From award-winning author D. L. ORTON comes book two in the Between Two Evils Series...
When a faulty time machine deposits Diego at the top of a pine tree, he knows he's in the wrong place—but has no idea he's in the wrong time. Naked and shivering in the chilly mountain air, he attempts to climb down, but slips, whacks his head, and falls into oblivion.
He wakes up inside a darkened room, crippled and disheartened, and must come to grips with the realization that he is marooned in a bleak alternate future. In this universe, what remains of the human race is trapped inside a handful of aging biodomes. With his mission failed, his world destroyed, and the one woman he loves, dead, he can find no reason to go on living.
But Lani, the emotionally scarred doctor who finds him, refuses to let him give up, and as Diego heals, their relationship becomes... complicated. He struggles to let go of the past but is unable to get Isabel out of his head—or his heart. Just when it seems he may be able to find some measure of happiness in a world teetering on the edge of extinction...
Another note arrives: Isabel is alive—but not for long…
Assessment:
Plot: This second book in the Between Two Evils series features an intriguing opening with Diego dropped into the wrong place and wrong time. After that, the narrative pace slows as he recovers from his injuries. Still, fans of the series will stick around to see what happens next.
Prose: Orton's writing is excellent both overall and at sentence level. The novel flows in a conversational way, and the dialogue is realistic. From a stylistic perspective the book is a page-turner.
Originality: There are numerous hints at deeper waters and a broader world, but readers ultimately see little of what is beyond Diego’s recovery room for much of the book. While the characters shine through, much of the novel adheres to a standard post-apocalypse formula with only those hints staking out unique territory.
Character Development: The characters are far and away the highlight of the book, primarily Lani, with her tortured past, and brilliant young Shannon’s attempts to see the best of her world and find a way to return humans and animals to the outside world.
Date Submitted: April 10, 2017
Genre Fiction
Lost Time by D. L. Orton, illustrations by Micah McDonald (Rocky Mt. Press)
Colorado Humanities & Center for the Book is pleased to announce that your entry, Lost Time, has been selected as a finalist in the Colorado Book Awards genre fiction category.
Finalists will be recognized and winners announced at the Colorado Book Awards celebration in late May.
Again, congratulations! We appreciate your participation and look forward to celebrating Colorado literary achievement with you in the upcoming months .
