The Earth Shifter by Lada Ray – Reviewed by Guy Portman
The Earth Shifter is the first part of a paranormal YA trilogy written by the prolific Lada Ray.
Humanity is unaware how close the Earth came to ending on June 30th 1908. On that occasion it was saved by the mysterious Earth Keepers. The world is now under threat once again from the Comet of Karma and the The Earth Keepers must decide if the Earth is worth saving or if it is beyond redemption.
Teenager and Moscow resident Sasha Elfimova possesses powers that could change the fate of the Earth, as she is a Time and Mind Shifter, whose developing abilities are yet to be fully realised. Sasha’s mentor is a Siberian shaman named Tengis, who resides on the shores of the largest fresh water resource on the planet, the beautiful Lake Baikal. On the other side of the world in Chinatown, New York City, live Kei and Win, two enterprising twins of Chinese origin, one of whose destinies when combined with Sasha’s could alter the fate of mankind. Will destiny bring these two together to form an alliance that will decide the fate of our planet or is mankind destined to face annihilation?
The Earth Shifter is essentially a complex and diverse tale with a good versus evil theme, in which the author is adept at merging real world events such as the aforementioned meteorite explosion and explaining their continued relevance today. Though the book could best be described as a cosmic adventure thriller, it also combines fantasy and mystery elements and this along with its compelling narration of Russian history, embrace of the natural world and fascinating insights into Geopolitics assures that The Earth Shifter will not only appeal to a younger audience.
The second instalment is due for release next winter and it will undoubtedly be eagerly anticipated.
