Guest Post: CHILD OF ETHERCLAW by Matty Roberts - Young Adult Fiction (13-18+) - The bonds of family go well beyond blood. But can those bonds hold when the blood itself carries a devastating secret?
Book Details:
Book Title: CHILD OF ETHERCLAW by Matty Roberts
Category: Young Adult Fiction (13-18+), 348 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi/Dystopian
Publisher: Twilight Fox LLC
Release date: August 2, 2022
Formats Available for Review: print (softback) (USA and Canada) and ebook (EPUB and PDF)
Tour dates: August 2 to August 22, 2022
Content Rating: PG-13 PG-13 for some profanity and mild violence.
The bonds of family go well beyond blood.
But can those bonds hold when the blood itself carries a devastating secret?
Fenlee's opal necklace had always radiated a certain warmth since her mother's death. But now, at sixteen, her world begins to unravel as the stone sparks to life, revealing itself to be an otherworldly artifact of untold power.
Between her mechatronics studies at the academy and scavenging expeditions beneath the sprawling city of New Cascadia, Fenlee and her adopted brother, Elliot, try to decipher the mysteries of her necklace and its link to events in Fenlee's past.
But they're not alone in their search.
Strange undercity dwellers offer cryptic warnings, drones track their movements, and deadly corporate agents lurk in the shadows. When tragedy rips Fenlee's family apart, she must learn to use the artifact's power to save those who are deeply precious to her. But nothing can prepare her for the dark truths that she will uncover on that journey…
“Lee,” Elliot mumbled. “I'm not who you think I am.”
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Guest Post by Matty Roberts
Books that inspired Child of Etherclaw
There are a multitude of wonderful books where I’ve found inspiration for characters, settings, and plot elements—far too many to name. In fact, I’m sure it’s accurate to say that any and all books I’ve read have influenced me in some way, whether consciously or not.
Two relatively recent series in particular stand out as having had a real impact on my worldbuilding and character design in CHILD OF ETHERCLAW.
WANT duology by Cindy Pon
There are two books in this sci-fi dystopian duology: WANT, followed by RUSE. The story takes place in a near-future Taipei, where air pollution is brutal and one’s class determines whether one can afford the means to breathe clean air, or look forward to an early death. A group of teens decide they have to do the impossible: take on a corrupt and deadly corporation to liberate the people of their city, and create a future for themselves.
The pacing is tight, the story is solid, and the characters just make you melt—they’re so good! The heist- and infiltration-style missions they go on kept the tension ever-present, even in the background of the more romantic scenes. What I liked the most were the strong elements of found family as the group of teens made their way in the world together. For most of them, all they had was each other, and the strength of their bonds showed brilliantly on the page.
LIFEL1K3 trilogy by Jay Kristoff
The three books in this sci-fi dystopian trilogy are: LIFEL1K3, DEV1AT3, and TRUEL1F3. In a (hopefully) far-future, very post-apocalyptic world, a teen girl, Eve, discovers she possesses some truly destructive powers, right in the middle of a robot gladiator fight. Shortly after, Eve and her friend, Lemon Fresh, are on the run from, well, seemingly everyone. Human-like androids, weird robots, and a group of fanatics make up both friends and foes. As she discovers her past isn’t at all what she thought, she has to face insurmountable odds to save those she loves.
Kristoff threw action and emotion in a blender, and the result is a non-stop, heart-pounding feels-fest. Just when you think you can take a breath, something completely over-the-top and unexpected gets thrown at the characters. There are a lot of themes colliding and intertwining in this book, but at its core is one’s identity and what it means to be human.
I’d have to say my favorite character throughout the series ended up being Lemon Fresh. What a well-crafted character. The hardest thing about reading these was getting to the end of the first and second novels and not having the next one readily at hand.
Matty Roberts began their career in journalism where they earned an Emmy and had the privilege of working on several other award-winning projects. They hold an MS from Johns Hopkins University and are now an engineer in renewable energy in Denver, Colorado where they live with their wonderful partner, two extraordinary kids, and the best doggie ever. In addition to writing, engineering, and parenting, Matty is a vegan enby nerd who is in love with this world and will forever be doing all they can to make it a better place. And they may be known to occasionally play in a punk band here or there.
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CHILD OF ETHERCLAW by Matty Roberts Book Tour Giveaway
I enjoyed reading about your inspiration, Matty, Child of Etherclaw sounds like a fantastic book and I like the cover! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a fabulous day!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your guest post and book details, Child of Etherclaw sounds like an epic read for my teen-aged grandchildren and I. Forgive me if I've already asked but is this story a stand-alone or part of a series?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! This sounds like an awesome book!!
ReplyDeleteReally nice cover and excerpt, looking forward to reading this!
ReplyDelete