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Hybrid Genesis #1
Zedger: Edge of Zion
War is in their DNA. Marci, ex-commander turned rebel, aims to destroy the Astral's hybrid genesis program which captures her people and builds them into soldiers for their armies.Astrals, those of High-born blood, not mutated from the toxins and radiation, rule from their protected cities with savage weaponry and the ranks of redesigned Tellurians.
Commander Marci:
I escaped the experiments of Project Zedger, which alters us for the Astrals’ bioenhanced military, Occupational Cybernetic Corps. OCC protects Zion from other Astral countries, but it also maintains order within its boundaries. Us soldiers are mutated, spliced with animals, or cybernetically restructured to do the most damage without objection. I was one once, Bravo class, a cybernetic hybrid, a commander.
I hated that my kind died because of my orders, i>Genesis's orders. It's why I broke free.
Genesis Hub controls everyone. It consumes your thoughts and controls your actions through a splay that squeezes the back of your brain. It makes us kill our own kind. Tellurians dwindle in numbers with every passing day. Project Zedger must burn. Genesis must fall. Only I have the skills and potential to make that happen. The others who have different minds like mine are all still in service.
Levi, my recently rescued Crisper, is in desperate need of a regulator to control the massive amounts of Cerithymite nanotech the doctors pumped into him. He was dumped not far from where I live with a piece of my old splay in his head. It's a message from my designer. My hideout has been discovered by OCC Snipes. My time is up. Ingrid is on to me.
I have a plan that just might save Levi and free us all, but I risk Ingrid gaining control of me and another mobile army. I've already taken more lives than I've saved. I won't help her take over the world.
Levi:
My memory is a mess of fragments from my time in service. All I know is Commander Marci saved my life, and I can't get too far away from her. Something about her calms the storm in my blood. When she leaves, I am inundated with pain, like a million stinging ants clawing their way out of my skin. I hope she can figure out what I am. I hope she can fix me. If I live, I swear, I will protect her with my life.
Sergeant Mason Cage:
I've monitored Marci for years under the orders of a rebel Astral. I don't think Marci remembers me. Zedger screws with your head, stirs up your concept of identity with too many synthetic thoughts. You start to wonder what's real. It's why us Disconnects and rebels have to stick together. I wish I could talk to Marci, tell her everything, tell her I'm sorry for getting us both into this. I don't want to go back in to get her out, but I fear I might have to. Astrals love to torture us. They mutated me to like pain, to crave it in battle. I'll do what I have to, to protect her. I owe her that much, at least.
*This series features cursing, violence, and torture.
Commander Marci:
I escaped the experiments of Project Zedger, which alters us for the Astrals’ bioenhanced military, Occupational Cybernetic Corps. OCC protects Zion from other Astral countries, but it also maintains order within its boundaries. Us soldiers are mutated, spliced with animals, or cybernetically restructured to do the most damage without objection. I was one once, Bravo class, a cybernetic hybrid, a commander.
I hated that my kind died because of my orders, i>Genesis's orders. It's why I broke free.
Genesis Hub controls everyone. It consumes your thoughts and controls your actions through a splay that squeezes the back of your brain. It makes us kill our own kind. Tellurians dwindle in numbers with every passing day. Project Zedger must burn. Genesis must fall. Only I have the skills and potential to make that happen. The others who have different minds like mine are all still in service.
Levi, my recently rescued Crisper, is in desperate need of a regulator to control the massive amounts of Cerithymite nanotech the doctors pumped into him. He was dumped not far from where I live with a piece of my old splay in his head. It's a message from my designer. My hideout has been discovered by OCC Snipes. My time is up. Ingrid is on to me.
I have a plan that just might save Levi and free us all, but I risk Ingrid gaining control of me and another mobile army. I've already taken more lives than I've saved. I won't help her take over the world.
Levi:
My memory is a mess of fragments from my time in service. All I know is Commander Marci saved my life, and I can't get too far away from her. Something about her calms the storm in my blood. When she leaves, I am inundated with pain, like a million stinging ants clawing their way out of my skin. I hope she can figure out what I am. I hope she can fix me. If I live, I swear, I will protect her with my life.
Sergeant Mason Cage:
I've monitored Marci for years under the orders of a rebel Astral. I don't think Marci remembers me. Zedger screws with your head, stirs up your concept of identity with too many synthetic thoughts. You start to wonder what's real. It's why us Disconnects and rebels have to stick together. I wish I could talk to Marci, tell her everything, tell her I'm sorry for getting us both into this. I don't want to go back in to get her out, but I fear I might have to. Astrals love to torture us. They mutated me to like pain, to crave it in battle. I'll do what I have to, to protect her. I owe her that much, at least.
*This series features cursing, violence, and torture.
- GenresScience Fiction
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2020
19 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
E.L. Strife
20 books16 followersStrife enjoys crafting science fiction novels in various subgenres including space opera, cyberpunk, and fantasy. Sometimes she writes about aliens and colonization, other times she sticks to genetic engineering, the supernatural, and corrupt futuristic societies. Strife’s Sci-Fi is often crude and graphic, features strong women, and typically includes people who like to blow s--- up.
E. L. isn’t always in front of her laptop. She enjoys taking the four-wheelers to the coast with her husband and doing donuts in the sand. Strife most enjoys camping in the mountains and soaking in hot springs in the snow, but you're most likely to find her in the gym.
Strife craves learning new things like that crazy stuff called astrophysics and how to work on her 1981 Corvette and her Jeep. She hopes, someday, to add to her list of apocalyptic survival skills by learning to weld.
E. L. has traveled the US and Europe, served in the military, and completed two Bachelor's Degrees in Public Health and Human Sciences. She's toured lava tubes, the NASA center in Houston, castles, concentration camps, the Shelby center in Las Vegas, and many natural wonders. She's even learned to race BMWs at the track in southern California.
Strife enjoys connecting with readers and welcomes all feedback and questions. If you’d like to know when Strife’s next books will be out, and to ensure you hear about her giveaways, visit her website: elstrife.com and subscribe via the links on her homepage.
You can also connect with her on these other channels:
Twitter: @ElysiaLStrife
BookBub: E L Strife
E. L. isn’t always in front of her laptop. She enjoys taking the four-wheelers to the coast with her husband and doing donuts in the sand. Strife most enjoys camping in the mountains and soaking in hot springs in the snow, but you're most likely to find her in the gym.
Strife craves learning new things like that crazy stuff called astrophysics and how to work on her 1981 Corvette and her Jeep. She hopes, someday, to add to her list of apocalyptic survival skills by learning to weld.
E. L. has traveled the US and Europe, served in the military, and completed two Bachelor's Degrees in Public Health and Human Sciences. She's toured lava tubes, the NASA center in Houston, castles, concentration camps, the Shelby center in Las Vegas, and many natural wonders. She's even learned to race BMWs at the track in southern California.
Strife enjoys connecting with readers and welcomes all feedback and questions. If you’d like to know when Strife’s next books will be out, and to ensure you hear about her giveaways, visit her website: elstrife.com and subscribe via the links on her homepage.
You can also connect with her on these other channels:
Twitter: @ElysiaLStrife
BookBub: E L Strife
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 17, 2020
This is the first book from Elysia Lumen Strife that I've read, and I'm highly impressed. I had read some of her snippets and shorts before, but this book has shown me just how talented she is. The characters are deep, rich and interesting. It's clear that a lot of development work went into them. Marci is amazing. Compassionate yet tough, and definitely a bad ass! Levi is interesting too. It was good to see him develop as he healed after his disconnect.
The writing is punchy featuring short sentences, brisk wording. The pacing is excellent and just hits the right balance of action and more. The descriptions are vivid and they bring a reality to the story. I have read too many books that fall short in this area, but I'm delighted that this book does it so well.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review. And I really can't wait to see where this series goes!
The writing is punchy featuring short sentences, brisk wording. The pacing is excellent and just hits the right balance of action and more. The descriptions are vivid and they bring a reality to the story. I have read too many books that fall short in this area, but I'm delighted that this book does it so well.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review. And I really can't wait to see where this series goes!
December 5, 2020
Zedger is simultaneously thrilling and thoughtful, perfectly balancing high-octane action with speculative allegory, which fans of cyberpunk will love.
Meet Marci, an escaped soldier of Project Zedger, enhanced by tech and trained as an elite assassin. She’s freed herself from the mind-controlling chips that connected her with the project, and is on the path to regaining her humanity, rescuing others like herself who wash up outside the High cities’ protective walls. She’s a fantastic character, full of depth, tender yet tenacious, she can either soothe you or kick your butt. She’s the heart of the book, as well as its fists.
When she meets an escapee on the barren wastelands of the outside world, his rescue will lead her on a quest to the core of the machine. She’ll have to face everything that Zedger put her through in a fight against those who seek power, no matter the cost. The book straddles multiple points of view, and the ‘Crisper’ she rescues becomes a key player. His arc is superb, and a lot of the world is built around his perspective. As he learns about his surroundings, the High cities, Marci, and her mission, so do we. The book doesn’t suffer from an exposition overload, and it’s seamless how a fantastic description can blend with an insightful character moment.
As far as the writing itself, it’s rich and lyrical without ever becoming unclear. Jargon is used brilliantly to submerge you in the world and enhance the imagery, like sparks which ignite the imagination. An example of this comes later in the book with the arachdroids — which you’ve already guessed are spider-like robots. The term creates an immediate picture which roots you in the nuances of this futuristic society, and there are countless other occasions where details are conveyed with subtlety and style. The book is transportive, and I was totally immersed right from page 1.
As far as pacing goes, it doesn’t feel rushed. There’s admirable patience in some key chapters, which creates a genuine sense of build, so when the action strikes, it doesn’t disappoint. There’s room to ponder the questions it raises, and the depth of its themes isn’t lost amongst the carnage.
With an expertly crafted fusion of plot and character, the book’s greatest strength is the balance it achieves in presenting a world which feels like less of a read, and more of an experience. I was fortunate enough to get a look at an early version of the book, and was left completely satisfied. It’s an impressive, inventive piece of science fiction, and a cool way to kickstart a series.
Meet Marci, an escaped soldier of Project Zedger, enhanced by tech and trained as an elite assassin. She’s freed herself from the mind-controlling chips that connected her with the project, and is on the path to regaining her humanity, rescuing others like herself who wash up outside the High cities’ protective walls. She’s a fantastic character, full of depth, tender yet tenacious, she can either soothe you or kick your butt. She’s the heart of the book, as well as its fists.
When she meets an escapee on the barren wastelands of the outside world, his rescue will lead her on a quest to the core of the machine. She’ll have to face everything that Zedger put her through in a fight against those who seek power, no matter the cost. The book straddles multiple points of view, and the ‘Crisper’ she rescues becomes a key player. His arc is superb, and a lot of the world is built around his perspective. As he learns about his surroundings, the High cities, Marci, and her mission, so do we. The book doesn’t suffer from an exposition overload, and it’s seamless how a fantastic description can blend with an insightful character moment.
As far as the writing itself, it’s rich and lyrical without ever becoming unclear. Jargon is used brilliantly to submerge you in the world and enhance the imagery, like sparks which ignite the imagination. An example of this comes later in the book with the arachdroids — which you’ve already guessed are spider-like robots. The term creates an immediate picture which roots you in the nuances of this futuristic society, and there are countless other occasions where details are conveyed with subtlety and style. The book is transportive, and I was totally immersed right from page 1.
As far as pacing goes, it doesn’t feel rushed. There’s admirable patience in some key chapters, which creates a genuine sense of build, so when the action strikes, it doesn’t disappoint. There’s room to ponder the questions it raises, and the depth of its themes isn’t lost amongst the carnage.
With an expertly crafted fusion of plot and character, the book’s greatest strength is the balance it achieves in presenting a world which feels like less of a read, and more of an experience. I was fortunate enough to get a look at an early version of the book, and was left completely satisfied. It’s an impressive, inventive piece of science fiction, and a cool way to kickstart a series.
April 22, 2024
Fast-paced and original. The world is dominated by Astrals, who use advanced tech to turn people into warriors, mechanized to fight their own, and have no self-control. Marci is a former Astral commander who got away, but her creators want her back at all costs. Her life now is devoted to getting people out (and saving those who were thrown away when their usefulness ends).
Almost dizzying, everything happens. Author does a great job building out the personalities and effects of the people taken from their lives, subjected to horrible abuse and control.
Almost dizzying, everything happens. Author does a great job building out the personalities and effects of the people taken from their lives, subjected to horrible abuse and control.
February 8, 2021
Zedger is a unique and interesting book with a cast of characters who fight for survival in a world where competitive dominance rules.
The power of love, trust, and family is worth fighting for when others want to control the lives of all.
Striving to develop healthy relationships with bonds of fairness, equality, acceptance and justice will make our universe a happier place.
Enjoy Zedger as you contemplate what a dystopian world may look like.
The power of love, trust, and family is worth fighting for when others want to control the lives of all.
Striving to develop healthy relationships with bonds of fairness, equality, acceptance and justice will make our universe a happier place.
Enjoy Zedger as you contemplate what a dystopian world may look like.
August 25, 2021
When I received this book I was able to read it from the very beginning to the very end.I got this book for free thru an Advanced Review Copy, ARC, with an honest review freely given. I thought the story line was very well written and it made it goes to smoothly for me as a reader and this is my opinio. I thought the charcter built up made the story so much better and enjoyable. I got this book for free thru an Advanced Review Copy, ARC, with an honest review freely given.
January 8, 2021
Amazing
Well written story about a future world where humans are upgraded with mech and tech and controlled by a program called Genesis. Many also have various animal DNA in addition and defective bodies are discarded to the radioactive waste areas outside the city. Marci rescued and fixed them and they are part of the resistance. Great read
Well written story about a future world where humans are upgraded with mech and tech and controlled by a program called Genesis. Many also have various animal DNA in addition and defective bodies are discarded to the radioactive waste areas outside the city. Marci rescued and fixed them and they are part of the resistance. Great read
April 5, 2021
Wow - This action-packed adventure kept me on the edge
I loved everything about this fast-paced adventure. Strife weaves a compelling cast of cybernetic characters into a fascinating but terrible post apocalyptic world where an elite few will do anything to turn the rest of humanity into their superhuman slaves.
I loved everything about this fast-paced adventure. Strife weaves a compelling cast of cybernetic characters into a fascinating but terrible post apocalyptic world where an elite few will do anything to turn the rest of humanity into their superhuman slaves.
January 5, 2021
Zedger: Edge of Zion is a thrill ride that will keep you reading long into the night. The story is part Terminator, part Wolverine, with a kick-ass heroine who is running from a tragic past. She will stop at nothing to free her fellow soldiers from her fate. The characters are unique and interesting. The story is realistic and all-too plausible. It was a great read. Go out and get this book!
September 7, 2021
Received as a review copy, this is an honest review. A wonderful thought provoking journey that has a well layered plot that nicely gives up its secrets throughout the novel that keeps you on edge in the best way possible. Highly recommended.
March 11, 2022
Action from start to finish, this one builds nicely on the prequel novel.
More strong characters are introduced and plenty of linking storylines established.
It is one of those series which has you engaged from the start and begging for more.
More strong characters are introduced and plenty of linking storylines established.
It is one of those series which has you engaged from the start and begging for more.
February 6, 2026
I'm glad I read the prequel first.
Excellent characters, tech and world building.
The action in the final chapters is outstanding.
This is well written and nicely edited.
On to book 2.
Excellent characters, tech and world building.
The action in the final chapters is outstanding.
This is well written and nicely edited.
On to book 2.
May 17, 2024
I enjoyed the world the author created and she continues to build out the main characters. There was lots of action and the pace of the story was good. I enjoyed the book and look forward to book 2 in the series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews