If he loses her, he’ll lose his will to fight.
Shane and his friends survive the first major attack against the enemy, destroying the alien ships that came to harvest the children of Earth and turn them all into slaves. However, one ship escaped, and the aliens have captured Kelly. Shane will do whatever it takes to save her, but turning his back on his friends could jeopardize the whole mission.
The enemy invades Kelly’s mind, turning her into a slave soldier. She’ll follow their orders, even if it means murdering her friends, including her little sister and Shane. She is helpless, trapped inside her body while it performs heinous tasks under the direction of her new masters, while her sanity and desire to live fade.
Shane returns home to make a rescue attempt, only to find Kelly commanding an army of human slave soldiers, and she’s determined to make him join her ranks. Will Shane save Kelly before she gets to her sister, or will she help the enemy enslave the rest of humanity?
I received a copy of Enslaved from the author, N.W. Harris, for an honest review. The story was my compensation. Nothing else.
You know that feeling. I know you do. It’s when you have a good book in your hands. You have followed these characters in two previous books which seemed to go too fast. So, you decide to take your time with the third. Except, the only way to take your time is to just stop reading for a few days. Know what I mean? I thought you did.
Well, that’s how it’s been for me with Enslaved. Enslaved, is the third installment to a young adult scifi series. The first book was The Last Orphans followed by The Harvest. The story follows a group of teens from a small town who have been fighting for their lives since the first chapter of the first book. There never seems to be a break for the teens, or the reader.
If you’ve read my previous reviews, you would have heard me say that this series has given me a form of literary ptsd. As messed up as this sounds, that’s the only way I can describe this experience. I love these kids. I feel like I’ve been fighting alongside them from the get go. I have an actual emotional reaction to these characters (something that only a few books achieved). I want them to survive and thrive.
It’s because of that that I couldn’t tell N.W. Harris no. I had to know what happened.
Enslaved starts where The Harvest ends: with a separation of the team (can’t go into detail in case you haven’t read it yet… READ IT!). This book is written a tad bit differently than the others. We get to see how the antagonists live, how the enslavement works and feels, and the actions of the main team.
I like that Harris did that. It’s important because it gives the reader a base of who we are up against. Yes, we. I am with the kids. Anyways, through the lens of the Annunaki, we see what they are really like. And, they are exactly what I thought (with the exception of other Annunaki who have more going for them). These people are like the Roman Empire. I can see a direct comparison, and yet, there is a slight difference that makes them their own.
The second view is from one of the enslaved kids from the main team (so hard not to give it away!). Can I say body snatchers? Or perhaps Host? It has that feel like the movie Host (yes, I know it’s a book. Haven’t read it yet.). The teen who is enslaved is conscious. She is there, but she has no control. It’s like being in a coma only you can hear and see everything. But you have no control with your heartbeat. No control of your breathing. You can’t even blink. You are in a prison.
It’s probably the most scary thing that could come from this series. And that’s pushing it because I was upset with the first book (God, it’s good!). There are only a few things that truly scare me. The imagery of the enslavement is definitely one of them.
Now, I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice to say that N.W. Harris ends the book with another cliffhanger. UGH! It is both a curse and a blessing. I don’t want the series to end, but I do (in a “I want my kids safe and happy” way). Alas, I will have to wait for the next book.
I can’t wait!
Casia's Corner 