Black Spiral

Black Spiral #3

by Eileen Merriman

Violet and Johnno have escaped the Foundation’s compounds. Reunited, they need somewhere safe for the three of them to hide: Violet, Johnno and their unborn child.

Beat. Heartbeat. One, two, three. I only just became aware of the third today, just another complication in an impossible situation.

The Foundation is particularly keen to get its hands on the baby. Is freedom an impossible dream?

Genres: Young Adult

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Eileen Merriman works full-time as a consultant haematologist at North Shore Hospital. Her writing has appeared in a number of national and international journals and anthologies, including Smokelong Quarterly, The Island Review, Literary Orphans, the Bath Short Story Award Anthology 2015, the Sunday Star-Times, F(r)iction, takahe, Headland and Flash Frontier. Her first novel was Pieces of You, with reviewers calling it 'compulsively readable' and 'compelling, challenging, and heartbreaking'. It was a 2018 Storylines Notable Book and, along with her second novel, it was shortlisted for the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Her other awards include runner-up in the 2018 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Award, third for three consecutive years in the 2014-2016 Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards, second in the 2015 Bath Flash Fiction Award, commended in the 2015 Bath Short Story Competition, and first place in the 2015 Graeme Lay Short Story Competition.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Spiral trilogy hurtles towards its climax in book 3... so much so that at times I had to make myself slow down or go back to re-read passages so that I could keep up and take it all in. There are still things my non-scientific brain is struggling with but that hasn't taken anything away from the satisfaction of seeing these characters to their conclusion.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a really good book series and I found it cool that it was based in NZ

[Jordan Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exceptional book from Eileen Merriman, and what a trilogy! Considering this is her first series, the way she was able to link three books into one interesting and unique story is remarkable. I greatly enjoyed the journey of Violet, and her growth as a person is expertly written. From discovering power within, to forging one’s own journey, we learn a lot from Violet. Can’t wait for the Merriman’s next story!

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling end to a good series. I think book 2 and 3 were considerably better than book 1 as we got more of a sense of the world Eileen created and the cool enhanced abilities of the teens. Throughout the series there are a huge number of characters to keep track of but we got to know the core cast fairly well. I do wish we had some more enhanced ability battles to be enthralled by but overall this is an enjoyable series.

CW: miscarriage, loss of loved ones, medical experiments on teens

[Sheila Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does Merriman do it? Even imagining the scenarios this Trilogy covers is amazing. To thread them together into a connected narrative with so many twists and turns is on another level. I was gripped by all three books!

[T.K. Roxborogh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written. Exciting. The characters are great. I loved the science and the science fiction. Eileen is SO CLEVER as a writer to write such complicated action in a way that one can picture it. Loved this.

[Denika Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic end to a suspense-filled trilogy.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfying end to a great trilogy.

[nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

slay

[Miz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satisfying ending to the trilogy but reads very much like a tv script/drama. Lots of characters bought back who I had forgotten given the time between reading each book.

[Sarah DeWolff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt dragged out and a bit boring tbh