A Dream Within A Dream: The Rift Blog Tour: Review, Guest Post + Giveaway

The Rift
Author: Rachel Craw
Genre: YA
Publication Date: October 8, 2019
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Hardcover; 368 pages

Description:

As corporate greed is pitted against supernatural forces, two young friends must try to protect the precious Old Herd -- and their island itself.

For generations, the rangers of Black Water Island have guarded the Old Herd against the horrors released by the Rift. And Cal West, an apprentice ranger, fights daily to prove he belongs within their ranks. But even greater challenges await with the return of his childhood friend Meg Archer and the onset of a new threat that not even the rangers are prepared for. Now Meg and Cal, while struggling with their mutual attraction, must face their darkest fears to save the island from disaster. In a possible near future where Big Pharma is pitted against ancient traditions and the supernatural, Rachael Craw's gripping and brutal tale, inspired by Greek mythology, will immerse readers and leave them intoxicated by its richly imagined world.

Praise for THE RIFT:

"Thrilling … A fresh and original story; a standout in the fantasy genre. The romance between Cal and Meg blends envy, desire and uncertainty with a potent authenticity. Written with a sparse lovely poetry, The Rift demands an immersion that is intoxicating. I can’t recommend this enough." ―Isabelle Carmody, author of The Obernewtyn Chronicles and The Gathering

"Gripping, brutal, tender. You won’t be able to put this book down." ―Michael Pryor, author of The Laws Of Magic series and Gap Year in Ghost Town.

“Beautiful, dark and deliciously tense – an astonishing world that will hold you in its finely wrought claws.” ―Alison Goodman, author of the Lady Helen series and the Eon series.

"Masterful and brilliant! Beautiful world building, stunning writing, a cracking plot, perfectly paced and hot romantic tension. Craw has outdone herself." ―Fleur Ferris, best-selling author of Risk, Black, Wreck and Found

Storylines Notable Book Award, 2019
Finalist, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, 2019

You can purchase The Rift at the following Retailers:

The Rift is a genre-bending new young adult novel that blends science fiction, contemporary fiction, fantasy and paranormal into something bold and new. This book is honestly not like anything I've ever read before, which is truly saying something. It's almost impossible to find books that are original and unique anymore, but the author managed to pull it off with this one. I didn't quite know what to expect going in, but I was happily surprised at how much I ended up loving this book. I honestly really liked almost every aspect of the novel - from the characters to the setting, the history and mythology to the contemporary/science fiction mixed story, and everything in between. The only thing that bothered me a little bit was my personal issue with the third person writing style. I pretty much always prefer the first person point of view because the reader gets to know and connect with the main character on a much deeper level than any other styles. The author chose to write this book in the third person, alternating between our main characters - Cal and Meg. Even though I didn't really love the third person POV, I did enjoy getting to know each of them and watching their friendship start back up and change over the course of the story. The author did an amazing job blending all the different genres together to create an amazing story full of possible futures involving big pharma companies along with old world mythology and the paranormal. As I mentioned, I really loved basically every single aspect of this book and can't recommend it highly enough.

Five facts about Cal West from The Rift

1. When death is near, he grows very cold, his breath mists and ice crystalises on his skin.

2. He has Rift Sight: which means he can see Rift Hounds before they are fully corporeal.

3. Cal was not meant to be a Ranger. He has no Ranger blood. His father was a fisherman.

4. Cal was 8 years old when his father was murdered by poachers who were trespassing on Black Water Island.

5. He has as a bonded scout called Reeva. She is a raven. Bonded scouts share a telepathic link with their Ranger and help them protect the island.

Photo Content from Rachael Craw

Rachael Craw began her working life as an English teacher after completing a degree in Classical Studies and Drama at the University of Canterbury. She dabbled in acting, directing and writing for amateur theatre productions and small independent film ventures. Her passion for dialogue and characterisation finally led to long-form writing with the Spark series. Rachael's enthusiasm for classical heroes, teen angst and popular culture informs much of her creative process. She enjoys small town life teaching, writing and mentoring at the top of the South Island of New Zealand where she lives with her husband and three daughters.