dinner to be made and laundry to wash. The descriptions were vivid enough for me to picture each scene as it unfolded. From the hunky leading man, to the smoldering fallen-angel who might have a bit of good in him, to the scenes where Ally kicks some serious ass, the storytelling was amazing. Each character feels as though they have their own story. Stories which intertwine with Ally’s so well, you forget they aren’t real people.
If I have one complaint about this story, it’s that I know the author is currently working on book two. Which means I have to wait!
That’s okay though, I’ll get the privilege of reading Earthbound again as soon as the next story in the series comes out for preorder.
I’m the type of person who loves the books and movies about demons, angels, mystical forces, and the supernatural. Earthbound was literally perfect for me.
A bit slow to start, the beginning of the story does a fantastic job of introducing the reader to Ally’s life, her personality, and the world in which she lives. She can heal animals, a gift she’s had since childhood—maybe even birth. But, it’s when our heroine finds out her true destiny that the story really picks up speed.
This is a book you can’t put down, even when there is dinner to be made and laundry to wash. The descriptions were vivid enough for me to picture each scene as it unfolded. From the hunky leading man, to the smoldering fallen-angel who might have a bit of good in him, to the scenes where Ally kicks some serious ass, the storytelling was amazing. Each character feels as though they have their own story. Stories which intertwine with Ally’s so well, you forget they aren’t real people.
If I have one complaint about this story, it’s that I know the author is currently working on book two. Which means I have to wait!
That’s okay though, I’ll get the privilege of reading Earthbound again as soon as the next story in the series comes out for preorder.
February 20, 2020
Delightfully entertaining, "Earthbound" is aptly titled. Melora Johnson does a remarkable job weaving the otherworldly elements of a supernatural conflict (complete with angels, demons, and other characters that blur the lines between good and evil) with the everyday woes and triumphs of being human. Ally Reynolds is as relatable a heroine as she is admirable, and Matthew Scott Blake makes for the perfect man of mystery. (Plus, I found Zyriel to be quite enjoyable as comic relief). Johnson earns her wings with this imaginative yet dryly humorous novel.
March 25, 2020
** Spoilers **
Ally has a quiet life and a best friend who is currently her only source of social interaction. Distant from her family and focused on her work, Ally wants to find her significant other, her soulmate. But her tendency to isolate herself is making that very difficult.
When Matthew Blake from Cornell University asks her to inspect an eagle that has been injured, she takes the job and deviates away from her structured norms. Not only does Ally find herself attracted to Matthew (much to his co-worker’s annoyance) but she feels she has been lured to the university under false pretences.
It doesn’t take long for Ally to discover that her role in this world is much more significant than she realised and that she is destined to become a demon hunter, as an angel in a human body. Only the advances of the demon Zyriel make her doubt her own path.
Earthbound is quite unique (so far) in that the angels and demons are not attributed to one religion but all of them. I loved this because it means that everyone’s got it right somewhere. It boils down to a fight between good and evil, regardless of religious views. (Brownie points also given for addressing homosexuality as not sinful).
Ally and Matthew have an instant chemistry and it isn’t forced, very natural. Ally really starts to come out of her shell as the puzzle pieces of her past finally fit into a bigger picture and she starts to come to terms with her own capabilities. Yet, she still maintains her character: withdrawn, self-conscious but with a strong sense of justice.
I’m interested to see where the love-triangle between Matthew, Zyriel and Ally will go because while it’s alluded to in Earthbound, something tells me this might develop into something more. Ally very much has an angel and a devil on her shoulder here and so far, the angel is winning out. But I’m hoping that she will question herself when she is faced with greater temptations in later books.
In Earthbound, demons crop up in the most unexpected places and Ally is forced to think on her feet to keep herself alive. It keeps the plot open to unexpected twists and sudden conflicts and that really kept me turning the pages of this book.
My only qualm with Earthbound is that the ending felt rushed. The climax happened so fast and it was resolved without very much effort on Ally or Matthew’s part. Plus, Ally is on trial for vehicular manslaughter and the judge just straight-up accepts that the prosecutor was a demon. His whole understanding of the world and how it works is flipped on his head and in less than two minutes he’s on board without any questions whatsoever. It made the ending a bit anti-climactic.
All in all though, a good read and solid characters who I would like to read more about.
Ally has a quiet life and a best friend who is currently her only source of social interaction. Distant from her family and focused on her work, Ally wants to find her significant other, her soulmate. But her tendency to isolate herself is making that very difficult.
When Matthew Blake from Cornell University asks her to inspect an eagle that has been injured, she takes the job and deviates away from her structured norms. Not only does Ally find herself attracted to Matthew (much to his co-worker’s annoyance) but she feels she has been lured to the university under false pretences.
It doesn’t take long for Ally to discover that her role in this world is much more significant than she realised and that she is destined to become a demon hunter, as an angel in a human body. Only the advances of the demon Zyriel make her doubt her own path.
Earthbound is quite unique (so far) in that the angels and demons are not attributed to one religion but all of them. I loved this because it means that everyone’s got it right somewhere. It boils down to a fight between good and evil, regardless of religious views. (Brownie points also given for addressing homosexuality as not sinful).
Ally and Matthew have an instant chemistry and it isn’t forced, very natural. Ally really starts to come out of her shell as the puzzle pieces of her past finally fit into a bigger picture and she starts to come to terms with her own capabilities. Yet, she still maintains her character: withdrawn, self-conscious but with a strong sense of justice.
I’m interested to see where the love-triangle between Matthew, Zyriel and Ally will go because while it’s alluded to in Earthbound, something tells me this might develop into something more. Ally very much has an angel and a devil on her shoulder here and so far, the angel is winning out. But I’m hoping that she will question herself when she is faced with greater temptations in later books.
In Earthbound, demons crop up in the most unexpected places and Ally is forced to think on her feet to keep herself alive. It keeps the plot open to unexpected twists and sudden conflicts and that really kept me turning the pages of this book.
My only qualm with Earthbound is that the ending felt rushed. The climax happened so fast and it was resolved without very much effort on Ally or Matthew’s part. Plus, Ally is on trial for vehicular manslaughter and the judge just straight-up accepts that the prosecutor was a demon. His whole understanding of the world and how it works is flipped on his head and in less than two minutes he’s on board without any questions whatsoever. It made the ending a bit anti-climactic.
All in all though, a good read and solid characters who I would like to read more about.
September 15, 2020
I enjoyed this story. Ally is just a normal girl until at a young age, she finds she can do amazing, and sometimes scary, things with her hands. As she grew, she learned that not all was bad. She could use her hands for good. She is a vet with a healing touch. She soon meets Matt, and he answers questions that had plagued her for years.
She finally learns her truth. The path that follows her discovery is paved with action, danger, and temptation.
I enjoyed this story. It was a fun, action-packed, and animal-filled story. It was a wild ride from beginning to end. I absolutely love the relationship between Ally and Matt. They are so perfect together. When Zyriel is involved, I love the attitude of Matt. This story gave me giggles and kept me reading.
The only fault I had with this book is the ending. It felt like it was building up to a BIG climax. It was an okay way to end it, but I feel like it could have been more of a BOOM type of end. It felt anticlimactic.
Overall, I liked this story. It had fun and relatable (kind of) characters. It was full of romance, temptation, animals, and action.
She finally learns her truth. The path that follows her discovery is paved with action, danger, and temptation.
I enjoyed this story. It was a fun, action-packed, and animal-filled story. It was a wild ride from beginning to end. I absolutely love the relationship between Ally and Matt. They are so perfect together. When Zyriel is involved, I love the attitude of Matt. This story gave me giggles and kept me reading.
The only fault I had with this book is the ending. It felt like it was building up to a BIG climax. It was an okay way to end it, but I feel like it could have been more of a BOOM type of end. It felt anticlimactic.
Overall, I liked this story. It had fun and relatable (kind of) characters. It was full of romance, temptation, animals, and action.
March 8, 2022
The writing for this wonderfully crafted story of the supernatural mixed into the real world is first rate. Ally is such an interesting, relatable character with a unique talent she doesn’t fully understand at the onset. I appreciate the character Matt because you’re not 100% sure of his motivation. Is he a helper, a hindrance, or something else? Delicious intrigue throughout, and the descriptions are vivid. Melora Johnson does a great job of sprinkling and sifting the information about the past like confectioner’s sugar on top of a cake. It builds a little at a time until you have what you really need at the end. One thing to note, there is an intimate scene described in detail.
December 24, 2020
Earthbound is Melora Johnson’s debut fantasy novel and a wonderful start. The story introduces Ally, a young woman with a power to heal birds and animals that she doesn’t truly understand, eventually learning of a past she can’t quite comprehend.
Ally becomes entangled with supernatural forces as she comes to realize her abilities are desired by the forces of good and evil that makes for a surprising rollercoaster of events to follow.
Highly sensual, Earthbound hints at the cusp of a new fantasy series that will delight readers for years to come.
Ally becomes entangled with supernatural forces as she comes to realize her abilities are desired by the forces of good and evil that makes for a surprising rollercoaster of events to follow.
Highly sensual, Earthbound hints at the cusp of a new fantasy series that will delight readers for years to come.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews