Tonath is a planet in danger of being torn apart. Only one can inherit the knowledge to one day save the Tonathian people, and her name is Marika.It’s been seventeen years since her father passed. Coming of age, she inherits a cattle hold, a trust account, and many gifts. One special gift is a chest, which comes with instructions that will guide her to the Bergman Mountains.With a spaceship and … a spaceship and the knowledge of three ancient civilizations, will she have time to access it all.. or will the Star Shifts hide the information, and drive her into the arms of her childhood love?
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Marika’s Destiny
By the time I began to read Marika, I found I stepped into the middle of a series. But this was no problem as I soon realized this is a stand-alone story. It was easy enough to discern what led up to Marika’s story by paying attention to the subtle clues of past history written in.
As Marika grows into womanhood, she soon learns that she is the only person who may be able to save the people of Tonath. She is hindered by The Teacher and The Way teachings that all must live by, and that say women have no place in this man’s world. Yet, Marika has inherited knowledge and capabilities from her father that only she can know. She has also inherited a way to extend her life so she can accomplish or finish what her father was to do. Despite oppression, she is determined to put this knowledge to use to save the people and the planet, even as the tumultuous planet experiences Star Shifts, ground upheavals, storms and lightning that cause all-consuming fires, and the deaths of whole communities, and even the possibility of the planet being drawn into a black hole. Marika’s life is the focus of this story along with her constantly having to prove her capabilities.
Toward the end of the saga, time speeds up so that we get to experience and know all the Marika was able to accomplish, how it changed people over time, and it is much. Part of what she was able to accomplish was the building of ships to carry some Tonathians to distant planets. It’s an effort to save some of the people should the Star Shifts wreak havoc yet again and kill everyone else.
The end of the story, when Marika is sitting at her husband’s gravesite, slowed the story down finally. When I finished and closed my Kindle, I ended up opening it again just to re-read the ending. After experiencing Marika’s long and dedicated life, the ending with her sitting at the gravesite left me melancholy and emotionally involved with her outcome, the end of a full life. Or is it really the end?
This is such a new release that I haven’t read it yet, although it has already garnered its first 5-star review. If you are a fan of Sci-fi – especially Mari Collier’s sci-fi epic series “The Chronicles of Tonath” don’t wait too long to read this new adventure.
The makings of this story lie in the first of Ms. Collier’s books of Tonath which told of the birth of a young girl named Marika. She was a descendant of the Justinians, space travelers who settled Tonath earlier. Her brilliance and ability as an engineer enabled a whole new generation of Tonathians to escape the rigors of “star shifts” causing major catastrophes on Tonath. If you love a good science fiction novel then you should start with the first Mari Collier wrote and read through her entire series of books. They are all excellent, present exceptional characters well drafted, and story lines which keep you reading furiously. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a woman coming of age, becoming a leader despite all the machinations of self serving men. Women grace the lives of all who have contact with them. Mari Collier graces us all with her skills as an author.
Marika is the 3rd book in the ‘Chronicles of Tonath’ series written by Mari Collier. While you don’t need to read them in order, it’s probably a good idea to give it a try if you can. I chose to read this one first (the latest) because I liked the plot line and wanted to sample something by the author. I can easily say that Collier is a wonderful writer, and I will continue to read more from her.
The people of Tonath have been through a tremendous amount. Some of them, like Marika, have secrets that have yet to be discovered, even by the secret keeper themselves! The book kicks off with Marika as a young girl at religious / spiritual services with her mother and several brothers in an institution. She has a weird out-of-body experience where a voice speaks to her and warns her that someone is in danger. Marika tries to tell the person, but her mother prevents her from speaking the truth and chalks it up to a young girl’s imagination. We soon learn Marika’s mother wants the property her daughter inherited from her recently deceased father. We’re unsure if her mother is good or bad, but we continue to see the relationship spin and evolve for the next 10+ years as Marika grows up and must wait until her 18th birthday to formally decide what to do with the land.
Meanwhile, as Marika tries to understand these strange powers building inside her mind, someone from the past visits her and provides a quest that she is destined to follow. Marika wants to be informed about her life, the truth, and her planet’s history before she listens to her mother to sell the property and get married. Two suitors are interested, but Marika won’t commit. Then she decides to follow the quest that someone puts before her… revealing Marika’s true lineage and purpose in the world. What must this amazing young woman do to accept the truth and protect those around her?
Collier takes her readers on a wild science fiction and fantasy ride through life on another planet. We know a little bit about Tonath, but not everything (perhaps it’s covered in earlier books), so we’re learning a lot as we go on this journey. Marika’s gift and responsibilities run deep. Will she be able to contain them? Once she makes a decision about whom to marry, and how to deal with her mother’s relentless grip on things, Marika’s mind and world open up to the past. She discovers what happened years ago, what she needs to do, how to stay alive for longer than most, and how to fall in love the right way. She learns to trust and become part of the solution rather than just another cog in the system that does little to help the world around her.
Collier has created a believable world with lots of emotional situations for her characters. While everything feels human, there is another layer to the complexity of Marika’s past and her powers, so as readers… we’re always wondering what else might happen. She’s suffered a lot, and when she meets people like the teacher / professor and some of the brothers in the institution, it’s clear to tell she is special – but we also know some do not want her to survive.
I’m always impressed by writers in this genre when they create the unimaginable for me. I live with walls and structure, yet on another planet, so much can happen. It’s intriguing to discover how authors like Collier can dream up such fantastic worlds we’ve never been in but make them feel so real. Kudos for a well-written story that just happens to have a basis in science fiction and reality. While that’s an important component, what readers will enjoy most here is the maturation process of a young girl who yearns to find the truth about her father, the past, and her purpose. She’s a role model for many, and I look forward to seeing more of her in future books perhaps.
If you like world building stories you’ll love this book and all the sequels. The author’s novels have a theme connecting Justinians and Tonathians. Once you’re comfortable with life on Tonath for example, Collier creates new entangled places for you to discover. It’s like a magical game where you enter new levels only to discover exciting and unique, unfolding dramas. Though fiction, the writing is real and you’ll be rewarded with believable characters. When the Teacher, Dickson or Duane thirst for chicolet, or are hungry for food, you will empathize. When they are hurt, you will feel the pain, making this novel, and all of Collier’s writing exceptional.
Sadly, “Tonath was too close to a black hole that spewed out the space time shifts.” Marika is the beautiful, two-hearted heroine who unbeknownst to her, or anyone else, is gifted with the ability to save the planet. Working as an aviation engineer, she inherits a world of secrets hiding high atop the Bergman mountains. Will the green, deadly gases envelope everything before she can rescue the citizens of Tonath? Will the next star shift end it all? Read Marika and find out!
A great read! An emotional journey of a half-alien girl with ambitions and wisdom in a failing planet ruled by men.
This is the third installment in the Chronicles of Tonath by Mari Collier. I didn’t read the first two books, and although there were times in the book where I wondered what was behind the scene – with Jack Donald and with The Silver and the Green – I didn’t need to reference back to understand.
This story follows the life of Marika, a half human, half alien girl with big ambitions in a world falling apart, a world ruled by men.
Because of Tonath’s proximity to a black hole, shifts happen that cause shattering earth quakes as well as the planet to burn every so many years.
Marika’s journey is the kind to elicit all kinds of emotion from the reader. There were times I couldn’t put the story down, needing to know what was going to happen next, others when I had my teeth gritted, others when I was biting my nails. And then there were the times where my eyes pricked – though I assure I’m woman enough to keep those tears from falling in front of my kids.
It’s a slow burn story, but the pace remains steady throughout the entire book, with plot twists, ups and downs I couldn’t predict.
The writing was good, the visualization vivid, the tone captivating. I recommend ages 15+.