The Last City:
The Colony Book 2
By R.M. Gilmour
A battle approaches Threa - a war of wills, one driven to control it, and
the other to destroy it.
While immersed in their history, Lydia learns of the overwhelming threat to the
planet and its people. And even though she was brought to Threa by her soulmate
Jordan, it has come to be her home. And she will not let it go.
Every day Lydia trains with Lena and Dax, but she doubts she will ever be as
strong as they need her to be. She is determined however, to be strong enough,
to be ready, should she ever again, be confronted by an enemy.
But what she can’t fight, are Jordan’s memories. With each step that he takes
toward the past, Lydia feels him pulling away, closing himself off.
As the war rages, Lydia is determined to stay strong when her faith in Jordan
is challenged. But is she strong enough to survive her own fears? Or will his
ties to the past sever the unbreakable bond between them?
The Coffee Pot Book Club Review
"Love
is not love which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends
with the remover to remove.
O no! it
is an ever-fixed mark
That looks
on tempests and is never shaken..."
Sonnet 116
by William Shakespeare.
The
world that Lydia lives in is far removed from the one she was born in. But it
matters not, for her home is wherever Jordon is. And yet, the threat of war
forever sits on the horizon, and Lydia must learn to battle her own ghosts if
she has any chance of vanquishing her enemy. However, there is a war that she
is unaware of and one she cannot fight. For this war is Jordon's and his alone.
He must face it, and he must own it, or all will be lost forever.
The
Colony was one of those books that wriggled into my heart and stayed there. I
reviewed it back in 2016, and I still hold it up as an example of the very best
in romantic fantasy. It has been a long wait for the sequel, but then some
books are worth such waits.
The
Last City (The Colony Book 2) by R.M. Gilmour picks up where The Colony left
off, and once again I found myself immersed in this wonderful fantasy world
that Ms Gilmour has created.
There
are some books that leave you gasping, and for me, The Last City is such a
book. The storyline is enthralling. The characters leap of the page. The love
story is sublime — there is simply no other word for it. There are several
antagonists, and all of them bring menace and fear into the story. The pace of
the plot is perfect. There are plot twists that I did not see coming. This book
also has something very rare, and that is movement. It was so easy to read it
was like listening to a symphony. Everything had its proper place. Everything
was well timed. Perfection.
I
adored the characterisation of Lydia. But be warned, there are some very
harrowing scenes in this book. I am not going to give away any spoilers, but
there is one scene in particular that made me hold my breath. I wanted to look
away but I couldn't. Very traumatic. Lydia deals with this trauma as anyone
else would. She does not brush herself off. She doesn't forget about it and
move on. Yet she finds the will not to let it consume her. And that is
something that I really liked about this book. This attention to detail, this
understanding of mental health made Lydia human. A very believable character.
As for Jordon... Well, doesn't he have a secret that will break your heart! His
compassion. His gentleness. His understanding just left me in tears. He is an
exquisite character that I could not help but fall in love with. The chemistry
between Lydia and Jorden is so wonderfully real that at times I actually cried.
Lena
is a wonderful contrast to Lydia, she is this real tough cookie who is a
warrior first and foremost, but even she has secrets. Which leads me on to the
supporting cast. There is quite a big cast in the book, and they all bring to
the story something unique. And as for the antagonists... All I can say is Ms Gilmour — I did not see
that coming!
The
Last City is Book 2 in The Colony series. I don't usually say this, but I would
not recommend starting with this one.
You can pick up the threads of the story in The Last City but seriously,
start with Book 1. So much happens in The Colony that to start with Book 2
would really be a disservice to yourself.
Hand
on heart, The Colony series is the best romantic fantasy series I have ever
read, and I would not say that if I didn't mean it. If you are going to read
only one fantasy series this year, then read this one.
R
M Gilmour
R M Gilmour was
born in Sydney, Australia and currently resides in sunny Florida with her two
children and two cats.
Writing stories since she was a child, she has always enjoyed losing touch with
reality, even if for only a short time, through either reading or writing. For
many years she has played host to a never-ending stream of characters patiently
waiting their turn in the spotlight, several of which refuse to let her fall
asleep until that last hand-crafted sentence has been written down, lest it be
forgotten. More often than not it is forgotten if not written down... all hail
pen and paper!
Elizabeth St.John was brought up in England and lives in California. To inform her writing, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Nottingham Castle, Lydiard Park, and Castle Fonmon to the Tower of London. Although the family sold a few castles and country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them - in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their imprint. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story...
