ALBANY, Ga. - s4story -- "Kevin Cox provides an engrossing story that captivates from the start." - Midwest Book Review

When a sixteen-year-old wakes up in an unknown world and encounters dark forces that threaten the universe, only she can change its destiny.

Accessing portals to other realms, Ambrielle journeys across multiple worlds as she desperately tries to find her way home.

Sixteen-year-old Ambrielle has no memory of her life. In fact, she doesn't even know if her name is Ambrielle, the name her new alien friend gave her when she woke up mysteriously stranded in a desolate world with no humans. As she slowly cobbles together bits and pieces of her life, Ambrielle tries to fit in with the many alien species she encounters, all while avoiding the dark forces of The Shadows and trying to return to Earth. Bewildnerness, by Kevin Cox, is a thrilling new young adult sci-fi fantasy novel, the first volume in a planned series.

When Ambrielle arrives on the desert planet, she is met by Sidaire, a non-human girl with dark gray skin and magenta hair who warns the teen to stay away from The Hollow, a place of oblivion and darkness inhabited by The Shadows—sinister forces with powerful whispers who steal one's thoughts, feelings, and memories. To escape the mind-controlling Shadows, Ambrielle hides in a water spring and soon resurfaces in yet another world, Anatharia, where she meets Maetha, a friendly and generous alien of the Kavekkian species.

Maetha brings Ambrielle to Mekkinspire, the mountain where the Kavekkian city is located, and she explains about their neighboring species, the Darterrans. The Darterrans used to live in harmony and trade with the Kavekkians but were banished from their dens on Mekkinspire when they stole something valuable: the lykris, a device made with powerful crystals that is used to make essential items necessary for life in Anatharia.

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"They wheeled it off the mountain and took it to the other pack that lived in the caves behind the mountain. Once we found out who had taken it, the vaesar at that time was furious and said the Darterrans could never be trusted again. He banned all of them from the mountain..."

Although Ambrielle is considered an outsider and not accepted by many of the Kavekkians, Maetha convinces their leader that the girl means no harm and she is permitted to stay as long as she abides by their rules, including never interacting with their enemies, the Darterrans. But when Ambrielle explores the Darterrans' abandoned marketplace and meets Gavian, a human boy living among the Darterrans, she is spurned by the Kavekkian leaders. Ambrielle is thrown into another body of water where she enters a portal bringing her to yet another realm: Planet Elyravess.

On Elyravess, Ambrielle is aided by Avo'Doria, a female humanoid cyber being that looks like a futuristic metallic angel. Never having heard of Earth or the human race, Avo'Doria shares that she and all of the robots on her planet have a singular purpose: to find inhabitable worlds and prepare them for the first arrivals in any way they can. As such, Elyravess is filled with complex skyscrapers, amazing technology, transporters, and advanced synthetics. Ambrielle is considered Elyravess's first arrival, a historic achievement, and the robots are beholden to serve her every want and need, including finding her way back to Earth.

"Information is limited," Avo'Doria said. "The founders wished to remain anonymous. While they have transcended beyond any need of technology like we have here, they were likely once like your species. They went through the same technology progression that you are likely going through now, giving you the ability to travel between star systems and find new worlds and forge new civilizations."

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Ambrielle returns to Anatharia, the only home she now knows, and forges a strong friendship with Gavian, the only other human. As she attempts to settle the differences between the Darterrans and the Kavekkians in order to restore harmony, secrets and betrayals emerge that result in Ambrielle toggling between realms. Tensions mount as Ambrielle learns to navigate these worlds, her own dark and blurry memories, and her alien friends and foes, and it is revealed that somehow she is the key to the fate of the universe—if it's not already too late.

There is a world in your plane, reconstructed into a gateway. Its many pathways connect to all the worlds in your universe that contain organic matter. Once complete, its portals will siphon all organic matter from those worlds into the breach and render it safe for our purpose...You somehow used this design to bring life back to this barren world, life that began to grow.

Worlds collide for young adult readers who will love the fast-paced thrills, the chemistry between the characters, and the interplay of science fiction, fantasy, and reality in Bewilderness. Author Kevin Cox expertly weaves a story that is timeless, bringing together elements of loss and longing, coming of age, and survival. Bewilderness is a perfect cross-market read for young adults and adult readers alike, who are searching for the next enduring science fiction fantasy classic.

Now available on Amazon. If you would like more information about author Kevin Cox and Bewilderness, please contact authorkevincox@gmail.com or visit bewildernessseries.com