My name is #1001, and I am not ready to die.” I’d only just begun to live.
When Captain Caleb Shepperd is released from prison, all he wants to do is keep his head down and earn a living smuggling illegal cargo through the nine systems. So when a synth stows away on his ship, and brings with her a crap-ton of problems, including guilt-ridden secrets he thought he’d escaped, he’d prefer to toss her out the airlock. The problem is, she’s priceless tech, and he’s fresh out of credit.
#1001 is not meant to exist. Created for a single purpose, she has one simple order: to kill. But not everything is as it seems. Buried deep inside, she remembers… Remembers when she was human. And she remembers what Shepperd did to her. She’s not ready to die, but she is ready to kill.
I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.
Yep, eyes (or in this case, eye) continues to be a defining draw in my choice in science fiction reading material. Just like Lex Talionis, Dark Horse, or Luminous. When I saw this featured at Books are My Reality, I had to have it. It hasn’t been a conscious decision, but I am beginning to think it may be an unconscious attraction considering all the skin suited, big breasted science fiction covered books I pilfered from my father’s stash of paperbacks growing up.
This is a strange book, and I kind of wish I had realized it was a serial before I chose it, rather thinking it was a straight up series. That lack of research sometimes comes to bite me back. The other important thing to note about this book before starting it, is that the first chapter is actually transplanted from the end. I was confused as hell until I realized that.
It is hard to say much about the plot without giving away secrets, so I won’t focus on that except to say it is exciting, and twisty, and probably full of holes, but a thrill ride anyway. What makes this story is the characters.
As for the characters, nobody here is a good guy, even the victims are usually in the wrong. Nobody really makes the good choices, the right choices. Still, the main trio Caleb, Fran, and 1001 are engaging and entertaining. And really, really sneaky, no one is anything like they appear. For such a short story, DaCosta does an excellent job of drawing the reader in and creating emotional connections, even with such relatively amoral characters. The characters I loved.
What I loved less is that it ended on such a cliffhanger. I really do want to know what happens next for 1001, but in a way that leaves me irked rather than rushing out to buy the next installment. I am not sure what about this makes me think serial, rather than series, but the former irritates while the latter keeps me rushing to buy the next one. I think I’ll hold up on getting the second book until I find out if there will be more resolution in the third story which is scheduled for early 2016.
...Burns Through Her Bookshelf 