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Daughter of Mars #3
Ghost Black
Everything Risa Black believes is a lie.
Her angel is dead, the cause she’s killed for is as false as her metal eyes, and the one man she thought she could trust has deceived her for sixteen years. Smothered by deepening layers of conspiracy, she decides to embark upon the most frightening mission of her life: leaving the Martian Liberation Front.
After eight years of trying to free Mars with high explosives, and a reputation as a less-than-sane killer who hears the voices of angels in her head, Risa didn’t expect to walk away clean.
Her former bosses won’t let go easy, agents on both sides of the war want her dead, and truth is in short supply. A politically connected enemy threatens to purge the Front of those unwilling to play by their rules. To survive, Risa must become that which she has so long denied being—an assassin.
With bombs poised to bury her former life and everyone associated with it deep beneath the surface of Mars, Risa has thirty minutes to make an impossible choice: save the life of her daughter by killing her best friend, or disarm the bombs and let her child die.
Her angel is dead, the cause she’s killed for is as false as her metal eyes, and the one man she thought she could trust has deceived her for sixteen years. Smothered by deepening layers of conspiracy, she decides to embark upon the most frightening mission of her life: leaving the Martian Liberation Front.
After eight years of trying to free Mars with high explosives, and a reputation as a less-than-sane killer who hears the voices of angels in her head, Risa didn’t expect to walk away clean.
Her former bosses won’t let go easy, agents on both sides of the war want her dead, and truth is in short supply. A politically connected enemy threatens to purge the Front of those unwilling to play by their rules. To survive, Risa must become that which she has so long denied being—an assassin.
With bombs poised to bury her former life and everyone associated with it deep beneath the surface of Mars, Risa has thirty minutes to make an impossible choice: save the life of her daughter by killing her best friend, or disarm the bombs and let her child die.
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2018
4 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Matthew S. Cox
192 books266 followersBorn in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 22, 2018
Goodreads Synopsis:
Her angel is dead, the cause she’s killed for is as false as her metal eyes, and the one man she thought she could trust has deceived her for sixteen years. Smothered by deepening layers of conspiracy, she decides to embark upon the most frightening mission of her life―leaving the Martian Liberation Front.
After eight years of trying to liberate the people of Mars with high explosives, and a reputation as a less-than-sane killer who hears the voices of angels in her head, Risa didn’t expect to walk away clean. Her former bosses won’t let go easy, agents on both sides of the war want her dead, and truth is in short supply.
Determined to protect their profits, a politically connected enemy threatens to purge the Front of those unwilling to play by their rules. To keep her freedom, Risa must become that which she has so long resisted―an assassin.
With bombs poised to bury her former life, and everyone associated with it, deep beneath the surface of Mars, Risa has thirty minutes to make an impossible choice: save the life of her daughter by killing her best friend, or disarm the bombs and let a child die.
My Review:
Risa is back again for another action packed mars adventure. I love this series, and honestly I really love everything I've read from this author, so naturally I was stoked to find out about this book. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next, and the characters are exactly as they were. I wasn't confused reading this book, and I really like that, because sometimes when you're reading a series and you have to wait for the next book to come out, you tend to forget what was going on in the last book. This seamlessly pulled me from one to the next, and I was sucked in immediately. All our favourite characters are back, and I'm happy to see the story continue.
Now I don't want to say too much about what the actual story is about, because anything about this book is major spoilers for the last two, but I will say that it was an amazing read, it lived up to all my expectations, and the characters were flawless as usual. This book takes us on a wild ride with the usual crew, and as always, a lot of the twists and turns made in this book surprised me. The characters continue to develop, especially Risa, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Risa, of course, is my favourite character, and I'm glad to see her life continue on even when she doesn't think it will. The setting there in never ceases to amaze me, and I wish I could see it for myself and climb through those claustrophobic vents. Risa goes through a lot in this story, although nothing she can't handle, and although everything seems to fall apart around her, and what she thinks she knows usually turns out to be lies, I'm glad to see things finally going her way for once. I definitely recommend checking out this book, and the entire series, really.
Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the author's Twitter.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07D732M5X/r...
https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Her angel is dead, the cause she’s killed for is as false as her metal eyes, and the one man she thought she could trust has deceived her for sixteen years. Smothered by deepening layers of conspiracy, she decides to embark upon the most frightening mission of her life―leaving the Martian Liberation Front.
After eight years of trying to liberate the people of Mars with high explosives, and a reputation as a less-than-sane killer who hears the voices of angels in her head, Risa didn’t expect to walk away clean. Her former bosses won’t let go easy, agents on both sides of the war want her dead, and truth is in short supply.
Determined to protect their profits, a politically connected enemy threatens to purge the Front of those unwilling to play by their rules. To keep her freedom, Risa must become that which she has so long resisted―an assassin.
With bombs poised to bury her former life, and everyone associated with it, deep beneath the surface of Mars, Risa has thirty minutes to make an impossible choice: save the life of her daughter by killing her best friend, or disarm the bombs and let a child die.
My Review:
Risa is back again for another action packed mars adventure. I love this series, and honestly I really love everything I've read from this author, so naturally I was stoked to find out about this book. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next, and the characters are exactly as they were. I wasn't confused reading this book, and I really like that, because sometimes when you're reading a series and you have to wait for the next book to come out, you tend to forget what was going on in the last book. This seamlessly pulled me from one to the next, and I was sucked in immediately. All our favourite characters are back, and I'm happy to see the story continue.
Now I don't want to say too much about what the actual story is about, because anything about this book is major spoilers for the last two, but I will say that it was an amazing read, it lived up to all my expectations, and the characters were flawless as usual. This book takes us on a wild ride with the usual crew, and as always, a lot of the twists and turns made in this book surprised me. The characters continue to develop, especially Risa, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Risa, of course, is my favourite character, and I'm glad to see her life continue on even when she doesn't think it will. The setting there in never ceases to amaze me, and I wish I could see it for myself and climb through those claustrophobic vents. Risa goes through a lot in this story, although nothing she can't handle, and although everything seems to fall apart around her, and what she thinks she knows usually turns out to be lies, I'm glad to see things finally going her way for once. I definitely recommend checking out this book, and the entire series, really.
Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the author's Twitter.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07D732M5X/r...
https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
May 19, 2019
Ghost Black
Fast-paced and exciting! It was a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to this unpredictable action-packed sci-fi. I really enjoyed this book and I loved the different twist and turns.
Fast-paced and exciting! It was a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to this unpredictable action-packed sci-fi. I really enjoyed this book and I loved the different twist and turns.
May 20, 2019
Will she find the Truth?
After being "saved" & raised to fight. Seeking those she was told killed her family. The layers of deceit to intricate to decide. Will her new loved ones suffer while she figures it out?
After being "saved" & raised to fight. Seeking those she was told killed her family. The layers of deceit to intricate to decide. Will her new loved ones suffer while she figures it out?
May 25, 2019
Continuation with Risa's story and of course its fabulous. She has some serious choices to make and both are heartbreaking. Save her daughter or destroy her best friend. Full of action and Risa is doing things on her own terms. Matthew Cox's writing is superb and flawless and I always enjoy his stories. Risa is a favorite of mine and you cant help but love her character. However, I wouldnt want to be in her shoes at the moment. Does she get her revenge on who killed her family? Can everyone come out of it unscathed? You'll have to read it. I was pleased with the end.
May 25, 2019
What would you do for your child and you only have 30 minutes to decide? This series has you on the edge of your seat all the way through it. Its action packed and the main character riza is absolutely amazing, she is strong and very relatable, you definitely fall in love with her and want to know what happens next with her. I recommend this series to everyone.
November 16, 2018
Cox blends speed-boosted cyber-action with more introspective questions about individual and social costs to create a seamless blend of action and depth that is likely to appeal to science-fiction and espionage fans of all flavours.
This novel is the third in the Daughter of Mars series. Displaying this review might corrupt surprises in previous volumes.
After the discovery that Raziel, the Martian Liberation Front, and both her real and adoptive fathers aren’t what they seem, Risa Black has reassessed her life. Instead of the vengeance she sought when young, she wants a normal life with Pavo; and even more, she wants to keep her adopted daughter Kree safe. However, her bosses are less in favour of her walking away and various enemies old and new want her dead. So Risa must choose: what—and who—is she willing to sacrifice for family?
Cox weaves the revelations of the previous two volumes into two narratives: an increasingly complex shadow-struggle between multiple entities across both physical and social battlefields and Risa’s personal struggle to find firm ground among the deceits and shifts of that war. With Risa’s feelings toward individuals not always aligning with her feelings for their bosses and further levels of politics and lies emerging at every turn, these two threads often pull in opposite directions, creating a story about trying to choose the least worst rather than best result.
This shift from Risa’s idealism at the start of the first book to almost cynical realism is mirrored by broader events questioning whether freedom fighters would produce a better government if they did win and whether true selflessness even exists.
While the novel does suggest questions about social change and coherence, it is also filled with full-on metal-to-the-max fights and stealthy infiltrations, providing plenty for readers who like their thrillers fast-paced and claustrophobic.
Cox brings both Risa’s and the MLF’s arcs to a significant conclusion, so—although there are ways to bring Risa back—this book has the feel of a final volume.
Risa continues to be a well-written protagonist. When she was part of an underground movement to liberate Mars, defining herself as “not an assassin” provided a firm touchstone; however, now she has found the person who killed her father and no longer wants to be part of the MLF, saying one thing she isn’t isn’t enough to define who she is; especially as assassinating a few key people is potentially both the easiest way and the only way to avoid harm to innocents. Her emotional struggle both before and after the event puts a twist on the aphorism: instead of being a person with a hammer who sees everything else as a nail, she doesn’t want to see everything as a nail but doesn’t know how to do anything other than hammer.
The recurring cast are similarly complex. Those who have been revealed as not who they initially seemed retain their same personalities, both mixing in the reader’s existing feelings about them with their feelings about their “true” masters and creating a sense that if someone who seemed to be who they claimed to be has fooled the reader so thoroughly, then can any of the characters who seem straightforward be trusted either.
In keeping with the claustrophobia of a spy story, Cox doesn’t give much page time to new characters; however, even nameless characters who appear for less than a scene have nuances that give a sense of a wider world beyond Risa’s concerns.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking cyberpunk thrillers with depth.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
This novel is the third in the Daughter of Mars series. Displaying this review might corrupt surprises in previous volumes.
After the discovery that Raziel, the Martian Liberation Front, and both her real and adoptive fathers aren’t what they seem, Risa Black has reassessed her life. Instead of the vengeance she sought when young, she wants a normal life with Pavo; and even more, she wants to keep her adopted daughter Kree safe. However, her bosses are less in favour of her walking away and various enemies old and new want her dead. So Risa must choose: what—and who—is she willing to sacrifice for family?
Cox weaves the revelations of the previous two volumes into two narratives: an increasingly complex shadow-struggle between multiple entities across both physical and social battlefields and Risa’s personal struggle to find firm ground among the deceits and shifts of that war. With Risa’s feelings toward individuals not always aligning with her feelings for their bosses and further levels of politics and lies emerging at every turn, these two threads often pull in opposite directions, creating a story about trying to choose the least worst rather than best result.
This shift from Risa’s idealism at the start of the first book to almost cynical realism is mirrored by broader events questioning whether freedom fighters would produce a better government if they did win and whether true selflessness even exists.
While the novel does suggest questions about social change and coherence, it is also filled with full-on metal-to-the-max fights and stealthy infiltrations, providing plenty for readers who like their thrillers fast-paced and claustrophobic.
Cox brings both Risa’s and the MLF’s arcs to a significant conclusion, so—although there are ways to bring Risa back—this book has the feel of a final volume.
Risa continues to be a well-written protagonist. When she was part of an underground movement to liberate Mars, defining herself as “not an assassin” provided a firm touchstone; however, now she has found the person who killed her father and no longer wants to be part of the MLF, saying one thing she isn’t isn’t enough to define who she is; especially as assassinating a few key people is potentially both the easiest way and the only way to avoid harm to innocents. Her emotional struggle both before and after the event puts a twist on the aphorism: instead of being a person with a hammer who sees everything else as a nail, she doesn’t want to see everything as a nail but doesn’t know how to do anything other than hammer.
The recurring cast are similarly complex. Those who have been revealed as not who they initially seemed retain their same personalities, both mixing in the reader’s existing feelings about them with their feelings about their “true” masters and creating a sense that if someone who seemed to be who they claimed to be has fooled the reader so thoroughly, then can any of the characters who seem straightforward be trusted either.
In keeping with the claustrophobia of a spy story, Cox doesn’t give much page time to new characters; however, even nameless characters who appear for less than a scene have nuances that give a sense of a wider world beyond Risa’s concerns.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking cyberpunk thrillers with depth.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
November 10, 2019
Ghosts Of The Past
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!•••
All the Divergent Fates books must be read in order. I will update with this reading order when I figure it out. I can't wait to read more! This world enthralls me!
Risa is disillusioned. Finding out she was lied to about Pack's death is the only good thing she found out wasn't true. Raziel is no Angel... Just an AI with an overplayed self worth obsessed with freedom for Mars. The MLF is just a tool of C-Branch. Her father was a spy and a traitor. She doesn't know what to do or how to go on. At least she has Tamashi (her first REAL non MLF friend) and Pavo and Kree. She would do anything for her adopted daughter. What should she do? Can she walk away from the MLF when they have been her whole life? How can she stay with them when she knows they are just smoke and mirrors? How will she make a living if she does leave? Can she keep Kree safe on her own? Or will her many enemies find her? What lie will she uncover next?
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!•••
All the Divergent Fates books must be read in order. I will update with this reading order when I figure it out. I can't wait to read more! This world enthralls me!
Risa is disillusioned. Finding out she was lied to about Pack's death is the only good thing she found out wasn't true. Raziel is no Angel... Just an AI with an overplayed self worth obsessed with freedom for Mars. The MLF is just a tool of C-Branch. Her father was a spy and a traitor. She doesn't know what to do or how to go on. At least she has Tamashi (her first REAL non MLF friend) and Pavo and Kree. She would do anything for her adopted daughter. What should she do? Can she walk away from the MLF when they have been her whole life? How can she stay with them when she knows they are just smoke and mirrors? How will she make a living if she does leave? Can she keep Kree safe on her own? Or will her many enemies find her? What lie will she uncover next?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews