Audio: The Disasters - MK England

Narrated by: James Fouhey

Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 18-12-2018

Language: English

Publisher: HarperAudio

My Thoughts:

For a bunch of disasters I thought they would be well more if a disaster! But the reasons why they flunked out where all reasonable.

Nax who wants to be a pilot so much! But tries too hard. This is his story.

Then he meets Z, her reason was a good one too. Not a disaster, just a messed up system.

Rion who, huh, I forgot why he was kicked out actually.

Case, who is like the smartest and should be there!

But obviously this Academy is flawed when they do not look deeper.

I think I would have liked it from their POVS too, to be honest, now we were in Nax's head so much and he has issues.

Terrorist attack. People are hunting for these kids instead. And they are just trying to stay alive and tell the truth of what happened.

The action and punches keep on coming. The bad guys are really bad and want them dead yesterday.  The book also manages to have a lot of diversity. Gender, sexuality, race, religion. Of course me being very non religious wonder why we need religion 200 years from now (sschhh do not mind me, that is one of those things one should not talk about) . Poor Kazakhstan gets a vad rep too, one would think they would have moved a bit forward in 200 years. But nope, humanity still have a lot of issues and anger. But then that is humanity for you, we all suck.

I would have wanted this to be adult, I feel that would really have kicked it up a bit. But being YA, some things were not fully explored. Oh and this would make a great tv series ;D A CW one.

Conclusion.
Fun, short, sci-fi, family is what you make of it

Narrator Fouhey

Nice job by him. At one time some voices did blend together, but that worked itself out. He had some different accents for the characters too to show their origins. I did like posh Tion the best.

Synopsis

Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it’s not exactly a surprise when he’s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.

But Nax’s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape—barely—but they’re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.

On the run and framed for atrocities they didn’t commit, Nax and his fellow failures execute a dangerous heist to spread the truth about what happened at the Academy.

They may not be “Academy material,” and they may not get along, but they’re the only ones left to step up and fight. 

Audio: Unlit - Keri Arthur

Audio cd, 11 hours and 58 minutes 

Published December 4th 2018 by Tantor Audio (first published May 15th 2018)

Series: Kingdoms of Earth & Air #1

Sci-fi Fantasy/ romance

Thank you Tantor for this review copy!

My Thoughts

I have seen some call this fantasy romance, but I do not really want to call it that. She has grenades and assault riffles. Yes to sci.fi romance. I could even imagine this being a future from earth where settlers lost a lot of their history and tech in wars. Who knows! But it sure is interesting.

Neve grew up a soldier. It's a class society. We have those with magic and those without, unlit. We have those that are stained (like Neve), bearing patches of skin belonging to an enemy of a long ago war. Though she can speak with the wind, but that is something she does not tell. She would only end up being a breeder (yes this world can be pretty horrid that way.) Like all societies it has its good parts and its bad parts. Like how they are very sexually. But yes then there is the whole breeder thing. And the whole stained was killed at birth in the old days.

In this world there are bad guys roaming the wastelands, another race that eats the flesh of humans and are stronger and faster. 

I am loosing my train of thought. You know what, I really enjoyed this book. There is a mystery as a woman lost for 12 years is found in the desert. There is a conspiracy going on. There is a hunky guy she meets who needs her help. There is lots of fighting since well, baddies outside the walls! And there are such creepy bad guys with their plot. That is beyond cruel.

I am intrigued by this world, I do want more. Now it's like they do not really know more because of those long ago wars.

Book 2 is to be about someone else so yes there is an ending and I was happy with it. It worked out very well.

Conclusion:

Great new start to a series!

Narrator

It is Justine Eyre! I do like her so of course I liked everything about how she narrated this book! Perfection! She made it great

Synopsis

Winterborne has long been a city divided between those who have magic, and those who do not. Between those who are free, and those who are not… 

Though classified as having no magic, Neve March can hear the whispers of the wind and sometimes even control her. But it’s a secret she must hold close if she wishes to continue as Nightwatch—the soldiers who guard Winterborne against those who roam the wastelands and feast on human flesh. 

When Neve is sent to investigate a faint SOS signal, she not only unearths a woman close to death, but a plot involving an ancient enemy long thought dead. 

In an effort to expose those behind the plot, Neve goes undercover amongst Winterborne’s elite—a dangerous step that could expose her secret and rip away all that she holds dear. 

The trail of treachery leads her from Winterborne’s golden halls to the heart of the enemy’s hive, and it will shake her belief of not only who she is, but what she is

Carole's Sunday Review: Sixth Prime

Author: Dan O'Brien

Title: Sixth Prime (The Prime Saga Book 1)

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Pages: ebook

Published: Feb 2014

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon freebie)

A war brews as a galaxy struggles to maintain a peace treaty signed in haste. The Commonwealth boasts sprawling cities built upon slums. The Sovereignty has placed the yoke of industry upon its citizens. Sixteen men and women are connected in a way they cannot yet understand. A murder of a prominent artist begins a chain of events that will ultimately determine the fate of the universe. 

Only thirteen will remain. 

In the end, there can be only one Prime. 

Are you a Prime? 

It's been a little bit since I've read a Sci-Fi. It is a genre I enjoy, but for some reason, I stray from it. This was a nice one to read after a long stretch. 

I enjoyed the characters and the world. I really liked Jane, Lorelei, and the Prisoner the most. I was hooked on their stories from the moment they popped onto the page. Everyone else? Just meh. They were just okay and I didn't hate following them, but I really wanted to see what would happen next with those three more. 

Honestly, I do feel like there were too many characters at some points. I would've been fine with those three and maybe one other. I don't really feel I could focus and connect as much as I wanted to because there was a lot of jumping around. That really is my only issue. At this rate, they will drop like flies so I won't have to worry much for very long. Haha. 

The Darkness scared me! But it intrigued me at the same time. I feel like we will see more of it in the future. I hope so!

I want to learn more about this world! This author surely did build a good world! It was introduced slowly as we went along so we avoided knowledge-overload. There are a lot of questions I have running in my head though. I am curious to see what is next and I hope all my questions are answered in the next book! I especially want to learn more about what it means to be a Prime. Why is it SO important? WHO will be the one Prime? I am a little anxious to see the fates of the remaining people. 

A good opening book in this series and this world. If you like Sci-Fi and people stories you will like this. I wonder what is next! I'll give this 3 stars. Looking forward to what is next! I am liking this world.  

Terminal Alliance - Jim Hines

The Krakau came to Earth to invite humanity into a growing alliance of sentient species. However, they happened to arrive after a mutated plague wiped out half the planet, turned the rest into shambling, near-unstoppable animals, and basically destroyed human civilization. You know—your standard apocalypse. 

The Krakau’s first impulse was to turn around and go home. (After all, it’s hard to have diplomatic relations with mindless savages who eat your diplomats.) Their second impulse was to try to fix us. Now, a century later, human beings might not be what they once were, but at least they’re no longer trying to eat everyone. Mostly. 

Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos is surprisingly bright (for a human). As a Lieutenant on the Earth Mercenary Corps Ship Pufferfish, she’s in charge of the Shipboard Hygiene and Sanitation team. When a bioweapon attack wipes out the Krakau command crew and reverts the rest of the humans to their feral state, only Mops and her team are left with their minds intact.

Escaping the attacking aliens—not to mention her shambling crewmates—is only the beginning. Sure, Mops and her team of space janitors and plumbers can clean the ship as well as anyone, but flying the damn thing is another matter. 

As they struggle to keep the Pufferfish functioning and find a cure for their crew, they stumble onto a conspiracy that could threaten the entire alliance… a conspiracy born from the truth of what happened on Earth all those years ago. 

My thoughts:
Janitors in space, why not, I have seen it before (you have to watch Space Janitors, omg, looove that show).

Humans as always effed up and are now mindless beasts. The planet is kaputt. In comes aliens, saves a few and put them to work. As mercs and as janitors. One of those janitors is Mops, smart, resilient and really good at cleaning. And suddenly she is in charge of a space ship and what the, how does one even steer this thing? Ha, perfect.

I did have issues reading it, but that was ebook issues, I can not read ebooks anymore. The baby says NO. It takes too long reading them and that makes me lament. Funny should be read fast. You hear that, read it fast to enjoy it :)

Right where was I. Alien conspiracies. Bad aliens wanting to shoot them out of the sky. Scary humans. And so many things to clean!

Conclusion:
There is humour, there is action, but mostly there is humour, witty, sarcastic and fun.

Cover
Of course I love it

Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Expected publication: November 7th 2017 by DAW
Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse #1
Sci-fi
Netgalley

Valerian

The official novelization of the blockbuster movie, written and directed by visionary Luc Besson

Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives for the government of the human territories charged with maintaining order throughout the universe. Under directive from their Commander (Clive Owen), Valerian and Laureline embark on a mission to the breathtaking intergalactic city of Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis comprised of thousands of different species from all four corners of the universe. 

My thoughts:

I should watch the movie, I do like movies, but for some reason this one has gone me by (except for your posts Greg, yes I have seen those.) And it's sci-fi, got to love those.

Oh, and it seems to be these really popular French books, I sadly did not know that either. Seems they were published in the 70s.

Anyway, Valerian and Laureline works for peace in the galaxy. He loves to flirt, she is all business. And now they need to stop something bad (being vague here) from happening.

It was very light and fun. Easy sci-fi, a bit of banter, some action and some cool aliens. It did feel very YA too, I have no idea if it was meant to be, but I was surprised when he was 27? or something like that. But then it's not like I want the agency recruiting teens, no, a captain and 27 is perfect. I can believe he has been in the business for years then. But it can be YA like if maybe it is aimed at a younger crowd?

Cover

Well obvi the movie poster, ha

Paperback, 280
Published July 25th 2017 by Titan Books (UK)
Sci.fi
For review

Alien Education - Gini Koch

As if learning as much as possible about every alien race in the galaxy, fending off the advances both business and personal from a variety of Hollywood types, dealing with the assimilation of various alien races, and navigating the Embassy Daycare kids' first day of "real" school wasn't bad enough, President and First Lady Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini must now deal with new robotic attacks that endanger every alien child on Earth, the resurgence of a bigger, nastier Club 51, and a variety of murders, all while facing the most truly terrifying organization they've ever encountered -- the school's Parent-Teacher Association. 

My thoughts:

Kitty does deal with a new scary big bad here, PTA. Dang those women, well woman ;), are scary!

One thing that I am very happy that have changed is that there were less music talk. 500+ pages of constant music references can be tiresome so this book was a total improvement.

Right, to the book then! Book 15, omg I know! When did that happen? Did I not just start reading these?! Now she has 2 kids and her husband is president. And she has a lot more animals ;)

There is always something bad coming. It's like you take down one tentacle and then 2 more come out. Arms that sends out robots, aliens, you never know who to trust. And then there are those stupid Humans first idiots too. They hate all aliens and want them gone. 

And then there was the PTA at the new school Jamie is going too. That will give her some trouble too, but then when is Kitty not in trouble? Luckily she is kick-ass and has great friends.

Conclusion:
Action, aliens and I need another A! I can't think of a good ending. Dang. Lol. 

I read it fast. It felt light and fun.

Cover
cool

Kindle Edition, 496 pages
Expected publication: May 2nd 2017 by DAW
Katherine "Kitty" Katt #15
Sci-fi
For review

Carole's Sunday Review: For all time - Caroline B Cooney

Author: Caroline B. Cooney

Title: For All Time (Time Travelers #4)

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, and Historical Fiction

Pages: 272

Published: Oct 2001

Where I Got It: My Shelf (I honestly can't remember)

Annie Lockwood is testing Time. She’s traveled through it before, but always at Time’s bidding. Now she is asking Time to take her to the year 1899, when Strat is in Cairo. But Time doesn’t like to be tested. In what feels like a cruel joke, Annie is transported to ancient Egypt, thousands of years before Strat was born — to a world far removed from the one she knows. Meanwhile, in 1899, Strat is photographing the same pyramids that Annie walks among. But while Strat eagerly awaits Annie’s arrival, another visitor arrives: his father, Hiram Stratton, Sr., has come to Egypt to collect his son.

Powerless, Annie and Strat both look to Time. Can its force, which brought them together once, help them find each other again?

I swear my memory is getting so bad. I swear I read this and the other books in the series an eon ago...but after reading this I don't recall anything. Lucky me, though, this stands well as a stand alone so I was able to read this even though I couldn't remember the events of the past. 

This story follows a few characters. There is Annie who is from the 1990s and she has a special bond with Time..it likes to sweep her around. Strat is a young man in the 1890s whose dad is rich and crappy, so he decides to run away and become an archaeologist. Annie and Strat met in the past books and are in love. The author also included a couple side characters: Rennifer (a girl in Ancient Egypt), Camilla (a woman who dresses as a man to be a hired secret agent), and a couple others who got their two cents in. 

I felt bad for Annie and Strat. Time is a cruel wench who likes to put them together for a day or two and then tear them apart again. That would really stink. However, it was fun to cheer for them!

I really loved the interplay of all the different time periods and locations. The author did wonderful mixing everything together. The author did a good job at writing the different POVs. However, I do think that some of the POVs were not really needed and seemed to slow the pace of the story. The pace wasn't consistent. 

Also...I hated the ending. I get what the author was doing...but GAH *throws book*. Annie needs a kick in the butt. I felt bad for her, but I was so annoyed with her the entire time, but the ending made me loath her. Stupid chit. However, Strat was a cutie and I think he deserves a better everything...better family, a better lover, etc. Poor guy has had a hard time.

I am curious to see what happens next. I do recommend this even if you skip the other books. This was a fun book, but it did have some issues. I'll give this 3 stars.   

Proxima - Stephen Baxter

The very far future: The galaxy is a drifting wreck of black holes, neutron stars, and chill white dwarfs. The age of star formation is long past. Yet there is life here, feeding off the energies of the stellar remnants, and there is mind, a tremendous galaxy-spanning intelligence each of whose thoughts lasts a hundred thousand years. And this mind cradles memories of a long-gone age when a more compact universe was full of light... The 27th century: Proxima Centauri, an undistinguished red dwarf star, is the nearest star to our sun. How would it be to live on such a world? 

My thoughts:

The beginning was a bit slow, but I kept thinking it's Baxter and it got better. I think the problem was that there was this other POV that showed up, not often, not that long, but I just did not care. I was all about the settlers. Oh those were fascinating.

It's a race between China and the rest, and to beat China settlers are sent to Proxima. It takes 4 years for a message to get from there home, and the settlers are really left to fend for themselves. On a strange new world, and well there are So many more things I want to say, but honestly it's just spoilers spoilers.

Proxima is an interesting planet, and there are secrets, and the end, omg, that was freaky! I really need to read part two to see how it all plays out. There are some good secrets in here for sure.

The book is about Yuri who gets sent to Proxima (and stuff goes down and I so want to talk about but I can not.) I loved learning more about the planet and the struggle for the settlers.

The POv of whatever was boring, and I am glad when it showed up it was a few chapters and I skimmed it. I did not really see the point of it. Our solar system is boring.

Conclusion:
In the end, Baxter is a great sci-fi writers and he always comes up with such cool concepts. I need book 2 then.

Cover
ok

Hardcover, 456 pages
Published September 19th 2013 by Gollancz
Proxima #1
Sci.fi
Library

Behind the throne - KB Wagers

Hail Bristol has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. 

When she is dragged back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir, she finds that trading her ship for a palace is her most dangerous move yet. 

My thoughts:

There were many cool things about this book. Ohh let's make a list!

First we have a kick-ass gunrunner, smart, sassy, and she is actually a runaway princess. And now heir to the throne, ohh drama!

Second it's sci-fi, which is always cool. Not so much space-ship stuff, mostly land and tech stuff (I like that)

Third, this empire is one ruled by matriarchs. Go girlpower! Of course that is not perfect either since men do not get the same chances as women, but as a storyline I love it. Women are all in charge. It's interesting.

Fourth cool thing is the culture, it's Hindu, yes other things too, but the first settlers must have been from India. As in religion, manners of speech, dress, just a nice mix of things. Of course someone who actually knows about India might not like it, but for me; this is the future. Things have surely gotten mixed up on the way there. They are on a planet far far away of course. And you have to think that other cultures have blended in too. I just liked what I got. A mix of things, where one thing showed more.

The story is, someone is after her, since her family is dead. Who wants to bring down the empire? And she will not rest until they are found. Of course now she is also to be Empress, a former gunrunner. A well known criminal. Oh I like it.

Conclusion:

Action, politics and I do look forward to the next one. She will keep the Empire on its toes.

Cover

First I was no, now I am yes

Kindle Edition, 432 pages
Expected publication: August 2nd 2016 by Orbit
The Indranan War #1
Sci-fi
NG

Joint Discussion: Morning Star - Pierce Brown

This month Carole and I will be discussing "Morning Star" by Pierce Brown

Author: Pierce Brown

Title: Morning Star (Red Rising #3)

Genre: Sci-FI, Fantasy, & YA

Pages: ebook

First Published: February 9th 2016

Where I Got It: Library

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

B: BOOM! The end. Let us begin.

C:Yes! SO what shall I say? I honestly did NOT expect ANYTHING with the ending...especially the bit about Mustang.

B: No, it came as a surprise. A happy surprise...sort of. A surprise I will not give the world for. I still think that universe will burn.

C: Yes. I agree. I was shocked. I wanted to know SO badly what was going to happen. I think I sped through this faster than the other two books and those were WAY smaller than this. B: Same, I did read 400 pages in a day. That is what vacation is for. Mostly I was so surprised (again) that I did not hate the beginning ;) And I just could not put it down, I needed to know what would happen. In my opinion, this truly was the strongest one of all 3, though, I do like the last 200 pages of book 1 the most. That was so mothereffing brutal, loved it. C: The beginning had me hooked from sentence one. Poor Darrow. >_< I rather have the physical torture...not that. That was brutal. Same here. I flew through the first few chapters. And then I flew through the last ones too. A small lag in the middle, but I still couldn’t put it down even during the drag because I HAD to know what was going to happen. The brutality and bloodshed was not as bloody as the last two. What do you think? B: I missed the brutality and bloodshed, I think I am a bookish sociopath. But I just did not get that same feeling, it was toned down, this one really was more YA. And they were older, so that was strange. I wanted gore and guts because that is what he gave us before. Now I just got the feeling that I totally could take Darrow in a fight...not in hand to hand combat, but playing on those pesky feelings he have and then I’d stab him in the eye! Yikes, look at me! What about you? C: Same here! I missed the brutal world from the other two books. Maybe it was because they were older and had to be more tricky! Darrow was super weak in this. Reality smacked him in the face. I think the Gold version and Red version of Darrow blended into this one. Sooooo it makes sense? Gah. Lots more feely-feel emotions in this one. B: You make so much sense, yes he was more Red in this one. Letting go of that Gold coldness. So I can forgive him...not that there was anything to forgive. How about other characters? I still do not care for Mustang, I just do not know. I like Servo, that is one messed up weirdo. Cassius...still want to stab him for being an idiot. Valkyries rule! That was the only time I had chills. C: I go back and forth on Mustang. I personally liked Victora (or however you spell it) more. I wanted them to be together. Valkyries were kickass. Cassius and Aja needed to be stabbed. xD After reading all the books, have you decided what color you would be if they forced you? B: After meeting the Outer Rim Golds, aye, those were smarter and did not send their kids to a slaughter house. So yes I am still Gold, or Pixie, I want the easy life, but without being sent to be raped and killed by my friends. C: I think I would be a Pixie myself. The Golds (even the outer rim golds) are all cra-cra. LOL B: Did you see that there will be another series set in the aftermath of these events? 2017 something. oHHH yes I need it. C: Really??? Had no idea. Will Darrow still be the hero/main character? I am tired of him. I want to see the world through another pair of eyes. Maybe a gold’s eyes or something. Knowing this...I stick to my theory that the world will still burn. B: The name is Iron Gold, sounds promising for some Gold action. But from the blurb I do not know, but I believe it will be about someone else. And we will see them from the sides of it all. Since stuff is going down for sure. After some of the events, chaos, so much chaos. C: Interesting. I am curious. We should check it out for sure!! There was something I did want to say…..mhmmm...blanking. You go - I’ll think. B:10 years after the rebellion, so can’t be Darrow then, he is OLD then. Hahhaha. Ok let me think. Best so far, I am even giving it a 4 since he managed to create a good beginning. I did not think he had it in him. It is rare a series ends on a high note for me. Since I wanted to dnf book one, except those glorious last pages that were so effed up. Good times. Anything yet? C: Can’t remember what I originally had in mind to say. But you did bring up an excellent point. It is a rare thing that a series ends so well. I was worried, super worried, that this would be a fail. I’m leaning towards a 4 myself. I feel this better than the other two! The second book was crap to me, but this sure made up. B: Book 1, crap beginning, excellent ending. So that was a 3. Book 2 was overall good, so a 3. And since this one was better overall it had to be a 4. It did surpass those other two for me, he just got better at what he was doing. But the series as a whole would get a 3. How long is your lunch? Should we wrap it up? C: My sad lunch is drawing to a close...so we should sadly wrap up. I wish I could say more, but there are so many things that I could spoil, so I shall refrain. There were lots of surprises and the writer kept me on my toes. I whipped through this a crazy person and I enjoyed the journey. There were a couple of parts that made me roll my eyes and could have been cut to shorten the story. This was calm compared to the other two...not as much brutality which I wanted! Final thought dearie? B: He upped his game, kudos to that, and to make it short, I agree with everything you say in your paragraph. On to the next book! C: *charges* TO THE NEXT BOOK! *cough* Who’s turn is it? I am confused. LOL B: No idea...you, I say you. C: FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE! ;) *charges again* B: ;) Eeek my laptop is dying! Enjoy the rest of the day!

Joint Discussion: Golden Son - Pierce Brown

This month Carole and I will be discussing "Golden Son" by Pierce Brown

Author: Pierce Brown

Title: Golden Son (Red Rising #2)

Genre: Sci-FI, Fantasy, & YA

Pages: ebook

First Published: January 6th 2015

Where I Got It: My shelf (Bought on Amazon)

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart.

B: I am thinking of this book, and he will totally die at the end of book 3 wont he? Ok let’s start then ;)

‘

C: LOL oh I bet he will in the third. Where shall we start? Maybe the beginning? What did you think?

B: was bored, again! I am sorry, but Brown is not good at beginnings. He does not make me want to read on, but at the same time there is something pulling me to read more, he just does not make it easy. So I read and skimmed a bit, but then at 200ish..again! I started to focus and really liked it.

C: Honestly, I think he tries to hard to have the beginning be gripping and it fails. I was not hooked until the last 50 pages. The whole book went like a blur for me. I….I….just couldn’t care about the characters or what was happening until near the end.

B: OH so this one was much worse for you then! I did like it...after page 200. But then they really started killing each other then, and for some reason he brings out the bloodthirsty monster in me and I am all kill kill kill!!!!!

C: Those were certainly the most entertaining parts! I feel this series does bring out the inner Golds in all of us. ;) I was wondering and hoping for the next battle and fight. Those moments were fun. The storyline and character-building were total mehs for me. I did not care. I just wanted the fun parts!

B: Lol, well the bloody parts are fun :D He is good at that. And…*thinking* eeeeeh, well he is good at that! Hmmm, I really do not care about a lot of other things when I think about it. He makes me a Gold like you say. All for the blood and gore. Those goorydamn Golds are insane. I mean honestly, fucking insane.

C: 0_0 The Golds scare me! They are insane! I do wonder though….how in the hell is this considered a YA????????!!!!!!! SO MUCH GORE AND LANGUAGE! Holy cow.

B: I was thinking the same. First, I mean he is older now. And his age compared to us, he has killed so many so he is not really 20, he feels like 30. I am babbling. Anyway then there is the blood and gore. Sure it is not that explicit, but it also never feels like YA. At least there was not any rapes in this one. I can not get over the rapes in the previous ones. If I have to compare anything to NA (which I still do not get), I’d make this that.

C: No rapes, but a love triangle of sorts. Which was silly and unnecessary to the plot. In real life, Darrow would not be forming any love attachments especially to the gal who is the daughter of the dude that issued the execution of his wife. Makes no sense to me. Silly and not realistic.

B: I would not call it a love triangle. She f’s someone for the sake of her house. She does not love him, he does not love her. BUT, yes I do not get how he likes her, her father killed his wife! But then again, he did not know that when he fell for her. I also feel like the Mustang in the book is gone, the glorious warrior, the one in this book is rather lame. Oh oh! When he dies in book 3, and he totally will, she will take the power and blah blah blah

C: She prolly will. IDK. It just all seemed silly any hint at any romance or crushes. Darrow...you are there to CRUSH the Golds. Gah. But yes...that ending was good. Had me slightly interested in moving forward just to see how he gets out of it.

B: God I know! I will be totally bored, but I HAVE to read the next one. I want to start it at once, cos it was so daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn good. I was all eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!! Best thing about the book really.

C: LOL so you don’t wanna wait til next month and read this and discuss it? Hehehehe. I’m on the fence on moving forward. I may just to say I did.

B: It depends...what do you think? I can wait. I can brace myself since I know that the first part will bore me, and that I will get mad when he dies...I can so not get over that. Why am I so convinced he will die? I think it was because of secrets spilled.

C: We can totally read it together. I will if you will. ;) With stories like these the hero normally dies and those who he “changed” will take charge and make this a perfect world. Normally how it goes. I’d be damned surprised if he makes it out alive. Maybe we shall be surprised and the beginning will be the best part. LOLLLLL

B: Yes! And the ending will suck when he dies. There is just not a future here for him, he is a conqueror, he will die when his work is done and I will be so damn mad and hate the author forever. You do not kill the main character at the end! Arghh, I already hate him just thinking about it.

But ok, it’s a date. I did have something else to say, I must think about it...you say something …

C: Mhmmmmm. I just hope the next one is better than this. The first was good, but this is not. I am hoping the next one will make reading this one worth it. IDK - I really so no other way to make it possible for Darrow to live. I’m neutral if he lives or dies just as long as the Gold regime is ended. GADS I hate the Golds! They are blood thirsty monsters. Especially the main baddie - the Jackal or whatever he calls himself. Loony.

B: I think this one overall was better, since the beginning was not as boring as book 1. That beginning made me want to DNF it. So for that this one was better. And I remembered what to say! I think my main concern with these books is Darrow, I like the guy. But I do not believe his transformation. He was not a rebel, a warrior, a god in disguise when he was a slave. I just felt like he should have shown more of that character already back then. He went from a nobody that would have died in the mud to a conqueror...eh, I can not believe that. But still, I like him.

C: He’s okay. But like you I believe the transformation is unbelievable. It should have taken him YEARS to be prepared for that world.

B: This should have been an adult book. He could have begun his journey at 16 like here, but he would have been with the Sons for years preparing and then going to the Academy in his 20s.

C: I believe you have to be a certain age to join the Academy, but they could have easily lied about his age or something. He needed more time for me to believe it. Oh well - I guess the author wasn’t thinking too technically on this aspect….he just wanted to get the guy running. LOL

B: This is the fantasy version in my mind, and in my mind they do not send out kids to rape each other. Instead they send out 20 year olds, they can kill each other. They might be better mentally prepared and not so vicious ;)

C: Oh for sure, but the Golds are mental….I’m surprised they didn’t send them out there at the age of 10 with guns and shit.

B: True...I think that would actually have fit the book better. Send out the kids in their tweens to kill each other and the survivors can go forth. I mean they are all insane so why not.

C: Honestly, there wouldn’t have been rape! They are 10-12...so they are old enough to “survive” and kill. LOL speaking of the insanity of the Golds…..if you were forced to pick a color, which one would you pick? I feel this book gave more back story on the other colors.

B: I must say that 10-12 would be better, at that age I was a head taller than the boys so the girl would have fared better. It is not fare sending them out at 16, that is a disaster in the making. I still do not get why not all the girls just assassinate them afterwards.

I would, hmm, Pixie. Just be lazy but still Gold cos Golds to rule and in this world I want to rule. All others are treated like crap.

Oh and I liked the Obsidian backstory.

C: Oh yes! It would make it way more fair….16 the boys at top of their physical strength and I hate to say they are going to be stronger than 90% of the girls. I wasn’t taller than any of the boys at 10 (I’ve always been a short one), but I could take care of myself, but at 16? No way!

I was leaning towards the Pinks, buuuut I read that they kidnap the kids and rape them and make them a Pink. No way for that house. I am leaning toward Pixie myself.

B: Told you, do not want to belong to the Whore Cast. Pixie it is. This world is insane and needs to BURN! At 16 I was still taller than most, but at the same time, not fair.

C: Not fair at all….so anything else to add?

B: Nope, not really. We will continue with this effed up world :)

C: Huzzah! Can’t wait for Darrow and his pals to burn this world!

B: Burn baby burn!

C: LOL the end?

B:The end.