Review: Day 21 (The Hundred #2) by Kass Morgan

Worthy sequel or a fad

Title: Day 21
Series: The Hundred
Author: Kass Morgan
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
My ratings: 3 out of 5 stars
Released: 25th September , 2014
Day 21 follows immediately from where The 100 ends. Wells has just discovered Earthborns and things are still tense at the settlement. Bellamy and Clarke have left together to find Octavia and Glass is still stuck in the Ark. This book is called Day 21 because it is meant to be significant as the effects of radiations start to show at this point.

I enjoyed Day 21 as much as I did The 100. Admittedly, the plot was smother and tighter, it still possess a mind of it's own and tends to move very quickly. I suppose that is what it has in common with the TV series. There is development between Clarke and Bellamy's relationship and Wells still moons over Clarke but things change pretty soon. We get to see new characters coming into the picture, whom I still have to make my mind on.

This time around, there was a bit more drama on the ship where citizens are fighting over the limited number of seats available in the exodus ship. More relationship hijinks between Luke and Glass and a lot more action this time. As far as the flash backs are concerned, they are still there and I have accepted the fact that they are merely the author's style of story telling however jumpy it may be. At least reading it wasn't hard this time as I had a paper copy and the fonts appeared clear and crisp.

Overall, I don't have much to say about Day 21. I will maintain that while the premise for this series is exciting and new, the treatment leaves a lot to be desired. Some plot lines are resolved too quickly and while some takes sudden turns which leaves the reader unnerved. My favourite couple is still Glass and Luke but there is another couple emerging too. Will I read the next book in the series is a question I won't be able to answer at this very moment as there are a few things I'm still undecided about. This is not a bad book but it's not particularly remarkable either.

Copy provided by Hodder and Stoughton

Review: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Grey

Plausible Sci-Fi and beautiful world building

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You
Series: Firebird
Author: Claudia Grey
Publisher: Harper Teen, US
My ratings: 3 out of 5 stars
Released: 4th November, 2014
If I am completely honest with you, the reason I picked this book was 80 percent due to the beautiful cover. I mean I could keep looking at it for hours. Apart from the blurb did sound exciting enough to warrant a read. The premise is a little difficult to surmise but I will try.

Marguerite is the daughter of two renowned physicists who have managed to develop a device which enables users to travel between dimensions. When her father is murdered and the suspect is the run, Marguerite decides to follow after him to another dimension to find him and get answer. But the catch is that, the new dimension may also have Marguerite’s father who may still be alive in this dimension. That is not all, as Marguerite is torn up as the suspect is none other than her parents’ research assistance for whom she may have had feelings for.

This is the simplest way of describing the story but the various elements of the world building were really well put together. The workings of the dimensions were complicated but it was well explained and detailed. While Marguerite was not a character I could relate to but she felt likable and sensible. She had some chemistry with Theo, the other research assistant who followed her but her heart was set on Paul. While it understandably took me a while to really get into the meat of the story due to the complexity of the world building, I liked how her relationship with Paul was unveiled slowly. The two love interests were quite different from each other while one was fun and charming the other was broody and observant. No points for guessing who Marguerite likes.

Due to the many dimension travelling involved in the story line, the setting kept changing each time and it kept me on my toes as to where the author will take us next. The phase in Russia started great but the romance moved full speed which, if not the way it ended, I would have found convincing. The twist in the tail that came later, I had more or else guessed from the start.

Apart from that, a pretty good first book in a new series with likable characters, plausible story line and excellent world building. I may need to read the first book again before reading the second one due to the detailed world building.

ARC provided by Harper Teen via Edelweiss

Audiobook Review: Paradox Series (Fortune's Pawn and Honour's Knight) by Rachel Bach

Sci-Fi which reads like a UF and kicks ass

Series: Paradox
Author: Rachel Bach
Publisher: Orbit
My ratings: 5 out of 5 stars
Released: 5th February, 2014
My bookie friends have been raving about this series for a while urging me to read it as it would right down my street but I never got around to picking it up. However I got the audio book for this series on a whim and I'm sooo glad I did. With a kick ass no-nonsense heroine, non-stop action and a mystery unfolding all at the same time, The Paradox series was pushing just the right buttons for me.

This review is for the first two books Fortune’s Pawn and Honour’s Knight of the Paradox series by Rachel Bach.

The Paradox series is about a mercenary, Devi Morris, ambitious and stupidly brave who wants to be a Devastator, the highest ranking officer in her King's Army. But to prove herself she takes up a job as a security personal at spaceship, The Glorious Fool in famous by the sheer amount of trouble it keeps getting it. Reeled in my the prospect, Devi thinks the work will be a doddle but soon she realises he has bitten more than she can chew. The series features the mismatched crew in Captain Codswal's ship, the variety of planets they land in and the many curious creatures they encounter.

Of course there is romance in the form of the ever enigmatic Rupert (yes I know what you think of the name, I agree).

I really enjoyed the first book, Fortune's Pawn. It had non-stop action, thrilling mystery and extra ordinary world building to go along with it. The second book was slightly slow to begin with, but it soon picked up. This was a science fiction book but at no point was I confused by the setting or the world building. The action scenes were really well written and it was easy to imagine Devi brandishing there thermite blade, Elise or her anti-armour gun, Sasha.

Devi was hard core and fans of Urban Fantasy will like her personality as she is strong woman, who has seen her share of the world and knows exactly what she wants. Her single minded ambition to be a Devastator felt liberating and I loved how she knew herself so well. She was a mercenary through and through but she stuck to her principles.

The one thing that got criticism all around and bothered me only slightly was how hard and quickly she feel for Rupert, the mysterious, handsome cook, who was more than what meets the eyes. Devi kept on trying to uncover his secrets and I found myself doing the same. When I had heard the love interest's name was Rupert I had my doubts but the narrator did such a good job of narrating that somehow along the way Rupert's name, the way it rolled over the tongue became attractive. It took a little getting used to but slowly I got to appreciate what a great job Emily Durante did with Devi's voice and Rupert's accent and the voice of the various crew members. They were all distinct and suited each character perfectly. She managed to give each of them a different accent to accentuate their different planet of origin. While I really enjoyed the mystery of Fortune's Pawn, Honour's Knight felt a little lacking but it made up for the way the story panned out.

Over all this is fantastic series for Sci-fi fans and Urban Fantasy Fans alike. It reads like a Urban Fantasy and would be just right for any fantasy reader who wants to try something different. Ideal for Sirantha Jax fans.

I'd recommend it to fans of irritated birds, galaxy hippies and a story which keeps you on the edge.

Review: After The End (After The End #1) by Amy Plum

Conspiracy, secrets and two worlds collide

Title: After The End
Series: After The End
Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: Harper Collins, US
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Released: 6th May, 2014
I picked up After The End during a particularly bad reading phunk I was going through. I had never read Amy Plum’s work before but I had heard enough about her Revenants Series that I was confident that her skills would be at par in entertaining me. And that, my friends, she did.

Don’t be fooled by it’s blurb or it’s cover. It is not a dystopian. It starts off like one, the main characters believe it but she has been living a lie. Juneau has grown up in a tribe in Alaska, away from any contact with anyone but her tribesmen believe that they are the survivors of World War 3 which wiped out the world. It is only their connection with Yara. Juneau’s connection to the Yara is the strongest but one day when she returns home after hunting everyone in her tribe is gone. It is clear that they have been taken away and as she starts off to find her tribe it is clear that the same people were looking for her too. Along the way she meets Miles, who reluctantly agrees to help her but everybody has their secrets and so does Miles.

I really enjoyed this book as it had what I’d expect from a heart racing thriller. It was well written and I could easily imagine it being made into a movie. There were alternative POVs which some people find disconcerting but they were well written I breezed through them. I particularly loved the interaction between Juneau and Miles as even if they were of a similar age, personality wise they couldn’t have been further apart. While Juneau was a survivalist, a hunter, and born wild, Miles was born from the source of capitalism, a spilt only child who wanted to prove a point to his Dad.

Miles thought Juneau was absolutely nuts Juneau thought that he was a liability.

“I'm lying here in a tent, pretending to be asleep but actually fearing for my life as I watch a bunny murderer have a conversation with our campfire.”

It was hilarious and it brought a sense of lightness to the already grave situation they were in, with many parties looking for them. But even amongst the chaos I could see and feel the simmer attraction they had for each other and I lapped every bit of it.

I do have to point out that at some places I felt the story dragged and some events felt very ‘convenient’ for the plot. I’m not sure how I felt about the cliff hanger as I have a love hate relationship with them.

Overall, After The End is a fresh approach to a story which is rife with conspiracy, secrets and what happens when two completely different world collapse into each other. After The End will either intrigue you enough to keep reading in the wee hours of the nigh or make you lose interest and stop reading it. Either way it is something that I enjoyed taking a risk on and got more than enough back to make it worth my time.

ARC Review: After Eden (After Eden #1) by Helen Douglas

Sleepy town, hot aliens and the future of the Earth. After Eden has it all

Title: After Eden  
Series: After Eden  
Author: Helen Douglas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Releases: 4th July, 2013 
 My ratings: 3 out of 5 stars
 After Eden is set in a sleepy town of Cornwall, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It has all your quintessential small town pizza place, small school and everybody knows everybody around. The premise goes like this. New to town, Ryan is gorgeous, smart and handsome. What Eden can't figure out is why he is trying to be her friend? All the girls in the school are vying for his attention while he seems to want to spend more and more time with Eden. It also doesn't help that Connor, Eden's best friend suddenly seems to be acting weird around Ryan. It seems as if almost he is jealous. However,things don't add up around Ryan. How can he not know who Hitler was and not even know what a pizza is?

 Before I start, can I say I hate the cover. The UK and the US version are unimpressive. I'm not sure that in this age of pretty covers for YA book, this will cut an impression. But it may be just me.Despite this I read it thinking I shall not a judge a book by it's cover and my review is only based on the book and not the cover. Maybe if a second edition is published, they might consider changing the cover.

 I felt After Eden was an average YA book with lots of potential yet it failed to reach it. First of I say, I was disappointed with it. YA books set in England are hard to come by and as I heard this was set in rural Cornwall I was excited to start this. Unfortunately, it failed to impress me. The setting was there, the author was telling me all about me but she failed to show me and make me feel like I was in Cornwall,

 Furthermore, the characters seemed fairly average to me. Eden, Ryan, Connor, Megan, Amy, Miranda and a few more seemed plain and forgettable to be. I wish I had seen more character development or perhaps if the plot line was more intriguing but I saw the 'bad man' miles away and pretty much knew halfway through the book how it was going down.

 The mystery and the explanation we were given was implausible and it had a gaping hole in it too. I don't want to give details but the Grandfather Dilemma comes to mind which was addressed and even applied in the plot line apart from one main incident.

 I'm sure lots of people will enjoy this book as it describes simple life in rural England and not just London. The friendship between Connor and Eden was sweet but the romance with Ryan was even better. I enjoyed the mini astronomy lessons and the descriptions of the constellation and galaxies which made my want to take up astronomy.

After Eden may not boast elaborate fantasy world, magic, faeries, vampires or werewolves but it was a story you will be able to relate to. The emotions described were touching, tender and gave you the warm flurries within your heart. Read After Eden for light, romantic, science fiction fun and you also get to enjoy Cornwall from your sofa.  

ARC received by publisher, Bloomsbury

Blog Tour: iD (The Machine Dynasty #2) by Madeline Ashby

Today my blog plays host to the Blog Tour for Madeline Ashby’s new book in The Machine Dynasty Series, iD.


iD is about a self-replicating humanoid and that line was enough to sell me. Read the blurb below to get a taster of what Id is about.

Javier is a self-replicating humanoid on a journey of redemption. 

Javier's quest takes him from Amy's island, where his actions have devastating consequences for his friend, toward Mecha where he will find either salvation... or death.

ID is the second book in Madeline’s The Machine dynasty Series and it has been eagerly anticipated by fans.

 Hence I’m really pleased to have Madeline over on the Escapism from Reality to talk about how female Sci-Fi writers are rare and far between while dystopian (which is pretty much straddling the line between fantasy and Sci-Fi) has so many female writers and no one bats an eyelash. So now, I’ll shut up and let Madeline say her piece.



 I think there are dystopias out there that can be safely categorized as SF. I mean, all that's required is that their world hinges primarily on scientific endeavour. If your dystopia is about a group of girls who have to compete for a prince's hand in marriage, but the tools in their arsenal are gene therapy and chromosome splicing, then yeah, that's SF. If science plays a role in the fiction, it's science fiction. There might be other genre elements as well, like horror or comedy or romance, but if your plot revolves around the consequences of scientific endeavour, it's at least partially SF.

 I think that YA dystopia draws a lot of female writers because a lot of female writers made their names there. It's an easy category to see yourself in. There are so many other women there. It's a pretty safe bet, if you're a good writer. Also, your agent will always want to represent it, because it's a proven market. Selling SF, or selling high fantasy, or selling any other genre, really, is much harder for them and they have to really think about how to package the manuscript in the most appealing way.

 But in general, I think that women are writing about dystopias more frequently now because the world is more dystopian for women in general. I mean, take a look at the latest legislation in Texas on a woman's right to do what she wants with her own body. Or TSA officers telling young girls what to wear. Or women getting rape threats because they talk about misogyny online. That's some pretty fucking dark dystopian shit.

And the fact is that women have been experiencing that dark dystopian shit for years and years and years. It's nothing new. Women have been closely observed and told what to wear and told how to act and treated like property for thousands of years. For example, the Salic and Burgundian law codes ascribed less monetary value to a woman's body than to a man's, when assessing the punishment for a crime. To this day, American women earn an average of 77 cents for every dollar that a man earns.

Our lives, and our work, are simply considered less valuable. So the next time someone asks you why women write so many dystopias, or why they're so good at it, tell them it's because women have a lifetime of experience living in them. They have experience with actual, legal, cultural, and physical oppression. It's not fiction for them. It's reality.

Thank you so much Madeline for dropping by and talking about such an ignored matter. I truly believe that just that the dystopian genre is so popular with female writers and readers as we all have experienced it some manner or the other.

iD releases 25th of June, 2013 by Angry Robot.

 Preorder iD on Amazon