Veena’s review of The Science Of Pleasure by Jacquelyn Frank
Sci Fi Fantasy published by Zebra 26 Jun 18
Ms. Frank exploded on my reading horizon with her Nightwalker series and her refreshing take on the fantastical world of vampires, demons, and other manner of supernatural creatures. Since then she has written a diverse set of stories across just as diverse worlds, not all of which have had the same appeal for me as her earlier stories did. Not too sure that the title matches this story, unless it’s about the red-hot chemistry between the alpha and the scientist…
This story is about fantastical creatures called the “Mophates,” who have been created in a lab. In a dystopian world where certain cities have been abandoned and are now populated and controlled by Morphates to keep the rest of the country safe, Kincaid “Kin” Gregory is an alpha Morphate running dark Philadelphia. Once an upstanding cop before being experimented on, he now fights every moment of his life to hold onto control and retain some elements of his humanity. Can he reverse the biological changes to his body? Who better to help him in his quest but the geneticist whose research made him what he is.
Jenesis DeBruehl is a disillusioned scientist. Her brilliant research that intended to save lives has been distorted and twisted into a travesty, used to create immortal animal-like creatures. She’s spent seven years licking her wounds in private, aching for a chance to redeem herself. Should she question a gift horse when it seems to give her everything she wants? Perhaps, since the lab she’s now running is funded by Morphates – most particularly alpha Kin Gregory who has his own angle of research he wants to push. There is a silver lining in that she has exclusive access to an alpha Morphate as a research subject.
It’s an interesting though far-fetched plot line, complete with a crazy scientist with dreams of grandeur. Not my cup of tea but probably has an audience that it appeals to.
Grade: C
Summary:
In the Name of ScienceDr. Jenesis DeBruehl once hoped that her scientific research would have positive ramifications for humanity, only to have her work twisted by the evil Dr. Eric Paulson and used to torture innocents.
Seven years later she finally has her own lab again, despite her checkered past. Kincaid “Kin” Gregory is a Morphate, one of the people mutated by Paulson. Now running the lab that Jenesis is joining, Kin is surprised by the lust he feels for the human woman. While Jenesis struggles with her guilt over the role she played in Kincaid’s mutation, he encourages her to use him as her personal test subject. No limitations. With Kin’s body all hers, Jenesis is about to make a whole new kind of discovery . . .
No excerpt available.
