Dawn of the Vie
Laura Diamond
(Immortal Aliens, #1)
Published by: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication date: October 3rd 2016
Genres: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Since their Arrival less than 30 years ago, immortal Vie rule the planet like the super-predators they are. Enslaved humans are their servants…their entertainment…and their food. Anemies—humans with various types of anemia—are simply exterminated. Their nutritionally deficient blood is useless to the Vie.
Or so it’s thought…
_________
Alex, an Elite Vie, is a bit of a Renaissance Alien. Part scientist, part Raid Specialist, part drug addict, he knows Anemie blood is valuable. Rather than blindly carrying out his boss’s kill order, he convinces some colleagues to spare a few Anemies, not only for study, but also to reserve a secret stock.
The more Anemie blood Alex drinks, the more he slips into delusion, and the more his double life threatens to crumble. But quitting Anemie blood is not an option. Every Anemie has their own personal flavor. Each gives a unique high.
When Alex takes a hit of Justin’s blood, his hallucinations bleed into reality…
_________
Anemie Justin knows his little sister, Sammie, and he are living past their expiration dates. It becomes a guarantee when they’re bitten by a Vie named Alex during a raid. (The bite is fatal, thanks to a toxin carried in Vie saliva.) Alex adds insult to injury by promising Justin a second chance—an antidote in exchange for agreeing to be a lab rat.
And a mule…of his own blood.
When Justin says no, Alex takes off with Sammie.
All Justin has to do is find them, beat Alex, and cure himself and Sammie. All he has is a stake and serious lack of self-preservation.
No problem.
_________
Alex wants Justin’s blood.
Justin wants his sister back.
GAME ON.
My Review
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I wavered a bit on how many stars to give this book. In the end, I would settle on 3.5 stars.
It was interesting to see a slightly unique take on the vampire myth, though I would have liked some more details about exactly why the Vie looked humanoid… especially considering what was revealed about them as the book went on.
I found Justin to be an intriguing character, even though I felt he was a bit cliched in the apocalyptic hero genre. It was good to see him more on the lookout for himself and his sister, though, rather than a typical self-sacrificing dark and brooding hero.
While I liked the fact that the book stayed with one first person perspective, I was a bit lost about exactly what had happened when the Vie invaded Earth. I would have liked a bit more detail about the history and how Justin’s father fit into all of it.
I did find Alex to be quite an intriguing character, even though I didn’t like or trust him. I would have liked some more detail about exactly what drove him… what his motivations were. While he skirted around telling Justin much… there were glimmers of a deeper depth to him that I would have liked to see further expanded upon.
I didn’t really like the romance that developed between Justin and Cara, mostly because I originally saw Cara as not much older than his sister… but I didn’t feel there was any real chemistry between her and Justin either way.
While I really had a strong dislike for Margaret, I did find her an intriguing character and I would have liked to see more of the Vie in general… in particular those who cared about the humans, even though even those members of the Vie didn’t seem to care as much as they could have done.
I liked seeing some of the secondary characters and it was especially interesting to see what happened with many of the other humans. Despite some problems with this book, I would be interested in reading the next book/s in this series in the future.
EXCERPT:
I hated afternoons the most. Soon after came darkness—the time when a raiding squad could snatch you out of bed and drain all the blood from your body. It was amazing that any Anemies survived with the extermination campaign ridding the world of us red blood cell-deficient freaks.
I gently squeezed my sister’s hand to make sure she kept up. Dirt caked under her fingernails like it caked under mine. The cuff of her torn sleeve had stains like mine. Her pant cuffs were rolled up six times… also like mine. A younger version of me—mouthiness and all—in girl form. Unlike me, Sammie tended to dawdle, and since we held onto the last rung of the society ladder by the tips of our fingers, giving in to distraction could get us hurt—or killed.
My gaze jumped to the pale, indifferent sky then jittered to the partially constructed biodome edge as I walked. Large, clear panels filled the metal framework in a beehive of hexagons. Eventually, the damn thing would cover the entire city, including the river surrounding the island and part of the ocean capping the south side. The project had been progressing since before I was born.
Once the construction workers completed the biodome, Vie wouldn’t have to fear the destructive UV rays of our sun and could wander freely during the day. We’d have no safe period whatsoever. Vie could get us any time.
Author Bio:
Laura Diamond is a board certified psychiatrist currently specializing in emergency psychiatry. She is also an author of all things young adult—both contemporary and paranormal. An avid fan of sci-fi, fantasy, and anything magical, she thrives on quirk, her lucid dreams, and coffee. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found sniffing books and drinking a latte at the bookstore or at home pondering renovations on her 225 year old fixer upper, all while obeying her feline overlords, of course.
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