The Book
.jpg)
Lieutenant Colonel Nik Zhukov is
just like any other desensitized seventeen-year-old living in the year 2076. At
least he likes to think he is when he isn’t busy eliminating threats to
national security, breaking up terrorist organizations, and trying not to get
blown up. It’s all in a normal day’s work for one of the military’s top dogs,
and he’s never disappointed. Never failed. Never lost sight of his dream of
making it to the elite force, even as each new job forces him to see just how
morally corrupt his leaders are.
On the verge of promotion, Nik is
dispatched to the underground city beneath the icy Seattle tundra, his final
mission handed down directly from The Council. It should have been a simple
in-and-out, but the underground is full of dark secrets and he soon finds himself
swept into battles, lying to his best friend back east, and growing a bit too
close to the rebels he was sent to spy on.
Nik realizes too late that he’s
broken the number one rule within his ranks; he’s allowed himself to feel
normal for the first time in his life. He might be able to turn the job around,
become the soldier he was once was, except for his growing attachment to the
rebel leader. A guy. Yet another first for Nik. It’s a mistake he pays for
dearly when he learns The Council’s true intentions for the city.
It’s never ‘just harmless fun’
when you’re a government dog, not when The Council holds the leash. Nik knows
there are some lines you can never come back from crossing, and he’s forced to
choose whose rules to play by. He races toward the invisible divide, aware
he’ll be called traitor by both his nation and by his friends. Aware that even
the right choice can be deadly to make.
Zhukov's Dogs is available now!
I've read a lot of New Adult books lately and they've been characterized by some really emotionally damaged main characters and by being almost entirely contemporary romances. I was thrilled by a few major shifts in Zhukov's Dogs - the science fiction element and the gay romance.
Zhukov's Dogs is a wild ride that has a split timeline - some of the chapters narrate 'current' events and others narrate the events that lead up to the 'present'... in the future, of course. There's probably a more eloquent way to explain that but please give me a pass because I'm pretty sick as I'm writing this. The pacing in the story is perfect - whether it's Nik plotting and seething in the present or infiltrating and then sympathizing on assignment in the past - there's a lot of action!
I don't normally like it when so much of the story feels like flashback, because I already know where that portion of the book is heading! But after a while, I found myself forgiving Zhukov's Dogs for investing so heavily in the recounting of these events.
I loved the world that this was set in, futuristic, cold, very wasteland-y. I loved Nik and how hardened and weary he is after years as a soldier, though he's still quite young. Watching his awareness of Val bloom was all kinds of awesome, and the push and pull of trust... very well written. I was utterly hooked by the relationship between these two.
I also quite enjoyed the interplay between Nik and Dr. Halliburton, and I would happily read more in the series!
Bottom Line:
I completely recommend this one for fans of New Adult and of science fiction. Nik fulfills that angst/broken character that seems to be a genre requirement, but Zhukov's Dogs also brings so much more to the table.
4.5 stars
About Amanda Cyr
.png)
Amanda Cyr is a tea-loving
freelance journalist, viral content curator, and debut novelist. She studied
creative writing at Seattle University, where she developed all sorts of
opinions before becoming a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.
She is currently represented by Kimberley Cameron of the Kimberley Cameron &
Associates Literary Agency.
Growing up, Amanda moved
around a lot. She began writing to make the transitions easier and make up for
her lack of friends in middle school. An awesome professor in Medford, Oregon
tried to convince her to pursue writing professionally, but Amanda was deadest
on a law career. It wasn’t until an unpleasant professor in Seattle, Washington
told her she was a terrible writer that Amanda really committed to the idea of
getting published, mostly just to spite her professor.
When Amanda’s not hunched
over a laptop she enjoys sleeping, video games, Netflix binges, and wrestling
with her two polar bear dogs. She currently lives in Los Angeles, where she
spends her days hissing at the sun and missing Seattle. Her least favorite things
include the mispronunciation of her name, screaming children, and California.
No comments:
Post a Comment