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DiaZem Trilogy #0.5
Reactance
Given a gift she never wanted, a young woman fights to find her place in post-apocalyptic Denver.
My name is Sasha Bowman. I am a member of the Reactance.
An awakening of a dormant gene ripped my home and community apart, giving society yet another reason to hate and kill each other. Some people are scared of us, and for good reason.
I did not ask for this gene, nor did I give anyone permission to control it, but the government has put a DiaZem in charge to do just that. This murderess Queen DiaZem wiped out those in the city without the gene, including my father.
Now, I must fight with the Reactance to stop the DiaZem’s Apparent Power and ensure these genes are returned to their dormant state.
My name is Sasha Bowman. I am a member of the Reactance.
An awakening of a dormant gene ripped my home and community apart, giving society yet another reason to hate and kill each other. Some people are scared of us, and for good reason.
I did not ask for this gene, nor did I give anyone permission to control it, but the government has put a DiaZem in charge to do just that. This murderess Queen DiaZem wiped out those in the city without the gene, including my father.
Now, I must fight with the Reactance to stop the DiaZem’s Apparent Power and ensure these genes are returned to their dormant state.
- GenresScience Fiction
148 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2018
12 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Dacia M. Arnold
3 books40 followersDacia M Arnold is an author of adult dystopian and dark fiction. She enjoys writing main characters who are otherwise normal people with extraordinary abilities.
To say Dacia is an author and a mother would only be scratching the surface. She is an avid karaoke singer, master crafter and a thrift-ster. She is also a ten-year Army veteran and served two tours of combat as a medic.
From a young age, her imagination lent itself to short stories and poems. Like most girls, her father is her hero. Dacia moved every three years since she was born, as with most military families, which allowed her to reinvent herself with new friends. Later in life, she followed her father’s boot prints by joining the military. Dacia spent fifteen months working in Baghdad Emergency room. There she lay witness to both horrors and miracles.
While she was away for her second deployment, Dacia lost her best friend to domestic violence. After her friend’s passing, Dacia served as a victim advocate until her time in the military ended. Now, to help others, she speaks out often in social media platforms to encourage victims of their own strength and informs them of options to get help.
Dacia blogs about being a writer, a mom of two and the struggles therein. She sometimes incorporates life with her railroad conductor husband in Denver, Colorado and a few diy projects. When in rare form, she will share stories about her time in the military, her medical experiences, short fiction stories, and very rarely a poem.
Dacia’s first full length novel incorporates almost every aspect of her life. APPARENT POWER is an award-winning story following a mother on a journey to find her son before a rising, post-apocalyptic government does. The main character will stop at nothing to ensure her son’s safety. Apparent Power is due to be released by Immortal Works Press on December 11th, 2018.
SHIFTING POWER, the sequel, is in the works to be released in the fall of 2019.
To say Dacia is an author and a mother would only be scratching the surface. She is an avid karaoke singer, master crafter and a thrift-ster. She is also a ten-year Army veteran and served two tours of combat as a medic.
From a young age, her imagination lent itself to short stories and poems. Like most girls, her father is her hero. Dacia moved every three years since she was born, as with most military families, which allowed her to reinvent herself with new friends. Later in life, she followed her father’s boot prints by joining the military. Dacia spent fifteen months working in Baghdad Emergency room. There she lay witness to both horrors and miracles.
While she was away for her second deployment, Dacia lost her best friend to domestic violence. After her friend’s passing, Dacia served as a victim advocate until her time in the military ended. Now, to help others, she speaks out often in social media platforms to encourage victims of their own strength and informs them of options to get help.
Dacia blogs about being a writer, a mom of two and the struggles therein. She sometimes incorporates life with her railroad conductor husband in Denver, Colorado and a few diy projects. When in rare form, she will share stories about her time in the military, her medical experiences, short fiction stories, and very rarely a poem.
Dacia’s first full length novel incorporates almost every aspect of her life. APPARENT POWER is an award-winning story following a mother on a journey to find her son before a rising, post-apocalyptic government does. The main character will stop at nothing to ensure her son’s safety. Apparent Power is due to be released by Immortal Works Press on December 11th, 2018.
SHIFTING POWER, the sequel, is in the works to be released in the fall of 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 5, 2018
Interesting story. I got a little confused on the timeline, but the story was still good. I enjoyed it. I look forward to reading Apparent Power.
August 5, 2018
This is such a fantastic novella! The story is written as a journal kept by the brave 18 year old and walks the reader through the events that happened in Denver after a bizarre, life-altering event. The glimpse we see of the new life young Sasha must re-establish for herself sucks the reader in and will leave you wanting to jump into the action to fight with Sasha and her new friends.
This novella follows the same timeline as the author’s first novel, Apparent Power. After reading this novella, I cannot wait for Apparent Power!
I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this novella and am providing my honest review of book.
This novella follows the same timeline as the author’s first novel, Apparent Power. After reading this novella, I cannot wait for Apparent Power!
I was given an Advanced Reader Copy of this novella and am providing my honest review of book.
August 18, 2018
I’ve been reading young adult (YA) fiction for years because I like the dystopian like nature of several popular books like Hunger Games and Divergent. Reactance is a dystopian novel with a young main heroine just like those mentions above and I loved it! It’s written like a journal of a young 18 year old who must cope with her world fall apart when her world literally falls apart. It’s deals with some difficult topics including death and addiction and looks at what we are capable of doing when faced with ultimate tragedy. Sasha Bowman is a relatable character who answers the what if’s- what if I was presented with a government I didn’t agree with- do I follow along or do I stand up and fight. How far will Sasha go to assert herself and get revenge against a government she sees as corrupt? And more importantly are they really the bad guys?
August 29, 2018
This isn't normally my kind of read but I have to say I was totally drawn into this novella and its heroine, Sasha Bowman. Written in the form of her journal, we hear from this young woman about her struggles with life after finding herself with a new power, losing her father, and learning that it is very difficult to trust anyone in the post-apocalyptic world she finds herself in. I found myself cheering her on as she headed out to fend for herself and try to right the world that has gone all wrong.
It was a quick read but now I find myself wanting more and can't wait to read the first full-length novel in the DiaZem Series.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
It was a quick read but now I find myself wanting more and can't wait to read the first full-length novel in the DiaZem Series.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
March 9, 2019
Sasha Bowman, a senior in high school with just a few weeks before graduation, is caught up in an apocalyptic disaster that starts while she is standing in the pharmacy, waiting to get a prescription filled by her mom. The power goes out everywhere, planes fall from the sky, and Sasha finds out she is affected. Electrical appliances fail every time she gets near.
Her father tells her that several people have been affected by the wave of electricity that swept over the world and that the CDC is taking these people in to be examined. Sasha and her mother go in the truck that comes for them. Sasha keeps a journal and her story unfolds through entries in it.
As with anything human, the situation becomes politicized as the "affected" are gathered into a building and given jobs to make the situation function in a relatively normal way. These "affected" people are taught that they can channel electricity because a rare "conductor" gene has been awakened. A DiaZem, who is a person that can release the power and use it in various ways.
When her father fails to contact her and Sasha can't reach him, she becomes worried and is given leave to check on him. She finds him dead and buries him in the backyard with her beloved cat, who had also died.
Sasha becomes caught up in the social upheaval when she discovers that a woman, who styles herself a queen is responsible for her father's death. The group of people who help her out after her father's death introduce her to their social rebellion.
The story takes off from there and is a companion piece to Apparent Power. Arnold tells the story with a New Adult voice that rings true and is infused with dry wit.
My only complaint would be that the fall of the world is quickly re-organized. She has a lot more faith in human's ability to rebuild after a world shattering disaster. But Sasha is a young woman with a good head on her shoulders, an enormous amount of spunk, and depth of heart that makes up for the lack of experience she suffers from.
The story could be called "The Making of a Rebel".
Her father tells her that several people have been affected by the wave of electricity that swept over the world and that the CDC is taking these people in to be examined. Sasha and her mother go in the truck that comes for them. Sasha keeps a journal and her story unfolds through entries in it.
As with anything human, the situation becomes politicized as the "affected" are gathered into a building and given jobs to make the situation function in a relatively normal way. These "affected" people are taught that they can channel electricity because a rare "conductor" gene has been awakened. A DiaZem, who is a person that can release the power and use it in various ways.
When her father fails to contact her and Sasha can't reach him, she becomes worried and is given leave to check on him. She finds him dead and buries him in the backyard with her beloved cat, who had also died.
Sasha becomes caught up in the social upheaval when she discovers that a woman, who styles herself a queen is responsible for her father's death. The group of people who help her out after her father's death introduce her to their social rebellion.
The story takes off from there and is a companion piece to Apparent Power. Arnold tells the story with a New Adult voice that rings true and is infused with dry wit.
My only complaint would be that the fall of the world is quickly re-organized. She has a lot more faith in human's ability to rebuild after a world shattering disaster. But Sasha is a young woman with a good head on her shoulders, an enormous amount of spunk, and depth of heart that makes up for the lack of experience she suffers from.
The story could be called "The Making of a Rebel".
March 29, 2020
This was okay. 2.5 rounded up. It wasn’t at the same level of writing as the first book. We got a new narrator and I think it being written as a journal hurt the story more for me. Sasha is just a very black and white narrator and there just wasn’t the same pull I got from the first book. Some points in this just felt strange. I can’t quite put my finger on it but since it’s a novella that might be it. Sasha’s character is supposed to be an aspiring writer but her entire journal lacks any real writing prowess and the articles she writes weren’t as extraordinary as other characters made them out to be. If this had been written in the same style as the first book I think it could have been better.
November 26, 2018
Absolutely Worth the Read
From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put the book down! I love the journal format. It's incredibly creative and the concept is very unique. Although, I've read many books in this genre, the plot and underlying concept of this book is something I've not come across before. It's a very easy read, as I read it in one sitting, and I found myself drawn into the story early on. Definite page turner! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and this series.
From the moment I started reading, I couldn't put the book down! I love the journal format. It's incredibly creative and the concept is very unique. Although, I've read many books in this genre, the plot and underlying concept of this book is something I've not come across before. It's a very easy read, as I read it in one sitting, and I found myself drawn into the story early on. Definite page turner! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and this series.
December 19, 2018
I loved this novella and am really looking forward to reading Apparent Power. I loved that this was written through the eyes of Sasha, through her journal entries. It is also awesome that it takes place in and around Denver, Colorado. I feel like there are not enough books that take place here. I really empathized with Sasha, and feel badly that she ended up in the situations that she found herself in. To be all alone in that situation, would be so horrible. Hopefully we will see more of her in the next book.
August 16, 2019
Dacia Arnold brings a fresh voice to the dystopian genre with this intro to her DiaZem Trilogy. Told in the voice of the 18-year-old main character through her journal, Reactance carries readers in a rush from the day the world completely changed through the aftermath of that event. We find that a world turned upside down can't stop such normal feelings as first love and the desire for a mother's approval and soothing. In the end, the young character discovers there may not be as much of a difference between an activist and a terrorist as she originally thought.
November 1, 2018
I loved this book! If you love dystopian, futuristic-society fictions, this is the perfect teaser novella. Eighteen-year-old Sasha Bowman tells her side of the strange Event that changed society forever and I cannot wait for the first novel, Apparent Power! Sasha's viewpoint is relatable both to young adults, and grown-ups. As a mom to three kids, I felt it was something I could pick up and read quickly without losing the plot. Give it a read, you won't regret it!
December 17, 2018
I can't tell what this is. The story is disjointed, which is partly by design based on the story telling device (ugh, it's a diary). The narrator even makes a comparison to Anne Frank, which, just, no. It doesn't really feel like a standalone work and it has not convinced me to read the follow on novel.
October 5, 2024
Loving this series. The main character Sasha is your average 18 year old, but so much more. This is her story and the first 3 months or so before and after the awakening of power happened. She reminds me of my own sons, who are all very open minded when it comes to all things about us humans. Her Dad would be very proud of her. Will start the next book soon!
April 19, 2020
Liked it.
This was a quick read . I read the first book the series before this one.The first book kept me intrigued.
I did not like mother in course. I liked the way the daughter wanted to right the world.
This was a quick read . I read the first book the series before this one.The first book kept me intrigued.
I did not like mother in course. I liked the way the daughter wanted to right the world.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews