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City of Roses
Author: Donovan Pruitt
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Description:
A young man ventures to his lost
love’s childhood home in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine. When a
sudden accident puts him off-course, he awakes to discover a lively and
vibrant culture living in a nearby village and a woman who reignites his
heart. But something sinister lurks in the shadows, and he must face
the terror and help defend the village from evil before it is lost
forever. Go beyond the tragedy of Chernobyl and discover the magic in
the City of Roses.
Alex’s vision was still blurry as he
pushed himself up to face the looming chaos surrounding him. He was lying in
the middle of a street as firefighters rushed past him, scrambling frantically.
Chernobyl was glowing like the sun ahead of them, beams of blinding light
spilling out from a crevice that split through the center of the structure.
Blue flames jumped in columns from the
exposed reactor and arched into the Red Forest, exploding with arcane power.
The Ferris wheel in Pripyat spun like a rotor blade as the populace lay frozen
in their beds, their souls screaming in torment though their bodies remained
motionless and unaware. He could hear them.
“This isn’t real,” Alex said in an
attempt to jolt his body free of what he knew to be a dream.
Helicopters tore through the sky above
him, some hovering above the roof of the nuclear power plant. Alex clenched his
eyes shut and shielded his ears as best he could to keep the dust and noise at
bay. Trucks rolled past him, carrying more men in to battle against the vicious
reactor. They begged for water and mercy, but their bravery in the face of such
catastrophe was the very definition of noble.
“I had family
there,” a woman’s voice cut through the terror. It was Katya. All
the tumultuous noise of the siege faded into the background of Alex’s mind as
he recalled her chilling tale. She’d uttered those words months prior, weak and
pale on a hospital bed. It was the memory he feared most. It was the day Katya
died.
“Some never left.”
With a darkened sense of humor, Katya added, “And some drank the milk.”
“It’s so sad,” Alex said while the
same words resonated in the air as he’d spoken them in memory. He turned,
looking for the source of her voice but finding only the chaos of the Chernobyl
meltdown. Tears filled his eyes as he thrashed about, shouting silent pleas,
hoping it would end this horrid memory. His real voice went silent. The memory
was the only sound.
He knew what was coming next.
“My grandmother
used to tell me I had an old soul, same as hers,”
Katya continued, a whimsical beauty in the soft whispers of her voice. “I
wonder if we’ll go there together? After . . .”
“You’re not going anywhere, Katya.
They’re going to get you help, you’ll see.”
“I hope you’ll come
and visit.” It was as though her words were on a predetermined path.
The strength to argue had passed. Now all that remained was courage to face
what was next.
Alex sobbed in both dream and memory.
“Katya,” he managed through the pain in his throat. “Please don’t go.”
“Ya lyublyu tebya
vsey dushoy, Sasha,” she muttered in her original tongue,
her fingertips lifting to caress his face.
But Alex did not recall their touch,
because fate had already stolen her strength. Sound returned to the world, the
roar of men and flame drowning his ears. Alex trembled, alone with his
nightmares. With clenched fists, he turned to Chernobyl and shouted
profanities.
In a flash of bright white and blue
fire, Chernobyl shouted back.
Donovan Pruitt has a passion for science fiction and
fantasy, especially those titles that trend toward young and new
adult storytelling. City of Roses was his first standalone book as an
indie author, though he has also written for video games and was
previously published as a co-author in the fantasy genre. You can visit
him online at www.KalaEmpire.com or join the discussion on Twitter @KalaEmpire.My Amazon book reviews are available here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2BE15IF4S23I1
Author Links:
Buy Link: Amazon
Tour Wide Giveaway: $50 Amazon Gift Card - Open INT!
I can't wait to see what lurks in the shadows. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a very interesting book.
ReplyDelete