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Alpha and Omega
Ao never believed in monsters—not after being branded one since childhood. Exiled, he lives with his adoptive guardian, Kaisei Aizawa, amidst verdant valleys surrounded by desolation.
Humanity only had themselves to blame for the wretched landscape. Their war poisoned the seas. Their greed coveted the fertile and the green.
Their ambition set it ablaze.
One hundred years had passed since the war banished Talus to the skies. Doomed to chase the sun, the once proud nation survives as a floating city. But the fallen always hunger for more.
When the Talarians descend to claim the earth as their own, Ao escapes capture—but nothing is without its price. The only man he ever saw as family, Kaisei, is imprisoned instead.
Ao vows to rescue him, no matter the cost—even if it means taking a stand against the most powerful nation left on earth. He knows of the risks. He knows of the dangers. But never would he know that someday, somehow, he would finally believe in monsters.
Humanity only had themselves to blame for the wretched landscape. Their war poisoned the seas. Their greed coveted the fertile and the green.
Their ambition set it ablaze.
One hundred years had passed since the war banished Talus to the skies. Doomed to chase the sun, the once proud nation survives as a floating city. But the fallen always hunger for more.
When the Talarians descend to claim the earth as their own, Ao escapes capture—but nothing is without its price. The only man he ever saw as family, Kaisei, is imprisoned instead.
Ao vows to rescue him, no matter the cost—even if it means taking a stand against the most powerful nation left on earth. He knows of the risks. He knows of the dangers. But never would he know that someday, somehow, he would finally believe in monsters.
- GenresFantasy
ebook
Published March 2, 2020
About the author
Carol T. Luna
3 books7 followersCarol T. Luna is a pharmacist, writer, and full-time nerd. She tore up her first novel when she was fourteen, got a “real” career, then tripped, fell, and rolled into seven different jobs before hitting thirty. Now she returns to writing for good as the author of the Project Blue series, a coming-of-age story probing the depths of idealism, friendship, family, but mostly, what it really means to be an adult.
When she is not ad-libbing Spanish, scribbling with her fountain pens, or glued to a computer screen, you may find her painting Warhammer miniatures or working on odd projects. (Why? For the hell of it, of course)!
Check her out on her blog at https://caroltluna.com
or @WritingScrub on Twitter and Instagram!
When she is not ad-libbing Spanish, scribbling with her fountain pens, or glued to a computer screen, you may find her painting Warhammer miniatures or working on odd projects. (Why? For the hell of it, of course)!
Check her out on her blog at https://caroltluna.com
or @WritingScrub on Twitter and Instagram!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 19, 2020
This was everything I look for in a story, I am so excited to read the next book in the series.
I wish we could have had some more backstory and depth to the characters, I like to feel connected to them and care what happens to them. It feels like details are almost avoided in some parts, to keep the story short and to the point BUT that is my only complaint with this book.
I truly loved this story and it was so gripping. I love the post-apoclyptic genre, and this fit in beautifully without dragging out the details of the old word. It was a nice balance and the story is very direct, which made it an easy but immensely interesting and fun read.
The author is a wonderful storyteller and the details and descriptions she uses, made me feel nauseous at some of the more intense parts. That is a true skill and I look forward to the next book and other works by this author.
*Note: I received an advance review copy of this book for free, which I am very grateful for. This review is voluntary and honest.*
I wish we could have had some more backstory and depth to the characters, I like to feel connected to them and care what happens to them. It feels like details are almost avoided in some parts, to keep the story short and to the point BUT that is my only complaint with this book.
I truly loved this story and it was so gripping. I love the post-apoclyptic genre, and this fit in beautifully without dragging out the details of the old word. It was a nice balance and the story is very direct, which made it an easy but immensely interesting and fun read.
The author is a wonderful storyteller and the details and descriptions she uses, made me feel nauseous at some of the more intense parts. That is a true skill and I look forward to the next book and other works by this author.
*Note: I received an advance review copy of this book for free, which I am very grateful for. This review is voluntary and honest.*
March 9, 2020
After killing his sister, Ao was banished, he would have died if it hadn’t been for the Doc, he took him, and began to teach him trapping and showed Ao how to fight, how to put that restless energy into something else. They live a simple life, going to the outpost to trade. It’s Ao’s highlight, and he has managed to get a gift for his friend and guardian.
Not quite sure how old Ao is, I’m thinking late teens maybe.
They are trading when it all goes horribly wrong for Ao. Talarians are seen in the distance, this land they live in isn’t to be invaded. But that’s not what happens, Ao goes to fight, and in the ensuing commotion, his beloved friend and guardian Kaisei is taken!!
Reading the back cover, I got the distinct impression that Ao was either disfigured or looked like a monster. So are we talking metaphorically? Because he killed his sister?He's an outcast in his village, so maybe he sees himself a monster.
Ao needs to find and rescue Kaisei, if not for his friend, Ao would have been lost. He’s been like a father to him, but Ao has no idea where to go, so he follows the slave train in the hopes of seeing and maybe freeing Kaisei.....
Ao is captured by the Talarian’s, but he manages to escape. Still hoping to find Kaisei, Ao never gives up hope, and there are a lot of things he has to do in order to survive.....
Ao is found and cared for by a group of freedom fighters known as the Silver Legion. He joins them in his bid to find and rescue Kaisei. There are plenty of battles to keep the bloodthirsty happy. Monsters that hunt them as well as the Talarian guards. Ao gets himself into a few scrapes, and a few close moments to dying. But his will to survive is stronger than his will to give up, he knows Doc is alive, and would be searching for him if he could.
So does Ao find Kaisei? Will he be persuaded to join the Silver Legion? And what are the Talarian’s up to? And why do they only want the young people? A few questions that I’m hoping the next book will answer 😉
Wow, that was really good. A post apocalyptic world. The author had really captured it well. The fight scenes were pretty well graphic, but brief. The characters were really well thought out, and I could picture them really easily. Daru was one of my favourite’s the trader and friend, some of his witty comebacks had me chuckling. Gen a silver legion fighter, her dry sense of humour is a good companion for Ao as they search for his guardian. The scenes flow from one chapter to another (you get some that seem to jump around too much)
I’m definitely ready to read book 2.
🦋
Not quite sure how old Ao is, I’m thinking late teens maybe.
They are trading when it all goes horribly wrong for Ao. Talarians are seen in the distance, this land they live in isn’t to be invaded. But that’s not what happens, Ao goes to fight, and in the ensuing commotion, his beloved friend and guardian Kaisei is taken!!
Reading the back cover, I got the distinct impression that Ao was either disfigured or looked like a monster. So are we talking metaphorically? Because he killed his sister?He's an outcast in his village, so maybe he sees himself a monster.
Ao needs to find and rescue Kaisei, if not for his friend, Ao would have been lost. He’s been like a father to him, but Ao has no idea where to go, so he follows the slave train in the hopes of seeing and maybe freeing Kaisei.....
Ao is captured by the Talarian’s, but he manages to escape. Still hoping to find Kaisei, Ao never gives up hope, and there are a lot of things he has to do in order to survive.....
Ao is found and cared for by a group of freedom fighters known as the Silver Legion. He joins them in his bid to find and rescue Kaisei. There are plenty of battles to keep the bloodthirsty happy. Monsters that hunt them as well as the Talarian guards. Ao gets himself into a few scrapes, and a few close moments to dying. But his will to survive is stronger than his will to give up, he knows Doc is alive, and would be searching for him if he could.
So does Ao find Kaisei? Will he be persuaded to join the Silver Legion? And what are the Talarian’s up to? And why do they only want the young people? A few questions that I’m hoping the next book will answer 😉
Wow, that was really good. A post apocalyptic world. The author had really captured it well. The fight scenes were pretty well graphic, but brief. The characters were really well thought out, and I could picture them really easily. Daru was one of my favourite’s the trader and friend, some of his witty comebacks had me chuckling. Gen a silver legion fighter, her dry sense of humour is a good companion for Ao as they search for his guardian. The scenes flow from one chapter to another (you get some that seem to jump around too much)
I’m definitely ready to read book 2.
🦋
April 12, 2020
I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.
I immensely enjoyed this novel . It captured my imagination quickly and kept me wondering what next. Ao is a great character but often acts before thinking things through landing him in some frightening situations. His world has been shaken to its core, people killed or captured and taken away for unknown purposes. Ao is determined to find out where they are being taken because the one person who has believed in and given him a new life is one of those taken by a merciless enemy.
Ao sets out in anger and determination. But he has underestimated his enemy and finds himself captured by the very people he intended to defeat. His struggle to survive and continue his goal make up this intense tale of love, and revenge.
Ms. Luna’s characters are believable and brought to life in very human terms. The worlds she creates are vivid and well visualized. I look forward to future books.
I immensely enjoyed this novel . It captured my imagination quickly and kept me wondering what next. Ao is a great character but often acts before thinking things through landing him in some frightening situations. His world has been shaken to its core, people killed or captured and taken away for unknown purposes. Ao is determined to find out where they are being taken because the one person who has believed in and given him a new life is one of those taken by a merciless enemy.
Ao sets out in anger and determination. But he has underestimated his enemy and finds himself captured by the very people he intended to defeat. His struggle to survive and continue his goal make up this intense tale of love, and revenge.
Ms. Luna’s characters are believable and brought to life in very human terms. The worlds she creates are vivid and well visualized. I look forward to future books.
April 9, 2020
This book was a great page-turner for sure. The details were perfectly executed, the characters were engaging and the story-line kept you guessing throughout the entire book. I don't want to spoil it but I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading at all.
Carol does a great job in writing, character development and plot...and just all of it! :-)
Carol does a great job in writing, character development and plot...and just all of it! :-)
March 26, 2020
I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
This is Carol T. Luna's debut novel. While it may be her first published title, this ain't her first rodeo. Her ability to craft a narrative is a legit strength. The storytelling in this book a highlight.
The pacing of the story is lacking at times. Occasionally the story rushes ahead of the audience, never quite allowing the readers to quite catch up. Yet, even with this critique, Luna still does well to engage the audience for the most part.
Other reviews negatively scrutinize her character development (or lack thereof) and world building in this first entry of a seemingly planned series. I rather enjoy the amount of time and attention paid to each. For me, it seems as though Luna is getting into her rhythm. She's finding her sweet spot and allowing room for future exploration of those themes/agendas in entries to come.
Speaking of sweet spots, the attention to detail is a major selling point for me. To be specific, this lady knows how to write an action sequence. Dang! That opening sparring scene had me at "hello." Good work, author! Sadly, highly descriptive narrative isn't everyone's jam. Yet, seeing as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is one of my all time favorites, I'm definitely not in that camp. Jam it up!
If well crafted, detailed storytelling appeals to you, this might be just for you. This book has a ton of action. The genre is a mix between fantasy and dystopian. If either or both of those appeal to you, take a gander! This is a solid read, especially considering this is the author's first go at this type of project.
DM
This is Carol T. Luna's debut novel. While it may be her first published title, this ain't her first rodeo. Her ability to craft a narrative is a legit strength. The storytelling in this book a highlight.
The pacing of the story is lacking at times. Occasionally the story rushes ahead of the audience, never quite allowing the readers to quite catch up. Yet, even with this critique, Luna still does well to engage the audience for the most part.
Other reviews negatively scrutinize her character development (or lack thereof) and world building in this first entry of a seemingly planned series. I rather enjoy the amount of time and attention paid to each. For me, it seems as though Luna is getting into her rhythm. She's finding her sweet spot and allowing room for future exploration of those themes/agendas in entries to come.
Speaking of sweet spots, the attention to detail is a major selling point for me. To be specific, this lady knows how to write an action sequence. Dang! That opening sparring scene had me at "hello." Good work, author! Sadly, highly descriptive narrative isn't everyone's jam. Yet, seeing as Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is one of my all time favorites, I'm definitely not in that camp. Jam it up!
If well crafted, detailed storytelling appeals to you, this might be just for you. This book has a ton of action. The genre is a mix between fantasy and dystopian. If either or both of those appeal to you, take a gander! This is a solid read, especially considering this is the author's first go at this type of project.
DM
March 8, 2020
This was a great series starter. Ao was a great character, I really enjoyed following along with him on his journey, and the storyline kept me interested the whole way through. I am looking forward to reading more in the intriguing series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 2, 2020
It’s probably closer to a 4.5. This was epic. Seriously. There were some parts I was finding a little slow, but it always picked up.
There are a few things I really want to know.
First of all, what did Ao do? Why was he exiled?? I need backstory!! I want to know all about his whole family. I got glimpses, but that’s all. I wanted more. Like who’s Doc, why did he take Ao in, and why did he live on the mountain?
Also, what was that creature? It kept attacking him, but they didn’t know what it was... he talked about legends and folk tales sometimes, but seriously wat was that thing. It was super creepy.
I want to know about Gen. Who is she? How did she join the legion? And on that note, how did Daru meet them?
And Doc, WHAT DID YOU DO? What kind of trouble did he make while Ao was looking for him? What was he doing? Why does he seem guilty?
One last thing. Floating city? I would like to know more about the Talarians and where they came from and why they were banished and how they lost the war if they’re the most powerful and stuff like that.
When Ao found out Gen used to be a Talarian, he was surprised. The moment he talked about the scar on her neck I was like oh she’s Talarian. I knew it right away. I had other suspicions about her too. At first I thought she was the monster. But then she showed up and I was like oh I guess not.
Ok next up: the writing. I love myself a well-written story and this was exactly that. I mean wow. Carol T. Luna can really craft a story. Everything was described with just the right amount of detail. I had to think but not too hard. The words painted a perfectly clear image but without digging into the nitty gritty details. For example, the way the monster ate made me beautifully uncomfortable, but at the same time it somehow didn’t feel too graphic. It was definitely graphic, just not overwhelmingly so. Very, very well done. 10/10 I didn’t even really notice that it was first person (which I don’t usually prefer) This was done really, really well.
There was only one thing I wasn’t so sure about. The characters were all pretty well developed and stayed separate very well, but the way they were introduced sometimes got me. For Gen, she went through a few names in a short time, and I had to think about who he was referring to. There was no transition between the names. It went from the girl, to Nettles (I think it was Nettles) to Gen without warning. Same thing happened with her calling him Streaks. That was totally out of the blue for me.
The worst time was introducing Nate. When Al met Nate, he was calling him the man one sentence and then the next, without an introduction, he was Nate. I understood, and I knew it was Nate as in the Nate from before that happened, but I found it weird.
Anyway, not a big problem, just something I found a little strange.
So all in all. Great story, great writing, great questions to leave me with, it makes me want to read more and it’ll keep me thinking. I really enjoyed this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There are a few things I really want to know.
First of all, what did Ao do? Why was he exiled?? I need backstory!! I want to know all about his whole family. I got glimpses, but that’s all. I wanted more. Like who’s Doc, why did he take Ao in, and why did he live on the mountain?
Also, what was that creature? It kept attacking him, but they didn’t know what it was... he talked about legends and folk tales sometimes, but seriously wat was that thing. It was super creepy.
I want to know about Gen. Who is she? How did she join the legion? And on that note, how did Daru meet them?
And Doc, WHAT DID YOU DO? What kind of trouble did he make while Ao was looking for him? What was he doing? Why does he seem guilty?
One last thing. Floating city? I would like to know more about the Talarians and where they came from and why they were banished and how they lost the war if they’re the most powerful and stuff like that.
When Ao found out Gen used to be a Talarian, he was surprised. The moment he talked about the scar on her neck I was like oh she’s Talarian. I knew it right away. I had other suspicions about her too. At first I thought she was the monster. But then she showed up and I was like oh I guess not.
Ok next up: the writing. I love myself a well-written story and this was exactly that. I mean wow. Carol T. Luna can really craft a story. Everything was described with just the right amount of detail. I had to think but not too hard. The words painted a perfectly clear image but without digging into the nitty gritty details. For example, the way the monster ate made me beautifully uncomfortable, but at the same time it somehow didn’t feel too graphic. It was definitely graphic, just not overwhelmingly so. Very, very well done. 10/10 I didn’t even really notice that it was first person (which I don’t usually prefer) This was done really, really well.
There was only one thing I wasn’t so sure about. The characters were all pretty well developed and stayed separate very well, but the way they were introduced sometimes got me. For Gen, she went through a few names in a short time, and I had to think about who he was referring to. There was no transition between the names. It went from the girl, to Nettles (I think it was Nettles) to Gen without warning. Same thing happened with her calling him Streaks. That was totally out of the blue for me.
The worst time was introducing Nate. When Al met Nate, he was calling him the man one sentence and then the next, without an introduction, he was Nate. I understood, and I knew it was Nate as in the Nate from before that happened, but I found it weird.
Anyway, not a big problem, just something I found a little strange.
So all in all. Great story, great writing, great questions to leave me with, it makes me want to read more and it’ll keep me thinking. I really enjoyed this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2020
This was the first book I’ve read and reviewed for BookSirens. I received this book for free and I am leaving a review voluntarily. Thanks for inviting me to the group! The cover and description for this one really grabbed me.
The plot focus on Ao, a magic?shapeshifter/monster? boy. He has done something to hurt his stepsister and was punished and sent to live with a teacher. He learns to fight and becomes super awesome at it. Then his teacher is kidnapped, so is Ao, people escape from a roundup by a group of bad guys, there’s another invulnerable monster on the loose and a military group trying to stop them? I think? The plot was super unclear and the word building was so minimal I had no clue what was happening at times.
Basically, I was super disappointed in this one. I don’t know what the male equivalent of a Mary Sue is, but that’s the best way to describe Ao. He’s magically awesome at fighting and is able to fall into a paramilitary group and they immediately start to follow him because he’s so great.
I had to call it a “paramilitary group” because the world building was so minimal I couldn’t even tell you what the group’s goal was. I also found the descriptions of fighting scenes to be so overdone. There were pages of descriptions for one fight. It was just too much and sounded like something a young boy who imagines himself an action hero would be into.
All in all, this just wasn’t for me!
The plot focus on Ao, a magic?shapeshifter/monster? boy. He has done something to hurt his stepsister and was punished and sent to live with a teacher. He learns to fight and becomes super awesome at it. Then his teacher is kidnapped, so is Ao, people escape from a roundup by a group of bad guys, there’s another invulnerable monster on the loose and a military group trying to stop them? I think? The plot was super unclear and the word building was so minimal I had no clue what was happening at times.
Basically, I was super disappointed in this one. I don’t know what the male equivalent of a Mary Sue is, but that’s the best way to describe Ao. He’s magically awesome at fighting and is able to fall into a paramilitary group and they immediately start to follow him because he’s so great.
I had to call it a “paramilitary group” because the world building was so minimal I couldn’t even tell you what the group’s goal was. I also found the descriptions of fighting scenes to be so overdone. There were pages of descriptions for one fight. It was just too much and sounded like something a young boy who imagines himself an action hero would be into.
All in all, this just wasn’t for me!
March 31, 2020
I liked this story, while it probably isn't going to go down as one of my all-time favourites, it was pleasant enough to read.
There wasn't as much background description of all the characters, which I think made them feel a little flat. It may just be personal preference but I do relish in a character's background, it gives me an idea of who they are, what keeps them going and sometimes gives you a glimpse into their motivations.
That being said, Carol T. Luna has written her characters in a way that you cannot help but instinctively be drawn to them.
Luna is able to weave a beautifully crafted story around her characters, and as I said it was pleasant to read.
It is a shorter novel, which makes it easy to get through & as a debut novel, it is a fine piece of work.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There wasn't as much background description of all the characters, which I think made them feel a little flat. It may just be personal preference but I do relish in a character's background, it gives me an idea of who they are, what keeps them going and sometimes gives you a glimpse into their motivations.
That being said, Carol T. Luna has written her characters in a way that you cannot help but instinctively be drawn to them.
Luna is able to weave a beautifully crafted story around her characters, and as I said it was pleasant to read.
It is a shorter novel, which makes it easy to get through & as a debut novel, it is a fine piece of work.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 12, 2020
My full review can be found on the Epilie Aspie Chick blog!
Thank you to Carol T. Luna for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a fairly quick read, so if you're looking for something shorter - this is the one for you. The characters are well written, with an author who took the time to delve into who they are and really craft those interactions between one another. You can feel the connection between Ao and Kaisei.
Thank you to Carol T. Luna for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a fairly quick read, so if you're looking for something shorter - this is the one for you. The characters are well written, with an author who took the time to delve into who they are and really craft those interactions between one another. You can feel the connection between Ao and Kaisei.
March 12, 2020
Wow. That is all I can say about this book. It kept me on my toes waiting to find out what came next. I was left wanting more and I am very eager to read anything written by this writer. This book had everything I like in the fantasy genre. It was well-written with a lot of character and world building. I would definitely recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 5, 2020
Although lacking some character description and buildup for the first half, Alpha and Omega picks up speed for the second half of the tale. The action scenes are graphic with nothing held back. However, there are frequent grammatical errors throughout the book make the scenes sticky. For a non-English professional, however, other people probably won't notice :)
January 26, 2022
Good read
While I enjoyed the story there are a lot of unanswered questions. I get this is book one in a series but there was so much left out that in not sure if be willing to continue the series of all of the books read like this one.
While I enjoyed the story there are a lot of unanswered questions. I get this is book one in a series but there was so much left out that in not sure if be willing to continue the series of all of the books read like this one.
August 12, 2022
Lots of action
It was hard for me in the beginning of the book to understand what was going on, but I hung in there and it all became clearer. I ended up enjoying the story and the characters.
It was hard for me in the beginning of the book to understand what was going on, but I hung in there and it all became clearer. I ended up enjoying the story and the characters.
August 11, 2020
Great characters. Fast-paced. Very exciting. Very creative. Good plot twists.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews