In a society divided, the Maddock siblings must learn to fend for themselves. When they become involved with the Resistance, they may be able to help others.
Keira Maddock has never considered herself a lady. In fact, she often acts in ways that would be considered downright un-ladylike. A hired killer and thief whose only goal is to provide the necessities of life for herself and her sister, she has learned to be brutally effective in her trade, with skills as sharp as the weapons she prefers. And when the head of a huge, shadowy corporation hires her to remove a powerful and wealthy opponent, Keira is happy to oblige. Until she meets him...
Scott Maddock is a hardened Terenian soldier-for-life. His job, to uphold the motto of the realm: "Reliance on Citizens Makes Us Great!" Soldiers work for the Gov, and the Gov is run by heads of corporations. But where do Scott's loyalties really lie? Only he and his best friend know for sure.
April Maddock is trying to make it on her own and has taken a job with a wealthy family. She has chosen not to fight the system like Keira, nor to fight for the Gov like Scott. Unlike her siblings, she recognizes the good in everyone. Even so, outside appearances can be deceiving. April knows that better than most.
Infested with greed and divided by power, the realm of Terene bears remarkable resemblance to our own society. But opposite despair, there is always hope. Whereas Keira Maddock brings destruction, Guy Bensen brings promise. Wealthy and powerful, yet thoughtful and caring, he is an anomaly who throws her completely off guard. When she learns of his connections to Scott and April, Keira knows she has made the right decision in not only sparing his life but in joining his cause.
Excerpt
I lifted the pillow and checked for a pulse. Vacant eyes gazed at the ceiling. Yes, he was gone. My work here, done.
I pulled on my black leather gloves and wiped down every hard surface I'd touched. Not that it was necessary, but one could never be too careful in this line of work.
As long as it looked like he had died of natural causes, no one would push for an investigation. And without a pending investigation, the Gov wouldn’t waste resources or money on anyone, not even a member of the Elite.
He had no immediate family, and my client certainly wouldn't say anything. Even the staff would be long gone by the time anyone from the Gov arrived, especially if I left them some good pickings.
People look out for themselves – it’s the nature of the beast inside.
They’d pick through his belongings, and then disappear. Someone would come looking, eventually. The Gov would send in a cleanup crew who, in addition to removing the body, would sell off any remaining assets. All proceeds would go to “benefit the Realm” which really just meant that Gov officials would receive a nice bonus.
My heels clicked on the white and gray marble tiles as I walked through the front hall. It didn't matter whether or not anyone heard me leave. They all knew he'd brought a woman home. I ran my hand through my long wavy red hair. It was time for a change.
Professional Reviews
A Captivating Futuristic Thriller
Keira Maddock is trying to survive in an Orwellian purgatory where the government is run by Elites who are for the most part greedy and self-serving. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are starving and doing without, basically just struggling to survive. Within this damaged society, a resistance is brewing.
Keira is the daring heroine, a hired bounty hunter (called a Freelancer) who is in danger of being double-crossed and triple-crossed. She doesn't know whom she can trust, but she longs for a world where freedom and decency reign. She accepts a job from one of the most powerful Elites in Tkaron, but suddenly finds herself siding with the man she's supposed to kill. Can she trust him? Whose side is he really on? And how does her brother know him?
This is a compelling, entertaining thriller and love story that is an allegory about the hazards of privilege and power, where absolute power corrupts absolutely. I felt for Keira immediately, a smart and conscionable woman who pines for the past as she listens to her mother's favorite records, like "I've Got Rhythm," the simpler songs of a bygone era, and yet who bravely confronts the future and will sacrifice everything for a good cause. Full of twists, genetic manipulation and subterfuge, it kept me turning pages. The ending was totally unexpected and I look forward to the sequel.
Very smooth read
S. L. Wallace has nailed it here! She's got style and ability, and it shines through in her writing.
The book read very smoothly. Well constructed verse in like that; easy to read and easy to follow. It's written in multiple first person and that's not easy. But S. :. pulls it off well.
I did not find a single grammatical error in this novel. And a bonus, I never had to reread a sentence because it didn't make sense.
Here's the only reason I (personally) didn't give it 5 stars - romance. And too much of it for this old sour-puss. I love dystopian (and S. L. does it well), but I like very , very little romance in my dystopian novels. She had more, which is fine, just not my personal liking so much.
Otherwise this is a must read for all dystopian lovers. You will NOT be sorry!
when world go wrong...
I am not a connoisseur of distopian books, in fact, I tend to avoid them. However, this book, while it is distopian, has enough that is unique in it to move it from being strictly genre to being more universally appealing.
The writing style was captivating, with excellent sentence flow, good descriptive material, and natural dialog. The author uses the convention of telling the story from the perspectives of the 4 main characters, in alternating chapters. This is tricky ground, because the material can become repetitive, but the author travels it without stepping on one land mine, or falling into one pitfall. The overall effect is that it makes it much easier to relate to all of these people, and to get to know them in a way that is only possible with first person narrative. Once I got used to it, and it didn't take long at all, I really enjoyed this touch.
The plot is complicated, involving, as it does, several major elements, any one of which could have provided material for a full length book. Again, the author handles her themes with ease, and her action scenes are extremely well done. There's lots of action, but it never overwhelms the basic story.
The thing I liked best about this book, though, is the way in which the author presented her world. There is no long explanation. You enter the scene in the middle of the action, and you are given the information you need to understand this rather frighteningly possible world as you go, just enough so that you don't become confused. This, to me, is world building at its best! I did keep trying to figure out, at first, whether this was supposed to be a not to distant future Earth, or a fantasy world created by the author. I soon decided that the book was good enough that I didn't really care, though my instincts tell me it is Earth. If so, then the author has extrapolated her future strongly based on trends we are seeing now, and that extrapolation is more than a little plausible, which should give us serious pause.
But, in the long run, books, all fiction, at least, are essentially the stories of people. Settings may vary. Genres may vary. But people are at the heart of any story, and in this, again, the author excels. Yes, the issues are important, as is the fight for equality that we see. But at the heart of things, it is the people who matter, and, bless her, the author never looses sight of this. These folks are real, with real issues, and what motivates them at bottom is love. Love of family, love of mates, love of friends. Everything they do is rooted in that love, and that, I think, is why this book is special. It's also a whopping good read, and I am eager to start book 2 in the series.
MONSTROSITY n. 1. That which deviates greatly from the norm in appearance or structure. 2. The quality or character of being abnormal; hideous; frightful; shocking.
