K. R. S. McEntire

Ink & Incantation: An Enchanting YA Anthology Featuring Books & Libraries, #1), my second read from author E.V. Everest. After reading Seven Crowns (Bellaton, #1), I was up for another read from this author. Enjoyable, well-written collection of 33 YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy short reads from a group of well-read authors with links to that author at the end of their contribution. “I received a free Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).… (más)

If you raise a girl in the middle of nowhere and tell her you are the last people on earth and that she is living a fairy tale, do you think she would believe it?

Can a society be created that embraces those who are different or have powers that others don't understand?

Is it right to force people to adhere to what the government considers normal?

These are only a few of the questions the Eden saga addresses. Set in a post-Apocalyptic America that is so close to our present reality to be almost believable, KRS spins a fantastic tale of a country that dabbled in intentional genetic alterations and mutations, which ended up killing many and causing the world to protest. Religion, politics, and all differences have been outlawed, yet people pray in secret, and some even dare to dream of a different type of society, a place like Eden of old. It's as beautiful as you might imagine, though not yet perfect. As Freedom stated, “A place like Eden is a beautiful idea, but we have to bring Eden here. We need to create a city where mutants don’t need to hide.” That is the hope in the best and the worst societies, that perhaps we might bring just a little more of Eden (or heaven) to our part of the world.

This was a beautifully written story, one that inspires hope and invokes imagination. I can't wait to see what KRS McEntire will write next. I received a free arc for each individual book, but have reviewed them all voluntarily because I think they are fabulous.… (más)

The only thing wrong with this book is that it's the last one. And I guess it's too short. It wouldn't be too short if it wasn't the last one though. So, yeah, being the end of the story is the only problem.

A generation after the events of the first two books (which basically introduce the new world order versus the mutants), the world is better but still not all as it should be. There is a system in place to take away mutations so everyone can be normal, but while that might be a gift to some, it is also a requirement for citizenship, to get a job, to get married even. Making Eden explores these ideas, asking us to consider basic human rights. Is it right to force people to adhere to what the government considers normal? And is it worth it? While some mutations might cause harm to their bearers, others, like the ability to heal, seem beneficial to the society. To make things more complicated, the head of this new government is the same person who sat at the helm of the old government that tracked down mutants and killed them. Could he really have changed so much?

I loved reading the stories of Ivy and Asher. They both had some things to learn and some growing to do like any good coming-of-age story. And they both learned to own what they believed for themselves versus what they had grown up thinking or being taught. It was quite beautiful actually. I wish we heard a little more about their parents, but there's always a reread of books 1 and 2 for that. And I'm looking forward to more great stories from KRS McIntire!

I received an ARC from the author and have reviewed it willingly.… (más)

If you raise a girl in the middle of nowhere and tell her you are the last people on earth and that she is living a fairy tale, do you think she would believe it? Saving Eden begins with this narrative. Only, sixteen-year-old Angela doesn't entirely believe it when she finds a backpack filled with food in her garden. And as much as she loves playing her piano, what she really wants is to learn to read all those symbols in her Dad's books. And find other people.

Set in a post-Apocalyptic America that is so close to our present reality that it is almost believable, KRS spins a fantastic tale of a country that dabbled in intentional genetic alterations and mutations, which ended up killing many and causing the world to protest. In the aftermath, Angela's father hid her away from the world to protect her and succeeded in raising the most naive, kindhearted girl one could imagine. Too naive for her own good, she leaves the safety of home in the middle of the night with a boy who claims to be from Chicago in the hopes of finding a community where she and her father could be safe and live among other people. She meets the Resistance, a group of people who are fighting on behalf of the mutants, to cure those with dangerous mutations and to provide safety for those who just want to live peacefully in society. She also meets the Wardens, peacekeepers who hunt down and publically execute mutants. Will she be safe? And will she be able to bring her father to join her?

This is a well-imagined and beautifully-told story. Angela is a little hard to believe at times because of her naivete (think of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). But that also makes her so endearing and sets her apart from both the world her father tried to create for her and the strange new world that is the remnants of Chicago. It's a great setup for what promises to be a fantastic new series (which I have read out of order so far - but book two is even better)! The narration was fantastic as well. I received a free copy of the audiobook from the author through StoryOrigin and have reviewed it willingly because it was so delightful.… (más)