Senayda Pierre
Willfully Compelled
(Unintentional
Sacrifices Series, Book One)
4/30/2015
Blurb:
A
centuries-old legend foretells of twins who will one day save the earth.
Lysandra and Leondra have been raised by their parents with the notion that
they could possibly be those destined twins.
A once kaleidoscope-colored land is now brown.
Water sources have become nonexistent leaving behind only lethal bodies of
water. Animals and people disappear beneath the tempting waters never to
resurface.
As the world falls apart the twins become
separated. Alone and injured, Lysandra ventures forward trying to locate and
reunite with her family. Instead she slips beneath the river's surface
discovering a new world where no human has ever survived before.
A prophecy. A dying world. Twins, Leondra and
Lysandra are compelled to make the ultimate sacrifice for an entirely new
world.
Buy:
Excerpt
Lysandra
turned toward Phoebe. Her friend’s lips were blue. Her complexion deathly pale.
She shook Phoebe hard. She wanted to scream at her best friend to wake up but
she couldn’t afford to attract attention. She bent down to ensure that Phoebe
was still breathing. Her best friend’s haggard breaths let her know how bad
things were. She choked back a sob as she hoisted Phoebe up.
She
sighed in relief and continued toward the river. Just being close to the river
gave her a sense of renewed energy and hope. Her skin tingled with anticipation
at the clear sparkling water in front of her. Her mouth watered as she stared
longingly at the river.
She
gently placed Phoebe down, a few feet away from the bank. A loud splash froze
the blood in her veins. Her head snapped in the direction of the noise. Most of
the herd had followed the leader but a straggler had attempted to get one last
drink. Lysandra just saw its rear end as it disappeared under the water’s
surface. The water buffalo’s legs kicked in desperation as it met its watery
death. The other animals scattered as if a lion had approached the river.
She
remained frozen with horror. For years she’d heard of the dangers of the water
but had never seen it for herself. She looked around desperately. There was no
doubt about it, they were in danger and Phoebe was dying. The harsh wind blew
sand in her eyes. She put her chin to her chest and blinked hard. They’d
learned the hard way to not rub the sand or debris from their eyes. She reached
out touching Phoebe’s face. Her hand stilled. A sob escaped her lips as her
palm touched cold skin. Even the viscous sun and heat couldn’t hide death’s
frigidness.
Desolation
blanketed her. She was too late. She couldn’t help her best friend. Lysandra
leaned over Phoebe listening hopefully for small, haggard breaths. She
frantically checked her pulse. Something to hint at Phoebe still living, but
she found nothing. There was nothing there but a cold, lifeless body.
Lysandra
tilted her head back. Her parched throat couldn’t let out the scream that
resonated within her. Her body shook with tearless sobs. There was nothing left
for her in this life. Her family was gone. Her best friend lay dead by her
side. The world was literally a living hell. She jolted as Phoebe’s body
jerked. A flare of hope quickly died as her addled mind registered what she
saw. Phoebe’s body disappeared beneath the surface just like the water
buffalo’s. She was too slow to catch her best friend’s body as something dark
dragged her underwater.
She
jumped in not caring if her loud splash attracted unwanted attention. Phoebe’s
silhouette disappeared into the depths of the river. She frantically kicked to
keep up with her friend’s body but it was too late. Lysandra lost all hope. Her
lungs screamed to get to the surface but her heart sank with sorrow. In her
previous life she would’ve cherished the peacefulness of the silent water
world. She might’ve reveled in its beauty. But now it only represented death.
Sharp
talons imbedded in her thigh yanking her down. She gasped in shock and terror
before savagely kicking at whatever had hold of her. The talons gripped harder
making her scream in pain. Lysandra inhaled deeply hoping to fill her lungs
with water. She desperately wanted to drown before being eaten alive. She
couldn’t see what held onto her as the surface got farther and farther away.
Her body tensed. Her mind screamed that she was drowning. Her lungs expanded
with liquid but didn’t burn. She wheezed as terror flowed through her body. She
fought the black dots that raced in front of her eyes refusing to lose
consciousness to panic.
The
talons loosened around her thigh as she regained some semblance of control over
her body. Her mind warred with itself as she fought for reasoning. Was she
going mad? Had she blacked out and was only dreaming? How could her lungs take
in water and treat it like air?
“Just
get it over with” She whispered as she closed her eyes quietly sobbing. A quick
and painless death was not meant to be though; whoever or whatever had planned
for her to be cognizant throughout. Her eye flashed open as her body jerked to
the left. She gasped as the talons dragged her into a cavernous room. She
stared in horrified rapture as sunlight filtered through the oversized
underwater cave.
“Interesting”
a deep voice rumbled. Lysandra stiffened as the talons released its grip from
her thigh and shackled her wrist to the rock wall. She refused to look in the
direction of her captor. Her eyes flitted around absorbing her surroundings.
The cave was beautiful. Colorful fish swam by unbothered by its occupants.
“Who
grabbed her?” The same voice interrupted the peaceful silence. She sensed more
than one presence in the cavernous room. So her captor was not this bastard
with the deep voice.
“Sire”
another voice responded. His voice was much closer to her. She scowled knowing
it was this SOB who’d captured her. “She jumped in immediately after one of the
sentinels grabbed the cadaver.”
Lysandra
shuddered at the word cadaver and bit
her lip knowing they were referring to Phoebe. She swallowed the boulder-size
lump in her throat. What had they done with her best friend?
My Review
Lysandra is trying to survive in an unknown world after being separated from her loved ones and thinking that they may be dead. The only survivor with her is her best friend, Phoebe, who is not fairing well. Lysandra has no idea as to what is to come but tries her best to hold on and survive in this post-apocalyptic world.
The world that Senayda creates is dismal and invokes the feelings of despair, grief, and desolation in the reader and yet manages to capture your attention and have you wanting more.
As I began reading, I was unsure as where this story was going, but even with the few mentions of water, I wasn't expecting an underground world beneath the water.
This underwater world captivated me and made me want more. Unlike anything I have ever read, I was not sure how I would like this book, but in the end it truly mesmerized me.
I gladly give this book 4 stars and look forward for more from this author.
About Senayda Pierre:
Senayda Pierre is a native Floridian who’s always had a passion for music, sports, reading and writing. She currently lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and three beautiful daughters.
Senayda is an identical twin. That’s right, sometimes people give her a second glance wondering if she’s the person they know! She’s never seen snow… Swears she’ll live in Hawaii someday… And she intends to travel the world…
Senayda’s had a long love affair with reading and writing. She loved to write short stories and poetry throughout her childhood. Now Senayda’s moved onto novels.
Find Senayda Online:
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