Where Have All the Heroes Gone?

Published: November 11th, 2009

Wolverine: Old Man Logan

By: Mark Millar & Steve McNiven

Marvel Comics

ISBN-13:  9780785131595

Nobody knows what happened on the night the heroes fell.  All we know is that they disappeared and evil triumphed and the bad guys have been calling the shots ever since.  What happened to Wolverine is the biggest mystery of all.  For 50 years, no one has heard hide nor hair from him...and in his place stands an old man called Logan.  A man concerned only by his family.  A man pushed to the brink by the Hulk Gang.  A man forced to help an old friend -- the blind archer, Hawkeye -- to drive three thousand miles to secure his family's safety.  Get ready for the ride of your life, Logan!

Review

       The synopsis basically explains everything you need to know to be able to dive into this particular story arc.  It's been 50 years since all the supervillains finally figured out that by teaming up, they could get rid of the heroes and take over completely.  Wolverine is now just known as Logan and has let himself just become an old man, caring for his family in a harsh new world.  The Hulk Gang (Bruce Banner's inbred, cannibalistic descendants) runs what used to be California and they come calling when Logan falls behind on the rent.  After beating the Hell out of him, they demand double next month or they'll kill his wife and kids.  Then Hawkeye, also an old man (and blind to boot), shows up looking for a cross-country driver.  The money he's offering could set up Logan's family for quite awhile, so he accepts.  But he refuses to do anything but drive, as he hasn't used his claws in 50 years - since the tragic night when Wolverine disappeared from public life.  Can Logan manage to save his family and will he ever be able to get over the horrors he lived through the night the heroes died?

       I mostly LOVED it!  It made sense that out of everyone, Wolverine and Hulk would be two of the only "heroes" left standing when all the others had been assassinated.  I love that Logan has decided to put away the Wolverine, but still hasn't completely lost that part of himself just yet (the awesome panel near the beginning where he imagines ripping apart his Hulk landlord demonstrates just that).  We get to see a completely different side of Logan than normal and the westernized feel of the artwork and the storyline (man goes on journey to save family from destitution/death by evil landlord[s]) definitely lends a dystopian feel to things.  I liked that Hawkeye had gone through a lot of the same things, but led a completely different life.  Blind, three-times married/divorced and ornery as ever, Hawkeye calls out Logan constantly for hanging up his claws.  But they come to mutual understanding, when Logan finally tells him what horrific things happened on that night 50 years ago.  As someone who has never read a Captain America comic, the thing with Red Skull and his trophy room still sent shivers down my spine.  Also, the scene with the Iron Man suit was perfect.

       My main problem, the one thing that really kept this from being perfect for me, was the motivations of the Hulk and the ending that they led to.  I thought it was a very weak, "bwahahaha" type of characterization and kind of disappointing.  Seeing Hulk be just plain insane would be one thing, but the over-the-top, backwoods hillbilly tint didn't really make all that much sense.  Bruce Banner, the counterpart of the Hulk, was a very educated man and I never really bought that he would've married/mated with his first cousin, Jenny (She-Hulk).  He would've known the kind of genetic problems that would cause in his bloodline.  And the rationale?  She was the only one who could keep up in bed...um...okay then.  I guess in the context of true insanity, anything can be explained away, but it just didn't really ring true to me.  I did enjoy the end though, with Logan walking into the sunset holding Baby Bruce Banner Jr. on his back, ready to start fighting again.  Overall, a mostly fantastic comic book and a great alternate universe story, with some mostly overlooked weak spots.  I highly recommend it.  And boy oh boy, is it hella gory!

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.*

Steel Lily Blog Tour - Review, Excerpt and GIVEAWAY!!!

Published:  August 12th, 2013

Steel Lily (The Periodic Series #1)

By: Megan Curd

Megan Curd

AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.  
She’s a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Three: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.  
Or so she thinks.  
That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Three. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued.  
But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn’t any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.  
…Which means digging deeper.  
When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, it may make her wonder if she was better off being a government tool than searching for freedom.  
Some secrets are better left concealed, but humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything…including the fate of your world.  

Book Links - 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17828413-steel-lily
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Lily-Periodic-ebook/dp/B00EH0DF8S/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376523752&sr=1-4

BIO:  Megan Curd is a graduate of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. While having always enjoyed reading any books she could get her hands on, Megan didn’t begin writing until a friend encouraged her to do so while in college.   
When not writing, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She loves to snowboard and travel to new places, and doesn’t turn down the opportunity to play xBox with her brother and friends when it presents itself.  
Megan currently resides in Stanton, Kentucky with her husband, son, and Great Dane named Dozer.  

LINKS:  

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Review

   
     Recently I've been becoming disillusioned with dystopia as a general rule.  I feel like everyone has been jumping on the bandwagon and publishing mediocre and downright AWFUL books - which are the only kind I seem to be getting my hands on.  Steel Lily has renewed my faith in the genre you guys!  I was contacted by the author about reviewing this book on my blog and normally I am very careful about accepting requests, so that I can give a good review.  Contrary to popular belief (at least on my part) most bloggers hate giving bad book reviews - I'd much prefer to give a good one, as it means my time was well spent reading a good book.  This one definitely fits the bill!  One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that while it has steampunk elements to it, at its heart the novel is mostly dystopia.  As someone who is not a major fan of steampunk, this was a make or break factor for me. 

     The main characters and the side characters were both really well developed, with Avery Pike being one of the most compelling protagonists I've read in quite some time.  She's a girl with the world on her shoulders, an amazing elemental ability and the best sense of humor.  Her banter with some of the other characters made me laugh out loud, which is harder to come by than you might think even in a really good book.  Megan gives us some truly detailed descriptions and I was able to picture everything unfolding in my mind, almost like watching a movie in my head.  And unlike a lot of recent dystopians, she gives us the basic building blocks of the world without leaving obvious gaps that alienate the reader.  For example, you know that this book is set not too long after WWIII and the remaining population is living in domes to avoid radiation poisoning on the uninhabitable portions of land that are left.  The dome that Avery lives in runs off of steam and she is one of very few elementalists keeping her dome alive.  But there is corruption in the police force, known as the Polatzi and Avery is also being treated horribly by her classmates and fellow elementalists.  Still desperate to find out what happened to her parents, Avery ends up leaving the dome with a mysterious man who says that he can help her with her abilities - and he knows where her parents are.

     The adventure and action in this book is phenomenal.  It's definitely writing at it's best when there's not even a line of text that seems superfluous to the story and you are hanging on the edge of your seat the whole time.  The introduction of Avery's love interest, Jaxon, (however reluctantly she may admit her feelings for him) is especially entertaining and one of my favorite parts in the book.  I liked the slow build of their relationship and some of the discoveries about the Resistance and the corruption in the domes that they make together.  Sari is another interesting character, a hacker who is friends with Jaxon and becomes Avery's roommate.  I did feel like I got to know her the least and I am hoping that Megan gives us a little more insight into her background in the next book.  Alice, the best friend from her original dome, definitely provides a nice contrast to the people in Avery's new living environment.  She has a great personality, sweet with a hint of sassiness.  And the loyalty and sisterly bond between her and Avery is awesome.  Not to say their relationship is perfect, because it's not.  But that makes it better in my opinion than if it were. 

     The resolution of the plots the author has going (the missing parents of Avery, the truth of the dome corruption, what adults the teens can trust [a.k.a. who the real villain is]) were well carried out.  I did kind of see one of the plot twists coming, but the way it was written was exceptional and I enjoyed it very much.  Actually, probably my only complaint about this book at all would be that the dialogue/speech sometimes felt stilted and a little unnatural.  It would occasionally make a drop from formal to modern in a way that wasn't entirely smooth.  But it didn't distract me from the overall awesomeness of this book.  So I'd call it a very minor flaw.  Overall, Steel Lily impressed me very much and I am so glad I got the chance to read it!  A fresh, heart-stopping addition to the dystopia family, I'd recommend this to anyone who is longing for a book that will finally leave them satisfied, as so many don't anymore. 

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I received this ebook from the author, in exchange for an honest review and participation in a blog tour.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book was published August 12th, 2013.  It's now available as an ebook.*

*EXCERPT*

I’d never seen anyone like him in Dome Four. His jawbone was strong, his cheekbones set high. His nose was regal and straight and when my gaze reached his eyes, my breath caught. Stormy blue-grey eyes that reminded me of shale returned my gaze with seemingly genuine curiosity, if not a bit of humor. Strips of colored fabric were woven into his dreadlocked hair, giving it a wildly unique appearance that suited him. His smug expression made me realize he was enjoying this. “Are you finished checking me out? If you’re not, that’s okay; I allow every new woman I meet a free five-minute gawking period. After that, it’ll cost you.” Blood rushed to my face. I tore my eyes from his magnetic gaze and watched as he took a worn leather strap off his wrist. He pulled back his dreadlocks–deep brown streaked with blonde–into the strap. His devilish grin pulled his eyes tight at the corners. He was trouble incarnate. Trouble I may very well want to get into, given the right circumstances. “You’re at five minutes and thirty seconds now,” he said in a purr as he leaned in toward me. I felt his breath against my cheek, and my heart raced. “I’m going to start taking payment, and I choose how that payment is issued.” Before I could respond, Alice stirred groggily beside me. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up. “Where are we?” “Good question,” piped Jaxon. “One that your friend here failed to ask, but it could have been because I rendered her speechless with my good looks.” Alice moved to get a better look at him, but he emphatically covered his face, as though he were a vampire trying to block the sun. “Don’t look at me!” he cried, then grinned as he winked at me. “I don’t want to make two ladies swoon in such a short period of time. How would I entertain myself tonight?” “You’re not that handsome,” I argued mulishly. “There’s drool on your chin. Either you’re physically unable to keep your mouth shut, or I caused you to forget how. Since when I found you, you were drool free, I’m going with the assumption that it was me.” He fished in his pocket and offered me a piece of white silk. “Here, a handkerchief for your trouble.”

*END EXCERPT*

   
     If that doesn't make you want to go and read this book, maybe this picture of Jaxon (who is very swoony and an awesome romantic hero) will!

And without further adieu, here is the giveaway! :)





 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Breath In, Breath Out

Published:  October 2nd, 2012

Breathe (Breathe # 1)

By: Sarah Crossan

Greenwillow

ISBN-13:  9780062118691

Inhale. Exhale. 
Breathe. 
Breathe. 
Breathe . . .
The world is dead. 
The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air.

Alina
has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.

Quinn
should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.

Bea
wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.

And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Review

     The oxygen supply of Earth has become severely depleted and as a result, the remaining populace has to live inside domes supported by artificial oxygen, under a corporation by the name of Breathe.  They found a way to keep everyone from dying and promise that they're working to fix the outside environment...but are they really?  Inside the dome are three teens whose lives are about to change forever.  One is Alina, a girl whose parents are missing and who relies on the underground rebellion as a way to fight for a future that is made right.  But at what cost.  Then there are Bea and Quinn, best friends who live in the shadow of money and parental expectations.  Bea is poor and her parents can barely afford her.  Quinn has everything but is left feeling cold from lack of familial connections.  These three collide on a trip outside the dome, where Alina tags along for their oxygen supply and lands them in a whole lot of trouble.  But once Bea and Quinn learn the truth about Breathe and the outside world will they still want to go back to the dome?  And is the rebellion really as perfect as Alina thinks it is?  When things finally explode who will be left standing and where will they turn?  I went into this thinking, great yet another dystopian by formula.  I left with much the same impression.  I think the basic story would have been interesting - if it hadn't been done before so recently in Under the Never Sky and Masque of the Red Death.  The multiple points of view weren't helpful in creating three-dimensional and layered characters either.  They all felt really flat to me, because I barely got any time with them individually.  Also, the plot ended up feeling very paint by numbers, with even the cliffhanger failing to inspire me.  I liked the storyline with Maude Blue, the drifter/ex-Breathe employee.  It ended up being the reason that I finished the book at all.  She was an interesting addition the little walking party and definitely the most interesting of the characters individually.  The world building was seriously lacking.  I never understood how the "apocalypse" happened and what the "Switch" was.  When was the book set and how long ago had the switch been?  Overall a confusing setting, semi-dimensional characters and a recycled plot made for a fairly mediocre and somewhat dull read.  I will definitely not be reading the next one.  

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It became available for purchase on October 2nd, 2012.* 

Immortal Without Any Fun

Published: April 24th, 2012

The Immortal Rules

By: Julie Kagawa

HarlequinTeen

ISBN-13: 9780373210510

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My Review

   Allison Sekemoto has been scrounging for herself on the streets ever since her Mother died years ago.  She refuses to be registered to the vampires as a portable bloodbank in exchange for food and quasi-protected status.  So instead she is Unregistered, roaming the streets with a gang of misfits trying to avoid the attention of any vampires altogether and not starve to death while she's at it.  But then one night Allison and her friends are caught in a dangerous situation with rabid vampires and she is almost killed by them.  A mysterious vampire named Kanin comes to her rescue, giving her the choice to turn - she  chooses to become a vampire, the very thing she hates the most.  Allison must learn to reconcile herself to survival, even if it means doing anything that's necessary.  Then an unexpected problem leaves her alone, causing her to end up joining a band of wanderers who are searching for Eden, a mythical city of technology and most importantly, no vampires AT ALL.  Along the way she begins to have feelings for Zeke, a kind human boy.  But he's been indoctrinated to hate all vampires and she knows she will lose him sooner or later.  Can Allison and the others survive and will they find Eden after all?  And will Zeke be more complicated than Allison expected?  I was excited for this book because it sounded different from most of the other vampire books that I've read.  Considering how burnt out the vampire craze of the past few years has left me, it takes a book that seems really special to perk my interest.   I did end up liking Allison and her sense of inherent loyalty to her friends, her belief system and herself.  She didn't let being a vampire make her an inhumane monster like most of them were.  However, the whole star-crossed love situation was not played out in a way that garnered my sympathy.  I liked Zeke and I liked Allie - just not together.  Ruth (one of the wanderers) was just too unlikable to be realistic at all.  Being on the run like that doesn't lend any realism to being that much of a petty little bitch.  You'd think she'd have outgrown it by then.  I loved the dystopian aspects of the book.  But the description got a little purple-prose for my taste, with the fight scenes leaving me skimming ahead rather than being transfixed.  I liked the book, but it was not the book for  me and while that disappointed me I understand why.  I should have realized it after reading Kagawa's Iron Fey series with a mediocre reaction.  This is only recommended for hardcore vampire fans or fans of Kagawa's previous works.  

VERDICT:  2.25/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published April 24th, 2012.*

Not A Match For Me

Published: November 1st, 2011
Matched
By: Ally Condie
Dutton Juvenile
ISBN-13: 9780525423652


The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Review

   Cassia is still holding on to the hope that being exiled from society will lead her to Ky, who has been pretty much marked for death.  Ky is just trying to survive and stay the kind of person that he thinks Cassia can love and believe in.  Cassia and Ky both escape from their prospective death camps to find The Rising, a group of people who have built a rebellion from civilization.  Along with them are Indie, Eli and Vick who are also looking for a better future.  But will any of them survive to see it?  And what secret is Ky keeping about Xander and his role in the rebellion?  This book was one I was excited to read.  That said, I ended up being bored out of my mind.  I read it up till the end, but it was a struggle and I really wanted to bitch-slap Ky and Cassia both, most of the time.  I truly disliked the change in style, that Condie used to give us Cassia's pov AND Ky's.  Unnecessary and not working in any way. shape or form in my opinion.  I will definitely not be reading the third book because I really have no desire to find out how things end.  This book could have been so much better for me, but it ended up being an epic fail and a complete waste of time.  I would not recommed this book to anyone.

VERDICT:  1.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Published: January 3rd, 2012
Cinder
By: Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
ISBN-13: 9780312641894


Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review

   Cinder is a teenage girl who only dreams of escape from the virtual enslavement of her stepmother.  The only bright spots are the family android Iko, whose broken personality chip makes her one of a kind, and her stepsister Peony who is a sweet girl who loves her.  Cinder is her stepmother's property because she is 36.8 percent not human (a.k.a. a cyborg).  When she fixes an android for Prince Kai and becomes embroiled in Palace life, she learns that things are not always as they seem.  She is immune to the plague that is besetting the city, but not for any reason she ever would have guessed.  There is romance brewing between Prince Kai and herself, but it is complicated because she is a second-class citizen.  The country is almost at war with the Lunars because of the cruelty and scheming of their ruler, Queen Levana.  She wants to become empress of the country and destroy the rest of the planet.  How can one cyborg girl be important enough to stand in her way?  What revelation will shock even Cinder when it comes to light.  This was such a science-fictionally based book that at first I was hesistant.  But I love fairy tales and their retellings, so I gave it a shot.  I loved Cinder because of her feistiness.  And the royalty with their political problems and looming war were interesting as well.  I was happy that Meyer didn't overshoot with the romance.  The main object of the book was always Cinder and her quest to find out who she was, where she fit in.  I can't say the 'shocking twist' was something I didn't see coming a mile away.  But I didn't mind, which says something good about the quality of this book. 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

I Pledge Allegiance, Not To You

Published: November 15th, 2011
The Pledge
By: Kimberly Derting
Margaret K. McElderry
ISBN-13: 9781442422018


In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Review

   Charlie has grown up in a society that has been rebuilt from ruin, using a caste system that separates the people cruelly.  No one is allowed to speak any language than the one of their station and Englaise, the common tongue.  If they even look at another person while they speak their class' language, they will be executed.  Charlie has a secret: she can understand any language that is spoken, no matter whether she's heard it before or not.  One night while she's at a club with her friend Brooklyn, Charlie hears someone speak in a tongue she doesn't recognize.  Intrigued, she becomes involved in a power struggle she never imagined.  One that will put Charlie, her parents, and her little sister Angelina's lives at risk.  Max knows something about Charlie that will question everything she has ever believed to be true.  Can she save herself and everyone else in the kingdom from the tyranny of the monarchy?  Or will her very soul be a casualty of war?  This was a truly interesting novel.  I liked the concept of language and caste systems being the true barrier in a dystopian society.  Charlie is such a strong female heroine that I couldn't help but like her.  That said, the Queen (as the villain of the story) was way too one-dimensional.  It was like she was evil for no reason at all, other than power had driven her mad.  The plot could have benefited from far more backstory than it was given.  The romance between Max and Charlie was sweet, but not exactly probable.  At times it was slightly Twilight-y and that did nothing to improve upon it for me.  I loved little Angelina, who has a gift and strength of spirit all her own.  Brooklyn and Aron could've been so much more - alas they were merely plot devices as was Xander, Max's cousin and leader of the resistance.  Unfortunately, it was quite predictable and not thorough enough for my enjoyment.  I was expecting the harsh beauty of The Girl of Fire and Thorns - I got weak writing instead.  I thought the epilogue left way too much to be desired.

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

Glowing With Some Serious Craziness

Published: September 13, 2011
Glow
By: Amy Kathleen Ryan
St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN-13: 9780312590567




What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Review

   First thoughts: Haven't I read this before?  This book sounded very interesting and the concept was definitely new, although dystopia has arguably become the new vampire (genre-wise).  It grabbed me in from the first page and it read sort of like a cross between Across the Universe and Wither.  Waverley was an engrossing protagonist and her friend Samantha (who before the incident she wasn't all that close to) was very sharply intelligent.  Also, 'Pastor' Anne Mather of the 'New Horizon' ship is a fairly complex and chilling villain.  Now that the positives are out of the way I'll get to the negatives.  After the first third of the book I became bored.  I started skipping the parts with Kieran, Seth and the other boys who were left behind to an odd Lord of the Flies type existence on the 'Empyrean.'  You know why?  Because I just didn't CARE.  Which brings me to the downside of the third-person narrative: I was majorly disconnected from the characters and because the action happened so quickly, I had no time to really understand or even like Kieran.  To be honest, I'm surprised I even cared about Waverley at all.   The story was so drily written that it just felt like cardboard to me.  It was mainly exposition (badly done mind you) for the rest of the series, which I will not be reading.  It felt contrived and just like a waste of time.  I didn't hate it and it deserves some credit for keeping my interest for as long as it did.  But that's about it.

VERDICT: 1.5/5  Stars

*No money was exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores and online.*