Date Published: 2/12/16
Publisher: Escargot Books and Music
The third and final book in the Ramtalan Trilogy brings Argus and Tai Dachel to a critical juncture in their lives. Struggling to maintain some sort of normalcy, the boys soon discover that they’ll never be the same and those around them, including Argus’s girlfriend Lola, are in danger from the Invaders and the government agency AURA. With enhanced abilities, Argus has to come to grips with being different from his brother and being an enemy to the Ramtalans he thought were his friends. When hyper-intelligent, powerful Argustine Lenox and his sister, Galena, threaten to cleanse the Earth of humans and New Breeds, Argus and Tai have a difficult decision to make. Which side do they join? The Invaders accept them, while the Settler Ramtalans consider them dangerous. As if that’s not enough, Argus is on the brink of adulthood and must choose what sort of man he wants to be: defiant, compassionate, strong or all three. Nothing will matter though if he can’t save the Earth.
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My Review
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
I read the first two books in this trilogy and was looking forward to reading this one and learning how things turn out. I don’t recommend reading this book before reading the other two because they build on each other. This one starts where Two Brothers: Heritage left off.
I like Sofia Diana Gabel’s writing style because it’s my favorite kind. She tells a good story and doesn’t get bogged down in lengthy descriptions.
Two Brothers: Species is full of action and surprises but it also wraps up the trilogy. Argus and Tai Dachel have grown from boys to men along the way. They’ve had a lot to deal with and some important and difficult decisions to make along the way. I like how this book ends and I’m going to miss reading about them.
Anyone who likes science fiction will enjoy this trilogy. Even though it’s written for young adults, adults will like it too. At least, I did and I’m well into my adulthood.
Excerpt
Lola was sleeping peacefully and since Argus didn’t want to wake her, he crept into the kitchen for something to drink. His head was spinning from everything that had happened, especially with Tai. How could he have done that to his own brother? If Galena hadn’t been around, Tai would be dead, permanently. Argus got a glass of water and noticed the dent in the wall where he’d thrown Tai.
“What have I done? I hurt everyone around me.” He leaned against the kitchen counter. He was racking up quite a list; Tai, Lola and Aunt Celeste, who was now Galena’s prisoner. “Damn it!”
“Argie?” Lola whispered in a hoarse voice.
He rushed to her side. “Lola? Are you all right? How do you feel?”
She was sitting up, still very pale. “Where am I? What happened? Your eyes!”
He sat on the couch, covered his eyes and took her hand. “This is a place called the Citadel. The Ramtalan headquarters on Earth. But you’re okay. I accidentally brought you here.”
“Oh. But what’s wrong with your eyes? They’re red.”
“I know. Don’t freak out. It’s nothing. Should I put sunglasses on?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ll get used to it. It kind of looks like you had a bad night, a really bad night.” She gently pulled his hand away from his eyes. “Wow. Do they hurt?”
“No.” He sighed. “I’ve sort of inherited my father’s eyes. Are you sure you’re not freaked out?” He looked away.
“Argie, at this point, nothing about you freaks me out. So what exactly happened? I was at school, on the field with the spaceship and then I felt like something was tearing me apart.” She burrowed her head against his shoulder. “It was horrible.”
“I’m so sorry. I would never have done that to you on purpose. It’s called a molecular shift. Are you sure you’re okay?” He stroked her hair. “I’d die if anything ever happened to you.”
She leaned back and wiggled her hands and arms. “Nothing seems to be broken. How does a molecular shift work? Did it make me invisible like you said it makes you?”
How much should he tell her? Well, obviously not too much since he didn’t fully understand how a shift worked. “It, ah, dissociates your molecules, or something like that. But then they all come back together.” He gave a little shrug. “It stops hurting after a few times.”
Lola nodded. “Well, I don’t want to do it again. Ever. Is your brother here, too? And your aunt?”
“Yeah. But…” How could he tell her he’d brought her right into the middle of a war and that Lenox was on his way? “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“Oh, okay. Family drama. I get it.” She took his hand. “Hey, before I forget, everyone loves our spaceship float.” She smiled and drew in a deep breath. “Rumor has it that we’ll win best float.”
Argus found himself smiling, too. “Cool. I love you, Lola.”
“You better,” she whispered.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and stood. “Lola, Lenox is coming here.”
She jumped to her feet. “What? I hate that guy. Sorry, I know he’s your dad, but really, I hate him. Can we leave and go home before he gets here? Where exactly are we?”
“Labrador. Under an island. And we can’t leave. When I tried to bring another Ramtalan here, I accidentally brought you. I don’t want to try to do anything else that could…hurt you.” He looked at her carefully. She didn’t seem any different. Maybe Galena was wrong. “You sure you feel okay?”
She walked around the living room. “Yep, I feel pretty good in fact. Galena’s coming.”
“What? What did you say?” Argus went to her. “Lola, how do you know that?”
A moment later, the door opened and Galena, with Ari in tow, walked in. She didn’t have the Wand. “Argus, I need you to come with me. Tai’s asking for you. Hello, Lola.”
Lola came forward. “You’re Galena, aren’t you? How do I know you?”
Instinctively, Argus dashed out in front of Lola. “Lola, it turns out that Galena is my real aunt. And Ari over there is my half-brother.”
“You have a very complicated family, Argie.”
He nodded. “I know. Galena helped…I mean…when I brought you here, she sort of…”
Galena groaned. “Nice to see you up and around, Lola. Argus, go with Ari, Lola and I need to have a talk.”
“Wait!” Argus shook his head. “I’m not leaving her here with you.”
Lola put her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I think I need to talk to her.”
Argus turned and faced her. “I can’t leave you, Lola. I mean, I really can’t. It’s that Protector thing in me.”
“Argus,” Galena said firmly. “I will not harm Lola, but I must evaluate her. You need to leave. Tai’s fighting with the medical team and won’t settle down until he sees you. Lola will be here when you get back. Understand?”
“Lola.” Argus leaned down slightly and kissed her on the lips. It felt like the first time he’d ever kissed her; warm and sweet. “I’ll be right back.”
Ari was standing by the open door with a scowl on his face. “Hurry up, Argus, I have more important things to do than babysit you and Tai.”
Argus went to Ari and shoved him out of the way. “Nobody babysits either of us, brother.” He strode through the doorway and into the corridor.
About the Author
Sofia Diana Gabel is a multi-genre fiction writer who was born in Sydney, Australia, but is now living in the United States with her family. With degrees in environmental science and archaeology, she enjoys being out in nature when she’s not glued to her desk writing or researching a new story idea. Writing is a true passion of hers, born from a love of the written word that can transport the reader to different places or worlds and deliver them back to reality, safe and sound.
Contact Information
Website: http://www.sofiadianagabel.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sofiadianagabel
Twitter: @sofiadianagabel
Blog: http://approachablefiction.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4635674.Sofia_Diana_Gabel
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