Blog Tour and Giveaway: Flashtide by Jenny Moyer

Welcome to the blog tour for Flashtide by Jenny Moyer! Today I've got Jenny herself, talking about writing sequels. Writers, this is good stuff! And for everyone, stick around for the giveaway at the bottom of the post. =)

Flashfall review | Flashtide review

Flashfall Swoon Thursday | Flashtide Swoon Thursday

On Writing a Sequel vs. Writing the First Book in a Series

FLASHTIDE is the sequel (and conclusion) to FLASHFALL, and it was really exciting to get to take these characters to new places—both physically and emotionally. When I first wrote Orion’s character, I was inspired by her resillience, and I think with this book, it was Dram’s capacity to endure so much darkness, and still find the light—that I wanted to explore. I took both characters to the edge in FLASHFALL, and in the sequel, I push them right over it . . . 

Another aspect of writing the sequel was getting to explore entirely new settings, characters, and creatures! The book opens in the mountain provinces, where readers get to experience the Conjies—who can manipulate organic matter—and who are also rebels on the run from the Congress of Natural Humanity. Very quickly, the setting shifts (no spoilers) but I’ll just say that Orion finds herself in entirely new and uncertain circumstances. She is a stranger in a strange land, and I had a lot of fun playing with that as a writer.

On one hand, I found writing a sequel easier because I really knew my main characters, and had established the “world” of the book. I felt like I’d had a lot of time to think through the setting (which really motivates the characters in FLASHFALL,) and work out details of the various people groups, like Conjies and Gems, as well as the government. The biggest challenge writing FLASHTIDE was to make everything fresh and unpredictable, and to give Orion and Dram new character arcs. I found this a bit daunting at first, but it turned out being a labor of love. The characters surprised even me! They had depths (and weaknesses and vulnerabilites) and strengths I didn’t know about until I wrote FLASHTIDE.

There are always moments during the writing process when I’m stuck working on a plot problem, and wondering how I’m going to get my characters from one point to another. I came up with some pretty creative solutions for FLASHTIDE, and I think it will lead to some cool surprises for readers! I love how this reviewer puts it:

"Fans of the unique post-apocalyptic story will be riveted by the blistering pacing and unexpected twists. An intriguing follow-up." –Kirkus

I encourage readers who aren’t familiar with FLASHFALL to check out the book trailer. My husband is a filmmaker, and he did an amazing job. It gives people an exciting glimpse into the world and characters.

Thank you, Jenny!

About the Book:

Flashtide by Jenny Moyer

Book Two of the Flashfall series

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: November 14, 2017

Summary (from Goodreads):

Orion has survived the tunnels of Outpost Five, filled with mutant creatures and dangers around every bend. She has traversed the cordons, exposed to the radiation of the flash curtain and hunted by forces that want her stopped, dead or alive. Now, with Dram by her side, she has made it to the safety of the mountain provinces, where free Conjurors live and practice their craft of manipulating matter.

But Orion's story is far from over.

With the effects of the flashfall spreading and the might of the protected city of Alara looming, Orion must travel into the hands of her enemies once again. Heart-pounding action and adventure await in this sequel to Flashfall.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository | The Ivy Bookshop

About the Author:

Jenny is the author of the YA sci-fi/fantasy FLASHFALL, and its sequel, FLASHTIDE. (Holt/Macmillan 11-14-17) She lives with her filmmaker husband and their three boys in Iowa. Watch the epic, live action book trailer for the novel that Booklist calls "A cinematic page-turner." 

Find out more at http://www.jennymoyer.com and connect with Jenny on Twitter and Facebook.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Giveaway:

Win a Flashtide pack: signed copies of Flashtide & Flashfall, a $50 Gift Card from Amazon.com and swag (INT)

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Review: Flashtide by Jenny Moyer

Flashtide by Jenny Moyer

Book Two of the Flashfall series

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: November 14, 2017

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Orion has survived the tunnels of Outpost Five, filled with mutant creatures and dangers around every bend. She has traversed the cordons, exposed to the radiation of the flash curtain and hunted by forces that want her stopped, dead or alive. Now, with Dram by her side, she has made it to the safety of the mountain provinces, where free Conjurors live and practice their craft of manipulating matter.

