Planets Oasis, Senate, and Bali Circe - The Future

Three best friends are on the brink of experiencing tremendous changes in their lives. Arielle (Elle) and Alexander (Zander) Phoenix are twins just about to turn eighteen. Their best friend, Boone Monaco, is a bit older than they are, but mostly he just seems older due to living a much more worldly life. Elle and Zander have lived virtually as prisoners for most of their young lives; oh, it’s a plush prison, a villa on the shoreline with much love from their parents, and training and instruction to teach them about the outside world, and of course, their friendship with Boone and his family. However, both twins are becoming increasingly frustrated with the sheltered lives they’re leading, especially when they compare them to Boone’s life. Elle loves Boone, or at least she suspects she does, but how can she know for sure when he’s the only boy she’s ever spent time with? Her abilities allow her to see the time he’s spent with other girls when he’s off-planet, and frankly, she’s more than a bit jealous. Zander’s frustration lies more in flight and discovery. Boone has his own ship, the Firebird; he’s traveled far and wide with his Uncle Stefan and attends Academy on Senate. Zander wants to do all those things as well. If only their parents would explain what’s out there, who are they hiding from? Zander’s frustration boils over and leads him to do the unthinkable, steal Boone’s ship and head for Senate. Boone and Elle quickly follow with the twins’ parents just behind, but fate intervenes and Zander is captured by the Circe (witches who are mostly evil and seek to run the world). Elle blames Boone, and he sets off on his own to find Zander, only to disappear just as completely.

Will the Circe kill Zander? Do they have Boone in their possession? Will Elle ever stop blaming Boone for his part in Zander’s capture? You’ll have to get your own copy of this futuristic thrill ride to find out.

The third in a fantastic series that entertains with action, political machinations, magic, and intrigue, STAR SHADOWS will more than satisfy fans both new and old. Elle and Zander are immature, you’d expect that in a pair of eighteen-year-olds, but their seclusion has definitely made them a bit more naïve than normal. Elle’s a good girl at heart, but her special talent of telepathy is a dangerous weapon, especially when she uses it to see Boone with other females. Zander is like most young men, determined to do his own thing, experience adventure. Seeing Boone and Elle grow closer doesn’t help his attitude, either, not that he doesn’t want them together, but it emphasizes just how alone he is. Then there’s his own special talent, or rather, lack of special talent. Both of their parents, Shaun and Lilly, are immensely gifted; Elle has inherited gifts from them, and over the years they’ve made it clear that they expected he would as well. But he never has; oh, he showed some promise as a youngster, even now, he heals quickly when wounded, but that’s about it. They may not view him as a disappointment, but that’s how he sees himself. Boone is stuck between a rock and a hard place; he knows why the twins are kept under such careful guard, but he vowed long ago never to reveal the truth to them. He loves Elle so much; his experiences with other girls were shallow, and they only emphasized to him that Elle is the only woman he’ll ever want. He sees Zander’s increasing anger, and he worries that he’ll do something foolish. Boone may be “normal” (no particular gifts) but he’s the first one to recognize that Zander is in a precarious state of mind. All three characters do a lot of growing up during the course of this book; hard lessons will be learned, and they’ll never be the same.

Secondary characters abound in this novel: The twins’ parents, Shaun and Lilly (their love story is told in STARGAZER, April 2005); their grandfather, Michael; Boone’s parents, Ben and Tess (their story is found in SHOOTING STAR December 2006). Boone’s little sister, Zoey, Kyp (their Newfoundland dog), and Boone’s Uncle Stefan (a smuggler), are very important to the story as well as to Elle, Zander, and Boone. There are also some not so nice, but equally as necessary secondary characters including: Arleta, a Circe and an old enemy of Shaun and Lilly’s; Bella, another Circe; she’s also the closest adviser to the prefect of the Senate, a figurehead if ever there was one. There are so may intriguing and deserving characters I’d like to tell you about, but you’ll just have to discover them all for yourself.

If you’re a fan of futuristic or sci-fi books and movies, you’re going to enjoy STAR SHADOWS. If you haven’t read them yet, you might want to pick up STARGAZER and SHOOTING STAR. While not necessary for your enjoyment of this book, I’m sure you’ll want to know more about what’s happened in this series. I know I do. Don’t miss the latest achievement from the very talented Colby Hodge. Get your copy of STAR SHADOWS today.

Lori Ann