The Chemist

                Hello happy readers!  I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the holidays.  I have started on my baking list, yes I need a list to bring some order to the chaos that becomes my kitchen, and hope to have some type of order.  That said I have managed to get some audiobook time in and finish a couple books.  Today I'd like to talk about the first, The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer. 

Rating: 4 Stars

                I have been curious about this book since it came out since Twilight got me back into reading again I will always be interested in Meyer.  That said I also really enjoyed The Host and wish I could get those other books that were promised when I first read it.  Still even though I still want that I was curious about this new book.  It takes a very different turn as it has no supernatural elements and is more spy / cat and mouse type story.  Alex, as she goes by at the moment, used to work for the government but not many knew of her or her work as she was the dark secret they kept under wraps.  She was a chemist, the chemist really, able to brake any subject without mutilation but with chemistry.  She was the best, until they decided she was a liability and tried to erase her.  She has spent the last few years on the run from the people she used to work for.  Then one day her former handler offers her one last job to clear the slate and the target off her back.  Things are never easy though.

                I honestly went into the story not knowing much about it.  I just dove right in and let the story develop in front of me.  I enjoyed Alex.  She was methodical to the point of insanity at times but when you live on the run you have to be.  I loved that she had learned what she could from any source even farfetched spy books.  I understood her.  She acts tougher than she is because she has to and that is think most people can connect with.  Then as the story moves on and we get introduced to other characters, predominantly Daniel and Kevin.  While we don't get as much out of them as we do Alex being in her head we do see more about  them as a whole and their struggles.

                This book is rather dark at times from the job she does and the crisp efficiency she has at it or the many fights/chases/etc. that involve the body count constantly rising.  Some moments hit you in surprise and hit you harder than you'd expect.  There is serious violence in this as well as things are not pretty by any means.  Still there was a balance and Meyer found a way to bring in tender or humorous moments.  The connections between people and what we will do for them is something I always enjoy watching play out.  What makes you want to run or fight.  I enjoy seeing different takes on things like this as its something we all think about when read/watching something "what would I do" type thing.

                The Chemist was like a spy movie you can put on and enjoy anytime.  It has lots of everything going for it and was a pretty quick listen, possibly because one you get listening you don't want to pause again until you hit a break in the action.  There is plenty to keep the story moving along in both action and emotional content and the overall cat and mouse espionage of it all.  While it did have some little things here and there that kind of pushed believability even for a work of fiction at times it didn't hold me back to much and I still enjoyed it overall.

                Until next time…

Red Queen Fantasy Spy Game

                Hello world.  I am alive and though still on antibiotics, feeling much better.  With the bipolar weather my sinuses got into a hissy fit and caused all sorts of havoc which meant I pretty much slept all the time.  I did some reading to but writing my thoughts down, a bit tricky.  I am coming back at you with another book that came out on Feb 10th, Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.  This is a debut novel and wow is it amazing.  And I want to share my thoughts with you. 

               

                I feel I have to mention first off the cover love.  The beautiful and simple crown inverted and dripping blood.  Simple and beautiful and in real life, vs. the pictures, it's even better with a slight raise to it giving it depth and even some shine.  LOVE.  Now if you're not familiar with the books premise then let me fill you in.  The world is pretty much divided into two types, the Reds, the commoners without power, and the Silvers, the elite and powerful who rule with their godlike powers.  It's blood pure and simple.  If you bleed red or if you bleed silver.  Moment to think about that, how cool would the blood look coming out silver though?  Anywho back to the story, we follow Mare, a red girl almost 18, age of mandatory military conscription without other prospect, and their job market is worse than ours.  She likes in a small and improvised area and feels her life will never change, until by some twist of fate she ends up working in the Silver Palace, surrounded by Silvers she can't stand.  Circumstances being what they are Mare ends up discovering she, despite being a Red, has a deadly power all her own.  This is unheard of and anything can go.  Power is ultimate and what happens in the pursuit of power makes one hell of a story.

                This is a fantasy book filled with things to keep you guessing.  Following along-side our street thief Mare as she goes from gloom and hopelessness to playing a game of power in the Silver Palace.  Mare is a likeable character, she has a rough run of things and she has some issues, but I found myself rooting for her.  I wanted things to move forward and see how they would turn out for Mare and the rest of our cast.  I had some theories, no doubt, about what would happen and was still surprised.  She has a depth to her that leads room to grow as the series continues.  She was a bit rash at times, but even as the book progressed she thought about things a bit more in the overall but she never lost that fast reaction attitude that was clearly hers.  Then moving to the Princes Cal and Mavin.  Step brothers, each with their own attributes.  It was clear to see, from Mare the good and bad of both.  How things come across and how they were intended are many times not the same. 

                Red Queen for me was an enthralling fantasy spy game thriller.  You have the different classes, the Reds vs. the Silvers.  But within the Silvers they have their own power structure.  Silvers might be above Reds but they could still be lower rank in the hierarchy.  The overtone of the Segregation and elitism at play between the Reds and Silvers was well done.  I wanted to be in the fight.  But more than class war, we have people with hard core powers.  The powers are wide and vary from controlling metal, fire, healers, and so many more. 

                I really enjoyed the book and the overall story and look forward to reading more.  I do think some areas were a bit vague.  Less development or explanation on some aspects that could shed light on the backstory.  I don’t feel it subtracted from the overall story though, and the way it was done seems purposeful to me, and only intrigues me further.  Like it will be more important to the next book in the story and flow from the stories arch.  I have a ton of theories about what shall happen.  I mentioned previously that while I was theorizing about the book I was also surprised.  There are twists, some I saw coming, others I should have seen coming but I was so shocked by something else I just didn’t see it.  I give Aveyard’s Red Queen a solid 5 Stars.

               

                Spoiler Part:  I have to talk about the end!  So don’t cheat or ruin it for yourself. 

                Speaking of twists.  I didn’t see the ending coming.  Okay that’s a lie, I did.  I expected it from the very start and I just knew he would betray them, I was only undecided on the motivation.  If it was the plan along bread out of resentment and duty or if it was more emotional.  Then as it got so close to the end I started to rethink, maybe I was wrong and that maybe that was the real twist.  I started to let my guard down then BAM!  Just like I imagined.  Dang you.  That played with my emotions.  Also while I was so caught up in the expected yet unexpected twist I didn’t even see the other twist with Shade, I suspected at the very start but then I got so wrapped up I honestly forgot about him.  And Lucas!!!  I was totally expecting something to happen but that just blew me away.  One shock right after another at the end.

                END Spoiler Part! 

                I can’t wait for the next book to come out and let me dive back into the world of the Reds and Silvers.  I want to see what becomes of all of our characters.  I feel some serious stuff about to hit the fan.  I also feel more backstory coming, diving deeper into the war and the society and maybe some romance.  As always please share your thoughts and such below.  I’m working on some more reviews to post soon, finished a couple more series and a couple stand-alones.