Veena’s review of Quantum (Atrophy, Book 2) by Jess Anastasi
Sci-Fi Romance published by Entangled: Select Otherworld 08 Aug 16

I came across this book and author in a list of forthcoming publications that I could read and review here at the Pond. Since I get to see so few books in this genre, I signed up to read this right away, with little or no expectations one way or another. The fantasy started on page one and just kept on going as I got to meet a host of very interesting characters and battled a host of shape-shifting aliens with them.

Zander Graydon is a stuffed shirt when we first meet him, all stiff and starchy in his admiral’s uniform. As he finds himself under fire and running for his life, he soon loses his admiral’s stripes and starch to reveal a fantastic hero. The story that unfolds is pretty unbelievable. A shape-shifting alien race called the Riedel has taken over all the key positions in the government, including his own, with no one the wiser because the real person has been killed and a substitute alien put in their place. As we march through the story exposing aliens, the part that really got me was on Zander’s flag ship when his people see two of him and wait for the real Admiral Zander Graydon to reveal himself.

Mae is a kick-ass heroine. She’s been dispatched as a spy to figure out the truth of whether Zander is real or a plant, and, unfortunately, gets plunged into the deep end as she goes on the run with the real Zander. From the first when he tried to flirt with her at the coffee cart, Zander is attracted to her and this only deepens as they find themselves thrust in extreme situations. Clearly this will change when the other shoe drops and Zander finds out that she’s a spy dispatched to test his authenticity.

There is a great supporting cast of characters in the book, but Rian is the one who casts the biggest shadow with his rabid vendetta against the Riedels. There almost seems to be two stories playing themselves out side by side until they come together with the adventures that Rian and his crew have on their way to rendezvous with Mae and Zander.

There are some great battle scenes and now that it seems the actions in this book have sparked a rebellion against the Riedels, it will be interesting to see where this series goes next. If you like Sci-Fi, this is an extremely well-written story that will grab you hard and take you for a thrill ride that doesn’t look like it’s anyway near the end.

Grade: B

Summary:

Someone wants Captain Admiral Zander Graydon dead. Like yesterday. Zander’s convinced his attractive assistant knows more than she’s willing to say, and if he can stop running long enough, he’ll find out exactly what she’s hiding. Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros is determined to keep her CO safe. Before she tips her hand, however, Mae has to figure out if the alluring man she’s protecting is the real Captain Admiral Graydon. Or an alien shape-shifting imposter.

On the run and no one to trust…not even each other.

Captain Admiral Zander Graydon has seen a lot of action, but almost getting killed three times in one day is pushing it. Only the company of his new assistant, Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros, makes things a little easier to swallow. Except the delectable Lieutenant Marshal Petros is hiding a number of secrets, and her presence might have something to do with the continued attempts on his life.

It’s no accident Lieutenant Marshal Mae Petros finds herself in the firing line alongside the charming but very off-limits Captain Admiral Graydon. She’s taken the job as the admiral’s assistant to determine if a shape-shifting alien has killed the CO and assumed his form. Whether the admiral is human or not, Mae finds herself getting way too close to him as they run for their lives.

Military to the core, Mae and Zander will have to overcome their suspicions of each other to work together, when they realize the fate of the entire universe is at stake.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series: