Vendetta Nation

Enigma Black #2

by Sara Furlong Burr

What if you gave up everything you knew and loved for a lie?

Nearly one year ago, Celaine Stevens made the choice to leave her life behind to join The Epicenter, an organization charged with bringing down The Man in Black - a terrorist and the one responsible for the murder of her entire family. Battling conflicting emotions and the pain her decision caused, Celaine tells herself that her sacrifices will all have been worth it when The Man in Black is finally apprehended.

But, instead of hunting the elusive entity, Celaine and her partner Ian Grant find themselves preparing for a war looming on the horizon. Angered by President Brooks' ever-tightening restrictions, a rebellion has formed, leading the charge against the President and anyone who stands in their way. Caught in the middle, Celaine and Ian are forced to choose sides, having to decide whether to align themselves with the rebellion, whose motives they question, or obey the orders given to them by an organization they are steadily growing to distrust.

A war is sparked by deceit, new alliances are formed, an unexpected love begins to blossom, and true identities are revealed in Vendetta Nation, the second installment of the Enigma Black trilogy.

Genres: Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

350 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2013

About the author

Sara Furlong Burr is an award-winning author of romcoms filled with angst, heartbreak, and a sprinkle of laughs. She was born and raised in Michigan and currently still lives there with her husband, two daughters, a lively corgi that closely resembles a sack of potatoes, three judgmental cats, and a hedgehog named Juniper who's almost as antisocial as she is. When she's not writing, Sara enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family, using her treadmill as a clothes hanger, and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok and Instagram. She's also an advocate for melanoma awareness, having been diagnosed with stage 1b melanoma in 2017.

Join Sara's readers group on Facebook for the latest updates on future books: https://www.facebook.com/groups/29500...

Other Ways To Follow Sara:

https://linktr.ee/authorsarafurlongburr

Twitter: @Sarafurlong

Instagram:@authorsarafurlongburr

TikTok: @authorsarafurlongburr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSaraFu...

Website: https://www.sarafurlongburr.com

Sign up for her newsletter: https://sarafurlongburr.com/newslette...

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it-I was trying to read slowly to draw out the experience, but alas, I just couldn't because I had to know what happens!!! I'm going to try to avoid spoilers, but the plot just kept getting better and better, and the last quarter of the book was absolutely fantastic! There's a lot of action, yet the emotion is always there, which makes it a well-rounded story.

Celaine, Ian and Chase-they are such great characters that you can't help but feel sympathetic towards them. Normally, I'm a huge 'shipper that picks one couple and sticks with them, but I don't think I could choose which one Celaine should/might end up with. (I would say both, but that would be a whole other type of story itself, snort!!)

This is definitely a worthwhile successor to 'Enigma Black' and leaves me longing for 'Redemption', hopefully sooner rather than later!

[Kevin Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this sequel to Enigma Black, and I'm really looking forward to the last book in the series. I thought it was really well-written with a good-paced plot and great characterisation.

[Sienna Logan (Lost to Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more of my reviews visit http://losttobooks.blogspot.com

Actual Rating: 4.5

I loved Enigma Black when I first read it. It was different, full of actions and Sara definitely delivered with the sequel Vendetta Nation. It was fast-paced and gripping from beginning to end. I want the final book now!

Vendetta nation did take a while to get back into as I was trying to remember what happened in Enigma Black and who everyone was. The fact that the author started with Celaine going in and out of consciousness as well, did confuse me slightly me as it brought up characters I couldn't remember in her mind. However, as I got into the story things soon came back to me and after that I couldn't stop reading.

Sara describes the action brilliantly and I like that the books have an edge to them. They are gritty and tough and I love that Celaine is strongwhen she needs to be but also has a vulnerable and human side. It makes her easier to sympathise with and connect to. I love how she strives for good but also has to do bad to get there, it's like she's skirting a fine line between good and bad and it keeps you on the edge of the seat and turning pages.

As well as this I like that the book drip feeds you information. I will admit some of it was a bit predictable and I found myself just waiting for certain events to happen but it still was enjoyable. I think the author got the balance of information right, if she had left it longer I think it would have been too late and the reader would either become confused or disinterested as it added another level of questions to the book.

Another thing I liked was the fact that the book was written in first person from Celaine'd POV, but the author added other character's view points with situations happening in other places as well. This gave a great over view of different situations and also created the situation where the reader knows more than the character which I like.

There are only 2 things I have as slight annoyance with in this book. The first is I found some of Celaine's actions a little far fetched. I know she wanted to do good but one action she performed didn't seem real to me seeing as it jeopardised her survival chances. The second issue I had was the same as the first book: it ended too soon and I have to wait too long for the next installment! Seriously this book leaves you on a bigger and more torturous cliffhanger than the first and I can't wait for the release. :)

Overall this book delivered on all of my expectations. If you're looking for an action packed dystopian book with super humans check out this series. It even has a slight hint of romance too. What more could you want?

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sometimes chaos can masquerade as peace..."

"...the more people fear, the more they hide. And the more they hide, the less they fight back."

Those are just two of the amazing quotes found in this wonderful book.

I loved the first in this series, Enigma Black, but this one was so much more.

Some of the little tidbits in the story reminded me of classic dystopians, in that it made me question and compare things to the present world. I found myself saying, "This is frighteningly close to a possible future for us." It was fantastic. In my opinion that is what makes a great dystopian story--the ability to make the reader see it as a possible future. I love a good sci-fi, but when you read a story that makes you feel like our world could fall into the one portrayed in the book, that is a great dystopian. And Vendetta Nation did just that.

What I really appreciated was that Sara had the ability to combine a bit of love to the amazing world she created. The story is full of action and suspense, but there is still heart in it when you watch the relationship move between the two heroes. I liked watching Celaine and Ian both come to an understanding in themselves and who they were despite the circumstances they were thrown into.

It was interesting to watch Celaine grow as a character. She was once a person focused solely on vengeance, but it seems as her relationship develops with Ian she has more purpose. Instead of focusing on what she once had and could have had, she is realizing she has a purpose in all of this. I can't wait until the next book to see what happens as the story evolves even further.

Great sequel and I highly recommend this series. It is unique and with several well thought out moments and it is very well written.

So I will leave this review with one last quote that I think describes this series as a whole and I hope it is how it will proceed in the next book. Especially with the ending we were left with of Vendetta Nation. :)

"No matter how bad it looks, no matter how hopeless, the good always wins in the end. It may not be today, or tomorrow, but it will happen."

[Nora Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Extaordinaryreads

Vendetta Nation continues the saga of Celaine Stevens begun in Enigma Black. The concept of a superhuman, trained and equipped with cutting edge technology to give them advantage is a notion that gained much popularity in the comic books of a previous generation--think Wonder Woman, Superman--Many a hero from those books are still scripted into block-buster movies screened to this day, proving their longevity.
Celaine has motive to leave her ordinary life behind her and embark on a crusade against the "Man in Black", he has created demonic destruction across the continent in the form of wicked terror attacks, one of which annihilated Celaine's entire family in the most tragic way. Celaine has been redesigned by a splinter government agency and given enhance prowess through the harnessing of boosted adrenaline in her body. She even gets a kinky black superhero suit to tackle her nemeses in. The reason for her altered state and the method of turning her are well thought out and the rationality lends credence to the story.
Sadly, Celaine has to face the consequences of the decisions she made in Enigma Black in Vendetta Nation. Chase, the sexy doctor whom she loves, but leaves to pursue her vengeance, has moved on with his life. Brad the partner who trained her into her newfound super-abilities is dead, but replaced with the annoyingly gorgeous Ian, whom she finds herself attracted to. All the while trying to focus on the "Man in Black", and his obvious vendetta against her, Celaine fights to free the world of terror, and discover the true nature of the demons that haunt her including the horror of losing her best friend in addition to the other people in her life she has had to let go of.
Allow yourself the pleasure of an exhilarating ride into an imaginatively dreamed Sci-Fi world that will have you marveling at the sheer creativity on the part of this talented author.

[Kathryn Grimsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, the Enigma Black series is an addiction. It is a story that I don't want to end and cannot get enough of. I first read Enigma Black earlier this year and waited (quite impatiently) for Vendetta Nation so I could see where Sarah Furlong Burr would take us next. Boy, she did NOT dissapoint!

Picking up right where we left off in Enigma Black, Vendetta Nation continues the roller coaster journey of Celaine and her new partner Ian in their quest for the Man in Black. They know that they are working for President Brooks since his administration is the source of the Epicenter's funding. But do loyalties towards Brooks run even deeper from others within the Epicenter ranks? Just who is the mysterious and dangerous Man in Black? And why is he so interested in Celaine? Yes, we find out the answers to all of these questions. But don't go thinking that we get all the answers with a nice little bow on top. Oh no... we just get more questions. Can we say holy cliffhanger, Batman? I seriously cannot wait for the next installment!

