BLOG TOUR: The Collapsing Wave (The Enceladons Trilogy, Book 2) by Doug Johnstone

Published March 14th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Science Fiction, Suspense, Adventure Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Collapsing Wave. Thank you to Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orenda Books for the gifted proof.

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SYNOPSIS:

Ava, Lennox and Heather make contact with alien Sandy and head for a profound confrontation … The awe-inspiring, exquisitely moving sequel to The Space Between Us, as seen on BBC Two’s Between the Covers.
 
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Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland’s west coast.
 
Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.
 
Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.
 
When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
 
Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…

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MY REVIEW:

“How can you explain the depths of humanity to something like Sandy or Xander? The conspiracies, hatred and anger, the violence, deviousness and dishonesty.”

It’s six months since the events of book one in The Enceladon Trilogy, and things aren’t looking good for Lennox, Ava and Heather. Ava is nervously awaiting the outcome of her trial for murder, while Lennox and Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base where they are subjected to experiments alongside Enceladons the authorities have  managed to capture. When Sandy contacts them for the first time in months, they make a plan to escape, leading to a confrontation that will impact the future for all of humanity.

Somehow this was even better than book one! It jumps straight into the action, succinctly catching the reader up on the extraordinary events of book one and filling in the gaps of what’s happened since. After sharing such a profound experience, the bond between Lennox, Heather, and Ava is stronger than ever, as is their bond with Enceladons, and we are taken on an even more remarkable journey alongside them. I wondered how they’d escape from a place that doesn’t officially exist and is run by a man drunk with power. It was terrifying, and my heart shattered as humans and Enceladons were subjected to his barbaric experiments. But what is most frightening is how plausible it all feels, and I was cheering them on while hoping for the downfall of others. 

Doug Johnstone really can do no wrong in my eyes. This storytelling master had me in his thrall and I was completely immersed from the start; devouring the book in under a day. Exquisitely written, multi-layered and fast-paced, danger and tension radiate from every page, and I was on the edge of my seat as I tried to predict what would happen next. But it isn’t only entertaining and really makes you think as Johnstone explores topics such as prejudice, humanity, and the power of connection. Examining how humans treat anything that is new or different, he reminds us that our way might not always be best and that there is much we can still learn. 

Breathtaking, moving, nerve-shredding and addictive, The Collapsing Wave is an outstanding instalment in an unmissable series. The only problem now is I have to wait impatiently for its conclusion.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, including The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for  In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These links are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in this tour.