"Lakey's stories have magic, a complex mythology, and her dedication to avoiding milquetoast females." - Kit-Bacon Gressitt, The San Diego Uptown News

"Mesmerizing Page-Turner -- a thrilling ride from start to finish!" Jackie Shemwell, Author of The Devil in Canaan Parish

"The opening book of the Black Bead Chronicles is a fast-paced, sci-fi thriller that manages to infuse intensive world building with riveting conflict. Lakey has accomplished what most authors set out to do by creating a world that is reminiscent of popular Science Fiction, both classic and modern (Dune, Firefly, and Luna all came to mind) while inserting a unique voice and spin." - T.J. Lantz, Author of Rise of the Retics

"The world Lakey paints is terrifyingly beautiful. The premise of Black Bead is wonderful, and it was a fun, short read I happily breezed through. It was refreshing to read new sci-fi with an original plot, on a new planet." - Carly Courtney, SciFiAddicts.com

"The themes of synchronicity, and interconnectedness, run a vivid vein of silver through the story. There are great lessons here about cooperation, and the valuable insights that could be lost if you discount one person (or class of people) because of arbitrary class distinctions." - Aislynn D'Mericksson, Professional Reader, NetGalley Member, Aislynndmerricksson.com 

"Ms. Lakey has created a rich world, combining elements of science fiction and fantasy, and has gone to great lengths to develop, create, and explore this world. As I read, I found myself reminded of The Giver mixed with elements of Tolkien's works and The Hunger Games." - Jacqueline Smith, Author of Boy Band

"I truly loved the relationships that were formed in the pack. I originally was intrigued by events and the society in this world. However, it was really the pack's relationships with one another that got me hooked." - Jenn, ThriceRead.com

"This is one of those books that will melt your heart. If you love rooting for the underdogs like I do, this book will definitely delight you." - IAmNotABookworm.com

"J.D. Lakey's writing is strong. This is a rich, imaginative story with some crazy, terrifying creatures." - Sabrina, DigitalPubbing.com

"The author does not only an awesome job of world-building, but created characters that were complex despite their young age. The world is beautifully described to the point where I could see it in my head." - Len Evans, Jr., Goodreads.com Librarian

"The writing was poetic, and the way J.D Lakey painted the vision of how the world would have looked was phenomenal and quite impressive for a short novel. I would recommend this to those who would like to start reading the sci-fi genre as well as those who are well-versed with this genre." - Alia Therese Lazo, Reviewer, NetGalley.com

"An entertaining and excitingly written novella which grabbed me from the get-go and connected me emotionally to the characters, especially Cheobawn and Tam. I was amazed by how smooth and well-edited the book was, how easily the story flowed, and how little my inner editor was required to do." - Laura Probst, Lolly's Library

"After reading Black Bead and being introduced to Cheobawn, I want more! The way Lakey described their adventures and the creature they saw was out of this world." -- Kaylin Beach, TheReadingBum.com