Helia wants two things in life: to step out of her over-protective mother's shadow and to stop hiding her relationship with alien boy Kalo. But the world definitely isn't ready for a human-alien romance. And worse, the human-alien partnership is crumbling. Humans are arrested without explanation and many are never seen again.
When the alien leader imprisons her mother on a false charge, Helia discovers the aliens never intended to help humans at all. Now, she must join forces with Kalo and the alien rebels. If she succeeds, humans have a chance at survival and she has a chance at love. If she fails, the dwindling human race dies out in slavery.
When the aliens arrived, they were hailed as the saviors of a dying Earth and dwindling human race. But the aliens didn't come to help. Now, one human girl's ingenious invention and one alien boy's awakened heart are humanity's last hope...
Helia's Shadow Part One: Into Darkness is a full-length novel (approximately 290 pages).
* * * Book 2 (Helia's Shadow Part Two) is now available: http://amzn.com/B00TQ8W9II * * *
Q & A with K.C. Neal
Give us an idea about what types of readers will love Helia's Shadow.
Ender's Game, Divergent, and The Hunger Games were my inspirations for this series, so Helia's Shadow is for anyone who enjoyed one or more of those amazing books. Readers are telling me that Helia is a kick-ass heroine who reminds them of Tris and Katniss. There's a ton of action in this story. And while there's dystopian flavor to Helia's Shadow (as with The Hunger Games and Divergent), the aliens give it a different twist.
What about these aliens? What are they like?
From the Earthborn (human) point of view, they're a bit mysterious. The Talans (aliens) arrived in a giant alabaster-white ship and offered to help the last remaining humans, who are hanging on the edge of extinction. They have advanced cloning and DNA manipulation capabilities, which play into the way they make first contact with an intelligent species. The Talans seem benevolent, and certainly claim to be, but of course they have their own agenda.
Without giving too much away, how can the humans survive in the face of extinction and powerful aliens?
Well, one really awesome part of the story is that some of the Talans begin to question their leader and the mission they've been following for thousands of years. Something about being on Earth is causing some of the younger aliens to emotionally break away from the group, and to want to forge a new way. And even though the aliens are very advanced, the only way the alien leader can be defeated is by taking advantage of what both the Talans andthe Earthborns have to offer.
And what about the relationship between Helia and Kalo?
The romance between Helia and Kalo develops alongside the growing resistance - a bit like the love story between Tris and Four in Divergent - but it doesn't take over the larger story. Helia and Kalo both face enormous battles and obstacles individually and together. This is not just about two young people being in love, the stakes are much larger than that. But ultimately I think readers who want a good love story will be very satisfied.
The Starlight Age Series (series is complete) - recommended reading order:
1. Helia's Shadow Part One
2. Helia's Shadow Part Two - available here: http://amzn.com/B00TQ8W9II
3. Arrival Day (prequel to Helia's Shadow) - available here: http://amzn.com/B00SWBZOJG