Review: Probably not best as a stand-alone book
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2014
This is a paranormal thriller and is the second book in a series. Accordingly, it could be reviewed as part of the series, or as a stand-alone book. As a stand-alone book, I think it partly fails, because a very large part of the plot is dependent on what happened previously. As an author of a trilogy, I know there is a problem with book 2: how can the necessary information be imparted early in the piece? Whether my way (a major character reminisces in an important but static scene) is good enough is debatable, but there is no simple explanation here, and the reader who has not read book 1 has to gradually assimilate a rather baffling range of supernatural creatures, such as vampires that do not seemingly suck blood, skinwalkers, various nymphs and a number of others.The story starts with Ms Frost setting off for a job. Only it isn’t one because those who hired her want her at District 51. She does not want to go, she has an attitude problem (why is not explained, and it is fairly self-destructive) and there follows a sequence of bizarre scenes before she is finally there. District 51 is a government organization dealing (apparently) with alien technology, and they need Ms Frost to get a sentient piece of programming out of their computer systems. Then a signal, which appears to be alien, is intercepted as it goes into space. What does it mean? Will it initiate an alien invasion? The story then changes into a search for who sent it, and what does it mean? I found parts of the story confusing, at least as to why certain things were happening, and why many characters, and Ms Frost in particular, have almost no strategic appreciation of their position. However, if one can accept the continual and baffling introduction of new entities and situations for which there is no simple reason given, then it does move along at a good clip and the action sequences are quite well written. It is cleanly written, and it probably makes more sense if you have read book 1.The single star rating is unfair here. If you had read Book 1 and had enjoyed it, I think this would definitely be a four star book. If you read it, as I did, as a stand-alone book, it is not as good and I cannot give it the fourth star.