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Earth Haven #2
The Beacon
A post-viral planet. Annihilation approaches.
Tom Evans and Ceri Lewis occupy a silent new world. Little more than a million people survived the Cleansing. They are spread out, weak, compelled by a force beyond their comprehension to remain where they are. Humankind teeters on the brink, its fate in the hands of the few who can resist the power that seeks to control them. But resistance may be futile.
In the midst of deathly calm, a new threat arises, one that will finish the job started by the Cleansing. Tom and Ceri face a stark choice: gamble their lives to try to stop activation of the Beacon, or lie low and wait for the human race to be exterminated. Either way, the end seems certain…
Tom Evans and Ceri Lewis occupy a silent new world. Little more than a million people survived the Cleansing. They are spread out, weak, compelled by a force beyond their comprehension to remain where they are. Humankind teeters on the brink, its fate in the hands of the few who can resist the power that seeks to control them. But resistance may be futile.
In the midst of deathly calm, a new threat arises, one that will finish the job started by the Cleansing. Tom and Ceri face a stark choice: gamble their lives to try to stop activation of the Beacon, or lie low and wait for the human race to be exterminated. Either way, the end seems certain…
ebook
First published January 9, 2015
36 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Sam Kates
18 books86 followersMy name is Sam Kates, at least when it comes to writing fiction. If there’s a photo on this page of a middle-aged bloke with a hair shortage, that’s me.
I live in Wales, a small constituent country of Great Britain and the U.K. Like many of my fellow countrymen, I possess a fondness for rugby union (though these days only as a spectator) and a good pint of beer. Usually the two go hand in hand.
My tastes in reading and film tend toward the darker side of life and the fantastic. Little surprise, then, that the fiction I write is usually science fiction and fantasy with a decidedly dark flavour, or outright horror.
Outside of writing, my main ambition is to see Wales beat the New Zealand All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup. A forlorn hope, I suspect, but if you're going to harbour ambitions, they might as well be lofty, right?
I live in Wales, a small constituent country of Great Britain and the U.K. Like many of my fellow countrymen, I possess a fondness for rugby union (though these days only as a spectator) and a good pint of beer. Usually the two go hand in hand.
My tastes in reading and film tend toward the darker side of life and the fantastic. Little surprise, then, that the fiction I write is usually science fiction and fantasy with a decidedly dark flavour, or outright horror.
Outside of writing, my main ambition is to see Wales beat the New Zealand All Blacks to win the Rugby World Cup. A forlorn hope, I suspect, but if you're going to harbour ambitions, they might as well be lofty, right?
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 5, 2015
This is the second novel in the Earth Haven series and it's a cracker. I don’t wish to say too much about the story because this will spoil the impact for those who haven’t yet read Book One. This is soft science fiction in the sense that there's not a great deal of science involved. Sci-fi was my first love as a very young reader and with this series I have fallen in love with it all over again. I'm quickly bored these days by space opera and massive battles but this is speculative fiction at its best. Aliens are involved but they are unexpected and very sinister. The thing which stands out for me in this series is the immensity of the initial 'what if'.
Sam Kates writes very credible characters who can be at once strong and brave while also being full of self-doubt. It gives this story extra richness and I cared about what happened to them. The ending was exciting and powerful and, as this is only Book Two, it's still happening. I shall fall upon Book Three like a starving woman!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Sam Kates writes very credible characters who can be at once strong and brave while also being full of self-doubt. It gives this story extra richness and I cared about what happened to them. The ending was exciting and powerful and, as this is only Book Two, it's still happening. I shall fall upon Book Three like a starving woman!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
September 8, 2017
A splendid sequel to The Cleansing! This was a much better read than the first book in the Earth Haven series, the characters really came to life & the story ran on at a good pace. Can't wait to find out what happens next!
March 19, 2015
In this exciting and terrifying sequel to Sam Kates' The Cleansing, all hell has broken loose. More than three quarters of the planet's population is dead, and those who survived are waking from almost death to a world destroyed and annihilated by extra-terrestrial beings.
Beings who want the human race wiped out, and who want the world all to themselves.
If a plague, almost extinction, losing everyone you love, and seeing the only world you've ever known come to an end wasn't enough, things are about to get much worse.
These foreign beings, the same beings who destroyed the human race, are about to launch The Beacon.
I thought I was in love with The Cleansing. I named it my number one favorite book of 2013, because it was. The Cleansing was unlike any book I have ever read in my life. It was beyond exceptional. Sam Kates' writing had me completely and entirely captivated from the moment I picked up my Kindle copy of The Cleansing.
I honestly couldn't put it down. It was a book I thought about every single moment of the day, especially, when I had to put it down to do mundane things such as eating, sleeping, and occasionally using the restroom. The Cleansing made me want to skip meals, socialization, and getting fresh air just so I could read one...more...page...
As soon as I finished it, I had to tell the friend who recommended the book to me, and Sam Kates as well, how much I loved it. I loved it. I loved it so much, I now consider it one of my favorite books ever. When my friend told me the sequel was out, I knew my TBR list had to be cleared.
No way was I reading anything else besides Sam Kates' The Beacon.
To be honest with you, it took me a little bit to get back into the swing of things in the Earth Haven's world. New characters were introduced, and old characters that I had grown attached to in book one were in the middle of situations I had forgotten about.
Of course this is of no fault of the author...besides the fact that he made me wait SO long for book two...
It only took me a little bit to remember where we left off in book one.
But when I got back into the swing of things and remembered what exactly left earth in such a catastrophic state, I was just as hooked as I had been with book one, perhaps even more if that's at all possible.
I didn't expect to love The Beacon as much as I loved The Cleansing at all. At ALL. But my gosh, did Sam Kates prove me wrong.
Sam Kates has completely outdone himself with The Beacon. In the second Earth Haven book, he has proven to his readers that he has the impeccable talent of creating a universe that avid readers across the globe will salivate over. Sam Kates has proven to the world that he was born to be a writer.
You would think that The Beacon would satisfy the Earth Haven hunger I've been desperately trying to sate for a year and a half now, at least a little bit, but you would be wrong. If anything, The Beacon has made me even more desperate to delve deeper into the Earth Haven world. I finished this book much too fast. I regretted not savoring it more the moment I reached the last chapter of the book.
I have read a lot of books that are incredible, and I have read a lot of books that left a lasting impression on me, but The Cleansing and The Beacon are different from other books...
...they hold a very dear part of my heart that cannot be occupied by any other books out there. These are books that will stick with me forever. Sam Kates' writing deserves all of the compliments I have to give and more. I fear I cannot put into words how much I adore his books.
So, Sam, I know that you've just come out with book two...but I have to know...when will we have book three??
Beings who want the human race wiped out, and who want the world all to themselves.
If a plague, almost extinction, losing everyone you love, and seeing the only world you've ever known come to an end wasn't enough, things are about to get much worse.
These foreign beings, the same beings who destroyed the human race, are about to launch The Beacon.
I thought I was in love with The Cleansing. I named it my number one favorite book of 2013, because it was. The Cleansing was unlike any book I have ever read in my life. It was beyond exceptional. Sam Kates' writing had me completely and entirely captivated from the moment I picked up my Kindle copy of The Cleansing.
I honestly couldn't put it down. It was a book I thought about every single moment of the day, especially, when I had to put it down to do mundane things such as eating, sleeping, and occasionally using the restroom. The Cleansing made me want to skip meals, socialization, and getting fresh air just so I could read one...more...page...
As soon as I finished it, I had to tell the friend who recommended the book to me, and Sam Kates as well, how much I loved it. I loved it. I loved it so much, I now consider it one of my favorite books ever. When my friend told me the sequel was out, I knew my TBR list had to be cleared.
No way was I reading anything else besides Sam Kates' The Beacon.
To be honest with you, it took me a little bit to get back into the swing of things in the Earth Haven's world. New characters were introduced, and old characters that I had grown attached to in book one were in the middle of situations I had forgotten about.
Of course this is of no fault of the author...besides the fact that he made me wait SO long for book two...
It only took me a little bit to remember where we left off in book one.
But when I got back into the swing of things and remembered what exactly left earth in such a catastrophic state, I was just as hooked as I had been with book one, perhaps even more if that's at all possible.
I didn't expect to love The Beacon as much as I loved The Cleansing at all. At ALL. But my gosh, did Sam Kates prove me wrong.
Sam Kates has completely outdone himself with The Beacon. In the second Earth Haven book, he has proven to his readers that he has the impeccable talent of creating a universe that avid readers across the globe will salivate over. Sam Kates has proven to the world that he was born to be a writer.
You would think that The Beacon would satisfy the Earth Haven hunger I've been desperately trying to sate for a year and a half now, at least a little bit, but you would be wrong. If anything, The Beacon has made me even more desperate to delve deeper into the Earth Haven world. I finished this book much too fast. I regretted not savoring it more the moment I reached the last chapter of the book.
I have read a lot of books that are incredible, and I have read a lot of books that left a lasting impression on me, but The Cleansing and The Beacon are different from other books...
...they hold a very dear part of my heart that cannot be occupied by any other books out there. These are books that will stick with me forever. Sam Kates' writing deserves all of the compliments I have to give and more. I fear I cannot put into words how much I adore his books.
So, Sam, I know that you've just come out with book two...but I have to know...when will we have book three??
February 17, 2015
I was a HUGE fan of book one of this series – The Cleansing – it was a fresh take on the apocalyptic genre, and if you have not read it I would certainly recommend reading it first in order to get the full impact. I would also recommend that you do not read this review until you have as it will inevitably contain spoilers for Book One.
The Beacon follows straight on from the events in The Cleansing as we find Tom and Ceris slowly getting used to the new reality – however they discover that it is not quite over yet and however bad things are, they can always get worse…
The Cleansing was hugely exciting and scary as we watched this alien race, who had been hidden among us for years, finally take over and in the most horrific way – in The Beacon we discover more about their background and society and their plans, it is terrifically well imagined and so addictive its honestly worse than chocolate – if you want to go on a book diet don’t pick this one up for heavens sake.
We have such a lovely and eclectic range of characters to follow along with, both from Planet Earth and not, all extremely well drawn. I am kind of fond of “The Chosen” who is utterly mad but strangely compelling, there are some new people to meet along the way, I don’t want to give anything away but by the end of this you will be desperate to get to the (assumed) finale, heck I don’t even know if this is a trilogy but I’d happily read on further if this standard keeps up.
It really is so well constructed – the story fairly races along even though there is plenty of room for contemplation. The world building is fantastic and right in there the author manages to get some great depth to the characters, a definite ironic look upon occasion at human nature and overall it is really really great reading. Oh and the dog BETTER live through the whole thing. In fact you can cleanse the earth of everyone but NOT THE DOG.
Highly Recommended from me – can’t wait to see what happens next. Now where did I put the maltesers?
Happy Reading Folks!
The Beacon follows straight on from the events in The Cleansing as we find Tom and Ceris slowly getting used to the new reality – however they discover that it is not quite over yet and however bad things are, they can always get worse…
The Cleansing was hugely exciting and scary as we watched this alien race, who had been hidden among us for years, finally take over and in the most horrific way – in The Beacon we discover more about their background and society and their plans, it is terrifically well imagined and so addictive its honestly worse than chocolate – if you want to go on a book diet don’t pick this one up for heavens sake.
We have such a lovely and eclectic range of characters to follow along with, both from Planet Earth and not, all extremely well drawn. I am kind of fond of “The Chosen” who is utterly mad but strangely compelling, there are some new people to meet along the way, I don’t want to give anything away but by the end of this you will be desperate to get to the (assumed) finale, heck I don’t even know if this is a trilogy but I’d happily read on further if this standard keeps up.
It really is so well constructed – the story fairly races along even though there is plenty of room for contemplation. The world building is fantastic and right in there the author manages to get some great depth to the characters, a definite ironic look upon occasion at human nature and overall it is really really great reading. Oh and the dog BETTER live through the whole thing. In fact you can cleanse the earth of everyone but NOT THE DOG.
Highly Recommended from me – can’t wait to see what happens next. Now where did I put the maltesers?
Happy Reading Folks!
August 22, 2019
Having read the first book, The Cleansing, I could hardly wait to continue the story in The Beacon, the second book in the series, but I moved house and the book was packed in the last but one box of books I opened – which is why there has been a gap between reviews.
I love this book as much as the first. It has the same eloquence and descriptive powers, the same pace and intrigue. New characters appear and enrich the tale. We re-join Tom Evans and the woman who has become his friend, Ceri, as they flee from enemies in the dystopian world left behind after enemies of mankind have nearly finished slaughtering humans. The enemies are not exactly aliens, but the original settlers on what we know as Earth, which they call Earth Haven. These settlers came from another planet called Earth Home, bringing with them a subspecies they created to do work; what we would call humans.
It’s a fascinating concept, cleverly done by the author. What I particularly like about the books is that all of the reactions of the survivors are credible and believable. There is one scene of contact with military personnel which is nicely observed, and if the author didn’t have any military background, he has done his research thoroughly. It’s that attention to detail, without overdoing descriptive passages, that gives the series strength. The books are page-turners. I could see them being taken up by the medium of television and turned into a great series. I really think the trilogy merits that. In my view, it’s a cut above the rest of most dystopian novels and shows great imagination and flair.
I’m already reading the last book in the series, The Reckoning.
I love this book as much as the first. It has the same eloquence and descriptive powers, the same pace and intrigue. New characters appear and enrich the tale. We re-join Tom Evans and the woman who has become his friend, Ceri, as they flee from enemies in the dystopian world left behind after enemies of mankind have nearly finished slaughtering humans. The enemies are not exactly aliens, but the original settlers on what we know as Earth, which they call Earth Haven. These settlers came from another planet called Earth Home, bringing with them a subspecies they created to do work; what we would call humans.
It’s a fascinating concept, cleverly done by the author. What I particularly like about the books is that all of the reactions of the survivors are credible and believable. There is one scene of contact with military personnel which is nicely observed, and if the author didn’t have any military background, he has done his research thoroughly. It’s that attention to detail, without overdoing descriptive passages, that gives the series strength. The books are page-turners. I could see them being taken up by the medium of television and turned into a great series. I really think the trilogy merits that. In my view, it’s a cut above the rest of most dystopian novels and shows great imagination and flair.
I’m already reading the last book in the series, The Reckoning.
March 13, 2025
3.5⭐️ maybe? Feel like the story is slower than it needs to be, however, I am really enjoying the world. There were some cool tense action/thriller sequences, but they were a bit few and far between. The ending was fast paced but felt a little all over the place and I had to keep going back to re read sections.
October 23, 2017
Original, believable, a real page-turner
Believable and unique story line. Sam Kates can weave a tale you can get lost in and wonder if it just might have a bit of reality tucked between the pages. This author is a breath of fresh air in a genre too often stale.
Believable and unique story line. Sam Kates can weave a tale you can get lost in and wonder if it just might have a bit of reality tucked between the pages. This author is a breath of fresh air in a genre too often stale.
April 1, 2020
Can't await to read the next instalment 😊
May 28, 2020
Sam Kates Did It Again
Didn’t want to put it down! You won’t either! Can’t wait to read the finale. Enjoyed the characters, well, most of them, but that’s what he intended. Lol
Didn’t want to put it down! You won’t either! Can’t wait to read the finale. Enjoyed the characters, well, most of them, but that’s what he intended. Lol
September 1, 2020
Enjoyed the ride.
Great writing, no mistakes, flow continued on from the 1st book in this series. On the the 3rd. I wonder what's going to happen.
Great writing, no mistakes, flow continued on from the 1st book in this series. On the the 3rd. I wonder what's going to happen.
July 15, 2024
A riveting sequel to The Cleansing I can't wait to find out what happens next. The pace is swift and compelling with characters you'll care about.
June 15, 2015
Where's the next one?...
This series is great! Aliens, humans, flu bug & maybe some really nasty monster aliens? Oh, I hope so! Mr. Kate's what a wonderful book...Will be waiting impatiently for the next one...
This series is great! Aliens, humans, flu bug & maybe some really nasty monster aliens? Oh, I hope so! Mr. Kate's what a wonderful book...Will be waiting impatiently for the next one...
Read
January 1, 2016Not quite as good as the first book in the series, but you have to move the story along right? Alliances are being formed and it is setting up for the big finish. I am already reading the third book in the series. Note that these books do not stand alone.
March 12, 2016
Worth Reading
Worth reading. Kept me interested. Only issue I have is the spelling. Unless they spell things differently there. Otherwise good read
Worth reading. Kept me interested. Only issue I have is the spelling. Unless they spell things differently there. Otherwise good read
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews