Monday, April 14, 2014

Inceptio by Alison Morton

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Obtained from: Personal Library
Read: April 13, 2014

New York, present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after a kidnap attempt, has a choice - being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother's homeland in Europe. Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, at a price, and a ready-made family. Just as she's finding her feet, a shocking discovery about her new lover, special forces officer Conrad Tellus, isolates her. But the enforcer has crossed to Europe to pursue her. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it... An alternate history adventure, first in the Roma Nova series

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I have a confession folks, one I'm almost ashamed to make considering how much I ultimately enjoyed Alison Morton's Inceptio. What am I confessing you ask? Well, despite my enthusiasm, I actually acquired the title in hopes of making it through book two. 

The books are written and marketed as standalones, which is why I'd consented to reading them out of order, but all things considered, I personally feel the series easier to comprehend when the novels are read chronologically. 

Why do I feel this way? Well, most of it comes down to the basic structure of Morton's debut. Recognizing how essential it was to understand the world her characters inhabit, the author spent a lot of time easing her readers into this alternative history, introducing ideas and concept in maneagable incements that don't overwhelm the reader. 

She exerts similar effort developing herione Karen Brown while fleshing out supporting characters like Lurio and Conrad. There is an organic feel bonds these characters share and the readers gets a very clear understanding of who these people are. 

A political thriller, the story is rather instense, but it has nice movement and an intriguingly engaging plot. Loosely inspired by our own history, Morton draws readers into an imaginative and dangerous world, taking her audience on a whirlwind adventure that is impossible to forget. 

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‘Look, I don’t know about Roma Nova but that type of thing doesn’t happen here. Every citizen is free to do as they please, as long as it’s not illegal. That includes businesses . The government can’t force them into anything.’ 
Then I realised what I’d said. God, it was ironic. When I floored Junior Hartenwyck, I’d become a victim of that same government. But I wasn’t going to back down now, not in front of a foreigner and certainly not in front of Conrad.
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