Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Eruption” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I enjoy TechnoThrillers:
I honestly hadn’t realised I grew up reading ‘techno-thrillers’ as to me the works of Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton* were simply ‘riveting fiction’ that exploded on the page and kept my eyes pinned to the character’s journey as I devoured their stories! I had missed finding those kinds of stories as I exited my teens, save for one I had also previously mentioned finding (as I have disclosed my enjoyment of Clancy & Crichton before) which is ‘Masquerade’ by Gayle Lynds. To get a kick-start back into reading this branch of fiction, I started to seek out blog tours which could introduce me to new authors of the genre itself inasmuch as getting my head to wrap around the elements that make a ‘techno-thriller’ such a stimulating read!
*I mentioned Crichton &/or Clancy on: my review of Writers Workshop of SFF
my interview with Paul Mark Tag
my interview with Robert Bailey
my interview with Laura Brown (segue from Uni to writing)
& my interview with Violet Patterson
I had classified Paul Mark Tag’s Category 5 as ‘science fiction based on science fact’ as it felt more science-based within that particular story structure, but as I did a bit of background reading on what constitutes a ‘techno-thriller’, methinks I might have miscalculated where to place his novels! I knew from the start they were going to be ‘science thrillers’ but perhaps, by extension of that placement, ‘techno-thriller’ isn’t too far behind?
Films like “Hackers” and “The Net” carved out the space for ‘tech based thrillers’ in motion pictures for me, but I am not an appreciator of when the genre spins out stories like “The Matrix” as I find it to be more hinged on violence and guttingly thick on oppression vs an uplift of change at the ending of the tale itself. Therefore I tend to find myself betwixt knowing which author to read and/or which motion picture to watch as there are key elements I appreciate seeing in both mediums whereas quite equally there are times where I am taken too far outside my comfort zones to find enjoyment.
Imagine my surprise then, to find that Cedar Fort is publishing an eclectic mixture of ‘techno-thrillers’ for me to pick and choose to read? I am hoping to find some wicked good new reads as much as finding myself getting back in align with a genre I enjoyed in my youth!
Eruption
The shadow was gone. My heart raced and I jerked my earbuds out. Skin tingling, I slowly moved toward where it had crossed the path. Breathe. If it's a bear, stand still. If it's a mugger, run. I clenched my fists.
As I got closer, I saw what had reflected the sun, lying in the grass just off the path.
Jace Vega has finally landed her dream job working for an up-and-coming tech firm called Omnibus. But after she receives a mysterious message from her future self, Jace is forced to question everything she thought she knew.
Soon Jace and her old friend Corey are racing to piece together the clues that will keep Omnibus from destroying everything -- including their past.
Fast-paced and suspenseful. ERUPTION is a guaranteed page-turner that will keep you guessing.
*NOTE: Eruption is part of a duology of a series that is not yet named. This is only the first installment of the story.
Places to find the book:
Series: Eruption Duology
Also in this series: Reclamation
on 13th January, 2015
Pages: 288
Published By: Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #ReadingERUPTION, #EruptionBook
Distinctively Mid-West & a strong character presence in Jace:
Quintana breathes life into her novel within the first few pages of Eruption grounding the reader askance Jace as she goes about her routine to envelope herself inside her run; blocking out the world and the absence of memory from her dreams. It is an internal check-balance of seeing Jace from the moment she awakens to how she likes to stablise her life with routine. This is a girl who is adamant about routine and having a ‘neat and tidy approach to living’ wherein she would not grow surprised by any event, incident, or moment arriving up out of the blue! Not that that is characteristic of life but you can gather a sense of her character’s intentions through the anguish she feels on the death of her Mum. There is only a slight reference to this, but Quintana is a writer who can give depth to a few words; evoking a strong reaction out of her reader and characters alike.
Jace is at the apex of suspending her world between her current reality and the reality of how the future is intersecting with her present. The curious bit for me is how her present self is having trouble processing the future, as she’s approaching it from a rational point of view vindictive of someone who accepts plausible science fiction stories but hasn’t taken her belief to the point where she can fathom how ‘real’ science fiction scenarios can bleed into your own reality.
The Mid-West has a certain awareness of ‘place’ about it as much as it can provide a beautiful setting for a story to soak inside as a backdrop to the evolving climax. The lakes, the greenery, and the common knowledge of Midwestern hospitality make it a keen place to set most stories, but Quintana highlights the natural grace of the Mid-West with the evidence of how keen the area is to remain on the cutting edge of technology and progress. Ever mindful of living more green, most states in the Mid-West region have adopted strategic conservation and/or preservation practices to create self-sufficiency as natural resources become less available. They are attempting to bring ‘green living and energy’ to the forefront of public thought and action, which hopefully will continue to have an effect on other states whose focal point matches their own.
My Review of Eruption:
Arriving inside Jace’s life was quite enjoyable because Quintana presents everything nearly in first person to where you feel as though you’ve stepped inside the skin and being of Jace; rather than observing her life from afar. Even the smallest of details pop alive in Eruption, from daily routine bits to the most curious discovery by far (within the first chapter!): an automated voice activated tablet that clearly has a singular focus on whom the tablet belongs too! I loved how technology was intrinsic to the introduction of the world by which Jace lives, as this is a time and place in the Mid-West state of Minnesota where technological upgrades are integrated into life on a heightened level past where they are today. (we are only half a foot away from having technology take over our lives now)
I had to smile quite cheekily when Jace discovers Corey had a full collection of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust! I, do as well, except my edition is in English, not French!
I am not certain why I had a foreboding sense about Damien, the overly curious yet quite sincere co-worker Jace knows at Omnibus, but his name generally has a way of popping up in fictional stories to clue in the audience of a nefarious intent on behalf of his role in the story itself. Not to say that this particular ‘Damien’ is a trickster but it is a name that is used for a darker element moreso than a light one. When Corey first comes into contact with Jace, Quintana had already established an off-set to the time continuum, where little ripples of ‘current time’ felt more akin to ‘known memory’; except for how Corey and Jace would inter-relate to each other; two characters without any ties to each other outside of attending the same University! I liked the pace Quintana set to give you time to unravell the suspense of not understanding ‘why’ the tablet was given to Jace inasmuch as to curate a tanglement of how Omnibus may or may not be a company that is fully embarking on good ‘intentions’.
As Jace starts to learn about the more ominous ways living predominately online can start to haunt your actions as much as leaving a complete trace on where you’ve been or where your going next (hence why I loved the film “The Net” starring Sandra Bullock), you start to see the reason why most of us who have an online presence hold back a bit from revealing everything about our lives. It is one thing to share the little bits that are beneficial to what your doing (i.e. book bloggers who share antidotes whilst reviewing books on topics and subjects that they can personally relate too) but it’s quite the opposite to be completely vulnerable whilst having the world viewing everything you post, share, or contribute to the internet as a whole. There is definitely a moral lesson threaded into Eruption as much as there is caution in knowing where to draw your own line in the sand.
It is an interlocking puzzle — one of my favourites to find inside any story of this kind, but it is how Quintana stitched the individual pieces together that I appreciated most! She gave keen thought to each step of the puzzle itself, how the pieces would fit together and how what would become revealed by having those pieces necessary to understand ‘what’ and ‘how’ as it pertains to the suspense Jace has become caught up inside! Riddles you need to needle out through logic and thoughtfulness about clues that are hidden within your own mind or life, are some of the best to write. It gives the reader insight into how to change their own perspectives on what they observe and/or remember; to twist the angle on what is known and offer a new point of view that could be more telling.
Nanotechnology and microchip sensors carrying data are part of how this story reveals a piece of our own ominous future, as there is a blurred line between what is ethical and what is moral regarding the technology.
There is a sequence in the story where Eruption becomes more of a philosophical quagmire of right, wrong, and the blurry line which remains gray. The time travel explored in this book is similar to Time and Again, as your travelling through your mind rather than your physical self. Yet, this in of itself is interesting enough, but it is the undercurrent thread of the story that leaves you chock full of thoughts when you conclude the last chapters. It’s not a straight good vs evil plot nor is it completely without a cliffhanger ending that leaves you a bit more puzzled than certain of why Jace had to live through everything she did. The most convicting passages were in the ending chapters, where you find out Jace isn’t your typical character nor has she lived a life that you can relate too.
Part of me was a bit more curious about the intentions behind Damien and Damien’s father for the experiment itself, and what that would lead to next. The most haunting aspects of Eruption are singularly how far one man will go to succeed at a mission he’s taken on that is against humanity. The most compelling part is finding out how strong Jace and Corey were to attempt to cut him off at the pass! I am uncertain where the second half of this installment will lead the reader, but I know this much: Quintana has given a story that gets you thinking about what is perceived, what is understood, and where illusion can circumvent logical memory.