But Orion's story is far from over.

With the effects of the flashfall spreading and the might of the protected city of Alara looming, Orion must travel into the hands of her enemies once again. Heart-pounding action and adventure await in this sequel to Flashfall.

What I Liked:

When I first heard that there would be a sequel to Flashfall, I was very excited, though a little apprehensive. I loved Flashfall so, so much. It ended perfectly, just as a standalone would. So hearing about a sequel was exciting, but at the same time, I wanted Flashfall to be exactly as it was. Sequels are often lackluster and disappointing, to some capacity. Unfortunately, that was definitely the case with Flashtide. While I still highly recommend Flashfall, I also recommend stopping there.

In this sequel, Dram and Orion are surviving with the Conjurors, hiding and biding their time, waiting for news of their respective fathers. But when one of Orion's hasty plans go wrong, Orion, Dram, and Roran are captured and taken to Alara. There, they are made Delvers and Brunts, enslaved in a different kind of priso. All the while, the effects of the flashfall are worsening, and Orion and Dram's health is waning. But in the midst of despair there is hope, and a shocking surprise that will change the course of events throughout all of the lands.

I had more dislikes than likes, so this review might seem all over the place. I didn't care for the story in general, or the pacing, and definitely not what Orion and Dram had to go through. Things I did like: Dram, Dram and Orion's relationship, love-triangle-free story, and the ending.

Dram was wonderful even when he wasn't at his best. He suffered so much and had to go through so many nightmares, and it was so difficult to watch. But he is strong, stronger than Orion, stronger than any other character in this book, and I have so much respect for him. He is so brave and selfless, and his best qualities make him a shining star in this story's darkness. 

I loved Orion in the previous book, and I liked her for the most part in this book, but somehow I was a little less on her side than I was in the previous book. She made a lot of mistakes and could have handled a lot of things differently. Still, she was incredibly brave and strong like Dram, and even though she messed up a lot, she learned from and made up for her mistakes.

Despite the pair going through all kinds of nightmares and hell, their relationship stayed incredibly unshakable. There were many times in which it seemed like there would be no hope, because of death, or despair, or imprisonment. But I love how strong the bond between Dram and Orion is, and how it seemed to be present even when they were occupying the same space. I hated that they weren't together for many chunks of the book, but I was happy to see them fight for each other.

And YAY for no love triangle. Not that I was worried about one appearing (I wasn't), but it's always good to affirm that there is no love triangle in a book.

This book is awesome YA science fiction, I'll give it that. I love science fiction and so I'm always looking for new ones to read. YA doesn't have a ton of sci-fi, besides dystopias and space operas. This book deals with coronal mass ejections and solar flares and mines, which is so cool.

The ending is very happily-ever-after, and made me smile. Despite all that they went through, Dram and Orion forge on. They never give up hope and they are rewarded for it. I so wish there had been some sort of epilogue, especially if it reflected on Dram's promise to Orion. Hint, hint!

What I Did Not Like:

I really struggled with this book. From the start, I had a hard time continuing with the story. I kept asking myself, what's the point? Where is this going? What is the conflict? Why is this happening and that happening? I didn't get a good grasp of the overall conflict of this book. With Flashfall, it was obvious what Dram and Orion were fighting for and up against. In this book, I got a good sense from scene to scene, but not the overall conflict.

And besides that, I found this book to be a little on the boring side. I had to start skimming pages in order to keep myself invested in the story. I went back and reread some of the passages I skimmed and they added nothing to my understand - or lack thereof - of the story. I was bored, and a little confused, and very disinterested.

I couldn't quite connect with Orion like I did in Flashfall. She made costly mistakes in this book, and those mistakes came from plans that didn't seem like her. Her plans didn't seem calculating and thought-out, like one would expect from her.

I hated how much Dram had to suffer. He had to suffer the most in the book, and it was so painful to watch. Orion didn't have suffer nearly as much. I take so much issue with this because she is the protagonist - why is she not sharing some of this suffering? Why do authors do this? Why shift all of the negativity and pain to one character? Especially the best and most selfless character of the book - why? Dram deserved better. His suffering wasn't specifically Orion's fault - I'm just saying she should have also suffered from something else, or he should have suffered less. Honestly I expected him to have PTSD or something, from all that he had to go through. The poor guy!

Also, the romance is barely there in this book! Yes, it is obvious how strong Dram and Orion's bond is. But they are rarely together, after the one-third mark or so. The romance was huge in Flashfall. It's not such a factor in this book.

I think the biggest thing was that I didn't know where this book was going. What was Orion striving to achieve? At first I thought she was trying to save her friends and father and whatnot. But then, after she and Dram get captured, I lost the aim of the book. And in the climax, what exactly happened? What did Orion do that changed X and Y and Z? What were those changes? I was very confused as to how the "big" things changed. There was a lot going on in the climax and not a lot of it made sense to me. And yes, I tried very hard to read the climax and ending closely. 

At least the ending in general was a HEA.

Would I Recommend It:

I actually would not recommend reading this sequel novel. Flashfall wrapped up perfectly and you should stop there. I really recommend Flashfall, as it was one of my favorite books of 2016. But this book isn't necessary (though it is a direct sequel). This book doesn't really add a lot to Dram and Orion's story - well, what I mean is that the ending of each book are the same HEA (which is good... but also I still don't quite understand the point of this book). While I was very satisfied with the ending of this book (and the series in general), I really can't declare that I loved a book based on its ending. I'm relieved that there was a HEA but I needed more than that.

Read Flashfall though. It was excellent. And the romance was so THERE.

Rating:

3 stars. I'm sad to give this book a meh rating because I adored Flashfall. But this sequel did not live up to its predecessor. The good thing is that Flashfall is basically a contained story and you could shut your eyes and pretend Flashtide was not a thing. And I'm sure people who try Flashtide might have a different reaction than mine. But for me... this book was a little disappointing.

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Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

Swoon Thursday (#246): Flashtide by Jenny Moyer

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Flashtide by Jenny Moyer!

I catch his face between my hands and guide his mouth back to mine. He smiles against my lips, and his hands leave me long enough to pull something from his pocket. I recognize the cracking sound from a light stick just before the glow illuminates my prison. He tosses it onto my cot and draws me back into his arms.

I unfasten the buckles at his neck and waist, and our hands bump as we work his coat off. His Prime's chain hits the floor with a clank. He kisses my neck, and I pull his shirt free, throwing it aside along with everything else that marks him as a Delver. His mouth skims along my collarbones, and my head tips back.

- ARC, pages 264-265

Flashfall review | Swoon Thursday | Science in Fiction

I loved Flashfall and I'm enjoying Flashtide! I have to say, I'm a little anxious about the story (from where I am at right now), but I think it will end well. I adore Dram and Orion! My review of this book will be posted soon.

Science in Fiction (#22): Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

Welcome to this month's Science in Fiction feature! Science in Fiction is a meme I created to showcase the wonderful aspects of science in Young Adult fiction novels. For more information and previous feature, check out the "Science in Fiction" tag!

This month, I'm featuring Flashfall by Jenny Moyer!

Flashfall review | Flashfall Swoon Thursday

Flashfall is an incredible story about mining under the earth, and the dangers both below and above ground. Orion is an expert miner, and she comes so close to reaching the goal of 400 g of cirium (the element that is most powerful for energy usage) when things fall apart.

Today, I'm going to talk about elements and precious metals!

I'm sure you've all encountered the Periodic Table at some point? Maybe?

Source: Wikipedia

The Periodic Table is vastly important in the world of science. It's not only an organized presentation of chemical elements - it provides a wealth of information on those elements and their properties. Unfortunately, there is a growing shortage of a significant number of elements.

Did you know that...

- Gold (Au) is pretty valuable, it's pretty rare, and it's running out. Yes, it's running out. The production of gold is slowing. Known gold reserves are dwindling. So, expect a rise in the price of gold in the next ten to twenty years!

- Antimony (Sb) is likely to be one of the first elements to run out. Antimony is used in lead-acid batteries flame retardants, alloys, PET, even some medicines and drugs.

- The rare earth metals, a group of 17 elements, are incredibly powerful. These elements, which include dysprosium (Dy) and yttrium (Y), are used in smartphones, TVs, aircraft engines, MRI scans, even weapons. The elements have amazing chemical properties, and are highly abundant on Earth.

- We're running out of helium (He). That sounds ridiculous (for some reason) but it's true. Helium is a non-renewable element that is produced from the radioactive decay of uranium. There has always been very little helium in the atmosphere. Helium has many uses - in MRI machines, in welding, in semiconductors, to reach the lowest temperatures of cryogen.

- We're running low on phosphorous (P), too. Phosphorous is very important in the agricultural world - it is part of most fertilizers. While phosphorous is a non-renewable resource, the phosphorous cycle is a closed cycle. However, the cycle is often broken, in recent times. Not much phosphorous that is mined makes it back into the soil to keep the cycle going. This could have very negative consequences on the world's food supply.


Check out the following graphic, posted in 2014 by Jeff Desjardins. (Click on it to go directly to the page, to enlarge the image.) This gives a good idea of when certain important elements will run out - though it does not list many other important elements not relating to the energy sector.

Source: Visual Capitalist

Are you surprised over the shortage of certain elements? Did you know of the existence of several of the above-mentioned elements? Do you think scientists should look to space to find more sources of elements, or new elements?

Swoon Thursday (#196): Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

- From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering

- Try to make the swoon excerpt 140 characters (or less), if you are going to tweet about it. Use the hashtag #YABOUND when tweeting

This week, my swoon is from Flashfall by Jenny Moyer!

I turn toward Dram, and he reaches for me. He kisses me, and my breath catches, like I've got a faulty Oxinator. He smiles, and I feel it against my mouth. I don't need breath - not for this. I throw my arms around his neck, and he makes a sound, a hum and a sigh mixed together. I lose myself to his touch, his taste. I'm floating, outside myself, like Serum 129, only I'm aware of every sensation, anchored to this moment by Dram's touch.

He pulls back, and I catch my breath. "I've been waiting a long time for this," he whispers.

- ARC, pages 184-185

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

My review of Flashfall

I adored this book! And good news - there will be a sequel (which I didn't know upon reviewing the book)! I'm excited. :D

Review: Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Rating: 4 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Orion is a Subpar, expected to mine the tunnels of Outpost Five, near the deadly flash curtain. For generations, her people have chased cirium—the only element that can shield humanity from the curtain’s radioactive particles. She and her caving partner, Dram work the most treacherous tunnel, fighting past flash bats and tunnel gulls, in hopes of mining enough cirium to earn their way into the protected city.

But when newcomers arrive at Outpost Five, Orion uncovers disturbing revelations that make her question everything she thought she knew about life on both sides of the cirium shield. As conditions at the outpost grow increasingly dangerous, it’s up to Orion to forge a way past the flashfall, beyond all boundaries, beyond the world as she knows it.

What I Liked:

This book came highly recommended to me, by several fellow bloggers. I am a huge fan of YA science fiction, and I was told that I would enjoy this book. I'm happy to say that I loved it! I'm very impressed and I'm glad I did not pass on the opportunity to review this debut. I haven't been reading many dystopia novels (I'm tired of them), but I loved this one.

Orion is a miner in Outpost Five, in tunnel nine. She's one of a group of Subpars who can stand the radiation in the mines, and she and her people mine cirium that Congress needs. She and Dram, her caving partner, are the best. Orion is close to that magical goal of 400 g of cirium, and she and Dram go into the treacherous parts of the tunnel to try to reach that number. But reaching that number turns out to mean nothing. Orion and the other Subpars quickly realize that they aren't serving their duty - they are slaves, and there is no way out. Orion has always dreamed of getting past the flashfall and seeing the sky, and she'll fight to have the chance to do so.

