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Preview — XODUS by K.J. McPike
(The Souls Untethered Saga #1)
K.J. McPike (Goodreads Author)
**This book has been rebranded as Souls Untethered.**
"I love you all. I'm so sorry."
After her mother disappeared, leaving only a cryptic note behind, strange things started happening to Lali Yavari. She sees visions of people she doesn't know and witnesses violence and secrets. When one of her visions comes to life and the handsome, yet elusive, Kai Awana becomes a new **This book has been rebranded as Souls Untethered.**
After her mother disappeared, leaving only a cryptic note behind, strange things started happening to Lali Yavari. She sees visions of people she doesn't know and witnesses violence and secrets. When one of her visions comes to life and the handsome, yet elusive, Kai Awana becomes a new student at her school, Lali thinks she's losing her mind.
Then she discovers a dangerous secret—she can astral project, a form of telepathy that allows her soul to leave her body and travel to dark realities. Kai is willing to make her a deal. He'll help Lali find her mother if Lali uses her abilities to save his sister, who is trapped in Alea, an alternate realm that only Lali can reach.
But Lali isn't a hero. She's a target. Alea's government is looking for people like her to use as experiments in a twisted lab. If Lali's caught, it could mean losing everything...even her own life.
Can Lali learn to control her powers? Or will she be trapped in a dark world she can't escape? ...more
The Souls Untethered Saga #1, Astralis #1
Readers' Favorite Book Award for Young Adult - Paranormal (Silver) (2016), New Apple Book Awards for Action/Adventure (2016), Dante Rossetti Award Nominee (2016)
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Jan 15, 2016 Donita Luz rated it liked it
Shelves: amazing-cover, 2016-read, young-adult, fantasy, cool-author, highschool, debut-novel, review-request
This, I think, is the first ever book I've read about Astral Projection, and I must say that this is a breathe of fresh air in all of the paranormal fantasy book I've read lately.
I did enjoy reading the imaginative take on astral projection in this book, but I also found myself frustrated at times, no scratch that, a lot of times reading XODUS so it was quite a bit hard for me to rate this book.
The story practically revolves around the disappearance of Lali's mother and her quest to find This, I think, is the first ever book I've read about Astral Projection, and I must say that this is a breathe of fresh air in all of the paranormal fantasy book I've read lately.
The story practically revolves around the disappearance of Lali's mother and her quest to find answers why. I would've admired Lali's bravery and loyalty to her family. Her determination to find her mother even after believing that they abandoned them for good.
"Maybe it was naive, but I still believed she had a good reason for leaving."
It could have been really touching. However, reading from Lali's perspective, to put it mildly is frustrating and exhausting.
I want to understand her distress, the pressure of being the eldest among the 5 children, to act like a mother now that the position has been vacated.. but I can't and I did try. Her recklessness and to assuming attitude was so frustrating I would've slap reason on her face if I could. All of the responsibilities force upon her on the disappearance of her mother should've matured her a little bit, would've made her thought things over, be cautious. Oh but no, she did everything the first thing that came out of her mind, I have no problem thinking she would've been long dead if there was no Kai Awana to save her.
I can't help but think that the main reason of Lali's desperation to save her mother was so the responsibility can be lifted out of her, so she didn't have to act parent anymore. I don't really think that was a bad thing- i would've wanted the same thing if it was me, Lali should've atleast admitted it from the start, I guess it will make it less frustrating and a little bit realistic. I guess in someway, it should've been a good thing. I mean, the MC having a flaw and everything for her to have room to grow, I however, just didn't see that happen until the end of the book. Maybe on the sequel?
The world building was quite lacking, I don't know if it was just me but after all the information about this whole new world about Astralis, I just can't seem to envision the world and the more information there is the more confusing it gets to me.
"Great. Every time I felt like I was starting to grasp things, something else popped up that I didn't understand."
Funny, that exactly what I was thinking about.
"For obvious reasons, don't tell anyone else. Not even your closest friends. No matter how much you think you can trust people, there's always the chance they'll slip."
On the other hand, I did enjoy the unexpected twists and turn of the story. Although I didn't quite like the MC, Kai Awana, the love interest, is a different story. Kai is somewhat the exact opposite of Lali. I love how we notice the exact same thing I thought of Lali but still manage to love and care for her in his own way. One of the best thing as well in this book was that there wasn't unnecessary and annoying romance in the book. Both of them knows how to sort out their priorities - which was to saved their loved once. All the side characters in the story was also charming, and can we all take a moment to appreciate the creativeness of their name?
X - Xitlali Marie Yavarie
O - Oxanna Yavarie
D - Dixon Yavarie
U - Ulyxses Yavarie
S - Salaxia Yavarie
I don't know with you and it probably doesn't matter to the story, but I liked it anyway. Also, believe me, the title of this book doesn't just stand on the main characters name. It stands waay more than that which adds up to the creativeness of the book.
All in all, XODUS was a great and entertaining read regardless of the fact that I didn't quite like the MC. The pacing was also great - a plus point. I would definitely anticipate the next book and see where the story goes as I believe that this book has potential to be more than a great read.
Thank you to the author for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. ...more
Feb 06, 2017 Dianne rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 1-in-series, ya-fantasy, author-review, dark-fantasy, own, ya-paranormal-romance, ya-mystery-thriller
Her mother disappeared only months before, leaving Lali to become the backbone of her floundering family. When most teens have visions of new cars and parties for their sixteenth birthday, all Lali wanted was her mother and answers to why she is seeing things and finding herself transported to different "realities," or at least to find out if she is going crazy. There is the man she keeps seeing, and the teen who has just enrolled in her school and a world that is terrifying her. Her father has Her mother disappeared only months before, leaving Lali to become the backbone of her floundering family. When most teens have visions of new cars and parties for their sixteenth birthday, all Lali wanted was her mother and answers to why she is seeing things and finding herself transported to different "realities," or at least to find out if she is going crazy. There is the man she keeps seeing, and the teen who has just enrolled in her school and a world that is terrifying her. Her father has enough on his plate and he doesn't believe her anyway.
When the new boy, Kai has answers for her about her gift for astral projection, he dangles them from his superior attitude by offering a deal, she can help find his sister and he will help find her mother and tell her all about her new powers. Will they become unlikely allies or will Lali discover that Kai has been using her for his own benefit, treating her like a mushroom or a starving dog begging for crumbs of information about her mother?
Laws have been broken in a world far beyond human knowing and in that world, Lali is a half-breed, making her powers unique and her existence tenuous, yet it is her very power that makes her the best person to save Kai's sister. What about her mother? Has Kai been keeping something from her? Something is not adding up and Lali is determined to get to the bottom of it all, and find her mother. Is she sure of whom she can trust? How can Kai both repel her and draw her in? Are they developing a love-hate relationship? The world is full of dishonesty and Lali has placed her bet on trusting Kai…like him or not, he is her only hope at finding her mother…Lali is about to find more than she bargained for as she enters a race for survival and no one gave her the rules.
K.J. Pike's XODUS has a determined teen in distress making some dangerous moves all in the name of love and family. Follow Lali's tale, pay attention to Kai's motives, gasp at the shocking truths revealed and puzzle out WHY these events happened, then ask yourself, what would you do in their situation? Great characters, some dark, some mysterious, some with their hearts on their sleeve and some you would love to open a can of whoop-a** on. Twisted plotting, non-stop action, high conflict and some teen angst, but through it all, Lali becomes a force to be reckoned with. Great writing, Ms. Pike!
I received this copy from K.J. McPike in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Astralis - Book 1
Publisher: Terracotta Rose Publishing in association with Fuzzy Hedgehog Press (September 19, 2015)
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
May 27, 2017 Emily Ross rated it really liked it
Shelves: 2017-reading-challenge, free-for-reviews, audiobooks, reviewed, audiobook-boom
I really liked this book! It had twists and turns and plot twists every chapter and it really encouraged you to keep listening.
A girl, Lali, takes over as a pseudo-mother to her four siblings after their mother disappears. Lali, joined by Kai, tries to find both Lali's mother and Kai's sister.
I really liked the relationship between Lali and Kai, though I much preferred Kai as a character. Lali could I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I really liked the relationship between Lali and Kai, though I much preferred Kai as a character. Lali could be kinda annoying at time. She seemed quite immature throughout the novel, as she wasn't willing to listen to what was happening, or listen to explanations. She was reckless and jumped into things before thinking them through, and it did become quite annoying at times.
However, the novel was good enough to overlook the minor issues of Lali's characterisation, because this book was really good. There were moments of cleverness intwined in the novel and they were like gems when they came to light. It was just brilliant. ...more
Apr 22, 2017 Caron rated it it was ok
Shelves: ebooks, series-trilogies, r2r, reviewed, read-in-2017, new-2-u-authors-2017
||Actual Rating: 1.5 stars||
This review can also be found on my blog at: https://diminishingthoughts.wordpress...
I received this book from the author on Instafreebie in exchange for an honest review.
XODUS tells us the story of Xitlali, dealing with the fact that her mom left, and figuring out her newly found powers of astral projection.
I found the beginning of this book to be slightly fast paced which was good as I thought I'd get through it quickly. I'd never read a book about astral projection ★||Actual Rating: 1.5 stars||★
I found the beginning of this book to be slightly fast paced which was good as I thought I'd get through it quickly. I'd never read a book about astral projection before so I was really excited and since the writing style was pretty good, I had high hopes. Turns out that the writing style ended up being the only thing I liked about this book.
My two main pet peeves regarding books are annoying MC's and a bad writing style. Since I didn't need to worry about the latter, the former ended up delivering an extra dose of annoying MC. I wasn't a fan of Lali from the get go. I'd be a bit freaked too if I discovered I could have out of body experiences but I feel like Lali's freak outs were over the top. Sometimes I'd wish that she'd cool down a bit so we could get some explanations. This is when the story started dragging for me. Every chapter brought something new to freak out about and I was sick of it already.
You know what this book was full of? Lies, lies and yep…you guessed it: more lies. As a reader, seeing all this play out, I didn't like it. It got old really quickly and to cover up for one lie, more lies would be added. And I'm not just talking about Lali. This entire book was just one big lie.
The supporting characters…can I even talk about them? To be honest, how this book played out it was all about Lali. So do they even matter? As long as she got everything she wanted, things were okay, right? *cue eye roll* Another thing this book was: complicated. One disaster after another and nothing could fix it.
I expected a lot more from this book but that's okay. I'm just glad I could finish it even though I was so close to DNF'ing it.
As I said above: I liked nothing about this book except the writing style. The idea was a good one and I feel like the plot could've gone far but it wasn't executed very well. I will not be continuing this series.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Wattpad ...more
May 09, 2017 Fafa's Book Corner added it
Mini review:
I had heard about this book through an email, wherein I got this book for free. I was really excited to read it! I have never read about Astral Projections before. Unfortunately this was not for me.
The book had such an odd and slightly creepy beginning that I realized Astral Projections is not a topic I would enjoy. All in all this book was not for me.
Would still recommend.
Dec 02, 2015 Mummy Cat Claire rated it liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: kindle-books, series, ya-novels, read-in-2015
This book has a pretty creative story line. The book is a nice mixture of adventure, science fiction and mystery. It offers something new...at least for me.
Xodus, follows Xitali Marie Yavari or Lali for short. She is the oldest of five children. She has a sister named Oxanna, twin bothers, Dixon and Ulyxses and a younger sister named Salaxia.
