Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Sideswiped
    Sideswiped
    Sideswiped
    Ebook107 pages1 hour

    Sideswiped

    By Kim Harrison

    4/5

    ()

    Switch to audiobook
    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Don’t miss this thrilling first look into the elite world of Peri Reed, government agency operative extraordinaire, and catch more of her character in The Drafter, the first book in the all-new suspense trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

    Every hero, even the accidental ones, have a beginning.

    Silas’s radical theory that drafters are not replaying time as much as they are temporarily sliding into an alternate universe has never been well-received, but frankly, the darling of Opti’s research has enough clout not to care, until a professor with a grudge tries to put a permanent end to it. Love can’t alter time, and sometimes, even being able to rub out a single mistake isn’t enough…
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPocket Star
    Release dateAug 10, 2015
    ISBN9781501134241
    Author

    Kim Harrison

    Kim Harrison is best known as the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows series, but she has written more than urban fantasy and has published more than two dozen books, spanning the gamut from young adult, accelerated-science thriller, and several anthologies and has scripted two original graphic novels set in the Hollows universe. She has also published traditional fantasy under the name Dawn Cook. Kim is currently working on a new Hollows book between other, nonrelated, urban fantasy projects.

    Read more from Kim Harrison

    Related to Sideswiped

    Related ebooks

    Suspense For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Peter Mountford

      Dec 15, 2017

      Vivian spends most of the afternoon naked and strapped to the giant ottoman in the interior decorator’s office in Bethesda. When he finally unties her, the sun is low and she’s shaky and exhausted. He paddled her hard at some point, and that hot stin

      28 min read

    • Article

      Sienna’s Monster

      Mar 10, 2021

      Sienna lived with a monster, but no one else knew it. The first time Sienna realized that her monster wasn’t like the rest was in 4th grade. The whole grade assembled in the auditorium. A police officer watched them enter from his place on the stage.

      26 min read

    • Article

      Sienna’s Monster

      Sep 10, 2023

      Sienna lived with a monster, but no one else knew it. The first time Sienna realized her monster wasn’t like the rest was in fourth grade. The whole grade assembled in the auditorium. A police officer watched them enter from his place on the stage. H

      27 min read

    • Article

      The End of Learning

      Mar 10, 2024

      A bullet ended Paul Channeler’s childhood at age six when it passed through his abdomen and into the brain of his best friend, Myra. He had assumed he would marry her one day; his mom and dad were best friends; it made perfect sense. He knew nothing

      9 min read

    • Article

      Something About Her

      Feb 2, 2019

      Something About Her
      5 min read

    • Article

      Human Contact

      Aug 10, 2022

      Beer tasted like wet money—or maybe just bad beer did. Viola had never tried any other kind. She preferred white wine, but there was no white wine at this party. “Drink it like medicine,” the guy manning the keg said. “It’ll loosen you up.” He wore a

      18 min read

    • Article

      The Bridle

      Oct 10, 2021

      Saliva pooled on her tongue beneath the rusty depressor. She endured a constant urge to swallow, afraid of choking on her own fluids. The taste of metal and blood are so akin, it is easy to mistake one for the other. This early in the day, blood was

      11 min read

    • Article

      The Truth As We Know It

      Dec 10, 2021

      Celia had just finished prepping meals for the week when she first heard the sound. She was stacking entrees in the fridge for the coming week. A mountain of dishes slid into the sink. She was wearing her apron, the one she always wore, over her stan

      15 min read

    • Article

      Lace Round the Sky

      Jul 1, 2022

      Lace Round the Sky
      8 min read

    • Article

      Swans Don’t Always Sing

      Aug 5, 2021

      Swans Don’t Always Sing
      2 min read

    • Article

      Freedom

      Aug 6, 2020

      Freedom
      7 min read

    • Article

      Sifting

      Mar 4, 2024

      CASSANDRA GARBUS is the author of the novel Solo Variations. Her fiction has appeared in Kenyon Review Online, American Short Fiction, Texas Review, Meridian, Louisiana Literature, and The Cortland Review. Lily slumps on the living room couch, absorb

      22 min read

    • Article

      On The Run

      Mar 24, 2021

      On The Run
      6 min read

    • Article

      Heatstroke

      Jun 8, 2020

      Languid. The word that formed in Rachel’s mind was languid. The figure on the lawn was languid. Its limbs were loose, its joints fluid. Its hands and feet seemed too heavy for the bones that held them. It was draped over the sun lounger, dripping fro

      5 min read

    • Article

      A Little About Why

      Jun 1, 2023

      A Little About Why
      15 min read

    • Article

      O Fortuna, Velut Luna

      Sep 15, 2018

      What is Miss Treece’s trouble, according to a popular notion? The man A has failed to show up. Arousing herself at the restaurant, she fixes her lipstick when her solo supper concludes and takes herself down the stairs situated behind the bar. There,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Pneumadectomy

      Jan 10, 2022

      Rolly stood for a few minutes in the shade of the large oak, just out of sight of the boys gathered on the dry shaven green of the bowls club. All aged around eleven like himself, they were dividing up their meager numbers for a game of soccer, knowi

      10 min read

    • Article

      Performance

      Nov 10, 2022

      “Wait here,” the guard said as he shut the door behind him, leaving me by myself. The floor inside the lab was polished, and the air smelled of disinfectant, and yet the room felt unclean. Leaves shook on a tree outside the window, making shadows on

      18 min read

    • Article

      The Pill

      Dec 10, 2023

      Marlee stopped taking the pill when she was fifty-two. She had been bleeding each month—albeit hardly and close to tar—so she figured she was fertile, sort of, that something would attach itself to her uterine lining even if not completely thriving.

      12 min read

    • Article

      The Free Will of Professor Sturmhauser

      Jul 10, 2023

      Professor Sturmhauser stands in front of his students, looking focused and casually in command—it’s a good disguise. Now he’s pacing back and forth, tossing a pen in the air and saying this: “If you take the measure of your will, what do you think yo

      18 min read

    • Article

      All My Tomorrows

      May 10, 2022

      It was Misha’s first day minding the shop, and already she’d broken the fifth rule. Always lock the door immediately. When you had the most valuable merchandise in the universe, you had to take the utmost precautions. She hadn’t meant to disobey. It

      13 min read

    • Article

      The Scars We Bare

      Apr 13, 2020

      The Scars We Bare
      11 min read

    • Article

      Better

      Aug 12, 2019

      Better
      18 min read

    • Article

      Lost Children

      Aug 4, 2022

      Lost Children
      5 min read

    • Article

      A New Beginning

      Mar 25, 2022

      A New Beginning
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Sideswiped

    4/5

    25 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      A good short

      It is a good prequel and makes me want September 1st to get here quickly. I loved the Hollows so I've been looking forward to this series. As always Ms. Harrison creates a fascinating tale with its own believable world.
    • 4/5
      Listened for run (Audible)Overall Rating: 4.00Story Rating: 3.75Character Rating: 4.25Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)Short Review for a Short Book: Sideswiped by Kim Harrison is the prequel to her new Drafter Trilogy and a good one too boot. You know I don't have major love for the short story but this was a good introduction to the characters (they rocked), the world (still not sure I am on board with what is cool about drafting but they did work the system), and hopefully the pace (quick, exciting) of the series to come.Audio Thoughts: Narrated By January LaVoy / Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins I had only hear January once before this (she was part of an ensemble)so I wasn't sure how she would be by herself. She was really good. Her pacing, emotions, and even her male voices were easy to listen too. I got Drafters as a review eBook but I am seriously debating waiting on the audiobook. We will see but I will be listening to her again.
    • 3/5
      Prequel

      Interesting concept for a new series set in the future. Looking forward to reading the series.
      four words to submit.
    • 5/5
      The story is powerful; I like how it was presented. Good job writer! If you have some great stories like this one, you can publish it on Novel Star, just submit your story to hardy@novelstar.top or jo
    • 4/5
      I was fortunate enough to read an ARC of the Drafter about a month ago, so I’m already familiar with the very detailed world building as well as what these characters are capable of. This novella length prequel concentrates on Silas, one of the main characters in this new series, and introduces us to Peri, the series’ number one character. But it also introduces us to the concept of drafting which is a huge aspect of the series. It’s cool to see where these characters are at five years before the novel begins.When thinking about how to write this review I was going to say that it’s really not necessary to read this before reading The Drafter. But when going back and looking at the review of that book I’d now say that I think reading this first would help with an easier grasp of what’s going on in the first couple of chapters of the novel.The gist of the series is that some people (Drafters) have the ability to go back in time by a few seconds and change an outcome – or as is explained in this novella, they don’t go back, but move sideways through time. Another person is needed to work as an anchor to recognize when their partner drafted and to rebuild the Drafter’s memories during those dual time experiences. It’s also about the covert government organization they work for; Opti.Besides being set in the future with technology making up the sci-fi angle, this is vastly different than the world of the Hollows. More action and intrigue in this series.
    • 4/5
      Sideswiped by Kim Harrison is a 2015 Pocket Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book as a member of the XOXperts- The Official Street Team of XOXO After Dark.Kim Harrison's imagination is second to none! For those who are familiar with Kim Harrison via her “Hallows” series, you will find this new one to be quite a departure. Sideswiped is the prequel to the new Peri Reed Chronicles- a sci-fi- time travel trilogy. I knew going in, the book was science fiction, that it involved time travel, but I had no idea how to prepare myself for it. To be completely honest I don't read a lot of science fiction, in fact, it's almost dead last on my list of genres I will consider reading. I do like time travel romance novels, but normally those are classified as paranormal. No, this one wouldn't be anything like that, so what was it going to be like? And the bigger question, given my aversion to science fiction, would I like it? For starters we are introduced to Silas, who is taking his final drafter exam at Opti when a drone flies through the window effectively invalidating the exam. The operator of said drone is Peri Reed. Rounding out the cast is Summer, Silas's girlfriend and his best friend, Allen. When the group of students become pawns in an evil professor's diabolical plan to oust Silas, they bond together to save their university careers, by doing what they do best... reset time. Well, I should have known with Kim Harrison at the helm, she would have me eating out of her hands in no time. This very short story didn't waste time on filler, that's for sure. The story got off to a very fast pace and covered a lot of ground in a limited amount of time. I got a big enough bite to know I will certainly want to go back for seconds. This is an excellent start to a new series and I think we are all going love Peri Reed. Be aware that as with many prequel novellas, this one does end with a bit of cliffhanger. So, naturally, I can't wait for the first full length novel in this series- “The Drafter”.4 stars

    Book preview

    Sideswiped - Kim Harrison

    ONE

    There was a mouth-breather four feet behind him, and it was starting to bug Silas. Shifting on the hard-backed chair, he hunched lower over the scratched testing tablet, trying to concentrate on his final exam. But someone was tapping their stylus, and another kept changing their answer, the click, click, click distracting. The sighs were incessant, and the frustrated tension rose with the sour smell of sweat in the high-ceilinged room, ornate from a more elegant past.

    Silas sat back, stretching his wide shoulders, feeling the fabric of his white collared shirt pull. His suit coat lay carefully across the seat in front of him, the empty instructor podium a good six rows beyond that. Most of the desks were occupied, but he didn’t know anyone, having been shoved in here with an undergrad class to take his final because the security was good and it was easier than arranging a proctor just for him.

    Outside, through the row of glass windows high above head height, he could hear the shouts of someone on the commons celebrating the end of their classes, but in here, it was all nervous tension. Grimacing, he bent back over his exam, feeling cramped. It wasn’t that the station was small. He was just a big guy.

    The activity of synaptic linkages able to resonate to time can be directly influenced by: diet, training, trauma, synaptic fatigue, ambient noise, drugs. Check all that apply. Silas used his stylus to check all of them, then undid diet, though he’d swear his undergrad students did better after lunch. He just hadn’t had an opportunity to prove it yet, and the last time he’d challenged his instructor, he’d lost a full grade.

    Bored, he slumped to stretch his long legs out under the desk, trying to decide how much trouble he wanted to make. Head lolling, he squinted at the glowing orb on the ceiling. It was a bright red, indicating all incoming and outgoing communications were being blocked. Opti loved its gadgets, almost as much as it loved catching students trying to get around them—encouraged the activity, even as punishment for getting caught was harsh and swift.

    Smirking, he sat up and tapped the diet icon to add it. He’d contest it if anyone gave him flak. He had only one more semester with which to finish his thesis, and then he’d have two sets of letters after his name. Silas’s smile faded. He was going to lose her after graduation. Summer was more than a girlfriend. Four years of shared sushi over a lab table and informal challenges at the shooting range had turned into a quiet intimacy he couldn’t bear to lose. He felt good when he could make her laugh, and she brought his frustrated turmoil to calm when the work was bad. Even better, she was the only woman whose height kept him from looking like an ape beside her. He needed her, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

    But once working, drafters seldom maintained long-term romantic relationships with anyone outside of their anchor partners. Come this fall, she’d be assigned her first real anchor, and it would be over.

    With a sharp crack and cascading tinkle, one of the upper windows shattered. Silas looked up, barely having time to recognize the manhole-size drone before it careened into a light fixture and ricocheted toward him.

    Look out! someone shouted, and then it struck him, knocking his head back.

    God bless it! he exclaimed, hand to his forehead as the drone hit the floor and slid to a halt. The Opti logo caught the light, but it was a safe bet the drone had been misappropriated.

    Hey, are you all right? someone asked, but no one moved, afraid if they did, their exam would be invalidated.

    Yeah. Silas grimaced at the smear of blood on his hand. On the floor, the drone hummed, clicked, and stopped working. There was a small crackling at the window as a slight, petite woman vaulted into the broken frame. A remote in her hand, she crouched there, assessing the students looking up at her. Facial-recognition deterrent caked her face, making her eyes black holes and her chin more narrow than it probably was. Standing up in the broken window, she tucked the remote into the waistband of her skintight black athletic wear, then jumped the five feet to the floor, landing lightly to look like she was a sexy black cat.

    Excuse me, she said, her voice surprisingly low for such a small frame. Be out of your hair in a sec.

    Silas leaned back, his chair creaking. Irritation and anger swept over him, and he crossed his iron-pumping arms across his chest as she wove her way through the stunned class, arms swinging confidently.

    He didn’t recognize her under the face paint, but her hair was short and black, and her chin angular. She was athletic without being blocky, with a narrow waist, ample hips, and a small chest. Her arrogant poise said she was in the field agent program. His best friend, Allen, could strut like that, and Summer had that same undeniable grace.

    He cracked his knuckles as she stopped at his desk, her eyes going to the swelling bump on his forehead. Sorry about that, she said as she scooped up the drone. Her fingernail polish was metallic, the latest rage. Her eyes were hazel, and her safety glasses were Gucci. He hadn’t known they did safety glasses, and he made a mental note to look into it. Clearly the woman had money, had had it her entire life, by the look of it—too much to be here learning how to be a weapon.

    Silas clenched his hand to hide the blood on it. You going to draft to fix it? he asked belligerently, and she smiled to show small, very white teeth, clearly pleased he’d recognized her status.

    You’re awfully big to want me to kiss your boo-boo away. You’ll heal. She leaned over his tablet, clearly curious as to what he was taking. Slim finger jabbing out, she changed the icon of diet back to false. Trust me on this. It’s secondary, not direct.

    Hey! he exclaimed when the tablet’s rim became red, recognizing it wasn’t him and shutting down. You just invalidated my exam!

    She winced, the tips of her hair swinging as she turned to a sudden noise in the hall. Sorry. I didn’t know they were biometric. Ours aren’t.

    Taking a running hop, she raced to the broken window. The class erupted in noise, and Silas stood, gasping when someone stuck out a leg and tripped her. The woman tried to recover by diving into a roll, but there were too many desks and she slammed into one, dazed as her arms and legs sprawled. Someone laughed, and Silas’s face burned in anger.

    The door to the room was yanked open, and a professionally dressed small Asian man and an older woman strode in. Seeing his professor, Silas sighed at his defunct test.

    Someone pick her up. Who is that? Professor Woo demanded, and then Silas stiffened as vertigo spilled through him. The light streaming through the windows flashed blue, and the shock of an utter

    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1