Monday, August 11, 2014

Review of IN BETWEEN SEASONS (The Fall #1) by Cassandra Giovanni


"I care about you. I don't want to hurt you, and I know every lie you were ever told, and every like this world exposes will continue to hurt you. I can't protect you from that, but I can protect you from me. I won't lie to you. I can't hurt you like that." - Hunter Marks

In Between Seasons
The Fall Series #1
Author: Cassandra Giovanni
Publisher: Show n'ot Tell Publishing 
Release Date: July 31, 2014
Source: Author for review

Purchase Links: Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play
Add to Goodreads

In 2021 the world as we know it changed. The government collapsed, and the worst characteristics of human nature were shown as the world fell into ruins. Years after The Fall, the Tribes that were established are still at war. They still fight to keep what they pillaged, and most of all, they fight to keep their lies a secret. In a world filled with deception, nothing is as it seems.

I was born into this world.
Hunter Marks was molded into this world; a General— a person cold and harsh. A person meant to kill me.
We were told to just believe.
We were taught to never question.
We’re supposed to be robots, and accept our roles in this altered society.
Too bad Hunter and I don’t follow the rules.
And we’re a hell of a lot stronger than they ever thought possible.
They’ve been searching for the world’s deadliest weapon.
It’s me.
And I’m not following the leader any more.


Everything changed after The Fall in 2021. Government fell and martial law ruled. Citizens fled from cities to form their own Tribes. Kate and Hunter are from two different Tribes. Kate doesn't know what is happening outside of her Tribe because that is how Father demands it. On the outside, he preaches what he wants his people to know. On the inside, he's plotting war. Hunter's father is the ruler of his Tribe. He is brutal inside and out, but Hunter claims he is nothing like his father. Hunter's new mission involves Kate, but he can't bring himself to complete it. Instead, he kidnaps her and brings her back to his base. As time passes, Hunter is determined to teach Kate how to protect herself. She'll need it...

In Between Seasons served as my introduction into the dystopian/post-apocalyptic world. As a reader would expect, there is a tremendous amount of world building in the beginning of the book and, to be completely honest, I was a little lost. Once I understood most of what happened during The Fall and how the Tribe governments ruled, I was good to go. In Between Seasons is completely different from what I typically read and I think that is what I appreciated the most about the book. I loved the characters of Kate and Hunter, both of which are strong and they are constantly questioning their Tribe's government. They are well aware that this will most likely get them killed. Forced together, Kate and Hunter form a strong bond under tough circumstances. It doesn't take long for their bond to turn into a relationship built of their need protect and trust each other. Before they met, both had no one they could rely on and I think they craved for that person. Kate was so tired of being fed lies and Hunter was tired of being someone's assassin. Together, they forged their way through the lies and deceiving governments to see the truth in what happened in the past and what they hope to see in the future.

I enjoyed my time with In Between Seasons. As my introduction to a this type of world, the book exceeded my expectations. As the first book in Cassandra's new series, In Between Seasons sets the tone and atmosphere of troubling times and I'm very interested to see how this continues with the next book.


Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. Besides being a writer, Cassandra is a professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.

Cassandra Giovanni is published by Show n’ot Tell Publishing based out of Connecticut, USA. 

Cover Design : Gio Design Studios
Photography: Alex Kotlov  via iStock



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