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Anomaly #1
Shades of Treason
Ash would have given her life to save her teammates.
Instead, they gave their lives to save hers.
Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn is an anomaly, a person whose genetic makeup makes her stronger and smarter than the average human. She’s pledged her life to protect the Coalition, an alliance of thirteen planetary systems, but when a top secret operation turns bloody, she’s charged with treason and the brutal executions of her teammates.
The Coalition needs the information Ash’s team stole on their last mission, so they send in Commander Rhys “Rest in Peace” Rykus to get it. He’s the man who’s responsible for turning Ash into an elite soldier… and he’s a man who isn’t, never was, and never will be in love with the woman he trained. Or so he tells himself.
Ash wants nothing more than to clear her name and be the woman her former instructor wants her to be, but the enemy who killed her teammates did more than frame her for treason and murder: they telepathically silenced her mind, preventing her from saying anything that might point to the truth about what happened.
Now Ash is trapped and set to be executed, the truth dying with her. Unless she can prove her innocence. But taking that path could destroy the Coalition she’s sworn to preserve and protect…
Instead, they gave their lives to save hers.
Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn is an anomaly, a person whose genetic makeup makes her stronger and smarter than the average human. She’s pledged her life to protect the Coalition, an alliance of thirteen planetary systems, but when a top secret operation turns bloody, she’s charged with treason and the brutal executions of her teammates.
The Coalition needs the information Ash’s team stole on their last mission, so they send in Commander Rhys “Rest in Peace” Rykus to get it. He’s the man who’s responsible for turning Ash into an elite soldier… and he’s a man who isn’t, never was, and never will be in love with the woman he trained. Or so he tells himself.
Ash wants nothing more than to clear her name and be the woman her former instructor wants her to be, but the enemy who killed her teammates did more than frame her for treason and murder: they telepathically silenced her mind, preventing her from saying anything that might point to the truth about what happened.
Now Ash is trapped and set to be executed, the truth dying with her. Unless she can prove her innocence. But taking that path could destroy the Coalition she’s sworn to preserve and protect…
275 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
253 people are currently reading
2383 people want to read
About the author
Sandy Williams
15 books1,049 followersSandy Williams writes urban fantasy and science fiction, both with a strong shot of romance. She's a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope and loves books with high stakes and fantastical settings. When she's not being a bookworm, she loves playing board and card games like Dominion, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Dungeon Petz, etc (but not Goblins because she ALWAYS loses that damn game).
15% off your first order when you buy direct at www.sandy-williams.com
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January 9, 2021Yep. Adding this to my to-read list because I cannot freaking wait to be done with these edits. It'll be nice to read the story without having to make any tweaks. :-)
September 7, 2017
I love action/adventure stories with romance and was hoping this would be a good one.
Ash is an elite soldier chick who is framed for the murder of her entire crew and finds herself reunited with the man who trained her, a stoic commander dude named Rykus, who's been tasked with getting information out of Ash about her last mission.
I LOVED this at first. There was good tension between Ash and Rykus. Ash's POVs were awesome (Rykus not so much, but whatever), the action scenes were exciting, and the plot was suspenseful.
It was all going great until it wasn't :P
Sex Stuff comes out of nowhere (seriously man, it was awkwardly done and just plain weird given the circumstances) and the romance as a whole was super gag (and Rykus's POVs got progressively worse and worse).
The Sex Stuff and Romance were written too cheesily for me, and it somehow suffocated the better parts of the story.
I really enjoyed the telepathy aspect of the plot and I still think Ash is a great character, so I may continue this series.
Ash is an elite soldier chick who is framed for the murder of her entire crew and finds herself reunited with the man who trained her, a stoic commander dude named Rykus, who's been tasked with getting information out of Ash about her last mission.
I LOVED this at first. There was good tension between Ash and Rykus. Ash's POVs were awesome (Rykus not so much, but whatever), the action scenes were exciting, and the plot was suspenseful.
It was all going great until it wasn't :P
Sex Stuff comes out of nowhere (seriously man, it was awkwardly done and just plain weird given the circumstances) and the romance as a whole was super gag (and Rykus's POVs got progressively worse and worse).
The Sex Stuff and Romance were written too cheesily for me, and it somehow suffocated the better parts of the story.
I really enjoyed the telepathy aspect of the plot and I still think Ash is a great character, so I may continue this series.
October 28, 2015
Loved this Bourne in space adventure, starring a wrongly accused heroine and her former instructor/sometime CO. The suspense and romance plots married well here because only Ramie and Rhys' previous relationship allows them to win because who else will believe her innocence? Plus, Shades of Treason actually explores the ethics of a commander/subordinate relationship.
Ramie, the heroine, convinces as a soldier, which is rare in genre fic these days, because she's practical and deploys some recognizable fighting/survival skills. Because she was so believable I liked the super soldier aspect. God-mode can kills books, but the super soldiers were just people amped up and deployed in different fields, meaning the stakes were still high and intense. Ramie definitely showed both vulnerability and strength. Both characters admired each other and were strong without taking away from each other, a hard balance to strike. It's rare I root for a couple this much.
Great plausible action too, fast-paced and researched. Sandy Williams has a light, subtle hand I appreciate. Not to say that there weren't telepaths and almost physiological brainwashing, etc. It is scifi! Four/five stars. Disappointed the sequel isn't available yet. Booooo.
Ramie, the heroine, convinces as a soldier, which is rare in genre fic these days, because she's practical and deploys some recognizable fighting/survival skills. Because she was so believable I liked the super soldier aspect. God-mode can kills books, but the super soldiers were just people amped up and deployed in different fields, meaning the stakes were still high and intense. Ramie definitely showed both vulnerability and strength. Both characters admired each other and were strong without taking away from each other, a hard balance to strike. It's rare I root for a couple this much.
Great plausible action too, fast-paced and researched. Sandy Williams has a light, subtle hand I appreciate. Not to say that there weren't telepaths and almost physiological brainwashing, etc. It is scifi! Four/five stars. Disappointed the sequel isn't available yet. Booooo.
February 12, 2018
Man, this is a very hard book to rate and review. My feelings are totally bi-polar in so many areas, I’m not sure this will even make sense! BUT... here goes...
Overall, this book is a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat, non-stop, action-packed science fiction thrill ride. From the moment the first page is turned to the minute the last page is read the story never stalls. Usually that is a great thing (and it did keep me up until the middle of the night reading). The downside for me, however, was because of the way the story was set-up, for over half the book the major emotion was incredible stress!
To explain: Ash is accused of horrifically killing all her team and is set to be executed for treason if she doesn’t speak up. BUT, she can’t speak up because the people who really are responsible telepathically blocked her mind so every time she tries, she blanks out. To everyone but herself, it looks like she just spaces out and won’t answer. She is repeatedly interrogated and tortured but there is nothing she can do but try and escape. On top of that, the man she cares most in the world for is the one assigned to get the information from her. See what I mean? STRESSFUL to read! It’s genius on the author’s part because the reader knows the truth and experiences the same desperate emotions Ash’s character does. Still, I’m not sure I like being totally stressed out throughout 2/3 of a book I’m reading for enjoyment.
So - while it’s incredibly well done - I’m not sure I liked it.
AND.... as a side note - the one area I think the author really went off-track was the sex scene. Made absolutely no sense given the circumstances. Completely awkward placement in the plot and not needed. There were MANY other ways to solidify the relationship that would have worked better and not felt like it was included only as a requirement for publication success.
Overall, this book is a high-octane, edge-of-your-seat, non-stop, action-packed science fiction thrill ride. From the moment the first page is turned to the minute the last page is read the story never stalls. Usually that is a great thing (and it did keep me up until the middle of the night reading). The downside for me, however, was because of the way the story was set-up, for over half the book the major emotion was incredible stress!
To explain: Ash is accused of horrifically killing all her team and is set to be executed for treason if she doesn’t speak up. BUT, she can’t speak up because the people who really are responsible telepathically blocked her mind so every time she tries, she blanks out. To everyone but herself, it looks like she just spaces out and won’t answer. She is repeatedly interrogated and tortured but there is nothing she can do but try and escape. On top of that, the man she cares most in the world for is the one assigned to get the information from her. See what I mean? STRESSFUL to read! It’s genius on the author’s part because the reader knows the truth and experiences the same desperate emotions Ash’s character does. Still, I’m not sure I like being totally stressed out throughout 2/3 of a book I’m reading for enjoyment.
So - while it’s incredibly well done - I’m not sure I liked it.
AND.... as a side note - the one area I think the author really went off-track was the sex scene. Made absolutely no sense given the circumstances. Completely awkward placement in the plot and not needed. There were MANY other ways to solidify the relationship that would have worked better and not felt like it was included only as a requirement for publication success.
July 8, 2015
Sandy Williams' Shadow Reader series is one of my favorite urban fantasies out there, so when I heard she had an upcoming sci-fi romance I jumped up and down with glee! I was not at all disappointed. Shades of Treason has non-stop action and is riddled with great characters, terrific twists and turns, and a promising romance.
Let's start with the obvious...this is sci-fi. Some of you might lean more toward fantasy and paranormal, as I tend to do. Make no mistake, this is definitely a science fiction story. However, it is not at all overwrought with science-y terms or so futuristic that you can't enjoy the story. Readers who enjoy UF will really be able to get into this story and not get hung up on the science. I was fully engrossed, and there were only a few times that I had to back up and reread to fully understand. A large part of the story takes place on a ship (think outer space, not the sea) and a few of the descriptions of things on this futuristic ship were the only times I found myself really needing to read again.
Now, the characters. This story is told from the alternating POVs of Ashdyn and Rhys Rykus. Ash is the only female "anomaly" to be a part of a loyalty training program that makes her a stronger and better soldier but attaches her mind's loyalty to a commander. She is a bit feisty and bucks against authority, despite her loyalty to the Coalition and her job as a soldier. She is a complex character, balancing logic with impulsiveness, indoctrination with rebelliousness. Sometimes her attitude reminded me of a grown up Rose from Vampire Academy. She wavers back and forth between admirable and infuriating. Its a purposeful waver, as it gives her character a lot of layers. Sometimes you love her and feel for her and sometimes you want to jump through your book and shake her! She has the added challenge of not being able to actually speak about the events that took place on her previous mission, the events that led to her entire team being murdered and her being named a traitor. This challenge causes a lot of the action and conflict in the story that I both loved and bit my nails while reading.
Rhys Rykus is is beloved and decorated Commander is the Coalition's military. He is also the Commander to whom Ash's loyalty is attached. With a certain voice and intent, he can give her a direction that she almost always has to follow. He's the strong and silent type for sure, more action than words. It was good that we got to read from his POV because I don't know that I would have really understood him as well if the entire story had been from Ash's POV. He is constantly having an internal battle with himself about roughly five different things at any given time. One of those battles is over his feelings for Ash...first because everyone thinks she is a traitor and later because he is her Commander. Their romance is sure to be complicated over however many more books we can expect in this series.
The last thing I MUST talk about is all the action in this book! There was something exciting happening nonstop. I tore through this book in a very short period of time, which is reminiscent of Williams' other series. This is why I suggest this book to lovers of UF. Those readers will greatly appreciate all of the action: multiple mysteries, never knowing exactly who to trust, well thought out fight scenes, a kick-ass heroine, etc.
I highly recommend this start to the new Anomaly series! I was totally absorbed in Shades of Treason the entire time I was reading it. I look forward to what happens to Ash and Rykus next!
This review is based on an advance copy of the book, provided by the book tour.
Let's start with the obvious...this is sci-fi. Some of you might lean more toward fantasy and paranormal, as I tend to do. Make no mistake, this is definitely a science fiction story. However, it is not at all overwrought with science-y terms or so futuristic that you can't enjoy the story. Readers who enjoy UF will really be able to get into this story and not get hung up on the science. I was fully engrossed, and there were only a few times that I had to back up and reread to fully understand. A large part of the story takes place on a ship (think outer space, not the sea) and a few of the descriptions of things on this futuristic ship were the only times I found myself really needing to read again.
Now, the characters. This story is told from the alternating POVs of Ashdyn and Rhys Rykus. Ash is the only female "anomaly" to be a part of a loyalty training program that makes her a stronger and better soldier but attaches her mind's loyalty to a commander. She is a bit feisty and bucks against authority, despite her loyalty to the Coalition and her job as a soldier. She is a complex character, balancing logic with impulsiveness, indoctrination with rebelliousness. Sometimes her attitude reminded me of a grown up Rose from Vampire Academy. She wavers back and forth between admirable and infuriating. Its a purposeful waver, as it gives her character a lot of layers. Sometimes you love her and feel for her and sometimes you want to jump through your book and shake her! She has the added challenge of not being able to actually speak about the events that took place on her previous mission, the events that led to her entire team being murdered and her being named a traitor. This challenge causes a lot of the action and conflict in the story that I both loved and bit my nails while reading.
Rhys Rykus is is beloved and decorated Commander is the Coalition's military. He is also the Commander to whom Ash's loyalty is attached. With a certain voice and intent, he can give her a direction that she almost always has to follow. He's the strong and silent type for sure, more action than words. It was good that we got to read from his POV because I don't know that I would have really understood him as well if the entire story had been from Ash's POV. He is constantly having an internal battle with himself about roughly five different things at any given time. One of those battles is over his feelings for Ash...first because everyone thinks she is a traitor and later because he is her Commander. Their romance is sure to be complicated over however many more books we can expect in this series.
The last thing I MUST talk about is all the action in this book! There was something exciting happening nonstop. I tore through this book in a very short period of time, which is reminiscent of Williams' other series. This is why I suggest this book to lovers of UF. Those readers will greatly appreciate all of the action: multiple mysteries, never knowing exactly who to trust, well thought out fight scenes, a kick-ass heroine, etc.
I highly recommend this start to the new Anomaly series! I was totally absorbed in Shades of Treason the entire time I was reading it. I look forward to what happens to Ash and Rykus next!
This review is based on an advance copy of the book, provided by the book tour.
February 24, 2017
ARC Review: 3.5 stars
The story begins with Lt. Ramie Ashdyn being interrogated by Commander Rhys Rykus. Ash is an anomaly, a rare group of people with enhanced abilities. They represent only 2% of the known universe. Anomalies volunteer for loyalty training in which they choose to give up their free will in order to better serve The Coalition. Commander Rykus is a renowned trainer of anomalies. Ash was one of his students, the first female graduate of the program.
Ash has been trained to be absolutely loyal to the Commander. However, in the year of training under his command, she was a wildcard - always teasing and pushing against his stoicism. She had a talent for riling him up. Was it mere teasing, or something else?
Ash is in trouble because she has essential information for the Coalition against its enemies. However, she has been exposed to mind control, a version of psychological warfare, in which she cannot speak about the data or the circumstances surrounding her last mission without blanking out. Furthermore, it is unclear whether it is a good thing for her superiors to possess this information. Ash believes that it has the potential to tear The Coalition apart.
I really enjoyed the premise of this science fiction story. The narrative is imaginative and creative. There are heartbeat-raising moments. There is action and adventure and a pretty good romance. The sexual tension between Ash and Rykus is crackling and if you’ve ever had a crush on a teacher, you will easily understand her attraction. I am a fan of Sandy William’s Shadow Reader series and her writing style continues to be very engaging. Ms. Williams puts us right into the middle of the action.
This book has lots of potential, but unfortunately, it is not fully realized. When a writer knows that he or she is going write a series, there has to be a balance between wrapping up the current story, and yet, leave the reader wanting for more. This story is a little imbalanced. There are too many unanswered questions and not enough closure. I did not finish completely satisfied. But because I know this is a series, I can be patient and can hope to learn more in the next novel. Sandy Williams, bring it on!
IN A NUTSHELL:
This is a fantastic, albeit a little incomplete, read. Despite my disappointment with dangling storylines, I’m still happy I read the book. It is worth your investment and time because the series potential is outstanding.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Originally posted at: Love Affair with an E-Reader
The story begins with Lt. Ramie Ashdyn being interrogated by Commander Rhys Rykus. Ash is an anomaly, a rare group of people with enhanced abilities. They represent only 2% of the known universe. Anomalies volunteer for loyalty training in which they choose to give up their free will in order to better serve The Coalition. Commander Rykus is a renowned trainer of anomalies. Ash was one of his students, the first female graduate of the program.
Ash has been trained to be absolutely loyal to the Commander. However, in the year of training under his command, she was a wildcard - always teasing and pushing against his stoicism. She had a talent for riling him up. Was it mere teasing, or something else?
Ash is in trouble because she has essential information for the Coalition against its enemies. However, she has been exposed to mind control, a version of psychological warfare, in which she cannot speak about the data or the circumstances surrounding her last mission without blanking out. Furthermore, it is unclear whether it is a good thing for her superiors to possess this information. Ash believes that it has the potential to tear The Coalition apart.
I really enjoyed the premise of this science fiction story. The narrative is imaginative and creative. There are heartbeat-raising moments. There is action and adventure and a pretty good romance. The sexual tension between Ash and Rykus is crackling and if you’ve ever had a crush on a teacher, you will easily understand her attraction. I am a fan of Sandy William’s Shadow Reader series and her writing style continues to be very engaging. Ms. Williams puts us right into the middle of the action.
This book has lots of potential, but unfortunately, it is not fully realized. When a writer knows that he or she is going write a series, there has to be a balance between wrapping up the current story, and yet, leave the reader wanting for more. This story is a little imbalanced. There are too many unanswered questions and not enough closure. I did not finish completely satisfied. But because I know this is a series, I can be patient and can hope to learn more in the next novel. Sandy Williams, bring it on!
IN A NUTSHELL:
This is a fantastic, albeit a little incomplete, read. Despite my disappointment with dangling storylines, I’m still happy I read the book. It is worth your investment and time because the series potential is outstanding.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Originally posted at: Love Affair with an E-Reader
July 5, 2015
Grade: B-
The beginning of Shades of Treason packs adrenaline-rushing action. I was on the edge of my seat and prepared for a great ride. A gripping conflict, crackling sexual tension, intrigue, and a coalition on the precipice of war - I buckled up for safety. Then, the ride lost some of its steam, yet I still felt very satisfied with Ms. William's new series. Fans of science-fiction and/or military-romantic-suspense may also enjoy SoT.
More to come...possibly. ;D
The beginning of Shades of Treason packs adrenaline-rushing action. I was on the edge of my seat and prepared for a great ride. A gripping conflict, crackling sexual tension, intrigue, and a coalition on the precipice of war - I buckled up for safety. Then, the ride lost some of its steam, yet I still felt very satisfied with Ms. William's new series. Fans of science-fiction and/or military-romantic-suspense may also enjoy SoT.
More to come...possibly. ;D
July 2, 2015
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
‘All they need was a reason, a conspiracy. Learning that telepaths existed and that they had infiltrated the Coalition would make them suspect everyone. The senators already fought and argued and threatened to secede. She wouldn’t give them more fuel to burn their ties.’
Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn and her team are sent on a mission by the Coalition to steal classified information from the Saricean’s but she is the only survivor. She is subsequently blamed for their deaths and charged with treason. She’s left unable to speak the truth of the situation in order to clear her name because her mind has been altered by a telepath. The proof of the existence of telepaths is the classified information that her team stole and inevitably gave their lives to keep secret because the knowledge of this may be the very thing to tear the Coalition apart.
‘In three days, Rykus would lead a contingent of soldiers in a daring, deadly assault on an enemy shipyard. In three days, the Coalition and the Sariceans would be at war.’
Ashdyn is a stubborn, badass chick who has no problem taking care of herself. Growing up starving on the streets of Glory, she volunteered to become a soldier of the Coalition. She also discovered she’s faster and more powerful than any human being: she’s an anomaly. We’re given very little of her background and the details behind being an anomaly and while it was enough to clarify most questions, I wanted more details because it was an extremely interesting concept. I loved the inclusion of Commander Rhys Rykus and the whole concept behind the loyalty training as well. Due to an issue with an anomaly’s mental stability, they underwent loyalty training which made them dependable soldiers that would follow instruction and wouldn’t snap under the strain they underwent. Commander Rhys Rykus was Ashdyn’s instructor and he’s been requested to use that loyalty training in order to get the classified information from her. It doesn’t help matters that the two have a very complicated and heated rapport, both denying the existence of feelings they may have because a relationship between them is out of the question.
Conspiracies, treason, and intrigue oh my! Shades of Treason includes all of that and more (like a pretty hot relationship build-up). I hope to see more delving into the world-building in subsequent installments. Specifically, I’d love to know more about anomaly’s and not just who the Saricean’s are but what caused the war between them and the Coalition. Nonetheless this is still an auspicious start to an exciting series that I’m most looking forward to!
I received this book free from Book Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
‘All they need was a reason, a conspiracy. Learning that telepaths existed and that they had infiltrated the Coalition would make them suspect everyone. The senators already fought and argued and threatened to secede. She wouldn’t give them more fuel to burn their ties.’
Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn and her team are sent on a mission by the Coalition to steal classified information from the Saricean’s but she is the only survivor. She is subsequently blamed for their deaths and charged with treason. She’s left unable to speak the truth of the situation in order to clear her name because her mind has been altered by a telepath. The proof of the existence of telepaths is the classified information that her team stole and inevitably gave their lives to keep secret because the knowledge of this may be the very thing to tear the Coalition apart.
‘In three days, Rykus would lead a contingent of soldiers in a daring, deadly assault on an enemy shipyard. In three days, the Coalition and the Sariceans would be at war.’
Ashdyn is a stubborn, badass chick who has no problem taking care of herself. Growing up starving on the streets of Glory, she volunteered to become a soldier of the Coalition. She also discovered she’s faster and more powerful than any human being: she’s an anomaly. We’re given very little of her background and the details behind being an anomaly and while it was enough to clarify most questions, I wanted more details because it was an extremely interesting concept. I loved the inclusion of Commander Rhys Rykus and the whole concept behind the loyalty training as well. Due to an issue with an anomaly’s mental stability, they underwent loyalty training which made them dependable soldiers that would follow instruction and wouldn’t snap under the strain they underwent. Commander Rhys Rykus was Ashdyn’s instructor and he’s been requested to use that loyalty training in order to get the classified information from her. It doesn’t help matters that the two have a very complicated and heated rapport, both denying the existence of feelings they may have because a relationship between them is out of the question.
Conspiracies, treason, and intrigue oh my! Shades of Treason includes all of that and more (like a pretty hot relationship build-up). I hope to see more delving into the world-building in subsequent installments. Specifically, I’d love to know more about anomaly’s and not just who the Saricean’s are but what caused the war between them and the Coalition. Nonetheless this is still an auspicious start to an exciting series that I’m most looking forward to!
I received this book free from Book Tour in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
September 15, 2015
2.5 stars; I'm a fan of Sandy Williams but this one just didn't work for me. It starts off strong but had some story elements that felt unclear, a sex scene that was totally out of place, and the pacing was a bit off for me as the story progressed.
November 9, 2016
I loved it!!! Really!!! Even if this is not stirctly a romance!
This is a gritty SF action movie made book! LOL
I admired the heroine, Ash, her determination and her force of will! She's gone through some of the toughest training and is the only woman ever to make it till the end! Even if she's an anomaly! WOW! Just WOW!
Her trainer, RIP, is also a very interesting character. He, as well as all the other people who are part of this military force, is tough as nails, but he hides well that Ash is his weakness. Nobody knows that, least of all Ash!
The idea and backstory is excellent! So very intriguing, so very interesting! I was biting my nail while reading! What other disasters could happen to her? Torture by the very people she's been trying to save? Experimenting on her to find out what's gone wrong with her? Betrey her? Think her a spy for the enemy? And that's not all!! As I said: WOW, just WOW!!
This book has a kind of ending that I wouldn't consider a plain chiffhanger, but it is a kind of... Some things are resolved, but many more are left open! I'm so looking forward to the next book to see where the story will go!
So, if you like films, like G.I. Jane, I think you'll enjoy this book as much as I did!
This is a gritty SF action movie made book! LOL
I admired the heroine, Ash, her determination and her force of will! She's gone through some of the toughest training and is the only woman ever to make it till the end! Even if she's an anomaly! WOW! Just WOW!
Her trainer, RIP, is also a very interesting character. He, as well as all the other people who are part of this military force, is tough as nails, but he hides well that Ash is his weakness. Nobody knows that, least of all Ash!
The idea and backstory is excellent! So very intriguing, so very interesting! I was biting my nail while reading! What other disasters could happen to her? Torture by the very people she's been trying to save? Experimenting on her to find out what's gone wrong with her? Betrey her? Think her a spy for the enemy? And that's not all!! As I said: WOW, just WOW!!
This book has a kind of ending that I wouldn't consider a plain chiffhanger, but it is a kind of... Some things are resolved, but many more are left open! I'm so looking forward to the next book to see where the story will go!
So, if you like films, like G.I. Jane, I think you'll enjoy this book as much as I did!
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October 28, 2024
When I first tried reading this book, I DNFed 15% in because it just wasn't catching me, then promptly forgot it had ever existed.
But last week I was scrolling through my Kindle to see what I hadn't read on there, and thought I'd give it another shot. This time I made it all the way to the end, though this is definitely a case of great potential, flat execution.
The world is a fairly generic sci-fi/space one where there's a coalition of planets who have banded together and fight against the Sariceans, a vague enemy you never actually see. Lieutenant Ramie 'Ash' Ashdyn is an anomaly, a human born with genetic enhancements that make her a perfect super-soldier. All anomalies are locked to a failsafe - a commanding officer whose orders they're bound to follow - and in her case it's Rykus, a decorated war hero. They haven't seen each other since she finished her training, but when she apparently snaps and murders all her teammates, he's brought in as the only person who can control her.
Of course, Ash isn't actually a traitor... but she can't tell anyone that, because there's a mental lock on her mind. The first half of the book is Rykus frustratedly trying to batter away at what he thinks is her disobedience; this tension is well-written and real bad girl/good boy vibes. Overall the book is fast-paced and technically well-written, with a fairly solid romance that surprisingly leans hard into the dub-con element, since Rykus can psychologically control Ash. (This isn't a complaint, I love dub-con!) Also surprisingly, Ash is a real soldier and you see her kill without compunction on multiple occasions, something that still pleasantly surprises me.
I probably won't read the rest of the series - according to reviews it drops off a bit - but not bad to fill up a few days.
But last week I was scrolling through my Kindle to see what I hadn't read on there, and thought I'd give it another shot. This time I made it all the way to the end, though this is definitely a case of great potential, flat execution.
The world is a fairly generic sci-fi/space one where there's a coalition of planets who have banded together and fight against the Sariceans, a vague enemy you never actually see. Lieutenant Ramie 'Ash' Ashdyn is an anomaly, a human born with genetic enhancements that make her a perfect super-soldier. All anomalies are locked to a failsafe - a commanding officer whose orders they're bound to follow - and in her case it's Rykus, a decorated war hero. They haven't seen each other since she finished her training, but when she apparently snaps and murders all her teammates, he's brought in as the only person who can control her.
Of course, Ash isn't actually a traitor... but she can't tell anyone that, because there's a mental lock on her mind. The first half of the book is Rykus frustratedly trying to batter away at what he thinks is her disobedience; this tension is well-written and real bad girl/good boy vibes. Overall the book is fast-paced and technically well-written, with a fairly solid romance that surprisingly leans hard into the dub-con element, since Rykus can psychologically control Ash. (This isn't a complaint, I love dub-con!) Also surprisingly, Ash is a real soldier and you see her kill without compunction on multiple occasions, something that still pleasantly surprises me.
I probably won't read the rest of the series - according to reviews it drops off a bit - but not bad to fill up a few days.
July 17, 2015
Strong start to a new series. The story was a bit uneven at times, but the characters and "world" kept me engaged.
I'm not sure if this series is set up more as romance (so that this is the end of Ash and Rykus's story) or if they will be featured centrally in follow-up stories. Clearly, there are a lot of questions left unanswered at the end of this one I'm definitely hooked enough to look forward to the next book in the series.
I'm not sure if this series is set up more as romance (so that this is the end of Ash and Rykus's story) or if they will be featured centrally in follow-up stories. Clearly, there are a lot of questions left unanswered at the end of this one I'm definitely hooked enough to look forward to the next book in the series.
