Ascension

Kelahya Unbound

Fiction - Science Fiction
420 Pages
Reviewed on 11/11/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

We are a husband-and-wife team who partner in the creation of tales that capture your imagination and entertain you. With rich international family backgrounds, we strive to bring to the page a wealth of experiences, interesting points of view, and a broad understanding of human nature.
David is a producer, director, and actor who has been involved in films, television, theater, and commercials.
Victoria, born in Mexico, grew up in a family of artists and storytellers and wrote and staged her first play at the age of fourteen.
We began writing ASCENSION almost 15 years ago as we crafted a world far removed from ours and several millennia in the future. We imagined how the world might have evolved as humanoids expanded throughout the universe and mutations occurred. We envisioned that some changes resulted in diseases that wiped out entire planets, others produced physical transformations, and a few resulted in the evolution of superior mental development. What would the struggle for power produce? Of all the mutations in the universe, what qualities would emerge as victorious? How would civilizations across the universe share spiritual, social, and political balance? We created a series of Mythologies that shaped the universe where this tale evolves. And from this lore the novel emerged. These Mythologies are posted and can be read in our website https"//2authors,com.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Ascension: Kelahya Unbound by V. and D. Povall is a grand science fiction novel of bloodlust and power. The main character Kelahya is a Minder, which means she has the ability to impact the minds and thoughts of almost all species that exist in the universe, but she sees bloody nightmares of Kronos, who she supposedly killed. How can she decipher what is real and what is not when her mind is in such a vulnerable state from dissociating? She has no choice but to flee from death and try to uncover the truth before she loses her mind completely. She finds herself facing danger in the past and in the future.

The Povalls are gifted storytellers and craft this tale with fine detail, rich characters, and a mind-bending sci-fi plot that would make Isaac Asimov smile. It works as an aesthetic piece of literature and is multi-layered. As you read, you find yourself wondering what the truth is, right along with Kelahya, and you worry about her state of mind, as well as her life. I like the special powers the authors give the characters, and the physical, psychological, and spiritual conflicts going on, as well as the impressive world-building; simply the overall package. On one hand, it's a space odyssey with lots to explore. On the other, a psychological crime drama with secrets to reveal. Together, the themes make for a dynamic experience. Ascension: Kelahya Unbound by V. and D. Povall is one sci-fi novel that should stand the test of time, worthy of a second or third read.

Vincent Dublado

Welcome to the Talderon Era, a futuristic world that is the setting of V. and D. Povall’s compelling sci-fi novel, Ascension: Kelahya Unbound. This is a world where the Incorporeal Fellowship is established to uphold Talderon Ideals after the gruesome Ethnopecuniary Wars. The reign of Kronos Deucarrion, the spiritual leader and supreme commander of the Alliance of the Stars, has created peace and stability throughout the galaxy. When he was found murdered, Kelahya Devona, Deucarrion’s most powerful warrior and formidable Minder, becomes the prime suspect. She has been using her strength and Minding Power in the service of Deucarrion, but she has been experiencing dissociation that will ultimately lead to her death. With time against her in finding out the truth, she will discover power struggles and hard to swallow truths, as her survival depends on keeping her judgment intact and under control.

V. and D. Provall’s Ascension: Kelahya Unbound is space opera done right. This is a chivalric outer space adventure with an added twist in a conflict that features characters with advanced abilities. It uses a style that is part science fiction, part noir crime thriller, and part superhero. You will find that this novel is overflowing with references to our planetary systems and the concept of telepathy and mind control. It does not go around in circles in establishing a link between the reader and Kelahya. The first chapter immediately throws the protagonist into a serious predicament, and you are caught up as the dialogue unfolds. For a made-up world with its own time, the chronicles that highlight the Talderon Era under the Corpus Galacticum make the whole story come alive. This is a pulsing space opera adventure that you will sink your teeth into.

K.C. Finn

Ascension: Kelahya Unbound is a work of fiction in the science fiction, romance, space opera, and adventure sub-genres, and was penned by author duo V. and D. Povall. This dynamic and immersive story is intended for mature reading audiences owing to the presence of several sexual situations throughout. Our titular character Kelahya takes center stage in this lavish space opera in a vast world quite unlike our own. Beautiful and deadly, Kelahya has unique powers to influence the thoughts of others, but the latent trauma that hides deep in her mind threatens to fracture and destroy her from the inside. So begins a quest to save herself, and perhaps many others along the way.

Author team V. and D. Povall have crafted a gorgeous work of epic space opera which plays out a thrilling and beautifully-penned series of events to give us Kelahya’s first adventure. The character development begins from the earliest possible moment, giving us a chance to fully understand Kelahya and her broken mind, sometimes better than she does herself. This endears her to us through the emotional moments with other characters, and in those amazing scenes where we see her truly fracturing, her life in danger. The psychological and relationship developments of the work keep it grounded in realism, allowing us to relate and immerse ourselves in the Talderon Era and enjoy the fantastic worldbuilding and descriptive techniques of the authors. Overall, I would highly recommend Ascension: Kelahya Unbound for fans who want to strike a good balance between concept and drama: a well written and very engrossing space opera thriller.

Pikasho Deka

Ascension: Kelahya Unbound is a fantasy space opera by authors V. and D. Povall. Kelahya Devona is a Minder, i.e. a humanoid who can manipulate the minds of other beings, who got separated from her parents when she was just a child. Kelahya flees to a remote corner of the universe as she is plagued by the memories of her mentor and lover, and possibly murdered Director of the Alliance of Stars, Kronos Deucarrion. Upon arriving on the planet of Dionysus, she gets acquainted with the man leading the rebellion against the League of One. Kelahya must now quickly figure out who she really is and whose side she is on if she is to ascend to her true potential and rid the universe of tyranny.

If you are disappointed by the recent Star Wars movies like the rest of us, then Ascension: Kelahya Unbound may be the very book you need to scratch your space opera itch. Kelahya Unbound is a well-told story of a woman traumatized by her past and her quest to fulfill her destiny. There is not a single dull moment in the book, and my eyes were glued to the pages until the end. The non-linear structure of the plot makes the narrative all the more compelling as the Povalls slowly assemble the pieces to create a perfect jigsaw. The characters are fleshed out and well rounded, especially the protagonist Kelahya, who exudes an air of vulnerability and strength in equal measure. I would highly recommend it to space soap opera and fantasy fans.

Rabia Tanveer

Ascension - Kelahya Unbound by V. and D. Povall is a science fiction novel that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, longing for more. Kelahya is one of the most powerful people in the Galaxy, and that is a fact she knows very well. She is a Minder, a person who can influence the thoughts of anyone in the universe. While this is a gift she never struggled with, things are about to change. Kronos Deucarrion, the Supreme Commander of the Alliance of Stars, is dead and Kelahya’s mind is telling her she is the one who killed him. So, she does what any sane person would do: she flees. Her mind is disintegrating, and she needs to find answers before it is too late. But can Kelahya do it before she runs out of time?

Ascension by V. and D. Povall is the perfect example of a perfectly paced thriller/science fiction story that everyone will enjoy. I love the background building, how Kelahya’s relationship with Kronos is explained, and why he is so important to her. It helps the reader with understanding why his death is such a big blow to her. Long, descriptive novels are a turn-off for me usually, but this story has just the right amount of information to make the novel interesting. I am amazed at the number of details the authors added to the story. We have a whole culture, nations, people with history, a motive for Kelahya, and heart-stopping suspense that I wholeheartedly loved. Even though this is a predominantly science fiction novel, it is relatable, interesting, very well-written, and above all, believable! I definitely recommend it!