Book Review: Girl of Fire: The Expulsion Project Book One by Norma Hinkens

This is an engaging space adventure with a teen and friends seeking their true identities.

Girl of Fire: The Expulsion Project Book One
(A Science Fiction Dystopian Thriller)
by Norma Hinkens

File Size: 2861 KB
Print Length: 343 pages
Publisher: Dunecadia Publishing; 1 edition (January 10, 2017)
ASIN: B01MRUL6U5
Genre: Dystopian, Sci Fi, Thriller
My Rating 4.0 of 5.0

ORIGIN. DESTINY. FATE. 
How far would you go to unravel the truth?
Trattora is the adopted daughter of the Chieftain on a primitive frontier planet. Velkan is an indentured serf who has never known a day of freedom. Forced to flee a terrifying invasion by Galactic Pirates, they find themselves thrown together on a ramshackle mining vessel that harbors more than one dark secret. Fate and chemistry combine when the pair’s matching birth bracelets lead them to a shocking discovery about their true lineage. Stakes rise when they uncover the classified Expulsion Project, and the devastating sacrifice their birth families made to spare their lives. Determined to save them from liquidation, Trattora and Velkan plunge headlong into a frantic race against time and space to take down the genocidal self-actualizing software that now controls large swathes of their home planet.
But will they navigate the treacherous dealings of the seedy Galactic underworld in time to rescue the families who loved them enough to let them go?
Girl of Fire is the first novel in The Expulsion Project, a sci-fi, dystopian thriller trilogy with a whisper of romance, a heavy dose of adventure, and action galore. If you are a Firefly or Dark Matter fan, or still in Hunger Games or Cinder withdrawal, this is the book mashup for you!

Review:
Trattora is a teen with red hair which sets her apart from the white-haired people of her clan. She was fortunate to be adopted by the Chieftain but she has always yearned to know her true history. Few vessels visit their ‘rural’ planet so Trattora is thrilled when a damaged mining vessel lands. The community can’t offer much help, but Trattora tries to find something to trade. She shows the miners unique rocks that are part of the clan’s sacred grounds. The captain believes the rocks are valuable and they are discussing a deal until a clan elder uncovers a terrible secret aboard the miner’s ship.

Trattora has become interested in Velkan, a crew member who is an indentured serf who had no choice in the captain’s illegal cargo. Trattora is set on helping the crew to escape when news of a marauder’s attack reaches the village. Trattora, her best friend and a young guard are unable to make it to the cavern shelters so they escape on the mining ship. Trattora thinks she has made a deal with the captain but she will learn that you can’t trust a corrupt trader.

Trattora discovers Velkan has a birth bracelet like her own. This, and their chemistry, draws them closer as Trattora insists they discover the secret of their birth families. They face betrayal and danger, steal a ship – or two -- and find another bracelet owner as they pursue their past. Their new friend helps them to decipher the code of the bracelets which tells them that a powerful AI project was taking over their home planet fifteen years ago. Now they are all determined to try to rescue their families.

The world building in this story is creative and engaging. The characters are developed – some likable and some not. Although I enjoyed the story for the most part, the situations and solutions stretch the realm of believability. Trattora is a naïve girl who has little experience with evil or mechanics. Still, she has read all the books she could find about space flight so when it comes time to snag a ride on her first space ship she not only feels at home, she can take the controls. She manages to negotiate with illegal traders and escapes their betrayals only with the help of her friends. This sort of ‘good fortune’ happens repeatedly as Trattora rushes headlong into dangerous societies. It is fortunate that she gathers other skilled companions around her in addition to Velkan.

The crew does have a diversity that reminded me a little of Firefly (not Hunger Games or Divergent). Although I struggled with the apparent foolish actions, those actions kept the group moving forward and provided surprising twists along the journey. I suppose it is a gift of fantasy and sci fi to be unrealistic and still be fun. There is a conclusion even as the ending leaves an appropriate opening for the next book. Readers who enjoy fast paced, teen adventuring sci fi should give this series a try.

I received this from the author for an honest review.

Book Review: Embattlement: The Undergrounders Series Book Two by Norma Hinkens

This is a strong sequel with action that moves the story forward.

Embattlement: The Undergrounders Series Book Two 

(A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel)

by Norma Hinkens

File Size: 3717 KB

Print Length: 295 pages

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Publisher: Dunecadia Publishing; 1 edition (February 21, 2016)

ASIN: B01C39SVT2

Genre: Dystopian, YA

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

The Undergrounders prevail. The Craniopolis falls. But victory proves bittersweet.
Against all odds, Derry and a handful of survivors escape the malevolent Doctor Lyong’s clutches, but no one knows if Owen is dead or alive. The shaky plan to rescue him falls apart when the Council splits over rumors of Owen’s ties to the Craniopolis. Forced to find new recruits Derry makes the treacherous journey to Shoshane City, home of the mysterious riders. Mutiny and sabotage is afoot and Derry finds herself caught up in a desperate struggle to save the city from being destroyed by The Ghost, a man who swears allegiance to no one. Time is running out to save Owen, and tensions are rising between Jakob and Sven, who may turn out to be a deadly distraction.
Will Derry emerge victorious from the showdown at the Craniopolis, or will the price of freedom mean sacrificing the man she loves?
Embattlement is the second book in The Undergrounders Series, a sci-fi dystopian thriller trilogy. If you like captivating apocalyptic tales, gritty complex heroines, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love this fast-paced, end-of-the-world adventure!

Review:
Derry and a handful of undergrounders have escaped from the evil Dr. Lyong and the city of Craniopolis. Derry saw her brother, Owen, struck down and fall even as he facilitated the escape of their Hovermede. She believed he sacrificed himself for the mission but she is told that as the craft flew away, Owen was seen alive and captured by the Security Cyborgs.

Derry is intent on rescuing Owen from Craniopolis, hopefully before Dr. Lyong uses his horrible synthesizer equipment to experiment on him like so many of the damaged humans abandoned within the city. Some of the Undergrounders are willing to support her but others vote not to be involved. Derry knows she will need huge reinforcements before attempting to reenter Craniopolis. She hopes to recruit the dangerous Rogues whose camp is beyond Shoshane City. She goes to the city first and discovers a community of survivors led by a strong leader, Jerome, who has his own secrets. These survivors live under the threat of the Sweepers from Craniopolis so Derry convinces them to join in the attack to wipe away the common enemy. One of Jerome’s conditions is that the deformed and damaged humans are rescued too.

Convincing the brutal Rogues to cooperate is more dangerous and trickier. Derry is using Rummy, Blade’s brother, as a hostage for negotiation. They manage to capture Blade and then use both to obtain a meeting with the mysterious, dark Rogue leader known as The Ghost. Finally, a combined group proceed with the mission. Each step of the attack has its own risk and it will take a lot of coordination and a bit of luck to overcome the security force.

This is book two and I enjoyed the intense action and the new characters added in this sequel. I also liked the plot dilemmas of trusting enemies in a combined effort and weighing attempts at negotiation rather than violence. Ms. Hinkens’ style of presentation in first person present is a bit differed but works fine once the reader adjusts. This story has an end point but includes a surprise that leaves more danger ahead. I do recommend this to readers who like dystopian with action.

I received this from the author for an honest review.

Book Review: Immurement: The Undergrounders Series Book One by Norma Hinkens

This is very engaging with action, danger, courage and sci fi elements.

Immurement: The Undergrounders Series Book One
(A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel)
by Norma Hinkens

• File Size: 4089 KB
• Print Length: 261 pages
• Publisher: Dunecadia Publishing; 1 edition (December 9, 2015)
• ASIN: B0197BHT1K

Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopian
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

The earth’s core overheats. The sovereign leader vanishes. A young girl is the survivors’ only hope.
What little land is habitable is patrolled by cutthroat gangs of escaped subversives, but that’s not the greatest threat facing sixteen-year-old Derry Connelly, her brother Owen, and a ragged band of Preppers holed up in a bunker in the Sawtooth Mountains. Mysterious hoverships operated by clones are targeting adolescents to extract their genes. Owen, is one of the first to disappear. To save him, Derry must strike a deal with the murderous subversives, and risk a daring raid to infiltrate the heart of the extraction operation.
But will the rookie leader falter when forced to choose between her brother and a clone who ignites something inside her she didn’t know was possible?

Review:
Derry Connelly is curious and brave. She and her older brother, Owen, live in a bunker with others who have survived an earth meltdown. There are several communities all struggling to scavenge supplies while ducking hovership sweepers that suck up teens and removes them to Craniopolis, a research facility. That is the prime danger but there are dangers from rouge subversives who take what they want and kill without a second thought.

Derry has a mentor in an older woodsman, Big Ed. He is her closet friend after her romantic interest, Jakob, who is from a family that lives apart and eschews all violence. Derry is unsure of one man who has joined the ranks of the bunker inhabitants. Mason claims to be former military; he is big and strong and shows no emotion which causes Derry to distrust him.

When Jakob and Owen disappear, Derry is determined to break into Craniopolis and free them before they become nothing more than genetic resources and body parts. Big Ed and Mason agree to help her… once they evade the rogues who want the hidden hovership.

There is plenty of action as the heroes struggle first against the brutal subversives and then have to face the security guards within Craniopolis. The head scientist is clearly a mad man and he is determined to continue his work no matter what lives he has to ruin.

Derry has to face the horrors in the facility and find her courage along the way. I became engaged with Derry, her friends, and her dog, Tucker, early and remained engaged throughout the story. There is aid from some surprising sources that gives hints to allies for the next book in the series. This read very quickly and I am eager to read the next book. I recommend this to those who enjoy action in a dystopian setting.

I received this from Xpresso Book Tours for an honest review. This qualifies for “I” in Alphabet soup challenge and for my TBR Triple Dog Dare.