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Horizon

(Horizon #1)

Tabitha Lord (Goodreads Author)

3.78 · Rating details · 150 ratings · 88 reviews

WINNER Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards
FINALIST Next Generation Indie Book Awards
FINALIST National Indie Excellence Awards

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery ...more

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Paperback, 320 pages

Published December 1st 2015 by Wise Ink Creative Publishing

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Dec 13, 2015 Ashley DiNorcia marked it as dnf

Going into this new year I've decided if I'm not interested and have set a book down for more than a week and have no urge to pick it back up I'll be DNF'ing it. Unfortunately this is the first victim of the year.

I received a copy of this for review on Netgalley and was really interested in the synopsis and was hoping this book would wow me. However, right from the get go I was completely disinterested in this almost entirely. Rarely would I DNF a book this early in (15%) but it's just been sitt ...more

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Jul 09, 2017 Irene Sim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017-read, fantasy-sci-fi, romance, arc

Arc kindly provided by Wise Ink Creative Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
RTC

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Jun 19, 2017 Cathy rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Romance fans looking for a little sci-fi

I expected Star Trek, but in the first half of the book got a planet-bound tale of two societies struggling with each other, genocide, rebellion and a slow burning romance. The second half of the book was more of what I had expected, but I had lost interest by that point. The plot did not hold any great surprises and was pretty predictable.

I was fairly bored and did a good amount of skimming towards the end.

Too much romance and not enough sci-fi for me. Violence and sex happened mostly in the of ...more

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Jan 04, 2016 Donna rated it did not like it

Shelves: sci-fi

My status update reading this book pretty much says it all: This book is about as exciting as a bowl of plain, tepid oatmeal.

Seriously, this book is a snooze fest. All tell, no show, with characters that are damn near perfect to the point of being boring, I had nothing to grab on to that would keep me engaged. It was a slog to get through to the end.

It starts off in the present with the shipwreck and then goes back in time to show Caeli’s life for chapters, probably just under half the book is C My status update reading this book pretty much says it all: This book is about as exciting as a bowl of plain, tepid oatmeal.

Seriously, this book is a snooze fest. All tell, no show, with characters that are damn near perfect to the point of being boring, I had nothing to grab on to that would keep me engaged. It was a slog to get through to the end.

It starts off in the present with the shipwreck and then goes back in time to show Caeli’s life for chapters, probably just under half the book is Caeli’s story. And then it comes back to the present where we get some really dull moments that don’t even attempt to engage the reader in any action and then the story’s over.

Any feelings any characters were having were just stated. Anything that actually happened, be it sex, a murder, an attack, whatever it was was just spit out as if no time could be spent elaborating on anything. We needed to get to the end of the story. There was just nothing. I felt like I was reading an outline for how dry everything was. There was no character growth because the characters all said the right things and did the right things at all the right times and you can’t grow from that. The characters were largely flawless on top of that and any flaws they did have were glossed over with excuses for why they did what they did and of course everything made perfect sense in the perfect world.

It was just . . . blah. It lacked . . . heart. I felt like the author was just trying to spit out a story with characters that didn’t require any development in a world that didn’t require very much thought. The world(s) were no different from Earth. Everyone’s human, the technology isn’t anything that I couldn’t think of (and I’m not big into sci fi so . . .). There was just . . . nothing.

I really don’t know what else I can say about HORIZON. The concept is interesting enough. It’s what caught my attention and made me grab for the title. But that’s where the interest ended. Might as well have Ben Stein narrate this one because it’s monotone all the way through. All the characters might as well be the same, the world might as well be earth, and the time might as well be present. Nothing stands out, good or bad. It’s just blah.

1

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Oct 20, 2015 Koeur rated it it was ok

https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/10/2...

Publisher: Wise Ink

Publishing Date: December 2015

ISBN: 9781940014791

Genre: SciFi

Rating: 1.6/5

Publisher Description: Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life.

Review: Caeli Crys is….you guessed it, Speshul. She’s always blushing or being demur ...more

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Jul 10, 2017 Line Bookaholic rated it liked it

***Copy provided by Wise Ink Creative Publishing and Netgalley in exchange of a honest review***

A book about space, two people coming from different planets falling in love and empathic people who can heal other with their minds. Seems like a lot of fun!

And it was. I loved the first part when Caeli meets Derek and she tells him her story. The change between present and flash back was well done and easy to follow. I loved learning more about Caeli's past.

I only gave 3 stars to this book though ...more

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Nov 28, 2015 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, science-fiction-romance, science-fiction, netgalley, fiction

Horizon is a very well planned with a story that takes place in two very different worlds. Commander Derek Markham is from one and Caeli Crys is from the other. They meet when Derek crash lands on Caeli’s planet. This sets up a plot full of action, danger and of course some romance.

The story requires quite a bit of backstory about both worlds. In Caeli’s case it is done as Caeli tells her story to Derek. It is not a short telling. In fact when you put all of the elements together they are the s ...more

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Oct 24, 2015 Mark Gardner rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015

There was considerable world building in this story. In many Sci-fi books, this world building comes across like a tired old history book, and is often an imposing wall of text. Not the case with Horizon. Although the first chapters did seem slower than later chapters, the payoff is a complete understanding on the theme of the book: Redemption. I did find some of the later scenes, and character actions a little far fetched, but that was because I came to know the characters, and when they did th ...more

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Nov 05, 2018 Anna rated it really liked it

I bought this book when I was in Chicago this past summer and I have just gotten around to reading it. I enjoyed the story of Caeli Crys and her journey. It wasn't the most action packed of stories, but I'm glad I read it. I would just say the character development seemed a bit rushed. Overall though, this was a really good book. ...more

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Oct 21, 2015 Dee/ bookworm rated it really liked it

What I liked: I really like Caeli character. You get to really know her. She shows herself growing up, adult life, the attack, creating a new life and then finding the pilot. I liked how most of the intimate nature was there but not explained. It was nice for that to be private between the couple and it is more intimate that way.

What didn't work for me: You never really got to know Derek. He seemed like a good guy, but he could have just been that guy for Caeli He could have been like Marcus. He ...more

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Jan 14, 2016 Dichotomy Girl rated it it was ok

Shelves: sci-fi, netgalley-and-arcs, 2016

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out quite interesting. A space ship crash, an injured man, a girl with strange psychic healing powers, a planet at war. There were other small problems, the characterizations were little weak. But the main problem was that about halfway through, the book loses itself, as the reader is suddenly whisked off planet and subjected to intergalactic politics that you don't really care about...while wond ...more

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May 25, 2016 Elizabeth Miceli rated it it was amazing

This book was incredible. I loved Caeli and Derek's relationship! What an awesome dynamic between the two of them and a great mix of despair, action, love, and joy! This book made me yell, laugh and cry. Everything you need in a book! ...more

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Nov 23, 2018 Harlyn Bryan rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Tabitha Lord’s science fiction novel, Horizon, which is the first of a series is so beautifully layered, well thought out, and engaging. I by no means read a lot of science fiction. I prefer to see it on the big screen but what Lord has done with this introductory novel is absolutely amazing. There is such depth to her protagonist, Caeli Crys, and such a rich history that the author has laid out for her people. I was completely engrossed in the division of a people on Algamest: Amathi versus Nov Tabitha Lord’s science fiction novel, Horizon, which is the first of a series is so beautifully layered, well thought out, and engaging. I by no means read a lot of science fiction. I prefer to see it on the big screen but what Lord has done with this introductory novel is absolutely amazing. There is such depth to her protagonist, Caeli Crys, and such a rich history that the author has laid out for her people. I was completely engrossed in the division of a people on Algamest: Amathi versus Novali, the advances made on each side of it, and how the power of groupthink drove one to commit genocide of the other. It was a clear example of how division and just one individual can have the power to create both fear and chaos. Marcus, one of the story’s antagonist, is a power-driven dictator that rules with violence, fear, and lies. He truly is a frightening individual in that he is willing to sacrifice his own in order to achieve his agenda. Bloodshed is just a part of business as far as he is concerned and torture and coercion only aid him in achieving his goals. The fear that he created also became a testament to Caeli’s selflessness as she put her own life on the line to help others, including those that in the grand scheme had assisted in the decimation of her people, and also Derek while she was on the run.

Derek…our resident eye candy, hahah! I’m kidding. Derek was a great compliment to Caeli. She is strong when he is weak as they quiet literally meet due to the crashing of his ship in which he should not have survived and could not have if it were not for her. On the flip side he becomes her strength emotionally as she has been alone for so long and then is thrust into numerous situations that are outside of her realm. He has to make the tough calls and more or less pull the trigger via his role within the Alliance and also must take the lead in their relationship.

The Drokoran (excuse me if my spelling is wrong) are a mystery yet to be solved. I appreciated a new threat being introduced as Caeli is escaping Algamest with Derek. The universe is much bigger than the world that she has known. Her abilities and the need for them are much more. Though from a reader’s standpoint you do wonder what is going on with The Resistance on Algamest you cannot help but to be swept up into the whirlwind that is Part II of this novel. It is action packed and you are absorbed in the mission just as Caeli is as a civilian being faced with such responsibility. There were just so many facets to this novel with such fleshed out characters – both leading and supporting -and it all was woven together so masterfully that you would not suspect that this was Lord’s first novel.

FIVE STARS. Easily. ...more

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May 22, 2017 Carla rated it it was amazing

I loved this fast paced science fiction novel. We start off with Caeli saving the life of Derek all with her mind! This is when we are introduced slowly to Caeli, her people, her past and how this connects with her future. The novel evolves in a way that keeps you hooked to her story, her people and how can she possibly save them.

I felt such pain for her - I can't even begin to imagine the suffering and hurt she has gone through. She is such a kind soul and her greatest gift is to heal others. ...more

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Oct 01, 2017 Harry Brake rated it really liked it

Thanks to the contribution of Monica Wheatley, meeting Ms Tabitha Lord, we received the novel, Horizon at the Woodbridge High School. I contacted Ms Lord, and we are trying to line her up to be on of the authors for Woodbridge's first author panel in the Spring of 2018. At the same time, I started her novel.

At first, I had a problem getting into the role - trying to figure out how Caeli knew certain things, how Derek was going to really come forward as a leading character - it just took me awhi ...more

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May 22, 2017 Kati rated it really liked it

Horizon is a sci-fi novel based in a war zone. A war torn planet, an empathic girl, a warrior and the need to save those who are left.

When Derek crash lands on a planet he is dying when a girl rescues him and heals him. The girl is Caeli a member of an empathic race who were killed. She is now on the run from the people who killed her race. The book flashes between the present and Caeli’s past through the empathic connection Caeli shares with Derek. This was an intriguing concept and lent itself ...more

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Nov 05, 2016 Mark rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-read

Horizon is Tabitha Lord’s debut novel, a self-published sci-fi adventure. While I don’t often pick up self-published novels, this one came as a recommendation from someone I trust, and seeing it up on Netgalley was the push I needed. While it’s taken me much longer than planned to get to Horizon – too many books, never enough time – I’m certainly glad that I did, and I found a story within that really catered to my literary tastes.

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the gen Horizon is Tabitha Lord’s debut novel, a self-published sci-fi adventure. While I don’t often pick up self-published novels, this one came as a recommendation from someone I trust, and seeing it up on Netgalley was the push I needed. While it’s taken me much longer than planned to get to Horizon – too many books, never enough time – I’m certainly glad that I did, and I found a story within that really catered to my literary tastes.

Caeli Crys isn’t living—she’s surviving. On the run after the genocide of her empathic people, she witnesses a spaceship crash near her hidden camp. When she feels the injured pilot suffering from miles away, she can’t help but risk discovery to save his life.
Commander Derek Markham awakens stranded on an uncharted planet. His co-pilot is dead, his ship is in ruins, and he’s only alive because a beautiful young woman is healing him with her mind.
As Derek recovers, Caeli shares the horror of her past and her fear for the future. When Derek’s command ship, Horizon, sends rescue, Derek convinces Caeli to leave with him. But his world is as treacherous as hers—full of spies, interplanetary terrorist plots, and political intrigue. Soon the Horizon team is racing to defend an outlying planet from a deadly enemy, and Caeli’s unique skills may just give them the edge they need to save it.