This novel is entirely science fiction, in which is has a dystopia-esque feel to it, and there is an abundance of fictional science to the story. Cirium is an element that Congress needs to protect the city - or so the Subpars are told. The Subpars are told that if they reach 400 g of cirium, they can live in the protected city, where the Naturals live. But why if this is a lie? Hence where the dystopia aspect comes in. At first, Orion and the Subpars of Outpost Five feel grateful to Congress, and they feel like their are serving their duty as Subpars. But Orion feels trapped, and begins to speak out. Without meaning to, she starts a rebellion, and like dominoes falling, one event leads to another, in different sectors of the land.

One thing that stuck out to me (one of many) was the world-building. This is an intensely unique world that Moyer has created. Tunnels and caves? You don't see a lot of that in YA. Dystopian worlds, yes, but Moyer has something unique here. The flashfall, flash curtain, tunnel gulls, cordons... terrifying and intriguing stuff!

This book is told from Orion's first-person POV. I adore Orion! She is fearless and brave, a lot impulsive and entirely selfless. She gives her life for her caving partner Dram so many times, and throughout the story, she gives up everything for other characters, like a little girl, or an old man, or a dying forfeit. Orion is noble and selfless, and she never stops thinking of everyone. 

Dram is the second protagonist of the story, though he does not have a direct POV. He's been Orion's caving partner for years, and they are a formidable team. They've never not been without each other in the caves, and even outside the caves, they stand up for each other. I like Dram a lot - he is so similar to Orion (selfless, brave, stubborn), but I liked that he was always looking out for Orion. Orion was busy fighting for everyone, and while Dram was definitely doing the same, you could see that his priority was Orion. Which was noble all by itself.

This novel is jam-packed with action! It starts off in the tunnels and caves, and we get a feel of how Orion and Dram work as a team. And then things start to get set into motion - the seeds of rebellion are planted, and grow. And then Dram and Orion are sent elsewhere as punishment.., and things get tricky. Orion and Dram are survivors, that's all I will say. They go through so much in this book, but they never stop trying to live, and help the others, even far away from them.

Like an dystopia novel, a sprinkle of unrest turns into a rebellion and then a war, and many secrets are revealed. The government wants cirium for reasons other than what are told. Orion's mother wasn't just what she seemed, and Dram's father died not where they thought he did, years ago. So much is uncovered, and so much comes together, in the end.

I love how complete this story is! Standalone novels are exactly what I need right now. Orion and Dram fight their through so much, and it's nice to see their story come to a close. Moyer ties up the loose ends by the end of the book, but I could see her weaving in a companion novel or something. You could read this book as it is (a standalone), even if Moyer did decide to write more books in the series! Which I wouldn't mind.

I can't write this review without mentioning the romance! No love triangle, no insta-love, no drama. I adored Orion and Dram together. They're caving partners and friends, but you can tell that Orion has feelings for Dram. The progression of the romance is SO sweet. I love friends-to-more types of romances, especially when the bond is this solid, like Orion and Dram's. They are perfect together! This romance was slow-burn, and headed towards the steamy end as the story went on. But at the same time, you could feel how deep their bond was. Love!

Overall, this was an amazing debut. Science fiction dystopia + exciting adventure + sweet romance = exactly what I like. 

What I Did Not Like:

I think I wanted a little more explanation and background about the Conjurors... part of their role in the climax of the story felt a little deus-ex-machina-like. I also think it would have been interesting to get up close and personal with the Congress. I'm also a tad bit confused as to what happened with the Congress at the end of the story. I'm going to reread this again, but I'm not sure about a couple of things with the ending. I won't mention anything specific, because spoilers!

Would I Recommend It:

I highly recommend this book, if you like science fiction in YA! Even if you don't, it's worth the read. It's incredibly unique, with the world-building, and I adored the characters. Plus, the romance was so sweet and slow-burn. I did NOT find this book like The Hunger Games, nor can I compare Orion to Katniss (I've seen this comparison, in a negative light, and I can't say that the girls compare. They are each unique and different).

Rating:

4.5 stars -> rounded down to 4 stars. I loved this book! On the one hand, I love this as a standalone and hope it stays a standalone. On the other hand, more books to follow would be cool! Perhaps companion novels? I do love seeing Orion and Dram together though. But I would love to see an "aftermath" type of story!

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