Book 2 sees the group at Cheyenne Mountain finding out that there could be other survivours from different biospheres. They have made contact with Alex, from a biosphere in California, and hold out hope that maybe more have survived. They also think that they have made a weapon that can harm the Organics, all they need to do is try it out to see. They get their chance when one of their own is captured and taken by the spider things. This leads them to realise that the Organics have created human farms, and have taken captured people there to be harvested later. Overton holds out hope that some of his missing soldiers might still be alive.

What a ride!! I had to take several deep breaths when I finished this because it took my breath away with it's relentless pace. Absolutely non stop!!! It's not just the action that was non stop, it was also the emotions I had while reading this. I think I went through them all!!

The plot was fast paced and exciting. We get to see a little more of the invasion through different eyes and get a broader scope of what the aliens are and what they want. This is where the author excels in this book I think, his imagination is amazing and the world he has created is fantastic.... extremely scary, but fantastic! The different aliens he created were awesome and his descriptive writing and attention to detail, brings them to life in a way that was astounding. I could picture every creepy spider, worm or dinosaur like creature he wrote!!

The author isn't afraid to get rid of characters! We lose some, but we gain some too. The two boys are awesome, and I'm so glad we get their back story in a different short story, because otherwise it would have made them feel incomplete. On finishing this one, I read both White Sands and Red Sands and it brought the boys to life! Alex is another new character and his addition is great. He is at the end of his rope and ready to finish it all, but is picked up by some other survivours. I'm intrigued with him and can't wait to see more about him!

In all, this second book was amazing. The author has really opened up the world and we are starting to see a bigger picture. We get some answers as to how this happened with no warning. We also see tensions rising in the biosphere and people are starting to lose it being cooped up so long. I'm so glad I have book 3 to read straight after this one!! Brilliant series.

An excellent sequel to book one, which might just be better than the first book. I can't wait for book three!

Review of ORBS II: STRANDED
by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

In this continuation of the ORBS trilogy, the survivors in Biosphere 1 under Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, discover another survivor exists in California, from a biosphere at Edwards AFB. We are also introduced to a surviving NTC sub, the Ghosts of Atlantis, submerged into the Pacific Ocean. As the conditions on the planet continue to worsen, the survivors somehow manage to maintain hope, both within themselves, and in the form of protecting and educating the several children they have found. One of the themes consistent throughout is the theme of hope. Despite the eventual destruction of the planet, the human survivors are determined to survive and to extend the species, in the face of the aliens' obvious intent to completely eradicate humanity. Another consistent theme is the will to survive. These folks would make Darwin proud, I think, but survival becomes not always a question of strength, but of intelligence, cunning, wisdom, and cleverness.

Well written and enjoyable, my full review is up on Amazon under my name Kimberly-Aisha Hashmi