Blood Sky by Traci L. Slatton

After almost two years, I was really happy when I heard the author had finally published this book. Originally, I thought this series was supposed to be a trilogy but as it turns out, the author had more to write about, and the series will be stretched out into few more books. Honestly, the third book finished in such a weird way and the cliffhanger was so unbearable that there had to be more. The After Series is a really good post-apocalyptic series that explore a varieties of subjects such as survival, honor, love and science.

As I began reading Blood Sky, I was a little bit confused because I couldn't quite remember what had happened in the previous installment. But as the author slowly recapped the previous book, pieces started coming back. Emma and Arthur are still together, and along with their bunch of survivors, they are slowly making their way across Canada to hopefully make their way back to Europe. Their long trek on horseback is honestly a little slow and anticipation was definitely there because I couldn't wait for something to happen. I was actually quite surprised when the group of travelers separated because of conflicting ideas about the mists, the whole reason behind the apocalypse. The mists are scary to begin with since they can instantaneously turn objects, animals and humans into dust, but what's even scarier is the fact that they're beginning to adapt and evolve to the world. While Emma simply wants to eradicate the mists from the world, Arthur starts thinking about keeping them and trying to control them to better the world.

Honestly, I never thought those two would disagree on something so big. I thought they would stick together through everything, especially when Emma made the heartbreaking decision in the previous book to abandon her daughters in order to continue her quest with Arthur. I don't completely agree or disagree with the decisions Emma made but that's what makes her such a great character. She's plagued by some of the decisions she made and her faults make her so much more realistic. Emma might appear to struggle with leadership but she's a strong character, which allows her to surpass anything.

I was a little disappointed with how the book ended with a poker game. While I can appreciate the allusion that life is just a game, personally I'm not a fan of poker and I don't think it makes a great denouement. A poker game really does fit into the world they live in because every decision is a gamble but I would have hoped for more after the game.

I especially liked this latest book because we got to see a whole new side of characters I thought we already knew. New characters are introduced in this book too but I anticipate a big reunion of old characters in the next book. I really hope I don't have to wait two more years for it. Reading this series is definitely not a gamble because it really is a great post-apocalyptic/dystopian series.

https://youtu.be/moBlcXPG33o

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by Tynga at Monday, September 14, 2015

 After Trilogy, Author, Dystopian, mists, Parvati Press, Post-Apocalypse, Review, Traci L Slatton, Traci L. Slatton  5 People left their mark

✎

Broken by Traci L. Slatton

I've always liked reading historical fiction but personally I've never liked reading books about WWII. There's so many atrocities in that war that I usually can't face a novel set during that time. However, when I read the synopsis of this book, there was just something about it that caught my attention. I don't know if it's the idea of a fallen angel living in occupied Paris or if it's the idea of a novel about a fallen angel in love with two completely different men, but it just felt like I was about to read something special. Although the story was definitely not what I expect, it was truly original. I think it takes a special mind to come up with a story like this one. It shocked me multiple times, brought me to tears, and provided good entertainment.

The main character, Alia, is the fallen angel in question. As a protagonist, she's not my favorite because her carefree attitude in the beginning of the novel makes us feel like she doesn't take the war seriously enough. For her, she's just passing through, telling herself that she's not affected by the lives of the humans surrounding her. She's simply using them for her enjoyment since she has no more obligations as a fallen angel. She does eventually redeem herself multiple times throughout the book, since the book is in part her "transformation" from angel to a human.

Pedro and Josef are the two men Alia gets romantically involved with, that have proven time and time again their worth and their ability to sacrifice their lives for the good of the people. Although I can't really tell you who she ends up choosing without revealing major spoilers I can tell you either man is a worthy choice for any woman (or angel in this case). Traci L. Slatton took a huge risk by adding eroticism to some of the love scenes but personally I think it's a great way to balance out the horrors of war. These opposites are strange because it's unexpected but the love story does provide a way to escape into the story without being overwhelmed by the hostility of the occupation.

