Science Fiction |

Tag: Science Fiction (page 1 of 33)

BOOK REVIEW: Alpha (The Infinity Division #3) by Jus Accardo

Alpha (The Infinity Division #3)
by Jus Accardo
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks,
Book Depository
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Sera has no memory of her life before. Before captivity, before experiments, before the only lifeline she had was the voice of a boy in the cell next to hers. Before G.

G wishes he could forget everything before Sera brought him back to life. Forget his memories as a ruthless mercenary on an alternate version of Earth. Forget that he was part of an experiment simply known as Alpha.

Now on the run from their captors and in need of an antidote to save his life, G and Sera’s clock is ticking. And they’ll have to gamble everything on the bond they forged in captivity if they want to survive.

Review:

Alpha was the final book in The Infinity Division Trilogy and it ended with a bang! I loved watching all the loose ends get tied up and those I’ve come to care for get their happily ever afters. But it was a rough road get there. Heartache, redemption, sacrifice, lies and love filled the pages and at times everything seemed so unsure in this parallel dimension story. So if you’re interested in giving this series a try you definitely have to go back to book one, Infinity. Yes each book is about a different couple, but the stories and threads are all linked together. It was so much fun seeing it all come full circle and there’s a moment that takes us back to the beginning of this series, awww loved it!! So to finish up this trilogy, here are some of my favorite aspects:

“Dylan, everyone on every earth is breaking at some point or another.” I looked him dead in the eye. “Bad things happen to all of us. Horrible, life-altering things. It’s how we choose to deal with them that defines us.” – Sera

✮ Everlasting Love:

“I’m not going to kiss you again.” The statement was crystal clear; it was the delivery that lacked conviction. “I’m poison. Inside and out.”
“Then poison me,” I said. I brushed my lips to his again, this time slightly harder. He stayed absolutely still. I pulled away. “Do it so that I can show you I won’t break. I’m not fragile, G. I’m made of steel. You told me that, remember? I’m a fighter, so let me fight for you.”

I loved the idea that no matter what dimension you were in, there were always the constants in your life. And within those constants was that one true love. I loved KCade and Kori, then Noah and Ash and finally I got to swoon for G and Sera. We’ve known different versions of them on other dimensions and their true names are Dylan and Ava. But G and Sera faced the biggest hurdles and struggles yet. And as if that wasnt enough, they had Dylan after them, in different ways. But regardless of everything they were put through, their love stood strong and not only fought the test of time but dimensions too.

✮ Friendships That Span The Dimensions:

“G, take a deep breath. We’re here to help you.” Kori… She came around to stand in front of me . Her gaze flickered to something on my right, then back to me. “We’re your friends.”
Someone beyond my field of vision snorted. Had to be Noah. “Friends? Not sure I’d go that far,” he said. “But we won’t set you on fire or anything.”
There was an echoing ***thwap*—probably from Ash smacking the shit out of him— and a hiss.**

I loved how this group of six, could be found in almost every dimension. Their dynamic was a ton of fun and added so much to this series. So it made my heart happy that we seemed to gather the best of all of their selves into this rag tag kinda group. When they were together it definitely wasn’t easy, and not everyone was going to end up bffs, but still, it was so entertaining to watch them together. In this book I adored watching what happened between G and Cade. G was another Dylan, so the two of them were brothers in a sense, and I loved some of the moments they had together.

✮ Action!:

I screamed at night over the things Cora had done to me, but Dylan was right. The devil was standing at my back.
And he had Dylan’s face. – Sera

There was a ton of action and this book had that go, go, go feeling. But there was also moments where we got to breathe. Thank goodness because we had Cora after Sera and Ash, Dylan was after so much I can’t even talk about, G and Cade were trying to save Sera and then there’s also the projects we learned about in book 2. Oh my gosh, there was a lot going on. I’m happy I quickly skimmed some of my highlights from book 2, Omega, so that way I knew exactly where I stood before stepping into this book. BUT I never once felt lost or confused. The story and characters were extremely easy to follow and it made Alpha fly by super fast!

✮ That Ending:

She was the sun in my world, and I was simply a planet caught in her gravitational pull, helpless. Without her light, I would wither and die. – G

If you adore happily ever afters, then you’re going love the ending to this series. We got to see what happened and where their lives would lead with so many of our favorites. Did everyone get a HEA? Ummmm no lol. But that was bound to be expected and all I can say is that I’m ecstatic with how many epilogues we got at the back of the book.

“She was that for me,” Dylan said. He grinned, and for the first time since I’d met him, it was a genuine smile. “She was the only one who saw me. If you’re really that for him, don’t let go, because without you… Without you, he’ll just become me.”

I had a lot of fun reading this trilogy. It was unlike a lot of other books I have read but it had that chemistry and tension that I always crave when I pick up a book. So if you adore books that have complicated friendships and love interests, solid characters that stand out and a fun science fiction element then you should give this series a try. I will definitely be picking up other books by this author!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by Entangled Teen. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers), iBooks (click on titles) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Infinity #1 Review: Jen	Omega #2 Review: Jen	Alpha #3 Review: Jen

BOOK REVIEW: Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne

June 1, 2018 / Chelsea (Peril Please) / 1 Comment

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks,
Book Depository
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Stella Ainsley wants just one thing: to go somewhere—anywhere—else. Her home is a floundering spaceship that offers few prospects, having been orbiting an ice-encased Earth for two hundred years. When a private ship hires her as a governess, Stella jumps at the chance. The captain of the Rochester, nineteen-year-old Hugo Fairfax, is notorious throughout the fleet for being a moody recluse and a drunk. But with Stella he’s kind.

But the Rochester harbors secrets: Stella is certain someone is trying to kill Hugo, and the more she discovers, the more questions she has about his role in a conspiracy threatening the fleet.

**Many thanks to HMH Books for Young Readers for sending me an ARC. This in no way influenced my review-my opinions are my own**

This is one of those times where I emailed the publisher and didn’t expect any response-and I didn’t get one. Oh well, right? But then, one night when I had been having a bad day, I came home to the most exciting and unexpected package-this beauty of an arc. I knew I had to read it right away-and I’m so glad I did.

I just loved the two main characters so much. Especially, as many will probably agree, the captain. Hugo was absolutely breathtakingly adorable. Uncertain of himself, lonely, determined not to make the wrong decisions…but with a heart of gold and a quirky personality.

When Stella gets the job on his ship, he immediately has a connection to her. They begin to get closer, to hang out at their standing ‘reading appointments’ every night, and begin to form a bond that starts to ease the ache that being the captain of a ship brings.

I’ll admit he broke my heart quite a few times. You could tell when they were hanging out he was desperate for someone he could talk to, relate to, be friends with…she would try to read and he’d continue talking to her and..agh those were just my favorite parts. Adorable.

And I enjoyed the turmoil that extra guests on the ship brought-I LIKE jealousy. It’s just the BEST relationship jump starter [when it comes to books]. Come on now, I’m not THAT crazy-it may work in real life, but I certainly don’t go looking for it nor do I condone it.

But here I am…just searching for more to say past that. This book was pleasant, it was well-written, even (my biggest fear when it comes to asking for ARCs, because I like to know what I’m putting my neck on the line for). And here-I don’t regret asking for this book, I really don’t. But I do feel bad not just adoring it like I’ve seen-because I know that, likely, it’s just a matter of taste.

This book is a fun play on Jane Eyre. And it’s set in space. Now. See. I’m neither a fan of classical books, mostly Jane Austen, nor do I read many space books. Did this work for me? It did. I really devoured it. But did I obsess over it, pine for night time when I could curl up under the covers and read it? Did I think about it all day every day just counting down the minutes until I could be reconnected with it again? The answer, sad as it may be, is no.

I’m beginning to understand that perhaps I’m not a huge fan of books set in space-only a few really stand out to me as unforgettable…and, unfortunately, this isn’t one of them. I really really enjoyed it-that’s not a lie. But, like in EVERY book I read, when I needed a HARD push, a big, dramatic event that gets larger and larger as it chugs along, this book stayed relatively even.

Which really is a good thing, honestly-especially to most people. So it’s through no fault of the author or, if I’m speaking in a creepy way, any of the characters-it’s me. I just wanted a huge eruption and a certain end…and it didn’t go that way. *shrugs* What can I say? I’m picky.

And, perhaps, I wanted a denser writing style. For a story that was somewhat dark (well..it was very dark), the writing seemed light. Like maybe there should have been more of an edge, a sharper tone at times where, instead, there was a soft, pillowy feeling and the lack of an implication that anything TOO bad could happen. I can’t explain what I mean-I can’t. It was expertly written, to be sure. No errors to be found. Yet…I wanted or needed more, and I’m not sure what that means.

The addicting and heart-wrenching moments far outweighed the underwhelming, yet I find myself drawn to remembering the things that didn’t work for me. Maybe I wanted to love this [more] too much. Maybe I had too high of expectations because everyone else is loving it-and, again, maybe I’m just spoiled, because I had a lot of fun reading it and I really liked Hugo. I thought about him, separate from the book, frequently. But, without him, this book wouldn’t have been much to me-and that’s not really a good thing, is it?

BOOK REVIEW: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

May 25, 2018 / Chelsea (Peril Please) / 2 Comments

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Purchase on: Amazon,
Book Depository
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.

It’s not escaped my attention that this is an extremely popular book that has exploded on my feed for YEARS. I’ve always seen such wonderful sentiments and tons of 5 star ratings-so why did it take me so long to read, you ask? Well. I don’t know. And, for those of you wondering, NO-I am not reading this because of the upcoming movie. It might have REMINDED ME I had this on my iPad, but in no way do I choose to read stories just because they are being made into movies.

I loved our main character, Wade. He made this story worth coming back to, even after I had to take a break for a while to finish some other books. There was SO much 80’s/pop culture talk that I both got and didn’t get. Most of it was before my time. But I really enjoyed reading about all of it in this format because it felt close to home. I was born in 1989 so it was all on the cusp of what I know/grew up with-even so, it felt like nostalgia. I’m a nerd, but not so much so that I know every little pop culture reference or every piece of trivia-but I do know a lot.

Wade (obviously) breaks the mold when he is the first person to get the first key and clear the first gate. He becomes a phenomenon, someone who the people admire and adore…and public enemy number one. What follows is a grand chase to reach the end, a company that will not stop until they get what they want…and they don’t draw the line at murder.

I enjoyed Wade’s journey and the friends we get to know around him. And, I’m sorry, but I did love the little romance. It was just too cute and I loved how devoted he was to her…even though she was in a race for the egg, as well-and, did I mention, that the winner receives billions of dollars?

Fun, fast-paced, and addictive as all get out, I fell in love with this story. It had its moments I didn’t just geek out over, but it was such a fun book I didn’t even seem to care. To those of you on the fence, like I was, I suggest you read it. It’s worth it. But, just know, it is a lot of pop culture references and a lot of gaming gaming gaming-lots of terms I couldn’t begin to comprehend, as I’m not a computer whiz. But, if you get past all that, it’s truly an excellent story with a character you can’t help but to fall in love with and root for.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network #1) by Mary Ting

May 9, 2018 / Jen / 14 Comments

I loved every single minute of ISAN and it’s going down as one of my favorite books from this year! So check out my 5 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy!

BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY – ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network #1) by Mary Ting

ISAN (International Sensory Assassin Network #1)
by Mary Ting
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks,
Book Depository
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
THE WORLD HAS CHANGED.

SCIENTISTS WARNED IT WOULD HAPPEN.

Meteors devastated the Earth. World Governments developed plans to help surviving citizens. The United States disbanded and salvageable land was divided into four quadrants—North, South, East, and West—governed by The Remnant Council.

Struggling to survive, seventeen-year-old Ava ends up in juvenile detention, until she is selected for a new life—with a catch. She must be injected with an experimental serum. The results will be life changing. The serum will make her better. To receive the serum, Ava agrees to join a program controlled by ISAN, the International Sensory Assassin Network.

While on a training mission, she is abducted by a rebel group led by Rhett and told that not only does she have a history with him, but her entire past is a lie perpetuated by ISAN to ensure her compliance. Unsure of who to trust, Ava must decide if her strangely familiar and handsome captor is her enemy or her savior—and time is running out.

Review:

ISAN was an explosion of action and emotion and I loved every single moment of it! From that very first page, this book had me in it’s grip. I was addicted to the story and the characters, which made it impossible for me to put this book down. So if you’re a fan of dystopian, kick ass girls and a sprinkling of romance then you have to check out this book! Or even if you liked the Bourne movies (one of my favorite movies!), then you’ll probably enjoy this story as much as I did. ISAN is definitely going on my favorites list and I can’t recommend it enough!

My destiny had been set. They owned me. They would use me. I had no choice.

Right from the start we got brought into Ava’s world. As the story progressed, so did our understanding of everything. It all unfolded beautifully, but be patient because there were things even Ava didn’t understand. And we got to learn right along with her. Ava had found herself in juvenile detention when she was given a chance to join ISAN. ISAN was a secret organization that trained girls without much of a future, let alone any family, into killers. ISAN also used experimental drug on them to enhance their abilities. The girls constantly found themselves training with either simulations or tests. And their training was intense, page turning, and made me forget to breathe. I was completely consumed with what they were doing. But Ava started to question if ISAN was the better option. She was their killing machine and there was no way out.

I’m not giving up. This isn’t over. His words echoed in my mind.
Sniper haunted me while awake and in my dreams. My gut told me something wasn’t right. And the what ifs nagged at me. I shoved Sniper out of my mind.

I loved Ava with my whole heart and soul! She could be so selfless and I loved how smart she was. And I was impressed that she was able to see the bigger picture during their training and missions. She was born to be a leader. So Ava quickly earned my respect and her plight easily made me connect to her. But Ava was special since she could see a map in her head, no matter where they were. And as I started to have a firm grasp on the world Ava lived in, things started to happen. Strange messages from someone named Sniper started to appear on her TAB and a comment from a higher up made her pause. He acted as though she had done something in the past, yet Ava had no recollection of it. I felt as lost and confused as Ava during those moments, but I loved every single minute of it!

None of my planning mattered. When the door slid open, Rhett stood as if he knew I would be there. His eyes roamed intensely over my body, causing me to blush, and then landed on my hand with the syringe.
Crap.
Wearing an irresistibly sexy smirk, he planted his hands on either side of the doorway, muscles flexing, blocking me.
“Going somewhere?”

While out on a mission, Ava got abducted by Rhett. Rhett claimed he had a past with Ava, yet she had no clue what he was talking about. And while Ava questioned what she felt towards Rhett, I loved what little bit I knew about him. Rhett was protective and intense, but he continuously made me laugh and smile. And at the same time, my heart hurt so horribly for him. Rhett was tortured since Ava didn’t remember him. I even found myself with tears in my eyes during a few of those moments. But I kept holding out hope that Ava’s heart would find her way back to Rhett.

Without thinking, I reached for his hand and stood next to him under the night sky, under the stars and the moon. The universe joined us in a mesmerizing moment of awe. Nothing mattered. I drifted to another place and time where Rhett and I were a real couple, and I was not an assassin, but a simple girl.

So while Ava had created friendships back at ISAN, she also found herself trying to figure out how she fit in with Rhett and his crew. Well, if she even did. Ozzie was one of Rhett’s friends and he made me laugh so much. He was definitely one of my favorites! Ozzie added so much light, humor and the friendship he tried to establish with Ava warmed me to the tip of my toes. He was such an adorable guy! But back at ISAN she had Brooke and Tamara who were her friends. I have a huge guess about Brooke, but time will tell!! And while Ava and I adored both Brooke and Tamara, things happened with Rhett that made her second guess everything.

“….I’ll tell you this, no one in this world loves you as much as I do.” – Rhett to Ava

There is SO much more that I want to say and it’s going to kill me! But ISAN was the hugest surprise ever. I hoped that I would like this book, but I had no clue that I would fall head over heels in love with this story! So if you love action packed stories, strong friendships, being in the dark at times, kick ass girls, a boy with a tortured heart and a little bit of romance mixed in then definitely pick up this book. I am so excited to see what will happens next. It ended at a perfect spot, but my heart is begging for that next book to be released asap!!

PS I don’t care how hot Mitch was, I never liked him. Ha!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by Xpresso Book Tours. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

About Mary Ting:

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children’s chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK REVIEW – The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones #1) by Krista and Becca Ritchie

March 14, 2018 / Arielle / 9 Comments

The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones #1)
by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks,
Book Depository
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all odds.

Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.

Until the day she does.

Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.

Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.

With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

We found each other in the winter wood.
He threw his arms around me like I’d been his long-lost friend. I hugged him like I was meeting my soul again. There are some moments and some feelings that I can’t even explain. I’m a young man of medicine and science and logic, but the sentiments I wield for Mykal transcend all three.

Dang you guys this was good. I mean I don’t know why I ever was worried because I have read and loved just about every single other book by these ladies. BUT in my defense, they had never ventured into the world of YA before and that can be a much different thing than the romance that we had been used to up until this point. I can very happily say that I am here to announce their debut into the world of YA is a stunning one (and I hope you all think so too!)

“But what will I do until then?”
She smiled as bright and lovely as the smile she wore on her deathbed. “You will live Franny. You will live hard…” She cupped my face.“Fast.” She rested her forehead on mine. “And full.”

The first thing that deserves note is the genius plot. Our main characters Franny, Court, and Mykal live on a planet that is always cold (f that) and a society that is separated into three different classes called the Influentials, the Fast Trackers, and the Babes. When everyone is born, everyone receives a death day and based on how old you will be when you die, you are fitted into one of those categories. Influentials will live to an old age and are able to go to school and make a good living for themselves because they simply have the most time, Fast Trackers ususally only live to be about 29 and are therefore forced into the labor jobs that don’t take long to learn but usually live the fiercest, and Babes of course only get a few years and are love and cherished for as long as they can be.

“You keep saying that you make my life dismal and bleak. But my world never felt as bright, as worthwhile and full, until I met you.”

What I thought was the most interesting was that compared to other books/movies based on people who have a countdown to their death, these people enjoyed knowing. They each had their specific roles in life and found comfort in knowing when exactly they were going to die. I mean on one hand I get it because you would never have to worry about the unknown—you would never get sick enough or injured enough to die before that specific date. You could plan to live life to its very fullest in the allotted time you were given.

His smile stretches his cheeks like they’re my cheeks. I can’t stop feeling. Can’t stop starting. Gods bless that’s beautiful.

In the case of Court, Franny, and Mykal though, they dodged their death day and are somehow irrevocably bonded (literally) because of it. They can feel each other’s emotions, pain, tastes, etc. THIS is where I knew that the story would be solid right from the beginning. If those of you who have read this, haven’t read their other Calloway Sisters andAddicted series, you will have missed out on the AMAZING interactions they are able to portray between couples/friends/families in their books. You can never not feel the love, hate, hurt—any emotion on the spectrum. I don’t know what it is but their characters and their relationships are my favorite parts of their writing. I was worried about the possibility of a love triangle but it was for nothing. Court and Mykal do have a stronger and deeper emotional and physical connection (no secret, we see this right away) but the one they share with Franny becomes just as important. I really wonder how it all will play out, especially with ~certain~ revelations that come out at the very end of this first book.

I feel them. For the first time I realize they’ve been my strength, my hope, and they can be my peace. I just have to let them help me. And to do that, I need to grow the courage to speak.

The only part that people *might* not like is that these ladies don’t give us all of the information right away..on anything really. At first I didn’t have a concrete vision of the planet, what the different social structures were all about, or why these three dodged their death days and became connected when no one else has. You do gain this knowledge though as you go along and once I started to, I kind of like that we were kept in the dark at first. I mean, Franny was thrown for such a loop when she dodged her death day and I felt like we were there with her, learning about how Court and Mykal have lived like that for years and how she now had a possibility to begin a new life and maybe even see the stars in the process.

“You’ve stolen my heart, you little crook.”
His smile only stretches further and brighter. “My most valuable theft.”

I hope that everyone gives this a try and that they love it, I really do. I think this is going to be one kick ass series and I am already so in love with each character and so intrigued with what could possibly happen in the next book. That’s the only hard part about getting ARCs….not only do I have to wait for this to actually come out for everyone else, but it makes the wait for book two that much longer. SIGHHH. Oh well, it was more than worth it!

ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review. The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication. THANK YOU NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the chance to read this early.