Coldwire by Chloe Gong (Strange Loom book 1)

“The future is loading…

To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”

But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.

Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…

Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.” - taken from Goodreads.

Lia Ward is getting ready to graduate from NileCorp’s Academy. She is the adopted daughter of senator Henry Sullivan, who it turns out is harboring secrets of his own. Her first assignment comes before graduation and she is paired with Kieran Murray, the headmaster's son and her academic rival. This is a strange turn of events since no one in the past has been given a post prior to graduation nor are they paired up with a partner. Eirale Ward is on an assignment to capture government anarchist Nik Grant in order to stop further uprising in the country. Grant always escapes capture until he frames Eirale for murder and holds her hostage until she can help him track down a particular program.

In a world where the lines between real life and virtual reality constantly blur, can Lia and Eirale complete their assignments without incidents before their worlds unexpectedly collide. Even though this book starts off slow and has lots of details in the complex world building, readers will be left in shock at the ending of the first book.

Book 2 is TBA.

Visit Chloe Gong’s website.

Icon and Inferno by Marie Lu (Smoke and Stars book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Smoke and Stars, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“A year has passed since superstar Winter and secret agent Sydney Cossette went undercover - on a dangerous mission to bring down the baddest man in London.

Winter hasn't stopped thinking about Sydney since, and she's been trying not to think about him

Family secrets and nasty newspapers has Winter desperate to re-enter the secret world. And it's not long before he gets his chance.

Sydney is back, and this time the mission goes right to the heart of the United States of America. A rescue gone wrong, an assassination attempt - and the return of an old flame - puts Winter right back into the action . . . and into a country on the brink of chaos.

And when a murder accusation has Sydney on the run, suddenly it's not just a life at stake, but all-out war.” - taken from Goodreads.

I was super stoked to get back into the world with Winter and Sydney and see where their next mission would take them. Fans of the author’s Warcross duology will be surprised to see a couple of guest appearances. Not quite the epic ending the Marie Lu’s is usually know for but fans will be able to fantasize about this duo’s future.

Visit Marie Lu’s website.

The Doomsday Box by Herbie Brennan (Shadow Project book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Shadow Project, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Danny, Opal and Michael are back and still work for the top secret Shadow Project. A new member, Fuchsia, has joined their team and possesses some mysterious abilities. Their newest assignment turns out to be for the CIA and involves a reclaimed military project from the 1960s, Project Rainbow. The project involved time travel and teleportation but unfortunately the space-time distortion that was created couldn’t be closed. The US government sealed it shut until recently when the decision to reopen it was made. But in drilling the concrete bunker open, an alarm from inside near the rift goes off. The Shadow Project is brought in to see what or who triggered the alarm.

Opal checks out the rift’s chamber in an out-of-body experience and gives the all clear. The decision is made to continue opening the chamber. Everyone is in awe of the rift except for Fuchsia, who fights the urge to be physically sick. Mr. Carradine, the CIA liaison to the Shadow Project, seems familiar with the rift chamber. Soon Colonel Saltzman, the US military commander of Project Rainbow notices a box at the rift and opens it. Carradine calmly and forcibly tells him to put it back. Fuchsia feels like “Pandora’s Box” was opened.

Several hours later the members of the Shadow Project are placed under quarantine with the sudden death of Colonel Saltzman. The suspected cause is the Black Death. Mr. Carradine decides the only way to stop Cobra is to send the Shadow Project kids back in time to talk Cobra from leaving the box in the future. But can the four of them find Cobra in 1962 and successfully talk him out of doing something 20 years in the future? Can they survive Moscow during the height of the Cold War? Will they be successful and make it back to their bodies as well as same the world?

Visit Herbie Brennan’s website.