One of the aspects that I truly appreciated is the addition of real historical people in the novel. The author included people like Edith Piaf and Coco Chanel, among many others, in her novel and it added some authenticity to the story. Edith Piaf and Coco are the ones that stood out the most for me because they are among some of my favorite French celebrities. Obviously Edith Piaf's music will live on forever because of her unique voice and amazing talent, while Coco Chanel is known for revolutionizing women's fashion and beauty. I could go on and on about Chanel because I'm a huge fan of the fragrances and make-up (I can't afford the clothes so I must fuss about things that are a little less expensive) but I'm not going to turn this post into a beauty/fashion post. Suffice to say, the author certainly got a thumbs up from me for including these celebrities.

I wasn't sure where the author was going with her novel near the end, and although I'm still not sure if it's the perfect ending to the story, I think the conclusion allows the readers to reevaluate human life and to understand why some of us are driven to courageous acts. I don't think BROKEN is so much about how WWII broke the spirits of so many people but about how some were able to overcome so much and still able to piece themselves back together. It's obvious the author researched her subject thoroughly because the historical references seem accurate. I'm no historian, but ignoring the fictional elements, the war elements were very realistic. Please note that the book does contain some explicit scenes and some dark themes that are not suitable for everyone, however I do recommend it to anyone in the mood for something dark yet enlightening. BROKEN left me a bit confused because even though I enjoyed it, it's not your everyday paranormal read. I have nothing to compare it to, and it's hard to define it, but I guess that's what makes it so stunning. It's unlike anything I've ever read.

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by Tynga at Sunday, August 31, 2014

 angels, erotic, Paranormal, Parvati Press, Review, Traci L. Slatton, WWII  Leave your mark

✎

Far Shore by Traci L. Slatton

The dystopian genre has been quite popular in the last couple of years, especially when it come to Young Adult books, but truthfully I haven't read many that are outside the YA subgroup. The After Trilogy (or series?) has frankly been a great discovery and I'm a big fan of the concept and the story. As an adult dystopian book, I think it's a nice change from the YA genre books that I'm used to reading, since it does allow for darker and more mature themes. If you thought dystopian books only worked for YA, Traci L. Slatton will prove you wrong.

The post-apocalyptic mists destroy everything in their path, and for those who were lucky to avoid being engulfed by these mists, it either transformed them into ruthless survivors, crazy psychopaths, mindless imbeciles or changed ordinary people into heroes. The main character, Emma, is one of these heroes because the appearance of the mists has given her the ability to heal with the simple touch of her hands. Her story is a complicated one, and her dedication to her family and to those she loves brings out the best in her. She is a true survivor, doing anything and everything she needs to do in order to survive and keep her family and friends out of danger, even risk being held prisoner in order to free her lover, Arthur, from torture at the hands of their nemesis. I really admire what she goes through to save Arthur, and while I don't necessarily agree with her actions, I can understand where she's coming from. Leaving her husband and daughters behind, she embarks on a mad mission to free her lover. I find it a bit shameless to leave a husband behind in order to save another lover, and while she did believe her husband dead in the beginning of this new relationship, she does cause him a lot of pain by bouncing between the both of them.


Arthur is a strong and intelligent man, and I can definitely see why any woman in her right mind might be attracted to him. What began as a business transaction between Arthur and Emma turned into romance and love. Their relationship is a complicated one for sure and even if I'm completely against infidelity, I think they make a great pair and I really hope everything ends up in their favor in the end.

Actually, many survivors find love over the course of the series and I think those stories are important in order to balance out the death and the destruction of this post-apocalyptic world. I love how detailed the secondary characters are and how their romantic relationships are present too. Truthfully, I think the author's character development is phenomenal because she really makes you care about each and everyone of her characters. The camaraderie between the characters also balances out the darker themes of the book, and truthfully, just makes is more interesting to read. The series is really about the human condition so it's also nice to see how different characters deal with the new struggles of this post-apocalyptic world.

This series definitely keeps getting better and better! Mysteries about the Arthur and the origin of the mists continue to be revealed and the mists begin to evolve into something stronger and more organized. I was introduced to this series as a trilogy but I really hope it doesn't end with book 3. Emma and Arthur's story is definitively not over and I can't wait to see how things will unfold. I would absolutely recommend this series to any fan of dystopian books, especially those who want to branch out from YA dystopian series that seem to be dominating the genre lately.

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by Tynga at Sunday, October 27, 2013

 Adult, After Trilogy, Author, Dystopian, Parvati Press, Post-Apocalypse, Review, Traci L. Slatton  Leave your mark

✎

Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Fallen by Traci L. Slatton

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Post-apocalyptic
E-book:  237 pages
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Release date: July 12, 2012

Series: After Trilogy #1

Source: Publicist for review

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

When the world ends, all that is left is love....

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides seven children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other. Will Emma stay with him?

It’s the end of the world. Probably. Mists appeared out of thin air one day, and they have brought destruction to the earth. The mists seem to have mind of their own and like sentient beings, they move around with a purpose, feeding on buildings, animals and humans, and eradicating them by turning them to dust. The whole world has been touched by these mists and from those who have survived, some have literally gone crazy while others have developed psychic abilities. At first, I really didn’t like the idea of having an apocalyptic phenomena create psychic abilities but the idea grew on me. Although the scientific explanations in the book aren’t exactly probable, they do add an intelligent layer to the story.

Emma is one of the few who survived and she has gained the ability to heal with the touch of her hands. I loved her as a main character because she is so solid and strong. She went through great lengths to find refuge for herself, her daughter and her adoptive kids and I strongly believe she made the right choice in joining the camp of a well organized men. Their leader, Arthur, is quite the character, but for some reason I had a love/hate relationship with him throughout the book. I loved him because he seemed like such a hero and such a do-gooder but at the same time, I hated him because I never really trusted him. His secrets and his inability to share with Emma more or less turned me off.

Obviously, some type of romantic relationship develops between Emma and Arthur. I love the basis of the relationship, although I totally didn’t expect what happened between them in the first chapter. I have to admit, their bickering and their fighting is quite engaging and it’s the reason the love story behind the book is so interesting. I don’t want to spoil any surprises but it’s quite obvious, as you read the book, that secrets will create a lot of tension, not only between Emma and Arthur, but between the whole group of survivors. Although I understand the secret Emma hid from Arthur was pretty huge and that he had the right to know beforehand, I despised Arthur for accusing Emma of not sharing, when his secret was obviously way bigger than hers.

As I mentioned earlier, the mists seems to have a mind of their own, and it seems they have preferences when it comes to what they “eat.” For example, butterflies are not on the menu since they don’t have the right composition of minerals. I like the symbolism behind this, since butterflies are very fragile creatures and it goes to show that beauty and simplicity can still be found in a world of darkness and chaos. Emma daughter’s, Mandy, finds pleasure in chasing butterflies, even when the world is in pieces. Chasing after butterflies can be childish, but sometimes, chasing after something beautiful and fragile can be worthwhile. It might be childish hope that keeps us chasing after the things we want, but humanity without its fragility and hope would be nowhere.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this novel. It’s quite dark at times with the death of so many people and the fighting amongst gangs of survivors, but it works for me! The survival aspect of the novel is very realistic. When an author goes into details, explaining simple things like living habits, hygiene and survival conflicts, it proves to me that the author has really put some extra thoughts into his or her story. And Traci L. Slatton added a great amount of these details, creating a realistic image of a brutal world.

Post-apocalyptic books aren’t my usual forte, but I must admit, there’s something quite special about this book. It’s a love story disguising as horror/post-apocalypse and I think the author did an awesome job in weaving together all the different elements. I will absolutely read the sequel some time in the future, but for those who can’t wait, the second book has already been released recently! I don’t believe this series has enough to go on, beyond a couple more books, so I’m actually glad the series will only be a trilogy. Slatton is  a wonderful discovery and fans of the genre will be satisfied with FALLEN since, not only is it very original, but it also has a good solid love story at the heart of the book.

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by Unknown at Sunday, July 15, 2012

 Review, Traci L. Slatton  4 People left their mark

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