From the raging fires, five men emerge with extraordinary new powers. They are humankind's last hope . . . but they cannot survive this dark, ravaged world alone . . . Quentin Fielding had everything. Money. Power. Women. But now that civilization is all but annihilated, Quent wants only one thing: revenge. Harnessing a strange new "gift," he embarks on a deadly mission to find the man responsible for the chaos and destruction, the man he should have killed years ago: his father. Only one thing stands in his way--a mysterious, arrow-wielding beauty . . .
ZoE Kapoor is on her own quest for vengeance, searching for the monstrous fiends who murdered her family. Soon she and Quent join together, journeying through the ruins of the world they once knew as a desperate desire builds between them. Drawing closer to an enemy they never imagined, ZoE and Quent must abandon all fear, abandon all regret, abandon the night . . .
I heart Joss Ware. I just can't help myself. She wrote a series about something that didn't particularly interest me - a grim, post-apocalyptic world - and made me absolutely love it. With this 3rd book, I am completely, utterly hooked.
As one of five men who survived the Change, Quentin Fielding has no idea what to do with his life. Everyone else has seemed to find a way to contribute to this new, uncertain world in which they've woken up in, but as a former playboy and jetsetter, he hasn't quite found his footing. The only thing driving him is the fire burning in his heart to kill his father. With the reluctant help of one cantankerous, prickly, yet utterly irresistible hellion, he intends to track down the man responsible for the destruction of the world and finally get his revenge.
Zoe hasn't needed anyone for the last 10 years. She goes it alone, and other than this inconvenient lust for an aggravating, gorgeous Brit, she has a crusade of her own: to find and kill the man who destroyed her family so many years ago. The rage and pain has never lessened, and it's only fueled her determination to find him and stop him from ruining the lives of more innocent people. She doesn't want to get involved with Quent anymore than she already has, but something keeps bringing her back to him, and she denies it's more than just the incredible sex they indulge in everytime they get near each other. She can walk away at any moment. And she frequently does.
When Quent is given the chance to confront his father after all these years, he doesn't hesitate to come up with a plan. If only he wasn't so distracted by Zoe, who continues to put herself into dangerous situations, and can so easily walk away from him, when he wants more and more of her, and not just for their hot sexxin'. Zoe moves him in a way he's never felt, and just when he begins to realize how important she is, he may lose her forever....
My thoughts:
This is the 3rd book in this wonderfully compelling series, and definitely my favorite story so far (I know, I keep saying that!) I'm really, REALLY hoping there will be more. I love that we don't learn the whole backstory in book one, and that by the time we get to book three, we still have some questions, but have a better understanding of the world which Joss has created.
We first met Zoe in book 1, when she saves Quent from the ganga, and that initial encounter triggers a sizzling, intense attraction that they both indulge in some hot sex in at a later time, figuring they have nothing to risk by giving into their physical desire, as long as that's all it is. Neither is looking for anything more, especially Zoe. However after the upteenth time that Quent wakes up and finds her gone, he's getting tired of her MO. She's not just an itch that needs frequent scratching. He misses the little hellcat when she's not around aggravating the hell out of him.
I loved their developing relationship over the 3 books. Both are wary, and believe that they are perfectly fine with their casual situation. But underneath they are both hurting and crave a deeper connection. Zoe is such a crabby, outspoken warrior, with the salty language of a sailor, which was rather amusing to Quent, and I got a kick out of her as well. She said whatever was on her mind, and I loved that about her. The only time she clammed up was when things got too emotional, then she shut down and got defensive. Quent comes to terms with his feelings sooner than she does, but with his plans for revenge comes the very real possibiity he might not survive the confrontation.
Later, when Quent is ready for his confrontation with his father, he doesn't realize he's not alone on his mission. Turns out Zoe is not willing to let him sacrifice himself; she's just as determined as he is to kill the man responsible for the deaths of millions of people. Zoe is fearless. And so damn funny that I find myself laughing during the most dire of circumstances. I know she doesn't intend to be, but that's what makes her all the more endearing. I can't help myself. She's such a fun character.
And day-umn, Quent is so incredibly sexy and intense. Charming, gorgeous, and completely in love with the moody, impatient, no-frills Zoe. She is absolutely nothing like the women he's dated in his past, but to him, she's much more remarkable. Almost nothing gets to me like a hot alpha hero falling hard for the girl least likely to catch his eye but who ends up stealing his heart in the end. These two are incredible together, and they just can't keep their hands off of each other. Zoe is one very lucky woman ;)
Just a side note here: I loved that she was most likely of Indian descent, but we don't know that for sure, other than her last name and the things she cooks, dishes she'd learned from her grandmother. It was nice to see a heroine of a different nationality but that it wasn't turned into a big deal in the story. It makes sense that people of all backgrounds and nationalities would have survived the Change.
And, as far as I'm concerned, there's a lot more to explore in this series, and I hope to hear that we'll be getting more stories to enjoy soon. The wait is going to kill me. But, according to Joss, she's working on Book 4 now, so that is freakin' awesome!
Rating: ***** out of *****
posted by Stacy~ at 3/02/2010 07:13:00 AM
Great review Stacy. I became interested in this series because you wrote about it on twitter. You have great taste bud. I love the cover of this series. So hot! I started book 1 and it's great so far. I need to get a move on so I can read books 2&3. I can't wait. :)
byI think you just sold me on trying Joss Ware. I've heard good things but I'm not really into alternative universe/paranormal type romances to I have been holding back. Time to step out of my comfort zone. thx!
byI have the first 2 in this series in my TBR pile. Sounds like I need to move them up the list after I finish my current read and the new JD Robb.
byI've been glomming these books thanks to your reviews Stacy.
byThank you for another great one. I can't wait to start this series.
Best
L
This is yet another new series for me, one I want to start soon. That cover is so pretty too.
byGreat review, Stacy. I will be getting these soon enough!