#FearlessWomen Tour ~ The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal

Series: Lady Astronaut #2
Release date: August 21st 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Mary Robinette Kowal continues the grand sweep of alternate history laid out in The Calculating Stars, The Fated Sky looks forward to 1961, when mankind is well-established on the moon and looking forward to its next step: journeying to, and eventually colonizing, Mars.

Of course the noted Lady Astronaut Elma York would like to go, but could the International Aerospace Coalition ever stand the thought of putting a woman on such a potentially dangerous mission? Could Elma knowingly take the place of other astronauts who have been overlooked because of their race? And could she really leave behind her husband and the chance to start a family? This gripping look at the real conflicts behind a fantastical space race will put a new spin on our visions of what might have been.

~EXCERPT~

The thing about wearing a space suit on Earth is that it’s designed for lower gravity. Even being in the Neutral Buoyancy Lab’s pool didn’t change the fact that gravity pulled at me. Sure, it didn’t pull at the suit, but inside it, I slid around every time I changed orientation. As a woman, I was smaller than the men the suits had been designed for, so I had to wear padding around my hips to sort of wedge me in. This kept the air bubble surrounding me inside the suit distributed evenly, allowing me to move from horizontal to vertical over the course of the NBL run without fighting gravity. Without the padding, the air bubble acted like a giant beach ball, strapped to my stomach, always wanting to be pointed up to the surface. It made it difficult to roll any other way.

In truth, having an air bubble inside the suit wouldn’t be a problem in space, but the NBL was where people decided if you had what it took to do a spacewalk. So neither I nor any of the other women would complain. No, sir. Everything was splendid and we were happy to be in the pool.

I hung sideways in the water with the fiberglass shell digging into my armpit. My neck burned from holding my head up inside my helmet. My fingers ached from forcing my stiff gloves to close on the edge of the solar panel we were practicing “repairing.” With the suits pressurized to 4.9 psi above ambient pressure, every movement felt like working against a heavy-duty spring. It wasn’t exactly like working in a vacuum, but it gave us a sense of how exhausting it would be. A wrinkle in my glove felt like a metal wire across my knuckle as the pressure made it rigid. But if you asked me how I was doing, I would have been so very, very chipper.

About the Author

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of the historical fantasy novels Ghost Talkers and the five books in The Glamourist Histories series. She is also a multiple Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction has appeared in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov’s. Mary, a professional puppeteer, lives in Chicago with her husband Robert and over a dozen manual typewriters.

www.maryrobinettekowal.com

twitter.com/maryrobinette

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.” 

Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen will be a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories. 

Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) will be using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways beginning in May. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation – and get reading!

#FearlessWomen Tour ~ The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

Series: Lady Astronaut #1
Release date: July 3rd 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.

Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too.

Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

~EXCERPT~

“I’m helping Nathaniel figure out how big the meteorite was, and composition and . . .  The Chesapeake was steaming for three days. I could sort it out on my own, but . . . I thought there might be an existing equation for figuring out what temperature it would take to make a body of water that big steam.”

“Interesting . . .  Give me a sec.” Beyond him, I could hear the Teletype bringing in reports from weather stations around the world. “You’ve got the depth and volume of water, I assume?”

“Average depth twenty- one feet. Eighteen trillion gallons.”

“Okay. So . . .  during March, the Chesapeake Bay is around forty-four degrees. So we’d need a temperature change of 199.4 . . .” A drawer opened, and the timbre of his voice changed. I could picture him with the phone pressed between cheek and shoulder, brows creased as he worked the slide rule. His crutches would be leaning against the edge of his desk. His glasses would be down at the tip of his nose to help him focus better, and he’d have the corner of his lower lip tucked between his teeth, humming between muttered phrases. “. . . divided by water’s molar mass . . .  and that gives me 1.54E20 J of energy . . . hm-hmmm . . . Adding the two energies together . . . hmmm . . . 1.84E20 J of energy. You’d need . . . It would need to be approximately 518 degrees.”

“Thanks.” I swallowed at the number and tried not to betray how much it frightened me. “You could’ve just given me the formula.”

“What? And admit that my kid sister is better at math than I am?” He snorted. “Please. I have an ego.”

I could now plug the temperature into an equation that took the approximate angle of entry into account, and that should tell me generally what sort of composition we were looking at, based on what would heat to 518 degrees during passage through the air. It wouldn’t be precise, but it would be good enough for Nathaniel’s purposes.

About the Author

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of the historical fantasy novels Ghost Talkers and the five books in The Glamourist Histories series. She is also a multiple Hugo Award winner. Her short fiction has appeared in Uncanny, Tor.com, and Asimov’s. Mary, a professional puppeteer, lives in Chicago with her husband Robert and over a dozen manual typewriters.

www.maryrobinettekowal.com

twitter.com/maryrobinette

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.” 

Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen will be a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories. 

Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) will be using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways beginning in May. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation – and get reading!

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Vengeful by V.E. Schwab

Series: The Villains #2
Release date: September 25th 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Pre-order: Amazon
Add to TBR: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A super-powered collision of extraordinary minds and vengeful intentions—V. E. Schwab returns with the thrilling follow-up to Vicious.

Magneto and Professor X. Superman and Lex Luthor. Victor Vale and Eli Ever. Sydney and Serena Clarke. Great partnerships, now soured on the vine.

But Marcella Riggins needs no one. Flush from her brush with death, she’s finally gained the control she’s always sought—and will use her new-found power to bring the city of Merit to its knees. She’ll do whatever it takes, collecting her own sidekicks, and leveraging the two most infamous EOs, Victor Vale and Eli Ever, against each other once more.

With Marcella's rise, new enmities create opportunity--and the stage of Merit City will once again be set for a final, terrible reckoning.

About the Author

VICTORIA (V.E.) SCHWAB is the author of the NYT bestselling Shades of Magic series, as well as a number of MG and YA novels, including This Savage Song. She has been called "the heir to Diana Wynne Jones." Her dynamic work has caught the attention of major TV and film studios. Schwab has a Masters degree in Art History from the University of Edinburgh. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, but frequents Edinburgh.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Review & Blackout Poetry: Vicious by V.E. Schwab ~ #FearlessWomen

Series: The Villains #1

Re-elease Date: May 29th 2018
Publisher: Tor Teens
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis:
Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end? 

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

*Publisher provided the ebook via Netgalley for the tour. My review is honest and without bias.

REVIEW

Vicious has great writing and a very interesting concept in regards to the whole extraordinary abilities and the type of person you come back as after the transition. I was undoubtedly intrigued from start to finish and am looking forward to the second book since a certain person wasn't dealt with in the way I would have liked.

Getting into main characters and how I feel about them. Victor and Eli both had savage ways, in my opinion. Eli, of course, was the bigger monster, weaponizing his beliefs and using God as justification to be judge and jury over other extraordinary individuals. If he felt that deeply about it then he should have started with himself. Even writing about him irks me. And it wasn't even like he was this great person in the beginning. Eli always came off as self-righteous and conceited. And the things Victor had detected in his personality from the moment they became roommates and friends, developed immensely when Eli became EO and started on a mission to kill the others. 

Speaking of Victor, he had some shady ways about him too. I think these guys crossed paths because both had something inside similar to the other. Victor also had a messed up head. He had jealous ways and definitely wanted to become EO because Eli had achieved that. And I feel that a lot of the hurt and betrayal he felt went back to a certain girl between them and how the whole thing played out after Eli turned him in. But in spite of being vicious at times, Victor still had better control of himself and in the end, he was nothing like Eli. Yes, Sydney's character became more interesting to him once he'd realized her abilities. But that changed quickly and even though he didn't show it much, it was obvious he cared for the girl. She was like family, just like Mitch and how they connected. But in Eli's case, he cared for no one. I doubt he ever truly considered Victor as a friend. The only reason he kept Serena around was due to the fact that he was unable to tear himself from her, and her ability helped his horrible mission. In the end, she definitely deserved what she got, but like I mentioned before, Eli's fall wasn't as satisfying as I would have liked.

So for my final thoughts: a very intriguing story with a few supernatural and scientific moments here and there. Characters weren't perfect. There wasn't a clear hero and no one was without complications. And although I did appreciate all the details involving the background for each character and the frequent back and forth between past and present, the overflow made me feel a tad overwhelmed and the switch could get confusing if you're not staying sharp. However, I knew I had to just look past those issues and understand that they were necessary to the story in order to better understand these individuals: who they were before all this and why they were like that now. Plus, the concept of EOs and how they came to have their abilities was the most interesting part and not really like anything you've seen in movies or read about more. That was unique in a sense and rather refreshing. It left me wanting to learn more, so I am curious as to what happens next after that ending.  

~BLACKOUT POETRY~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

VICTORIA (V.E.) SCHWAB is the author of the NYT bestselling Shades of Magic series, as well as a number of MG and YA novels, including This Savage Song. She has been called "the heir to Diana Wynne Jones." Her dynamic work has caught the attention of major TV and film studios. Schwab has a Masters degree in Art History from the University of Edinburgh. She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, but frequents Edinburgh. 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.” 

Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen will be a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories. 

Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) will be using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways beginning in May. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation – and get reading!

#FearlessWomenTour ~ By Fire Above by Robyn Bennis

Series: Signal Airship #2
Release date: May 15th 2018
Publisher: Tor Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis:

By Fire Above is the rip-roaring new adventure in Robyn Bennis's Signal Airship military fantasy series that Patricia Briggs hails as “full of sass and terrific characters.”

"All's fair in love and war," according to airship captain Josette Dupre, until her hometown of Durum becomes occupied by the enemy and her mother a prisoner of war. Then it becomes, "Nothing's fair except bombing those Vins to high hell."

Before she can rescue her town, however, Josette must maneuver her way through the nest of overstuffed vipers that make up Garnia's military and royal leaders in order to drum up support. The foppish and mostly tolerated Mistral crew member Lord Bernat steps in to advise her, along with his very attractive older brother.

Between noble scheming, under-trained recruits, and supply shortages, Josette and the crew of the Mistral figure out a way to return to Durum—only to discover that when the homefront turns into the frontlines, things are more dangerous than they seem.

~EXCERPT~

Mistral still fell. There was nothing left to drop but the bref guns and the water ballast, and Josette wanted to reserve water ballast for landing. So she had hatchets distributed, and together with the deck crew hacked away the lines and supports holding the cannons, letting them fall, with the dearest hope that they’d land on someone soft.

With that dismal task finished, she called landing stations and had Jutes hand out knives. When Bernat took his, he blinked at it a few times and said, “Oh, thank you.”

“If you end up inside a bag after we’ve landed,” Josette said, “use that to cut your way out. Don’t tarry, or you’ll drown in the gas.”

He looked at her in disbelief, and then suddenly cried, “Why in hell do I come aboard this deathtrap?”

She smirked and looked forward. “Same reason as the rest of us do: irredeemable insanity.”

About the Author

Robyn Bennis has done research and development involving human gene expression, neural connectomics, cancer diagnostics, rapid flu testing, gene synthesis, genome sequencing, and systems integration. 

She wrote most of The Guns Above within sight of Hangar One at Moffett Airfield, which was once the West Coast home to one of America's largest airships, the USS Macon.

She currently resides in Madison, WI, where she has one cat, two careers, and an apartment full of dreams. 

according2robyn.blogspot.com 

twitter.com/According2Robyn

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will thrive here.” 

Highlighting major titles from bestselling authors V.E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors such as Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis, #FearlessWomen will be a coordinated social media celebration encouraging fans to start a dialogue about women in publishing, their worlds, their voices, and their unique stories. 

Tor Books’ handles across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@torbooks) will be using the hashtags #FearlessWomen (and #FearlessFantasy and #FearlessSF) to promote excerpts, exclusive content, quizzes and giveaways beginning in May. There will also be exclusive giveaways at BookCon, San Diego Comic-Con, and New York Comic Con. Follow Tor Books online, join the conversation – and get reading!

Review: Song of Blood & Stone by L. Penelope

Series: Earthsinger Chronicles #1
Release date: May 1st 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A treacherous, thrilling, epic fantasy about an outcast drawn into a war between two powerful rulers.

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I love the diversity of the characters (the cover model is beyond beautiful), and I like how some subject matters could be related to real life societal issues. For instance, the main character is mixed with both Elsira and Lagrimar and she doesn't necessarily fit in with either side. The place where she was born shuns her and Jasminda feels isolated, not only for being of both worlds but also for possessing Earthsong. Even her own relatives reject her, with the exception of one that has her own problems as well, and that can also be related to. 

There is also the aspect of power and leaders wanting to gain control at any cost, a refugee situation that is super heartfelt, and the issue of Jack hoping to be a great ruler that will gain the genuine support of his people and fellow political peers. Jack also struggled with matters of his heart; loving someone he's encouraged against and being told to choose another for the sake of his kingdom. 

So a lot of things were taking place and I liked the various layers. The whole concept of Earthsong and the overall story is different and rather refreshing. But my biggest issue was not fully understanding certain details about this world and some characters mentioned. Often times it would go right over my head and I'd find myself a bit lost. Another problem I had was with the majority of the focus being on romance and not so much on action or adventure, which I had initially thought the book was from that opening chapter and the bit of magic that came to play. But those issues aside, it still made an interesting tale and I liked how it ended for all involved.

About the Author

Leslye Penelope has been writing since she could hold a pen and loves getting lost in the worlds in her head. She is an award-winning author of fantasy and paranormal romance. 

She was born in the Bronx, just after the birth of hip hop, but left before she could acquire an accent. Equally left and right-brained, she studied Film at Howard University and minored in Computer Science. This led to a graduate degree in Multimedia and a career in website development. She's also an award-winning independent filmmaker, co-founded a literary magazine, and sometimes dreams in HTML. Leslye lives in Maryland with her husband and their furry dependents. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM

Review: Future Lost by Elizabeth Briggs

Series: Future Shock #3
Release date: April 3rd 2018
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It’s been a year since Elena and Adam were first recruited by Aether Corporation and six months since they destroyed the accelerator, finally putting an end to Project Chronos and their involvement with Aether. Now they’re trying to move on with their lives. Elena’s in college and Adam is working on making genicote, his cure for cancer, safe for the public.

But genicote has become a dangerous fixation for Adam. He’ll do anything to figure it out, and when he goes missing, Elena realizes that he’s done the unthinkable: he went to Aether for help with the cure. To Elena’s horror, she discovers that Aether has created a new accelerator. Adam betrayed her trust and has traveled into the future to find the fix for his cure, but he didn’t come back when he was supposed to. Desperate to find him, Elena decides to risk future shock and time travels once more.

This future is nothing like they’ve seen before. Someone has weaponized Adam’s cure and created a dangerous pandemic, leading to the destruction of civilization. If Elena can’t find Adam and stop this, everyone is at risk. And someone will do anything to keep her from succeeding.

*Publisher approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Future Lost had my emotions all over the place. I was switching between excitement and frustration. One minute I'm annoyed with Adam for still keeping secrets from Elena and acting foolishly when he's not even good at taking care of himself or helping anyone else for that matter. The next minute I'm upset with Elena for always being so tough and throwing blame around. It's also the third book and she's still struggling to trust others. Then again, Adam never made it easy for her. Whatever the case, this has been a thrill ride for me, this time-traveling trilogy, and while I did enjoy it, I'm happy that it has come to an end for the characters sake. They can finally move on from Vincent and everything to do with Aether and can find some speck of normalcy. 

That being said, I must say I do love where Elizabeth went with this book. Developing a darker future with a pandemic the travelers hadn't experienced before, and unraveling their somewhat peaceful lives in the present. It was evident things were going to start falling apart in the current time from the moment Adam did what he did at the beginning of the story. There was just too much information going back to Vincent and Aether, so it was a matter of time before someone decided to go ahead and abuse those futuristic developments without waiting that many years to do it. 

As for the identity of the person who hopped a ride back to the present and added to the chaos, I had guessed it right away, but that aspect of the story was still interesting in itself because Elena and Adam were kept busy in between trying to figure out how to prevent the horrible events of the future and keeping themselves and their friends safe. Although, it was easy to blame Adam for causing all that tragedy with the way he'd been obsessing over developing genicote. Perhaps if he'd taken his time instead of rushing the process, a lot of things wouldn't have transpired. But then again, if they hadn't taken that first trip in book one, maybe everything that happened afterward could have been avoided. Still, towards the end of the story, I understood Adam's intentions and looked at things from his perspective. He wholeheartedly wanted to help people and rid the world of this horrible disease. It wasn't his fault that evil people took something meant to heal and turned it into something so devastating. 

Overall, a great ending to this exciting trilogy. Once again, the writing is fluid with no lagging, keeping you interested from start to finish. I couldn't wait to see how things would work out and if all the travelers would be saved. And while their relationship had its complications, I still rooted for the love between Elena and Adam and I'm satisfied with how the author left things. If you haven't started this trilogy I recommend picking it up, especially if you're into Sci-Fi and time travel. You won't be disappointed.

About the Author
Elizabeth Briggs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Future Shock trilogy and the Chasing The Dream series. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Sociology, currently mentors teens in writing, and volunteers with a dog rescue group. Elizabeth lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack of fluffy dogs. 

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Review: Future Threat by Elizabeth Briggs

Series: Future Shock #2
Release date: March 1st 2017
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Six months ago Aether Corporation sent Elena, Adam, and three other recruits on a trip to the future where they brought back secret information--but not everyone made it back to the present alive. Now Elena's dealing with her survivor's guilt and trying to make her relationship with Adam work. All she knows for sure is that she's done with time travel and Aether Corporation.

But Aether's not done with her--or Adam, or fellow survivor Chris. The travelers on Aether's latest mission to the future have gone missing, and Elena and her friends are drafted into the rescue effort. They arrive in a future that's amazingly advanced, thanks to Aether Corporation's reverse-engineered technology. The mission has deadly consequences, though, and they return to the future to try to alter the course of events.

But the future is different yet again. Now every trip through time reveals new complications, and more lives lost--or never born. Elena and Adam must risk everything--including their relationship--to save their friends.

The second book in the New York Times bestselling Future Shock trilogy.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Future Threat is a great continuation to an exciting series. The story picks up with Elena trying to move on from what had happened during and after their first time travel but isn't doing too well with that. She's also still finding it hard to let go completely and trust in the love between her and Adam. And while I wasn't a complete fan of Adam in the first book, I did grow to like him and he's not too bad in this one either. 

Things get even more complex for the three remaining travelers when Aether comes out of the shadows to round them up. Although I guessed something else was going on with that rescue mission and wasn't too surprised when things took a turn for the worse, I had no idea the story would play out the way it did and was truly thrown by that ending.

Aside from the alternate futures and changing events, I liked the fact that Elizabeth kept the story pretty fast-paced. There's literally no time to lag because every second counts and if any is wasted, there's a huge chance mistakes could not be corrected. 

Living up to the excitement of the previous book, Future Threat keeps the intrigue going with the allure of seeing yourself years ahead and by the mystery of who the "villain" is that is causing things to turn ugly for each character. I also love how it almost seemed like they had to make a choice of who would be saved or which future they'd want for themselves. Such an interesting story. I'm definitely looking forward to the conclusion and what Elizabeth does next with these characters. 

About the Author

Elizabeth Briggs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Future Shock trilogy and the Chasing The Dream series. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Sociology, currently mentors teens in writing, and volunteers with a dog rescue group. Elizabeth lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack of fluffy dogs. 

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

Review: Arena (book #1) by Holly Jennings

Series: Arena #1
Release date: April 5th 2016
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Purchase: Amazon
Genre: Sci-Fi

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Every week, Kali Ling fights to the death on national TV. She s died hundreds of times. And it never gets easier...

The RAGE tournaments the Virtual Gaming League s elite competition where the best gamers in the world compete in a fight to the digital death. Every kill is broadcast to millions. Every player leads a life of ultimate fame, responsible only for entertaining the masses. 

And though their weapons and armor are digital, the pain is real. 

Chosen to be the first female captain in RAGE tournament history, Kali Ling is at the top of the world until one of her teammates overdoses. Now she s stuck trying to work with a hostile new teammate who s far more distracting than he should be. 

Between internal tensions and external pressures, Kali is on the brink of breaking. To change her life, she ll need to change the game. And the only way to revolutionize an industry as shadowy as the VGL is to fight from the inside.

*Received finished copy from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I've been wanting to read more sci-fi based novels lately, and Arena has satisfied that craving to an extent. I found the story quite interesting and unique. I loved the world building and the concept of skillful gamers in this virtual reality setting where they are able to compete as teams and fight for victory in battle-to-the-end tournaments. However, I feel I have to caution readers who can't stomach fighting scenes that are like a blood fest (severed heads and all). If you aren't a fan of such themes then this may be tough for you. But also keep in mind that outside of the arena, gamers deal with "real" issues brought on by going virtual so often, succumbing to the darker side of something that's supposed to be "fun". 

Kali Ling is this strong yet imperfect character. In the opening chapter, she falls to a new and what appears to be an unstoppable team in the arena. Kali's team loses their first fight and it seems everything is going downhill after that because they end up losing a team member as well. But before this happens, she receives an incredible opportunity: to be the first ever female to be captain of a team. Following the death of Nathan, it's on Kali to keep the team straight and in perfect condition in order to fight their way to the top of the RAGE tournaments. But the addition of a new team member makes it challenging, especially when he's so closed off to her. To make matters worse, Kali begins to experience the difficulties of what many gamers go through: an addiction to the arena. She's losing sight of what is real and becomes unable to balance the two worlds. 

Honestly, going into this story, I had the expectation it would be mostly about fighting and how advanced the world had gotten in regards to more interactive video gaming, with a lot of cool sci-fi terminology along the way. I had no idea there would be other aspects emphasizing on the far less desirable side of the arena. How it affects the mind and can leave gamers mentally twisted. And I liked that the author went in this direction because it gave me two sides. Yes, the arena is entertaining. After all, it's a new and incredible way of playing video games. I mean you literally train for this and actually put yourself into this world. It's certainly cool. But the effects of the virtual gaming league are pretty scary, and after losing a teammate, I never thought Kali would end up dealing with it too. Many times I wanted to shake her and tell her to get herself together. But like I said before, her character is strong, and with the help of a certain person and her renewed faith in Taoist philosophy, was able to recapture her hold on life and get her mind right and back into it. Still, even after she starts to snap back, I couldn't help but wonder how it's such a shame that even with all the advances made by this time, some things hadn't changed, in particularly, drug abuse.

In regards to the other characters, I liked the team members and the inclusion of diversity in the book. Aside from Hannah, Lily and Derek didn't really stand out to me in such a huge way. But then again, the parts that mainly held my interest are the battle scenes in the arena (cause I love fast-paced action) and the scenes in reality where Kali, and everyone else, are portrayed as individuals and not just as warriors. They're all still young adults dealing with real issues. 

Overall, great story with a fantastic premise. Loved the ending too, not just the final battle in the championship but also how much Kali has evolved since the start. Her growth shines through in the last chapter and now I'm looking forward to her next step and more of the arena.

    

About the Author
Holly Jennings is a self-proclaimed nerd and lover of all things geeky and weird. As the firstborn to a sports enthusiast, it was soon discovered that the only games she'd ever learn to master involved consoles and controllers. Her childhood was spent crushing virtual foes, racing on simulated tracks, and rescuing digital princesses. As a young adult, she fell in love with English class, speculative novels, and comic books, which inspired her to create stories of her own. Eventually, her passions converged and she started writing about the future of video games.

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