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Book Review of A Surefire Way (UltraSecurity #1), by J.T. Bock

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A Surefire Way (UltraSecurity #1)I downloaded J. T. Bock‘s A Surefire Way from the Amazon free list.

Description from Goodreads:
UltraAgent Surefire’s plan is simple: Capture the transhuman thief Raven. Win back the respect of her father. Get a raise.

Easy, right?

Except Surefire just broke the number one rule of her employer, UltraSecurity, a niché security firm that solves crimes committed by genetically enhanced humans like Raven. She trailed Raven into a warehouse without backup. And something more powerful than any transhuman is waiting inside.

Raven’s plan is simple: Atone for his past crimes. Return stolen spiritual artifacts to restore the world’s balance. Don’t get caught by UltraSecurity.

Easy, right?

Until a spunky UltraSecurity agent is suddenly on his tail, although Raven wishes she was on … well, never mind … he can’t get distracted from his mission. Because she’s followed him into a warehouse filled with his reclaimed relics, and Raven’s ex-partner in crime is about to unleash a supernatural-sized complication into his plan.

His old partner has accidentally summoned an Aztec god who will destroy the world unless Raven stops this spirit with a superiority complex. To do this, Raven must team up with Surefire and reveal the truth about his powers, exposing her to a force that can either save the world or destroy them both.

Following Raven into that warehouse throws Surefire into a surreal world filled with moody gods, day-glo skulls, dizzying dimensional portals, maniacal half-roach magicians, and a sexy thief who is more than he appears under his snug t-shirt. Is Raven a criminal, or is he working for a higher power? Surefire needs to be certain, because if she joins him on this mission, she’ll have to surrender everything she believed in for a surefire way to save the world, discover her destiny and find true love.

Review:
Just ’cause it is annoying my at the very moment I’ll indulge myself and give a quick gripe about that ridiculously long description. Why do authors do this? As a reader, I’d have rathered it ended after the second ‘easy, right’ and left me with a little more mystery. Oh well, just my opinion. Moving on.

A Surefire Way is a well-written, well-edited genre non-specific read. It falls somewhere between sci-fi and urban fantasy (With romance thrown in, but I’d call it supernatural as opposed to paranormal, so I don’t know if I’d classify it as a paranormal romance.) Yeah, I kinda feel sorry for the author who has to find the proper niche for this thing, must be frustrating. Either way, it was enjoyable.

It takes Surefire and (peripherally) a group of X-men-like genetic mutants (many of which will feel very familiar to the reader) with skills ranging from never missing a target (Surefire), to fire (Inferno), to shrinking fairy-sized (Pixie), to space/time manipulation (TimeTrap), etc and throws in a little ancient Aztec god-magic to form an entertaining ‘we have to save the world’ type of adventure.

I think it’s set in modern America. It’s never stated, but there are a lot of contemporary media references and I never got the impression it was supposed to be in the distant future. So, I’m going with the here and now for setting. I might have liked a little more clarity here, as well as a little more actual world-building. For example, with so many transhumans about, with SERIOUS powers how were people largely unaware or, if not, what was the human/transhuman situation (beyond the Department of Defense’s involvement)?

The MCs were both sarcastic and relatable. I especially liked Surefire’s need to be successful and Raven’s emotional self-awareness. Watching them fight and eventually give in to their love was a pleasure.

The whole thing did get a little ridiculous at times, going back in time to play ulama, for example. It just stretched it’s own credibility a bit too far. It began to feel like having a Transhuman with a convenient power/skill to solve a given problem became a bit of a plot crutch. However, this was made up for by some of the really remarkable side characters. Pax and Oracle (alone and as a pair) were a favourite and St. John was amazingly revolting. All this without even mentioning the god and goddess.

For a fun, if somewhat slap-stick read this one is worth picking up.

Last Impressions

Book Review of Last Impressions (The Marnie Baranuik Files, #3), by A. J. Aalto

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Last ImpressionsWendy, from BookTrope sent me an ARC of Last Impressions, by A. J. Aalto. It’s due for publication on June 13th. You can see my review of the previous Marnie Baranuik books here.

Description:
When an FBI Internal Affairs investigation lands the Preternatural Crimes Unit in a bureaucratic spank-fest, it feels like the perfect time for Marnie Baranuik to skip town and lend her expertise to a bear-sized Canadian cop who doesn’t want her help with his case, his love life, or his car stereo. Back in her childhood stomping grounds, Marnie leaps into action, facing an exorcist in skinny jeans, a slap-happy specter, and an old friend up to new tricks. Are ghosts behind a string of unusual deaths? Why didn’t her revenant companion, Lord Harry Dreppenstedt, tell her he had a Combat Butler? Can she survive dinner with her parents? With a shifty man of the cloth offering her soul’s redemption, and a revelation that could change the future of her love life, she has her gloved hands full. She may not make a great first impression, but no one makes a Last Impression quite like Marnie.

Review:
Ms. Aalto is consistent if nothing else. I find that I could cut and paste my review of this series’ previous two books here and have them make perfect sense and be wholly accurate. But what fun would that be? The points may be the same, but I’ll make them again.

I love Marnie—Marnie’s foul mouth, Marnie’s lust crazed mind, Marnie’s sarcasm, Marnie’s need to do the right thing, Marnie’s selfish idiosyncrasies, Marnie’s ability to always come out on top, Marnie’s amazing ability to thrive in and on utter chaos, Marnie’s relationship with Harry (who is also fabulous). I love all of this. Every time I read one of the Marnie Baranuik Files I simply roll with laughter. I can’t help it.

It’s all over the top. Undeniably, it is. Marnie takes time to make smart aleck comments on the brink of certain death, she destroys more personal property than you can shake a stick at, she’s brash and has no mental-to-verbal filter. No one could really survive in such a state. You have to accept that as part of the fun though. And I do.

The only real complaint I’ve ever had, still have, and find it’s getting stronger with every book of the series I read, is the way Marnie is infantalized by the men in her life. They treat her like a favoured child and she in turn behaves like one—saying anything she likes with no regard for decorum, using ridiculously juvenile words (in and amongst all of her creative cursing), immaturely taunting people and circumstances, wearing children’s accoutrements, sulking, blowing raspberries at people, throwing tantrums, allowing the men (grownups) to talk over, around and about her in incredibly condescending ways (even if it is meant to be teasing), etc. In small doses, as in the first book, it was tolerable. But I find it’s starting to grate.

But honestly, that’s my only real issue with the book/series and it’s one I’m more than willing to put up with for the rest of the enjoyment I get from it/them. Looking forward to more.

Dirty Deeds

Book Review of Dirty Deeds (Dirty Deeds #1), by S. E. Jakes

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Dirty DeedsI’ve been on a S. E. Jakes kick lately, as I scurry to get to know all of the Extreme Escapes, LTD men. Lucky for me, Netgalley is willing to send them to me. Today I got ahold of Dirty Deeds.

Description from Goodreads:
Two seasoned operatives finally meet their match: each other.

Cillian works for the mysterious Special Branch 20: an organization that runs black ops commissioned by the British government. His specialty is deep undercover assignments with virtually no support. He’s been alone for so long that he no longer knows anything else.

Mal’s also used to being alone. Wanted in several states and even more countries, he’s not allowed in the vicinity of any of his former Navy SEAL teammates. And his current assignment is to track Cillian in order to discover the spook’s endgame. Except he’s no longer sure which one of them is getting played.

Cillian isn’t about to let the mission that’s consumed him for the past several years crumble because an outsider is poking around where he doesn’t belong. But Mal forces his way through Cillian’s defenses—and into his heart—exposing a devastating betrayal that could destroy them both.

Review:
Ah, hell, there was cursing involved in reading this book, both the good kind and the ‘I may have just damaged my kindle in the rage induced tantrum’ kind.

The good: Cillian and Mal are hawt! I mean, seriously smokin’ hot together…even if they almost aren’t ever really ‘together.’ Like each of Jakes’ books I’ve read so far, seeing two damaged men at least prop each-other up (if not all out heal one another) touches something soft inside that I absolutely love. Plus, the writing is pretty good and the dialogue believable.

The bad: There seemed to be a lot more emotional impact inferred than actually shown. One man, usually Cillian, would say something and the other man would be breathless or they’d have phone sex (IM sex) and be panting as if they’d had the real thing. Not entirely believable.

Lastly, why, oh why, does a book that barely reaches 100 pages and is intended as at least a trilogy need to be a cliffhanger? Why, actually, does it need to be three novellas, instead of one solid book, at all? This breaking of a story into several snippets is a trend that I despise. I have dropped entire series and authors, even, because of it. I HATE IT! Do you hear me authors and publishing industry? I HATE IT. Please, for the love of all that is holy, stop.

Final say: good, worth reading…but I’d have waited until the series was complete if I’d known it has a very precipitous cliffhanger and no resolution or conclusion.