In order to better promote fellow authors, I'm going to try to keep an up-to-date list of the new serials and novels I'm reading. Be aware that these are serials and are works in progress. Please support the authors by leaving votes, comments, contacting them on twitter or Facebook and generally being encouraging!
Branches by Justin HunterBennet Trudeau must battle the confusion, the ethics, and the power that comes from knowing that death is nothing more than an opportunity to explore what type of life would have sprouted had he made different decisions throughout his life. Most people never know they are experiencing an alternate version of their own lives after they die. But The Conscious know. The Conscious know when they have died, and they know when they have awoken. They are aware of the new life given to them. It's up to each one to decide whether they will protect their secret, share their secret with the world, or suppress others determined to let the world know we are all immortal beings. While reading this serial and making notes, I wrote a sentence that read: Grim, dark, grim, grim, grim, gritty, grim, grim, grim. This story isn't for the kids, but it is engaging. The story is gloriously violent, the anti-hero who leads us through the plot, Bennet, is a despicable human being. But it's the story itself that shines through Hunter's creative twists and turns. I never know what to expect at the end of the chapter and that's something that I feel really makes this a solid serial. The world(s) that are shown are very realistic, and even through the fantastical elements, there is a sense that this setting is real. The characters also feel realistic (if not a touch on the grimdark side) and their struggles are high stakes. The danger to them feels real. If you enjoyed science fiction stories like The Adjustment Bureau or Source Code, you may want to give this one a try. Just be aware of the rather punishing violence in early chapters. Read Branches at Jukepop Serials! |