Book 2 in the Resolution Universe series
Rich socialite, inveterate flirt, and walking disaster Tennalhin Halkana can read minds. Tennal, like all neuromodified "readers," is a security threat on his own. But when controlled, readers are a rare asset.
Lieutenant Surit Yeni, a duty-bound soldier, principled leader, and the son of a notorious traitor general. Whereas Tennal can read minds, Surit can influence them. Like all other neuromodified "architects," he can impose his will onto others, and he's under orders to control Tennal by merging their minds.
Surit accepted a suspicious promotion-track request out of desperation, but he refuses to go through with his illegal orders to sync and control an unconsenting Tennal. So they lie: They fake a sync bond and plan Tennal's escape.
Can two unwilling weapons of war bring about peace?
CW: War, drug use, addiction, violence, death of parent, death, mental manipulation
Rating
Review
Like always with a sci-fi book, the struggle to understand the world and the plot is here. However, this author makes that reading moment enjoyable.
My main struggle is always with the world-building in those books, not because it's not well done but because it comes from an imagination that isn't mine; I tend to have a freeze in my brain that doesn't allow me to dive right away into the book. There were moments when I needed to have a break and re-read some elements to understand them better with a drawing or write them in a notebook to completely understand them. It's always a problem as it puts me off my reading mind, and I sometimes feel frustrated. However, even if it's mostly sci-fi that I have this problem, this author has something compelling in her stories that makes me want to read her books.
The first is the political side of the story. This is the side that I understand the most, and I'm always baffled by how everything is coming together; it always keeps me on edge. Sometimes I was I knew it, but you learn something that makes you question everything, and you're so surprised. Even if I wasn't as attached to the characters as in the previous book, I didn't want them to mess up or someone to mess up with them. I was so angry at some moments that I wanted to scream, but most of the time, power is what people want, and they just want more.
Next, the romance wasn't on point in this one. We follow the two main characters' points of view, but I never felt the connection between them in a romantic way. They care about each other, but they feel more like friends than lovers. I don't necessarily read this book for romance, but I feel a little cheated on as I thought there was more romance than that, thanks to the synopsis. Some romantic elements felt like they were coming from nowhere, either during the fake sync or later in the book. Maybe it was subtle, and I didn't see it, or my mind wasn't there for it; even when I read the free epilogue, I struggled to be into it as I didn't feel the chemistry. For me, they are at the stage of friends who love each other, but the other one doesn't know.
Even if I like this one a little less than the previous one, I will definitely continue reading from this author.
1st book's review: Winter's Orbit
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