Title: The Colony
Author: RM Gilmour
Genre: Science Fiction Romance, Time Travel
Book Blurb:
Dimensions could not keep them apart, but can the A.I. controlling his world?
Lydia felt him before she heard him. His presence filled her, he warmed her soul. His voice moved her, awakening the life inside her that she thought was lost forever. For he was her soulmate, Jordan, and he lived in another plane of existence.
When he pulled her through spacetime to be with him in his dimension, she found herself in a world without him. A world controlled by an artificial intelligence – the Guardian, whose sole purpose was to protect the power source that ran the planet. But it did so at the cost of all who lived outside of its perfect city.
Within the Colony she was sheltered and protected from the Guardian, by two advanced races, who were also from other dimensions. But even they didn’t know how far the Guardian would go to get to her.
To survive, she must find within herself the courage and strength to fight for her life. But how far will she need to go to save Jordan and the colonists the Guardian?
My Review:
Lydia believes her life is over and that she’s a shell of her former self. The five most important people in her life are gone and she’s left all alone in the world. Worst of all, she’s scarred both physically and mentally. How can she go on when there’s nothing to live for?
One day, she starts hearing a male voice in her head. At first, she thinks it’s just herself going crazy but it feels different somehow. His name is Jordan and he says he’s from another world. They grow close and she starts to fall for him. But when he asks her if she’d leave her Earth life behind, she vows she’s go wherever he is. Jordan bends the construct of time and she transports to his dimension.
Little does she know what she has gotten herself into. All is not as it seems and the more she learns about Jordan’s world, the more Lydia must channel the strength inside her. She meets a band of outcasts and no one seems to mind her scarred face. Jordan is nowhere to be found and she must come to grips with her new reality. She called on to fight along with the others rebelling against what I can only describe as the big bad. Can Lydia reunite with Jordan and free those in captive or is she trapped forever in The Colony?
I’m at a loss at how to quantify The Colony. While it’s a beautiful story of incredible loss and finding a reason to live, it’s also a science fiction romance with intense action scenes with dystopian undertones. Fans of Divergent will love this book (and the series).
Gilmour’s writing style is one of emotional attachment to not only Lydia but minor characters as well. Her world-building is impressive, especially given that this is a debut novel. I did, at times, feel it was too wordy where the action should propel the plot but it’s just a personal preference.
A must read for speculative fiction fans and I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Favorite Character/Quote:
With each moment that passed, his presence grew stronger, and I gasped at the sensation. The warmth that coursed through me fluttered to the surface, reaching for him, searching for the sound of his voice and his image as though a part of me was missing, was too far away. I needed him with me, to hear him and see him, even if only for a brief moment.
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy it Now:
Barnes and Noble http://tinyurl.com/zf6aqao
Publisher: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-colony
Author Biography:
RMGilmour was born in Sydney, Australia and currently resides in sunny Florida with her two children and two cats.
Writing stories since she was a child, she has always enjoyed losing touch with reality, even if for only a short time, through either reading or writing. For many years she has played host to a never-ending stream of characters patiently waiting their turn in the spotlight, several of which refuse to let her fall asleep until that last hand-crafted sentence has been written down, lest it be forgotten. More often than not it is forgotten if not written down... all hail pen and paper!
Social Media Links:
Website https://www.rmgilmour.com/
Twitter: @rmgilmour
Reviewed by: Mrs. N