The Hunt by Megan Shepherd

The Hunt by Megan Shepherd 359 pages Released: 2015

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What a thrilling ride! I really enjoyed the first book of the series, but personally, I think this sequel is even better. I was in the mood for a good sci-fi novel and this book definitely delivered. It's entertaining, fast paced and intelligent.

After failing to escape The Cage in book one, Cora and her friends are scattered throughout a space station, where they're being held as prisoners. Mali, Lucky and Cora are prisoners of The Hunt, a safari and bar where some of the Kindred come to be entertained, while Rolf and expectant mother Nok are playing house while being scientifically scrutinized as part of an alien study. Leon could be considered the lucky one, still prisoner of the space station, but free to roam the ducts and working as a black market agent for Bonebreak, a Mosca. This unlikely band of humans was originally placed together in a cage, but now, despite being separated, they still form a strong bond. I think it shows the importance of solidarity and of human connection when it comes to surviving.

Despite the story being told from multiple views, Cora remains the main character, like she was in the first book. She's being trained by Cassian, a Kindred, in order to enter The Gauntlet, a series of tests that allow subjects to prove their race's intelligence. So far, there are only four intelligent species: Kindred, Mosca, Axion and Gatherers. Cassian, and a few other Kindreds, strongly believe in the Fifth of Five initiative; they strongly believe humans are the fifth intelligent race and he has made it his duty to help Cora pass the Gauntlet. If she succeeds, only then will humans be set free and no longer be slaves. In order to survive the Gauntlet, Cora must train her telekinesis abilities, but with such little time to get ready, she believes the only way to pass is by cheating.

The relationship between Cora and Cassian is a very interesting one. The Kindred are known to be a very cold race, rarely showing emotions, even when "uncloaked." Cassian has studied Cora for a while now, both on Earth and in the cage and it seems like he has developed some strong feelings for his research subject. Originally, Cora and Lucky were abducted as a mating pair, but a strong bond has formed between the alien and Cora. Some people might scream Stockholm syndrome, but I really believe there's something more to it. Cora seems to be using Cassian's feelings to take advantage of the situation, and even now, I have no clue what her true feelings are for her "captor." She probably has no clue how she feels either.

Lucky's story is a sad one. He truly believes he has a duty to protect and save the animals of the safari. He sees them as prisoners too, caged like he and his friends. They're all being used for entertainment or for research, and as fellow beings of Earth, he forms a strong bond with the animals under his care. While Cora might be the leader and the heart of the group, Lucky is the moral one. I wish Cora and Lucky could have discussed and planned more together, to avoid all the trouble they seem to be accumulating.

Ultimately, The Hunt, like The Cage, is a game of survival and human perseverance. The flow of the story is great, the characters are wonderful and I really like the direction the story is heading. I strongly recommend this book to any lover of YA science fiction books. I will definitely be looking out for book 3 next year!

— Reviewed by Stéphanie

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by Tynga at Monday, June 13, 2016

 Alien, Balzer amp; Bray, Harper Collins, megan shepherd, Purchased, Review, sci-fi, slave, The Cage  Leave your mark

✎

The Cage by Megan Shepherd

This book is quite out there but I was hooked right from the start. Alien abduction isn't an original concept but the ideas in this book are far fetched enough to be innovative and entertaining. From the writer of The Madman's Daughter trilogy (which I still haven't read), The Cage is Megan Shepherd's  first book of a new trilogy about alien abductions, love, deceit and survival.

The introduction to the characters and their new habitat is perfect because we're as confused as they are about their situation. Abducted from Earth, five strangers are place in a fake environment, expected to follow the rules set by their captor, who calls himself Caretaker. Caretaker, who's name is actually Cassian, is definitely not human, but has a human shape and some human features. For some odd reason, Cora is mildly attracted to her captor, even though she would never admit it to her fellow prisoners. At first, the five humans learn to live together in their fake and experimental setting but Cora never gets comfortable enough to ignore the black windows which are placed everywhere for surveillance and evaluation.

The whole concept of holding humans in a (rather large) cage, like we would animals in a zoo, is quite frightening. Personally, I've never been able to watch Big Brother because I find it almost barbaric. I don't care if the Caretaker says it's to save and protect the human race. Cassian is part of the Kindred, a race they believe are more "intelligent" than humans because of their psychic and telepathic abilities. The Kindred's goal with the experiment is obviously not just to protect Cora and her new friends. They must have a secondary agenda and Cora is determined to escape, no matter what it may be.

The book has multiple point of views so we really get to see this world through every captive's eyes. Cora, however, is the main point of view and main character and she's in fact the most rebellious prisoner. She defies the rules set for "their own good" and tries to reason with the other prisoners who eventually seem to surrender. At first, she thinks Lucky, a boy she forms a bond with, might be willing to help her, but his lies and hidden knowledge about her Earth life makes things a little awkward. Even more so, her Stockholm Syndrome attraction to Cassian makes things even more awkward between Cora and Lucky.

The weird relationship between Cora and Cassian is interesting to follow. At first, I didn't really know what to make of it. Cassian seems genuinely interested in Cora's safety, but it's obvious he has deeper motives. The Stockholm Syndrome thing is a little cliché, but entertaining none the less. Oddly enough, I didn't know whether to care about Cassian who seems actually really nice, or be disgusted by the whole affair.

My one concern with the rules of their captivity is that the prisoners are expected to copulate in order to keep the human race alive. Honestly, a little bit too much for a YA novel, in my opinion. Some characters cave into the pressure, more out of attraction than duty, but still, I hated seeing them forced together for some larger purpose. Teens are pressured enough in this day and age that they don't need to be forced to have sex in order to survive. A real scientific experiment would have let things take a more natural course.

The Cage is dark and twisted enough to be really interesting. I love a good sci-fi, especially when it's heavily influence by science. In this case, this human social experiment is a little extreme but I love it none the less. The characters are tested mentally, physically and intellectually. Their reactions in this experiment are actually quite realistic and I would hate to see if tested for real, would human really be that deceitful when it comes to surviving. Megan Shepherd may have experimented with a new genre and in my opinion, she succeeded in taping into the sci-fi genre. I can't wait for the sequel!

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by Tynga at Monday, July 06, 2015

 Abduction, aliens, Balzer amp; Bray, Harper Collins, megan shepherd, Purchased, Review, sci-fi, Science Fiction, Space, The Cage, young adult  9 People left their mark

✎

Deliverance by C.J. Redwine

C.J. Redwine delivers a fantastic conclusion to her debut series. Deliverance is the third and final book of this trilogy and while I really enjoyed the first book, I thought the sequel fell a little short because of repetition and lack of plot. However, the author redeemed herself with this last book because, while I wasn't really sure where she was leading us with this story, I was sad, surprised and shocked throughout the whole book.

This story is as much about the ability to overcome oppression as it is about the fragility of the human spirit. Rachel and Logan have been fighting against the Commander of the now fallen city-state, Baalboden, for what seems like forever. Torn apart again, they each find themselves in dark situations where they have to push through in order to fight against their enemies, and hopefully find peace for their friends and loved ones. Rachel is taken hostage by Rowansmark trackers and forced to travel toward Rowansmark to face imprisonment and possible death. The trackers hope that Logan will do anything to save Rachel including bringing back the piece of Rowansmark technology that was stolen by the Commander, via Rachel's father. However, before saving Rachel, Logan embarks on a different quest to find allies to bring to Rowansmark's gates in order to fight their crazy leader that is obsessed with pain atonement. Trusting allies isn't easy for Logan, especially when he must learn to trust the most unlikely person. One of his new allies really makes you hate the expression, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

The writing doesn't get too touchy or emotional because Logan and Rachel are separated for most of the book. Personally, I think the separation allowed the characters to really evaluate their feelings and acknowledge what they have together is the real deal. I love these two as a couple and I think the author made the right choice in not letting the romance overpower the story. While I love a good love story, this book was primarily about fighting for freedom in a dystopian world, and the author achieved a good balance between the action and the romance.

C.J. Redwine proved in the previous books that she wasn't afraid to kill off important characters, even characters that were very close to the main characters, like a certain mentor or a very good friend. Again, in this book, many notable characters died fighting, even some that I truly believed would make it to the end. Obviously, don't get too attached to any character. On the other hand, we are also introduced to many new characters, some that are quite important in the continuation of the story.

While I'm sad to see this series end, I think C.J. Redwine made the right choice writing this series in only three parts. I don't think there's any room for more books and she leaves me satisfied with this ending. This last book answers all the questions that were left unanswered in the previous ones. Redwine created a wonderful dystopian world, and while the apocalypse is a little far fetched with its dragon like creatures that destroyed pretty much every city, I enjoyed seeing how human nature could create such hatefulleaders and the protagonists that were able to stand up to their evil. Deliverance  is the epic conclusion to a wonderful series that I really hope many of you will take the time to enjoy.

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by Tynga at Monday, December 29, 2014

 Balzer amp; Bray, C.J. Redwine, Defiance, Dystopian, Harper Collins, Purchased, Review, young adult  1 Person left their mark

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Deception by C.J. Redwine

I was really impressed by the first book of this series, DEFIANCE, when I read it a few years back. I loved the dark dystopian world the author created and the two main characters really held the story together. Unfortunately, I expected a little too much out of this sequel. It left me wanting more action and more romance.

I loved the two main characters, Rachel and Logan, in this novel as much as I did the first time around. A great pair, they make an exceptional team in leading the Baalboden survivors, especially for being so young. Normally, I don't like it when authors continuously switch back and forth between two point of views, but in this case, it does make sense because they're not always together, and they don't always fight the same mental battles. Rachel is plagued by the blood she shed, when she killed a man who was simply following orders from a twisted leader to keep his wife safe. She also blames herself for the death of Oliver, her surrogate grand-father. As for Logan, at nineteen years old, he's tasked in leading a group of people who never accepted him into their society in the first place, until he stood up to their autocratic leader, Commander Chase.

Right from the beginning of the novel, the survivors of the ravaged city-state Baalboden feel defeated, but together Rachel and Logan encourage them into fleeing Commander Chase, in order to keep their freedom. For a good part of the novel, not a whole lot happens as the 100 plus group of survivors flee from Commander Chase and his army. This is the part of the novel I really had a hard time getting through because they walk (and walk) for the majority of the novel. We travel with them into the Wastelands towards another city-state, always mindful of a possible attack from the Commander's army or from the Cursed One, the giant reptilian beast that destroyed their city in the first place. What they didn't expect is an attack from within the group. When people in the group start to die, they soon realize they're travelling with a traitor. A traitor that always seems one step ahead of them.

Honestly the last 60 pages or so are actually the best part of the book. The action picks up and the author throws us a nice twist. I really wasn't expecting what we learn about Logan and this changes the whole story around. We finally have some answers for so many events and actions, and just as things were about to get interesting, the book ends on a cliffhanger. I think DECEPTION does set up the last book of the trilogy rather well, but still, it feels like this book was just filler. I had high hopes for this trilogy and I'm really hoping the last book doesn't let me down.

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by Tynga at Monday, December 01, 2014

 Balzer amp; Bray, C.J. Redwine, Defiance, Dystopian, Harper Collins, Purchased, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

After loving Gretchen McNeil's Ten, I decided to give her latest book, 3:59 a shot. I'm beginning to think that maybe Ten was a wild-card because I was extremely disappointed with both Possess and 3:59. 3:59 has a killer premise, but in the end the plot felt too convoluted and messy to the point where I became irritated with this book. Parallel universe and multi-reality books are usually hit or miss for me and 3:59 clearly didn't work for me.

At 3:59, Josie's world collides with an alternate reality in which her doppelganger, Jo lives.  On an impulse, the two decide to switch places because Josie is very eager to escape her present situation and welcomes a way to evade her life. Josie is sucked into a world very different from her own and soon, she realizes that she made a huge mistake.

 

The problem with 3:59 is that it tries to rely too heavily on scientific concepts and these concepts didn't mesh well with the book. McNeil tried to make this parallel dimensions feel plausible by using scientific explanations, but the science she used was very theoretical and complex. I felt like the science in this novel didn't feel legitimate and I couldn't suspend my belief at all. I didn't believe that parallel universes were plausible at all, despite the fact that McNeil kept throwing terminology and explanations at the reader.

 

Despite the plausibility of 3:59, it was an interesting read and I really liked the main character, Josie. Josie just wants to escape her life and she wants to live in a fantasy world of her own; I've felt that feeling way too many times and I loved seeing how McNeil broached this subject. I loved how Josie wasn't afraid to be nerdy and to unleash her inner science aficionado when trying to decipher the link between the universes. I truly wished the Nox and the parallel universes would've been explained in a clearer fashion because the plot really hinges on these two devices and the lack of clarification led the plot to collapse in on itself.

 

I'm still a bit hazy on what went down in this book and as a result, I can't recommend it to readers. Some readers will love this one and yet another faction of readers will be bewildered by all of the science mumbo jumbo. I fell somewhere in the middle and my lack of comprehension only partially clouded my enjoyment of this book. I will be reading more of McNeil's novels, but I still can't help but think that maybe I wouldn't enjoy TEN if I would reread it.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, April 30, 2014

 Balzer amp; Bray, Gretchen McNeil, Harper Collins, Library, Mystery, Review, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

Avalon by Mindee Arnett

I'm a huge fan of the TV series Firefly created by Joss Whedon so when I heard AVALON was being compared to it, I had to see what it was all about. In fact, it does have some similarities and I can see why fans of the famous TV show would enjoy this science fiction book. I think fans of the genre in general will enjoy this one since it has everything a good science fiction book needs: a spaceship with strong memories, an eclectic crew with questionable morals, and space, lots of space.

I'm the first to admit that the cover isn't the most attractive one out there but I love the fact that it's not your typical teen cover with a pretty girl in a pretty dress, or something like that. With the main character being a guy, I guess they really couldn't go that route... Despite it's simplicity, it's fresh, designed for a maximum audience and it leaves a lot to the imagination.

As for the story, I really like the idea of teenage mercenaries. Who would suspect teens of being so great at theft, right? Despite their line of work, the crew of Avalon are actually a pretty good gang. The main character and captain, Jeth Seagrave would do anything (or almost anything) to buy back his late parents' ship, Avalon, which his uncle lost in a gambling debt. He has been working as a mercenary with that specific goal in mind and his latest mission might just make his dream come true. For Jeth, Avalon represent freedom, the ability for him to do what he wants, but most of all, it's the last link he has to his parents who were executed by the ITA, a governing agency who control more or less everything  related to space travel. The rest of his crew is a pretty good bunch, including his sister Lizzie, who adds charm and sweetness to the group.

As the Avalon crew sets out on their latest mission, everyone is skeptical because of the destination. The Belgrave Quadrant is a region of space that everyone avoids because of the weird things rumored to have happened while flying in that region. Sort of like the Bermuda Triangle. Tech goes wonky, equipment malfunctions, and the most bizarre things happen. The crew of Avalon can attest to that last one as mysterious things start to happen on their ship as they try to finish their mission, towing a "missing" ship that is supposed to contain something worth a lot. What they find on the ship instead of a rumored weapon is three survivors who seem to have secrets and a mission of their own. Secrets, conspiracies and danger follows Avalon around and things get so weird at one point, all the crew wants is to get out of there alive!

While not exactly like the TV show, fans of Firefly will love the feel of this book. Whedonites rejoice! While it does have a mainly teenage cast and can be found in the Teen section, I strongly believe it will please anybody from any age group who loves the science-fiction genre. I really hope more books in this series will be published. For the time being, we will have to satisfy ourselves with the prequel, PROXY.

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by Tynga at Sunday, February 09, 2014

 Avalon, Balzer amp; Bray, Harper Collins, Mindee Arnett, Purchased, Review, Science Fiction, Science-Fiction, Space, spaceship, young adult  2 People left their mark

✎

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

"Genius or madness-- it all depends on who's telling the story."

       The Madman's Daughter was one of the most promising books of 2013, but it ultimately let me down. I hoped that Her Dark Curiosity would raise the bar and that it would be a vast improvement over it's predecessor. Much to my disappointment, Her Dark Curiosity takes almost everything I loved about The Madman's Daughter and sacrifices these elements for an extremely ridiculous and unnecessary love triangle. This is not a retelling of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by any stretch of the imagination, it's merely an illogical romance that left me rolling my eyes.

Her Dark Curiosity is riddled with plot holes, there's so much left unanswered and Shepherd doesn't even attempt to answer any of my questions. How did both Edward and Montgomery end up in London? Juliet never gives a thought to the fact that both guys are supposed to be trapped on the island and have miraculously returned. What a coincidence! There are too many moments where things just magically seem to fall into order easily. Not to mention, the fact that there are blatant errors in terms of the biology that Shepherd is referencing in this book, the science in Her Dark Curiosity is faulty and illogical at best.

The plot in Her Dark Curiosity is majorly lacking and the romance is the only force that truly keeps the plot from reaching a stalemate. There is way too much emphasis on the romance and Shepherd unsuccessfully uses the romance to forward the plot. I don't care for Edward or Montgomery at all, I truly don't see anything appealing about either romantic interest. Both guys are extremely untrustworthy, duplicitous, and lack moral decency; both guys seem to act like they can control Juliet at times and this really bothered me. Juliet  kept on striving to create this facade where she was this strong-willed, powerful woman and yet, she let Montgomery and Edward push her around like a rag doll. Usually, I favor at least one character in a book's love triangle, but I couldn't care less about the romantic ventures of the trio in the slightest bit.

Megan Shepherd is extremely adept at creating a creepy, gothic atmosphere and compelling readers to continue reading about Juliet. Even though I wasn't interested in the plot of this book, I kept reading just for Shepherd's vivid, spooky imagery. Her Dark Curiosity really needed a big dose of creepy, macabre elements; I truly missed the peculiarities of Moreau's island and I yearned to read something that was idiosyncratic. Megan Shepherd is so talented at writing horror, both subtle and blatant, in the Madman's Daughter series and I really wish there was more of an emphasis on madness and other quirks of Juliet.

The last portion of the book is the most exciting part of the entire novel, but it is still rather dull. I really was curious to see what classic Shepherd would be retelling in book, but truthfully, it's so obvious what novel Shepherd was going to tackle from the get-go. I didn't see the conclusion coming at all, but then again, I was so disinterested in Her Dark Curiosity that it didn't leave an impression on me. I'm so over this series at this point and I can't really glean any excitement for book #3, but I have a feeling my dark curiosity will get the best of me and I will end up reading it.

Her Dark Curiosity is one of the most disappointing sequels I've read to date and it failed to deliver. I really wish The Madman's Daughter had been a stand-alone because as a series, it is extremely ineffective and frivolous. I could care less about the wretched love triangle and I'll be reading the 3rd novel just to see how this series ends. I have really high hopes for Shepherd's upcoming series, The Cage and I really hope that I enjoy more than Her Dark Curiosity.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, December 11, 2013

 Balzer amp; Bray, Edelweiss, Gothic, Harper Collins, Historical, historical fiction, horror, megan shepherd, Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Publisher, Retelling, Review, The Madman's Daughter  1 Person left their mark

✎

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

I finally understand what all the hype around this series is! This is perhaps one of the most well done mythological debuts that I have come across in a while. I found it to be a really unique take on the Persephone and Hades myth and the world-building and interpretation surrounding this myth was amazing. The fact that we didn’t have a Hades character and instead had Cole, an Everliving that wanted to take over the throne, paved the way for a widely loved and known myth to become a brand new concept.

The characterization in this one was solid. Nikki was trying to recover her emotions for a majority of the book, so she was unattached to everything but oddly worrisome over where some of her past relationships stand. It was very well done. Cole was fascinating as well because of his dark side that rarely gave way to a glimpse of true feeling even though he doesn’t have a heart. I think that he made the myth all the more real because he was stubborn and focused on the prize: getting Nikki to follow him back to the Everneath at any cost. But I really loved Jack. He never gave up on Nikki despite her disappearance and his love for her is everlasting. He is noble, the way a hero should be. He is the small ray of hope in the bleak world that Cole is trying to create. Yet, somehow, because the novel is mostly spent with Nikki trying to recover her feelings during her six month Return, romance wasn’t a huge part of the plot until the very end. Unfortunately, I see a potential love triangle in the works for book two.

In regards to characterization, I have to say I was disappointed in the roles that Nikki’s father and younger brother played. You would think that after getting a family member back after a mysterious disappearance would have them overjoyed. They accepted her lies about rehab so easily. It seemed that her father was more obsessed with his campaign as Mayor than he was for his daughter’s feelings, and that bugged me because it struck me as odd. As for her little brother, he was there when it helped out and that was it. No more, no less. After losing their respective mother/wife due to a drunk driving accident, you’d think they’d cherish the return of a seemingly run-away-to-rehab recovered drug addict daughter (even though that was all a lie). Instead, the extent of the love is helping out in campaigns and surprise drug tests.

Ashton’s writing is beautiful and her mythological tale was captivating. I loved how she inserted a series of flashback chapters throughout the story to better explain the events and emotions leading up to Nikki’s disappearance during the century long Feed. However, I think that her transition out of the Feed into her Return could have been smoother. Nikki began the book when she woke up in this awesome creepy scene with Shades surrounding her and then she decided to go home, so she finds herself on the floor of a small store and then suddenly begins to remember everything she needs to know about being on the Surface again. Too easy, you know? Aside from that, the pacing was perfect and I’m hoping that Ashton’s attention to detail will give us more mythological answers in book two, like how Everlivings came along and what caused Cole to become one. I want to know more about his backstory since I now have Nikki’s. I’m hoping that book two will take a reverse approach that focuses on him the way book one did Nikki.

All in all, a great read for those looking for a unique mythological interpretation that is not heavy on the romance. This series is one that I’ll definitely be following, especially after that ending! Ashton easily leaves us begging for more because she unfortunately leaves us with several big questions.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, July 10, 2013

 ARCycling, Balzer amp; Bray, Brodi Ashton, Everneath, Fantasy, Harper Collins, Mythology, Review, young adult  2 People left their mark

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