Anchored

Bridget E. Baker

Apr 2021 · The Anchored Series Book 1 · Purple Puppy Publishing

4.6

45 reviews

Ebook

394

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

Every time Alora goes to sleep, she wakes up on another world, a magical world, a world that's about to collide with Earth in a very big way. Alora's the only person with the power save them both, only, she's not sure she should.

Alora’s life has been anything but magical. Since her parents died, she and her brother have been on the run from a creepy, doggedly determined social worker. In a few more months she turns eighteen, but until then, they're stuck hiding. It’s hardly surprising that she dreams every single night of another world, Terra, where she possesses telekinetic powers.

What Alora can’t explain is how, when she breaks her arm in her dreams, she wakes up with the same (very real) injury on Earth. And if her dreams aren't real, shouldn't they be more fun? Since only men on Terra are supposed to be able to move things with their minds, Alora spends all her time there hiding her powers.

But when her best friend on Terra is threatened, Alora uses her powers to save him, inadvertently killing the attacker. The next day on Earth, the exact same man she killed on Terra walks into her workplace. . .and drops dead. Suddenly, she's being hunted in both places. Alora must discover how Earth and Terra are connected and how far she’ll go to save a world that may not deserve to be saved.

★Awards ★

2021 IAN Book of the Year, Fantasy

2021 Publisher's Weekly BookLife Prize Quarter Finalist

2021 Readers' Favorite Urban Fantasy Winner

2021 Whitney Award Nominee

★Trade Reviews ★

Kirkus said, "The author's worldbuilding is astute and unobtrusive. The fantasy series opener finds its rhythm early and then breezes along, keeping readers enthralled. [This] novel is a winner. YA and new-adult readers will take Alora as their own and thrill to the thought of a sequel. An absorbing meld of secondary-world and urban fantasy."

"The best part of [Anchored] was the non-stop, action-packed, exciting plot. All I can say is, Bridget E. Baker, where have you been all my life? I can’t believe this is her only book that I have read. I will most definitely be reading more of her work. This book has it all: suspense, mystery, love, action, romance, war, you name it. And it is all perfectly combined to produce the perfect story and the perfect beginning to what I know will be a fantastic series," -Readers' Favorite

"Wow, this book is intense. It takes hold and doesn't let go. Fast-paced writing, an awesome storyline, and ridiculously fun world-building make this a new favorite of the year. Plus, Egyptian mythology! A must-read for fantasy lovers," -USA Today Bestselling author, M. Lynn

"Anchored is a fast paced, fantasy adventure with a strong heroine. I have no idea how Bridget did it, but she tangled reality and dream fantasy together effortlessly. This is one of those books you will go back and read again and again! I cannot wait for book 2," -USA Today Bestselling author, J.A. Culican

"I picked this book up for the breathtaking cover, but I stayed for the fascinating story. I can honestly say I've never read anything quite like this. Usually it takes me a while to connect with a narrator, but I found myself rooting for this funny, self-deprecating protagonist from the first page. Top that off with a story that's solid and compelling, and a twisty plot that pulls at your heartstrings every step of the way, and you've got five amazing stars! My only complaint is that I can't binge read the rest of the series yet!" -USA Today Bestselling Author, Robin D. Mahle

"This action-packed novel is a dose of both fantasy and reality. The writing is infectious, jam-packed with emotion, and the tangling of two worlds--the real and the dream--is masterfully done. Anchored is a book not to be missed," -USA Today Bestselling Author, Cortney Pearson

"What a fascinating and intriguing urban fantasy read! The characters are beautifully developed, even those only briefly in the story. The angsty dramatic protagonist, Alora, even with all her deep seated problems and issues, remains likable. And there is one constant for Alora--her strong bond to her brother Jesse. Even though her future is supposed to be destined, Alora wants to lead her own life and not be dictated to. This is a wonderful story of different worlds and strong family ties told superbly!" In D'Tale Magazine

Publisher's Weekly said, "A gripping, action-packed novel, Anchored holds readers captive and simply won't let go. Baker provides just enough detail and an intriguing premise to keep the reader hooked, revealing answers at exactly the right pace.

Baker is an extraordinary writer. Her prose engages, seemingly flowing organically, whether descriptive, action-focused, or dialogue. She is clearly in command of her craft and does a superb job of advancing the plot while providing explanations in measured doses.

The premise here is not only the right blend of imagination, mystery, and hold-your-breath action but is entirely unique and leaves the reader wanting more. Baker has created living, breathing characters who, despite the different world presented here and the unique powers the protagonist possesses, are still authentic and relatable.

This book is a 10 out of 10."

Keywords: urban fantasy romance, portal fantasy, ya urban fantasy, ya contemporary fantasy, ya epic fantasy, Egyptian mythology, teen urban fantasy, fantasy romance, ya fantasy romance, ya contemporary romance fantasy, myths and mythology fantasy, a thousand pieces of you, claudia gray, fans of claudia gray, throne of glass, acotar, sarah j maas, maas, fans of sarah maas, sarah moss, sarah mass, shatter me, tahereh mafi, the secret life of addie larue, percy jackson, dust kara swanson, fans of percy jackson, fans of lightning thief, rick jordan, fans of rick riordan, rick riordan, alexandra bracken, lore, fans of alexandra bracken, best books for teens, clean romance fantasy, urban fantasy, teleportation, telekinetic, werewolves, shifters, elementals, neil gaiman, norse mythology, egyptian mythology, the throne of fire, the hammer of thor, scarlett st clair, fans of scarlett st clair, lore olympus, anansi boys, Egyptian mythology magic, ra, Howl's moving castle, the lion the witch and the wardrobe, cs lewis, narnia, stephanie garber, the ballad of never after, the cruel prince, a curse so dark and lonely, brigid kemmerer, kimmerer, holly black, daughter of smoke and bone, laini taylor, .

Ratings and reviews

4.6

45 reviews

Tammie Causey

April 16, 2021

This is the first book in Bridget Baker's latest series and I enjoyed it quite a lot. It's a portal type fantasy set in our world, and a sub genre that I haven't sought out much, but I thought this one was done really well. I immediately liked Alora and her brother, and I loved how Bridget was able to write their characters in a way that enabled me to feel the emotions they were going through as they dealt with the hard situation they were in. There were definite red flags as they made a couple of the decisions that put them in danger. I kept thinking, "No! don't do that!" But I could also sympathize with how badly they wanted to be able to stop running and have a normal life. There were also a couple of twists I didn't see coming. In the beginning I was left wondering why they were so sure these dreams Alora was having were real and not just dreams or figments of her imagination, but this is explained later on. I have noticed in more than one of her books, that Bridget will leave me wondering about something for a while, but I get the reason behind it later. Sometimes this works really well, but in this case I think I would have rathered this had been explained sooner. Regardless, I was really glad that things were explained. It helped me understand the characters better. Overall I thought this was a really good book, and I thought the parallel world was interesting. It had a good balance of good and bad events. One heartbreaking thing happened, and I'm still really sad about it, but I like that the book didn't leave me feeling hopeless. I did have a bit of an issue with the instalove thing, but there was an explanation for it that made it a bit better. I just really hope we get good relationship development between these characters in future books, despite the instant attraction to each other. I probably don't need to worry about that though, since Bridget has never disappointed me with any of the relationships in her books.

1 person found this review helpful

Karma Clarence June

July 12, 2021

I was hooked from the start. I was intrigued by the prologue (and had to go back and reread it a few times throughout the book as connections were made), the mention of a trained chicken, and the whole baby naming thing is so odd. I also wanted to know why it was Lift and not lift. So, onward I read! In the story, sleep brings another world where injuries can be repaired or created, not dreams. But like with dreams, hours in the dream world can be just minutes in the real world. One world is regular life and one is a prison. Poor Alora has gone through more than her fair share of tragedies before the book even starts. The more she learns about herself and her past the less she probably wishes she knew. She can’t help herself though, she needs to know the truth about what happened to her parents and herself. Like many of Baker’s main characters, this teenager starts out hidden, unassuming, concealing parts of herself from the greater world. She doesn’t even know the extent of her abilities and has even been thought to have a psychiatric illness for years. So this alternate world may be her brain firing differently, making her see and hear things that no one else can. Her best friend on Earth is her brother and their parents died years ago. On Terra she is an orphan without a brother. Or is she?? The suspense gets worse towards the end. You can’t help but root for Alora and Jesse and feel her desperation as she will do whatever it takes to try and save her brother. I’m very eager to start the next book to see what comes of her attempts! I’d also like to find out how the Exordium works out for her on Earth… And I thought my teenage years were a mess!

Rebecca Brook

May 10, 2021

A riveting read about a chosen one living in two worlds. This book has an interesting premise & I like how the title makes sense! It always takes me a couple of chapters to get into a book, but I was soon absorbed into the story and would then read at every available opportunity, devouring it in a couple of days. I liked how our MC wasn't too self-sacrificy, as that can be annoying; she listens to others and tries to follow advice. The titular anchor bond of the siblings is lovely to read and the other friendships were also promising. I wasn't convinced about the destined love, but enjoyed that she wasn't going to let destiny write everything for her either! Some questions (about their past & other worlds) were answered during this book, with some left for the next in the series. I look forward to reading the next one to find out what happens next! :)

About the author

Bridget won her first writing contest in second grade with a story about a day in the life of a little spot of air. (Who says you need a good hook?)

She hasn’t stopped writing (or talking) since then, although she was briefly derailed by her pursuit of a legal career. Ultimately, boring words, well, bored her. She quit her job to spend less time counting gobs of ill gotten gains and more time writing stories.

Bridget knows she should pick one genre and write within it, but she can’t seem to choose. With her love of all words, she imagines stories set on Earth as we know it, stories set on Earth as it might be, and stories set on Earth as it might become. She imagines teens ready to take on the world, adults ready to throw in the towel, and everything in between.

She loves her husband and all five of her kids (most days). She has a Border Collie with boundless energy, a yappy Pomeranian pup, three amazing quarter horses, backyard chickens, lion’s head rabbits, and two demanding cats. Every day is a balance between playing with kids, riding her horse Leo, helping legal clients, and writing. If her publication speed has slowed down, you can blame the kids and the horse.

She makes cookies all the time, and thinks they should have their own food group. In a possibly misguided attempt at evening the scales between over-consumption and exertion, she kick boxes every day. So if you don’t like her kids, her cookies, or her books, maybe don’t tell her in person.

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