Hi! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour of Shadow of Deception by Sophia L. Johnson! Below you can find all you need to know about this intriguing book, read my review, and a great international giveaway where you can wnter to win one of two Amazon gift cards! Thanks so much for stopping by & enjoy!
*****
Shadow of Deception (The Kazumi Chronicles #1)
by Sophia L. Johnson
YA Dystopian/Sci-fi
Published on April 19th, 2015
2153, Toronto, United Nation of North America (UNNA)
A horrific plane crash kills all five hundred and forty-two passengers except one. Kazumi emerges from the wreckage physically unscathed but has lost all her memories. Her miraculous survival has the whole city buzzing but all she wants is to go home, wherever home is.
After waiting a month in the hospital with no one to claim her, Kazumi is deemed homeless. She is about to be sent to a nearby teenage shelter when the nurse she grew to trust ushers her down a mysterious path, one that promises safety and maybe even the chance to recover her memories. With no better options available, Kazumi takes her chance and finds herself in the headquarters of the Sarcomeres, a secret society of genetically advanced humans hidden deep inside the Rocky Mountains. The Sarc’s heightened physical abilities and high-tech gadgets are not the only things that fascinate Kazumi. Finnegan O’Riley, a fellow Sarc she meets along the way also gets her heart racing. When Kazumi discovers that she possesses the genetic potential of a Sarcomere, she jumps at the chance to train with them, not knowing the death defying tests that are involved.
Meanwhile, a centuries-old nemesis of the Sarcomeres begins to stir in the dark, setting their dark plans in motion. Just when Kazumi thinks she can help protect her new found home, past memories surface to threaten her new identity. She soon realizes that layers of deception run deep and everyone has a secret agenda, including herself.
Who can she trust when she can’t even trust herself? One wrong decision could bring forth consequences worse than death.
A horrific plane crash kills all five hundred and forty-two passengers except one. Kazumi emerges from the wreckage physically unscathed but has lost all her memories. Her miraculous survival has the whole city buzzing but all she wants is to go home, wherever home is.
After waiting a month in the hospital with no one to claim her, Kazumi is deemed homeless. She is about to be sent to a nearby teenage shelter when the nurse she grew to trust ushers her down a mysterious path, one that promises safety and maybe even the chance to recover her memories. With no better options available, Kazumi takes her chance and finds herself in the headquarters of the Sarcomeres, a secret society of genetically advanced humans hidden deep inside the Rocky Mountains. The Sarc’s heightened physical abilities and high-tech gadgets are not the only things that fascinate Kazumi. Finnegan O’Riley, a fellow Sarc she meets along the way also gets her heart racing. When Kazumi discovers that she possesses the genetic potential of a Sarcomere, she jumps at the chance to train with them, not knowing the death defying tests that are involved.
Meanwhile, a centuries-old nemesis of the Sarcomeres begins to stir in the dark, setting their dark plans in motion. Just when Kazumi thinks she can help protect her new found home, past memories surface to threaten her new identity. She soon realizes that layers of deception run deep and everyone has a secret agenda, including herself.
Who can she trust when she can’t even trust herself? One wrong decision could bring forth consequences worse than death.
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All royalties made in the first year will go to a charity
called Covenant House, to help homeless youth.
*****
*The Reader’s Review*
My rating: 4/5 stars
Color me impressed! Shadow of Deception turned out to be an intriguing, unexpected read. For those of you looking for a unique dystopian/sci-fi book, then this one is it. It’s action-packed AND full of surprising plot twists, not to mention that the characters are realistically portrayed as they are flawed and act accordingly to the circumstances.
Kaz was a good main character. Her personality often confused me throughout the book, but I have to give it to her – she’s one strong fighter. I liked that she starts off as tough as nails and desperate to prove herself worthy. She stumbles for a bit right in the middle where she loses some of her spunk, but she picks herself up in no time once she realizes her true identity.
Sophia L. Johnson created an interesting dystopian world, quite complex even. The Earth is now almost ruined by natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis, and the world is divided into the United Nation of North America, the Republic of Europe, and the Greater China. But the most important aspect is that there are three kind of races now dominating the Earth – Ordinaries (regular human beings), Sarcomeres (super-humans) and the Neuronics (mind-controlling beings). It’s a bloody war between the last two.
Shadow of Deception also played a lot with my emotions. I got DECEIVED, so I applaud the title for how fitting it is. Not only did I get deceived by Kaz (the MC), but also by the rest of the characters in this book. So many things were obvious and easy to figure out, but the characters’ actions always surprised. They were unpredictable. I loved that.
There’s a bit of romance inside this book too, between Kaz and elite commander, Finn. I liked it, I LIKE Finn, but my heart is disappointed about the dynamics of their relationship and other things. I DID enjoy that embarrassing thing that Kaz does in the cave. And by enjoy I mean I cringed so bad that I had to set the book down to get over the intense second-hand embarrassment going through me. But enjoyed nonetheless and I’m crossing my fingers to read more about these two together, as a couple.
That brings me to the point where I must beg for the sequel. Shadow of Deception was a refreshing read for me and one I devoured in just a few hours. It’s an exciting page-turner for sure!
*****
About the Author
With a degree in International Business Management, Sophia has worked in a major marketing firm where she realized the corporate world isn’t one she wants to be in. She then made the switch into the healthcare industry as a Registered Massage Therapist by day and a writer by night. She is now a Massage Therapy instructor and a published author living with her husband and daughter in Toronto. Her go-to genres are science fiction, fantasy, and dystopian; or anything that sweeps her away into a foreign world that promises adventure.
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Ooohhh, this book sounds really good!
Cheryl @ I Heart Fictional People
I never heard of this before but I love Dystopian and I love the cover–plus you gave it four stars. Sounds like I need to read it!