Hi there, and welcome to my stop on the CRYSTAL FIRE Blog Tour sponsored by YA Bound Blog Tours. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is best-selling novelist Jordan Dane’s sequel to the YA paranormal adventure INDIGO AWAKENING.
Summary from Goodreads:
Because of what you are, the Believers will hunt you down.
A storm is brewing on the streets of LA, one that has intensified since a tragic and deadly confrontation claimed an innocent life.
While Gabriel Stewart trains his army of teen psychics to stop Alexander Reese–the obsessed leader of the Believers–the fanatical church becomes more bent on the annihilation of all Indigo and Crystal children. They’re silencing the voices of the telepathic hive, one soul at a time, with frightening experiments cruelly executed on vulnerable minds.
When the Believers torture a mysterious homeless boy, Oliver Blue, they brainwash him into betraying his own. The boy becomes a deadly pawn to take Gabriel down. As the fires of chaos burn around him, Gabe is running out of time. He’ll need to confront his past–and the man who made him–before the hope of peace for the future is silenced forever.
My Review:
Wow. This book is intense. So many themes. So many controversial themes, I should say.
First, a bit of world-building. The setting is contemporary L.A., but this society is heavily influenced by the Church of Spiritual Freedom–an international religious congregation that not only believes psychics aren’t human, and are sure these psychic, or Indigo, children are too dangerous to be allowed to survive. Unfortunately there are a lot of Indigo kids, and they are being rounded up–either for extermination or experimentation.
We open with Caila enlisting the help of Oliver–a powerful but reclusive Indigo–to find their mutual friend Zack. He’s been taken by the Church, and Caila feels responsible. She and Oliver are themselves kidnapped and subjected to horrors at the hands of Church physician-scientist Dr. Fiona. While there Oliver’s powers grow. So much so that he’s able to remotely mind-link with Gabriel Stewart.
Gabe’s so powerful he’s passed into Crystal status and can utilize other Indigo’s powers. As the son of the director of the Church, Gabe is appalled by his father’s edict to hunt down the Indigos. It’s nothing new for that callous man–he did have Gabe’s mother murdered, after all. Gabe cobbles together as many Indigos as he can to build an army against the Church’s henchmen.
When his friend Rafael is taken by the Church, Gabe’s Indigo army seeks to set him free. Aided by Oliver and Caila, Gabe and his fellow psychics discover even more horrific happenings in the Church’s top-secret Zone 8 laboratory. The risks are high, but the payoff is higher. Especially when the showdown pits Gabe against his father.
The world of CRYSTAL FIRE is fantastic without being unrealistic. The kids are compassionate and make good heroes. While I always object to a “Mad Scientist” trope–because, um, I’m a scientist–the story is compelling and will appeal to fans of YA dystopian fiction. There are some hints of romance, but nothing to blush over, so it’s safe for the kiddos… A great read. It’s all wrapped up neatly, but there are certainly elements that can be used to build a third book in this series.
Interested? You can can find CRYSTAL FIRE at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository and Kobo.
About this Author:
Bestselling, critically-acclaimed author Jordan Dane’s gritty romantic thrillers are ripped from the headlines with vivid settings, intrigue, and dark humor. Publishers Weekly compared her intense novels to Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Tami Hoag, naming her debut novel NO ONE HEARD HER SCREAM as Best Books of 2008. She also pens young-adult novels for Harlequin Teen. Formerly an energy sales manager, she now writes full time. Jordan and her husband share their Texas residence with two lucky rescue dogs.
You can find Jordan on her website, Facebook, twitter, Pinterest, blogging at ADR3NALIN3 or her personal blog, or eavesdropping on teen conversations at her local mall so she can get the right flava for her dialogue.
***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below to win
one of 10 print copies of CRYSTAL FIRE (US/CAN only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Best of luck, and as always–keep reading my friends.
V's Reads... 
Unfortunately, I have not read this book yet. I barely heard about it like two weeks ago. I even thought it was the first in a series until Goodreads proved me wrong. I think it’s a little weird that the cover for the first book doesn’t really match the second book. But the series still sounds interesting 🙂
Well, it is a new release, so everybody’s trying to get the word out now. To me the book is self-contained and can be enjoyed alone, but I get your point about series books! I adore a good series.
As for the covers, Crystal Fire is a new evolution. Crystal kids are more powerful than their Indigo brethren. There are many points in the book where the characters must actually decide how to handle this power. Should they actually wield it like a lethal weapon, or can they inflict harm that is sufficient without taking life?
It’s a pretty big question, and the answers are surprising. One of the controversial themes I alluded to above, but didn’t really address in the review.
Thanks for your comments and for stopping by! 🙂
This book sounds so good! I’m a little bummed only print books are in the giveaway, otherwise I’d enter for sure. Wishing Jordan huge success with her exciting new novel. 🙂