What do you think?
Rate this book
The Discoveries of Julia Xero #1
The Secret Humankind
She keeps her head down and cleans up messes. When the body count starts rising, will trying to make a living get her rubbed out?
Julia Xero is stuck in survival mode. After losing the only person she loved, the introverted orphan longs to escape her toxic employment for the zen of crime and trauma scene decontamination. But when she lands her dream job and is called to a bloody rooftop with a decapitated corpse, she’s horrified to come face to face with an otherworldly shark-toothed assassin.
Furious to learn she’s been enlisted by a clandestine race of beings against her will, Julia’s dismay fountains when she finds out they implanted her with a neck bomb to ensure her lips stay tightly sealed. Fit to be tied, and her thunderous confrontation with her boss hitting a deadend, the stubborn young woman begins plotting ways to leave the energy-powered entities in her dust.
Can she outwit an ancient civilization before her carotid goes boom?
The Secret Humankind is the gritty first book in The Discoveries of Julia Xero urban fantasy thriller series. If you like fish-out-of-water heroines, complex worlds, and dark truths, then you’ll love Gloria Oliver’s multi-faceted mystery.
Buy The Secret Humankind to match wits with monsters today!
Julia Xero is stuck in survival mode. After losing the only person she loved, the introverted orphan longs to escape her toxic employment for the zen of crime and trauma scene decontamination. But when she lands her dream job and is called to a bloody rooftop with a decapitated corpse, she’s horrified to come face to face with an otherworldly shark-toothed assassin.
Furious to learn she’s been enlisted by a clandestine race of beings against her will, Julia’s dismay fountains when she finds out they implanted her with a neck bomb to ensure her lips stay tightly sealed. Fit to be tied, and her thunderous confrontation with her boss hitting a deadend, the stubborn young woman begins plotting ways to leave the energy-powered entities in her dust.
Can she outwit an ancient civilization before her carotid goes boom?
The Secret Humankind is the gritty first book in The Discoveries of Julia Xero urban fantasy thriller series. If you like fish-out-of-water heroines, complex worlds, and dark truths, then you’ll love Gloria Oliver’s multi-faceted mystery.
Buy The Secret Humankind to match wits with monsters today!
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2023
34 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Oliver
39 books86 followersWelcome!
My name is Gloria Oliver and I am a Feline/Canine Slave and Spec Fic author with twelve plus Fantasy/YA Fantasy, Urban Fantasy Thrillers, Sci-Fi, and Cozy Mystery books in print and several short stories in varied anthologies.
I am also an avid reader, movie lover, and soundtrack junkie.
For more info on me or my books, including sample chapters and free reads, please come visit at www.gloriaoliver.com
Feel free to follow me on Bookbub, Amazon, Facebook, and more! Links on the website. :)
Subscribe to my newsletter and grab some free gifts!
Glad to meet you!
My name is Gloria Oliver and I am a Feline/Canine Slave and Spec Fic author with twelve plus Fantasy/YA Fantasy, Urban Fantasy Thrillers, Sci-Fi, and Cozy Mystery books in print and several short stories in varied anthologies.
I am also an avid reader, movie lover, and soundtrack junkie.
For more info on me or my books, including sample chapters and free reads, please come visit at www.gloriaoliver.com
Feel free to follow me on Bookbub, Amazon, Facebook, and more! Links on the website. :)
Subscribe to my newsletter and grab some free gifts!
Glad to meet you!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 25, 2025
It was an interesting story that we are not alone on our planet, but this other race is part Legend part imagination. I loved how she dealt with it at first and how she dealt with the killer.
July 13, 2023
"The Secret Humankind" by Gloria Oliver is the captivating first book in 'The Discoveries of Julia Xero' series. This urban fantasy thriller plunges readers into a world where ancient civilizations and the supernatural coalesce in the modern era, with the beleaguered protagonist, Julia Xero, at the center.