I'm a huge fan of dystopians anyways, but adding a little superhero into the mix takes it to the next level. Plus I love Burr's writing style! With this one book I swooned over Ian, laughed, cried, cheered, and more!

[Kirstyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping for an awesome sequel and Vendetta Nation did not disappoint! Loved the action, the back and forth between characters, and the impending drama when I am sure Ian and Chase come face to face! Following the ending to Enigma Black, I was ready for anything; thankfully we get a lot of answers! We also get a lot more questions and one heck of a cliffhanger! Not every trilogy has a solid second book, but Vendetta Nation definitely does and sets readers up for a great finale! Honestly, I have no idea how this will end, who will survive, who Celaine will choose..please release Redemption soon! :)

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am more than thrilled to report that Sara Furlong-Burr's second book of the Enigma Black Trilogy, Vendetta Nation, did not disappoint. As we learn more about the evils that are a part of this nation, and learn more about the characters involved, she continues to suck in her readers. I was hooked from the first page, and by the time I reached the Epilogue, I am now on the edge of my seat waiting for the final installment of this trilogy to be released in 2014! Here's to hoping that it's early-2014 so I don't have to wait too long!

[Matt Holgate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read, and I love this series. "Middle" stories in series often have difficulties without a true beginning or true end, but Burr moves the pace along quickly and builds upon the central characters, while being able to utilize the supporting cast she has already established.

If you like superhero books - or heck, even if you don't - you should definitely give these books a try.

[Sharon Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second part of a young woman’s journey to becoming a superhero. This is a solid continuation with a fast-paced plot split between action and romance. An enjoyable read that is difficult to put down once you begin.

[Julie P · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow at times

The Plot line is a bit slow and predictable. Generally an ok read for one not looking for too serious of a story.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good. The writing was good. Vendetta Nation continues the saga from Enigma Black (also good). Vendetta Nation is a political thriller with some sci-fi tossed in and a whole host of people you're not sure if you should trust. The bad guys are everything bad guys are supposed to be: charming, manipulative, cunning, smooth. And the good guys aren't sure who they can trust so they're just doing their best to stay alive and not take everyone down with them.

As I stated above, there really isn't anything wrong with this book or this series...other than Celaine Stevens. No matter how hard I try, I cannot stand her. She's ridiculously sarcastic and I find her to be self-involved, in the constant throes of a pity party. In a world of political unrest and continual terrorist attacks, nearly everyone has lost someone to the Man in Black. But Celaine comes across like she's lost so much more than everyone else, like her vendetta is so much greater. I'll give it to her: she lost her entire family in one bomb blast and her best friend was needlessly murdered years later. Still, Celaine has this whole woe-is-me thing going on that reminds me of Bella Swan from Twilight (remember the four months of being completely comatose). Only Celaine isn't comatose and she spends much of her time griping about how horrible her life is and how much she's suffered and how she's the one that has to take down the Man in Black--as if thousands of other people haven't earned that same right. EVERYONE IN THIS SERIES HAS SUFFERED! Yet, not a single other character lays it on as thick as Celaine. In fact, you don't hear much from the other characters about their lives at all. And for the life of me, I don't get what Ian Grant sees in her.

With that said, and my intense dislike of Celaine aside, I'm looking forward to the third installment in this series. I'm curious as to where the story goes and how Mrs. Furlong-Burr will wrap things up. The Engima Black series fits in so well with our current, non-fictional political climate that you can't help but get sucked into the story. Maybe there's a lesson to be learned from Enigma Black. Then again, it's nice to know that things aren't that bad yet and that maybe it never has to be.

[Colleen Bratley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of her trilogy, and it is as good as the first. Sara’s main character, Celaine, carries forward that same spunk you admired, as well as ignites exasperation and hope. Another can't put it down just yet book.
The story line is still interesting, intriguing, emotional and well paced. The characters again give an emotional connection and you remain invested in what they are feeling and doing.
The story continues to grab your attention chapter after chapter and keeps you turning the pages. It is again a good ending, which keeps you wanting to read the third one.
I am anxious to read the last one, and you will enjoy it too. Get the book. Sara does a great job.

[Sara Burr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be a little biased, but this is my favorite one in the trilogy so far. :-)