Horizon
Written by: Tabitha Lord
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Month, Year: December, 2015
Amazon | B&N
A brief summary from Tabitha Lord:
Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life.
Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive because a beautiful young woman is healing him with her mind.
As Derek recovers, Caeli shares the horror of her past and her fear for the future. When Derek’s command ship, Horizon, sends rescue, Derek convinces Caeli to leave with him. But his world is as treacherous as hers—full of spies, interplanetary terrorist plots, and political intrigue. Soon the Horizon team is racing to defend an outlying planet from a deadly enemy, and Caeli’s unique skills may just give them the edge they need to save it.
My Thoughts:
Prepare yourself for a galactic adventure in Tabitha Lord’s science fiction debut, Horizon.
When a group of tyrants attack her people, the Novali, Caeli Crys takes to the woods, barely escaping with her life. Struggling with survivor’s guilt, Caeli’s saving grace might just be the hunk of metal screeching from the skies above. A hunk of metal that contains two people inside, one of whom she immediately bonds with using her mental healing abilities. When the plane crashes, Caeli immediately sets out to find the plane and save anyone inside.
Lucky for Derek Markham, Caeli is the one who finds him, healing his body and caring for him as he recovers. Upon learning what has happened to her planet, Derek convinces Caeli to seek asylum with the Allegiance, an inter-galactic peace treaty organization, on his ship Horizon. But upon arriving on the ship, they soon become under attack by threats Caeli never even knew existed. With her world suddenly becoming larger by the second, Caeli must navigate her rigid, empathetic upbringing with the needs of the Allegiance. Will she be able to handle the pressure that comes with the Allegiance’s requests in exchange for asylum? Can Caeli and Derek’s newly found relationship stand the test of space?
Horizon is super fast-paced, full of interesting characters and intense fighting scenes. In fact, I would be surprised if this book doesn’t turn into a movie one day! I enjoyed the world(s) Tabitha created in this novel and found the premise extremely interesting, especially the telepathy/empathy healing that Caeli can do through her mind and touch alone. That would be such a cool skill to have! I also loved that Caeli was a not the typical damsel in distress, but that she fought to survive and pitched in whenever she could. Derek certainly met his match with this feisty Novali woman!
I would like to make a point to say this book might not be suited for children due to multiple sexual encounters in this novel, including an act of rape.
About the Author:
Tabitha currently lives in Rhode Island. She is married, has four great kids, two spoiled cats, and lovable lab mix. Her degree is in Classics from College of the Holy Cross and she taught Latin for years at an independent Waldorf school, where she now serves on the Board of Trustees.
Tabitha’s debut novel, Horizon, won the Writer’s Digest Grand Prize for Self-Published Fiction in 2016, and was named finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and National Indie Excellence Awards. Infinity, the second book in the Horizon series, will be released in June 2017. Her short story “Homecoming” appears in the anthology Sirens, edited by Rhonda Parrish and published by World Weaver Press, and was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is also a senior editor for http://www.BookClubBabble.com.
Visit her blog at http://www.tabithalordauthor.com where she discusses favorite topics including parenting, teaching, and her writing journey.
Connect with Tabitha: Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram
Interview with Tabitha:
Tell us about your current book in 10 words.
Science fiction meets romance meets survival fiction meets military thriller!
Do you read one book at a time or several?
I read multiple books at the same time, but generally from different genres. For example, it’s refreshing to take a break from a worthy, but lengthy literary novel and read an action packed thriller. If I’m reading a book to review or for an author interview, as much as I might be enjoying it, I’m also thinking about my comments and questions, so I might also like to lose myself in a good fantasy story.
Do you have any bad book habits?
I do! I confess! I sometimes read the end of the story first! I hate surprises, and I actually get really stressed if a book is suspenseful. I have to know how things turn out, and then I can relax, dive back in, and enjoy the whole story. Most of the time, this makes my reading experience better and alleviates my anxiety, but once in a while I really ruin things for myself. One of my book clubs read The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian, and I skipped to the end after a few chapters. I was so upset afterwards because there was a fantastic plot twist I did not see coming and I spoiled that moment for myself.
Do you prefer print books or an e-reader?
A few years ago I turned my dining room into a library to host all my print books. I love to hold them in my hands, appreciate the cover, and flip pages back and forth. I probably own more books than I will ever read in my lifetime! But I have a Kindle as well. I’ll often download manuscripts onto the Kindle to proof read, and I’ll bring the Kindle when I travel. My Kindle also has a few titles on it that I wouldn’t want my kids to see!
Are you a re-reader or not?
I was going to answer not, because there are so many good books I still want to read that I simply don’t have time to go back and re-read anything. But that’s not entirely true. I’ve re-read the first Harry Potter book with each of my four kids when they were old enough, as well as other favorites including Redwall, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, and Little House on the Prairie. The older kids would pile into bed with the little ones for a repeat reading of Pumpkin Soup or The Seven Silly Eaters. As a child, I re-read my favorites constantly – I can still recite the opening lines from The Outsiders! And there are a few notable books on my grown-up list. Outlander got another read through before the television series aired, and I’ve picked up East of Eden more than once. Also, if one of my book clubs chooses a something I’ve already read, I’ll read it again if it’s been a while. I guess all this makes me a re-reader!
Blog Stops:
May 22 – Working Mommy Journal | To Be Read
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July 7 – JBronder Book Reviews | A Book Geek
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July 12 – Lukten av trykksverte
July 13 – A Book Geek | Reviews in the City
July 14 – Sharing Stories | Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Giveaway:
Tabitha is giving 5 lucky readers a chance to win a copy of both books, Horizon & Infinity, in this series!! Plus a $10 Amazon gift card! Click on the cover below to enter the giveaway.
I was graciously provided a free copy of this novel from iRead Book Tours and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Baker Kella 