Tag: Science Fiction (Page 21 of 38)

BOOK REVIEW: This is Not a Test (This is Not a Test #1) by Courtney Summers

February 16, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

This is Not a Test (This is Not a Test #1)
by Courtney Summers
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

I am so sad.

I am so sad it makes me heavier than the sum of my parts. I shift, restless, but it doesn’t help. It’s like-time. All this time in here is on me, has its hooks in me. Maybe if I sleep more, I’ll wake up and I’ll feel different, but I can’t. The storm is really happening now and it makes the room feel emptier. Makes me feel emptier.

Okay, okay so…..I had some SERIOUS doubts on this one. Not because I don’t trust my wonderful Alien friend (Anna), and not because I don’t love dystopian anymore. No, I had doubts because I haven’t read a dystopian in what feels like forever-hell, I can’t even name the last one I read because I don’t remember. This is my favorite genre and I haven’t read one in what feels like an eternity. But facts are facts: Excellent dystopians are rare. There is only so much disappointment a person can take, and when you continually see fail after fail, you begin to hold out for that one special book that will make you fall head over heels in love with the genre that stole your heart before. This is that book. This is the book that had me reading at every opportunity, even at the expense of not eating. This is the book that felt so real, so dark, that it touched me on a visceral level. No fluff. No excuses. No one safe. That…is the definition of an excellent dystopian.

My body wants to stop.
Thud. I end up on my knees. I’m dripping with sweat and my stomach is churning and the sound I heard was not the sound of myself falling and landing but-thud.
I turn my head to the exit.
Thud.

I fear I won’t be able to say enough to express how wonderful and refreshing this story was. And I never would have guessed, either. Zombies? Pass. But a story that instills the fear of them watching you, waiting for you, wanting to eat you…without actually seeing them every five pages? Mother, may I? For real. This was everything I didn’t hope for and more. That’s right-I had ZERO expectations going in and figured this one wouldn’t be for me. After all, I’m just so damn picky about my favorite genres. When that first thud. Thud. THUD. happened I about lost my shit-they were practically tearing down the doors…but we didn’t have to see them. Their shelter was surrounded, but we didn’t see the grotesque assholes in the windows or clawing all over our not-so-perfect cast of characters. No….Summers just placed a pin in that fear. She made you fear the moment that one would get in. She made you ponder if that school was closed up tight enough. She placed a little nugget of doubt about the morality of the main characters. After all, a scorned human being is more dangerous than any loaded gun, right?

The world breaks into a million pieces and comes back together just as quickly but it comes back together wrong. The picture is wrong. Upside down, awful.

And this leads me to our ~~deplorable~~ cast of ~~survivors~~ characters. What do you get when you are stuck in an abandoned school with a brother and sister who are devastated by a tragic turn of events, the person they blame, a boy who cries about anything and would switch loyalties in a minute, a girl who’s circumstances have pushed her to feel as if she doesn’t want to fight anymore, and a boy who’s….well….ummm perfect?! Okay, the last one is a lie but I LOVED him. So, what do you get? A huge MESS is what you get. Bare trust, pencil thin alliances, explosive fights, and a whole lot of hormones.

I pull at a strand of my hair. I want to rip it out. I want to climb onto the roof and throw myself off it. I want to bash my head against the mirror until it breaks.

Sloane was our main character. She lived alone with her father after her sister ~~abandoned~~ left, and he has became even more abusive than before-and it was all centered on her. When her sister left her, she lost the will to live, the need to fight, the gumption to go on. But after the zombie virus begins, she stumbles across ‘friends’ from school who grab her and bring her with them in their mad dash to survive. This went against all her plans to just lay down and let the zombies have her. This went against her suicide plan. This went against everything she had planned….and so did he.

I turn my face away from him. He’s right. Who cares. Maybe I’m infected. I try to listen to what’s happening inside me. If there’s any part of me that’s dying and becoming more rotten but more purposeful than what I am now.

Aghhhhh Rhys! I LOVE YOU! And, ya know, there wasn’t anything particularly special about him. He’s just an average boy who gets as scared as anyone else. But there are these moments where he shows immense protectiveness for Sloane. These shining moments where he singles her out and takes care of her more than others. These beautiful, wonderful, amazing moments where he begs her to just live…and stay with him.

We’ll make movies about it, hundreds of movies, and in every one of them, we’ll be the heroes and the love interests and best friends and winners and we’ll watch these movies until we are so far removed from our own history, we’ll forget how it really felt to be here.

Now, I am TOTALLY going to step on Anna’s toes and steal some of her words-because she said it best. I think the reason I loved this book so much was because of the characters. They were all so real. Their reactions, their emotions, their ANGER. It resonated deep within me and I felt their turmoil deep inside. I’d blame. I’d shout. I’d cry a ton. I’m a Grade A wuss! They were mean, sometimes cruel, and they forgave no one. This…this is the reality of the nasty world we live in. People won’t forgive just because you’re sorry. Sorry doesn’t fucking cut it when lives are at stake. And the truth of the matter is, their reactions were candid. No faking, lots of un-truths, and quite a few betrayals. The sad thing about me? I kind of loved the one who might or might not have cost some lives. Sue me.

He tries again. “If you’re staying, I want you to stay with me.” I want so badly to ask him why, why he thinks he needs me, but he continues. “If you’re not staying…if you’re going to go through with it, wait until we’re out of your way. I couldn’t stand to see it.”
“Okay,” I say.
“I really hope I don’t see it, Sloane,” he says softly. “I really hope you wake up.”
He hesitates and then he brings his hand to the crook of my elbow. He presses his lips against the side of my mouth and my heart recoils because for all its gentleness, it hurts.

Okay so I’ll wrap this up, because guess what?? I’m leaving because it’s snowing like crazy!! I could say a million more things, but I think the truth is in the words-the writing speaks for itself. It’s raw. It’s gritty. Not everyone makes it. And it’s a harsh, cruel reality. I wish I could go on and on and on and on….but there is only so much I can say before I start to give things away. If you aren’t sure about dystopians, if you don’t like zombies but are willing to give them another shot, if you’re on the fence at all, about anything to do with this story, read it. It’s amazing. And I am so damn glad I decided to read it. That just goes to show that there is still a chance to make these novels amazing. They can still be harsh and have a little romance and still be amazingly blunt and well-written. I cannot wait to read the novella….I hope it is equally amazing as this book, but if it’s only a fraction as good, I’ll still die happy.

BOOK REVIEW – Saga, Volume 2 (Saga #7-12) by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

February 12, 2015 / Anna

Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and horrific monsters, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her strangest adventure yet... grandparents.

Mesdames et Messieurs, I’m pleased to announce that… this awesomeness of a book is my first 5-stars rating for a graphic novel! Prepare yourself for the love!

✭ Remember how I was amazed by the storyline of the first Volume? Scratch that : this one is even better. That’s simple, we never seem to be able to breathe the whole time and the alternative POV bring more tension to the story, until we just can’t put it down. Moreover, Hazel’s narration, slightly ironic, allows us to see things differently – to produce a more complete picture of the consequences of those actions. I’m not going to lie, her comments cracked me up. Oh! And we get to learn how Marco and Alana met! How awesome is that?

✭ What can I say? I’m in love with these characters. First, Alana. Oh, this wingy could be my BBF : she’s funny, brave, fierce, yet she loses her confidence sometimes (what? Create a belly button can be scary!) but never let someone belittle herself and the choices she made. As for Marko, well, is it bad if I’m a step away from adding him in my book boyfriend list? I know, I know, horns and all that stuff, but I can’t help, he’s all kind of adorable, naturally charming, and I found myself swooning more often than not. Yep. Swooning. If I had a couple of hours to write this review (which I don’t), I’d add words and words to describe how much I enjoyed following Isabelle (best babysitter ever), The Will, his tentacles partner… But the only thing you need to know is the fact that there isn’t any useless character, as they all bring something fascinating to the story.

✭ Let’s talk about my favorite moments, shall we? → Don’t get fooled, the numbers here do not correspond to a rank or something like that : I’m fully unable to do something as accurate as a ranking, duh.

1) Let’s spread the love with the meet-cute

2) Feel the urge to kill this Lying cat.

3) The reading scenes : yes, I’m a romantic like that.

4) Of course, the belly-button.

5) Sexy Alana rocks. You know what I’m talking about.

6) The crazy mouse doctor. I can’t even explain clearly why I couldn’t stop laughing, but well, I couldn’t.

Well. I have to stop here otherwise I’ll tell you the entire story. I guess you just have to read it to find out.

BOOK REVIEW – Skin Deep (Legion #2) by Brandon Sanderson

February 11, 2015 / Anna

Skin Deep (Legion #2)
by Brandon Sanderson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Stephen Leeds, AKA “Legion,” is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills. As the new story begins, Leeds and his “aspects” are hired by I3 (Innovative Information Incorporated) to recover a corpse stolen from the local morgue. But there’s a catch. The corpse is that of a pioneer in the field of experimental biotechnology, a man whose work concerned the use of the human body as a massive storage device. He may have embedded something in the cells of his now dead body. And that something might be dangerous…

Why can I say with with absolute confidence that Skin Deep is an highly satisfying SF thriller?

Let’s start a quick investigation…

Evidence #1 : ♟The plot is brilliant.

“Yeah, great, whatever,” J.C. said.
” Emotions and metaphors and stuff. Look, we’ve got a problem.”

Captivating and fast-paced, this thriller kept me enthralled from the beginning to the end. I didn’t guess who the bad guys were, well, to sum-up, I hadn’t any clue of anything before Stephen.

What have we got here?

– Some computers genetic engineers who drove some weird experiments and lose a corpse – and we follow Stephen and his aspects while they investigate about it.

“Freaks,” J.C. said, shifting uncomfortably.
” This is going to be about zombies. I’m calling it now.”

Noooo. That’s more of a data encoding process you know? Completely harmless, I’m telling you.

“Speak dumb person, please,” J.C. said.”

Evidence #2 : ✎ The writing is compelling, precise without never being heavy, making our reading experience pretty addictive.

“It was an unintended result that is perfectly managable, Laramie said, ” and only dangerous if used maligny. And why would anyone want to do that?”
We all stared at him for a moment.
“Let’s shoot him,” J.C. said.”

Evidence #3 : ✌ The characterization is So. Damn. Good.

That’s crazy when we think about it, but these hallucinations are more flesh-out than many characters we find in a lot of books. I loved every single of them, and especially J.C who appears to be completely delusional but whose comments and reactions were so enjoyable I couldn’t help but root for him. And pat his head sometimes. Brave J.C.

Icing on the cake, the fact that this book deals with insanity makes the reader properly think about what being crazy really is.

At what point does the society decide that we’re crazy?

When we have hallucinations?
When we provide them rooms to live in?
When the differences between you and them are becoming increasingly blurred?

I’ll let Stephen gives the speech here :

“The longer I’ve lived, the more I’ve realized everyone is neurotic in their own individual way. I have control of my psychoses. How about you?”

Conclusion : That was quite impressive! There’s better be another book someday.

You can find the fun picture here.

BOOK REVIEW – Legion (Legion #1) by Brandon Sanderson

February 10, 2015 / Anna

Legion (Legion #1)
by Brandon Sanderson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Stephen Leeds, AKA 'Legion,' is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills. As the story begins, Leeds and his 'aspects' are drawn into the search for the missing Balubal Razon, inventor of a camera whose astonishing properties could alter our understanding of human history and change the very structure of society.

Now, that was pretty awesome.

Wow. Stephen Leeds is the most intriguing and fascinating character I’ve read about for a very long time. Slightly disturbing – but in a good way, if that’s possible, as he kept my interest with his multi-layered personality that we can’t easily simplify. Now that I think about it, he gives a whole new meaning to the word multi-layered.

“The thing is, I’m really only the reclusive part. And maybe, admittedly, the jerk part. When you have that mix, people generally assume you don’t have morals either.”

I was hooked at this : “I didn’t know what would happen if one of my hallucinations shot me.”

Oh, yeah, that’s on page two. That was that striking. *nods vigorously*

Moreover, that was fast-paced, and the thriller kept me enthralled, despite the fact that what enraptured me the most was definitely his hallucinations.

Can I have some hallucinations too? What? I’m so jealous right now. I totally want :

– Ivy to tell me if my pupils are lying
– Tobias to help me remember of all the books I read – and to help me during some dinners, yes, that would be great. Oh, and he could totally be useful as a travel guide.
– Audrey to run writing investigations.
– Kalyani or any translator to – well, The possibilities are endless, right?
– Armando because. Hum. Not sure I want him actually. I don’t think that I have room for Megalomania in my life.

“Can I shoot him?” JC asked me softly. “You know, in a place that’s not important? A foot, maybe?“

– Sigh. Yeah, JC, you can come too because you cracked me up. But NO GUNS IN THE HOUSE. No, I don’t know how we’ll deal with intruders. No, even not that little one. I said no gun. End of story. You can have darts if you want. I know that’s not the same thing, I – Oh, whatever.

**“I’m not going more mad, ” I said. “I’ve stabilized. I’m practically normal. Even my non-hallucinatory psychiatrist acknowledges that.”**

Basically, it is a short story which does not fall into the traps of the lack of characterization or others shortcuts, and that’s why I loved it. Oh, and because that was deliciously funny.

Oh, and am I the only one to think about Bruce Wayne? Must the mansion. Or an obsession. And, of course, Sherlock. Sigh.

What is it that decides you’re insane by the way?

Edit : For all the French readers out there who want to read in French for a change, I ordered the French version for my BF and you know what? The translation is pretty good (yeah, because that’s not always the case, by far). So no excuses. Read it.

BOOK REVIEW: Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

February 5, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1)
by Brandon Sanderson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with colour once more?
In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage - Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

Buddy read with my darling, Anna-She wrote her review in a gaming form…so fun!!! ♥

He forced himself to smile-not out of pleasure, and not out of satisfaction. He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that was what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler-and to himself-that he wasn’t beaten.
No, he wasn’t going to walk away. He wasn’t finished yet. Not by far.

Wellllll guys, I did it. I finished this amazingly awesome, exceedingly complex, and altogether EXTREMELY LONG novel. I can’t say I didn’t have to push myself-that would be false. But, the fact remains, I knew if I trudged ahead that there was epicness ahead…I just had to get there. I have been trying to break into high fantasy for FOREVER and just can’t seem to get over that hurdle. I may be able to goof around on Goodreads during the day sometimes at work (okay, I MAKE that time, sue me) but that doesn’t mean I’m not here every day during the week from 8-5. So, that means that it’s EXTREMELY difficult for me to read a book that is eons long with loads of world-building if it’s not on the weekend. For example: I started this book on Friday…..but I JUST BARELY finished at midnight last night, and that’s because I read THE WHOLE NIGHT AFTER WORK to jump that hurdle. I think that’s the main reason I’ve never been able to break into this genre…it just takes A LOT of time. But, for Brandon Sanderson, I’m so so happy I took that chance. I finally did it-and I enjoyed it. Immensely.

Plots behind plots, plans beyond plans.
There was always another secret.

I also won’t lie to you all (or whoever reads this) about how hard this was for me: It was very hard lol. Not because I am dimwitted or daft…I just have a very short attention span. Frankly, I have NEVER been a fan of plotting or organizing rebellions if they take more than a few chapters. I think this stems from my dislike for lengthy conversations and planning in books. It’s just. Too. Much. But, and I’ll probably say this one hundred more times before I die, if there is/are action, betrayals, fight-scenes, peril, LOVE-INTERESTS, flirting, battles-galore….I will MAKE myself enjoy those strategy scenes. I will MAKE myself push through those difficult and infuriating descriptions of lengthy world-building. I truly believe that the end justifies the means, and I WANT to be a part of this beautiful, vivid, and extremely well-crafted world. If I can just get past those scenes, I’m golden.

“The best liars are those who tell the truth most of the time.”

I must admit that having read Steelheart and Firefight from this author helped me along the way. I knew that, in the end, I would love what he did with this world and this story. I did trudge through because of that common familiarity that made me more comfortable in my own skin, impostor that I was. When I was apart of this book, it made me happy. Sanderson creates some truly imaginative worlds that make us all want to delve deeper and break through the barriers of their lies, secrets, and betrayals. He makes us want to be apart of the story and he takes us to a level where, for one peaceful moment, we are smiling and laughing at his jokes and the closeness of the people on those pages before us, and then tearing up and gasping in the next, if only because, not just a moment before, these friends were hanging out and having a good time and now two of them have ceased to exist. It’s madness, but it’s the kind of madness that makes you want MORE, makes you happy in spite of it’s cruelty. Sanderson is exactly the kind of author I have been looking for-he can do it all.

“Yes,” Kelsier said, “it’s probably best that you avoid Venture completely. Try to offend him or something. Give him a couple of those glares you do.”
Vin regarded Kelsier with a flat look.
“That’s the one!” Kelsier said with a laugh.

And here’s my favorite thing of all: I love the characters he creates. He makes me care about them on a visceral level, no matter their intentions. Even the villain I found myself connecting to. Is that weird? It feels weird to say that-but it’s true. I was so deeply attached to Vin, to Kelsier, to Elend….I loved them all. Dockson, Breeze, Spook….you name them, I most likely loved them for specific reasons. But, obviously, my most tried and true connections were to Vin, Kelsier and Elend. Vin was just so hard NOT to connect to. She felt unloved, unwanted, and she has always known people to leave her. No one has ever made her feel wanted or like they care about her, so seeing her turn into a badass was something to behold. Even more than that, though, it was so heart-warming to watch Kelsier coax her into their group, to finally help her feel like she belonged. I loved him and I loved what he stood for….even when everyone made him feel like he was a loon for trying to achieve something virtually impossible.

“True,” Elend said. “I do, however, recall telling you that the Ventures were an annoying lot. I’m just trying to live up to the description.”
“You’re the one that made up the description!”
“Convenient, that,” Elend said, smiling slightly as he read.
Vin sighed in frustration, scowling.
Elend peeked up over his book. “That’s a stunning dress. It’s almost as beautiful as you are.”

And, being the girl that I am, I do have to mention…OMG the romance was ADORABLE. I know I know….I’m like….the only person to mention romance in a review about this novel but UGH-

COME OOOON it was SO cute to see Vin, the fierce little Mistborn, falling for a noble of all things! Who READS, no less! That shit is just too cute, sorry not sorry. Anywho…I HAD to mention that while my mind was completely satisfied by all the awesome battles and fight scenes, my heart was soaring, too. And I’ll just leave it at that, I think.

“My behavior is, nonetheless, deplorable. Unfortunately, I’m quite prone to such bouts of deplorability-take, for instance, my fondness for reading books at the dinner table. Excuse me for a moment; I’m going to go get something to drink.”
He stood, tucking the book into his pocket, and walked toward one of the room’s bar tables. Vin watched him go, both annoyed and bemused.

So, all in all, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I am SO glad I finally picked this up and, frankly, I feel like I’ve made it loads easier to pick up the next one in the future. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can finally just…breathe. I know that when I want to pick up the next I must simply slot in enough time for it and I better NOT have any other books on my mind for after. It effects my enjoyment of the book and makes me feel like pacing around my house because I just know I have to get that ARC done by a certain date and blah blah-it’s not good lol. So, despite how long it took me to read and how I might have had to push myself a little at times, I really did love this book. One of my GR friends, Robin, said in her review that at the end of the novel you felt like you were really a part of the world and that despite all you learned, Sanderson paced it so that you pretty much had a handle on everything (the magic) by the end of the story-and I agree. I feel like I learned SO MUCH….but I don’t feel bogged down, now. I feel great. I’m happy. And I’m ready for book two-I can’t wait.

BOOK REVIEW: This is Not a Test (This is Not a Test #1) by Courtney Summers

Synopsis:

I am so sad.

My body wants to stop. Thud. I end up on my knees. I’m dripping with sweat and my stomach is churning and the sound I heard was not the sound of myself falling and landing but-thud. I turn my head to the exit. Thud.

The world breaks into a million pieces and comes back together just as quickly but it comes back together wrong. The picture is wrong. Upside down, awful.

I pull at a strand of my hair. I want to rip it out. I want to climb onto the roof and throw myself off it. I want to bash my head against the mirror until it breaks.

I turn my face away from him. He’s right. Who cares. Maybe I’m infected. I try to listen to what’s happening inside me. If there’s any part of me that’s dying and becoming more rotten but more purposeful than what I am now.

We’ll make movies about it, hundreds of movies, and in every one of them, we’ll be the heroes and the love interests and best friends and winners and we’ll watch these movies until we are so far removed from our own history, we’ll forget how it really felt to be here.

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BOOK REVIEW – Saga, Volume 2 (Saga #7-12) by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

Synopsis:

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BOOK REVIEW – Skin Deep (Legion #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Synopsis:

“Yeah, great, whatever,” J.C. said. ” Emotions and metaphors and stuff. Look, we’ve got a problem.”

“Freaks,” J.C. said, shifting uncomfortably. ” This is going to be about zombies. I’m calling it now.”

“Speak dumb person, please,” J.C. said.”

“It was an unintended result that is perfectly managable, Laramie said, ” and only dangerous if used maligny. And why would anyone want to do that?” We all stared at him for a moment. “Let’s shoot him,” J.C. said.”

“The longer I’ve lived, the more I’ve realized everyone is neurotic in their own individual way. I have control of my psychoses. How about you?”

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BOOK REVIEW – Legion (Legion #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Synopsis:

“The thing is, I’m really only the reclusive part. And maybe, admittedly, the jerk part. When you have that mix, people generally assume you don’t have morals either.”

“Can I shoot him?” JC asked me softly. “You know, in a place that’s not important? A foot, maybe?“

“I’m not going more mad, ” I said. “I’ve stabilized. I’m practically normal. Even my non-hallucinatory psychiatrist acknowledges that.”

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BOOK REVIEW: Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Synopsis:

Plots behind plots, plans beyond plans. There was always another secret.

“The best liars are those who tell the truth most of the time.”

“Yes,” Kelsier said, “it’s probably best that you avoid Venture completely. Try to offend him or something. Give him a couple of those glares you do.” Vin regarded Kelsier with a flat look. “That’s the one!” Kelsier said with a laugh.

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My body wants to stop.
Thud. I end up on my knees. I’m dripping with sweat and my stomach is churning and the sound I heard was not the sound of myself falling and landing but-thud.
I turn my head to the exit.
Thud.

“Yeah, great, whatever,” J.C. said.
” Emotions and metaphors and stuff. Look, we’ve got a problem.”

“Freaks,” J.C. said, shifting uncomfortably.
” This is going to be about zombies. I’m calling it now.”

“It was an unintended result that is perfectly managable, Laramie said, ” and only dangerous if used maligny. And why would anyone want to do that?”
We all stared at him for a moment.
“Let’s shoot him,” J.C. said.”

**“I’m not going more mad, ” I said. “I’ve stabilized. I’m practically normal. Even my non-hallucinatory psychiatrist acknowledges that.”**

Plots behind plots, plans beyond plans.
There was always another secret.

“Yes,” Kelsier said, “it’s probably best that you avoid Venture completely. Try to offend him or something. Give him a couple of those glares you do.”
Vin regarded Kelsier with a flat look.
“That’s the one!” Kelsier said with a laugh.