This is is the perfect blend of old world and new world, of technology gone wrong, of magic surfacing and of survival of the fittest. Artifacts of a bygone era are a much sort after commodity and the lengths some will take to attain them, well suffice to say, leads to many shady people. A dramatic, sinuous tale guaranteed to have you reaching for a safety belt.
It's been a while since a character captivated me quite as much as Kase. When we were first introduced to him, he was a snotty know it all, 12 years old, inquisitive and not really understanding danger. But then, where is the 12 year old who does? Fast forward 10 years, and lo and behold, he's still the same, impetus, curious to a fault and constantly seeking adventure. Oh boy, there's a classic "be careful what you wish for" screaming at you if ever there was one! Absolutely a dream character, one to really spur on in his wild undertakings. And gosh are they wild! Getting himself into so many life and death situations, his natural ability comes shining through. No, not magic, not any warrior prowess, rather, his quick tongue, his inate reasoning, his ludicrous answers when he's in a jam, which, astonishingly, is his forte. His sheer likeability is what keeps him a hairs length from annihilation, time after time, although there are some who find him darn right annoying. That would be Brell, who Kase stumbles across in his quest to fulfill a contact, a contact which he must undertake if he is to find his mother. The why, the where, the how, will be crystal clear....but you have to read it.
Brell, tough, loud mouthed and dangerous but her spark of humanity is so endearing, although, her reason for aiding Kase had me bark out a laugh! An unlikely alliance forms when the two of them realise they need each other, for very different reasons, but none the less, they do. I loved their banter, unease with the other and how they pool together in the face of danger, of which, there's a ton! As a tech savvy individual from another realm, she doesn't believe in magic and Kase, as a magic user, mistrusts tech. Quite the pair, right?
When they come across Billy, a giggling cute little bot, Brell thinks she has it all in hand, but.... Billy is a bot with a difference.... it's a killer, the murderous trait had not been eliminated in the assembling.
I loved this story so much, it has so many aspects to it, so much richness to the storyline and plot, so utterly enthralling, I didn't put it down until the very last page.