Review: The Jade Talisman by Alanna Mackenzie

Good afternoon! Yes, I'm very late, today. School started Monday, and in our house, we always need about a week or so to get back into the swing of things. While I did contemplate shoving this one back a few days, I really didn't want to do another switch-a-roo...I mean, what's the purpose of giving everyone a sneak peek, and then, changing it without notice all of the time? 

This one is book 2 of a series...one I haven't read except for this book. I would love to change that if my schedule allows soon because I did enjoy this one as much as I like the cover. It's a young adult novel placed in the future and holds tons of intrigue.

Ready to take a jump into the future? 

THE JADE TALISMAN

The Jade Chronicles #2

by Alanna Mackenzie

Willow Lane Publishing 

Young Adult Science Fiction / Fantasy / Dystopian

209 pages

A talisman. A song. A gift that bends time, and alters the course of destiny itself.

It is the year 2762 in the Empire of Khalendar, and AI Masters rule the civilized world, striving to crush all dissent. But they have not yet managed to quell the Jade Rebellion or its leader, Walter Saltanetska. The rebels have sailed beyond the Empire’s borders to the infamous isle of Vei’arash. Their mission is to find animal spirits exiled long ago by the AI Masters, and return them to the mainland. With any luck, the spirits will strengthen the fading magical powers of their allies, the Western Mages, and join the battle against their oppressive rulers.

As the rebels plunge deeper into the jungle, physical laws are upended. The plants and animals of the rainforest are inextricably linked to divine beings. An ancient shaman-god entrusts Walter with the Jade Talisman, an enchanted gemstone that warps the basic rules of time and space.

The Talisman allows Walter to gaze into a mesmerizing labyrinth of future possibilities. But the visions it offers up are troublingly dark, giving Walter insight into the potential fates of himself and his loved ones. This gift proves to be a crushing burden, and Walter desperately longs for an ordinary life. But there is no going back…

The gripping sequel to The Jade Rebellion, The Jade Talisman explores whether nature and spirituality are capable of persevering in a world dominated by the cold logic of artificial intelligence.

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

Future, past, magic and high-tech come together in a fast paced, futuristic novel, which grabs into a intriguing world.

Walter lives in the future, where AIs are in charge and magic is as much a part of the high-tech as circuits. Realizing that nature and the world are at stake, he seeks to find a way to rebel and save what remains. During his search in the outlaying towns and areas, nature's spirits are on his side. when he gains a talisman, which allows him to see the future, he's left with a web of visions, which he may not be able to handle, but must if he wants to succeed.

I did not read the first one in the series, and that was a mistake. While I could think my way through the beginning and figure out what was going on, reading the first book would have been helpful and definitely enriched the world. So, read this one as a series if possible.

This is a well-created world, which takes a dystopian viewpoint where AIs rule and run everything. But it's not pure science fiction, either. Rather, magic plays just as an important role and has melded seamlessly into the advancements. This alone was a treat to read, since the author does pull the elements together very nicely. But it doesn't stop there. It takes a look at the need for nature survive, and on this side, uses natural spirits, who fight to continue their existence. So, there are several layers in this plot.

Both tension and pacing remain high. Walter is determined to save what still remains of nature and Earth, and he's pitted against impossible odds. But it's about more than just this battle. Walter needs to learn to deal with his own abilities and that of the world around him. He has quite a bit to figure out and adjust to, while learning to gain a better understanding of everything involved. In other words, there are quite a few unexpected moments, situations which aren't sure victories, and plenty of times to wonder how it will work out. It's an interesting read, which grabs and holds in a unique world.

Sneak Peek: The Jade Talisman by Alanna MacKenzie with Giveaway

 

This is my post during the blog tour for The Jade Talisman by Alanna Mackenzie. In The Jade Talisman a band of rebels explores a wild, desolate island beyond the borders of an Empire controlled by artificial intelligence, in the hopes of finding animal spirits to join the battle against their oppressive rulers.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 12 till 18 July. You can see the tour schedule here.

The Jade Talisman (The Jade Chronicles #2)
By Alanna Mackenzie
Genre: Science Fiction/ Fantasy
Age category Young Adult
Release Date: 30 March, 2021

Blurb:
A talisman. A song. A gift that bends time, and alters the course of destiny itself.

It is the year 2762 in the Empire of Khalendar, and AI Masters rule the civilized world, striving to crush all dissent. But they have not yet managed to quell the Jade Rebellion or its leader, Walter Saltanetska. The rebels have sailed beyond the Empire’s borders to the infamous isle of Vei’arash. Their mission is to find animal spirits exiled long ago by the AI Masters, and return them to the mainland. With any luck, the spirits will strengthen the fading magical powers of their allies, the Western Mages, and join the battle against their oppressive rulers.

As the rebels plunge deeper into the jungle, physical laws are upended. The plants and animals of the rainforest are inextricably linked to divine beings. An ancient shaman-god entrusts Walter with the Jade Talisman, an enchanted gemstone that warps the basic rules of time and space.

The Talisman allows Walter to gaze into a mesmerizing labyrinth of future possibilities. But the visions it offers up are troublingly dark, giving Walter insight into the potential fates of himself and his loved ones. This gift proves to be a crushing burden, and Walter desperately longs for an ordinary life. But there is no going back…

The gripping sequel to The Jade Rebellion, The Jade Talisman explores whether nature and spirituality are capable of persevering in a world dominated by the cold logic of artificial intelligence.

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon ebook
- Amazon paperback

SNEAK PEEK

When Walter arrived at the river, the first thing he noticed was the drying racks the villagers had laid out along its banks. The water level was high, and the river churned swiftly across the landscape, slicing through the monotony of the night’s blackness like a serpent winding across the dark earth. 

Walter sat down on a boulder near the river’s edge to admire the grace and power of the waterway. Before long, tears sprang to his eyes as he realized he missed Christopher and the days they had spent training for battle together in Tsei’watu. It was not surprising that those memories were returning to him now, by the river—it was near the edge of a stream that he had bonded with Christopher, first learned to spear a fish with his balayan, and discovered that Christopher was Elaine’s brother. Christopher felt like a brother to Walter, and in that sense reminded him of Jonathan. Although Walter had recently reunited with Jonathan, Walter felt as though the new Jonathan was a different man, a stranger whose humanity had been cruelly eradicated by the AI Masters. In Walter’s mind, the old Jonathan of his childhood was a hero who had symbolized the resilience and indomitability of the human spirit. This, of course, rendered the brainwashing all the more heartbreaking. 

Walter unexpectedly found himself weeping near the river’s edge, his mind tormented by a slew of worries about the past and the future. Over a year ago, Elaine had been captured by the AI Masters and he had set out in a rowboat to rescue her. Walter had then chanced upon a seer in a tavern who revealed that his brother—whom he had long believed to be dead—was actually alive. His quest had therefore begun with a basic objective, finding his loved ones, and he had gradually acquired new goals and aspirations during the course of his travels. 

However, he regarded his mission so far as a failure. Walter had set out to find Elaine, but after reuniting with her he had not been able to re-kindle their relationship—and now, he had slept with another man’s wife, which would no doubt set back his efforts. Walter had also set out to find his brother, but instead he had encountered a troubled stranger whom he could barely relate to anymore. He had set out to rebel against the AI Masters and to lead the Jade Rebellion to victory, but now he was wasting valuable time on this potentially futile quest. Instead of fighting the AI Masters, Walter was wandering aimlessly through the untamed wilderness in search of animal spirits—that likely did not even exist—and a half-crazed shaman-god. The young man shuddered with grief as he realized that the AI Masters were readying their bulldozers to destroy Elaine’s village to make way for the massive diamond mine they wanted to build, and he was helpless to do anything from this small, isolated island in the middle of the Hapakay Sea.

Even if the animal spirits are real, Walter thought, what chance do they stand against the technological might of the AI Masters? The AI Masters had been victorious against those spirits in the past, when they had succeeded in quelling the uprising of the southern tribes and their shamans. Since then, the AI Masters had grown exponentially in wealth, power, and influence. 

As tears blurred his vision, Walter spotted a curious figure emerge from the shadowy rainforest. At first, he thought that it was simply the moonlight reflecting off of a nearby rock, but when Walter wiped the tears from his eyes the figure came into sharp relief.  It was an antlered stag, with a coat that was an ethereal, luminous shade of bluish-white. Walter squinted in confusion at the apparition, attempting to discern whether or not it was real as his heart thudded in his chest. Although he could not tell for certain, Walter suspected that it was the same stag he had slaughtered several days ago with Ishkode, which had been carved and dried on these riverbanks. Walter chuckled as he realized how absurd that thought was; it departed from every natural and physical law known to mankind. And yet, he instinctively sensed that his suspicions were correct—contrary to logic or reason, the animal that now stood before him was the same one he had slain. 

The ghostly stag came closer. Walter watched it in fascination as the phantom crossed the river with ease, wading confidently through the rushing waters. When the spirit was so close to him that Walter could touch it, he saw that it had the exact same markings and antlers as the slain stag, and even had a wound in its neck where Walter had slaughtered the creature with Ishkode’s knife. 

When Walter reached out to place a hand on the stag’s back, he did not touch the warm, firm body of a living animal but a cold, ephemeral substance that made the young man shiver. The stag did not move, and simply continued to gaze at Walter with wide, black orbs of eyes which were so dark in contrast to the surrounding white luminescence that they looked like holes carved into a star. Walter’s memory was jogged by the sight, and he realized that the stag’s piercing black eyes were uncannily similar to those of the seer he had met in the Jamestown tavern many moons ago. When Walter touched the spirit, a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and memories suddenly flooded his mind, and he became overwhelmed with an intense yet indescribable sensation which could not quite be categorized as either pleasure or pain, but was equally poignant. For a fleeting instant, Walter was immersed in the stag’s world; he was temporarily capable of experiencing the vibrant richness of each and every memory the creature had acquired during its life on Earth. 

First book in the series discounted!

“A reckoning. A rebellion. The worlds of artificial intelligence and ancient magic collide.”

The Jade Rebellion by Alanna Mackenzie is the first book in The Jade Chronicles series. It’s currently discounted. You can get the paperback for only $7.99 and the ebook for only $2.99!

Links:
- Amazon ebook
- Amazon paperback

About the Author:
Alanna Mackenzie lives in Vancouver, Canada. She holds degrees in History, French studies, and Law from the University of British Columbia. An environmentalist at heart, she believes in using the law as a tool for social and environmental change. When she is not pursuing that passion, she can be found brainstorming the next chapter in her novels, playing Irish fiddle tunes on the violin, and hiking West Coast trails.

You can find and contact Alanna Mackenzie here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Jade Talisman. Prizes are US and Canada only. These are the prizes you can win:
- 3 winners win paperback copies of both The Jade Rebellion (book 1) and The Jade Talisman (book 2)
- 2 winners win a paperback copies of the Jade Rebellion (book 1)

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Jade Rebellion by Alanna Mackenzie

THE JADE REBELLION

The Jade Chronicles #1

by Alanna Mackenzie

YA Science Fiction/ Fantasy

1 May, 2018

A reckoning. A rebellion. The worlds of artificial intelligence and ancient magic collide.

Crystal City glistens with diamonds, but its dazzling beauty comes at a deadly price. The capital of Khalendar thrives on a steady supply of gemstones from the neighboring Barrens, a colony of the Empire.

Walter Saltanetska translates AI code for the Khalendar government, helping to breathe life into the ambitious vision of the AI Masters. When Walter discovers a terrible secret which could destroy the life of his lover, Elaine, he decides to tell her despite strict orders to keep what he translates confidential.

What begins as a catastrophe eventually grows into a rebellion. Elaine is taken captive by the AI Masters, and Walter must do everything in his power to rescue her. He starts his quest with a single goal in mind, finding Elaine, but along the way Walter discovers that saving her is only a small part of his destiny. During his travels, he encounters a long-lost relative, a warrior matriarch, and a mystical kingdom forgotten to time. Yet Walter's true journey occurs not in physical space, but the captivating depths of his mind.

An inventive blend of dystopian science-fiction and fantasy, the Jade Rebellion explores whether we can overcome technological determinism by preserving history, nature, spirituality, and ultimately, our humanity.

You can find The Jade Rebellion on Goodreads

You can buy The Jade Rebellion here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Booktopia

MY TIDBITS

Science fiction with AI, magic, and all of that mixed into a rebellion...this one was a definite 'read-me-please'.

AI Masters have taken over, leaving humans to exist either on the pitiful side of society or under constant, close watch in the sparkling city. Walter has a special knack for coding and has earned the right to work in a good job. But when his own mistake has the girl he likes captured and placed on a ship to an island, which, according to rumor, is barely better than a prison, he's determined to save her. Although this endeavor alone is already enough for a huge adventure, it's only the first small pebble in what fate really holds for him.

The world in this book is rich. The author has set up a future, which is not only intriguing, but also done a terrific job at describing it and letting it come to life. The misery and fear is tangible, but yet, the amazing scifi end and magic give it a fantastical flair. Myth, spirits and simply magic mix in seamlessly with the 'evil' AI intelligence, futuristic technology, and dystopian environment. It made my scifi/fantasy heart beat faster and was a treat to discover.

The tale itself is well woven with tons of twists and turns. Walter is in for quite the ride just as such a rich world demands. There are subplots and secrets upon secrets. It's impossible to guess what will happen next, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the end.

With so much goodness, this book promises to be a wonderful read. Unfortunately, the characters fell more than short. While potentially more than interesting, they are stuck an arm length's away thanks to the writing style. The dialogue, especially in the earlier part of the book, is almost non-existent, allowing everything to unfold as if watching it but not being there. I wanted to love them but never got to get close to any of them. Also, this is sold as a young adult novel, but Walter didn't give me the impression of being a teenager. He'd already passed tests to enter a profession and his actions, while risky, were too mature. Not that this would have mattered, since adults (and YA) would have loved the story if the characters had been easier to connect with.

Summed up, there is tons and tons of awesomeness in these pages. The world building and basic concepts...as well as the plot...promise so much and deliver. If the characters had been more 'real', it would have blown me away.


And here she is...


Alanna Mackenzie lives in Vancouver, Canada. She holds degrees in History, French studies, and Law from the University of British Columbia. An environmentalist at heart, she believes in using the law as a tool for social and environmental change. When she is not pursuing that passion, she can be found brainstorming the next chapter in her novels, playing Irish fiddle tunes on the violin, and hiking West Coast trails.

You can find and contact Alanna Mackenzie here:
- Website
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

Sneak Peek: The Jade Rebellion by Alanna Mackenzie with Giveaway!

The Jade Rebellion

The Jade Chronicles #1

by Alanna Mackenzie

YA Science Fiction/ Fantasy

A reckoning. A rebellion. The worlds of artificial intelligence and ancient magic collide.

Crystal City glistens with diamonds, but its dazzling beauty comes at a deadly price. The capital of Khalendar thrives on a steady supply of gemstones from the neighboring Barrens, a colony of the Empire.

Walter Saltanetska translates AI code for the Khalendar government, helping to breathe life into the ambitious vision of the AI Masters. When Walter discovers a terrible secret which could destroy the life of his lover, Elaine, he decides to tell her despite strict orders to keep what he translates confidential.

What begins as a catastrophe eventually grows into a rebellion. Elaine is taken captive by the AI Masters, and Walter must do everything in his power to rescue her. He starts his quest with a single goal in mind, finding Elaine, but along the way Walter discovers that saving her is only a small part of his destiny. During his travels, he encounters a long-lost relative, a warrior matriarch, and a mystical kingdom forgotten to time. Yet Walter's true journey occurs not in physical space, but the captivating depths of his mind.

An inventive blend of dystopian science-fiction and fantasy, the Jade Rebellion explores whether we can overcome technological determinism by preserving history, nature, spirituality, and ultimately, our humanity.

You can find The Jade Rebellion on Goodreads

You can buy The Jade Rebellion here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Booktopia

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 18 February till 3 March. See the tour schedule here.

SNEAK PEEK

Mariner’s Cove was a pristine beach surrounded by high limestone cliffs, and its unspoiled natural beauty contrasted starkly with the concrete towers of Crystal City. In the summertime, it was filled with people from all walks of life. Situated at the southern border between Crystal City and the Stockyards, the cove was one of the few places in Khalendar where elites and working-class folk mingled freely without any conflict. Between late fall and early spring, the beach was generally deserted, frequented only by cormorants, gulls, and the occasional albatross. It was the perfect place for meditation and reflection, if you didn’t mind the biting cold of the westerly winds and the crashing sound of the waves as they collided violently with the shore.

As soon as Walter’s interview was over he went to Mariner’s Cove, eager to soothe the fierce pounding in his head and to bring his rapid heart rate back down to normal levels. He sat down against a log near the water’s edge, and only after he had settled in did he realize that he was not alone; a girl was sitting on the other side of his log, reading quietly. Walter surveyed the silvery blue expanse of ocean stretched out beneath the horizon. In clear weather, it was possible to spot the northern tip of Scarlet Isle from Mariner’s Cove, but on that day the island was blanketed in an impenetrable shroud of mist.

Walter had made a game out of counting ships in the harbor, and it was one of his favorite beach pastimes. Identifying ships was more complicated in unruly weather, however, and on days when a dense shroud of mist and fog blanketed the harbor. The vessels were partially hidden beneath the shroud, their prows and masts modestly exposing themselves like timid maidens peeking through their wedding veils. Walter struggled to count the ships accurately, and his failure irritated him. He had always been proud of his own precision, but that quality also made him slightly obsessive and hard on himself.

The fog was growing heavier, and several ominous-looking clouds were rolling in toward the shore. Walter recalled their name from science class: cumulus. It sounded thick and heavy, like sludge. He gazed at them indifferently, confident that the clouds would not reach him and that he could relax at the beach for a few more hours, lazily curing his exhaustion. Yet he also knew how terrible thunderstorms at Mariner’s Cove could become; they had acquired a sort of legendary status throughout Khalendar. During a storm, waves would climb higher and higher as towering sheets of water assaulted the shore. When the waves broke, they would crash ferociously upon the rocky beach, erupting into dazzling geysers of foam and froth. The thunder would echo and bounce off of the limestone cliffs of the cove, saturating the beach with sound and fury. While it was a beautiful sight to behold, it was also quite dangerous. Many lives had been claimed through such thunderstorms, and Crystal City’s law enforcement agents had taken to reprimanding anyone who stayed at the cove during the storms.

After the immense challenge Walter had recently undergone, however, it seemed as though he could conquer anything; nothing appeared dangerous or daunting to him anymore. Adrenaline pumped through his veins still, even though its force was waning and was gradually being replaced by the desire to sleep. A vague thought nonetheless stirred within him: that the girl sitting behind him was facing the opposite direction of the oncoming storm, and was likely completely unaware of its approach.

And here she is...

Alanna Mackenzie lives in Vancouver, Canada. She holds degrees in History, French studies, and Law from the University of British Columbia. An environmentalist at heart, she believes in using the law as a tool for social and environmental change. When she is not pursuing that passion, she can be found brainstorming the next chapter in her novels, playing Irish fiddle tunes on the violin, and hiking West Coast trails.

You can find and contact Alanna Mackenzie here:
- Website
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

GIVEAWAY!!!

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Jade Rebellion. One winner will win a physical copy of The Jade Rebellion by Alanna Mackenzie (US Only).

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway