Book Review | #whoaretheclan | “The Gate to Futures Past” (Book No.2 of the Reunification trilogy) by Julie E. Czerneda #FuellYourSciFi with Jorie!

Posted Thursday, 8 September, 2016 by jorielov , , , , , 0 Comments

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Acquired Book By: I was invited to participate in Julie E. Czerneda’s #futurespasttour wherein I am continuing my readings of The Clan Chronicles where I left off last November. I participated in the #timeandstarstour on behalf of the seventh volume of The Clan Chronicles ‘This Gulf of Time and Stars’. I reached out to the author to sort out a way to read her entire series spilt between two trilogies: Stratification (the prequel) and The Trade Pact (inaugural trilogy) which launched the series as a whole. She offered to have DAW Books send me the series in paperback editions which I was blessed to receive and would have finished reading if I had hadn’t taken ill shortly after I read “A Thousand Words for Stranger”. Due to personal reasons between the end of 2015 and the start of 2016, I was not able to continue my readings until now. I have spent a lot of hours contemplating what ‘comes next’.

This year, I reached out to her publicist at DAW (at the author’s suggestion) to receive “The Gate to Futures Past” to conclude the scope of the series ahead of the final novel. I spoke to Ms Czerneda about completing my readings of her beautifully conceived hard sci-fi series by releasing my reviews of the books in graduated succession during the #futurespasttour; she agreed it would be a great way to celebrate. Therefore, ‘Ties of Power’ kicks off my showcases on Monday, 22nd of August, followed by ‘To Trade the Stars’ on Tuesday, 30th August finishing ‘the Trade Pact Universe’ trilogy. I am anchouring the Reunification reviews together on 4th & 8th of September. Right in time for #PubDay celebrations which were on the 6th!

I received a complimentary ARC copy of ‘The Gate to Futures Past’ the first novel the final trilogy of The Clan Chronicles known as Reunification; in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my thoughts shared herein.

On where we left off into The Clan Chronicles:

As I disclosed on my review of Reap the Wild Wind this is my first reading of the works by Julie E. Czerneda. This is my continuing journey deep into the heart of The Clan Chronicles whilst conversing on Twitter via the tag #whoaretheclan. Occasionally alternating with #TheClanChronicles and #futurespasttour.

There is nothing more gutting for a reader than to arrive in the midst of a direction of narrative that not only pushes you to the brink of your emotional depths of despair, but it rebounds to give you a reason to carry-on and continue forward with the characters; such heart wrenching dialogue and expressions of absolute horror as realisation of what was happening was affecting the Clan one by one, heart by heart and family by family was truly one of the hardest passages I’ve read in recent history! Even moreso than some of the war dramas, because this was a blindsided attack, no one in the Clan knew they were on the brink of war or in effect being targeted for erasure!

Frantic reassurances of heart-kin messages were greeted by the enlarging loss which blanketed through the M’hir as more and more Clan woke up to the horrific reality of what had happened. The chasm of loss was so deep and so invasive, no one was left unaffected. Further gutting was the fact some of the Clan who fled to live for tomorrow were greeted by death only due to trusting their contacts would protect them by aiding their flight. This too, was horribly difficult to read – as your watching beloved characters meet their fates and you’re not in a position to aide them yourself. You simply have to watch. You have to breathe and you have to know there’s a reason for it all. There has to be a light at the end of this brutal tunnel of reverse fortunes and of cataclysmic loss.

-quoted from my review of This Gulf of Time and Stars

The result of which was absolute chaos – wherein all Clan chose to flee and take flight away from the places they felt they would be in danger, only to find that some of their places of safety were equally unsafe for them to find safe harbour. The measures Sira and Jason had to take to escape was not for the faint of heart, nor for the ease of the future of their species; as they dared to go where none of the Clan in Trade Pact space felt was possible to re-visit! This is where Czerneda shined whilst re-bridging together the entire trifecta of her three trilogy series!

Returning to Cersi brought back the delicate balance the world encompassed – as I never forgot how important it was to follow the guidelines of Cersi wherein each of the sentient species who called Cersi home were bound to certain ‘living rights and regulations’ which kept each in turn on a rotation of ‘balance’ within their populations. It was a very interesting foundation of how life could succeed through ascension of transfer and by controlled perimeters where each of them could not outnumber each other without consequence. At the time I was enthralled by it, as each person on Cersi was never entirely safeguarded against a merger between Clans; similar a bit to the Drapsk, except that the Drapsk merged to embetter themselves and exchange duties whereas on Cersi, the mergers were fatal.

What was impressed on me is how we see Jason (being his cheeky trader-self) and Sira (taking lead in a place that has protocol!) accumulate to Cersi with the full blessing of their experiences prior to arrival! It’s hard not to smirk seeing how they are dealing with Om’ray and Tikitik and the Oud! Seeing Thought Traveler in a more vulnerable situation than he was normally viewed was wicked good, too!

Further interesting, is on my return to Cersi, I sympathised with Aryl – Cersi had changed!

More to the point – Cersi held the ultimate secret in regards to #whoaretheclan!

And, like most mysteries – what is in plain sight of all is the best hidden secret!

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Notation on the Cover Art: I positively love the way in which Sira is portrayed on the cover for GATE! Her hair is electric – just like I have envisioned it, as it has it’s own personality & sense of purpose as much as it’s an extension of her own emotional core of being. Truly loved her clothes & the sense that you can tell she’s trying once again to ‘save her Clan’ from a fate worst than death whilst attempting to prepare herself to appear brave even if she doesn’t entirely feel courageous in the moment. Sira always had to make hard choices; she was never one to balk at duty or responsibility but she was far stronger than most of her peers & those of her extended Clan cousins. The background is equally alluring – we get to see the ships directly behind her and the Clan technology that is so far advanced its left nothing behind to explain its purposes is on full display, too! What dear reader is not to love about this book cover!? #suchstrength & vision of Sira!

Book Review | #whoaretheclan | “The Gate to Futures Past” (Book No.2 of the Reunification trilogy) by Julie E. Czerneda #FuellYourSciFi with Jorie!The Gate to Futures Past
Subtitle: A Novel of The Clan Chronicles : Reunification No.2
by Julie E. Czerneda
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Matt Stawicki
Source: Direct from Publisher

Synopsis on the Back Cover:

Betrayed and attacked, the Clan fled the Trade Pact for Cersi, believing that world their long-lost home. With them went a lone alien, the Human named Jason Morgan, Chosen of their leader, Sira di Sarc. Tragically, their arrival update the Balance between Cersi's three sentient species. And so the Clan, with their newfound kin, must flee again.

Their starship, powered by the M'hir, follows a course set long ago, for Clan abilities came from an experiment of their ancestors - the Hoveny - conducted on themselves. but it's a perilous journey. The Clan must endure more than cramped conditions and inner turmoil.

Their dead are calling.

Sira must keep her people from answering, for if they do, they die. Morgan searches the ship for solutions, afraid the Hoveny tech is beyond his grasp. Their only hope? To reach their destination.

Little do Sira and Morgan realize it is their destination that holds the gravest threat of all...

Genres: Science Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780756408701

Also by this author: Reap the Wild Wind, Riders of the Storm, Rift in the Sky, A Thousand Words for Stranger, Ties of Power, To Trade the Stars, This Gulf of Time and Stars, Julie E. Czerneda Interview (#futurespasttour), Guest Post (Web Shifters series) by Julie E. Czerneda, Guest Post: Julie E. Czerneda (Clan Chronicles Finale Tour), To Guard Against the Dark

Also in this series: This Gulf of Time and Stars, To Guard Against the Dark


Published by DAW Books

on 6th September, 2016

Format: Paperback ARC

Pages: 416

 Published By: DAW Books (@DAWBooks)
an imprint of Penguin Group USA

Cover art by Matt Stawicki | Site | Facebook

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Series Synopsis and Overview:

The Clan Chronicles is set in a far future with interstellar travel where the Trade Pact encourages peaceful commerce among a multitude of alien and Human worlds. The alien Clan, humanoid in appearance, have been living in secrecy and wealth on Human worlds, relying on their innate ability to move through the M’hir and bypass normal space. The Clan bred to increase that power, only to learn its terrible price: females who can’t help but kill prospective mates. Sira di Sarc is the first female of her kind facing that reality. With the help of a Human starship captain, Jason Morgan, Sira must find a morally acceptable solution before it’s too late. But with the Clan exposed, her time is running out. The Stratification trilogy follows Sira’s ancestor, Aryl Sarc, and shows how their power first came to be as well as how the Clan came to live in the Trade Pact. The Trade Pact trilogy is the story of Sira and Morgan, and the trouble facing the Clan.

