The Exodus Towers: By Jason Hough

THE EXODUS TOWERS

SUMMARY

The sudden appearance of a second space elevator in Brazil only deepens the mystery about the aliens who provided it: the Builders. Scavenger crew captain Skyler Luiken and brilliant scientist Dr. Tania Sharma have formed a colony around the new Elevator’s base, utilizing mobile towers to protect humans from the Builders’ plague. But they are soon under attack from a roving band of plague-immune soldiers. Cut off from the colony, Skyler must wage a one-man war against the new threat as well as murderous subhumans and thugs from Darwin—all while trying to solve the puzzle of the Builders’ master plan . . . before it’s too late for the last vestiges of humanity.

REVIEW

I think this could be one of my favorite new science fiction series.

The Exodus Towers takes place after the events of the Darwin Elevator and it doesn’t miss a beat before the action sets in. Between Tania dealing with the quickly shrinking supply of fresh air and water, Skyler barely avoiding getting killed by a psychotic group of immunes, to Sam having to survive and reorganize the Darwin underworld because a religious crime lord wants to make a power play and is holding her and Kelly hostage, Hough does a fantastic job of keeping the suspense and action going, no matter what part of the story readers are in.

And to top it all off these tense situations all the characters are in are only the starting points in this second installment of the Dire Earth series. Hough pushes the story along at a brisk pace, never allowing readers to get bored.

On top of that Hough has created a fantastic group of characters that readers will love. Skyler, Tania, Sam’s characters continue to get flushed out and get the limelight, even as new and surprising characters enter the story, including new immunes, old enemies, and shocking new friends.

All in all I loved The Exodus Towers. Between the nonstop action, the fantastic characters, and the heart stopping ending, not only will readers not be able to put this book down, but if this were the Dire Earth, then this series would be the thing people would pay through their teeth to get.

INFO

Publisher: Del Rey

Published: August 27, 2013

Price: $9.99

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Exodus-Towers-Dire-Earth-Cycle/dp/0345537149/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377588450&sr=1-1&keywords=the+exodus+towers

Chosen: By Benedict Jacka

CHOSEN

SUMMARY

Alex Verus is a diviner who can see probable futures—a talent that’s gotten him out of many a tough scrape. But this time, he may be in over his head. Alex was once apprenticed to a Dark mage, and in his service he did a lot of things he isn’t proud of.

As rumors swirl that his old master is coming back, Alex comes face to face with his misdeeds in the form of a young adept whose only goal is to get revenge. Alex has changed his life for the better, but he’s afraid of what his friends—including his apprentice, Luna—will think of his past. But if they’re going to put themselves at risk, they need to know exactly what kind of man they’re fighting for…

REVIEW

I really liked the first three books in the Alex Verus series. I thought they were full of action, had a great protagonist, and most importantly entertaining. But I have to say compared with this newest installment in the series, Chosen, the rest of the series were all flat and dull by comparison.

I don’t mean that to be an insult to the first three books, as I mentioned I really liked the Fated, Cursed, and Taken. What I mean by this is that that Chosen was just that good.

First off, Chosen has nonstop action going for it. We get to see Alex in action in what felt like every third chapter. On top of that we get to see Luna final strut her new magical skills and kick butt, heck even Sonder got into the fray a bit.

But what I found most impressive about Chosen was how well Benedict Jacka tied many of the events together from the previous three books and really started the larger story arc going. To get the larger story arc going Jacka introduces readers to Alex’s past. Readers are given the dirt on Alex’s dark roots as the events from his past come back to haunt him as a group of adepts attempt to hunt him down for the crimes he committed when he was younger. But most interesting about Alex’s roots are not that he has them, but in how his friends and others react to his past.

Of course on top of that Jacka also does a fantastic job of confounding the distinctions of dark mages and light mages as you get in the heads of some young dark mages (I wont say who because that would give it away) and you can see the reason they behave the way they do, as well as the corruption of the light mages through the Council.

All in all, I loved Chosen. It had action, a fantastic protagonist, was fast paced, and started a larger story arc going that left me craving more of the series. If you like urban fantasy or books that leave you eagerly awaiting the next in the series, then definitely check out Chosen.

INFO

Publisher: Ace

Published: August, 27, 2013

Price: $4.79

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Alex-Verus-Benedict-Jacka/dp/0425264920/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1377588063&sr=8-7&keywords=chosen

Terminated: By Rachel Caine

TERMINATED

SUMMARY

Already addicted to the pharmaceutical drug that keeps her body from decomposing, Bryn has to stop a secretive group of rich and powerful investors from eliminating the existing Returné addicts altogether. To ensure their plan to launch a new, military-grade strain of nanotech, the investors’ undead assassin—who just happens to be the ex-wife of Bryn’s lover Patrick—is on the hunt for anyone that stands in their way.

And while Bryn’s allies aren’t about to go down without a fight, the secret she’s been keeping threatens to put those closest to her in even more danger. Poised to become a monster that her own side—and her own lover—will have to trap and kill, Bryn needs to find the cure to have any hope of preserving the lives of her friends, and her own dwindling humanity…

REVIEW

When author Rachel Caine decides to do something, she does it with gusto. And that’s exactly what she’s done with her zombie series, The Revivalist.

In the first book in the series, Working Stiff, Caine introduced readers to her spin on the zombie novel. The premise: a pharmaceutical company created a drug that can bring people back from the dead… as long as the dead get their daily shots of the nanotech drug. The protagonist Bryn is infected (after she’s killed) and is forced to work for the company in order to get the nanotech drugs to keep her …undead. In the second book in the series, Two Weeks Notice, Bryn discovered the plot to use the drugs goes even further, including making a military version of the drug that supercharges the nanotech, allowing its users to become weapons that can’t be stopped or killed. Unfortunately this militarized version of the nanotech has a few side effects, including requiring high levels of meat on a pretty often basis, and the nanotech isn’t doesn’t discriminate where it’s from, even when it comes from humans, dead or alive. And if all that wasn’t bad enough, Bryn is infected with it.

Now, in Terminated Caine finishes her revivalist trilogy with a bang.

In Terminated Caine takes her already action packed series and ratchets it up a few dozen notches. Because Bryn is virtually unkillable, Caine tries to kill her in quite a few new and disturbing ways. Bryn is shot, burned, hit by a truck, beaten, and forced to dig through her own intestines. So if you’re the queasy sort, this book might be a bit much for you. But if you enjoy non-stop action and well placed tension, then I’d fully recommend this series.

Of course, Caine doesn’t just offer up blind action without also giving the readers some truly fascinating psychological drama as well. As Bryn’s condition continues to change, making her a threat to others, including her friends and lover, readers are given the chance to see inside Bryn’s head. Bryn’s inner struggle with what she is becoming and what she has done is really well done. Not only that but it is constantly shifting, and with the ever increasing timeline for the release of her nanotech, Caine does a fantastic job flushing it out.

All in all, I really liked this series and felt Caine did a great job with its ending. It’s very hard for authors to nail an ending, but Caine has done a fantastic job creating an ending that truly surprised me, while at the same time left me satisfied. If you’re looking for an interesting take on the zombie novel that has more action than you can shake a stick at, then look no further than Caine’s newest completed series, The Revivalist Series.

INFO

Publisher: Roc

Published: August 6, 2013

Price: $7.99

Link to Buy: http://www.amazon.com/Terminated-Revivalist-Novel-Rachel-Caine/dp/0451465156/ref=la_B001ILHJEA_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375891024&sr=1-9