Above the Star is an epic fantasy adventure experienced through the eyes of three unlikely heroes transported to a new world: senior citizen Archie; his daughter-in-law, Tessa; and his fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella. In this otherworldly realm, all interests are at war, all love is unrequited, and everyone is left to unravel the truth of who they really are.
Above the Star
The 8th Island Trilogy #1
By Alexis Marie Chute
Ella Wellsley is dying. Her mother, Tessa, has given up all hope that further treatments will help. Her father, Arden, disappeared several years ago, but Ella knows that he never gave up hope of a cure being discovered. His hope is her hope, and as long as Grandpa Archie is around, she will hold onto that.
When Archie stumbles upon a clue that may lead him to Arden, he plans a family trip to the Canary Islands. What he finds leads him a most inhuman being who offers him the promise of a cure, but there is a price.
What follows is the most unbelievable journey – the cruise ship that Archie and his family are traveling on is accidental transported to the island of Jarr-Wyn. What follows is the most terrifying series of events that the Wellsleys had ever seen, and Archie is left with grief at the destruction and death his desire has wrought upon innocent bystanders.
Above the Star is but the first book in The 8th Island trilogy, a series that promises to reveal more as it continues. The storyline is excellent if a bit bloody and violent. Not bedtime reading by any stretch of the imagination unless your dreams are never troubled literary influences (I for one am not so I will admit to staying up late to read this). The book is intriguing, as the history of this world is slowly revealed. But this is a dying world, and those who call it home are fighting to survive. The fragile peace that exists between the races is threatened by the arrival of humans.
If you are a fan of Scifi, fantasy, and parallel worlds, this is a book you don’t want to miss. The unimaginable is real, and the impossible is probable, but not everything seen with the eyes is real until it is.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.
Thank you Iread Book Tours and Alexis Marie Chute for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Above The Star
8th Island Trilogy #1
By: Alexis Marie Chute
REVIEW
Isn’t the cover of Above The Star fabulous? I love the font and the color combo. Alexis Marie Chute begins her 8th Island Trilogy with a wildly inventive and utterly unique fantasy story about family, hope and embracing whatever comes your way. I’ve read my share of fantasies, but this one is the most eccentric head shaking story of them all. As characters go, I applaud the author’s ability to incorporate an elderly man, a grandfather, as a main character. Plus, a granddaughter, and her mother, in need of his help cements a family bond that is both relatable and rare, at least in what I’ve read. You will love the strong voices and authentic qualities, flaws and all, of these characters. Their journey is a mind trip to an odd bizarre world that makes no sense but is so fascinating that you must keep reading. Confusion, stemming from unfamiliarity, sets in at times for the reader, but don’t get lost in the unimaginable. I simply absorbed the words, which I found lyrical and vivid, then continued on, even if I didn’t understand the story. In my opinion, this book is an experience that requires the reader to banish preconceived notions about fantasy stories because you will not find those here. But, you will find loveable troubled characters with real life problems who somehow enter a new dimension filled with crazy, insane, this can’t be real sights and sounds and life that requires a letting go, an acceptance, of the unknown. Let’s not forget, however, that faith is often times the one thing that leads to saving grace. Take a chance on this beyond strange story. You’ll be glad you did!
Above the Star starts off Alexis Marie Chute’s series called The 8th Island Trilogy. I have to admit that fantasy fiction is not my go to genre when it comes to reading. However, after I read the blurb, I thought I should give it a try. I am so glad I did because I would have been missing out on a good read. The whole book was quite unique and refreshing. The writing style is different and took me a little bit to get used to. About fifty percent through, I got used to it and caught on as to what was going on. From then on, I could not put the book down until I was finished.
Above the Star includes a lot that I enjoy in a book. There was a lot of action and adventure. It was great getting to know the fun characters and taking an unexpected journey with them. I liked their courage and bravery. They learned some wonderful lessons, too, that I learned along with them. There were some mystery and suspense that had a few twists that I did not see coming.
I am giving Above the Star four stars. I look forward to reading the second installment from The 8th Island Trilogy to see what happens next in the series. I recommend this one for readers who enjoy to read fantasy and young adult fiction. I do not think this one should be missed.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Fantasy/SciFi books placed in unique worlds have to be one of the more difficult genres to write successfully. The author first has to fully visualize what the world will look like; how the laws of nature will work; how it looks, feels and smells; and what beings live there; and all BEFORE they can start writing. Then the challenge becomes how to slowly introduce the reader to this world and those that inhabit it without distracting from the story line. Alexis Marie Chute handles all these challenges beautifully in Above the Star – the first book in her 8th Island Trilogy.
In book one, we follow the adventures of a family – mother Tessa, daughter Ella who is desperately ill, and grandfather Archie (along with other cruise passengers) who are cast into a unique and unfriendly world called Jarr-Wya. There they find their husband/father who has been missing for 2 years, but transformed into a being of this world. The different races are in conflict and the world is changing, perhaps even dying. Two quests are presented. The first, can they save this world and perhaps bring it back to a place of peace between the races. And second, can they find a cure here for Ella whose life is slowly but surely fading.
I personally enjoyed reading Above the Star. But I do want to add that there is a LOT of death and darkness in this story. Definitely for older YA’s! The story flows smoothly and draws you in. I love that different generations and genders are featured and each have an important part to play. If you’re someone like me who enjoyed reading YA fantasy series along side your teens, you’ll enjoy this one as well. One note – the plot travels through all three books, so I would strongly suggest reading them in order
The were a couple spots it was hard to follow, and I’m usually not into books that change which characters point of view wee read from. But i loved the characters and it was action packed.
I’ve been off SF/fanasy for a while, and probably should not have chosen this book to read in the first place. It started out intriquiging, but the characters, plot amd setting was just not interesting or convincing enough enough to hold my attention. Couldn’t finish it.
This sounded like a promising book, but I kept wading through more and more violence without any redeeming plot developments, and frankly, I didn’t care about the characters either. After about 90 pages, I gave up and moved on to something else. It’s rare I don’t finish a book.
Fasten your seat belts and break out the life preservers. Above the Star, the first book in Alexis Marie Chute’s The 8th Island Trilogy sucks the reader, as well as a cruise ship, through a dimensional portal into a world filled with compulsive stony beings, fiery philosophers, and deliciously dangerous and horrifyingly sentient crushed shell people. Propelled by a grandfather’s determination to save the life of his dying teenaged granddaughter, Chute’s exquisite prose powers a rollicking roller coaster of a tale filled with the kinds of twists and turns that will leave even the most stalwart of armchair adventurers breathless.
In Above the Star, a regular family with heartbreaking problems enters a world of epic adventures and the possibility of extraordinary solutions. Alexis Marie Chute manages to tell a fantastical tale that is also deeply human.