Julia, an orphan thrown into a toxic work environment, is instantly engaging. Her longing for the solace of a less tumultuous life draws readers in, rooting for her from the get-go. Julia's resilience is tested when she's unwillingly entangled with a clandestine alien race, whose tactics include implanting her with a bomb to guarantee her silence. The desperation and frustration Julia feels is palpable and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Oliver's world-building is masterfully done, introducing a complex, multi-faceted universe that intertwines the mundane and the supernatural seamlessly. The presence of otherworldly elements, like the shark-toothed assassin, adds a distinctive flavor to the narrative.
The plot is intriguing, fast-paced, and fraught with suspense, making it a page-turner. The storyline expertly balances Julia's struggle against her alien overseers and her fight for survival. The dark truths that unfold serve to add depth and dimension to the narrative.
"The Secret Humankind" is a gritty, spellbinding urban fantasy thriller that showcases Oliver's knack for creating a deeply immersive and unique world. It is a compelling read for fans of complex heroines, dark mysteries, and intricately crafted universes.
Julia, an orphan thrown into a toxic work environment, is instantly engaging. Her longing for the solace of a less tumultuous life draws readers in, rooting for her from the get-go. Julia's resilience is tested when she's unwillingly entangled with a clandestine alien race, whose tactics include implanting her with a bomb to guarantee her silence. The desperation and frustration Julia feels is palpable and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Oliver's world-building is masterfully done, introducing a complex, multi-faceted universe that intertwines the mundane and the supernatural seamlessly. The presence of otherworldly elements, like the shark-toothed assassin, adds a distinctive flavor to the narrative.
The plot is intriguing, fast-paced, and fraught with suspense, making it a page-turner. The storyline expertly balances Julia's struggle against her alien overseers and her fight for survival. The dark truths that unfold serve to add depth and dimension to the narrative.
"The Secret Humankind" is a gritty, spellbinding urban fantasy thriller that showcases Oliver's knack for creating a deeply immersive and unique world. It is a compelling read for fans of complex heroines, dark mysteries, and intricately crafted universes.
July 16, 2023
Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. So many mysteries to be revealed. The closer you are to discovering them, the more addictive the story gets. There are murders to solve, a different kind of human to discover, and a self awakened power to be revealed when Julia is accepted for a job that is highly unusual. As the plot thickens, the anticipation is high while answers are learned. Be prepared for a long night of reading as the story unfolds. The end will leave you wanting more
August 18, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down! It has great characters, a unique premise, and an interesting twist. Julia was relatable and her reactions to what was happening made sense. I adore Karamel and Stan, and even the main antagonist of this story was written in such a way that you have empathy for him in the end. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!
*Note - while the main conflict of this story is complete, there is still a significant overarching story that is definitely not complete and I suspect will continue for multiple books.
*Note - while the main conflict of this story is complete, there is still a significant overarching story that is definitely not complete and I suspect will continue for multiple books.
May 25, 2023
The Secret Humankind is book 1 in The Discoveries of Julia Xero by Gloria Oliver. WOW! I couldn't put the book down and I was never sure what was going to happen next. Julia Xero is a wonderful main character and the supporting characters are perfect for the story. The story is set in contemporary Dallas with humans, aliens and a touch of magic. When I read the words: The End… I said NO! I want to read more. I found The Secret Humankind to be the type of book anyone will enjoy, it is amazing. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
July 22, 2023
4.5 stars
This is a book that is really hard to put down! It's a different kind of book for me in some ways, in others it's not. I got a bit of an X-Files vibe from this book and I really enjoyed it!
Julia Xero is an orphan who's faced more adversities in life than she should have. She has a roommate who is a model and whom I believe uses Julia. When an opportunity for a new job comes to light, Julia is ready for a change. She's interviewing for a cleaning job but not your typical cleaning job. It's a crime scene clean up gig. Not many people could endure such a job and her interview was pretty grueling to make sure she could make the cut.
