Quick review for a quick, enthralling read. I thought this was just as strong as "Archetype". If there's something to say in writing a satisfying conclusion to a duology, I thought this book did a fine job. I couldn't help but feel like once I put the book down, it seemed as if all the threads that were established in the first book were tied nicely by the conclusion of this tale. It throws quite a few curveballs and heart-pounding events into the mix as well.

"Prototype" picks up around the time the previous book left off, having Emma traversing in Mexico in searching for her parents, while at the same time battling her inner demons for leaving Noah and her daughter Adrienne behind. But the moment I realized Declan was back in the picture, I knew so much in the way of events and relationships would go down. And it certainly didn't disappoint in that regard. Once again, I identified much with Emma's experiences and the revelations that she comes across, between reuniting with the Resistance, meeting new companions (friends and foes), trying to come to grips with the life she leads and how it makes her different from the others around her, being a mother, and also trying to take down Declan and his enterprises. I definitely found many of the twists and turns to be refreshing, surprising, and keeping me on the seat of reading. In the end, I definitely see myself coming back to enjoy this series again, and I definitely look forward to reading more from M.D. Waters in the future.

Overall score: 4.5/5 stars.

Initial reaction: I'll admit I enjoyed so much of this novel, and I felt for Emma's experiences throughout the novel. Sci-fi mystery/futuristic thriller with quite a few WTF moments.

Full review:

"Archetype" might be one of my favorite stories of recent memory for the kind of story it portrays. There are elements of it that are familiar to stories I've read, but M.D. Waters captures Emma's experiences with a vibrant, vivid, and sensual. The story revolves around Emma having no memories in a futuristic environment, where she's established as the wife of a very wealthy, yet secretive husband (Declan). She's said to have been in an "accident" that left her in horrible shape, but as Emma starts wading through the fog of her dreams and teasing internal clashes, she realizes there's not only another person whom she holds closer to her heart than Declan, but also there's more sinister actions behind the people who are supposed to be her allies and loved ones. It takes the novel a bit to reach the point where Emma starts to put the pieces together, but I'll admit the journey watching her get to that point and then act against the forces pushing against her was well worth the wait. The novel has more than a few curveballs to throw at the reader. Some of them I definitely saw coming, but there were others that even threw me for a loop as "Archetype" marched to a stunning conclusion. I went back and forth on my rating of it, but in the end, it's the kind of sci-fi story that completely pulled me in and I loved for what it offered. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the follow up book. Excellent audio narration from one of my favorite readers Khristine Hvam.

Overall score: 4.5/5 stars.

Innocent in Death is number 24 of J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series and my introduction to the books.

It’s the year 2060 and lieutenant Eve Dallas has taken a case involving a young teacher’s murder. The case seems like a standard poisoning, but Eve is having trouble building a good list of possible suspects. The young teacher seemed honestly well liked in the community with no real enemies. On the home front, Eve is battling her own insecurities as an old flame from her husband’s, path has suddenly returned.

I devoured this book in less than 24 hours, it was pretty spectacular. I loved the futuristic and gritty world. It gave everything a great almost film noir tone to the story. The hard edge really complimented the eclectic cast of characters.

Eve was the highlight of this for me. She’s a spectacular heroine who has a slightly skewed perspective of the world compared to everyone around her. I liked that in this installment we saw a vulnerability in Eve that offered a balance to the tough and highly competent homicide detective.

While I loved this as an introduction to Eve Dallas and her world, I’m not sure if I would’ve enjoyed this story as much if I had already been familiar with everything. I really enjoyed how all the drama between Eve and Roarke played out. However, the main mystery lost my interest toward the end. Call me cynical, but when the villain was unveiled I couldn’t drum-up the expected horror over it. So, the drawn out ending centered around the murderer bored me.

Despite this, I really enjoyed Innocent in Death and can’t wait to pick-up another book in the series

A prequel novella that does a great job of giving a picture of what made Noah and Declan the men they are in Archetype, flipping back and forth between two seemingly unrelated storylines (and POV's).

Not a standard beginning-middle-end storyline, Antitype is each man's narrative of the pivotal four months prior to each meeting Emma.  As explained in the book's description, they come from very similar backgrounds and each has a set idea of what they want out of life, but end up in very different positions by the end of the novella.  

This will leave you wanting to read more (I am anxiously waiting for the paperback release of Prototype), but slightly conflicted about one of these men if you have read Archetype (which I highly recommend).   Well worth the $1.99 (plus tax) on Amazon's US site.

Archetype is a sci-fi dystopian novel with memory loss, romance, a resistance movement, and a strong heroine. It is an excellent book and a new personal favorite. 

Any review I would write at this point will not do it justice, and is difficult to write without spoilers.  So instead, here is a list of a few things I dislike in books and why I felt they worked in Archetype:

First Person Narrative – I cannot imagine this book being told as effectively from another POV.

Love Triangles – This did not seem to be the typical love triangle, and was quite understandable.  Noah and Declan both had their appeal, as well as their dark sides.

Infidelity – If you are married to one man, are you being unfaithful to another husband you only “remember” in dreams?  An interesting question in the context of this book.

Cliffhangers – Room is definitely left for a sequel, and tension is built for that sequel in the epilogue.  What made it work for me is that it was something that I had thought should happen.  It was one of those moments where you want to shout “YES!” in a movie theater, but don’t…

Comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale – So, usually this would kill my interest in a book, but I have a bit of a fascination for tales of memory loss/regain and the synopsis intrigued me.  In this case, the comparison is well deserved.  I do not recall ever reading another book which matches the atmospheric feel so well. 

Oh, and spoilers.  I accidentally read one word – ONE WORD! – in a review which spoiled a very important revelation for me.  This made the reveal a bit anti-climactic, but did not truly lessen how good this book is.

Archetype is the first book in a duology.  I’m planning to read the second book, Prototype, when the paperback releases in December.  Meanwhile, I’ve purchased the short e-book prequel, Antitype, and look forward to reading it.

The above list refers to a free copy I received, in exchange for an honest review, courtesy of the publisher through the GoodReads First Reads program.  And honestly, this one cost me some sleep and interfered with my focus at work, as two nights (actually, early mornings) in a row I had to stop reading at pivotal points and could not stop thinking about them the following day.