June 13, 2016
I absolutely loved this book. It definitely ranks 4.5 stars. I couldn't put the darn thing down - the mystery of the whole thing really intrigued me. The characters were well drawn and developed. This whole book is a classic example of showing instead of telling - the author did not give us page upon page of glassy-eyed page development, she just landed us in her world and told her story. If this had any failing, it was that, perhaps, the world wasn't quite adequately developed and I'm not really sure what the "Coalition" was or who belonged to it. Or why I should hate the Saraceans . . . . or even, and maybe the greatest failing, what exactly an Anomaly WAS. Could be I read it too fast for the knowledge to sink in.
I did really enjoy the characters. It is written in 3rd person with some character POV hopping, but not enough to bother me. The bad guy is really bad and the good guys are believable. For all my demand of relationships, relationships, relationships, there is really only 1 that is developed here, but I really didn't miss them - the story as it was developed just really held my attention. I read it in basically one sitting.
I'd give this one 5 stars except I deducted a star for the aforementioned world building holes. Interesting note, I noticed none of this while I was reading - it was only when I sat down to write the review.
I did really enjoy the characters. It is written in 3rd person with some character POV hopping, but not enough to bother me. The bad guy is really bad and the good guys are believable. For all my demand of relationships, relationships, relationships, there is really only 1 that is developed here, but I really didn't miss them - the story as it was developed just really held my attention. I read it in basically one sitting.
I'd give this one 5 stars except I deducted a star for the aforementioned world building holes. Interesting note, I noticed none of this while I was reading - it was only when I sat down to write the review.
June 3, 2016
Shades of Treason is first rate space opera with a slowly building romance woven into the story line. Ash is an anomaly. She is smarter and stronger than the average human. The Coalition wants and needs anomalies to serve as soldiers but it does not trust them. Their solution is to wire their brains with a loyalty training that demands allegiance to the Coalition.
Commander Rhys Rykus is Ash’s fair safe, the person who can make her answer questions and follow orders. When Ash is the only survivor of an important mission and she refuses to answer any questions Rhys is called in to get answers.
This is a great premise for the story that follows. Ash is one of those great characters that light up the page. Rhys is an honor bound follow the book officer who always tries to do right. Ash loves to get under Rhys’ skin while Rhys is attracted to Ash but does not admit it even to himself.
Ash’s silence both hides a big threat to the Coalition and at the same time triggers her loyalty training to protect the Coalition. It looks like Ash is a traitor but Rhys does not believe it. What follows is a tightly written exciting story that kept me reading. This is book one in a series and I can’t wait to see what happens to Ash and Rhys next.
Commander Rhys Rykus is Ash’s fair safe, the person who can make her answer questions and follow orders. When Ash is the only survivor of an important mission and she refuses to answer any questions Rhys is called in to get answers.
This is a great premise for the story that follows. Ash is one of those great characters that light up the page. Rhys is an honor bound follow the book officer who always tries to do right. Ash loves to get under Rhys’ skin while Rhys is attracted to Ash but does not admit it even to himself.
Ash’s silence both hides a big threat to the Coalition and at the same time triggers her loyalty training to protect the Coalition. It looks like Ash is a traitor but Rhys does not believe it. What follows is a tightly written exciting story that kept me reading. This is book one in a series and I can’t wait to see what happens to Ash and Rhys next.
August 4, 2015
Loved it!
I am a big fan of Ms William's Shadow Reader series and was delighted to hear that she had a new series out. And she did not disappoint. Shades of Treason is an impressive first book in the Anomaly series.
Loved the characters. Loved the sexual tension and banter between Rykus and Ash. Ash is one tough woman with a steely determination and iron will. Rykus is just as tough and determined as Ash, though unfortunately most of the time they are trying to achieve opposing goals.
Loved the originality and the action. It was adrenaline-pumping, heart-stopping action from start to finish and I loved the original, unpredictable plot.
I did find it confusing in the beginning of the book, with the world building and introduction of all the characters and their pasts, but it all came together for me as I read on and became involved in the story.
I eagerly await the next book in the series so that I can dive back into Rykus and Ash's world again.
I am a big fan of Ms William's Shadow Reader series and was delighted to hear that she had a new series out. And she did not disappoint. Shades of Treason is an impressive first book in the Anomaly series.
Loved the characters. Loved the sexual tension and banter between Rykus and Ash. Ash is one tough woman with a steely determination and iron will. Rykus is just as tough and determined as Ash, though unfortunately most of the time they are trying to achieve opposing goals.
Loved the originality and the action. It was adrenaline-pumping, heart-stopping action from start to finish and I loved the original, unpredictable plot.
I did find it confusing in the beginning of the book, with the world building and introduction of all the characters and their pasts, but it all came together for me as I read on and became involved in the story.
I eagerly await the next book in the series so that I can dive back into Rykus and Ash's world again.
July 13, 2015
*Genre* Science Fiction, Romance
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
Shades of Treason is the first installment in Sandy William's new Anomaly series. The series rockets off with Lieutenant Ramie (Ash) Ashdyn facing treason charges and unable to defend herself thanks to a powerful telepath putting a block on her mind. Ash and her team were sent on a mission to retrieve valuable information about the Saricean's and their new technology, and how it might affect the Coalition. What they found instead could destroy the Coalition, an alliance of 13 planetary systems.
*Full Review Posted @ Talk Supe Blog*
http://www.talksupeblog.com/2015/07/s...
Published July 1st 2015 by Brimfire Press
*Rating* 3.5-4
*My Thoughts*
Shades of Treason is the first installment in Sandy William's new Anomaly series. The series rockets off with Lieutenant Ramie (Ash) Ashdyn facing treason charges and unable to defend herself thanks to a powerful telepath putting a block on her mind. Ash and her team were sent on a mission to retrieve valuable information about the Saricean's and their new technology, and how it might affect the Coalition. What they found instead could destroy the Coalition, an alliance of 13 planetary systems.
*Full Review Posted @ Talk Supe Blog*
http://www.talksupeblog.com/2015/07/s...
Published July 1st 2015 by Brimfire Press
July 29, 2015
Lots of action! Really loved the sci-fi plot. It was an intriguing world and I loved the characters.
I liked her other books as well so it's along the same line - just lots of action focusing on the plot rather than romance; however, the romance is there! Just bubbling away. I just loved the plot.
I liked her other books as well so it's along the same line - just lots of action focusing on the plot rather than romance; however, the romance is there! Just bubbling away. I just loved the plot.
June 14, 2015
Shades of Treason is a gritty, dark Science fiction / Fantasy novel with harsh tones and a definite thriller-like feeling as well.
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Want to read
January 13, 2015I had no idea this was happening! Yay.
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
December 14, 2015DNF
August 24, 2016
Urban fantasy romance IN SPACE.
January 5, 2017
Lots of action, very little romance, fade to black ending that's basically a cliffhanger.
I liked Ash's attitude, but it's hard to determine if her affections for Rykus are enhanced by the loyalty training. It makes things a little weird when I can't tell if she really loves him or if she's been brainwashed a bit too much. But I like the way these two characters play off each other and I'm very much interested in how things proceed between them while they try to save the universe.
I've got the sequel on my TBR list, but I'm so aggravated with the ending that I'm gonna put it off for a little bit and read something else first.
I liked Ash's attitude, but it's hard to determine if her affections for Rykus are enhanced by the loyalty training. It makes things a little weird when I can't tell if she really loves him or if she's been brainwashed a bit too much. But I like the way these two characters play off each other and I'm very much interested in how things proceed between them while they try to save the universe.
I've got the sequel on my TBR list, but I'm so aggravated with the ending that I'm gonna put it off for a little bit and read something else first.
January 1, 2016
**This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review**
This is the first book that I've read by this author, and after reading this one I can definitely say that I would love to read more by her!
SHADES OF TREASON is a Sci Fi/ Fantasy book that follows Lt. Ramie Ashdyn (Ash), who is classified as an anomaly -- which is basically a person whose genetic composition makes them a stronger and more intelligent person. In comparison to the average human being. Ash dedicated her life to the protection of the Coalition, which keeps the peace between various planets. But something goes wrong and Ash finds her self on the wrong side of the legal system, when she finds herself being charged for treason... and murder.
In enters Rhys Rykus, Ash's former trainer, to get to the bottom of the situation. Through his actions, there is much discovered, such as Ash being telepathically silenced. While trying to get to the bottom of the situation, Ash and Rhys find themselves, not only battling an enemy, they also find themselves battling their feelings for one another.
I really had a good time with this book. There was a lot to take in -- the world, the characters, everything. But it was a good story.
The characters were fascinating enough to me, and in my opinion, they were the most interesting aspect of the story. Especially Ash. The plot was pretty gripping at times, but then there were moments when it felt a little disconnected from the characters and their budding relationship. It was almost like I was reading a romance within a sci fi novel, but I didn't care about the sci fi part. But those moments were few and far in between.
I think, especially when it comes to first books in a series, there's going to be an information dump. There's a lot of set up involved. A lot of characters to meet. A lot of world to building. So, I understand why I felt so overwhelmed at times. I feel that way about most first books. But the good part about all of that is -- despite the info dump and the few disconnected moments, I was never once bored. I was still curious as to what the heck was going on and what was going to happen.
The action scenes, especially the ones where Ash was being a badass, were some of my favorite moments in the book. Because they were really easy to picture. Ash is a admirable character. Through quite flawed and hard shelled, she is such a good character. There's a lot of depth to her and Rhys is the perfect balance for her. I really appreciate the Williams allowed the progression of the relationships to be as turbulent and as uneven as the plot progression. There was nothing smooth about this story. There were many ups and downs. There was chaos. And I think the relationships mimicked that.
The supporting characters were purposeful and very important to the plot's pace and to the development of certain characters. I didn't really feel that much was unnecessary in the telling of this story and I really am interested to see what happens next.
The story ends at a spot that doesn't necessarily signify a cliffhanger, but there is a hint of "there's more to come".
Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid effort on the part of Williams. I had a fun time reading this one!
This is the first book that I've read by this author, and after reading this one I can definitely say that I would love to read more by her!
SHADES OF TREASON is a Sci Fi/ Fantasy book that follows Lt. Ramie Ashdyn (Ash), who is classified as an anomaly -- which is basically a person whose genetic composition makes them a stronger and more intelligent person. In comparison to the average human being. Ash dedicated her life to the protection of the Coalition, which keeps the peace between various planets. But something goes wrong and Ash finds her self on the wrong side of the legal system, when she finds herself being charged for treason... and murder.
In enters Rhys Rykus, Ash's former trainer, to get to the bottom of the situation. Through his actions, there is much discovered, such as Ash being telepathically silenced. While trying to get to the bottom of the situation, Ash and Rhys find themselves, not only battling an enemy, they also find themselves battling their feelings for one another.
I really had a good time with this book. There was a lot to take in -- the world, the characters, everything. But it was a good story.
The characters were fascinating enough to me, and in my opinion, they were the most interesting aspect of the story. Especially Ash. The plot was pretty gripping at times, but then there were moments when it felt a little disconnected from the characters and their budding relationship. It was almost like I was reading a romance within a sci fi novel, but I didn't care about the sci fi part. But those moments were few and far in between.
I think, especially when it comes to first books in a series, there's going to be an information dump. There's a lot of set up involved. A lot of characters to meet. A lot of world to building. So, I understand why I felt so overwhelmed at times. I feel that way about most first books. But the good part about all of that is -- despite the info dump and the few disconnected moments, I was never once bored. I was still curious as to what the heck was going on and what was going to happen.
The action scenes, especially the ones where Ash was being a badass, were some of my favorite moments in the book. Because they were really easy to picture. Ash is a admirable character. Through quite flawed and hard shelled, she is such a good character. There's a lot of depth to her and Rhys is the perfect balance for her. I really appreciate the Williams allowed the progression of the relationships to be as turbulent and as uneven as the plot progression. There was nothing smooth about this story. There were many ups and downs. There was chaos. And I think the relationships mimicked that.
The supporting characters were purposeful and very important to the plot's pace and to the development of certain characters. I didn't really feel that much was unnecessary in the telling of this story and I really am interested to see what happens next.
The story ends at a spot that doesn't necessarily signify a cliffhanger, but there is a hint of "there's more to come".
Overall, I thought this was a pretty solid effort on the part of Williams. I had a fun time reading this one!
July 2, 2015
This is my favorite genre so I was really looking forward to reading this one and I was not disappointed. Ash was definitely a badass and Rykus or RIP as she called him was the chief badass. RIP was so conflicted on what was going on with Ash and couldn't quite believe that she was innocent but also he couldn't believe her guilty. He sort of flip flopped back and forth but he was determined to keep her alive. When he was convinced of her innocence he was all in and the romance between them was hot. I had a couple of issues with this story. I didn't get why just being an anomaly was so bad. It was not explained to my satisfaction and it also bothered me that RIP was her failsafe and that she was sort of conditioned to please him even though she had fought it. But all in all give this book a 3 1/2 stars and am definitely going to read this authors other series.. I was given this book by the author for a fair and honest review.
Note I rounded this up 4 stars since I don't think it rated a 3 stars because in my mind it was better than that.
Note I rounded this up 4 stars since I don't think it rated a 3 stars because in my mind it was better than that.
August 2, 2015
Military SF romance in the same vein as Rachel Aaron's Paradox series.
Ash is an Anomaly, essentially a mutant with physical and mental enhancement who has signed on with the Coalition military. The Coalition believes that Anomalies are unstable and require them to submit to a form of brainwashing where they fix their loyalty on an individual, dubbed their fail-safe. Ideally an Anomaly and his/her fail-sage would never come into contact after training, with the fail-safe deployed under extreme circumstances.
In this book Ash is imprisoned, suspected of treason and killing her entire team. Her fail-safe, a man she loved before joining up is called to interrogate her.
Action-packed with a self-consistent SFnal universe. All the classic science fantasy tropes are here: FTL, telepathy, superhuman military, space war, but it's all done with a rigor you don't see in many SF romances.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's a welcome follow up to the author's Shadow Reader series.
Ash is an Anomaly, essentially a mutant with physical and mental enhancement who has signed on with the Coalition military. The Coalition believes that Anomalies are unstable and require them to submit to a form of brainwashing where they fix their loyalty on an individual, dubbed their fail-safe. Ideally an Anomaly and his/her fail-sage would never come into contact after training, with the fail-safe deployed under extreme circumstances.
In this book Ash is imprisoned, suspected of treason and killing her entire team. Her fail-safe, a man she loved before joining up is called to interrogate her.
Action-packed with a self-consistent SFnal universe. All the classic science fantasy tropes are here: FTL, telepathy, superhuman military, space war, but it's all done with a rigor you don't see in many SF romances.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and it's a welcome follow up to the author's Shadow Reader series.
June 6, 2017
When I read Sandy Williams' debut novel (another series) I disliked it.
It was angst, it had tropes I hated - because the romance aspect of it was that two boys were fighting over a girl's virginity. But I did like her writing. Her characters were well developed and her plot was well thought out.
So when Shades of Treason came out, I marked it as to-read but was hesitant to read it. Years passed, until finally I read it and it turned out to be one of my most favourite books.
The heroine in this series is strong, smart and kickass. The hero, also strong, smart and kickass. She created two characters who complement each other very well. Added some humour, snark and a fast paced action plot.
It was angst, it had tropes I hated - because the romance aspect of it was that two boys were fighting over a girl's virginity. But I did like her writing. Her characters were well developed and her plot was well thought out.
So when Shades of Treason came out, I marked it as to-read but was hesitant to read it. Years passed, until finally I read it and it turned out to be one of my most favourite books.
The heroine in this series is strong, smart and kickass. The hero, also strong, smart and kickass. She created two characters who complement each other very well. Added some humour, snark and a fast paced action plot.
July 28, 2015
4.5 stars
The first 60% of this book easily got 5 stars. The Ash and RIP are great characters, the action was fantastic, the tension sublime, the characterization sharp. I couldn't wait to see what would happen. When the bad guys became more of the story, it lost a little of its edge. Still great, but the momentum was muddied. I enthusiastically await book 2. Pre-ordering as quickly as possible.
The first 60% of this book easily got 5 stars. The Ash and RIP are great characters, the action was fantastic, the tension sublime, the characterization sharp. I couldn't wait to see what would happen. When the bad guys became more of the story, it lost a little of its edge. Still great, but the momentum was muddied. I enthusiastically await book 2. Pre-ordering as quickly as possible.
March 24, 2016
The premise and the intro to the story drew me in & I liked the initial chemistry between the MCs...but I didn't feel it quite delivered on expectations. I was also a bit dissatisfied with the ending...it felt a little...anti-climatic and not really giving us enough.
More thoughts to follow with a full review soon.
More thoughts to follow with a full review soon.
July 27, 2015
I love Sandy Williams. I devoured her other series, The Shadow Reader. I felt like Shades of Treason was a bit too long and had too many details, but I enjoyed it too. The action scenes were great.
May 16, 2019
Edge of your seat action with a really healthy dose of sci-fi details. Well written. Interesting main and secondary characters. Loose threads galore at the end. Romance was a little lacking compared to the action sequences. Regardless, I immediately downloaded book two because it was a compelling SFR with emphasis on the sci-fi.
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