Release Date: June 6th 2013.
With each successive book Estes completely amazes me. Every book in this series, and its sister series - The Dwellers, tells a powerful story about each society which managed to survive the destruction of the Earth as we know it. The plots are very poignant, multi-layered, full of surprises and subthemes, and action packed.
The characters are well construed, strong, funny, brave, and people that you would cherish as friends. After reading all six books within these two series, I feel a strong kinship to many of the characters as I can relate to several of their situations and their thoughts, emotions, and reactions to these experiences. Many years from now, I can see myself thinking one day "You should call Tawni, remember when you used to hang out with her? I wonder why we drifted apart." before realizing that she isn't a real person but one of these skillfully created characters.
These are stories that any parent can feel confident about buying for their kids. There are many things that our youth today can learn from this series. No matter how bad life may seem you can still have a sense of humor and a positive outlook. Sometimes a handful of determined people CAN make a difference, if they are willing to do more about the situation than just complain about it. Even in new environments and cities, it is still possible to find friends with similar interests. I will gladly pass these books along to my daughter, as soon as I can trust her with my Kindle. I fear not ever getting it back more than her doing it any harm.
I really cannot say enough about this series and it dawns on me that I haven't really said anything specifically about THIS book. Water & Storm Country really and truly is THE best book of the series. I guess I chose to praise the series because this book left me speechless. The corruption in the assorted governments, the way that the people blindly followed their leaders, brings out so many different emotions in me and feelings of sympathy, more so when I realize that though the worlds are completely make believe the situations themselves are so very realistic.
Please scroll down for lots of goodies. There is the synopsis and an excerpt from this incredibly wonderful book, information about the greatest YA author new to the scene, and a rafflecopter form so that you can enter to win a copy of your very own.
5 stars!
With a sleek, black hide, long, black mane, and fierce brown eyes, she's everything I always imagined she would be. Stamping her feet, pulling at the ropes, snorting heavy plumes of breath out of her flaring nostrils, she's unbroken.
It takes four strong men, Riders, to control her, and even then, she's uncontrollable. Wild. Hungry. Mine.
As I approach, I notice a mar on the complete darkness of her coloring: A single patch of white sits high on her nose, almost between her ears, shaped like a butterfly. White wings.
Can she fly?
I'm still admiring her wild and untamed perfection, wondering where she was found, how hard it was for the Horse Whisperers to lure her close enough to capture her, whether she put up a fight, when one of the ropes are thrust into my hands.
Thankfully, I have enough sense to grab it firmly, to hold on, to remember the words my mother taught me, let them flow freely through my mind. I am yours, you are mine, we are one. A warrior and a steed become a Rider. Fight with me even as I fight with you. Separate, our strength is breakable, matched by many; combined, our power is above all, unstoppable.
The words roll over and over in my mind as I take the second rope, walking my hands up the thick strands, feeling them burn my palms as the horse bucks and strains against the bonds that are so foreign to a creature that has known only complete freedom while roaming wild on the plains.
Freedom is an illusion. I'm surprised to hear my father's words in my head while I'm so focused on approaching my horse. I shake my head and resume my chant, this time out loud, first as a whisper and then louder and louder as I get closer and closer. The horse isn't calmed by my words, but I know she hears them, because she's completely focused on me now, and I'm oblivious to the ceremony that continues behind me.
Passion. The name occurs to me just like my mother said it would, right when one of the Riders are thrown down when the horse charges sharply to one side.
"Passion," I say, and she stands perfectly still, matching the intensity of my gaze. "Sadie." She snorts, as if my name is but a cricket under the stomp of her grand feet. And so it is.
I shouldn't be this close, not at the first meeting. My mother told me, but it takes Passion to teach me.
She seems calm since I spoke her name. Her head even bows a little, and my mother said a wild horse will never do that. Already, our bond is special.
I reach forward to rub the white butterfly on her nose.
Her drooping eyes suddenly flash with anger and her head bucks as she leaps forward, butting me, throwing me backward, nearly stomping on my leg as I skid across the grass.
Passion.
David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. He grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife and soul mate, Adele, who he's now been happily married to for more than two years.A reader all his life, David began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and has completed 14 novels, 12 of which have been published. In June of 2012, David became a fulltime writer and is now travelling the world with Adele while he writes books, and she writes and takes photographs.
David gleans inspiration from all sorts of crazy places, like watching random people do entertaining things, dreams (which he jots copious notes about immediately after waking up), and even from thin air sometimes!
David's a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, an obsessive Goodreads group member, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. He loves responding to e-mails, Facebook messages, Tweets, blog comments, and Goodreads comments from his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends.
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Amazing Review! Thanks for having David today!
ReplyDeleteWow! Just wow!! I LOVED LOVED LOVED your review, I'm so pleased you enjoyed Water & Storm Country :)
ReplyDeleteHmm and yet my review wasn't half as good as YOUR book ;)
ReplyDelete