Horizon starts when Derek’s ship is attacked by an unknown foe, and after a brief fight in which he just survives he must make a crash-landing on the planet of Almagest. Caeli, a native on the planet, establishes a sudden and strong mental connection to Derek while his the ship plummets to the ground. With an empathic ability that can heal others with her mind she rushed to the site of the crash, finding Derek severely injured, and his co-pilot dead. She does what she can, taking him back to her camp to help him on his journey of recovery. Caeli is alone, living in the wilds following the murder of her empathic people, the Novali, at the hands of the warrior Amathi. As Derek recovers and learns more of Caeli’s past their relationship grows closer, and then help arrives to take him back to his ship, the Horizon. Bringing Caeli with him, Derek’s job takes him into a dangerous situation where the fate of a world is at stake, and Caeli may be one of the few that can help stop an invasion before it’s too late…

With the first half of Horizon set on the planet of Almagest I was drawn in immediately. I like seeing an author build a setting and populate it, and Lord has done some interesting things here. While we don’t learn the full history of the planet, we do discover that it’s a place that was hidden from others long ago, and done so with the empathic and psychic abilities of the Novali, one if its peoples. The other side of the coin are the Amathi, a more traditional and warrior like society that, ultimately, fears the Novali for their abilities.

With Caeli a native of Almagest it is through her eyes that we learn much of what has occurred, and done so through her interactions with Derek. As he recovers and questions the situation – Caeli living alone in the wilderness – she slowly opens up and relays her story through her empathic ability. We learn of the destruction of her people at the hands of the Amathi, and of her time living among them after being taken prisoner with the survivors of the Novali. It’s a really interesting set-up, but one that ultimately ends without a satisfactory conclusion, more like being left to be picked up at a later date.

Following this, and as Derek returns to the Horizon bringing Caeli with him, we learn a little more about the wider galaxy. Perhaps, most importantly, is the threat to the Alliance by the Drokarans, a race that now put expansion first after a long time in isolation. With some planets already fallen to them, and the threat now very much a part of the Horizon’s mission, we follow Derek and his team, along with Caeli, as they attempt to stop the conquest of another world. During this we also follow Caeli as she adapts to life in an advanced culture, though one that she can still contribute to with her healing skills.

I can say quite easily what I liked about Horizon: its character focused narrative. At times it reminded me of Eric Brown’s SF offerings, with the more technical aspects taking a back seat to the interactions of the characters. Caeli and Derek are well fleshed out, Caelie especially, and the situation that they find themselves in allows a deep relationship to form between them. While there are other characters as part of the story, and many playing a vital role, only one other brings a different dynamic to their relationship: Kat, a fellow officer aboard Horizon. Her suspicious nature helps to bridge the difference between the time on Almagest and that on Horizon, easing the transition and allowing the reader to learn more about the wider galaxy.

However, all is not plain sailing, with a couple of aspects falling short when there is so much else to enjoy. While the Drokaran threat is clear, there is barely any expansion of this. Early on they’re referred to as a race, yet as they become a bigger part of the story it’s clear that they are human despite no description or details really given about them. It’s a little frustrating, and a touch confusing given it would take only a mention. Caeli’s ability is also woefully under-explored. While this is understandable when they are on Almagest, once they return to the Horizon and modern technology I expected to see more exploration into this, but it was sadly missing. And, finally, there is a real feeling that despite the high stakes, danger is not quite present, with much going very smoothly for our protagonists. It’s a shame, especially given such a strong beginning.

All-in-all Horizon is a solid novel: it’s got a very interesting premise and characters that I genuinely cared about. While not perfect it certainly has potential for any future novels in this series, and given the ending I’d be highly disappointed not to see something else in this setting. ...more

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May 30, 2017 Martha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This sci fi has a different plot, strong intrigue and romance. My rating 4.25.

Caeli is a healer and a sensitive empath. She is one of the few remaining of her gifted people after a split off race on her planet attacked and destroyed her community. They took the children to be brainwashed and a handful of survivors to use for their skills and as a cover-up to the truth. Caeli had begun to settle in working with the Doctor and hospital staff at the new community. She was asked to join an undergrou This sci fi has a different plot, strong intrigue and romance. My rating 4.25.

Caeli is a healer and a sensitive empath. She is one of the few remaining of her gifted people after a split off race on her planet attacked and destroyed her community. They took the children to be brainwashed and a handful of survivors to use for their skills and as a cover-up to the truth. Caeli had begun to settle in working with the Doctor and hospital staff at the new community. She was asked to join an underground rebellion group who are seeking a way to overthrow the vicious leader who destroyed her own society and frightens many of this community.

Caeli is distressed when the brutal dictator, Marcus, pulls her in to read the mind of a suspected rebel … or watch as he is tortured, then killed. She cannot reveal her friends so she must go on the run so her skills cannot be used again. While hiding out in her secluded cave, she sees a spaceship crash and senses the injuries and distress of the occupants. She is able to rescue Derek, Commander of the attacked ship. She heals him and they develop a bond as they dodge her enemy and wait for his force to rescue him. Although her people never thought to leave their planet., Caeli agrees it will be safest to go with Derek for the time being. That is until Derek’s new mission seeks Caeli’s special skills in order to act quickly to prevent a terrorist attack.

Caeli has to adjust her mind to using her skills for other than healing and without permission of the subject. But she recognizes the cost of failing to give aid when she can. Now she is part of Derek’s special undercover team having to cope with monstrous, evil men while trying to save lives.

From the very beginning I like Caeli’s helper and ‘survivor’ personality. She goes through terrible trauma but, with the help of others, is able to rise and use her skills for good wherever she finds herself. She does not let revenge take over but wisely bides her time trying to find another solution.

The author fills in Caeli’s backstory with alternating chapters as she shares her history with Derek. Derek is a likeable character and the interaction between the two is handled nicely. There is clearly a connection that moves them closer but details are ‘kept behind doors’. The story moves at a good pace and kept me interested. My only disappointment is the few foul words that the author scattered in the story as though she felt they were needed. In my opinion, they were not needed and were disruptive – especially since the random entries were from a female character. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. There are a few questions left open such as Caeli's reaction to reading the mind of the enemy and what is happening back on her planet. I look forward to the next book, Infinity (review to post June 20).

I received this through NetGalley for an iRead Book Tours review. ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Melanie Noell Bernard rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I received this free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Pacing: The first half of the book blazed by and not in a good way. The entire first half of the book was basically an info-dump in which the author set up the characters to give reasons for their interactions in the second half of the book. That being said, the second half of the book, while slow, moved at a more understandable and enjoyable pace. Still, there was a lot of breezing by to get to th I received this free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Pacing: The first half of the book blazed by and not in a good way. The entire first half of the book was basically an info-dump in which the author set up the characters to give reasons for their interactions in the second half of the book. That being said, the second half of the book, while slow, moved at a more understandable and enjoyable pace. Still, there was a lot of breezing by to get to the point.

World: In efforts to get all the plot information in, the world building was forwent. An image may have developed that matched the world if it weren’t for the contradiction between the supposed setting and the tone of the characters and their lives. That being said, the book describes a relatively advanced society. Yet, the tone of the book gives off the idea that the setting is actually a pre-technology village in the middle of the forest.

Writing: The writing style was also neglected in the author’s attempt to get all in the back story onto the page. Unfortunately, while everything was covered in a concise manner, the style felt dry, dull, and unimaginative. Thus, lending to the lack of world-building. Additionally, the diction used by the characters matched the advanced society the characters were went to live in, but because the realism of the world was lacking, the diction doesn’t seem to match the ‘basic’ lifestyle and lower-technology planet that the tone gives off.

Non-Spoilered Plot: When commander Derek Markham’s ship crash lands on an uncharted planet, he should be dead. But thanks to a planet native, Caeli Crys, and her ability to see into and heal the human body, he survived. Now, the two of them must stay alive until Derek’s crew can rescue them. Though, the dangers of Caeli’s planet are nothing when compared to the dangers of other planets.

(view spoiler)[Character: Caeli Crys is a young adult doctor with a damaged past where people used her for her abilities to see into the human body, heal people, and read their minds. While she managed to survive, it left its scars. Even now she faces them and she must grow to gain a broader understanding of what makes something right and what makes something wrong.

Derek Markham on the other hand knows the world has a gray area and he’s been living in it for some time as a commander of a intergalactic fleet. Yet, his understanding of the universes has been so broad that it’s difficult for him to understand the ‘basic’ lifestyles of the less-advanced civilizations. In that sense, Caeli helps him on the path of enlightenment. He learns to see the world and the people on individual bases instead of just a big picture.

Plot: The main plot of this novel changes half-way through. The first half of the novel reads as a romance, building the relationship between injured(Derek) and healer(Caeli). This on its own could have made for a very interesting story. However, it was rushed.

The basic mechanics of their relationship naturally allow for an expedited build because of Caeli’s ability to share her memories with Derek directly. He ends up reliving most of her life. In this way, he comes to understand who she was and the events that have lead her to become who she is. He forms a bond with her as if he’d been by her side her entire life.

That being said, the relationship from her side should still take more time than his because she didn’t pry into his memories. She had a sense that he was a good person, but knew very little about him. The build of their relationship could have been an entire book, but the author chose to truncate it. Thus, it simply felt like a set-up for the second-half of the novel. The first half of the novel was simply there to explain how the two react in the second-half of the novel. In other words, the first half felt like an info-dump.

The second half of the novel, on the other hand, is where the action and plot really build up because Caeli accepts Derek’s offer to leave her planet. In so doing, she becomes a member of his crew. Her capabilities of healing the human body become helpful when the ship is attacked. However, they also have the added effect of infiltrating the mind of terrorists.

The difficulties and moral boundaries Caeli faces when choosing to save lives by forcing her way into someone’s head is relatable. Even with her culture having been destroyed, she remains true to the principles it was founded on. Yet, in a world that’s not black and white, she struggles with something she knows to be wrong, can be right under the appropriate circumstances. Though, the hardest part about this struggle is that Derek is the one forcing her into that position.

While Derek understands Caeli’s dilemma, he has no qualms doing whatever is necessary to do his job. He’s a soldier, trained to follow orders and take required action to get the job done. Even if it means compromising Caeli’s belief system.

And while she shows difficulties facing him after he shoots the man in front of her, Caeli doesn’t seem to correlate him back to Markus, who made her do the same thing before shooting the young boy on her planet. Some deeper connection seemed to be missing. It didn’t have quite the impact one would assume there to be in such a paralleled interaction.

With the relationship being rushed, the lack of deeper connection given the parallelisms of her past and her present, and the lack of actual conflict between the two characters, I leave this book, ‘Horizon’, with my rating of two stars. (hide spoiler)] ...more

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Apr 05, 2019 Mari (Smut Duchess) rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, 2019

3.25 - 3.5 ⭐

This was an OK sci-fi read.

Poppy is and empath and healer. On her world the population is split between those who have some sort of paranormal ability and those that don't. After the majority of her people are killed she escapes her enemies and is living off the land. She sees a spaceship crash and saves the pilot. That starts her adventures with Derek, and Alliance Commander.

I thought the plot dragged on at times and there were a few scenes that were just plain boring. There is a ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 The Potholes rated it liked it

Shelves: meh

Author: Tabitha Lord

Genre: Sci Fi and Fantasy

Release Date: Dec 1, 2015

Summary:

He’s a pilot with an interplanetary alliance working to fight off some emotionless/merciless aliens.

She’s an empath who escaped the genocide of her people and saves the aforementioned pilot with her phenomenal cosmic powers when he crash-lands on her planet.

Together they (kind of?) fight crime.

Review:

Overall, the book was completely and totally adequate.

It’s your average science fiction rebellion story, complete with ...more

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Aug 03, 2017 Michael rated it it was amazing

I learned about this book from Writer's Digest, this book won the self publishing award. It was well deserved this was a terrific book. The author does a good job of world building, character development and plot development. If I have any criticism is that the characters could stand to have a few more flaws to make them a little more believable. I am starting on the sequel next. ...more

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Mar 04, 2017 Stanley Trice rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction

This self-published book is well written with a good plot. It is the first in a series of books (the rest have not been written) about the adventures of Caeli Crys.

The backstory and world building in the first part of the book is written like a novel in a novel and well done. It tells Caeli’s life as a Novali living on the planet Almagest with another group of people called the Amathi. The biggest difference between the two groups is the Novali can do things with their minds like hide the planet This self-published book is well written with a good plot. It is the first in a series of books (the rest have not been written) about the adventures of Caeli Crys.

The backstory and world building in the first part of the book is written like a novel in a novel and well done. It tells Caeli’s life as a Novali living on the planet Almagest with another group of people called the Amathi. The biggest difference between the two groups is the Novali can do things with their minds like hide the planet from aliens.

A dictator leads the Amathi to kill most of the nature-loving Novali. Caeli is captured and the remaining Novali are integrated into Amathi society and families. Caeli continues her apprenticeship as a doctor learning to heal people with her mind. Eventually, she joins a secret group of Amathi who plan to overthrow the dictator. When the dictator learns of Caeli’s talents, she must fake her death and escape to avoid exposing the group. While living in the forest, she sees a spaceship crash land near a beach.

Caeli saves one of the pilots, Derek, by healing him with her mind. She explains to him that she can, “. . . see inside the body with a different part of my brain. I can effect change, too, but it costs me a lot of energy to do it, so that’s really a last resort.”

Before the dictator’s military can find the two and the wrecked spaceship, Derek’s people rescue them. Caeli goes because she is at risk on her planet and they are falling in love with each other.

Derek’s mother ship is the Horizon, an intelligent gathering spaceship belonging the intergalactic Alliance. They are currently trying to stop attacks by a planet of military minded beings called Drokarans. The second half of the book has the crew, along with Caeli, running to defend another planet of Tharsis from the Drokarans.

The second half of the book is political-espionage action to stop the assignation of the Tharsis’ president. Caeli finds her calling among the military crew because she can also read people’s minds.

As in a series, the book as a soft or partial ending. The people of Tharsis are saved, but there is still the question of the revolution on Almagest and that the planet is no longer hidden from mercenaries or the Drokarans.

I generally do not like series because they never have a true ending. But, I’ll probably read the next in the series when its published. I liked Ms. Lord’s style of writing. Not so commercially, market driven. I learned a lot about Caeli, but not much about Derek or the other characters. I guess that’s for the next book.
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Aug 03, 2017 Neil rated it did not like it

Shelves: netgalley, science-fiction

I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

This is a really poor Science Fiction opera.
I found the characters to be one dimensional and the story one of the worst I have read.
Personally I would leave this well alone.

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Jun 22, 2017 Sevairi rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, scifi, action-adventure, recommend, full-of-awesome, romance, ebook, dat-cover-doe, arc

Oh my. Oh my, oh my, oh my.

Working on a review; sit tight, my dears!

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Apr 19, 2017 Jeremy Michael Gallen rated it really liked it

This science-fiction novel opens on the planet of Almagest, with each new chapter indicated by a character from whose third-person perspective the novel is narrated, akin to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire franchise, with a significant number of early chapters indicated BEFORE and AFTER a certain piece of backstory that occurs with Caeli Crys, one of the primary protagonists, the bulk of the other chapters from the perspective of Derek, the only survivor of a spaceship crash that Cae ...more

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Aug 27, 2017 Lori rated it it was amazing

Although I usually tend to read more on the fantasy side of speculative fiction, I really am glad I picked up Horizon by Tabitha Lord! It is a well-paced, intriguing space opera with endearing main characters. Caeli is a wonderful character, full of emotion and strength despite the hardships that she has endured, and I rooted for her throughout the book. The scientific/medical knowledge in the book is spot on and believable (you can tell Tabitha Lord knows her stuff in this area) and Caeli's pow ...more

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Jan 03, 2016 Karen Siddall rated it really liked it

I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Derek Markham crash lands his fighter on a previously unknown planet after an attack by a mercenary ship that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Derek is the leader of a fighter squad attached to the space ship, Horizon, who had been sent to set a probe to mark the location of a previously unidentified planet. His crewmate dead and he himself critically injured, he is found and healed by Caeli Crys, a fugitive slave that had faked her

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Nov 23, 2015 Bill Green rated it it was ok

I simply couldn't get excited as I read this book. I felt that I was reading a young person's story. The characters were simple and lacking depth; the story pretty much the same.

It's about a human-like empathic woman meeting a man who crash lands on her planet.

There's little character development, and in a short time these two are in love with each other. I found it difficult to connect or understand their attraction for each other; there simply wasn't enough depth in the writing to accept this ...more

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Feb 02, 2016 Mike Milligan rated it liked it

Oh no the spacecraft is crashing.

This is one of those 'Fun to read', stories that gives everything you want, A beautiful woman with mind reading skills, somewhere on a planet with little to no population, somewhere you can get away from people and live off the land, then, we must have an alien presence, of the opposite sex (of course), who happens to be someone important on a spaceship with a mission and desperately wants you to join him in the stars. Sounds like a good nights dream. Haha I now ...more

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About Tabitha Lord

Tabitha Lord

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WRITER'S DIGEST GRAND PRIZE WINNER 2016

Tabitha's HORIZON series has won seven independent book awards. In addition to writing novels and short fiction, Tabitha is managing editor for the Inkitt Writer's Blog and a partner and senior writer for Book Club Babble. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, four kids, and various fur babies. ...more