ARC Review: Night Betrayed

Night Betrayed
Joss Ware
Paranormal Romance/Futuristic/2060
Envy Chronicles/Book 4
Avon/January 25, 2011

From the author's website ~

The Change that devastated the earth didn't destroy Theo Waxnicki. It made him something more than human eternally young, eternally beautiful ... but not immortal.

When he dies on a mission against the Strangers, he is lost to the darkness...until a miracle lady brings him back.

Born during the apocalyptic storms and earthquakes that left the world in ruins, Selena has dedicated her life to easing the pain of others. But Theo is the first in her care to actually survive. Responding to Selena's tender touch, Theo starts to live again, to feel and desire again.

But joined in a world of terrors, the secrets they can never share make them targets. And love could be the ultimate betrayal.

I've said it in previous reviews, I love the world Joss Ware has created in her post-apocalyptic series. The romance on the other hand, generally came in second to the world. I was pleasantly surprised this time with both Theo and Selena. Theirs is a romance begun with chance and continued with mutual attraction and respect.

Theo is a wonderful hero who proves computer geeks can be sexy! The fact that he's also buff and has a wicked sense of humor doesn't hurt either. Theo was born before the Change and is nearly eighty years old but looks closer to thirty. You would think this would be an asset but Selena, who is fifty, gets hung up on the fact that she thinks Theo is much younger than her, and he doesn't come right out and correct her. Selena's harping on Theo's age got old after a while. In this dark world, consenting adults should take their pleasure where they can. Theo and Selena's relationship begins with Selena prepared to help Theo pass on to the next life. But he surprises her and survives. While Theo is recovering at Selena's settlement, he finds his curiosity aroused, among other things, as he gets to know Selena. He also finds more information on the Elite and the Cult of Atlantis.

Selena isn't sure why she is able to help the dying cross over to the next life but it's something that she feels compelled to do. But it's not only the humans she needs to help. Helping the creatures that come out at night puts Selena in danger but she takes the risk. She took this risk, knowing that other people counted on her and I have to question why she put it above her family and friends. Selena has a calm about her that I think draws Theo to her. She offers him compassion, warmth and companionship. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other in this less than romantic setting. Selena spending many of her days with the dying and Theo is busy helping around the settlement and getting some computers working. Even with Theo and Selena being older, they still showed the wonder and awe of falling in love. Of realizing how important this person has become. They had some very hot, very romantic scenes. Which just proves there can be love and romance in a post-apocalyptic world.

The story may be centered around Theo and Selena but we do catch up with characters from previous books. Theo's brother Lou is very much involved in helping set up the computer network. He's brilliant when it comes to computers and being Theo's twin, they share a special bond. Lou is different from Theo in that Lou didn't stop aging the way Theo did. So they may be twins but Lou looks like a grandfather while Theo looks like a man in his prime. That doesn't stop them from acting like brothers.

Ian Marck is also around, stirring up trouble. He is a bounty hunter who had run ins with the Theo and his friends from Envy. I'm still not sure what side Marck is on. His side, I think. He's an intriguing characters and I hope we've not seen the last of him.

In addition to the character growth, the overall series arc continues to progress with some shocking revelations that change perceptions and give the remaining human population something else to fear. The more I read this series, the more I'm in awe of Ware's ability to not only create a fascinating world, but to be true to that worlds' canon. No one is safe. There isn't a magical wand to wave and make everything better.

Night Betrayed left me wanting more. More of the world of Envy. More of the people who are trying to make a life in a hostile world full of danger and the unknown.

Rating: A-

Links to my reviews of 1st three books in the series ~

Beyond the Night
Embrace the Night Eternal
Abandon the Night

Review: Abandon the Night

Abandon the Night
Joss Ware
Paranormal Romance
Envy Chronicles/Book 3
Avon Books/March 2010
Library Book

*Spoilers for Previous Books*

From the back cover ~

Quentin Fielding had everything. Money. Power. Women. But now that civilization is all but annihilated, Quent only wants one thing: revenge. Harnessing a strange new "gift," he embarks on a deadly mission to find the the man responsible for the chaos and destruction, the man he should have killed years ago: his father. Only one thing stands in his way – a mysterious, arrow-wielding beauty...

Zoe Kapoor is on her own quest for vengeance, searching for the monstrous fiends who murdered her family. Soon she and Quent join together, journeying through the ruins of the world they once knew as a desperate desire builds between them. Drawing closer to an enemy they never imagined, Zoe and Quent must abandon all fear, abandon all regret, abandon the night ...

I'm still reading this series. And once again, it's the world that I find fascinating with the romance coming in a distant second. Or maybe that's third? LOL I had high hopes for the hero and heroine of this one. I really liked what I had already read of the heroine, Zoe, and while I still liked her, the romance between her and Quinn didn't hold my attention the way I had hoped it would.

Abandon takes place a week or so after the end of Embrace the Night Eternal (book 2). This time it's Quinn who's in some serious trouble when he realizes his father is one of the leaders of the Cult of Atlantis and that they are the cause of the destruction and disasters that happened 50 years ago. He's determined to find his father and kill him. Okay, but Quinn not exactly Rambo or even MacGyver. Before the Change, aka destruction of the Earth as we know it, Quinn was a rich man who liked the finer things in life. He did do some volunteer work in third world countries but for the most part he's used to a life of privilege and luxury. He teams up with Zoe who is accustomed to living off the land and taking care of herself.

I liked Zoe when she first saved Quinn's neck in Beyond the Night (book 1). She was the mysterious archer who saved Quinn and then took off. She's an excellent shot with her bow & arrows and experienced in hunting gangas - the zombie like monsters that come out at night, tearing apart any humans they find. Zoe is a definitely loner, living alone with only her wolf for company. And while she may be a loner she isn't adverse to spending some time between the sheets with Quinn. Zoe tends to pull a fuck-and-run when it comes to her encounters with Quinn. This is something that Quinn isn't used to and doesn't like one damn bit. He's used to women falling all over him, not sneaking away after he's fallen asleep.

I liked some of the secondary characters and want to know more about them. Ian Marck for instance. He's a bounty hunter that works for the Strangers, and like his father no one likes or trusts him. But there's more to him that just a bounty hunter. I wouldn't be surprised if he got his own book and a heroine to go with it. And there are a couple of possible heroines for him.

The next book, Night Betrayed (January 2011) is Theo's book. Theo is one of the survivors of the Change. He's interesting and I'm curious to see who his heroine is. So, I'll probably read that one too. It's weird since I haven't really been wowed by the romances but I'm still interested in the world to even consider reading the next book. And I've still got some hope for a few of the secondary characters. Who knows, maybe Theo's romance will hold my interest more than the post-apocalyptic setting.

Rating: C+

Review: Embrace the Night Eternal

Embrace the Night Eternal
Joss Ware
Futuristic Paranormal Romance
Envy Chronicles/Book 2
Avon/February 2010
Library book

*Some Spoilers for Book 1*

From the author's website ~

From the raging fires, five men emerge with extraordinary new powers. They must learn how to survive this dark, ravaged world ... but they cannot do it alone.

Simon Japp will never forget his violent past. But when civilization is all but destroyed, he sees his chance for redemption. Blessed with a strange "gift," he's determined to help the resistance against the Strangers, the mysterious force that stalks them at every turn. He can't afford to get distracted, even by the stunning, soft-spoken woman fighting by his side...

Sage Corrigan has learned to be careful where she places her trust. But she sees something good in Simon, even if he can't see it in himself. Posing as lovers to infiltrate a group key to their fight, they find that their staged affection soon develops into a desire that will leave them fighting for their lives in the night eternal...

Book two picks up where Beyond the Night (book 1) left off. The settlement of Envy (New Vegas or NV) is where Simon Japp and his four companions have taken up residency. The five men were kept in some type of stasis or coma in the caves of Sedona for the past 50 years. During that time things have changed dramatically and the world they knew is gone. Now the men are helping the residents fight the Strangers who are trying to enslave the remaining humans.

Simon Japp is a hero with a dark past. He's trying to get away from that past of lawlessness and start fresh. The chance to redeem himself happens when he meets up with a group of people that are trying to form a rebellion against the Strangers. Simon is willing to use his special ability to help with setting up a computer network and searching for Remington Truth, the man who might have the answers about what happened 50 years ago. Simon also finds himself attracted to Sage Corrigan, computer wiz and resident of Envy. Sage works with Theo and Lou Waxnicki, twin brothers who were alive when the Change happened. They're computer geniuses and are working on setting up a new Internet for this new world.

Sage Corrigan came to Envy from the settlement of Falling Creek. What we find out about Falling Creek isn't good. It's basically a polygamist settlement with men having multiple wives and the main focus for women is procreation. It really gave me an icky feeling when Sage tells of her numerous siblings and the plans that the council elders had very Sage before she got out. Sage is now twenty-eight and has established herself in Envy, developing strong friendships with Jade (heroine of book 1) Theo and Lou. Sage was certainly likable and definitely a survivor.

The search for Remington Truth sends Simon and Sage to Falling Creek. There they learn more about each other while Simon's trying to curb his growing attraction to Sage. I did like the developing relationship between these two I just wish Simon had stopped with his "I'm not good enough for you" mantra. He really needed to just get past his, well past, and realize that the times have changed and this is his chance to make a profound change in his life. Sage was intrigued by her attraction to Simon but also torn because there was someone else that she knew had strong feelings for her.

Once again I found myself fascinated by the post-apocalyptic world Ware has created. It's weird reading about a place I've been to many times (Vegas), and having it described in such different terms. No bright lights or the sound of slot machines filling the air. Instead there is a community of people who live, work and relax all within the secured city of Envy. Most of them live in what's left of the hotel, New York, New York and they all work together to keep the city running with everyone helping out in whatever capacity they can. I liked reading about the workings and politics of the city. How things have evolved from the disasters of 50 years ago when people were in shock and just trying to survive to having working, self-sustaining communities.

I did like book 2 a bit more than the first book. With both, my interest was still more focused on the world and the rebellion than the romance. There are still a number of characters I want to read about, one is a bad guy who is possibility reformed but then maybe not. I don't know but after reading Embrace the Night Eternal I know I'll be reading his book, if he gets one. So, still interested in this series but I don't think the romance is the strongest part of the book. It's more the world building and the cast of characters that I enjoy reading about.

Rating: B

Beyond the Night (book 1)

Review: Beyond the Night

Beyond the Night
Joss Ware
Futuristic Paranormal Romance
Envy Chronicles/Book 1
Avon/January 2010
Library e-book

From the author's website ~

A man with no future...

When Dr. Elliott Drake wakes from a mysterious fifty-year sleep, the world as he knew it is gone. Cities are now desolate, and civilization is controlled by deadly immortals. Stranger still is Elliott's extraordinary new "gift" – he has the power to heal, but it comes with fatal consequences.

A woman with a past...

Jade barely escaped the immortals and is now hell-bent on revenge. She trusts no one... until Elliott. His piercing gaze and tempting touch shatter her defenses, but the handsome doctor seems to have dangerous secrets of his own. Is it safe to trust him with her heart? If they are to survive in this dark new world, Jade and Elliott must work together to fight the forces that takes them beyond danger.

Beyond desire. Beyond the night.

A new post-apocalyptic series by Joss Ware aka Colleen Gleason grabbed my interest when Kristie reviewed the three current releases (Books 1 & 2, Book 3). I loved the premise of these present day guys going into a cave in Sedona, Arizona no less (my neck of the woods) and waking up to find the world is vastly changed and fifty years have past. It made me think of the Planet of the Apes movie. (One of dh's favorites). The first one where Charlton Heston is an astronaut and crashes on what he thinks is this strange planet where apes rule. Only in Joss Ware's world it's the Strangers and their crazy humanoid, zombie like creatures, gangas, who terrorize the few humans that are struggling to survive.

Dr. Elliott Drake isn't in Kansas any more. Actually he's from Chicago but he's so far from the ER where he practiced medicine that it's crazy. He still treats the injured but now it's more on-the-go treatments with just the very basic supplies. It's only been six months since he and his friends woke up and the reality of the world he is now in is still sinking in. There's that little ray of hope that somehow, somewhere, the world isn't as totally fucked up as it is in Elliott's little slice of hell. I use the f-word because there was what at first seemed to be a lot of it. Elliott lets it fly quite frequently and I thought it was overused but then I got to thinking that the world he's now in is really fucked up and why shouldn't he use that word?

The story starts off with characters in peril. Right away the reader is thrown into this foreign yet familiar world. Some teens are about to walk into serious trouble and need their asses saved. Good thing the hero and heroine are there to save them. I loved that the women of this world are just as badass as the men. It makes sense that the women, at least some of them, have learned to take care of themselves to the extent that they can kick some major ass. Due to the decimation of the world population one of the more common views on women is that their main purpose should be to repopulate the world. Of course not everyone is fanatical about this but it does make sense. The world needs more people if they are to have any chance of not being killed off or enslaved by the Strangers and their gangas.

I want to mention the gangas. They are some nasty ass bastards that just gave me the creeps. And they say the same thing over and over as the drag/lurch towards their prey. They're slow and not very smart and only come out at night. So with a half-way decent weapon, you can kill them. The problem comes when there are a bunch of them and they basically overwhelm their prey and then tear and claw it apart. Very nasty with a high creep factor. Don't go out at night or the gangas will literally eat you alive!

The "town" of Envy is one of the larger settlements and that's where Jade lives. She and the other townsfolk... hehe, never thought I'd get to use that word in a PNR. For some reason I just love that word. So, the townsfolk have created this fortified oasis out in the middle of nowhere because basically everything is out in the middle of nowhere in this new world. Elliott and his friends go with Jade to Envy and here's where they, and us, get to find out more of what really happened 50 years ago. I liked the way it all came together with the supernatural aspects of the story along with the mythology thrown in. Everyone has their theories of what really happened to cause all the natural and possibly not so natural disasters.

The romance between Elliott and Jade didn't exactly draw me in. I was more interested in the survival/fighting for our lives/when is the real bad guy going to show up plot of the story. I did like both Elliott and Jade and they definitely had some sparks going but I found myself just as curious about some of the secondary characters and the obvious sequel bait. Some of the romance was a bit over the top with the likes of "Oh no, I'm going to die and I never got the chance to tell her/him that I love her/him" scenes. But I did think they made a good couple. Jade is emotionally and physically scared and Elliott is a healer. Jade grew up in this bizarre world and Elliott needs help understand how it all works.

That's not to say I didn't have a few other problems with this book. One thing that got on my nerves real quick was the mentioning of the 50 years that had pasted for the men. It was usually mentioned in regards to sex. Like they haven't had sex in 50 years which really wasn't true since they were in some sort of deep freeze so it's not like the possibility to have sex was there. But Elliott thinks about this a lot, mentions it often enough that I was just like, alright Elliott, we get it. You're really horny because you haven't gotten laid in 50 years. Now go after Jade already!

Speaking of Jade... if Jade thinks she might have a bounty hunter on her trail why would she be singing and putting herself out in the public like that? There are so few people and settlements left that you would think news of a good singer would travel fast. It seems like she would have tried to keep a lower profile than singing in a bar. That bugged me.

One other thing. Note to hero and heroine: Having sex in a room that has the smell of "blood and death lingering," because of the dead woman in the bathroom is not sexy. Please don't.

But even after those problems I was still completely caught up in this new world that Ware has created. The characters are well developed with enough other characters crying out for their stories to be told. There are a bunch of secondary characters that I want need to read their stories. A bunch. I can see this series continuing for some time. So far there are three books in print with a fourth due out next January. I know, unless the series takes a serious dive, I will continue to read the Envy Chronicles.

Rating: B