Excerpt
The older, gray-skinned being Lya
had seen in her dream now helped her off the soft bed. She was still
disoriented. Her head felt detached from her body, like she had been
on a rollercoaster for hours. She stared open-mouthed at the weird
looking bald being, while she allowed herself to be led. Lya had a
vague memory of being lifted from the green gel by him and the
younger being. The younger one wasn’t around now. Lya’s feet
touched the ground. She wasn’t dreaming. Oh, this was bad.
Her pain had subsided somewhat. Lya looked around the room. It reminded her of those sci-fi movies: clean and modern, with lots of glass. Aside from the narrow, high bed, the only other item in the room was a ten-inch panel, with rows of light running the length of the far wall.
She turned back to study the gray being’s face. He was ugly. He had no hair. The thick membrane around his eyes looked like fake eyelashes. Odd, pulsating veins covered his body.
Her pain had subsided somewhat. Lya looked around the room. It reminded her of those sci-fi movies: clean and modern, with lots of glass. Aside from the narrow, high bed, the only other item in the room was a ten-inch panel, with rows of light running the length of the far wall.
She turned back to study the gray being’s face. He was ugly. He had no hair. The thick membrane around his eyes looked like fake eyelashes. Odd, pulsating veins covered his body.
“Who are you?” Lya’s voice
sounded like a rasp. With every word she spoke her head throbbed.
“Where am I?”
“In Ray.”
Lya frowned. “Is it near Delhi?”
“A few light years away. It’s a
planet, in a parallel universe.”
His words acted like an electrical
discharge, jolting Lya awake. She was hallucinating. She knew she
was. There was no other explanation. She reached out and touched the
gray being. She felt him. Okay, hallucination was real. Her mind was
distorting her vision. That sounded plausible. Don’t freak out. Lya
smiled. “Is it close to those Streams?”
“It’s beyond that.”
The smile faded from Lya’s lips.
“You’re screwing with me, right?”
“Don’t you worry, everything
will be fine.”
Lya continued to stare at the gray…
man—she guessed he was a man—as his words echoed in her brain.
They triggered an image. She saw this same being placing her into
that green tank, saying those very same words. Or not her... Lya.
Although it felt like her, and somehow she knew it was her, but it
was really the albino. The albino didn’t want to leave. She
hesitated, grabbing onto the tank’s edges, and asked what it would
be like? Would she ever come back? She turned to the older gray being
and said, “Natuc, will you bring me back?”
“Natuc?” Lya whispered.
The gray being smiled. “You
remembered. Good. Keep alert for those sudden burst of images, that’s
how you will get your memory back.”
“My memory?” Lya searched
Natuc’s face. “Please tell me this is all a mistake. A punishment
for…” Lya couldn’t think of something she should be punished
for, she hadn’t done anything all that bad to deserve being locked
up in… what was this place?
“Calm down. You’re not
hallucinating, Tsaen.”
“Who?”
“Tsaen.”
“Tsaen? The albino, Tsaen? I’m not Tsaen.” Lya bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not Tsaen….”
“Tsaen? The albino, Tsaen? I’m not Tsaen.” Lya bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not Tsaen….”
For sixteen years, Lya,
has lived as a normal human, until her father, Walter, gets involved
with the wrong people and puts Lya's life at risk. During a visit to
Miami, Lya's older sister is kidnapped, and Lya and her father are
subsequently taken hostage by Walter's associates and forced to board a
plane to India. When the plane lands in Delhi, Lya is rescued by three
monks and taken to a Monastery. There her reality is shattered, when she
learns the true identity of her rescuers and, even more surprisingly,
herself. Lya is now faced with the toughest decision of her life. Can
she live up to her ethereal destiny and save her people and her family?
Review
****This book was part of a blog tour, I was provided with a copy for my honest review****Lya has always thought she was a normal girl, when her dad makes some bad decisions and she ends up in India being rescued by Monks her life changes forever. This book was a pleasant surprise, I don't really read alien books because I have not enjoyed the majority of them, but this book has changed my mind. The main character Lya came off as easy to relate to with a quiet inner strength. The plot line was unique and well thought out. I have to praise Eleanor for the writing, there were so many different aspects to this story, yet it wasn't disjointed. The story flowed together effortlessly; there was lightness and humor in certain spots that balanced out the dark seriousness. I really enjoyed Fallen Ruler and I would recommend it to people who enjoy young adult fantasy books.
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Thanks so much for hosting Eleanor! I really enjoyed it too and agree, she did a fabulous job of keeping the story moving and entertaining without shying away from the dark stuff.
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