Available Darkness (Season 1, Episode 2) by Sean Platt and David Wright

Title: Available Darkness  (Episode 2)
Author: Sean Platt and David Wright
Series: Available Darkness (Season 1)
Publisher: Collective Inkwell
Read Type: Author request
Stars:

This book can be purchased from Amazon (International) as a full series of 6.
To find out more about the authors please visit Facebook and their Website.
Individually, you can find Sean on Facebook, Twitter and Amazon
Individually, you can find David on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Amazon

Season Blurb
From the writers of the post-apocalyptic smash hit serial, Yesterday's Gone, and Z 2134, comes Available Darkness, a new breed of vampire serial thriller.

The Darkness Has Awoken

FBI Special Agent Caleb Baldwin is on the hunt for a serial killer who has left a trail of burned bodies. One of those victims — his wife. As he gets closer to finding the killer, he falls deeper into an elaborate conspiracy.

A man wakes buried alive with no memory of who or what he is. In his pocket, a note: “Avoid the sunlight and don’t touch anybody.” Now he is being hunted by the FBI while trying to remember his monstrous past. He must control the darkness within before it consumes him and the child whose life he must protect.

11-year-old Abigail was dying slowly each day as the prisoner of a sick man. Until she is saved by the most unlikely of heroes — a vampire with a deadly touch. He is her only hope, and she may hold the key to unlocking the memories of his hidden past.

Past, present, fate, and future are on a collision course as the hours of AVAILABLE DARKNESS are ticking away and a force greater than anything the world has ever seen threatens humanity.

Available Darkness is an epic serialized journey that reinvents vampire mythology with a fast paced, character-driven thriller that blends action, mystery, fantasy, and horror in an addictive, tragically romantic story.


Author Bios
Sean Platt

Sean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.

Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.




David W. Wright

David W. Wright is the co-author of the number 1 sci-fi and horror series, Yesterday's Gone, as well as six other series.

David is also a cartoonist who is working on a children's book.

David blogs about writing and stuff he likes at his personal blog, and about his books at Collective Inkwell.

He lives on the east coast with his wife, seven-year old son, and the world's most poopingest cat.











Review

Strong language: None

Drugs: Negligible

Violence: Some, graphic

Sexual content: Some, non-graphic

You can find links to all of my review of the series at the Available Darkness Archive

 

The authors gave out a free copy of season one of this serial in their newsletter as an apology for messing up details in the previous letter. I decided to read and review this. Despite having the entire first series, 6 episodes, at once in front of me, I will stick to no more than one a week the same as they are initially released in America.

This episode kicks off roughly where the last one ended but with a massive question mark on what happened to some of the characters in the mean time. Once again the main of the story is following John and Abigail, the vampire and the girl he rescued, respectively. I feel very in tune with these two, when a chapter pops up with one of their points of view marked, I end up reading it, even if I told myself

PUT

THAT

BOOK

DOWN

NOW!

There are no characters I actively dislike, but I do not yet feel a connection to the FBI agent, who had a bigger, if still not directly related, part in the book and plot. I suspect however that he will come to be a strong force in later episodes. He appears to have a drug problem, presumably prescription, I hope this plays into his decision making in less than admirable ways rather than being merely a trope.

There was a lot of information in this episode about exactly what John is, as well as about the FBI division. This, I thought, was presented very well overall, kept short and split up so it did not become and info dump.

Once again very good cliff hanger, leaving me wanting to flick to the next episode instantly.

The 411

Overall another good episode, with a deeper connection to the characters and a magnetism to the story that made me want to keep reading.

I give this episode a 4.5 adjusted to 5 for reviewing purposes.

The Evening Star by Karah Quinney

Title: The Evening Star
Author: Karah Quinney
Read Type: Amazon Freebie
Stars:

You can purchase the book on Amazon (International)
You can find otu more about the author on Amazon and Goodreads

Book Blurb:
Intense and intriguing, The Evening Star is Karah Quinney's most riveting novel to date.

Hidden in the swirling depths of the Great Forest, Ember has survived the shattering loss of his entire band, leaving him alone season over season, except for the companionship of his aging grandfather. As the past and future collide, he discovers Blackbird, a young woman in desperate peril, and he saves her life, binding them together in unexpected ways.