Things start out as great as they could for someone cleaning up crime scenes, but then one night, a very strange call comes in. Life will never be the same after that! Not to mention, Julia learns that she's been implanted with a sensor that could cause her carotid artery to explode. No worries, right?!?!
There are many interesting characters and lots of action in this book. I feel like it's maybe geared more towards young adults but as a more mature adult, I enjoyed this too! I'm looking forward to the next book!
This is a book that is really hard to put down! It's a different kind of book for me in some ways, in others it's not. I got a bit of an X-Files vibe from this book and I really enjoyed it!
Julia Xero is an orphan who's faced more adversities in life than she should have. She has a roommate who is a model and whom I believe uses Julia. When an opportunity for a new job comes to light, Julia is ready for a change. She's interviewing for a cleaning job but not your typical cleaning job. It's a crime scene clean up gig. Not many people could endure such a job and her interview was pretty grueling to make sure she could make the cut.
Things start out as great as they could for someone cleaning up crime scenes, but then one night, a very strange call comes in. Life will never be the same after that! Not to mention, Julia learns that she's been implanted with a sensor that could cause her carotid artery to explode. No worries, right?!?!
There are many interesting characters and lots of action in this book. I feel like it's maybe geared more towards young adults but as a more mature adult, I enjoyed this too! I'm looking forward to the next book!
July 21, 2023
The Secret Humankind is an engaging urban fantasy mystery. It is the first book in this new series from Gloria Oliver. Gloria is a new author to me, and I enjoyed her work. Her world-building is well done, and she has cleverly woven together complex threads in a multi layered story.
The intriguing plot is fast-paced and full of suspense, tension, frustration, fear, desperation,
This darkish occult thriller is a page-turner and is action packed with mayhem, aliens, supernatural beings, humans, secrets, mystery and magic.
Gloria’s narrative and a few twists and turns makes it easy to become intrigued with the characters and their journey.
Have a murder on your hands? Have a crime scene? Need the mess to go away? Need a crime-scene cleaner? Then Julia is your girl.
I wonder where the series goes. I look forward to reading more.
The intriguing plot is fast-paced and full of suspense, tension, frustration, fear, desperation,
This darkish occult thriller is a page-turner and is action packed with mayhem, aliens, supernatural beings, humans, secrets, mystery and magic.
Gloria’s narrative and a few twists and turns makes it easy to become intrigued with the characters and their journey.
Have a murder on your hands? Have a crime scene? Need the mess to go away? Need a crime-scene cleaner? Then Julia is your girl.
I wonder where the series goes. I look forward to reading more.
July 31, 2023
Julia gets what seems like the idea job to get her away from the barely making ends meet and sleezy boss and crappy coworkers. Only to find out it might have been little too good to be true. While working with a detective to find a serial killer the killer hints at connections they have making you wonder if there is more to her than simple human as well. This story ends with you wondering how she will escape the darker sides of the Secret Humankind, who can be trusted and who can't and will the next books give us any of these answers or only leave us with more questions?
I really enjoyed this story. The characters we meet in this story are very fascinating as well as the building of the world in which they live. Though we don’t learn a whole lot in the this first book about the Secret Human kind what we do learn about them and Julia has me interested to read the following books.
I really enjoyed this story. The characters we meet in this story are very fascinating as well as the building of the world in which they live. Though we don’t learn a whole lot in the this first book about the Secret Human kind what we do learn about them and Julia has me interested to read the following books.
July 21, 2023
OMG! This book is so good! This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Gloria Oliver goes above and beyond with her character developments and chilling mystery. This is a very intense book with twists and turns. As an orphan, she’s used to not getting things to go the way she wants, but she, somehow, finally manages to get her dream job… cleaning up after homicides, suicides, and dangerous chemicals; only to find out the job is just a little too good to be true. Her employers put a, quite literal, bomb in her neck to make sure she’d keep quiet about the secrets she was soon to uncover. When a dangerous assassin gets let off the leash, she feels it’s her duty to catch the killer. Such an exceptional book that I could not bear to put down! Anxiously awaiting the next one…
July 30, 2023
The Secret Humankind: An Urban Fantasy Thriller (The Discoveries of Julia Xero )
By: Gloria Oliver
Review by :Susan Ratchford
4 Stars
Such a great introduction to a new series! I can’t wait to read the next book asap! She really hit the nail on the head with the life of a server in a restaurant, every customer and manager felt like someone I had at one time or another. I really enjoyed how Julia was training to be a crime scene cleaner because I also studied to be in forensics. It almost felt like Ms. Oliver knew me, this book was just so relatable! I also loved that she called Julia’s talent her “spidey sense”! This book felt so personal to me I am looking forward to the rest of this series! The Secret Humankind also has such jaw dropping moments that leave you stunned! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, action, adventure, and the paranormal! You will be in for a treat!
By: Gloria Oliver
Review by :Susan Ratchford
4 Stars
Such a great introduction to a new series! I can’t wait to read the next book asap! She really hit the nail on the head with the life of a server in a restaurant, every customer and manager felt like someone I had at one time or another. I really enjoyed how Julia was training to be a crime scene cleaner because I also studied to be in forensics. It almost felt like Ms. Oliver knew me, this book was just so relatable! I also loved that she called Julia’s talent her “spidey sense”! This book felt so personal to me I am looking forward to the rest of this series! The Secret Humankind also has such jaw dropping moments that leave you stunned! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery, action, adventure, and the paranormal! You will be in for a treat!
August 8, 2023
This is a different story. I went into this blind and was pleasantly surprised. The story moves along at a quick pace and is darn interesting. The job she takes..Whoa! That pulled me right in! Then all these characters start coming out of the woodwork. About that time the story took a turn I was NOT expecting! Then a lot of thing changed and I was pleased at the turn in the story. The building the MC works in is so cool!
My only issue was the story slowed down for me in a couple of spots. It seemed to dig too deeply into the why’s and there was a lot of jargon I did not understand. I just ended up skimming these areas.
Overall it is a good surprising story. I enjoy the plot and all the characters. It kept me turning pages and wondering what was going to happen. I look forward to more in this series.
My only issue was the story slowed down for me in a couple of spots. It seemed to dig too deeply into the why’s and there was a lot of jargon I did not understand. I just ended up skimming these areas.
Overall it is a good surprising story. I enjoy the plot and all the characters. It kept me turning pages and wondering what was going to happen. I look forward to more in this series.
August 1, 2023
Julia Xero has a hard time in her job working in the restaurant business and desperately needs a change, so when she is called in for an interview and trial for a cleaning company she applied to, Julia jumps at the opportunity. After the gruesome trial and interview, Julia is hired and that's when things get interesting. Her world is turned upside down and she learns that her job is not what it had seemed. I love how much fun ad suspenseful this book was! Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres and I deeply enjoyed how this story played out! I can already tell this is going to be an interesting new series!
August 16, 2023
This book had it all from action, suspense, mystery, magic, aliens, twists and turns, fast paced, occult, urban fantasy, thrill, and mayhem all rolled into one book. The story line flows really well, and you can follow ago easily. It was so hard to put this book down, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The characters are amazingly well written in and match the story line very well. Everything was well developed into this book that it really set this for the next one. Julia who’s an orphan and just trying to find herself and where she belongs in the world, but the twist that happens to her was shocking and made me want to know how she was going to work thou this issue. The problem solving that Julia has to deal with made it really hard not to cheer for her. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for the next one.
July 20, 2023
This is the first book in the Discoveries of Julia Xero series which was a great start to a potentially amazing series. I thought the premise of this book was interesting and that’s what initially drew me in. The world-building was great and the character’s job, was very interesting to see incorporated into the book. I enjoyed the characters, even the ones I couldn’t stand (because of their personalities/actions, not because they were written poorly because they weren’t), they fit the story well.
I look forward to reading book 2 and finding out what happens next.
I look forward to reading book 2 and finding out what happens next.
July 26, 2023
I enjoyed reading "The Secret Humankind: An Urban Fantasy Thriller" by Gloria Oliver. The details of the settings are so realistic that it draws you in right from the beginning of the story. The characters are so well developed that you are drawn to them immediately upon being introduced to them, you can't wait to piece together the mystery of each of them. What has Julia Xero gotten herself into, is her dream job all she thought she wanted, or has she gotten herself in over her head? There are so many twists to this story, be prepared to expect the unexpected! If you love to read fantasy books or thrillers then this book is the perfect fit for you, it gives you the best of both worlds, I was so excited to finally have an amazing story that gave me two of my favorite genres in one story! This book is the first in a masterpiece that I could not put down, it left me excited for more.
@Brandy Rymer
07/2023
@Brandy Rymer
07/2023
Read
August 17, 2023I am excited to recommend this new series by a new (to me) author! This was such a fun read and has pretty much everything to hook the reader and leave them wanting more. Julia Xero is an original and interesting lead character that intrigued me from the start. The details of Julia’s normal life are spot-on and just get more spicy when they take a turn for the unusual. This is definitely one of those books you will pick up and won’t put down until it’s done. I cannot wait for the next installment!
August 9, 2023
Have a tissue handy for the two days (or one extremely long one) this PG contemporary paranormal procedural will take, but do not read in public as there are a couple of chortles. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 2, 2023
Incredible!
Enjoyed every minute and read it straight through as I couldn’t put it down. Then I reread it and it was even better. Looking forward to Book 2.
Thank you Gloria!!
Margaret
Enjoyed every minute and read it straight through as I couldn’t put it down. Then I reread it and it was even better. Looking forward to Book 2.
Thank you Gloria!!
Margaret
August 15, 2023
Exciting start to a new series!
A very exciting and interesting new series! Characters that are flawed and powerful, human and supernatural alike. Intrigue and mystery. Very well developed and interesting new series that I am definitely looking forward to reading more of. A race with power over humans , protectors and of course the bad guys who don’t care what the humans want as long as their race flourishes. A heroine and team that step up. Ready for more!
A very exciting and interesting new series! Characters that are flawed and powerful, human and supernatural alike. Intrigue and mystery. Very well developed and interesting new series that I am definitely looking forward to reading more of. A race with power over humans , protectors and of course the bad guys who don’t care what the humans want as long as their race flourishes. A heroine and team that step up. Ready for more!
August 16, 2024
Intriguing start to a new series, with surprising twists and turns, a good plot and interesting world-building. All people with a Spidey-sense or intuition will be intrigued and feel seen, and I think the characters are promising to develop and grow into a strong team, fighting on the side of good to redeem humankind (be it known or secret).
The premise on which the characters are built is not new, and the importance of the formative years can clearly be extended to all individuals, but it is still important to ponder on it - it might make the world a better place.
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The premise on which the characters are built is not new, and the importance of the formative years can clearly be extended to all individuals, but it is still important to ponder on it - it might make the world a better place.
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 3, 2023
The slow build allowed me time to fully invest in the characters, even the villain. An excellent ending with enough resolution to satisfy despite the cliffhanger. The next book is a must read. I recommend this magical realism novel with fairy integration into a modern world.
August 4, 2023
A most enjoyable read!
I stumbled across this book and decided to take a chance -- I'm glad I did! I loved the character building and growth. I look forward to the next several books!
I stumbled across this book and decided to take a chance -- I'm glad I did! I loved the character building and growth. I look forward to the next several books!
August 13, 2024
Lots of fun with an out of this world plot. The wonderfully drawn female heroine in this book is a keeper. She is bamboozled into a wildly different job than the one she was expecting and the plot takes off from there. I won't tell you anymore so you will just have to read it. The end dragged just a tiny bit but minor issue.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 16, 2024
Good Story
Good flow, great ending. Definitely want to see what happens next. Good characters.
The author made me feel for Jake, so I feel like that's quite the accomplishment. I liked how Julia was so composed. There are so many stories where the main character loses their head and drama mama, but Julia kept it together.
Good flow, great ending. Definitely want to see what happens next. Good characters.
The author made me feel for Jake, so I feel like that's quite the accomplishment. I liked how Julia was so composed. There are so many stories where the main character loses their head and drama mama, but Julia kept it together.
August 26, 2023
An enjoyable book
Great story. Good villain,
interesting characters. Plot moves steadily. Not vulgar or pornographic. Looking forward to more and learning more about the main character.
Great story. Good villain,
interesting characters. Plot moves steadily. Not vulgar or pornographic. Looking forward to more and learning more about the main character.
September 3, 2025
OMG!
I started this book yesterday and finished it today. It took less than 24 hours, and I was so disappointed that it ended, but so flabbergasted at the twists that were taken in the book. I am so excited for the next one.
I started this book yesterday and finished it today. It took less than 24 hours, and I was so disappointed that it ended, but so flabbergasted at the twists that were taken in the book. I am so excited for the next one.
June 8, 2025
Excellent new Supernatural series.
This series is truly unique. Gloria Oliver is an author I've just discovered. I love the world she has created and can't wait to read the next book.
This series is truly unique. Gloria Oliver is an author I've just discovered. I love the world she has created and can't wait to read the next book.
January 31, 2024
Intriguing Beginning
It’s not often I run across a story so original in its world-building. A fun read from start to finish. Kudos to you, Gloria!
It’s not often I run across a story so original in its world-building. A fun read from start to finish. Kudos to you, Gloria!
June 30, 2023
One of the most solid three star reads I've read in a long time. There are parts of this book that I enjoy a lot and could see a lot of potential in. But then there are two types of issues that keep it out of the four star read. The first type are things that feel like bad writing. One of the most frustrating is payoff without foreshadowing. The romantic angle kinda shows up out of nowhere. Before the knicker twisting starts the only mention about the love interest was that he was .. basically "classically handsome". There wasn't any emotion in it. It felt like an observation, which honestly I was perfectly fine with. The second are aspects of the story I didn't like. The main character is one of the weakest characters in the book. Everyone is more interesting than them. More fully realized, more in and of themselves. The main characters zigs when she should zag.
I think "Secret Humans" is an awful name that sounds worse in cuneiform. And when the characters just start abbreviating it as "SH" I nearly cracked my back from the cringe. My TTS reader went nuts calling them "Shhh". I think the concept for a single race that puberties into whatever humanity is imagining is silly. People think of sexy dyads and you become a sexy dyad. People think of dark monsters you become a dark monsters. None of this however changes who you are so you could be a bubbling people person, puberty into a troll and now you're stuck as a troll with pixie parents. With all the limitations of a troll that humanity understands. Like you're stuck living under bridges or you become a vampire and now you can't go outside in the day or enter a room without permission. They're also incredibly long lived like "invested in the steam engine" old. It just feels wildly ridiculous. One of the central tenants of the book is that humans who are aware get scanners styles brain bombs. But.... why? A little bit how. And also why? Specifically why does our character get one? They interview her for a job and they implant a bomb... but why? At first I thought they implanted everyone in the organization but apparently not. It's just a handful and MOST of the employees are unaware. So why was Julia brought into the know ever? Why did they set her up to be aware knowing it would mean a bomb in the neck? It would have made more sense any number of ways. Maybe the whole company is a front and everyone is marked. Maybe they bring her in for a Dali Lama style test disguised as a cleaning test and she not only cleans well but reveals she is "magic" sensitive and thus gets marked up and brought in. Heck maybe something happens and she demands answers and submits to "yeah whatever it takes to give me answers" and wakes up marked (but that requires a main character with backbone but it's all the rage to write main characters who are the opposite. Quiet shrinking violets who shrink into stardom). But rather than this being the story of a character who finds herself in the deep end finding it deeper than she could have imagined. This is a story about a character who walked into the shallow end only to find out some idiot marked the pool backwards and it says 3 ft but it's actually 10 ft. You don't question how the character got there. You question why is the pool labeled backwards?
What I did like was the world. The setting is crime-scene cleanup. It's an unglamourous job but it's an interesting one. There's a lot of ways for that to spill into urban fantasy. It had/has great potential. As I said even the side characters I didn't like such as Penny the self-centered, pretentious model-roommate were actualized. They're consistent they act in ways that follow their characterizations. They're interesting. I WANT to see them when they show up. I like this world even though I had so much of an issue with many of the fantastical elements.
This is somehow the opposite of the main character. It starts with her naming her self-defense tool. First of all "Stitch" is an awful name. But that aside the book just assume you remember from the previous book where she talked about the self-defense tool she can't live without that she's taken to calling "Stitch". except there's no previous book. It's just weirdly injected without introduction. This pattern repeats with things like information Julia brings to the table. At one point her love of mystery reading providers her a tiny degree of insight. Except we've never been introduced to her love of mystery reading. We've been reinforcing how much she *doesn't* read fantasy or science fiction and how that was the domain of her deceased only friend but we've never spent similar time talking about how much Julia reads mystery. Like a punchline of a joke it happens a third time when Julia ponders yet again why everyone keeps asking if she has a secret when she clearly doesn't. Except, this isn't happening. At least not in a patterned way to sustain a response like that. People asked when someone suggested she was hiding something but that was it. No one has been curious about what the secret might be which is a shame because maybe that would have been something to look into.
A lot of people will call a sentence like this nonsense or oxymoronic. I disagree I think it's a perfectly valid example of artistic license. This isn't 100% literally accurate but it's definitely how someone would say it. People talk like this.
This one here is a failed attempt at a payoff imo. Be
The book wants payoffs but isn't good at foreshadowing them. At least not consistently. It really needs someone to go through and highlight the payoffs and link them to something that happened previously so we can see where the foreshadowing is too minimal or nonexistent. You're supposed to go from "heart skipped a beat" to "I don't deserve them because I'm not special" not as this book does go from "they stood a full height and said 'hello' in a normal voice" to "wait do I love him".
This is my first book from BookSiren and honestly.... not bad. In spite of what I said I rather enjoyed it. I'd read another one of these. I didn't DNF it. I didn't hate it. The parts I like weren't ruined by the end of the book. I did lose a character I kinda liked but that's fine.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I think "Secret Humans" is an awful name that sounds worse in cuneiform. And when the characters just start abbreviating it as "SH" I nearly cracked my back from the cringe. My TTS reader went nuts calling them "Shhh". I think the concept for a single race that puberties into whatever humanity is imagining is silly. People think of sexy dyads and you become a sexy dyad. People think of dark monsters you become a dark monsters. None of this however changes who you are so you could be a bubbling people person, puberty into a troll and now you're stuck as a troll with pixie parents. With all the limitations of a troll that humanity understands. Like you're stuck living under bridges or you become a vampire and now you can't go outside in the day or enter a room without permission. They're also incredibly long lived like "invested in the steam engine" old. It just feels wildly ridiculous. One of the central tenants of the book is that humans who are aware get scanners styles brain bombs. But.... why? A little bit how. And also why? Specifically why does our character get one? They interview her for a job and they implant a bomb... but why? At first I thought they implanted everyone in the organization but apparently not. It's just a handful and MOST of the employees are unaware. So why was Julia brought into the know ever? Why did they set her up to be aware knowing it would mean a bomb in the neck? It would have made more sense any number of ways. Maybe the whole company is a front and everyone is marked. Maybe they bring her in for a Dali Lama style test disguised as a cleaning test and she not only cleans well but reveals she is "magic" sensitive and thus gets marked up and brought in. Heck maybe something happens and she demands answers and submits to "yeah whatever it takes to give me answers" and wakes up marked (but that requires a main character with backbone but it's all the rage to write main characters who are the opposite. Quiet shrinking violets who shrink into stardom). But rather than this being the story of a character who finds herself in the deep end finding it deeper than she could have imagined. This is a story about a character who walked into the shallow end only to find out some idiot marked the pool backwards and it says 3 ft but it's actually 10 ft. You don't question how the character got there. You question why is the pool labeled backwards?
What I did like was the world. The setting is crime-scene cleanup. It's an unglamourous job but it's an interesting one. There's a lot of ways for that to spill into urban fantasy. It had/has great potential. As I said even the side characters I didn't like such as Penny the self-centered, pretentious model-roommate were actualized. They're consistent they act in ways that follow their characterizations. They're interesting. I WANT to see them when they show up. I like this world even though I had so much of an issue with many of the fantastical elements.
This is somehow the opposite of the main character. It starts with her naming her self-defense tool. First of all "Stitch" is an awful name. But that aside the book just assume you remember from the previous book where she talked about the self-defense tool she can't live without that she's taken to calling "Stitch". except there's no previous book. It's just weirdly injected without introduction. This pattern repeats with things like information Julia brings to the table. At one point her love of mystery reading providers her a tiny degree of insight. Except we've never been introduced to her love of mystery reading. We've been reinforcing how much she *doesn't* read fantasy or science fiction and how that was the domain of her deceased only friend but we've never spent similar time talking about how much Julia reads mystery. Like a punchline of a joke it happens a third time when Julia ponders yet again why everyone keeps asking if she has a secret when she clearly doesn't. Except, this isn't happening. At least not in a patterned way to sustain a response like that. People asked when someone suggested she was hiding something but that was it. No one has been curious about what the secret might be which is a shame because maybe that would have been something to look into.
Like me, you're one of a kind
A lot of people will call a sentence like this nonsense or oxymoronic. I disagree I think it's a perfectly valid example of artistic license. This isn't 100% literally accurate but it's definitely how someone would say it. People talk like this.
Even if I disagreed with the morality of messing with her memories
This one here is a failed attempt at a payoff imo. Be
The book wants payoffs but isn't good at foreshadowing them. At least not consistently. It really needs someone to go through and highlight the payoffs and link them to something that happened previously so we can see where the foreshadowing is too minimal or nonexistent. You're supposed to go from "heart skipped a beat" to "I don't deserve them because I'm not special" not as this book does go from "they stood a full height and said 'hello' in a normal voice" to "wait do I love him".
This is my first book from BookSiren and honestly.... not bad. In spite of what I said I rather enjoyed it. I'd read another one of these. I didn't DNF it. I didn't hate it. The parts I like weren't ruined by the end of the book. I did lose a character I kinda liked but that's fine.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 14, 2024
Can I please give more than 5 stars? This book was spectacular. I can not even imagine what went into creating this whole world. The massive amounts of creativity and imagination and shear artistry. This is so original I’ve never read anything like this before and believe me I own several thousand books and over my life time I could not begin to guess how many I have read. The beauty and completeness of each character and this world are unbelievable. Julia starts out as someone you would pass in the street and ignore and becomes someone with such caring and love for literally everyone whether she knows them or not. We need more Julia’s in this world. Stan and Rafael are men who stand for what is right and are willing to fight for it. Karamel and Dawn are such beautiful women in their hearts who are willing to open themselves up to others who are not like them and do what they can to give others the means of having better lives. By the end Jake becomes someone you feel so much sorrow for. I’m so waiting for more stories in this world. I find myself hoping Julia and Rafael are able to find enough common ground to be with each other.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews