Book Review: Thunder by Bonnie S. Calhoun

The Time of Sorrows is long past.

The future of Selah and her people is shrouded in mystery.

And the clock is ticking.

Before reading Thunder, the first book in the Stone Braide Chronicles, I read the introductory short story, Tremors, offered free (as of this date) on Amazon. Though it isn’t essential, I would recommend you do the same. It provides a little more of the background/family life of the main character.

At seventeen, Selah wants to be a hunter like her older brothers. She wants to earn her harsh father’s respect. So when a Lander floats up on the beach, she’s ready to capture him for the reward paid by the Company, the elite mountain-dwellers. Unfortunately, her brothers steal him away from her.

Bodhi Locke, like all Landers (or Immortals), displays a strange tattoo on his forehead. When Selah’s contact with him brands her, her world turns upside-down. She learns she’s not at all who she thought she was, which could get her killed. She “rescues” Bodhi and leads them to the mountain, determined to find the connection to her heritage. 

The Company is rife with corruption, intrigue, medical experimentation, and plain ol’ crazy people. In some ways, this is a complicated story with various points-of-view, but it reads quickly with a lot of action and characters drawn in a way that leaves the reader unsure of who to trust.

Maybe I need things pointed out, but I never did see the spiritual connection that made this book different from a secular YA novel. For a while I thought Bodhi and his people were a representation of fallen angels, but I don’t think so. I feel the answer is coming in a sequel, but couldn’t pinpoint it here.

I loved The Hunger Games series and saw a few similarities between this story and that, but Ms. Calhoun adds a different twist to a post-apocalyptic tale. This is NOT a stand alone novel, so if you start it, plan to read the series.

While it wasn’t my favorite in this genre, I’ll give Thunder four stars simply because it held my interest. I thought about it from the standpoint of whether or not I wanted to read the next book and discovered I did. It left me curious as to what happens next. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: This book came to me free from the publisher, Revell, with the hope that I would mention it on this blog. There was no requirement for me to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.