Title: The Traveler
Author: Melissa Delport
Series: The Traveler Series #1
Genre: SciFi Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 3 2014
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook
Blurb/Synopsis:
Seven years ago, Rachel gave her heart to a dark, intense stranger, who left her broken and alone.
Every day since then Rachel has thought about Dex, her memories refusing to be silenced.
Now, Dex is back, but this time he is not alone. He has brought a formidable army – their sole purpose to conquer. Fate will bring Rachel and Dex back together, but on opposing sides of a war that threatens to obliterate her world.
Pitted against the power of the elements, Rachel and her friends must survive tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes and fire, all the while being hunted by a powerful enemy who will stop at nothing to pillage her planet.
Fleeing for her life amidst the chaos of a raging, burning city, Rachel realizes man’s only chance of survival lies in the hands of the very person who betrayed her all those years ago.
Earth is destined to fall, but Rachel is determined to save mankind, no matter the sacrifice.
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Author Information
Wife and mother of 3, Melissa Delport is the author of The Legacy Series, Rainfall & The Traveler. She graduated from the University of South Africa with a Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2000. She currently lives with her husband and three children in Hillcrest, South Africa, and is hard at work on the final book in The Legacy Trilogy.
Her first novel, The Legacy, self-published in 2013, is the first in The Legacy Trilogy, and is followed by the sequel The Legion. The main-stream publisher, Tracey McDonald Publishers, is re-releasing The Legacy and The Legion in July 2014. Book 3 of the trilogy, The Legend, is due out in 2015. Melissa has also written an independent novel entitled Rainfall, a psychological romance, and a science-fiction, action-adventure called The Traveler.
An avid reader herself, Melissa finally decided to stop “watching from the sidelines” and to do what is her passion.
“I was driving home from work when inspiration struck, and a storyline started unravelling in my head. For a few days, it was all I could think about and eventually I realized that the only way to get it out of my head, was to put it all down on paper. I started writing, and that was that.”
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Excerpt #3
There! I spot him, finally, only about fifty feet ahead of me. I quickly duck behind a hawthorn bush, taking cover and peering out. Dex has stopped. Whether this is because he is close enough to fight the others, or whether he has sensed he is being followed, I am not sure, but it doesn’t matter because the man behind him has already raised his arm to strike. Without any thought to the consequences, I launch myself from behind the bush and into the street, not bothering to keep quiet. Both men whirl at the sudden sound and I fire two shots at the man nearest me. The first goes wide but the second hits him square in the chest and he drops to his knees, his eyes wide, clutching both his arms to his chest. As he falls forward, face first, I hear Dex’s angry snarl and I look up to see him bearing down on me with murder in his eyes.
“Dammit, Rachel!” he hisses through clenched teeth and I cower in the face of his fury. “What are you doing here?” he rips the gun from my hand and stows it in the waistband of his jeans. It dawns on me that I have no idea whether Dex really is protecting us. What if his real intention right now is to communicate with his people – to give us all up? I shake my head suddenly terrified. Jason was right – I am insane. What was I thinking coming out here?
The explosions are much louder now and the ground below us starts to shake. My legs buckle beneath me and I try to get up, only to fall back down again. I glance up at Dex and the look on his face is terrifying, his eyes are glowing and his mouth is set in an angry, ugly line. He raises his hands and I feel the storm charging the air around me. My hair stands on end and I can feel the prickle on my skin. I quickly scan the street and I see a small, obviously hastily abandoned Volkswagen parked nearby, its front tires mounting the curb. The back door is hanging open and I half-run, half-crawl towards it, struggling to keep my balance on the shuddering ground.
The first crack of lightning sends a shockwave through my legs and I collapse again. I have lost sight of Dex, but I launch myself at the car as a second lightning bolt thunders close by. The third is the worst I have ever heard and I yelp, as a small shock jolts my body, even within the supposed safety of the car. For the first time I fear that he may be trying to hurt me. I have never been afraid of storms but right now I am petrified.
“What the hell are you doing?” Dex roars, leaning into the car and grabbing hold of my waist. Rain is streaming through his hair and down his face and he blinks it out of his eyes. He drags me bodily out of the Volkswagen and I struggle helplessly against him, kicking out at his legs and writhing in his arms. His face shows an expression of pure bewilderment and he hauls me against him, pinning my body to his with his left hand while he controls the storm with his right.
“Stop fighting me, Rachel!” he orders and I realize that his fury is not directed at me after all. His whole body is rigid with concentration as he tries to control the storm.
“Let me back in the car!” I yell against the wind, my eyes closed against the stinging rain. “It’s the safest place for me in the storm!” I can sense the others getting closer and he’ll need all his focus if he’s going to defeat them. The semblance of a smile crosses his face and an instant later an almighty bolt of lightning hits the small Volkswagen, flipping it over, a charred, black, unrecognizable mess. I feel nothing, unaffected by the lightning only inches away. Okay, point taken.
“The safest place for you in this storm is right here!” he yells, pulling me even closer to him, “if you want to live, Rachel, never leave my side!”
For the next half an hour I clutch the front of his T-shirt, burying my face in his chest and trying to ignore the icy cold of the wind and the rain on my back and acutely conscious of the heat radiating off him. I try in vain to block out the sounds of the battle that is waging all around me. Dex doesn’t falter once I can feel the raw energy coursing through him and the lightning is relentless, one ear-splitting crack after another.
By the time the storm dissipates my fingers are practically locked in place and my body is cramping from being tensed for so long. As I look down at my white-knuckled hands I notice that the sun is rising, and, as the storm clouds part, the warming sunlight hits my skin. I ease up my grip and flex my fingers ignoring the dull ache. I take a step back, feeling suddenly and inexplicably shy, but I force myself to look up and meet Dex’s gaze. His eyes are still glowing slightly, the emerald green startling but beautiful. It dawns on me that something has changed. Not only the physical nearness, but somehow Dex has dropped his cold facade – at least as far as I’m concerned. It’s like he’s letting me in for the first time since he came back.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice surprisingly gentle considering the amount of damage he just inflicted, his eyes assessing my face.
“I’m fine,” I stammer, taking another step backward. My legs, unfortunately, are far too shaky to support my weight and he catches my arm as I sway on the spot. I lean on him for support as we slowly make our way back to the Toyota keeping my eyes pointedly fixed on the ground.
I’m not sure how or even what to say about the book. I don’t read too much sci/fi or fantasy really so this review will be sorta weird. At least for me. To say that I liked the book would be an understatement. Loved it actually but how to summarize it, I promise I won’t give it justice.
Things I loved:
1. Rachel. I don’t think I’ve ever read a more resilient, strong and smart heroines in a while. She’s no patsy and even if her ex broke her heart to pieces…she doesn’t make it easy for him. And to say that she is beyond gobsmacked as to the “why” he’s back…she still took it to stride.
2. Dex. Honestly, I didn’t get him at first but once the story really unfolds and takes off…I really did like him. Did I like what he did to Rachel earlier? Of course not, but that’s the point isn’t it?
3. The setting. What a world, what a world. I can’t even imagine building a world like this one. One warning…there is a lot of destruction and survival. Vivid, intense and so much a part of the book. Please don’t skip it. There’s a point. 🙂
4. Everyday heroes…of yes, they are here too. Be prepared to cheer and then cry at times. War is hell and there are casualties. *sniff*
5. What really sets this apart is the romance. Of yes, there is a romance. Wars are raging, Rachel isn’t quite sure about Dex but she is sure of one thing…survival. When feelings and emotions between them resurface, it really was a joy to read their romance.
Things that didn’t work for me:
1. The romance wasn’t finished. But I hear the book isn’t finished. 😉 Woot!
2. I needed a drink after I read this book. I was literally shaking during some parts. Intense and a complete thrill ride. Loved it but at times too intense for me.
3. I think the biggest problem for me was that I read it in one sitting. I was so completely caught up in it that I lost track of time. 😉 Why is this a bad thing? See #2. I didn’t expect it and would recommend that you break the book up in bits. Trust me, you will need the recovery time.
Overall, I loved this book, Dex, Rachel and everything else. Ms. Delport has a fan for life now. Just need to pace myself next time.
I read a variety of genres. I don’t read enough of sci-fi. Thanks for the awesome giveaway.
I do need to read more Sci-Fi. I read across most genres.