Welcome to my tour stop for the Order of the Seers trilogy. Today I have three reviews for each book and an excerpt from book one. I hope you enjoy my reviews and find it completely helpful!
Author: Cerece Rennie Murphy
Series: Order of the Seers #1
Age: Young Adult/ New Adult
Genres: Science Fiction
Publication Date: August 28th, 2014
Publisher: LionSky Publishing
Page Numbers: 260
Format: Paperback
Source: The author
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis:
What would you do if you held infinite power in the palm of your hand?
The Order of the Seers trilogy poses this question within a story that fuses action, mystery, and romance within a science fiction adventure that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
Captured and enslaved for their extraordinary gift, a group of individuals, known as Seers, are forced to serve a ruthless world organization that uses the power of the Seers to exploit the ultimate advantage: knowing the future. While a brother and his Seer sister fight to evade the group that hunts them, an unlikely captured Seer plots his escape from within the organization and sets off a chain of events that will change the world.
The journey begins with Order of the Seers (Book I) and continues with The Red Order (Book II). The final chapter in the Order of the Seers trilogy, titled The Last Seer (Book III), will be released on September 30, 2014.
My Rating:
Book Trailer
Excerpt
Chapter 1: The EndSunday, June 22, 2008
Liam was losing his patience. “Aw, come on! Are you serious? You can’t want to ride this thing again!”
Instead of answering her older brother, Lilli remained in her seat as the Ferris wheel conductor looked on expectantly, hand outstretched and waiting for another two tokens.
The way Lilli’s skinny arms hugged her book bag while she stared blankly at the pressed metal floor of their “Fairy Land Caboose” made it hard for Liam to stay angry. The sight of her looking so dejected softened him enough to give the conductor his fifth set of tokens in less than 45 minutes. Liam settled back into his seat just as the lap bar clamped down uncomfortably against his thighs.
“Lilli,say something. Why’d you drag me out here if you were just gonna sulk? I hate the carnival, you know that.”
“I know something… okay? Just… trust me. We have to stay here.” Her voice was so low he could barely hear her over the wind-up music that was blaring from the overhead speakers.
“Did Mom say something to you?”
Lilli responded to his question with silence and a barely discernable shake of her head back and forth. He tried again.
“Lilli! Did Mom…?”
“Yes,” she snapped.
They both fell silent again as Liam took in the latest weird thing day. Lilith Knight, or Lilli as she preferred to be called, had always been of the strange. Even when she was five,she could beat Liam at chess lazily, without even thinking about it. She would find things and give them to you before you asked for them. Before you, or even she, knew why. Up until recently, he thought she was just a freak. No biggie. All little sisters are like that, he told himself.
It was only in the past few months that his perception of her began to shift, after her prediction that he would catch his new girlfriend, Krista, kissing his teammate Lance in the locker room after their championship game. At the time, he’d brushed off her premonition as meddling. Krista wasn’t even his girlfriend and his team was 1-1 with the whole basketball season ahead of them.
He’d forgotten her warning completely until two months later when he ran back into the locker room after winning the championship to get the jacket he’d left behind and immediately smelled Krista’s perfume. When he found them, two thoughts overshadowed the scene unfolding in front of him. The first was that what they were doing wasn’t really “kissing,” though he could see how a sheltered thirteen-year-old would describe it that way. His second thought was that Lilli was right; she was exactly right. He was so stunned by Lilli’s accuracy that he didn’t even bother to disturb them, leaving his new ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend to their business. From that moment, Liam understood that Lilli wasn’t just a freak, or more accurately, that she wasn’t a freak at all. She was special…gifted.
The sound of Lilli’s sniffling followed by the trembling of her body as she began to cry uncontrollably broke the long silence that had fallen between them. What the…, Liam half-mumbled as his mind swung from irritation to absolute bewilderment. Slowly and deliberately, Liam moved his palms down the front of his face as he fought the urge to shake the truth right out of her and end whatever this was. But he couldn’t. She’s so brittle already, he thought, without any idea as to why. So instead, he reached out to envelop his sister in his arms, trying to soothe her and comfort her from some unknown force.
“Lilli, it’s all right. I’m sorry, okay? Don’t cry. Just… tell me what’s going on. Why are we here?”
He tried to wait patiently, to rein in the confusion and frustration that had been piercing through the calm day he had planned for himself when he woke up that morning, as cool and carefree as any sixteen-year-old boy. It was Lilli who had dragged him out of the house before he could even wolf down his second bowl of Honeycombs. “Mom said you have to take me to the carnival. NOW!” She had demanded.
He had started to head upstairs to launch his appeal when his eye caught his mother’s note on the refrigerator door. “Take Lilli to the fair. NOW.—Love, Mom,” it read.He knew that meant his mother had left the house early; there was no appeal to be made. Begrudgingly, he slipped on his sneakers and grabbed the car keys, all the while wondering if Lilli was still too young to be left at the fair by herself.
His earlier thoughts of abandonment brought him back to his sister’s form beside him. Not knowing what else to do, Liam simply held her tight as her convulsing turned to trembling, and finally, back to stillness. At the top of the Ferris wheel,she finally spoke.
“It’s over now, we can go home,” she whispered. But as impatient for answers and a reprieve from big brother duties as he was, Liam knew that it was not over. The emotionless tone in her voice scared him. It made him want to stay on the Ferris wheel he’d been begging to get off of a few short minutes ago. As the music died down and their feet got closer to the ground, he suddenly felt conflicting urges to stay where he was and to rush home to his mother. As the ride came to a stop, he suddenly realized with profound certainty that this was much more than one of Lilli’s “episodes.” Something was very, very wrong
When Liam pulled his father’s green 2002 Saab in front of their small brick house, everything seemed as it always did—quiet and predictable in their modest yet comfortable home. They had lived in a much bigger house before his father died, but Liam never minded sharing a bathroom with his mother and sister. All the toys and trinkets that had mattered to him when he was a child were rendered insignificant the moment his mother told him that his father would never come home again. As he got out of the car and began to take the front steps two at a time, he noticed that Lilli had stopped at the tree stump his mother had cut down the week before. Sitting down, her eyes remained on the ground. Just as his mouth formed the shape of a question,she spoke.
“No, you go. I can’t see it again.”
Liam didn’t stop to ask what she meant. Whatever she meant, he was sure it was worse than he thought. He tried to hold back the swell of fear in his chest as he ran to the front door, but his emotions spun out of control the moment he tested the front door knob and found it opened—easily. They never left the front door unlocked.
When he stepped into the house, he actually felt the life, the person he had been, rush past him and out the door as his eyes took in the overturned, splintered remains of their living room. It was a feeling he’d felt only once before, when his father died. But what made it worse, what made it permanent, was lying in the middle of the floor, with its contents thrown everywhere. It was his mother’s purse, which had not been there when he left that morning.
“Mom!” he shouted as he raced up the stairs to her room. “Mom. Please!” he shouted again, but no one answered. In every room he looked, it was the same - scattered clothes, broken mirrors, and silence—a deafening silence that rang louder than the sound of his own shallow breathing.
If he took the stairs at lightning speed to make it to the second floor, an age could have passed during his descent. The entire house consisted of three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a small open dining area that you could see clearly from the front door. As he walked down the steps, he knew there was only one room left to check. His mind was frozen on what to hope for as his hand reached the end of the banister. If she wasn’t in the kitchen, she might have been taken, but at least there was a chance she was still alive. If she was in the kitchen, it was unthinkable.
Lilli’s words came to him just as he rounded the doorway to the kitchen.
“No, you go. I can’t see it again.”He found his mother sitting with her feet planted on the floor, shoulder width apart, bright eyes open and cast to the ceiling, with a hole blown through the middle of her chest.
My Thoughts
Cerece Rennie Murphy has created a very intriguing start to her trilogy. I enjoyed this book, the world and the characters. I didn't like how slow paced. Sometimes I felt like it dragged with too much detail, but I realize that it created a well rounded insight into each character, their actions, the world and build up to something greater.Lilith and Liam Knight were outstanding characters for me. What they had to endure with the truth about their parents in unbelievable. The Guild destroyed their family. Lilith was only 13 or younger when things went array for them, but she grew into a powerful, smart and determined young lady. Liam was the perfect big brother who stepped in as parent. He was very protective
Alessandra was a spitfire lady! I enjoyed her sassy wit and her comments to everyone. Learning that she was a powerful Seer and knowing what her gift was brought fire to the novel. Marcus Akida, an African powerful Seer, was the man! I totally loved his character inside and out. I loved how at the beginning of his purification stages he didn't let them wipe his memory clean. He allowed himself to feel the pain and anger from lost of his family. That pain and anger led to his escape alongside other Seers.
Joel Akida was a perfect character. He kept himself hidden from everyone except Lilith. He knew how his father was going to die and he knew he couldn't stop it or reveal himself. He took his future with pride and made sure everything he did was according to the good of his fathers cause and not just for himself. I definitely like Joel
The romance in this book between Liam and Alessandra and Lilith and Joel was pretty awesome. It was a perfect balance between each couple and allows for much more development. That sex scene with Liam and Alessandra was totally unexpected! Liam and Alessandra had enough time to build a cute relationship. For Lilith and Joel I need to find out more about how their relationship blossoms.
The other Seers and commune's people (Eli, Marshall, Lucia, Jared and etc) were simply equally amazing. The all worked hard together to eliminate a threat against their own. Even though they all started out afraid of one another, they took the time to get to know each other and use their gifts and knowledge to help build a home -- a safe haven for them all.
The Guild is outrageous. A secret organization within the United World Organization that is stealing Seers to learn about and protect their futures -- greedy men and women. I couldn't understand why they had to kill every family after stealing the Seers. They should have just kidnapped them on a better level. I hated Crane with a passion. His eyes were on killing poor females and having their blood on him. He was the type of guy to go towards violence and anger. Andreas, on the other hand, was more logical. I still hated him because he worked with the Guild, but he thought things through and protected the Seers from any hurt, harm or danger. The fact that they have a new group of Seers on the rise is very interesting! I need to know more.
Overall, this was an awesome sci-fi novel and I'm excited to see what happens next in the sequel, The Red Order.
Author: Cerece Rennie Murphy
Series: Order of the Seers #2
Age: Young Adult/ New Adult
Genres: Sci-Fi
Publication Date: June 18th, 2013
Publisher: LionSky Publishing
Page Numbers: 241
Format: Paperback
Source: The author
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis:
The Quest to Control the Power of the Seers Continues…
After successfully destroying the Guild’s Purification Center in Chicago, The Lost Seers, led by Joel Akida and Lilli Knight, embark upon a world-wide mission to save their kind from the tyranny of the Guild and unveil their greatest weapon – The Restoration Project. Developed in secret, The Restoration Project has the potential to awaken the supernatural ability within every man, woman, and child on earth and bring down the very foundation of the Guild’s power and authority.
But the Guild has other plans. Driven by the necessity for control, Crane Le Dieu creates The Red Order, a new league of clairvoyants whose sole purpose is to hunt down and annihilate the Lost Seers. Without the Guild’s mind-controlling drugs, The Red Order is able to develop its gifts far beyond the capacity to see the future, honing their skills to become the ultimate threat against the Lost Seers. But the question remains – will the power of The Red Order be enough to defeat them?
The Red Order continues the epic battle for freedom which began in Order of the Seers, revealing the secret motives behind an organization that exists to exploit and a renegade movement that seeks to usher in the next phase in human evolution.
My Rating:
Book Trailer
Quotes I Like
"Me? Oh, I'm going with Option 3, I'll be at the front lines of this fight while you're in a lab getting needles stuck in your ass." - Liam"It doesn't matter where you spend your Sundays. God is not what you say God is or even what you believe. God is. Don't confuse your perception with truth. What I'm connected to is not a religion. I'm talking about a connection to a source that unifies all living things -- every single thing that exists. It is an ultimate truth, an infinite understanding." - Joel
"Lady! If you don't stop screaming in my ears, I swear to God, you're going to be the first woman I've ever hit in my life. It's going to hell and we're trying to save your life, so please do me a favor and shut the hell up!" - Vincent
"Look, I hate to use a male metaphor here, but I don't have time to think of a more poetic way to say this, so here goes. I can't help you find your dick, ok? You have to do that on your own. If you find it before tomorrow and decide you want to use it, give me a call. Ming will have the answers you need." - Thea
My Thoughts
Oh My Gosh! Cerece has created a fabulous sequel to the Order of the Seers. I have to give this beauty a full on 5 star rating because everything I needed was there! The romance, the action, the pace, the characters -- were simply magnificent.
Lilith is such an amazing character. In every way she is beautiful, peaceful and seeks to help others. I think her abilities are highly superior than all the others, including Joel and Marcus, because what she was able to do to Crane blew my mind away. Lilith definitely has a lot in store for her future and I am pretty sure her new gifts will begin to show pretty soon. I enjoyed the power she kicked into, but where did it come from? Was her mother also like that?
Joel is the perfect husband! He tried his hardest to protect Lilith, but knew he couldn't. He stopped at nothing to find her. I loved how he spoke to the people in Cuba about the human trails and gave them the truth. Liam and Alessandra are still kickass and awesome. The love for another is perfect and the protective heart they have for Lilith is amazing. I love it!
Miguel definitely turned over a new leaf from what he did in Order of the Seers. From a killer to helping take down the Guild -- he definitely has gotten some love from me. I don't blame him though at all, he was lied to like everyone and the lies were smooth. I am proud of what he did and sad for his downfall.
The Red Order was just a group of confused and lied to Seers. I was happy when they all discovered the truth about Crane's lies. Nina and Michael definitely did their hardest to help the Lost Seers, but did they really die? What happened to them? Tyrol makes me wonder if he was one of Crane's legions simply because he was the only one who could see through Crane's true self.
Crane is one hell of a deceptive character. I cannot believe what he is -- I totally did not expect it to occur or even be powerful. No wonder he is so devious and likes the sight of blood. He is simply evil all around. The way he lied to the Guild and Seers only to benefit himself was ridiculous. I don't get why no one could see through his craziness. I need to understand him more, I just have to know.
The Red Order was the perfect sequel to this trilogy. I am totally starting to love this trilogy so much. It's time crack open the final book, The Last Seer, and see the end results.
Lilith is such an amazing character. In every way she is beautiful, peaceful and seeks to help others. I think her abilities are highly superior than all the others, including Joel and Marcus, because what she was able to do to Crane blew my mind away. Lilith definitely has a lot in store for her future and I am pretty sure her new gifts will begin to show pretty soon. I enjoyed the power she kicked into, but where did it come from? Was her mother also like that?
Joel is the perfect husband! He tried his hardest to protect Lilith, but knew he couldn't. He stopped at nothing to find her. I loved how he spoke to the people in Cuba about the human trails and gave them the truth. Liam and Alessandra are still kickass and awesome. The love for another is perfect and the protective heart they have for Lilith is amazing. I love it!
Miguel definitely turned over a new leaf from what he did in Order of the Seers. From a killer to helping take down the Guild -- he definitely has gotten some love from me. I don't blame him though at all, he was lied to like everyone and the lies were smooth. I am proud of what he did and sad for his downfall.
The Red Order was just a group of confused and lied to Seers. I was happy when they all discovered the truth about Crane's lies. Nina and Michael definitely did their hardest to help the Lost Seers, but did they really die? What happened to them? Tyrol makes me wonder if he was one of Crane's legions simply because he was the only one who could see through Crane's true self.
Crane is one hell of a deceptive character. I cannot believe what he is -- I totally did not expect it to occur or even be powerful. No wonder he is so devious and likes the sight of blood. He is simply evil all around. The way he lied to the Guild and Seers only to benefit himself was ridiculous. I don't get why no one could see through his craziness. I need to understand him more, I just have to know.
The Red Order was the perfect sequel to this trilogy. I am totally starting to love this trilogy so much. It's time crack open the final book, The Last Seer, and see the end results.
Title: The Last Seer
Author: Cerece Rennie Murphy
Series: Order of the Seers #3
Age: Young Adult, New Adult
Genres: Sci-Fi
Publication Date: September 30th, 2014
Publisher: LionSky Publishing
Page Numbers: 234
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Source: The author
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis:
My Rating:
Author: Cerece Rennie Murphy
Series: Order of the Seers #3
Age: Young Adult, New Adult
Genres: Sci-Fi
Publication Date: September 30th, 2014
Publisher: LionSky Publishing
Page Numbers: 234
Format: Paperback (ARC)
Source: The author
Purchase: Amazon | B&N
Synopsis:
The Seers face their greatest challenge in the final chapter of the Order of the Seers trilogy…
When the fall of one nemesis unleashes an even greater danger into the world, Lilli, Joel and the Lost Seers must stand against a new enemy with the means and the will to destroy all of mankind, starting with those they hold most dear.
As the Seers mobilize to confront this new evil, the Guild tries desperately to uphold the crumbling world order on which it depends. When their attempts to manage the crisis fail, the members of the Guild are forced to place themselves at the mercy of an unlikely ally.
But the Guild isn’t the only one interested in maintaining control.
An agreement made in secret threatens to destroy any hope of a peaceful alliance before it can be made and as the betrayals unfold, no one is safe against a power that will stop at nothing to get what it wants. To defeat this threat and ensure the survival of the human race, the Seers must push the boundaries of their abilities beyond any limits they have known and risk crossing the line between life and death.
How far would you go to protect what matters most?
My Rating:
Book Trailer
My Thoughts
Cerece Rennie Murphy … let me just say that this trilogy was perfect in every way! I cannot believe how captivated and invested I was in these characters. It was amazing to see each character grow, new ones evolve and dangers arise.
Lilith and Joel were so brave and awesome! I always knew that Lilith was something different and special from the other Seers. She just had so much going for herself. I love how she battled within herself to stay and transcend. She's stay as long as possible to be a support for her brother, very sisterly of her. Joel was fantastic as well, but learning that he could do what Lilith did made their relationship mean something much more for me. I love how they self sacrificed themselves in the end for the greater good. Fabulous.
Liam and Alessandra are just too sweet and adorable as a couple. When faced with danger they both froze up which is totally understandable, I mean those demons were insane. I loved how they both got back in to action for themselves and made sure to help however they could. I cannot believe they are pregnant and with a girl! It brings new light into the way things ended for Lilith. I mean it is so cute, but having their child look like all the Seers is very interesting. Will she be a new kind of Seer?
I cannot believe Marcus was alive! Not physically, but in the spiritual sense that Lilith and Joel transcended to -- that made my heart smile so much with that thought.
Andreas was such an idiot just as Crane was. I didn't get why he felt he could protect himself from the demons by helping them kill the Lost Seers. It only gave him a few days longer to live and in the end he died just like the rest -- probably worst. I hated how he betrayed the Guild.
The Guild was unbelievable in this book. I love how at the beginning they didn't want to give into the Joel and the Lost Seers out of pride, but in the end they gave in for the greater good. I am so happy that not all of them decided to stand with Andreas.
The "demons" were insane…I have a theory that these "demons" are really fallen angels which means they fell out of grace with god and had their powers taken away. I hated these characters because they had no emotion and only one mission: kill Lost Seers. They were despicable and I'm glad in the end they lost.
I totally enjoyed this trilogy, it was a different take on a sci-fi novel for me. Awesome conclusion and outstanding trilogy!
Lilith and Joel were so brave and awesome! I always knew that Lilith was something different and special from the other Seers. She just had so much going for herself. I love how she battled within herself to stay and transcend. She's stay as long as possible to be a support for her brother, very sisterly of her. Joel was fantastic as well, but learning that he could do what Lilith did made their relationship mean something much more for me. I love how they self sacrificed themselves in the end for the greater good. Fabulous.
Liam and Alessandra are just too sweet and adorable as a couple. When faced with danger they both froze up which is totally understandable, I mean those demons were insane. I loved how they both got back in to action for themselves and made sure to help however they could. I cannot believe they are pregnant and with a girl! It brings new light into the way things ended for Lilith. I mean it is so cute, but having their child look like all the Seers is very interesting. Will she be a new kind of Seer?
I cannot believe Marcus was alive! Not physically, but in the spiritual sense that Lilith and Joel transcended to -- that made my heart smile so much with that thought.
Andreas was such an idiot just as Crane was. I didn't get why he felt he could protect himself from the demons by helping them kill the Lost Seers. It only gave him a few days longer to live and in the end he died just like the rest -- probably worst. I hated how he betrayed the Guild.
The Guild was unbelievable in this book. I love how at the beginning they didn't want to give into the Joel and the Lost Seers out of pride, but in the end they gave in for the greater good. I am so happy that not all of them decided to stand with Andreas.
The "demons" were insane…I have a theory that these "demons" are really fallen angels which means they fell out of grace with god and had their powers taken away. I hated these characters because they had no emotion and only one mission: kill Lost Seers. They were despicable and I'm glad in the end they lost.
I totally enjoyed this trilogy, it was a different take on a sci-fi novel for me. Awesome conclusion and outstanding trilogy!
Author Bio
Cerece Rennie Murphy fell in love with science fiction at the age of seven, watching “Empire Strikes Back” at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C., with her sister and mom. It’s a love affair that has grown ever since. As an ardent fan of John Donne, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut and Alexander Pope from an early age, Cerece began exploring her own creative writing through poetry. She earned her master’s degrees in social work and international relations at Boston College and Johns Hopkins School for Advance International Studies, respectively, and built a rewarding 15-year career in program development, management and fundraising in the community and international development arenas – all while appreciating the stories of human connection told in science fiction through works like Octavia Butler’s “Wild Seed,” Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and “The X-Files.” In 2011, Cerece experienced her own supernatural event - a vision of her first science fiction story. Shortly after, she began developing and writing what would become the “Order of the Seers” trilogy. Cerece lives just outside of her hometown of Washington, D.C., with her husband, two children and the family dog, Yoda.
This event is hosted by
