Welcome to the blog tour of Regina Shen series hosted by Lola Blog Tours. I am one of the bloggers to host it today. I will be reviewing the first two books in the series. Read on to know more about the books.
Title : Regina Shen : Resilience
Author : Lance Erlick
Series : Regina Shen, Book 1
Genre : Young Adult, Science Fiction, Adventure
Source : Free complimentary copy from the author via Lola Blog Tours for an honest review
Outcast Regina Shen is forced by the World Federation to live on the seaward side of barrier walls built to hold back rising seas from abrupt climate change. A hurricane threatens to destroy what’s left of her world, tearing Regina from her family.
Global fertility has collapsed. Chief Inspector Joanne Demarco of the notorious Department of Antiquities believes Regina holds the key to avoid extinction. Regina fights to stay alive and avoid capture while hunting for her family.
My Musings :
What a ride!
That was my first thought on finishing the book. And the second thought was that hopefully the following books in the series would be as good as this one.
The author has taken the real issue of melting of the ice caps and created a dystopian world on the What-If situation of flooding of the world. The world described in the book kind of scared me. I definitely wouldn't want to be a swamp rat. But Regina, the protagonist rocks in her natural habitat. She is plucky and resourceful. She goes through the gritty situation of being left alone to fend for herself in a storm. The daily struggle of staying alive was described vividly and the imagery keeps us engrossed in the scenes playing out in the book. It is quite an adventure for Regina to keep afloat during the storm and to stay clear of the slave smugglers during the chaos. As far as I am concerned, there is no lows in this book and only highs exist. The books keeps us hopping with the various situations Regina keeps getting into. She never ceases to amaze me with her innovative thinking.
I know I have been singing Regina's praises but I can't help it. And the other characters aren't bad either. I loved Mo-mere and I wish I had a teacher like her! Colleen was only in a few scenes and she created an impression of too much dependability. Then there are the twins, who seemed to be observing rather than taking part in the action. Same goes for Wendy too. Last but not the least is Demarco. I am not sure if she is bad or good. She is confusing but devious. I loved the cat and mouse game between Regina and Demarco.
Omg, I seriously can't think of a world without men. There is no woman without man as far as I am concerned. That's one point I loved and hated about the book. Now I am eagerly awaiting to see if any man crops up as a surprise twist in the future books.
I can't say enough about the setting of the book. It was realistic and at no point did I feel it was layered on too thickly. I love books like Swiss Family Robinson and so this book falls right in that category since it is also partly about survival. The plot keeps us on our toes and the pace is fast and steady alternately. The only place I found it a bit slow was when Regina gets back to Mo-mere.
That was my first thought on finishing the book. And the second thought was that hopefully the following books in the series would be as good as this one.
The author has taken the real issue of melting of the ice caps and created a dystopian world on the What-If situation of flooding of the world. The world described in the book kind of scared me. I definitely wouldn't want to be a swamp rat. But Regina, the protagonist rocks in her natural habitat. She is plucky and resourceful. She goes through the gritty situation of being left alone to fend for herself in a storm. The daily struggle of staying alive was described vividly and the imagery keeps us engrossed in the scenes playing out in the book. It is quite an adventure for Regina to keep afloat during the storm and to stay clear of the slave smugglers during the chaos. As far as I am concerned, there is no lows in this book and only highs exist. The books keeps us hopping with the various situations Regina keeps getting into. She never ceases to amaze me with her innovative thinking.
I know I have been singing Regina's praises but I can't help it. And the other characters aren't bad either. I loved Mo-mere and I wish I had a teacher like her! Colleen was only in a few scenes and she created an impression of too much dependability. Then there are the twins, who seemed to be observing rather than taking part in the action. Same goes for Wendy too. Last but not the least is Demarco. I am not sure if she is bad or good. She is confusing but devious. I loved the cat and mouse game between Regina and Demarco.
Omg, I seriously can't think of a world without men. There is no woman without man as far as I am concerned. That's one point I loved and hated about the book. Now I am eagerly awaiting to see if any man crops up as a surprise twist in the future books.
I can't say enough about the setting of the book. It was realistic and at no point did I feel it was layered on too thickly. I love books like Swiss Family Robinson and so this book falls right in that category since it is also partly about survival. The plot keeps us on our toes and the pace is fast and steady alternately. The only place I found it a bit slow was when Regina gets back to Mo-mere.
I am sure by now you would know whether I am recommending it or not! If you are an adventure loving junkie, don't forget to read this book.
My one line review : Take an adventurous ride by Regina's side as she battles to stay alive and safe!
My rating : 5/5
My reread factor : 4/5
Title : Regina Shen :Vigilance
Author : Lance Erlick
Series : Regina Shen, Book 2
Genre : Young Adult, Science Fiction, Adventure
Source : Free complimentary copy from the author via Lola Blog Tours for an honest review
Blurb :
Regina Shen is pursued by the notorious Department of Antiquities for her unique DNA. She jumps the Barrier Wall into the Federation to find her kidnapped sister. Stuck on a heavily-guarded closed university campus, she must use her wits to escape and rescue her sister without letting either of two rival Antiquities inspectors capture her.
