Paradise

Zone Cyborgs #2

by Jessica Marting

Petty sabotage knocks Matthias’s freighter off-course to an uncharted moon, but before he can right his ship, a distress call lures him to its hidden compound and the beautiful woman trapped there.

Confined to a luxurious prison for years, enhanced until she’s a machine in a human body, Serena is desperate to escape, even if doing so could mean her death.

But if she’s going to die anyway, she may as well really live while she still has the chance.

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 7, 2020

About the author

Jessica Marting is a sci-fi and paranormal romance author, art enthusiast (not quite an artist, despite all that time in art school), an avid reader, and makeup collector. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews

[Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthias is ejected from his station and his relationship in a particularly messy break-up. Smarting from the treatment his newly-ex-gf gave him (is Marielle really the cold-hearted B she appears to be or is there more to this story? Only Marting can tell us more...) he arrives at the only place his sabotaged navigation system can take him - a mysterious unknown station called SG-Paradise. Here he meets a lonely, beautiful woman, Serena who will change not only his destination, but his fate.

In this second volume of Zone Cyborgs it continues the theme of the previous book, and extends some of the backstory of the characters, especially Cressida’s sister, Valenna. You don’t need to read Haven first at all, but it does set the stage for worldbuilding and if you are a Valenna fan, Marting hints at a possible romance ahead for her. What a tease. Lukas also has a strong part and shines well, having developed so much since the last book, along with Cressida. Here he is shown to his full, devastating potential.

It’s best to think of this story (much like Haven) as a science fiction story first, and a romance second. m. Marting has a penchant for writing genuinely strong, confident and willful female leads (but thankfully not Mary-Sue histrionic levels) and despite her setbacks and vulnerability, Serena soon sets about taking control of her destiny and winning her saviour’s heart. It’s not all rainbow bridges between the stars however, as the novel goes into a fairly detailed pitch as Matthias and Serena share first the ship, then their lives, and then their hearts as they struggle to find a way to free Serena from the grasp of her vicious and sadistic captor. I won’t give spoilers but this is very good and extends the story from Haven even further, with quite the ups and downs as the pair travel the systems searching for a solution. Marting has a fine sense of visual description and this comes through in planetary scenes, as well as romantic ones or even the everyday detail of life aboard a cargo starship.

The ending was unexpected but satisfying, with Serena finally cutting free from the man who controlled her, taking her future into her own hands, with the able help of Matthias, who is prepared to do anything to make her part of his life. I enjoyed this and look forward to Oasis and seeing more of Valenna Merchant and her story.

Overall a great SF story with romantic tones (and yes some fairly sizzling scenes) the only thing that gave me pause was Serena being so dependent on Matthias for resources and being unhappy about it. Um, she has a unique, godlike power that not only is unmatched throughout the entire system, but could command an almost infinite amount of money on contract, and that is just the legal sources. I find it hard to believe that a streetwise person like Matthias or the determined and inventive Serena wouldn’t have figured out they have unlimited wealth literally at her fingertips. Ah well, love is blind, right? *wink*

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This romance was well written and edited, with few if any typos or wrong word choices and well constructed paragraphs. The characterization of this novel was deftly done, with this reader falling in love with both the hero and heroine. The world building was also well done, with this reader getting a vibrant picture of Zone space and this intergalactic civilization. There was plenty of plot in this novel, with escapes, mystery elements, travel, and kidnapping of the heroine. The was never a dull moment in this book. I really appreciated that the heroine dealt with her own captor and abuser with a knife between the ribs and basically saved herself. I always really appreciate that in a romance novel. I much prefer that setup to the hero swooping in at the last minute and saving the heroine. I believe in women getting their own vengeance in romance novels. It is much more emotionally satisfying for this reader. This novel was low angst (internal conflict) and high stakes (external conflict) which is my preferred narrative structure in a romance novel. I really dislike high angst, low stakes romance novels. I prefer medium-low to medium angst and high stakes in my love stories. This novel ends on a Happy Ever After ending which I found emotionally satisfying. To wrap up, I really recommend this novel.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JLH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost Paradise. You’re having a bad day. You’re a newly ex girlfriend tells you see it’s over and you (a)tell her you still care for (b) tell her good riddance see. As you’re cruising through space in your cargo ship you( a )answer a distress call or ( B) ignore it and keep flying your ship. These are my two examples of a bad day that happens actually in the first chapter. It is a crazy ride in trying to help a damsel in distress. It’s a great way to read the book as he finds this woman who was a prisoner or held against her will on the moon. The only problem is she’s so full of secrets you’re not sure if you should help her or run screaming back to your ship. Is it interesting book it’s a funny book in certain incidences where of course two people who are getting to know each while on an adventure. So it’s almost paradise.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[HEATHER · Rating 5 out of 5]

