#NetGalley Book Review: Evolving Elizah: Initiatum by C. J. Hall

I enjoyed this dystopian thriller.
Evolving Elizah: Initiatum
by C.J. Hall

ASIN : B08MCHV973
Publisher : IngramSpark (December 1, 2020)
Publication date : December 1, 2020
File size : 2348 KB
Print length : 227 pages
Genre: Dystopian, Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

Elizah (Liz) Goeff was born into a world much like the one we know today, but she doesn’t remember it. It’s all gone now, covered in ash after a series of natural disasters threw North American civilization into a death spiral. Now Liz’s world is the Green Grow 3, a lush space farm orbiting Earth designed to feed humanity until the planet can heal itself.

Review:
Liz doesn’t remember a lot before natural disasters destroyed much of North America’s ground surface and civilization broke down. She does remember her older brother, Jackson, who doted on her and helped teach her before life got so hard that he left an 8 year old Liz with their mother and strode off to join the New Generation, an activist group seeking a way to distribute food and aid to survivors. Jackson promised to return but never did. After years of searching through the Green Grow depot stations, Liz is convinced Jackson is dead. That is her past.

Now, not quite 25, Liz is a shuttle pilot living on the Green Grow 3, a space farm, orbiting earth while they try to figure a way to survive and share the food supply with people besieged by the hostile New Generation forces on earth. Liz needs to make a surface mission to retrieve certain supplies for an antimatter propulsion drive for the ship. The drive is necessary to take the ship out of the range of New Generation weapons. But danger awaits on the ground and now on the ship as there are apparently spies who have infiltrated the crew and are causing sabotage.

Liz makes the needed run to the surface but before she can leave the depot, she is hailed by starving refuges outside the gate. The group of 52 is running from a band of New Generation brutes who will savagely hunt them down. Liz makes a snap decision (another one) and rescues the people, bringing them to the ship with her.

Now there are more reasons to worry about spies and tensions build. Before Seth can put into place the plans to orderly move the ship out of orbit, an attack occurs, and a surprise enemy hails the ship and especially Liz. What can Liz do to help find the infiltrators and keep the crew and “her 52” safe?

The story follows Liz and tracks her past and her growth as she struggles along the perilous journey of survival... and betrayal. There is intrigue among the characters and I especially liked the intermittent scenes of The Scientist who is plotting assassination. I was surprised when the identity is revealed as the book ends. Although the book ending is set to continue with the next book, I enjoyed how it got to that point. There is plenty of action and intrigue and just a touch of romance. I recommend this to dystopian sci fi fans.

Source: 2020 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021NetGalley and 2021Alphabet goals.

Sunday Post February 14, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday February 15, 2021

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? now at The Book Date (at Wordpress)

What Are You Reading? is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Hubby and I got our second vaccine shots on Wednesday. Our arms hurt for three days. We both felt a little woozy the night we got the shot. I have felt fine since, but he has felt fatigued even through today.

Two of my office staff have become hooked on the Bridgerton series on Netflix. I thought I had the books from the series but must have traded them in years ago. I do have a couple on Audible and picked up book two this week. I found these books in my Julia Quinn collection at home and I have at least two other books boxed but not accessible in my office storage pod:

We'll be colder this week - 27 to 67 - and three more days of rain.

I enjoyed my reading this past week. I finished two audiobooks and one ebook. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 17 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to Brainfluff. Sarah Higbee is a sci fi (plus) writer who has been sharing on her blog for twelve years. Stop by and say 'hello'.

Don't forget- Audible is offering free children's titles during these days at home.
Audiobooks.com is also offering free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post February 7, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday February 8, 2021.

• MBS January 2021 Reading List Wrap Up.

• eBTBR- Book Review: X-O Manowar, Volume 1: By The Sword by Robert Venditti; Genre: Comic, Graphic Novel, Sci Fi, Superhero; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway February 12, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 2/18/2021.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Unprepared, The Scourge, Book 1 by Tom Abrahams; Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: You're Going to Mars by Rob Dircks; Genre: Adventure, Humor, Sci Fi, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement February 14, 2021.

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/NetGalley App (NG2020)

Evolving Elizah: Initiatum
by C.J. Hall
I enjoyed this post-apocalyptic/dystopian thriller.
Source: 2020 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

From Here to Equality Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century
By: William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen
Narrated by: JD Jackson
Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
Release date: 04-20-20
I appreciate all of the information and arguments set forth in this book.
Source 6/28/2020 One June Credit at Audible.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Paperback (PTBR)

Noah - Another Storm is Coming
by Ellen G. White
This book speaks to the condition of man... and God's warnings as well as gift of redemption.
Source: My own bookshelf; gift from a church friend.
Click on book title for full description.

Currently Reading:
1. PDF on Computer (Author Ebook 2021)

200
by Jennifer Brody, Jules Rivera (Illustrator)
This is an interesting graphic Sci Fi.

Releasing 2/16/21. I expect to finish in a day and post the review this week.
Source: 1/11/2021 Received from Turner Publishing Marketing.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Night Stalker
by Shirlee McCoy
Read by Emily Durante
Run Time 5h 37min
I decided to pick a quick romance (or two) for February.
Source: 12/6/2020 Chirp $3.99.
After Special Agent Adam Whitfield’s ex-wife is nearly killed when she stops an abduction, the serial killer that Adam’s been hunting turns his focus on Charlotte Murray for getting in his way. Now, as the Night Stalker closes in, Adam has two missions: bring the murderer to justice and save Charlotte—because failure isn’t an option.

3. Kindle App on/Smartphone (NG2020)

Time of the Rose
by Bonita Clifton
The genres for this hit all the right buttons: Historical Fiction, Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy. It's time travel romance.
Source: NetGalley 2020.
This is the 2nd Edition of the compelling and beloved classic Time of the Rose, award-winning Holt Medallion finalist (Virginia RWA), dusted off, reimagined, with new material and *Bonus Epilogue, guaranteed to leave your head spinning! Prepare to feel good, laugh and fall in love...
A notorious gunslinger with a vendetta and an attitude. A divorced travel agent determined to heal. An extraordinary rose. 1878 and present-day are about to collide…
Colton Chase searches for the monster that murdered his parents. It’s been ten years and every day that passes only fuels his grit. When he plucks a single rare rose, a wicked thunderstorm catches him in its wrath, and after the clouds clear, his entire world has changed. Madison Calloway is on a business trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, when she quite literally stumbles into the biggest horse she’s ever seen. The rugged old man leading the animal looks like he stepped out of a historical Wild West catalog. Her love of antiques is piqued, and she strikes up a conversation.
He claims he’s from 1878 and she feels bad for him; clearly, he suffers from dementia. But there’s an uneasy undertone—everything from his clothes to his strange turns of phrase back up his story. So when another storm brews and he tells her he’s going back, she follows. The two find themselves in 1878 and the old man is gone—in his place a strapping young man, handsome, fascinating, and irresistible.
Can Madison adjust to life more than a century in the past, leaving behind the world she knows? Or will she return home and forever lose the man she’s falling for? Her biggest fears are realized when she’s abducted by Colt’s fierce enemy, and if she survives, this event may well send her running home for good.

February 14, 2021 - I love seeing new things each time I read the Bible. I am still staying current with morning reading.
I am reading/listening the NLT Tyndale version of the Bible on You Version App so Hubby and I are reading the same passages each day.
I am on day 12 of this 21-day study: Open Heaven: 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer.

I completed three books and posted three reviews to remain up to date.
NetGalley shelf is now at 11. (I might allow myself to look again once I go below 10.)
Four author titles in queue as I added another ebook.
(Plus a few that I received from newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests.)
Still many titles through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and (yours truly). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
I received one new ebook from an author.
I went to pick my second January credit made the mistake of looking at the Audible Plus catalog and found a Valentine's sale - picked up four titles at $5.00 each. 
I used an Audiobooks.com credit on two for one books to movie deal.
I was looking for free or inexpensive titles for ladies book club which is resuming and found a lot of free Christian and romance Kindle titles this week. I added 83 free Kindle titles.
(Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.)
Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

Received from author. Release date is February 20, 2021. My review will post before March 12.

Frosted (Regency Retold #2)
by M.C. Frank
(Pretty cover don't you think?)

Won

NONE

Purchased

2/14/2021 - One January Audible Credit:
This was a request of my son so we cn read along with him and our grandchildren. :-)

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
The Wingfeather Saga, Book 1
By: Andrew Peterson
Narrated by: Andrew Peterson
Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 01-05-21

These four were on Valentine sale at $5.00 each - I just stumbled on the sale!

Freefall
Expeditionary Force Mavericks, Book 2
By: Craig Alanson
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Length: 19 hrs and 19 mins

The Nowhere Man
An Orphan X Novel (Evan Smoak, Book 2)
By: Gregg Hurwitz
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

As noted above, my staff members have found Bridgerton so I picked these up to share with them! I have read the 8 books in the series.

The Viscount Who Loved Me
By: Julia Quinn
Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins

Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever
By: Julia Quinn
Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins



2/14/2021 I used an Audiobooks.com credit for a 2 for 1 deal:

The Darkest Minds
By Alexandra Bracken
Narrated By: Amy McFadden
Duration: 13 h 59 min

Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror with Meg: Origins
By Steve Alten
Narrated By: Sean Runnette
Duration: 10 h 34 min

Free

83! free Kindle titles this week. Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement February 14, 2021

Happy Valentine’s Day – Celebrate Love!
Pastor continued and concluded his series titled Battle On.

On this day recognizing Love, we see that love is missing and misrepresented so much on Social Media. There is so much anger and vitriol instead. Can we show love to others in response to a post? Send them a message: I am praying for you. “…we surely ought to love each other.” 1 John 4:7-12.

Satan distorts love. It is not what we see in Hollywood or online. That is a distortion.  God brings us back to what love really looks like. Paul wraps up messages he has been sharing in Romans chapters 5-8.

We are loved in an unconditional way. Romans 8:26-39.
God (Holy Spirit) helps us in our weakness; He prays for us; He pleads for us; He causes things to work for the good (according to His purpose) of those who love Him; He chose believers to become like His Son (adopted us); He called them to come to Him, gave them right standing with Him, and gave them His glory. Romans 8:26-30.

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” v31
“Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one”….v33
“Who then will condemn us? No one”…v34
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?” v35
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.” v38

God claims us as His own and no longer sees our flaws and sins.

The POINT: As Paul was, so should we be convinced that we are inseparable from God’s great love.

Once we know this truth – that God loves us – then we can recognize the distortions in this world.
God is Love. He gave us His son to redeem us and allow us right standing. Do not allow others, or yourselves, to condemn us. Rather, accept God's love and love one another.

I found this fitting song in my (long) file of song choices: No Matter What.

Verses for Today
1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

Lord, please help me to do better to share Your love with others each day.

 

Audible Book Review: You're Going to Mars by Rob Dircks

This was a fun story, a mix of Willy Wonka, Survivor and America Ninja Warrior competition to get to Mars.

You're Going to Mars!
By: Rob Dircks
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
Release date: 11-13-18
Publisher: Audible Originals
Genre: Adventure, Humor, Sci Fi, Space Opera
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Living and slaving in Fill City One, you get used to the smell. We call it the Everpresent Stink. But every once inI a while, on a spring day with a breeze, it clears away enough to remind us that there is something more out there. Most Fillers' wildest dreams would be just to get past the walls and live in the mainland. But my dream? It’s a little bigger.
I’m going to Mars.
Well, I’m only going to Mars if I can find a winning Red Scarab to get on Zach Larson’s crazy reality show. And then I’ll have to figure out how to escape this hellhole. And then compete on live television for three months. And somehow win a spot on the crew of the very first manned mission to Mars. Oh, and one more slight obstacle? There might be a reason that by 2085 a human still hasn’t set foot on the Red Planet. A dangerous reason. A reason worth killing for.
In You’re Going to Mars! Rob Dircks, Audible best-selling author of Where the Hell Is Tesla?, creates a near-future filled with family (the good kind and the insufferable kind), pop divas, mobsters, and the world’s first trillionaire - and sends them all on a science fiction odyssey/comedy/love story/adventure that will change their world forever.
©2018 Rob Dircks (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Paper (yes, that’s her name with triplet sisters, Rock and Scissors – there’s a story there of course), likes to play at making rockets and has a dream to go to Mars. This is most unlikely as she is a filler in a family stuck for generations in the Everpresent Stink, formerly known as Staten Island, one of the walled-in landfills operated by a private waste management company run by a mob family, the Gitanos.

The world’s richest man, Zach Larsen, is running a “Wonka chocolate" like contest so a limited number of people who secure a winning red scarab get the chance to travel on Zach’s funded Mars mission. Paper obtains a winning scarab with the help of her loving family. Next, with help from her downtrodden friends she escapes the Island. Then with the aid of an unexpected source and an alias name, Robin, she makes her way to the contest site with minutes to spare. The very last contestant to arrive is a singing diva, Aurora, who doesn’t like coming in second place.

The contestants are put through a “boot-camp” training reminiscent of a televised survivor version of Ninja Warrior. Some contestants voluntarily leave and others are eliminated from show to show. Robin/Paper isn’t expected to be a top contender, but she finds creative ways to stay in the contest and win the favor of the viewers. Several of the contestants have the ability to pull “MacGyver” fixes to solve problems. Events are moving along when suddenly there is sabotage. The remaining contestants, including Paper, manage to survive but now it is clear that someone is hiding something important and wants to stop the mission to Mars.

When Paper’s real name and background are exposed, she is forced to leave with the Gitano ‘enforcer’. Once again events take a reversal, and she ends up back in the team as the mission rushes forward. But the obstacles aren’t over as even the government steps in to try to stop the mission. Can Zach, Paper and her fellow contestants get to Mars and if they do will they be able to return without being blown out of space?

This is the second book I have read by Rob Dircks (The Wrong Unit) and my assessment: what fun! The characters are warm and likable, and it is easy to cheer on Paper, her family, and her friends, old and new. The characters have different levels of snark, sass and bravery. The nods to known books, tv shows and movies (include Wall-E and The Martian too) adds interest. Yes, there are cheesy moments but that too adds to the fun entertainment. I recommend this to sci fi fans who are looking for a humor break.

Audio Notes: Khristine Hvam does a wonderful narration on this story. She fully portrays the personality of Paper and provides appropriate voices for the other characters. And she does a fair job on the singing snippets too! I totally enjoyed the listening experience.

Source: 7/21/2019 Audible Daily Deal $3.95. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021Alphabet goals.

Audible Book Review: Unprepared, The Scourge, Book 1 by Tom Abrahams

This is a descent post-apocalyptic but not stellar.
Unprepared
The Scourge, Book 1
By: Tom Abrahams
Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 8 hrs and 19 mins
Release date: 04-26-20
Publisher: Piton Press LLC
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Publisher's Summary
A mutating plague is spreading. It's killing two of every three people on Earth. And Mike Crenshaw is totally unprepared.
From the world of The Traveler Series comes a new cast of characters, new obstacles, and the same devastating, world-altering virus which plunges society into the depth of a dystopian hell.
Unprepared begins in the hours before The Scourge takes hold. As if ripped from today's headlines, governments react too slowly and the disease spreads too fast. Quarantines don't work. Infrastructure fails. People die.
Follow Mike and his friends as they try to survive this new landscape and find out how the world in which The Traveler Series was set came into being. It's a thrill ride that will keep you up at night with the lights on and the doors locked.
©2020 Piton Press LLC (P)2020 Piton Press LLC

Review:
Mike Crenshaw is just a regular guy, a second-rate radio salesman in Lake Mary, Florida. The sales leader, Brice, is an unlikely friend. As the world learns about a fast acting, deathly virus, Mike and Brice find themselves together, unprepared, without supplies, and trying to get out of town. Along the way they pick up a stranger who agrees to let them drive her to relatives on the coast.

In a nearby area of Orlando, a waning news reporter, Kandy, and her new boyfriend, (Phil?), barely escape an angry mob. They too begin to head to New Smyrna Beach seeking refuge with Phil’s family.

Part of the story also covers the scientists in the Ukraine who are desperately researching the virus and seeking cures. The female doctor originally thinks she is being punished being sent to Ukraine, not realizing that she has had a chance to be part of the event at ground zero. I also liked the personal snippets as the plague spread through 1349 London.

The virus and government handling (or mishandling) could mirror the early days of Covid19 although the book virus is much more deadly. The story moves a little slowly at the beginning as the author introduces the characters in their different locations. The story skims over the multitudes dying as it follows these handful of survivors trying to get past barricades to safety. I enjoyed the diverse characters, and I liked the threads of connection that are revealed closer to the end.

The setting in Florida is a plus for me as is the lack of foul language. There is some mild cursing. It is fun that the author slips in songs and authors that are familiar. There are apparently “Easter Eggs” from the Travelers series - the same world five years later with different survivors. I have the Audible books 1-3 of that series and I may try the Travelers series before I continue with this one. Unprepared may be less exciting because, although there are several tense scenes, the story is more focused on setting up the characters and their journey to refuge. I recommend this as a solid beginning to a post-apocalyptic series.

Audio Notes: Kevin Pierce is a skilled narrator in this genre. He manages to convey the personalities and his voice fits the intensity of the story. I look forward to listening to more by this author and narrator.

Source: 12/31/2020 Audible Two for One Credit Sale. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021Alphabet goals.