Blackbird’s uncle warns them to beware of their bitter rivals and enemies, but his sudden disappearance is the catalyst that leads to a shocking discovery. Before long, they are forced into the mystery shrouded depths of the jungle, where they learn that her uncle has been killed and his head taken as a trophy – a terrible loss to his people.

Confronted with the secrets from the past, and spurred on by the desire to save countless others, Blackbird is willing to take great risks even if it means her very life. With the use of guile, cunning, and instinct, Ember races to save her. Caught in an epic battle for their lives, they must find the strength to stand together as one if they are to have any hope of a shared future.


Author Bio:
Karah Quinney writes Prehistoric Fiction that touches the heart and reaches the soul. She needs only to set pen to paper to the tell the stories of those that once lived during the ancient past. Each story is a gift of the heart.

Karah Quinney has been ranked #1 Bestseller in Ancient World Historical Romance.



Review
This review is posted without the knowledge of the author and therefore without consent for book cover of blurb due to being able to get a response from her. If you are the author or know her I would love to get permission to add these elements to the review


Strong language: negligible
Drugs: some
Violence: yes, graphic
Sexual content: yes, semi-graphic


I received a copy of this novel through an Amazon free promotion day.


Imagine a world so different from our own it could be alien. A world where people live in harmony with nature; they respect and protect it. A world without any modern comforts. Yet, while this novel could be set there, it is within our very world, in a place deep in the rainforest untapped by those who would change it. It could be in any time period, since it occurs in the jungle untamed.

Told through rich language, using all the senses, and pulling all of our emotional strings, the story had me from the first.

We enter a scene of tragedy, not know how or why it happened, before being whisked away with from the danger, along with a young boy, to start our story. The young man, Ember, taken by his grandfather before he could be killed along with the rest of his people, lives a solitary life in the jungle until he is an adult. He doesn’t know villages, or his old way of life, neither does he seem to care. He soon finds himself drawn in however, following his nature to protect the weak.

He and his grandfather, Yupan, find themselves in a large village, with the enigmatic Blackbird, the daughter of the village chief. Ember is enthralled, not remembering life in a group before and cannot understand his grandfather’s reluctance to join in while he trains and hunts with other warriors.

Yet all is not as it seems, danger lurks in many forms, waiting for them, luring them into a trap.

I felt the character building here was fantastic. It was rich, felt realistic, and had the same insecurities that many modern people face, once more allowing us to link ourselves with these people, so different from ourselves.

Ember started out as a wild creature, far from us, with knowledge and understanding of his surroundings making him seem very different. Yet as he grew on the page, his curiosity of the world around him drew me in. His slight resentment of his grandfather, probably an emotion he didn’t realise was even there, drew my curiosity and made me look deeper.

Then he met Blackbird, the chief’s daughter. For the first time he felt something for another human being, a place we have all been, no matter where we are in our lives or the world. He grew as a person, grew more emotions, including endearing embarrassment, and I was hooked.

Blackbird, at first seemed like the perfect daughter, but as we saw more through her lies, it became apparent that she was just as human as everybody else, that she had her own desires, that she seemed to follow her father for her own reasons, and that she was one to watch. This happened for so many characters, good or bad, here for one scene, or here for the whole novel, they just grew before my eyes.

The point of view was mainly split between Ember and Blackbird, although we saw others scenes from Yupan, warriors of various tribes, and other minor characters. This gave a wider variety of opinions on the world, seeing both sides of the story. I imagine it will be a bit like showing a child a one-sided story of one of the world wars; they’d make a firm opinion that the side they read was the side that was correct. Then, you give them a story just from the other side’s perspective, and suddenly they can see more, they have more questions, more opinions, and a better understanding of how life works. Of how different countries, tribes and beliefs all work together. This is the reason it works so well. I think.

The plot had many twists and turns. Often I wasn’t sure who was right and who was wrong, or even who told the truth. I admit, at times I was lost, but this didn’t happen for long. Soon another character came along with their side of the story, and their piece to the puzzle made the story make sense.

I love the pace of the plot, sometimes it raced ahead with action, other times it lolled, giving us a chance to see the world as the characters did, to experience it with them, and to get to stay in that world just a little bit longer. The finale was exciting, action packed, and full of violence. Things were set to rights, but whose idea of right? I encourage you to find out for yourselves.


The 411
I thought this was an immersive, deep, thought provoking novel with a side of action, danger, and romance.

The language was rich, and made even the most unusual situations feel normal, and even a part of my life. This novel transported me.

A very easy 5 stars, I cannot rate it highly enough.

Available Darkness (Season 1, Episode 1) by Sean Platt and David Wright

Title: Available Darkness  (Episode 1)
Author: Sean Platt and David Wright
Series: Available Darkness (Season 1)
Publisher: Collective Inkwell
Read Type: Author request
Stars:

This book can be purchased from Amazon (International) as a full series of 6.
To find out more about the authors please visit Facebook and their Website.
Individually, you can find Sean on Facebook, Twitter and Amazon
Individually, you can find David on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Amazon

Season Blurb
From the writers of the post-apocalyptic smash hit serial, Yesterday's Gone, and Z 2134, comes Available Darkness, a new breed of vampire serial thriller.

The Darkness Has Awoken

FBI Special Agent Caleb Baldwin is on the hunt for a serial killer who has left a trail of burned bodies. One of those victims — his wife. As he gets closer to finding the killer, he falls deeper into an elaborate conspiracy.

A man wakes buried alive with no memory of who or what he is. In his pocket, a note: “Avoid the sunlight and don’t touch anybody.” Now he is being hunted by the FBI while trying to remember his monstrous past. He must control the darkness within before it consumes him and the child whose life he must protect.

11-year-old Abigail was dying slowly each day as the prisoner of a sick man. Until she is saved by the most unlikely of heroes — a vampire with a deadly touch. He is her only hope, and she may hold the key to unlocking the memories of his hidden past.

Past, present, fate, and future are on a collision course as the hours of AVAILABLE DARKNESS are ticking away and a force greater than anything the world has ever seen threatens humanity.

Available Darkness is an epic serialized journey that reinvents vampire mythology with a fast paced, character-driven thriller that blends action, mystery, fantasy, and horror in an addictive, tragically romantic story.


Author Bios
Sean Platt

Sean loves writing books, even more than reading them. He is co-founder of Collective Inkwell and Realm & Sands imprints, writes for children under the name Guy Incognito, and has more than his share of nose.

Together with co-authors David Wright and Johnny B. Truant, Sean has written the series Yesterdays Gone, WhiteSpace, ForNevermore, Available Darkness, Dark Crossings, Unicorn Western, The Beam, Namaste, Robot Proletariat, Cursed, Greens, Space Shuttle, and Everyone Gets Divorced. He also co-wrote the how-to indie book, Write. Publish. Repeat.




David W. Wright

David W. Wright is the co-author of the number 1 sci-fi and horror series, Yesterday's Gone, as well as six other series.

David is also a cartoonist who is working on a children's book.

David blogs about writing and stuff he likes at his personal blog, and about his books at Collective Inkwell.

He lives on the east coast with his wife, seven-year old son, and the world's most poopingest cat.





Review
Strong language: None
Drugs: None
Violence: Some, graphic
Sexual content: Some, primarily implied



 You can find links to all of my review of the series at the Available Darkness Archive

The authors gave out a free copy of season one of this serial in their newsletter as an apology for messing up details in the previous letter. I decided to read and review this. Despite having the entire first series, 6 episodes, at once in front of me, I will stick to no more than one a week the same as they are initially released in America.


From a little boy to an FBI agent with a grudge to an amnesiac in a grave and onward. Like their other series, Yesterday's Gone, which I've read, this has a cast of characters, each chapter narrated by a different one. This cast is much smaller, so far anyway, than in the Yesterday's Gone series with a main rotating cast of 3 members but I expect that to increase in future episodes.

The writing was fast paced and furious but still had time to take a step back and describe things with eloquence, such as the moon as "a Cheshire smile in the sky." This is one of my favourite things about these writers, even if death is right on your heels they still have time to stop and take a look around the world.

The creature that I presume is some sort of vampire or hybrid had a mix of old-school abilities and weaknesses, as well as unusual traits that caught me off guard.


The 411
This looks like a great setup for a new series with an exciting premise and a solid story base. There were a lot of unaswered questions, drawing me in more, but I felt occasionally the "do something supernatural now, and explain it later... possibly in the next episode" frustrating at times.

I give it 4 stars.