Reunification will conclude the series and answer, at last, #whoaretheclan.

Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback and Ebook

Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards Badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

About Julie E. Czerneda

Julie E. Czerneda Photo Credit: Roger Czerneda Photography

Since 1997, Canadian author/editor Julie E. Czerneda has shared her love and curiosity about living things through her science fiction, writing about shapechanging semi-immortals, terraformed worlds, salmon researchers, and the perils of power. Her fourteenth novel from DAW Books was her debut fantasy, A Turn of Light, winner of the 2014 Aurora Award for Best English Novel, and now Book One of her Night`s Edge series.

She began her first fantasy series: Night’s Edge with A Turn of Light, winner of the 2014 Aurora Award for Best English Novel. A Play of Shadow followed, winning the 2015 Aurora. While there’ll be more fantasy, Julie’s back in science fiction to complete her Clan Chronicles series. Reunification #1: This Gulf of Time and Stars, came out in 2015. #2: The Gate to Futures Past released September, 2016. Volume #3: To Guard Against the Dark, follows October 2017.

An award-winning editor as well, Julie’s edited/co-edited sixteen anthologies of SF/F, including the Aurora winning Space Inc. and Under Cover of Darkness. Her most recent anthology is the 2017 Nebula Award Showcase, published May 2017, a singular honour.

Next out will be an anthology of original stories set in her Clan Chronicles series: Tales from Plexis, out in 2018. When not jumping between wonderful blogs, Julie’s at work on something very special: her highly anticipated new Esen novel, Search Image (Fall 2018).

Biography updated November 2017
Photo Credit: Roger Czerneda Photography

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Om’ray | M’hiray | Tikitik | Oud: an alliance as old as the stars:

From the very start of my readings of The Clan Chronicles, something was percolating right below the surface of my awareness of their world and their origins; noodling around my subconscious as I worked my way through their histories – as each trilogy is another piece of Clan history, stitched together to become a layered orb of knowledge both revealling and cautionary; acutely chiselled to only pierce together what is necessary to know in the moment of that reality vs a full disclosure that would precipitate all else. I purposely forestalled my mind to knit together a tapestry of a mystery; for me there was this itch behind my mind’s eye; something not yet seen, not yet formulated was simply there and now, I know what it was!

Ms Czerneda never fully expounded on the Hoveny Concentrix but she threaded pieces of its purpose and origins into the fabric of the series – if you blinked you’d miss its mention. If you honed in on the subtlety that has become her mainstay, you observed its inclusion. Each piece formed a clue and if you put all the clues together as you would a rubix cube, you’d hold in your hand the complexity that is Clan. I started to unravell it for myself when I met the Drapsk (in the Trade Pact universe) – there was something familiar about the Drapsk; unspoken and yet wholly known all the same! If I had allowed myself to cross-reference those inferences without staying rooted in place with the characters I was so smitten with following at a hugging distance of closeness, I’d have known what was revealled on Cersi on the M’hiray’s return! Honestly, I’m thankful I am purposefully forgetful of the clues! It’s wicked fun to see the paced out development of the fuller back-story!

From a biological angle, this is one brilliantly conceptionalised thesis at play!

What I’m trying to express is that I purposely wanted to be surprised as I have the tendency to see things ahead of their disclosures; oft-times I think my mind likes to sleuth things out too much ahead of being able to be a part of a journey of where a story is taking me. In this regard, Ms Czerneda challenged me far past where my academic teachers failed me and where my original (first) teacher (my Mum) soared in her ability to re-direct and guide me towards understanding everything that brought a curiosity to my mind and heart. Ms Czerneda’s worlds are a huge learning curve for me, she’s a natural bourne teacher; her classroom is our imagination and the gift she’s given us all is immeasurable.

My Review of The Gate to Futures Past:

Quite cleverly, Czerneda begins this installment with a ‘look-back’ of Clan history; a fitting abridged version of the entire saga, spilt into the most important pieces of the journey thus far along and containing information that might have been lost to some who were outside of their readings longer than I was for nine months. I thought it was ingenious what she chose to highlight and what she held back; I could fill in the missing fragments as readily as nodding in agreement for the ones inked on the pages. On finding the symbol for Infinity part of the Prelude, I could only find myself able to smirk!

Hand in hand with Jason at her side, Sira has to concede she simply cannot be in charge of everything – her limits were tested by the Sona whose feisty nature outpaced the Fox! Here I refer to starships – as in this reality, a starship is more than what it appears in machinery, it is in-part sentient on the level that it can communicate with a chosen member of its crew (Sira was chosen for this honour; must to her dismay!) but it’s retained it’s right of will to choose for itself which courses of action to take and which directives of hers (Sira’s) to acknowledge. In other words, the two are at a battle of wills – this granting a newfound chucklement of joy to Jason, who finds it humourous how his Chosen cannot yet accept there are moments where you have to accept the improbable.

Their new journey is set for a course of a destination only known to Sona, a realisation that seeks to yield hope but at this point can only grant a fraction of anxiety intermixed with expectation crossed with a healthy dose of realistic caution! You cannot blame the Clan! Their numbers are severely decreased, only multiplied by co-joining the Om’ray with the M’hiray – a feat only available due to Sira’s surge of strength to return to Cersi from Stonerim III. Courage walks in a door unseen.

Jason was coming back into his own on this journey; his foremost passion was exploring and of self-sufficiency; the latter was a bit lacking but his curiosity to grow in knowledge remained. He was even more adaptive to the Clan then Sira could have fathomed possible, as he started to use their tech in order to re-gain language and understanding long-lost to them now. His mind was acting as sponge, the more it absorbed the more he gained in self-knowledge and his pursuit of knowing the Clan was leading him to understanding their originating species the Hoveny. His evolving progress was similar to energy self-genesising once it’s source was discovered to be self-replicating. In many ways, Jason Morgan was helping the Clan reach a higher level of themselves or if you change the angle of perspective, helping guide them back to their ancestral roots.

So much can go wrong so dearly fast – despite the fact Morgan wants to aide the Clan and help them heal from wounds they cannot visually see for themselves; nothing is as medically direct with the Clan as one would hope. The M’hir complicates things right now – as the very ship they are using for transport is inter-aligned with the M’hir in such a way as the ship decides what is needed and unneeded during their extended journey. A feat of uncanny logistics that even Sira doesn’t like admitting defeat over as she’d rather find a way to control the ship than simply accept it’s course on blind-faith.

Being the Romantic at heart, I personally love all the tucked-away moments Sira and Jason can have together; as it speaks volumes towards how they are re-aligning with Om’ray ways whilst owning to the fact their entire relationship is re-defining everything between both their species. They found such a strong bond between each other, grounded in their love and their respect for each other but strengthened by the faith they each have for the others’ choices. Not that they agree with each other all the time; no, it’s more to the point they have a healthy relationship where they are equal partners in all they do. I constantly have seen small gestures of reminiscences between them with Sira’s great-grandparents (Aryl & Enris) as both couples worked well as a team but respected the space each needed to work things out separately as well. Something that was definitely new to the Clan, as they were more connected than disconnected when it came to such matters; except that privacy and personal shields to guard thoughts were commonplace. Their relationships were uniquely different as Aryl’s people (on Cersi) joined for love; chosen on purpose to be united and this was a newer concept to Sira who at times struggled to understand why pairing with Jason felt as right as it did. It wasn’t lost on Jason, how his own ancestral ways were now influencing Sira but he rejoiced in knowing at some point the Clan knew of his own memories.

All of this is hanging imbalanced because there is a new insidious threat to the Clan; similar to what led them to flee from the Trade Pact universe, so too, has this new concern taken them unawares! For a people who have already overcome so much adversity, it nearly feels heart-breaking to think they have yet again to face an obstacle that is elusive and unseen. They constantly quaver in their attitude to seek the positive, to hold onto the fragile hope they try to keep tied to their minds when everything around them appears to be lost. It’s like their inside a box and without the light of day to align themselves, they’re suffocating in the uncertainty of nothingness. No order, no routine and nothing to fix their minds on except the necessities of life; boredom can inflict greater wounds through idleness than a work filled afternoon. It is in this idle absence of work, the Clan is most vulnerable; where only their thoughts can entertain them and thus, inflicting themselves to deepening their appeal of hiding in the dark.

So many things need energy, and if the source of energy isn’t as resourcefully renewable like bamboo (which self-generates and self-renews itself through its lifetime) how then does anything generate enough power to out-cycle through a power drain or drought? Energy isn’t always viably seen nor can it be felt (by a measurable standard of awareness; it is felt by touch sensitivity) – energy is at best one classical examples of ‘consistent fluxability’ as it’s never as stable or as lasting as it appears. Energy transfers are necessary to engage a responsive system of checks and balances, but what if what generates self-sufficiency can be outsourced through an alternative means of process that bypasses the power drain and re-affirms the connectivity of what needs the most energy?

These questions and others were ringing through the hive of Jason Morgan’s mind; as he noodles out theories and subjects himself to ask the questions no one else dares to think as being ‘probable’ nor ‘plausible’ as it’s too difficult to assert how logical it is from the perspective of a tech-centred membrane of intelligence (referring here to the Hoveny). Jason’s key issue is what if energy could be synthetically reproduced and harvested whilst tethered to a renewable source whose own energy isn’t sentient nor individual but collectively attached to an invisible condensed realm where energy can ‘swarm’? On a smaller level of enquiry what if energy is directly transferred palm to palm and mind to mind? Whilst quantitatively able to be increased per demand? Effectively creating a kinetic or symbiotic energy transfer indefinitely? The Clan has already proven this can be down on small scale levels of accuracy as they ‘energy transfer’ between each other regularly (for different purposes; one is for identification or introduction; other times it’s for emotional well-being or healing) whilst dipping in the M’hir to refuell themselves as well. Or is it the other way round? Fundamentally the biologics of the Clan have been in question since the beginning. If you follow one theory of thought it will organically lead you to a conclusionary argument about which came first? The Clan or the energy in which the Clan manipulate for their own personal gain!?

The flip-side of course is how everything on Cersi is re-seen outside of Cersi in the Trade Pact but re-distributed or refracted if you will from how it was on Cersi. It’s a bit like the quantum theory of the multiverse – for everything exists in each representation of each universe but is not necessarily proportional to being similar one universe to another as there will be small changes or large changes between them. It’s not a mirror image or an altered reality but what if it is closer to a diffracted reality? Where the species of one are the species in another whose names are dissimilar yet altogether the same? How can you have two M’hirs known to the Clan (one by Om’ray and one by M’hiray) yet neither of them realised how the two related to each other by how it manipulated the responsive outcome of the Clan? Lest I bring up the Watchers whose presence is consistently present throughout the M’hir (this being the one the Clan teleports through and mind-connects to seek the energy signatures of their kin; both living and dead?). Ah, alas. The reader is wicked satisfied about the ‘possibilities’. A keen mind accepts the ‘possible’ shall always be found within the ‘impossible’. What then will the Clan find revealled to them? Will they accept or deny the invariable outcome of what their pursuing?

Despite the auspiciousness of their current situations, Sira and Jason alongside Ruti and Barac helped create shipboard life on Sona bearable for the Clan. They fully realised they were merely existing through a sequence of ‘moments’ the equivalence of being in a locked-stasis as nothing truly altered or changed except for their questionable awareness of their ‘presence’ around the M’hir and the unexpected joys of new couplings and a birth. One of the sweeter things for Sira was gaining more conversations with her great-grandmother Aryl of whom was her constant companion. Barac grew in his role as a sub-leader to Jason, whilst presenting confidence even without total courage of belief, owning to the fact he knew his ability to help in crisis would help Sira and Jason achieve the greater good; survival or death whilst in the attempt.

Sona was partially intelligent whilst it was high-tech machine – a gift of the Hoveny of whom were too secretive for anyone’s goodwill. I loved seeing how the ship was interacting with Sira, how Jason could nearly predict what the ship would or wouldn’t do based on his experiences on the Fox whilst finding that this shipboard experience was outside the norm. Czerneda kept the centering on community and familial love – showing how the bonds of even strangers (Om’ray to M’hiray) can become closer given circumstances that force close quarters. They were still comparmentalising each other – but overall, they were accepting they were not quite as different as they expected. Even all the little moments they were sharing in this ‘stasis’ was starting to mean a lot more than any other experience they remembered; save the one where each of them were surrounded by their extended families and friends, before their worlds dissolved through tragedy.

As your on the very edge of understanding the Hoveny and how they intersect with the Om’ray and the M’hiray, your given a special inside glimpse into the fascinating back-story of how everything was not only shaped together but how everything truly is inter-connected! Straight-after your settled on Sona as anxious to emerge out of the newly outfitted starship – your greeted by the stark realisation that you cannot stay forever in that kind of non-living environment. It’s a mind-trap waiting to happen – even if once your destination is reached, the questions mount faster than answers can grant new licence of understanding towards ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘when’.

This is what was so wicked brilliant about the final chapters of GATE, as this installment lives up to how it’s titled: it truly is the gate opening the futures of the past! If you felt you were prepared for what was going to be awaiting Sira and Jason (along with the motley crew of the Sona of whom are now the sole surviving Clan; at least by what is currently known) you might be set for a wicked surprise!

Acranam:

I remember writing down the name Wys di Caraat of whom was from Ruti’s homeworld of Acranam in Trade Pact space; thinking she might play a part against the Clan or against what was happening to the Clan as she was briefly mentioned in This Gulf of Time and Stars. I only caught sight of her name in an off-handed sigh of relief by Sira who was thrilled she hadn’t teleported with them back to Cersi. Part of me wondered when this small thread of narrative might click back into place; as one thing I’ve learnt: even the smallest thimble of inclusions in the Clan Chronicles can have further meaning in another installment. The reason this woman was bent on avenging her son’s memory is because prior to Jason Morgan, Sira was used by the Clan Council to their benefit and experiment to see how and when a Chooser could become Joined if their power overtook their chosen mate. You can imagine the consequences of matching the Choosers with lesser powered unChosen and thus, this Wys di Caraat hardened her heart against any ounce of goodwill or forgiveness towards Sira.

On Telepaths, Telepathy and Mental Health:

As I have had a healthy curiosity for the paranormal since the 6th grade, you could say I know quite a bit about telepathy and other mental super-human talents, thus I was quite happy to see there is a thread of interest that points towards the concern for telepaths to monitor their mental health and remain aware of the shadowy depths of their minds. Telepaths take-in such an extraordinary amount of stimuli, as they’re affected by the thoughts of strangers as much as kin or their own conscience. They can easily become lost in the unheard voices of sentient minds striving to put right what is not yet understood – as the mind is a minefield. Similar to other mental health concerns, if telepaths cannot control the wanderings of their mind’s outreach towards what it takes into it’s own core of receptors – it is quite easily able to be understood how then, that particular mind might decide to retreat internally rather than to outwardly seek advise or help. If you lose track of your own thoughts and your own sensibility of what is logical known as your individuality, how can you handle the onslaught of everything outside interceding on your behalf?

My thoughts as we’re about to exit #TheClanChronicles as we’re on the very fringe of Novel No. 9:

One of the interesting layers threading through this part of the Clan Chronicles is Sira’s (asexual) parthenogenesis pregnancy! Czerneda expanded a bit on what was known previously in the Cersi trilogy (my affectionate name for Stratification!) giving us more to contemplate whilst proceeding to show how the Clan’s biology was still evolving and attempting to circumvent biological errors that were in effect happening to them due to the augmented diet and control of their species reproductive cycles. When I first read the trilogy housed on Cersi – when we first learnt about the specific edible diet of the Yena, my mind honed in on that particular dietary component but I told myself, you have two options – muse about it and root out why this is a clue OR take a step back and let the journey tell you the story.

As you already know, I opted to take the journey! I wanted to see how everything knitted into the fuller picture rather than speculating on the wider angle where perception and cognitive recognition of what was happening to not only the Clan but everyone around them was my personal choice. Still. It bears mentioning – when it involves biological and climatic evolutionary changes to a particular species survival, sometimes there are anomalies that can be encountered. Little ‘right or left turns’ that can become the resounding ‘new path’ towards a different way in which to live whilst thriving on how life can continue forward in a different way than before.

You can even notice certain adaptive patterns happening right now in our living biosphere – where elk relocated to Kentucky (for drinking rights); wolves swim across the Great Lakes to reach Michigan (better pack stability & resources); Snowies (Snowy Owls) are flying further south than the Upper tier of the USA to seek food in order to continue to procreate & survive for future generations; moose are moving counter-current to human populations in the Northeast to seek better water & hydration whilst even those of us who are biped and sentient are finding that we’re not all built for humidic or acrid climes but could in effect be the flip-reverse of each other! Case in point: not everyone experiences sadness in grey overcast skies with drizzly rain, light snow flurries or the full absence of the sun. There are generational adaptive changes happening right in front of us – ergo another thread of interest with reading The Clan Chronicles is seeing how another species refused to accept the inevitable and strove to rise together to survive against the odds that nearly led them to extinction.

At one point, I thought about the architects and designers of the Egyptian pyramids & the Buddha statues in Southeast Asia as much as the lost civilisation of Atlantis; how many upper level colonies of humanity have endured the most advancements and have faded from sight, memory and history’s timeline? How much do we still not understand about our own evolving living histories of people who once lived but of whom very little is left behind to be known of their footsteps!? The Clan’s story is subjectively brilliant because it’s keying into subtle truths inside our own existence whilst giving measure to weigh the heartier topics that are trending in the backbone of the story. For instance, the Clan was nearly erased out of ignorance and prejudice in one universe and found expendable in another due to ‘limited’ scope of acceptance for their innate abilities to have free will and freedom of choice to live their lives. Not a hard topic to accept if you ponder the greater philosophical question laying at the root of why the Clan was being attacked with such vengeance.

For me, the Science inside the Clan Chronicles is the most joy equally in-line with my appreciation of the two couples who made the series so very dear and special to my heart-strings! Without either working in tandem to center the series on cross-layers of focus, I am unsure if I would have loved it as much as I had! The humanity is found within the struggles of the Clan, those humanistic wants of seeking companionship, friendship, love and community whilst the pursuit of technology past the point of conceptional understanding is nearly what forbade the Clan to understand their own origins. Technology can increase but if the rate of increased efficiency or productivity or ‘the next best’ erases the knowledge of how that particular tech can be used (ethically and morally) than how important is that tech in anyone’s life?

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Afterword:
I am so very spoilt now for Hard Science Fiction of this nature,… the only hope I have to consume the hours henceforth til October 2017 is to continue to seek out the collective works of Ms Czerneda! She’s whet a thirst of appetite I had long forgotten I had for this style of world-building and the complexities of a central arc of narrative that this yields. Dear me! If anyone were to ask me ‘whom’ shall I read next, my only response would be ‘more Czerneda fiction, please!’ I’m properly addicted, dear hearts! You definitely want to *hold!* the series close to your heart; hugging the books if need be & feel wicked happy for the chance to experience *everything!* writ by Ms Czerneda within the saga!!
Methinks I ought to take a break and seek out her ‘toads’!!
I could do with a bit of wicked good Fantasy! Bring on the Light!
One thought pursed my mind as I concluded Novel No.8: I get to re-alight inside the entire saga all over again once I have children who reach a certain age of whom can answer #whoaretheclan for the first time! Isn’t that half the fun? Finding the stories to pass down to our children!? I’m outside of motherhood by several years – but oh! What wicked joy in thinking – I get to pass my love of the Clan to a new generation!
A final thought:

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This book review is courtesy of:

Julie E. Czerneda and DAW Books

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Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting Ms Czerneda for a wicked sweet convo about The Clan Chronicles! Be sure to visit her interview if you’ve haven’t yet had the chance!

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I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude to both the author, Ms Czerneda and her publicist Ms Webb for making it possible for me to read The Clan Chronicles in succession of order within the timeline of the series! I have positively been overjoyed about my journey into understanding #whoaretheclan inasmuch as finding such strength of world-building, character centred drama, inspiring romances (on Cersi & in Trade Pact space) inasmuch as having a beautiful collection of memories of being with the Clan as they continued to transition & grow throughout the series – where nothing in their lives as ever truly certain but they continued to survive and strive for a better tomorrow for all of them. It is such an incredible breadth of where a series can take you – by heart, by mind and by spirit – I am forever grateful to have had this opportunity to devour the stories each in turn, forever imprinting their legacy on my heart.

#FuellYourSciFi badge created by Jorie in Canva.

As stated on my Twitter Profile:

Knitty Whovian who left her heart on Cersi.

Re-enters #TheClanChronicles before #RRSciFiMonth.

#FuellYourSciFi by what #JorieReads!

I conceptionalised the term ‘Fuell Your Sci Fi’ as a way to re-integrate more science fiction back into my reading life as it’s the genre of choice when it comes to my personal writings inasmuch as one of the first genres that truly had me awestruck as a child! I heart Science Fiction yet I do not feature enough of it on my blog or take enough time to explore its worlds as much as I truly should! I tend to get smitten by Historical Fiction! Therefore, if you see #FuellYourSciFi winking on Twitter, you know I’m fuelling my own heart’s curiosity and expanding my horizon with wicked good reads within the sci-fi realms!

I am also exploring personally selected topics in Science through non-fiction releases that warm my sci-fi bookish heart as they parlay into topics & subjects explored regularly in Hard Sci-Fi which is where my addiction thrives in science fiction as I love the creativity of where hard SF authors take us visually within their brilliantly crafted worlds! Of this group, Julie E. Czerneda re-set the standard for me!

Read all posts I’ve been threading through #FuellYourSciFi!

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My journey into the heart of The Clan Chronicles began during Sci Fi November 2015.

August is the month all of us get our sci-fi geekery together to set the stage for the next event!

Sci-Fi Month 2016 is a month-long event to celebrate science fiction hosted by Rinn Reads and Over the Effing Rainbow. You can join the event here, follow the event on Twitter via the official @SciFiMonth Twitter account, or the hashtag #RRSciFiMonth. Participants already signed into the event this year can be found here!

Bloggers, Authors & Publishers are welcome to become a part of Sci Fi November!

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Reader Interactive Question:

What are you seeking out of hard science fiction and what do you love about multi-species narratives that speak to the epic saga of life and living on a world just outside of our own?

If you’ve been reading The Clan Chronicles,

Who are the Clan, to you?

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Find out why Jorie considered this #bookseries wicked good #hardscifi! Get inside her head! Click To Tweet

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{SOURCES: Permission to use the book summary for this novel off the back cover was given to me by Ms Czerneda’s publicist who also sent me the book cover for “The Gate to Futures Past”; all of which is being used with permission of DAW Books. The author photograph of Julie E. Czerneda, author’s biography and series summary of The Clan Chronicles were sent to me by the author and used with permission. Tweets embedded due to the codes provided by Twitter. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Ruminations and Impressions Banner, #FuellYourSciFi badge, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards Badge (Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo) and the Comment Box Banner.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2016.

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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)

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Posted Thursday, 8 September, 2016 by jorielov in #FuellYourSciFi, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Original Illustration & Design, Book Review (non-blog tour), Canadian Literature, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Equality In Literature, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Hard Science Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Methodology of Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy, Neurosciences | Neurogenetics, Parapsychological Gifts, Quantum | Mechanics Physics Theory, Science Fantasy, Science Fiction, Self-Harm Practices, Space Opera, Speculative Fiction, String Theory, Telepaths & Telepathy, Unexpected Pregnancy




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