by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (@teachingtheapocalypse)
A fast-paced story with complex characters, some fascinating turns, and a bit of a mystery... that's what you get with Virginia Soenksen's The Titan Strain, the first book in her Genetics Chronicles series. This series also includes The Osiris Contingency and The Ragnarok Resolution, which just released in September!
In this science fiction novel, the protagonist Liane has some superhuman qualities that have made her an ideal assassin, a precision skill set she has been honing since she was placed into the Agency as a child and set up with her handler, Damian. However, as she grows into a young woman and has to kill more people, Liane begins to question why the targets must be killed. She no longer wants to blindly follow the directives she is given. She also makes her first friend and becomes entangled in the investigation of a complicated string of serial murders, which leads to her uncovering many profound and ground-shaking truths about herself and her world.
"As she looked at her reflection, she realized with a jolt that this was the first time in over a decade that she was truly alone. A flood of sadness filled her, though Liane couldn’t for the life of her figure out why."
Under constant surveillance and with Damian as her only companion, Liane knew so little about the world and herself. However, as she began to discover more about the underground world of mods (who were genetically modifying themselves through drugs), she started to see more about the city that surrounded her, and she considered, for the first time, breaking away from the expectations and codes that had dominated her life.
I loved the way that Liane's isolated life left her unknowing about so much of the world around her, and I found the complicated relationship between Damian and Liane to be so fascinating. When we meet Seth, who becomes Liane's first real friend, we as readers begin to see just how little she knows about the outside world and also how far she will go to try to protect others.
This book definitely leaves you wanting more and ready for the next book! The best part about reading this series now is that all three books are out—I always love binging a series all at once!
Don't miss our upcoming speculative fiction episode (coming out this coming Wednesday) featuring Virginia as a guest! And there are some awesome sales on all the books in the Genetics Chronicles series this month, so check out the details below to grab your e-copies.
Monday 10/26 to 10/30 – Book 1: The Titan Strain will be free
Monday 11/2 to 11/6 – Book 2: The Osiris Contingency will be free
Monday 11/9 to 11/13 - Book 3: The Ragnarok Contingency will be discounted to $4.99
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