Contingency by Peggy Martinez

Contingency (Sage Hannigan Time Warpers #1)
Peggy Martinez

Eighteen-year-old Sage Hannigan wants to get back to her own time, preferably one that hasn’t been destroyed by an underworld plot brewing in Edwardian-era South Carolina. How hard can it be?

All she has to do is:

1. Learn to use newly acquired warping skills to bend time to her will.
2. Take out a few rogue vampires.
3. Join an ancient secret society.
4. Figure out who is putting the time stream in jeopardy.
5. Find and maim whoever invented the corset.

Sage never asked to be chosen by the Druid Priestess, Amerach, to become a Warper. She also never asked to have the future hanging on her shoulders or to warp a hundred years into the past. She certainly never asked to meet Dr. Aldwin Blake, who would make her question her desire to get back to her own time. But if she fails her mission, people will die, history will change, and the present she wishes to return to will be no more.

Sage Hannigan led a comfortable loner lifestyle in 2004, but when she felt compelled to purchase a necklace at an antique store, it sets her life in motion in a way she never expected. Inconveniently transfered to 1904, Sage is forced to take on a new life, finding guidance in a set of curious people with a few abilities themselves, all members of a secret society. Turns out Sage is a time warper, and she was transported back in time 'cause her ability was needed against a supernatural dilemma. Rogue vampires were on the loose and being able to stop time was advantageous in wiping them out. But poor Sage knows nothing about how to call upon her power, how to fight against supernatural beings, or how to act properly in the early twentieth century. Once schooled in all those things, she's sent to infiltrate the vampire society by becoming the leader's new assistant, and soon finds out she's in way over her head.

 

Contingency was a pleasant surprise. The first half of the novel dragged out for me, but once Sage got past the training and was released into the world to do her job, the story picked up and demanded my attention better. She found herself becoming involved with two guys; one a member of the secret society training her, the other the vampire she's told to assist...and neither of the men are fond of the other, especially once they realize they're both interested in the same woman. Truth be told, I was a little confused as to why Sage was so determined to return to her life in the present, 'cause in the past she found friends, two possible lovers and a sense of purpose - all things she seemed to lack in her own timeline. She didn't have anything to go back to, so I was surprised she was anxious to finish the job and get transported back already. But still, there was plenty of action and romantic interest, so I was pretty happy with the way Contingency turned out in the end, so I'll most likely check out the next book.

 

 

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel (ARC)

Dearly, Departed
Lia Habel
Publication: October 18, 2011

Synopsis: Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

I almost didn't bother finishing this one. I guess I envisioned a dystopian-zombie book to have a lot of action in it. So when I was 50% done with Dearly, Departed I found myself asking 'Why am I still reading this?' There had been a little bit of action but mostly it was just dialogue. I didn't mind the multiple points of view, or the idea that zombies could be tamed, but I seriously wanted the nontamed zombies to burst through the doors and start killing off all the characters just so I wouldn't have to hear them talk anymore.

So why did I keep reading? Luckily I was late getting to this ARC. If I hadn't noticed Dearly, Departed getting an average of 4 stars on GoodReads, I don't think I would've bothered to finish this novel. The high ratings peaked my curiosity cause I just wasn't seeing it. So...I stuck it out. Sure enough, I finally did see why it was getting decent ratings. Unfortunately, what I considered to be the bread and butter of this novel didn't begin until I hit about 69%...and Dearly, Departed is a looong book at 470 pages so I really had to force myself to read a lot before I felt like it was worth the read.

So in hindsight, the first 68% of this book - eh. The last 32% - freakin' awesome. If you can stand to read the first part, all the better for you. But if you can't, just skip ahead...you're not missing anything you won't figure out as you read the end.

The one positive aspect about this novel: Bram. I would have completely given up on this novel regardless of posted ratings if this one character hadn't been worth reading about. And maybe Pamela, who managed to turn into a kick-ass zombie-killer in a pettycoat.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley.