James

Teumessian Trilogy #2

by Ana Elise Meyer

As the lone survivor of the destruction brought on by Marie, James is left to question: Who am I? However, dark force have begun to arise that will try to answer that question for him and shape his destiny. As secrets are revealed, James’ fight not only for survival but to discover his true identity will lead him down a path he can never come back from.

Will he truly become Marie’s son?

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2016

About the author

Ana Elise Meyer believes in the strong independent woman and stresses the female protagonist in her novels. Ana wants to make characters who her readers can cling to and become invested in what happens to them, the good and the bad.

Check out my YouTube Channel :)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrBE...

Ana was born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, where she still resides today. Ana graduated from the University of Missouri-St Louis with a degree in Criminology/Criminal Justice. Ana primary work hasn’t been in writing but in working with at risk youth and children with disabilities. Ana sees the struggles that these children face everyday and wants to stress how those struggles can affect the person you become. Her characters are flawed and their struggles with those flaws make them relatable for any young adult. The children she works with are her inspiration to follow her own dreams and never stop dreaming and creating.

She enjoys reading many types of literature but prefers historical fiction. She is an avid film fan, who loves action adventure films. Ana lives with her three rescue dogs and cat.

Reviews

[Valicity Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is long overdue. After taking a short break from book reviewing, I finally regained my passion with this book and it’s no surprise. James is the second book in the Teumessian Trilogy, I had the honor of reading and reviewing book one, Marie. It was very good and filled with action, twists and turns, and great characterization. Here comes the second book, following a character left in the wake of the destruction of the first book’s protagonist.

I would like to start off this review by saying that James was good. As a standalone book, it is well worth five stars but also as the second book in the Teumessian series. James is a different character from Marie, where Marie could be called ‘unstable’ James is somewhat sure of himself despite his questioning and wonders.

James has to face different struggles from Marie so readers have to judge him differently. I can’t make a direct comparison between the two characters because I don’t think that was the intentions of the author, to have this compare and contrast between these two. They are two different people, protagonists of two different books. But their stories intertwine.

James lost his parents and is raised by another family member, all is well with his grades and his social life until the drama begins. We are thrown into a mix of wonder and creativity as we watch James piece together the answers to his questions and ours.

Meyer presents us with yet another action packed thriller. This is a mix of psychological chill and sci-fi thrill. You will get goosebumps from vivid descriptions and heart-pounding scenes, your heart will stop with all the twists and turns, but you will find great stability on the dependable and well balanced characters. This is a ride that everyone should take, especially those fans of Marie. Well written and entertaining.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoyed the first of the Teumessian Trilogy. Any fans of science fiction and action thrillers will love this, if you’re up for a bit of psychological thrill then you might enjoy this as well.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[BookLoversLife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having loved book 1, I was eager to see what happened next and dived into this! To tell the truth, I'm kinda disappointed. This, while being action packed, just wasn't as engaging and entertaining as book 1.

So this focuses on James and what happened after the ending of book 1. James was a great character. He excels at everything but still remains grounded and real. He lives with his uncle since the death of his parents, and has been recruited for the CIA, life is good for him but he still feels something is missing. During a mission for the CIA, his life is in jeopardy and James needs to dig into his past to find out why!

Now I do have to say that even though I enjoyed this, I didn't love it. I can't even tell you exactly why I didn't like it as much as I wanted. Maybe it had to do with the fact that despite James being down to earth, I felt like something was missing from him. He wasn't as fleshed out as he could have been.

It could have to do with the plot too, I felt it wasn't as gripping as book 1. This one felt all over the place and some what predictable. I knew the big twist near the end, long before we got to it!

I think what played a big part of me not enjoying the book that much was the narrator and the quality of the production. It had an echoey property and the narrator was very breathy. You could hear his breathing and it became quite distracting. He also didn't have that many different tones so a lot of the time, I couldn't follow who was talking.

In all, not my favourite edition but I would still continue on with the series to see where it goes. The author is well able to tell a good story, I just think I wanted more from James!!

[L.N. Denison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, the author has done it again. She has wowed me with her story telling abilities. James follows the story of a boy, who had witnessed the death of both his mother and father, and had spent most of his life living with his gay uncle, Finnegan Gold and his partner Robbie Spiel. James is a very bright kid, coming top of his class at everything. By the age of 18, he is being recruited by the CIA as an interpreter, but this is just a cover for the real mission he and his fellow agents have been tasked with.

As the story goes on, you are bombarded with story arcs, some of which hit in the face like shovel. They are what I would like to call WTF moments, of which this story has many. There were some highly emotional scenes in this story, and yes, I did shed a tear.

The majority of the story is set in the backdrop of the American Embassy in London, which being 29 minutes away by train, I loved. It was very well written, and the dialogue was solid. I love a good strong dialogue in a book, and this one delivered and ticked all the right boxes for what I look for in a good book.

I highly recommend James. It will have you turning those pages continuously. All that needs to happen now...is the final piece of the puzzle, the third and final book in this outstanding trilogy.

[Ann Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Ana Elise Meyer’s first book in the Teumessian Trilogy, Marie, I was offered a copy of the second book, James. Picking up from book one, James is the son of Marie. Marie grew up in a lab where she was primed to be the perfect human. The most dangerous woman alive became pregnant and escaped her captors. Her past caught up with her and son James witnessed her tragic end. James is raised by a man he knew as his uncle, unaware of his mother’s incredible healing speed and her deadly capabilities. Could James be just like his mother? The book, James, is filled with action, twist and turns, with an end that leaves the reader in anticipation of the third book. Love a good Sci Fi and Mystery? This is the book to read.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lieutenant George (US Army) informed Uncle “Finn” Finnegan Gold (history professor, Boston College) that his brother was killed.
The brother Ulysses Gold was quite well off & had a son James Gold (5).
He had witnessed his fathers murder.
Rather than foster care Finn took on the responsibility of the child.

Robert Spiel (art professor, Boston College) & Finn became partners.
Robby loved James (8) like his own son.
Robert & Finn took James to the art gallery.
Steve (school bully) had pushed James down a flight of stairs.
He was rushed to the Boston Children’s Hospital. X-rays & a CT scan, were done the
Dr. said nothing serious was broken.
James Gold (18,) was accepted into MIT but opted instead to join the CIA.
He was off to Virgina for training. His specaility will be linguistics/interpretor.
Raymond “Ray” Clayton (CIA) is the linguistics/communications instructor.
John Alfred teaches 4 languages: Russian, Standard Chinese, Spanish, & Arabic.

He also taught fight & physical training.
All the canidate/trainees had to see Ms. Rachel Fowler (therapist).
James, Elliot Mont (Duke, trainee, linguistics, interpretor), Timothy “Tim” Clark (interpreter), Norma, & Greg (A/A) were in dormitory 7B.
James & Franchesca (aka Cheesy, canidate) had become friends.
Rachel had left her resignation on Ray’s desk.
When she go to her apartment to pack her bags for Mexico, Rachel did not live to see the next day.
Detective Craig (Virginia State Police) had called John & Ray.
The training was finally over; Elliot, Timothy “Tim”, & Norma were going to the US embassy in France.

Gregory, James, & Chessy were going to the US embassy in England.
Ambassador Martin Huntsman (Texas oil tycoon) was appointed by President Calvin Warren.
What was Madame Ming sending Blossom Smith (aka White, foreign relations major, Duke, Flat # 1404) to England for?

Angela Turner (Secret Service) & Brandon (Secret Service) greeted Gregory, James, & Chessy.
The next day the 3 met Prime Minister Pierce Franklin (England).
Later, Ambassador William Drake (France) had been assassinated & his wife Katrina Drake was missing.

What happened to Elliot, Tim, & Norma?
President Calvin Warren (US) met with Ray Chessy, James, & Greg.
Why is the team going to Soldat Industries (manufacturing facility, CA.)?
What did Marie reveal to James?

Mr. Albert (pg. 79)

My undergrad also Criminal Justice, then a MSW.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written Action/Adventure book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great covert action packed adventure movie, or better yet a mini TV series. To be contuned. It got kind of cheesy & then better so I will still rate it at 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Making Connections; Author; SelfPubBook; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Ms. Just One More Book (Kris Miller) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book 'James' follows the story of Marie's son. At the end of book one, James watched Tyler (Tommy) kill Gold, the man he assumed was his father. Then he watched as Marie killed first Tyler, then herself with a shot to the head. Raised by Gold's brother, Uncle Finnigan and his partner Robbie, James has been brought up in a stable and loving environment.

Wanting nothing more than to live up to his father's reputation and make him proud post-mortem, James strives to be the best. At the age of 18, James is recruited by the CIA to become an interpreter. Shortly thereafter, strange things begin to happen and it becomes obvious that James' mission is more than it seems. Along the way, James will have to find out who he really is, and what he's made of if he wants to survive.

The plot was extremely well thought out. From the very beginning, the author drops just enough information to hook the reader and try to get them to piece the puzzle together. To that I say: good luck. Once again there are several quite unexpected twists and turns, a great deal of suspense, as well as a fair amount of intrigue. Also the world building, not just in this book, but the previous, was great. You can close your eyes and easily imaging your surroundings.

Unlike the last book that was almost all action, this book only had a small amount. That may have been the problem for me and the reason for my lowered rating (3 stars) compared to the first one at 5 stars. Without the action scenes (which are done very well), the majorities of the book relies on dialogue. The dialogue was stilted, jarring even, to the point that it would pull me completely out of the book. It's the kind of dialogue no one really has in real life. One that's used to explain things going on and truly breaks the rule of show don't tell. This was something I didn't notice in book one The first time, because there was only a small of dialogue. Although going back through it, I did pick it up. Also, while I will rarely ever point this out, the spelling and grammar errors throughout the book made it hard to concentrate. Normally I overlook errors, especially in an indie author, but when it's it occurs on every other page, it's hard to ignore.

Overall, despite my criticism, this is NOT a bad book. If the author was to see this review, I would hope she would take it as constructive criticism based solely on my humble non important opinion. I think with a good editor, to help not only with the grammar, but also moving the story along without the use of expositional dialogue, this author would truly shine! She definitely has a great amount of talent already. I could easily see this series becoming a movie (or 2).

[Astrid Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is slightly complicated for me. It is one of those books that I really want to like but it is hard to enjoy. The storyline is interesting, but the writing is…meh. Most of the twists are predictable. In addition to that, the book needs more editing.

This story is focused on James as he grows up and trains to become a CIA agent. He is unsure of the reasons behind the persistent psychologist questions, but it worries him. The trauma from his past weighs heavily on him. After finally telling someone about his memory, she dies and things go haywire.

It is an action packed book. It is meant to be suspenseful, but for me, the grammar errors and misspellings ruined the suspense. The other thing that was disappointing were the objects that would appear and disappear.

Here is an example of something that is moved from the same spot twice: A girl got back from shopping and was upset. She threw her shopping bags on the ground in a fit of rage. After talking to two of the other characters it says this, “Chessy wiped the tears from her face, picked up her bags from the floor…” then literally one sentence later it says, “Greg walked over and picked up the dress bag and shoe bag off the floor.”
The same bags were picked up from the same spot twice and by two different people.

I have another example I want to share but it is a spoiler so I will not. However, I will say that what makes the twist predictable is that they are clichés.

So I wanted to like this book more, but I just could not.

[Shanlynn Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book before it was published, and I also read and reviewed the first book in the series, Marie. Overall I thought the story line is truly fascinating and exciting, very action packed and fast paced. I thought Marie was a truly unique character, empathetic yet deadly, seeking love and revenge in equal measures throughout.

James, however, didn't seem as interesting to me as a character. I thought the book was good, and since I read it before the actual published date, I'm not going to comment on the grammar since it's very possible it was cleaned up. I can't decide if I think James wasn't as fleshed out as a character, or if his character simply pales in comparison to his mother, in which case you simply don't find him as intriguing or interesting. Either way, the book was worth reading, definitely full of twists and turns that keep you guessing what's going to happen next, and a great surprise ending.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely liked this book better than the first of the series. I put that down to more established characterization and ease with the plot. There is still stilted language - no contractions and it ends abruptly, with a too be continued. Surprise ending as well is some revelations. I would actually have liked this to be longer - it seems like an introduction to the next character in the series rather than anything really to do with James, the son of Marie in the first book. I was actually expecting to find out more about James and whether he had inherited his Mother's abilities.

I found the narrator's voice better. He had more emotion in his voice than the female who narrated the first book; although there was some discrepancies with the accents he was using. They were in place for some parts of the narration, and not in others.

Overall, it was enjoyable.

[Cynthia Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ana Elise Meyer weaves an intricate tale of lies, deceit, and espionage in her novel James the sequel story to her first book Marie. James, the lead character in the story, is no ordinary person, but this is known only to a few and not even to James. He feels compelled to work for a secret government agency but still struggles with what happened to him as a child, when his parents were ripped out of his life and he was left with only a mystery to unravel.

What’s even more disturbing to him is the way people react when the topic of his mother arises. Meyer brings us through a plot that spans the globe and in her signature style ends with a twist leaving the reader with an expectation for more. I’m partial to a good thriller and James doesn’t disappoint.

[Marlina Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

James is the second book in the Teumessian Trilogy, and a great follow on to the first book in the series, Marie. Either book can be read as a standalone.
James, who never gets a chance to know his mom (no spoilers, you have to read the first book to get the details) is raised by his uncle, Finnegan. James is a driven smart kid who is determined to join the CIA and follow is his father’s footsteps. That dream is soon realized and he is thrown into the midst of international intrigue that at first seems to be mundane guard duties. Lots of twists and turns intertwine this story into an interesting fast-paced read.
Looking forward to reading the final book in the trilogy.

[Preena ⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has done it again! What an amazing plot twist. I honestly did not see that coming. It's very rare now-a-days to find a book that leaves you open mouthed in the end. I loved this book but Marie is still my favorite one. I deducted one star just because i didn't find James interesting. He was just a normal kid trying to find out truth about his past. But that ending though.
Ana you're an amazing author. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

[Aly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story. It caught me from the beginning and kept hold of me the whole way through. I think this is a great book by a wonderful author. You need to check this out of yourself and see what you think. * I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

[Cory Tsuhako · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked reading Marie, then you will like James. Enjoyed the book and would recommend it.