Book Review: Xenogeneic: First Contact by Lance Erlick

A bit repetitive in the middle but the ending on this pulls it together.
Xenogeneic: First Contact
by Lance Erlick

File Size: 3728 KB
Print Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Finlee Augare Books (March 8, 2017)
ASIN: B01N5Y82JY
Genre: Sci Fi, Alien First Contact
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Xenogeneic: First Contact is a science fiction thriller about first contact with an alien race that lost their civil war and wants to take over Earth.
Dr. Elena Pyetrov's father vanished in space 18 years ago while searching for extraterrestrial life. As an aerospace engineer, Elena travels into space to search for answers and continue his work. Her ship is pulled off course and crashes. She suspects extraterrestrial interference.
The alien Knoonk lost their civil war in a distant star system and fled to Earth's neighborhood to hide and regroup. They seek a new home--Earth. Unable to live in Earth's toxic environment, the aliens kidnap and use humans to genetically modify their species to adapt.
Surviving the crash, Elena and her shipmates are transported to a closed cave system where the Knoonk monitor and control everything. Elena tries to make a connection with her hosts and find ways to work together, but Knoonk leaders rebuff her and force the humans to submit as slaves. The aliens use illusions, distractions, and social experiments to learn from their hostages and keep them off balance. Resistance by captive humans brings swift punishment to break the human spirit.
While Elena continues to look for ways to cooperate with the Knoonk, it becomes apparent that there can be no compromise. The Knoonk want to capture Earth for their species. It is winner take all. With time running out, Elena must dig deep to uncover the alien plan and find a way to stop them before the human race faces enslavement and extinction.

Review:
Elena has spent her life preparing to follow her father into space. She’s broken off with her fiancé, Marc, a marine who seeks just a bit too much control over her decisions. Elena’s scheduled space trip is almost cancelled by political opposition. She gets surprising clearance at the last minute only to arrive on ship to find Marc and a few other rejected candidates have been swapped with the approved crew.

The shuttle never makes it to the moon landing but veers off course at a speed that has no explanation. The shuttle crashes on a planet that is supposed to be Europa – the original destination. Elena, Marc and another crew member find themselves healed of injuries and transported to a strange cave. As they explore the lush ‘paradise’ cave, Elena stumbles upon a home like her childhood home. There she is shocked to find her father and a thirteen-year-old, half sister, Thelma. Thelma appears to be autistic, speaking only in rhymes and suffering from seizures.

More of the shuttle crew and passengers begin to appear and some of them quickly exhibit disturbing behaviors. Elena learns that she and her shipmates have been imprisoned by an alien race, the Knooks. This race rewards the women, with supplies and survival, if they become pregnant. Numerous human groups have formed competitive clans. The men tend to attack other clans, killing the males and raiding for women. Elena fights against this primitive mentally, seeking a peaceable alliance and trying to negotiate with the Knooks.

Much of the middle of the book is spent on brutal clan battles and Elena’s attempts to learn the secrets, intentions and methods of the aliens. Elena does learn that the technology of the Knooks is superior to humans and that the female race plans to take over earth as soon as they can raise their mutated children.

The Knooks are basically all powerful and controlling. It is frustratingly unclear why they allow Elena to move about as freely as she does without punishment. The coyote images of Elena’s half Navaho heritage, are continually hinting that the situation is not all it appears to be. It is well into the book before it becomes clear that Elena is being used -- for some purpose or another.

The last 25% of the story finally moves forward with hopeful (rather than hopeless) action and some surprising twists. I am glad I chose to read to the end as it brings sense to the rest. The writing is a little choppy – as if written for a younger audience (as in the tech/text generation). The middle seems to bog in repetitive and almost hopeless scenes. The characters are not strongly endearing until the end. I do encourage pushing through to the action and suspense near the end, which I enjoyed. Fans of alien First Contact sci fi might want to give this a try.

I received this ebook, for an honest review, through iReads Book Tours. Enjoy the Author Guest Post/character interview and check out the Giveaway at this LINK.

Lance Erlick Guest Post, Book Spotlight and Tour Giveaway

Please see my review post HERE.

AUTHOR GUEST POST:

INTERVIEW WITH ELENA PYETROV
Where are you from? Tell us a little about your family.

My parents were very much the odd couple. My mom was Navajo. My father immigrated to the United States as a boy from Eastern Europe. They met in college and fell in love, which caused my mother’s family to disown her. In return, she turned her back on her culture, depriving me of my heritage, though to be honest, I was more interested as a child in my father’s stories about space. After winning my mom’s hand in marriage, my father was accepted to the astronaut program, which involved us moving and him being absent in training or on missions. He finally got what he really wanted, a trip out to Jupiter to explore. That’s where he disappeared, eighteen years ago. His ship vanished with no further communication.

How did that make you feel?

His mission caused him to miss my sixteenth birthday, for which I cursed him. Then my brother Leo committed suicide and my mom died shortly afterwards of a broken heart. I was full of anger over my father abandoning us. Yet somehow he’d gotten under my skin to the point I had to go into space myself, to see what he saw. I guess on some level I thought it would bring me closure and help me move past looking up to him and then losing him. We didn’t even have a body to bury. Now I’m left with regrets that I’d run off his last night on Earth. I wanted to punish him and ended up punishing myself.

Is that why you’re so obsessed, some would say, to venture out to Jupiter?

Obsessed? I’ve heard that many times from those who don’t think we should explore. My father and I used to play this game about first contact with an alien species. How would we be able to communicate? What would be our basis for working together cooperatively as opposed to how humans often react with suspicion when confronted with strangers? Actually, my goal is Europa, the water moon of Jupiter. We’ve speculated for some time that there could be life or the precursors of life beneath or even in the ice sheets. Even if what we find is a primitive life form, it would be a giant step toward exploring the questions my father used to ask. Humans are a curious species. We have a need to know. I certainly do, and not just because of my dad. He opened worlds for me to explore. What really is out there and what can we learn from what we find?

So what did you find on your journey to the outer solar system?

I wouldn’t want to give away too much of the story, but let’s just say we didn’t land where I expected, we didn’t find what we were looking for, but it was vitally important that we found what we did before it was too late for the human race.

Xenogeneic: First Contact
by Lance Erlick

Book Description:
Xenogeneic is a science fiction thriller about first contact with an alien race that lost their civil war and wants to take over Earth.

Dr. Elena Pyetrov’s father vanished in space 18 years ago while searching for extraterrestrial life. As an aerospace engineer, Elena travels into space to search for answers and continue his work. Her ship is pulled off course and crashes. She suspects extraterrestrial interference.

The alien Knoonk lost their civil war in a distant star system and fled to Earth’s neighborhood to hide and regroup. They seek a new home—Earth. Unable to live in Earth’s toxic environment, the aliens kidnap and use humans to genetically modify their species to adapt.

Surviving the crash, Elena and her shipmates are transported to a closed cave system where the Knoonk monitor and control everything. Elena tries to make a connection with her hosts and find ways to work together, but Knoonk leaders rebuff her and force the humans to submit as slaves. The aliens use illusions, distractions, and social experiments to learn from their hostages and keep them off balance. Resistance by captive humans brings swift punishment to break the human spirit.

While Elena continues to look for ways to cooperate with the Knoonk, it becomes apparent that there can be no compromise. The Knoonk want to capture Earth for their species. It is winner take all. With time running out, Elena must dig deep to uncover the alien plan and find a way to stop them before the human race faces enslavement and extinction.

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~  Add to Goodreads

Author's Bio:

Lance Erlick writes science fiction thrillers for young adult and adult readers. He is the author of The Rebel Within, The Rebel Trap, and Rebels Divided, three books in the Rebel series. In those stories, he explores the consequences of Annabelle Scott following her conscience. He authored the Regina Shen series--Resilience, Vigilance, Defiance, and Endurance. This series takes place after abrupt climate change leads to the Great Collapse and a new society under the World Federation. His latest novel is Xenogeneic: First Contactabout encounters with an alien race aiming to take over Earth.

Connect with the Author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Pinterest 

Tour Participation Available HERE.

Giveaway:​

Win a copy of Xenogeneic: First Contact. One person will also receive a $25 Amazon gift card (print open to USA and ebook for int’l) 2 winners total
Ends April 15
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Audio Book Review and Tour Giveaway: A Fine Year by for Murder: A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 2 by Lauren Carr

This is another engaging and fast moving mystery with strong characters and good twists.
A Fine Year for Murder: A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 2
Written by: Lauren Carr
Narrated by: C.J. McAllister

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
Series: Thorny Rose Mysteries, Book 2
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:02-06-17
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Genre: Cozy Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~ Add on Goodreads

Publisher's Summary
After 10 months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect...except in the middle of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica's past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?
©2017 Terri Lynn Zaleski (P)2017 Terri Lynn Zaleski

Review:
Jessica Faraday, daughter of a retired homicide detective, is recently married to Murphy Thornton, son of a former JAG lawyer, and a naval officer himself with some series skills and hidden assignments. Jessica is having nightmares that have been persistent since a childhood trauma and are causing her to strike Murphy while they are sleeping.

Jessica and Murphy attend a family bar-b-que where investigative journalist Dallas Walker is describing a cold case she is investigating that is known as the Pine Bridge Massacre – a brutal killing of a family. Suddenly Jessica realizes that she witnessed the death of the young girl but has been suppressing the details.

Murphy and Jessica decide to take a second honeymoon at Pine Bridge to investigate the old murder. Dallas, a lanky, gorgeous red-headed Texan, will come in as a rich journalist to the fancy plantation resort on the other end to town.

Murphy gets to meet Jessica’s cousins, the nice ones and the decidedly not nice ones. The newlywed’s appearance in town immediately stirs up trouble especially when their dog digs out a half-buried skull near the old crime scene. Secrets begin to unravel and there are some very unhappy, and dangerous murderers who want the Thornton’s out of town – one way or another.

This story moves along well as Ms. Carr weaves through the details of another mystery full of corruption and murder. It is fun to follow Jessica and Murphy as they uncover clues and speculate on the facts and motives. Murphy’s training gets him into a bit of trouble. I enjoyed the inclusion of the pets and a new ‘family’ character, a computer assistant named Nigel. The author includes some surprises and neatly wraps up the loose ends.

This is the second mystery in the series and I enjoyed both. (See review of Kill and Run.) They are easy to follow with likeable characters whose interaction adds to the engaging storylines. I recommend this to readers who like a fast paced, light in tone (but not light in danger) mystery.

Audio Notes: C.J. McAllister does a nice job with the narration. The voices are given appropriate accents and tones and the pacing is handled to keep the characters distinct and the story moving. I enjoyed the listening experience which made this move more quickly for me.

I received this title through iReads Book Tours. It qualifies for my 2017 Audio Challenge.

BOOK REVIEW TOUR SCHEDULE AVAILABLE AT THIS LINK.

Book Trailer for A FINE YEAR FOR MURDER:

Author's Bio:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Giveaway:

One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card (Open internationally)
Ends April 22

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audio Book Review and Tour #GIveaway: Kill and Run: A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 1, by Lauren Carr

I found this to be an engaging mystery with strong characters.
Kill and Run: A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 1
Written by: Lauren Carr
Narrated by: C.J. McAllister

Length: 11 hrs
Series: Thorny Rose Mysteries, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:10-14-16
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Genre: Mystery, Police Procedure
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble  ~  Add on Gondreads

Publisher's Summary
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.
Before long, the case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother,. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?
©2016 Terri Zaleski (P)2016 Terri Zaleski

Review:
Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, is newly married to a wealthy young woman, Jessica Faraday. He’d like to have more time for his new bride but he unexpectedly finds himself lead on his first homicide case. Although his crotchety boss didn’t plan for him to really take the case from the local police, when he discovers that the fifth woman murdered at the scene was a naval petty officer, he claims the case under NCIS jurisdiction. His boss hasn’t liked Murphy since he was assigned to her office and she resents his good looks, polish and apparent good reputation. She has no idea that he is really part of a secret government force.

Murphy’s father, Joshua, was a former Naval Commander now turned top notch lawyer. Joshua has recently married Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. Cameron has her own past demons as her first husband was killed by a hit and run four months after they wed. She has been fortunate to find love again but still has some healing to do, especially when the FBI inform her that they have just learned the identity of the man who killed her first husband. Cameron flies to Washington, DC, to interview the man. She will visit and stay with Murphy and Jessica but soon Cameron becomes engaged in Murphy’s investigation when a connection is discovered that links to her husband’s death. Jessica has just received her Private Investigator license so she insists on stepping into the investigation too.

The mystery uncovers a past string of suspicious deaths and although they point to a particular person the investigators are having a difficult time gathering hard evidence. The author does a good job connecting the clues and crimes and adding a few twists for extra interest.

I really liked the strong Thornton men and their lovely women. Cameron and Jessica are independent and have strengths to add to the story. There are also children and animal characters who are important parts of the story. I enjoyed getting to know the cat, dogs and Monique, a plate sized tarantula.

Ms. Carr does a good job portraying real characters and developing their personal lives while blending in ‘office politics’ and the mystery. The story is a good mix of cozy and intrigue. It moves along quickly and kept my attention wanting to know what would happen next. I recommend this to readers who like a good mystery with warm characters. I look forward to reading more in this series and earlier series by Ms. Carr. Please watch for my review of the next book, A Fine Year for Murder, which will post on March 16.

Audio Notes: At first I thought the narration by C.J. McAllister was a bit stiff. However, as I got into the story I found the narration worked well to deliver the characters and intrigue. Ultimately the narration added to my enjoyment of the story.

I received this through iReads Book Tours for tour review. It qualifies for my 2017 Audio Challenge. .

Book Trailer for KILL AND RUN:

Author's Bio:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Giveaway:

One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card (Open internationally)
Ends April 22

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Spotlight: A Fine Year for Murder by Lauren Carr

A Fine Year for Murder (A Thorny Rose Mystery Book 2)
by Lauren Carr

Book Description:

After months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle of the night when, in darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.

When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting and suppressed the memory.

Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~ Add on Goodreads

Book Trailer:

Author's Bio:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Please see the author GUEST POST AND GIVEAWAY HERE.
#mystery, #ThornyRoseMystery, #giveaway

Full Tour Schedule can be found at the author's iRead home page.

Book Review: The Skeleton Code: A Satirical Guide to Secret Keeping by Alla Campanella and Ken Massey

I found this to be a difficult read but it does conclude with a positive message.
The Skeleton Code: A Satirical Guide to Secret Keeping
by Alla Campanella and Ken Massey

File Size: 1868 KB
Print Length: 230 pages
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing (October 25, 2016)
ASIN: B01M09DBMM
Genre: Satire, Self Help
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Buy the Book:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Early in life, we learn to exaggerate our positive personal qualities and hide or deny our failures and weaknesses. The Skeleton Code is a satirical and humorous look at the many ways we protect our public personas by closeting our personal secrets, an ultimately self-deluding way of life. As a parody of the self-help “success” genre, the book presents facetious strategies about how to cover up our silly and scandalous secrets before turning to The Skeleton Cure.

Review:
I had to keep reminding myself this was satire. And as satire, for 80% of the book, the authors do a very good job. Alla Campanella and Ken Massey rightly note that almost everyone has skeletons in their closets – secrets we just don’t share. But then we worry about keeping those secrets from popping out, or being found out or outed by someone else. The authors are careful to provide a disclaimer that they are not promoting immoral, unethical or illegal behavior. They then proceed to present several chapters of tricks for protecting your secrets: dressing for diversion, mimicking the masters, taking the offensive. There are several chapters sharing methods to encourage fear and help prepare a response in the event of exposure, either accidental or purposeful. There can be an art in self disclosure that minimizes the potential for negative impact. The authors provide a fitting quote from Sidney Poitier: “I know how easy it is for one to stay well within moral, ethical, and legal bounds through the skillful use of words—and to thereby spin, sidestep, circumvent, or bend a truth completely out of shape.” The authors also do a nice job of summarizing the techniques and testing the progress of the reader.

I really had difficulty sticking through this to the end. I knew it is satire but that didn’t help stop my feeling that what they were describing was somewhat ‘slimy’. Still, it just didn’t feel right or good and I didn’t want to read it. This made me feel like when I stop reading a book because the language used is just too foul – it makes me feel uncomfortable and unhappy.

I knew there was a better message but that isn’t shared until the last two chapters. The closing points note that hiding secrets may cause physical pain as well as emotional illness. It is healthier to uncover the secrets, face them and remove the skeleton from your life. This did make me feel better. The closing remarks reminded me of the Transactional Analysis course I took in my late twenties which featured resource books like I’m Ok - You’re Ok and Games People Play.

The book is well written and laid out in an easy to follow fashion. I think the authors’ introduction tried to reassure the reader that the ultimate message was positive… and it is. I just think there could be more positive ways to present the message. This one wasn’t real comfortable for me but could be very useful for the right people, right situation.

I received this title from ProBook Marketing through iRead Book Tours for an honest review. Please watch the video below for a positive view of the book. Also, see other reader/reviewer thoughts on the Blog Tour found here. This qualifies for my 2017 TBR Challenge.

Author Bios:

Ken Massey is a public speaker, author, humorist and minister enjoying the second and truer half of life. He holds two graduate theological degrees and is trained as a life coach, conflict manager and transition specialist. He enjoys golf, and traveling, but finds his greatest fulfillment helping other people discover their true worth as human beings. Ken, a native Texan, loves the beauty and the people of North Carolina, where he and Alla reside.

Alla Campanella, after traveling throughout the world, has lived in the US since 1992. A longtime student of the arts and humanities, she enjoys her work as an artist and photographer. Alla was inspired to write this book because she heard so many personal and painful secrets from her clients about their failures and foibles and wanted them to face these realities rather than hide from them.

Connect with them: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Ken Massey talking about The Skeleton Code to WTVR CBS 6 News. This is a great interview summarizing the book well.

Youtube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW81AcUlON0

Anniversary Celebration for iRead #booktours With Giveaway!

Help celebrate a Happy 3 Year Anniversary to Laura Fabiani and iRead Book Tours!

There are many reasons I really like about working with iRead Book Tours, but here are my top three five six (if I keep thinking the list will keep growing!):

1. I always know the rating for the books so I can pick books that I am comfortable with.
2. There is a wide variety of genres to pick from on the ongoing tours:  Children's. Middle Grade, YA, Teens, Mystery, Romance, other Fiction and Non-Fiction.
3. It is easy to sign up to spotlight or review and often a giveaway is included to share with others.
4. The iRead Team always sends my date and/or the tour list right away so I can calendar my post.
5. The media kit is always provided early with content and choices that make it easy to put together a post.
6. Laura is lovely to work with and the staff have been responsive and efficient also.

About iRead Book Tours:

At iRead, we give special attention to every book that tours with us. We are passionate about books and we customize all our tours because no two authors are alike.

We don't just market books. We help our authors get the best exposure with traditional tours consisting mainly of reviews. We work closely with our authors and pride ourselves on our highly individualized customer service.
   
All our staff are book bloggers and authors, so we understand the process and the hard work involved. We've built a solid relationship with our database of reliable book bloggers who are eager to read your books.
   
Welcome to the iRead experience!

 

About Laura Fabiani:

In 2008, Laura began blogging about books shortly after she published her first book. She started Library of Clean Reads, a book review blog, and discovered the joy of reviewing a variety of genres. Her children have joined her in this venture and they spend many happy hours reading books together. A Special Care Counselor by profession, Laura has co-led and developed programs for seniors with dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease. She has a passion for the topic of neuroscience and wellness.

Throughout the years she has met and worked with wonderful publishers, both traditional and indie, as well as publicists and authors. Best of all, she discovered the world of book bloggers--a community of special people who spend their precious time sharing their love of books and all things related to books.

Taking part in book tours has always made Laura feel more connected to authors and the publishing field. She organized her own virtual tour when her book was published and she learned several things. As an author, it exposed her to actual reader views and social media. As a book blogger and book tour organizer, it taught her the amount of work it entailed. And she loves it!

You can find Laura blogging at Library of Clean Reads and Essentially Italian. 

She is the owner of iRead Book Tours,  Italy Book Tours, and Je Lis Blog Tours.

Giveaway:​

Win $50 cash or a Basic Virtual Book Tour Package 

(2 winners, open int’l)

Ends Feb 4

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Regina Shen: Endurance by Lance Erlick

This is my favorite of the series so far.
Regina Shen: Endurance
by Lance Erlick

File Size: 3964 KB
Print Length: 297 pages
Publisher: Finlee Augare Books (July 1, 2016)
ASIN: B01FWERE7K
Genre: Sci Fi, Dystopian, YA
My Rating 4.25 of 5.0

Outcast Regina Shen continues her adventure as a hunted fugitive and as a pawn in a worldwide grab for power.
Competing World Federation power brokers seek to control Regina for her unique DNA that could reverse a global fertility collapse. They make use of her unique memory for ancient forbidden texts that help her locate illegal artifacts from before the Federation, which agents then destroy.
For months Regina has been treading a fine line, trying not to let the Federation destroy any more of their past while doing all she can to rescue her kidnapped sister from agents who dangle the sister as bait. Betrayed again by her mom, Regina flees to the Southwest Desert with a close companion to hunt down a vault to exchange for her sister’s freedom. Nothing goes according to plan.
Before her journey concludes, tragedy will shake Regina to her core. It will also open up new possibilities that could lead down an even more dangerous path closer to her destiny but farther from her sister.

Review:
Regina is a young girl in an all female society. She was raised as one of the many outcasts, known as 'marginals' living in the swamps outside the Barrier walls Within the walls the society is divided into castes of working stiffs, professionals and elites. With the direction of her teacher, Mo Mere, Regina escaped under the wall to try to make it at university. But, like many independent marginals, Regina couldn’t fit in, and, unlike a good quiet citizen, Regina could not stop challenging the limits and restrictions of the Federation order. Regina left university with her new friend, Ester, still intent on rescuing her sister, Colleen.

The Federation has a serious fertility problem and they are seeking to capture Regina as they think her blood/DNA will prove a solution. Although the Federation inspectors have been close on her trail, Regina found friends along the way who helped her get to Alaska. Inspector DeMarco keeps dangling Colleen’s release as a reward if Regina will find other DNA vaults and deliver healthy samples to DeMarco. Even though Inspectors Volpe and Wendt destroyed the Alaska vault, DeMarco directs Regina to the Southwest vault.

Once again Regina gets aid from the truckers to get her from Fairbanks, Alaska to Flagstaff. There she and Ester find another DNA vault but DeMarco and Volpe are still on her tail, seeking to fight over the DNA coolers and, in the case of Volpe, determined to destroy the entire vault, no matter how valuable the contents might be to the future of society.

It is fairly obvious to the reader, if not to Regina, that DeMarco has been arranging help all along the road. Still, DeMarco doesn’t keep her bargains very well and Regina has little reason to trust her. DeMarco again sends Regina off to another vault, this time back over the barrier wall to the underwater city of Philadelphia. While Regina makes her way back across the country to her home in the swamps, DeMarco continues to lose control of her backing in the Department of Antiquities.

The infighting among the inspectors intensifies in this book and Regina faces more danger and tragic loses. I appreciated the good pacing and action in this story and liked the excitement of the find in the Philadelphia salvage. Regina’s ‘legend’ and gift of hope to others grows even as a plot twist sets the stage for a new stage in Regina’s life. The ending of this volume left me wanting to follow the new journey and adventure. There are still too many unanswered questions so I do hope there is to be another book.

I received this through iReads Book Tours for an honest review. PLEASE SEE AUTHOR GUEST POST HERE.

See my reviews of books one through four in this series through this link.

Book Review and Tour Giveaway: Regina Shen, Defiance by Lance Erlick

This continues to be an engaging YA, female society dystopian series.
Regina Shen: Defiance
by Lance Erlick

File Size: 2958 KB
Print Length: 292 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Finlee Augare Books (July 7, 2015)
ASIN: B01187267S
Genre: Dystopian
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Outcast Regina Shen is determined to stop the Federation’s relentless attacks on her family and friends, but the stakes are much higher now.
Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner series, Regina Shen: Defiance is the third book in an action-packed, science fiction thriller with an ordinary yet strong and gutsy heroine who faces down adversity in a futuristic world filled with challenges. With the young protagonist having to grow up fast, it appeals to both young adult and adult audiences.
Abrupt climate change has melted ice caps, flooded coasts, and turned continents into deserts. The World Federation condemned Regina and her family to live on the seaward side of barrier walls built to hold back rising seas caused by abrupt climate change. Raised on swampy islands and salvage from sunken cities, including illegal print books from before the Federation, Regina defies the Federation by consuming banned books. Then she jumps the barrier into the Federation to free her sister.
The Federation’s notorious Department of Antiquities, under the command of Chief Inspector Joanne Demarco, polices barrier walls, destroys knowledge from the past to suppress dissent, and believes Regina’s DNA can stop human extinction. Now Demarco faces several ruthless rivals willing to do anything to control Regina in a worldwide power play to determine who will become the new World Premier.
Regina is determined to deny the Federation while helping friends. She has to flee from Virginia through desert and wilderness to Alaska to hunt a treasure big enough to barter for freedom for her and her sister. In the cat-and-mouse game, can she find allies and ways to escape the Federation dragnet long enough to discover something to trade?

Review:
Book three in this series reveals ‘working stiffs’, outcasts, truckers and mountain women who risk authorities to help Regina and Ester escape from the Antiquities factions who are desperate to capture Regina. Regina’s primary concern is still rescuing her sister, Colleen who has been captured again. Ester longs to settle down with Regina but that is not possible as long as Regina is on the run. So Ester continues to tag along.

There are three separate inspectors in competition to get Regina. The original Chief Inspector, Demarco, seems to want to help Regina but Regina isn’t ready to trust her. Inspector Volpe wants revenge for the foiled capture during which she was attacked by piranha. Former Inspector Wendt has gone mostly rogue and destructive.

I liked the people who are willing to help Regina and I like that she inspires and brings hope to others even though she continues to minimize her role. I am not greatly invested in the primary characters and I don’t particularly care for Ester’s rather wimpy and whiny complaints, although she has a few good moments.

The outsiders helped to keep my interest and helped the forward movement of the story. The last twenty percent of the story I was more engaged, wanting to find out what happens and where the author is taking the plot. I am interested to read book four.

I received this through iReads Book Tours.

Please check out my review for Book 1, Regina Shen: Resilience.
and Book 2, Regina Shen, Vigilance

GIVEAWAY:

Prizes: ​

Win 1 signed copy of Resilience + $15 Amazon gift card + 2 sets of postcards / 2 winners will receive a signed copy of Resilience / a free ebook copy of The Rebel Within (open to USA)

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Book Review and Tour Giveaway: Regina Shen: Vigilance by Lance Erlick

This dystopian series follows the struggles of one young woman who might make a difference in a restrictive, dying society.
Regina Shen: Vigilance
by Lance Erlick

File Size: 3295 KB
Print Length: 249 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Finlee Augare Books (April 18, 2015)
ASIN: B00WDAQDJW
Genre: Dystopian, YA
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

After two years of training, outcast Regina Shen prepares to jump the barrier wall into the World Federation to hunt for her sister, but nothing goes according to plan.
Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner series, Regina Shen: Vigilance is the second book in an action-packed, science fiction thriller with an ordinary yet strong female heroine facing extraordinary hurdles with tenacity. With the young protagonist having to grow up fast, it appeals to both young adult and adult audiences.
The Federation condemns Regina and her family to live on the seaward side of barrier walls built to hold back rising seas caused by abrupt climate change. For two years she avoided capture. Now the Federation is desperate to exploit her unique DNA in order to stop human extinction. She would rather die than help the people who kidnapped her sister.
The Federation’s notorious Department of Antiquities, under the command of Chief Inspector Joanne Demarco, polices barrier walls, destroys knowledge from the past to suppress dissent, and pursues Regina for her genome. Now Demarco has a ruthless rival who aims to use Regina to overthrow Demarco.
Regina survives by her wits on swampy islands and salvage from sunken cities, including illegal print books from before the Federation. With her photographic memory, she defies Antiquities by consuming books not available in the Federation. That makes her an outcast among peers but may help her reach the university town where they’re holding her sister.
Pursued by Antiquities, Regina jumps the wall into the Federation. While making new friends and enemies, she learns that Federation life isn’t any better than the swamps. Regina must use her wits to avoid letting either of two rival inspectors capture her. Can she rescue her sister from an obvious trap?

Review:
Regina is an outsider in a world that is run by Grand Old Dames (Gods) who have extended their lives for over 300 years. They eliminated men years before and control the population by restricting education and punishing free thinking. Regina and her family are ‘Marginals” who life in the swamps outside of the wall that keep the 'harmonious' citizens within the Federation.

Regina and her younger sister Colleen revealed blood work that could help with the growing infertility problems of the society. Colleen was captured two years before but Regina has managed to evade the Federation agents who have sought her. Now Regina starts her new life as a university student but she doesn’t blend in or make friends like she is supposed to.

Regina still refuses to see the bigger picture or acknowledge her ‘destiny’, as her swamp teacher, Mo-Mere, puts it. I can’t help but seeing Regina’s actions as selfish, with narrow focus and little concern for her friends and those who are trying to help her. I have to be honest that I found this annoying. I was glad to note that as this book nears the end it appears that Regina is finally growing up and acknowledging the consequences effecting others. I liked the new characters who help Regina in this episode and I think the difficult positions of Regina’s ‘enemy’, Federal Agent DeMarco, adds an interesting dynamic.

This is book two in this YA, dystopian series. The pacing of the story is good. The society is all female and some of the relationships are leaning into the lesbian genre although there is nothing overt at this point. I really appreciated the author’s expressions regarding government control through limiting truth, education and discouragement of free thinking. I am not enthralled but I do find the series engaging. I am curious where the author will be taking Regina, DeMarco and the story.

Please check out my review for Book 1, Regina Shen: Resilience.

I received this through iReads Book Tours. I will be reading and reviewing the third and fourth books in July.

GIVEAWAY:

Prizes: ​

Win 1 signed copy of Resilience + $15 Amazon gift card + 2 sets of postcards / 2 winners will receive a signed copy of Resilience / a free ebook copy of The Rebel Within (open to USA)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review and Tour Giveaway: Regina Shen: Resilience by Lance Erlick

This is an entertaining dystopian with a likeable primary character.

Regina Shen: Resilience
by Lance Erlick

File Size: 3768 KB
Print Length: 241 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Finlee Augare Books (May 4, 2015)
ASIN: B00VDIZ72O
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, YA
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Regina Shen is an outcast forced to fend for herself. A storm is coming and that could be the least of her problems.
The World Federation condemns Regina and her family to live on the seaward side of barrier walls built to hold back rising seas caused by abrupt climate change. A hurricane threatens to destroy Regina’s world, tearing her from sister, mom, and home. Now Federation agents claim she has unique DNA that could single-handedly stop human extinction. It's too bad she doesn't trust them enough to barter fairly, let alone with her life.
Three-hundred-plus-year-old Grand Old Dames rule the all-female Federation using a rigid caste system. Their notorious Department of Antiquities, under the command of Chief Inspector Joanne Demarco, polices barrier walls, destroys knowledge from the past to suppress dissent, and pursues Regina for her genome.
Regina survives by her wits on swampy islands and thrives on salvage from sunken cities, including illegal print books from before the Federation. With her photographic memory, she defies Antiquities by consuming salvaged books not available in the Federation, which makes her an outcast among her teenaged peers.
Separated from sister, mom, and home, with Antiquities and bounty hunters in pursuit, Regina fights to stay alive and avoid capture while hunting for family. Does she have the resilience to survive both the storm and Antiquities?
Regina Shen: Resilience is the first book in an action-packed, science fiction thriller with an ordinary yet strong female heroine facing extraordinary hurdles with resolve. With the young protagonist, it should appeal to young adult and adult audiences.

Review:
Regina Shen lives in the swamps on the seaward side of the wall of the World Federation. Regina is one of the “marginals’ who survive beyond the help of the government. But the government is experiencing some difficulties. The world of only females is having trouble reproducing. The dna that has helped society continue has degenerated so that the species is at risk.

The Federal agents are testing the marginal girls and have found two with a viable dna… the Shen sisters, Regina and her younger sister, Colleen. The girls are on the run from a hurricane and the Federal agents, especially the Department of Antiquities Chief Inspector, DeMarco. DeMarco sees the girls, especially Regina, as her ticket up the power chain.

Regina is intent on finding her missing mother and sister. She keeps going back into danger, desperate to find Colleen. DeMarco has resources including the government technology of tracking devices, power boats, weapons and a network of marginal traders who barter everything they can, including girls. Although she is hot on her heals, Regina, with her affinity for the swamps, continues to evade capture.

Regina finds friends along the way who help her survive until she returns to her beloved teacher Mo-Mere. Mo-Mere was once within the walls until they cast her out. She knows that Regina is special and she wants to train and prepare her for more. Regina isn’t one to sit and hide. She wants to be out salvaging and helping to carry her own weight. But how can Regina stay with her friends without putting them in danger?

I like Regina’s strong character even though she is young, impulsive and makes foolish mistakes. She is also resourceful and caring. She is lucky to find good friends along her journey. DeMarco is a villain you like to dislike and I kept hoping she would meet an unpleasant fate. There is some repetition of the circumstances and it seemed like Regina was often more worried about food than getting to a place of safety. Granted she has to get food and water to survive but it just seemed like too much emphasis to me. (Then again... it is YA which sometimes pushes my patience.) Other than that, the writing flows well and has good pacing with tension building action.

I like how Regina is becoming a symbol of hope for the marginals. Still, she is in constant danger of betrayal or capture. I am looking forward to continuing the story in a week with book 2, Vigilance.

This is the first review of four books in the series which I am reviewing
through iReads Book Tours.

GIVEAWAY:

Prizes: ​

Win 1 signed copy of Resilience + $15 Amazon gift card + 2 sets of postcards / 2 winners will receive a signed copy of Resilience / a free ebook copy of The Rebel Within (open to USA)

a Rafflecopter giveaway