TGIF, my friends! Today, I have another fantastic indie book to share with you. I’ve been reading a lot of Science Fiction from independent and small press writers this year and I have been so impressed! My Indie Feature Friday posts will highlight the cream of the crop. So if you love books, science fiction, and supporting indie authors, be sure to follow along!
Indie Book Review with Sarah Does Sci-Fi
Today I’m reviewing Awakening: The Evolved Ones Book One by Natasha Oliver.
Awakening: The Evolved Ones Book One by Natasha Oliver Click through to Amazon
Natasha Oliver was born in South Carolina, USA, and has lived and worked in Japan, Singapore, and throughout Southeast Asia for more than 16 years. Most recently, she has spent the last two years in London, England but is in the process of moving home to the US as we speak. Natasha earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Goddard College and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing at Lehigh University, and will be teaching Creative Writing at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida next year.
You can check out what she is up to on her website www.natashaoliver.com or on Instagram @natasha_oliver_author.
Indie Book Review: Awakening by Natasha Oliver
If you love fast paced, urban fantasy with a Sci-Fi twist have I got a book for you!
The Blurb:
In a world where humans are evolving, people are more curious than afraid. They look for answers from a handful of scientists who try to uncover why some develop abilities yet the vast majority do not. For most humans, it’s an exciting time, but for Evolved Ones – EOs – it’s a game of hide and seek that ends with far too many of their kind disappearing, permanently. Four years ago, Rox awoke without a single memory and the involuntary ability to heal. Speech and most of her higher level cognitive functions were working, but everything about herself felt unfamiliar. Plagued by insecurity and confusion, she leaves the only home she can remember in search of her true identity. from Amazon
The Set Up
Rox is on the run, desperate to escape the people chasing her and to find out who she really is. From the very first page, we are sucked into Rox’s quest to rescue herself from a personal hell. She is stuck in limbo, being used by everyone who promised to help her find her identity, and she doesn’t even know if there is anything to discover. The unknown threatens to destroy her.
The Characters
I am a sucker for great characterization. Even in stories where nothing much is happening, if the characters are well developed and embarking on a personal journey, I am happy to move along with them. Oliver takes this skill to the extreme. She handles a large cast of characters with in-depth, emotionally driven character arcs. Each of the characters is fully developed, with a unique personality, compelling backstory, and complex motivations. You’ll even love the unlikable ones!
The Execution
This book grabs you, shakes you, and drags you along with it. Break-neck pacing, fever-pitched emotions, and non-stop action, Awakening has “Blockbuster Movie” written all over it.
This is an absolute must read for anyone who likes action-packed Sci-Fi with a heavy dose of raw emotion and character depth to go with it.
You can easily pick this book up and read it straight through. It is hard to put down, even if you know you have to wake up early. I might have had a rough morning or two because I was up reading after the kids went to bed!
I am dying for the next book, which is coming out March 7, 2021 and is available for pre-order now!
Sacrifice: The Evolved Ones Book Two by Natasha Oliver Click through to Pre-Order today!
Acceptance: The Evolved Ones Book Three by Natasha Oliver Coming Soon…
Technical Details
Natasha Oliver is represented by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia), so she is not technically an indie author. However, as her publisher doesn’t deal in fiction outside of Asian markets, Oliver has to act as an indie. Hybrid publishing is becoming more and more common, and I want to support my small press authors too.
The editing and formatting of Awakening is as flawless as the writing. I know you won’t be disappointed with this book!
5 Stars for Awakening by Natasha Oliver
I have said before, I will only be reviewing the best of the books I read for Indie Feature Friday. So you already know ahead of time that I loved this book. If you love science fiction, science fantasy, or urban fantasy, this fast-paced SF thriller is a must read.
A Note on Reviews:
Did you know that reviews are essential to independent authors’ visibility?
If you buy an indie book, first of all “THANK YOU!” from all of us. It’s a tough go out there competing with big publishing houses and their million dollar marketing plans. Any support you can give us has a huge impact.
Second of all, please leave an honest review on Goodreads and wherever you purchased your copy. Indie authors read your reviews! If you loved it, great! Tell us why so we can try to do it again. If you didn’t, that’s okay, too! Please tell us what didn’t work so that we can do better next time.
More Reviews
If you liked this review, check out the others in my Indie Feature Friday series!
Grinders by C.S. Boyak (SF/cyberpunk/detective)
The Fadian Experiment by W.A. Ford (SF/urban fantasy/science fantasy/distopian)
Prophecy by Caroline Noes (SF/space opera/aliens)
Thanks for reading! If you’ve read Awakening, let me know what you thought in the comments. Which indie author would you like to see me review next?
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