Veena’s review of Quantum (Atrophy, Book 2) by Jess Anastasi
Sci-Fi Romance published by Entangled: Select Otherworld 08 Aug 16

I came across this book and author in a list of forthcoming publications that I could read and review here at the Pond. Since I get to see so few books in this genre, I signed up to read this right away, with little or no expectations one way or another. The fantasy started on page one and just kept on going as I got to meet a host of very interesting characters and battled a host of shape-shifting aliens with them.
Zander Graydon is a stuffed shirt when we first meet him, all stiff and starchy in his admiral’s uniform. As he finds himself under fire and running for his life, he soon loses his admiral’s stripes and starch to reveal a fantastic hero. The story that unfolds is pretty unbelievable. A shape-shifting alien race called the Riedel has taken over all the key positions in the government, including his own, with no one the wiser because the real person has been killed and a substitute alien put in their place. As we march through the story exposing aliens, the part that really got me was on Zander’s flag ship when his people see two of him and wait for the real Admiral Zander Graydon to reveal himself.

Mae is a kick-ass heroine. She’s been dispatched as a spy to figure out the truth of whether Zander is real or a plant, and, unfortunately, gets plunged into the deep end as she goes on the run with the real Zander. From the first when he tried to flirt with her at the coffee cart, Zander is attracted to her and this only deepens as they find themselves thrust in extreme situations. Clearly this will change when the other shoe drops and Zander finds out that she’s a spy dispatched to test his authenticity.

There is a great supporting cast of characters in the book, but Rian is the one who casts the biggest shadow with his rabid vendetta against the Riedels. There almost seems to be two stories playing themselves out side by side until they come together with the adventures that Rian and his crew have on their way to rendezvous with Mae and Zander.

There are some great battle scenes and now that it seems the actions in this book have sparked a rebellion against the Riedels, it will be interesting to see where this series goes next. If you like Sci-Fi, this is an extremely well-written story that will grab you hard and take you for a thrill ride that doesn’t look like it’s anyway near the end.

Grade: B

Quantum takes Zander Graydon and Mae Petros on as the main couple but I’ve quickly learned that Jess Anastasi doesn’t do things on a small scale. Zander and Mae’s relationship is just the tip of the iceberg in these stories because there’s always a bigger conflict, a bigger goal, and then there’s all the action scenes. You can’t have a sci-fi ANYTHING without action scenes and this book excelled at that.

Again, the couple shares page time with a bigger storyline and multiple characters and that usually bothers me but with Anastasi building such an addictive plot, it’s hard to be bothered by anything about this book. I love the recurring characters but my favorite has to be Rian. He’s just so much fun even when he’s obnoxious. I’m really hoping his story comes out soon. I want to know what makes this guy tick!

Ever since my first Jess Anastasi book, she has been a go-to author for me. The way she spins an epic tale of sci-fi action with heart grabbing romance is an all around win as far as I'm concerned. Put it all together in the form of an epic series, satisfying my urge to remain with the same base line of characters and immerse myself into their lives, and I am hooked.

Quantum was a thrill ride from the very start, pitting the stuffed shirt Zander with the enigmatic Mae in a survival tale that combined the elements with a plot from those ever persistent Reidar. Watching Zander learn to let go of some of his steely control was one of the best parts as far as the romance aspect was concerned.

“How many times did he have to remind himself that things with her were probably more complicated that they were worth? Except the more time he spent with her, even knowing she kept more from him than she revealed, the more he was beginning to think to hell with his logic. Maybe she was worth whatever trouble came with her.”

Of course any book in the Atrophy would not be complete without the expertly woven in threads of the crew's story, giving us a glimpse of those whose story has come before, and a taste of what is yet to come for the others. **Cough** Rian and Ella **Cough**

“How did you know I was in trouble and exactly where to find me?”... “I felt you....I felt something I couldn't fight, and when I let it take me, it brought me here.”

Oh my, but there is so much story left to tell, and I am absolutely in it for the long haul.