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Book Review | “Invincible” {Book Two: of the Piercing the Veil series} by #SciFantasy author C.A. Gray

Posted Monday, 10 November, 2014 by jorielov C.A. Gray, Invincible, Piercing the Veil series, Wanderlust Publishing 1 Comment

Invincible by C.A. Gray

Published By: Wanderlust Publishing
Official Author Websites: Site | Blog | @AuthorCAGray | Facebook | GoodReads
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, E-book

Converse on Twitter via: #PiercingTheVeilSeries

Acquired Book By: I worked with Ms. Bauer (of Royal Social Media) whilst hosting Ms. Krupa (author of the debut novel “Safe & Sound”) and I always left the door open to work with her again as hosting T.S. Krupa was quite lovely and I considered myself blessed to be able to cross paths with both Ms. Bauer and Ms. Krupa at the same time. A writer I am highlighting in November Glynis Astie also shares a connection to Ms. Bauer (as she is her publicist) but this time around, Ms. Bauer approached me to host Ms. Gray and her Young Adult Fantasy series Piercing the Veil. I immediately fell in love with the series premise and the layering effect of the story overall out of the vision Ms. Gray had for her series. Therefore I received a complimentary copy of “Invincible” direct from the author C.A. Gray in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

The Afterword is a true gift:

Ms. Gray did a wonderful job at describing the finer points of the science included in the first two installments of the Piercing the Veil series as much as she went on to describe in broad terms what can be found throughout the trilogy. You can drink in information about the following: Penumbra, Nimbus, the Taijitu; including how the Penumbra can cross between worlds; why alchemy plays a part in the back-stories; further explanation on the Philosopher’s Stone and the role of the Arthurian legends. The layers of quantum physics, super-string theories, and the role of each of the extraordinary events etched out of theoretical science and chaos theory are given a special area of notation to break down the basics in layman’s terms to how everything provided the gateway for grounding the Piercing the Veil series in known science.

I appreciate seeing how the author’s research not only heightened the enjoyment of reading a Sci-Fantasy novel, but how each piece of her research went to building the structure of not only the world within the series but the elemental moments of where metaphysics meets the quantum realms of conceptability. It is a strong series for those readers who enjoy a compelling series wrought out of keeping science a forefront of merit within science fiction & fantasy.

Invincible

Peter Stewart is a dead ringer for the legendary King Arthur, and because of that, everyone in Carlion believes that he is the Child of the Prophecy, destined to destroy the Shadow Lord. But Peter doesn’t want to be a hero; all he wants to be is left alone.

Lily Portman also fits the prophecy. Having spent her entire life as an orphan and a misfit, Lily would love nothing more than to be the Child of the Prophecy, so she envies Peter… but she’s also developing a crush on him. And it seems to her that he couldn’t care less.

Isdemus and the Watchers believe that it is only a matter of time before Peter’s twin brother Kane betrays them all and frees the Shadow Lord. The winner of the war to come depends on who has the legendary Philosopher's Stone—the only problem is, it has been lost since the days of Arthur. With the help of a skeptical anthropologist, the Watchers attempt to decode the ancient treasure maps that lead them to the heart of Egypt and the dawn of time. Meanwhile, Lily and Peter discover that Peter holds the real key to the mystery... but will they be too late?

Places to find the book:

Series: Piercing the Veil, No. 2

Also in this series: Intangible

on 27th April, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 422

The search for the Child of Prophecy continues

to expand in proportion to the hunt for Excalibur:

Gray doesn’t allow her readers to take too much of a breath between installments in her Piercing the Veil series, as the opening Prologue of Invincible directly picks up where Intangible leaves off. A mortal wounding battle between the Light and Dark combatants forged in the ending of the first installment are not only attempting to make sense of what happened but the truer revelation of what was revealed by the disappearance of Kane. Kane from the moment he stepped into Peter’s life was a bane of his existence; always pushing Peter towards self-discovery in a near destructive way to pit Peter’s life against the knowledge of who Peter is within the Prophecy itself. Kane instinctively acts impulsively to further his own curious mind towards discovering the true meaning of all of their lives. He grew up with the stories of their worlds colliding into legend and prophecy but he is not entirely on the side of the Light; his heart became embittered by the fact he considered Peter’s role in his life to be a nuisance rather than a gift.

Kane is a character whose foundation of his spirit is hinged to a pursuit of glory whereas Peter’s heart was always tethered to his father and his mother. His parents grounded him even if he had a bit of growth to undertake as far as how to live without bitterness and how to grasp a hold of patience in the face of repetitive structure he felt was beneath him. Each of the young boys had a glimmer of insight towards what is right and what is inherently wrong, but one of them is closer to aligning themselves with a true darkness that could effectively worsen their lot in the life they were meant to ascend inside.

Kane pursued Excalibur for personal vindication and the glorified success finding it secure in his hands would afford him within the boundaries of his world and the laws therein. He was seeking a self-righteous path to outwit and outstep Peter; whereas Peter was merely trying to sort out how the logical side of his brain needed to start to accept what exists outside of science and tangible wisdom.

My Review of Invincible:

The time differentials within the Piercing the Veil series makes me smile, as much as it makes Peter and Lily incredibly perplexed; for you see only five short days have transpired between when the life they knew before their paths intersected with Isdemus and the Watchers changed exponentially! Five days to realise the only life you’ve lived within your short years as a teenager were in a part a sham to who you truly were all along and partially a life not yet understood as far as the natural bourne gifts you were given to use to aide a prophecy no one can fathom is true. Imagining how lost both of them felt at the start of Invincible was not difficult as it takes a lot of strength within your own soul to accept changes you have no control over yourself whilst your being placed in situations you are only starting to grasp the gravity of how serious everything is hanging in balance.

Peter, Lily, Brock, and Cole are settled into an environment a bit representative of Hogwarts wherein there is a great deal of information that is kept from them by their elders and teachers. The uniformity of how their hours at their new school are arranged reminded me of those early moments when Harry, Ron, and Hermoine first had to find their way at a new school environment. Here in this setting, the one hardship that is hard to shake off is the fact each of them have survived one great fight against their known enemy and transitioning back into a regular routine is a difficulty none of them want to acknowledge. Except for Cole who surprised me by embracing his gift as a healer – yearning a bit to endeavour himself into the work behind the art of healing and becoming stronger in his healing attributes. Cole, to me, is the one who is starting to emerge out of his cocoon as he finds his path and starts to separate himself a bit from the pack. Brock is the typical shoe out of step with himself, as his entire life at school was based on his popularity and his status amongst his peers; right now he’s wallowing a bit in having everything upturnt in his life to where his self-confidence is not quite as strong as it once were.

An interesting thread for me was reading how Peter’s Dad takes an excursion of his own to follow the only lead the Watchers have towards securing the Philosopher’s Stone. One of the ancient arts and pursuits of medicine, alchemy plays a significant role in this second novel, as Bruce (Peter’s Dad) has to sort out a primitive map of clues towards unearthing another piece of the larger puzzle everyone is striving towards resolving at once. Each component of the mystery is hinged to historical data, yet not all the data is stored in Carlion. I found it incredible how time and locale shift per each portal being opened that leads down a different passageway of the world; knitted into each sub-locale and sub-culture are a team of Watchers. Part of the confusion per Watcher team is the absence of cross-referenced information where each team would be clued into the same task at the same time. I love how shifting between worlds within a temporal realm can lead to confusion! (in this regard, my viewings of ‘Doctor Who’ sprouted to mind)

The one downfall I could foresee for the Shadow Lord is how overly confident he became in believing that the one he overtook would not fight against him. Like most who align within the shadows and darkness of any world, this particular Lord of Shadow caught himself in an invisible line of doubt and a seedling of self-affirming courage spun out of desperation and ingenuity was cast against him. He preys on the innocence of youth and on the misguided trust of someone who was too obliged to take his suggestion in a moment of aching pain.

Throughout Invincible, Peter and Lily question each other’s gifts and question where they each stand in the way of a Prophecy they each have an equal reason not to accept. It is not so much the weight of what befalls the one who is meant to achieve what is writ to happen but rather the weight of humanity and survival of those they unwittingly would be either putting into further jeopardy or releasing from a force too horrifying to even speculate winning. The title I felt was a key towards understanding how invisibility of your own ignorance can blight your growth. The greatest journey anyone can take is within their own conscience world of thought but the truest mark of coming of age is accepting what you find within and translate that to what you can accomplish in life.

On the writing style of Ms. Gray:

Gray has defined her own niche of Sci-Fantasy novels which barter against what is known and unknown within the expanse of today’s emerging quantum physics; bridging the gap between science fiction and fantasy with an undercurrent of plausible theories cast into her envisioned world as easily as a rainbow reflects a prism. She captures the mind of her readers by giving them a story rife with life lessons and characters who are seeking truth through a pursuit of self-discovery. What I appreciated the most about this installment of the series is how each of her characters from the lead protagonists to the secondary ones, she gives a convincing conviction of their beliefs. Each character is well thought out and their back-stories are written as such to provide further insight into who they are at their core whilst each new chapter reveals more insight into the growing storm between the Watchers and the Shadow Lord.

Even the method of how the Shadow Lord starts to interfere with their lives, there is a pause of thought on the hidden lesson behind what each of the characters must decide for themselves. There is a strong period of growth and contemplation of where their true path is leading them to walk. I particularly love coming of age tales because each of the stories centered around the age of personal enlightenment has something new to give the reader. In this case, the full extension of believing in one’s capabilities against all odds and the pursuit of something greater than what can be expected to be defined by one singular lifetime is a curious story to watch unfold.

Even though my mind flirted with the notions of past stories and characters I have come to belove, the Piercing the Veil series is a wholly original and keenly insightful story levelling the field for a new era of Sci-Fantasy to exceed reader’s expectations. I love the fact such a large amount of known science is etched into the fabric of the story itself; as the forementioned Afterword reveal, even the smaller inclusions have extraordinary depth to where science can give shape and form to an invisible texture of transitioning between worlds.

Piercing the Veil Showcase

on Jorie Loves A Story:

| 30th October, 2014 |

Review: Intangible Book 1 of Piercing the Veil

The following events will be during Sci Fi November:

| 3rd November, 2014 |

A *LIVE!* Author Q&A with C.A. Gray 6-8pm MTZ (Mountain) | 9-11pm NYC (EST) Questions can post ahead starting @ midnight straight into the chat itself; author will be responding live

| 10th November, 2014 |

Review: Invincible Book 2 of Piercing the Veil

| 17th November, 2014 |

Review: Impossible Book 3 of Piercing the Veil

| 24th November, 2014 |

Piercing the Veil Series Showcase Special

This book review is courtesy of:

Be sure to stay attune to the Bookish Events I’m hosting by visiting my Calendar of Events! To see which book will become my next reads selection of choice, visit my AUTUMN TBR List on Riffle!

Please take note of the Related Articles as they were hand selected due to being of cross-reference importance in relation to this book review. This applies to each post on my blog where you see Related Articles underneath the post. Be sure to take a moment to acknowledge the further readings which are offered.

Reader Interactive Question:

What pulls you into a Young Adult Fantasy novel? What are you hoping to find each time you set your mind & heart to enter into a whole new world of possibilities grounded in mythology, lore, or a world built so real it reflects the author’s vision they wanted you to find whilst you were reading their story? What is a definitive sci-fantasy novel that evokes a sense of grounding between the three key elements of this series: science, parapsychology, and metaphysics?

