Dystopian, Action, Technology!
927364
Kari is a Freelancer. She works for high paying costumers creating all sorts of technology to fulfill their wants and needs. But nobody knows about her freelancing. Not her parents, not her very limited amount of friends, not even the kids at school. Kari is an outsider, and she wants to keep it that way. She likes her normal life, doing her normal thing, even if it isn't so normal. But when the Costal States and the Middle States relationship gets more tenuous, she realizes she won't be so normal anymore.
Kari embarks on an unwanted adventure filled with action, technology, and crime. She doesn't want to be apart of war, but it seems the war wants her to be apart of it. Can Kari escape the pull to the war? Can Kari save her family, her friends, and herself from this impending doom? Will Kari ever have a normal life again?
I loved this story! It was so intense and so well written. It was paced perfectly for the plot line. I thought it could have been longer, because it was a very short read, but it was still very good. I loved the conflict of the dystopian war between the Middle and Coastal State of the United States. I loved the dystopian society. The technology was extremely interesting and easy to pick up on an follow. The descriptions were simple, elegant, and visual. I liked the main character, Kari. She was strong willed, tech savvy, and creative. I thought the other characters could have been explored a little bit more, but I still enjoyed their interactions. The dialogue was simple and realistic. It was an overall fantastic story, and perfect for my mood. I love dystopian and war conflict, and this story fit that perfectly.
3423270
Hashtagged is a novel about artificial intelligence and the possibilities of how it could end up affecting the future. This is a story about Maddy, the daughter of a computer whiz who finds herself in a mystery regarding the work her father was consumed in his entire life. When he is found dead, she is forced into finding the answers to what happened.and finds herself in a situation much more involved than she had ever bargained for!

This book is the first in a series. It starts out a bit slowly, which is necessary for background information. By the middle of the book, the story line picks up its pace and you are soon swept away by the intrigue that Maddy is involved in. Time travel, robots that are much too human and villains that strive to take over the world are just a handful of problems Maddy, her father and their lifetime friends must tackle.  What makes it interesting is that Maddys father and friends were the main players in creating the artificial intelligence in the first place!  By the end of the book, they are greatly regretting what theyve done and trying to take preventative future measures!

This book does keep the reader interested. If you are into computers and technology, youll love this book. The characters are well developed and the plot is too. You will probably find yourself wondering if this could really happen some day. It is definitely a scary possibility.

-Diamante Lavendar, author of The Secrets Of Yashire and Breaking The Silence
655944
Like Minds is a near-future sci-fi thriller that juggles the idea of Artificial Sentience and its implications/possible iterations. Our four perspective characters: Saul, a computer programmer/artist who is on the hit list of The Hacker; Janet, an FBI special agent whose training is in profiling serial killers; Trobden, a fully immersed gamer who almost constantly plays a game that is a meeting of Dungeons & Dragons and a VR Pokemon Go; and an Artificial Sentience that I will say nothing about at the moment so as not to spoil anything.

I loved it. The only reason I gave it four stars is because the beginning is slow--like the climb up the roller coaster that seems to go on forever! It's only about 10% of the book, but I had to invest in it heavily at times to keep going. BUT I'M SO GLAD I DID! The roller coaster ride that is the rest of the book was intense. And fun. Go read it. Seriously.
4468718
Wow! Dystopian apocalypse, meet the world of today. Gender reveals and a dark glimpse at our own, foreign yet home, world.
2328198
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys a dystopian style adventure. It has plenty of action, thrills and plot twists to keep a fan of most genres on their toes. The characters are interesting and believable, and the story is well written and paced. Towards the end, the action intensifies, with several disturbing plot twists meaning I was very reluctant to put the book down.

Read the whole review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org!
3123789
Amaaaaazing and unique! I love dystopian because of all the ways it can be expressed in new worlds...this particular dystopian is starting in a different place than most others...with the outsider. I've often wondered while reading others like Hunger Games and Legend, "How is this world being viewed through the eyes of someone who knows little of what's going on?"

Basil, the main character, is that someone. The Unfortunate on the outside. She knows absolutely nothing a out the outside world. Only her day-to-day life harvesting rainwater and doing chores and schooling with madam. But here's the thing: the etching on her forearm is to be covered 24/7. She is kept isolated; She knows only her adoptive family and a couple of neighbors. She's never seen half of the home shes lived in since she was rescued yrs ago. And before the rescue she remembers nothing.

The pace is slower after the rush you get in the beginning scenes describing her rescue. It's perfect because Nunes is a master at weaving little clues here and there about the world situation and this strange family dynamic. All the while she bonds you to these amazing people who are all going through their own personal horror story. These characters feel so real and relatable that you are easily engrossed and don't notice the time passing.

It picks up, however, towards the end. This book is like that first really high climb on a roller coaster. After a long climb toward the top you experience that fall with even more appreciation than you would a shorter climb. You know that the ending foretells an action-packed 2nd book. It's like she left us with our stomachs up in our throats and we absolutely NEED that next book to finish out the drop!

So it comes as no surprise that I am eagerly awaiting that 2nd book! Etched was a superb set up for a great series. And at $6.99 on all the digital stores it's a steal. I am excited to see what Nunes has in store for us. She may not be way up in the popular realm yet but I think she will be very soon. Until then, you don't know what you're missing!!
866119
Brilliantly writtenDavid Meyer creates a dark, dystopian world where mankind is gasping for its last breath against a villainous team of evil scientists, a host of gigantic prehistoric monsters, and an army of genetically-engineered steroid-enhanced neanderthals.

Searching for his ex-girlfriend Amanda, Zach Caplan is our last hope and in the same vein as Indiana Jones, he continues to jump from the frying pan into the fireonly to use his wits to eke out another chance to maintain his quest.  The action is non-stop in this epic feat of imagination and the twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat.

Meyer has an uncanny ability to describe scenes and make you feel you're watching a movie unfold.  This book is an adventure story, but its also a commentary on the pitfalls of men who try to control nature.  I liked Behemoth, but I love Savage!  Cant wait for the next installment of the Apex Predator series!
167767
A very good dystopian sci-fi novel.  I am a big fan of dystopian fiction, aimed at all ages and as light or dark as you like and whether filled with futuristic technology, real or imagined or in post-apocalyptic wasteland.  This novel is situated at the darker, adult end of the spectrum and quite techno-heavy so if thats not to your particular taste, you probably won't enjoy this as much as I did.

The author writes extremely well and develops complex and interesting characters.  There is a lot of introspection from the main protagonist and this allows the novel to explore some modern issues that are influencing present society as well as broader themes relating to morality, war, human nature and relationships.  I like that none of the individuals or factions in the story are painted as wholly good or evil and that the reader can empathise with characters from all sides.  Interspersed amongst the contemplation and exposition of how the world came to be as it is, there are some tightly written, fast-paced and engaging action scenes.  Overall, a gritty but enjoyable read.
2513206
Rating: 4.5/5

To say this novel is action packed is something of an understatement. It is a fascinating total mix of mythology, paranormal beings, technology, religion gone fanatic, bigotry, science fiction and romance combined in a story filled with suspense and thrills. The combination of the usual paranormal beings  such as vampires and werewolves  are joined by genetically modified humans with their own powers and problems and other beings like Saffira, who is a time-mancer! They live in a dystopian universe where the abuse of power in the Church dominated planets has led to people opposing them being imprisoned or killed.

As the crew of the Blood Hunter strive to rescue their friends and colleagues they encounter Fergal Cain, who is part human, part cyborg and was injected with a poison almost six months ago and given sufficient antidote tablets to last him for just six months. He is now desperate to find the scientist who has the cure to counteract the poison but hes also seriously attracted to the copilot of the Blood Hunter, Daisy, who was green when they first met. They were old flames  but that was before she became a vampire! With so many things against them, will their love stand a chance? Can he find the scientist to stop the poison killing him? Can she control her blood lust enough for them to gain their HEA? Can they learn to trust each other?

With complex characters, each with their own idiosyncrasies and foibles, their interactions and relationships make this a very different and thoroughly enjoyable science fiction novel. They dystopian universe in which the story is set and the challenges faced by the characters make this a story full of twists, turns and unexpected events.

Blood and Metal is book 5 in the Dark Desires series but you don't have to read any of the others to appreciate this one as it works well as a stand alone story too. The other books, in order, are Break Out, Deadly Pursuit, Death Defying and Temporal Shift, each book apparently being a complete romance with a different couple.

Thanks to the authors, publisher and NetGalley, too for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
2006911
If you have read "1984", "Hunger Games" and "Animal Farm", you should really love this genre of dystopia and get entertained!

It brings me into the mood of reading once again with nice imagination of creative sci-fi and futuristic leadership in this land!

I would really recommend readers who want a taste for something unique and different to come read this book!
3637499
The Legacy is an exciting dystopian that explores how far those in power will go to bring control to a chaotic world.

After WWIII, the US is devastated. Only people in a few midwestern states have survived the nuclear destruction. A man named Eric Dane becomes President, setting up harsh restrictions that limit people's choices - including their ability to have children and the choice to leave.

Rebecca had always assumed that Dane's rules were necessary for survival, but when she discovers his true agenda, she knows she has to help the Resistance stop him. She comes up with a dangerous plan - to marry the enemy.

What I loved:

Worldbuilding.
This book had a good amount of worldbuilding, explaining how World War III came about and how the world got to the state it was currently in. I like that the book actually started out telling us about Rebecca's experience of the war when she was a little girl and gave us a little bit of a background about what it was like to grow up in those conditions rather than just jumping to the time of the Resistance.

Rebecca.
Rebecca was a strong character who wasn't waiting for anyone to come save her - she took matters into her own hands and fought her own battles. While I didn't always agree with all of her decisions, I did think that she had the right intentions behind them - she was a morally upright person in a very corrupt world.

The action and suspense.
This book was full of action and intrigue. There were lots of twists and turns, and the stakes were very high. Rebecca and the others in the Resistance put themselves in some very dangerous situations, and I was never sure if everyone was going to make it through the book alive! Plus, there were some interesting twists at the end of the book that really set us up for book #2. I can't wait to see where Delport has gone with these twists in the next book!

Shades of gray.
I love it when the villains in a book aren't completely villainous, and that was the case here. Eric Dane was a complicated person. Most of his rules even seemed kind of reasonable to me - and then he went overboard. There are times when Rebecca thinks he might be any okay person - and then times when he's definitely not. This is my favorite type of villain!

The negatives:

Love triangle.
I wasn't always a fan of the love triangle in the book, and I got a bit frustrated with Rebecca and how she handled the men in her life sometimes (including Eric Dane - in one scene in particular, she dealt with Eric in a ridiculously frustrating way that was sure to do nothing but cause her trouble). Still, I will say that Delport twisted the love triangle around in interesting ways, so I was more on board by the end.

Pet peeve.
It seemed strange to me that the book was set in the US (in the near future), but the book featured British spellings. (The author is from South Africa, so I guess it makes sense, but it just struck me as odd).

So, overall, I really enjoyed The Legacy and I'm eager to see what Delport has in store for us in books #2 & 3 (book #2 is out now and book #3 is coming out next year). I give this one 4/5 Stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
4631397
Amazing story, engaging plot. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The author brought so much to the dystopian genre. Cannot wait for the next book in the series!
2638240
Taking advantage of today's recent development of drones of all sizes, capabilities and uses, Brette Arquette's action-packed novel is definitely riveting from beginning to end . . . nearly causing me to be late for work two days in a row! Weaving existing drone capabilities with reasonable future possibilities, Arquette creatively blends an exciting tale of an emotionally damaged billionaire's successful efforts of salvaging otherwise lost orphans to achieve "retribution" for the horror in their lives caused by terrorists. This is a difficult book to stop reading . . . even hours past bedtime!
2118840
Fast paced and fun read. It's science fiction, but it's set in familiar places with new technology. I definitely recommend this book!
3331043
I seem to be awarding a lot of 4 stars at the moment! This book and the last one I read are both dystopian novels but given very different treatment. This novel is set in 2030, oil has run out, industry and transport has ground to a halt which means that towns and cities rapidly running out of supplies and the population is moving increasingly out into the countryside to find food. The farms and villages, understandably, are reluctant to share, particularly when faced with rampaging mobs.
The story centres on Gen and Nate who are fighting tooth and nail to protect their family and village against all the odds. The scenario described seems all too real and it is easy to imagine the population resorting to any methods to survive, although I did think that this society seemed to deteriorate far more rapidly than I would have expected but that might be me being naive.
A fast moving novel with believable characters and a vision of the future that does make you think.
My thanks to TBConFB for this copy.
539823
I loved this gritty, fast-paced novel about a dystopian future that is all too real. Fans of "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" will love it too. "2076" is a chilling portrayal of the tomorrow we are creating today. Stephen G. Mitchell has written a stunning page-turner, a well-timed, relevant, pulse-pounding adventure with two great protagonists who will keep you on the edge of your seat into the wee hours of the morning. I didn't want it to end, and then when it did I was stunned. Sweeping and cinematic--it would make a great movie. I liked the characters so much, the only thing missing now is a sequel.
42707
Hand to God this is one of the BEST dystopian books I've ever read.  It has absolutely everything.  Action, suspense, drama, romance, a war between good and evil, even the personal battle with inner demons.  You should most definitely buy this book and read it right away!  It is amazing!