THREE Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the official blog tour for THREE by Kristen Simmons! Today I have my review of the book to share with you and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway at the bottom of the post! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above!

THREE (Article 5 #3)

Author: Kristen Simmons

Genre: YA Dystopian

Release Date: February 11, 2014

Publisher: Tor Teen

Description:

Kristen Simmons’ fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series continues in Three.

Ember Miller and Chase Jennings are ready to stop running. After weeks spent in hiding as two of the Bureau of Reformation’s most wanted criminals, they have finally arrived at the safe house, where they hope to live a safe and quiet existence.

And all that’s left is smoking ruins.

Devastated by the demolition of their last hope, Ember and Chase follow the only thing left to them—tracks leading away from the wreckage. The only sign that there may have been survivors.

With their high profile, they know they can’t stay out in the open for long. They take shelter in the wilderness and amidst the ruins of abandoned cities as they follow the tracks down the coast, eventually finding refugees from the destroyed safe house. Among them is someone from Chase’s past—someone he never thought he’d see again.

Banding together, they search for a place to hide, aiming for a settlement a few of them have heard about…a settlement that is rumored to house the nebulous organization known as Three. The very group that has provided Ember with a tiny ray of hope ever since she was first forced on the run.

Three is responsible for the huge network of underground safe houses and resistance groups across the country. And they may offer Ember her only chance at telling the world her story.

At fighting back.

THREE, the final installment in the young adult dystopian Article 5 trilogy, continues to follow our outlaw main characters - Chase and Ember - as they finally reach the safe house they've been striving so hard to get to, only to find it demolished. With no clues about survivors and no place else to go, Chase and Ember follow tracks leading away from the wreckage, hoping to find someone who may have survived. They find themselves going down the East Coast - where exciting and dangerous events await them. Chase is reunited with someone from his past that he thought was long gone. They decide to search out a settlement rumored to be a huge resistance organization called Three. Ember knows that Three is her only shot at getting the chance to telling her story to the world. They also are at the heart of the resistance, which means they'll finally be able to do something - fight back against the FBR.

I've read and loved the first two books in this series and I was really hoping that this third installment didn't start to devolve into repetition and boredom, like so many other promising series do. I was happily surprised to find that it not only lived up to any hopes I may have had, but it went far beyond them and continued to fuel my love for the characters and the series as a whole. The author's writing is so natural - I was immediately pulled back into the world she had created with Ember and Chase. With such vivid details and descriptions, it seemed as though I was right beside them during the fight against the FBR. The characters continued to show growth - although there were some points in the book where I just wanted to smack them both in the head a few times, just like the other books - and I loved to watch them mature into strong leaders. Of course, I loved watching Chase and Ember's relationship grow as well (along with more head smacking). I loved their dynamic and the way they work together both as a couple and as a team. The plot was fantastic - I loved the adventure and excitement that flowed from almost every page as things got more and more intense. I loved learning about Three - it's history, details, and intricacies. I think that adding it into the series really put a new layer into the story line - one that can go in several different places. Overall, I found this book to be just as absorbing and exciting as the first two, and I'm blown away by it's ending - while also very sad to see it go - I want more!! Highly recommended for fans of science fiction, dystopia, and post-apocalyptic fiction!

Kristen Simmons has a master’s degree in social work and is an advocate for mental health. She loves Jazzercise, her husband, and her precious greyhound, Rudy. Also chocolate. She currently lives in Tampa, Florida.

Website
  

 You can purchase THREE at the following Retailers:     

(3) Winners will receive a Copy of THREE by Kristen Simmons.

(1) Winner will receive a Copy of Artikel 5  and Gesetz Der Rache (A5 and Breaking Point from Germany) by Kristen Simmons.

(3) Winners will receive a copy of Article 5 by Kristen Simmons.
 

(3) Winners will receive a copy of Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons.
 

(1) Winner will receive a Copy of Article 5 from Taiwan, and the audio book of Breaking Point on CD by Kristen Simmons.

 (5) Winners will receive a Chase Jennings ART Bookmark by James Vallesteros.

Must be 13+ to Enter / International Giveaway

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Three Blog Tour: Review, Interview and Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the official THREE blog tour being presented by Angry Robot! Today I have an interview with the author and a review of the book - and don't forget to read all the way to the bottom for a giveaway and instruction on how to enter the tour wide giveaway!

Three (Legends of the Duskwalker #1)

Author: Jay Posey

Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Publisher: Angry Robot

Buy Links:  

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

The Book Depository

Description:

The world has collapsed, and there are no heroes any more.
But when a lone gunman reluctantly accepts the mantel of protector to a young boy and his dying mother against the forces that pursue them, a hero may yet arise. 

1. What was your inspiration for writing the Legends of the Duskwalker series?

JP: I actually didn’t know it was going to be a series when I first started out, and there are kind of two halves to the origin story for Three. On a very large scale, I had a whole lot of different ideas and interests I wanted to explore, and for some crazy reason I thought it’d be neat to see if I could create a world where all of those things could co-exist. So I took elements from cyberpunk, anime, martial arts, and the classic Western, and sort of squished them all together. That was part of the fun and the challenge for me, to bring those things together in a way that felt like a single coherent world.
On a very small scale, though, the heart of the story came from a much more personal place. I really wanted to explore some ideas about surrogate fatherhood, and about a different kind of love than the romance we often see in other stories, when it requires some personal cost and sacrifice.

2. Do you have to do any special research for the series?

JP: Most of Three is actually more of a culmination of many years of curiosity than it is a result of any specifically targeted research. I definitely did some checking here and there on things like the proper name for specific nerves in the human body, or for images on interesting urban architecture, but for the most part, I didn’t really spend a lot of time researching any one particular subject. Also, for my day job, I’m a Senior Narrative Designer at Red Storm Entertainment (which is a game development studio started by Tom Clancy), so I’ve had to keep up with a lot of things over the years, like emerging technology and various geopolitical situations. I’m sure a lot of that day-to-day reading of articles and things has carried over into the Duskwalker world.

3. How many books do you have planned for the series?

JP: I’m finishing up the second right now, and I’ve got the framework for a third. After that, I kind of wanted to see what the response was like and if anyone was going to want more. I have some ideas for semi-related or purely standalone stories in that world, but I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if some of these characters demand more attention than I’m expecting to give them, though.

4. Are any of the other characters based off of people you know?

JP: Mostly no, though the character jCharles is something of a nod to a good buddy of mine. He was kind enough to read through the manuscript of Three a chapter at a time and his encouragement along the way really helped me stick with it and finally finish the thing.

5. Can we expect any big surprises in the next book?

JP: Most definitely. At least, I hope they’re surprising. I had a weird experience with this next book, in that I had a character sort of insist on being in the story, even though I had no idea who he was at the time. And then after I wrote a couple of chapters that he appeared in, I suddenly figured out who he was, and it made me say “Whaaaaaaaaaat?” It will either be very surprising and cool, or everyone will think I’m completely crazy. Possibly both.

6. How did you become a writer? Was there a person or situation that prompted you to start writing?

JP: It’s funny, because I’ve really always enjoyed making up stories, and I think I’ve kind of been a writer since before I knew it was a thing to be. I remember in middle school having to keep a journal for my English class, and I asked my teacher if it’d be okay for me to write stories instead. Mrs. Jenkins was her name. She agreed. I thought it was great. (Thanks Mrs. Jenkins!)
I also used to wander around the house when I was a kid with my dad’s microcassette recorder, and I’d record myself telling stories. I can’t remember really ever going back to listen to any of them, but I certainly enjoyed telling them.
It wasn’t really until I was in my twenties though that I started taking it seriously. I had bounced around in several different jobs at that point, and I was working then doing web application development for a university. I was pretty miserable at the time, and I felt like maybe I could try taking this writing thing a little more seriously and maybe see if I could turn it into a profession.

7. What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

JP: Get in the habit of writing every day or at least something like five days a week. Writing is a lot like exercise, and if you can make it a habit, you’ll eventually find it’s harder for you to go a day not writing. It’s also like exercise because if you don’t do it regularly, it can be challenging to get started again. Also, don’t be afraid to start small. You can learn a lot from writing a 3000 word short story. You don’t have to start out with your Epic Fantasy covering 3500 years of your created world’s history.
And perhaps most importantly, keep in mind that the only person who can really stop you from being a writer is you. (Also, potentially, the internet.)

8. What's next for you?

JP: Once I finish up Book Two of the Duskwalker series, I’ll probably take a little time to recover and replenish my brain-vat with words (by reading a bunch of the great books I’ve missed out on while I’ve been trapped in the word mines). Also, I will sleep. Then I imagine I’ll start poking at Book Three, and evaluating next steps. And I’ve got a more military sci-fi thing I’ve been contemplating for a while, so I might start exploring that world a bit, too. 

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog and chatting with us today Jay!

You can now read a chapter from the book! Read it here:

http://issuu.com/angryrobot/docs/three-samplechapter

Three is the first book in a new science fiction/dystopian series that follows our main character, known only as Three, as he survives the wasteland that once was earth. Three keeps to himself and does what is necessary to survive in the new world, until he is drawn into trouble after meeting Cass and her young son, Wren. Three has no idea how much trouble he has gotten himself into, or how deep it truly goes. Now on the run, Three must not only think of how to get by, but how to survive without getting himself killed.

This was a fast paced and action packed novel that had me completely hooked by the first page. The characters were all really well done, especially Three. He's a truly mysterious character, but we learn more about him and his history as the book continues. The setting was vividly described with intricate details and a rich backstory - I was easily transported into the post-apocalyptic world the author created. The plot was full of action along with adrenaline and tons of thrills. The creatures that lurked in the dark were really creepy and gave the novel an originality that sets it apart from most other science fiction and dystopian books out there. The writing was incredibly well done, with an effortless flow and quick pace that had me eagerly turning pages to see what was going to happen next. The novel seems to transcend genre labels - science fiction, fantasy, dystopian, action, horror, adventure - all of these are expertly woven together to form a truly captivating first novel in what promises to be a thrilling and original series. 

Giveaway: (1) print copy of THREE - Open Internationally!

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Tour Wide Giveaway: (2) SIGNED copies of Three - Open Internationally!

This is a scavenger hunt giveaway! Each stop on this Blog Tour of Three by Jay Posey has a unique question.  Be sure to enter your answers into the giveaway by dropping by My Shelf Confessions and enter your answers in the Rafflecopter widget! You can answer as many or as few as you like as each answered question gets you an extra entry!
 

All the answers to the scavenger hunt questions can be found either on our book page, the extract/excerpt, or in the blurb.

Here's the questions for my stop: 

 

Question #4  When does Three release in the UK?