Deal with the Devil

I want to start this review with a huge thanks to Tor Books for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley! I’ve been super excited about this one since I found it while browsing NetGalley. I’m so glad I finally got out of a bit of a reading slump so I could read it!

The blurb mentioned two things that I really love: the tv show Orphan Black, and the books of Ilona Andrews. So how could I resist this one? I wanted to completely fall in love with this one since it seemed right up my alley, but that didn’t quite happen. Don’t get me wrong, it was still a hugely enjoyable read. But I think I went in with expectations of what it would be, and it ended up being something different.

The Good!

First things first, I love the science fiction aspect, and the found family aspect. Genetic manipulation, cloning, evil tech corporations? YES I love that stuff. I definitely wanted a LOT more of that. Maybe since this is a series, that will be explored in future books. And found family!! I mean, I think we all know I’m a sucker for found family. In this case, we got two!! Nina’s friends/crew, and then Knox’s crew. I loved reading about Nina, Maya, and Dani the most. I love that they’re all so different but have found such a close knit family with each other. Knox’s crew does also give off the found family vibes, but I felt that those characters were a little flat. They could have been fleshed out a lot more in my opinion.

The Meh?

The thing that threw me off was that this book was pretty heavy on the romance. I definitely expected some going in, but I guess I didn’t know to what level. The main romance is basically of equal importance to the rest of the plot, so if that’s not your thing then be aware! Additionally, I think that made me enjoy it a bit less because I just wasn’t convinced of Nina and Knox’s connection. I still enjoyed the romantic tension, but their connection just seemed physical to me so it was harder for me to buy into it.

I also wanted a LOT more of “mercenary librarian” idea!! That seems so cool! But we didn’t really get to see it in this book, since the plot of this one was basically a rescue mission for a kidnapped person. It was kind of teased at the beginning, but for a series with that as a title, I definitely want WAY more.

So overall, this was an entertaining read but unfortunately not a favorite! I still recommend it if you are looking for a quick, fun read.