Crucible Zero by Devon Monk

As much as I enjoyed the other two books in the series, Crucible Zero managed to be so much better. Time travel and alternative realities are not always easy to navigate but Devon Monk does it seamlessly. Her characters are also incredible, especially Matilda who, as a heroine, isn't a know it all and admits she needs help to attain her goal. Matilda and Abraham's relationship, although different in this reality, continues to be entertaining and steamy.

At first, it was a little confusing as to why Matilda ends up in an alternate universe where she didn't even exist before, but at least all her loved ones and some of her family members are alive in this one, unlike in her original timeline. In Infinity Bell, Matilda had to travel back in time in order to save billions of people from a 300 year old experiment, but obviously not everything goes according to plan. The time travelling did change the future, in some capacity, but more specifically changed the course of Abraham's long lived life as he waits for the reappearance of Matilda Case, the mysterious future girl who saved him three centuries before.

The galvanized, like Abraham and Matilda, live extra long lives because of the ramifications of that long ago time travel experiment called Wings of Mercury. In order to survive, they sometimes need to be patched up and stitched so they are quite often recognized by their patchwork of skin and stitches. Living for a long time can get quite lonely and in the previous books, I was glad Matilda and Abraham found each other. However, in this new reality, they meet again for the first time and Matilda is the only one with memories of their time together. The chemistry between the two character is definitely still there and it's quite interesting to see them fall for each other a second time.

After the time travelling, Matilda still isn't done saving the world. This time, she plan to prevent a tyrannical leader from taking over the world. However, killing another galvanized isn't that easy so she'll need all the help she can find. In this new timeway, she also has to deal with new obstacles such as a plague, deadly ferals and mercenaries. I really like Matilda as a character. She has a strong mind and isn't afraid to do what she thinks is right. When she sets her mind on something, she tries her best to accomplish it but she's not afraid to ask for help. Physically, she's quite strong but she knows her limitations. However, physical limitations may not be what prevents her from attaining her goal. She admits multiple time that she's never killed anyone, yet her ultimate goal is an assassination. It's quite interesting to see Matilda go through various emotions. As a galvanized, her kind aren't always seen as human, but there's there's nothing more human than Matilda.

In my opinion, this series has reached a new height with Crucible Zero and I have no clue if Devon Monk will be able to surpass it. Honestly, I have no clue if there's going to be a next book because the story felt quite finished. No cliffhanger ending for this one. I don't want the series to be over because it happens to be one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series lately but I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Crucible Zero, like the other two books in the series, is exceptionally written and highly recommendable.

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Posted by Tynga at 03:45

 Devon Monk, Dystopian, Futuristic, House Immortal, Immortals, Penguin, Purchased, Review, ROC Fantasy, Science-Fiction, time travel, Urban Fantasy  1 Person left their mark

House Immortal by Devon Monk

HOUSE IMMORTAL is a dystopian book like you've never seen before. It mixes science and politics wonderfully, and this futuristic world is so original, I have nothing to compare it to. The world is now separated in groups called Houses that govern things like water, agriculture, medical, technology, etc. Countries have ceased to exist and the world is led by eleven House leaders. I admit, the breakdown into groups like these is definitely something we've seen before. One can simply think of the Hunger Games or Divergent and think that it might have some similarities, but the concept is completely different. However, what truly makes this a novel original is the galvanized, a group of people from a failed experiment that have been turned into stitched up humans that are in essence, impossible to kill. They live forever because the experiment that was trying to manipulate time somehow offered them an unlimited amount of time to live out their lives, and turned them into immortals.

Immortality isn't a new concept and because as human beings, we're always trying to extend our lives, this book will appeal to many people even if they aren't fans of science fiction. Freedom is another powerful theme that people will be able to understand. The idea of being contracted out to someone or in this case a House, unable to choose what you will do with your life, is definitely a scary thought. I think the author did a wonderful job in showing us how this dystopian world is full of flaws, and how power and politics can turn your life upside down.

HOUSE IMMORTAL without a doubt pleases the science fiction nerd in me, but it also appeals to me for more simple reasons. For example, I sympathise with some of the characters, although they might not be human. Matilda, the newest galvanized, has been hiding out on her parent's farm her whole life, afraid to announce to the world that she's someone that's alive, only because she's literally been stitched back together with a special kind of thread. Although she want to see herself as a human, she describes herself as a monster, time and time again.

When she meets Abraham, a galvanized that has been alive for more than 300 years, her life is completely altered and for once in her life, she fears what the future might bring. She understands she cannot trust Abraham because he represents House Grey, the house that governs humans, but they form a bond that might just become something more than just friendship. It's this bond that convinces her to leave her farm and venture into the world in order to find out if her missing brother is safe and unable to contact her or if he's being held captive by a House leader. Neds is another wonderful character that might not be considered human because he's a mutant with two heads. Right Ned and Left Ned don't always see eye to eye, so their presence offers comic relief when they don't agree with what to do with their body.

Amazing and brilliant are words that comes to mind in order to describe this novel. HOUSE IMMORTAL might just end up being one of my favorite novels of 2014. The first in a series, I can only hope Devon Monk stays on top of her game and brings us an awesome sequel, and hopefully many more books after that. Honestly, this is the first book I've read from this author and if her other series are as wonderful as this one, I'm definitely going to check them out.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:55

 Adult, Devon Monk, Dystopian, House Immortal, Immortals, Penguin, Purchased, Review, ROC Fantasy, Science-Fiction  Leave your mark

Terminated by Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine never ceases to entertain me and this third book of her Revivialist series is no exception. It begins exactly where the previous book ended, with non-stop action and intrigue. Bryn and her gang friends are on the run, avoiding death and bullets from the Fontain Group, the group responsible for backing most of the funding for the creation of Returné, the drug that allows its users to more or less live forever.

Right from the beginning of this series, I simply fell for Rachel Caine's take on zombies. I mean these aren't your typical flesh eating zombies. Ok, so some are known to crave raw meat, but not to the point of becoming mindless feeding drones. They are free thinking beings with the ability of regenerating their bodies with the help of nanites, the real genius behind the drug Returné. The people "infected" with the nanites could be classified as dead because without them, they wouldn't be alive. Rachel Caine redefines what it means to be a zombie in this book, explaining it with science and technology. I'm a big science geek so this series holds a lot of appeal because of all these little scintific details. I love it because the author actual takes the time to explain how the zombie came to be, and it's not left to some mysterious virus or what not.

What really holds this story together is the quirky and original characters. Bryn is a strong female lead and despite her raw meat eating tendencies, she's definitely someone I would like to have around. Her quick thinking abilities make her a good partner to be on the run with, and her humour and sarcasm would simply make the adventure a fun one. Patrick, her sometimes lover is not present a lot in the first part of the book so when they come across each other once again, I was really happy because their complicated relationship is the type of relationship you love to read about. Especially when one of the people hunting them down happens to be Patrick's crazy ex-wife. Other major forces behind hunting down Bryn and her group of allies are an unknown bunch of financial backers. Not much is known about these mysterious antagonists. I think that's what makes it so frustrating, not knowing who Bryn is fighting except a group called the Fontain Group.

TERMINATED is a great way to finish a trilogy with a bang. Actually, I'm assuming it's the last book of the series, but if it's not, I would be really glad to read more about Bryn and company. You definitely don't want to miss this book of intruigue, action and will to survive. You'll never see zombies the same way again!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Penguin, Purchased, Rachel Caine, Review, Revivalist, ROC Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Zombies  1 Person left their mark