From Moscow, With Love

Shades of Gray #2

by Kristie Lynn Higgins

In the second book of the Shades of Gray Series, Kat finds herself teamed up with Kim. Together they search for clues to their past. Their partnership stands on shaky ground though. Kim, a Life Closer (legal assassin) known as the Phoenix, needs Kat for the moment, to help in her search for her mother's murder. Once Kim no longer needs Kat, will the Phoenix go through with eliminating her for knowing she's a Life Closer?

A haunting melody . . .
A forgotten time . . .

Kat has discovered little about her past. Over a year ago, she woke to a world of endless night and has no memory of who she is. A music box, a letter, and a gun are her only clues. Kat discovers the melody the music box plays, puts her in a trance and heals her body of any injures. Why? She doesn't know. Who? What is she?

Betrayal . . .
A desperate fight . . .

Voice, the one who regulates the Phoenix, has sent the Raven and the Wolf to Close her. Why? Kim doesn't know, just that she must eliminate the two Life Closers before they terminate her.

Deception . . .
The two women collide again . . .

Kat is caught up in this struggle as the Raven and the Wolf are also hired to Close the sister of someone once dear to her. Now she must protect the sister and Kim, but the Phoenix is hiding a dark secret that puts the sister in an even deadlier predicament. What is Kim hiding?

I will protect them all . . .
No one will die today . . .

Can Kat and Kim defeat the two Closers? Can Kat keep the promise to herself that no one else will die? What will happen in the end when Kat discovers the Phoenix's secret?

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2007

About the author

You are only limited by your imagination...

I would like to introduce all of you to my new series, Tales From The Cryptkeeper William Shakespeare #1 Romeo Dracula And Juliet Van Helsing. Dark horror comedy full of fun and mishaps.

My other series includes Shades of Gray, AabiLynn's Dragon Rite, AabiLynn's Test of Dragons, Ronin: Have Sword-Will Travel Mysteries, Beauty of the Beast (a twist on Beauty and the Beast), AaBack's Grimm, and Monster of Monsters.

Reviews

[Mayhem-RW · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is published here but came from the compilation of books 1 and 2 in the series. The compilation also came with a short prequel to the series, so SOG0,1,2.

Here we find Katharine “Kat” still unsure of herself. Is she a biological machine created in a lab or a normal human being? She knows her eyes glow when mechanical mecha come within her range. She even knows their make and model and how to kill or deactivate them. It doesn’t matter where they come from. She can tell where they are without seeing them. Kat can even predict their moves so she can kill them faster. But she still clings to the hope that she is human, even though after her encounters with the Un-Men, she needs to listen to a music box to “come down and reset herself.” Kat is also working with the Life Closer Kimberly “Kim.” She wanted to strike up a partnership, but the way Kim treats her, she wonders if that is possible. But for now, they are working together to dig up their past.

Even though I’ve gotten used to the transitions of perspective, it still feels strange when it changes. The approach to humans being in their way cannot be different. Kat wants to preserve all human life, while Kim, the Life Closer, could care less. Somewhere along the line, this opposing view will come to a head, and we will have a showdown between the two heroines. That is if they don’t find out about being long-lost sisters or old childhood friends or something. The physical world-building can get you through the scenes, and sometimes, the description is enough to let your imagination fill in the blanks. The ethereal world-building is character-centric. The character’s history is part of the story. The character interaction, I guess, could be possible, but when Kat gets riled up, it is the only time she shows Kim the possible consequences of the way she treats Kat.

There is a whole lot going on in this universe that Mrs. Higgins has created for us, the reader. I give this read four stars out of five stars.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skipped through it

Still an interesting idea, but it just ground on and on and on and...you get the picture.
The main characters are mostly thoroughly unlikable, and I kept waiting for K to have some sort of epiphany. By the end of the book, still waiting.
While better edited than most newer books, the messed up verb tenses (often the same sentence ), wrong words (spelled correctly though ), lack of punctuation, was a chore.
I won't be purchasing the 3rd book.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. It was a good story and I enjoyed it. It is a continuation of book one. I think most people might like it, if they like science fiction.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't you hate it when someone gives a high (5-6) or low (1-2) star rating and gives you absolutely no reason?

I do, so I will tell you why this book was a 2.

But first, the good point. The story is very interesting. It sucks you in. It's almost addicting. I feel compeled to read the next book.

Now, why don't I want to read. any more of this series. The author slaughters grammer. I don't want to read a single any more instead of anymore, I don't want to read another back up for back-up, or vice versa. I don't want to see a (or for that matter, an) used incorrectly. We live in the USA, the author is an American. We pronounce the H in historic so it is a historic landmark, not it is an 'istoric landmark.

I know it is the authors universe and usually I accept that, but when you get cutesy and substitute puck for fuck, substitute hades for hell, asp for ass, substitutes ... (I forgot his name, the head Greek god) for God, it drives me nuts.

I also feel ripped off because this book ends in a cliff-hanger (or is that cliff hanger?) and I will need to spend real money for book 3. Books should not be written like a Saturday ten cent matinee from 60 years ago.

Yes, this book was free ... on Kindle. No, I didn't have to swear to give an honest opinion. I think what I thought of this book is Very Obvious.

[Crystal Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

well I started with the first of the book ,hey i figured why not since at the time it was a freebie for kindle.(did I mention I love my kindle?) anyways, i read the first one and was intruiged and followed all the books up now im just waiting on the next one due next year.

[Teresa Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read, now on the the 3rd book!