Pastel Pink
written by Nikki Minty
narrated by: Khristine Hvam, Jodie Harris, James Patrick Cronin

From one ending comes a new beginning…

Ruby was murdered on Earth eighteen years ago and reincarnated on Zadok as a Pastel Zeek named Harlow. To be born at the bottom of her race’s caste colour system to a middle-class family of Magentas has made Harlow a source of conflict amongst the ruling Purples, and a source of derision from all three colours.

When Harlow is attacked by a fuegor on Zadok, the effects of its slow reacting venom triggers an unforeseen phenomenon, and due to the strong connection she had with her former twin sister Jade, her human spirit is unexpectedly drawn back to Earth.

Now living a double life, she has plunged into a world of intrigue on both planets.

On earth, she watches on in horror as Jade reconnects with Lucas, the man who murdered her and got away with it. And to complicate things further, she’s being pursued by Alex, the ghost of Lucas’ twin. On Zadok, she becomes embroiled with Jax, the son of the Commanding family. He’s determined to bring about change to the colony’s colour system, but it’ll come at a cost.

As Harlow mixes with the political intrigue of the Zeeks, will she become a victim of those trying to rigidly maintain the status quo or will she usher in a revolution?

And will ghost Ruby resist the temptation of the handsome Alex or pursue an impossible relationship that could have dire consequences on both planets?

Overall: 5 out of 5 fairies
Story: 5 out of 5 fairies
Narration: 5 out of 5 fairies

Overall: Y’all, I can’t recommend this enough, especially in audiobook form!

Story: This was such a good story. I was a little hesitant about a story that has one main character living lives on two different planets, simply by falling asleep on one planet. Minty blew me out of the water with how well she handled the switches, and I loved how well-developed the characters are. The world-building is superb, and the imagery was amazing. I cannot wait for book 2!

Narration: The narrators did a great job bringing this book to life, and I think having three narrators really helped separate the important characters, and made knowing whether we were currently on Earth or Zadok much easier (Ruby/Harlow have different accents). They really conveyed the tone of the story and character attitudes, making it even more immersive. I look forward to listening to more from these narrators in the future.

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Born in Queensland, Australia, Nikki Minty is the author of The Zadok Series, and avid reader of many genres.

Pastel Pink, book 1 in The Zadok Series, won an honourable mention for Sciencefiction/Fantasy in the 2021 Royal Dragonfly Awards.

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