Last year I introduced the concept of intrusion fantasy, a subgenre of fantasy fiction in which fanciful events intrude on an otherwise normal world. Once again I am recommending three intrusion fantasy novels that I enjoyed. The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell finds a high school senior, who meets a runaway prince, enlisting his help to return home before a comet hits the earth. I'll Stop the World by Lauren Thoman is a time travel mystery where a young teen tries to prevent his grandparents' deaths and thus change the trajectory of his life. Always Isn't Forever by J.C. Cervantes introduces Ruby and Hart, teens whose future is derailed when he is killed in a boating accident. When his soul is reinstated in another dying boy's body, it is up to Hart to win Ruby back without telling her who he really is.
In The Prince and the Apocalypse Wren Wheeler is on her senior-year trip to London. The much anticipated trip is turning out to be a disaster. Hoping to end on a high note, she goes to The World's End restaurant, only to find it closed. But there she meets Prince Theo, who is on the run from the palace and his mother. When Wren helps him escape, he gives her his number and offers to return the favor, which she uses when her flight home is cancelled. A comet is heading toward earth, and the world is ending in eight days. Prince Theo offers to take her to Santorini and send her home on the family's private jet. Traveling through Europe by boat, train and an accidentally stolen automobile, trying to avoid the paparazzi, Wren and Theo develop a bond that only seems threatened by the apocalypse. The undeniable chemistry and amusing banter make this a fun read, albeit the dire consequences.
I'll Stop the World, a genre-bending mystery, introduces Justin Warren, whose life has always been overshadowed by his grandparents' deaths. His orphaned mother is now an alcoholic, who had him out of wedlock. Stan, her live-in boyfriend is obsessed with the murders. When Justin drives off a bridge and lands in 1985, he has an opportunity to redirect his future. He meets Rose Yin, a do-gooder who becomes his ally, and together they attempt to solve the murders before it's too late. The story unfolds over the course of one week in a world 38 years before the present. Solving the mysteries of his complicated family history, as well as his time travel, make for an entertaining read with a satisfying ending.
In Always Isn't Forever soul mates Hart Augusto and Ruby Amanté are planning a future together when he dies trying to save a child in a boating accident As Ruby is struggling with her grief, Hart finds himself negotiating with Lourdes, an angel who mistakenly took him before he was actually dead. She offers to bring him back to life in another body, and he requests to be near Ruby. Bad boy Jameson Romanelli, Ruby's nemesis, is near death after a motorcycle accident and Lourdes places Hart's soul in his body. Now it is up to Hart, who is forbidden from telling anyone who he really is, to win Ruby back. Ruby is confused as to why she is suddenly drawn to Jameson and why he reminds her so much of Hart. Will their love be strong enough to bridge the distance and give them a new chance at a future together?
