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COVER REVEAL: Enter The Multi-Vers by C. Rochelle
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REVIEW: Liar City by Allie Therin
Sugar & Vice: Liar City – Allie Therin
A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it’s too late
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
If there’s one book from this year’s reading list that had me going from “ugh, I’m bored” to “I need more now please, please, please!”, Liar City is it.
This is the opener of Allie Therin’s urban fantasy series, Sugar & Vice. It’s set in Seattle, where a mutation occurred that turned some humans into empaths. They are known to be the ultimate pacifists, willing to let someone crack their skulls rather than defend themselves when attacked because they feel other people’s pain and emotions.
Or so they say because, according to some politicians, empaths are actually very dangerous. And here we have a gruesome illustration of exactly how dangerous they can get.
Reece Davis is an empath and police consultant who unwittingly entangled himself in a murder after a mysterious individual called The Dead Man gave him cryptic warnings. This enigmatic, legendary figure is feared even by his badass sister, Detective Briony “Jamey” St. James.
The opening chapters were a miserable slog. There were lots of things going on, a squadful of characters I don’t care about suddenly popping on scene, but the plot barely moved forward. I was barely hanging on, but the very intriguing premise kept me going with promises of excitement and amazing displays of superpowers.
Things picked up once Reece started hanging out with The Dead Man, Evan Grayson. The man is the opposite of Reece. He doesn’t feel anything, has no expressions, and has enhanced abilities that make him nearly invincible.
Why he is the way he is one of the story’s biggest mysteries. And there are several, from a serial killer to Jamey’s secret abilities, to sinister research organizations, and Reece’s evolving powers. He’s also one of the most effective hooks that kept me glued because I was dying to know his backstory. We’re fed tiny crumbs of info about him here and there, which drove me crazy!
The story is told from multiple POVs, except Evan’s. Of course. The man just had to be all mysterious and shit. Love him! Meanwhile, Reece is a ball of good intentions and a hot mess of fuck ups. Still, hard to hate a real life Care Bear.
There is no romance here. Heck, they don’t even touch. There’s just a faintest impression of friendship. But Evan and Reece have the most intense squee-tastic chemistry and the only couple that made me say, “I need them to fuck”.
Which is ironic because a lot of books I read, I’d rather do without the sex scenes. The couples just don’t have the zing Evan and Reece have, and these two were as platonic as they come. And while I do enjoy the books, without the zing, the sex scenes feel obligatory.
Once the story hit its stride, it kept things moving fast. There’s still a lot going on but this time, I’m swept away by all the twists, turns and revelations. And once the action started, it became non-stop, edge-of-your-seat melee fights, chase scenes, and mental meltdowns. It’s a spectacle of chaos and mayhem, and I have never been so glad I stuck around to witness all of it!
And that’s not all. The ending was wonderful mix of frustrating and satisfying because we are fed bigger crumbs of Evan. That only made his mystique even more tantalizing. This will be the death of me!
Liar City went from almost DNF to one of the best books I’ve read this year. This is the kind of book I want to see as an anime. It certainly lived up to its promise of thrills, feels and big reveals!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Feel the Pain
Artist: Dinosaur Jr
Album: Without A Sound
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LIAR CITY
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RELEASE BLITZ: Amplified: Sean and Alex by Sunny Day (Excerpt)
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3-DAY BLAST: Questionable Minds by Fraser Sherman (Excerpt)
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BLOG TOUR: Novas Got Nerve by B.L. Jones (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES TOUR AND NEW RELEASE: Perfect World by Shari Sakurai (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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SERIES REVIEW: Panopolis Books 1 & 2 by Cari Z
Panopolis: Where There’s Smoke – Cari Z
Panopolis is a rough place to be an average Joe. I came here looking for adventure and excitement, but nobody cares about one more normal guy in a city filled with super-powered heroes. The closest I’ve come to glory is working in a bank that villains often rob.
But then I maybe accidentally-on-purpose helped a villain escape the hero who was trying to save the day. Imagine my shock when, a week later, that villain asked me out for coffee. One date turned into more, and now I’m head over heels in love with Raul.
Falling in love with the guy dubbed the Mad Bombardier isn’t without its downsides, though. I’ve had to deal with near-death encounters with other villains, awkwardly flirtatious heroes who won’t take no for an answer, and a lover I’m not sure I can trust. It’s getting to the point where I know I’ll have to make a choice: side with the heroes, or stand fast by my villain.
Either way, I think my days as a normal guy are over.
Panopolis: Where There’s Fire – Cari Z
Making a name for myself as a Villain in Panopolis is hard work. Six months ago, my boyfriend broke me out of jail. Now he’s spending most of his time defending our turf against other Villains he accidentally freed along with me. And my new psychic powers are not only impossible to control, but they’re also giving me migraines.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. My skills are improving every day, and Raul—aka the Mad Bombardier—and I have never been happier. That is, until my first solo job is interrupted by a mysterious woman who tells me that Raul has been kidnapped by a ruthless new Villain. The only way to free him is to do a job for Maggot, a man with scary ideas and an even scarier superpower.
