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Finding Humanity #2
The Chasm
They thought the biggest problem they faced was each other.
After Bleu, Rana, and their new friends narrowly prevent war between the star beings and humans, they hope the upcoming negotiation will secure the peace. Newly emerged from their subterranean haven, the Northern Haven humans are clearly not suited to Earth’s ice age, and require assistance from the enlightened star beings to survive long term on the Surface. But Commander Savas doesn’t trust the suspiciously kind star beings and their unexplainable abilities. When both sides reluctantly negotiate a joint mission to find the other Havens, Bleu must somehow cooperate with the manipulative commander to keep his friends safe.
As their team confronts unexpected dangers, Bleu and his teammates begin to suspect the star beings don’t know as much about the Surface as they claimed, while Rana is torn between remaining true to her nonviolent ways or becoming more human to survive. When an unnatural predator attacks, even the nearly all-knowing Kalakanya can’t explain it. Now the team must pull together or their new discovery will pull them apart, limb by limb.
After Bleu, Rana, and their new friends narrowly prevent war between the star beings and humans, they hope the upcoming negotiation will secure the peace. Newly emerged from their subterranean haven, the Northern Haven humans are clearly not suited to Earth’s ice age, and require assistance from the enlightened star beings to survive long term on the Surface. But Commander Savas doesn’t trust the suspiciously kind star beings and their unexplainable abilities. When both sides reluctantly negotiate a joint mission to find the other Havens, Bleu must somehow cooperate with the manipulative commander to keep his friends safe.
As their team confronts unexpected dangers, Bleu and his teammates begin to suspect the star beings don’t know as much about the Surface as they claimed, while Rana is torn between remaining true to her nonviolent ways or becoming more human to survive. When an unnatural predator attacks, even the nearly all-knowing Kalakanya can’t explain it. Now the team must pull together or their new discovery will pull them apart, limb by limb.
568 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 24, 2022
1 person is currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Branwen OShea
5 books283 followersAs a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them.
Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.
Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her previously published works include contributing to a nonfiction yoga book, wellness magazines, and her published science fiction novella, Silence of the Song Trees.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 28, 2022
The Chasm is one of those rare sequels that blows the original out of the water!
Following our now familiar friends including Bleu, Rana, Eka, Atsushi, and some not so friendly faces like Savas and Zach, OShea continues to expanded the world we only just discovered in The Calling.
Weaving between multiple POVs with a skill I can only envy and admire, we watch as the humans and star beings form an uneasy alliance in order to find other humans out there.
Seeing each character grow and mature was so satisfying, and the ending was the perfect cliffhanger, it made me want to read more but didn’t leave me frustrated.
This series has something for everyone, science fiction, wonderful characters, LGBTQ+ rep, and even a dash of romance. I highly recommend you pick it up if you haven’t already!
*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest, voluntary review.*
Following our now familiar friends including Bleu, Rana, Eka, Atsushi, and some not so friendly faces like Savas and Zach, OShea continues to expanded the world we only just discovered in The Calling.
Weaving between multiple POVs with a skill I can only envy and admire, we watch as the humans and star beings form an uneasy alliance in order to find other humans out there.
Seeing each character grow and mature was so satisfying, and the ending was the perfect cliffhanger, it made me want to read more but didn’t leave me frustrated.
This series has something for everyone, science fiction, wonderful characters, LGBTQ+ rep, and even a dash of romance. I highly recommend you pick it up if you haven’t already!
*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest, voluntary review.*
August 6, 2024
Wow! What an absolutely fantastic series this is turning out to be. Book 1 (The Calling) was so creative and enjoyable, but this superb sequel is even better. Branwen OShea is one seriously talented writer.
I didn't want this book to end, but at the same time I couldn't hold back from getting to each new chapter as fast as possible, it was so good 😅 I loved watching all the characters grow while seeing more of their personalities and background stories being revealed. Savas and his complex morals came across as especially enthralling; he's a great character and never quite knowing where he stands or what his intentions are makes him even more interesting. The post apocalyptic setting is as beautifully described as ever, always an ingenious blend of idyllic peace brimming with menace and hidden dangers.
There's plenty of slow-burn mystery but it's sustained well; there are still lots of questions I can't wait to see answered in the coming books but mostly everything feels like it's explained at exactly the right moment. And the ending: again, wow 😅 It wasn't what I expected at all and for a non-horror book it certainly brought chills, taking a nightmarish twist.
