BOOK REVIEW: CASSIDY JONES AND THE ETERNAL FLAME BY ELISE STOKES

Title: Cassidy Jones and the Eternal Flame

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: March 5, 2017 by JACE Publishing LLC

Some boundaries should never be crossed…

The diabolic Metal Woman takes three people hostage. Her ransom demand: the location of a mysterious and unprecedented weapon, rumored to have been a gift to the Third Reich from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

When a rescue attempt goes sideways, Cassidy Jones seeks justice. Her quest leads her to the Seattle Underground, where she falls into the grip of an inexplicable evil. Cassidy learns too late that her desire for revenge may cost the life of someone she loves.

Another mystery to solve emerges in Cassidy Jones’s latest adventure. She’s a fifteen-year-old superhero who has an array of great powers. Helping in her exploits is Emery Phillips, a teen genius. He’s the son of Serena, the scientist who accidentally gave Cassidy her powers. Cassidy is also now dating Jared Wells, a guy she’s had a crush on for a long time. Their relationship is going well, especially as Jared knows about Cassidy’s powers and her nightly activities. But Jared may be keeping a secret that could drive them apart.

Lily White/Metal Woman is back. She’s a supervillain who first showed up in Vulcan’s Gift. Lily’s body fused with her (mystical?) metallic suit of armor after Cassidy kicked her into a fire. Now, Lily has kidnapped a trio of people who she suspects know the location of something she’s after. Cassidy and Emery catch wind of this not long afterward. The two resolve to find a way to locate Lily and stop her for good. Cassidy can’t wait for another showdown with her. She’s pretty sure she can take the Metal Woman.

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: CASSIDY JONES AND THE SEVENTH ATTENDANT BY ELISE STOKES

Title: Cassidy Jones and the Seventh Attendant

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: May 23, 2013 by JACE Publishing LLC

Some Secrets Are Better Left Buried…

When the mysterious Gavin Phillips returns to Seattle after a prolonged and unexplained absence, he threatens to expose fifteen-year-old Cassidy Jones’s incredible secret: she is a superhero. But his presence is far more sinister than she realizes, for it soon becomes apparent that his hidden agenda holds a dark and dangerous intent that will unleash an unparalleled evil upon an unsuspecting world. Can Cassidy stop him before all is lost?

Teen superhero Cassidy Jones is back for the third book in her series. As the others, it takes place in Seattle. Cassidy's an almost fifteen-year-old who gained superpowers in a lab accident. It’s been a few months since. In that time, Cassidy has kept herself busy. She’s already fought a python, a tiger, and two supervillains. The latest one, Lily White/Metal Woman, escaped at the end of the previous book. No one is sure what she is up to.

The only people who know Cassidy has powers are Dr. Serena Phillips and her genius son, Emery. The latter is just a year older than Cassidy but has already gone to college. He's sort of Cassidy's sidekick, helping her on her exploits. The secrecy is getting to Cassidy, though. She’s finding it harder to keep lying to her family. As it is, Cassidy suspects that her little brother, Chazz, knows about her double life. Chazz may be not much older than a toddler, but he’s really smart.

BOOK REVIEW: CASSIDY JONES AND VULCAN'S GIFT BY ELISE STOKES

Title: Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: December 4, 2011 by JACE Publishing LLC

An Ancient Secret Has Risen. A World In Peril. Can This Evil Menace Be Stopped?

Two months after being infected with a strange retrovirus, Cassidy Jones continues to live a double life as she struggles to master her astonishing superpowers. School has become the only normal thing left in her life—except for tall, dark, and handsome Emery Phillips, who shadows her every move, ensuring her secret is safe. But when a sleepover at Catamount Mountain Zoo takes a menacing turn, the world hovers on the edge of disaster as Cassidy is drawn into another riveting and perilous mystery that threatens the planet.

Fourteen-year-old superhero Cassidy Jones returns in book two of her series. If you recall, she gained superpowers after a lab accident. The only person Cassidy told about it is a boy named Emery Phillips. He’s the genius son of the scientist who created Formula 10X. With Emery’s help, Cassidy saved Dr. Serena Phillips from a rich megalomaniac. She and her family now live next door to the Joneses. This works well, as it gives Emery a way to keep an eye on Cassidy. He and Serena are still unsure how Cassidy’s powers will keep developing.

Serena is now working on a way to make Cassidy normal again. The latter isn’t sure she wants to be a super-powered mutant for long. During the showdown with the lunatic, Cassidy inexplicably stood back up after his cronies killed her. Cassidy fears the idea of having immortality now. If she really has it, that means her loved ones will eventually die and leave her alone. And this is not the only side effect Cassidy is worrying about. Formula 10X also gave her a prey drive. Early in the book, Cassidy almost chased down a crook who was picking on a homeless man. Fortunately, the man (named Joe) was able to snap Cassidy back to her senses.

BOOK REVIEW: CASSIDY JONES AND THE SECRET FORMULA BY ELISE STOKES

Title: Cassidy Jones and the Secret Formula

Author: Elise Stokes

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: December 13, 2010 by JACE Publishing LLC

Cassidy Jones is your typical teenager-- that is, until a seemingly harmless accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist turns her world upside down.

Discovering incredible strength, speed, and enhanced physical senses that defy logic, Cassidy embarks on an action-packed adventure that has her fighting for answers...and for her very life.

Don't miss the other action-packed books in Cassidy Jones Adventures!

Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift, Book Two

Cassidy Jones and the Seventh Attendant, Book Three

Cassidy Jones and the Luminous, Book Four

Cassidy Jones and the Eternal Flame, Book Five

I seriously enjoy fiction (books or movies) about people who can do stuff others can’t. Whether it’s superpowers or tech/genetic enhancements, it fascinates me. That’s what drew me to the Cassidy Jones Adventures series. This first entry introduces the titular character. She’s an average, redheaded, 14-year-old schoolgirl. One day, Cassidy accompanies her father—a famous radio host—and his assistant to an interview. The subject is Dr. Serena Phillips, a prominent geneticist. While in her lab, Cassidy has an accident that gives her extraordinary abilities. It’s over so fast that not even the people in the room realize what happened.

Cassidy’s powers don’t manifest right away. She first notices she can smell what the next-door neighbors are having for breakfast. Cassidy soon discovers she has enhanced strength, speed, senses, and a wicked-fast healing factor. Seeking to understand exactly what happened to her, Cassidy turns to Emery Phillips. He’s the son of Dr. Phillips. Someone kidnapped her the day after Cassidy’s accident. The Joneses offered shelter to Emery for the meantime.