Lali and her family live in a small, rural town. She has two best friends, Nelson and Paisley. Her life has been simple and fairly easy until the her This book has a pretty creative story line. The book is a nice mixture of adventure, science fiction and mystery. It offers something new...at least for me.
Lali and her family live in a small, rural town. She has two best friends, Nelson and Paisley. Her life has been simple and fairly easy until the her mother disappears one night, leaving a note but really no explanation as to why. The family takes it hard.
"For the first time since the day my mother left, I let myself cry. Really cry. SObs racked my body, hot tears sliding along my nose and slipping between my lips. I tasted salt and anguish in each one."
After several months of her being gone, Lali turns 16 and discovers she has the power to astral project. Shortly after discovering this new development, Lali meets Kai. Since Lali's dad knows nothing about her new abilities Lali is on her own to figure out what is going on and to find her mom.
"My eyes spilled over. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't figure out who this psycho was and stop him from finding Mom all by myself. No one would ever believe me, which meant no one would help me. I was completely on my own, and I had no idea who I was up against."
With Kai's help, Lali learns that her mother is from another relm named Astralis.
"Okay, lets start from the top. How does it work for you. What do yoyu mean? I mean powers come out differenly for semmies. He answered my next question before I could ask it: They call us semmies because we're only half Astralis."
Kai is the new boy in town. The author describes him as "six-foot-four, with wide shoulders and a muscular build - definitely not someone I wanted to make angry." Kai is also a semmie who is looking for his missing sister. Kala was kidnapped from Earth many years ago and Kai's parents were killed. Kai, has the ability to take someone and jump from one place to the next.
"That's how my power works. I can project to anyone I see, even if I only look at a picture."
He wants to team up with Lali and use her powers to help him find his sister. In exchange, he will help Lali find her mom. Kai, teaches Lali how to astral project and takes her to meet other Astrali to help her learn how to use her powers to find the entrance to Astrali.
Kai has an Uncle Cade and some other Astrali friends who help them along the way. Solstice, is an Astrali who helps the two find the entrance to Astrali so Lali can enter the relm and rescue Kai's sister. However, there is what's called the Eyes and Ears of the relm that they have to watch out for. The Astrali people are watched because having children or semmies with humans has been outlawed and is punishable by death. In fact, if caught, semmies are studied and tortured in Astrali. It's not some place Kai and Lali want to go.
From the beginning, Lali doesn't fully trust Kai. She is true to her word to help Kai, but she fears him and fights with him a lot. Sometimes, she can't wait to talk to him, then other times she tries to distance herself from him because she still doesn't trust him. In the beginning of their relationship, she just yelled at him and shut him out. They have a complicated relationship and its made even more complicated by an added romance. For me, the romance was strange. It made a little sense, because the two characters are with each other constantly. After a few months of working together, the two get to know each other and their relationship turns to friendship. Kai expresses his feelings for Lali but, for me, this came off as less genuine than I wanted it to. The romance of the book is brief. Their relationship had some good tension but then it changed to friendship and then to supposed attraction. I wanted more feeling. I didn't feel the connection between the two characters and the romance just showed up and faded out.
Lali's voice is somewhat annoying. I realize her moher is gone and she has a lot on her plate but she is super anxious all.the.time. She cannot roll with things, her anger is always ready to pounce and she is too assuming. She loved to act upon things before finding more information. She was impulsive and stubborn. She constantly made poor choices and I wanted to see her get burned. I wanted her to just pause and absorb, instead of go, go, go and mess things up. Lali was almost always yelling and angry and someone or something. Kai was able to step back and think about things before acting. He was more easy going and short to anger. Lali was not and this bothered me about her character.
"We'd been a normal family with normal problems like, Who finished the milk and put the empty carton back in the refrigerator? Now here I was about to lie to almost everyone I cared about, run off with a complete stranger, and try to learn how to control a supernatural power so I can find my runaway mother. My brain hurt just thinking about it."
After Kai and Lali meet up in the book, the story begins to slow down. There is a lot of fighting between the characters and after the initial information, things begin to slow down. The book stops offering as much information to the reader and the story progresses slowly. Lali and her ways begin to wear on me and I was starting to get bored.
In the beginning and after the slow down of the book, the author's writing was pulled me in. I felt the author really took her time to describe, not just what was going on but what things looked life. I always knew how Lali was feeling. There was an oops for me with whisper-yelled. I know what is being said here but really this description just shouldn't be.
Kai's and Lali's powers was somewhat confusing for me. It seems to be a complex ability. In the beginning of the book, he is able to jump from place to place but as the book progresses he is also able to refrain from appearing in a place so that he can survey the surroundings before appearing. Lali is able to pull herself away from her body but then she is able to completely jump from her body to another location.
Kai's Uncle Cade is a mysery throughout the book. The way the character fits into the story and relationship he has with Solstice is part of the mystery. I was pretty confused with this in the book but by the end this part of the story comes together.
Overall, the book's theme centers around forgiveness and understanding others who make bad choices. Maybe this is why the author chose a main character that had trouble with all these things. It certainly made me think.
The author includes a pronunciation guide in the back of the book. I thought this was helpful and interesting.
I liked the world the author created and I liked the way the author describes her ideas and the way she presented them. I also liked how the reader is informed but yet not, so that the mystery can unravel. The mystery was set up nicely. I was shocked with a few developments in the end and it makes me wonder what the next book has in store. This book doesn't end on a cliff hanger, but certain things are not resolved completely so you can tell there is another book.
Although, Lali got on my nerves a bit, she did learn and grow from her experiences. She still has a ways to go with some things but there was growth within the character.
I liked how the author incorporates hints or signs within the book. I felt the writing was well organized and the story was thought out. I liked this book. I found it entertaining. Although, the story slowed down in the middle, the ending was very exciting and the author did a really good job building up to it and letting things flow naturally. I was sucked in and I wanted to know what happened, I cared about what was going to happen and what the answers were to everything.
I would recommend this book to readers with a wide variety of likes. Meaning, the book blends different styles into one and it does it quite well.
I received a copy of this book from the author and through I (heart) YA books, in exchange for an honest review.
Content: some language ...more
Mar 26, 2017 Lauren rated it really liked it
Shelves: 2017, e-books
'I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.'
Well, this was definitely an interesting read!! It was different to read about something along the lines of astral projection, not typically something you get to read about every often. :p
I did enjoy the writing style a lot, it kept me interested throughout and Lali grew on me after a bit- I didn't like her all that much at the beginning.
The premise was interesting though and I enjoyed the characters, especially 'I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.'
The premise was interesting though and I enjoyed the characters, especially her family; her dad and siblings were hilarious to watch interact.
Not sure yet if I'll continue reading them, but it was definitely a good read and I would recommend them. ...more
Jul 24, 2016 Jenia rated it it was amazing
Shelves: suspense, e-books, series, reviewed, science-fiction, for-review, ya-fantasy
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. All Lali Yavari wanted for her sixteenth birthday was for her mom to come back. Instead, she starts flashing between realities and seeing people disappear before her very eyes. Then the unsettling Kai Awana shows up at school, and Lali soon discovers she has inherited the ability to astral project—with a surprising twist. When Kai offers to use his own unique ability to help Lali find her mother in exchange for her help on a misguided mission, she can't refuse...even if she's not quite sure she All Lali Yavari wanted for her sixteenth birthday was for her mom to come back. Instead, she starts flashing between realities and seeing people disappear before her very eyes. Then the unsettling Kai Awana shows up at school, and Lali soon discovers she has inherited the ability to astral project—with a surprising twist. When Kai offers to use his own unique ability to help Lali find her mother in exchange for her help on a misguided mission, she can't refuse...even if she's not quite sure she can trust him.
*Thank you to author, K.J Mcpike for sending me an electronic copy, for exchange of review *
I had never read a book that dealt with astral projection, I have heard about though. It's nothing like I have read before. Have you ever read a book and found yourself wondering why you didn't read it sooner? XODUS was that novel for me. I actually hand to force myself to put it down because I got so into Lali's story and her adventures. There wasn't a single moment within a book where it didn't keep my attention. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to the end. I loved how dedicated Lali was to finding her mom, how she even agreed to help someone she just met, in exchange of seeing her mom again. Lali did not give up, not once , even after she found out the truth about Kai and what happened the night that their mother left. I can't even imagine what must been going through her mind at that moment, to find out that the person that you learned to trust, turned out to be the reason that your mother went missing to begin with. I felt the pain, the betrayal and the anger that Lali felt during that time, her emotions were so vivid that I felt them along with her. Part of me felt like I was with her. Reading XODUS had me going through roller coaster of emotions. All through the book. I wanted for her to find what she was looking for. To find her mother, to have her family together again.
Kai, I wasn't sure how to feel about him. Actually I am still not quite sure about how I feel about him. I went back and forth how I feel about him. There was times that I couldn't stand him because of his attitude and how he treated Lali, but there were times when I saw how much he cared about her. I could see that as time passed that he started to care about her, the way that he didn't think that he could have. To me, it felt like it was an unexpected love, something that neither of them saw coming. That's why my heart broke for both of them when the truth came out. I had that feeling that there was a possibility that Kai was hiding something from her, but I didn't think it would be as big as knowing where her mother was. Especially since he knew how important it was for her, to find her and to find out what happened. I couldn't blame her for being angry with him. She was hurt. At same time I hoped that the two of them will find a way to work things out. I knew that she missed him and I knew that she missed the way that things were between two of them before. I am curious to finds out what, if anything happens between them next.
Cover, I have no words how stunning the cover is. It's not just colorful but it has mysterious look to it as well. If an author did not contact me about review, and I came across it, cover alone would have me picking up the book. I would wonder if there story behind that beautiful cover and once I read it, that makes sense. It fits the book perfectly. When I first came across the cover, for few minutes I could not take my eyes off it. Now that's an imagination, Just look at it. Everything about this book, the title, the cover, the story and the characters, it was spectacular. I'm looking forward to see what K.J MCPIKE comes up with next, a book that deserves more than five stars. A book that every fantasy fan should read.
Feb 11, 2017 Tiffany Jones rated it really liked it
**I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.**
For her sixteenth birthday, all Lali Yavari wanted was for her mom to come home. Instead, she starts to doubt her own sanity as she begins to flash back and forth between realities and seeing people disappear and reappear before her very eyes. Does this buzzing sound she's hearing mean she's having a stroke or does all this combined mean she's having a mental breakdown? Then, Kai Awana, starts at her school **I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.**
For her sixteenth birthday, all Lali Yavari wanted was for her mom to come home. Instead, she starts to doubt her own sanity as she begins to flash back and forth between realities and seeing people disappear and reappear before her very eyes. Does this buzzing sound she's hearing mean she's having a stroke or does all this combined mean she's having a mental breakdown? Then, Kai Awana, starts at her school and teaches her that she's gained the ability to astral project, the term used to describe an intentional out of body experience, but with a twist. Kai begins to teach Lali the origins of her abilities and offers to use his own abilities to help her find her mom. It's definitely an offer Lali can't refuse, even if it's shaking up everything she knows and she's not completely sure she can trust Kai. The only thing is the more Lali learns about her mom and her mom's past, the more she begins to question everything about her life and puts her family in jeopardy. And the closer she gets to Kai, the more she wonders if he really is what he seems to be. Is he worth the risk?
This was seriously an awesome urban fantasy novel and I can't wait to read book two. The characters were well written, even the annoying ones and the villains. I loved all of the Yavari kids, especially the twins! I even loved Kai, how conflicted he is, how neither all good nor all bad he is. He also gifted me with one of my favorite book quotes, which since it's not a huge spoiler, I'll share: " Understand where I'm coming from. Understand that one bad choice doesn't define everything about me" and I'll stop there as it would be a spoiler.... ...more
Feb 24, 2017 S. Thomas rated it it was amazing
Lali is a sixteen year old girl coping with the fact that her mother left the family a couple months ago. She's the oldest of five kids, so she does her best to help with dinner and look strong for her siblings. Then strange visions make her wonder if she's going crazy or developing super powers. I would give this story more than five stars if I could. Don't bother reading the rest of my long rant. Just buy this book and be happy!
McPike had me from the first chapter. Normally I doubt a story and Lali is a sixteen year old girl coping with the fact that her mother left the family a couple months ago. She's the oldest of five kids, so she does her best to help with dinner and look strong for her siblings. Then strange visions make her wonder if she's going crazy or developing super powers. I would give this story more than five stars if I could. Don't bother reading the rest of my long rant. Just buy this book and be happy!
McPike had me from the first chapter. Normally I doubt a story and stay on the fence about if I'm going to dedicate the time necessary to finish, but not with Xodus. There was a likeable character in a weird situation right away. Then there was the amazing use of tension! I can't recall a single lull. I don't mean that the pace was too fast, I mean that We the Reader always had a reason to keep turning the pages. That is a silly thing to say, since I listened to the audiobook! I got a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I also got a free lesson in characterization! McPike nails it. Lali, Kai, and the gang are complicated people. Their quirks end up causing interpersonal conflict that drives the plot. As a fellow writer, it is such a joy to discover this amazing example of characterization. I had to Tweet the author right away to tell her how impressed I was. I have been focusing on my own ability to develop lovable characters on the last two books I wrote and now that I'm preparing a plot for the next, I feel like this outstanding example of writing will help me take my craft to the next level.
"No one knew what I was going through," Lali says in one part. It's such a believable thing for a teen to say. The fact that it's about interdimensional motionless travel gets easily accepted along with the adolescent feelings of isolation.
The superpowers in this story were a lot of fun! McPike and I share a fondness for superpowers that are close to what people can actually do. I have had a few lucid dreams before, so astral projection as a super power sparked some immense curiosity. I enjoyed it when I read The Dreams of Philip Aisling and the Numinous Nagwaagan and even gave one of my fantasy characters a similar power in A Paleolithic Fable. Lali and Kai are half aliens so their powers take unpredictable quirks. That was another great twist.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. There is certainly far more of Lali's world to explore.
Sep 06, 2015 Eva Merrick rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Xodus is apparently the first in a planned YA trilogy and it packs interesting, even abstruse, concepts within the framework of high school angst and the ordinary concerns of adolescence and dynamics of family life. Complicated in this case, by the disappearance of Lali Yavari's mom, who has gone missing and whose disappearance, witnessed by Lali, has apparently triggered abilities in Lali herself--will they manifest in other family members? Is Lali falling into adolescent schizophrenia, as her Xodus is apparently the first in a planned YA trilogy and it packs interesting, even abstruse, concepts within the framework of high school angst and the ordinary concerns of adolescence and dynamics of family life. Complicated in this case, by the disappearance of Lali Yavari's mom, who has gone missing and whose disappearance, witnessed by Lali, has apparently triggered abilities in Lali herself--will they manifest in other family members? Is Lali falling into adolescent schizophrenia, as her google searches cause her to fear? In fact, thanks to a chance (?) meeting with Kai Awana a mysterious transfer student, Lali learns that her situation is not abnormal, but paranormal. McPike takes a little used trope in urban fantasy and explains it with skill and acuity, grounding Lali's powers within a believable context. We grow to enjoy figuring out what the parameters and permutations of astral travel involve for her and, possibly, for her family members. What keeps this story grounded is the ability of McPike to capture the dailyness of Lali's unusual new life. McPike absolutely nails high school student-teacher dynamics. Lali's friendships, her interactions with peers, and how she must navigate her daily world and the very different parallel worlds added into this mix, create a believable and interesting story, whose cliffhanger ending sets us up nicely for book no. 2. The symbolism, plotting and characterizations are all skillfully handled. Lali's parents tend to be a little one-dimensional, but that seems right, somehow, given the adolescent world in which astral travel, other planets, and bowling parties must all co-exist. ...more
Oct 13, 2015 Andres Olozagaste rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
It was a great book and i really liked it because it explains about the girl's life. Xodus there is a girl describing that she sees people disappearing . The book explains how a girl goes looking for her mom with a special ability . Lali did end up finding her mom before her mom was killed . Their was kidnapping when the girl was sleeping and the mom had barley gotten home from her job . as you read the book you can actually imagine what is happening . You can actually understand what and how It was a great book and i really liked it because it explains about the girl's life. Xodus there is a girl describing that she sees people disappearing . The book explains how a girl goes looking for her mom with a special ability . Lali did end up finding her mom before her mom was killed . Their was kidnapping when the girl was sleeping and the mom had barley gotten home from her job . as you read the book you can actually imagine what is happening . You can actually understand what and how the author is trying to tell you . ...more
Sep 14, 2015 Ankkita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
XODUS revolves around the life of Lali Yavari whose life is turned upside down after her mother's disappearance. Even with everything going on in Lali's life, K.J.McPike has managed to portray her as a relatable person with real life problems. As the story unfolds, Lali must decide who she can trust knowing what's at stake. It is a beautifully written book that will keep you hooked till the end. Impossible to put down and easily at the top of my list of favorites. A must read.
Mar 09, 2017 Selina rated it did not like it
I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
I was so excited to read this. The premise seemed really interesting and I have always been a fan of astral projection. Unfortunately this story fell short. It wasn't all bad. There were some interesting moments but I just really couldn't stand the MC.
I HATED the MC. She was bratty, annoying, and quite frankly one of the dumbest MCs I have encountered in awhile. I went into the story expecting an intelligent, I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS.
I HATED the MC. She was bratty, annoying, and quite frankly one of the dumbest MCs I have encountered in awhile. I went into the story expecting an intelligent, witty, and exciting heroine. What I got was an annoying, hypocritical, brat. She accepted everything way too easily. She experiences her first bout of "out of body" experience and she LOOKS UP HER SYMPTOMS ON GOOGLE. I don't know about anyone else but that is quite possibly one of the dumbest things people can do. This is probably coming from the fact that I work in healthcare but nothing is more annoying then someone coming in and saying I have blank because I looked it up on google and that's what it said. She has "hallucinations". Looks that particular symptom up and clicks on the first link she can find. Lo and behold SHE HAS SCHIZOPHRENIA! And then her father tells her something her mother told him a long time ago. She looks it up on google and lo and behold she has figured out what has been going on with her! *insert eye roll*
She continually lies to her friends and her family and yet she gets irritated and annoyed with them when they worry about her. If I were Paisley or Martin (is that it? I don't remember his name), I would never have accepted her back as a friend (or ever been friends with her in the first place honestly). She's so self centered. Everyone is always doing bad things to her. The whole world is against her! Woe is me! Ugh I had had enough of her annoying selfish little self. I honestly had to scan the majority of the book because I couldn't stand her selfishness and stupidity any longer. She had the audacity to be annoyed with her friends when they were worried about her wellbeing?! ummm ok no. Ya'll need to drop her right now. But wait! She HAD to lie to them because her mom was more important! And besides she felt bad about lying to them so it was ok in the end. She constantly "feels bad" for lying but yet she continues to do so. She only worries about herself and her mom. She treats everyone around her like they owe her something. Blaming them when something goes wrong. Speaking of people she blames... time to talk about the love interest.
What...the....hell?!?!?! I don't even know where to begin with their unhealthy relationship! He repeatedly kidnaps our bratty heroine and then tries to convince her that he loves her?! (view spoiler)[he lies to her about her mom and continually leaves important information out! (hide spoiler)] He does everything that he does "because he loves her"! Can't you see that?! I kidnap you because I love you! Ummm what???
I did like the other characters of the story. Though it was mainly about the MC and what she was FEELING. Oh the feels. She has a lot of them. Not that that's necessarily bad. Just in this case. I really liked the incorporation of the title into the story and it's always fun to see the author make a mystery out of the title. It was a little AH HA moment and it was fun. But besides from that little aspect I couldn't really get into the story. Like I said the MC just ruined it for me. I found myself rolling my eyes at pretty much everything that she said and/or did. Couldn't stand her. Maybe in the next installment she grows up and doesn't act like a spoiled brat anymore. Fortunately I won't have to suffer through that as I will not be picking up the next book.
Aug 06, 2016 Macy Klingerman rated it really liked it
Okay, seriously guys. I know you're pretty accustomed to my beginning-of-the-review cover swoon... BUT LOOK AT THIS ONE. ISN'T IT GORGEOUS?
*clears throat* Anyways..
First off.. I have to say that I appreciated the pronunciation guide in the beginning of this book. Like seriously though, I can't even begin to count how many times I've read a book that had names that left me tongue tied and thoroughly confused. Pronunciation guides need to be a thing in general. (#pronunciationguiderise2k16?)
As for Okay, seriously guys. I know you're pretty accustomed to my beginning-of-the-review cover swoon... BUT LOOK AT THIS ONE. ISN'T IT GORGEOUS?
As for the story, it was awesome. Astral projection isn't something that you see in YA a lot. Actually, I'm not too sure I've seen it in YA before, but that may just be my crappy memory. Anyways, right off the bat, Xodus scored points with me for being an original concept. More points were scored when I realized just how freakin' sassy these characters were. There are some seriously funny laugh out loud moments throughout this story, even if there is a pretty tense theme overall.
But seriously guys, check this one out. It's definitely a fun, well paced read with a fresh, new concept, not to mention an interesting cast of characters. I give it a four out of five stars. ...more
Feb 29, 2016 Michelle rated it it was amazing
I've never read about astral projection. I know absolutely nothing about it. I think that's one of the many many reasons I loved this book so much. It was so very new and refreshing in a genre that can sometimes seem stale.
Lali is forced to become the woman of the family when her mother supposedly abandons her, her four siblings, and her father. So, when Lali starts to exprerience strange things, she has no one to turn to - no one that will believe her anyways. Enter Kai, a mysterious uncle, a I've never read about astral projection. I know absolutely nothing about it. I think that's one of the many many reasons I loved this book so much. It was so very new and refreshing in a genre that can sometimes seem stale.
Lali is forced to become the woman of the family when her mother supposedly abandons her, her four siblings, and her father. So, when Lali starts to exprerience strange things, she has no one to turn to - no one that will believe her anyways. Enter Kai, a mysterious uncle, a sister in need of saving, and the chance to find her mother - and we've got ourselves a book!
I never once got bored in this story and that's saying something. It kept me on my toes and, I've got to say, I definitely didn't see any of the twists coming. I loved how the book could make me hate a certain character and then root for them and sympathize with them at the same time.
I'd definitely recommend this one. ...more
Jan 03, 2016 Amitra Jyoti rated it liked it · review of another edition
Was Xodus an intensely personal read with images to cherish? NO.
Was it interesting? Yes.
It is YA and I am completely OK with the genre.The intrigue is there, the twists are there, the 'family thing' is there but what lacking is that intense energy that should be produced by the words. The author has done her max to make a 'world' that is different from what we have seen before and she has almost done it effectively.She is inclined more for a movie adaptation of the book I think.The book seemed Was Xodus an intensely personal read with images to cherish? NO.
It is YA and I am completely OK with the genre.The intrigue is there, the twists are there, the 'family thing' is there but what lacking is that intense energy that should be produced by the words. The author has done her max to make a 'world' that is different from what we have seen before and she has almost done it effectively.She is inclined more for a movie adaptation of the book I think.The book seemed to limit itself to scenes that can be depicted on screen.I think more self-indulgence is needed on the language, it seemed a bit bland.
All in all "Xodus" is a breezy read that can get you through a journey without boredom but it limits itself to that.
(the 2nd part is more than welcome, though!)
Nov 01, 2015 Jesalin Belk rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: sent-for-review
The synopsis for this novel really had me at first read. I actually didn't know what "Astral projecting" was before this novel. But when the author added a clear explanation in the text, I was very thankful (I was too lazy to look it up). Again, I do not read a lot of fantasy so it was great to be able to read something as unique as this.
I just have to get this out there: this novel was absolutely great...
Check out my full review here!
https://jbelkbooks.wordpress.com/2015...
Dec 08, 2015 Edward Davies rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This is a good start to what will inevitably become a series of YA novels. The main character may not stand out from the crowd, but that's probably because there are so many supporting characters. The idea of a family of special people with special powers may not be new, but it is when it comes to YA novels which generally focus on one protagonist at a time, whereas this book quickly reveals that Lali's whole family are special. Throw in a potential love interest who is about as ambiguous as This is a good start to what will inevitably become a series of YA novels. The main character may not stand out from the crowd, but that's probably because there are so many supporting characters. The idea of a family of special people with special powers may not be new, but it is when it comes to YA novels which generally focus on one protagonist at a time, whereas this book quickly reveals that Lali's whole family are special. Throw in a potential love interest who is about as ambiguous as they come and you have a solid start to an enjoyable series. ...more
Feb 26, 2016 Kelly Clare rated it really liked it
How many books have you read on Astral projection? This is probably my first and the freshness of this story and setting held me riveting from the beginning to the end.
P.S. Awesome cover!
Mar 15, 2017 Wendy rated it really liked it
Shelves: ya, mystery, adventure, urban-fantasy
"XODUS" the first imaginative and entertaining urban fantasy adventure in the "Astralis" trilogy begins in the small town of Browshire on Xitali (Lali) Marie Yavari's sixteenth birthday when she dreams of a tall man with a scar threatening a woman with a black X-like tattoo under her lip. Unsettled already, when she hears a woman's voice she fears she's losing her sanity until one day at school she bumps into Kai Awana, a teen with his own unique ability who teaches her about astral projection "XODUS" the first imaginative and entertaining urban fantasy adventure in the "Astralis" trilogy begins in the small town of Browshire on Xitali (Lali) Marie Yavari's sixteenth birthday when she dreams of a tall man with a scar threatening a woman with a black X-like tattoo under her lip. Unsettled already, when she hears a woman's voice she fears she's losing her sanity until one day at school she bumps into Kai Awana, a teen with his own unique ability who teaches her about astral projection (moving her spirit out of her body). Although there's a clash of wills because she doesn't trust him, Lali agrees to his deal, helping him find his sister in exchange for reuniting her with her mother who disappeared two months earlier.
In a fast-paced, action-packed adventure Lali must learn to control her ability so she can project to Alea where Kai believes his sister is being held. Tension builds as not only Lali works to refine her skill with Solstice, an Astralii whose rudeness towards her is fuelled with hatred and bitterness, but when faced with the "Eyes and Ears" an organization who police Alea and willingly kill any "semmie" they find. With twists and turns as Lali's heritage begins to unfold, and she learns about her mother's past she's soon blindsided by lies and betrayal from someone she's drawn close to. Intensity and suspense continually escalate as events progress and climax in an exciting cliff-hanger that has you waiting breathlessly for the sequel.
The world building in this plot is weak, probably because Lali's trip to Alea is only a minor part of the story at this juncture. I also thought a love-triangle was brewing because of Nelson's all too apparent affection for his friend "Lollipop" and his hostility towards Kai. But then that's probably only wishful thinking.
In this urban fantasy K.J. McPike has created characters that are complex, spirited and believable. Lali Yavari is strong-willed, impulsive and stubborn in her determination to bring her mother home. She's caring, responsible and loving, looking after and protecting her brothers and sisters who also want their mother back. Kai Awana haunted by the murder of his parents and wanting to find his sister Kala is an enigma at first, a charmer with a dark side as he can be aggressive, manipulative and threatening. In contrast Lali's friend Nelson is calm, easy-going but judgmental and angry about her association with Kai. Yet it's villains, like the cold, calculating and devious Solstice and the desperate, temperamental and deadly Cade who add a chill to this story.
I enjoyed "XODUS" with its air of mystery and fantasy adventure that keeps you captivated from the first page to the last. I look forward to reading the sequel in a trilogy I expect will get better as the adventure continues. ...more
Nov 05, 2017 Billy Buttons rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
This book was entered and was a Silver Medal Winner in the 2016 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Souls Untethered (previously entitled Xodus)
Author: K J McPike
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 23
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 10/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 23 readers:
23 would read another book by this author.
22 thought the cover was good or excellent.
23 felt it was easy to follow.
23 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
15 felt the This book was entered and was a Silver Medal Winner in the 2016 Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
15 felt the author's strongest skill was 'plotting a story'.
8 felt the author's strongest skill was 'developing the characters'.
22 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
23 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
'I loved every page of this YA novel. The characters were interesting, and the plot was amazing.' Girl, aged 15
'The ending was the best. I totally intend to read book two.' Boy, aged 14
'This is an emotional rollercoaster. One minute, I was laughing, the next I was biting my nails with excitement. I'm now reading Nemesis.' Female reader, aged 16
'The paranormal/supernatural element is really excellent. Teens will like this a lot.' Male reader, aged 15
'Not your typical YA soppy romance. Gritty with tons of twists. Had a feeling of realism to it which I liked. The family parts were really good. Funny too in parts. Excellent read.' Female reader, aged 17
'Breathtakingly exciting. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended.' The Wishing Shelf Book Awards ...more
Mar 17, 2017 Mihlean rated it liked it
Shelves: r-and-r, 3-stars
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of XODUS by K. J. McPike from the Rachel E. Carter YA book club on Goodreads!
This was, I'm pretty sure, the first book in my whole life I've read, that involves astral projection, which was exactly why I was so excited as to starting this book. I however, can't help but feeling that the story did not live up to its full potential.
Alright, I must say, the concept of the story was also pretty awesome;
Lali, our 16-year old protagonist, who lives with her Dad and 4 I voluntarily reviewed a copy of XODUS by K. J. McPike from the Rachel E. Carter YA book club on Goodreads!
Lali, our 16-year old protagonist, who lives with her Dad and 4 younger siblings, suddenly finds out that she has some strange abilities. She can astral project because she is a semmie; half Astralis. This means though, that her powers are slightly different than your average astral projecting, aka just seperaring your spirit and body, which was so. Awesome.
But being a semmie, that means that one of her parents were full Astralis, and it definitely isn't her Dad, who doesn't believe in supernatural things like astral projection. So she got it from her Mom.
The only problem? Right, her Mom mysteriously disappeared two months ago with only leaving a goodbye note.
And so Lali sets out with Kai, a fellow semmie who teaches her the handles of astral projection, to find her mother and his sister.
What I also appreciated, was that the romance wasn't unnecessary or irrational in the way that Lali shoves everything aside because oh she loves him so, but in the end it still ended up kind of weird.
Now some of my somewhat negative opinions:
- Lali was kinda immature at times, in my opinion. She's sixteen, and I felt like she was a 12-year old kid sometimes, with the way she handled for example her emotions or her thoughts and things like that.
- The world-building, I felt like was pretty much lacking. I would've liked it very much if the whole Astralis thing had been more detailed? More, visual I guess?
But all in all, I think this book was very enjoyable, but most of all very creative so I'm giving this a 3 stars rating. I definitely do recommend everyone to at least try it out, because it was very original and a fun, light read. ...more
Mar 27, 2017 Petra rated it liked it
2.5 to 3 stars.
A story about a sixteen year old girl who finds out that her mother has been kidnapped and that she can astral project.
This was a fairly fun read. Astral Projection is a new topic for me when it comes to books and I loved reading about it. I liked the way that it was worked out and the different possibilities for astral projections. However, the main character was a bit annoying. She is sixteen, selfish and naive. She meets a guy, trusts him immediately and of course falls in 2.5 to 3 stars.
This was a fairly fun read. Astral Projection is a new topic for me when it comes to books and I loved reading about it. I liked the way that it was worked out and the different possibilities for astral projections. However, the main character was a bit annoying. She is sixteen, selfish and naive. She meets a guy, trusts him immediately and of course falls in love. Is it weird that all is not as it seems? She fights with her friends because they caught her in a lie but only because they care about her. What is up with that?
Also, she has 4 siblings, all with weird names, and when her father has to do some research for his work and leaves for a couple of days, all Lali can think about is getting her mom back. That was the second problem with this book for me. I had no clue how much time went by when Lali was astral projecting. How long did she leave her siblings unattended for? (it felt like days)
And when it turns out her other siblings have abilities too, which normally manifest when turning sixteen, it feels like they can control them within minutes.
So I liked the astral projection part and the little bit of world building but the characters felt off. Don't know if I will be continuing this series.
"I VOLUNTARILY REVIEWED A COPY FROM THE "RACHEL E. CARTER YA BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS." ...more
Mar 09, 2017 Barb VanderWel rated it it was amazing
I loved it & Can't wait for get more of her books
Oct 18, 2015 Jaylee rated it it was ok · review of another edition
Shelves: indie, reviews
Xodus has an interesting premise, some great twists and turns, and the relationship between the two main characters - Kai and Lali - is full of fun sibling-like bickering. It's refreshing after so many books of instalove and characters swooning over each other left and right -- (view spoiler)[A sort-of romance does develop, but it's not your typical YA love plot. (hide spoiler)]
The first half of the book moves slowly as Lali learns how to use her new powers and learns about the Astralli - a race Xodus has an interesting premise, some great twists and turns, and the relationship between the two main characters - Kai and Lali - is full of fun sibling-like bickering. It's refreshing after so many books of instalove and characters swooning over each other left and right -- (view spoiler)[A sort-of romance does develop, but it's not your typical YA love plot. (hide spoiler)]
The first half of the book moves slowly as Lali learns how to use her new powers and learns about the Astralli - a race of people who can astral project. At times, this part of the book had a hard time holding my attention. The driving force between Lali's actions is her mother, Kai's - his sister. The reader doesn't really know either of these people, or have any real interest in their wellbeing, and yet that motivation is supposed to propel the entire story forward. Besides one brief memory towards the beginning of the book, we don't even know what Lali's relationship with her mom looked like, or how she fit into the family dynamics. It was very hard to care that she was gone, when we knew absolutely nothing about her.
Around the 60% mark, the book got very complicated, and the pacing was so quick... I got really lost. Xodus has a very complicated plot, and unfortunately, the author tried to cram most of the twists, turns, betrayals, backstories, etc. into the last 40% of the book. On top of that, in the middle of this, (view spoiler)[Lali's siblings all get their powers and we're trying to understand that as well. (hide spoiler)] This book would have been way better if half the "superpower boot camp" chapters had been nixed and replaced with a slower-paced version of the second half of the book.
The writing is well-edited (again, refreshing to see in a self-published book!) and solid, although many of the protagonist's emotions are told to us instead of letting us feel what she is feeling. It added another layer of distance between the reader and the story - we don't care about her mother, and are also not connecting emotionally to what is happening directly, but through an intermediary, the protagonist's thoughts.
The most interesting subplot in the book - Nelson, Paisley, and her dad's reactions to her powers and suddenly different behavior - is briefly touched on and then ignored. Nelson, to me, was the most interesting character, since he was a giant sweetheart and clearly has feelings for Lali, but he barely got any screen time. I really wish he had been more involved in the story, as the clash between her old life and her new life would have added more tension and real emotion to the book.
Overall, this is a fun adventure story full of superpowers and rescues and a complicated plot. The great ideas behind it is part of what made it frustrating for me, personally, to read. I wanted it to be done WELL, wanted so many of the opportunities presented by the characters and the plot to be used to their full potential... and they weren't. So while this was entertaining and fun, it lacked the substance needed to get a 4 or 5 star rating. ...more
Feb 05, 2016 Olivia rated it really liked it
Shelves: sent-for-review, 2016
Read this review along with others on my blog @ libroliv.com
(Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I would like to send a big thank you to K.J. McPike for this book, as well as a big congratulations for such a great novel.)
I am not a big fan of fantasy, never having my interest piqued at such a genre. I don't know why, I'm just not bothered about it. Understandably, then, I was hesitant to read K.J. McPike's XODUS when I was sent a copy. I Read this review along with others on my blog @ libroliv.com
I am not a big fan of fantasy, never having my interest piqued at such a genre. I don't know why, I'm just not bothered about it. Understandably, then, I was hesitant to read K.J. McPike's XODUS when I was sent a copy. I did, however, decide to give it a chance. And God, am I glad I did!
XODUS is a young-adult fantasy novel circling the ability to 'astral project'. A quick Google search taught me that such a thing is as follows:
Astral projection (or astral travel) is an interpretation of an out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it.
Just this little snippet of information managed to arouse the fantasy lover in me – who only really surfaces when reading Shadowhunter novels – and encouraged me to actually read this book. Again, good decision!
In the past, I have read 2 books concerning "out of body" experiences, both of which revolved around death. (They were If I Stay, and The Catastrophic History of You and Me.) Thus, I was expecting something similar. I was wrong, but I wasn't disappointed.
OK, so on to the actual review!
XODUS is a roller-coaster for your emotions. You're up, then you're down again, and up, and down, and up, and down. This made for a really great book, because it meant I never precedented what could possibly come next. This book is full of delicious twists and turns that my bookish soul devoured – I have no criticisms for the pace, nor do I find fault with the writing style. McPike is a plot twist genius, and – as plenty of you know – I adore a good plot twist. So, if you're the same, this is definitely the book for you!
The only critique I have for this book is that much of the romance erred on the cheesy side. Also, XODUS does not offer a romance the reader wants to root for – it's unhealthy, and rather flat. Frankly, Kai and Lali had the kind of banter bouncing between them that came across really well for friends, but wouldn't translate well into a romance. As a romance lover, I wasn't impressed by this, but I was glad that it didn't take away from the story as a whole.
Likewise, I could complain about the multitude of odd names thrown at the reader at the start of the novel, but at least they were unique! Just like this book!
Overall, XODUS is a fast-paced novel, with a vast selection of twists and turns that are endlessly surprising and entertaining. It's unlike anything I've ever read, and so it was consistently interesting, explaining as to why I awarded it 4/5 stars, and highly recommend you pick it up if you want to try something new. ...more
Dec 02, 2015 Pooja Kashyap rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: science-fiction
Xodus is KJ McPike's debut novel that falls into YA Sci-Fi Fantasy genre. The book is an engaging piece that revolves around a sixteen-year-old protagonist, Xitlali, who happens to discover her ability of astral projecting. Xitlali is already upset with her mother's sudden disappearance and the discovery of outside body experience further adds fuel to her emotional disturbance. Even though she tries to convince her dad of her 'special ability', she becomes exasperated when he dismisses it to Xodus is KJ McPike's debut novel that falls into YA Sci-Fi Fantasy genre. The book is an engaging piece that revolves around a sixteen-year-old protagonist, Xitlali, who happens to discover her ability of astral projecting. Xitlali is already upset with her mother's sudden disappearance and the discovery of outside body experience further adds fuel to her emotional disturbance. Even though she tries to convince her dad of her 'special ability', she becomes exasperated when he dismisses it to nothing but a state of restless mind.
Xitlali is still struggling to comprehend the strange ability when she confronts mysterious hero, Kai. He helps her in understanding and maneuvering the newly discovered powers. But there is something about him that makes her feel doubting him all the time. Yet she tries to balance her doubts by considering the fact that he is the only one who shares and understands her astral projecting ability. And who has acknowledged to help her in finding her lost mother.
Xodus hooked me from the very first chapter. It gave a three sixty-degree preview on family, friendship, evil governance, love, trust and forgiveness. The book is also sodden with many interesting elements in it for instance, it talks about Astralli and Semmies, human like species that can astral project. Different forms of astral projecting too is quite fascinating like, invisible projection, reading minds, permeating, moving between realms and so on.
Xitlali's quest to find her mother in between realms is the motif of the entire sci-fi novel, which surely is very well constructed. The plot moves with a fast pace not to miss the names of the characters too are of great significance – Xitali, Oxanna, Dixon, Ulyxses, Salaxia, Xiomara, Kala. Initially I faced slight confusion but it was rectified by the time I touched the second half of the plot. I'd also like to add, the pronunciation guide is of great help, it deserves special thanks.
Landscape of the other realm, Alea too is quite fantastical. The description is so beautifully done that while I was reading the events of things were actually projecting in front of me, as if I'm watching a movie.
Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with K.J. McPike's writing style. As mentioned earlier, the plot is very well crafted with realistic characters woven with a well thought out story. Although YA is not what I generally prefer but this one is an exception and am quite positive am gonna like the other book in the series too. Can't wait for the next awesome piece from McPike's vault.
Reproduced from: http://www.techietonics.com/thinking-...
Jul 18, 2016 Adelle Yeung rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
XODUS was a gripping, refreshing novel that centered mostly on family dynamics rather than that of a boy and a girl. Of course, there is a boy/girl romantic relationship, but it develops over the course of the book—no insta-love! Both of them had an objective that didn't have anything to do with each other, and they didn't let their feelings for one another distract them from achieving it. I love that their romance didn't derail the plot.
This was a really cool look at a secret society of people XODUS was a gripping, refreshing novel that centered mostly on family dynamics rather than that of a boy and a girl. Of course, there is a boy/girl romantic relationship, but it develops over the course of the book—no insta-love! Both of them had an objective that didn't have anything to do with each other, and they didn't let their feelings for one another distract them from achieving it. I love that their romance didn't derail the plot.
This was a really cool look at a secret society of people who could astral project. Even though the readers only see a brief look at their fantastical world, Alea, it was really cool and I craved more. However, most of the action takes place in our world. Even so, the reader goes through a journey with Lali in understanding how her powers, the secret society, and XODUS works. Pretty much everything was tied up nicely by the end of the book, and I was enthralled to learn exactly what "XODUS" was, but the ending is open enough for sequels.
All of her relationships felt genuine.
At the beginning of the book, I thought that Lali's family had too much weight on the story. As I said at the start of this review, most YA books focus on the teenagers, and while for the most part Lali's siblings are in their double digits, it feels different when the other teens involved are blood related. This is brought together by about the middle of the book, when her siblings gain a larger role in the action.
Lali also has normal friends, who give her ohhh just a little grief, but I'm relieved to say they don't distract her too much.
I'm also glad to say that Lali pretty much keeps her head over Kai. He's described as having fairly attractive features, and the other characters describe him as hot, but Lali never really goes gaga over him. I also love how the author handled describing Lali. She wasn't a girl who thought she was ugly when she was in fact pretty. The other characters even make a point a few times to call her out on how crappy she's looking.
If you're into YA for the romance, this might not be for you, but this was just my cup of tea! Totally recommend this.
(I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Check out my interview with K.J. McPike here! ...more
Feb 22, 2017 James Dyar rated it it was amazing
The writing is stunning, with interesting plot twists and relatable characters. I have to admit I was swept away while reading it. Excellent work :)
Indie Authors Mon...: R&R: K.J. McPike Book Title: XODUS (The Astralis Series Book 1) 27 38 Feb 13, 2017 02:05PM
Goodreads Librari...: Book Cover Switch 5 25 Oct 28, 2016 02:52PM
Creative Reviews: R2R: XODUS (Award-Winning YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy)—mobi, epub, and PDF copies available 3 8 Sep 23, 2016 12:22PM
Lovers of Paranor...: R2R: XODUS (YA Paranormal/Urban Fantasy)—ebook and audiobook copies available! 40 78 Jun 03, 2016 09:29AM
Indie Authors Mon...: R&R: K.J. McPike Book Title: XODUS 6 25 Jun 01, 2016 08:25PM
Videos About This Book
Fantasy > Urban Fantasy
Young Adult > Young Adult Fantasy
About K.J. McPike
K.J. McPike
K.J. McPike is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Souls Untethered Saga. Her debut novel, XODUS (later retitled Souls Untethered), has won multiple awards, including First Place Category wins in both the 2015 Paranormal Awards and the 2016 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction, a category medal in the 2016 New Apple Summer Ebook Awards, and silver medals in both the K.J. McPike is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Souls Untethered Saga. Her debut novel, XODUS (later retitled Souls Untethered), has won multiple awards, including First Place Category wins in both the 2015 Paranormal Awards and the 2016 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction, a category medal in the 2016 New Apple Summer Ebook Awards, and silver medals in both the 2016 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards and the 2016 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards.
After growing up in rural Virginia, K.J. embraced the nomad life and has since lived in Spain, Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia, as well as all over the United States. Somehow, she still hasn't decided where she wants to settle down. No matter where she is around the globe, she is likely consuming too much caffeine and spending more time in coffee shops than her own apartment.
Keep up with K.J.'s books and her nomadic ways online at www.kjmcpike.com or through Instagram and Twitter at @kj_mcpike. ...more
The Souls Untethered Saga (4 books)
Books by K.J. McPike
Trivia About Souls Untethered ...
More quizzes & trivia...
Quotes from XODUS
"See, this is why I hate Google. You come across one site, match one symptom, and all of a sudden you're dying of carbon monoxide poisoning or cancer of the big toe." — 8 likes
"Everything may be black and white in your world, but in reality there's a hell of a lot of gray." — 6 likes


For DREAM 1, one of the more popular T-Shirts were the Hellboy Hansen shirts, they actually sold out. Now they have posted the design for the shirts for DREAM 3 on his blog. They are looking awesome! His guys have done a great job designing these ones.


text:
Q: Cauchy's Theorem and Cauchy's formula I came across the following problem in our last midterm exam. I am completely stuck as to how to begin the solution:
If $|f(z)|\leq$ max $|f(z+re^{it})|$ ($0\leq t\leq 2\pi$), then $|f|$ has no strict local maximum within its domain of analyticity.
Currently I am familiar with Cauchy's Theorem and formula. I am not sure why even the first inequality is true? Can anyone lead to some hints/solutions?

A: I am going to give you a hint based on the assumption that you are trying to prove the following statement (without the use of the maximum modulus principle):
If $f$ is a (complex) analytic function on a domain $D$, then $|f|$ does not have a strict local maximum.
Pick any $z$ in the domain, and choose any $r$ so that the closure of the disk of radius $r$ centered at $z$ is still inside the domain $D$.
Then, the Cauchy integral formula tells you:
$$f(z) = \dfrac{1}{2\pi i}\int_{|w - z| = r} \dfrac{f(w)}{w-z} dw$$
Now, what happens to the integral when you substitute $w = z + r e^{it}$?  Can you obtain the inequality after making that transformation?
Assuming that you were able to complete the computation, what this shows is that the inequality
$$|f(z)| \le \max |f(z+r e^{it})|$$ for all , $t\in [0,2\pi]$ and $z$, $r$ that makes the expressions above defined.
Now, suppose that $|f|$ does have a strict local maximum at some point $c$. What happens if you apply the above inequality to $c$?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to display two columns in a hero unit with Bootstrap? I am trying to get bootstrap's rows to work inside of a hero-unit.  I tired following this example How to display a thumbnail in the hero unit with Bootstrap? but it doesn't appear to work. I only get 1 column in the hero.  My guess is that the padding is causing the columns to wrap because it appears to align correctly when setting padding to 0, but I'm not sure how to work around that correctly.

            Example Page Header
            Example Sub Header

            test

A: Alex,
If you're using the bootstrap-responsive.css, or the fluid template, then you apply the following markup.

Column A

Column B

Then insert the following style in the head.
  .columnA,
  .columnB{
    width: 500px;

  }

The codes above shall output a document similar to the image below:

A: You can use spans that add up to 11 (instead of 12). No extra css is necessary:

 column A

 column B


text:
/**
 * Ms. Tan: Dermatologist (NPC 1012105)
 * Victoria Road: Henesys Skin-Care (Map 100000105)
 *
 * Henesys skin changer.
 *
 * @author GoldenKevin (content from Vana r3171)
 */

let skinColorChoices = npc.getAllSkinColors();

npc.sayNext("Well, hello! Welcome to the Henesys Skin-Care! Would you like to have a firm, tight, healthy looking skin like mine?  With #b#t5153000##k, you can let us take care of the rest and have the kind of skin you've always wanted~!");
let selection = npc.askAvatar("With our specialized machine, you can see yourself after the treatment in advance. What kind of skin-treatment would you like to do? Choose the style of your liking...", skinColorChoices);

if (player.hasItem(5153000, 1)) {
	player.loseItem(5153000, 1);
	player.setSkin(skinColorChoices[selection]);
	npc.sayNext("Enjoy your new and improved skin!");
} else {
	npc.sayNext("Um...you don't have the skin-care coupon you need to receive the treatment. Sorry, but I am afraid we can't do it for you.");
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Combine ingredients, add ice, stir and serve up in a coupe.
1 case of button mushrooms added to 6 quarts of water. Boil then simmer with a tablespoon of juniper berries for 4 hours. Strain off solids. Reduce remaining liquid by about a third.


text:
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            this.$ctx.on('click', '.btn-cancel, .btn-close', function() {
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            this.$ctx.on('click', '.nav a', function() {
                var tab = $(this).data('tab');
                var $tabs = that.$ctx.find('.tab');
                $tabs.hide();
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                that.$ctx.find('.nav li').removeClass('active');
                $(this).parent().addClass('active');
                return false;
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            this.sandbox.subscribe('keyboard', this);
            callback();
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        open: function(id, data, callback, callback_delete) {
            this.templates[id] = !this.templates[id] ? doT.template($('#tmpl-modal-' + id).text()) : this.templates[id];
            var that = this;
            $ctx = this.$ctx;
            var $modal = $(this.templates[id](data));

            // bind callbacks
            $('.btn-primary', $modal).on('click', callback);
            $('.btn-delete', $modal).on('click', callback_delete);

            $ctx.find('.modal').empty().append($modal);
            $ctx.on('keypress', 'input', function(e) {
                if (e.keyCode == 13) {
                    $('.btn-primary').click();
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            });

            this.fire('RegisterShortcut', {
                'moduleId': this.id,
                'shortcut': 27,
                'modifier': null,
                'callback': function() {
                    that.cancel();
                }
            });

            this.$backdrop.show();
            //$ctx.css('width', 300);
            $ctx.fadeIn('fast');
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        cancel: function() {
            this.fire('UnregisterShortcut', { 'moduleId': this.id });
            this.$ctx.hide();
            this.$backdrop.hide();
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})(Tc.$);


Kathryn Ernst, owner of Twist Bakery in Millis Massachusetts and I had a fantastic interview last week, and I am so happy I was able to hear the inside story of how her 100% dedicated gluten-free bakery came into existence.
Kathyrn, who has lived with life-long food challenges because of a variety of ingredients, also has a peanut allergy and lives dairy-free. Years back she focused on and paid attention to what her body was rejecting. After dealing with chronic joint pain, she made the decision, with her doctor's recommendation, to omit gluten from her life. Once she did this, she began to enjoy pain-free days! A new gluten-free life brought out the creativity in Kathryn, who has always loved to cook from scratch. She spent a solid year developing a gluten-free bread recipe that she knew would be a winner!
Hey Buddy!, I found this information for you: "Twist Bakery in Millis, Massachusetts". Here is the website link: https://www.twist-bakery.com/twist-bakery-in-millis-massachusetts/. Thank you.


text:
Open Philology: The Composition of Buddhist Scriptures
OpenPhilology
Start date 1 January 2018
End date 31 December 2022
H2020-EU.1.1.
Overall budget € 2 498 296
EU contribution € 2 498 296
Buddhist sūtras are fundamental sources for understanding the beliefs that once dominated, and largely continue to dominate, Asian societies. But classical philological approaches to these texts, assuming an Ur-text and linear development, misrepresent their nature and obscure their history. Like oral literature the sūtras are authorless and textually fluid, their content formulaic and modular, and the situation complicated by their huge volume and the linguistic diversity of their extant versions. Their fluidity and the absence of an Ur-text makes traditional stemmatic editing inappropriate. Other options are also unacceptable: eclectic editions conflate distinct sources, creating texts which never existed historically, while exclusive focus on a single version ignores the tradition's true richness.
Utilizing the tools of Digital Humanities, Open Philology offers a revolution in approaching the composition of these scriptures, and other literatures with common features, such as the Homeric corpus or Rabbinic literature. Given the vastness of the Buddhist canons, we will focus on a traditional subset of texts, and produce electronic editions which preserve their diachronic and synchronic fluidity, revealing the intertextuality inherent in their formulaic composition. Our editing environments will allow one to easily view the diversity of sources, in different versions of 'the same text' and in parallels in other texts, and permit one to view data at any level of granularity, according to one's interests.
The project will produce corpora of sūtras mutually aligned in their Chinese, Tibetan and, when available, Sanskrit versions, a map of formulaic content, annotated text editions and translations, a general study of the corpus, and a series of scholarly publications on methodological and content-oriented issues. The tools and results we produce will bring our historical understanding of Buddhism, the most formative influence on Asian cultures, to a new level.
/humanities/philosophy, ethics and religion/religion
/humanities/philosophy, ethics and religion/philosophy
H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
ERC-2016-ADG - ERC Advanced Grant
ERC-2016-ADG
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
Host institution
2311 EZ Leiden
Beneficiaries (1)
Last update: 12 July 2017

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Story Submission '); // id payment type fieldset jQuery('.isPaymentType_id').parent().parent().addClass('payment-type-fieldset'); // restrict CC field to max 16 characters jQuery('input.transCC').attr('maxlength', '16'); // insert todays date // add selector to parent span of payment type radio buttons for show/hiding jQuery('.isPaymentType_id.tsRadioButtonLists span input[value="1"]').parent().addClass('pt-cc-span'); jQuery('.isPaymentType_id.tsRadioButtonLists span input[value="2"]').parent().addClass('pt-echeck-span'); jQuery('.isPaymentType_id.tsRadioButtonLists span input[value="3"]').parent().addClass('pt-check-span'); jQuery('.isPaymentType_id.tsRadioButtonLists span input[value="9"]').parent().addClass('pt-paypal-span'); // routing number tooltip jQuery('?
Please read the Story Guidelines first and then fill out this form to submit a personal story to Active Minds. Note: By submitting your story and/or photo, you agree that Active Minds may use them in materials that support mental health awareness or suicide prevention as described on the Media Release.
I would like to mail a backpack to Active Minds so it can be included in the Send Silence Packing® suicide prevention exhibit.


The dark brown box (2007.2780.a) is made from a single sheet of cedar, kerfed, bent and joined with wooden pegs. This was originally attached to the bottom (2007.2780.c) with wooden pegs as well. There is an old metal repair in one of the top corners and a hole in the top corner of each side of the box. The box has shallow horizontal grooves covering three sides, and there is one rectangle on both of the short sides where the grooves travel in another direction. One long side has a rectangular outline with diagonal grooves, but the inside of the rectangle is filled with horizontal grooves. The other long side appears to be undecorated.
The box lid (2007.2780.b) is flat, but the back edge has a tall lip. The back of this lip is decorated wtih small oval shells, set into the wood. There is one continuous line across the top, and three columns.


This week Tony looks at this weekend's meeting at York and forward to the sixth Irishbigracetrends.com Handicap at Beverley this coming Tuesday.
It's a fine day's racing in store on Saturday. Ascot, Chester, Newmarket and York all host seven race cards and even better, all screened by Racing UK.
Newmarket's Group Two Superlative Stakes and the Group One July Cup take centre stage.
The latter looks to be one of the best renewals in recent times. The Henry Candy-trained Limato (6/1), Diamond Jubilee fourth Magical Memory (5/1), winner of that race at Royal Ascot, Twilight Son (5/1) and Commonwealth Cup winner, the Karl Burke-trained Quiet Reflection (8/1) go head-to-head.
The race also features outsiders, Jungle Cat and Danzeno.
Keep an eye on the price of the Richard Fahey-trained Birchwood on Saturday at Chester in the City Plate as the trainer has won the race on three occasions in the last five years, while back at Newmarket the Musley Hill maestro has won the Group Two Superlative Stakes in 2013 and 2015.
York stages the 56th running of the John Smiths Cup on Saturday, the longest running commercial sponsorship in flat racing.
Known as The Magnet Cup until 1998, the race is run over one mile and two and half furlongs.
Here are five sharp angles for the race. The last eight winners were, running within 45 days, carried the same or more weight than their last run, no more than five starts in the season and finished in the first three in one of their last three starts, while seven of the last eight winners were aged four or five.
Please remember though, the trends lead us in a general, rather than specific direction.
It's important not to be handcuffed to them, such that we ignore horses with strong form claims who may fail to tick a couple of boxes.
Tuesday will be a very special day for friends and family as I sponsor the sixth Irishbigracetrends.com Handicap.
Matt Bisogno from geegeez.co.uk, Ben Aitken from Narrowing-The-field, a couple of guys from Racing UK, Sally, George, Frankie and 'Our Gud' will be present to enjoy the day, with the watering holes of Beverley to be sampled in the evening.
It's been an interesting journey since first sponsoring the race in 2011, solidifying friendships and business acquaintances, as well as working with the fantastic team at Beverley Racecourse.
Jockey Kieren Fallon announced his retirement on Monday with respected Irish medical officer Dr Adrian McGoldrick saying the six times champion jockey was suffering from severe depression.
He will certainly be remembered as one of racing's most colourful characters.
He secured three Epsom Derby wins, five 2,000 Guineas, four 1,000 Guineas in a haul of 16 British classic wins and a total of 2,466 career victories.


We welcome the Turnbull Government's decision to make this funding available for other Victorian infrastructure projects but now it's time for Daniel Andrews to step up and produce business cases for the Metro Rail project and the Western Distributor.
Daniel Andrews shouldn't confuse press releases for business cases. For nearly a year Daniel Andrews has done a lot of talking about these projects but he hasn't backed that up with detailed plans and a compelling financial case.
Instead, in recent months we have seen the Andrews Government announce three different positions on the tunnel depth for the Metro Rail project and two different routes for a western distributor. As Daniel Andrews should remember, it's this sort of scattered and sloppy approach which led to other Labor disasters like myki and the desalination plant.
In my discussions to date with the Turnbull Government it is clear that these funds are not a 'gift voucher' for the Andrews Labor Government to waste on bad projects and blow-outs. The Turnbull Government has also made it clear that Daniel Andrews needs to present erudite proposals and not a handful of press releases.
It is also clear that the community still wants the construction of the East West Link and the thousands of jobs that comes with it and I am pleased that the Turnbull Government still supports this critical congestion-busting road.
Melbourne Metro has to be built and managed properly. It needs to be done well now to benefit future generations. The Liberal Nationals Coalition is conducting a series of community consultations to provide the Turnbull Government with constructive advice on the Metro Rail project.


MP3 1534 mb. | FLAC 1491 mb.
Published By – Island Music Publishing Ltd.
Track 12 contains Darkside Lightside (5:04) followed by 6:01 minutes of untitled silence followed by a track (5:42) referred to the booklet as 'Sick Party'.


text:
Community ›
CLA London Branch provides the opportunity to join a select group of people who have strong rural connections but spend a good deal of their time in London. To belong you don't have to live in London but you will need to be a member of the CLA.
CLA London Branch includes regular policy-based and social meetings, usually at a London venue in the early evening. These meetings feature headline speakers on topical issues, followed by questions and discussions. Through its own committee structure and representation within the CLA, views and ideas expressed at London Branch meetings are fed into CLA policy formulation and political lobbying.
Members have an unparalleled opportunity to meet, exchange views and share experience with others involved in landowning and rural economic matters. Membership of London Branch is open to all CLA landowning, business and professional members regardless of location, creating a broad regional network of those who have a significant stake in the countryside.
Exclusive invitations to London Branch meetings which include briefings and lectures with a particular emphasis on landownership. There are a minimum of four London Branch events in a year;
The opportunity to shape the CLA policy agenda through the Branch and Committee structure;
The opportunity to host London Branch meetings and to target your own guests or business clients at certain events;
Regular London Branch e-news mailings and information on the CLA website.
Please note that the event scheduled for 1 April has been postponed due to the government guidelines following the Covid-19 outbreak. We will continue to monitor the situation and review the event planned for 1 July in due course.
Membership of CLA London Branch is at a standard annual fee, per person, which is supplementary to an existing CLA subscription. If you are not already a CLA member then you are most welcome to join the CLA and the London Branch at the same time.
For further information on CLA London Branch and how to join please contact:
Michael Valenzia
CLA London Branch
London SW1X 8PQ
michael.valenzia@cla.org.uk


I can't install new version of CPAN or modules on it, how to solve it?
You may break Debian's packaging system if you install modules from CPAN. There's some discussion about it on PerlMonks: What is the best way to install CPAN modules on Debian?. Alternatively (and untested by me) there's debian.pkgs.cpan.org.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged raspbian perl or ask your own question.
Does Raspbian come with Perl?
How can I enable cryptographic device acceleration?


The purpose of the Cherokee High School Band Boosters is to help stimulate a continuing interest in the Cherokee High School bands, including but not limited to, Marching Band, Color Guard, Jazz Band, Concert Band and Wind Ensemble. Our goal, through aid and support of all activities, both physically and financially, is the musical development of our students. In order to fulfill our purpose, it is expected All Cherokee band parents to attend monthly meetings, participate in a minimum of 2 band events and 2 band fundraisers throughout the entire year. Please check the website regularly and watch your email box for information on Booster events and volunteer needs.


text:
Live Science Live Science
Search Live Science
How It Works Magazine
The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe
Subscribe today and get your first 3 issues for just £3" today
Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews
Near-Earth asteroid
Most notorious pirates
Life's Little Mysteries
In photos: Cremated Buddha remains and Buddha statues
By Jeanna Bryner
Spiritual discovery
(Image credit: Photo courtesy Chinese Cultural Relics)
This statue of a bodhisattva (an individual who seeks enlightenment) is one of over 260 statues that was discovered buried near the cremated remains of what an inscription says is the Gautama Buddha (also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Sākyamuni Buddha or simply the Buddha). The statues and human remains were discovered buried in Jingchuan County, China. This particular statue is almost 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall.
Related: Cremated Remains of the 'Buddha' Discovered in Chinese Village
The statues date between the northern Wei dynasty (386-534) and the Song dynasty (960–1279). Some are full bodied statues while some just show the head of the individual. This head depicts the Buddha. In addition to bodhisattvas and depictions of the Buddha there are also arhats (those who have found enlightenment) and deities known as "heavenly kings."
Cremated remains
Cremated human remains were found inside this ceramic box. An inscription found nearby says that they were buried Jun. 22, 1013 and belong to the Buddha. It is not certain if the statues were buried along with the remains.
An x-ray of the ceramic box shows jars and what turned out to be cremated human remains. Some of the cremated remains were found inside the jars.
A life's work
An inscription found near the ceramic box says that the cremated human remains the box holds are that of the Buddha. The inscription says that two monks named "Yunjiang" and "Zhiming" spent more than 20 years gathering the remains and buried them on Jun. 22, 1013. They collected the remains "in order to promote Buddhism" the inscription says.
Another Buddha
The inscription does not mention the statues and archaeologists are not certain if the statues were buried along with the human remains. This particular statue depicts the Buddha.
A king
This statue shows a deity known as a "heavenly king." He is shown wearing a set of armor and has a scarf around his shoulders. The statue is 34 centimeters (13 inches) in height.
A seeker
This statue of a bodhisattva was found with its head and body apart and had to be put back together again. The bodhisattva is shown wearing a necklace and jade ornament and has a silk scarf on its shoulders. It stands at least 55 centimeters (22 inches) tall.
Roadwork to history
Discovered in December 2012 while roads were being repaired the 260 statues and human remains were excavated over the following year. The discovery was reported recently in the journal "Chinese Cultural Relics." This statue depicts the head of a bodhisattva.
Jeanna Bryner
Live Science Editor-in-Chief
Jeanna served as editor-in-chief of Live Science. Previously, she was an assistant editor at Scholastic's Science World magazine. Jeanna has an English degree from Salisbury University, a master's degree in biogeochemistry and environmental sciences from the University of Maryland, and a graduate science journalism degree from New York University. She has worked as a biologist in Florida, where she monitored wetlands and did field surveys for endangered species. She also received an ocean sciences journalism fellowship from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Hypersomnia: Symptoms, causes and treatments
Mysterious 12-sided Roman object found in Belgium may have been used for magical rituals
NASA to test nuclear rocket engine that could take humans to Mars in 45 days
The James Webb Telescope detected the coldest ice in the known universe – and it contains the building blocks of life
Optical illusion gives rare green comet an 'anti-tail' that seemingly defies physics
Eerily perfect galaxy-shaped spiral appears over Hawaii. What is it?
Live Science is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab).


Diana King talks about her experience during the Vietnam War. King was a Vietnam War protester and the wife of a Vietnam War veteran who became a protester of the war.
Charlie Hettling remembers his time as a soldier during the Vietnam War.


7.30.17 | Does Marriage Really Matter Anymore?
8.6.17 | What Happens If My Feelings Change?
8.13.17 | How Do I Know If I Found True Love?
8.20.17 | What Happens When We Cannot Get Along?
9.3.17 | What's the Secret to Happily Ever After?


text:
Advocacy Partners
We believe there is an urgent need to address treatment options for patients with serious diseases like #Lymphoma. Our community can learn more through workshops like this one from the @lymphoma Research Foundation, virtually on November 13th: https://t.co/AdyavucJpc https://t.co/nHT4hEiFAw
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