My Musings :
The adventure continues in the second book of the series too. But I found the pace not as good as the first book. I felt that there were scenes where it was a bit boring. Nevertheless, the author has done the book justice. The Federation, which was outlined in the earlier book has a more prominent place in this tale. The intricate politics involved in Regina's world is revealed in bits and pieces. The complete image has not been shown yet but I think I can now understand the direction of the series better after reading this book.
The plot gets more complicated with the addition of new characters and new plot twists. Regina's adventurous story continues with bumps and turns in the road. I was so sad about Wendy's situation. But it adds heart and reality to the book. As I said earlier, the pace was a bit slow and it flowed and ebbed throughout the tale. In certain places, I felt the events were unfolding too fast and I had to take a breather to get my mind around the scenes. But it was very thrilling and had me anticipating the next move.
The world of the Federation is as dry as the swamps are watery. The new characters add more depth to the series. Alice is such a psychotic character. I absolutely loved her in her madness. And then there's Ester. A romantic element to the series and for Regina?? I wasn't that comfortable with it. But it meshes with the book. After all, men are extinct. Which still boggles my mind. Demarco surprised me in a good way. I didn't expect that from her. She is an enigma in some ways and I sort of liked her in this book. And Colleen is so much more grown up than earlier because of her captivity. There's Regina's Mom with her various names who is still a mystery. I was intrigued by her actions in the first book and it has continued into this book. I can't wait to read more about her and her background.
So I am right now waiting for the next book in the series (Gimme-Gimme-Gimme!) and while I am twiddling my thumbs, I expect you guys to take a look at the book, especially those who love some adventure and action with a sci-fi and dystopian twist!
My one line review : Delve into Regina's world with more action and a tiny bit of romance(or is it?)!
My rating : 4/5
My reread factor : 4/5
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Interested in the books yet? Just glance down the page to know more about the characters and world of Regina Shen.
World: This takes place 400 years in the future after abrupt climate change has melted ice caps and flooded the coasts. Civilization collapsed and was replaced by a World Federation that suppresses knowledge from the past. Three-hundred-plus-year-old Grand Old Dames rule using a caste system.
Regina Shen is an outcast condemned by the World Federation to live on the seaward side of Barrier Walls built to hold back rising seas. She is Chinese-Hispanic, tough, lives by her wits, and thrives on salvage from sunken cities, including illegal print books from before the Great Collapse. She also has unique DNA the Federation believes can reverse a worldwide fertility collapse. Regina doesn’t trust the Federation.
Chief Inspector Joanne Demarco of the notorious Department of Antiquities polices Barrier Walls and destroys evidence from the past, including print books. Ambitious, she sees Regina as the key to securing her future.
Inspector Vikki Volpe is a ruthless hard-core Antiquities agent who believes Demarco has gone soft and wants the chief inspector’s job.
Book 1 (Regina Shen: Resilience): A hurricane threatens to destroy what’s left of Regina’s world. Separated from her sister, her mom, and her home, with Demarco in pursuit, Regina fights to stay alive and avoid capture while hunting for family.
Book 2 (Regina Shen: Vigilance): Pursued by the Department of Antiquities, Regina jumps the Barrier Wall into the Federation to find her kidnapped sister, and winds up on a closed-university campus with heavy surveillance. Regina must use her wits to escape and rescue her sister without letting either of two rival inspectors capture her.
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Meet the Author
Lance Erlick likes to explore the mysteries of intriguing worlds with interesting, often strong female guides facing and overcoming adversity as they try to change their world. He hopes readers will enjoy his writing as they discover different worlds, going places they may never have been.
He writes science fiction thrillers, appealing to young adults and adult readers. He is the author of The Rebel Within, The Rebel Trap, and Rebels Divided, three books in the Rebel series. In those stories, he explores the consequences of following conscience for those coming of age. He authored the Regina Shen series—Regina Shen: Resilience and Regina Shen: Vigilance. This series takes place after abrupt climate change leads to the Great Collapse and a new society under the World Federation. A related short story is: Regina Shen: Into the Storm. Lance is also the author of unrelated short stories: Maiden Voyage and Watching You.
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Hop over to take a look at the other bloggers who are participating in the blog tour.
http://www.lolasblogtours.net/blog-tour-regina-shen-by-lance-erlick/
And last but not least :
- a 25$ amazon gift card
- signed copy of Regina Shen: Vigilance by Lance Erlick (US Only)
- 3 signed postcards of Regina Shen series ( US Only )
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for a great post.
ReplyDeleteLance
Thank you for the great books! I had so much fun..
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