Rook

Bridge & Sword #1

by J.C. Andrijeski

Was he her enemy? Her savior? Her guardian? Or something much more terrifying?

Seers, the mysterious race of beings discovered on Earth, have fascinated Allie since childhood, since the first time she went to see them in an exhibit with her father at the Oakland Coliseum in California.

But you have to be rich to own a seer, and it’s illegal to let them roam un-collared, since they’re dangerous as hell. With their insanely strong psychic powers, seers have been used to wage wars, commit terrorism, expand organized crime, even take over governments.

As a waitress and college dropout, Allie only sees seers at a distance, usually working in front of sex clubs, or on the leash of powerful businessmen… until Revik bursts into her life.

Before long, Allie is thrown into a world behind the world, one most humans never dreamed existed, where she discovers she may not be all that human, after all.

Worse, Revik tells her that the seers believe she will destroy the world.

She will kill all the humans.

She will be the one to finally free them from slavery.

Psychic romance. Apocalyptic.

The first chapter in an epic, soul-crushing, science fantasy romance.

THE BRIDGE & SWORD SERIES is a dark, gritty psychic warfare romance, from a USA TODAY and WALL STREET JOURNAL bestselling author. Set in a gritty, alternate version of Earth, it stars Alyson Taylor and her partner, dark and dangerous infiltrator, Dehgoies Revik. For fans of romantic, character-driven science fiction and fantasy worlds, filled with twists and turns and backstabbing betrayals, with heroes and villains who are sometimes the same people. The Bridge & Sword books span continents and historical periods as Allie and Revik try to save the human and seer races from destroying one another, and keep their friends and loved ones alive in the process.

The world is dying. Everyone feels it, and yet... no one knows.
They said that when the end was near, a Bridge would come, and lead them out of the darkness of that dying world.
My name is Allie Taylor, and I am that Bridge.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal Romance

596 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 22, 2017

About the author

Also publishes under the name Julie Light


JC Andrijeski is a USA TODAY bestselling author who writes sexy, apocalyptic and cyberpunk-y science fiction romance and mystery books, often with a metaphysical bent. Current works include the gritty, epic, psychic warfare romance, ALLIE'S WAR, which follows Allie Taylor and her antihero partner, Revik, in their attempts to save the world from a dark, psychic force. Her dystopian science fiction romance series, ALIEN APOCALYPSE, features Jet Tetsuo, survivor and slave under alien conquerors, and her GATE SHIFTER series is about a shape-shifting alien and a tough-girl PI from Seattle. Her newest launch is QUENTIN BLACK, a science fiction romance and mystery series that’s a spin-off from Allie’s War but set in our own version of Earth.

JC has a background in journalism, history and politics, travels extensively and has lived abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia, and from coast to coast in the continental United States. She currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.

To learn more about me and my writing, please visit http://jcandrijeski.com. For more about the Allie's War series, visit http://allieswarseries.com

If you want to get an automatic email when JC's next book is released, join THE REBEL ARMY at tinyurl.com/JCAndrijeski.

Reviews

[Yzabel Ginsberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

(I read this book as part of the Nine By Night set, which I got on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Since I'm not going to read all nine books in one go, I'm posting short reviews separately.)

DNFed at 56%. I tried, really, I did, but I just cannot push myself to go on. This book is so terribly confusing, adding present/preterit shifts to a 1st person/3rd person mix I already have problems with in general. I get the reasons behind this choice, but they don't work for me, and it makes for a painful reading.

I don't understand the characters, who suffer of chronic cases of ain't-telling-you-nothingitis. A.k.a "All those things we know because we're telepaths/empaths, and you don't because you're human? I can't tell you because you're supposed to ask that guy, there, who're not telling you on his own becasue Reasons." So what does the heroine do? Not ask. For weeks. Then everybody assumes she knows, but she doesn't, which leads to stuff like "why did you agree to marry him", and... wait, when did that happen, and what did she do to make everyone and their dog think the two characters are married? Also are they in love, attracted to each other, wanting to have sex with each other, not wanting to have sex...? This isn't even angst or conflicted feelings anymore; it's just one huge muddle. (Interspersed with regular diving into some structure of light, Pyramid and other psychic-powerish mumbo-jumbo that doesn't make much sense, all the more when it's thrown into action scenes.)

The premise looked interesting. The first couple of chapters drew me in. And then... nope, sorry.

[S.M. Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read. This. Book. It's Avatar to the 200th degree. Maybe better.

I rarely give 5 star reviews, but JC Andrijeski spins one hell of a stellar story. Why this book isn't sitting on a NY Times bestseller list, I have no idea. I've read The Help. I've read the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, I've read the whole agonizing Twilight thing - and I say Rook should be right up there on the big lists with the big 6 in publishing.

It's the kind of book that's hard to put down even for a minute, and hell to have to put down to go do something like, ugh, 8 hours of a day job. I've been preoccupied with this story for days, and finding time to just immerse myself in it is like waking up on the morning of my birthday.

Allie sucked me in on page 1 - and the story just keeps building. The sexual tension between Allie and Revik is... mmmm, something else again. And the bad guys, oooh, they are bad, and there are a lot of them. Some of them even look like friends a while, until the shocking moment of betrayal.

If you buy this book during the Indie Book Blowout, Dec 12 - 24, it will be the most satisfying 99 cents you'll spend this holiday season. And if you miss the blowout, you ought to buy it anyway, at full price. You won't be sorry.

[Viking Jam · Rating 1 out of 5]

http://koeur.wordpress.com/2014/03/11...

Publisher Description: Like most humans Allie’s spent her life distancing herself from Seers, a race of human-like beings discovered on Earth in the early 1900s. That changes after catching her boyfriend in the arms of a hot band groupie, and Allie goes from San Francisco artist slacker to the girl wearing the GPS anklet in about sixteen seconds. That’s the least of her problems, though, compared to the shock of discovering who—and what—she really is.

Review: zzzzzzzz…whah? Oh, yeah review time. Cover art not gritty like character depicted, blah-blah...

Fug, this was a snoozer. Sick of authors embellishing story-lines with their own sense of ego and nary a thought to the reader that is suffering under it.

The endless dialogue is endless less less less (cool echo eh?). Even when there is high paced action, the author takes the characters into alternative space where they see shjt they shouldn’t and see shjt that might hurt them, or won’t, but could, but might, but, nooooo you didn’t go there did you?? Oh and the romance, "His light was searching for mine..." OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Fug.

Really confusing novel if you give a shjt after getting halfway through it, not confusing at all if you don’t.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/8/2019)! 🎁

[Drew Doll · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well,



I DNF'd this one during the 4:Rook chapter. I understand that the author was trying to covey how mind-blowing the other reality is. Well, consider me:



At some point the prose becomes so convoluted that there is no story, just a regurgitation of words onto the page. The premise was interesting, but the writing was unnecessarily dense and could not sustain my interest.

Would I read it again? I DNF'd it the first time.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a complex and multi-layered plot partnered with an extremely original and wildly imaginative telling.

Kudos for a storyline completely out of the ordinary. I was intrigued but not invested and found that although the world building was immense it lacked the character development that would hold me to the telling.

I received this copy of Rook from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a honest review.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Amazon Loan
*Genre* Science Fiction, Fantasy
*Rating* 3.0

*MY Thoughts*

Rook is the first installment in author J.C. Andrijeski's Bridge & Sword: Awakenings series. The series was previously called Allie's War before being re-released this year under a new series title. Allie Taylor lives in a very strange world. A world where seers are considered an entirely different race other than human. It is a world where leaders use Avatars in order to prevent them from being targeted by seers working for hostile governments and organizations.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...

[Tracey Madeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book begins with Allie and is written in the first person. All the other characters are written in the third and although the changes are separated, usually by chapters, these constant changes are not something I have come across before. Susan Howatch’s book Penmarric famously split the action between the perspective of four characters, but they were each given their own considerable section of the book. Keeping the protagonist in the first person does focus the reader’s attention on her as a significant character. The assertion at the beginning that she knows who she is inside is less convincing.

Allie is referred to as the Bridge, but a bridge between what? A bridge suggests two factions, but is this the human and the seer world, or between one group of seer’s and the Rooks? There is a suggestion that she is the saviour of the seer world and the destruction of the human, but this would not make her a bridge, but a liberator of her people. I think bridge is a misnomer. There is also no information about how she became the bridge. The suggestion is that she does not know what she is. What being a symbol, instrument, go-between, rather than who she is as a person. Has this gift or ability, assuming she has some ability, lain dormant until now and how is it triggered.

What is aleimi? The light which seems to allow seers to inhabit more than one body and can be projected at other people by force of will. It is a power not possessed and I assume not seen, by the humans. Between Allie and Revik, aleimi and the barrier, become a form of communication and intimacy. For the Rooks it is a way of tracking them. This book throws up a lot of technical questions for which it provides little or no explanation.

Revik, through his Nazi associations has a cruel and shady past, this allows the author to give more depth to his character and show a change from the past. I guess the question is, has he changed? The lengthy torture scene towards the end of the book where he rescues Allie’s sibling and friend is perhaps the best demonstration of change. It also allows a direct contrast with Tirien who forms a tangible link to Revik’s past. Tirien retains the heartless and ruthless streak which saw him murder his own people in Nazi Germany.

There are no new physical worlds to imagine as everything is set in modern day America, London and India. Why the action moves to India is a bit of a mystery. There is the element of the exotic, but there does not appear to be any concrete plot-based reason why it should be based there. The description of the physical based action is plausible, although I found the torture scene a little drawn out, but that may be personal taste.

Allie’s mission becomes the discovery of the head of the rook pyramid and the succession order, Revik’s is to protect her at all costs. Starting out as a prize coveted by both sides she becomes the destructive force that sets rooks against each other in a bid for power and higher status. The revelation that the head of the pyramid is someone who has never featured in the story seems out of place. I feel this book is more action based than character based and together with the lack of clarity round the terms and concepts used, I found this book lacked engagement. This may be a best seller, but I wouldn’t rush to read the next one.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

An action-packed, thrill-soaked beginning catapults readers into the story, and quickly we learn that the setting is very unusual indeed. Yes, characters act as we normally would expect of human behavior-but this is not the ordinary, routine, Earth in which most of us live. This reader would have liked to have a little more background in world-building of the society before jumping right in, but I cannot fault author Andrijeski’s fast-paced, suspense-building, and tossing her protagonist smack into the arena and into adventures of all sorts, including a bizarre and almost “unreal” (in the context of her culture) past history. Adventure abounds in this novel, as does action; I found it almost impossible to catch my breath, the story line moved that quickly!

“Rook” is the beginning of a quintology, and I expect it would work as a stand-alone novel; yet I for one am glad to know that it is the beginning of a series. The author has constructed such a complex society and world history here that only by composing several novels in the series could it be fully fleshed-out, developed, and explored. I look forward to the further volumes of “Allie’s War.”

[Leslie Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rook: Allie's War, Book One introduces an epic fantasy world in which humanity is not alone--it shares the earth with a race of mysterious seers. An underground war that will change the face of the world and the fate of both races bursts to the surface and into the life of our heroine, Allie, who learns after a lifetime of believing herself to be human that she is a seer with a very special destiny. With compelling characters in such a rich, fascinating re-imagining of our world, Rook: Allie's War, Book One offers a wild ride of a read.

[Jesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so different from what I normally read, but damn, I was glad I picked it up! I started reading it on a Friday night, and could barely put it down long enough to sleep. The story has a metaphysical bent, making it different than other urban fantasy books, almost giving it a sci-fi feel. The psychics are not exactly human. The world-building is rich and beautifully complicated. Must have taken the author forever to flesh it all out.

I grew to really love Allie. Everything Allie knew about herself and the world was shattered over night. But Allie handled it well, I thought. You could see her mature into a woman over the course of the book.

I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Allie and Revik. There is no insta-love here. Revik kind of treated her like crap by not explaining things well to her and having too high of expectations for her. I struggled between wanting to both strangle and kiss him at the same time. The chemistry grows to a slow burn over the course of the four episodes. In fact, even by the end of Rook, they still are not 100% solid. I love that because their relationship feels more realistic to me. You can’t expect people to fall madly in love while the world is crumbling around you.

Overall, I give Rook...

Plot - 4 1/2 bookmarks
Originality - 12 bookmarks (I don’t care if it is only a 1-5 scale. This was so inventive!)
Character development - 5 bookmarks
Romance - 4 bookmarks (only because it is still growing)

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! Dark, Gritty, Intense, Provocative, Mysterious, Gripping Thriller of an alternate Earth with Aliens among the humans, a kind of cousin to humans, and the Apocalyptical promise of war between them. Each faction is trying to either stop the doomsday of humankind or stop the destruction of the alien cousins, Seers. Allie is an alien of the "First Race" hiding among the humans until the time comes to be introduced to the world. She is so well hidden she doesn't even know what she is herself. Not only is she an alien race, of the First Race which has been believed to be eradicated, she is also The Bridge, which is to be believed to be the heralder of the coming apocolypse. Revik is assigned to guard her and bring her in to teach her the ways of the Seer and the ways of The Bridge. They negotiate thru one event after another making themselves terrorists and being on the run from human police & security and from the alien faction that wants her dead or bring her in to control her burgeoning power. Allie & Revik while on the run and hiding become entangled within each other. They try to come to grips with their growing feelings for each other as well as Allie's new powers all while trying to get to the bottom of who is really behind all that are after them. The end is unraveled so finely that it blows my mind! I can't figure out if I should turn back to page 1 to read again or to immediately go to the next book in the series! I absolutely love this series.

[Zoe Saadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two wonderful weeks spent in another world!

I had wonderful time, spending my past two weeks in another world created by JC Andrijeski.

The story of Allie, who thought herself a regular human and whose destination pounced on her completely unexpected, hurled me into this colorful world of different rules of light and movement, a parallel world of beauty and danger.
Along with Allie, I got to discover this place that had nothing to do with anything she happened to experience and I happened to read before. Her discovery of herself, her struggle against it, her fight to survive and to keep her friends, and her newly discovered people from harm, are very powerful and gripping.
And while creating a wholly new world, JC Andrijeski had managed to populate it with plenty of very lively characters, who would not leave you indifferent. You care for those people as if you knew them for real. You worry about them, and at times they make you mad.

The love line of the story was amazing too, so subtle and beautifully presented!

I would recommend this book to anyone fond of a great, deep story. I would find it difficult to place this book into a certain genre category - science fiction, paranormal, plain historical, this book fits them all.

A highly recommended read!

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

JC Andrijeski is one of my favorite authors, and her stories of Allie and Revik are among the reasons why. Now she’s rebooted her fabulous Bridge & Sword series, and it’s a true treat. For newcomers, this series is fabulous (and also highly addictive, even if each book stands alone, so beware). It’s the epic, soul-crushing, world-spanning dark romance promised in the publisher’s blurb - and if you’re a fan of slow-burn fated mates stories then this series is for you. It’s also realistically gritty, which is a neat truck for fantasy. Highly imaginative too. For those who’ve read the books before, however, you’ve a troubled choice. You see, as (totally) wonderful as those books were, the author is being really unfair in that the book is even better now. The story doesn't differ significantly at all, but there is a lot of new material (including a bonus epilogue) that makes it worth downloading again. So, do you just reread the older version (which I’ve done more than once) or go for the new woth it’s added deliciousness? I did the latter and am totally happy I did. No matter where you are coming from, however, I highly recommend this tale.

[Jilleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, my two stars are not a comment on how well the book was written or that it's bad. I just didn't like it that well. I'm saying this because I think that the book is well-written and the story may appeal to some.

I had a really hard time getting into it. In fact, it was a chore to read for me. I didn't like the supernatural creatures; I never got a real feel for what their mumbo-jumbo was, and I didn't like them very well. All the barrier idea and the lights and all that stuff going on I couldn't follow, and ended up skimming it to get to the story. I did like the idea of the cloning and the conflicts in the Seer race. I didn't even get into the romance because I never really liked the characters.

Frankly, I just don't have much to say because I didn't enjoy the book, I couldn't get into it and I found it confusing. I can't really give it a recommend, but I know that some people would eat it up and like it, it's just not my thing.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.C. Andrijeski introduces us to an intersting character in a complex world that is just 3 steps away from our own. Here we have two races--humans and seers who co-exist in an uneasy truce. The heroine may just be the person to lead to the destruction of the truce and the world as we know it.

I read the book as taking riffs on Buddhism and saviour mythology and basically turning them all on their head. Sumptuous setting makes the read compelling. A little romance thrown in, just whets the appetite.

[Laura Ware · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sprawling epic fantasy, Rook introduces the reader to Allie, a young woman who learns that not only is she a member of the mysterious race of seers that populate the earth, she is special - a "bridge" that will somehow bring about war and the end of the world as we know it. Weaving an alternate history into the narritive, J. C. Andrijeski spins a tale that's hard to put down. I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has had me hooked. I haven't been able to think of much else. J. C. has really made a complete world that parallels the world we all know. The Barrier such an interesting place. Her characters are diverse and flawed. I really like what the seers can do. There are many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I highly recommend this book.

[Koffe · Rating 1 out of 5]

10% in I had to start skim reading through I managed to get to 60% through sheer will power. But now I have too call it, this was just such shitty writing the likes I haven't seen in a while. I thought it had an interesting concept but no, the entire book is just a confusing mess with hints towards stuff I don't even know what stuff. None of the characters even understands what is going on.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review on my website.

Allie Taylor has spent her entire life thinking she was human, but she’s about to find out that she’s not. In a world where Seers, human-like creatures with amazing abilities and the power to communicate with each other on a different level called The Barrier, are sold as slaves and forced to work for humans or are part of one of the few Seer Clans still existing, that’s terrible news to deal with. And like that isn’t worse enough, she also learns that she’s The Bridge, and according to what all other seers believe, she’s going to destroy the world. Allie realizes that her life, and the life of her new love interest Revik, might be in danger as she is now the number one target of the Rooks – a rogue seer group refusing to blend in with the seers working for humans – and of the human authorities, who want nothing more than to get their hands on one of the most powerful seers currently alive.

Rook, the first novel in the Allie’s War series, is quite the adventure to read. At first, the new world J.C. Andrijeski creates seems very unfamiliar, and it takes some getting used to, but once you get past that, you know that you’re in one of the most memorable, astonishing and original books currently out there. The world we are introduced to in this novel, is very much alike our own, but with the addition of a new race of creatures called seers, who were discovered in Asia in the early 1900s. Although the seers are far more powerful than humans, since they can communicate on a different thought-level called The Barrier, and some of them possess even more impressive qualities – like telekinesis or the ability to influence other people’s thoughts – they are treated like second-rate citizens. Some of them are sold as sex-slaves to expensive whorehouses, while others work for wealthy families who can afford their own seer, and thus gain even more power for themselves. The ones who are not bound by the rules of human society, are organised in the few remaining clans. But there is also a significant group of seers who are not pleased with the current world order, and who have gone rogue, calling themselves Rooks and operating in a pyramid-like structure on The Barrier.

As you may have noticed from my short introduction, Rook is nothing like other science-fiction/alternative universe novels out there. The world J.C. Andrijeski creates is original, entertaining and quite complicated – it took me a while to actually grasp the entire concept of it. The complexity of this world might scare potential readers, but once everything clicks into place, the amount of world-building done in this novel and the originality of the concepts introduced are really amazing and impressive, and it should not scare you away from reading this novel.

Allie is an interesting character, with a lot of depth and personality. In the beginning of this novel, she is still convinced of her own humanity, although there were some events during her childhood that occasionally made her question that. But when she is being stalked by Revik, a fellow seer, and he tells her of her own seer-heritage, everything seemingly clicks into place – but that doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t scare Allile tremendously. She is forced to leave her entire life behind, and to run away from Terrian, a seer who wants to make her become part of the Rook organisation. J.C. Andrijeski describes Allie’s growth as a character, from a person in the dark about her own history, heritage to a person trying to find out what this seer-thing actually means to The Bridge, the person capable of destroying the world. The evolution in her personality happens slowly and gradually, and is remarkably well written to say the least. I liked Allie’s personality. She is determined, strong, intelligent and willing to acknowledge her own failures and flaws, and to deal with them. I could easily relate to her and found that I really enjoyed reading her thoughts and opinions.

The other main characters, Revik – the good guy, the love interest – and Terrian – the bad guy – are equally as interesting and entertaining, although they both have very distinct personalities. It’s obvious from the start that the two of them have some history together, and I thought their interactions with each other were some of the most interesting scenes in this novel. Terrian makes an excellent bad guy as he is practically the representation of all the things we deem evil in this world. The fact that he has multiple bodies he can operate, makes him a very interesting opponent as well. I also liked Revik’s personality, with his moods switching quickly between happy, relaxed and cheerful and angry, confused and sad. Whereas Allie is more of a balanced person, I thought Revik’s moody personality made an excellent addition to that. I also liked the two of them together, as an item, since it somehow seemed very fitting.

But more even than the impressive world-building and the interesting, well-thought-through characters, I thorougly enjoyed the storyline. Starting off right in the middle of the action, only to bounce back to explain a couple of things and then right away get into the action again. The storyline is very original, as in the entire concept of the novel, and it’s filled with more backstabbing betrayal, twist and turns than I even thought possible. By the end, Allie hardly knows who to trust anymore besides herself – if she can even trust herself, being The Bridge and destroying the world and all – and she even questions the loyalty of the people she loves most: Revik, her own brother and her closest friend. While the world around them seems to be crashing down, the characters are forced to find strength and courage within themselves to do the impossible. The contrast between Allie’s relatively safe, human environment we meet her in at first, and the dire circumstances she finds herself in by the end of Rook is enormous. The storyline never gets predictable, and always mantains the fast pace and level of intensity we see from the start, and even when it slows down for a minute to explain something about Allie’s world, or to create some romance between characters, it never loses that intensity.

Another strong point of this novel was that Allie, although she is The Bridge and supposedly the destroyer of the world, doesn’t seem like an overpowered character at all. A lot of authors fall into the trap that they want their main character to be a part of a prophecy, or to have some amazing purpose in this life, and end up making them overpowered compared to the other characters, which makes them unbelievable, people can no longer relate to them and they become boring. Luckily for us readers, J.C. Andrijeski does not fall for that trap, which makes Rook an even more impressive book to read.

If I had to say one bad thing about Rook, then it would be its complexity. That’s the only reason why I rated this book a 4 and not a 5, and also the reason why I think the other novels in the series might be even better than this one – less explaining to do, more action and adventures. As I already stated, the world the author creates is very complex, multi-layered, and it takes a lot of explaining before the reader actually gets used to it, or grasps the concept. That might scare off potential readers, but I personally believe that the action-packed adventure and the entertaining characters this novel provides, more than make up for that. And after all, everyone knows that if you want an original storyline with an original setting, that it’s obvious there will be some explenation needed. It’s a sacrifice we have to make for originality, and it’s one I gladly make.

Rook is an excellent science-fiction/fantasy novel with an amazing storyline, strong characters and the most impressive display of world-building I have seen in a while. If you’re tired of reading fantasy novels with the same old concept over and over again, then you will definately find Rook innovating, remarkable and highly entertaining. And even if you’re happy with the way most contemporary fantasy novels work nowadays, then I think you’ll still find Rook to be a very entertaining novel in the genre, and one of the most well-written ones. Don’t hesitate to read this book: it will definately NOT dissapoint you.

Rook is the first book in the Allie’s War series, the second book being Shield, and the third Sword. I cannot wait to read the second part of this series, and to read more about Allie’s adventures.

[Lauren Cote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rook, the first novel in the Allie’s War series, is quite the adventure to read. At first, the new world J.C. Andrijeski creates seems very unfamiliar, and it takes some getting used to, but once you get past that, you know that you’re in one of the most memorable, astonishing and original books currently out there. The world we are introduced to in this novel, is very much alike our own, but with the addition of a new race of creatures called seers, who were discovered in Asia in the early 1900s. Although the seers are far more powerful than humans, since they can communicate on a different thought-level called The Barrier, and some of them possess even more impressive qualities – like telekinesis or the ability to influence other people’s thoughts – they are treated like second-rate citizens. Some of them are sold as sex-slaves to expensive whorehouses, while others work for wealthy families who can afford their own seer, and thus gain even more power for themselves. The ones who are not bound by the rules of human society, are organised in the few remaining clans. But there is also a significant group of seers who are not pleased with the current world order, and who have gone rogue, calling themselves Rooks and operating in a pyramid-like structure on The Barrier.
As you may have noticed from my short introduction, Rook is nothing like other science-fiction/alternative universe novels out there. The world J.C. Andrijeski creates is original, entertaining and quite complicated – it took me a while to actually grasp the entire concept of it. The complexity of this world might scare potential readers, but once everything clicks into place, the amount of world-building done in this novel and the originality of the concepts introduced are really amazing and impressive, and it should not scare you away from reading this novel.
Allie is an interesting character, with a lot of depth and personality. In the beginning of this novel, she is still convinced of her own humanity, although there were some events during her childhood that occasionally made her question that. But when she is being stalked by Revik, a fellow seer, and he tells her of her own seer-heritage, everything seemingly clicks into place – but that doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t scare Allile tremendously. She is forced to leave her entire life behind, and to run away from Terrian, a seer who wants to make her become part of the Rook organisation. J.C. Andrijeski describes Allie’s growth as a character, from a person in the dark about her own history, heritage to a person trying to find out what this seer-thing actually means to The Bridge, the person capable of destroying the world. The evolution in her personality happens slowly and gradually, and is remarkably well written to say the least. I liked Allie’s personality. She is determined, strong, intelligent and willing to acknowledge her own failures and flaws, and to deal with them. I could easily relate to her and found that I really enjoyed reading her thoughts and opinions.
The other main characters, Revik – the good guy, the love interest – and Terrian – the bad guy – are equally as interesting and entertaining, although they both have very distinct personalities. It’s obvious from the start that the two of them have some history together, and I thought their interactions with each other were some of the most interesting scenes in this novel. Terrian makes an excellent bad guy as he is practically the representation of all the things we deem evil in this world. The fact that he has multiple bodies he can operate, makes him a very interesting opponent as well. I also liked Revik’s personality, with his moods switching quickly between happy, relaxed and cheerful and angry, confused and sad. Whereas Allie is more of a balanced person, I thought Revik’s moody personality made an excellent addition to that. I also liked the two of them together, as an item, since it somehow seemed very fitting. At times I just wished I could reach in the book and smack them both(: stop being so stubborn the both of you! Phew there I got that off my chest(:
But more even than the impressive world-building and the interesting, well-thought-through characters, I thorougly enjoyed the storyline. Starting off right in the middle of the action, only to bounce back to explain a couple of things and then right away get into the action again. The storyline is very original, as in the entire concept of the novel, and it’s filled with more backstabbing betrayal, twist and turns than I even thought possible.

By the end, Allie hardly knows who to trust anymore besides herself – if she can even trust herself, being The Bridge and destroying the world and all – and she even questions the loyalty of the people she loves most: Revik, her own brother and her closest friend. While the world around them seems to be crashing down, the characters are forced to find strength and courage within themselves to do the impossible. The contrast between Allie’s relatively safe, human environment we meet her in at first, and the dire circumstances she finds herself in by the end of Rook is enormous. The storyline never gets predictable, and always mantains the fast pace and level of intensity we see from the start, and even when it slows down for a minute to explain something about Allie’s world, or to create some romance between characters, it never loses that intensity.
Another strong point of this novel was that Allie, although she is The Bridge and supposedly the destroyer of the world, doesn’t seem like an overpowered character at all. A lot of authors fall into the trap that they want their main character to be a part of a prophecy, or to have some amazing purpose in this life, and end up making them overpowered compared to the other characters, which makes them unbelievable, people can no longer relate to them and they become boring. Luckily for us readers, J.C. Andrijeski does not fall for that trap, which makes Rook an even more impressive book to read.
If I had to say one bad thing about Rook, then it would be its complexity. That’s the only reason why I rated this book a 4 and not a 5, and also the reason why I think the other novels in the series might be even better than this one – less explaining to do, more action and adventures.

Rook is an excellent science-fiction/fantasy novel with an amazing storyline, strong characters and the most impressive display of world-building I have seen in a while. If you’re tired of reading fantasy novels with the same old concept over and over again, then you will definately find Rook innovating, remarkable and highly entertaining. And even if you’re happy with the way most contemporary fantasy novels work nowadays, then I think you’ll still find Rook to be a very entertaining novel in the genre, and one of the most well-written ones. Don’t hesitate to read this book: it will definately NOT dissapoint you.
I am off to read the rest of the series now.
This was R2R book review and another hit!


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[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

JC Andrijeski is one of my favorite authors, and her stories of Allie and Revik are among the reasons why. Now she’s rebooted her fabulous Bridge & Sword series, the first book of which is Dark Seers. For newcomers, this series is fabulous (and also highly addictive, even if each book stands alone, so beware). It’s the epic, soul-crushing, world-spanning dark romance promised in the publisher’s blurb - and if you’re a fan of slow-burn fated mates stories then this series is for you. It’s also realistically gritty, which is a neat truck for fantasy. Highly imaginative too. For those who’ve read the books before, however, you’ve a troubled choice. You see, as (totally) wonderful as those books were, the author is being really unfair in that the book is even better now. The story doesn't differ significantly at all, but there is a lot of new material (including a bonus epilogue) that makes it worth downloading again. So, do you just reread the older version (which I’ve done more than once) or go for the new woth it’s added deliciousness? I did the latter and SM totally happy I did. No matter where you are coming from, however, I highly recommend this tale.

[Sarah Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn with the review. This was a very long book. Some areas I sort of skimmed, getting the gist of what was occurring. Other areas fully captured my attention. I liked the characters and how they all intertwine. I was confused with the whole dying and taking form in another body, but eventually caught on. Overall, I would read this author’s stories in the future.

[Violet Stone · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a jumbled mess that didn't make any sense.

RTC

[Mia Searles (The Muses Circle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

JC Andrijeski has taken me on one hell of a ride with her first book in an ongoing series called Rook: Allie's War #1. I have so much to say but am trying to find the words to express how I feel about this story. So let's start with the positives.

First and foremost, Rook: Allie's War #1 is set in a completely fresh, wholly unique world. Andrijeski doesn't take any shortcuts-- the world building is intricate and complex. Not only are we introduced to an alternate Earth where the physical reside, there is a whole world where the non-physical roam, a place where seers --who are enslaved by humans on earth-- can roam freely. The book is filled with original mythology, prophecies, myths, spiritual and physical canons, etc. While there are things going on in this book that are completely unfamiliar, I can see the influence of particular regions and cultures such as India, Egypt, etc. For some reason a movie called Immortal (2006) kept popping up in my head as I was reading Rook: Allie's War #1. Every time the pyramid was mentioned in the book, I kept imagining the floating pyramid in the movie (You can read the synopsis and see the dvd cover art for the movie Immortal HERE).

The story's main characters are well rounded and 3 dimensional. Oftentimes you get a book that has one or the other, a great story, not so great characters, or interesting characters but a mediocre story. That's why I think this book is fully loaded. A great example would be Revik. He has so much back story, everything from his previous life to his ongoing drama with the main villain Terian.

Speaking of villain, let me not forget to mention how creepy Terian is! The fact that he can change bodies when the one he currently is in is damaged...*shudders*

And since we are still on characters, I just have to say Allie and Revik are quite a match! The sexual tension is scorching-- I had to fan myself during one of the scenes near the end of the novel when they are in the backseat of the car and they have a really hot makeout session that nearly gets out of control! >=)

JC Andrijeski is a solid writer. I like that she didn't keep the whole story in Allie's perspective. First person narration can get boring-- I personally like 3rd person, especially when different characters get their turn to tell their side of the story. Andrijeski did a great job with changing up on the point-of-view and narrative form. I at first thought it would be too confusing to jump from Allie's 1st person narration then to Revik's 3rd person, but somehow the author makes it work and keeps it consistent the whole way through the story. What a show off! :)

Now that I have talked about the positives, I want to share some of the drawbacks of Rook: Allie's War #1. The following are not flat out negatives-- I just think there are a few things that could have made this book a smoother read.

I hate to say this because I know some readers detest glossaries in the front of some books, but I believe with the magnitude of this 400+ series opener, a list of key terms would have been a big help. This new world and mythology that Andrijeski creates is SO different from anything that is out there. There are no other books or movies to compare it to; this is not a story about vampires or angels, something familiar we can grasp onto. And that is a good thing, trust me, I'm not complaining about it's uniqueness! But I will admit, there was so much going on and so many new words and phrases being introduced that I had a bit of a hard time keeping up with the terminology. Some sort of reference page to flip back to would have worked wonders!

My other issue is the length of some parts. The scene near the beginning where Revik tries to rescue Allie from Terian, Allie being handcuffed to the car, Allie trying to escape-- I just felt it was way too long. There were some parts that could have been cut down a bit to make the story move along, but again, that is just my personal opinion.

Lastly (these are minor as this could be my own fault) there were a few things that either weren't explained or maybe I missed. Why does Allie get nauseous every time she is around or near Revik? Was it ever explained how Revik and Allie ended up "married"?

I give Rook: Allie's War #1 a 4 out of 5 star rating for its originality, complicated yet fascinating world building and mythology, strong character development, and unique writing style. A glossary of key terms and shortening a few scenes that seemed to go on for pages would have, in my opinion, made the story a little easier to keep up with. Overall, this was a great read and I thank JC Andrijeski for allowing me to read Rook: Allie's War #1 for an honest review. I look forward to seeing how Revik and Allie's relationship develops in the next book in the series called Shield: Allie's War #2!

Mia at The Muses Circle (Like my review? Come check out more of my reviews at my blog! www.themusescircle.blogspot.com)

[Kriss · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word, WOW. I realize that is pretty base, but this book was a complete surprise. Being the prolific reader that I am there is so much I want to say about how thrilled I am about this book and series! The proses are lyrical and the style adds to the story itself since it is a mystical journey of "becoming".

The novel is an epic/alternate historical/fantasy story. Yep it is definitely a mouthful alright. I thought long and hard about it, read a bunch of reviews, which some even put into the young adult category (which I completely disagree with) and could only come to this, which of course I am not even sure it works there!

On the surface it is a story about a 28-year-old woman, Allie Taylor, who after being found under a bridge in San Francisco and adopted grew leading a pretty typical San Franciscan life. Her world is tight-knit with a brother whom she adores, a great BFF who keeps her on her toes, a despondent mother whom she loves despite everything and her deceased father who she misses so hard it hurts. On her days off she sketches and draws. Her sketches are of many things, except for a particular thematic image, one she cannot shake from her mind no matter how many times she draws it. One that will become something unimaginable cataclysmic for our girl Allie. At work she is a typical waitress who struggles not to drop your order or screw up the coffee mater. Serving up Diner fare to the regulars and even a few stalkers, one who ends up becoming someone entwined in her journey of discovery of who and what she really is.

With epic car chases, hiding out with prostitutes, Nazi sympathizers (or are they?) and even a moment straight out of Titanic! The world J.C. created is wrought with the fear of otherness , xenophobia to the nth power, and plots within plots. People seem to be living in constant fear using avatars instead of their images on the television, even the U.S. President! (but there is a very good reason he does! Wanna know why? OH Sweetie, I don't do spoilers!) Big brother has a whole new meaning when you have to prove you are human with a Capital H! Giving blood at check points, having identification cards, it reminded me a little of the world from Dark Angel, minus the post apocalyptic aspects and the fact that Seers are really another race, not genetically enhanced humans, in fact they are a pretty amazing race! Oh and the fact that this is not pop culture, this is epic and mind-blowing!

The xenophobia of the race of Seers is frightening. Countries segregate the seers into camps and enslaved, treated as pets because of what one their own did that brought about a catalyst (A commonality Allie shares!) of fear and change in the world conscience, driving many of them to segregated camps and into hiding. With J.C. including an alternate Third Reich history along with the xenophobia made the Fisher-Price Sociologist inside of me prop my glasses at the end of my nose, get out a note pad and start analyzing the different plot lines.

It is never what it seems, even when Allie thinks she is getting the hang of things she learns more that keeps her, and use as readers completely on our toes. I read this as slow as I could to savor the experience. It was just so good I wanted it to last forever. I wanted to learn along with Allie and she discovers the metaphysical world of her race, as she discovers love and romance that is truly out of this world and as she embraces reality in the devastating aspects and meanings about who and what she is.

The world-build's complexity, the dystopia and darkness of the story drew the cheerleader in me out. With many authors protagonists with prophesied destinies the characters tend written and built up into this perfect untouchable individual. But not with Allie. J.C. wrote her to her own woman, an extraordinary young woman yes, but an individual with her own mind. Allie would eat her coffee beans whole and spend all day drawing if she could. She doesn't accept her moirai and does her best to maintain her own path, instead of some 900 year old Seer who is doing his level best to push her along his version of what he believes is her destiny. The characters are rich and full of depth, her writing is poetic and allows you to bond with the characters on a level that not many authors have achieved

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am blown away by how amazing this was. It's such a real and detailed world that sucks you in from the very first scene and refuses to let go until the end. I had to read it in a single sitting because I couldn't put it down. Being a little familiar already with the Seer world from the Quentin Black mysteries this was utterly fascinating for me to see more of the mechanics of their powers. The relationship between Allie and Revik had me near to tears on more than one occasion, watching all the miscommunications and missed opportunities for connection. There were several times I wanted to reach into my reader and shake some sense into the pair of them. I guess it just goes to prove the old adage that says: even if we could read each other’s minds we still wouldn't understand one another. Every time I read this story, I discover more layers and more meaning within it. The additional material the author has added to this edition only enhances that opinion. I can't wait to read what comes next in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC generously provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Rounding up to 4 stars from 3.5 confusing yet fascinating stars.

Allie knows she has always been a little bit different. She was found as an infant, abandoned by her birthparents and adopted into a wonderful family. Her brother is her best friend and there just hasn't been anything really that special about Allie. Well until recently. She has always attracted a somewhat strange type. Her brother refers to her as a loser magnet. But now there is this dark headed stranger that keeps showing up around her and she finds herself drawn to him.

Revik knows exactly what and who Allie is and it is his job to protect her and deliver her to the seven. You see in this world there are humans and seers. Seers have a special ability with light and human both fear them and want to control them. What Allie doesn't know is that she is one of these creatures that she has been raised to fear. Can Allie accept her new role and actually embrace her part as "The Bridge", the being who ends one existence and helps to bring about a new one.


I have to admit I am struggling with how to write this review. Yes I did love the story and the characters. There is suspense and tension and action. You have a love interest that at times seems confusing yet meant to be. However I have to admit I spend a lot of this book reading and then reading over a paragraph so I could follow. I spent a lot of time confused, at least until about half way through the book. There is a lot about the "light" surrounding the seers and what exactly their gifts are and I think I finally got a hold on it but there is no way I could describe it. The writing is very detailed I just found myself getting lost in the details at times. The seer characters have abilities that enable them to control people, I was able to follow all of that and the story line, it just got a bit muddy when it went into the whole "barrier" world where seers can travel like a different dimension. Anyway once I tried to stop understanding everything and just let it go I found the book to be much more enjoyable.

I felt for Allie because she is thrust into this new world, life and is given very little information. Revik is not forthcoming and basically just tells Allie she must trust him without giving her more info. The we see this connection between these two characters that everyone understands except for Allie. Poor Allie must feel like she is on a roller coaster that never ends. At least that is how I felt at times, I didn't know which way was up or down. So why four stars, well I did really like these characters and the storyline is really enjoyable as long as you don't get bogged down by the details.

I took 1.5 stars off for those confusion details that left me feeling dizzy at times. But I will admit that I will be reading more in this series to see where these characters go. Who doesn't enjoy a good roller coaster ride after all.

[Moira · Rating 5 out of 5]

24.8.2017 - 4,5*
Má to svá slabá místa, přes nový edit je to napakované vážným, složitým dějem až příliš a nezdá se mi, že je to úplně hladce propojené, jsou tam scény, které by to chtělo napsat a chybí tam, jelikož by mě zajímalo, jak se postavy v některých místech děje dostaly právě tam, kde byly. Některé scény jsou tak dreamy, že jsem je ne zcela chápala (o čemž se stále nemůžu rozhodnout, zda je klad, nebo by to chtělo učesat)...
Ale ty postavy. Především Revik je jednou, která má Hloubku (ano, kapitálka), i když je pravda, že některá jeho rozhodnutí mi ne úplně dávala smysl a přišla mi spíše jako způsob autorky nasměrovat příběh směrem, který chtěla, aby mohla zahrnout určité scény.
Autorka přišla se Světem (ano, další kapitálka) a nápady (myšlenko jak dokázala pokroutit děj), které mě úpřímně potěšily a které jsem si užívala, Andrijeski jednoduše nechala svou fantazii utrhnout z řetězu, v dobrém, a to je hlavní důvod, proč přes veškeré chyby dávám 5* a těším se na pokračování. I když, upřímně řečeno, se toho v této knize stalo tolik a bylo docela slušně uzavřené, že se to lehce dá číst jako stand-alone. :)

5.6.2016 - 4,5*
Nečekala jsem, že to bude tak dobré.
Zatraceně, ani zdaleka jsem nečekala to, co jsem dostala.
Hlavní postavy se mi dostaly pod kůži. A byly úžasně propracované. Především broučínek Revik, i když jej tak mnozí nejspíše nenazvou a sama jsem měla chuť jej přinejmenším dvakrát smrtelně vážně zabít, bastarda. A přesto bych mu odpustila... po čase. Málo autorů dokáže dotáhnout charakter, jakým byl on, tak dobře. Chladnokrevně.
(Především, když byl romantickým objektem.)
Děje v knize bylo hodně. Drželo mě to celou dobu. A byla to šílená, skvělá jízda. Unikátní. I princip seer a vše kolem nich mě fascinovalo a chtěla jsem vědět více. Byly tam náznaky a detaily, které to dělaly skvělými, ale chtěla bych se dozvědět více.
Vedlejší postavy, well, ty tak propracované nebyly. Škoda.
Bylo to inteligentní. Přesto mi ale některé zvraty prostě nesedly a byly příliš příhodné. K horšímu, měla bych asi dodat.
(Ale nikdo by neměl podceňovat sílu Murphyho. :D)
Zatraceně se mi to líbilo a i přes výhrady dávám pět hvězd. :)

[M.l. Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“28-year-old San Francisco native, Allie Taylor, at least thought she was human. But when she meets her first real seer, a race of human-like beings discovered in the 1900s, he tells her that not only is she a seer, like him, but that all the other seers believe she's going to end the world. Unfortunately, no matter what she does, everything that happens after that only seems to prove him right.”

Rook, Allie’s War: Book one by J C Andrijeski is an interesting tale. Set in an alternate reality future, this is a world that has grown up with two species – humans and seers. Seers have the ability to read minds among other things and their lives are strictly controlled by the government. Allie is a not so ordinary waitress – currently wearing a tracking bracelet for violence committed against her ex boyfriends new partner. She also has the uncanny ability to attract strange people, stalkers of all shapes and descriptions.

From working in the diner she is soon transported into a world of intrigue, action and violence. The Seer world is completely different to what the majority of the human population has been lead to believe and even more shocking… she is one of them.

I started reading this book and soon found that I could not put it down. The action is well written, the characters fairly unique in their personalities and the alternate world is portrayed in great detail. It has been some time since I have been dragged into a tale so fully that all I want to do is keep reading. A few downfalls for me though were the occasional long descriptions of the barrier and the alternate world of light. I found myself almost skipping through these at times to get back into the story. The very occasional word missing / grammatical issue made me pause in some points of the story but other than that it is a fantastic read.

J C Andrijeski can be found at www.jcandrijeski.com and this book can be purchased from www.smashwords.com A highly recommended story well worth the purchase!

To view this review and more http://mlsawyer.weebly.com/blog.html