Book Review: Desperation in Death (In Death #55) by J.D. Robb

Description:

New York, 2061: The place called the Pleasure Academy is a living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed. Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway who’d been imprisoned there, might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who’d hatched the escape plan. Mina was the more daring of the two—but they’d been equally desperate.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get away fast enough. Now Dorian is injured, terrified, and wandering the streets of New York, and Mina lies dead near the waterfront while Lt. Eve Dallas looks over the scene.

Mina’s expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas that she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking—and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits. Her billionaire husband, Roarke, may be able to help, considering his ties to the city’s ultra-rich. But Roarke is also worried about the effect this case is having on Dallas, as it brings a rage to the surface she can barely control. No matter what, she must keep her head clear--because above all, she is desperate for justice and to take down those who prey on and torment the innocent.


My Thoughts:

Fifty-five books and still this series does not get old. Some series get stale after a certain number of books but these I still race through. This series has some of my favorite characters from any books. I love the light moments that are sprinkled in to keep things from getting too dark. This one was a heavy one, especially since I have a thirteen year old daughter. But, as always, this was a satisfying read and I knew I could be confident that Dallas would prevail.

My Rating: *****    
Steam Factor: !!!


My Source: library

Where to get it:

Amazon | B&N | Audible


Where to find the author:

Website | Instagram| Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads

Review: Gathering Ashes by Michael Shean

Description:
Four years have passed since Bobbi January learned about the existence of the Yathi race and its plans for humanity. Since then, she ‘s become more than a career data thief or anticorporate provacateur - she’s the leader of a force of humans and reformed Yathi hosts dedicated to fighting the aliens wherever they can be found. Hers is a war fought in the dark, and like all wars, it has been costly. Friends have died, others have soured, and the rebellion that started out so strongly has broken into two embittered camps. When Bobbi is nearly killed by a surprise strike after a successful mission, it looks as though the Yathi may be the least of her problems.

Meanwhile, Thomas Walken, held prisoner by the Yathi since his capture six years previous, awakens. Escaping from an alien installation, he must grapple with a body - and perhaps a mind - that is not his own, and try to reclaim the humanity which the Yathi’s have so vigorously tried to scrub from his mind. Hunted by the Mother of Systems, he aims to reconnect with Bobbi, but will she accept him as a man, or denounce him as a creation of the enemy?

Packed with action, intrigue, and dark futuristic thrills, Gathering Ashes transports you to the very edge of a dangerously uncertain future.

My Thoughts:
This was a long one but still managed to leave me wanting more. This is the third book in the series and you definitely want to start from the beginning. There are some very compelling, complex characters. Bobbi is my favorite. We see a bit of her wit in this one, but mainly she is trying to keep her group together. She's a leader now and a good one. She wants to take out the Yathi, but she'll also do anything to keep her people safe. And now Tom Walken is back, which is great, but he's something else now, and he's having trouble coming to terms with it himself. Overall an exciting read with plenty of big, futuristic weapons, explosions, and deaths. I certainly hope to see the next book soon.


My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !
*Notes: Language, graphic gore.

My Source: Curiosity Quills


Where to get it:

Amazon


Where to find the author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook  | Goodreads

The Union by T.H. Hernandez - Blog Tour Excerpt

The Union Synopsis:

After global warming and a second civil war devastated the former United States, two different societies rose from the ashes – the Union, a towering high-tech utopia, hugging the perimeter of the continent, and the devastated, untamed midsection known as the Ruins.

Seventeen-year-old Evan Taylor has an easy, privileged life in the Union. What she doesn’t have is any idea what to do with the rest of her life. She only knows she wants to do something meaningful, to make a difference in the lives of others.

When she’s kidnapped and taken into the Ruins as a pawn in a dispute involving her boyfriend, Bryce, her ideal world is turned upside down. What she learns while in the Ruins shakes her faith in everything she’s ever known, from Bryce, to her family, and even the Union itself.

Now Evan must choose whether to stay with Cyrus, the sexy, resourceful survivor who believes she’s in the Ruins for a reason, or return to the only life she’s ever known. But when she stumbles upon a dangerous plot that threatens both worlds, her decision could tear her apart.

Excerpt:

The sun continues its relentless assent, turning the air from blistering to scorching. My muscles scream in protest, cramping my arms and legs. My throat is drier than the ground I stumble across, my stomach has long since given up on food, and I’m scared as hell.

When I reach the top, I pull up in the shade of a large boulder and sit, resting my head on the rock. My eyes close and vivid images bombard me in that place between waking and dreaming.

A rattling sound startles me, and my eyes fly open, scanning the area. A beige snake with black markings is coiled a few feet from me with its head and long neck up.

Neither the snake nor I move as blood rushes through my ears at a manic pace. My brain is encouraging me to run at the same time instinct tells me not to. The snake and I watch each other and the only movement is the snake’s quivering tail.

I blow out a short breath. “I won’t beat you senseless with a rock if you don’t bite me. Deal?”

It doesn’t answer, only flicks that stupid tail the way my sisters’ cats do when they believe they’ve been annoyed beyond reason.

Fighting the urge to bolt, I scoot away from the snake on my hands and feet, crab-style, putting the boulder between us. When I’m on the other side, I scramble up, turn and run, my feet slipping on rocks as I go.

T.H. Hernandez Bio:

When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside my head, I live in San Diego, California, with one husband, three children, two cats, and one dog. In addition to my day job as a technical writer and editor, I write young adult fiction. I love the intensity of teen emotions and the way they're still figuring out life.

When I'm not writing, you can find me with my nose in a book, hanging out with family and friends, hiking, or knitting. I'm obsessed with Facebook, young adult novels, bad lip reading videos, pumpkin spice lattes, microbrewed beers, and the San Diego Chargers.

Buy Links:

Amazon | The Union Goodreads

Links:

Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Author Amazon Page

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Blog Tour Schedule:

November 18

Coffee Books & Art         Guest Post

101 Ways to Make Love to a Spoon        Excerpt

Her Book Thoughts                       Review

QueenMarkedBookOblivion       Review

Gaga Over Books                           Review

November 19

KindleObsessed                            Review

Reading Addict                Excerpt

Dirty Laundry Review     Review

Siren's Secret Spot          Excerpt

Sincerely, Annie                             Interview

November 20

mustreadbooksordie     Excerpt

Coffee Books & Art         Guest Post

The Readers Corner       Review

November 21

bookshores                      Review

Typical Distractions        Review

Word to Dreams                           Review

November 22

JeanzBookReadNReview             Dreamcast

Bibliophile Mystery                       Excerpt

SnoopyDoo's Book Reviews        Excerpt

People Like Books           Review

November 23

One Last Page Book Blog             Excerpt

Star-Crossed Book Blog               Review

The Caffeinated Booknerd          Excerpt

November 24

Book Reader Chronicles                             Review

Reading Away  The Days             Playlist

November 25

Addicted Souls                Review

Random Redheaded Ramblings Review

November 26

WiLoveBooks                   Excerpt

Tara! Let's Be Happy      Review

November 27

bookshelf dreaming       Review

Contagious Reads           Review

November 28

Ceres books world         Review

Books Need TLC                             Playlist

November 29

Behind Closed Covers    Review

Vera is Reading               Excerpt

November 30

LuLo Fangirl       Review

Book Lovin' Mamas        Review

December 1

Lis les Livres                     Excerpt

Mixed Emotions Book Blog         Interview

Sit Back And Get Cozy    Review

December 2

StarAngels Reviews        Review

InkBerry Books Review

Mixed Emotions Book Blog         Excerpt

Review: Ordinance 93 by L. Fabry

Description:
With the blessing of the 55th President of the United States, the newly formed Office of Familial Equality promises to end all the nation’s problems including poverty and illness with the Family Protection Act. The only catch is all pregnancies must be registered and approved.

All eyes turn to the first person to break the law, Justin Winters, an electrician suddenly turned subject of national attention. Joining him in the escape are the women known only as Spring, Summer, and Fall as they work together to run from the bureaucracy and national spotlight that pursues them.

Once the secretary of the OFE learns Winters has tested positive for causing multiple unregistered pregnancies, he comes after him full force, as the future of the Act rests upon if and how Winters and the women are brought in. Their successful defiance would lead to more defectors, their capture providing an opportunity to make an example of them all.

With little more than the clothes on their backs, the four set off on a quest for freedom and to keep the identity of the mother a secret. Most of all, they are running from an ordinance in the law which threatens what they hold most dear.

My Thoughts:
An interesting look at what happens with too much government control. A new law goes into effect requiring all pregnancies to be registered and approved and four people attempt to escape in order to get around it. It is an interesting story with a bit of mystery as you try to piece together the puzzle of why these people decided to break the law and you get to know them. There is also suspense as the government attempts to track them down to make an example of them. We see a futuristic society with many rules and everything is regulated. This is an enjoyable read that makes you think.


My Rating: ****
Steam Factor: !

My Source: author


Where to get it:

Amazon | B&N


Where to find the author:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+

Teaser Tuesday - Run by Eve Vaughn

Title: Run 

Author: Eve Vaughn 

Genre: Dark Romance, Futuristic, Multicultural 

Release Date: September, 2014

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

 

Review: Redeye by Michael Shean

Redeye (Wonderland Cycle #2) by Michael Shean

Description:
Two years have passed since Agent Thomas Walken and Bobbi January found themselves at the heart of a conspiracy of unimaginable greed and cruelty. The Genefex Corporation remains shrouded in mystery, and Bobbi faces a life of unanswered questions and mounting disillusionment to look forward to. But when she receives a mysterious message from one of Walken’s former comrades, she is drawn back onto the trail. Now, Bobbi will find herself newly equipped to discover the truth – about Walken, about Genefex and the Yathi race – and the key to unlocking those secrets rests in the hands of a cyborg terrorist known only as Redeye.

But the road to truth will be a dangerous one, from the glamour of Seattle’s ultramodern core to the sprawling wastelands of the Old City and beyond. Alongside a band of lethal comrades, Bobbi will face death and worse amidst urban rot, abandoned subway tunnels, and ultimately the nightmarish halls of the Yathi themselves in a race to stave off what may prove to be the death of humanity itself. Drenched in blood and neon, Redeye is a tale of humanity on the edge of a new and terrible reality.

My Thoughts:
First of all, if you haven't read Shadow of a Dead Star (reviewed here), do it. You'll thank me. It is book 1 in the Wonderland series. I was blown away by the ending and was left wanting the next book. I was not disappointed. Redeye follows Bobbi January, who was my favorite character from the first book. It is a whole new perspective. She has some hacking skills that come in very handy as she attempts to figure out just what is going on and follows the trail that she finds. As dark, gritty, and gory as the first, this book is full of action, and twists that keep you guessing. And again, I want the next book right now!

Bone Wires is set in the same world, but is a standalone. I highly recommend that one as well.

My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !
*Notes: Profanity, gore.

My Source: author

Where to get it:



Where to find the author:
Website

Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Review: Shadow of a Dead Star by Michael Shean

Shadow of a Dead Star by Michael Shean

Description:
Seattle, 2078. The future hasn't been kind to the spirit of humanity; commercial obsession and technological fetishism rules the day, religion and belief has died screaming in the fires of war, and what remains is moral decrepitude. Life in the future is hard on the soul.

As an agent of the Industrial Security Bureau, Thomas Walken knows that better than anyone. His job is to keep the worst kind of black-market technology out of the hands of citizens, technology born out of the shadowy nation nicknamed Wonderland. But the kind of fantasies that come out of that place aren't for the good people of the world. Wonderland technology is like black magic made real.

Walken's newest assignment starts out simply: intercept a smuggled shipment of Princess Dolls, little girls turned into sex toys, and bring them into custody. But when the girls are hijacked from federal custody and Walken gives chase, he finds a trail of bodies in their wake. Before he's through, Walken will find himself confronted revelations that will answer every question that the troubled lawman has ever had about himself and the world he lives in - but his mind and soul may not survive it.

A dark, brooding piece of future noir, SHADOW OF A DEAD STAR will take you down the rabbit hole on a ride you won't soon forget.

My Thoughts:
I've had this on the TBR list since I read Bone Wires (reviewed here), which was fantastic. It is set in the same world as Shadow of a Dead Star, but is a standalone. I'm glad I waited for this one because the sequel doesn't come out until April. And I want it right now.
This is dark, gritty, futuristic sci-fi. A fast-paced detective thriller set in a dystopian future. The scary part is that it seems so plausible. The story just pulled me in so that I could not stop reading and I was completely blown away by the ending. Can't wait to see what direction the next book takes.

My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !!!!
*Notes: The gore is very detailed.

My Source: author

Where to get it:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Where to find the author:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Review: Zeus, Inc. by Robin Burks

Zeus, Inc. by Robin Burks

Description:
50 years ago, Zeus, Inc., and its CEO, the mysterious Joseph Brentwood, saved the world from a major energy crisis by discovering a new unlimited energy resource. Now, in 2069, Mr. Brentwood has gone missing and private eye Alex Grosjean has been hired to find him by his daughter (and Alex's best friend), Aleisha.

Black-outs begin to occur all over the world and somehow Alex believes it's tied to Mr. Brentwood's disappearance. Her search leads her through her own murky past and into the fantastical depths of Hell itself, where she discovers that Mr. Brentwood is not who or what he seems to be.

With the help of an otherworldly man named Pip, Alex must save both Mr. Brentwood and the world. But will she be able to face her own guilty past in order to do it?

My Thoughts:
Zeus, Inc. starts off as a futuristic private investigator story. As Alex investigates the disappearance of her best friend's father, she finds herself in over her head. I thought the supernatural twist was fantastic. There was one detail that was nagging at me at the end of the story, but maybe it will be clearer in the next book. I like Alex and I look forward to reading her further adventures.

My Rating: ****
Steam Factor: !!!
*Notes: Strong language.

Where to get it:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
iTunes

Where to find the author:
Robin Burks
Twitter
Facebook
Google+

Review: Bone Wires by Michael Shean

Bone Wires by Michael Shean

Description:
In the wasteland of commercial culture that is future America, police are operated not by government but by private companies. In Seattle, that role is filled by Civil Protection, and Daniel Gray is a detective in Homicide Solutions. What used to be considered an important – even glamorous – department for public police is very different for the corporate species, and Gray finds himself stuck in a dead end job.

That is, until the Spine Thief arrives.

When a serial killer begins harvesting the spinal tissue of corporate employees all over the city, Detective Gray finds himself plunged into the first truly major case of his career. Caught in a dangerous mix of murder, betrayal and conflicting corporate interest, Gray will find himself not only matching wits with a diabolical murderer but grapple with his growing doubt toward his employers in the dawning months of the American tricentennial. A thrilling mystery set in the same world as the Wonderland Cycle, Bone Wires is a grim trip into the streets of the empty future.

My Thoughts:
This book has everything you could want in a futuristic crime thriller. The characters are well-developed and flawed. The futuristic world pulls you in and gives you a glimpse of what could be. The plot had plenty of twists and kept me guessing until the end. If you enjoy a story that is dark and gritty, this is an engrossing read that you won't want to put down.

My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !!
*Notes: Strong language, graphic violence.

Where to get it:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Where to find the author:
Michael Shean
Twitter
Facebook