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Mercenary Librarians #3
Dance with the Devil
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Kit Rocha return to their explosive post-apocalyptic action/romance series, The Mercenary Librarians, with the next thrilling installment, Dance with the Devil.
POWER IS NEVER GIVEN, ONLY TAKEN
Tobias Richter, the fearsome VP of Security of the TechCorps is dead. The puppetmaster is gone and the organization is scrambling to maintain control by ruthlessly limiting Atlanta's access to resources, hoping to quell rebellion. Our band of mercenary librarians have decided that the time for revolution has come.
Maya uses her wealth of secrets to weaken the TechCorps from within. Dani strikes from the shadows, picking off the chain of command one ambush at a time. And Nina is organizing their community—not just to survive, but to fight back. When Maya needs to make contact with a sympathetic insider, Dani and Rafe are the only ones with the skill-set and experience to infiltrate the highest levels of the TechCorps. They'll go deep undercover in the decadent, luxury-soaked penthouses on the Hill.
Bringing Dani face-to-face with the man who turned her into a killer. And forcing Rafe to decide how far he'll go to protect both of his families—the one he was born to, and the one he made for himself.
Victory will break the back of Power. Failure will destroy Atlanta.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
POWER IS NEVER GIVEN, ONLY TAKEN
Tobias Richter, the fearsome VP of Security of the TechCorps is dead. The puppetmaster is gone and the organization is scrambling to maintain control by ruthlessly limiting Atlanta's access to resources, hoping to quell rebellion. Our band of mercenary librarians have decided that the time for revolution has come.
Maya uses her wealth of secrets to weaken the TechCorps from within. Dani strikes from the shadows, picking off the chain of command one ambush at a time. And Nina is organizing their community—not just to survive, but to fight back. When Maya needs to make contact with a sympathetic insider, Dani and Rafe are the only ones with the skill-set and experience to infiltrate the highest levels of the TechCorps. They'll go deep undercover in the decadent, luxury-soaked penthouses on the Hill.
Bringing Dani face-to-face with the man who turned her into a killer. And forcing Rafe to decide how far he'll go to protect both of his families—the one he was born to, and the one he made for himself.
Victory will break the back of Power. Failure will destroy Atlanta.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2022
139 people are currently reading
1296 people want to read
About the author
Kit Rocha
70 books2,649 followersOnce upon a time, two best friends decided to write paranormal romance. And while that was awesome, they also sometimes wanted to write insanely dirty stuff that wasn’t paranormal at all. This is that stuff.
Kit Rocha is the dystopian-erotic-romance writing alter-ego of writing duo Moira Rogers.
Kit Rocha is the dystopian-erotic-romance writing alter-ego of writing duo Moira Rogers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
July 19, 2022
Dance With the Devil delivers on the promises made in the first two Mercenary Librarians books, Deal With the Devil and The Devil You Know.
Rafe has been pining for Dani since she stabbed him a little bit the first time they met. Dani would have liked to work off the sexual tension between them, but once she adopted Rafe as one of her people, she couldn’t just tromp on his feelings. This is their book and Kit Rocha doesn’t make us wait too long before letting Dani and Rafe decide to risk heartbreak. Even more than the other books, this one explores the ways the characters feel like they’ve made themselves into monsters to survive living in TechCorps controlled Atlanta. Before they can fully reclaim themselves as humans, they have to accept that there is no ethical living under corporate control.
There are plenty of battles, fights, and action in Dance With the Devil. It’s a fun book with great characters, and some A+ heat between Rafe and Dani. If you want escape, it’s there.
But what I love best about the minds that make up Kit Rocha is that they understand the revolution is bigger than the gun fights and violence. The revolution is the former captain of a super soldier squad using his protective instincts to perfect a cookie recipe for a little girl, who was created to be a cheap instrument of war. The revolution is a clone designed to be a super soldier building a community center and figuring out how to feed people instead of kill them.
There’s something quintessentially Southern about The Mercenary Librarians, and it isn’t just peach pie and iced tea. It’s the recognition that the governing body wasn’t made to help you, but to keep you in line and out of the way. The refugees and the people who live in the shadow of TechCorps know that if they want to survive, they have to help themselves. Nina is the Heart that has gathered found family and allies together. In rescuing people for the sake of rescuing people, she has built not just an army capable of revolution, but also the infrastructure to govern in the aftermath. I keep going back to what Nina tells Knox early in Deal With the Devil:
"I’m going to keep trying. Even if it changes nothing.”
This is the foundation of the series. There is value in trying regardless of long term success.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Tordotcom via NetGalley. My opinions are my own and freely given.
Rafe has been pining for Dani since she stabbed him a little bit the first time they met. Dani would have liked to work off the sexual tension between them, but once she adopted Rafe as one of her people, she couldn’t just tromp on his feelings. This is their book and Kit Rocha doesn’t make us wait too long before letting Dani and Rafe decide to risk heartbreak. Even more than the other books, this one explores the ways the characters feel like they’ve made themselves into monsters to survive living in TechCorps controlled Atlanta. Before they can fully reclaim themselves as humans, they have to accept that there is no ethical living under corporate control.
There are plenty of battles, fights, and action in Dance With the Devil. It’s a fun book with great characters, and some A+ heat between Rafe and Dani. If you want escape, it’s there.
But what I love best about the minds that make up Kit Rocha is that they understand the revolution is bigger than the gun fights and violence. The revolution is the former captain of a super soldier squad using his protective instincts to perfect a cookie recipe for a little girl, who was created to be a cheap instrument of war. The revolution is a clone designed to be a super soldier building a community center and figuring out how to feed people instead of kill them.
There’s something quintessentially Southern about The Mercenary Librarians, and it isn’t just peach pie and iced tea. It’s the recognition that the governing body wasn’t made to help you, but to keep you in line and out of the way. The refugees and the people who live in the shadow of TechCorps know that if they want to survive, they have to help themselves. Nina is the Heart that has gathered found family and allies together. In rescuing people for the sake of rescuing people, she has built not just an army capable of revolution, but also the infrastructure to govern in the aftermath. I keep going back to what Nina tells Knox early in Deal With the Devil:
"I’m going to keep trying. Even if it changes nothing.”
This is the foundation of the series. There is value in trying regardless of long term success.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Tordotcom via NetGalley. My opinions are my own and freely given.
September 4, 2022
The romance in this was top notch and the plot was pretty good, though I did start to just have to power through it towards the end. I know I noted this after reading the last book, but I think the whole series would benefit from a binge read as opposed to a over a three year period. I believe the authors have said they're done with this world for the moment, but I deeply hope they come back to it because there are at least two romances I would dearly love to see.
September 9, 2022
Even though each audiobook in this series has its own romance and storyline, advances to the overall series arc, making listening in order of release a must.
Our motley crew is still working with the people in their area to build a community. The group has created a library, sick bay, school and community garden. They are organizing ways to share resources and assisting those in need. They’ve done this despite the greedy people at TechnoCorp who are only interesting in lining their pockets. Actions that benefit the wealthy in society, while young children are cloned and citizens experimented on.
In Dance with the Devil, we get Rafe and Dani’s story. These two have been dancing around each other since this first audiobook, and the buildup of sexual tension and banter had me eager for their story. Rocha did not disappoint. They shared their backstories and introduced siblings. The two, despite their baggage, work well together. That is when they are not fighting their attraction to one another.
We get updates and spend some time with the crew, Nina, her librarians, along with Knox and his Silver Devils. I enjoy seeing them around the breakfast table fighting over pancakes and bacon.
We head to the “Hill” for some intel gathering. Their mission yields good contacts and allies, which allows them to take over and put others in power. The tale was suspenseful with plenty of action and while this story had some closure until TechnoCorp is stopped, I will worry about our Librarians and their community.
Lidia Dornet rocks the narration, skillfully capturing the voices of these characters. The story works well in audio format, bringing the scenes to life in vivid color.
Fans of science fiction, romance, suspense, strong Kick-Ass characters and team building will want to dive into this series. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Our motley crew is still working with the people in their area to build a community. The group has created a library, sick bay, school and community garden. They are organizing ways to share resources and assisting those in need. They’ve done this despite the greedy people at TechnoCorp who are only interesting in lining their pockets. Actions that benefit the wealthy in society, while young children are cloned and citizens experimented on.
In Dance with the Devil, we get Rafe and Dani’s story. These two have been dancing around each other since this first audiobook, and the buildup of sexual tension and banter had me eager for their story. Rocha did not disappoint. They shared their backstories and introduced siblings. The two, despite their baggage, work well together. That is when they are not fighting their attraction to one another.
We get updates and spend some time with the crew, Nina, her librarians, along with Knox and his Silver Devils. I enjoy seeing them around the breakfast table fighting over pancakes and bacon.
We head to the “Hill” for some intel gathering. Their mission yields good contacts and allies, which allows them to take over and put others in power. The tale was suspenseful with plenty of action and while this story had some closure until TechnoCorp is stopped, I will worry about our Librarians and their community.
Lidia Dornet rocks the narration, skillfully capturing the voices of these characters. The story works well in audio format, bringing the scenes to life in vivid color.
Fans of science fiction, romance, suspense, strong Kick-Ass characters and team building will want to dive into this series. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
February 28, 2023
This is my favorite installment of the series, and also the hottest romance of the series. Coincidence? ...probably not :)
The good:
- Dani and Rafe's romance has been teased since book one, and it's wonderful to finally see it on the page. Rafe is an intel officer, as well as handsome and charming beyond belief. He lives to take care of people, and the way he takes care of Dani is to cover her back, swooping in to save her only if it's unavoidable - he knows she can (mostly) take care of herself.
- The whole group comes together to take down the Big Bad that is Techcorps, and we see that they have wide-ranging motivations. Some started with TechCorps for the good of their families but then defected; a couple are on the inside, using their access to funnel info out; some originally worked against TechCorps for monetary gain but slowly turned to the cause; while others were outside from the beginning. It shows that there's no one way to come to a cause, and that it's possible to recant and change your mind.
- They are fighting for the future, darn it! For hope and kids and living however you want as long as you aren't an ass.
- The final battle has a ton of moving parts and they fit together perfectly.
- The door is left open to more books or even a spin off series...
The not-so-good:
- ...but no further books are on the horizon ~sob~
I love where this series ended up, and hope that Rocha returns to it at some point in the future. I'll be returning to the Beyond series for my next Rocha fix while I wait for whatever they have lined up next!
Content notes:
The good:
- Dani and Rafe's romance has been teased since book one, and it's wonderful to finally see it on the page. Rafe is an intel officer, as well as handsome and charming beyond belief. He lives to take care of people, and the way he takes care of Dani is to cover her back, swooping in to save her only if it's unavoidable - he knows she can (mostly) take care of herself.
- The whole group comes together to take down the Big Bad that is Techcorps, and we see that they have wide-ranging motivations. Some started with TechCorps for the good of their families but then defected; a couple are on the inside, using their access to funnel info out; some originally worked against TechCorps for monetary gain but slowly turned to the cause; while others were outside from the beginning. It shows that there's no one way to come to a cause, and that it's possible to recant and change your mind.
- They are fighting for the future, darn it! For hope and kids and living however you want as long as you aren't an ass.
- The final battle has a ton of moving parts and they fit together perfectly.
- The door is left open to more books or even a spin off series...
The not-so-good:
- ...but no further books are on the horizon ~sob~
I love where this series ended up, and hope that Rocha returns to it at some point in the future. I'll be returning to the Beyond series for my next Rocha fix while I wait for whatever they have lined up next!
Content notes:
October 23, 2022
There was a moment early in this book when I actually whispered "oh nooo" out loud because I immediately knew this book & this ship was going to be a real problem for me:
Like. Am I just meant to read that??? and then act normal??? are you joking???
Anyway. I didn't expect this book to be my favourite in the series, but wow it's not even close. I like how this all wrapped up - they could go back into the world, but it's also tied up pretty well if they're done with this forever.
In hindsight, she realized that she and Rafe had been about thirty seconds from fucking on the dance floor.
They seemed to be about thirty seconds from fucking at any given time.
Like. Am I just meant to read that??? and then act normal??? are you joking???
Anyway. I didn't expect this book to be my favourite in the series, but wow it's not even close. I like how this all wrapped up - they could go back into the world, but it's also tied up pretty well if they're done with this forever.
September 2, 2022
This whole series has been just ok for me, which is odd because I like the authors other books, written under this name and their other name. I'm not sure why this one didn't hit with me, it really should have. The little guys rising up against their oppressors, fighting for those left behind, it should have hit all my good buttons.
I was glad to see the group beat the "bad guys" for them to be on the board of rebuilding things in a better way, for them to see how the community they had been living in had their backs when it counted. I even liked seeing Dani and Rafe finally end their dance and build something good, to see Rafe's family totally accept Dani. But I'm also glad to be done with the series. I don't think any more books are planned right now, but the door was left open for later if the authors feel up to revisiting this world.
I was glad to see the group beat the "bad guys" for them to be on the board of rebuilding things in a better way, for them to see how the community they had been living in had their backs when it counted. I even liked seeing Dani and Rafe finally end their dance and build something good, to see Rafe's family totally accept Dani. But I'm also glad to be done with the series. I don't think any more books are planned right now, but the door was left open for later if the authors feel up to revisiting this world.
August 4, 2022
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Dystopian / SyFy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Dance with the Devil is the third installment in author Kit Rocha's Mercenary Librarians. A trio of information brokers led by Nina, have joined forces with a squad of elite super-soldiers led by Knox and his Silver Devil Squad (Conall, Rafe, Gray, and Mace), to use their knowledge to help the hopeless in a dystopian post-apocalyptic United States (mostly Atlanta) ruled by a corporate autocracy. Nina and her friends Maya and Dani were part of a government program specializing in clones and genetic modification to be Executive Security operatives.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Dystopian / SyFy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
Dance with the Devil is the third installment in author Kit Rocha's Mercenary Librarians. A trio of information brokers led by Nina, have joined forces with a squad of elite super-soldiers led by Knox and his Silver Devil Squad (Conall, Rafe, Gray, and Mace), to use their knowledge to help the hopeless in a dystopian post-apocalyptic United States (mostly Atlanta) ruled by a corporate autocracy. Nina and her friends Maya and Dani were part of a government program specializing in clones and genetic modification to be Executive Security operatives.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
October 2, 2023
Well, I'm a little bit peeved, honestly. This seemed to be the last book in the series, but it ends with a cliffhanger. The TechCorps story wraps, but Nina's story - and the monstrous company who made her and her sisters - does not.
That aside, I liked Dani / Rafe and the resolve of TechCorps. This series has great characters, and a great growth of the community. I'm invested and will read more, assuming more comes out. But I'm just a bit miffed that the story we got kicked off on (Nina was the FMC of book 1) still has no resolution.
And we don't know what's up with The Professor.
This doesn't feel like an ending in any way, honestly. Just another solid book in the series.
That aside, I liked Dani / Rafe and the resolve of TechCorps. This series has great characters, and a great growth of the community. I'm invested and will read more, assuming more comes out. But I'm just a bit miffed that the story we got kicked off on (Nina was the FMC of book 1) still has no resolution.
And we don't know what's up with The Professor.
This doesn't feel like an ending in any way, honestly. Just another solid book in the series.
May 26, 2023
* You need to read the previous books to understand the storyline in this book.
