My rating: 4 of 5 stars
GENRE: New Adult
THEME: Dystopian, Romance, Fantasy
RECEIVED: Tour
BLURB:
All that’s required to ignite a revolution is a single spark rising.
Two hundred years after the cataclysm that annihilated fossil fuels, Sparks keep electricity flowing through their control of energy-giving Dust. The Council of Nine rebuilt civilization on the backs of Sparks, offering citizens a comfortable life in a relo-city in exchange for power, particularly over the children able to fuel the future. The strongest of the boys are taken as Wards and raised to become elite agents, the Council’s enforcers and spies. Strong girls—those who could advance the rapidly-evolving matrilineal power—don’t exist. Not according to the Council.
Lena Gracey died as a child, mourned publicly by parents desperate to keep her from the Council. She was raised in hiding until she fled the relo-city for solitary freedom in the desert. Lena lives off the grid, selling her power on the black market.
Agent Alex Reyes was honed into a calculating weapon at the Ward School to do the Council’s dirty work. But Alex lives a double life. He’s leading the next generation of agents in a secret revolution to destroy those in power from within.
The life Lena built to escape her past ends the day Alex arrives looking for a renegade Spark.
Two hundred years after the cataclysm that annihilated fossil fuels, Sparks keep electricity flowing through their control of energy-giving Dust. The Council of Nine rebuilt civilization on the backs of Sparks, offering citizens a comfortable life in a relo-city in exchange for power, particularly over the children able to fuel the future. The strongest of the boys are taken as Wards and raised to become elite agents, the Council’s enforcers and spies. Strong girls—those who could advance the rapidly-evolving matrilineal power—don’t exist. Not according to the Council.
Lena Gracey died as a child, mourned publicly by parents desperate to keep her from the Council. She was raised in hiding until she fled the relo-city for solitary freedom in the desert. Lena lives off the grid, selling her power on the black market.
Agent Alex Reyes was honed into a calculating weapon at the Ward School to do the Council’s dirty work. But Alex lives a double life. He’s leading the next generation of agents in a secret revolution to destroy those in power from within.
The life Lena built to escape her past ends the day Alex arrives looking for a renegade Spark.
REVIEW:
Dystopian’s are usually tough for me to get into or at least see the big picture settling that the author is trying to create. But Kate Corcino writes a dystopian that isn’t so doom and gloom dark, but more fantasy intriguing and makes your think more than anything. I loved the idea of the Dust being an advanced technology in this futuristic earth. It goes to show how much can change over time, and the effects it could have on humans.Spark Rising follows Lena who was thought to be dead, but is kept hidden because of how powerful of a Spark she is. As a Spark she can control dust in the air, which makes the Council (similar to a government) afraid she could be too power, especially since she is a girl. She is eventually tracked down, her calmer life disrupted by an agent for the council who wants her too join his cause.
Lena is a fantastic lead; she is extremely powerful but of course not perfect. Lena is someone who never backs down from a fight and has been protecting herself for a long time. After her father is murdered, which also puts her family in danger she is ready for battle. I felt so much for her because she such a likeable character but has to go through so much betrayal and heartache by people she thought she could trust. Her dynamic with Alex is what kept me hooked, their first encounter was brilliant, showing how Alex wasn’t prepared for Lena strength and determination. It triggered a “spark” in them; they had so much chemistry right off the start.
Alex is a character who I had a love hate relationship with all throughout. I think it was because he was a bit of a mystery; he had a very different upbringing than Lena. Alex is a stubborn guy and most of the time had me shaking my head because he wanted to keep his distance from Lena, but seriously he can’t resist her charm. He is drawn from the beginning and I wasn’t sure if he was going to be a bad guy until I read from his point of view how much he wants to keep her safe.
Overall I really enjoyed this world building that Corcino created. The characters are very well developed; and even though I have some unanswered question about the world created I know I ‘ll get more answers in the next book. The romance of course was my favorite tidbit, as I always have to have some “spark” in my books. Alex and Lena have some awesome tension building chemistry from the beginning, and when they become close its total fireworks and I loved it. The ending left me excited to continue, I’m not stressing about waiting on the next book because it ended on a good note.
Kate Corcino is a reformed shy girl who found her voice (and uses it…a lot). She believes in magic, coffee, Starburst candies, genre fiction, descriptive profanity, and cackling over wine with good friends. A recovering Dr. Pepper addict, she knows the only addiction worth feeding is the one that follows the “click-whooooosh” of a new story settling into her brain.
She also believes in the transformative power of screwing up and second chances. Cheers to works-in-progress of the literary and lifelong variety!
She is currently gearing up for publication of Ignition Point and Spark Rising , the first books in the Progenitor Saga, a near future dystopian adventure series with romantic elements, science, magic, and plenty of action.
She also believes in the transformative power of screwing up and second chances. Cheers to works-in-progress of the literary and lifelong variety!
She is currently gearing up for publication of Ignition Point and Spark Rising , the first books in the Progenitor Saga, a near future dystopian adventure series with romantic elements, science, magic, and plenty of action.
Great review! I'm a big dystopian fan but I'm finding it harder and harder to find some unique ones that aren't totally complicated. This sounds like a fun one, though, and the characters are romance sound well written, too! Glad you liked it! :)
ReplyDeleteRight!? I cant find many the will grab me. I really enjoyed this one! Thanks
DeleteRight!? I cant find many the will grab me. I really enjoyed this one! Thanks
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