Book Reviews

Titans By: Edward W. Robertson

titans

 

Titans By: Edward W. Robertson

Plot:

Rob Dunbar is the world’s best history professor. And with good reason: he’s been alive for three thousand years, keeping his existence a secret since before the days of Athens.

But a stranger named Baxter has a better use for Rob’s vast expertise. Baxter’s looking to found a mining company in the Asteroid Belt. In exchange for Rob’s help, he’ll try to unravel the mystery of Rob’s origin.

As they’re getting their outfit off the ground, they come under covert attack by HemiCo, a powerful Mars-based corporation. And Rob learns Baxter has a secret of his own–he’s not human. He’s a highly illegal AI.

Developed by HemiCo in the wilds of Mars, the first AI escaped decades ago. They’ve been fighting a shadow war against their creators ever since. Dragged to Mars, Rob is thrown into the center of the fight–and becomes the unlikely leader of a revolution that will change the course of human history in the stars.

Review:

I picked this book up a while ago for free after listening to a podcast with the author and liking it. After finishing up Dark Matter season two I wanted some more space stuff and decided this would fit the bill.

I don’t normally read Space Opera, though I love to watch it, and I’ve been meaning to get into the genre. Sadly this book wasn’t really what I was looking for. Rob wasn’t very compelling as a main character and Baxter was just angry and stupid. The corporation side of things was interesting though.

The book started out slow and I put it down a few times. The second half things picked up and while the ending was good it didn’t really push me to raise the books ranking. I’m hoping that I can find another book to fill the void at the very least find a subgenre of Space Opera that I like.

3/5

Illusion Town (Harmony #13) By: Jayne Castle

illusion-town

Illusion Town (Harmony #13) By: Jayne Castle

Plot:

A new adventure begins on Harmony…

With its opulent casinos and hotels, the desert city of Illusion Town is totally unique—and will take you on a thrill ride you’ll never forget.

Hannah West isn’t the first woman to wake up in Illusion Town married to a man she barely knows, but she has no memory of the ceremony at all. For that matter, neither does Elias Coppersmith, her new husband. All either can remember is that they were on the run…

With Hannah’s dubious background and shaky para-psych profile, she could have done much worse. The cooly competent mining heir arouses her curiosity—as well as other parts of her mind and body. And even her dust bunny likes him.

But a honeymoon spent retracing their footsteps leads Hannah and Elias into the twisting underground catacombs, where secrets from both their pasts will come to light—and where the energy of their clashing auras will grow hot enough to burn…

Review:

I like this series, apparent by the fact that this is book thirteen and I’m still reading. However, I wasn’t very impressed with this one. The romance was very lacking and it felt like a whole amnesia plot was just shoved in there to force a marriage of convenience because that would be the thing to force them to look into what happened? What? Really? The amnesia and the marriage seemed very contrived and the explanation wasn’t believable. It left no room to devlope their romance and basically all you have for that is a couple short emails at the start of the book and the fact that Elias didn’t like when Hannah kept saying it was just an MC. From that I was supposed to believe that they loved each other? Didn’t do it for me.

World was still fun so there’s that at least.

3/5

Devoted in Death (In Death #41) By: J.D. Robb

devoted-in-death

Devoted in Death (In Death #41) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve . . .
Review:

Who doesn’t love a good spree killing story line? The entire book was very fast paced edge of your seat with few breaks. There is enough bad in the In Death universe that I didn’t know who was going to live or die which is a good thing. I did think that because of the nature of the spree killers that whenever Eve and Roarke had sex it was kind of weird. I get why she did it, it’s expected for them to bang like bunnies, and she was trying to show the differences between the good guys and the bad. Still it felt a little weird to me.

Whatever, I’m taking a break from the series for a little bit before finally catching up on the series.

4/5

Obsession in Death (In Death #40) J.D. Robb

obsession-in-death

Obsession in Death (In Death #40) J.D. Robb

Plot:

Eve Dallas has solved a lot of high-profile murders for the NYPSD and gotten a lot of media. She — and her billionaire husband — are getting accustomed to being objects of attention, of gossip, of speculation.

But now Eve has become the object of one person’s obsession. Someone who finds her extraordinary, and thinks about her every hour of every day. Who believes the two of them have a special relationship. Who would kill for her — again and again…

With a murderer reading meanings into her every move, handling this case will be a delicate — and dangerous — psychological dance. And Eve knows that underneath the worship and admiration, a terrible threat lies in wait. Because the beautiful lieutenant is not at all grateful for these bloody offerings from her “true and loyal friend.” And in time, idols always fall…

Review:

Sometimes you want a nice normal futuristic sci-fi mystery, other times you want something a bit more dramatic. Now this wasn’t clones or off planet stuff, but it was certainly dramatic with a great conclusion.

There weren’t a multitude of red herrings, in fact for most of the book the suspect was an almost complete unknown. It was exciting and kept me wondering just how many people would have to die to get to an answer.

5/5

Festive in Death (In Death #39) By: J.D. Robb

festive-in-death

Festive in Death (In Death #39) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

Eve Dallas deals with a homicide—and the holiday season—in the latest from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Personal trainer Trey Ziegler was in peak physical condition. If you didn’t count the kitchen knife in his well-toned chest.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas soon discovers a lineup of women who’d been loved and left by the narcissistic gym rat. While Dallas sorts through the list of Ziegler’s enemies, she’s also dealing with her Christmas shopping list—plus the guest list for her and her billionaire husband’s upcoming holiday bash.

Feeling less than festive, Dallas tries to put aside her distaste for the victim and solve the mystery of his death. There are just a few investigating days left before Christmas, and as New Year’s 2061 approaches, this homicide cop is resolved to stop a cold-blooded killer.

Review:

I love a Christmas setting so I was excited to read this book. The fact that it was another relatively normal case with no world shattering outcomes was also welcome, however when things started to wrap up I felt dissatisfied. Eve really pushed the person she thought the murderer was and it never felt right. It didn’t feel right for her character or completely for the murder. The motive was there and the personality of the person fit, it just didn’t click. Thankfully things were settled by the end, but I started to worry.

Lots of visits from other characters and a few emotional moments, so the character development definitely outshone the mystery.

4/5