An imaginative story line with well defined characters!
by sewsummore

This is the first book by this author that I have read but it will not be the last. The story line was imaginative and the characters well defined. Serena had been sold by her drug addicted parents to a researcher in cybernetics. He used her to perform cybernetic enhancements on. Including tying her life supports to his research base making her a prisoner and her nanobots her jailer. Left alone at his secret base she used the knowledge her gave her to send out a distress message and was rescued by a freighter pilot. There was much more to this story but you will have to read the book to find out. This book had me absorbed in the story from the start, the growing desires between her rescuer and Serena and the complicated twist in the story line made this an great sci-fi read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and have voluntarily given an honest review,

[Kristiej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such fun reading Haven, I started reading Paradise, the second book in the series right after. I seem to have a fascination for Cyborg romance at the moment and in this book, the cyborg is female. Serena is said heroine and she was sold to a rather mad scientist who continued to experiment on her even after the Cyborg project was cancelled. He has arranged things so that Serena is unable to leave the small isolated planet she’s been living on and her only company is the mad scientist.

But she’s pretty smart and has arranged a distress signal to go out and the signal is picked up by our hero, Matthias. He is lured to the outpost and once he meets Serena, is determined to rescue her no matter what it takes. This is a short story but I quite liked it and satisfied, for now, my desire for Cyborg Lucas from the first book, I hope we see more of the characters in both books.

Now, on to the next book, Oasis. And yep, I already own it.

[4katydid Donahue · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is so much going on in this book which is always a good thing. Both the heroine, Serena, and the hero, Matthias, have much to overcome.
Serena was sold as a child and nanotechnology was forced on her so she is considered a cyborg now. She is forced to live alone on a compound at the edge of the Zone and told she cannot survive leaving. She doesn’t care and sends an SOS that Matthias answers. Meanwhile Matthias’ ship has been hacked by an ex and all his destination files have been wiped out as well as his access to the freighter boards. If he can’t fix this then they are both trapped on Paradise.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anuschka-Marie' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Very well written, with an interesting storyline.
Selena is a cyborg, stuck on a moon base, with no way of escaping. Matthias just got dumped by his girlfriend, which he took well. She on the other hand, did not. His ex messed with his systems and left him stranded in space. When his computer picks up the beacon on Paradise, he goes there to make repairs. Instead he finds a stuck cyborg. So begins an adventure on how to rescue Selena and set her free.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chelsea Ortiz-Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its an interesting story indeed.
First of all, the ending was spectacular!
Matthias didnt seem like the normal male hero I usually read in most my books. He is not ALPHA. I mean he is alpha but not ALPHA if that makes sense. Selena was fascinating to me. She was intelligent despite her advancements. I enjoyed their story and look forward to this series continuing.
Happy reading!
Rating 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serena was sold as a child and turned into a cyborg with nanites. She was dependent on the station where she was built and was told she couldn’t leave or she would die. She sent out an sos and Mathias got it and rescued her. They had an exciting and interesting journey trying to free her from her prison and her maker as they fell in love.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, the interaction and chemistry between the characters of Serena and Matthias is great, the storyline is entertaining, filled with action and intrigue. I can't wait for more from this author. I received this book as a FREE ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two in the Zone Cyborgs series a well written story with a great storyline, it held my interest throughout. Serena and Matthias’s story there is suspense, drama, danger, kidnapping, a villain, twists, turns, and romance. I want to read the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book it was great, it was well written story and the characters were interesting. Matthias is knocked off course in his freighter plane to a place there are beautiful woman Serena is desperate to escape. It was a steamy read.
Thank you for you allowing me to review your book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serena and Matthias are the main characters in this well-written story, and they work so well together with great chemistry. It’s an interesting story that held my attention throughout and has some great world building.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone has been messing around and now they are somewhere they do not expect anything. He is able to get them back to where they had come from when an s.o.s is picked up.Will he to and save them? She is not what he expects. So will be help her? What will.She learn of does? See how her life may change

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. The magic and characters and drama. What an intriguing story! Can’t wait for the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good sci-fi romance that was good from start to finish. I enjoyed the story and liked the characters. Good job

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book. It was a gripping story intrigued and adventure. I could not put this one down. I voluntarily read and review this book in exchange for a free copy.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly boring considering it’s cyborgs in space…. Just your basic damsel in distress rescue story.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly a stand alone but the characters from the first book do appear towards the end.

[Dot Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Paradise (Zone Cyborgs, #2)", by Jessica Marting, is a delightful light sci/fi-romance space opera. The male protagonist, Matthias Ericks, owns and is the captain of the "Red Ensign", his third-hand freighter vessel. His girlfriend on Antonoff station breaks up with him and also deliberately sabotages his ship by wiping out his destination files and disabling his access to the freighter boards. Just to get away from Antonoff, he honed in the only beacon he could find, located at the edge of Zone space called "SG-Paradise" and gave that as his destination. Everything in his ship was fixable, but he needed a place to dock to do the repairs and then report the hacking.

Meanwhile on Paradise, its sole inhabitant is the female protagonist, Serena Glazer, a woman who has been significantly altered with nanotechnology and who is connected to the sole compound on the lifeless and airless moon. She has sent out an SOS signal for help in escaping her prison and Matthias is the first person (and perhaps the only person?) to respond.

With this, the adventures of Matthias and Serena begin. Serena is considered to be a Cyborg, a life form that has been outlawed in the Zone. How will she and Matthias disconnect her from the compound? And if they can do that, is there any way they can remove her nanotechnology so she can live a normal existence? Are there others like her anywhere in the Zone? And what about the man who imprisoned Serena ten years ago and made all the changes to her body? Will he be searching for her as well? But first things first, can Serena repair Matthias' ship so they can leave her prison?

Ms. Marting has written a delicious little (figuratively speaking only) novel, crammed full of mysteries and questions that grab your attention from the first page and keep it throughout the book. Since this is the second book in the "Zone Cyborgs" series, I definitely have to read the first novel!

I received an ARC from Booksprout and this represents my honest opinion and review of the novel. I found only a couple of minor misspellings or wrong usage of a word. Of course, the book was so good and I was so engrossed in it, I may have missed some, but I rather doubt it.



Merged review:

A Delightful Light Sci/Fi-Romance Space Opera

"Paradise (Zone Cyborgs, #2)", by Jessica Marting, is a delightful light sci/fi-romance space opera. The male protagonist, Matthias Ericks, owns and is the captain of the "Red Ensign", his third-hand freighter vessel. His girlfriend on Antonoff station breaks up with him and also deliberately sabotages his ship by wiping out his destination files and disabling his access to the freighter boards. Just to get away from Antonoff, he honed in the only beacon he could find, located at the edge of Zone space called "SG-Paradise" and gave that as his destination. Everything in his ship was fixable, but he needed a place to dock to do the repairs and then report the hacking.

Meanwhile on Paradise, its sole inhabitant is the female protagonist, Serena Glazer, a woman who has been significantly altered with nanotechnology and who is connected to the sole compound on the lifeless and airless moon. She has sent out an SOS signal for help in escaping her prison and Matthias is the first person (and perhaps the only person?) to respond.

With this, the adventures of Matthias and Serena begin. Serena is considered to be a Cyborg, a life form that has been outlawed in the Zone. How will she and Matthias disconnect her from the compound? And if they can do that, is there any way they can remove her nanotechnology so she can live a normal existence? Are there others like her anywhere in the Zone? And what about the man who imprisoned Serena ten years ago and made all the changes to her body? Will he be searching for her as well? But first things first, can Serena repair Matthias' ship so they can leave her prison?

Ms. Marting has written a delicious little (figuratively speaking only) novel, crammed full of mysteries and questions that grab your attention from the first page and keep it throughout the book. Since this is the second book in the "Zone Cyborgs" series, I definitely have to read the first novel!

I received a free ARC from Booksprout and this represents my voluntary and honest opinion and review of this novel.

MsDot

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Female cyborg tied to a moon in space…

I mean really! You gotta know what happens next, right?! Bad things, really nasty guys…and love…😍 This story is great and there’s already one before and one to come. Goood stuff 😁

[˚✧₊⁎ѕαи∂у⁎⁺˳✧༚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally freaking sweet! 🍓

This is the second short novel by this author. This time, I'm left with a big smile. Adorable happy ending with a nice future mother in law. 😉 Truly a happy ending! Next, please! 🙏