Solstice

By Ulises Silva

Words are murder. Scribes have a gift. Whatever they write comes true. Misfortune. Theft. Even murder. Editors-covert specialists operating beyond the law-watch over them. Among the Editors, Io is the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0979451302
• ISBN13: 9780979451300
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Tragical Mirth Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Gritty fantasy at its best

Solstice will easily appeal to those who favor the sci-fi and horror genres and are fascinated with tales of a post-apocalyptic world. Silva is able to craft a story that reads like a graphic novel in which every page adds to the strong visual quality, making the realm of Editors and Scribes quite vivid and raw. With characters who are both noble and flawed, and an eerie chain of events leading to the presumed end of all things, Solstice is captivating, the kind of book to pore over, near feverishly, and that prompts the reader to dwell deeply into the what-ifs.

Solstice Rocks!!!

One of the things that gets to me about modern Hollywood movies is their predictability. You always have the same plots and characters being recycled over and over again, to the beat of the same rehashed music owned by the studio, and CG effects that were exciting 15 years ago. After seeing one too many butchered remakes of old classics because studios can't think of anything better, I start looking elsewhere for stories with any bit of depth and creativity. This usually leads me to foreign or indie films, but once in a while I come across a book that proves that those multi-million dollar movie budgets aren't buying the best writers around. I'm not that big a fan of the post-apocalyptic genre, but love sci-fi movies, a good monster flick, Anime and paranormal thrillers. I picked this book up because it seemed to have a little bit of everything that I liked, and I can tell you I was NOT disappointed! While most of the middle portion of the book's plot teeters dangerous close to predictability, the ending has a shocking twist that made my jaw drop. And besides, the entire presentation of the story is far from predictable. You have a strong, all-female cast with well-defined strengths and weaknesses. Io struck me as a bit of the classic smart-aleck heroine at first, but that thankfully adjusts to the changing circumstances as it should in any good story. You have many effective action and horror elements written in a way that is believable and immersive. And the visuals! I know it's a writing, but it's damn good writing, and the imagery and metaphors used are written so vibrantly that you can literally "see" the dream sequences as they unfold, as well as the news footage of the world falling apart in chaos. Perhaps the most shocking [and exciting] thing to me was that I found out later it was a self-published novel, with a budget half that of most other self-published works. Not only has Ulises clearly done his research and knows a good thing about marketing and presentation, he knows how to operate on a shoestring budget. When I think of all the small independent films that completely tramp over the multi-million dollar bombshells, I can't help but feel that everything seems to work backwards. Even without the kind of exposure that this book desrves, I think Ulises has succeeded in creating one of those "hidden gems" that rewards people like me who go out and search for good stories. Hats off to you, buddy!

A riveting, original saga.

What would you do if you knew the world would end next week? Solstice is a fantastic novel set in the present day, except that behind the busy scenes, individuals known as Scribes have a gift that makes whatever they write come true. A group of Editors, operating beyond the law, ruthlessly watch over the scribes. Io is most skilled Editor of all, yet she must face her greatest test when an inexplicable message forecasting the world's end with its next solstice appears all over the globe, spreading confusion, fear, mass murder, and riots. Io tracks the message to its source, a Scribe named Nadie, yet as her nightmare scenario unfolds the unleashed catastrophes themselves contain a hidden secret. Is it Nadie's plan to write the extinction of humanity, or is there another hidden motive? And could there be a link between Nadie and Io's past? A riveting, original saga.