Customer Reviews

Hidden (Shomi Action Romance)

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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In 2093 in the futuristic Northern Waste land, the death of one despot opens the door for only more as corruption, greed and power influence the New Government Order. After a history of deadly and continual wars, country names have disappeared and the world is broken into 4 land masses, four branches of government. The Northern Waste is a vast and empty land inhabited by Siberian Ice Pirates, Reavers, corruption. In this land of outlaws, women are few and far between except in their relationships to others as wives and prostitutes. Orphans struggle for survival along with everyone else.

In the midst of this dangerous, nearly barren land, Tatiana stands out as an oddity, an independent woman, a kind of waif and warrior combined. The freezing cold barely produces a shiver in her body. Raised by a computer, her emotions and heart are close in temperature to the land in which she now lives. Normal human interactions mystify her. Tatiana can read minds and her hand alone has the power to cut through human bone faster than a knife. Her tattoo marks her as a rebel, a woman in violation of the law but Tatiana has a mission of justice to accomplish. She plans to hunt down Tolliver, a genetic and infectious disease scientist, a man who worked for her nemesis, Gavin Ward. During her imprisonment, Tatiana saw firsthand the destruction of evil posing as a good in the scientific research that created a plague that could now destroy mankind.

When Tatiana's hunt leads to a confrontation with a Siberian Ice Pirate, she can't help but notice the cool settler on his scooter watching her. Rugged, ready for action and masculine, Tristan makes her heart race. Can she trust this man? In the life threatening Northern Waste where people take and take, Tristan talks about questions of enlightenment. In their interactions, Tatiana is thrown off by his politeness, a remnant from a more innocent time of courtly manners and chivalry. What can he be hiding? Tatiana might be able to read people's minds, but this man remains a mystery to her, a man who makes her body feel alive. Something doesn't quite add up about this man and his memories. Before she can decide whether he is a friend or foe, the two must battle an underground trap and hunt down a madman.

Eve Kenin's second book set in Northern Waste reaches a new height as the author takes everything so wonderful in the previous novel DRIVEN and steps up the level even higher. Dynamic action, an unusual intriguing romance, a mutated landscape and riveting suspense all work together, combining the best in science fiction and romantic suspense. Hot and cold mix together in this romance, casting a classic Petrachian love theme into a wild new futuristic world. The hero and heroine, two outcasts in an outcast rough environment, struggle to pursue justice in a world that no longer cares about justice. A deadly threat brings together two of the most unlikely people into a conflict that challenges both to the core of their identities while also setting them free from the dark past which haunts them. Friend or foe, they are both to each other. As their hearts warm, the risk becomes greater not only for themselves but for others, indeed for all of humanity. Can love, safety and justice go hand and hand or will they be forced to choose and sacrifice? Eve Kenin creates unusual characters who excite the imagination. Spine-chilling conflicts and philosophical dilemmas make their search for love and justice move the reader's emotions.

Readers of DRIVEN, the first Northern Waste romance, will take delight in revisiting secondary characters with a story that fills in their history and their present life. Eve Kenin's landscape in HIDDEN comes into play with more depth and even finer connection to the characters and their story. In a land of harsh extremes where goodness seems to be the one missing element, the author places Tatiana and Tristan, remnants of a past era with hearts and human values intact, two characters with bodies and moral capabilities able to reach beyond their pasts to tackle the heightened challenge posed by the land and the corrupt forces that rule it. Character, plot and emotion are all finely tuned together by both the landscape and the final scene of their battle. Eve Kenin has reached a new height with her romance HIDDEN. Although this second book brings a satisfying conclusion to Tatiana's story and beyond, this reader certainly hopes that Eve Kenin will give her readers more stories set within the 2093 Northern Waste's past, present and future!

If you enjoyed the first book, Driven, then you should not miss this sequel about a woman living on the edge. Gritty and fierce are only a few words to explain this book and the master storytelling of Eve Kenin
Hidden takes place in the year 209 in the frigid tundra called the Northern Waste. There is a woman named Tatiana whose job is to retrieve stolen items. Tatiana was once a victim of a crazed scientist who tried to make her and her siblings the perfect weapons to help take over the world. Tatiana has an amazing genetic makeup that allows her to read people's thoughts and regenerate from any illness or scar. Tatiana was able to escape living for the moment when she will take down Gavin Ward, the scientist who experimented on her. She is looking for Tolliver, the one man who can lead her to Ward since he is his right hand man.
There is another man who watches Tatiana. Tristan is also on a mission where he must try and stop a plague that could destroy mankind. When Tatiana is exposed to the deadly virus, he takes her under his protection. Tatiana can withstand anything, even death itself and welcomes Tristan and his special secret world he has created. But when she finds out that Tristan is closer to Ward than she thinks, she may be able to get her revenge. But at what price?
Tatiana and Tristan are running out of time as Ward is close to finding them down. When Tatiana finds out what Tristan has done, they will work together to find a cure as well as releasing her inner demons with his love.
We return again to the Northern Waste where desperation and death rules the land. Tatiana is a truly unique, yet amazing heroine that will make you ache because of her suffering. Tristan is also like Tatiana in many ways because of his past mistakes, but because he wants to right his wrongs, he is very much a hero in the reader's eyes.
Hidden is a wonderful, action paced science fiction tale about the survival of the fittest. Eve Kenin has a way of writing strong characters and a setting that grabs you and won't let go, right up till the last page. For the best in thrills, on the edge of your seat action and a wonderful romance, you must pick up Hidden and loose yourself in the world of Eve Kenin.

Katiebabs

Driven (SHOMI)

Genetically created, Tatiana was raised in an underground lab with two siblings, Wizard (Driven) and Yuriko, whom Tatiana believes are dead. Learning solely from computers, her people skills never developed properly. Now on a mission, Anna is in search of the evil doctor who tormented her. Using her DNA, he created a terribly devastating virus, which leaves the infected horribly mutated and violent. In a plight to locate the doctor's lab hidden underground in the Northern Waste, Anna encounters a group of people. One amongst them is the handsome, electrifying blue eyed Tristan. Together, with each of them hiding their own secrets, Tristan leads Tatiana to an underground facility where mutated humans prowl parts of the tunneling system.

The growth of Tristan and Anna's relationship was extremely satisfying as they discovered each other's secrets and the feelings they never thought to experience. I loved Tristan. His secrets were fabulous twists to this story. And Anna, watching her grow and discover there is much more inside her than the emotionless person she thought herself to be.

I couldn't have asked for a better ending. It was heart-warming. Eye-watering--a perfect ending to a fantastic action packed story! No matter what genre of romance Eve writes, gothic historical, paranormal or futuristic, I am sucked right in. I have enjoyed each and every one of her books. Hidden was definitely a great read and I would highly recommend anyone to pick this one up!

Eve Kenin's first novel in this series, 'Driven', was a great read. Set in the future in the inhospitable, icy Northern Waste, the characters and situations were fresh and enjoyable. 'Hidden', the second in the series, follows events for Tatiana, sister of Wizard, the hero of the first novel.

Tatiana believes that her brother Wizard and sister Yuriko are dead - and that she was partly to blame. She spent her youth caged and experimented upon by Duncan Bane and his evil successor, Dr Gavin Ward. Tatiana's mission is to prevent Gavin Ward from carrying out his plan to unleash a plague using samples from Tatiana's own genetic engineering. As the story begins Tatiana is following a slim lead that she hopes might help her to find Dr Ward's underground laboratory - the name 'Tolliver'. When she asks a local gang leader about Tolliver she finds herself in the middle of trouble - whilst being observed by an unusual man. When she meets the man, Tristan, again the following week, they form an unlikely alliance.

But Tristan has a lot of secrets, including the reason why he can't let Tatiana leave their underground complex. They face attacks from people infected with a fatal plague as well as dealing with their own demons. As before, the writing is tight, interesting and the pace of the story is good. Tatiana and Tristan are very well drawn characters and it's possible to believe in their weaknesses as well as their strengths. Tatiana's super-hero genetic engineering seems to sometimes allow the author rather too much leeway in terms of escaping from tricky situations but it's a fun read overall with some amusing moments as well. Highly recommended.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © 2008 Helen Hancox

Hidden (Shomi Action Romance)

Year: 2088
After Suffering For Years At The Hands Of Dr. Gavin Ward, Who Sliced Pieces Off Of Her In The Name Of Science, Tatantia Escaped From His Prison Far, Far Underground. She And Her Siblings Had Been Forced To Endure The Torture That Ward Put Them Through Day After Day As He Sought To Create Perfect People With Genetically Enhanced Abilities But Ward Only Succeeded In Perfecting A Virus So Deadly That The Entire Planet Was Doomed.

Tristan Tolliver Had Been Duped By His Government When He Volunteered For Genetic Enhancing, He Evolved But Only Succeeded In Taking The Plague With Him And Killed His Entire Family Decades Ago As He Stayed Young. Gavin Ward Tricked Him Into Creating A Virus So Deadly That The Entire Population Of Earth Was In Danger.........

Eve Kenin Creates A Futuristic Story That Takes Her Readers Breath Away As They Travel Side By Side With Tantantia And Tristan Who Struggle To Get Samples From An Evil Doctor Who Is Determined To Change The Inhabitants Of Earth For The Greater Good, But His Experiments Goes Awry To Create Monsters Who Evolve In Stages And Eventually Eat Each Other! Tristian Has A Stronghold Many Miles Beneath The Earth Where Scientists Who Were Volunteers Just Want To Create The Antidote Are Infected One By One And Tristan Has No Choice But To Keep Them Contained. Tantantia Was Kept Away From People Other Than Gavin Ward And She Had No Inter Social Skills, She Thinks That She Is Flawed And Does Not Know What Love Is Until She Meets Tristan, But Years Of Mistrust Keeps Her From Telling Him Who She Is And Tristan Has Secrets As Well. HIDDEN Is A Must Read For All Sci-Fi Readers!

I'm not a huge fan of futuristic or sci-fi (which this comes close to), so I started reading this book with a bit of doubt, but the author did a good job of not "over-doing" it. The world-building was well-done and believable, and the characters were described well. I thought Tatiana's genetic enhancements were a little too much, making her "too perfect" for a heroine to be interesting, but luckily the author gave her psychological angst to help offset this somewhat. The love-story was also decently portrayed. However, even with all this being said, there was something about the writing that really picked at the back of my mind, and started to detract from my enjoyment of the story. I finally figured it out: the writer repeats her phrasing, over and over. It made me bonkers, and I finally took note of a few by the end of the novel .... Pg. 246 -- "Her heart beat so hard she was nauseated from the force of it." Pg. 296 -- "She could hear the sound of her own breathing harsh in her ears, and her heart slammed so hard in her chest that she felt sick with it." And then right away again on Pg. 299 -- "She shook her head, her heart banging so violently against her ribs that she felt sick." It's also ridiculous how often the characters smile "mordantly" or laugh in a "huff/puff" of air. Gimme a break. This author seriously needs to use the "go and find" function in her computer to clean up her writing. If she can't put the effort into doing that, then why should I pay money for books that will only end up annoying me? But, hey, if this kind of stuff doesn't bother you, then go for the book, because on all other counts it's decent.

Excluding the prologue, this novel takes place in 2093. The world is now divided into four parts: the Northern Waste, the Equatorial Band, Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. Born in a laboratory in the icy Northern Waste, Tatiana is now free. But there's something seriously screwed with her genes, clearly evident when she slices off a bloke's hand with no weapons other than her own hands.

Once imprisoned, Tatiana seems headed into containment when she's exposed to a plague - one she may have helped create.

There's no doubt that the world-building and science are the novel's best features, and makes me wonder if Liskeard and Gladow Station actually exist. (Forgive my lack of knowledge; I live in the Southern Hemisphere, not the Northern Waste.) But despite all the nanotechnology, Tatiana wishes for the simple things, like again visiting the orange tree in the New Edmonton arboretum.

Unfortunately, I haven't read the previous Northern Waste novel DRIVEN, which focuses on Raina Bowen, and Tatiana's brother, Wizard, so I don't know enough about Duncan Bane and Gavin Ward. I also read chunks of HIDDEN in front of the TV, thus my concentration wasn't as strong as it could've been. Still, I'd love to read more of this future, and am particularly keen on learning how life in the Equatorial Band, Africa and the Southern Hemisphere differs from that in the Northern Waste.

Set near the end of the twenty-first century. All countries and governments crumbled over fifty years ago, replaced by harsh wastelands.

Tatiana and her siblings, Wizard and Yuriko, had been engineered before birth in an isolated laboratory buried by the Old Dominion. Tatiana spent half her life underground, in a cage. Gavin Ward, a man with unlimited resources and no conscience, often sliced bits of her away to study and experiment upon. Gavin and Tolliver, the mad man's partner, believed her to be a key, to both genocide and salvation. Together, the men used her genetic tissue to create a plague that could decimate the world.

Tatiana has escaped the underground lab. Now she is out to kill Ward, Tolliver, and anyone else who gets their thrills by creating plagues. It soon becomes apparent that one of Gavin Ward's plagues has gotten free. Those exposed are contained for the moment. The bodies of the poor victims slowly rot away, leaving mutated zombie-like creatures. The only hope of a cure rests with Tristan, a man Tatiana came across recently in the Northern Waste. No matter how attracted Tatiana is to Tristan, she keeps him at arm length. The scientist may be the world's only hope, but should he learn what an enigma she is, not to mention all her unusual abilities, Tatiana could very well find herself an imprisoned lab rat all over again.

**** This tale begins with the same taste as "Mad Max: Beyond Thunder Dome" and transforms into the same flavor as "Resident Evil". I cannot think of a better way to describe it. The story jumps around a bit, letting in parts of his and her pasts seemingly at random. Yet, somehow, the author makes the whole thing work. The ending feels rushed to me, but all-in-all I found Tatiana's story to be extremely well done. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I won't rehash the plot, but this is one action-driven romancey book. The main characters are both very engaging, and the Waste described very well. I tend to avoid sci-fi type books, because I can't usually picture the scene, but the Shomi line is different. Very well-written and fun to read.

The romance was pretty good too!

The year is 2093 in a post apocalyptic future Earth brought on by the Noble Wars. The world has been divided into to four sectors, the harshest of which is the Northern Waste where bitter cold and desperate poverty are facts of life. It is the home of Tatiana, the youngest of three genetically enhanced test tube siblings. The siblings had been raised by a computer and tortured by the maniacal Duncan Bane who had forced them to hone their genetic gifts to the extreme, building them into his soldiers.

Her older siblings (DRIVEN) had been strong, but Tatiana had been a late bloomer. It had taken her far longer to develop her abilities and by then Wizard and Yuriko were gone. Her siblings had chosen to endure Bane's wrath in her stead. Due to her failures her sister was dead; her brother at best was missing. Bane was dead now as well, but Tatiana still had another madman to content with, his successor Dr. Gavin Ward, a supremacist who had sliced her and diced her and finally used her genome to produce a plague that would be used to eliminate all those whom he considered to be inferior.

But when Tatiana finally bloomed her ability to heal bordered on miraculous, her physical strength was unsurpassed, she could endure the harshest environments and was able to read other's thoughts, vicariously experiencing emotion for she had none of her own. She had escaped Ward six months ago and now earned what she needed to survive by retrieving stolen items for those who were willing to pay. Her latest assignment has taken her to Abbott's General Store in search of two gun truckers. She notices another customer meandering through the aisles, male, a settler. She likes his smile, but can't read him, like most. He makes her nervous; he intrigues her against her will.

Tatiana gets her information from Abbott for a price. But she has one more question. For that answer she offers a rarer commodity than interdollars - real sugar. She requires information about Tolliver, Ward's scientist, the specialist who had helped him develop the plague. Find Tolliver-find Ward's secret underground laboratory-stop the madness. Her past inquiries had come up empty. She is disappointed again. Abbott has no information.

The truckers arrive. Tatiana's mission is successful. Not so for the settler who had been in the store. Tatiana has recovered the ring sought by her client and from the trucker's memories her first solid lead pointing to the location of Ward's lab and the mysterious Tolliver.

Tristan had found the woman a fascinating enigma. Abbott had not known her identity. Was it a coincidence that they were hunting the same truckers? He hadn't interfered in her battle, he was only interested in their cargo. Unlike Tatiana however, he comes up empty. His microscope and samples are gone.

Tristan Tolliver had gone to work for Ward with the idea of creating a special injectable, virally infected bacteria that would induce temporary symptoms in a critically injured patient that would give them the fight needed to make it to a medical facility where they could receive help. He'd been an idealist. He'd been blind. Ward had first infected volunteers culled from society's undesirables, a band of Reavers. Then he had turned it on his researchers. Soon the plague Tristan had helped create would be unleashed on an unsuspecting world and he would have to watch; a dinosaur who would not age or become ill due to a government experiment in the first half of the century. He was doomed to watch them all die or die trying to save them. The missing tissue samples are his only hope for a cure.

No coincidences-they meet again. A test subject has escaped from the underground lab. The researchers must contain him before he infects others. Tatiana witnesses the event, is injured trying to intervene. Her blood mingles with victim's. To the others this can mean only one thing. And so Tristan delivers Tatiana to her destination, Ward's underground lab, another soul he has doomed-a brave and beautiful woman he could have loved, perhaps already did love. Little does he realize that Tatiana's genetic nature brings with it a natural immunity. Soon this unlikely pair will become partners in a quest to save their world and perhaps something more.

I had not thought that DRIVEN could be topped, but with HIDDEN the author has done just that. HIDDEN has earned a place of it's own on the keeper shelf, making Eve Kenin a "must buy" author. This is storytelling at its best. Ms. Kenin is a pro at generating edgy suspense and building relationships; pulling the reader in and making them care about her gutsy protagonists and the state of their world. Tristan and Tatiana are unbelievable strong and determined but at the same time vulnerable and compassionate, in other words - human. The emotional relationship between them develops rapidly, perhaps a necessity in a world where surviving to see another day is an uncertainty, but wholly believable. Their courage in the face of what appear to be insurmountable odds is awe inspiring. A highly recommended tale, not to be missed! ~ reviewed for PNR Reviews