Kaylid Chronicles Bundle

by Mel Todd

All Kaylid Novels in one place, plus a brand new short story about the beginning of the issues between the Elentrin and Drakyn.

No Choice:

McKenna Largo loves police work and hates being in the spotlight. But when the California cop transforms into a cougar in the middle of a bank raid, she knows there’s no dodging the publicity. Now a viral video sensation, she’s the reluctant public face of a newly created race of shifters. Scared by her strange new impulses, Largo worries she's a monster. But when criminals capture innocent young shifters, the cougar and the cop combined must leap into action.

Commander:

Discovering an Artificial Intelligence lives in your head, strike one. Having the Artificial Intelligence explain aliens are the origin of shifters on Earth, strike two. Having it announce you are the commanding officer of the earth shifters, strike three. Finding herself in a situation she never imagined, McKenna must step up and be the leader they need, a true commander. Now if she could just devise a plan that won’t get them all killed.

Incoming:

Getting back home with the knowledge that aliens are coming for your planet is one thing.  Figuring out how to get anyone in a position of power to listen to you is something else.  With the knowledge that the Elentrin are weeks away from Earth, McKenna must persuade the government that she isn’t crazy and that aliens are coming.  When the aliens land and her fears come true. How many chances will she take, lives will she risk, to give Earth a chance against the incoming aliens?  When everyone’s life is on the line, how much is hers worth?  And what can one person, on a planet of billions, do to stop an invasion?

Allies:

When a member of the Drakyn race, the ones the Elentrin want to destroy, shows up to offer aid in Earth's fight for survival, McKenna has hope. Their visitor unlocks information buried in her friends' heads and gives them a chance against this enemy. Calling in the government seems like the best idea, after all it's a worldwide battle. Because not only are more Elentrin coming, but when they are done, they'll destroy the Earth with asteroids. The window is running out to save the captured shifters on the ships above and convince the Elentrin to leave before Earth is reduced to rubble.

Family:

Being in the middle of creating history isn't a comfortable place. Toni Diaz has dealt with a lot in her life, but turning into an animal, meeting aliens, and trying to save the world wasn't anything she'd ever seen in her future. Trying to do the best thing for everyone she'll need to balance the good of her family with what is best for Earth. Toni will need to decide exactly what family means, and why sometimes the craziest option is the best one. Even as she prepares to do the impossible, she'll try to keep her loved ones safe, and pray the choices they have made are the right ones. Not just for her, but for all Kaylid left on Earth.

Elen's Eviction:

The story of the Drakyn and Elentrin and how the war started, at least from the Drakyn's point of view.

Genres: Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

1491 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2019

About the author

Hey everyone! I'm Mel Todd and I live in Atlanta, Georgia at this moment. I write mostly romance free urban fantasy, urban science fiction, and soon fantasy.

Here are 4 truths and one lie about myself.
1 - I know how to milk a goat.
2- I once propositioned Dean Cain.
3 - I had my picture taken with Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner.
4 - I have driven across the US.
5 - I have a library with over 2000 RPG books.

I'm working on the next book in the Twisted Luck series and have an duology I'm planning on writing for Nanowrimo in 2021.

Reviews

[CNickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series

I didn't want it to end, although I need to get to sleep at a decent hour. The world is well handled and convincing. The characters, human and alien, work. Some of thd humans were more evil than the aliens. Oddly enough, in light of Covid and the current insanity, some parts weren't a surprise. Mel Todd, please write another book and kill Raymond!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief overview: Suddenly some people all over the world can shift into animals and back into human form. While a stunned world both accepts and rejects this new reality one person, Officer McKenna Largo, discovers she has additional abilities, explained by an AI (artificial intelligence). Through this she discovers that the change is a prelude to an alien society, the Elentrin, coming to claim the Shifted into warrior slaves for their war to destroy another species. She and other shifters try to find a way to warn and prepare for the upcoming arrival of the Elentrin.

***
Enjoyed Mel Todd's Twisted Luck series so decided to try the Kaylid Chronicles series. The Twisted Luck series has more humor. It should be noted that some people have commented on the first book in her series as having a lot of set up. While true it is worth the time. Highly recommend both series.

Midway in the first book, No Choice, I almost stopped reading due to abduction of children (thankfully not physically harmed) and female assault. When I decided to continue I realized she handled the situation very well. Overall the series is well written with good characterizations and world-building. Some very good commentary built in regarding how social media is both used and abused.

In addition to the 5 book series is a separate set of novellas. All can be purchased individually or as a set. List below.

Kaylid Chronicles Book 1 – No Choice
Kaylid Novellas 1 – New Games
Kaylid Chronicles Book 2 – Commander
Kaylid Novellas 2 – Home Alone
Kaylid Novellas 3 – Decisions
Kaylid Chronicles Book 3 – Incoming
Kaylid Novellas 4 – Trust
Kaylid Chronicles Book 4 – Allies Story of Ash
Kaylid Chronicles Book 5 - Family (which includes short story: Elen's Eviction)

[Meg Leader]

Great stories!! 4.5 STARS

The 5 novels in this collection are terrific stories and highly enjoyable. I loved them. The only reason I give them 4 stars (really 4.5) instead of 5 is that these all need a good copy editor to fix a significant number of minor errors and inconsistencies. While none of these are terrible, they did drop me out of the story many times as I had to mentally reconcile the errors.

Okay with that said this is a wildly original and entertaining set of novels that put humans shifting to animals in a realistic social context. While the stories are action packed and thrilling reads, they also have underlying messages about hate and intolerance. Those messages are especially important in today's pandemic world where we too often need to find someone to blame for anything we dislike. The characters are richly developed. There is plenty of excitement that makes you want to race to turn the page. Think your favorite shifter books combined with WAR OF THE WORLDS--and a rich saga about the meaning of family and courage.

Honestly I wish I could give it 4.5 stars even with the copy editing issues but the review system keeps me to a round number. I highly recommend this collection!

[Susan Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a strange but wonderful tale of shifters and aliens

Large numbers of people on Earth suddenly find themselves able to shift into animals and in some cases extinct beasts. These people also experience weird dreams of alien ships and killing another species. The new shifters are still struggling for acceptance when their dreams inform them that members of an alien race will soon arrive and try to enslave them as warriors against their enemies. Now, the shifters have to alert world leaders about what is coming and to get help in resisting their would-be enslavers. The stories are a mix of sci-fi, shifter romance and post-apocalyptic fiction. They are full of interesting characters and well constructed world building.

[defenbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

I had read the first two books in this series along with a novella and then was distracted. I saw this available and was like I completely forgot I didn't finish this. It was great rereading the ones I knew and then reading the new to me and having the world she created become alive again. I really enjoyed this series and am a little sad it's done, but it felt like a complete thought when finished. Looking forward to more in her Luck series.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this series a try because I like another more recent series by this author. I read the first book and started the second one and stopped. Partly because it was a bit too violent for my taste, and also because I didn't like the bad guy point of view. The sci fi is a little loosey-goosey - there's not much effort put into making it seem like it makes scientific sense - but that never bothers me much. I just didn't like the story, so I stopped reading.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fascinating story but needs an editor

I enjoyed this series but the sheer number of typos, incorrect words, missing words, words with numbers and symbols attached. It was highly distracting and made it difficult to enjoy the stories. This author has completed several books. Investing in an editor should be automatic by this point.

I would give the story 4.5 stars. With all of the language issues my rating of 2 stars feels generous.

[Patricia Jischke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the books, but...

The storyline is good and is entertaining. The 'but' is because of the many typos and several inconsistencies. I usually leave notes along the way in hopes that someone will take action and eventually an update will happen that will fix these issues. I gave up as the errors were so overwhelming it seemed pointless to continue.

[Connie Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have read a series that I couldn't put down! The characters were soooo good! I enjoyed the family groups, and the aspect of shifters being out in the world was outstanding. Unfortunately, the hate that comes from the background manipulation is very real, as we are seeing now. I am looking forward to other new book series from Mel Todd.

[Linda Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rush!

This whole series is dynamite! I thoroughly enjoyed the action, and it was plenty, as well as the heartwarming love of the characters. Mainly, the love of mothers for their children and the extent they will go through to protect them.

[Rebecca Golden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taylor Chronicles

Good premise. Horrible grammar and proofreading. If you can get past misspelled and wrongly used words you might enjoy. Words are left out, repeated, transposed, and used in the wrong context.

[Michael Wooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shifter tales

This is a very interesting take on shifter mythology. Neither bad or good, the shifters are just people changed against their will and forced to adapt. Of course the unchanged still have all the prejudices. Oh well Humans, what can you do?

[David St. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Amazing Saga!

Humans evolve and become the saviors of their planet but their unique strengths are used against them in a most diabolical PR campaign. They are forced to leave their home planet and become refugees on another planet.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

I Would totally read it again. That's high praise from me. I look forward to more stories by this author

[William Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to give it 5

But it has to be 4 stars.

Excellent writing and a believable world, even while mixing urban fantasy with SF. Strong characters with a resilient MC.

The reasons I can’t give it 5 stars:

The cellphone thing - they plug in. It was a minor plot point that the batteries would die, but...they plug in.

The military - it wasn’t actively terrible, just minor things that could have been done better. The SecDef would never *formally* introduce a Marine as “Gunny Sergeant”. The formal rank is ‘Gunnery Sergeant’; ‘Gunny’ is a nickname, and would be used without the ‘Sergeant’ except possibly by lower ranking troops. Also, there are so many senior officers in the DC area or within a short drive, there is no conceivable way anyone would appoint an E-7 as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. No matter what services his siblings are in. Especially while a Colonel who holds two (2!!) Medal of Honors is nearby. Oh, by the way, one MOH is more than sufficient. There are no living recipients of 2. And the M240 is an automatic weapon, not a rifle. Just too many details that were sideways.

I haven’t finished it yet. Buying it as a set makes for a long read. I need to devour something else to cleanse my brain a bit.

I am going to seek out and buy other titles by this author. That is high praise.