Night Fall (Secret Histories #12), by Simon R. Green ~ 5 ++++++++++ Stars!

Tags

Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now 

464 Pages

Synopsis: From the New York bestselling author of Moonbreaker comes the epic final Secret Histories adventure, where the Droods will take on the most unexpected of enemies: the inhabitants of the Nightside.

The Droods are all about control, making people do what they’re told for the greater good. The Nightside is all about choice: good and bad and everything in between. The Droods want to make the world behave. The Nightside wants to party. They were never going to get along. 

For centuries, ancient Pacts have kept the Droods out of the Nightside, but now the Droods see the Nightside as a threat to the whole world. They march into the long night, in their armour, to put it under their control. All too soon, the two sides are at war. It’s Eddie Drood and Molly Metcalf against John Taylor and Shotgun Suzie. The Drood Sarjeant-at-Arms and their Armourer against Dead Boy and Razor Eddie. More groups join in: the London Knights, the Ghost Finders, the Spawn of Frankenstein, Shadows Fall, and the Soulhunters. Science and magic are running wild, there’s blood running in the gutters, and the bodies are piling up.

Is anyone going to get out of this alive?

I have such mixed feelings about Night Fall. On the one hand (as you can probably tell by my rating), I absolutely LOVED it! On the other hand, this concludes not only the Secret Histories series, but also Simon Green’s Nightside and Ghost Finders series. So if you’re a fan of the author as I am, this is like the literary equivalent of Armageddon!

*Sniff.* Okay. I shall endeavor to pull myself together. As with the other Secret Histories books I’ve reviewed I need to warn interested parties that you need to read these books in order. If you don’t you’ll wind up helplessly confused. Eddie Drood is like a science fiction/fantasy/comic book version of James Bond. His alias is actually “Shaman Bond” and the previous titles are all clever plays on Ian Fleming’s books, ie:  The Man With the Golden Torc; Daemons Are Forever; The Spy Who Haunted Me… Well, you get the idea. While Eddie physically appears so ordinary as to melt into a crowd, you do not want to get on his bad side, especially when he’s accompanied by his former archenemy, now lover, the wild witch Molly Metcalf. Together they make a most formidable team which is a good thing as in this epic finale they face off against their Nightside counterparts, John Taylor (former private investigator, now the “Overseer” of the Nightside known as Walker) and his frightening wife, Shotgun Suzie (also known as Suzie Shooter and “Oh Christ, it’s her! Run!”) 

Without revealing any spoilers, let me just say that this is a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. Well known characters from all three series make welcome appearances and enjoyable new ones are introduced as well. The battles between the Droods and the citizens of the Nightside are bloody and epic, and leave many fan favorites dead. Underlying the story is the theme of how war can so quickly spiral out of control and leave a multitude of casualties of good people on both sides in its wake. By the end of the book loose ends from all three series are neatly tied up, which will leave fans shell-shocked but satisfied.

While I’m upset that two of my favorite series have come to an end, Night Fall is a spectacular finale. In my humble opinion, Simon Green is one of the most brilliant science fiction/fantasy authors out there, and if you’re a fan of these genres but haven’t tried any of his books you’re missing out. I don’t know what’s next for this gifted writer, but I do know I’ll be one of the first in line waiting for it. For now, please excuse me while I grieve.

 

 

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Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4), by Rachel Caine ~ 5 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thrillers, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

448 Pages

Synopsis: The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouth with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making…if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

Smoke and Iron is the latest in a thrilling YA series that just keeps getting better and better with each installment! I know I’ve said this repeatedly, but in my humble opinion, the prolific Rachel Caine is a brilliant author, whether she’s writing for teens or adults. I’ve read everything she’s written over the years and have never been disappointed.

This picks up immediately where Ash and Quill left off. Our group of heroes are split up and each is facing more danger than ever before. As usual the story is told from multiple POVs which not only gives the reader a wonderful sense of the characters, but also adds to the fabulous world building. 

In terms of action and pacing, I think this might be my favorite book in the series. It adds further complexity to both the characters and the story yet is tightly written. There’s plenty of blood, gore and heartbreak though, so be warned!

Smoke and Iron has left me feverishly anticipating the conclusion to The Great Library series. Sadly it will most likely be a year before fans see the as yet untitled book. On the plus side this gives readers who haven’t started the series ample time to catch up. Even if you don’t normally read YA, if you like fantasy, science fiction, thrilling adventure, and you’re a bibliophile, I guarantee you’ll LOVE these books!

Never Apart, by Romily Bernard ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 3rd, 2017

400 Pages

Synopsis: How many times would you die for love? 

What if you had to relive the same day over and over?

And what if at the end, your boyfriend is killed…

And you have to watch. Every time.

You don’t know why you’re stuck in this nightmare.

But you do know that these are the rules you now live by:

Wake up.

Run.

Die.

Repeat.

Now, the only way to escape this loop is to attempt something dangerous. Something completely unexpected. This time…you’re not going to run.

Never Apart is a YA thriller/science fiction/fantasy that checks off all the right boxes. The characters are well-developed and relatable, the romance sweet and heartfelt, and the storyline compelling.

The story is told by Grace, who I loved, and alternates between the present and the past. The only reason why I’m not giving this a perfect 5 stars is because I did find the present chapters faster paced. There are plenty of surprises and I can honestly say I didn’t see the last one coming. 

Never Apart is the first book I’ve read by Romily Bernard, but I love her writing style so it certainly won’t be my last. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

 

Zenith (The Androma Saga #1), by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings ~ 1.0 Stars

Tags

PTSD, Rape, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

534 Pages

Synopsis: Most know Androma Racella as the Bloody Baroness, a powerful mercenary whose reign of terror stretches across the Mirabel Galaxy. To those aboard her glass starship, Marauder, however, she’s just Andi, their friend and fearless leader.

But when a routine mission goes awry, the Marauder’s all-girl crew is tested as they find themselves in a treacherous situation and at the mercy of a sadistic bounty hunter from Andi’s past.

Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a ruthless ruler waits in the shadows of the planet Xen Ptera, biding her time to exact revenge for the destruction of her people. The pieces of her deadly plan are about to fall into place, unleashing a plot that will tear Mirabel in two.

Andi and her crew embark on a dangerous, soul-testing journey that could restore order to their ship or just as easily start a war that will devour worlds. As the Marauder hurtles toward the unknown, and Mirabel hangs in the balance, the only certainty is that in a galaxy run on lies and illusion, no one can be trusted.

From it’s gorgeous cover to the science fiction premise starring an all girl crew, I really thought I was going to love Zenith, but for me it turned out to be a bloody mess. 

First, a trigger warning and a spoiler. There’s a female character who for some reason that’s never fully explained, has the power to compel people. And in one scene, she compels a male character into having sex with her. It’s technically not aggressive, nor is it explicitly described, but to me that’s rape, pure and simple and I feel like it would have been remiss of me not to bring it up. There’s also a lot of violence, so this is definitely meant for older teens.

As for the rest of the story it has way too many characters and POVs (six) that sound too much alike leaving me utterly frustrated. The worst one of all is Andi who simultaneously looks forward to killing people because of the sense of power it gives her, yet wrings her hands and bemoans her actions, until the next time that is. The other characters are for the most part no better, and many of their actions made no sense and bordered on being ludicrous.

As far as the plot goes, nothing, absolutely nothing happens until the last 40 pages or so. This made it tortuous to read and to be honest I would have given up before the halfway mark, except that I was sent this by the publisher and felt obligated to try to finish it. Adding to all this is lazy, derivative, uninspired world building in which I could easily pick out scenes that were eerily reminiscent of ones like for instance, the Mos Eisley cantina in Star Wars.

I could keep going, but I’m stopping now because I’m getting steamed up again just thinking about it. I think you all know by now that I hate slamming a book like this. These two authors no doubt spent a lot of time creating this. In my humble opinion though, Zenith had no business being published in its current form. The only reason I can think of that could explain why it was pushed through, is because Sasha Alsberg is a celebrity Booktuber. The co-author, Lindsay Cummings is a fairly well established YA author and I’ve read a few of her books and enjoyed them, so I’m not sure what happened here. I’m absolutely floored that the editor gave their stamp of approval to this. I’m giving Zenith 1 star for the admittedly cool concept and pretty cover. Otherwise, I’m sorry. I simply cannot bring myself to recommend this to anyone. Needless to say I won’t be picking up the sequel.

Project Pandora (Assassin Fall #1) by Aden Polydoros ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

Tbanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

372 Pages

Synopsis: Tyler Bennett trusts no one. Just another foster kid bounced from home to home, he’s learned that lesson the hard way. But when strange things start happening—waking up with bloody knuckles and no memory of the night before or the burner phone he can’t let out of his sight—Tyler starts to wonder if he can even trust himself.

Even stranger, the girl he’s falling for has a burner phone just like his. Finding out what’s happening only leads to more questions…questions that could get them both killed. It’s not like someone’s kidnapping teens lost in the system and brainwashing them to be assassins or anything, right? And what happens to rogue assets who defy control?

In a race against the clock, they’ll have to uncover the truth behind Project Pandora and take it down—before they’re reactivated. Good thing the program spent millions training them to kick ass…

Project Pandora is the exciting and promising beginning to the Assassin Fall series, and I easily breezed through it in two sittings. It took me a few chapters to acclimate myself because not only are there several characters, when they’re under the influence of the sinister society who has brainwashed them, they’re known by Greek code names. But this is a fairly minor complaint, because from the first page, I was immediately sucked in. What I appreciated most of all is that all the action took nothing away from the characters themselves. The ending is a cliffhanger so I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel, Project Prometheus which is due out sometime this year. 

 

Genesis (Project Nemesis #2), by Brendan Reichs ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: Available Now

512 Pages

Synopsis: Noah Livingston knows he is destined to survive.

The 64 members of Fire Lake’s sophomore class are trapped in a place where morals have no meaning, and zero rules apply. But Noah’s deaths have trained him—-hardened him—-to lead the strongest into the future…whatever that may be. And at any cost. 

Min Wilder knows that survival alone isn’t enough.

Trapped in a violent world where brute force passes for leadership, it’s tempting to lay back and let everyone else fight it out. But Min’s instincts rebel against allowing others to decide who lives and who dies. She’s ready to fight for what she believes in. And against whomever might stand in her way.

I don’t always find a sequel that’s even better than the first book in a series, but that’s what happened here. Genesis picks up exactly where Nemesis left off, and even though I read the previous book over a year ago, I had no problem jumping right back in. Adapting to this new cruel and brutal world they’ve been thrust into, it was mesmerizing watching how the various characters continued to evolve and cope, especially Min and Noah. The world-building and story is intense and I was on the edge of my seat from the first chapter. The book is over 500 pages, but I finished it in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. The ending was exciting, although almost a little too neat, but it perfectly wraps things up for the next book, which I’m eagerly anticipating.

Moonbreaker (Secret Histories #11) by, Simon Green ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Ace for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: My name is Eddie Drood, aka Shaman Bond, the very secret agent. And I am a dead man walking.

I’ve been poisoned by Dr. DOA. There is no cure, no treatment, no chance of a last-minute miracle. So all that is left to me and my love, Molly Metcalf, is to track down my killer and stop him before he can murder anyone else.

So whether that means fighting a secret army on another world; or searching for a forgotten weapon in the Museum of Unattached Oddities; or facing off against Grendel Rex, the Unforgiven God, in the hidden heart of the Moon, for the terrible secret that is Moonbreaker…I will do whatever it takes, while I still can. Because the game isn’t over till I say it’s over–and I still have one last card to play.

Moonbreaker is another fantastic entry in the long-running Secret Histories series. If you don’t remember my reviews on previous books, this series is a magical and science fiction play on James Bond. As always I caution you that if you haven’t read the previous books you need to start at the beginning, or as what’s happened to Eddie on occasion, you may become hopelessly lost on another world or in another dimension.

Whenever a series goes on this long, there’s a danger of monotony setting in due to a lack of fresh ideas. But this isn’t the case here. Simon Green is an author who continually amazes me with his seemingly boundless imagination. The Secret Histories books are constantly fun, roller-coaster thrill rides filled with plenty of humor, snark, and sass amidst all the bloody mayhem. Each book begins with a new danger that undoubtedly will not only wipe out Eddie and the intimidating and scary Drood family, but quite possibly the world, yet Eddie, with the able assistance of his enemy turned true love, wild witch Molly Metcalf, always manages to save the day. You would think this would get old but it doesn’t. This is due to the way Green effortlessly creates new creatures, villains, magics, and science. And the powerful Drood family who has been around for millennia, has no shortage of enemies, even Eddie, who’s the moral one of the family. 

Picking up where the previous book, Dr. DOA left off, Eddie is slowly dying from a seemingly incurable poison that not even his powerful family can decipher. Even his soulmate the magic of his soulmate Molly comes up short. For the first time, it seems like this could be curtains for Eddie, who up until now, has seemed to have more lives than a cat. I was actually nervous going into this because honestly, this time I just didn’t see anyway out for him. But, in the end, and yes this is a spoiler, he perseveres. Just like all his other perilous adventures, it’s not quick or tidy, but he lives on to fight another day, although not before making my own heart stop a few times. 

I honestly cannot convey how much I LOVE this series and Moonbreaker once again proves why. If  you’re new to this series and you love exciting science fiction and fantasy mixed with tongue-in-cheek humor, you simply have to try these books. Do it for me! Please! I 100% guarantee you will not regret it. I’m both looking forward to and dreading the finale of the series, Night Fall, which is due out on 6/12/18. It looks to join with Green’s other popular series, the Nightside, so this should be the mother of all endings. I’m prepared to have a box of tissues handy because I know I’m going to have a downright impossible time letting go of Eddie, Molly, and even the those insufferable, yet likable quirky Droods.

 

 

 

 

The Last Girl On Earth, by Alexandra Blogier ~ 1.5 Stars

Tags

Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

256 Pages

Synopsis:

Raised among them.

Li has a father and a sister who love her. A best friend Mirabae, to share things with. She goes to school and hangs out at the beach and carefully follows the rules. She has to. Everyone she knows—her family, her teachers, her friends—is an alien. And she is the only human left on Earth.

A secret that could end her life.

The Abdoloreans hijacked the planet sixteen years ago, destroying all human life. Li’s human-sympathizer father took her in as a baby and has trained her to pass as one of them. The Abdoloreans appear human. But they don’t think with human minds or feel with human hearts. And they have special abilities no human could ever have.

Fit in or die.

When Li meets Ryn, she’s swept up in a relationship that could have disastrous consequences. How far will Li go to stay alive? Will she save herself—and in turn, the human race—or will she be the final witness to humanity’s destruction?

The good news is that The Last Girl On Earth is a quick read due to it’s short length. The bad news is it has loads of potential that just never pans out. Li, being the last human being on Earth and forced to disguise herself as one of the aliens in order to survive, should have been so interesting and empathetic. Instead she’s a one-dimensional character whose actions are completely nonsensical. The romance is a case of insta-love with an alien boy who has absolutely no personality and is annoying and unbelievable. And finally, the world-building is unremarkable and just plain lazy. The aliens look exactly like humans, even wearing jeans. The only difference is they have gills. That’s it. The ending made absolutely no sense given the unrealistic drama that came before it, which left me extremely frustrated.

For me, The Last Girl On Earth was a huge disappointment, made even more so because I suspect with a decent editor, it could have been so much more. I’m giving it 1 1/2 Stars for the pretty cover and because I was easily able to read it in under two hours.  As always, if you’re  intrigued by the premise, I encourage you to check out the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. But, personally, I just can’t bring myself to recommend it. 

 

 

Honor Among Thieves (The Honors #1), by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Friendship, Mystery, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

309 Pages

Synopsis: Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead of moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell. 

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathans—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

As soon as I saw two of my favorite authors were teaming up to write a YA science fiction series my eyes lit up and with Honor Among Thieves, the first book The Honors series, I was not disappointed.

Zara is the type of savy, tough as nails heroine both authors are known for. She’s not perfect by any means. She tends to act first and ask questions later, which doesn’t always work out for her or anyone with her. A survivor of an abusive father, she’s mistrustful and has a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. But, she loves her mother and younger sister intensely and once she does make friends she’s insanely loyal and will instantly put herself in harm’s way to help them. I did find myself wishing that a little more had been shared about her childhood, the intense migraines she suffered, and the surgery using Leviathan biotech that cured her. Especially as that surgery seems to be a part of the bond she and Nadim almost instantly develop.

And speaking of Nadim, I never thought I’d love a sentient ship as a character, but I did. I had to keep reminding myself that he was an alien ship, not an actual human. He’s written so realistically that I had no problem buying into Zara’s and his developing relationship. Being the intelligent, headstrong seventeen-year-old that she is, Zara needs someone who can match her in spirit, yet help resolve some of her trust issues and while he’s initially a bit bemused by her, Nadim certainly winds up fitting the bill. I’m really excited to see where Caine and Aguirre take their relationship in subsequent books. 

The other human accompanying Zara and Nadim is Beatrice, who I initially thought was going to be a weak character, but she pleasantly surprised me. I loved the way her friendship with both Zara and Nadim evolved, and she perfectly rounds out this team.

There’s also plenty of diversity in this story which I loved. Zara is black and Beatriz is from Brazil. There’s also another strong female, Chao-Xang, who is a side character here but I have a feeling that she might be playing a bigger role in the next book. 

I have to admit that the first few chapters were the weakest part of the book. I felt like a lot was thrown at me in a relatively short amount of time, but once Zara and Bea are on their way with Nadim it’s just about sheer perfection. I was enchanted with the Leviathans and the way they communicate with each other and listen to the “singing” of stars. It’s beautifully described and in someways reminded me of humpback whales. No matter how much I tried I could not tell when one author’s writing stopped and the other’s began. The chapters flowed smoothly and seamlessly together and if I didn’t know any better I would have thought there was only one author. While there’s not a lot of action except for the first few chapters and the last third of the book, I didn’t mind this at all. I was so invested in the characters as they  learned about each other, that their story and the mystery of what was really happening with the Leviathans and their Honors, kept me turning the pages and I read this in one sitting. The only other issue I had was with the ending which was exciting but a little abrupt. I still had some questions that hadn’t been addressed so when I reached the last page it left me hanging a bit. I have no doubt though that they’ll be answered in bk. 2.

Overall, Honor Among Thieves is an outstanding beginning to this new space epic and I cannot wait to read more. I do have one word of caution though. There’s a scene where Nadim is being physically assaulted by one of his “Elders”, and I actually had a hard time reading it. It’s graphic and I think it could be a trigger for certain readers who have been victims of abuse. That said, this is another book that will be going on my favorites of 2018 list and I highly recommend it to science fiction lovers. 

 

This Mortal Coil (This Mortal Coil #1), by Emily Suvada ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

432 Pages

Synopsis: Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

Mortal Coil is an original, inventive, and highly entertaining beginning to a new YA dystopian series, that checks off all the right boxes.

I’ve read a ton of post-apocalyptic books where the plot is centered on some sort of deadly plague which has wiped out most of humanity, leaving zombie-like creatures, survivors desperately trying to save the world, and opportunistic villains who either caused the calamity to begin with, or who are now trying to exploit it. While this novel follows this formula, it also deviates into something different and refreshing. 

First, although this is science fiction, Emily Suvada makes the events that transpire believable. I think I’ve mentioned before that I do not have a scientific mind, so with all the DNA sequencing, gene hacking, computer coding and nano-technology that’s in this story, it would have been all too easy for someone like me to get lost. Instead, Suvada provides an understandable explanation for everything, and she accomplishes this without slowing the story down. 

What also adds to the authenticity are the characters. Each of them are well-rounded and came across as realistic individuals, which allowed me to become fully invested in them and the increasingly dangerous situations they found themselves in. There’s a semi love triangle that happens, but there’s so much action going on that I didn’t find it nearly as annoying as I usually do in YA books. 

There are also quite a few twists and turns, some of which I guessed, but there was one in particular that took me completely by surprise. These helped move the story along even more quickly and I wound up finishing this in two sittings.

This Mortal Coil is definitely one of my favorite science fiction reads of 2017. By the time I was halfway through the story I was already thinking of my dream cast if this is ever adapted for film or tv. I would caution though that it’s quite graphic. For example: people explode, hence the cover. Because of this I recommend the book for older teens and adults. With a kick-ass heroine and fantastic world-building, this is sure to have wide appeal. It’s the first book in a planned trilogy, so I can’t wait to see what the second book has in store!