Enslaved (The Last Orphans Book 3) picks up right where Book 2 left off. If you haven't read the series from the start - The Last Orphans, kindly navigate away as there will be spoilers below. SERIES RECAP This YA series is Sci-Fi/Apocalyptic with clean language, but plenty of violence. The first book has a gang-rape scene to set the destructive mood, but that device is only used once in the series thus far. It transitions into a character-driven adventure. A recap: Something strange happened on Earth as animals turned against their owners and adults were targeted in violent fashion. This "power" killing adults is invisible, doesn't smell, and only attacks when the time is right. In short order, the entire adult population is wiped clean and children are all that is left of humanity. Teens and Tweens are now filling parental roles for younger siblings as well as orphans found. Shane Tucker, a child of sixteen, quickly finds himself on search and rescue; locating and leading other survivors to safety. He finds Kelly Douglas, his classmate, and together they band together with a rag-tag group of kids searching for answers. Their quest takes them to Atlanta, where other teen-driven factions control territory as they begin to fight for control of resources. It is here that answers are found and new alliances are made. The Harvest, Book 2 picks up the story as if the reader hit pause after concluding The Last Orphans. The machine that killed adults is destroyed, but the fight for survival takes on a whole new meaning. Alien technology can be a bitch. Luckily for Shane's group, a rebel faction gathers them up for enhanced training in attempts to thwart Earth's alien take-over. Now stationed on a remote base, groups of teens from around the world train for a suicide mission - destroy the alien fleet and rebuild Earth. I'll stop the recap here - Book 2 has plenty of action with an epic battle at the end. It is, by far, the largest cliffhanger of all three books. Book 3
The alien race isn't so alien to humans. In fact, we are part them - modified to be their slaves long ago. Members of the core group targeting the alien fleet are captured and assimilated (almost) into their army. They are slaves to the master, but maintain their thoughts. Unfortunately, they can't act as they aren't in control of their bodies. Talk about a nightmare! Others escaped and are working their way back to base to regroup - it is a journey with roadblocks and I'll not give away the story. There isn't as much action in this round - more character based chapters. I found the book extremely quick to read, but was getting a little burned on the Shane and Kelly remote love-fest. We get it! It does conclude on a positive note - but yet another group enters the story and dramatically changes the game. Although it is a cliff-hanger ending, it feels more conclusive vs. Book 2. Readers can take a breath, relax a bit, and pick up Book 4 when it becomes available without too much revisiting.
4 of 5 Stars - ARC provided.
From the Publisher:
Shane and his friends survive the first major attack against the enemy, destroying the alien ships that came to harvest the children of Earth and turn them all into slaves. However, one ship escaped, and the aliens have captured Kelly. Shane will do whatever it takes to save her, but turning his back on his friends could jeopardize the whole mission.
The enemy invades Kelly's mind, turning her into a slave soldier. She'll follow their orders, even if it means murdering her friends, including her little sister and Shane. She is helpless, trapped inside her body while it performs heinous tasks under the direction of her new masters, while her sanity and desire to live fade.
Shane returns home to make a rescue attempt, only to find Kelly commanding an army of human slave soldiers, and she's determined to make him join her ranks. Will Shane save Kelly before she gets to her sister, or will she help the enemy enslave the rest of humanity?
