Europa Quanundocii by P R Garcia is the second book in the amazing saga of the Oonocks, an alien race trying to survive on earth. To see my review for the first book, Europa Awakenings, go HERE.
Sometimes the second book in a series will be a letdown, but no worries here. The story just keeps getting better and better and if you would like to know what happened to Atlantis, you will want to read the Europa series.
To many, red roses mean a deep, passionate everlasting love. They also portray beauty and courage. So appropriate for the cover of Quanundocii!
MY REVIEW
Europa Quanundocii by P R Garcia is the second book in the Europa series. This science fiction, action/adventure, romance is as amazing as the first. It picks up where the first book left off.
Europa is named after one of *******’s moons and may be the Oonocks only chance for survival. At ten years old, Europa met Kiijon and a bond was formed. Neither knew what their meeting would bring in the future, but when they were brought together again ten years later, the stars aligned and their fates were sealed.
Danger stalks Europa at every turn. Her friends, lovers and soldiers are willing to lay down their lives to protect her. She is royalty, yet she is giving, loving, naive, not acting as if she is better than anyone or looking down her nose at them. She is humbled by them. She doesn’t demand loyalty, but it is freely given. The characters surrounding her all have their special place in the story. I just wonder if they will all survive.
Quanundocii is the ultimate union, the bond of one soul, one body and one heart. Together they are invincible, but apart their life is filled with heartbreak, unbearable pain, maybe even death. Whenever there is the danger of extinction for the Oonocks, Quanundocii demands that two will unite as one and save them all, defeating the evil threatening them.
Quanundocii is one of the most fantastic love stories I have ever read. The highs reach the skies and the lows make me want to weep for the characters.
I started Quanundocii one afternoon and couldn’t put it down. My eyes were crossing and I still didn’t want to quit, but finally I had to . I got up the next morning and began reading at 8am. I only stopped long enough to grab coffee and use the restroom, finishing at 1pm.
Quanundocii is such a unique and fantastic story with writing that makes the story flow so smoothly I race through the pages, yet I don’t want to reach the end. All the time I know danger is lurking…what will it be…where will it rear its ugly head? Europa learns her true destiny and brace’s for the battle with Jeffra’s followers.
I received a copy of Europa Quanundocii from P R Garcia in return for an honest review.
5 Stars
INTERVIEW WITH PAM GARCIA
I am so excited to have Pam Garcia back with me today. She is a woman after my own heart. I love the sun, sea and sand, and if you read her bio, you will find that we have a lot in common. Her series speaks to me…deeply…so read on, and you will know why.
1 Your characters are complex and it did not take me long to become fully invested in the outcome of their lives. Of course, a lot of us may choose Europa as our favorite character, but I am curious who you would choose and why?
Actually, I have two favorites: Jeanip for the original 6 book series, and Swaybuk in the 3 book sub-series. Both are very dear to me.
Jeanip is the ultimate protector, abandoning everything in his life to protect those he is keeping safe. No sacrifice is too big, no act too small if it means keeping Europa and the others happy and free from harm. I have thought of killing off Jeanip several times, but I just couldn’t do it. I felt doing so would be betraying his loyalty and dedication. His one flaw, in my eyes, is his excessive dedication to the protection protocols and etiquette rules. He adheres to them no matter the cost, even his own life. Yet, it is that flaw that makes him so enduring to me. Jeanip, like most Oonocks, knows only one thing – a deep love. He harbors no hate, covets no things, holds no grudges. He often gets very angry, leaving his fist marks in table tops when he pounds his fist in outrage, but he is always forgiving. He is also a prankster and a loyal friend, as shown in his interactions with King Enok, Chancee and Monarch Earon. He is the best of what an Oonock is. The best that is inside some humans as well.
ME (sherry): I am so glad you mentioned Jeanip. I love that man and would feel honored to have a protector like him. He is my favorite character. I would be crushed if you killed him off. 😥
Swaybuk is almost a carbon copy of Jeanip, but his devotion is to Prince EJ. He stepped forward as the young prince’s protector the first day he met him and never left his side. Prince EJ became the son he never had, and he gives the prince every ounce of fatherly love he possesses. And that love is Swaybuk’s major flaw – something that is dealt with in book 8, The Shadow of Apathy. Like Jeanip, Swaybuk takes his protectorship to the next level, becoming a teacher and a leader, helping the prince to be the best that he can be.
2 I know your dream is to see Europa on the big screen. If Europa’s story was optioned for film, have you imagined what actors you would like to see play Europa, Terrance, and any other characters?
To tell the truth, I can’t watch anything without wondering if some actor or actress would be perfect to play one of the characters. So far, I haven’t found many. Medaron would be played by Angelina Jolie. Kiijon would be Theo James. Kiijon is supposed to be the most beautiful Oonock ever born, and I think Theo would fit that description. Aidan Turner from The Hobbit would do well also. Sam Elliott might make a good Jeanip, but his role in Westerns might take away from the character. I can see Chris Hemsworth in that role also. For some reason, I think it will be on unknown to play the all-important parts of Europa, although I can see Zoe Saldana or Jennifer Lawrence in that role. Liam Hensworth would make a good Earon.
Me (Sherry): I think Sam Elliot is a perfect match for Jeanip. I am not a big movie buff, I am a TV addict, so some of the others I don’t know. But I am sure my readers could help you out. 😆
3 A lot of authors listen to music as they write. Do you have a play list, and if Europa was optioned for film, have you thought who you would like to write the musical score?
I listen to music most of the time while writing. In fact, I’m listening while I write this. I mostly listen to movie orchestral productions with no lyrics. I find lyrics to be too distracting. My favorite is The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey. I also listen to King Kong (2005). Star Trek into Darkness and Thor, the Dark World. All great sci-fi movies with intense sound tracks. I like their energized pace and find the more intense the music the more intense my writing is.
4 Your novels contain many magical characters with diverse powers. If you could shapeshift and have a power, what would you choose?
Without a doubt, I’d transfer into a whale, probably a humpback. I have such a love for these noble creatures and was privileged to witness their antics first hand while working as a naturalist on the whale-watching cruises. To swim with them, explore the vastness of the ocean and travel below to see all the sunken boats and ancient cities not yet found would be a dream come true. Humpbacks are such gentle giants and they have a great fondness for playing, more so than the other whales. You will see a humpback slap their pectoral fins repeatedly, stick their tails up in the air and swirl their tail or slap the water, breach 5-40 times in a row (sometimes even more). They just seem to love life and are having fun doing it.
Me (Sherry): I have been whale watching in Cape Cod many times. I was so lucky to see a mom and baby, and that baby was having the best time ever, jumping all over the place. It’s ‘funny’, but out of all the magical characters in your story, I too would be a whale, for many of the reasons you stated. Also, not many creatures mess with them…other than humans.
As for my power, it would be to heal. Can you imagine if you could repair what is broken in people, take away their cancer, mend their broken bones, rejuvenate burned skin and eliminate their pain? What a gift that would be. But, just as in the books, it would have to be a gift closely guarded. There are too many people in this world who would want to exploit such a gift or keep it only for themselves.
5 On a personal note: Your bio intrigues me as much as the series. If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing in the world of water, what would it be?
If I had a magic wand, I would eliminate greed in the world. Greed is the cause for so many of our problems today: global warming, deforestation, species lost, plastic waste and even war. Throughout mankind’s history, it has been the desire for power and riches that have enslaved both man and animal, ripped out forests, slaughtered innocent animals, make a life-saving drug jump from $100 to $1200 a pill. One day, greed will be mankind’s downfall.
While I do believe greed is our greatest evil, I don’t think even a magic wand could take it from within us. So, on a more realistic note, I would eliminate plastics, a plague on the twentieth century. When I grew up, we didn’t have plastic everything. Milk came in glass bottles, as did soft drinks, juice, condiments, sauces and so forth. Coffee came in tin cans. Fruit came in a brown bag, as did your groceries. Thanks to plastic, we have become a world of “throw away” items. Easier (and often less expensive) to throw something away and buy a new one then fix what’s broken. The plastic that has been, and that is still, being dumped into our oceans is killing those beings who live there. Many animals strangle to death from the packing strips and beer-can rings that become wrapped around their necks. Often mistaken for jellyfish, marine life consume large quantities of floating plastic bags and Mylar balloons thinking it is food. Even the whales are not immune. Not long ago, two sperm whales washed up on shore. When a necropsy was done, it was discovered that their stomachs were filled with plastics. The animals literally starved to death with full stomachs. Scientists did a study on one of the Hawaiian Islands where a number of the sea bird chicks born that year had died. When they examined them, they again found huge amounts of plastics in their stomachs – lighters, toothbrushes, bottle caps, doll parts, toys, plastic forks and spoons, tiny containers, pen tops. These items were floating in the ocean and the parent birds thought they were fish, swooped down and grabbed the plastic piece and flew back to their chicks to feed them. These chicks, as with the whale, starved to death with full stomachs. How sad. It is estimated that eight million tons is plastic is dumped into our oceans each year. And, by 2025, it is estimated that the amount of plastic will rise to one hundred and fifty-five million. If we stopped the use of plastic, or if everyone would recycle, this problem could be eliminated.
Me (Sherry): I totally agree with everything you are saying. Us, as individuals, can do our part my recycling and not using plastic when we can get away from it. BUT, until those in power decide to do something about it, I, too, think the use of plastic will continue to grow.
As you can tell, this is something I feel very passionate about. In closing, I will leave you and your readers with an American Native saying:
When the last tree has been cut down,
The last fish caught,
The last river poisoned,
Only then will we realize one cannot eat money.
You have wowed me with the interview, Pam. I don’t do a lot of interviews, but this one is, by far, the best. Your passion shines through and I love that. I can hardly wait to continue more of the series. Thanks so much and I look forward to hosting you again…soon. 🙂
GOODREADS BLURB
Europa has accepted and embraced the truth that she is from a sentient, aquatic race from *******’s ice moon, Europa, who migrated to Earth 6000 years ago. Her enemy, JeffRa, who was determined to end her and her brother’s life, has been defeated. But JeffRa’s death only released a new ruthless leader, more determined, more blood thirsty, more hateful than JeffRa himself. This new leader is determined to fulfill JeffRa’s vow of revenge and dreams of watching the life drain from Europa’s eyes. Using all his resources and Terrian troops, he hunts for the Oonock monarchs. The Orbs have protected the Oonock race for hundreds of millions of years. In times of imminent destruction, they have united two Oonocks in the Quanundocii, the most sacred and purest form of Oonock love which unites two individuals so completely together, that they can defeat death itself. Only the Quanundocii can save the Oonock race. It has only occurred only four times in Oonock history, the last being Enok and Medaron. But Medaron’s death broke the Quanundocii and left the Oonocks vulnerable. A new Quanundocii is needed. Europa must be united in the Quanundocii if the Oonock race is to defeat the Terrians. But she cannot do either while a human. The Orbs begin to change her, to rebuild her into what she was meant to be – a true Oonock. But their remolding soon puts her life in jeopardy. If a way cannot be found to stop any accidental transformation, she will flow out and die before anyone can help. Can she stay alive long enough for the transformation to be complete? Can she be united in the Quanundocii and save her people? Or will the Terrians win this time? She has already lost so much, so many of the people she loved. Who else will be lost before this nightmare is over?
ABOUT P R GARCIA
When asked who I am, I usually tell people I am a not-too-grayed-haired old lady who, at the age of 61, was inspired to write a book. The book turned into two, then three. In three years I have written nine and am presently working on book ten. All are full length novels, averaging 464 pages each.
In 2008, I moved from Michigan to Southern California. Since I grew up along Lake Erie, I had a love for the water, so it wasn’t long before I could hear the ocean calling to me. I began to volunteer on the whale watching boats as a naturalist through Birch Scripps Aquarium and the San Diego Natural History Museum. It is there that I expanded my knowledge of cetaceans and other marine life, a knowledge and love I carried into the books.
MY DREAMS
To see my story play out on the big screen before I leave this world. My other dream is to receive at least one hundred reviews on the books. I welcome both favorable reviews and those with criticism.
For more information about the books, or me, visit my website: prgarcia1.com. There is an index on the web site showing the characters, as well as a listing of places and Oonock terms. I have a YouTube video on EUROPA Awakenings at https://youtu.be/EvSVloULZ2I
I just recently updated the cover of EUROPA Awakenings to better reflect the story. The cover now shows the red-haired Europa, with her sanctuary, Saint’s Isle, on the right had side, and the presence of a large whale’s tail on the left. The whale is key to her survival, but you’ll have to read the story to find out who he is. The first chapter was also updated, so you will note that the paperback holds a release date of 2-27-2016, while the eBook maintains the original 12-9-2013 date. They are both the same book. Due to the significant changes in Chapter One, the paperback required a new ISB Number and a new release date.
EUROPA Awakenings can be ordered through any bookstore or online on Amazon. For exciting news about the ocean, cetaceans or important environmental issues, you can follow my Facebook page Europa Awakenings, which is just shy of 1300 likes.
BOOK IX of the Europa Series has just been released. Check out this gorgeous cover and if you are as passionate about our oceans as Pam, I feel this series will speak to you too.
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