H.A.L.F.: The Makers by Natalie Wright (Review, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) GFT

H.A.L.F.: The Makers

by Natalie Wright

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GENRE: Young Adult Sci Fi Romance

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BLURB:


Roswell. Area 51. The X-Files.
You've seen the aliens known as the Greys in movies and on T.V. You may think you know all about them.
But what if everything you think you know is wrong?
And what if the Greys are only the beginning?

The Makers is Wright's follow-up to her award-winning Sci Fi debut H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath. A fast-paced action adventure with a touch of romance.

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EXCERPT


The cold void that had swallowed Erika’s scream as she entered the alien ship enveloped her. Her once-again boyfriend Jack was no longer below her. Ian was not beside her. She didn’t know where Tex or Dr. Randall were. She was surrounded by darkness, the only sound the frantic beating of her heart.

The fat, wet tears that had spilled onto her cheeks evaporated into the cool, dry air. She’d feared being compressed into nothingness, but the pressure subsided. She tried to kick her legs and run but she was paralyzed, able to move only her eyes.

She couldn’t tell if she was floating in the center of the alien ship or hovering in a void of nothingness. She could have been upside down and not known it.

Erika screamed for Ian but no sound came from her. Despite the chill in the air, sweat dripped from her temples. Her eyes flitted wildly from side to side, trying to see something – anything. She closed her eyes in an effort to shut out the unnatural vacuum around her, but it was no good. The dark inside her mind was no better than the black emptiness of the ship she presumed she was in.

Don’t panic, Erika. Maybe they immobilize us for our own safety. Since humans had not achieved interstellar travel, there was no reference point for how it was done. She remembered Jack’s words. “Cowboy up,” he’d said. Erika wasn’t sure she was cowboy enough for space travel.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon Kindle Book
Amazon Paperback





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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Natalie is the author of adventurous speculative fiction for teens and adults including her award-winning science fiction series, H.A.L.F., and The Akasha Chronicles, a young adult fantasy trilogy. She lives in the high desert of Tucson, Arizona with her husband, teen daughter, and two young cats.


Natalie spends her time writing, reading, hanging out on social media, and meeting readers and fans at festivals and comic cons throughout the western United States. She likes to walk in the high desert, snorkel in warm waters, travel, and share excellent food and conversation with family and friends. She was raised an Ohio farm girl, lives in the desert Southwest, and dreams of living in a big city high rise.

Natalie enjoys chatting with readers, so stop by and say hi:

Website/blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Wattpad
Pinterest
YouTube

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GIVEAWAY



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The tour dates can be found here


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My review:

3.5 out of 5 stars

H.A.L.F.: The Makers by Natalie Wright is the second story in the ‘H.A.L.F.’ series and is a science fiction story that is told through multiple points of view in different venues and time periods. The majority of the story is centered around the abduction of two separate groups of beings and their respective quests for freedom, but there is also a subplot that involves an alien culture (or two) which has its own agenda for the inhabitants of Earth. One group, consisting of Tex, Erika, Ian, and Dr. Randall deals with the mysterious Tro and the Conexus, while the other, consisting of Jack, Anna and Thomas are enmeshed in the battle between the Sturgis and Croft families.  Ultimately, they all are battling for control of the world, but there may be a requirement for enemies to become allies and vice versa.

This story is replete with imaginative scenarios and creative twists on the concepts of aliens versus humans and the idea of cruelty versus expediency. I think that it is very necessary to have read the story that precedes this one as I was very lost at first, despite the pronunciation and definition guide at the beginning, and I would have benefited from a recap of previous events as well as a definition of the acronyms.  I was disconcerted by the way events were seen through the eyes of a different character for each chapter, focused on the experiences of four major beings with sparse viewpoints from a fifth, and it took me a while to establish a connection to any of them.

Despite this, there are vividly described scenes that cover a gamut of conflicts that contrast with some of the more awkward allusions to romantic or familial connections between various characters that weren’t really fleshed out. One should have a fairly strong stomach and I think that the story requires a relatively mature reader, given the amount of violence being portrayed. I think this is a thought-provoking story that is bubbling with concepts that might benefit from a more expanded storyline, to allow more in-depth understanding of the connections and motivations of the characters. Be forewarned that this ends on a cliffhanger and my advice would be to read “H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath” first so that hopefully things will be a bit clearer before starting this story.

A copy of this title was provided to me for review