Icons Books In Order

Publication Order of Icons Books

When it comes to book writing, science fiction has always been less exploited and left for movies. Icons book series is however one of the few fiction books that introduces a characteristic distinct world with dynamic characters. Authored by Margret Stohl, this book describes a world enslaved and controlled by Lords, who came from a far away solar system, and needs to be saved. Margret, a US born writer, is also the co-author of another book series called Caster Chronicles. Besides writing, Margret also enjoys working in the video gaming industry. In Icons, she introduces a torrid world enslaved after The Day which is described as humanity’s doom as Lords take control and make all decisions in the land. This book series features various out of the world settings and practices that drift the reader through imaginations and relatable experiences.

Book series details

Icons basically involves an attack on the earth by alien beings sent to conquer and colonize. They nearly destroy all humanity and a few survivors are captured and taken to the embassy. The main character is Doloria (dol) who is much reserved and holds everything to herself. She is also the narrator of the story and her parents are among those killed on The Day which describes the fateful day of attack. Margret illustrates The Day as one in which Earth lost a war to invaders and power went off. Many people get killed as windows shatter in a gruesome attack never witnessed before. As the story begins, killers who are also said to be of alien nature use frequencies and other chemical processes to kill multitudes of people when they invade earth. Everyone is killed on the spot and only two young babies Dol and Ro survive. They move to the mountains to live a simple life far into the countryside. They are faced with the truth of their special being that enabled them to survive among many of those who died. They (Dol and Rancheros-Ro) live together as friends until the ambassador finds them. They get captured and sent to the embassy where they find other enslaved hostages including Tima and the ambassador’s privileged son Lucas. They are also astonished to find out that other survivors existed. The four are known ad Icon children and are portrayed to be of special powers which include the ability to control their own hormones although this they must uncover. Ro is a much more lively character who is full of uncontrollable emotions. All the four have very different personalities, abilities and emotions which they initially think of as their greatest weakness. This however changes with time and they are hit with the realization that it could be their greatest strength which can be used to defeat the Lords and save humanity. Dol in particular is said to be able to tell how those around her feel. Icons book series is an exemplification of incredible imagination combining fascinating aspects of science fiction with dystopia and romance. An alien force known as the Icon descends to the earth, in the future resemblance of Los Angels, and cause massive destructions across the entire world. They nearly wipe out the earth’s population.

After Do, Ro, Tima and Lucas are brought together in a conspiracy, they discover just how gifted each individual is and plan on harnessing everyone’s ability to execute an escape. Their unique skills are however put to a first test of solving the mystery behind these alien beings. This book is a unique revelation of ideas and expresses how the awaited visit turns sore and bloody. Dol and Ro are the definite characters with all the attention and are closely supported by Tima and Lucas. They all exhibit personal growth towards the end as they gain immense experience as teens. Romance is entwined into the story and it is easy to identify the connection between the two main characters. Secondary characters are included to make the scenes more vivid and the most acknowledgeable ones include Padre, Ramona the pig, Doc and Fortis. Padre is simply sweet and plays the father figure role who offers advice to Dol and Ro. Doc has a distinct voice while Fortis provides brilliance in masterminding various expeditions.

Other books in the series

The Icons series includes several books that give the story more back and also harbors top secret letters to reveal how aliens operate in the new enslaved planet. Some of the books in this series are Icons, which was released in 2013, and Idols which is scheduled for release on the 8th of July 2014. After Icons introduces the story and how aliens invaded the earth, Idols will be a continuation of the four revolutionary teens’ expeditions. The aliens are known to stop people’s hearts at will. The four teens are however immune to that alien power since they are special. They have already identified their responsibility which needs to be acted upon fast if there are to be any chances of defending humanity against the alien domination. Idols satisfy some of the suspense left from the first books. The main characters are lead to South Asia where they find out information about their real parents and origin through a monk. There is however an abrupt ending when the government learns about heinous plots which opens up to one more title in this series.

Conclusion

Icons series is definitely a top notch science fiction book that feeds enthusiast readers who want some dystopian element included in their reading. The book describes how aliens have invaded the world and use their intelligence to wipe out billions of the worlds population. Only two young babies (Dol and Ro) are left at the spot and live upcountry for sixteen years before being discovered and sent to back to the city in the alien’s headquarters. They are now grown teens and find out that two other survivors (Tami and Lucas). The four teens ponder their special abilities that enabled them to survive and soon realize they have unique powers. They hence team up and work on how to escape. They also uncover the alien secrets and who is responsible for the attack. This book series reveals a different world with four dynamic characters who act unpredictably. There is also a mix of romantic emotions and intertwining to further elaborate the characters personalities.

The Icons series is the first solo authorship of Margaret Stohl. She is more popularly known for co-authoring the New York Times bestselling series, Beautiful Creatures. Icons is a YA novel that is set in a dystopian near future. The story revolves around four characters: Dol, Ro, Lucas and Tima. With its mixture of Sci-fi, dystopian and romantic themes, this series has received rave reviews since its first book publication in 2013.

ICONS are thirteen alien structures that appeared in the megacities of Earth during what survivors call, The Day. It has the power to control electricity and chemical reactions. It can command electrical signals and disrupt functions inside the human body by stopping the heart at its will. It is the weapon that wiped out an estimated one billion people and left cities in ruins. The icons are weapons of the Lords; the aliens who came to colonize the earth. A new order emerged and the Lords dominate all space. They keep a shadowy presence and communicate only with the ambassadors assigned in each megacity. The Day was a day that Dol, the main protagonist, will always remember but will always try to forget.

Author Margaret Stohl created a vivid and believable description of the world in the ICONS series. On the other hand, her characters were developed in such a way that readers are pulled into their world and make them feel what the characters feel.

The main characters are survivors of The Day. How they survived and why they survived are the main driving forces of the story. The series is told from the point of view of one of the Icons children, Dol. Together, they entered a world of rebellion and conspiracy while trying to figure out the answers to those questions. Readers will follow the story of how the characters discovered their special gifts, the powers that will not only help them survive but also save the future of the planet.

ICON Series main Characters

Margaret Stohl has crafted her characters with mysterious and intriguing personalities. Their parts in the Icons are defined by what they do and what they feel. She created characters that are driven by certain emotions. These emotions are gifts which the characters can treat as either a curse or a weapon.

Doloria: sorrow incarnate. Her real name is Doloria Maria de la Cruz but not a lot of people knew it. She keeps dreaming of The Day that took away everyone in her family except her. She has the ability to read people, feel their emotions and see their thoughts. It is a gift that Dol considers her curse. Soon, she finds out that her curse is also her strength.

Furo Costas: fire and rage. Ro is Dol’s best friend. He has a connection with her like no other. It is a connection that goes beyond familiar and romantic feelings. It is a far stronger force that seeks to bind them so they complement each other’s existence. While Dol is sorrow, Ro is fire and vibrance.

Lucas Amare: leader and lover. Lucas is the son of Ambassador Amare. He feels a different, yet just as strong connection to Dol. Lucas has waited for Dol for some time and he has full knowledge of his being an icon child. People are compelled to follow him and he is well aware of this gift.

Timora: fearful and precise. Tima has a fearful, almost frantic and crazy aura about her. She feels connected to Lucas in the same way that Dol feels connected to Ro. Tima is driven by fear and will go to whatever lengths to protect the one she loves.

Early Books

The Icons series has since released two books. The Icons is the first book and it gives the readers the foundation of the series. It touches on history while describing the landscape in which the stories take place. Icons provides enough information to get the readers a good view of this alien-invaded dystopian world.

Icons (2013) starts out with The Day. Little Dol was saved and brought to the Grass lands where she grew up. When she turned 17, her adaptive family was murdered by Sympas (sympathizers who betrayed humanity). Dol was then hauled to the Embassy at the Hole, the city that used to be Los Angeles before the invasion. Dol was rescued by Ro, her best friend, but they both end up being captured. In the embassy they met Lucas and Tima, both has the same body markings as them.

The four chase around to find the answers of why they survived The Day and what their body markings mean. They have uncovered the conspiracy of how their meeting was not a coincidence. Rebellion and broiling trouble ensued as they tried to find answers to resolve their pasts and uncover what they can do to save themselves and the future.

The second installment of the Icons series is the recently released title, Idols (2014). Once again we meet the icons children: Dol, Ro, Lucas and Tima. Here they continue their search for information to understand their abilities. They want to know how they can use their abilities to destroy the invaders who came and killed a billion people, the idols. In this book, Dol was able to communicate with another icon child, the fifth one. They journeyed to Southeast Asia to find the fifth icon child. Their search turned into a chase as Sympas are always a step behind them. The Idols hunt them and will stop at nothing to fulfill their intention for the planet.

We find the icons children fighting for their life at every turn. We will also find Dol resolving her confusion between Lucas and Ro. There are a lot of interesting twists in this second novel along with unexpected revelations that will rock the world of the characters. Moreover, this book has a tragic ending that will leave readers pining for the next book.

Author’s Approach

Margaret Stohl did a commendable task in world-building. The way she intertwined the dystopian landscape with the characters will keep the readers hooked and hoping for the best of outcomes for the characters. She weaved interesting twists while not leaving out high-power action scenes, maintaining sci-fi undertone and treating readers to astounding space opera.