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: NO TURNING BACK BY TIFFANY SNOW

Title: No Turning Back

Author: Tiffany Snow

Genre: Romantic suspense

Published on: December 18, 2012 by Montlake Romance

Kathleen Turner has goals. She moved to Indianapolis to start seeing to them, but things aren’t going quite as well as she’d hoped. She’s a runner for a high-powered law firm in town, not the most prestigious of positions, but it and her part-time bartender gig at least pays the bills. And one of the senior partners is a dreamboat in that obscenely rich, disturbingly good looking, slightly snobbish sort of way.

She was quite happy ogling him from afar, before she did a mortifying face plant in his lap during a meeting. After that…well…she was more about the avoiding. Mature, no. More likely to assure she keeps her job, yes.

She’s made some friends in the few months she’s been in Indy. One of those friends is her neighbor Sheila, though Kathleen can’t say she’s completely comfortable with Sheila’s job choice as a high-dollar escort.

It’s the middle of the night when Kathleen hears fighting coming from Sheila’s apartment. As disturbing as that is, it’s the ominous sound of silence afterwards that keeps Kathleen from falling back to sleep. Slipping from bed with the intention of making sure everything is okay, Kathleen knocks on her friend’s door, only to find Sheila murdered, her naked body sprawled on sheets stained crimson with her blood.

Shock and horror are followed by gritty determination when it becomes clear that Sheila’s death isn’t random and it isn’t the result of a jealous boyfriend. It’s the opening gambit in a web of murder, deceit, conspiracy, and fraud that stretches to the law firm for which Kathleen works. Maybe to the very office that Blane Kirk commands.

And Kathleen Turner, law office runner, can trust no one if she wants to survive.

No Turning Back is one of those books that compel you to keep turning page after page (no pun intended). It’s more than good enough that you lose track of time. The book centers on Kathleen Turner, a young "runner" at a prestigious law firm. She’s a charming, driven young woman who seeks to outperform herself at work. Kathleen’s also apparently named after a famous celebrity. I know a lot of them, but I had to resort to Google to find out who Kathleen Turner is.

Kathleen has led a pleasant and normal life so far. She’s recently moved to Indianapolis and is still finding her place there. Kathleen’s life changes the day she meets Blane Kirk, her boss. Their introduction was amusing. From that point on, Blane developed a special interest for Kathleen. Only, she’s not the least bit interested. Kathleen is aware of Blane’s reputation with women. She has no intention of being another of his short-lived conquests. Kathleen ignores Blane until circumstances force them to team up.

BOOK REVIEW: THE BLACK WOLF BY J.A. REDMERSKI

Title: The Black Wolf

Author: J.A. Redmerski

Genre: Thriller, romance

Published on: July 1, 2015, self-published

Since devastating secrets were uncovered by Nora Kessler, Niklas Fleischer and Victor Faust have been divided as business partners and brothers. But ultimately Niklas is persuaded to lead a mission to Italy, and he sees it as an opportunity to set in motion forgiveness—or retribution—for his brother’s betrayal.

The mission: play the role of a wealthy German investor and kidnap a beautiful, notorious madam named Francesca Moretti. No stranger to these types of roles, Niklas is the best man for the job, but this time the risks will be much greater as he will not be doing it alone. Izabel Seyfried, still fresh out of a life of imprisonment and sex slavery, could be negatively affected by the things she will see in Moretti’s mansion, and Niklas must keep her in line so she does not blow their cover and get them killed.

But Niklas isn’t the only one who must play a role—Nora takes on the humiliating task of playing Niklas’s slave, and Izabel must play the role of his lover.

On one hand, Niklas couldn’t be enjoying himself more. On the other hand, the emotions that continue to rage inside of him may be too much for him to control, and it may be Niklas—not Izabel—who needs to be kept in line. He cannot forget what Victor has done, and this mission may just be the beginning of his downward spiral.

Can the blood bond that Niklas and Victor share as brothers be stronger than resentment? Or will vengeance dig the blade so deep that their bond be eternally severed?

With five books so far, the In the Company of Killers series shows no sign of slowing down. That’s a good thing, as this is one of the most addictive series I’ve read. This time, it’s Niklas Fleischer’s turn as the protagonist. Joining him as major supporting characters are Nora Kessler and Izabel Seyfried. The previous book ended with major changes. Nora revealed a secret that drove a huge wedge between Niklas and his brother, Victor Faust. The latter’s a highly trained contract killer who left his old Order to start his own.

In The Black Wolf, Izabel is still in training, with Nora as her new mentor. After the two return from a risky mission, Victor assigns them a new one. There’s a catch: they will need Niklas’s assistance. The latter has gone AWOL after learning of his brother’s betrayal. Victor knows where Niklas is, so he sends Izabel to talk to him. She's not afraid to press Niklas to get his help. Victor warned if Niklas doesn’t go, neither will Izabel. When Niklas hears about the target, he understands why Victor trusts only him to protect Izabel.

BOOK REVIEW: TEN THOUSAND SKIES ABOVE YOU BY CLAUDIA GRAY

Title: Ten Thousand Skies Above You

Author: Claudia Gray

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: November 3, 2015 by Harper Teen

Ten thousand worlds. Ten thousand enemies. One love.

Marguerite Caine has done the impossible, traveling to alternate dimensions with the Firebird—the brilliant invention of her parents, her boyfriend, Paul, and their friend Theo. But she has also caught the attention of enemies willing to kidnap, blackmail, and even kill to use the Firebird for themselves.

When Paul’s soul is splintered into four pieces—pieces that are trapped within Pauls in other dimensions—Marguerite will do anything, and travel anywhere, to save him. But the price of his safe return is steep. If she doesn’t sabotage her parents in multiple universes, Paul will be lost forever.

Unwilling to sacrifice her family, Marguerite enlists the brilliant Theo to help. The two forge a plan to save Paul and the Firebird, but succeeding means outsmarting a genius and risking not only their lives but also the lives of their counterparts in every other dimension.

Their mission takes them to the most dangerous universes yet: a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each leap brings Marguerite closer to saving Paul—but her journey reveals dark truths that lead her to doubt the one constant she’s found between worlds: their love for each other.

The Firebird trilogy continues with this second installment. Ten Thousand Skies Above You picks up almost right where the first book left off. It also drops protagonist Marguerite Caine straight into action. She’s the teen daughter of two renowned physicists, Dr. Henry Caine and Dr. Lera Kovalenka. They created the Firebird, a wearable device used to move through parallel realities. In the first book, Marguerite was able to clear her friend Paul Markov's name. She also discovered that her father was still alive. Triad, the corporation that funded Firebird research, had been holding him hostage. 

The Caines explain the truth: multiversal travel is not only possible. Triad wants to be the sole entity with that power. Their leader, tech CEO Wyatt Conley, used a spy to keep an eye on the Caines. He also turned Marguerite into a “perfect traveler”. If you remember, the Firebird transfers the user’s mind, not their body. The latter apparently vanishes into some quantum state. Regular travelers can’t stay too long in a parallel reality, or their doppelgänger regains control. As a perfect traveler, Marguerite stays in control no matter how much time she spends in a given parallel universe. 

BOOK REVIEW: GUILT BY ASSOCIATION BY MARCIA CLARK

Title: Guilt by Association

Author: Marcia Clark

Genre: Mystery, legal thriller

Published on: April 20, 2011 by Mulholland Books

Los Angeles D.A. Rachel Knight is a tenacious, wise-cracking, and fiercely intelligent prosecutor in the city's most elite division. When her colleague, Jake, is found dead at a grisly crime scene, Rachel is shaken to the core. She must take over his toughest case: the assault of a young woman from a prominent family.

But she can't stop herself from digging deeper into Jake's death, a decision that exposes a world of power and violence and will have her risking her reputation--and her life--to find the truth.

With her tremendous expertise in the nuances of L.A. courts and crime, and with a vibrant ensemble cast of characters, Marcia Clark combines intimate detail, riotous humor, and visceral action in a debut thriller that marks the launch of a major new figure on the crime-writing scene.

I bought this book back when I had a taste for mysteries with female protagonists in law enforcement. Guilt by Association had really good reviews, so I got myself a copy. The main character is Rachel Knight, a prosecutor in the Special Trials division of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office. When we meet her, Rachel’s been a DA for at least seven years. She recently transferred to Special Trials, her dream job. Rachel describes the position as highly demanding and time-consuming. She claims that’s what she finds attractive about it. 

Rachel has two close friends in Special Trials. One is Jake Pahlmeyer, and the other is Toni. Early in the book, a burning building grabs Rachel’s attention in the evening. When Rachel gets there, she’s horrified to see a paramedic taking Jake away on a stretcher. A police lieutenant escorts Rachel home. There, she keeps Jake’s death to herself, hoping it's only a bad dream. But as one can expect, there’s no such luck. Jake is still dead next morning. This affects Rachel deeply. They were what she describes as office soulmates. Rachel and Jake knew nothing personal about each other, but they were otherwise inseparable.