Marked

by S. Andrew Swann

This dark portal fantasy introduces Detective Dana Rohan, an officer who solves crimes using the Mark that allows her to travel to alternate pasts and futures.

Detective Dana Rohan has an excellent arrest and conviction rate. But even her partner doesn't know the real reason why.

All her life Dana has borne a Mark of unknown origin that she's kept secret. A Mark that allows her to walk into alternate pasts and futures. A Mark that allows her to go back and see any crime as it's being committed. But the life she's carefully built around this secret ability begins to crumble when she's assaulted by a ragged old man. He babbles an incoherent warning that "the Shadows are coming," right before he is killed by an armored monstrosity out of another century. The armored attacker vanishes, leaving the old man to die in Dana's arms, and she realizes that he bears the same Mark she does.

Soon Dana finds herself hunted by Shadows coming from out of Chaos. She must flee through a host of alternate worlds as she finds out the true meaning of the Mark on her skin, and why someone wants to kill her for it.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Adult, Science Fiction, Alternate History

337 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2019

About the author

S. Andrew Swann is the primary pseudonym of Steven Swiniarski, who also writes as S.A. Swiniarski, Steven Krane, and S.A. Swann.

Reviews

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

La detective Dana Rohan, narradora de la novela, tiene un alto índice de casos resueltos. Ello es debido a su secreto. Tiene un tatuaje en la espalda que crece al mismo tiempo que ella, y no sabe cómo lo consiguió. Este tatuaje, esta marca, le permite viajar a mundos paralelos en los que ella no está, incluso viajar en el tiempo dentro de esas dimensiones, y así observar e intervenir en crímenes. De esta forma, al volver sabe quién y cómo cometió el delito.

Todo parece ir bien, hasta que aparece una especie de caballero con una armadura propulsada a vapor y una espada, que asesina a un anciano ante ella. Y este anciano le habla en un idioma extraño que ella entiende, además de advertirle sobre las Sombras. Pronto sabremos que además de ser mundos paralelos, son mundos con historias alternativas, de tal manera que la guerra de Waterloo nunca tuvo lugar y Napoleón se alió con Rusia mediante matrimonio, perdurando y extendiendo su imperio.

Magnífica novela de S. Andrew Swann, muy entretenida y divertida, con escenas realmente conseguidas, como cuando los protagonistas intentan escapar en coche perseguidos por las Sombras, especie de zombis caníbales capaces también de saltar entre mundos, y Dana propulsa con su tatuaje todo, coche incluido hacia otros universos. El último cuarto de libro es frenético, con dirigible incluido.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm torn on this one - it's really original, the characters get developed nicely, and the worlds-building is really cool. The plot was good too! For all of those things, I wanted to give the book the full five stars... *BUT* it took me forever to get in to the story. That could have been my mood, that could have been the pacing, that could have been a lot of factors... but that makes me want to give it 3 stars. So I found the happy medium and rated it at four stars.

Overall, I think it was a great book. I've never read any stories with the premise. It felt like a mix between Doctor Who and the Invisible Library series, with a dash of that old tv show Sliders mixed in as well.

I didn't have any preconceived notions going in, so I won't say too much and give you any, but I would recommend this book for urban fantasy and sci-fi lovers. Since I think it was my weird mood that slowed the beginning down for me, I think most people would enjoy the story straight away.

[Karsyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received from NetGalley
Completed 1/19/19
335 page ebook

This book is hard for me to rate. I liked it, I did, but there was something off about it too that I can't quite put my finger on. I think it was the pacing. Things started off fast, then they slowed, then they were fast again and slowed again. It was a weird mix of good pace and a bit too slow.

The story was fairly unique but wasn't anything like I was expecting. It felt like the story didn't quite know what it wanted to be, was it time travel or parallel worlds. Was it a police procedure or a vigilante. It was all of that and it was a bit too much for the book, I wanted it to be one thing or another, not all of them.

Still, it was good, just not great. I almost rated it a 3, but because I read it in one day, it kept my attention, so I thought it deserved a 4.

It's worth a read, as it's different. Nothing about it was straight forward.


Setting = B
Plot = B-
Conflict = B
Characters = B+
Theme = A

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Soure* Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy / Action & Adventure
*Rating* 3.5?

*Thoughts*

Marked, by author S. Andrew Swann, is a genre bending action and adventure free for all featuring Detective Dana Rohan who wears a Mark on her back that allows her to walk between alternative realities. This is a story that combines crime novels with Urban Fantasy as Dana uses her time-traveling powers to aid in her detective work which makes her one of the most successful detectives in her department.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Chris Haskins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cool concept but there was a lot of the main character repeating the same things throughout the book got old. Everything wrapped up rather quickly as well.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

So now I need to add an urban steampunk shelf to my library? Nice worlds building (plural intentional) or at least the potential, we'll see where it goes in book two. I was kind of torn between loving the pace and maybe not discovering what's really going on until a later book although there could be more layers lurking yet.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An incredible concept marred by poor writing. How many times do we have to read the narrator talk about how she can't let people in emotionally?

[Stephenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by author S. Andrew Swann, but it won't be my last!! I like the ideas that the author had and the characters, but the book did move a little slow in the beginning and then again in the middle for me, but it did eventually pick up and then once it did the reader didn't want to put it down.

The world that the author creates is a unique one and one that the reader hopes they never need to enter! It is equal parts fascinating and scary. The author introduces us to Dana who can rewind things...she can go back in time and see things...she is a detective that uses this skill for better or worse and we literally see the WORST of it!

I am not sure if this is a time travel book, a mystery, a sci-fi or all of them...it was a fun read that leaves the reader satisfied while at the same time wanting more. An overall good read with a few parts that just need a little bit of work...I am looking forward to the next book in the series and to see if the "tattoo" gets any larger...

**Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng**

[Sanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS!


Loved loved the first part of the book, it was delightfully creepy and the alternative universes theme is superb (both the idea and the execution).

However, some of the characters were kinda thin (what does Jacob want from life? Do we like Ivan or do we hate Ivan? That lawyer lady better return in book 2). Also, I really really REALLY don’t like it when I’ve read an ENTIRE book with a plethora of problems - which are then all solved in ONE SINGLE PARAGRAPH. Highly unsatisfying. Deus ex machina is the WORST!

Of course I AM going to buy the second book because I most definitely need to know how the story continues..

[Megan McMillen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

I'm surprised theres no sequel. It didn't do as good as the publishing company thought I guess?

[Ted Waterfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swann is an experienced Science Fiction writer having published 26 novels since 1993. This is the first of his novels I have read and found it to be a very pleasant surprise. In this story a detective by the name of Dana Rohan has an unusual tattoo, or more precisely a birthmark on her back. But this one grows as she grows and covers her entire back by the time she is an adult. It has also “gifted” her with certain powers that she tells no one about. If she concentrates on the mark, she can use it to pass through time, or more precisely into one of numerous parallel universes closely resembling our own. Being a police officer she uses this in her criminal investigations to accomplish an amazingly high success rate in identifying suspects and closing cases. However, she doesn’t really know who she is as this mark is certainly unique and all through her life she has hidden it from view.
An incident occurs one night when an odd person tries to warn her that the Shadows are after her and he is killed in front of her by a bizarrely clad medieval knight who seemed to come out of nowhere. This dead man also has a similar tattoo on his back. Without revealing too much of the plot, this knight suddenly shows deference to Dana and helps her in her quest to discover her true family. And she learns more, much more than she ever bargained for in this highly deadly journey.
If you enjoy science fiction you should enjoy this book. It has a little of everything. Time travel, parallel universes, alternate history, a strong, female lead, clashing empires, even a hint of steam punk. I felt, perhaps, the concluding battle scene was a little too played out which probably cost it a fifth star, but all in all it was a very entertaining piece.

[Shirley Ashe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off very interesting with our main character having this mysterious mark that allowed her to move through different times and parallel worlds. However the character soon begins to repeat her concerns, fears, and insecurities in each chapter to a point that I had to put the book down in sheer frustration. Between the lack of editing and the main character flip-flopping between good cop/bad cop, I suggest to readers to pickup this book only if you are waiting for your next read to arrive and you don’t mind wasting some time.

[Georgann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, this was great. I was engaged from the first page. So full of action with a premise I had never read before, which is always wonderful. I liked all three of our MC's, especially our Marked heroine.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating is 4.5 stars for Marked

Thoughts and Plot

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You know, it's been awhile since I've met a book that demanded it all be read in one day, spaced between two sittings. At 294 pages, on a work day, that is nothing to sneeze at.

My Synopsis

Dana Rohan is a detective with a stunning track record for arrests and convictions. So good, the government sends someone to check her and her partner, Jacob, out. But after the death of her mother, who was proceeded by her father when Dana was a teenager, Dana isn't in the mood to play nice. Besides, she can't exactly tell everyone that the whole reason why she is so good at her job is actually because she can walk through alternate times and realities. She finds who committed the crime one reality over and then uses that knowledge to find a way to convict the person in her dimension.
The strange Mark on her back is what allows her to do this and she's kept it a secret from everyone including her recently deceased mother. But after a misstep regarding her Mark at a crime scene and the appearance of a strange old man who is then killed in front of her, Dana's carefully constructed life is rapidly unraveling before her eyes. To make matters worse, strange undead people are phasing through time and space, intent on killing her and anyone who stands in their way.
The only way to try and save herself is to flee through the dimensions and into a place called Chaos where she must travel until she arrives in an alternate world ruled by the Emperor. She hopes here is where she will find some answer.

Actual review
So, at first I was just curious how this story was going to play out. I mean, a woman with a strange marking on her back similar to a tattoo, that never fades and grows with her. What does it do? Time travel? Nah, Time travel and inter-dimensional travel! How could it possibly get any better???

Well let's have her bump into someone else who can do the same thing and is initially trying to kill her. Say wwwhhhaaaaattt? Not good enough for you? Let's add time travel zombies. Now I know this sounds weird...and a little stupid, but the way S. Andrew Swann puts it together it works. Although I totally called the Whedon thing once the zombie-like creatures popped up.

What I really liked was the pacing. This book is not one of those books that has large chunks of filler in it. Pretty much the whole time there is a purpose to what you are reading. There is plenty going on so, if you are like me, you don't find yourself suffering through pages upon pages of trollop because you have too much pride to skip a few pages at a time and skim your way to the good parts. You're pretty much hooked from the start.

My brain was literally jumping from question to question. Who murdered Mr. Kim? How does she do that? Does anyone know? What is her back story? Who's the dude in the crazy metal armor? OMG, is that a dimension stepping zombie??? How she's going to get out of this one? Is she seriously going to take her car? Man, she really loves that car...


In Conclusion

Marked is artfully put together, combining a new idea with an old one (zombies people) to make a refreshing story about a woman who just wants to know who she is and where she comes from only to get a LOT more than she bargained for.

[Deborah Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Roger Zelazny’s Amber series, this “portal to another world” fantasy begins as a police procedural with a twist. Detective Dana Rohan’s life is filled with secrets. One is the intricate, tattoo-like Mark across her back that has grown in complexity and extent since the time she was found as an orphaned child. The other is what the Mark does. By an act of will, she can travel across time and alternate worlds. She’s been using this ability to solve crimes, at the risk of attracting the suspicions of the police higher-ups, even the distrust of her partner when she almost gets caught hiding a revolver used in a crime in a parallel world when one exists in police custody in this reality. Her problems quickly fade to insignificance when a series of bizarre encounters, including near-fatal assaults by zombie-like, cannibal “Shadows,” propel her from her ordinary life into a multitude of different realities. From formless, roiling Chaos to a world in which Napoleon III rules the Western World, her only hope of survival is turning the tables on the culprit behind the assaults.

I’m a fan of stories that start in the everyday world, often with a character with a mysterious past, and end up in increasingly more fantastic settings. I mentioned Zelazny’s Amber series, also Anne McCaffrey’s Restoree, and let’s not forget all the magical-door stories like C. S. Lewis’s Narnia. This one has the added features of a woman detective who is more than capable of defending herself, a slow-simmer romance, and the usual quirks of alternate histories. It’s fast-paced and full of plot twists and drama. All in all, a quick but satisfying read.

[Glennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The start of a new series features a cop that was born with a Mark that allows her to travel back and forth in alternate timelines. This has allowed her to have an amazing conviction rate on the crimes she investigates. It has also allowed her to do some financial trades that has made her life a bit more comfortable even though she lives alone and has no idea about her past. She was adopted by the cop that found her at the age of 6 covered in blood and not knowing English. One night she is accosted by a man clad in rags yelling at her in an unfamiliar language. Before she can do much about it a knight comes out of nowhere and kills him and disappears. Using her skills to try and figure out what happen attracts the knight to her and he attacks her while her partner is at her apartment. With her secret out of the bag with her partner and new information from the knight she finds out she is part of a select few people that have the talent to travel among different realities. As she is trying to digest this new info, they are attacked by zombies coming out of nowhere. She joins forces with the knight and agrees to go back to his world to find out more about herself and what is going on and why these things are attacking her. The book ends not so much on a cliffhanger but certainly is a setup for the next step in her life.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

[Waheela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was hard to put this book down and I do hope for a sequel.

I liked the characterisation of the main character. More nuanced in my opinion than what you usually find in these kind of books. And defintely less annoying. Very well done.

The plot is great, fast and well executed. I was not bored or distracted at any point. However, the ending could have been a bit more fleshed out after the climax.

The leve of remembered details during the story was impressive. Like how they were dressed affected future scenes. Small details that most authors forget or skip over because it is no longer 'relevant' for the main action. For me it made it all more immersive. Still I wondered 'where did they get water?' But that is purely nit picking.

And the romance part. Wow. It did not get shoved down my throat, get in the way of the main plot but just integrated i to the story as a natural part.

I do recommend this book.

[Andy Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:

What a great find! The cover jumped out at me and I thought, "A dimension-traveling cop story? Why not?". It is so much more than that!

The best part about this story is that the Mark is the mystery driving the storyline. Sure, jumping dimensions is cool, but the backstory holds so much more potential! And as Dana wades into these waters, the whole "cop solving crimes" part falls into the rearview mirror. Two puns in that last sentence but you'll have to read it to understand!

The story moves quick and is not short on action. There's plenty of fighting and intrigue, and you'll enjoy Dana and at least one of her sidekicks. The story is inventive with an ending that provides plenty of closure. There's even room for another book in the series but it's definitely not required.

Read it!

[Realms & Robots · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marked explores a fascinating concept: the possibility that endless realities are merely a step away. Our protagonist, Detective Dana Rohan, is an incredibly complicated character, constantly battling with herself and what it means to have the power to affect reality. The writing is strong and compelling, the villains terrifying and sudden. Get ready to travel through the boundaries of reality.

NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

[Gio C · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story that got better in the end. I just had a hard time and felt like every time anything would happen there was a brief pause and the main character had to go on for about a page about her feelings towards it. To the point of repetitiveness. I am not sure if I will read the next installment.

[Richard H. Whitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating multi verse story

Take Roger Zelazny's Amber series, change out the poetry of Zelazny for horror, add a sprinkling of police work, and you might come up with this novel. An intriguing take on multiverses, compete with the orphaned survivor, this novel is a great read. Swann delivers again.

[Paula Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It was urban fantasy, but with a twist I haven't seen before, which is always exciting to find. It felt a lot like an origin story, though, so I'm looking forward to the next one, to see what direction he's going to take this idea.

[Kate]

About 80 pages in, I realized that this was not the book for me. While all sorts of things had happened, it felt as though nothing had happened, and I gave up the book as a slog.

(Note: I received the copy of the book that I read as convention swag.)

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

A too-obvious mish-mash of multiverse Walker meets steam punk meets zombies (the Shadows). A lot of things remain unresolved at the end of the book, leading me to believe the intent is to get me to buy the next book - a huge pet-peeve of mine.

[ChiChi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zing-a ding! Loved this one that started as a regular detective story and went places I never imagined. Loved the characters, (especially Ivan - Russian steam punk kind of knight) loved all of the tats, loved the Alternative History!

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up off the discount shelf because I was interested in the multiverse concept. There were a lot of interesting ideas but the story didn’t quite flow for me and I never found myself hooked the way I would want to be hooked in a good YA or easy reading novel.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wish this series had been continued. I love alternate earth books and this one was fascinating. Unfortunately, the author has disappeared off the internet, it's been several years since his website has been updated.

[tivasyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

не шедевр літератури, і фінал якийсь... несподівано «зненацьковий», як наче авторові набридло, але при цьому — динамічний сюжет, неможливо відкласти книжку. одним словом: читабельно.

[Joz Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a uniquely interesting book, which kept me intrigued from beginning to end. I listened to the entire thing in 2 days.

[John Majerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teleporting zombie cannibals chasing a tough female cop with an existential crisis across multiple universes and timelines. What more could a fantasy reader desire?