On the writing style of Adrienne Quintana:
A new habit I am getting myself into is to use ‘reading flags’ as I had outlined previously whilst reading Somewhere Beyond the Sea as a way to become more involved with the books I am reading for review. I decided to use three colours whilst reading Eruption: magenta for ‘character’ bits of interest, pink for ‘story’ bits of interest, and purple for ‘narrative’ bits of interest. I was a bit surprised how much of the novel started to illuminate through these ‘markers’ as I had quite a heap of ‘magenta’ before I even reached Chapter 5! I wanted to become more cognisant of what appeals to me as I read a story for the first time, as I have the tendency to devour stories rather than savour them outright!
Techno-thrillers have the tendency to challenge your perspective on how certain threads of story can inject a forbearance of where the world can take us next as an exploration of a theory brought full to life on the page. An extension of where hard science fiction exists to establish the connections between what is able to be conceived and what is preliminarily capable of being produced; imagination truly is the key to tip our scales in one direction or another.
Time Travel narratives on the other hand, have to alter your understanding of the dimensional space by which we live within what we all accept as our conjoined reality. Time travel writers take on the difficulty of fusing known science with speculative science in order to carve out their own unique take on where ‘time travel’ can alter the events within the story they are trying to tell the reader. It is a dicey slope to be sure because it is a popular segue in science fiction, fantasy, and romance!
Eruption proves that you can formulate a new bridge between where techno-thrillers can merge quite beautifully with a time travel narrative arc, and this is a credit to Quintana whose given us a debut novel that entices you to seek out the continuing chapters inside this duology! Quintana included ‘just enough’ current events and tidbits of our modern 21st Century to encourage a balance of ‘when’ and ‘where’ the story takes place whilst providing a backdrop that we can instantly relate too as we read her debut. It was quasi-political without being a complete politico novel!
*I couldn’t help but smile into a smirk seeing Quintana is a Whovian! (turn to page 44)
This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc.:
Virtual Road Map of “Eruption” Blog Tour:
Find out which Cedar Fort new releases I am hosting in 2015!
Visit with me again soon!
Technothrillers by Cedar Fort I’ve hosted or will host:
Drone Games by Joel Narlock {mentioned Gayle Lynds on this review}
(My tour stop is 15th of February, 2015)
(My tour stop is 22nd of March, 2015)
If your a fellow book blogger and/or book reviewer
you should join the blog tours!
Stories involving Time Travel &/or elements of Time Shift
I’ve previously read:
{ you could say it is a prime interest of my reading wanderings! }
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Lemongrass Hope by Amy Impellizzeri
To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis by Andra Watkins
Reclamation by Jackie Gamber
Intangible by C.A. Gray
Invincible by C.A. Gray
Uncovering Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark
The Dreamosphere by Laura Stoddard
Moonflower by EDC Johnson
Time And Again by Deborah Heal
Ryder on the Storm by Violet Patterson
The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay
Romancing the Soul by Sarah Tranter
A Stitch in Time by Amanda James
A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court (7th Star Press)
edited by Scott M. Sandridge
Virtual Blue by R.J. Sullivan
The Angel of Losses by Stephanie Feldman
Trinity Stones L.G. O’ Connor
Gilded Feathers by J. Woods
Fade to Black by Sue Duff
Lost in Thought by Cara Bertrand
The Pact by Mitchel S. Karnes
The Dragon’s Pawn (sequel to “The Pact”) by Mitchell S. Karnes
An Uncommon Blue by R.C. Hancock
(partial review) The Skin Map by Stephen R. Lawhead
I already have more reviews planned about ‘time travel’ & ‘time shifting’ stories!
Related Articles:
Please take note of the Related Articles as they were hand selected due to being of cross-reference importance in relation to this book review. This applies to each post on my blog where you see Related Articles underneath the post. Be sure to take a moment to acknowledge the further readings which are offered.
Techno-Thriller – (en.wikipedia.org)
Techno-Thriller (w/ Book List) – (artandpopularculture.com)
Jace Vega (A Character Interview) – (adriennequintana.com)
View the Author’s Book Launch for ‘Eruption’ – (adriennequintana.com)
Read about the Author’s Connection to her sister (w/ book photos!) – (adriennequintana.com)
Reader Interactive Question:
What drives your pulse to excitement when your reading a ‘techno-thriller’ for the first time? What elements of story do you hope will be included? Do you have a preference on the point of view from the lead character? Who are your favourite authors and stories from this genre of science fiction?
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2015.
I’m a social reader : I tweet as I read
(tweets returning soon)
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- The Sci-Fi Experience
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