{SOURCES: Book cover for “Invincible”, Author Biography, Book Synopsis and all promotional badges attributed to the Piercing the Veil series and/or Royal Social Media were provided by Royal Social Media and/or the author C.A. Gray and used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Related Articles:

Bibliography of King Arthur – (en.wikipedia.org)

Comments on Twitter on behalf of “Invincible”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

#amreading whilst #amblogging my thoughts on the second #PiercingTheVeilSeries #book: INVINCIBLE by C.A. Gray! #SciFantasy #SciFiReadathon
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 10, 2014

#currentlyreading INVINCIBLE a #SciFantasy Indie Novel Peter & Lily continue to seek answers & their true path #SciFiReadathon #RRSciFiMonth

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 11, 2014

#RRSciFiMonth: Get to know #IndieAuthor C.A. Gray of #PiercingTheVeilSeries ahead of my #bookreview for INVINCIBLE http://t.co/iSLxgrueYV :)
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 11, 2014

#RRSciFiMonth: #bookbloggers & #readers who appreciate #science w/in their #sciencefiction will appreciate INTANGIBLE http://t.co/nMdRXnUdkd

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 11, 2014

.@SciFiMonth Jorie reveals her thoughts on BK2 INVINCIBLE of the #PiercingTheVeilSeries http://t.co/8BZ4pkpKrM #RRSciFiMonth #SciFiReadathon
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 11, 2014

.@RylSocialMedia #PiercingTheVeilSeries wholly original keenly insightful; levels field for new #SciFantasy to engage http://t.co/8BZ4pkpKrM

— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 11, 2014

.@AuthorCAGray #PiercingTheVeilSeries showcase continues on #JLASblog INVINCIBLE is a strong second #novel in trilogy http://t.co/8BZ4pkpKrM
— Jorie Loves A Story (@JLovesAStory) November 11, 2014

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

About jorielov

I am self-educated through local libraries and alternative education opportunities. I am a writer by trade and I cured a ten-year writer’s block by the discovery of Nanowrimo in November 2008. The event changed my life by re-establishing my muse and solidifying my path. Five years later whilst exploring the bookish blogosphere I decided to become a book blogger. I am a champion of wordsmiths who evoke a visceral experience in narrative. I write comprehensive book showcases electing to get into the heart of my reading observations. I dance through genres seeking literary enlightenment and enchantment. Starting in Autumn 2013 I became a blog book tour hostess featuring books and authors. I joined The Classics Club in January 2014 to seek out appreciators of the timeless works of literature whose breadth of scope and voice resonate with us all.

"I write my heart out and own my writing after it has spilt out of the pen." - self quote (Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story)

Posted Monday, 10 November, 2014 by jorielov in Arthurian Legend, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Bullies and the Bullied, Coming-Of Age, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Domestic Violence, Earthen Magic, England, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Foster Care, Genre-bender, Good vs. Evil, Indie Author, Light vs Dark, Mental Health, Modern Day, Mythological Societies, Naturopathic Medicine, Orphans & Guardians, Parapsychological Gifts, Parapsychological Suspense, Passionate Researcher, Quantum Physics, Retrospective Memories of a Series, Royal Social Media, School Life & Situations, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays, Sci-Fi November, Science Fantasy, Seers, Social Services, Speculative Fiction, Spin-Off Authors, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Superstrings, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Time Shift, Transfer Student at School, Writing Style & Voice, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

« Blog Book Tour | “Becoming Beauty” by Sarah Boucher a #retelling #fairytale of #BeautyAndTheBeast!

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One response to “Book Review | “Invincible” {Book Two: of the Piercing the Veil series} by #SciFantasy author C.A. Gray”

writersideup

Jorie, I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but I just LOVE these covers. I think it’s when you reviewed the previous book :) I’m such a Cover Lover :)

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Tuesday, 11 November, 2014, 8:00 PM
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Be sure to stay attune to the Bookish Events I’m hosting by visiting my Calendar of Events! To see which book will become my next reads selection of choice, visit my AUTUMN TBR List on Riffle!

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