Caryn Lix has been writing since she was a teenager and delved deep into science fiction, fantasy, and the uncanny while working on her master’s in English literature. Caryn writes novels for teens and anyone else who likes a bit of the bizarre to mess up their day. When not writing, Caryn spends her time obsessively consuming other people’s stories, plotting travel adventures, and exploring artistic endeavors. She lives with her husband and a horde of surly and entitled animals in southern Alberta. Find out more at CarynLix.com.
“Caryn Lix takes the prison thriller genre to new places in this YA
novel.”
*Quill & Quire*
Kenzie knew her duty to Omnistellar as a junior guard: protect the
world from the criminal super-powered teenagers imprisoned on
Sanctuary. Considering the security measures in place, the job was
not too complicated, and she had her parents there for support.
However, when a supposed drill turns into something more, Kenzie
finds herself taken hostage by the ruthless prisoners. But as she
gets to know them, they do not seem as bad as she thought. She
begins to question what crime was so bad they were imprisoned for
years. When an even greater danger threatens them all, she must
learn to trust and rely on those she was taught to hate and fear.
This sci-fi fantasy is filled with YA characters having to
determine what is right and face serious consequences for whatever
they decide. Lix’s novel keeps teens guessing what is really going
on and who will win this epic space battle. The ending will leave
readers hoping for a sequel. VERDICT YA sci-fi fans will enjoy this
wild ride through space.–Jessica Perovich, US Court of Appeals,
Federal Circuit Library
*May 1, 2018*
As the story opens on the prison facility–spaceship known as
Sanctuary, 17-year-old Kenzie is all that stands between a gang of
suddenly free, superpowered teen inmates and the universe. Her
mother, the ship’s commander, is wounded or dead, and it appears
that Sanctuary is also under attack from an alien presence. Amidst
this chaos, Kenzie discovers she has been a different sort of
prisoner aboard Sanctuary and that the “bad guys” might not be so
bad after all. First-time author Lix creates an energetic novel
that dispatches the adults early so that the superpowered teens can
come into their own. Kenzie is slowly won over to the side of the
teen prisoners, whose backstories reveal Sanctuary’s corporate
owners as the true criminals. Though Kenzie’s own ability becomes
too convenient a plot device, the teen characters are engaging, and
readers will find themselves rooting for the budding romances and
holding their breath as the heroes tiptoe down dark hallways to
find a way to defeat their foes. — Cindy Welch
*May 15, 2018*
Raised by her parents to appreciate the benefits of corporate
citizenship and to maintain unwavering loyalty to their employer,
Omnistellar Concepts, Kenzie is following in their footsteps and
guarding the space station Sanctuary, a prison for children and
teens imbued with superpowers. Her aspirations, faith in
Omnistellar, and belief in her parents come crashing down when a
prisoner escape plan coincides with an alien invasion, turning
Kenzie from guard to prisoner, fighting for her life among the kids
she had been taught to fear. There’s an enjoyable B-movie vibe to
the plotting, as Kenzie outmaneuvers monsters, discovers her own
technologically repressed superpower, learns the tightly
circumscribed boundary of her mother’s love, and kindles a romance
with the Sanctuary prisoner leader, all within the time- frame of a
couple of days. The themes and characters may derive from familiar
sci-fi repertoire, but Lix’s breakneck pacing keeps the pages
flying, and Kenzie’s barely tapped superpower and the unplumbed
depths of Omnistellar’s presence provide plenty of scope for later
adventure. Lix leaves readers just where she wants them: satisfied
by a complete story arc but ready to follow the surviving renegades
into space, with good guys and bad guys undoubtedly in hot
pursuit.
*June 2018*
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