Tag Archives: dystopian

Mercury Striking ( The Scorpius Syndrome #1) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

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MERCURY STRIKING (The Scorpius Syndrome #1) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

Mercury Striking

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About the book: Release Date January 26, 2016

With nothing but rumors to lead her, Lynn Harmony has trekked across a nightmare landscape to find one man—a mysterious, damaged legend who protects the weak and leads the strong. He’s more than muscle and firepower—and in post-plague L.A., he’s her only hope. As the one woman who could cure the disease, Lynn is the single most volatile—and vulnerable—creature in this new and ruthless world. But face to face with Jax Mercury…

Danger has never looked quite so delicious…

•••••••••

REVIEW: MERCURY STRIKING is the first full length installment in Rebecca Zanetti’s THE SCORPIUS SYNDROME cross genre Sci-Fi/ UF/Dystopian series focusing on a biological pandemic sweeping the world. This is former US soldier Jax Mercury, and CDC researcher Lynn Harmony’s story line that looks at life in the aftermath, and the fallout from an unknown bacteria-from space. For more background information and some history, there is a prequel novella-SCORPIUS RISING-which can be found in the ON THE HUNT anthology (August 2015).

Told from several third person points of view MERCURY STRIKING focuses on the hunt for a cure for a biological bacteria that has killed 99% of the world’s population-as far as anyone knows. Some of those infected have survived to become something known as a Ripper, but there are two types of Rippers inhabiting the world-one is a zombie like creature who feasts on the living; the other is a survivor whose brain has been altered resulting in a stronger, more powerful enhanced human being. When it is discovered that CDC researcher Lynn Harmony survived and quite possibly carries the answer to the cure, she becomes the target for everyone hoping to rule the world. Enter Jax Mercury-the man who has promised to protect Lynn with his life.

Jax is a reluctant hero; a survivor who has amassed a following in an L.A. compound where food and medicine are at a minimum, and rumors are rampant about the source of the virus. Lynn is a former researcher with the CDC who has been accused of causing the plague, and with it comes a target and heavy price on her back. Lynn will become a virtual prisoner, and fall for the man who holds her heart.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters, many of whom do not live to see another day. Jax’s L.A. compound is home for those without a safe place to live, but safety is all a matter of perspective when gangs and corrupt politicians battle for supremacy and food. Newcomers to the compound are always suspect; few reveal their own history or how they came to be.

MERCURY STRIKING is a story of suspense, mystery, action and drama. There are heartbreaking moments of loss; scenarios of graphic violence and tragic death; rigid control and demanding obedience. In the post-apocalyptic world of the Scorpius Syndrome it is survival of the fittest, and every man and woman for themselves. Everyone has an agenda but not everyone is on the same page.

Rebecca Zanetti looks at the possibility of what could happen if a space-borne pathogen makes it way to earth. Are we prepared for a pandemic of this magnitude? And could we survive the zombie apocalypse from space? The premise is exhilarating; the characters are real and imaginable; the romance is a struggle when the world is constantly dragging you down. There is no happily ever after but the possibility of light at the end of the tunnel.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Wandering Star by Romina Russell – a Review

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Wandering Star by Romina Russell – a Review

 

Wandering StarAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Orphaned, disgraced, and stripped of her title, Rho is ready to live life quietly, as an aid worker in the Cancrian refugee camp on House Capricorn.

But news has spread that the Marad–an unbalanced terrorist group determined to overturn harmony in the Galaxy–could strike any House at any moment.

Then, unwelcome nightmare that he is, Ochus appears to Rho, bearing a cryptic message that leaves her with no choice but to fight.

Now Rho must embark on a high-stakes journey through an all-new set of Houses, where she discovers that there’s much more to her Galaxy–and to herself–than she could have ever imagined

 

 

Review:

Wandering Star by Romina Russell is the 2nd book in her Zodiac series. Though this is considered a Young Adult book, the concept and story is truly for everyone. In the first book, Zodiac, where we met our teenage heroine, Rho, we learned about the different houses in the 12 galaxies. We learned about the evil Ochus, of the long lost 13th Galaxy, who was slowly destroying them. However, Rho was the only one who saw him in her visions. With the destruction in her Galaxy, causing the death of the Guardian, Rho was elevated to become the Guardian of House Cancer, due to her powers. She took on the mantle to alert all the houses with the help of a select few, but distrust and failure cause everything to backfire, and Rho was sent home in disgrace.

In Wandering Star, we find Rho working quietly in House Capricorn with her brother and their friend Aryll. A month has passed, when friends from House Sagittarius come to Rho and ask for help. War is on the horizon, and the Marad are threatening to destroy all. To her surprise, during her mediation, Ochus comes to her for help and a warning. Does she believe him, after all he has done to her, her friends , family and other houses?

Rho, with Aryll and Hysan (I really love him, but she is still stuck on her feelings for him and Mathias), leave for Sagittarius to meet up with her friends, Nishi and Deke. What follows is an exciting, action filled and interesting adventure that will be filled with betrayals, danger, death and mistakes that Rho must learn to rise from. Rho has a hard time accepting the challenge, especially after the shaming at the end of Zodiac. But there are those still out there who believe in her, and it is this trust that will allow her to rise again to unite all the houses in the face of this war.

There were many surprises and twists throughout the book, especially with all the deaths and betrayals, some of which was very sad. Rho, who works hard to bring the houses united, must also learn to believe in herself, in order to win this war. Most of all she needs to resolve her own dilemma of loving two men; one from her own house, and the other from a different house. I know who I would choose 🙂  but much will depend on the outcome of the war, and her freedom to be able to choose.

Romina Russell amazes me how she does this world building, with all the galaxies, the different characters, complicated rules, and yet make us believe in it all. Wandering Star was a very good read, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel – a Review

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The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel – a Review

 

The Revolution of IvyAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM / The Book Depository

Description:
Beyond the fence. I am still alive. Barely.

My name is Ivy Westfall. I am sixteen years old and a traitor. Three months ago, I was forced to marry the president’s son, Bishop Lattimer-as all daughters of the losing side of the war are sold off in marriage to the sons of the winners. But I was different. I had a mission-to kill Bishop.

Instead, I fell in love with him.

Now I am an outcast, left to survive the brutal savagery of the lands outside of civilization. Yet even out here, there is hope. There is life beyond the fence. But I can’t outrun my past. For my actions have set off a treasonous chain of events in Westfall that will change all of our fates-especially Bishop’s.

And this time, it is not enough to just survive…

 

Review:

The Revolution of Ivy is all about change and breaking glass ceilings. How very fitting: Today is Election Day! A sequel is a daunting task, Amy Engel told me so, but this second book was so compelling…it was as high caliber as her debut, and I raaaved about that one (The Book of Ivy available here). I actually compare TRoI to the likes of The Empire Strikes Back! That’s rare and stellar praise coming from this reader.

Ivy is in full survival mode after [partially] completing her mission. To recap, President Lattimer ordered Ivy put out at the conclusion of book one. Ivy would have accomplished the goal, the Westfall goal, had her heart not been compromised. Falling in love with the enemy wasn’t the plan and her last minute, Hail Mary play cost her place alongside Bishop, her husband and once-intended target. Ivy is blindsided by her family, but even more bereft without Bishop.

I was both exhausted and on edge from the onset of Ivy’s exile. She’s been trained (manipulated?) in the ways of political maneuvers, but no one in the Westfall faction thought to initiate protocols for survival. Ivy’s no princess, but these odds outside the fence were unrelenting and nearly insurmountable. The isolation alone would have catapulted me back inside the safety of Westfall! This mindset is strategic in hindsight, however, as it adds more depth to an already impressive Ivy.

What once was soft has been carved away, leaving only what’s absolutely necessary behind.

The setting commenced as solitary and desperate, until Ivy aligns herself with two nomads, Ash and Caleb. A brother and sister (but not) who welcome Ivy into their group and teach her newfound, comprehensive independence. Her understanding of life outside the fence, nature versus nurture, transforms Ivy into a tour de force; her life in Westfall but a chrysalis.

It’s impossible not to reveal a spoiler as this is a sequel, but suffice it to say that Bishop lands, most unceremoniously, at Ivy’s feet, threatening to dismantle the new life she’d forged from pain and suffering. Their reunion is brutal on the heart. Ivy never expected to see Bishop again, so she began shutting down that vibrant part of her soul that his love set to life (penance for her betrayal). When Bishop arrives solely to be by her side, Ivy is inexplicably angry and terribly confused. Ms. Engel writes a magnificent storyline about reconciling emotions. My heart was lodged in my throat, fearful and mesmerized by the power of their words. To say I swooned is simply insufficient. I was overcome with feeling!

The political turmoil within Westfall reaches our H/H. The Lattimers and Westfalls are at it in veritable Hatfield and McCoy fashion. The flawed system (made up of extremes and revenge) has deprived the town for too long and it’s imploding. Ever conscientious of choice and freedom, will Ivy and Bishop return to instill peace or remain independent and outside the clutches of chaos?

What a finale! Momentous showdowns of the breath-stealing variety! WOW. Ms. Engel advised me that the series ends here. It’s not enough, *sniffs*, I could read about Ivy and Bishop for at least a trilogy! It’s better to have loved, they say? ;D

I cannot recommend The Revolution of Ivy enough! Ms. Engel writes a wonderful YA series that is meant for readers of all ages. She created an outstanding young woman who flourishes under adversity. Ivy’s journey to maturity and identity is exemplary. Bishop’s plight is symbiotic to Ivy’s and his catharsis is displayed with grace and dignity. This series captures magic. I miss them already.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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Claimed (Outlaws #1) by Elle Kennedy-a review

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CLAIMED (Outlaws #1) by Elle Kennedy-a review

Claimed

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2015

After a devastating war decimated most of the world, Hudson Lane has only known the oppressive life under her own father’s tyranny. She finally escapes, branding herself an outlaw and hunted by the Enforcers. Her best chance at survival is Connor Mackenzie, an aggressively sensual fugitive who opens her eyes to the wicked possibilities of a world without rules.

As the leader of a band of outlaw fighters, Connor can’t resist the beautiful stranger who asks for his protection. Despite his reservations, he agrees to introduce her to a whole new way of life. But when Connor discovers Hudson’s connection to the enemies of liberty, he wonders how far he can trust the woman who has abandoned all inhibitions to challenge every forbidden desire.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: CLAIMED is the first installment in Elle Kennedy’s adult, post-apocalyptic/dystopian Outlaws erotica, romance series. This is Outlaw leader Connor Mackenzie, and nurse Hudson Lane’s storyline.

NOTE: CLAIMED contains scenes of M/F and M/F/M sexual situations and may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives CLAIMED focuses on the post-apocalyptic USA where the country is now divided into a number of respective territories without government control. There are various factions of bandits, enforcers, outlaws, and the people from the city. Life on the outside is hard; there are no laws, no law enforcement, and death is often the better option.

Hudson Lane is on the run and needs protection-enter Connor Mackenzie-leader of the local Outlaws-and the man who would break Hudson’s heart. Connor is a reluctant leader but a man who commands and demands the respect of the small band of Outlaws he oversees and controls, and with it comes the decision making that could make or break the cohesiveness of their small family unit. When Hudson asks for help, Connor demands something in return and Hudson is willing to give Connor what he wants to ensure her future protection. Connor is a man whose past is dark; he has lost everything to the enforcers, and with it comes betrayal, distrust and a heavy heart. Our hero is on a mission, and he isn’t afraid to use whatever means necessary to get what he wants.

CLAIMED has a large cast of secondary and supporting colorful, charismatic, animated and energetic characters-an ensemble storyline with graphic and aggressive sexual situations, dystopian style lawlessness, and a barter system where nothing is for free and payment can be whatever the seller demands. We are introduced to Connor’s band of Outlaws: Rylan, Pike, Xander and Kade; as well as several different factions of Outlaws, bandits and people who go it alone. Connor’s Outlaws are the epitome of sexually aggressive alpha males who make no excuses for their wants and needs.

The world building focuses on the lawlessness of the Global Council’s control where the self appointed people in charge are evil, dangerous and not afraid to destroy everyone who questions their controlling ways. OUTLAWS primary focus in on the area once known as Utah, and with it comes a disturbing scenario about the power and control of people, places and things. Survival is never a guarantee. My only concern is the lack of history and information as to what happened to incur the wrath of a destructive force that all but destroyed what was once the US of A.

As an erotica storyline CLAIMED is heavily weighted in graphically detailed $ex scenes such that the actual story gets lost in the numerous sexual situations; where nothing is off limits; and $ex is often a commodity used to barter for one’s life, a favor or for food. If you have issues with questionable or coerced consent and detailed aggressive $ex scenes, CLAIMED may not be your first choice in reading material. Connor is a man whose initial sexual aggression towards the storyline heroine makes for some dubious acceptance and compliance but in the end Hudson knows what she wants, and she wants Connor all to herself.

CLAIMED is a provocative storyline with a passionate heroine, an intense hero, and a powerful need for revenge and retribution in a world of desolation and pain. The characters are challenging and hopeful; the romance is uncertain and sometimes angry but in the end Connor and Hudson will get their happily ever after but the path is lined with desperation, rejection and pain.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Blood Sky (The After Series #4) by Traci L.Slatton-a review

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BLOOD SKY (After Series #4) by Traci L. Slatton-a review

Blood Sky

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 24, 2015

In a time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test… Deep in the badlands of Outpost City, in the Dark Horse saloon, a poker game is being played. The stakes are life and death—for the world.

What can Emma afford to lose? Will she gamble on herself, or on Arthur?

Will love find a way when the apocalypse closes in? A mystical odyssey, a haunting love…

••••••••••

REVIEW: BLOOD SKY is the fourth installment in Traci L. Slatton’s AFTER series set in the post-apocalyptic, dystopian future that focuses on the ‘After’ following ‘The Day’ when the lethal mists began to ravage the world’s population, land and structures. In the After, many of the survivors have developed psychic powers and special abilities that will play an integral role in the survival of the world. But there are others whose minds have been destroyed by the mists; slowly succumbing to madness and insanity. BLOOD SKY is the continuing story of Emma and Arthur’s relationship, and the lengths to which our heroine will go to stop the mists, and the man that she loves –once and for all.

Told from first person point of view (Emma) BLOOD SKY finds our weary band of psychic misfits traveling across country in the hopes of staying one step ahead of the deadly mists and the marauding bands of murderous raiders. Arthur’s ability to control the mists has come under fire when our ‘anti-hero’ begins to show signs that all is not right with his ideology revealing a troubling scenario that will place everyone at risk-now and in the future.

Emma and Arthur’s relationship is struggling; there are moments of love, passion and sexual seduction followed by the insanity of power and control. Arthur’s inability to understand the potential for disaster unleashes a flurry of concern when some of the travelers decide to go it alone in the hopes of finding passage and freedom –an ocean away. What ensues is the loss of someone close, and the realization that not all will go according to plan. Arthur’s continuous pursuit of Emma finds our couple at odds in the wake of Arthur’s plans for the future.

BLOOD SKY reveals the desperate situations that people will go to in a world destroyed by an apocalyptic nightmare. Like the Wild West of the American south, the After series focuses on survival against the odds-where one misstep could be your last; where control of the masses is but a thought away.

The AFTER series looks at the fall out of an experiment that went horribly wrong. Billions of people have lost their lives but the ensuing destruction of property and land has left a world of nothingness pocketed by small, untouched towns where no one survived.

Traci L. Slatton exceptional skill at storytelling is matched by the brilliant premise and controversial ideology of a tale that warns of a potential future if mankind were driven to the brink of another war. The characters are engaging, colorful, charismatic and intense; the romance is tormented and angry; the happily ever after but a pock mark on the horizon above the wastelands of a future that has yet to be told.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Series Spotlight

FallenFALLEN
After Series #1
by Traci L. Slatton
Genre: adult, dystopian, romance
Release: July 2011

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of FALLEN

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / The Book Depository /

When the world ends, all that is left is love…

As chaos descends on a crippled Earth, survivors are tormented by strange psychic gifts. In this time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test. One woman with mysterious healing power guides eight children to safety. Charismatic Arthur offers her a haven. Slowly Emma falls for him. But at the moment of their sweetest love, his devastating secret is revealed, and they are lost to each other. The award-winning first book in the acclaimed After Series.

________________

Cold LightCOLD LIGHT
After Series #2
by Traci L. Slatton
Genre: adult, dystopian, romance
Release Date: July 1, 2012

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of COLD LIGHT

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / The Book Depository /

The end of the world brings chaos, madness, and psychic powers. For Emma and Arthur, separated by an ocean, it brings a love that demands everything. Emma’s beloved daughter is kidnapped by vengeful raiders, and Emma embarks on a soul-crushing journey to rescue her. When Arthur finds Emma, can she trust him? Against impossible odds, Emma draws near the rogue camp, where she also confronts the deepest choice of her heart..

_________________

Far ShoreFAR SHORE
After Series #3
by Traci L. Slatton
Genre: adult, dystopian, romance
Release Date:October 10, 2013

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of FAR SHORE

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

FAR SHORE (After Series #3) by Traci L. Slatton

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 10, 2013

An old enemy wreaks new havoc at the end of the world…

After the mists’ lethal apocalypse, mankind’s only hope for survival lies broken and battered, the prisoner of a ruthless sociopath who will stop at nothing to hurt him. Emma sets out to rescue him. She faces an ultimatum and must relinquish everything she holds dear. As Arthur teeters on the brink of life and death, Emma’s healing ability fails. Her own despair tests her, and she must grow stronger than she ever dreamt possible as she confronts the truth of her own heart.

In a time of apocalyptic despair, love is put to the test…

A mystical odyssey, a haunting love…

About The Author Black and Red

Traci L. SlattonTraci L. Slatton, author of FALLEN and COLD LIGHT, is a graduate of Yale and Columbia. She lives in Manhattan, and her love for Renaissance Italy inspired her historical novel IMMORTAL and her contemporary vampire art history mystery THE BOTTICELLI AFFAIR. FALLEN is the first in a romantic series set during the end times; COLD LIGHT and FAR SHORE further the dystopian tale. DANCING IN THE TABERNACLE is her first book of poetry. She also wrote a sculpture book, THE ART OF LIFE, with her husband. THE LOVE OF MY (OTHER) LIFE is a bittersweet rom-com that addresses the question: What worlds would you move to be with your soulmate?

Follow: Website / Goodreads / Facebook

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – a Review

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – a Review

 

Red QueenAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

 

 

Review:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard is her debut novel and the 1st book in her Red Queen trilogy. When I read the description of this book, I had decided to give it a shot. WOW All I can say is I am so glad I did, as I became totally immersed into this fabulous and mesmerizing story by Aveyard. Red Queen is a fantasy style dystopian, and if this is Victoria Aveyard’s debut novel, I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us. Once I started this book, I could not put it down, as it grabs you from the get go, and the world building is fantastic.

Our heroine is Mare Barrow, and she is a Red (red blood) who are considered the lower class citizens in this cruel world. The Reds live in poverty, they are the workers, the servants, and the ones who are sent to war. They have no special ability, therefore they are expendable. Mare has no skills, she is a thief, who goes into town daily and sneakily steals things to provide money and food for the family she loves. Since she has no job, she is scheduled when she reaches her next birthday to be sent off to war, where few survive. When her friend, Kilorn loses his job, he is expected to be sent quickly to the war zone, and Mare is determined to protect him. While she travels to Silver territory to steal more things to save her friend, she meets someone who will change her life forever.

The Silvers (silver blood) are the wealthy, the leaders, the skilled warriors, living in luxury, with various super amazing powers that rule many of the houses. But there is one Royal family, a King, Queen and two princes that rule.

Mare much to her surprise, the day after her trip to Silver territory, is visited by Silver warriors and pulled away from home to work as a servant for the Royals. Of course, Reds have no choice, they must do what they are told to do, but at least she doesn’t have to go to fight in the army. An accident changes things for Mare, as she is thrown into the world of the Silvers, including the Royal family. Out of nowhere, she is now a princess and betrothed to the 2nd prince. The Royal family, conceives a plan to make Mare a long lost princess, and to keep her close. Why? You will need to read this book to find out. Mare has no choice, either be this princess or die.

We meet the two princes that will become a big part of Mare’s life. Cal, is the future King, and he is the one who helped her get the job. Maven, is the 2nd son, and he is the one betrothed to Mare, now known as Mareena. Mare likes both of the princes, which partially looks like a triangle, but in time you will see it is not so.

At this time there is a new Red revolution led by the Scarlet Guard. Despite her now being in the upper class, Mare hates the Royals and all the Silvers, but she has to act the part or die. Queen Elara, who is Maven’s mother, is very powerful, able to read memories of anyone, as well as do mind control to force them to do what she wants. In the midst of all of this, Mare secretly joins forces with the Scarlet Guard to help them. Their motto “We will rise, red as the dawn”. Surrounded by the enemy, and forced to continue this lie, Mare tries to learn all she can, especially being thrown into this political intrigue. What follows is an extremely exciting, non-stop action, and intense battles, not to mention facing all these powers that the Silvers have.

Mare is warned over and over, to trust no one….Anyone can betray anyone. Mare was a terrific heroine, having to face insurmountable odds every step of the way. Cal was hot, and I really liked him. Maven was surprisingly very sweet and good with Mare. But the big question, will Mare’s secret be revealed? Will she survive? Who will betray her?

The last quarter of the book is mind boggling, with a major twist, one which I kind of expected, though not to the degree that it was. There were so many life and death situations, with a range of emotions throughout. I do not want to give spoilers, and anything more would be spoilers. This was extremely exciting, as I could not put the book down, holding my breath with every page. In fact, the following morning, I had to go back and reread the last quarter again. Aveyard has created some amazing and wonderful characters, both good and evil. Red Queen is an intense, exciting and fantastic read. I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy. Victoria Aveyard has done a fabulous job writing her first novel, and in my opinion, she has a wonderful career in front of her.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy proved by Publisher through Edelweiss

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The Debt Collector Season 1 & 2 by Susan Kaye Quinn-a review

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The Debt Collector Season 1 &  2 by Susan Kaye Quinn-a review

Debt Collector Season 2

Amazon.com

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 15, 2014

What’s your life worth on the open market?
In this gritty urban fantasy, debt collectors take your life energy and give it to someone more “worthy”… all while paying the price with black marks on their souls.

Wraith is a shadow in the night, haunting the bedrooms of the rich “high potentials” who have stolen life energy from the desperate and dying. The justice and the sweet mercy hit that follow keep her from falling into her own personal abyss. Her secret nighttime work also keeps her on level for her real mission: carrying on her father’s legacy of attempting to bring an end to debt collection as a whole. But when a mysterious debt collector interrupts her in the act and discovers her secret, everything Wraith loves may be destroyed by the one thing she can never fix– the original sin of being a debt collector herself.

Contains mature content and themes.

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: 4.5 stars–THE DEBT COLLECTOR Season 2 is the second installment in Susan Kaye Quinn’s urban fantasy, dystopian Debt Collector cyber-punk series where you pay your debt with your life. This is reluctant debt collector Alexandrea ‘Wraith’ Sterling’s storyline- a story that looks at the moral, ethical and illegal complications of taking a life for the sake of beauty, youth and life ever lasting.

Originally released in serial format, THE DEBT COLLECTOR Season 2 is a storyline that looks at the potential of too much power in the hands of too few. There are emotional, psychological and moral implications of a society that takes a life for payment of a debt. In a world where the rich and powerful have all of the control, the poorest of the poor will pay with their lives in an unending cycle of debt collecting and payout and in the end everyone owes a debt to the man above.

Wraith is a reluctant debt collector whose entire life has revolved around stopping the government sanctioned debt collecting. She is the epitome of everything both she and her late father hate-someone who pulls the life energy from the people who owe a debt to someone more powerful and in control. But a man named Moloch and his band of rogue debt collectors known as the Gehenna are willing to risk everyone in order to prove that trying to control the collectors will result in the deaths of thousands.

The principle characters are colorful, energetic and not without some conscience. The evil layer of society discovered that the debt collecting is a business of which they wanted to control, and in this our heroes and heroines are caught between what they do and what they know has to be done. The world building continues to look at the illegal collection of life and payouts to those who can afford.

I read THE DEBT COLLECTOR Season 2 in a nine installment serial format. Whether you are a fan of the serial stylization or not, it is recommended that you read Season 1 before reading Season 2. There is a vast amount of information revealed in each season, leading towards the culmination of the series in Season 5.

Susan Kaye Quinn fast paced, energetic, dystopian cyber-punk world of the Debt Collector will make you think about society’s direction and just how much IS your life really worth?

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

 

_________________________

 

THE DEBT COLLECTOR
(Vol 1-9 Season I)
by Susan Kaye Quinn

Debt Collector Season 1ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 2013

Amazon.com / Barnes and Noble

What’s your life worth on the open market?
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He’s just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja’s sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane… until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn’t what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone–a dark pit he’s not sure he’ll be able to climb out of again.

The Debt Collector serial is a dark and gritty future-noir about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going in debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. What’s a serial? It’s a sequence of stories, like a TV series, where each episode is connected to a larger story arc. Each episode is 11-15k (40-60 pages) in length, and each collection of three episodes is the length of a short novel. There will be nine episodes in the first season.

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REVIEW: THE DEBT COLLECTOR Season 1 is the first Season in Susan Kaye Quinn’s urban fantasy/sci-fi / cyber punk series focusing on a world where your debt is paid with your life. A Debt Collector is one who has the ability to remove the remaining life force from those about to pass on and transfer the energy to others -but- with death comes responsibilities and there are those who use their abilities for illegal and financial gains. Told from first person POV (Lirium) this is the story of Debt Collector Delirium (Lirium) Joe Miller.

Originally released as a nine part serial series, Season I focuses on a few weeks in the life of Lirium Miller-a Debt Collector with a conscience-one whose guilt will eat away at what is left of his soul. The deeper Lirium falls into the program the more he discovers that not everything and every assignment are ethically or morally true. Our hero will discover that the people assigned to ensure his mental and physical safety are the same people who will betray Lirium when he needs them the most.

THE DEBT COLLECTOR Season I takes the reader into a futuristic world where the human value is worth only as much as the debt that is owed and that debt must be paid with what remains of one’s life. This is a story that looks at the ethical side of the end of life; the termination of life forces; and the big business of medicine, government and life ever lasting. For those without the ability to pay for their medical care, a Debt Collector will take what remains of their life and give it to someone with the potential to do better.

Susan Kaye Quinn pulls the reader into an imaginative tale where medical ethics and human morals are at war with one another. When humanity has reached a point where one’s debt must be paid with one’s life, who becomes the winner in a game of the haves and the have-nots?

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel – a Review

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The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel – a Review

 

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Description:
After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Review:

The Book of Ivy read like the Hunger Games of recompense by marriage; several young ladies vying for the chance at marrying Bishop, the prodigal son of the president himself. That honor goes to 16 year old, Ivy, only she has plans to incite a revolution by killing Bishop and revising life as they know it. Told in a fresh, energetic, thought-provoking fashion, Amy Engel not only inserts you in a divisive society plotting against and undermining the other, she immerses you in the culture of a dystopian society set in 2075 replete with impossible rules and demands.

I am different from all these girls surrounding me because marrying Bishop Lattimer has not fulfilled my destiny. My mission is not to make him happy and bear his children and be his wife. My mission is to kill him.

You hooked already?! You will be. It was fascinating to learn all the limits of this supposed utopia (formerly southern Missouri). The fallout of nuclear war dismantled society’s infrastructure (50 years later, they’re still contending with intermittent use of electricity); “traditional” female jobs (though having babies is favored) fall to those young girls who weren’t chosen in the wedding (and consequently shunned), etc…These poor kids are even discouraged to mingle with neighboring communities in an effort to prevent the awkwardness of arranged marriages. Crazy, right?! And while Ivy is willing to do her part for the movement (the rival faction), her own lines of right and wrong begin to blur. She begins to question if her family’s love depends upon the success of the mission. Bishop isn’t the calculating monster her father and sister profiled. In fact, Bishop alone would whirl any girl’s mind…

He just stares at me. In moments like this, it’s easy to see how he was born to be a leader. His is the kind of face that intimidates simply by existing, so handsome it’s almost scary.

Though born of privilege, Bishop isn’t a chip off the old block. He’s got ideas of his own with an inner core forged of steel that is set to pound and upend presumptions. Why at one point, Bishop was supposed to marry Ivy’s older sister. He sought a reprieve. Wait till you find out why (the how…wow!) Bishop’s an affable, but complex 18 year old. When all the other husbands are enjoying the “perks” of procreation, Bishop is restrained and respectful of Ivy’s innocence and anxieties about their marriage. What’s Bishop’s agenda – he’s too good to be true!? Ivy better get into his good graces to execute the plan (pun intended). She’s only got three months…and Bishop’s mesmerizing. Bishop is seriously swoon–worthy, my friends.

Romance? It’s here and it’s to die for! The building of trust, authentic interest in each other’s welfare, the attraction they can no longer deny. Ms. Engel does a brilliant job of keeping you on the edge. She tortures you with privileged Intel Ivy is collecting for her father’s cause (her own?), but simultaneously enchants with a budding, tender love story. Both compete for your complete attention and earn it gloriously.

What a finale! I was trembling with grief the second Ivy’s plan took shape (and shed more than a few tears in its wake). I inhaled this book and desperately miss the characters already. November 2015 is an inconceivable amount of time to wait for the sequel, The Revolution of Ivy, but wait (impatiently) I will.

Reviewed by Carmen

Copy provided by Publisher

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