Featured Official Review: Domani by Carolyn Gross

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NadineTimes10
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Featured Official Review: Domani by Carolyn Gross

Post by NadineTimes10 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Domani" by Carolyn Gross.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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There are no sunrises, sunsets, or stars that give light to the dark planet of Dalia. Lulu, a Dalian woman, believes that darkness is what she and her people deserve. However, the people of Dalia may not only be doomed to darkness but to imminent, fiery destruction in Domani, a science fiction novel by author Carolyn Gross.

Dalia sits in the shadow of Laima, the giant planet that blocks Dalia from the fires of a nearby sun. As Laima slowly shifts its position and the sun’s intense fires draw closer, Dalia’s inhabitants become increasingly afraid. The doyen, who is a prophet, always speaks words of hope and peace to his fellow Dalians, urging them to have faith in the protection of Laima.

Daily, Lulu joins the crowd that gathers to hear from the doyen, but one day, his message is not one of hope but of disaster. When the doyen announces that Dalia is going to burn, Lulu notices that the doyen is only a moment away from being assassinated. Although it is not her place to do so, Lulu intervenes to thwart the assassination attempt. Little does she know that this marks the beginning of an uprising that will affect the entire galaxy.

This first novel in the Outer Rings series has an ominous but simple opening. Then, with an unpretentious approach, the author gradually immerses the reader deeper into a dark and dusty world where not everything is as it seems. The characters are well-developed, and even minor characters play distinct roles, which adds a sense of clarity and purpose to the cast. The plot is carefully layered with themes of fear and ignorance, power and repression, truth, lies, grief, and violent revolt.

Yet, the story also includes trust, devotion, bravery, and dashes of humor and romance. Lulu, the doyen, and several more characters face questions of identity and how to handle a major paradigm shift. While the novel is dense and isn’t fast-paced, the relatively short chapters keep the story moving. The ending resolves without a cliffhanger, but there is enough vital intrigue surrounding the larger story arc to compel readers to continue the series.

Now, there are a few times when the author uses a word that does not quite fit. For instance, the word “imperceptibly” appears to describe characters’ actions that are indeed noticeable. (There is a difference between something that is imperceptible and something that is barely perceptible.) Nevertheless, the book’s minor flaws do not detract from the work in a significant way.

Overall, this is a multilayered novel with characters, action, and ideas that come alive through the author's polished style. Therefore, I give Domani a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I’d recommend it to fans of science fiction and also fantasy readers who enjoy high-stakes stories set in other worlds.

******
Domani
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Sahani Nimandra
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Post by Sahani Nimandra »

I'm sorry this book does not ring a bell to me, the plot never made me want to read it. The review is good, keep it up!
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Post by Yoli García »

I could not imagine myself living in a planet where the sunlight does not exist. However, I can imagine the characters' schock at the sudden change. The storyline of this book sounds different. Thanks for the review!
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

Yolimari wrote: 27 Dec 2017, 06:56 I could not imagine myself living in a planet where the sunlight does not exist. However, I can imagine the characters' schock at the sudden change. The storyline of this book sounds different. Thanks for the review!
You're welcome, and yes, it was a little strange to picture a place that doesn't exactly have daytime or nighttime, ever. Just constant darkness.

It's really only scratching the surface of everything that unfolds in this book, but I didn't go into specific details about the plot beyond the first chapter or so, since the book's blurb doesn't. But the shifting planet and the assassination attempt are truly just the beginning. :)
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Post by kandscreeley »

This sounds like an interesting story line. I love that the characters were well developed. Too bad about the words that don't quite fit. I wonder about the author's country of origin. Maybe words are used a little bit differently there? Still, very nice review. Thanks!
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

kandscreeley wrote: 27 Dec 2017, 08:49 This sounds like an interesting story line. I love that the characters were well developed. Too bad about the words that don't quite fit. I wonder about the author's country of origin. Maybe words are used a little bit differently there? Still, very nice review. Thanks!
Thank you and you're welcome! :) I think the little word choice hitches were just minor grammar issues that most writers run into at one time or another, such as using "purposefully" and "purposely" interchangeably, even though they don't mean the same thing, or saying "nauseous" when they should say "nauseated." :D English can get finicky sometimes!
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Post by kandscreeley »

True. Plus sometimes even word processor programs auto-correct. They think they know better than you do. :) Those are easy to miss on a read through as well...
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

kandscreeley wrote: 27 Dec 2017, 09:28 True. Plus sometimes even word processor programs auto-correct. They think they know better than you do. :) Those are easy to miss on a read through as well...
Oh, my goodness--autocorrect! What a helpful and sometimes tricky and other times hilarious invention! :lol2:
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Post by story3girl »

Ooh this definitely sounds like one I want to check out. I especially love when authors create convincing new worlds. Thanks for such a good review.
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

story3girl wrote: 27 Dec 2017, 21:17 Ooh this definitely sounds like one I want to check out. I especially love when authors create convincing new worlds. Thanks for such a good review.
If you do, I hope you enjoy it! It'll be interesting to see where the series goes from here.
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Post by NadineTimes10 »

Sahani Nimandra wrote: 27 Dec 2017, 06:05 The review is good, keep it up!
Thank you kindly! :) I'm pretty new to sci-fi (at least when it comes to books--I'm more familiar with sci-fi on TV), so I'm glad I came across this novel.
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Post by MsTri »

I saw this book on the list, too, but even though it seemed interesting, a different book called more to me. Still, I'm glad to know that it is indeed a good read. I'll have to check it out when I get a chance.
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Post by Adiel alexander »

The author made me feel like an adolescent who wants to accomplish a goal, having to scenarios, hope and discourage.... nice one
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Post by JadeK »

Thank you for such a great review! This made me interested in reading this book. I'm not the biggest sci-fi fan but this book sounds like it might make me a fan after all!
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Post by Sasha Walker »

I actually think I would enjoy reading this book! I love science fiction and the plot seems compelling. Thank you for your review!
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