Monday, September 7, 2015

Sideswiped and The Drafter by Kim Harrison with Giveaway!

Happy Labor Day for those in the states. Happy Monday to everyone else. How about a review and giveaway? :D

Sideswiped
Series: The Peri Reed Chronicles #0.5
80 p.
Publisher: Pocket Star
Source: TBR pile (currently .99¢ at your fave ebook retailer)
Every hero, even the accidental ones, have a beginning. 
Silas’s radical theory that drafters are not replaying time as much as they are temporarily sliding into an alternate universe has never been well-received, but frankly, the darling of Opti’s research has enough clout not to care, until a professor with a grudge tries to put a permanent end to it. Love can’t alter time, and sometimes, even being able to rub out a single mistake isn’t enough…

My thoughts:

A lot of people kept telling me I need to read this one before I read The Drafter. I was going to but just wanted to dive into the other story. When I was reading the main book, I got a sudden urge to know more about what had gone on before so I picked up this book.

It didn't give me everything that I wanted in information, but it did round out the story a bit more for me. This is not a necessary book to read The Drafter, but it is a good compliment.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars and recommend it to those that plan on reading The Drafter.

The Drafter
Series: The Peri Reed Chronicles #1
432 p.
Published: 9/1/15
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Publisher for review
Detroit 2030. Double-crossed by the person she loved and betrayed by the covert government organization that trained her to use her body as a weapon, Peri Reed is a renegade on the run. 
Don’t forgive and never forget has always been Peri’s creed. But her day job makes it difficult: she is a drafter, possessed of a rare, invaluable skill for altering time, yet destined to forget both the history she changed and the history she rewrote. 
When Peri discovers her name on a list of corrupt operatives, she realizes that her own life has been manipulated by the agency. She joins forces with a mysterious rogue soldier in a deadly race to piece together the truth about her final task, unable to trust even herself.
My thoughts:

This is a book where time travel is a central theme. It is an interesting take and reminds me of the work they are doing in quantum physics where they can transfer data from one place to another without a machine. In a way there is a time aspect to it as it goes sideways to this process. Similar qualities happen here during a "draft". Um... not sure I explained that correctly but how time is manipulated frequently brought me back to physics (of which I'm admittedly not proficient). It seems like the author did a good job of researching this idea. While not perfect, time travel was done in a believable way. And no, you don't need to know these concepts to "get it" either. :) I only mention it because it made the drafting feel more real to me.

What I really loved about the book is the characters. The secondary characters were fabulous and I wished we had more time with a couple of them. I really enjoyed Peri and how she struggled with what was going on and demanding answers that were locked insider her brain. The big mystery has many twists and turns and a few I really didn't expect. I honestly think I would become insane with what Peri has gone through but she perseveres and so I think her character is strong. While a lot of questions were answered, a few weren't and that is to be expected in a series book. I was actually left with some trepidations on characters I was certain of and now don't know if I would trust them. Oh yea, this is the beginning of a good series.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I recommend it to those that love mystery, thriller and sci-fi books. There is a hint of romance from time to time, but don't expect it here... yet. :)

The publisher is allowing me to giveaway one copy of The Drafter to those with a US snail mail addy! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

31 comments:

  1. I really don't like prequels. Why should I have to read something before I pick up a book. To me it makes no difference, but people go to a bookstore and they take a book unknowingly and they end up missing out. Anyway, Kim's last series wasn't for me, but this one I'll definitely read.

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    1. You really don't have to read the novella. I wasn't going to but I thought there was more information I was missing because everyone else thought it was better to read it. It did enhance it, but not necessary at all. Hope you enjoy!

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  2. Loving the cover of The Drafter but as you know I don't tend to fare well with time travel novels as I really can't get my head round the concept.

    And what is it with these .5 books? Which publisher came up with that marketing device?

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    1. You might like this one. It makes more sense than most time travel books tend to make. The novella isn't necessary. :)

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  3. I've been wanting to read these! I'll admit to only having been impressed with one .5 book in the past. It's often superfluous info. Great reviews!

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    1. It did give me a bit more information, but mostly what I had already surmised at that point.

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  4. So the book was better than the novella

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  5. Sometimes I feel like I'm never going to catch up reading everything. I've wanted to read something by this author but haven't gotten to it yet.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. I still need to read her other series. I've only read one book from that one. :(

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  6. I read the prequel and wasn't overly impressed. I am anxious to dive in and read Drafter, but I just haven't had the time or focus....kids go back starting tomorrow!

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    1. It's better than the novella. That is mostly just an enhancement. :)

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  7. I love time-travel/time-alteration stories, and this one looks interesting. Thanks for the chance to win!

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    1. I loved the twist this one had. I think you will enjoy. :)

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  8. Glad you loved this. I felt so bad for Peri, and would probably go a little crazy too.. I'm super glad I read the prequel first. I read the very first part of The Drafter first and felt off. But Sideswiped helped me understand the world-building much better. And, I loved have the knowledge of who Silas and the other guy was, what their connections were. I made what happened between them feel that much deeper.

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  9. I might pass this time on the novella but I do really want to read the novel. I have come to really love this author.

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  10. I enjoyed your review of both Sideswiped and The Drafter and I'm looking forward to reading them since I like Kim Harrison's other work and time travel is always a hit with me.

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  11. I'm very excited to see Ms. Harrison's new series. Loved the RM series so I know that I will enjoy this one :) thanks for the great review and giveaway!

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  12. I haven't read the prequel I confess but I did read Drafter and I liked it, less than you but it was an interesting book.

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  13. I've read several good reviews on this book, plus I was a fan of her Rachel Morgan series so I want to give the new series a try.

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  14. I really felt that the novella helped me get a feel for what was going on faster! And I love the characters too! And the fact that we are left not quite sure about a few!

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  15. Kim H. was in my town yesterday, I missed her signing :(

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  16. Oh this sounds like a great series start. I'm curious about how she handles the time travel thing. Sometimes it's so easy to fix or screw up everything, but it's so interesting. :)

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  17. The characters plus the cast of secondary sounds great in this one

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  18. So glad you loved the Drafter. I like the world and agree that Sideswiped enhanced the story.

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  19. The Hollows is one of my favorite series and I am excited to read what is next for Kim Harrison

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  20. I'm a huge fan of Harrison's work, and I'm really excited to check out this new series of hers. That it's time travel is just a bonus!

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  21. I've read a book by Harrison, but I have friends who are absolutely obsessed with her Hollow series. Frankly, I'm a bit scared picking that series up in fears that I won't like it as they do, but this book sounds awesome. Thank goodness I don't need to know the physics concept. By far my worst subject.

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  22. Have loved other books by you and would love to find out if I will love this one two.

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  23. I usually enjoy novellas so I picked up Sideswiped. After reading your review, I hope I enjoy it :) thanks for sharing!

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Thanks for commenting! I ❤ comments!