Review of Elizabeth Lang's novel The Rebels

Synopsis:

The much awaited second book to the epic Empire Series.

"Maybe I want to find out what's worse than dying."

On the cusp of freedom, Adrian Stannis is plunged into the world of bounty hunters and rebels, each one valuing his head with the kind of single-minded intensity that does not bode well for his dream of peace and a fully stocked lab in a quiet and obscure corner of the galaxy.

Dragged along against his will by a barbarian intent on selling him back to the Empire, Adrian 'accidentally' kidnaps an emergency room doctor--because that is the kind of thing he does, while Kali and Bryce try to find him and become embroiled in an adventure of their own, one that leads to a sinister mystery that might destroy them all.

Part adventure, part misadventure, this tale packs one punch after another until the final shocking ending.

My review:

This is the second book of the Empire series and it succeeds in continuing a much anticipated, anxiety ridden, fabulously written Science Fiction adventure. This is the type of book that the want to walk away from the book to eat, sleep, or play is just not there, but you know that if you had to leave then sinking back into the novel is not hard.

I only had one issue with the novel. It is not a major issue for me but it can be for someone who has not read the first novel. This is not a stand alone book, nor is it a book you could jump into because it has virtually no lead in for new readers. It could leave new readers confused and frustrated.

Although the book was not my ideal genre to read, I found that Lang's ability to let her characters grow and evolve was something I would recommend other Science Fiction authors take note of. I also enjoyed the fact that this was not your typical cookie cutter plot line. I took so many twists and turns in this novel that I sometimes had to check and see what character's viewpoint I was reading from.

Overall I give this a rating of 3 out of 5. It is a great read and a wonderful follow up to The Empire.

About the author:

Elizabeth Lang was an avid reader from an early age. Science Fiction and Fantasy were and still are her passions, with occasional dips in the pools of Mystery. She has spent many years in the IT industry and started writing late in life, but once begun, she couldn't stop.

Elizabeth lives in Canada though she's worked in many places around the world. She loves traveling, learning about different cultures, and sampling their delectable foods.

She writes mainly scifi thrillers/psychological dramas, though she did accidentally end up with a scifi romance novel. She swears she has no idea how that happened.

Elizabeth has also written some humour, mainly wacky stuff that comes to her mind in the wee hours of the morning when her brain refuses to acknowledge being attached to the rest of her.

She has also dabble in a bit of poetry, but barely enough to get her toes wet.