Review: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

Crossed by Ally Condie

Copy Courtesy of Penguin USA (Dutton)
Release Date: November 1, 2011

This is the second book in this series so this may contain some spoilers if you haven't read the first (Matched) yet. If you haven't yet, you can check out my review of the first book.

Summary
Cassia is out in the Outer Provinces in search of Ky. Ky is in the Outer Provinces being constantly bombarded by the Enemy. The two will journey through this new land, and mayhaps, if fate lines up just so, they will be able to find each other once more.

Commentary
There is a lyrical quality to Ally's writing which just sucks you in and makes you want to keep reading this book. It's just so beautiful that I can't help liking it, and it really makes the story go by without even realizing it.

There is lots more world-building in this second story, and it's woven into the character narration very naturally. While there will likely be only one more book in this series, I do hope there's more to discover yet.

My only real critique of this book is that there is somehow a lack of depth to what is going as though there weren't really strong emotions evoked even when the characters are in danger. Granted, I did worry for them so perhaps it wasn't that bad. I look forward to reading the next book ^.^

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu

Legend by Marie Lu

Copy Courtesy of Putnam Juvenile (Division of Penguin)
Release Date: November 29, 2011

Summary
June is a prodigy groomed for the highest echelons of the military. Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal. When Day is accused of killing June's brother, June sets out to bring Day down. Things though aren't all they seem to be in the Republic, and June's quest will change her perspective on everything.

Commentary
Yeah, yeah, I know, it's another dystopian book, but this one is pretty good. It's written in dual-narrative with alternating chapters between June and Day. Some people have said that the printing of the two characters with different colors is distracting, but I liked it since it was a very visual indicator of the switch between narrators.

Pacing was pretty quick although perhaps because of the moments each chapter ends at (lots of mini-cliff hangers) it didn't feel like it went too fast because you had to wait for the juicy parts even if only for a chapter. I also have a certain liking for child geniuses so even though they have a lot of talents and there may be cries of Mary Su and such, I enjoyed it because the premise for their many talents was established to my satisfaction.

It's light on the romance, which I liked although this may be disappointing to some, and the fleshing out of the world was sprinkled in throughout the book, which gave a sense of complexity without being overwhelmed with information. I, for one, am looking forward to the next book.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward

Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward

Summary
A neutrino star has made its way into our solar system, and on it live a race called the cheela. Because they move at the speed of neutrinos, a year of their life takes place in less than a minute of our time. This also means that their speed of evolution is incredible. From the time the humans notice the star, to our meeting with the cheela, and the brief time we talk to them, the evolution of the cheela is incredible. This book follows that evolution.

Commentary
Wow! Just, wow! What an incredibly thought provoking book. Each epoch of the cheela civilization is sketched in poignant vignettes, and we don't really stay with any one cheela for very long because we are spanning hundreds of millions of years in their evolution, but this journey is so great.

Forward manages to imbue each cheela we meet with just enough personality for a connection to be made as well as give us an overview how everything is changing even as the humans make their 'slow' way toward the inevitable meeting. It's tough to describe just how awesome this journey through time is. Imagine a time lapse video of a civilization in book form, but so much more poignant.

Now, there is quite a bit of science terminology at the beginning of the book, but for the most part if you don't understand, it doesn't matter for the story. Basically, don't let the fact that this is a hard sci-fi book stop you from enjoying the incredible journey it can take you on. Piece of advice though, the timestamps are very important for the story so pay attention to them.

Oh, also there is a sequel to this story, so even though this book is really awesome as a stand along, I will read the sequel at some point and post a review.

Star Rating: 5.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Copy Courtesy of Simon and Schuster
Already Published

Summary
Michael Vey has never fit in due in part to his Tourette's syndrome and also the constant moves he's had since he was younger. Michael, though, has power he can deliver very powerful electric shocks, and when the most popular girl in school reveals that she too has a special power, they accidentally alert a very powerful organization to their existence. One which will stop at nothing to control them.

Commentary
Ok, so the basics of this plot are very typical kind of mutant children (super-hero) and evil organizations, but the execution puts this story at the top of the heap. You might not think a lot about research for a book like this, but this author has done his homework from the thoughts and actions of someone with Tourette's to the mechanics of electricity in various situations.

Michael is bumbling at times, but he's got a lot of spunk which really made me want to cheer him on. Also, while there is a lot of information that he needs to convey about himself and his abilities, there is never a feeling that the author is just having an info-dump and plausibility be damned.

There is a secondary character called Ostin (pronounced Austin), who is incredibly endearing. He's a know-it-all and likes to spout off facts about everything, but instead of glossing over his lines with summaries, the author actually puts in the relevant facts that Ostin says. These little additions really built up the character and made him realistic despite the incredible claims on his intellect.

You NEED to read this book. It's got just the perfect mix of action, suspense, interpersonal relationships, and character building. I am eagerly (did I mention eagerly?) awaiting the next book in the series.

Star Rating: 4.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: The Falling Machine (The Society of Steam #1) by Andrew P. Mayer

The Falling Machine by Andrew P. Mayer

Copy Courtesy of Pyr Books
Already Published

Summary
Sarah's father is a member of the Paragons, a group of super heroes with steampunk weapons that fight off the bad guys, but when the leader of this group is assassinated in front of her, it may be up to Sarah and the Automaton (the leader's greatest creation, a robot with really good AI) to save the day. Of course, this is complicated by the fact that in her day and age, women are basically objects to be possessed by men.

Commentary
Ok, I will admit this book may seem slow at times (I was perfectly happy with the speed), but oh the steampunkery and sleuthing! I also love how the author keeps you guessing as to whether a character will be able to get out of a tough situation, and if they do, how on earth they did it without making the reader agonize for too long.

Despite the multiple points of views, each viewpoint was delineated by chapters and it is very clear from the beginning who you are following so I never lost track. There is a lot of male chauvinism in the book, but it was appropriate to the era this book was set in although I still wanted to smack some of the male characters.

I think this was a really good addition to the Steampunk genre even though it did end on a major cliff-hanger that really leaves you going noooooo I need answers! I'm looking forward to seeing what the author does with the next book (Hearts of Smoke and Steam).

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review:The Pearl Wars (Skyship Academy #1) by Nick James

The Pearl Wars by Nick James

Copy Courtesy of Flux
Release Date: September 8, 2011

Summary
Earth relies on the energy of the Pearls to survive after multiple cataclysmic attacks take place. Jesse is a rather inept Skyship Academy student, and Cassius is a much beloved Surface Pearlhound in training. When their paths cross, unexplained powers emerge, and well, the Pearls will take on a whole new meaning.

Commentary
I wanted to like this book because it promised to be a romance-light sci-fi/action heavy book. While it did deliver those parts of it, I didn't develop much of an emotional connection with Jesse or Cassius (the latter of whom had a very self-important, holier-than-thou attitude which made me want to smack him).

Jesse, I think, had more 'screen' time, and his motivations were better revealed. There just didn't seem to be enough back story and/or maybe it was just that he didn't seem to have anything that was important to him even while he's moving full speed toward his goal.

The premise was intriguing while the world-building was decent though not spectacular, but what I have perceived as weak characterization is perhaps a big part of why the revelations felt less poignant. Granted I thought Maze Runner (the author's book who is the prominent blurb-er for this one) was pretty weak on characterization too, and I'm guessing this one is supposed to appeal to that audience, so you may want to check it out for yourself.

Star Rating: 2.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Possession (Possession #1) by Elana Johnson

Possession by Elana Johnson

Copy Courtesy of Simon & Schuster
Already Published

Summary
Vi knows she shouldn't be kissing Zenn, but he is her match so it can't be all bad right? Then she is captured, and the Thinkers who rule wants her to join them in controlling society. Along the way she meets another inmate, Jag, who also makes her skin tingle.

Commentary
Ok, I'm really not sure whether the final version had significant revision or not, but I do hope it had some revision because this had some issues. This was another one of those books where I really was pulled in by the cover :(

Biggest issue I had was that the story jumped constantly. I really had no idea what was going on for a lot of the book because we would be somewhere and then suddenly we would be in Vi's head or Jag's head without any warning or indication or it would jump to a new scene with no transition. Because of this constant confusion, I also had a hard time following character growth because sometimes I wouldn't be able to remember who had thought or experienced what.

I'm sure the society was interesting, but much of it wasn't really explored. I also wasn't really able to immerse myself in it. Perhaps you will think differently (especially if there were more edits). Also, apologies for taking so long to actually write this review heh~~

Star Rating: 1.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Eden by Keary Taylor

Eden by Keary Taylor

Copy Courtesy of Keary Taylor
Already Released

Summary
The Fall, self-evolving tech took over almost all the humans in the world into robots. Eve doesn't know anything of the world before the Fall but she is working hard to keep her small enclave alive, but the Hunters (robots who used to be humans that are actively hunting down the remaining un-turned) are coming closer with each minute so she must fight for their survival.

Commentary
The fear of the machines taking over the humans has been around for a very long time, and this is yet one more story in that mix. I found this one to be lighter in nature and perhaps more fun because of it (not that I don't enjoy the grimmer versions).

There is a good amount of world-building although it doesn't get overwhelming since it comes in pieces. I do think that there was too much time spent on Eve's indecision between her two love interests, but I liked the way things turned out so I suppose I can't complain too much.

In some ways this book is reminiscent of many of the post-apocalyptic zombie novels that are prevalent now, but for some reason, I like robots better. This one definitely has its moments so you might consider picking it up.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

Check out prices for Eden at Amazon (The Kindle Edition is only $0.99)

Review: Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Summary
Jack is an independent contractor for Zara Corp. He scouts out locations for it to basically strip mine valuable resources from uninhabited planets. He gets caught up in a case when he discovers a species (the Fuzzies) which may be sentient on his current planet. If the Fuzzies are sentient, Zara Corp can no longer mine resources anymore from this planet anymore.

Commentary
This is a reboot of a different novel Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper, which I confess to not have read so this won't be a comparison review. I really like what Scalzi has done here. There is a lot of courtroom reparte that goes on, and I, at least, really enjoyed it (possibly because it was similar to political maneuvering).

Jack is kind of hard to pin down as a character, and I wasn't always sure of his motivations, which I kind of liked. It wasn't that he waffled around a lot, but it wasn't necessarily clear why he was doing certain things. The Fuzzies of course were a lot of fun to read.

The tone of the book was very Scalzi with wittiness and light moments although grounded in a lot of very believable science fiction. I think this will please a lot of Scalzi fans as well as non-fans as well.

Star Rating: 4.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Leviathan Wakes (Expanse #1) by James S. A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Copy Courtesy of Netgalley and Orbit
Already Published

Summary
The drumbeat of war is sounding between Mars, the Earth, and the outer colonies, a detective is looking for a girl, and an ice miner is on the run because no matter where he turns, death seems to be trying to catch him. These three events are somehow interconnected by a sinister plot.

Commentary
This is not a lighthearted read at all although there are what have been referred to as vomit zombies in this book and having them described that way somehow made the whole book less serious. This book is written from multiple points of view although it is never confusing as to which point of view you were on, which I really appreciated.

My favorite character was the detective. He had a lot of revelations about himself, and his personality was very engaging to follow. However, neither the detective nor any of the other characters ever really gave off a sense of hope, and while I'm not opposed to bleak, I'm not sure that the story was good enough to be worth the soul-sucking sensation that came with it.

I know there are a lot of people who enjoy bleak books (anyone who truly enjoyed The Way of Shadows may like that kind of sensation although this one is to a lesser degree) so I recommend it to you folks. As for me, I think I will pink up the next one, but perhaps not right away.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Bears, Recycling and Confusing Time Paradoxes by Greg X. Graves

Bears, Recycling and Confusing Time Paradoxes by Greg X. Graves

Copy Courtesy of 1889 Labs
Already Released

Summary
A collection of short stories which are meant to give moral guidance. They cover many situations such as how to recycle and what to do when you have a vampire suitor.

Commentary
Now, I like odd and weird books, but this one really just confused me. Each story was only a few pages long and had a moral of the story at the end. It seemed like the author was trying to write stories with advice that should have been funny in the context of the story but completely missed the boat and simply ended up with morals of the stories that had me scratching my head.

I will admit that there are a couple stories that managed to just barely hit the mark of funny in context, but the rest were so... bad that I almost didn't finish the book despite it only being 168 pages long.

I think the concept could have been very entertaining as the synopsis promised all sorts of strange and silly situations, but it just completely failed to deliver.

Star Rating: 1.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: The Quantum Thief (The Quantum Thief Trilogy #1) by Hannu Rajaniemi

The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi

Copy Courtesy of Tor Books
Already Released

Summary
Jean Le Flambeur is a thief with perhaps no equal except that he was caught, but then he was rescued by Mieli (she's mysterious). He now owes a debt to Mieli, but he must first find out who he, himself is, because before he was caught, Jean hid his own memory from himself.

Commentary
I am torn as to the actual rating I should give this book since it had moments of brilliance, but also moments of confusion. Granted, I think that if I read this book a second time it would make more sense.

The confusion mostly stems from 1) too many character viewpoints - there are over 5 different viewpoints we encounter in this book, and some of them are characters who we meet only once (although they are mentioned in passing later on) and 2) too many concepts introduced without any real explanation of what these concepts mean. We are introduced to 3 vastly different races and cultures each with their own terminology for things, and while this is a credit to the world building of the author, it is also very disorienting to read and follow for a good 50+ pages.

Of course the brilliance must also be noted, the world building, it's very extensive. Once I could wrap my head around what was going on with who and what, the concepts were a lot of fun to read about and imagine especially the idea that privacy was built into your senses so that if you didn't want to share what you looked like while in public, you would simply appear as a blur to everyone around you. The plot itself is woven out of many moving parts which come together really well and in quite unexpected ways.

So, this review is getting a bit long-winded, but I think The Quantum Thief is worth reading for those who enjoy hard sci-fi.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

Review: Camera Obscura (The Bookman Histories, #2) by Lavie Tidhar

Camera Obscura (The Bookman Histories, #2) by Lavie Tidhar

Copy Courtesy of NetGalley and Angry Robot Books
Already Released

Summary
A man has been murdered, and something has been stolen out of his stomach. Now, every government in the world is after that object. Lady de Winter must find out who the killer was and what they were after despite the Quiet Council (her employer) not telling her anything, but this quest may prove the end of her.

Commentary
This is another one of those weird feeling books although most of the weirdness seems to stem from its steampunk elements. It is also fairly gruesome so reader beware although it's no worse than The Hunger Games so if you were ok with that book, you'll be ok here.

The world created in this story has a lot of depth, but at the same time because the main character Lady de Winter is kept in the dark it also feels like there are mysterious holes in understanding the world. Also, because there are many different groups vying for the missing object, it feels like there should be a lot of political jockeying, but it's almost entirely missing since Lady de Winter goes into everything with guns blazing (or hoping that she could be shooting something).

I certainly enjoyed the worldbuilding parts of this story, and the weirdness was actually appealing to me. It was at times, however, confusing and perhaps missing some subtleties to the characterizations.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Vesper (Deviants #1) by Jeff Sampson

Vesper by Jeff Sampson

Summary
Emily Webb's story starts on the day a classmate called Emily Cooke is shot and killed when she suddenly develops an alternate personality and super powers. Is it the other Emily's ghost come to possess her or perhaps something more...

Commentary
This book flips back and forth between Emily sitting in an interrogation room, and her telling the story of why she's in that room. I find that books that do this back and forth flipping in time are fun to read since it builds the anticipation and gives various perspectives without having the reader follow multiple characters. So, I definitely enjoyed that part.

I think Emily's normal personality was too timid as a heroine while the alternate personality was too brazen although I suppose the contrast is supposed to give the reader a stark delineation of the two personalities. I feel that this left each of the personalities more simplistic, but I did enjoy the ride it took me on.

Also, the way the story plays out is somewhat unexpected, at least it was for me, which I think I've mentioned before is something I prefer ^.^ I'm looking forward to the next book although I hope Emily's character does develop some more depth.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Future Imperfect by K. Byer Reese

Future Imperfect by K. Byer Reese

Copy Courtesy of St. Martin's Griffin
Already Published

Summary
Ade can see the future, but only when he gets a concussion. Seeing the future gives him a sort of high, and he is definitely addicted until he meets the girl of his visions (and dreams). Now, what the future holds is getting darker and darker, and Ade must get to the bottom of things or he may lose everything.

Commentary
Perhaps the best description I can come up with for this book is weird. The visions which Ade gets often feel like he is tripping at least the way they are described in the book. I think the quality of these visions makes them a closer analogy to being on drugs and thus the addiction is a closer parallel.

The tone is generally pretty dark since the book is dealing with addictions. I'm not entirely sure there is a single "normal" character. All of them seem to have pretty egregious quirks, and it makes the book interesting but not necessarily very accessible as a mainstream read.

I did enjoy this book for the most part although there is a bit of fragmentation of the story as we follow Ade 'down the rabbit hole' as it were. This book is certainly not for everyone although if you read it from the perspective of the frightening implications of addiction, I feel like it portrays that well.

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: The Dead and the Gone (Last Survivors #2) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

*Note, this is the second in the Last Survivors series, but you can read them out of order. If you haven't heard of this series, check out my review of Life as We Knew It (which is the first book).

Summary
Alex Morales is 17 when the moon is knocked off its previous orbit. When his parents fail to come home, he is left to try and keep himself and his two sisters alive in the heart of New York City.

Commentary
Alex's situation is really tough. His family was quite poor to begin with so he must struggle constantly to find supplies, and he was pretty ill-prepared to begin with as he doesn't quite believe the news in the beginning. I think this added an even more desperate edge to his story.

The post-apocalyptic New York City is really wonderfully described, and I really enjoyed the continuing sense of decay as all the wealthy people are evacuated while the poor scrabble to survive or die since they have no good way to get out. Those who read it may be reminded of the aftermath of Katrina.

I really liked this second installment although I think the first one was better, so if you really had to choose, you should read that one. If you've read the first one, you should consider reading this one too ^.^

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Incarceron (Incarceron #1) by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Summary
Finn lives inside Incarceron, which is a prison that is alive and watches the inmates within. Even though escape is supposed to be impossible, Finn is trying to escape. There is also Claudia, she is the daughter of the Warden of Incareceron, and betrothed to the prince and heir to the realm. She has dreaded this union ever since the other prince and heir died in a tragic accident.

Commentary
This story had a lot of intriguing parts to it, but the individual pieces didn't fit together all that well. The story itself was pretty predictable, which definitely undermined the novelty of the story concept. There is also a dystopian element to this story although it isn't as compelling as some of the other dystopians out right now particularly because it really wasn't the main part of the story.

The personification of the prison was creepy in a good way and is perhaps one of the best aspects of the book. We get to see some parts of the prison and how a diverse culture has been built up within its walls, which I can definitely see the thought put into it, although there isn't a whole lot of depth to the different groups. I also thought the characters were somewhat shallow (not vanity more in a character development sense) because I couldn't sympathize with them much.

Incarceron is an interesting read, but the problem may be that it's trying to attack too many moving targets at once. The outcome is a book which I don't want to stop reading, but feels lacking in depth..

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Bumped (Bumped #1) by Megan McCafferty

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Copy Coutesy of Netgalley and Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 26, 2011

Summary
There is a virus that renders just about everyone over 18 sterile, which means the baby-making business is very lucrative for a smart, pretty teen like Melody. Until Harmony, her long lost twin sister, comes into her life and things get really complicated really quickly.

Commentary
Harmony chapters are basically a continuous ranting of a very deeply brainwashed cult member. While this is an interesting viewpoint, I was annoyed with its repetitiveness. Yes, she does some thinking about things, and there is some character development, but that development is shallow and very quick (in the time span of 1 day).

Melody is a similarly shallow character, who is highly intelligent, talks like a ditsy valley girl (her slang is changed to fit the world), and changes her mind about fundamental parts of her life in the span of a day. An example of a sentence "Wow, that dress was totally fertilicious I don't know why you're negging on it." After having to read this kind of dialogue for the entirety of the book, I wanted to chuck it out a window, but I read it on my Kindle which is not at fault and so should not have to bear the consequences of the bad books I read on it.

So, to summarize: 2 main characters that I can't stand and a story that is shallow and moves in an unrealistically quick manner. At least the premise was interesting.

Star Rating: 1.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Pathfinder (Serpent World #1) by Orson Scott Card

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

Summary
Rigg is special. It's not only that he and his father live by themselves off in the forest nor is it that his father teaches him about astronomy, finance, economics, political intrigue, and physics which are hardly useful topics for a life of fur trapping. No, Rigg is special because he sees the paths that all living creatures have taken, ever.

Commentary
If this were any other author, I think I might've given it a higher score. Card though, I hold to an entirely different standard because he has written some amazing books. This one, in comparison to his other works, is not quite as epic. You've got your standard smart kid, Card loves writing about unnaturally smart kids, and you have the double narratives which happens in a lot of Card books which gives depth to the story as a whole.

Standard though, for Card is still really good. His characters are interesting, and he comes up with novel scenarios for his characters to play in. No, it's not the standard parts of this book that are bad. It's the fact that I didn't react strongly to anything in the book. There were no scenes of immense emotion, which Card is so good at writing. Where were they Mr. Card? WHERE?! I say because I know you have them in your best books, and this one was lacking its moments.

Now, it's a perfectly good read although Card does like to have characters ramble on a bit and one up each other in battles of mental superiority, which to your reader who wants to just stop thinking, may be a bit much. So, despite my ranting, you should still read it because it's good just not Card at his most awesome.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

ARC borrowed from Debbie of Debbie's World of Books
Release: April 12, 2011

Summary
The world as we know it has ended. Deuce, who is now old enough to have a name, has become a Huntress to protect and feed her Enclave in the vast underground system which is just barely surviving. After her naming ceremony, she is partnered with Fade, a mysterious outsider to the Enclave and they are tasked with finding out why the Freaks (mutated mindless humanoids who eat any and all meat) are showing signs of intelligence.

Commentary
The story is not really a new one although Ann pulls off some interesting and mostly likable characters in Deuce and Fade. I enjoyed reading about Deuce in particular as she faces internal struggles between being a warrior who accepts losses and the human being who wants to save those she knows. Also, three cheers for a romance that grows rather than appears out of nowhere.

As for the world, we know that there was an apocalypse, but we are never told the details of how things came to be. A lot of the world is portrayed in broad stereotypes rather than delving into intricacies although we do meet several types of people along the way. In general there is an oversimplification of what could be a very complex landscapes. For example we have creatures who are likely mutations of human beings called Freaks of which there are really only 2 kinds, the new smart ones and the regular dumb ones.

Basically, I want more depth to the world that can support the depth found in the characters, more explanations of why things are the way they are, more evidence besides the changes in society that the world is different, and perhaps some of that will be found in the next novel. This was an interesting beginning, but it would not stand well on its own.

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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