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Almost Human : Redemption
They say that hurt people hurt people. And nobody is hurting quite like Edel.
After her devastating meltdown, Edel finds herself alone in a new city. She believes Mack is dead, and nothing else matters. Edel has spent her whole life fearing humans, but she soon realises she is superior to them in every way. With nobody to hold her accountable, she becomes cold, emotionless, and deathly dangerous.
Jay and Danny are devastated by Edel's disappearance. While Jay helps Mack with his recovery, Danny throws himself into searching for Edel. When Jay and Danny find her living a life of violent crime, they drop the bombshell that changes Mack survived her meltdown.
With the support of her friends, Edel returns home, but she struggles to come to terms with the suffering she has caused. She does everything in her power to atone for her behaviour, and she vows she will never intentionally hurt another person. But when her friends' lives are threatened by the controlled XJ5 and her handlers, Edel is faced with a difficult choice. She is trying so hard to be righteous, but is the wrong thing always the wrong thing? Can acts of vicious cruelty be forgiven if they are done for a good reason?
After her devastating meltdown, Edel finds herself alone in a new city. She believes Mack is dead, and nothing else matters. Edel has spent her whole life fearing humans, but she soon realises she is superior to them in every way. With nobody to hold her accountable, she becomes cold, emotionless, and deathly dangerous.
Jay and Danny are devastated by Edel's disappearance. While Jay helps Mack with his recovery, Danny throws himself into searching for Edel. When Jay and Danny find her living a life of violent crime, they drop the bombshell that changes Mack survived her meltdown.
With the support of her friends, Edel returns home, but she struggles to come to terms with the suffering she has caused. She does everything in her power to atone for her behaviour, and she vows she will never intentionally hurt another person. But when her friends' lives are threatened by the controlled XJ5 and her handlers, Edel is faced with a difficult choice. She is trying so hard to be righteous, but is the wrong thing always the wrong thing? Can acts of vicious cruelty be forgiven if they are done for a good reason?
447 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2025
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 7, 2025
A fantastic read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by Ashleigh Reverie. The writing is sublime, and the storytelling is epic.
Poor Edel has been through so much, but thinking she has killed the man she loves during a meltdown, she goes on the run
Her life takes her down a sinister pathway that leaves her believing she is evil through and through.
Coming to her senses, Edel finds her way back to her best friends, Jay and Daniel, who are ready to forgive and forget. But what about Mack, the man she thinks she has killed?
Will he survive? And if he does, can he forgive?
I suggest you read this book to find out. Highest recommendations!
I thoroughly enjoyed this new book by Ashleigh Reverie. The writing is sublime, and the storytelling is epic.
Poor Edel has been through so much, but thinking she has killed the man she loves during a meltdown, she goes on the run
Her life takes her down a sinister pathway that leaves her believing she is evil through and through.
Coming to her senses, Edel finds her way back to her best friends, Jay and Daniel, who are ready to forgive and forget. But what about Mack, the man she thinks she has killed?
Will he survive? And if he does, can he forgive?
I suggest you read this book to find out. Highest recommendations!
October 6, 2025
I loved this latest book by Ashleigh Reverie. It might even be my favourite.
Edel has gone over to the dark side after escaping Harpton Main. Finding herself alone and helpless, she joins a criminal gang and works for them as a… well, let’s just say she extracts information and metes out what they call justice. It soon becomes clear that redemption is out of her reach. But Jay and Danny are still looking for her.
The trouble is, does she want to be found? Does she even want to face what happened and what she’s done?
This author believes firmly in putting characters through the wringer and there were so many moments when I wanted to put my arms around Edel and give her a big, comforting hug. Edel wouldn’t have liked that at all and it’s probably best I don’t even try.
Edel has gone over to the dark side after escaping Harpton Main. Finding herself alone and helpless, she joins a criminal gang and works for them as a… well, let’s just say she extracts information and metes out what they call justice. It soon becomes clear that redemption is out of her reach. But Jay and Danny are still looking for her.
The trouble is, does she want to be found? Does she even want to face what happened and what she’s done?
This author believes firmly in putting characters through the wringer and there were so many moments when I wanted to put my arms around Edel and give her a big, comforting hug. Edel wouldn’t have liked that at all and it’s probably best I don’t even try.
October 5, 2025
I read this over a month ago I think , and I forgot to leave a review! This was rather spine tingling , because I could sense that Edel was not as evil as she thought she was and it was fascinating watching everything she said and did, and I won't do a spoiler, but because she thought she was responsible for something that she actually wasn't responsible for. l never could have predicted the ending. This is probably one of the most unique books this author has written to date!
June 7, 2025
Edel's Saga Continues: A Strong, Surprising "Redemption"
Ashleigh Reverie continues to deliver with "Almost Human: Redemption," the latest instalment in a series that has captivated me from the start. My journey with Edel has been a highlight of my reading, and this book was no exception. After the nail-biting cliffhanger the author left us with in book 4, I was practically counting down the days for "Redemption," and it did not disappoint in continuing Edel's compelling saga.
The narrative picks up with the intensity I've come to expect, and I was thoroughly invested in seeing how Edel would navigate the fallout. The ending, in particular, took me by surprise with its tone – it wasn't what I anticipated, but it was a welcome shift that felt fitting for Edel's ongoing journey and the series' evolving themes. It didn't disappoint me in the slightest and has set up what promises to be a formidable challenge for Edel in the next book. I sincerely hope we get to see that next chapter soon!
While "Redemption" is a strong addition and kept me thoroughly engaged, a couple of elements held it back from a perfect score for me. At times, I felt certain parts of the narrative were a bit rushed, moving through significant developments perhaps a little too quickly for them to fully land with the weight they deserved. Additionally, there were a couple of instances where a character's sudden change of heart (technically two characters, if I'm being precise!) didn't feel entirely earned or believable to me. Without delving into spoilers, these shifts felt a little abrupt given their previous characterization, and I found myself questioning the motivations behind them.
On a more minor note, I found myself a little puzzled by the "About the Author" section at the end – I wasn't quite sure what message the author intended to convey there.
Despite these minor points, "Almost Human: Redemption" is a fantastic continuation of Edel's story. I remain a devoted fan of this series and am keenly looking forward to seeing how Edel tackles what's next. It’s a solid 4-star read that fans of Edel will undoubtedly appreciate.
July 5, 2025
Not wanting to spoil the ending of book 4 but after that dramatic cliffhanger and Edel going into full meltdown she escapes Harpton Main on a cargo train and finds herself in the distant city of Elsom. Believing the worse has happened back home she is in a very dark place and with no money she first hides in the slums but she finds a way to survive by associating herself with the criminal underbelly of Elsom and gets herself a job doing some rather dodgy and shocking things for one of the big bosses that only someone with her unique abilities could do. She spends months here before Jay and Danny find her and bring her back home where she discovers that things there are not as bad as she had first imagined. But she can’t settle down and pretend that things are back to normal. Due to the things she did in Elsom she has a long path of redemption to follow. What makes it worse though is that the new scheme that HGMR were threatening to begin has now started which means there is a new XJ5 in town who can feel Edel and Danny and when that happens Edel has to confront the XJ5 and convince her to not tell HGMR about her or all the people she loves may be in danger. Will Edel resort to something that she promised she wouldn’t do after leaving Elsom and destroy everything she worked on to redeem herself? As with the other books in the series this is a brilliant and fast paced read but for this installment it is a lot darker. If you have read Return to Poly Gen it’s kind of like that in its tone and the torture scenes are bloody and barbaric. So if you’re screamish about that kind of thing be warned. I still loved it though and the suspense and tension was palpable and it had me looking over my shoulder to make sure an XJ5 wasn’t there. The ending finishes with a spark of hope and sets up an exciting sixth book that would be anyone’s guess in what direction it will go. I am definitely looking forward to reading it.
January 8, 2026
This is my favourite series of all time, and I tell everybody how great it is. You need to read this book or miss out. Redemption is the fifth book in the series, and it doesn’t lose any of its momentum.
We open with a very different Edel. Who is this new person? She’s come so far, and we’ve tracked her character through the series as we’ve seen her soften and grow. She develops her humanity and understanding of our strange world book-by-book.
But this Edel is brutal. Her character and personality are different from the last book. From the first chapter, we see the creation of a Frankenstein’s monster that we’ve rooted for her to fight against.
This is where the brilliant writing comes to the fore. The change is stark, but at the same time, it’s seamless. The beauty is that Edel regresses, but with her regression, there is evolution, so she doesn’t return to the damaged creature she was in Book One. She takes everything she’s learnt about life and uses it as her weapon. It’s so wrong to take her backwards that it’s perfectly right. It’s stunning writing. Edel’s in a bad place, and the book is absolutely about redemption.
The author gets into the heads of people. All people. She understands how to make her characters pop. Whether witting or unwitting, she writes neurodivergence with unbelievable understanding. And we see the world through Edel’s eyes, where normal is foreign, and the simplest things don’t make sense if they don’t have a footing in logic.
A brilliant continuation of the series and a must-read. Highly recommended.
We open with a very different Edel. Who is this new person? She’s come so far, and we’ve tracked her character through the series as we’ve seen her soften and grow. She develops her humanity and understanding of our strange world book-by-book.
But this Edel is brutal. Her character and personality are different from the last book. From the first chapter, we see the creation of a Frankenstein’s monster that we’ve rooted for her to fight against.
This is where the brilliant writing comes to the fore. The change is stark, but at the same time, it’s seamless. The beauty is that Edel regresses, but with her regression, there is evolution, so she doesn’t return to the damaged creature she was in Book One. She takes everything she’s learnt about life and uses it as her weapon. It’s so wrong to take her backwards that it’s perfectly right. It’s stunning writing. Edel’s in a bad place, and the book is absolutely about redemption.
The author gets into the heads of people. All people. She understands how to make her characters pop. Whether witting or unwitting, she writes neurodivergence with unbelievable understanding. And we see the world through Edel’s eyes, where normal is foreign, and the simplest things don’t make sense if they don’t have a footing in logic.
A brilliant continuation of the series and a must-read. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2025
This book takes you into the deep recesses of your own mind and makes you ask yourself all kinds of hypothetical questions about what YOU would do in certain situations and what you might or might not forgive. Had to just get that out there first. LOL The best parts were simply wondering what Edel was going to do next. I HATE when I can predict what a character will do and I'm right. I was wrong 100% of the time with Edel. I never guessed and it made the pacing SO exciting. I love the way she survived doing tasks that were kind of shocking for those dudes. She kind of cornered the market due to her unique skills. I almost felt her relief when they brought her back and she realized she imagined things back there worse than what it actually was, but then the ultimate "test of herself" as I call it, comes and yet another surprise. I found the ending poignant and unforgettable. Thanks for recommending this, Jess! Another winner by Ashleigh Reverie!
October 11, 2025
I got tied up with crazy emergencies so I went back and started it over because it's too good to forget any of it. Jess got me on this series a long time ago but this one was really unusual. They are all great reading but this was unique is several ways, even more than any of the others. Be warned if you're squeamish, though, but the way the tension builds is worth any cringe moments. It's kind of like Poly Gen on steroids but one of the things that keep you hanging is whether Edel will do the very thing she promised not to. I was sure it was going to turn out differently with XJ5, (oooh, lots of tension there!) and I liked that things back at home were not as bad as she thought. I like the sub pot or whatever you would call it when she is working as Danny and Jay try to find her. That could have just been ordinary but the author made it like a story within a story and that was highly entertaining! The pacing is perfect as always! Top notch book!
October 21, 2025
Brilliant!
This latest book in the series is an emotional rollercoaster, charting Edel’s plummet to the depths of despair before clawing her way up again, only to fall back. It is the darkest instalment so far, suffused with Edel’s self-loathing and remorse for the acts she committed in the absence of hope. Although, as usual, the main focus is on feelings and character dynamics, this is beautifully balanced with a fast-moving plot that reverberates with menace and calamity. The whole series is consistently excellent, and each book I read becomes my favourite! This instalment is no exception, and I found it totally unputdownable! I hope the author is planning to write book 6. Very highly recommended!
This latest book in the series is an emotional rollercoaster, charting Edel’s plummet to the depths of despair before clawing her way up again, only to fall back. It is the darkest instalment so far, suffused with Edel’s self-loathing and remorse for the acts she committed in the absence of hope. Although, as usual, the main focus is on feelings and character dynamics, this is beautifully balanced with a fast-moving plot that reverberates with menace and calamity. The whole series is consistently excellent, and each book I read becomes my favourite! This instalment is no exception, and I found it totally unputdownable! I hope the author is planning to write book 6. Very highly recommended!
November 19, 2025
This is most recent book in the Almost Human series and I finished a while ago and cannot believe I forgot to do the review. Jesse will be ticked because I do this a lot...I read a great book, write the review in my head and forget to post it! Anyway, she was spot on to recommend this! It's the full spectrum of emotion and you'll feel them all. It tracks Edel’s plunge into an abyss of lost hope and self-loathing that she struggles out of and then plummets back into. It's dark and disturbing but in a good way if that makes sense. Pacing is perfectly balanced with a quick plot that keeps you on the edge! In a consistently excellent series, this one has become my favorite, even unseating Recovery which was my ultimate favorite although it's hard to pick one. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2025
Fantastic read
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews