Customer Reviews

The Shadow Runners

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the first book by Liz Maverick I have read. It is the 3rd in the 2176 series, it is wonderful.

THE LEDGEND OF BANZAI MACCGUIRE sets the stage and begins the saga.

DAY OF FIRE starts to give us a feel for this world and the need for freedom. The rallying point The Shadow Voice and the Shadow Runners.

Both books were awesome.

THE SHADOW RUNNERS does not let you down. You barely have time to breathe. This book is action from start to finish.

Deck is the illigetimate son of the Emperor of Asia. As such he is Kyber's half-brother. Accused in his father's death, he had been sent to prison by Kyber. There he found something to believe in, The shadow runners. They helped him escape.

Jenny Red is the daughter of the man who killed Kyber's father. She was deported to Australia, which is now a toxic waste dump for the world's toxic waste and criminal elements as well as unwanted human beings.

The Shadow Voice has been halted. Now Deck needs Jenny who is one of the few to escape from Newgate. Only she can help him find his way into Newgate and out into the Outback, where the hidden base of the Shadow Voice is located. Togather they face many varied obstacles, to bring the Voice of Freedom back to the world.

I'm not going to ruin it for you with too many details. It would take a long time. But this is a very exciting book. The romance is very intertwined with the story, and yet it is still about love and trust between a man and a woman.

I can hardly wait for the next installment by Patti O'shea in August, THE POWER OF TWO.

THE SHADOW RUNNERS ranks without a doubt as one of the best books I've read all year and will certainly live on my keeper shelf with the likes of such "goddesses" as Catherine Asaro, Mary Jo Putney, Jacqueline Carey and others who can weave romance with fantasy and science fiction elements so seamlessly, which is, to me, the PERFECT reading experience. And, hey, I write the stuff; it makes sense that I'm very picky about what types of action and sf romance books I'll read. Some in this genre I can't get through, but the authors I do read and love, I come back for time and time again. Newcomer Liz Maverick (that's M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K) is now one of those on my short list.

I would humbly suggest that some readers may have missed a few key points of the story. For the sake of any buyers on the fence after reading those comments, I'd like to address those errors. I should know; I came up with the concept for this series and created the bible for "2176" and its 5 books. This is such a fantastic book that I'd hate for anyone to miss buying it because they were misled. It was PRINCE KYBER who sentenced Jenny Red to Newgate; HE was the ruler, not Deck. HE had the authority, not Deck, a second-born son with no true power, and now a bastard son at that. Due to the deceit of their mother, Empress Corrine, who was looking to cover her royal butt and her affair after it's discovered years later, lets Deck take the fall for her duplicity...until guilt overtakes her and she pleads with Prince Kyber to set Deck free, which Kyber ultimately does. The brothers remain bitter with each other--understandable, yes? I know I'd have been pissed.

Deck did not have the authority to sentence Jenny to anything. He was never a freedom fighting rebel until discovering the group while in prison, where he began to hate his brother, the ruler. Some men when incarcerated find God. Deck found the Shadow Runners.

Deck ASKS Jenny to go back, to help him. She has HUGE second thoughts, but she loves him. How many lovers have done things for each other that they'd rather not, but do because of the feelings in their hearts. Jenny makes a SACRIFICE for a man who means a lot to her, even at the risk of her own life.

*Sigh* don't you love that kind of tension in a book, that kind of conflict? Jenny's sacrifice for Deck, considering her dark past and trust issues, was what made this love story so gut-wrenching, so endearing and memorable. It is one of the most original and un-formulaic books I've ever read.

I heartily recommend Shadow Runners.

I hear that Liz Maverick's got a really cool paranormal action romance series starting next summer. I, for one, will be first in line to buy the books! All hail action-adventure's newest "goddess". :)

Shodows Runners is the 3rd in the 2176 series, and Liz Maverick 2nd book. Wow, the action started at the beginning and never slowed down. Jenny is a tough heroine, always ready to fight or run for survival. Deck need her knowledge of Newgate (Hell on Earth) to complete his mission for the Shodow Runners. Jenny already excaped hell once now he asking her to return with him for his cause. Jenny not going to give in earily and Deck not giving up. I can't wait to see what else Maverick writes. She on my "to watch" list for future reads.
This is a must have series!
The other books are
#1 The Legend of Banzai Maguire, by Susan Grant
Another wonderful book!

#2 Day of Fire, by Kathleen Nance
I loved this book!

The Shodow Runner is #3

#4 The Power of Two, by Patti O'Shea
not out yet

#5 The Scarlet Empress, By Susan Grant
not out yet

More Sci-fi romance like these need to be written!

This book is the third of the 2176 series. The first is The Legend of Banzai Macguire followed by Days of Fire (both are great reads). Overall, the series is awesome and should not be missed by any fan of sci fi romance!

The futuristic world created by Maverick is fascinating. Australie has reverted to a penal colony and is isolated off from the rest of the world. Drug-addicted thugs acting like ancient British nobility rule the continent. The other prisoners must survive under their corrupt rule. The background is so interesting, I wish the story could have been longer to learn even more about it.

Jenny Red, the heroine of the story, is a strong heroine, both physically and mentally. I appreciated the fact that the can take care of herself, and did not need the hero to rescue her. Deck, the hero, is not as developed as the heroine - my only complaint about the story. It is not always easy to understand his actions or motivations.

What I loved about this story is the conflict between the two characters. Jenny loves Deck but thinks that he betrayed her. The internal conflict within Jenny about Deck, and the drama, as the story plays out, is rich and fascinating. A very refreshing read from the typical sci fi romance of psychic healers and starship captains.

Great characters, great background, great story - what else do can you ask for in a book?

Don't miss this book or this series!

Ok, so I normally read regencies and historicals. I picked this one up because I am working on a kick-ass heroine of my own. (yes I write but I am not published)

The back blurb promised a helluva a ride and the author totally delivered. I will look up other books in the series, but I will most definitely search for other books by Liz Maverick.

Jenny Red instantly engages you. She grabs you by the heart and thrusts you into her world. Then when Deck hits the scene or the scene hits the Deck, all hell breaks loose. It's a wild ride from that time forward. The story gripped me by the throat and didn't let go.

I highly recommend this as the perfect book for anyone who doesn't like to be bored when they read.

Liz Maverick had the Third book in the series of Five 2176 for Dorchester Publishing. And she has a hard row to hoe, as they say. Being the middle child is always considered being a pain. In Yank baseball, batting third is, I believed, called hitting clean-up, meaning not only are you expected to hit as well as the two batters before you, but are expected to drive them home. That is Maverick tough task.

As I looked at the other writers of the series, you see them shining. Grant, the creator of the concept, had the task of selecting the other books in the series - and she chose well! She is a strong Sci-Fi Romance writer and she kicked 2176 off in hi-flying fashion in April with The Legend of Banzai Maguire, giving her fellow writers a standard to hit. And boy did Kathleen Nance rise to the occasion with Day of Fire in May. Nance, always a beautiful writer, kicked a*** with this Canadian saga in the cycle. Book Four, The Power of Two is coming up in August under the skilled hand of a new voice in Romance, Patti O'Shea. I am looking forward to it her because her debut novel Ravyn's Flight was such a strong book I have no doubt she will score a hit. So, Maverick was not only in the hard spot of book Three, having to follow in the path of the two super books, she is more of an unknown factor. I interviewed all the ladies for a feature article about the series and found Maverick's enthusiasm very refreshing, but this book was coming from a writer that had never written a full Romance novel! Could she do it? She had written short stories for the saucy, spicy Red Sage's Secrets and she had a Sex in the City style Chit Lit novel What A Girl Wants (March 2004, New American Library), but could she really do a full Sc-Fi Romance? Could she step up to the plate and hit a home run, reaching the quality of Grant and Nance, seasoned writers?

Well, stand back, Liz Maverick proves she can do anything thing she wants! This book rises to Grant's and Nance's challenge and proves she has a power to write whatever strikes her talented fancy! The same energy that came through to me in our interview, imbues her character Jenny Red with life. Jenny vibrates with savvy, with a highly charged sense to stay alive. She had to because she faced the cesspit of Newgate and lived. Once in history Australia was a penile colony. So it is again, but just not for England, this time it serves as the dumping ground of every criminal, every miscreant that does not fit into the well order world in 2176. Jenny was an innocent, but that did not stop Prince Kyber (the bad guy, who is just an arrogant, misunderstood good guy from Grant's lead novel) from sending a young woman who had done nothing to Newgate. Her father was accused of killing Kyber's father in an attempted taking over of the royal ruling house of new Asia. The fuss saw Jenny condemned for her father's actions, as well as Kyber's half brother D'ekkar Han Valoren. Jenny never knew what D'ekkar went through in the days after her exile to Newgate, and she had little time to worry over his fate, because she was scrambling to stay alive.

She crawled out of Newgate, but D'ekkar tracks her down and needs her help. He is part of an organization called The Shadow Runners - a group using Banzai Maguire to spearhead a worldwide revolution. D'ekkar, once part of that ruling world, now hates it and hates his brother for his vile treatment, for being branded illegitimate. He is part of the Shadow Runners and will do anything to see freedom for all. Even sacrificing Jenny.

Jenny and D'ekkar strike a strong cord. Survivors, yet underneath are very caring people. They are hard because they were forced to be. Jenny especially touches the heart with her in your face woman, who hides the tended bruises heart who loved D'ekkar, yet blames him for her exile for a crime in which she had no role. She is hard, but D'ekkar reaches her as no other and she will walk through fire for him, even worse, she will return to Newgate where her life is worth nothing.

Maverick toots her horn - look out she is a writer to watch. It's a stand-alone book, you don't have to read the first two - but I strongly recommend you not missing some of the hottest edge fiction written today and advice you to keep on with the two coming. Sci-Fi Romance is blazing hot and Grant, Nance, Maverick and O'Shea are making their mark at the top.

Kudos for Dorchester doing this gutsy series, giving writers so much control over their own works, Kudos for Grant for seeing the talent in her fellow writers and giving new talent the chance to strut their stuff!

The third book in the 2176 series (following The Legend of Banzai Maguire and Day of Fire) is a fast paced adventure set in a nightmarish world out of Escape from New York or Mad Max. Jenny Red (so called for her red hair) has been exiled to the penal colony of Australia, for her father attempted to assassinate the Emperor of Asia. D'ekkar Han Valoren, fallen Prince of Asia, needs help getting to the outpost he created for The Shadow Runners, the group that broadcasts the Voice of Freedom to the world. With so much bad blood and repressed attraction between them, can the Jenny and Deck survive not only their dangerous journey, but each other as well. Plenty of action this time around, and a decidedly unromantic setting that grabs the attention. Recommended.

This installment of the 2176 series was amazing! I didn't want to put it down. The author is a very talented world builder and makes the reader really feel like they've been dropped down into the futuristic penal colony of Australia. Modeling the local "government" after Regency England is an inspired idea and really works for the story. Jenny Red is such a cool, spunky heroine - you fall in love with her immediately. And her hero - D'eck is to die for. I can't wait for more books of this series to come out and for future books by this author!

Usually mixing two genres don't work very well. Either the romance is just plain silly or the serious science fiction aspect is very weak, but this scifi-romance is a wonderful mix.

Our heroine is down on her luck - really down as in hanging on by a thread in the hard scrabble existence that permeates this future world. Once friends and now reunited because our hero needs her help. These two set out on an adventure and a few betrayals.

As with all good science fiction Ms. Maverick does a wonderful job of describing her future world. Good detail and interesting characters makes compels us to keep reading and we buy into this reality.

I would highly recommend this story if you enjoy science fiction with an interesting and compelling relationship (and a few requisite racy scenes).

In 2176, the Empire arrests Jenny Red's dad on the charge of treason and murder. His family, including Jenny, is kicked into the servant's quarters of the royal palace. Jenny makes do as best she can before being unceremoniously dumped in the penal colony in Newgate, Australia.

She finds her new home city rather different from her previous abode. The Parliament runs Newgate as a personal playground to do whatever hedonistic pleasures they chose regardless of the impact on the people. Drug use is rampant among the elite.

Shadow Runner D'ekker Han Valoreen, half-brother to Prince Kuber, hopes to change the decadent order so that the masses can improve their lot. He needs help to bring a communication tower inside Newgate so he asks Jenny, whose father allegedly destroyed his sire, the emperor. She wants to refuse, but cannot. As they work together, the duo falls in love, but between the danger of their actions and that she is the daughter of a traitor, a long-term relationship between them is doubtful.

The latest futuristic science fiction romance, starring fantastic female champions, is a terrific entry that continues the superior level of quality that this miniseries has so far achieved. The story line is action-packed while bringing to life a mid twenty-second century world that seems feasible. The lead couple is a fine pairing of a noble hero with a delightfully hesitant heroine (slightly different from the previous books) who does the right thing when the time comes for her to act.

Harriet Klausner