Three Seeds

by Gabriel Madison

An unnatural cold front grows each day, bewildering world leaders and scientists, while leaving people across the world in a state of panic. All of North America is covered in snow, as Earth slowly reverts into a frozen oasis, causing religious groups to scream of the end of days, while others believe it’s the beginning of a new and foretold era.

Rosemary Anderson finds herself working as a receptionist, living on an old southern plantation and wishing for excitement. David, the man claiming to have rescued her from a car wreck three years earlier, has maneuvered himself into her life, but only shows up occasionally to ask Rose strange and cryptic questions about a past she no longer remembers. Rose’s desire for adventure comes true, when strange men arrive at her plantation, and suddenly assaults her. Rose narrowly escapes with the help of her mysterious friend, David.

David flees to Atlanta as he leads Rose through a hidden and treacherous world filled with death, power, secrets and passion. While trying to protect her from immortals shrouded by shadows, a secret society and ancient beings from a forgotten time determine to either capture, or kill her.


"Gabriel Madison has written a very entertaining and complex novel dealing with supernatural beings, immortals and secret societies. The characters are fully fleshed out with a dialogue that is truly believable, which is sometimes lacking in the fantasy genre. The book was well written and quite enjoyable." - Bitten by Books

290 pages, Paperback

First published August 19, 2009

About the author

I started writing when I was in high school, mostly short stories and poetry, and then developed a passion for screenplays. I attended a private art University in Atlanta Georgia for Media Production. There I studied script writing and film making. I wrote a few screenplays, and made a few short movies, including a twelve-minute vampire movie, I adapted from a short story, called Midnight Diner. After leaving school, my passion shifted mainly towards writing stories, than shooting and directing them. I write short stories, novellas, screenplays, graphic novels and full-length novels. I was once asked to define myself; the only answer I could come up with was ‘storyteller’. I now live back home in Albany Georgia.

First, I love anything that has vampires in it, which is odd because my first book isn’t about vampires. Although, at first Rose was a vamp, but I changed it after my cousin got me into the TV show Carnivàle. I started getting into secret societies and mythology and other paranormal stories. I decided to change the direction of Three Seeds from vamps, to beings that I came up with in my head. I already had the Guardians (characters in the book) in a short story I wrote, and then I created the other supernatural beings to complete my Urban Fantasy world. I am working on two YA novels. I'm also working on a pilot for a kids show in Atlanta. The kid show is out of my normal writing element, but the challenge of it is what makes it fun.

As for TV shows: Like I said, I’m into anything with vamps, so number one on my list is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Next is almost everything else that has been on TV. I’ve watched everything from Roswell to The West Wing and from the Cosby Show to One Three Hill. I just got into Chuck. Used to love Heroes (used to.) Loved The 4400, Veronica Mars, Gilmore Girls, Dexter, Weeds, Growing Pains, and on and on.

Music: Too large a list to make. But lets say my taste go from the Beatles to 2pac and Tori Amos and Radiohead and Stone Temple Pilot and Maxwell and Disturbed and on and on.

Reviews

[Shellie (Layers of Thought) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mini Synopsis:
The story opens eerily 20 years in the past. In the middle of the Bermuda Triangle an incredible supernatural event occurs. It then moves to the present day where a cold front has enveloped the the planet. Every one believes another ice age upon them. Little does the general population know that it is being caused by a young woman named Rose, whom is running from a number of dark super human factions with complex links that are almost biblical in nature. Most of them want her dead. As the story evolves into a convoluted urban fantasy, a touch of romance, assorted violence, and drama ensues.
My Thoughts:
With an exciting first chapter Three Seeds is hard to put down. It is an incredibly complex story with some very interesting dark characters. While I was reading it I was overwhelmed by the original ideas which where presented within the pages. If you like a story line that is fast paced, entertaining, and pulse raising this is a book for you. When I was finished it was clear that Gabriel is a talented individual with a vivid imagination.
Although my reading experience was marred somewhat by some rather loose editing it doesn’t detract from this great story. With tighter editing and a bit more fleshing out of some key ideas, I would have rated Three Seeds at 4 plus Stars. On balance my final rating is 3 Stars.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love to read books when I know absolutely nothing about the plot - well let me rephrase. I love to read books where I know nothing about the plot, and the book actually turns out to be good. Three Seeds definitely fit the bill. This book is different - I wouldn't necessarily call it a romance book. Urban Fantasy with a slight romance feel. But, the story was good and it was definitely a change of pace for me.

Rose has been living a quiet life in a small southern town for three years. The last three years are important to her because that is all she remembers. Previously, she awoke in a hospital bed with absolutely no memory of her life. The only constant in her life the past three years has been David. He tells her he pulled her damaged body out of a car accident that fateful day and they have developed something of a friendship. David never divulges details of his life, but he is kind and Rose enjoys eating out with him every once in a while although David is constantly on alert, looking around. What Rose doesn't know is David is protecting her from unthinkable horrors.

A huge cold front moves across much of the United States, and snow blankets the ground in every southern town. Rose loves snow, and has been wishing for it as a matter of fact. She can't enjoy it for long as her quiet life gets turned completely upside down. A group of men pull up to her house and try to kill her. While she barricades herself in a room, the violence is suddenly quiet. David is there to save the day.

David quickly rushes Rose out to safety. Everything Rose thought about the world she lives in is about to come crashing down. There are big players in the world, some not even of this world, that want her dead. Others will lay down their lives for her. She must find out what is so special that these beings will risk everything they have to save her or hunt her down.

What Rose doesn't know (and what I wish I knew more towards the beginning of the book) is that she has three seeds, or souls inside of her. There are three ancient races - a Host is born with a Seed inside of them. On the Host's twentieth birthday, the Seed comes to life, stripping away the Host's previous memories. Rose is different, in that, she has all three Seeds inside of her. That has never happened before and people are scared - they don't know what kind of power she will be able to wield. David is sort of a policeman of the Seeds, he takes them out if they go rogue. However, he abandoned his position when he met Rose and people are after him too.

When I finished Three Seeds, I really liked it but felt like I was on information overload. First I loved the character of David - I would have loved to read about David more. A very quiet, reserved hero who is deadly with a gun. He has a quiet air of confidence and you never quite know what is going on inside his head.

Rose acted way too rational when the world comes crumbling down around her. People are literally getting their heads ripped off and she running for her life, and she keeps it together pretty well. After David explains who she is, where she came from and after she lights someone on fire just by getting angry, she asks David - "There was never a car accident was there?" Rose! All signs point to NO. At some points I wanted Davide and Rose to take center stage more - push all of the supporting characters to the side.

Also, one thing this story really could have benefitted from is a glossary. When I read books with glossaries, I rarely read them - but if this book would have had one I would have utilized it and had a much better understanding of what was going on. There are four main groups - The Seeds, The Hunters, The Guardians and the Shadow Government. A good explanation of what those entities are was not really given until more than two-thirds through the book. Besides being four main groups, there were several characters each belonging to each group and after awhile, I felt like I needed to create a flowchart to keep everyone straight. It is much more fun to read and get lost in the story, then constantly rereading trying to remember how everyone is connected.

That being said, this is a very interesting and unique story, one that had me thinking about it for days afterwards. Although the story wraps up the main arc well, I still wanted more. I want to know more about the "new" world, one that I think Gabriel Madison could write several sequels to and still have a story to write. The surface of this unique and complex world he has created was barely skimmed. I would love for him to go more into the beginning and how these groups came to exist.

Three Seeds lays the foundation for a unique and complex world and I hope we get to see more of Rose and David in the future.