BOOK REVIEW: ATHENA’S ASHES BY JAMIE GRAY

Title: Athena’s Ashes

Author: Jamie Gray

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: August 22, 2014 by Clever Crow Press

It’s Renna’s biggest job yet — convincing MYTH leadership that she’s put away her lock picks and is ready to save the galaxy, despite the dangerous implant in her brain. But with the Athena on the run, she’s working solo and facing her most ruthless enemy, the traitor Pallas, who’ll go to any lengths to destroy the MYTH organization. Including framing Renna for a devastating assault on MYTH HQ that leaves their defenses crippled and hundreds dead.

Now that MYTH believes she’s a dangerous double-agent, Renna escapes their firing squad before they put more holes in her than a pair of fishnet stockings. But the ticking time-bomb in her head is the one thing Pallas needs to complete his master plan and he’s not about to let her get away. Even worse, he’s discovered the only thing that will bring Renna to her knees — threatening Captain Nick Finn.

Out of time and options, Renna’s got one shot to take down the traitor before he annihilates everything she loves, even though winning this battle may cost her everything.

A new book finds galactic thief Renna Carrizal continuing her adventure. She's a 25-year-old human woman who got involved in a mission to save the galaxy. One of the top leaders of MYTH, a covert intelligence agency, persuaded Renna to lend her skills for a special mission. This unexpectedly reunited her with someone she believed dead, a guy now known as Captain Finn. The latter deeply distrusted Renna at first due to her reputation. They slowly ended up falling for each other. It seems opposites do attract, eh? Renna may not be one of the bad guys, but she still ran with shady people. And Captain Finn became as righteous as the likes of Steve Rogers. 

Together, Renna and Finn managed to uncover a conspiracy threatening not just MYTH, but the whole galaxy. Now, Athena's Ashes begins with Renna fighting a new battle. During her confrontation with a mad scientist, he injected her with an experimental formula. The compound will integrate Renna's high-tech brain implant with her nervous system, turning her into a part-cyborg. That is, if she survives the process. Renna thought her best chance was to return to MYTH. She uses her need for medical help to get inside and unmask the identity of a traitor. All that Renna knows about him is his codename, Pallas. This guy is the book's main antagonist. His goal appears to be to create an army of cyborgs to take over the galaxy. 

BOOK REVIEW: MORE THAN THIS BY JAY MCLEAN

Title: More than This

Author: Jay McLean

Genre: Romance, Young Adult

Published on: July 21, 2014 by Skyscape

When Mikayla imagined her prom night, she envisioned a fairy-tale evening full of romance. So when betrayal and tragedy come in quick succession, Mikayla is completely destroyed. Suddenly, everything she loved and everyone she relied on are tragically, irrevocably gone.

Jake, a handsome boy she just met, happens to witness her loss. With no one to turn to, Mikayla is forced to depend on this near stranger and his family, and he in turn is determined to take care of her. But Mikayla-thrust into adulthood with no one to guide her-is desperate to contain her grief and hide what she considers to be her weakness. Mikayla and Jake both want more, but despite their growing closeness and intense chemistry, she tries to keep her distance and protect her heart. As he does everything in his power to win her trust, Mikayla must choose between remaining alone and safe or letting love in.

Revised edition: This edition of More than This includes editorial revisions.

I’m a big fan of romance novels (young adult or New Adult) where the main couple are totally devoted to each other. That’s the case in More Than This. It’s the first novel in a romance series by Jay McLean. The protagonist is Mikayla “Micky” Jones, a high school senior. We meet her on the day of her prom. Micky is supposed to attend the event with her boyfriend, James, and her best friend, Megan. Before the three can enjoy their prom, though, something happens that destroys that plan…as well as something else. I’ll just say it’s a gross betrayal.

This is where the second main character is introduced. He’s Jake, another high school senior. He doesn’t go to the same school as Micky and her group, though. Jake’s there just when Micky needs someone to save her prom night. The two take off to meet his friends, whom I found really great. They’re the kind of friends anyone would love to have. Micky enjoys her time with them. But the night can still get worse. When Jake takes Micky home, a horrible tragedy awaits them. This part of More Than This is utterly sad. Micky has lost pretty much everything. Fortunately, Jake doesn’t think twice about taking care of her. Even though they just met, Jake is adamant about being there for Micky. She’s so lucky to have found him.

BOOK REVIEW: THE VALIANT BY CHEYANNE YOUNG

Title: The Valiant

Author: Cheyanne Young

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: August 1, 2014 (first edition); February 8, 2022 by Quinnova Press (latest edition)

After the most vicious villain attack in centuries, Maci Knight is struggling to put the shattered pieces of her life back together. She survived, but barely, and her family will never be the same. The only good thing to come out of the attack is that the Elders have granted her probationary Hero status. Now she’s desperate to prove that she has what it takes to shine in the field.

Maci gets her first chance when she’s called in to stop an illegal fighting ring where humans are battling to the death. But when she goes toe-to-toe with the fighters, she’s shocked to discover that even she can’t contain them. The humans are strong—supernaturally so. Maci knows that this is the work of the villain underground and is determined to put an end to it. But how do you fight an enemy who won’t show their face?

In the second installment of the City of Legends trilogy, Maci Knight will find out what she’s truly made of.

 

Even though I really liked City of Legends when I first read it in 2015, I didn’t continue with the series. I’m not sure why, but one element I was a bit “meh” about was the mechanics of the characters’ superpowers. In this series, the main characters are Supers. But instead of having different powers, they all have the same: super strength, speed, healing, and enhanced senses. All that sets them apart is that not all Supers have the same power levels. What gives them these abilities is an extra set of silver “power veins”. The power that flows through them seems to be metallic, because Supers are vulnerable to certain kinds of magnetic attacks and weapons.

The main protagonist of this story is Maci Knight, an 18-year-old Super. She’s also the daughter of the Super community’s President. Maci recently became a probationary member of the Hero Brigade, something she’s desired all her life. The Elders granted her this status after she helped defeat a villain. In the process, though, Maci lost the power in her right arm. She tried to save her father from the depowering machine, but almost got sucked in herself. Maci’s twin Nova, whom she believed dead, saved her. President Knight wasn’t so lucky. The depowering process is excruciating, so it’s almost lucky that he’s alive.

BOOK REVIEW: GOING ROGUE BY ROBIN BENWAY

Title: Going Rogue

Author: Robin Benway

Genre: Young Adult, mystery

Published on: January 14, 2014 by Walker Childrens

Being permanently based in a local New York City high school as an undercover operative has its moments, good and bad, for 16-year-old safecracker Maggie Silver.

Pros: More quality time with her former mark-turned-boyfriend Jesse Oliver and insanely cool best friend, Roux.

Getting to spend quality time with her semi-retired and international spy honorary uncle, Angelo.

Cons: High school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

But when Maggie's parents are falsely accused of stealing priceless gold coins, Maggie uses her safecracking skills to try and clear their names.

Too bad it only serves to put her and everyone she loves in danger. Maggie and her "new team" flee to Paris where they must come up with a plan to defeat their former allies.

A new mission begins in Going Rogue. This is the sequel to Also Known As, and takes place a short time afterward. The main character is Maggie Silver, 16-year-old self-proclaimed international spy. She lives with her parents, who are also spies. In the previous book, Maggie handled her first-ever solo mission. It involved blending in at a private high school to get close to a certain student, Jesse Oliver. He and Maggie ended up falling for each other. Maggie also found a best friend in Roux, Jesse’s bubbly childhood friend. Maggie revealed her secret to both of them, and they proved instrumental in solving her case.

Maggie had thought completing the mission meant her family would be relocated to handle a new one. To her delight, the Collective (their secret spy organization) allowed the Silvers to stay in Manhattan. They recognized that the recent mission took a toll on them. The Silvers are now on a sort of break. Maggie is still attending the private school with Roux and Jesse. The latter’s relationship with Maggie is going really well. Maggie’s eager to meet Jesse’s mother for the first time. She isn’t around much because she left Jesse’s father a while ago. Ms. Oliver isn’t the kind of mom who abandons their kid, though; she wants to be in Jesse’s life more often.

BOOK REVIEW: NYPD RED 2 BY JAMES PATTERSON AND MARSHALL KARP

Title: NYPD Red 2

Author: James Patterson and Marshall Karp

Genre: Mystery, thriller

Published on: March 24, 2014 by Little, Brown and Company

NYPD Red's finest detectives are about to investigate a brutal crime scene in Central Park . . . but even their training can't prepare them for the biggest case of their careers.

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City's most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

 

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren't prepared for what they see when they're called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

 

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what's really behind the murderer's rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently-and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson's newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you've never seen before.

Detective partners Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald return in this sequel to NYPD Red. They’re part of a special unit that focuses on big cases involving the city's elite citizens. A few weeks have passed since the first book ended. The status quo changed a little bit since then. Kylie had been assigned as Zach’s partner when his previous one went on leave. After playing a big part in stopping The Chameleon, Kylie’s position became permanent.

A new serial killer has the city of New York on high alarm. The media is dubbing him the Hazmat Killer. He earned this silly name because he leaves his victims dressed in what resembles Hazmat suits. Hazmat also releases videos of the victims where they confess to a crime they got away with. The latest victim is Evelyn Parker-Steele, a wealthy and prominent woman. She was the campaign manager for a candidate who’s challenging the current mayor, Stan Spellman. The competition is heated, so Parker-Steele's murder does not help Spellman’s side.

BOOK REVIEW: THE SILKWORM BY ROBERT GALBRAITH

Title: The Silkworm
Author: Robert Galbraith
Genre: Mystery

Published on: June 24, 2014 by Mulholland Books

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike mystery series continues in this second installment. The eponymous private investigator returns along with his sharp-witted assistant, Robin Ellacott. These books take place in modern-day London, England. Strike’s business is booming after solving a high-profile case in The Cuckoo’s Calling. He was almost broke, so the increase in clients is a big help.

Strike’s next huge case begins when a woman shows up at his office. She’s Leonora Quine, the wife of an eccentric novelist, Owen Quine. According to her, he’s been missing for ten days. Leonora mentions that Quine likes going missing every now and then. This time it’s been too long, so Leonora wants Strike to find out if something happened to Quine. Strike is at first reluctant to take the case. It’s not just trivial; Leonora expects Quine’s agent to pay Strike’s fee.

BOOK REVIEW: HUNTER'S TRAIL BY MELISSA F. OLSON

Title: Hunter's Trail

Author: Melissa F. Olson

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published on: September 2, 2014 by 47North

Actions have consequences--a lesson Scarlett Bernard is learning the hard way. As a "null," Scarlett has always been able to negate the powers of the supernatural beings that surround her. But now her reckless decision to permanently change Eli from a werewolf to a human has left the Los Angeles werewolf pack in shambles, and upset the balance of power among the city's supernatural factions. To make matters worse, Scarlett's employers discover that a newly changed werewolf is running amok in the city. To catch the rogue werewolf, Scarlett will need help from both Eli and Detective Jesse Cruz of the LAPD...a situation that will force her to finally choose between them.

However, Scarlett and her friends aren't the only ones on the hunt--someone else is chasing the wolf. Someone with no reservations about collateral damage. Now Scarlett and her allies must stop both the rogue wolf and the deadly hunter before the full moon rises and all hell breaks loose.

Filled with the same suspense and wit readers loved in Dead Spots and Trail of Dead, this may be Scarlett Bernard's most harrowing adventure yet....

Here is the latest book in Melissa F. Olson’s Scarlett Bernard trilogy. The previous one ended with a doozy of a cliffhanger, so Hunter’s Trail picks up almost right afterward. Scarlett, the protagonist, is a “null”, a human capable of negating magic within a radius around her. She lives in a fictional LA where other supernatural beings live in relative peace. The three factions (witches, vampires, and werewolves) rule with equal power. Scarlett uses her ability to erase magical traces from crime scenes, keeping the Old World secret from humans.

Scarlett Bernard has solved two major Old World-related cases so far. She was injured in the last one, after a showdown with the main villain. There were major casualties in the struggle. Some of them were because of Eli—the beta werewolf of LA’s pack and a love interest of Scarlett’s. Eli fell under the influence of wolfberry, a plant that causes werewolves to go berserk. He ended up killing people before Scarlett showed up to handle the situation. The experience leaves Eli angry with himself. Scarlett, who wasn’t thinking clearly after so much stress, made a reckless decision. She turned Eli back into a human, thinking it would make his life easier.

BOOK REVIEW: THE GHOST AT RETREAT LAKE BY DAN RIX

Title: The Ghost at Retreat Lake
Author: Dan Rix
Genre: Science Fiction

Published on: December 4, 2014, self-published

On the eve of the senior class lake retreat, seventeen-year-old ice queen Iris Strasser watches her future collapse before her eyes—literally—when she crawls out of a malfunctioning time machine, mumbles a cryptic warning, and then falls dead. Sudden cardiac arrest.

Cancelling the retreat is a no-brainer, but her infuriating arch nemesis—popular prick Cory Holland—will have none of it. Still raw from using time travel to save his ungrateful crush, he’s been looking forward to a weekend of zip-lining, bonfires, and hot bikini-clad girls getting frisky in the lake all summer—Iris Strasser notwithstanding. Besides, if anything goes wrong, they can always use the time machine again.

But when the retreat unfolds in a series of bizarre and deadly accidents, each preceded by a ghostly figure rumored to be death itself—here to finish the job Cory and Iris short-circuited the last time around—they realize they’re not the only ones dipping their fingers into the past, and now the ripple effects are catching up with them.

Now there’s only one way for Iris to outsmart death: she must set aside her hatred of Cory and learn to trust him completely—even if it means letting him get dangerously close to her when she’s most vulnerable. Cory, for his part, never anticipated that he would want to.

This time, though, meddling with the past has larger consequences than either of them could have imagined.

After the pulse-pounding time travel adventure in A Strange Machine, I was piqued for more. This series has three main characters. They are Cory Holland, Iris Strasser, and Noah Wright. The three attend Lakeside Upper (yes, Bill Gates’ alma mater). Cory is an arrogant young genius, Noah his down-to-earth best friend, and Iris a competitive brainiac. In the previous book, Cory and Iris stumbled upon the Chronos. It’s a quantum computer prototype recently donated to their school. While tinkering with it in secret, they discover it’s a time machine.

A Strange Machine ended with a huge cliffhanger. Cory had just saved his crush, Samantha Silvers, from death. He and the others were in the room with the Chronos when it opened by itself. Iris (possibly a version from the future) emerges with half a warning. The sight shocks present-time Iris. She takes it as a warning not to go to the school’s weekend retreat. Cory being Cory refuses to miss the trip. The trio end up going to the retreat after all. It’s at a lake a few hours away from the city. The whole senior class shows up for the trip, of course.

BOOK REVIEW: POINT OF NO RETURN BY TIFFANY SNOW

Title: Point of No Return

Author: Tiffany Snow

Genre: Romantic suspense

Published on: May 20, 2014 by Montlake Romance

Kathleen Turner wasn't expecting to fall in love when she came to Indianapolis a year ago, much less with two very different men. And not just any men. Brothers.

Blane Kirk, former SEAL turned attorney, is every woman’s dream man. A playboy who changes women as often as he changes his tie, trying to hold on to Blane could only break Kathleen's heart.

Commitment is a foreign word to Kade Dennon, assassin-for-hire and genius hacker, and safety is non-existent. A future with Kade would surely end in disaster—for both of them.

Past betrayals come to a head and the choice Kathleen makes could sign her death warrant. Everything’s at stake as Blane, Kade, and Kathleen reach the Point of No Return.  

Finally, the last book in the Kathleen Turner series is here. The previous one ended with a sort of edge-of-your-seat moment. Kade did something to save his brother, Blane, and it didn’t end too well. Fortunately, everyone is safe…for now. Kathleen’s been spending so much time with Kade now. She’s made her choice almost clear: Kade is the man she is in love with. Because of this, Blane’s been a little cold toward her. He’s not happy about losing Kathleen yet again. Whether they’ll get along ever again is a big question.

Kathleen is still reluctant to come between Blane and Kade. She feels she can’t be part of their lives without keeping them driven apart. When something unexpected happens, Kade chooses to stay with Kathleen no matter what. He is determined to change his life for her. Kathleen is joyful over this, and it seems like they’re finally getting their HEA. Of course, things can never be easy. For reasons unknown, Kade and Kathleen are driven apart yet again. And this time, it seems like it’s permanent. This leads a disillusioned Kathleen to flee to her hometown. The only person she lets know about her location is Alisha, Kathleen’s new friend and next-door neighbor.

BOOK REVIEW: A STRANGE MACHINE BY DAN RIX

Title: A Strange Machine
Author: Dan Rix
Genre: Science Fiction

Published on: December 4, 2014, self-published

She’s dead.

Samantha, her wavy caramel-colored hair, her little Bambi eyes, her angel face…dead.

I killed her.

Sure, I didn’t crush her skull and bash her brains in. The telephone pole did that. The drugs did that. The other car’s high beams did that.

But I killed her.

She had just said I love you. She said she missed me. She was coming to spend the night. She was high. She asked for a ride.

I was lazy.

But what if there was a way to save her? What if there was a way to send back a warning? What if there was a way to undo it all? The crash. Us. Falling in love. All the way back to the beginning.

What if there was a machine? 

Well-researched sci-fi is a joy to read for me. Part of the reason is that I find futuristic tech fascinating. A Strange Machine deals with a certain awesome invention. The main character is Cory Holland, an egocentric genius teen who attends Lakeside Upper. If that name sounds familiar, yes, it’s the same private school that Bill Gates went to. It’s got prestigious STEM courses. Cory is good at virtually anything, especially programming. He hacks into the school’s system to get the hottest girls signed up into his Advanced Physics class. Cory is about to start his senior year, and he wants it to be perfect.

Another of the main protagonists is Iris Strasser. She’s a competitive overachiever whose life’s mission is to beat Cory in the classroom. Iris usually ends up matching his scores, though. For Cory, excelling at school is effortless. Iris needs to work hard just to keep up with Cory. She’s also going into her senior year. Iris wants it to be different, so she changes her style drastically. She used to wear baggy, awful-looking outfits. Now Iris is switching to clothes that show her figure and letting her hair down. Iris isn’t ugly, but she didn’t turn guys’ heads either.

BOOK REVIEW: THE COMPETITION BY MARCIA CLARK

Title: The Competition

Author: Marcia Clark

Genre: Mystery, legal thriller

Published on: July 8, 2014 by Mulholland Books (first hardcover edition)

A Columbine-style shooting at a high school in the San Fernando Valley has left a community shaken to its core. Two students are identified as the killers. Both are dead, believed to have committed a mutual suicide.

In the aftermath of the shooting, LA Special Trials prosecutor Rachel Knight teams up with her best girlfriend, LAPD detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey interview students at the high school, they realize that the facts don't add up. Could it be that the students suspected of being the shooters are actually victims? And if so, does that mean that the real killers are still on the loose?

A dramatic leap forward in Marcia Clark's highly acclaimed Rachel Knight series, The Competition is an unforgettable story that will stay with readers long after the last page has been turned.

Three books in, famous prosecutor turned novelist Marcia Clark has proved her amazing talent. The Rachel Knight legal thriller series is phenomenal. Can The Competition top the stunning third entry in its series? As usual, a few months have passed since the events of Killer Ambition. Rachel Knight and her police detective partner Bailey Keller are pretty much household names now. They solved one of the most high-profile cases to have emerged in LA. This doesn’t mean Rachel and Bailey get stopped for autographs now, though. They’ve gone about their normal lives...as normal as they can be.

The Competition starts from the point of view of two students at Fairmont High, a local LA school. Christy Shilling is a girl who’s worked too hard to make the varsity cheerleading team. Harley Jenson is a studious boy who seeks to win a scholarship to MIT. Their next day at school, things seem like they’ll go as usual. Except, what should have been a normal school day is brutally interrupted. Two unidentified shooters open fire at a pep rally, killing several students instantly. Sadly, one of them seems to be Christy. My heart went out to her. It was so unfair that Christy got killed the day of her debut as a cheerleader. So much hard work, only to be killed when she's had all but a sip of success. Harley’s fate is left ambiguous, though.

BOOK REVIEW: CASSIDY JONES AND THE LUMINOUS BY ELISE STOKES

Title: Cassidy Jones and the Luminous

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: September 25, 2014 by JACE Publishing LLC

They need. They seed. They breed.

An inhuman evil lurks in the depths of Lake Washington— an evil that walks among us. They look like us...they talk like us...but they are not us. And when Cassidy Jones discovers that they threaten life as we know it, can she summon the power to stop them? In her greatest test yet—and her greatest adventure— the world hangs in the balance against a relentless and insidious adversary: the Luminous.

After three books, I’ve become a big fan of Cassidy Jones. She’s such a memorable character. At only fifteen, Cassidy has become a superhero after gaining powers in a lab accident. She even has a rogues gallery now. They’re rather wacky but not lame. Lily White/Metal Woman seems to be Cassidy’s main nemesis. She’s sitting this book out, though. Cassidy and her sidekick, Emery Phillips, are going to have plenty on their plate without worrying about previous villains.

Cassidy Jones is the talk of Seattle now. She spends her nights working off excess energy; this sometimes involves crime-fighting. The news has taken to calling Cassidy the “Seattle Shadow.” She doesn’t have an actual superhero suit (or even name), but takes care to dress in all black. There’s a change in the status quo now, too. Cassidy’s family is aware of her powers and what she’s been up to this whole time. They’re understandably worried, but Serena and Gavin (Emery’s parents) assured the Joneses that Cassidy can handle herself.

BOOK REVIEW: MISTRESS BY JAMES PATTERSON AND DAVID ELLIS

Title: Mistress

Author: James Patterson, David Ellis

Genre: Thriller, mystery

Published on: March 11, 2014 by Grand Central Publishing (latest paperback edition)

Ben isn't like most people. Unable to control his racing thoughts, he's a man consumed by his obsessions: movies, motorcycles, presidential trivia-and Diana Hotchkiss, a beautiful woman Ben knows he can never have.

When Diana is found dead outside her apartment, Ben's infatuation drives him on a hunt to find out what happened to the love of his life. He soon discovers that the woman he pined for was hiding a shocking secret. And now someone is out to stop Ben from uncovering the truth about Diana's illicit affairs.

In his most heart-pumping thriller yet, James Patterson plunges us into the depths of a mind tortured by paranoia and obsession, on an action-packed chase through a world of danger and deceit.

I’m fully aware of James Patterson’s fame in the book world. He’s up there with J.K. Rowling among the most successful authors of all time. I haven’t read one of his many books yet, but Mistress has been on my radar for some time. I was finally able to get it for Christmas last year. The cover art was intriguing, and so was the synopsis. Was it any good? Read on to find out.

The book’s protagonist and narrator is Ben. He’s a rather unique, eccentric guy. Ben’s thoughts go eighty miles an hour and take sharper turns and more one-eighties than a crook under pursuit. I haven't read about any fictional character quite like him. You never know what he’s going to do next. Ben’s mostly obsessed with movie and presidential trivia. His biggest obsession, though, is the focus of the book: Diana Hotchkiss. She’s said to be a strikingly beautiful woman. Ben is friends with Diana, but he sees her as a woman he can’t have.

BOOK REVIEW: DEVIATION BY HEATHER HILDENBRAND

Title: Deviation

Author: Heather Hildenbrand

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: December 30, 2014 by Alloy Entertainment (Kindle edition)

Protect. Obey. Sacrifice.

These words are the mantra of my existence. I’m not sure if it’s Titus Rogen inspiring my desire to go against what I am or my own DNA deviating. All I can think is how Titus will look when he meets his end. It trumps even my wish for freedom. In this moment, I want nothing more than to watch the life bleed from Titus’s body. And I want it at my own hands.

Titus. The Creator.

I stare at my palms. Strength aside, I wonder if I’m capable of taking a life. A human life; one with a soul. And I wonder if that isn’t easier than taking the life of an Imitation. At least humans have souls that live on. What do I have after this? Where will I go? Back into a syringe? Will Titus recycle me? Or will I be lost forever down a lab drain?

We don’t deserve that.

We don’t deserve him.

Deserving and receiving are so very different here. And I am beginning to understand, to beat someone in this world, I‘ll have to play in it.

The Clone Chronicles trilogy continues with Deviation. It is the story of Ven, an Imitation. In the book’s world, Imitations are clones meant to serve a variety of roles, like posing as their Authentics. Ven’s Authentic is Raven Rogen, the daughter of a rich and powerful businessman. This man, Titus, deployed Ven after his daughter suffered repeated kidnapping attempts. Ven's goal was to draw out the attackers so Titus could apprehend them. It wasn’t long before Ven learned stuff that completely changed her worldview. 

After a few weeks of posing as Raven, Ven found out that Titus isn’t the man she thought he was. It turns out that the kidnapping attempts on Raven were part of a rescue effort. Daniel Ryan, Raven’s boyfriend, tells Ven about Titus’s true goals with the Imitations. As their creator, he has nefarious plans they can help him achieve. This surprised me a little bit. Given the first book’s synopsis, I thought the general public (or at least wealthy people) would know about Imitations. No one does except some of Titus’s most trusted allies. 

BOOK REVIEW: IMITATION BY HEATHER HILDENBRAND

Title: Imitation

Author: Heather Hildenbrand

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: July 29, 2014 by Alloy Entertainment (Kindle edition)

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?

Fans of Cinder, The Selection and Sara Shepard’s Lying Game series will love Imitation, a thrilling, action-packed novel sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

When I came across Imitation in the Kindle store, the premise intrigued me right away. It was the kind of idea I wish I’d had if I were a sci-fi writer. In the book’s world, Imitations are clones made to fulfill various roles for their Authentics. This can include donating organs or even replacing a dead Authentic. The book's protagonist is Ven, the Imitation of rich young socialite Raven Rogen. She lives with other Imitations in a building called Twig City. They only ever leave when their Authentics need them. Ven "woke up" five years ago, but she's physically eighteen—the same age as Raven.

Ven has spent her life training to be Raven's double in every way. She watches videos to learn Raven's mannerisms and personality, and to know her friends. Imitation begins after Raven suffers an attack. Titus, her father, hides her away and brings Ven out. The two meet shortly after. Ven recognizes Titus, but not from her training videos. He turns out to be the creator of the Imitations. As the book progresses, you learn Titus is a secretive, powerful man. Although he had Ven study Raven's family, he seems to have thought Ven didn't need to know about him or his affairs. This is why Ven knows so little about him at first.

BOOK REVIEW: SEEDS OF INIQUITY BY J.A. REDMERSKI

Title: Seeds of Iniquity

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Genre: Thriller, romance

Published on: September 29, 2014, self-published

Victor Faust’s new Order is growing. Business is good as there is no rest for the wicked in an underground world of hardcore criminals and contract killing. Relationships among the operatives have changed little over the past year—but things are about to change now, and all six high-ranking members of the new Order will be blindsided by an unlikely enemy.

Loved ones whose only ties to Victor’s organization are their relationships with its members, are abducted. The price to get them back safely—the six must confess their deepest, darkest secret to this mysterious young woman named Nora, who is as deadly as she is beautiful, and who seems to know more about each of them than they know about each other. And although no one has any clue about who Nora really is, it becomes clear that she also isn’t who she appears to be.

So much more is at stake than secrets and the lives of innocent loved ones; with each member that Nora forces to confess, the truth about their dark pasts and their present objectives will cast suspicion, pit some against each other, and may tear others apart.

Before the game is over everyone will know who this woman is and why she is here, but the damage she will leave in her wake could be the beginning of the new Order’s destruction.

Whose dark secret will be the darkest of all? And can Victor’s Order survive any of them?

The Order is back in another thrilling installment of In the Company of Killers. Unlike the previous book, Seeds of Iniquity does not focus on any single character. Victor Faust's Order (his contract killer organization) has grown in the time since The Swan and the Jackal ended. Izabel Seyfried is also getting better. She’s earning a don’t-mess-with-her kind of reputation. The only one who’s brave enough to tease Izabel now is Niklas, Victor’s brother. Dorian Flynn is also part of the group, as well as another newcomer: James Woodard. He’s a tech expert who claims to be able to find information on anyone.

During a covert mission, the team runs into a beautiful and enigmatic woman. She’s Nora Kessler, and she's abducted loved ones who have ties to the six heads of Victor’s Order. The group attempts to subdue Nora, but she manages to take them all on without help. That’s no mean feat, beating up four professional killers! Nora ends up allowing the Order to capture her. She has a deal to make with them. Nora will free their loved ones if each member confesses their darkest secret. The group debates whether they should play along with her game. Victor agrees, mostly because one of the abducted is Izabel’s grandmother, Dina. She’s the only connection to the normal world that Izabel has left.

BOOK REVIEW: FOR THE RECORD BY K.A. LINDE

Title: For The Record

Author: K.A. Linde

Genre: Romance

Published on: November 18, 2014 by Montlake Romance

With Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work…and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her. Now, her every move is under a vicious magnifying glass, and her life feels like it’s falling apart.

On the road to reelection, the passionate bond between the congressman and the journalist gets tested at every stop. Threatened by shameless media sensationalism and jealous exes, Brady and Liz now have to learn to trust each other despite what they read in the papers.

In the finale to USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s sexy Record trilogy, Liz and Brady may be setting off fireworks along the campaign trail, but can their love transcend politics as usual?

The controversial romance between Liz Dougherty and Brady Maxwell is back in this final entry of the Record trilogy. For the Record starts at the heels of a crucial revelation at the end of the previous book. After someone outs them to the press, Brady and Liz confirm that they’re an item. This is a risky move, as they're not your average couple. Liz is an aspiring political reporter, and Brady is a big-name politician. Now that people know they're dating, their careers could be at stake. In book one, Brady made clear to Liz that he'd pick his career over her no matter what. Little did they know they'd fall in love.

As you could expect, things don’t go smoothly. Liz recently ended a relationship with her former crush and ex-boss Hayden Lane. They’d met while working for the newspaper at UNC Chapel Hill. Hayden royally screwed up with Liz after making a misguided decision. The media find out about this and accuse Brady of breaking Hayden and Liz up. The latter also faces backlash that makes her see reporters in a new light. 

BOOK REVIEW: A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU BY CLAUDIA GRAY

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: November 4, 2014 by Harper Teen

Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer—her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is far more sinister than she expected.

Well thought-out and crafted science fiction is a joy to read for me. I’ve read books about time machines and incredible genetic powers. A Thousand Pieces of You piqued my interest partly because of the stunning cover. It does a great job of showing the book’s theme: parallel realities. The protagonist is Marguerite Caine, the young daughter of two prominent physicists. The premise is that they’ve developed a world-changing invention: the Firebird. It is a small electronic device fashioned into a pendant. The Firebird enables its wearer to travel across the multiverse.

There’s a big setback right from the start. Dr. Henry Caine gets himself murdered. Paul Markov is the alleged killer. He’s one of the Caines’ brilliant assistants and friend to Marguerite. Paul uses the first perfected Firebird prototype to escape arrest. Filled with grief and rage, Marguerite decides to hunt him down. Theo, Paul and Marguerite’s other friend (and the second assistant) agrees to help her. Theo manages to get two more Firebird prototypes working, and they go after Paul.

BOOK REVIEW: SCREAM FOR ME BY CYNTHIA EDEN

Title: Scream For Me

Author: Cynthia Eden

Genre: Romantic suspense, thriller

Published on: February 4, 2014 by Montlake Romance

Nothing is deeper than the desire they can’t fight—or deadlier than the evil they can’t escape.

They were only supposed to have a professional relationship, but FBI agent Kyle McKenzie has been fantasizing about his sexy partner, Cadence Hollow, from the moment they first moment. It takes the darkest case of their careers to finally bring their hidden desire bubbling to the surface. Once they’re in each other’s arms, though, they swear that nothing short of death will part them. The Night Hunter—a cunning stalker whose four-state, fifteen-year abduction spree began in Paradox, Alabama, with Kyle’s sister—may be only too happy to oblige.

In the small town, Kyle must confront the painful past he’s been hiding from Cadence. Kyle vows to put the Hunter behind bars…or in the ground. But the one thing that obsesses Kyle more than his sister’s grim fate—his furious love for Cadence—is the weapon the Hunter will use to lure his pursuers into the mouth of a murderous trap.

Suspense author Cynthia Eden delivers another hit with Scream For Me. Even though this book is part of the same series as Die for Me, it introduces new characters. The protagonists are Kyle McKenzie and Cadence Hollow, two FBI agents who arrive in Paradox, Alabama for an investigation. The local police chief, James Anniston, summoned them. Someone abducted a young woman at a highway in the dead of night. Anniston requested McKenzie because the abduction resembles one that happened fifteen years earlier. McKenzie worked that case.

Right from the start, you find out that Kyle and Cadence are attracted to each other. They’ve had romantic feelings for a long time, but haven’t been brave enough to act on them. Both Kyle and Cadence have a deep secret that they aren’t yet willing to share with each other. Cadence, though, knows enough to be aware that Kyle may be too close to the case to be objective. 

BOOK REVIEW: SET ME FREE BY MELISSA PEARL

Title: Set Me Free

Author: Melissa Pearl

Genre: Romance, mystery

Published on: May 3, 2014 by Evatopia Press (first edition)

It’s time for Lucy to stop running…and fight back.

Lucy Tate has spent the last five years on the run. That is, until she met Zach, the one guy she couldn’t bear to leave even though it could cost both of them their lives.

Hunted by a crooked FBI agent who killed her parents, Lucy has taken on one disguise after the next. But Zach knows exactly who she is and in spite of mounting evidence indicating her guilt in her parents’ deaths, he knows she’s innocent.

Convinced that it’s time to put her years on the run behind her, Zach and Lucy vow to fight back, clear her name, and take down the real killer. 

With support from Zach’s loyal friends and his uncle, an investigative reporter, they set out on a dangerous mission hoping that the truth...will set them free.

Set Me Free is the final book in the Fugitive Series—simmering duet novels packed with intrigue and suspense. If you like high-adrenaline page-turners, tenacious characters and a love that will ultimately win, then these Fugitive novels are perfect for you.

Lucy Tate’s story ends in this second and final book of the A Fugitive duology. The protagonist is a teenager who’s lived on the run for five years. A corrupt officer of the law murdered Lucy's parents. He found out they had incriminating info on him. This man has not forgotten about the girl who slipped away. He’s almost caught Lucy twice, killing some friends who took her under their wing. This made Lucy even more afraid.

Set Me Free starts right after the previous book ended. Zach Schultz, Lucy's boyfriend, enlisted his uncle Alex's help to stop Lucy's parents' murderer. Elliott, the most suspicious and protective of Zach's friends, also knows what's going on. Lucy is still reluctant to let anyone else know about her situation. She doesn't want to get Zach and his friends killed. Lucy's already gone through the trauma of a friend dying in her arms.