Gabriel Stone and the Wrath of the Solarians
Gabriel Stone #2
Author: Shannon Duffy
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Science Contemporary
Released: April 15th 2014
Gabriel Stone is back from Valta, but the adventure is just beginning! His friend Tahlita is trapped in Willow Creek with no memory of Valta. Gabe, Piper, and Brent are determined to reunite Tahlita with her father. Yet even as they do, Prince Oliver arrives asking for their help. Menacing forces known as the Solarians have kidnapped the Empress and Princess and are threatening the lives of humans everywhere. Along with talking tracker monkey, Finley, the friends battle vampire mermaids and a living, blood-filled lake in their quest to save the Empress and Princess. Even with cool new powers, Gabe discovers their strongest weapon is their friendship as they battle the Solarians and rescue a cursed white witch—who may be the only one who can save Valta.
“Hey, Tahlita,” he said, trudging up beside her. He plunked down on the grass beside Zigzag while Tahlita ignored him. “You’re a traitor, Ziggy,” he whispered to his dog, nudging her with a smirk. Zigzag sighed and rolled over looking for a belly scratch. Gabriel laughed and complied. “Whatcha reading?” he asked.
Tahlita grumbled and closed the book. “I was reading a story about an annoying boy who won’t leave a girl alone.” She smirked. “It was getting to a really good part where the girl was about to whack him on the head, and then you interrupted.”
“And the boy’s name was Gabriel. Got it. You’re funny.” Gabriel tugged aimlessly at some grass between his legs. “Look … ” He kept his eyes locked on the ground. “I, um, wanted to say thanks for helping me and Brent out yesterday. That was cool of you and um—magical.” He swallowed and peeked at Tahlita from the corner of his eye.
“You’re welcome. Now will you leave me alone?”
He sat straight up and widened his eyes. “So you admit you’re the fruit bandit?” Tahlita lifted an indifferent shoulder. “I guess so.”
Gabriel twisted around on the grass and faced her. “You guess so? Did you just say that? Because, you know people from Earth can’t, like, just make fruit dangle in the air and fling it around without touching it, right?”
Tahlita’s eyes grew stormy. “What is it with you? Look, I don’t know how I did that. I admit it was kind of strange. That hasn’t happened to me before, but I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t you get it?” Tahlita’s cheeks flushed red. “I don’t remember anything from my past. I don’t want to remember anything either. I told you, if my parents hate me so much that they dumped me in Harmony and left me for dead, then I don’t want to remember them!”
Gabriel thought he saw tears spring to Tahlita’s eyes. She genuinely looked sad. The last thing he wanted was to make the girl feel like that. Nobody wants to feel abandoned. Gabriel knew what that felt like because he had once thought the same thing about his own mother.
“Listen. I’m sorry,” Gabriel said. “But your dad does want you. I promise he’s been looking for you.”
Tahlita stood and folded her arms across her chest. “My dad, huh? That guy Dane you mentioned from this other part of the universe you talk about? Valta?” She raised a disbelieving eyebrow and snickered. “Right. I guess that would make me an alien.” She stuck her face an inch in front of Gabriel’s. “Boo!”
Gabriel reached for his necklace, ready to pull it out and show her. His heart pounded. He wanted her to believe him so bad—needed her to. But before he could tug the Valtan emblem out, Tahlita snatched up her book and stormed off to the other side of the street to the safety of her home.
Gabriel sunk his hands in his jeans pockets as he watched her escape.
The city of Harmony …
If they couldn’t get any information out of Cedric or Tahlita, he and his friends would have to head into the city and start searching for Dane there. If that’s where Tahlita ended up, then maybe that’s where Dane was too.
Except, one of the biggest cities in the country was nothing like its name, ‘Harmony,’ implied. Harmony was anything but harmonious.
It was … dangerous.
Tahlita grumbled and closed the book. “I was reading a story about an annoying boy who won’t leave a girl alone.” She smirked. “It was getting to a really good part where the girl was about to whack him on the head, and then you interrupted.”
“And the boy’s name was Gabriel. Got it. You’re funny.” Gabriel tugged aimlessly at some grass between his legs. “Look … ” He kept his eyes locked on the ground. “I, um, wanted to say thanks for helping me and Brent out yesterday. That was cool of you and um—magical.” He swallowed and peeked at Tahlita from the corner of his eye.
“You’re welcome. Now will you leave me alone?”
He sat straight up and widened his eyes. “So you admit you’re the fruit bandit?” Tahlita lifted an indifferent shoulder. “I guess so.”
Gabriel twisted around on the grass and faced her. “You guess so? Did you just say that? Because, you know people from Earth can’t, like, just make fruit dangle in the air and fling it around without touching it, right?”
Tahlita’s eyes grew stormy. “What is it with you? Look, I don’t know how I did that. I admit it was kind of strange. That hasn’t happened to me before, but I don’t want to talk about it. Don’t you get it?” Tahlita’s cheeks flushed red. “I don’t remember anything from my past. I don’t want to remember anything either. I told you, if my parents hate me so much that they dumped me in Harmony and left me for dead, then I don’t want to remember them!”
Gabriel thought he saw tears spring to Tahlita’s eyes. She genuinely looked sad. The last thing he wanted was to make the girl feel like that. Nobody wants to feel abandoned. Gabriel knew what that felt like because he had once thought the same thing about his own mother.
“Listen. I’m sorry,” Gabriel said. “But your dad does want you. I promise he’s been looking for you.”
Tahlita stood and folded her arms across her chest. “My dad, huh? That guy Dane you mentioned from this other part of the universe you talk about? Valta?” She raised a disbelieving eyebrow and snickered. “Right. I guess that would make me an alien.” She stuck her face an inch in front of Gabriel’s. “Boo!”
Gabriel reached for his necklace, ready to pull it out and show her. His heart pounded. He wanted her to believe him so bad—needed her to. But before he could tug the Valtan emblem out, Tahlita snatched up her book and stormed off to the other side of the street to the safety of her home.
Gabriel sunk his hands in his jeans pockets as he watched her escape.
The city of Harmony …
If they couldn’t get any information out of Cedric or Tahlita, he and his friends would have to head into the city and start searching for Dane there. If that’s where Tahlita ended up, then maybe that’s where Dane was too.
Except, one of the biggest cities in the country was nothing like its name, ‘Harmony,’ implied. Harmony was anything but harmonious.
It was … dangerous.
Shannon Duffy grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada, and now lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and son, Gabriel. She’s mom to one boy, and several pets. Shannon loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions: shopping.
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Open to US/Canada residents
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Awesome giveaway! I'd love to read the book.
ReplyDeleteSuch an amazing cover. Sounds terrific.
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