The Atomic Ballerina

Old Chrome #2

by I.O. Adler

When Beatrix Fish enlists Miles Kim’s help to find her missing daughter Agatha, he discovers the child is more than a simple runaway.

Miles’ investigation thrusts him into a web of deceit, where the richest family in Seraph is more interested in protecting secrets than finding Agatha, and someone is willing to do anything to keep him from uncovering the truth.

As the case grows more complex with each disquieting turn, Miles will need more than his burner and targeting software to survive. He’ll have to navigate the upper crust of Seraph high society and its darkest corners to bring Agatha home.

Continuing Miles Kim’s adventure started in The Seraph Engine, Atomic Ballerina will keep you guessing the outcome until the last page!

Genres: Weird West

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2022

About the author

I.O. Adler is the author of Shadows of Mars and The Seraph Engine.

I.O. has since worked in television and as a contractor and currently creates content for a video game company.

Besides writing he can be found hiking the hills and trails of California, looking for snakes, insects, and raptors to annoy, and poking dead things with a stick.

Follow me on Bookbub! https://www.bookbub.com/profile/i-o-a...

Reviews

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I was blown away! I was thrown onto a high speed train, and wanting to rush to the end, but also not wanting to miss anything. I dropped everything to read this non-stop, because I didn’t want any interruptions or distractions.
This novel is shocking, graphic, intense and full of gripping suspense! It’s like viewing a 3D movie. It has been a long time since I've had a novel that could cause my pulse to pound but this one did!
The main character is a special kind of anti hero, lovable, left me with a feeling of empathy towards him. He has a captivating personality, trying to maintain a low profile without any success. He keeps getting into trouble and draws unwanted attention towards himself, getting embroiled deeper and deeper into his investigations.
I could not put this roller coaster ride down. Adler has a seductive way to tell a story that is gripping, intriguing, exciting, fast paced, fun and emotional at the same time. The mystery is full of suspense till the last page! I felt frustrated because I so wanted to have A Haunt of Jackals #3, to go on reading!
I loved this second instalment of Old Chrome series!

[Robert Williscroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Atomic Ballerina is a direct continuation of The Seraph Engine. The story stands on its own, but you will enjoy it much more if you first read The Seraph Engine. Writing as I.O. Adler, Gerhard Gehrke explores a future Earth in the aftermath of something that happened long before the time of this story. We learn a bit about the culture by what the protagonists eat—food people typically think of as Asian-like, and even names—the main character is Miles Kim, Adler’s less-than-perfect protagonist, a broken-down enhanced human whose internal technology is getting long-of-tooth. He’s not a kid—he feels his age. But he has courage, physical and moral—definitely one of the good guys. In The Atomic Ballerina, Miles is hired by a very wealthy woman whom he met in the first book to find her abducted daughter. The mother’s wealth puts her in a unique position within the community, and this impacts Miles’ every move. To tell more would spoil the story. The writing is tight, the dialog crisp, and the action moves you quickly through the story.

As in The Seraph Engine, I could quibble about too many whiches and toward with an s, but I’ll let that go because, once again, this is such darn good writing and such a delightful story that only 5 stars will suffice.

[Christinaraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miles Kim has made it to Seraph and has been hired to recover Agatha from her father and return her to mother. But of course things do not go as planned and Miles is in a lot of trouble. It was a good story that made me sigh and laugh and what trouble Miles is good at getting himself into. Entertaining and fun to read with its mix of danger, mystery, insanity, crazy characters and old western feel. Loved it.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series. But it's hard to define. There's some interesting world-building lurking in the background that comes out in dribs and drabs. Other than the futuristic setting and some scifi tech, it really is just a straight-up western. But, the main character is growing on me, so I'll continue on to the third book and see what happens.

[papasteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry, I.O. I lost interest in this one.

[Gar McGregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An improvement on the first book. Not without its issues, but enjoyable.