I can’t go to the cops or a Hero for help. Odds are they wouldn’t listen to me anyway. If I fail, Raul will be killed. If I succeed, we’ll both be bound to a man who’ll stop at nothing to put Panopolis on the path to civil war.
It looks like the only way to win is to take out the competition.
When I was working as an ESL tutor, my Japanese student and I talked about anime. I told him I was almost always fascinated with the villains and asked why anime stories usually show the villain’s backstory. I asked because most western cartoons don’t do that. He told me it was because the Japanese believe an enemy today could be a friend tomorrow.
Panopolis by Cari Z is a great example of of the shifting lines between villainy and heroism. Sometimes, it’s a matter of perspective. This underrated series deconstructs the superhero and supervillain tropes.
I came into this thinking I would get a cartoonish, comical romp, something along the lines of Despicable Me or The Incredibles. I got a dark, sinister tale of highly unethical science, mind control and oppression, torture and terrorism, politics and conspiracies, and the collateral damage that is conveniently ignored in the name of saving the day.
Panopolis is a mega-city with an unusually high number of supers. Time-honored tradition dictates it’s always heroes vs. villains. The good guys have corporate sponsorships and all the perks. The baddies are mostly after money and make the heroes look good. The fights get a lot of tv coverage, usually as entertainment.
Where There’s Smoke opens the series with a bank heist by one of the city’s most notorious villains, The Mad Bombardier. It happens to be the bank where Edward Dingle works. He’s a kind, mild-mannered guy. So kind he couldn’t resist covertly helping the very villain robbing his bank because he saw The Mad Bombardier needed a hand.
Intrigued, The Mad Bombardier, a.k.a. Raul, sought Edward out again. Their first date was cute! They eventually started dating. The story breezed through the early parts of their relationship and fast-forwarded to them being an established couple.
Raul is a total sweetheart, and his costume is supercool! He became a bomb expert due to a rather atypical upbringing. He wears a helmet with numbers counting down. It looks ominous, but it’s actually his little joke. He’s also the only top villain with no body count under his belt so far.
Book 1 is a 2-hour audiobook, so the plot moved fast. The story is told from the 1st-person POV of Edward, tackling the moral dilemma and the consequences of dating a supervillain. It shakes an already precarious situation by having that supervillain’s superhero nemesis crushing on Edward and persistently asking him out. Edward is also slowly learning what those corporate sponsorships really entail.
I love how the story blurs the lines. Along with Edward, we question who is the hero? Who is the villain? Who is the criminal? Who is the victim? And who the hell is really in charge? This novella laid out a fantastic foundation for the follow-up. It’s best to have the next book on hand before starting this because the ending turned Edward’s world upside down. You’ll be grabbing that sequel immediately!
Where There’s Fire picks up on the aftermath of all those explosions. This is where those foreboding thoughts about Panopolis became harsh reality. What was only hinted at and glimpsed in the periphery came out in the open when Edward and Raul met with the villains. It’s where the series became truly dark.
It’s also the part where I was seriously torn. One hand, I felt sorry for these villains because of what they had gone through. It was pretty nasty! I also understood their cause, their fight to right the wrongs done to their ilk. But then, them being what they are, they get a little too Machiavellian. Poor Raul had to suffer for it!
This is the part where Edward embraced who he really was. How he saved Raul was brilliantly executed! It’s like the man conquered the city by making people feel and being his kind self. He was awesome!!!
This is longer than the 1st book, so things were more fleshed out. The tension is tight throughout the story. The suspense ratcheted up several notches when our boy Edward took on the entire city. Edward’s trick on the boss fight scene was super clever!
I tried not to give too many details here because it’s best to go in knowing only the minimum details. The Cari Z books I’ve read are those she has written with L.A. Witt. I need to read more of her solo works, as well, because she’s a very talented writer. I could tell she really knows her stuff when it comes to supers.
Panopolis is the perfect example of that. It is an action-packed, sometimes sweet, thought-provoking, and uniquely fascinating take on heroes and villains. A potent reminder that with great powers comes great headaches.
Rating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Villains
Artist: Delta Spirit
Album: One Is OneRating:
5 Stars – absolutely perfectSoundtrack: How Villains Are Made
Artist: Madelen Duke
Album: Talking To Myself
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Where There’s Smoke and Where There’s Fire. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
Where There’s Smoke: US | UK
Where There’s Fire: US | UKIf you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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NEW RELEASE AND SERIES TOUR: The Vampire Guard by Elizabeth Noble (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Infinite Bond by L. Rose (Excerpt)
