by: Branwen OShea
Series: Finding Humanity
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction/Fantasy
Release Date: June 24, 2022
Publisher: Sigma Orionis Publishing
They thought the biggest problem they faced was each other.
After Bleu, Rana, and their new friends narrowly prevent war between the star beings and humans, they hope the upcoming negotiation will secure the peace. Newly emerged from their subterranean haven, the Northern Haven humans are clearly not suited to Earth’s ice age, and require assistance from the enlightened star beings to survive long term on the Surface. But Commander Savas doesn’t trust the suspiciously kind star beings and their unexplainable abilities. When both sides reluctantly negotiate a joint mission to find the other Havens, Bleu must somehow cooperate with the manipulative commander to keep his friends safe.
As their team confronts unexpected dangers, Bleu and his teammates begin to suspect the star beings don’t know as much about the Surface as they claimed, while Rana is torn between remaining true to her nonviolent ways or becoming more human to survive. When an unnatural predator attacks, even the nearly all-knowing Kalakanya can’t explain it. Now the team must pull together or their new discovery will pull them apart, limb by limb.
There are four different “worlds” in The Chasm, the humans of Northern Haven, the star beings, and two others that would be spoilers to name because they are surprises in the story. Most of the mystical star being culture and belief systems came to me from the dreams and the characters’ actions as I wrote. The humans of Northern Haven also introduced themselves in the dreams where I learned of their strong reliance on science to survive with their dwindling resources. World-building wasn’t crafted in the traditional sense. It felt more like musing about and exploring the worlds as I wrote the lives of the characters. It took me about eight years to complete the first draft, so I had lots of time to muse about the world.
The series focuses on how humans adapt to no longer being the dominant species on Earth. In The Calling, we meet the humans of Northern Haven, a subterranean haven created centuries ago when the trend toward global warming took a sudden cold turn into an ice age. Eighteen-year-old Bleu Reinier is a recent grad who always dreamed of exploring the natural world on the Surface. He’s a great holographic gamer who joins the expedition team, hoping to find the other havens and a cure to his sister’s illness. Meeting the star beings forces him to choose sides in the first book, and in The Chasm he’s constantly trying to keep his star being and human teammates from killing each other.
Star beings Rana and Kahali are best friends (and maybe more?) who both end up unwillingly helping the humans on their mission to find the other human havens. Rana wants more than anything to Crown, a star being metamorphosis similar to reaching enlightenment that most achieve. Her problem is that her parents never achieved it and she fears she’s doomed to the same fate. Trying to be compassionate and nonviolent to Crown is extra tricky when you’re traveling with annoying humans who keep shooting everything. Rana’s best friend Kahali was a carefree prankster and drummer, confident he’d Crown until he was attacked by the humans. Now he has the star being version of PTSD and resents having to help the violent Northern Haveners.
Commander Savas believes he’s in charge of the expedition to search for the other havens, but after what he’s done in the first book, most of his team rightfully doesn’t trust him. He has his own dark history that makes him distrust the “too kind” star beings, as he calls them. As the team travels to the believed location of one of the havens, the fierce, new threat they discover sheds doubt on their new allies.
Savas grinned. “Think of it as research. They’re a new species. You’re doing field observation.”
“I don’t think she eats at all.” Atsushi frowned. “None of the Crowned Ones seem to. They go to the gathering hall to socialize.”
“You do realize that’s impossible, right? They’re alive. They need an energy source.”
“Kalakanya said she eats air or something.”
Savas snorted. “Well, be curious. Ask Kahali when you’re alone. Later, ask the others. We’ll compare answers.”
Atsushi grimaced. “They’ll know what I’m thinking. I don’t want to upset them.”
“No, you don’t.” If he had another Medicci device to block mindreading, he’d offer it to him. There must be something the boy could do to stay safe. A tiny, guilty voice rose within him at exposing the boy to the dangers of mind-control. No kid should go through that.
“What if you keep that chant Kahali taught you running in your head? Maybe then they won’t catch on?”
“Maybe.” Atsushi was silent. “I’m supposed to be chanting that all the time, but I’m horrid at remembering.”
“Then work on that.”
Atsushi nodded and then glanced toward the fire, where the star beings suddenly sang more loudly. “You still don’t trust them, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“But why? They’re so nice.”
“There used to be a fish that lived in the depths of the ocean. It evolved a beautiful light that shone magnificently in the darkness. Other fish would swim close, mesmerized by the beauty, feeling completely safe. And then the light-bearing fish would tear them to pieces.”
“I don’t think she eats at all.” Atsushi frowned. “None of the Crowned Ones seem to. They go to the gathering hall to socialize.”
“You do realize that’s impossible, right? They’re alive. They need an energy source.”
“Kalakanya said she eats air or something.”
Savas snorted. “Well, be curious. Ask Kahali when you’re alone. Later, ask the others. We’ll compare answers.”
Atsushi grimaced. “They’ll know what I’m thinking. I don’t want to upset them.”
“No, you don’t.” If he had another Medicci device to block mindreading, he’d offer it to him. There must be something the boy could do to stay safe. A tiny, guilty voice rose within him at exposing the boy to the dangers of mind-control. No kid should go through that.
“What if you keep that chant Kahali taught you running in your head? Maybe then they won’t catch on?”
“Maybe.” Atsushi was silent. “I’m supposed to be chanting that all the time, but I’m horrid at remembering.”
“Then work on that.”
Atsushi nodded and then glanced toward the fire, where the star beings suddenly sang more loudly. “You still don’t trust them, do you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“But why? They’re so nice.”
“There used to be a fish that lived in the depths of the ocean. It evolved a beautiful light that shone magnificently in the darkness. Other fish would swim close, mesmerized by the beauty, feeling completely safe. And then the light-bearing fish would tear them to pieces.”
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Branwen OShea has a Bachelors in Biology from Colgate University, a Bachelors in Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work. She lives in Connecticut with her family and a menagerie of pets, and enjoys hiking, meditating, and star-gazing. Her published works include Silence of the Song Trees, The Calling, The Cords That Bind, and The Chasm.
Places to find Branwen OShea:
You can follow The Chasm Blog Tour here.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteThanks, Branwen, for sharing The Chasm with me! I enjoyed the guest post, great excerpt and your book sounds like a must read for my granddaughter!
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific day!
You're welcome, Stormy. Glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteThanks for hosting The Chasm's book tour! If anyone has any questions about my series, please feel free to ask. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteThank you for sharing your guest post, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading The Chasm as are my teen-aged grandchildren. Will there be many more stories for this series?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a wonderful book.
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