Book Review: Crucible Zero (House Immortal #3) by Devon Monk

Crucible Zero (House Immortal #3)

by Devon Monk

Paperback, 356 pages

September 1st 2015 by Roc

The national bestselling author of Infinity Bell returns to her “fresh and unique”* world where the truce between the ruling Houses has shattered and chaos now reigns. Only one woman has the power to save the world—but she could also destroy it...

Matilda Case never thought of herself as a hero. But because she is galvanized—and nearly immortal in her stitched, endlessly healing body—she doesn’t have much of a choice. Even if she doesn’t want to save the world, she’s the only one capable of traveling in time to do so.

But her rescue attempt hasn’t gone as planned. She’s stuck in an alternate universe, and her world is in danger of disappearing. Worst of all, an unfathomably powerful man who can also travel through history doesn’t want her to put things to rights. He’s willing to wage bloody war to stop Matilda, unless she surrenders control of time to him.

Now, with the minutes ticking, Matilda must make impossible decisions, knowing that one wrong choice will destroy her—and any chance of saving everything she loves...

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Being stitched is not easy, especially when you are not exactly immortal and a dangerous man is trying to kill you. There are not many stitched aka Galvanized people, in fact you can barely count them on two hands. Galvanized were once heroes in their time. The problem is, this is a different time. Matilda Case seemed to have traveled through time but not an actual time and day more like a parallel universe. The people are the same but they also are not. Not even Matilda Case was the same.

In this time there were beasts, the plague and machines such as computers seemed to have been wiped out. The man who is trying to kill Matilda has not changed, he still wants power and full control over all the houses. She has to stop him and put things right. She has no choice no one else can travel. If she managed to kill him, which time is the right time, does she get to choose which time she stays in? The man she loves is in both times, one remembers her one does not, however in both times regardless, the sparks fly.

I have been following The Immortal series from the beginning. What an interesting concept, I love it. The characters are very well written, each brings their own unique story and balance throughout. I would like to know more about each but can’t pick which one because again they all bring a little something. I highly recommend, you will not be disappointed.

Review: House Immortal (book #1)
Review: Infinity Bell (book #2)

5 Stitched Sheep

Tammy K

About the Author:
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Devon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She writes the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series and the Age of Steam steampunk series, knits silly things, and lives in Oregon.

Book Review:Infinity Bell (House Immortal #2) by Devon Monk

Infinity Bell (House Immortal #2)

by Devon Monk
Paperback, 368 pages
Published March 3rd 2015 by Roc

Return to national bestselling author Devon Monk's heartpounding House Immortal series, where eleven powerful Houses control the world and all its resources. But now, the treaty between them has been broken, and no one—not even the immortal galvanized—is safe....

Matilda Case isn’t normal. Normal people aren’t stitched together, inhumanly strong, and ageless, as she and the other galvanized are. Normal people’s bodies don’t hold the secret to immortality—something the powerful Houses will kill to possess. And normal people don’t know that they’re going to die in a few days.

Matilda’s fight to protect the people she loves triggered a chaotic war between the Houses and shattered the world’s peace. On the run, she must find a way to stop the repeat of the ancient time experiment that gifted her and the other galvanized with immortality. Because this time, it will destroy her and everything she holds dear.

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of lies, betrayal, and unseen foes, Matilda must fight to save the world from utter destruction. But time itself is her enemy, and every second brings her one step closer to disaster.

"Back to The Future" and the "Dark Tower" rolled into one harrowing science fiction paranormal episode! A race to find the glitch in time and save millions (and perhaps kill hundreds) of people at the same time. I believe this is the main premise of the story but the author made it a little difficult to find and follow a direct path to the conclusion. Whew...I really had a workout making sure I had my facts ( or her facts to be exact) straight and find a common thread to the story.

Matilda is a product of her genius brother's creation. A "galvanized." Dying of an incurable disease as a human, he makes her into a "patched" up humanoid made of her mind but a different body...(Frankenstein has nothing on her!). And there are 12 more of her kind. But where they came from I don't have a clue!

Imagine a world whose ruling heads are divided into factions, or "Houses" in this case, that are decidedly responsible for: defense, medical, technical, air, water, money, faith and—Hmmmm...starting to sound a little like having too many branches of government? All with their own agendas? The "heads" of these "Houses" convene to conspire about what must be done to control or contain the uprising of the "galvanized" population that they have been using as service labor and protection for many years. Even the futuristic ruling houses are not above sabotage and "golf course" politics.

Due to the deaths of two rulers of the Houses, they are hunting for Matilda, her brother and a couple accomplices who are on a mission to right a mistake that their grandfather made in calculating a "time warp" situation. Trying time travel is not a new idea in books and movies so making it interesting is the key to success. I am not sure the author hit that at 100%.

You really must pay attention in this story. It took me quite a few chapters to understand everyone's role and history (would probably have helped if I had read the first book in this series or the last few chapters first where the threads were more precisely explained). Even as a stand alone episode, the plot and storyline is filled with innuendos that would be easier understood with a little more background information in the beginning. A lot of exhausting running, hiding, near death injuries and experiences make up 90% of the reading. A dangerous chase across time and country ensue for the characters who are from a "House" that wants to remain apart from the otherwise ruling "Houses". Rather like wanting to withdraw from the Union and declaring a "civil war" on the rest of the world in a futuristic setting.

Video cameras and microphones are everywhere and all business, transportation and technology are controlled by the Ruling Houses. With no where to hide, Matilda and her Merry Band of Brothers seek help and solace anywhere they can. Can you really blame them? Who really wants to live "on the grid" where everyone and everything is controlled by a few department heads!

The danger and race to "fix time" is occasionally interrupted by some romantic passages and gives a new prospective about how to live for the moment and not "waste" opportunities when they present themselves but truthfully these parts felt a little awkward and unimportant to the story. To save her family and love interest, Matilda has to travel back in time and convince her (great, great, great) grandfather to fix a problem he unknowingly created! Oh...and all in about 5 hours...Geeze!

About half way through I found my footing and became engaged in the story of the "dissidents" and their fight to derail a possible catastrophic event and to pursue a life of autonomy for those who desire such. I just wasn't sold on the "Frankenstein" type characters as to their value in the story (unless it was to depict immortality). I felt there was some contradiction in initial descriptions of the characters and their ongoing displayed characteristics. Without giving anything away, the ending left me a little exhausted and I said to myself..."what the heck?!" That being said, I am still a "sucker" for "futuristic" stories and guess I might be interested enough to go back and read the first book hoping for a little clarification.
5 Sheep Review: House Immortal (House Immortal #1)

I give this book 3 sheep

Jeanie G

About the Author:
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Devon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She writes the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series and the Age of Steam steampunk series, knits silly things, and lives in Oregon.

Book Review: House Immortal (House Immortal #1) by Devon Monk

House Immortal (House Immortal #1)
by Devon Monk

Paperback, 368 pages
September 2nd 2014 by Roc

One hundred years ago, eleven powerful ruling Houses consolidated all of the world’s resources and authority into their own grasping hands. Only one power wasn’t placed under the command of a single House: the control over the immortal galvanized....

Matilda Case isn’t like most folk. In fact, she’s unique in the world, the crowning achievement of her father’s experiments, a girl pieced together from bits. Or so she believes, until Abraham Seventh shows up at her door, stitched with life thread just like her and insisting that enemies are coming to kill them all.

Tilly is one of thirteen incredible creations known as the galvanized, stitched together beings immortal and unfathomably strong. For a century, each House has fought for control over the galvanized. Now the Houses are also tangled in a deadly struggle for dominion over death—and Tilly and her kind hold the key to unlocking eternity

The secrets that Tilly must fight to protect are hidden within the very seams of her being. And to get the secrets, her enemies are willing to tear her apart piece by piece.…

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

One Hundred years ago the world was divided by houses. Each house represented major resources from the world. House Brown however did not fall under the scrutiny or demand of the other houses or the laws they followed; it stayed under the radar. They were free and made up of people who refused to pick a house; however freedom came with great consequences. They were not considered a real house and were shunned, left to fend for themselves. 

House Brown was founded by the Galvanized, but they were forced to join another house in order to save House Brown. The Galvanized are people who were created by stitching them together from bits. They are immortal and only 12 of them existed, or so they thought, until Matilda was found. Matilda tried to hide under the radar and thought she was doing a great job until Abraham Seventh showed up at her door, another stitch, to warn her that enemies are coming to kill them all.

House Immortal was not a book I would have normally picked up. In fact I never even heard of the author. I am so glad I decided to read it. This story was captivating from the get go. The author had me at chapter one, well she probably had me by page 2. Her writing sucked me into her world, making me feel like I was really there. I needed to know what was going to happen every step of the way and Monk also took me through the emotions as we got there. It was action packed with just enough romance. I highly recommend this book/series.

5 "Immortal Stitched" Sheep

TammyK

About the Author:
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Devon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She writes the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series and the Age of Steam steampunk series, knits silly things, and lives in Oregon.