Hello everyone!
Today at The Reading Corner for All we're featuring This Mortal Coil and its sequel, This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada.
I feel I must first state that after reading C.S. Lewis's The Space Trilogy, I found it difficult to engage with works of science fiction. This was due to the fact that Lewis clearly finds his narrative element and transitions accordingly regardless what genre frontier he chose to embark on. So as a reader, I consider Lewis to be a great pillar of science fiction that has stood alone on the threshold of literature.
Until Emily Suvada.
Suvada's This Mortal Coil and This Cruel Design hold everything that readers crave in a great read. The plot twists blindside you and you become the characters and match your heartbeat accordingly to their fates. Simply put, I was torn between wanting to finish these books immediately and pacing myself so that the story would continue for an extended period of time.
I am also convinced Suvada was a boxer at one point in her life because her plot twists just leave readers utterly breathless.
In collaboration with The Fantastic Flying Book Club, two copies of This Cruel Design (US only) will find their way to two lucky readers in a giveaway after the 'About the Author' section of this blog! Be sure to visit the rest of the great stops on this blog tour by clicking the banner below.
About the Books
This Mortal Coil
by Emily Suvada
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Genre: Young Adult -- Science Fiction
This Cruel Design
by Emily Suvada
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Genre: Young Adult -- Science Fiction
About the Author
Emily Suvada was born and raised in Australia, where she went on to study mathematics and astrophysics. She previously worked as a data scientist, and still spends hours writing algorithms to perform tasks which would only take minutes to complete on her own. When not writing, she can be found hiking, cycling, and conducting chemistry experiments in her kitchen. She currently lives in Portland, OR, with her husband.
Giveaway
Prize:
2 copies of This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada
(USA only)
Starts: 10/22/18
Ends: 10/31/18
Reviews
This Mortal Coil
From the very beginning the title caught my attention because of its subtle reference to Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy. This allusion to one of Shakespeare's grandest works already set a stage of high expectations for readers.
The story opens with an integration into Catarina "Cat" Agatta's life in a not-so-far future where genetics can alter everything about human appearance and behavior. Because of all these genetic enhancements, humans became susceptible to the Hydra virus which results in humanities near annihilation. Cat's father, Dr. Lachlan Agatta, has been working for years to find a cure until he is taken away by the orginazation known as Cartaxus.
Two years later, Cat follows in her father's footsteps by honing her skills as a hacker to create medicinal codes to help others along with viral sabotage against Cartaxus. When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, shows up with the news of her father's death, Cat must rethink find a way to continue her father's legacy without delivering his lifetime work to the enemy.
Yet, as Cat's journeys farther from home, the more Cat realizes that there are two sides to every person and that there is an entire, more sinister side to her father that is more frightening than the Hydra virus.
The story development just seizes readers and renders you incapable of thinking about anything other than Cat's journey through this apocalyptic world. I thoroughly enjoyed how Suvada brought up the question about what qualities make a person human. It was also interesting to see the character dynamics change from complete warriness and distrust to absolute reliance to help save humanity.
As I've mentioned before, nothing thrills my bookish heart more than a story with plenty of plot twists and unexpected endings. Suvada expertly navigated This Mortal Coil with suspense, horror, and thrills so that you never really expected the major blow that waited you on the next page.
Overall, I'd give this work a solid 5 star review and a place on my top five favorite science fiction list. This book is definitely for you if you like works like The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman or Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida.
This Cruel Design
This Cruel Design picks up the story right from the shocking revelation in This Mortal Coil. Cat must piece together the fragmented pieces of her past as well as come to terms with her growing attraction to Cole....and the lost history that connects them together. As the Hydra virus cure reaches some complications, Cat and her friends must find the cure before humanities time runs out.
The ending to This Cruel Design was definitely a harsh one to process. In this work, Suvada emphasized how the true cure for humanity was one based on sacrifice by traveling along the road of hardship and utter despair. The author pushes scientific boundaries and presses her characters against monumental tasks that leave readers with plenty of jaw dropping moments.
While it is rare for a sequel to be up to par with the first book in a series, Suvada surpassed the narrative she establish in This Mortal Coil by creating a stunning sequel full of incredible plot developments and character revelations.
Emily Suvada is an author to watch out for!
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