Peter R. Ellis' Unity of Seven was published by Elsewhen Press as an e-book in January 2016. The paperback edition will be published in March 2016.
Information about Peter R. Ellis:
Peter would like to say he's been a writer all his life but it is only since retiring as a teacher in 2010 that he has been able to devote enough time to writing to call it a career. Brought up in Cardiff, he studied Chemical Physics at the University of Kent at Canterbury, then taught chemistry (and a bit of physics) in Norwich, the Isle of Wight and Thames Valley. His first experience of publishing was in writing educational materials which he has continued to do since retiring. Of his fictional writing, Seventh Child is his first published speculative fiction novel.
Peter has been a fan of science fiction and fantasy since he was young, has an (almost) complete collection of classic SF by Asimov, Ballard, Clarke, Heinlein and Niven, among others, while also enjoying fantasy by Tolkien, Donaldson and Ursula Le Guin. Of more recent authors Iain M Banks, Alastair Reynolds and China Mieville have his greatest respect. His Welsh upbringing also engendered a love of the language (even though he can't speak it) and of Welsh mythology like the Mabinogion. All these strands come together in the Evil Above the Stars series. He lives in Herefordshire with his wife, Alison, who is a great supporter.
Click here to visit the author's blog.
Information about Unity of Seven:
Volume 3 of the Evil Above the Stars series.
September is back home and it is still the night of her birthday, despite her having spent over three months in Gwlad battling the Malevolence at the seventh conjunction of the planets. She no longer has the Maengolauseren nor the powers it gave her. It is back to facing the bullies at school and her struggles with her weight and studies, but she worries about how well the people of Gwlad have recovered from the terror of the Malevolence. She is also unsure what happened to Malice/Mairwen as the Cemegwr said that Toddfa penbaladr, the universal solvent, would join the twins together. Is Malice inside her? Could she turn to evil?
She must discover a way to return to the universe of Gwlad and the answer seems to lie in her family history. The five Cludydds before September and her mother were her ancestors. The clues take her on a journey in time and space which reveals that while in great danger she is also the key to the survival of all the universes. September must overcome her own fears, accept an extraordinary future and, once again, face the evil above the stars.
If old theories are correct until a new idea comes along, does the universe change with our perception of it? Were the ideas embodied in alchemy ever right? What realities were the basis of Celtic mythology?
Unity of Seven is the third volume in the thrilling fantasy series, Evil Above the Stars, that appeals to readers, of all ages, of fantasy or science fiction, especially fans of JRR Tolkien and Stephen Donaldson. It follows on immediately from The Power of Seven, the second volume in the series.
A REVIEW OF PETER R. ELLIS' UNITY OF SEVEN
Peter R. Ellis' Unity of Seven is the third novel in the Evil Above the Stars fantasy trilogy. It's a direct sequel to The Power of Seven and continues the story from where it ended.
Peter R. Ellis' Evil Above the Stars is an intriguingly different and compelling fantasy trilogy for young adults. One could easily think that a YA fantasy trilogy filled with Celtic elements might be a bit clichéd and dull, but that is definitely not the case here, because the author has written a totally different kind of a trilogy that boldly differs from other new YA fantasy series in terms of epic scope and happenings.
I'm a bit difficult to please when it comes to YA fantasy, because I feel that most new YA fantasy novels are more or less clichéd and way too many of them have annoying paranormal romance elements that fail to impress me. There has been too much repetition and paranormal fluff in YA fantasy during the recent years and it's gradually starting to show as a radical drop of quality. Fortunately, Peter R. Ellis has had courage to step out of the comfort zone that so many YA fantasy authors occupy and has created a story that feels fresh and exciting due to its Celtic and ancient elements that have nothing in common with teenaged girls falling in love with vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters. He writes classic epic YA fantasy in a modern and entertaining way.
Although Unity of Seven is a modern fantasy novel, it has an old-fashioned charm to it that is lacking from many new YA fantasy novels. I find it fascinating that the author has managed to create a story that is simultaneously modern and old-fashioned. When I read this novel and its predecessors, I thought to myself that the author has clearly been influenced by classic works of fantasy and science fiction, because his novels have plenty of elements that can only be found in classic speculative fiction.
Unity of Seven is a fantastic final entry in the Evil Above Stars trilogy, because it answers questions that were left unanswered at the end of the previous novel. It has a good dash of imagination and originality, because the author blends YA fiction, fantasy, science fiction, cosmology and Celtic elements in a satisfyingly unique and complex way.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
- In the previous novels, September arrived in Gwlad. She was hailed as the Cludydd o Maengolauseren, the bearer of the starstone, with the power to defend the Land against the evil known as the Malevolence. She had to learn many things and she saved the Land from the Malevolence.
- At beginning of this novel, September has returned home. It's only a day after her birthday, although she spent over three months in Gwlad battling the Malevolence at the seventh conjunction of the planets. She doesn't have the Maengolauseren anymore and can't use its powers.
- September is a bit troubled by what has happened to Malice, because she doesn't know what became of her. When September's behaviour occasionally changes and she becomes filled with hate and resorts to using violence against others, she finds out that Malice is inside her and wants to use her body to do evil and violent things to others.
- September has to find a way to return to Gwlad, because she must find answers and a solution to her problems. When she finds a way to return to Gwlad, she learns that the Land is dying...
This is the beginning of a story that is delightfully different and original.
September is an interesting and realistic protagonist, because she's not your normal kind of a beautiful heroine who charms everybody with her looks and falls in love with a charming hero or prince. She's an actual human being who is a normal person with her own problems.
Peter R. Ellis writes well about September's life after she has returned to Earth. In Gwlad, September was the Cludydd o Maengolauseren, the wielder of the starstone, but at home she is a nobody and is bullied at school. She has to endure constant bullying because of her appearance. She feels that nobody understands her, because she has visited a different land and fought against a dangerous evil entity. It's difficult for her to get back to normal life after spending time in Gwlad.
It was interesting for me to read about how September wanted to find out more about her family and their connection to Gwlad, because her ancestors had visited the Land. She begins to explore her family history and it leads her on an interesting journey of discovery in time and space during which she experiences new things.
One of the strengths of this novel is that Peter R. Ellis writes well about things that concern his target audience. His approach to bullying feels believable. I think that teenagers, who feel that they're different from others and are bullied, will find this novel especially interesting, because the author writes about how September endures the bullying.
It's great that this novel features a different kind of a possession scenario, because the author writes about how Malice, September's twin sister who died at birth, tries to take control of September's body. The author writes fascinatingly about September and Malice's fight over the same body, because he tells about the happenings from two different perspectives (September tries to save herself and her body, but Malice wants to take full control of her sister's body). This is something that you don't often see in YA fantasy fiction.
Malice is an intriguingly evil and vicious character, because she is pure evil and wants to spread evil around her. She is nothing like September who is good and kind - she's the polar opposite of September and her kindness. It was fascinating to read about how she felt about feelings related to compassion and love, because they were totally new to her.
The Cemewgr are interesting beings. They're creators who are part of the Omniverse and have powers, but are unable to do certain things. These beings were first mentioned in the previous novel and now the author reveals a bit more things about them. I won't go into details about them, but I'm sure that readers will enjoy reading about them and their powers.
One of the things why I like this novel is that it has been written in a gripping and entertaining way. It's easy to like the story and the protagonist, because September is a well-created character.
Another reason why I enjoy this novel is the author's ability to write intriguingly about the Omniverse and elements related to time travel. The author tells of these things in an informative, but not too scientific a way so that readers will easily comprehend what he's writing about. These science fiction elements are charming, because you don't normally find anything like this in modern YA fantasy.
I also enjoyed reading about what had happened in Gwlad while September was away, because the Land was dying: less children had been born than before and animals were less productive; people worked hard to produce food and their powers were failing. Because these things were happening, September had to find out if anything could be done to fix the problems and she had to do something that she had never done before. I won't reveal what she does, but I'm sure that it will fascinate readers, because readers seldom have an opportunity to read about this kind of happenings in YA fantasy novels.
This novel has two short synopses of the happenings that took place in the previous novels. They're useful to fans of this trilogy, because readers have an opportunity remind themselves of the happenings. They're also useful to newcomers, because new readers will be able to access the story when they read about the previous happenings. (If you haven't read the previous novels, it's possible that certain things and characters may feel a bit distant and vague, so I recommend reading them.)
The author's writing style is delightfully vivid. I'm sure that his prose will please YA readers, because it's accessible and easy to read.
It's great that the author has included a good pronunciation guide and a glossary for the old tongue used by people of the Land (the old tongue is derived from Celtic languages such as Welsh). Both of them are useful to readers (reading about the words and their meanings is interesting and rewarding).
Because the author has managed to combine different elements in a fascinating way and has created a good story, I feel compelled to give this novel strong four stars on the scale from one to five stars. It's amazing how well the author has combined all of the elements and has avoided mediocrity. When you begin to read this novel, you'll get a feeling that the author enjoys storytelling and wants to offer his readers an entertaining story.
I sincerely hope that Peter R. Ellis will continue to write more stories, because he has a talent for creating original stories. I look forward to reading what he writes next.
I recommend Unity of Seven to young adult readers and adult readers alike, because it will charm both readerships with its genuinely intriguing story and well-created protagonist. If you like your fantasy seasoned with Celtically inspired elements and want to read a different kind of a YA story, this novel will fascinate you. It's an original vision of battle between good and evil, seen through the eyes of a teenaged girl and her dead twin sister.
My final words are:
Unity of Seven is an intriguing and original fantasy novel with Celtic elements for readers of all ages!