The Collapsing Wave by Doug Johnstone #Review #Giveaway #TheEnceladonsTrilogyVol2 #PublicationDay

I loved the science fiction thriller, The Space Between Us by Doug Johnstone, so I am thrilled to be taking part in the Publication Day celebrations for its sequel, The Collapsing Wave.   

I am delighted to be offering a great giveaway with the chance to win a print copy of The Collapsing Wave. Details on how to enter can be found at the foot of this post.  

 Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland’s west coast.
 
Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.
 
Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.
 
When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
 
Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…

 My Thoughts

The second in this series picks up the pace and we move seamlessly into the next instalment in the trilogy. As you discover what has happened to Lennox, Ava and Heather, all roads seem to lead back to Ullapool. Throughout the story, you feel the effect the aliens have had on the humans they have come into contact with. Those with open minds have felt the innocence and care for others which they are filled with. Theirs is a society without anger and every creature becomes part of a general consciousness. To Lennox, Heather and Ava who have felt that they are outsiders, this is very beguiling. We also see a darker side to the human race and people who have set their minds against the unknown and clung to the rules. They inflict pain on those who cannot resist and seem merciless. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in their treatment of Ava’s child. 

    With a fast moving plot and a shift in focus between the different characters, you feel pulled into the story from the start. There are also those who are finding they have to reappraise their initial views and decide whether they are prepared to admit they have been wrong and change sides. The Enceladons are as enchanting as ever, full of light and shade, mirroring the skies of the Northern Lights. You find yourself considering the effect they could have on the future of the human race. This is well worth a read.

In short: thought provoking 

   

About the Author

Doug Johnstone is the author of twelve previous novels, most recently The BigChill (2020). Several of his books have been bestsellers and three, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), were shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade – including at a funeral parlour ahead of writing A Dark Matter – and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three solo EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh. 

You can read my review of The Space Between Us here.

You can follow Doug here: Twitter   |  Website 

 Book link: Amazon UK 

 

 

Thanks to Doug Johnstone, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the tour

 

Giveaway (UK only)

To win a print copy of The Collapsing Wave, just Follow and Retweet the pinned Tweet at @bookslifethings and good luck!

 Closing Date is 20th March 2024 and there is one winner.

*Terms and Conditions –UK only. The winner will be selected at random via a random Tweet Selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter) and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.