A star-crossed romance. Done right, it’s a beautiful thing. Depending on one’s definition, the last three quarters of The Spectrum Chronicles could be beautiful. It’ll just take all three books to have the whole story.
The reader is reintroduced to Consuela Ortez, but instead of the little girl from Light Weaver, she is now a young woman soon to graduate from highschool. She is officially on a date with heartbreaker Rick Reynolds, the rich, popular guy. But the date takes an interesting turn when she disappears from a carnival roller coaster and reappears in a snowy field in a faraway futuristic world. She isn’t alone in the field. A young man, Wander, is also there watching a space ship take off . . . and listening to those in the control tower without a headset, an ability Consuela discovers that she also has.
Back home, Rick is trying to find out what happened to Consuela, finally contacting her old friend, Daniel. Much to his confusion, the teen finds himself being sent into another world where he is called Ensign Richard and he has to continue his search for Consuela here. Will Rick find Consuela? Do the abilities Consuela and Wander share put them in danger? Will Rick and Consuela be able to return home? What is really lurking in the dark reaches of space?
Okay, I’ll admit that despite the cover, I was thrown for a loop when I finally realized this was a science fiction story instead of a medieval fantasy like the first book in the series. So, you need to be fully aware of the fact this is a futuristic fantasy or else you will be beyond confused. (And this is the reason I half-consider the first book to be a standalone story.)
Now, to my understanding, you actually have two options when it comes to the last three books in the series. One, you can find the three individual books and read them that way. Two, you can find the book entitled The Dream Voyagers and get the story that way. I honestly haven’t read The Dream Voyagers myself, but as far as my family and I can tell (since at least one of my parents and possibly my brother have read it) all three books were combined into this one. So, your choice.
Dream Voyager was published under the name Thomas Locke, the pen-name of T. Davis Bunn. The three in one version was published under his true name. The book is divided into twenty-one chapters with 173 pages. I am currently unaware of the publishing history, so I can’t tell you if the smaller book is in print, or the large one either. So, back to the libraries and any possible thrift stores or online sites. ;-) As for rating, I'd have to give the book three out of five Talent Dragons, simply because the story leaves more strings dangling than tied up.
Considering that the last three books in this series are so closely linked, I would probably say that this book would be the one laying the foundation and introducing some key good guys before heading up into the finale of the series. For the book itself, it does have a space battle that they lead up to, and also have Consuela trying to figure out her feelings for Wander and how to explain that she is from another world. I would certainly recommend this book to any who enjoy romantic science fiction or world travel.
Well, until next time. Bye.
Other Spectrum Chronicles:
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