I am SO happy to announce that today SOLUS is officially out!!! If you haven’t already dived into the Walking Shadows series then you seriously need to! An intriguing blend of dystopian society, post-apocalyptic vibes, cowboy flare, and survival, these books so far have been both thrilling and filled with heart. Keep reading this post for more on the book!

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The Book

SOLUS
(Walking Shadows #2)
Talis Jones
YA Fiction | Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopia
333 Pages
Publication Date: June 25, 2019
 

Born in an experimental lab before two outlaws stole him away, Bones has been planted into the vengeful earth growing strong with a gun in each hand. Given freedom by a group called Sanctuary he’s trained his powers carefully until one day they let him leave. Until one day he witnesses something that will cause his loyalty to waver. Until one day it’s his own name they vow to write with blood.

As the life he thought he knew threatens to crumble beneath his feet he takes to the road determined to explore with no tether but his plans quickly go awry when old adversaries capture him to pay for the sins of his saviors. Whether there remains any place in this harsh land that might dare call itself Home, he fights each challenger with a gun aimed at their chest and a laugh in his step.

When the world wants you dead,
dare to smile.

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pooled ink‘s Review:

In the beginning, a young girl is torn from her home when society shattered around her and as she grew up in the callous aftermath she faced the world with fire in her veins. In this series continuation a boy is set free by the crimes of that same girl and he grows up fighting back prisons at every turn. While book one was a tale of fiery redemption, book two is a journey towards finding home. Bones is sweet, intelligent, a touch arrogant, and handy with both guns and medicines, and I loved following his battle against a tumultuous past determined to find a slice of peace where he belongs, no strings attached.

You don’t necessarily have to read Alarum to read Solus but I think it definitely adds a depth to the story if you do. We first meet Bones towards the end of Alarum and this story takes place about seven years later but I don’t feel like we missed out on anything. Flashbacks are used to share glimpses of his past but it’s very much a present-progressive plot line which I liked since it kept things from stagnating. A quick fast-paced read overall!

I also love how romance is not the focus of this book, or series really. There are threads there but it isn’t the main plot line. Instead Solus‘ main relationship is between Bones and Mara and it’s a sibling-like relationship (I suppose that status could always change but not as far as this book is concerned). I’m an absolute sucker for romance but it’s refreshing to read something that isn’t revolving around the topic for once.

If you enjoyed Alarum then I definitely think you’ll love this. I’m really curious to know who will star in book 3!!

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The Excerpt

Chapter One

They took my boots. Grave dust and human ash encrusted in its seams, a thousand miles in the soles, memories of my only family tangled in stiff laces…and the moment I joined Sanctuary they snatched them off my feet. They said they had an order here, an order of fairness. They said my boots were in too good condition for a newcomer like me so they took them. I was handed filthy boots of weeping leather while my own were handed to someone more deserving. They’d served Sanctuary longer and desperately needed them. But they were mine.

I let them take my boots, my clothes, my pack. But when they eyed the chain around my neck that held the rings of my rescuers I brought a full-grown man to his knees. After spending the first eleven years of my life locked in a lab run by Dr. Xi in the Rochester Alliance I’ve developed a hidden genetic anomaly that allows me to catch flashes of the future, to force a tongue to spill truth, and with further training I learned to slip inside a mind and…play. Only for a moment. But it only took a single thought to project a nightmare into the man eyeing the wedding bands. He’ll never forget it and neither will I.

Sanctuary has rules of course. Rules to keep the peace. But I didn’t come this far to have my identity wiped. I agreed to follow the law so long as I got to keep my chain and shotgun. Fury’s shotgun. Fury and Riker, the people who rescued me from the lab, who brought me to the Dakotas and safety, safety they thought I’d find in Sanctuary. And I did. Until I didn’t.

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The Fun

 PINTEREST

 SPOTIFY

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The Author

Talis Jones is a Mexican-English author of magic and mischief. Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Theatre she has explored both stage and film, now finding herself drawn towards the literary world as a new venue for storytelling.

Dog lover, chocolate fanatic, and music enthusiast, Talis currently resides in North Carolina where she has found a home for now that provides all of those favorite things.
-Goodreads

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