The Finding Humanity series is very far from your average sci-fi but in a way that's hard to describe without revealing too many spoilers. I would definitely urge anyone looking for something a bit different to pick it up and see for themselves.
I didn't want this book to end, but at the same time I couldn't hold back from getting to each new chapter as fast as possible, it was so good 😅 I loved watching all the characters grow while seeing more of their personalities and background stories being revealed. Savas and his complex morals came across as especially enthralling; he's a great character and never quite knowing where he stands or what his intentions are makes him even more interesting. The post apocalyptic setting is as beautifully described as ever, always an ingenious blend of idyllic peace brimming with menace and hidden dangers.
There's plenty of slow-burn mystery but it's sustained well; there are still lots of questions I can't wait to see answered in the coming books but mostly everything feels like it's explained at exactly the right moment. And the ending: again, wow 😅 It wasn't what I expected at all and for a non-horror book it certainly brought chills, taking a nightmarish twist.
The Finding Humanity series is very far from your average sci-fi but in a way that's hard to describe without revealing too many spoilers. I would definitely urge anyone looking for something a bit different to pick it up and see for themselves.
June 9, 2022
When reaching across divisions deepens them
4.5/5 stars
TL;DR: The Chasm builds on its predecessor’s strong start while grounding and fleshing out the frozen world of the story. Trust and privacy are key issues, and the challenges of uneasy alliances as humans and star beings cooperate. If people become closer when they work together, what happens when one’s teammates are poisonous—especially if one’s powers derive from a state of mind or the knowledge that their thoughts are their own? How long can such trust hold when violence erupts? While not quite as polished as The Calling, The Chasm deepens the complex interrelationships between the characters while setting up a desperate struggle to survive and evolve together in the books to come. Highly recommended.
This review is based on my read of an advanced review copy. The published book may be slightly different.
*** Spoilers from The Calling below ***
In Branwen O’Shea’s opening novel, The Calling, the remnant humans of Northern Haven—one of four such complexes built for humanity to ride out the ice age on the Surface—emerged in a desperate attempt to contact the remaining havens for help as their children succumbed to the mysterious Sickness, but the exploration team wasn’t prepared for the semi-mystical star beings to meet them. The star beings, evolved from the Undescended humans left behind to die centuries ago, were only interested in helping the Northern Haveners adjust to life on the Surface (or so they claim), but the humans opened fire before opening a dialogue. Only clear heads and firm determination on both sides prevented the conflict from ending in nuclear annihilation, but in the aftermath, the ceasefire hangs in a fragile balance.
The Chasm picks up immediately after this, with the main characters all struggling to process the events of the previous weeks. Bleu Reinier has enough on his mind accepting that he’d murdered several of the star beings’ enlightened Crowned Ones, even as he falls in love with their people (and one in particular), without the sudden intrusion of his own mystical visions. Atsushi Collins wonders if he will ever be welcomed home, or if he even wants to return: his mentor, Girak, is banished from Northern Haven, and his crush, Ayanna, is on the Surface, being healed of her Sickness. Kern Savas—that’s Commander Savas, and he won’t let anyone forget it—is in a panic, as the star beings casually lift from his mind deadly secrets from his past that even the rest of Northern Haven doesn’t know. The Crowned Ones say they’d never use the knowledge against him, but how can he trust the descendants of the Undescended, his people’s sworn enemies? It’s no better for the star beings: Rana has to come to terms with the humans’ ignorance being the cause of her parents’ death, years ago, just another thing to distract her from Crowning—as if the competing affections of Eka and Kahali weren’t enough for that. Eka, whose perspective we don’t get here but do in Ms. O’Shea’s short story, The Cords That Bind: A Liminal Tale in the Finding Humanity Series, is afraid to leave Rana at risk of a mysterious predator he and his village elders have only just discovered, and Kahali…I feel for Kahali. Most of the star beings harmed by the humans died, but he’s burdened with the loss of his arm and an ever-growing understanding of why the humans are so mistrustful, angry, and violent. Even the nicer ones, like Atsushi. Kahali and Savas were my favorite characters this time around.
But tensions can’t stop the humans’ mission: to fly their two massive helicopters (long in the building under the ground) and establish relations with another haven, both to make contact and to try to improve their own dwindling genetic pool. Most of the star beings would have been content to let them fly and leave them be, but Kalakanya, the Crowned One with the unique ability to read time streams, warns the humans and star beings alike that unless the two peoples come together, not only will the expedition fail, but disaster will befall everyone. The star beings accept this with varying degrees of reluctance, and the humans grudgingly agree—at least, after Kalakanya demonstrates her reading prowess by identifying a new secret device given to Savas—to allow four star beings to accompany the party. The star beings, balking at the notion of being ordered around, also insist that Bleu be made the mission commander, much to the vexation of both Bleu and Savas.
So Bleu, Savas, Zach, and Neviah, the surviving members of the most recent expedition team, board the helicopters, along with Atsushi and Girak, both of whom have nothing to return to in Northern Haven and are hoping for a fresh start. The star beings send Rana, Eka, Kahali, and Kalakanya herself, for reasons both diplomatic and personal. Rana has promised to help Girak relocate; Kahali is mentoring Atsushi on how to do energy work like a star being. Eka will go where Rana goes.
Ms. O’Shea does a fine job of providing a grounding context as the mixed party takes flight. Northern Haven’s location is given in contemporary eastern Turkey, driving home how uninhabitably cold the planet’s become. Western Haven’s location is near the former Four Corners, USA, though only Savas knows this. The helicopters cover vast distances over unfamiliar coastlines, and the party faces perils new and unknown, forcing them to come together even as they chafe at each other’s violence (or pacifism) in the face of deadly threats. Personally, I was more sympathetic to the humans’ perspective: how sanctimonious is it for Rana to agonize over squashing a bug when her cave digger pup, Digga, can rend flesh and that’s okay? There’s an inconsistency there that drives Savas’s mistrust, and I can’t disagree with him.
This book thrives on character relationships and interactions, and it shows that when two peoples come together, not everyone benefits. The humans may see the star beings’ abilities to heal, mind speak, and teleport as godlike (and threatening, in the wrong context), but the star beings see the humans’ anger, violence, and disconnection from the One in All as painful, and it hurts them. Especially Kahali, who learns to mistrust from both Bleu and Savas and is coming apart as a result. Some of the tension at the outset felt forced, such as Bleu turning suspicious of Kalakanya right after seemingly understanding she dares not reveal her time stream analyses carelessly, but the characters’ struggles bloom naturally into a complex web of relationships and trust—even when that trust is in someone to do the “wrong” thing. The humans become more like the star beings, and it softens them; the star beings become more like the humans, and it traumatizes them.
And then they all reach North America and see how things have been going over there.
The Chasm isn’t perfect. As I noted, some of the early tension felt forced to me, like trying to plant a particular crop in an already abundant field. The writing quality was slightly weaker than in The Calling: it’s good overall, but my copy editor’s mind caught more instances of things like word repetition in short order, and that disrupted my immersion at times. The characters are still a little naïve with respect to romance, although by the end of the book everyone seems to be happily (or unhappily) on the same page. But these are minor complaints. The book was gripping from start to finish, the peril (both physical and emotional) was visceral, and I’m heavily invested in the entire cast of characters (except maybe Zach, that guy sucks) and want to see how they synthesize the human and star being perspectives to bring out only the best in each other—once they can finally agree on what is, in fact, best in this gritty, desperate world.
4.5/5 stars
TL;DR: The Chasm builds on its predecessor’s strong start while grounding and fleshing out the frozen world of the story. Trust and privacy are key issues, and the challenges of uneasy alliances as humans and star beings cooperate. If people become closer when they work together, what happens when one’s teammates are poisonous—especially if one’s powers derive from a state of mind or the knowledge that their thoughts are their own? How long can such trust hold when violence erupts? While not quite as polished as The Calling, The Chasm deepens the complex interrelationships between the characters while setting up a desperate struggle to survive and evolve together in the books to come. Highly recommended.
This review is based on my read of an advanced review copy. The published book may be slightly different.
*** Spoilers from The Calling below ***
In Branwen O’Shea’s opening novel, The Calling, the remnant humans of Northern Haven—one of four such complexes built for humanity to ride out the ice age on the Surface—emerged in a desperate attempt to contact the remaining havens for help as their children succumbed to the mysterious Sickness, but the exploration team wasn’t prepared for the semi-mystical star beings to meet them. The star beings, evolved from the Undescended humans left behind to die centuries ago, were only interested in helping the Northern Haveners adjust to life on the Surface (or so they claim), but the humans opened fire before opening a dialogue. Only clear heads and firm determination on both sides prevented the conflict from ending in nuclear annihilation, but in the aftermath, the ceasefire hangs in a fragile balance.
The Chasm picks up immediately after this, with the main characters all struggling to process the events of the previous weeks. Bleu Reinier has enough on his mind accepting that he’d murdered several of the star beings’ enlightened Crowned Ones, even as he falls in love with their people (and one in particular), without the sudden intrusion of his own mystical visions. Atsushi Collins wonders if he will ever be welcomed home, or if he even wants to return: his mentor, Girak, is banished from Northern Haven, and his crush, Ayanna, is on the Surface, being healed of her Sickness. Kern Savas—that’s Commander Savas, and he won’t let anyone forget it—is in a panic, as the star beings casually lift from his mind deadly secrets from his past that even the rest of Northern Haven doesn’t know. The Crowned Ones say they’d never use the knowledge against him, but how can he trust the descendants of the Undescended, his people’s sworn enemies? It’s no better for the star beings: Rana has to come to terms with the humans’ ignorance being the cause of her parents’ death, years ago, just another thing to distract her from Crowning—as if the competing affections of Eka and Kahali weren’t enough for that. Eka, whose perspective we don’t get here but do in Ms. O’Shea’s short story, The Cords That Bind: A Liminal Tale in the Finding Humanity Series, is afraid to leave Rana at risk of a mysterious predator he and his village elders have only just discovered, and Kahali…I feel for Kahali. Most of the star beings harmed by the humans died, but he’s burdened with the loss of his arm and an ever-growing understanding of why the humans are so mistrustful, angry, and violent. Even the nicer ones, like Atsushi. Kahali and Savas were my favorite characters this time around.
But tensions can’t stop the humans’ mission: to fly their two massive helicopters (long in the building under the ground) and establish relations with another haven, both to make contact and to try to improve their own dwindling genetic pool. Most of the star beings would have been content to let them fly and leave them be, but Kalakanya, the Crowned One with the unique ability to read time streams, warns the humans and star beings alike that unless the two peoples come together, not only will the expedition fail, but disaster will befall everyone. The star beings accept this with varying degrees of reluctance, and the humans grudgingly agree—at least, after Kalakanya demonstrates her reading prowess by identifying a new secret device given to Savas—to allow four star beings to accompany the party. The star beings, balking at the notion of being ordered around, also insist that Bleu be made the mission commander, much to the vexation of both Bleu and Savas.
So Bleu, Savas, Zach, and Neviah, the surviving members of the most recent expedition team, board the helicopters, along with Atsushi and Girak, both of whom have nothing to return to in Northern Haven and are hoping for a fresh start. The star beings send Rana, Eka, Kahali, and Kalakanya herself, for reasons both diplomatic and personal. Rana has promised to help Girak relocate; Kahali is mentoring Atsushi on how to do energy work like a star being. Eka will go where Rana goes.
Ms. O’Shea does a fine job of providing a grounding context as the mixed party takes flight. Northern Haven’s location is given in contemporary eastern Turkey, driving home how uninhabitably cold the planet’s become. Western Haven’s location is near the former Four Corners, USA, though only Savas knows this. The helicopters cover vast distances over unfamiliar coastlines, and the party faces perils new and unknown, forcing them to come together even as they chafe at each other’s violence (or pacifism) in the face of deadly threats. Personally, I was more sympathetic to the humans’ perspective: how sanctimonious is it for Rana to agonize over squashing a bug when her cave digger pup, Digga, can rend flesh and that’s okay? There’s an inconsistency there that drives Savas’s mistrust, and I can’t disagree with him.
This book thrives on character relationships and interactions, and it shows that when two peoples come together, not everyone benefits. The humans may see the star beings’ abilities to heal, mind speak, and teleport as godlike (and threatening, in the wrong context), but the star beings see the humans’ anger, violence, and disconnection from the One in All as painful, and it hurts them. Especially Kahali, who learns to mistrust from both Bleu and Savas and is coming apart as a result. Some of the tension at the outset felt forced, such as Bleu turning suspicious of Kalakanya right after seemingly understanding she dares not reveal her time stream analyses carelessly, but the characters’ struggles bloom naturally into a complex web of relationships and trust—even when that trust is in someone to do the “wrong” thing. The humans become more like the star beings, and it softens them; the star beings become more like the humans, and it traumatizes them.
And then they all reach North America and see how things have been going over there.
The Chasm isn’t perfect. As I noted, some of the early tension felt forced to me, like trying to plant a particular crop in an already abundant field. The writing quality was slightly weaker than in The Calling: it’s good overall, but my copy editor’s mind caught more instances of things like word repetition in short order, and that disrupted my immersion at times. The characters are still a little naïve with respect to romance, although by the end of the book everyone seems to be happily (or unhappily) on the same page. But these are minor complaints. The book was gripping from start to finish, the peril (both physical and emotional) was visceral, and I’m heavily invested in the entire cast of characters (except maybe Zach, that guy sucks) and want to see how they synthesize the human and star being perspectives to bring out only the best in each other—once they can finally agree on what is, in fact, best in this gritty, desperate world.
July 7, 2024
4/5
Great Book with incredible worldbuilding. Should have probably read the first book first, and will do so as soon as I finish all indie ink books.
Great Book with incredible worldbuilding. Should have probably read the first book first, and will do so as soon as I finish all indie ink books.
June 21, 2022
The book drew me in immediately and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I couldn't put it down and sacrificed a lot of sleep, unable to stop reading. It was intense, fast-paced, full of dramatic action, brimming with tension and threats. The part where the characters go exploring new lands, looking for the Western Haven was so viscerally haunting that I couldn't fall asleep after finally putting the book down. The mysterious danger stalking the characters was palpable, making my skin crawl, and then there was a very intense action sequence with twists and turns during which I didn't know what would happen to the characters.
We get to know the characters we've met in the first book better. The Chasm allows us a glimpse into Savas's past partially explaining his behavior and motivations. I hated him in The Calling, but I started feeling sorry for him now. We also get a deeper understanding of Kalakanya's powers, and how much they burden her. Some characters get to grow and change, all of them undergo their own inner turmoil, and there is romance to spice up the already exciting adventure.
And, of course, there is a new terrifying danger, unlike anything either star beings or humans could have imagined. If you've read The Cords That Bind — a novella the events of which happen between The Calling and The Chasm, you've already had a glimpse of it. I've actually guessed the nature of this power after reading it (at least as much as is revealed in this book because it remains pretty mysterious). The book ends on a cliffhanger, but it feels like a good place to end it and get a breather before the third part. I can't wait to find out what happens next!
If you loved The Calling, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy The Chasm too. If you haven't started the series yet, you might like it if you're into original YA adventures with a hopeful spin, post-apocalyptic stories and ice age settings. I find it difficult to classify the story, as it can be both sci-fi and fantasy, but the author herself calls it hope punk, which I think is true :).
This review was first published on my website about sci-fi where you'll find more reviews, lists, recommendations, interviews, short stories and other stuff.
We get to know the characters we've met in the first book better. The Chasm allows us a glimpse into Savas's past partially explaining his behavior and motivations. I hated him in The Calling, but I started feeling sorry for him now. We also get a deeper understanding of Kalakanya's powers, and how much they burden her. Some characters get to grow and change, all of them undergo their own inner turmoil, and there is romance to spice up the already exciting adventure.
And, of course, there is a new terrifying danger, unlike anything either star beings or humans could have imagined. If you've read The Cords That Bind — a novella the events of which happen between The Calling and The Chasm, you've already had a glimpse of it. I've actually guessed the nature of this power after reading it (at least as much as is revealed in this book because it remains pretty mysterious). The book ends on a cliffhanger, but it feels like a good place to end it and get a breather before the third part. I can't wait to find out what happens next!
If you loved The Calling, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy The Chasm too. If you haven't started the series yet, you might like it if you're into original YA adventures with a hopeful spin, post-apocalyptic stories and ice age settings. I find it difficult to classify the story, as it can be both sci-fi and fantasy, but the author herself calls it hope punk, which I think is true :).
This review was first published on my website about sci-fi where you'll find more reviews, lists, recommendations, interviews, short stories and other stuff.
November 15, 2022
Disclaimer: I haven't read book one, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this book. There's a nice glossary of terms and characters at the start, and enough backstory that I was able to dive right in without feeling lost. I really loved the world, and how well it was developed. The tension between humans and star beings was obvious, and I can see humanity reacting similarly to other-worldly beings if we were to ever find ourselves in the same situation in the future. The characters were wonderful, very believable, and I liked the interactions between them (both positive and negative). An engaging YA read.
August 1, 2022
This is a beautiful dystopian, fantasy, sci fi story! An excellent continuation of this series & story line. Lovely ideas, surprising amount of action & an amazingly well written plot. I loved everything about this book & characters! Incredible world building that made this a truly enjoyable reading experience! I do recommend this writer & always looks forward to reading more.
August 2, 2022
I really enjoyed the sequel to Finding Humanity series, it had a great plot going on with it and had a great sequel vibe. The characters were interesting and it had what I was looking for from the first 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.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews