Chimera

by Debra Flores

Emile Warren has a nice, normal, tranquil life. If not a lonely one. Until the day she discovers she possesses something other people want and are willing to do anything to get. But she also discovers that she is not alone, that there are also other people willing to risk everything to protect her.

And so begins her new and unexpected life. A life of running and hiding with this ragtag group of mysterious, enigmatic strangers. But the more she finds out, the more difficult it becomes to know who she should really fear. Is it the people chasing her she needs to be afraid of, or these newfound friends who have sworn to keep her safe?

Genres: Lesbian, LGBT

393 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2014

About the author

Bluesky account for anyone interested:
Debbie2222.bsky.social

Debra Flores lives in Texas with a big beast of a cat - but she has no delusions about him. She knows full well if her life were in danger he would not be coming to her rescue like that fabulous cat on that viral video. But she loves him anyway, especially when he's nice enough to sleep on something besides her laptop so she can write.

Reviews

[XR · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite part of the book is definitely the dedication that Flores wrote for her grandmother.

The rest of the book was so bloody good too, and I hope the second installment comes out soon. The individual characters were all great... I loved getting to know them.

I wish I had the gene!

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 I loved this story. the ending seems... unfinished. Definitely needs a sequel.

[Wan Ni]

This is like Twilight meets X-men, a tale of Stockholm Syndrome and clearly trying for a sequel or *gasp* trilogy. Compelling in the sense of I-want-to-hurry-and-see-what's-wrong but honestly, fairly contrived suspense.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I laughed so much reading this book. My coworkers now want to read it because they just have to know what was so funny.

And now I want to read the book within the book "All the Shiny Nickels".

[Florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced. Intriguing. I didn't expect it to be funny, so nice surprise there and great little twist. Ending seemed a bit rushed but the rest of the book made up for it. Recommend.

[Mary Stenvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT******* SPOILER ALERT**********SPOILER ALERT

With that out of the way this book was excellent, great writing, great character and great story - mystery and adventure on every page. I could not put it down. Until. Until the gentle, beautiful two year old girl was raped and murdered. Graphic and unnecessary. If Samuel was worried about her, enough to follow them, he should have stayed with her and saved her. Then Catherine, apparent leader, sets up and murders a trucker she picks up, rushes fresh from her kill to start kissing, passionately, Emily.

And that, folks, is where I quit reading. To be fair I prefer mysteries, I am almost eighty years old and would never have started the book if I had known what it would contain.

Ms. Flores is a great writer. She had me hooked on Emile from the first page and I wish now I had never met her. This is Book One, and I would love to have gone on, but not in the direction it's headed.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This year it would appear that I am tackling the complete works of Debra Flores. I just finished *Chimera, Book One,* which was published nine years ago (2014). This much time having passed, I worry that the author has abandoned this project. Too bad, it showed promise, a contemporary fantasy with a lesbian romance worked into it. I can only give it the three stars until (if ever) book two arrives.

[࣪ ִֶָ☾. · Rating 2 out of 5]

very underwhelming

[Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining enough, if a bit predictable. Would probably read a sequel (which the ending basically declared would be written). Not necessarily the most original overall concept, though I did like the take on what might cause the beasty business.
Would recommend to folks looking for a quick, non-scary, "suspense" story with a bit of supernatural hooplah and a bit of random romance, and a certain lack of resolution - for this book, at least, that may change if/when a sequel is released.

[Francis Franklin]

I quite enjoyed the first half of this, which was an enjoyably baffling chase sequence.

Unfortunately, as soon as the action slowed down, the plot shifted from paranormal thriller with an eccentric, intelligent, non-romantic heroine to a teenage romance with a stupid heroine.

[Im · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book, I can only hope the author concludes the story in another book.