With the VP of security of TechCops dead, the other higher-ups are starting a war for power and the poor people of Atlanta are again the target of violence. To protect them Dani, an ex-sec bodyguard and Silver Devil Rafe go undercover at the Hill to uncover more information for their rebellion. But for both of them the TechCorp is their biggest enemy and going in can cost them more then just their lives. They could impact their whole community and endanger all their friends.
Pro's:
+ I really love how the author managed to capture the true community feeling that she managed to build over three books. Every element came together and I think that is the true strength of this series.
+ The romance was actually really nice in this one. Epic couple fights combined with some really deep moments between Dani and Rafe about their past and their feelings about the relationship. It felt real and all in all I was really entertained by all of it.
Con's:
- The ending in the Epilogue is so frustrating. It seems like this was not the last book in the series, but I cannot find any info about upcoming books in this world. Like, that is giving you a dead bird in the hand.
I really liked this book as an ending to the storyline. Even though the previous book was kinda boring with all the dramatics, this book picked right up at the pace of the first book and we were treated to some really nice fighting scenes. And don't expect there were sacrifices on the character depth or progression, because that was not the case. This might be the best post-apocalyptic thing I have ever read and I will certainly keep my eye out for anything else from this author in this universe, it was great and I was entertained throughout.
With the VP of security of TechCops dead, the other higher-ups are starting a war for power and the poor people of Atlanta are again the target of violence. To protect them Dani, an ex-sec bodyguard and Silver Devil Rafe go undercover at the Hill to uncover more information for their rebellion. But for both of them the TechCorp is their biggest enemy and going in can cost them more then just their lives. They could impact their whole community and endanger all their friends.
Pro's:
+ I really love how the author managed to capture the true community feeling that she managed to build over three books. Every element came together and I think that is the true strength of this series.
+ The romance was actually really nice in this one. Epic couple fights combined with some really deep moments between Dani and Rafe about their past and their feelings about the relationship. It felt real and all in all I was really entertained by all of it.
Con's:
- The ending in the Epilogue is so frustrating. It seems like this was not the last book in the series, but I cannot find any info about upcoming books in this world. Like, that is giving you a dead bird in the hand.
I really liked this book as an ending to the storyline. Even though the previous book was kinda boring with all the dramatics, this book picked right up at the pace of the first book and we were treated to some really nice fighting scenes. And don't expect there were sacrifices on the character depth or progression, because that was not the case. This might be the best post-apocalyptic thing I have ever read and I will certainly keep my eye out for anything else from this author in this universe, it was great and I was entertained throughout.
January 23, 2023
While there’s not much librarian content for a series titled Mercenary Librarians, this proved to be a satisfying installment as we see the crew take on TechCorps. It’s all been leading up to this! Even better: we finally get to see what happens when Rafe and Dani stop circling each other and put their explosive chemistry to good use. Dani goes from believing she’s unlovable because of her past as an assassin to knowing she’s loved for who she is, not in spite of it. Gets me every time.
It was my understanding this was the final book in the series but the ending certainly opened the door wide open for more. Plus, we need to see what happens with Mace, Ava, and Beth! And Conall and Max!
Characters: Dani is a white assassin. Rafe is a Latinx intelligence officer and supersoldier. This is set in 2086 Atlanta.
Content notes: battle, bombing, mass casualties and injuries of minor characters, secondary character loses arm and gets prosthesis (gunshot wound), surgical removal of bomb implant (secondary character), gunshot wounds, knife wound, vigilante justice, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, past medical experiment subject (FMC), past parental abandonment and estrangement, past death of MMC’s father, child secondary character was cloned by TechCorps (past rescue from trafficking), past death of secondary character’s sister, past heart transplant (secondary character), fatshaming insult of secondary character by villain, unsafe sex practices (condomless sex without prior discussion, no discussion of STI or pregnancy prevention), orgy in background, on page sex, alcohol, ableist language, mention of test subjects who died by suicide or were euthanized due to experiencing extreme pain
It was my understanding this was the final book in the series but the ending certainly opened the door wide open for more. Plus, we need to see what happens with Mace, Ava, and Beth! And Conall and Max!
Characters: Dani is a white assassin. Rafe is a Latinx intelligence officer and supersoldier. This is set in 2086 Atlanta.
Content notes: battle, bombing, mass casualties and injuries of minor characters, secondary character loses arm and gets prosthesis (gunshot wound), surgical removal of bomb implant (secondary character), gunshot wounds, knife wound, vigilante justice, murder, attempted murder, physical assault, past medical experiment subject (FMC), past parental abandonment and estrangement, past death of MMC’s father, child secondary character was cloned by TechCorps (past rescue from trafficking), past death of secondary character’s sister, past heart transplant (secondary character), fatshaming insult of secondary character by villain, unsafe sex practices (condomless sex without prior discussion, no discussion of STI or pregnancy prevention), orgy in background, on page sex, alcohol, ableist language, mention of test subjects who died by suicide or were euthanized due to experiencing extreme pain
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October 7, 2022DNF at 14% - No Rating
The main characters in this book have been simmering since early in the Mercenary Librarian series. I was hoping 'Dancing with the Devil' would kick off with an actual plot but by the 14% mark I decided to give up after non-stop side glances etc. I just don't find these characters intriguing enough to continue this book.
library eloan
The main characters in this book have been simmering since early in the Mercenary Librarian series. I was hoping 'Dancing with the Devil' would kick off with an actual plot but by the 14% mark I decided to give up after non-stop side glances etc. I just don't find these characters intriguing enough to continue this book.
library eloan
July 15, 2022
It's Dani's time to shine and our lady has A LOT going on as she tries to avoid admitting she has a bucketload of feelings for Rafe while also having to go deep undercover in what is possible one of the worst places in Atlanta with the sex-on-a-stick hottie. You might think an undercover job in the glitzy, over-the-top TechCorps inner circle wouldn't be half bad, but IT REALLY IS. From the waste to the egos to the amoral parties, it's just a whole lot of terrible.
That said, Dani does get to spend some quality time with Rafe. Rafe, who very much sees Dani for what she is and would tear down the world if she needed him to. Rafe, who knows he needs to move slow so he doesn't ruin what could be between them before it really starts. Yeah, Rafe's smart and sexy and he absolutely knows pushing Dani will only result in her never allowing him past her walls.
MEANWHILE, bad things are happening, the crew are preparing for the worst, secrets are being uncovered, there's danger around every corner, and there's a reckoning on the horizon. Nina, Knox, and the others are determined to not only survive the coming fight, but live the lives they've only dreamed of after. Which means they have a lot riding on what's coming and their determination to win is epic.
As an aside, I'm being cautiously optimistic that we'll get to see more in this world. We got Nina, Maya, and Dani's stories (along with the corresponding Devils), but there are so many more desperate to break free from the entities holding them hostage. Plus, there's Ava and Mace (and Beth!) who need to figure things out. And and and...yeah. There's a lot under the surface that can still be tapped and I'm 100% here for it.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
That said, Dani does get to spend some quality time with Rafe. Rafe, who very much sees Dani for what she is and would tear down the world if she needed him to. Rafe, who knows he needs to move slow so he doesn't ruin what could be between them before it really starts. Yeah, Rafe's smart and sexy and he absolutely knows pushing Dani will only result in her never allowing him past her walls.
MEANWHILE, bad things are happening, the crew are preparing for the worst, secrets are being uncovered, there's danger around every corner, and there's a reckoning on the horizon. Nina, Knox, and the others are determined to not only survive the coming fight, but live the lives they've only dreamed of after. Which means they have a lot riding on what's coming and their determination to win is epic.
As an aside, I'm being cautiously optimistic that we'll get to see more in this world. We got Nina, Maya, and Dani's stories (along with the corresponding Devils), but there are so many more desperate to break free from the entities holding them hostage. Plus, there's Ava and Mace (and Beth!) who need to figure things out. And and and...yeah. There's a lot under the surface that can still be tapped and I'm 100% here for it.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
June 19, 2022
We finally get the novel where Dani and Rafe get together! Rafe has been pining for Dani since they first met in the heist of Deal with the Devil. Turns out Dani has been having those same kind of feelings in his direction. But, unlike him, she never had a nice loving family upbringing and so didn't know either what to do or how to recognise them.
In the aftermath of the last novel, the president of the Techcorps is dead and there is now a bit of a power grab going on in his absence. This leads Dani and Rafe into undercover mode to try to get information that will lead them forward in next steps. In the process, they find Rafe's sister being held captive which kinda puts a spanner in the works.
While their lives are actively in danger, rather than just a routine heist that offers no typical danger in the face of Dani's skills, Dani finally throws caution to the winds and more or less does throw herself at Rafe. This is made super easier given their undercover profiles are that of a married couple.
I can't believe we don't have future books in this series currently listed or projected, cause they sure as hell set up future stories for Conall not to mention polyamory for Mace in the latter half of this novel, and damned if I don't want to see Ava getting cozy with not one but two people!
It would, though, make sense if this was a trilogy with no future books forecasted. The whole new landscape of this world the authors have been playing in for what must be a decade for now has been presented, with power given to the people rather than being lorded over them by a faceless Techcorp.
In the aftermath of the last novel, the president of the Techcorps is dead and there is now a bit of a power grab going on in his absence. This leads Dani and Rafe into undercover mode to try to get information that will lead them forward in next steps. In the process, they find Rafe's sister being held captive which kinda puts a spanner in the works.
While their lives are actively in danger, rather than just a routine heist that offers no typical danger in the face of Dani's skills, Dani finally throws caution to the winds and more or less does throw herself at Rafe. This is made super easier given their undercover profiles are that of a married couple.
I can't believe we don't have future books in this series currently listed or projected, cause they sure as hell set up future stories for Conall not to mention polyamory for Mace in the latter half of this novel, and damned if I don't want to see Ava getting cozy with not one but two people!
It would, though, make sense if this was a trilogy with no future books forecasted. The whole new landscape of this world the authors have been playing in for what must be a decade for now has been presented, with power given to the people rather than being lorded over them by a faceless Techcorp.
October 21, 2022
The epic, heartwrenching, sexy conclusion to this series that I was both looking forward to and absolutely dreading. (Say there will be more to come, please!) Loved the little Easter egg nod to the O'Kanes, and Dani and Rafe were the perfect couple to end on. Also appreciated how much this book continued to ratchet up the tension between them before they gave way to the bigger, scarier Feelings (and of course, they did it in the way only Dani and Rafe could). Plus those lovely found family vibes that only Kit Rocha can deliver!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 30, 2023
Overall, an enjoyable 3rd with even more world building, more romance, and more adventure. I had an especially hard time following all the memos in this one though. I also feel like maybe it should have ended here but I suppose there is a lot more world to explore. 3.7.
June 23, 2023
So we do end on a cliffhanger of sorts. But it’s kind of a confusing one because I’m just going “I don’t know who this is” at the end. I will say the plot with the TechCorps as we know it is generally resolved in a satisfactory way, but there’s the aftermath of all that still to be worked out. And we have some HEAs for characters that still need to happen! We did get some new characters in this series with this book, so how many more books do the authors have planned? I did enjoy Dani and Rafe’s relationship here, but I liked that there was more at stake and quite a few more action scenes playing out in this book than the last one.
Content notes includes violence, limb loss, deaths (include mass deaths), and bombings.
Dani and Rafe has had sexual tension brewing between them since the first book. While Dani is only in relationships for a good time and not looking for anything serious, Rafe WANTS a serious relationship. They’re both supersoldiers created by the TechCorps to be used as weapons, but they’re also more than that. I appreciated learning about their backstories and seeing Dani finding family with the people around her who accept her so readily, no questions asked. And I’m glad we get to meet the family Rafe mentioned in a previous book. We ended the last book with a cliffhanger as Tobias Richter's data courier, Cara Kennedy, shows up at the home of Rafe's family and wants to offer his younger sister, Tessa, an opportunity. And you just know that was going nowhere good.
We, however, do not see Tessa for awhile. It's like how we knew about Mace at the end of the first book but it took what seemed like forever for him to be introduced to the story in book two? That's what happens here with Tessa as well.
I really liked how this book was more action-packed, and there’s even undercover work going on. Although I’m still kind of confused WHY they needed to go undercover? Was it just to make contact with that one person? I don’t know, it felt kind of like a too elaborate scheme for what they needed to accomplish, but it did give a chance to bring Dani and Rafe together and I feel like that was more the goal here than anything else.
One downside to reading all these books back-to-back is that I feel like I would’ve liked this more if I had some more distance from the Beyond series books? What happens to one community here that brings people together to finally fight back against those on the Hill, is maybe too reminiscent of what happens to Sector Two in the Beyond series. So to me, it just felt like a reusing of plot points, and the thing is I felt like the Beyond series handled everything better. So it was weird to see a condensed version of practically the same events play out in this book.
And speaking of Sector Two, did no one catch that lady offering a card with an orchid on it to Dani and Rafe?? Is that Cerys??? I honestly forgot we never got an ending for her in the Beyond series and I just assumed she died, not that she was still alive living and breathing on the other coast. What is her deal? How is she here? Why is she running the same operations she was in Sector Two? I need answers.
As for suspicious characters, we still don’t know hardly anything about that guy who everyone calls the Professor. Sure, he’s an earlier iteration of the clone program that Nina and Ava were part of, but a man who calls himself John Smith is suspicious as hell and even though we see where he ends up in this book, I’m not entirely sure that was his ONLY endgame. I just feel like that man still has something else up his sleeve but I don’t know what that could be.
We still have at least two more books in this series if all of the Silver Devils get their happy ending. I do feel like there was so much going on with this book though that we didn’t necessarily see the possible relationship build-up like I would have expected for the characters. Obviously there’s Conall and Max, but they barely interact in this book. They have one scene before what’s essentially D-Day, but what about AFTER. Something pretty significant happens and if they’re together at all in the aftermath, I definitely missed it when listening to this book on audio. Then there’s Mace and Ava who interact only a little bit in this book. I’m confused if their relationship also involves one of Ava’s friend clones who we get introduced to in this book, Beth and Phoenix. Will Mace’s story be polyam? I guess we’ll see.
I liked that we see Knox relaxing a bit from being JUST a captain for the Silver Devils. Well, I guess relax might not entirely be the right word but he’s focused his energy on other things as well. Like cooking and baking with the same intensity he has for mapping out a mission. He dotes on Nina and it’s so precious. But what’s even better is the child the crew rescued in book two called Rainbow, and we see Knox basically being a father to the child and it’s cute. I typically don’t even like kids in books, but Rainbow is an exception because I really like her.
What’s the deal with Luna? She’s still kind of a nonentity in this book and I’m so confused how she essentially disappeared from the series after the importance of her character highlighted in the first book. Like in book two, we still see more of her aunt than Luna herself in this book.
A character I wouldn’t mind seeing more about and getting her own book would be Savitri. In a way, she reminds me of Dallas because she gives no fucks and runs her own little den of sex at her club. But would it be weird to ship her with Adam? Adam is a weird supersoldier/artificial intelligence who looks like a clone of someone she once loved. It probably would be a little weird but I like her and also want her to get a happy ending? I am a conflict of emotions where Savitri is concerned.
The Makhai project is mentioned a few times in this book and that’s a thing that was on the west coast that created my fav, Ashwin. But I’m confused what the Guardian Project is and if that was part of the same Makhai project that created the supersoldiers out west, or if they’re just related projects with the same end goals, and not necessarily the same thing project with different names. I’m not sure why the Makhai were mentioned in this book at all.
I feel like Jaden, a man who has a vast network across all of the south and east coasts would have more presence, but it seems like we barely saw him in this book compared to book two. For such a presumably dangerous and powerful man, I would’ve liked to see more of him. And a side note now that I’ve thought about it, is he the one helping transport O’Kane liquor to Atlanta? He would have the connections. But how and who would he have made the connection with in the O'Kane's?
The little snippets and email reports in-between the chapters in this book weren’t all that exciting until the end. It was mostly just filling in gaps nobody really asked for about what was being communicated between folks on the Hill. The reports in the first book was a look into the backstory of Nina (and I think Maya and Dani) and the Silver Devils. The second book had diary entries by Maya’s owner/mentor. And then this book was just communications between members on the Hill. The reports just didn’t feel as necessary by this book and I guess for continuity sake between the books, the reports in-between the chapters were added in, but I didn’t see how they were all that relevant.
It could be that the publisher had a hand in the editing here more than I’m used to seeing from the authors with their past book series, and while there’s still a lot of violence in these books, it also feels super toned down emotionally? I don’t know how else to describe it except the feel of the Mercenary Librarians series just never felt as emotionally raw as those of the Beyond and Gideon’s Riders series. Yes, there’s still sex scenes in this series but just never felt quite like the other books, you know? While I acknowledge the Beyond series might be a bit…much for traditional publishing these days, I would’ve still liked something more akin to the Gideon’s Riders series? I don’t know.
Maybe it’s because we’ve only had three books in this series to accomplish as much as all the books in the Beyond series and the Gideon’s Riders series COMBINED so everything felt much more condensed to get the whole plot hammered out in a shorter timespan, but I felt like this series was just okay rather a series I LOVE and would like to re-read.
Every problem I mentioned in the second book with the audiobook narration is still present here. Why does Lidia Dornet still randomly give characters accents and make them sound different anytime they show up? It’s a shot in the dark on what characters will sound like every time they speak. Sometimes they have southern accents, sometimes they don’t. It’s baffling.
Second issue with the audio is more with the audiobook publisher. Tor gave over audio rights to Tantor with books 2 and 3, and it’s a hit or miss whether Tantor keeps the audiobook covers or not and if they make the covers better or worse if they change them. They kept the normal ebook/physical cover for book two for the audiobook cover. But for this book they changed it all the way up and the audiobook cover suggests the book takes place in space, but we are not in space. We’re still in post-apocalyptic Atlanta for this book so I think I speak for everyone when I say we're still confused by the cover change. These books have to be read in order anyways, so I’m not sure what they meant to accomplish by changing up the audiobook cover because nobody should be jumping randomly into this series with the third book. I hope nobody is picking up this series thinking they’re going to get a space book. Because they will not be getting a space book.
The elephant in the room is that there’s no more books contracted with the publisher for this series, but the series is very obviously not done yet since there’s doors (and relationships) left open for more books. I know the authors have said they’re writing Hunter, book 4 in the Gideon’s Riders series and I’m totally fine with that because I also want more books in that series (maybe even more so than this one). If they decide to continue this series as a self-pub rather than traditionally publishing them, I hope they can do more with the characters and just go wild with the sex scenes and give us more of the vibes of their self-pub series injected into the Mercenary Librarians.
This book was fine and I LIKED Dani and Rafe, and all the other characters here. But “like” is not the same as feeling like I’m going to go feral for the characters like I would with the other books? It was mentioned that Dani and Rafe want to travel, so maybe they’ll make it somehow to the O’Kane’s and party it up. It was mentioned that they could travel to Dallas, Texas, but not to Dallas the person. But who knows. I look forward to seeing what the authors can do with this series in the future.
Content notes includes violence, limb loss, deaths (include mass deaths), and bombings.
Dani and Rafe has had sexual tension brewing between them since the first book. While Dani is only in relationships for a good time and not looking for anything serious, Rafe WANTS a serious relationship. They’re both supersoldiers created by the TechCorps to be used as weapons, but they’re also more than that. I appreciated learning about their backstories and seeing Dani finding family with the people around her who accept her so readily, no questions asked. And I’m glad we get to meet the family Rafe mentioned in a previous book. We ended the last book with a cliffhanger as Tobias Richter's data courier, Cara Kennedy, shows up at the home of Rafe's family and wants to offer his younger sister, Tessa, an opportunity. And you just know that was going nowhere good.
We, however, do not see Tessa for awhile. It's like how we knew about Mace at the end of the first book but it took what seemed like forever for him to be introduced to the story in book two? That's what happens here with Tessa as well.
I really liked how this book was more action-packed, and there’s even undercover work going on. Although I’m still kind of confused WHY they needed to go undercover? Was it just to make contact with that one person? I don’t know, it felt kind of like a too elaborate scheme for what they needed to accomplish, but it did give a chance to bring Dani and Rafe together and I feel like that was more the goal here than anything else.
One downside to reading all these books back-to-back is that I feel like I would’ve liked this more if I had some more distance from the Beyond series books? What happens to one community here that brings people together to finally fight back against those on the Hill, is maybe too reminiscent of what happens to Sector Two in the Beyond series. So to me, it just felt like a reusing of plot points, and the thing is I felt like the Beyond series handled everything better. So it was weird to see a condensed version of practically the same events play out in this book.
And speaking of Sector Two, did no one catch that lady offering a card with an orchid on it to Dani and Rafe?? Is that Cerys??? I honestly forgot we never got an ending for her in the Beyond series and I just assumed she died, not that she was still alive living and breathing on the other coast. What is her deal? How is she here? Why is she running the same operations she was in Sector Two? I need answers.
As for suspicious characters, we still don’t know hardly anything about that guy who everyone calls the Professor. Sure, he’s an earlier iteration of the clone program that Nina and Ava were part of, but a man who calls himself John Smith is suspicious as hell and even though we see where he ends up in this book, I’m not entirely sure that was his ONLY endgame. I just feel like that man still has something else up his sleeve but I don’t know what that could be.
We still have at least two more books in this series if all of the Silver Devils get their happy ending. I do feel like there was so much going on with this book though that we didn’t necessarily see the possible relationship build-up like I would have expected for the characters. Obviously there’s Conall and Max, but they barely interact in this book. They have one scene before what’s essentially D-Day, but what about AFTER. Something pretty significant happens and if they’re together at all in the aftermath, I definitely missed it when listening to this book on audio. Then there’s Mace and Ava who interact only a little bit in this book. I’m confused if their relationship also involves one of Ava’s friend clones who we get introduced to in this book, Beth and Phoenix. Will Mace’s story be polyam? I guess we’ll see.
I liked that we see Knox relaxing a bit from being JUST a captain for the Silver Devils. Well, I guess relax might not entirely be the right word but he’s focused his energy on other things as well. Like cooking and baking with the same intensity he has for mapping out a mission. He dotes on Nina and it’s so precious. But what’s even better is the child the crew rescued in book two called Rainbow, and we see Knox basically being a father to the child and it’s cute. I typically don’t even like kids in books, but Rainbow is an exception because I really like her.
What’s the deal with Luna? She’s still kind of a nonentity in this book and I’m so confused how she essentially disappeared from the series after the importance of her character highlighted in the first book. Like in book two, we still see more of her aunt than Luna herself in this book.
A character I wouldn’t mind seeing more about and getting her own book would be Savitri. In a way, she reminds me of Dallas because she gives no fucks and runs her own little den of sex at her club. But would it be weird to ship her with Adam? Adam is a weird supersoldier/artificial intelligence who looks like a clone of someone she once loved. It probably would be a little weird but I like her and also want her to get a happy ending? I am a conflict of emotions where Savitri is concerned.
The Makhai project is mentioned a few times in this book and that’s a thing that was on the west coast that created my fav, Ashwin. But I’m confused what the Guardian Project is and if that was part of the same Makhai project that created the supersoldiers out west, or if they’re just related projects with the same end goals, and not necessarily the same thing project with different names. I’m not sure why the Makhai were mentioned in this book at all.
I feel like Jaden, a man who has a vast network across all of the south and east coasts would have more presence, but it seems like we barely saw him in this book compared to book two. For such a presumably dangerous and powerful man, I would’ve liked to see more of him. And a side note now that I’ve thought about it, is he the one helping transport O’Kane liquor to Atlanta? He would have the connections. But how and who would he have made the connection with in the O'Kane's?
The little snippets and email reports in-between the chapters in this book weren’t all that exciting until the end. It was mostly just filling in gaps nobody really asked for about what was being communicated between folks on the Hill. The reports in the first book was a look into the backstory of Nina (and I think Maya and Dani) and the Silver Devils. The second book had diary entries by Maya’s owner/mentor. And then this book was just communications between members on the Hill. The reports just didn’t feel as necessary by this book and I guess for continuity sake between the books, the reports in-between the chapters were added in, but I didn’t see how they were all that relevant.
It could be that the publisher had a hand in the editing here more than I’m used to seeing from the authors with their past book series, and while there’s still a lot of violence in these books, it also feels super toned down emotionally? I don’t know how else to describe it except the feel of the Mercenary Librarians series just never felt as emotionally raw as those of the Beyond and Gideon’s Riders series. Yes, there’s still sex scenes in this series but just never felt quite like the other books, you know? While I acknowledge the Beyond series might be a bit…much for traditional publishing these days, I would’ve still liked something more akin to the Gideon’s Riders series? I don’t know.
Maybe it’s because we’ve only had three books in this series to accomplish as much as all the books in the Beyond series and the Gideon’s Riders series COMBINED so everything felt much more condensed to get the whole plot hammered out in a shorter timespan, but I felt like this series was just okay rather a series I LOVE and would like to re-read.
Every problem I mentioned in the second book with the audiobook narration is still present here. Why does Lidia Dornet still randomly give characters accents and make them sound different anytime they show up? It’s a shot in the dark on what characters will sound like every time they speak. Sometimes they have southern accents, sometimes they don’t. It’s baffling.
Second issue with the audio is more with the audiobook publisher. Tor gave over audio rights to Tantor with books 2 and 3, and it’s a hit or miss whether Tantor keeps the audiobook covers or not and if they make the covers better or worse if they change them. They kept the normal ebook/physical cover for book two for the audiobook cover. But for this book they changed it all the way up and the audiobook cover suggests the book takes place in space, but we are not in space. We’re still in post-apocalyptic Atlanta for this book so I think I speak for everyone when I say we're still confused by the cover change. These books have to be read in order anyways, so I’m not sure what they meant to accomplish by changing up the audiobook cover because nobody should be jumping randomly into this series with the third book. I hope nobody is picking up this series thinking they’re going to get a space book. Because they will not be getting a space book.
The elephant in the room is that there’s no more books contracted with the publisher for this series, but the series is very obviously not done yet since there’s doors (and relationships) left open for more books. I know the authors have said they’re writing Hunter, book 4 in the Gideon’s Riders series and I’m totally fine with that because I also want more books in that series (maybe even more so than this one). If they decide to continue this series as a self-pub rather than traditionally publishing them, I hope they can do more with the characters and just go wild with the sex scenes and give us more of the vibes of their self-pub series injected into the Mercenary Librarians.
This book was fine and I LIKED Dani and Rafe, and all the other characters here. But “like” is not the same as feeling like I’m going to go feral for the characters like I would with the other books? It was mentioned that Dani and Rafe want to travel, so maybe they’ll make it somehow to the O’Kane’s and party it up. It was mentioned that they could travel to Dallas, Texas, but not to Dallas the person. But who knows. I look forward to seeing what the authors can do with this series in the future.
August 30, 2022
3.5 stars. My least favorite in the series so far, but that doesn't mean much, because it's still fun found-family story set in an interesting post apocalyptic world. I especially liked the exciting final confrontation that gears up for the next story arc.
Read
June 6, 2022AMAZING.
Review to come
Review to come
October 12, 2023
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
I was excited to be back in Atlanta with the Mercenary Librarians and the Silver Devils. This is a series I’ve loved from the beginning. It is a dystopian world where everything collapses when solar flares change the world. Now, the people have a new normal. “Government” is somewhat established. It is run by the rich TechCorps. Originally, the TechCorps was trying to innovate technology to make the world better and more sustainable. But as time went on, it began focusing more on the military and using the tech, not to make the general population healthier, but to make super soldiers. This series has followed several people who got out of the system and are just trying to live their lives on the outside and make their community a better place for everyone.
I’ll be honest that I’m more into these stories for the characters and the overall series arc than the individual romances. I like the romance aspect of the series, just not as much as the other parts. I love that as we flesh out the romance, we get to know the couple better and we see more of their characters. In this book, we follow Rafe and Dani.
Dani joins the TechCorps and during their experiences, she loses the ability to feel pain. She can feel pressure in an area or feel blood on her body, but it is not registered as pain. She works in the TechCorps in executive security. She sees what the execs do with their time and money. When she leaves, she does what she does best, and really the only thing she knows how to do, she kills people to make a living. That is until she meets Maya and Nina. Then everything changes.
Rafe isn’t like so many in the TechCorps Protectorate; he has a loving family. However, he saw this as a chance to help bring home more money to help his family. He is very smart and the implant given to him by TechCorp helps him to be even smarter. He works as military intelligence. Knox and the other Silver Devils become part of his family too. He tries to stay away from his family to protect them. But then he finds out they were discovered anyway. And he will do anything to save them.
This was a good wrapup to the Silver Devils and Mercenary Librarians. I loved seeing how everything wraps up at the end. And Kit Rocha left room for a “spin-off” series following a different group in the same world (kinda like they did with the O’Kanes and Gideon’s Riders). I really hope we get to see more of this world, because it is a great world (to read about, but not to live in at this time. Though there are several groups trying to change that). I love watching how people are able to help their community and how the community rallies around each other. It gives me hope that maybe one day, our world can be more community driven again.
Narration:
Lidia Dornet did the narration for all three books. This series is the first series I’ve listened to with her as a narrator. I’ve really enjoyed her narration throughout all three books. I liked all the voices she used for each character. I thought she really brought out the emotion of each scene be it a romantic scene, an action scene or just an emotional scene. I look forward to listening to her work in the future.
**I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I was excited to be back in Atlanta with the Mercenary Librarians and the Silver Devils. This is a series I’ve loved from the beginning. It is a dystopian world where everything collapses when solar flares change the world. Now, the people have a new normal. “Government” is somewhat established. It is run by the rich TechCorps. Originally, the TechCorps was trying to innovate technology to make the world better and more sustainable. But as time went on, it began focusing more on the military and using the tech, not to make the general population healthier, but to make super soldiers. This series has followed several people who got out of the system and are just trying to live their lives on the outside and make their community a better place for everyone.
I’ll be honest that I’m more into these stories for the characters and the overall series arc than the individual romances. I like the romance aspect of the series, just not as much as the other parts. I love that as we flesh out the romance, we get to know the couple better and we see more of their characters. In this book, we follow Rafe and Dani.
Dani joins the TechCorps and during their experiences, she loses the ability to feel pain. She can feel pressure in an area or feel blood on her body, but it is not registered as pain. She works in the TechCorps in executive security. She sees what the execs do with their time and money. When she leaves, she does what she does best, and really the only thing she knows how to do, she kills people to make a living. That is until she meets Maya and Nina. Then everything changes.
Rafe isn’t like so many in the TechCorps Protectorate; he has a loving family. However, he saw this as a chance to help bring home more money to help his family. He is very smart and the implant given to him by TechCorp helps him to be even smarter. He works as military intelligence. Knox and the other Silver Devils become part of his family too. He tries to stay away from his family to protect them. But then he finds out they were discovered anyway. And he will do anything to save them.
This was a good wrapup to the Silver Devils and Mercenary Librarians. I loved seeing how everything wraps up at the end. And Kit Rocha left room for a “spin-off” series following a different group in the same world (kinda like they did with the O’Kanes and Gideon’s Riders). I really hope we get to see more of this world, because it is a great world (to read about, but not to live in at this time. Though there are several groups trying to change that). I love watching how people are able to help their community and how the community rallies around each other. It gives me hope that maybe one day, our world can be more community driven again.
Narration:
Lidia Dornet did the narration for all three books. This series is the first series I’ve listened to with her as a narrator. I’ve really enjoyed her narration throughout all three books. I liked all the voices she used for each character. I thought she really brought out the emotion of each scene be it a romantic scene, an action scene or just an emotional scene. I look forward to listening to her work in the future.
**I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2022
4.5 stars, actually.
The third couple in Kit Rocha's series about a post-apocalyptic world where various mostly-evil folks control resources and technology and plucky bands of genetically engineered folks try to live under their shadow are: handsome military intelligence officer Rafe of the mercenary Silver Devils and super-human Dani of the "librarians" (they're not so much librarians anymore, rather, community organizers, hospital care, teachers, kind of the saviors of civilization).
New intriguing characters (all of whom could definitely star in their own books) keep getting added to this series, and half a point was deducted for how entirely confusing that is in the beginning of the book. There's a scene where Dani takes a round of drinks to various tables of alpha couples in the bar and I had to reread it like three times to remember who was who.
Don't misunderstand me, I love having the former alpha couples (Knox/Nina, Maya/Gray) around being cute and competent, as well as adding more folks (Ava's new friends Phoenix who frankly didn't stand out at all, I kept conflating Savitri and Syd, and Beth who was definitely fun paired up with Mace) who can make things interesting, it's just a learning curve. And of course every single character is some kind of genetically or surgically enhanced and competent and/or deadly AF.
Dani's nemesis is the Sec-Ex (Security for TechCorps executives, they've been surgically changed to be fast and strong and in Dani's case, to not feel pain) officer who trained her. Despite Maya/Gray taking down the former TechCorps baddie, a new one has popped up and is threatening the regular old humans our heroes live with. Dani/Rafe have to save the day going in as undercover folks in the glittering world of TechCorps with Ava/Pheonix's help.
This book really is Dani's journey, Rafe is all-in from the beginning and is part of a large, loving family. The family's safety is his only baggage, and that does get resolved. Dani is the one who has to come to terms with her powers and what it means to be vulnerable. What I like about Kit Rocha is that the alpha couple often has some emotional depth to their journey-- which is the case here.
If you can get through the action/politics/massive cast of characters in the first two thirds of the book, the signature Rocha steaminess comes in for our heroes. I do hope this isn't the end of the series. I would love more of Conall and Mace and Beth!
The third couple in Kit Rocha's series about a post-apocalyptic world where various mostly-evil folks control resources and technology and plucky bands of genetically engineered folks try to live under their shadow are: handsome military intelligence officer Rafe of the mercenary Silver Devils and super-human Dani of the "librarians" (they're not so much librarians anymore, rather, community organizers, hospital care, teachers, kind of the saviors of civilization).
New intriguing characters (all of whom could definitely star in their own books) keep getting added to this series, and half a point was deducted for how entirely confusing that is in the beginning of the book. There's a scene where Dani takes a round of drinks to various tables of alpha couples in the bar and I had to reread it like three times to remember who was who.
Don't misunderstand me, I love having the former alpha couples (Knox/Nina, Maya/Gray) around being cute and competent, as well as adding more folks (Ava's new friends Phoenix who frankly didn't stand out at all, I kept conflating Savitri and Syd, and Beth who was definitely fun paired up with Mace) who can make things interesting, it's just a learning curve. And of course every single character is some kind of genetically or surgically enhanced and competent and/or deadly AF.
Dani's nemesis is the Sec-Ex (Security for TechCorps executives, they've been surgically changed to be fast and strong and in Dani's case, to not feel pain) officer who trained her. Despite Maya/Gray taking down the former TechCorps baddie, a new one has popped up and is threatening the regular old humans our heroes live with. Dani/Rafe have to save the day going in as undercover folks in the glittering world of TechCorps with Ava/Pheonix's help.
This book really is Dani's journey, Rafe is all-in from the beginning and is part of a large, loving family. The family's safety is his only baggage, and that does get resolved. Dani is the one who has to come to terms with her powers and what it means to be vulnerable. What I like about Kit Rocha is that the alpha couple often has some emotional depth to their journey-- which is the case here.
If you can get through the action/politics/massive cast of characters in the first two thirds of the book, the signature Rocha steaminess comes in for our heroes. I do hope this isn't the end of the series. I would love more of Conall and Mace and Beth!
August 20, 2022
With this third volume, the first main arc comes to a conclusion, new characters are added, and preparations are made to broaden the range of what, born as a trilogy probably, will be lengthened because of its success (and its publisher).
The main characters are Dani and Rafe, as one could easily imagine given the previous two books, and all in all they are not bad, except that they are particularly predictable.
We'll see how the series continues, for now I don't mind hearing about the O'Kane's whiskey because it reminds me of Sectors and another of my favorite series.
Con questo terzo volume la prima arc principale giunge a conclusione, si aggiungono nuovi personaggi e ci si prepara per allargare il campo di quella che, nata come trilogia probabilmente, si allungherá per via del suo successo (e della sua casa editrice).
I personaggi principali sono Dani e Rafe, come si poteva facilmente immaginare considerati i due libri precedenti, e tutto sommato non sono male, se non fosse che sono particolarmente scontati.
Staremo a vedere come prosegue la serie, per ora non mi dispiace sentire parlare del wiskey degli O'Kane, perché mi ricorda i Settori e un'altra delle mie serie preferite.
The main characters are Dani and Rafe, as one could easily imagine given the previous two books, and all in all they are not bad, except that they are particularly predictable.
We'll see how the series continues, for now I don't mind hearing about the O'Kane's whiskey because it reminds me of Sectors and another of my favorite series.
Con questo terzo volume la prima arc principale giunge a conclusione, si aggiungono nuovi personaggi e ci si prepara per allargare il campo di quella che, nata come trilogia probabilmente, si allungherá per via del suo successo (e della sua casa editrice).
I personaggi principali sono Dani e Rafe, come si poteva facilmente immaginare considerati i due libri precedenti, e tutto sommato non sono male, se non fosse che sono particolarmente scontati.
Staremo a vedere come prosegue la serie, per ora non mi dispiace sentire parlare del wiskey degli O'Kane, perché mi ricorda i Settori e un'altra delle mie serie preferite.
August 28, 2025
Hold onto your hats!
I can’t believe how much was packed into this final installment. More new characters, dastardly villains, next-gen super soldiers who can fight circles around the Silver Devils…. Not to mention undercover infiltration of TechCorps and the salvation of Atlanta’s struggling populace.
Amidst all this, there was still room for Dani & Rafe’s love story. Rafe always struck me as a charmer, just looking for a good time, so I was looking forward to seeing him in single-minded pursuit of his goal: a real relationship with Dani. But our femme fatale has other priorities. When you’ve been hardwired to feel no physical pain, you’re forced to take extra special care of your heart!
The gradual reveal of their true feelings and motivations gave their relationship the weight of reality. Watching them dance around their feelings and verbally spar gave me a new appreciation of Rafe. Of all the Silver Devils, he was my least favorite going in, but he really grew into a man of depth and intense love.
All in all the entire series was a real treat! Highly recommend.
I can’t believe how much was packed into this final installment. More new characters, dastardly villains, next-gen super soldiers who can fight circles around the Silver Devils…. Not to mention undercover infiltration of TechCorps and the salvation of Atlanta’s struggling populace.
Amidst all this, there was still room for Dani & Rafe’s love story. Rafe always struck me as a charmer, just looking for a good time, so I was looking forward to seeing him in single-minded pursuit of his goal: a real relationship with Dani. But our femme fatale has other priorities. When you’ve been hardwired to feel no physical pain, you’re forced to take extra special care of your heart!
The gradual reveal of their true feelings and motivations gave their relationship the weight of reality. Watching them dance around their feelings and verbally spar gave me a new appreciation of Rafe. Of all the Silver Devils, he was my least favorite going in, but he really grew into a man of depth and intense love.
All in all the entire series was a real treat! Highly recommend.
February 1, 2023
Honestly, my biggest problem with this is that so much happened because this is just a trilogy, and a lot had to be packed into the last book. This easily could have been two books of slower plot and allowed us to have more books because I'm not ready to be done here. Especially now that more characters have been introduced who need to be paired off! 🤣
But even though there was a lot that happened, it really didn't end up feeling clunky and rushed, which is what makes it a 5 star. Annnd still great moments between the hero and heroine.
Yea, I don't know what else to say. I'm a big fan girl of this series now.
One grief, however, the last chapter wildly set up room for more books with these characters, although the authors say they're done for now. I'm not a big fan of leaving something wide open like that if there's no intention to follow through. You don't even need it as a "yea maybe someday." Either they never use it and it annoys me forever or they could have just opened the next book with it.
But even though there was a lot that happened, it really didn't end up feeling clunky and rushed, which is what makes it a 5 star. Annnd still great moments between the hero and heroine.
Yea, I don't know what else to say. I'm a big fan girl of this series now.
One grief, however, the last chapter wildly set up room for more books with these characters, although the authors say they're done for now. I'm not a big fan of leaving something wide open like that if there's no intention to follow through. You don't even need it as a "yea maybe someday." Either they never use it and it annoys me forever or they could have just opened the next book with it.
August 15, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books and the authors for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.
I've been looking forward to this one. Book #3 of the Mercenary Librarian series, starring Dani and Rafe, which has been building up since the start. Frankly, any time these two were on-page in book #2 it was a total scene stealer. I loved to see them working together here. It was cool that Dani wasn't the absolute apex badass she thought she was. I love when characters meet limits and find ways to succeed anyways (rather than the all-too-common "leveling up"). I felt like Dani reminded me somehow a lot of Ava, just not as mean or cold. And of course Rafe was just charming and 110% gone for Dani since Day One.
Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of plot advancement here too, not just romance. Things come to a head with Tech Corps (sort of) and our main characters are all left off tied up in neat bows serving the community and building a better world. There's a lot left to do, though, and qite a few more characters' stories to be told - Ava, Beth, Phoenix, and Tessa are just a few - so I really hope the authors have a few more Mercenary Librarians stories in them.
I've been looking forward to this one. Book #3 of the Mercenary Librarian series, starring Dani and Rafe, which has been building up since the start. Frankly, any time these two were on-page in book #2 it was a total scene stealer. I loved to see them working together here. It was cool that Dani wasn't the absolute apex badass she thought she was. I love when characters meet limits and find ways to succeed anyways (rather than the all-too-common "leveling up"). I felt like Dani reminded me somehow a lot of Ava, just not as mean or cold. And of course Rafe was just charming and 110% gone for Dani since Day One.
Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of plot advancement here too, not just romance. Things come to a head with Tech Corps (sort of) and our main characters are all left off tied up in neat bows serving the community and building a better world. There's a lot left to do, though, and qite a few more characters' stories to be told - Ava, Beth, Phoenix, and Tessa are just a few - so I really hope the authors have a few more Mercenary Librarians stories in them.
August 24, 2022
The world-building in this series has been excellent throughout, but it has grown increasingly complex with each subsequent book. I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with all the characters and their intrigues and machinations to take down the corporations/directors who had destroyed their lives and murdered their friends and siblings. Not to worry-Kit Rocha has us covered. The multiple POVs, especially at the beginning of the book, work to get the reader caught up and back into the internal and external dynamics of the team so that when the focus shifts to Dani and Rafe, we are ready for their story and undercover operation to take center stage.
It's a pleasure to read such an intricately crafted story that works on the level of a post-apocalyptic thriller, with multiple romances, a team heist, and sci-fi elements woven throughout. It's a stunning conclusion to an excellent series!
Five stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an eARC!
It's a pleasure to read such an intricately crafted story that works on the level of a post-apocalyptic thriller, with multiple romances, a team heist, and sci-fi elements woven throughout. It's a stunning conclusion to an excellent series!
Five stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an eARC!
September 18, 2022
This was an interesting addition to the series. The ending was not what I expected.
It was fun to finally have Danny and Rafe get together. The authors have been teasing about their story since book one. Great chemistry and tons of action with excellent dialogue.
A lot of new characters arrived and the beginning of chemistry/like that makes me fearful for Eva. She's been through hell, I don't want her "guy" be interested in someone else. Fingers crossed!
Look forward how the "past credit scene" will influence the next book.
Solid 3.5
It was fun to finally have Danny and Rafe get together. The authors have been teasing about their story since book one. Great chemistry and tons of action with excellent dialogue.
A lot of new characters arrived and the beginning of chemistry/like that makes me fearful for Eva. She's been through hell, I don't want her "guy" be interested in someone else. Fingers crossed!
Look forward how the "past credit scene" will influence the next book.
Solid 3.5
September 1, 2025
I think Kit Rocha may be the only folks who can make an enjoyable dystopian. It doesn't hurt that I love sunshiney Rafe and grumpy Dani. Well, Dani isn't just grumpy; she's downright homicidal. Respect.
Excellent premise, excellent execution. I feel as though we were just getting warmed up with the Mercenary Librarians, so now I have a sad that this is the end of the series.
It's action/adventure, romance, and humor that gives you hope in a shitty world. Dani and Rafe's story is delicious.
Excellent premise, excellent execution. I feel as though we were just getting warmed up with the Mercenary Librarians, so now I have a sad that this is the end of the series.
It's action/adventure, romance, and humor that gives you hope in a shitty world. Dani and Rafe's story is delicious.
September 29, 2022
This was an excellent way to wrap up the series and it delivered in more ways than one in regards to Dani and Rafe. The two of them have been pining for one another and I did enjoy their banter and how their relationship developed over the course the books. I really enjoyed how the rest of the characters were fleshed out in addition to Rafe and Dani, it made the books so much more enjoyable. A truly great and fun series that I highly recommend!
November 9, 2022
3.50 / 3 Stars
MCs: Dani & Rafe
This was my least favorite of the series. There was just too much going on and soooo many characters coming together. (Knox, Rafe, Mace, Grey, Connell, Luna, Nina, Maya, Dani, Ava, Rafe's mom & family, Tech Crop bad guy & alias, bar patrons & owner and others in the community.....😵💫)
Dancew with the Devil did move the story along, and the author is a good writer. The last chapter tells me there's another book coming out in the future. Will read it.
MCs: Dani & Rafe
This was my least favorite of the series. There was just too much going on and soooo many characters coming together. (Knox, Rafe, Mace, Grey, Connell, Luna, Nina, Maya, Dani, Ava, Rafe's mom & family, Tech Crop bad guy & alias, bar patrons & owner and others in the community.....😵💫)
Dancew with the Devil did move the story along, and the author is a good writer. The last chapter tells me there's another book coming out in the future. Will read it.
December 1, 2022
3.5 stars
I enjoyed reading from Dani's perspective in this book. I found the character development for Dani was all over the place. She had 3 different personalities depending on what stage of the romance she was on, where as Rafe was very consistent.
I would recommend this book series.
I enjoyed reading from Dani's perspective in this book. I found the character development for Dani was all over the place. She had 3 different personalities depending on what stage of the romance she was on, where as Rafe was very consistent.
I would recommend this book series.
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