The Last Dryad (The Complex) ~ A #Sci-fi #Novella by Sarah Cradit @thewritersarah

Author: Sarah M Cradit
Published: December 2016 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Category: Science Fiction

Two thousand years beyond our time, much has changed. Humans, forced to flee Earth after a nuclear holocaust, find themselves in the distant Seldova system. Here, they realize they are not alone. Metas, races of powerful beings, are also forced from their home after environmental tragedies. They come upon the same mecca of planets, beginning a decades-long war with the Humans for land and home.

In the far distant future after the destruction of Earth, a social experiment called the Complex, is a series of life supported domes on a planet in a far-flung solar system. Humans and Metas elect to go there with the proviso they will co-exist peacefully. In exchange for their cooperation, at the end of their allotted time, the participants receive enough money to see them comfortably through many years.

Wezlei, a human and ex space pirate, volunteers for a stint at the Complex, in expectation of the money that would allow himself and his mother to enjoy a much better life. He has a profitable business there as a botanist and herbalist, making healing salves and also selling more ominous items. Wezlei, however, has another darker and more powerful incentive for coming to the Complex. Tariq. And Aerwen.

Tariq.

That Dhampir despot had terrorized many, many societies on Raxu. A pirate, too, though his particular form of robbery involved hostile takeovers and enslaving the innocent. His followers were responsible for the near extinction of one of the most beloved races in the universe, the peaceful Dryad.

The Dryad are one of the meta races, and Wezlei didn’t know much more than that about them, but when he saw a beautiful, obviously distressed and physically abused Dryad held prisoner by Tariq, he felt compelled to do something, regardless of the danger. Tariq has eyes and ears everywhere so Wezlei and Aerwen must be extra vigilant at all times.

A departure in genre for Sarah Cradit but a very engaging and imaginative story nonetheless, with terrific world building. The narrative gives a good sense of the characters considering the kindle version is just 100 pages. Wezlei and Aerwen are sympathetic and likeable and I was rooting for them, especially given the opening chapter. Tariq is the hateful villain I just wanted to see brought to his knees.

I volunteered to read and review The last Dryad, based on an advanced reader copy of the book supplied by the author/publisher.

Book links ~ Amazon UK | US

About Sarah Cradit

Sarah is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Paranormal Southern Gothic series, The House of Crimson & Clover, born of her combined passion for New Orleans, and the mysterious complexity of human nature. Her work has been described as rich, emotive, and highly dimensional.

An unabashed geek, Sarah enjoys studying obscure subjects like the Plantagenet and Ptolemaic dynasties, and settling debates on provocative Tolkien topics such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf’s personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, Sarah has visited over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration (though New Orleans is where her heart rests). She’s a self-professed expert at crafting original songs to sing to her very patient pets, and a seasoned professional at finding ways to humiliate herself (bonus points if it happens in public). When at home in Oregon, her husband and best friend, James, is very kind about indulging her love of fast German cars and expensive lattes.

Author links ~ Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads