Tag: action

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Book Review: Legend by Marie Lu

“An alarm goes off as I burst through the stairwell door. There’s a chorus of clicks as all the doors in the stairwell lock from the inside. I’m trapped. The soldiers can still come through any door, but I won’t be able to get out. Shouts and footsteps echo from inside the laboratory. A voice yells out, ‘He’s hit!’

My eyes jump to the tiny windows in the stairwell’s plaster walls. They’re too far awayLegend_Marie_Lu_Book_cover for me to reach from the stairs themselves. I grit my teeth an pull out my second knife so that I now have one in each hand. I pray the plaster is soft enough, then leap off the stairs and throw myself towards the wall.”

June is a prodigy (meaning a high-ranking student) from a rich military family within the Republic. She’s the best of her class and she knows it! Her ego often gets her into trouble with her superiors or it may even elicit a lecture from Matias, her brother as well as her only family. However, once Matias is killed, June is pulled out of school and given the mission to find her brother’s killer. Her suspect? The Republic’s notorious fifteen year old criminal Day.

Legend‘s rich world building and backstory really adds to the dystopian feel of the novel. The setting is the United States which has been drastically changed by war, a flood, and a devastating plague. Ruled by the Elector Primo and his military, there is a broad line between the rich and the poor.

The pacing was nonstop and often had me staying up late at night trying to figure out whatimages (2) would happen to June and Day. Before I knew it…I turned the last page.

Are you someone who enjoys a good dystopian? Are you into military scifi with just a hint of romance? Yes?! This book is for you! 😀

 

Have you read Legend? What was your impression of it?

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Book Review: In Cold Blood by Mark Dawson

“He pulled the trigger just as she drove the heel of her hand into his face. The round missed her head by an inch, striking the wall and ricocheting away, stone chips drawing blood as they pinged into the nape of her neck.”

While I received this book for an honest review, I do not have an actual cover image. However, I can direct you to Mark Dawson’s blog where you can read up on all of his upcoming projects. Now for the book review:

Beatrix is a caring mother willing to do anything to protect her daughter. The catch? She’s an ex-assassin out for revenge. Years ago, when he daughter was young, others like Beatrix (assassins) were sent to her home to kill her. They took her daughter from her and killed her husband. Now, after finally being reunited with her beloved daughter, she’s out for blood. But there’s a time limit! Since Beatrix is diagnosed with lung caner she only has a year to enact her revenge.

I enjoy all of Mark Dawson’s novels because of the vivid imagery. Here’s an author that takes the time to set you up in his world before pushing you over the edge. If you’re someone who doesn’t mind a bit of gritty action or enjoys a good thrill, then this definitely the novel for you.

Lastly, you can check in on Mark Dawson’s blog for the cover reveal as well as the actual release date. I may post it up on the Tavern too so be on the look out.

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Book Review: The Cleaner by Mark Dawson

“Milton did not pause to think. His reaction was hard-wired, a response that had been drilled into him across ten years so that now it was automatic, an expression of muscle memory without conscience, sudden and terribly deadly. He swung the rifle around and squeezed the trigger for a longer burst. The car was peppered with bullets, half a dozen slamming into the radiator and bonnet, another handful into the windscreen. The officer was struck in the face and chest, stumbling backwards and then dropping onto his back where he lay for a moment, twitching horribly. Milton walked towards him, the gun cradled low, and put a final bullet into his head. Finally, the man lay still.”

 

Does that get your attention or what? I got goosebumps when I read that scene for the first time. Right then, I knew I was hooked! There was no going back–I had to finish this novel.

Anyway, here’s a brief (non-spoiler) description of the story:

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Milton is the deadliest assassin of Group Twelve. But he wants to change. He feels guilty of his past crimes and “quits” being an assassin. His world is flipped upside down when he saves Sharon Warrener from her suicide attempt. He devotes the rest of his time trying to help her with her rebellious son Elijah as a way of trying to redeem himself. Though at the same time, his past is lingering in the shadows, ready to jump out at any moment.

The Cleaner was the ultimate page-turner! I’ve lost countless hours of sleep trying to figure out if Milton was going to pull through or if Elijah would finally go down the straight and narrow. It’s a story about family, love, trust, and redemption with a slight hint of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Jack Reacher mixed in. If you’re like me and like to be thrilled at each turn of the page, dazzled with smooth descriptions, or just like to sink your teeth into a juicy story than you’ll love this.

 

What do you think of The Cleaner? Sound interesting?