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Power and Purpose
Restart: Dawn of Shadows – Book 2 thrusts readers into a battle for humanity’s future as a group of survivors fight against a ruthless queen from space to the streets of a post-apocalyptic Earth. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As the story developed, I realized the fantasy side of it naturally flowed from the science fiction developments in book 1. As far as inspiration for the setup of the story, I’ve always been drawn to post-apocalyptic stories. For a lot of us, it’s a well that never runs dry. Yet I wanted to portray characters that resemble, not the future, but those who look to the past for their power and purpose.
Queen Eve is a compelling antagonist. What inspired her character, and did she evolve differently than you first envisioned?
Queen Eve has evolved, or regressed, into something much darker and sinister than had originally been seen when we first met her. This surprises even her own family. The rest of her part in the story developed naturally from that point on as she is virtually elemental.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Restart explores themes of survival, loyalty, and the consequences of unchecked technological power. The story delves into the blurred lines between humanity and technology, as the characters grapple with the moral complexities of a world redefined by a catastrophic event.
Survival and Humanity: The characters navigate a world where survival tests their humanity, pushing them to make difficult choices.
Betrayal and Trust: The group grapples with internal and external threats, questioning who can be trusted in a world where alliances are fragile.
Power and Consequences: The misuse of technological power leads to catastrophic consequences, exploring the potential dangers of unchecked advancements, such as AI and the military-industrial complex.
Family Ties: The dynamics of family relationships, both blood-related and chosen, play a significant role in shaping the characters’ motivations and actions.
The world-building is so immersive. What research or influences helped shape these settings?
First and foremost, I love books! I also love movies. As I write, I see it all come to life on the big screen. For me, science fiction is best when it comes a little closer to science than it does fiction. For that reason, my historical and theoretical research is quite thorough to ensure plausibility throughout the story. Perhaps it hasn’t happened yet, but it could happen at a later time. As for fiction, it’s certainly necessary as it entertains and intrigues the reader while serving to enrich the plot. In the end, science fiction must be timely.
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In a world teetering on the brink of total subjugation, our heroes—Uly and his friends Xavier, Max, and Arden Ray—find themselves once again thrust into a high-stakes battle for humanity’s future. As Queen Eve’s nefarious new world order threatens to engulf what remains of human civilization, our young protagonists must navigate a treacherous landscape of advanced technology, evolved enemies, and moral quandaries.
As new beginnings take flight aboard a space station orbiting Earth—a temporary haven from the chaos below—an unexpected attack shatters their fragile sense of security. Now, Uly and his friends are forced to return to a transformed New York City, amidst the ruins of a once-great metropolis, to confront Queen Eve’s forces and thwart her terrifying plans for a nightmare world. Together, the group must outsmart and outmaneuver Queen Eve’s roving bands of “the changed”—evolved and sinister versions of their former foes.
As the fight to protect the remnants of humanity from a fate worse than death wanes on, Uly, driven by hope and determination, searches for his missing mother and his loyal Irish Wolfhound, Finn McCool. And with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Uly and his friends face impossible odds. If they fail, the surviving humans will be reduced to serving Queen Eve’s twisted vision, with advanced technology wielded by a dangerous few against a helpless populace.
As they fight this ruthless enemy, our heroes must also wrestle with fundamental questions: Can they defeat evil without losing their humanity? Is a normal life ever possible again after facing such extraordinary challenges?
In this gripping sequel about loyalty, perseverance, and the indomitable human spirit, Uly must find the strength to resist tyranny, protect his loved ones, and perhaps—against all odds—forge a path to a brighter future for all humanity.
Restart: Dawn of Shadows Book 2
Restart: Dawn of Shadows – Book 2, by Drew Samuelsen, picks up where its predecessor left off, plunging readers into a world teetering on the edge of chaos. The story follows a band of survivors who, against all odds, work to reclaim humanity’s future from Queen Eve, a merciless antagonist who embodies both a personal and a global threat. The narrative sweeps from the cold vacuum of space to the teeming streets of post-apocalyptic Earth, intertwining high-stakes missions with intimate character conflicts. It’s a story of resilience, hope, and the staggering cost of fighting for freedom.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is its pacing. The action doesn’t just move, it rockets. Take the sequence where the protagonists escape a collapsing space station while fending off an attacking drone. The tension is palpable, and I felt myself gripping the edges of my chair as the crew scrambled to survive. Samuelsen’s imaginative world-building is something to appreciate. The descriptions of life aboard the space station the floating chaos, moonlight-induced trances, and cryptic symbols immersed me fully. The scene where Ulysses experiences a hauntingly vivid memory of his childhood thanks to alien technology was particularly striking. Some of the fantastical elements, while engaging, sometimes made the story feel more like a series of dramatic vignettes than a cohesive whole.
The dialogue shines in this book. It’s sharp and natural, often laced with humor. I chuckled at Uly’s exasperation with Xavier’s penchant for dramatic quips. But the heart of the story lies in the emotional exchanges, like the fraught conversations between Max and her father about her altered mother. These moments hit hard, revealing the emotional toll of their fight for survival.
Restart: Dawn of Shadows – Book 2 is an exciting, imperfect gem. I highly recommend this read for fans of action-packed, character-driven sci-fi with a dose of moral complexity. If you enjoy stories like The Hunger Games or Divergent, this book will be right up your alley. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with enough twists to keep you guessing and enough heart to make you care.
Pages: 206 | ASIN: B0DNQY2RVV
Where The Real Story Begins
Restart follows a group of teenagers who survived the initial apocalypse and are trying to save humanity from those that wish to alter the world. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
For a long time I’ve enjoyed dystopian stories, and like a lot of people I’ve begun to worry about our increasing dependence on technology and what it would mean if all that power were gathered into one place. What if it were held by one person? Why would she want that power? So motivation, I think, is where the real story begins.
Uly had simple plans for life, and saving humanity was not part of them. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Uly represents a lot of decent kids who more or less do what they are supposed to do. He’s not perfect, but when pushed into a corner he will fight back, and only as much as is needed. He despises bullies and just wants to be left alone. In short, he’s been taught to follow the Golden Rule, but that isn’t easy in a post-apocalyptic world. So he struggles to hold onto his ideals when trying to fight monsters. And although he gives himself very little credit, he’s better at things than he cares to admit. I think a lot of people see themselves in Uly.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Friendship and the need to support one another is an important theme as the kids realize they can’t depend on family members who are no longer there. Yet they want to maintain community. Another theme is knowing when and how to fight against abusive and absolute power. And while fighting back, how to hold onto your humanity.
What is the next book in the Restart Series that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently writing Book II of the Restart Series, and hope to have it available through Cosby Media Productions by Summer 2023.
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When a computer virus decimates the earth’s population, four teenagers and a dog survive, searching for answers while trying to escape packs of humans wired to hunt and kill. These four teenagers must band together to find solutions that will hold the key to saving the world. Yet the most dangerous enemy of all… is betrayal.
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, never seems to make noise on the world scale. That is, until now. Ulysses (Uly) is a teenager with dreams. Most of which range from earning straight A’s in school, making money, and marrying the girl of his dreams one day. None of these include saving the world, but Ulysses has learned to always keep his options open.
But one day, all his dreams and hopes crash and burn when a worldwide apocalypse is transmitted through electronics such as cell phones, laptops, and TV screens, bringing the entire planet grinding to a halt. Even worse, Ulysses is now being hunted by ruthless humans called The Changed, programmed to hunt and kill survivors, controlled by a female scientist only known as Eve. Separated from his family, Ulysses teams up with his friends Xavier, Maxine, and Tyler, along with a dog named Finn McCool, determined to stop Eve’s plans and restore the world in… a Restart!
Restart
Restart by Drew Samuelsen is a dystopian tale of thirteen-year-old Ulysses, who finds himself alone after a strange event has killed most of the world’s population. Fearing for his Mother, who never came home from work, he sets out to find her. Along the way, he acquires a group of friends and learns the world’s own technology was used to decimate the population. They also soon know not all humans hit by this technological-based attack were killed; some were changed into deadly, almost animal-like killing machines. Can Ulysses and his friends avoid technology and murderous humans while looking for their loved ones?
I like that the vessel to bring about the apocalypse is technology. This also turns the book into a fear-inducing one; I kept thinking about all the tech around me that could be used against me. It leads to a bit of a chilling reading experience. The action was well-paced, and the story kept me intrigued. I also liked this book because it provided light moments in this dark situation. The tone was really a fun one. The fault I’ve found with other dystopian novels is that they are too heavy, with no moments to break up the bleakness; thankfully, this one suffered from no such problems.https://amzn.to/3UxUsvX
I found the book’s frequent foreshadowing took away from many surprise twists in the story that I’d liked to have been able to have gone in unwarned for. I also felt too many things just got handed to the characters. It was like everything they needed fell right into their laps. I am glad they managed to have what they needed to survive, but I would have liked them to work a little harder for it in some cases.
Restart: Book 1 (The Restart Series) is a captivating young adult dystopian story. It had the right amount of chilling and humor that balanced it well. In addition, it gave some unique ideas about how an apocalypse might go. I highly recommend this to any dystopian and science fiction fans.
Pages: 160 | ASIN : B0BJYD1KWW
LITERARY TITAN 