Review: Spark Rising ( The Progenitor Saga #1) by Kate Corcino

[Eva Millien]

THE BOOK:

All that’s required to ignite a revolution is a single spark rising.

Two hundred years after the cataclysm that annihilated fossil fuels, Sparks keep electricity flowing through their control of energy-giving Dust. The Council of Nine rebuilt civilization on the backs of Sparks, offering citizens a comfortable life in a relo-city in exchange for power, particularly over the children able to fuel the future. The strongest of the boys are taken as Wards and raised to become elite agents, the Council’s enforcers and spies. Strong girls—those who could advance the rapidly-evolving matrilineal power—don’t exist. Not according to the Council.

Lena Gracey died as a child, mourned publicly by parents desperate to keep her from the Council. She was raised in hiding until she fled the relo-city for solitary freedom in the desert. Lena lives off the grid, selling her power on the black market.

Agent Alex Reyes was honed into a calculating weapon at the Ward School to do the Council’s dirty work. But Alex lives a double life. He’s leading the next generation of agents in a secret revolution to destroy those in power from within.

The life Lena built to escape her past ends the day Alex arrives looking for a renegade Spark.

CONTENT WARNING: This book contains occasional violence and profanity, and includes depictions of a determined double agent doing his job and an empowered young woman making coming-of-age decisions. These include sexual interactions. Spark Rising is not intended for readers under the age of 16.

MY REVIEW:

Raised in hiding, Lena Gracey is a Spark and she is determined to stay out of the Council’s hands but Alex Reyes has destroyed everything she’s built but despite this he wants her to trust him in sparking a revolution in this electrifying post-apocalyptic romance.

Alex and his friends are determined to bring down the council and their cruelty but they need Lena’s help to do so and the reader can’t help but get caught up in all the thrills and intrigue of this story as Lena and Alex both struggle to work together. There is lots of sexual chemistry flowing from the pages as Lena finds herself attracted to two different men but there is also lots of emotional turmoil that adds confusion. The characters are strong compelling and grab the reader’s attention right along with the steady paced plot that keeps expectations high with suspense and romance.

The council is determined to capture Lena and it will take Alex quite a bit of maneuvering to keep her safe of course that’s difficult to do so there is quite a bit of violence and excitement during rescues, escapes and betrayals while additional excitement builds throughout the story as everyone plots to overthrow the council and executed battle plans that never seem to go quite as planned. There is lots of surprising twists in the story that keeps everyone guessing but I think the biggest surprise of all is Lena herself as she keeps everyone including the other characters on their toes. The well written scenes and details capture the imagination which makes it easy to picture each scene as it takes place and the well-orchestrated events draw the reader in and refuse to let go.

While I thought there were a few places where the story was kind of slow, the world building, intriguing characters and the fascinating future full of interesting and different elements kept me hooked and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

 

PURCHASE:

A: http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Rising-Progenitor-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0...

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spark-rising-kate-corcino/112091140...

i: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/spark-rising/id951952344?mt=11

K: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/spark-rising

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Spark-Rising/Kate-Corcino/9780990732...

BD: http://www.bookdepository.com/Spark-Rising-Kate-Corcino/9780990732808

Kate Corcino, December 15 2014, 402 pages, print & ebook

http://katecorcino.com/coming-up/spark-rising/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22705139-spark-rising?ac=1

https://www.goodreads.com/series/143299-the-progenitor-saga

Kate Corcino is a reformed shy girl, a people-pleasing good girl gone bad who has found her voice (and uses it…a lot). She believes in magic, coffee, Starburst candies, genre fiction, descriptive profanity, and cackling over wine with good friends. A recovering Dr. Pepper addict, she knows the only addiction worth feeding is the one that follows the “click-whooooosh” of a new story settling into her brain.

She also believes in the transformative power of screwing up and second chances. Cheers to both!

She is currently gearing up for publication of Spark Rising, the first in the Progenitor Saga, a post-apocalyptic/dystopian romantic series featuring dark protagonists with no guarantee of a happily-ever-after for either of them. She’s also working on Spirit Twin, the first book in the New Adult urban fantasy series Ascendant Spirits, about the magic created by friendship and self-acceptance.

CONNECTIONS:

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKateCorcino

http://www.katecorcino.com/

http://www.twitter.com/katecorcino

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8381085.Kate_Corcino