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Rust & Relics #1
Torrent
When Delia chose to major in archaeology, she imagined herself as the female Indiana Jones of the Southwest. She didn't imagine herself crawling through abandoned mine shafts, scrounging for rusty pickaxes and gold pans to sell on auction sites, but Indiana Jones didn't have to make student loan payments.
Scouring the mountains of Arizona with Simon, her best friend and computer geek extraordinaire, Delia dreams of turning their scavenging enterprise into a legitimate business. More, she longs to earn the respect of peers who shun her for turning into a treasure hunter. What she doesn't dream of is stumbling across a decapitated body in an old mine near Prescott.
Something dangerous has come to the mountains, and a pair of Harley-riding strangers are the only ones who seem to have a clue. They speak a language Delia has never heard and carry mysterious artifacts she's never seen. Investigating these strangers might lead her to discoveries that change the face of archaeology forever... or it might lead her and her best friend into a deadly monster's lair.
Scouring the mountains of Arizona with Simon, her best friend and computer geek extraordinaire, Delia dreams of turning their scavenging enterprise into a legitimate business. More, she longs to earn the respect of peers who shun her for turning into a treasure hunter. What she doesn't dream of is stumbling across a decapitated body in an old mine near Prescott.
Something dangerous has come to the mountains, and a pair of Harley-riding strangers are the only ones who seem to have a clue. They speak a language Delia has never heard and carry mysterious artifacts she's never seen. Investigating these strangers might lead her to discoveries that change the face of archaeology forever... or it might lead her and her best friend into a deadly monster's lair.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2013
273 people are currently reading
766 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Buroker
190Ìýbooks5,975ÌýfollowersI'm a full-time indie fantasy and science fiction author. When I'm not writing, I'm ferrying my dogs to hiking trails for adventures.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
July 20, 2015
When treasure hunters Delia and Simon stumble upon a decapitated body in a cave they find themselves at the centre of some very dangerous otherworldly happenings. With two leather clad bikers who might be aliens and a monster on the loose that's intent on killing everyone it comes across, it's up to Delia, Simon and Artemis to kill the monster and save the day.
This book is honestly a bit of a hoot. As long as you don't take it too seriously it's a lot of fun. Just think Tomb Raider meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Scooby Doo. It's not perfect. It's a little rough around the edges but I don't really care, I had great fun with this book.
This book is honestly a bit of a hoot. As long as you don't take it too seriously it's a lot of fun. Just think Tomb Raider meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Scooby Doo. It's not perfect. It's a little rough around the edges but I don't really care, I had great fun with this book.
September 23, 2013
DNF at 50% (Chapter 18+)
I'm not sure why this book is labeled UF. This novel isn't UF, as long you don't consider Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a UF (or historical) novel.
I'm not sure when I started caring about this author's target readers. I've read and enjoyed four of her other Fantasy novels, even if I admit her series started great for me and went downhill with the sequels.
At least I think I know the reason why: the juvenile protagonists. I had noticed it before: The heroine in Encrypted was a young woman, but still a woman, who was then reverted to teen in Decrypted. The heroine in Emperor's Edge was again young, but as a soldier she couldn't be that young. But, yes, she was naive. The rest of the characters were adults and the story wasn't ya. So, as I said, I enjoyed both.
But the characters in Torrent were unbelievable and plainly stupid, the way only young teens can be. They are supposed to be mid-twenty, going on twelve. They have their own "shop", but have no idea of what is professional or what is ethics. I know these are big words, but again I point that they should be young professionals, even if in the field of fake archeology, but they look and sound like the Goonies.
By the way, please, don't use Indiana Jones as a "mold" to create your characters. After a few years at Uni, every student of art/history/arch knows the difference...
And, sorry, I'm not 15 anymore, the Goonies aren't fun. In 18 chapters I was both bored and irritated by the going nowhere plot and by the characters. They are bland and cartoonish. They remind me more of the sit-com than the book world.
I'll try to make my point without spoilers. He's a nerd and a geek. They spend their time playing on line. She has or should have a degree in archeology, because she is Greek so of course she's following this path. But her idea of an archaeologist is Indiana Jones (whip included) so they make money (or try to) selling on line "Industrial" revolution object (because they don't want to be grave robbers! He's a Native, he couldn't!). They barely have enough money to pay "rents", but hey. Here comes a beautifully woman and, you know, she's gorgeous so he keeps saying yes when she asks to be employed.
Goonies. This isn't even young adult, it's kid's behavior. Like blogging about monsters so you can attract web traffic. Doing all kind of illegal but cool things. Meh.
I don't know what I find worse. The Juvenile. Or the stale.
If this is your first Buroker's book, please consider her other series. I can't recommend this, but she's an author worth checking out.
I'm not sure why this book is labeled UF. This novel isn't UF, as long you don't consider Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull a UF (or historical) novel.
I'm not sure when I started caring about this author's target readers. I've read and enjoyed four of her other Fantasy novels, even if I admit her series started great for me and went downhill with the sequels.
At least I think I know the reason why: the juvenile protagonists. I had noticed it before: The heroine in Encrypted was a young woman, but still a woman, who was then reverted to teen in Decrypted. The heroine in Emperor's Edge was again young, but as a soldier she couldn't be that young. But, yes, she was naive. The rest of the characters were adults and the story wasn't ya. So, as I said, I enjoyed both.
But the characters in Torrent were unbelievable and plainly stupid, the way only young teens can be. They are supposed to be mid-twenty, going on twelve. They have their own "shop", but have no idea of what is professional or what is ethics. I know these are big words, but again I point that they should be young professionals, even if in the field of fake archeology, but they look and sound like the Goonies.
By the way, please, don't use Indiana Jones as a "mold" to create your characters. After a few years at Uni, every student of art/history/arch knows the difference...
And, sorry, I'm not 15 anymore, the Goonies aren't fun. In 18 chapters I was both bored and irritated by the going nowhere plot and by the characters. They are bland and cartoonish. They remind me more of the sit-com than the book world.
I'll try to make my point without spoilers. He's a nerd and a geek. They spend their time playing on line. She has or should have a degree in archeology, because she is Greek so of course she's following this path. But her idea of an archaeologist is Indiana Jones (whip included) so they make money (or try to) selling on line "Industrial" revolution object (because they don't want to be grave robbers! He's a Native, he couldn't!). They barely have enough money to pay "rents", but hey. Here comes a beautifully woman and, you know, she's gorgeous so he keeps saying yes when she asks to be employed.
Goonies. This isn't even young adult, it's kid's behavior. Like blogging about monsters so you can attract web traffic. Doing all kind of illegal but cool things. Meh.
I don't know what I find worse. The Juvenile. Or the stale.
If this is your first Buroker's book, please consider her other series. I can't recommend this, but she's an author worth checking out.
September 29, 2013
Torrent is a brand new direction for Lindsay Buroker. Taking us out of the past to the present, we now are following two young people, an archaeologist and computer geek, making their way as an antiquity dealer with their start up company Rust and Relics.
Delia is a strong Greek young woman, who had delusions of Indiana Jones type adventures...only to find archaeology is a lot less glamorous than she believed. She is a vibrant, whip wielding character that reins in some of the impulsive tendencies of her partner Simon.
Simon is a highly intelligent programming geek, app maker/gamer who has a tendencies to leap before he looks. He is working on a program to map out potential archaeological sights. Sweet and impulsive, Simon and Delia play off each others personalities really well.
Then Temi busts into the mix. Temi was a world famous tennis star until a tragic accident destroyed her leg. Searching for something to do with her life, she decides that she wants the excitement of Delia's work and comes to the mountains of Arizona to ask Delia for a job. There is a childhood history between Delia and Temi. Simon is enamored by Temi and instantly wants her to offer her a partnership in Rust and Relics.
As with all new plots, the back ground story did slightly slow down the pace but the witty repartee keeps you invested till the end.
I am highly anticipating another adventure with Delia, Simon and Temi. I would also love more interaction between our core Rust and Relics group and Jakatra, Eleriss and Alektryon (especially Alektryon, I want to know more about Alektryon). I did see hints of those mastermind convoluted plans that we've come to love from Buroker and hope to see more of them as well.
This is a break from the familiar steampunk adventures of the Emperor's Edge, bringing us into a marvelous modern day adventure. Gruesome murders, a strange creature, beautiful but lethal looking motorcycle riding hunks (Vulcans??? Elves???), and Star Trek obsessed geekiness accents a brilliantly original new storyline. Don't miss Lindsay Buroker's debut book in the Rust and Relics series.
Written by: Lindsay Buroker
Series: Rust and Relics
Sequence in Series: 1
Print Length: 251 pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Recommendation: Teen +
Find out more at:
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For more reviews check out or find us on .
Delia is a strong Greek young woman, who had delusions of Indiana Jones type adventures...only to find archaeology is a lot less glamorous than she believed. She is a vibrant, whip wielding character that reins in some of the impulsive tendencies of her partner Simon.
Simon is a highly intelligent programming geek, app maker/gamer who has a tendencies to leap before he looks. He is working on a program to map out potential archaeological sights. Sweet and impulsive, Simon and Delia play off each others personalities really well.
Then Temi busts into the mix. Temi was a world famous tennis star until a tragic accident destroyed her leg. Searching for something to do with her life, she decides that she wants the excitement of Delia's work and comes to the mountains of Arizona to ask Delia for a job. There is a childhood history between Delia and Temi. Simon is enamored by Temi and instantly wants her to offer her a partnership in Rust and Relics.
As with all new plots, the back ground story did slightly slow down the pace but the witty repartee keeps you invested till the end.
I am highly anticipating another adventure with Delia, Simon and Temi. I would also love more interaction between our core Rust and Relics group and Jakatra, Eleriss and Alektryon (especially Alektryon, I want to know more about Alektryon). I did see hints of those mastermind convoluted plans that we've come to love from Buroker and hope to see more of them as well.
This is a break from the familiar steampunk adventures of the Emperor's Edge, bringing us into a marvelous modern day adventure. Gruesome murders, a strange creature, beautiful but lethal looking motorcycle riding hunks (Vulcans??? Elves???), and Star Trek obsessed geekiness accents a brilliantly original new storyline. Don't miss Lindsay Buroker's debut book in the Rust and Relics series.
Written by: Lindsay Buroker
Series: Rust and Relics
Sequence in Series: 1
Print Length: 251 pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Recommendation: Teen +
Find out more at:
Find this book on: |
For more reviews check out or find us on .
September 27, 2013
This book is easy entertainment, and one I enjoyed a great deal. It's hard to characterize as it doesn't fit very well into current genre specifications. If I were allowed to invent my own terms, I'd call it a modern fantasy adventure story. Modern for the initial setting, fantasy for the fantastical elements that lace it, and adventure for the Indiana Jones sensibility that informs much of the structure.
It's probably that last that'll trip up some readers as the narrative assumes that you'll be along for the ride with characters whose backgrounds and motivations are laced with coincidence, adrenaline, and the occasional non-sequitur. Since it was exactly what I was in the mood for, this week, I found it very enjoyable, indeed.
At the end, the author acknowledges that it was something of an experimental jag for her and the ending is certainly well suited to a series should she find interest. I, for one, hope the interest is there because I'd love to revisit these characters and see how Temi, Simon, and Delia handle the hinted-at Armageddon heading their way. And no, there isn't a cliffhanger, so don't take that as the implication; the story wraps up very nicely even as we get a strong sense for events that could happen afterwards.
It's probably that last that'll trip up some readers as the narrative assumes that you'll be along for the ride with characters whose backgrounds and motivations are laced with coincidence, adrenaline, and the occasional non-sequitur. Since it was exactly what I was in the mood for, this week, I found it very enjoyable, indeed.
At the end, the author acknowledges that it was something of an experimental jag for her and the ending is certainly well suited to a series should she find interest. I, for one, hope the interest is there because I'd love to revisit these characters and see how Temi, Simon, and Delia handle the hinted-at Armageddon heading their way. And no, there isn't a cliffhanger, so don't take that as the implication; the story wraps up very nicely even as we get a strong sense for events that could happen afterwards.
September 8, 2014
(I read this book as part of the set, which I got on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Since I'm not going to read all nine books in one go, I'm posting short reviews separately.)
I struggled to finish this one. Overall I find it rather boring, the plot was muddled with too much running in circles, and too much was left unsaid at the end for the reader (there was a monster, but I still have no idea what it is, what the main threat is, who/what the strangers are, etc.) As for the characters, they felt really childish and too stupid to live. Also, cracking a whip doesn't an archaeologist make. Indiana Jones would weep.
I struggled to finish this one. Overall I find it rather boring, the plot was muddled with too much running in circles, and too much was left unsaid at the end for the reader (there was a monster, but I still have no idea what it is, what the main threat is, who/what the strangers are, etc.) As for the characters, they felt really childish and too stupid to live. Also, cracking a whip doesn't an archaeologist make. Indiana Jones would weep.
October 7, 2013
I have loved and devoured every book and novella that Lindsay Buroker has written but I can’t say I was a fan of Torrent. I was actually really interested when I read the synopsis and saw that she was branching out and writing a story set in today’s world that had a twist—but that twist wasn’t always well developed and didn’t become really interesting until the end of the story. I’ve given the book three stars even though I think it probably warrants a two star review because the potential is there for this new series…the first installment just wasn’t as gripping or developed as what I’ve come to expect from Buroker.
On a separate note, I am an archaeologist and I took issue with how Buroker played fast and loose with ethical issues regarding how archaeologists are trained and what sites they consider significant. Although the protagonist (a lapsed academic who was trying to pay the bills and student loans) recognizes that her behavior isn’t condoned by the professional community, Buroker lacks a good understanding of archaeological ethics and writes about behavior that is supposed to be “acceptable� or at least justified by saying � I know it is kind of wrong…but I need money and I’m going to use my archaeological training to exploit cultural resources anyways…� This is a real problem that archaeologists must deal with regularly because the general public has some of the same incorrect information and ideas that Buroker perpetuates in this book.
Just a few ethical issues with this book include: 1. Buying artifacts from collectors who often loot sites, 2. Removing historic objects (a protected cultural resource) from National Parks is a Federal crime even if some people thin they are old junk that only white people care about, 3. Looting historic sites for profit, 4. Breaking into ancient tombs, 5. Creating software that finds archaeological sites and then considering selling that to the public so they too can go out and destroy sites, and 6. Wearing a bullwhip�-ok, not an ethical issue but just annoying nonetheless (we get the connection to Indiana Jones, you don't have to hit us over the head with it). It is not until chapter 10 that the protagonist admits that some of her behavior might not be on the up and up, and Buroker doesn’t realize that “looting� and criminal behavior does not just refer to Native American sites. Historic mining sites are protected too, and looting them for profit is just as unethical as digging up Ancestral Puebloan sites for pots.
I am very well aware that this book is a work of fiction and that having a bull whip toting, arrow shooting, adventurous archaeologist as the main character is appealing to authors and readers, but in this instance there are significant issues with how a very real profession is portrayed. Although I seriously doubt that anyone who reads this book is going to go out and start looting historic sites, Buroker has the opportunity to get accurate information out to her readers and educate them on correct archaeological practices and the importance of protecting Native American and Historic Euroamerican sites. I think that this series has a lot of potential and I hope that the author reconsiders how she portrays a field that regularly has to deal with the very real looting and destruction of important cultural sites.
On a separate note, I am an archaeologist and I took issue with how Buroker played fast and loose with ethical issues regarding how archaeologists are trained and what sites they consider significant. Although the protagonist (a lapsed academic who was trying to pay the bills and student loans) recognizes that her behavior isn’t condoned by the professional community, Buroker lacks a good understanding of archaeological ethics and writes about behavior that is supposed to be “acceptable� or at least justified by saying � I know it is kind of wrong…but I need money and I’m going to use my archaeological training to exploit cultural resources anyways…� This is a real problem that archaeologists must deal with regularly because the general public has some of the same incorrect information and ideas that Buroker perpetuates in this book.
Just a few ethical issues with this book include: 1. Buying artifacts from collectors who often loot sites, 2. Removing historic objects (a protected cultural resource) from National Parks is a Federal crime even if some people thin they are old junk that only white people care about, 3. Looting historic sites for profit, 4. Breaking into ancient tombs, 5. Creating software that finds archaeological sites and then considering selling that to the public so they too can go out and destroy sites, and 6. Wearing a bullwhip�-ok, not an ethical issue but just annoying nonetheless (we get the connection to Indiana Jones, you don't have to hit us over the head with it). It is not until chapter 10 that the protagonist admits that some of her behavior might not be on the up and up, and Buroker doesn’t realize that “looting� and criminal behavior does not just refer to Native American sites. Historic mining sites are protected too, and looting them for profit is just as unethical as digging up Ancestral Puebloan sites for pots.
I am very well aware that this book is a work of fiction and that having a bull whip toting, arrow shooting, adventurous archaeologist as the main character is appealing to authors and readers, but in this instance there are significant issues with how a very real profession is portrayed. Although I seriously doubt that anyone who reads this book is going to go out and start looting historic sites, Buroker has the opportunity to get accurate information out to her readers and educate them on correct archaeological practices and the importance of protecting Native American and Historic Euroamerican sites. I think that this series has a lot of potential and I hope that the author reconsiders how she portrays a field that regularly has to deal with the very real looting and destruction of important cultural sites.
October 7, 2014
This could have been great.
The first half was great indeed. But it went downhill after the first half it became a bit convoluted and much boring.
I really liked the world-buidling and the main characters. Delia is an ok heroine - Simon, her nerdy side-kick, is actually much more interesting. The best part was their bantering.
But even that got old in the end.
And so I am probably not going to keep reading this series.
Not enough really interesting stuff. And no romance.
The first half was great indeed. But it went downhill after the first half it became a bit convoluted and much boring.
I really liked the world-buidling and the main characters. Delia is an ok heroine - Simon, her nerdy side-kick, is actually much more interesting. The best part was their bantering.
But even that got old in the end.
And so I am probably not going to keep reading this series.
Not enough really interesting stuff. And no romance.
November 3, 2020
Fast, fun read with Lindsay's signature banter.
October 17, 2013
I was really looking forward to this book. I love Lindsay Buroker’s Emperor’s Edge and Encrypted books, despite being very picky about my second-world fantasy. I tend to prefer urban fantasy, so I figured I would love this even more than the aforementioned series. But although this book was entertaining enough, it didn’t live up to my expectations.
None of the characters seemed that strong, which was surprising considering how much the personalities of the Emperor’s Edge characters carried the story. Simon actually bugged me at times, not because I disliked him as a person but because he read like a geek written by someone who doesn’t know any. He walked the line between character and cliche throughout the story, and sometimes crossed that line entirely. Temi... just wasn’t that compelling. Her voice was the strongest of the three, but I didn’t connect with her enough to really care about her. And because I’m not an Indiana Jones fan, the Indiana Jones thing, while fun, wasn’t enough to get me interested in Delia. She has potential, but her motivations weren’t strong enough to forge the kind of connection with me that a reader should have with a protagonist. She doesn’t want anything strongly enough; she hasn’t lost enough. Give her a few more books (if she gets them � see the last paragraph of this review) and she could turn into a main character I love, but she’s not there yet.
I had mixed feelings about the plot. Normally I like cross-genre books, and urban fantasy and modern-day science fiction are two of my favorite genres. But the sci-fi angle was pushed so hard for most of the book that when fantasy elements started showing up, it felt jarring � I had gotten myself geared up for sci-fi, and had forgotten the book was labeled as urban fantasy. Granted, I do prefer sci-fi to fantasy, and would rather see a fantasy book turn sci-fi than the other way around, so this may simply be a matter of personal preference.
(Incidentally, fans of Lindsay Buroker's work will not be at all surprised to find an underwater scene and mentions of owning one's own business.)
The book was fast-paced, and despite the difficulty I had connecting to the characters, it kept me reading. But it didn’t really click with me until the last fifty pages or so, when the mysterious strangers began playing a larger role and all sorts of intriguing questions started coming up. This may simply have to do with what I prefer as a reader. Monster-hunting? Meh. (I’ve always found monsters to be uninspiring villains, because of their lack of intelligence. I prefer an antagonist who can think, and one who wants something more interesting than destruction. If you like monsters, you may enjoy this book more than I did.) But I wanted to know who these guys were and what they were up to! Those last few chapters made it very difficult to put the book down to go to bed.
However, this is also the biggest problem I had with the book � because for the most part, none of those questions were answered. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a problem for me � it’s the first in a series, and I’m fine with the mystery being spread over multiple books. Although for most of the book I hadn’t been too excited about the prospect of future books, the last bit made me hungry for book two. But I’ve read the author’s blog, and she’s mentioned multiple times that part of her publishing strategy is to release the first book in a potential series and see if it does well before writing any more books in that series. If you’re going to do that, you really need to make the first book a satisfying stand-alone. The first Emperor’s Edge book worked as a stand-alone. Encrypted worked as a stand-alone (although I’m still sad that it looks like there will only be two books in that series). This one doesn’t. And I have no idea whether this book is doing well enough for the author to write a second one (or whether she’s even using that strategy for this particular series - though she does ask readers to review the book if they're interested in seeing more in the series, which implies that there won't be any more if this one doesn't get enough reviews), which makes me wish I had waited to read this one until I was sure more books were coming.
None of the characters seemed that strong, which was surprising considering how much the personalities of the Emperor’s Edge characters carried the story. Simon actually bugged me at times, not because I disliked him as a person but because he read like a geek written by someone who doesn’t know any. He walked the line between character and cliche throughout the story, and sometimes crossed that line entirely. Temi... just wasn’t that compelling. Her voice was the strongest of the three, but I didn’t connect with her enough to really care about her. And because I’m not an Indiana Jones fan, the Indiana Jones thing, while fun, wasn’t enough to get me interested in Delia. She has potential, but her motivations weren’t strong enough to forge the kind of connection with me that a reader should have with a protagonist. She doesn’t want anything strongly enough; she hasn’t lost enough. Give her a few more books (if she gets them � see the last paragraph of this review) and she could turn into a main character I love, but she’s not there yet.
I had mixed feelings about the plot. Normally I like cross-genre books, and urban fantasy and modern-day science fiction are two of my favorite genres. But the sci-fi angle was pushed so hard for most of the book that when fantasy elements started showing up, it felt jarring � I had gotten myself geared up for sci-fi, and had forgotten the book was labeled as urban fantasy. Granted, I do prefer sci-fi to fantasy, and would rather see a fantasy book turn sci-fi than the other way around, so this may simply be a matter of personal preference.
(Incidentally, fans of Lindsay Buroker's work will not be at all surprised to find an underwater scene and mentions of owning one's own business.)
The book was fast-paced, and despite the difficulty I had connecting to the characters, it kept me reading. But it didn’t really click with me until the last fifty pages or so, when the mysterious strangers began playing a larger role and all sorts of intriguing questions started coming up. This may simply have to do with what I prefer as a reader. Monster-hunting? Meh. (I’ve always found monsters to be uninspiring villains, because of their lack of intelligence. I prefer an antagonist who can think, and one who wants something more interesting than destruction. If you like monsters, you may enjoy this book more than I did.) But I wanted to know who these guys were and what they were up to! Those last few chapters made it very difficult to put the book down to go to bed.
However, this is also the biggest problem I had with the book � because for the most part, none of those questions were answered. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a problem for me � it’s the first in a series, and I’m fine with the mystery being spread over multiple books. Although for most of the book I hadn’t been too excited about the prospect of future books, the last bit made me hungry for book two. But I’ve read the author’s blog, and she’s mentioned multiple times that part of her publishing strategy is to release the first book in a potential series and see if it does well before writing any more books in that series. If you’re going to do that, you really need to make the first book a satisfying stand-alone. The first Emperor’s Edge book worked as a stand-alone. Encrypted worked as a stand-alone (although I’m still sad that it looks like there will only be two books in that series). This one doesn’t. And I have no idea whether this book is doing well enough for the author to write a second one (or whether she’s even using that strategy for this particular series - though she does ask readers to review the book if they're interested in seeing more in the series, which implies that there won't be any more if this one doesn't get enough reviews), which makes me wish I had waited to read this one until I was sure more books were coming.
September 5, 2014
This was read as part of the ARC version of the novel collection; that full review can be found here.
Torrent is somewhat of a departure from Lindsay Buroker's other novels; it's set in present day Arizona with a young archaeologist, a computer geek and an injured ex-pro tennis player as the protagonists. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure by the end, but there were a few issues that combined to make it a mixed bag for me. As an archaeologist myself, a story by a favourite author featuring an archaeologist heroine is just too good to pass up, but the major ethical issues here (Indiana Jones?! Treasure-hunting?!) really took away some of my enjoyment. The present day setting also made the behaviour of the protagonists harder to overlook; what would have worked in a fantasy setting did not translate so well to 21st Century Earth. If you're prepared for the suspension of belief and moral ambiguity, though, then Torrent will be fun.
Starting with the things that did work: the otherworldly mystery, aliens/elves on Harleys and deadly monsters who can't be killed by normal means. It takes a while for these elements to kick in, but once it does, it transcends the slight B-movie feel of the opening first third and you're taken on a really thrilling ride. The mysterious otherworldly aliens/elves, Eleriss and Jakatra, are also particularly intriguing - by the end of the book, I desperately wanted to find out more about them and perhaps see Eleriss and Delia work together.
What didn't: First and foremost, the author does acknowledge that there are issues involved with "treasure hunting," but perhaps doesn't quite realize the full extent of what is and isn't considered ethical in this field. Delia appears to believe that it is fine to sell "junk" from sites that wouldn't be considered old enough for heritage preservation and neglects to notify the authorities, grumbling that they'll swoop in and take her find... everything about this is plain wrong. Just because it isn't "dated enough" or doesn't belongs to Native Americans/ancient cultures does not mean it can be disposed of as one pleases. There is no situation where it's okay to loot historical sites for profit, buy or sell from/to collectors for resale, remove objects or otherwise damage a site without even recording the finds/provenience/etc. (Delia seems to just pick things off the ground or dig around a bit, which is just ridiculous - no trained archaeologist would even think this passes for proper excavation) and withhold site finds from the government just so one could keep their loot. It's enough to make me want to pull my hair out in frustration, particularly since the Indiana Jones/Lara Croft connection is one that archaeologists have been trying very hard to shake for a long time. While this is fiction, it would be nice if a profession that is already very poorly understood by the general public wasn't further misrepresented.
Aside from that, the behaviour of Simon really threw me off as well. As mentioned, Delia and Simon's habit of breaking into establishments, using what is very likely illegal software and even stealing items might have been understandable in a fantasy universe like that of The Emperor's Edge, where the characters are forced to use any means to survive, but in modern day America? Uhhh. It makes their actions hard to understand and hard to accept. In fact, I spent the entire novel wanting to strangle Simon - he's probably the first Lindsay Buroker character whom I've actively disliked. He simply behaves in a way that invites trouble.
I do like Delia and Temi, however; I would definitely like more depth from them, but this is book 1 and there's time to grow - not to mention there could be interesting match-ups between them and Eleriss and Jakatra, should things head down in the romantic direction. If nothing else, they'd make fascinating partners. Despite the book's problems, I enjoyed it more than enough to be very curious about the upcoming Book 2 (which I hope will contain significantly fewer mentions of archaeology).
I received this as part of an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, White Sun Press!
Torrent is somewhat of a departure from Lindsay Buroker's other novels; it's set in present day Arizona with a young archaeologist, a computer geek and an injured ex-pro tennis player as the protagonists. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure by the end, but there were a few issues that combined to make it a mixed bag for me. As an archaeologist myself, a story by a favourite author featuring an archaeologist heroine is just too good to pass up, but the major ethical issues here (Indiana Jones?! Treasure-hunting?!) really took away some of my enjoyment. The present day setting also made the behaviour of the protagonists harder to overlook; what would have worked in a fantasy setting did not translate so well to 21st Century Earth. If you're prepared for the suspension of belief and moral ambiguity, though, then Torrent will be fun.
Starting with the things that did work: the otherworldly mystery, aliens/elves on Harleys and deadly monsters who can't be killed by normal means. It takes a while for these elements to kick in, but once it does, it transcends the slight B-movie feel of the opening first third and you're taken on a really thrilling ride. The mysterious otherworldly aliens/elves, Eleriss and Jakatra, are also particularly intriguing - by the end of the book, I desperately wanted to find out more about them and perhaps see Eleriss and Delia work together.
What didn't: First and foremost, the author does acknowledge that there are issues involved with "treasure hunting," but perhaps doesn't quite realize the full extent of what is and isn't considered ethical in this field. Delia appears to believe that it is fine to sell "junk" from sites that wouldn't be considered old enough for heritage preservation and neglects to notify the authorities, grumbling that they'll swoop in and take her find... everything about this is plain wrong. Just because it isn't "dated enough" or doesn't belongs to Native Americans/ancient cultures does not mean it can be disposed of as one pleases. There is no situation where it's okay to loot historical sites for profit, buy or sell from/to collectors for resale, remove objects or otherwise damage a site without even recording the finds/provenience/etc. (Delia seems to just pick things off the ground or dig around a bit, which is just ridiculous - no trained archaeologist would even think this passes for proper excavation) and withhold site finds from the government just so one could keep their loot. It's enough to make me want to pull my hair out in frustration, particularly since the Indiana Jones/Lara Croft connection is one that archaeologists have been trying very hard to shake for a long time. While this is fiction, it would be nice if a profession that is already very poorly understood by the general public wasn't further misrepresented.
Aside from that, the behaviour of Simon really threw me off as well. As mentioned, Delia and Simon's habit of breaking into establishments, using what is very likely illegal software and even stealing items might have been understandable in a fantasy universe like that of The Emperor's Edge, where the characters are forced to use any means to survive, but in modern day America? Uhhh. It makes their actions hard to understand and hard to accept. In fact, I spent the entire novel wanting to strangle Simon - he's probably the first Lindsay Buroker character whom I've actively disliked. He simply behaves in a way that invites trouble.
I do like Delia and Temi, however; I would definitely like more depth from them, but this is book 1 and there's time to grow - not to mention there could be interesting match-ups between them and Eleriss and Jakatra, should things head down in the romantic direction. If nothing else, they'd make fascinating partners. Despite the book's problems, I enjoyed it more than enough to be very curious about the upcoming Book 2 (which I hope will contain significantly fewer mentions of archaeology).
I received this as part of an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, White Sun Press!
November 2, 2016
The author’s steampunk series, ‘The Emperor’s Edge�, has built up quite a following, but this is something very different, the start of an urban fantasy [*] series, set the southwestern US. The setting may be different, but the principle is the same: a collection of interesting characters, a pacy action-packed adventure with loads of unexpected twists and some great humour.
Here’s the starting point: archaeology drop-out Delia and geek Simon are trying to get a business off the ground discovering buried artifacts and flogging them to collectors. Temi is a old friend of Delia’s, a former tennis pro on hard times. There’s also another old friend who handily analyses DNA samples when necessary, and a couple of weird guys on Harleys. Oh, and a monster. A going-round-randomly-killing-people-in-the-dead-of-night type monster. When Our Heroes stumble across a body in a cave, they find themselves sucked into a bizarre monster-hunting expedition. And when I say ‘sucked into�, I mean, of course, that they rush around following mysterious footprints or bloodtrails or exploring underground caverns with wilful disregard for their own safety.
For the first half of this book, I felt like I was reading the script for one of those cheap summer horror movies. Monster. Check. Bunch of nice, harmless kids. Check. Lots of stalking, screaming and desperate attempts to escape. Check. Yes, it’s all a bit cheesy but then there are some wait-what? moments. The two Harley riders who speak no known language (‘It’s not Klingon�, says the linguistics professor, deadpan). The non-human blood. The magic glowing sword (I kid you not). And the monster’s made of what? And the humour made me laugh out loud, which is always a plus, in my book.
The characters don’t sparkle yet, but this is the first in the series, and it’s hard to squeeze in all the character-building background when Our Heroes are frantically trying to escape the monster’s claws. Simon is a stock geek, more interested in apps and gadgets and blog posts than common sense, and a bit awkward with the ladies. Delia - well, I don’t get much of an impression of Delia. Both of them are far too ready to go careering after monsters or mysteriously hostile men, but then there wouldn’t be much of a story if they weren’t. Temi is more interesting, with her falling out with her family, her tennis and the sudden loss of that, and another mysterious quality which I won’t reveal but it’s intriguing. She was a little uneven, on the one hand perfectly ready to dive into whatever adventure the other two were haring off on, but also the voice of reality: “Guys, is this a sensible thing to do?� But if the main trio fell slightly flat, the two men on Harleys more than made up for it. I do like ultra-mysterious but very cool blokes. And there is one other character now on the loose that I am very much looking forward to seeing again.
This is a slightly lumpy start to the series, but that’s a very common problem. Once the characters settle down and start to gel I’m sure a lot of the rough edges will be smoothed away. For now, this is a straightforward, lightweight adventure caper, easy to read and a lot of fun, especially once the main chase begins, around the halfway point. There are a number of implausibilities, but, for me anyway, the humour more than makes up for it. The modern setting allows for a lot of quick-fire jokes, which you don’t actually need to be a Trekkie to appreciate (although maybe it helps). I wavered between three and four stars, but I’ll be generous on the grounds that a new series always needs time to iron out the kinks. Four stars.
[*] Look, the author self-defines it as urban fantasy, OK? So I'll go with that. But honestly, I don’t know what the hell it is - sci-fi or fantasy or paranormal or some wild mash-up of all of them. And honestly, it doesn’t really matter what you call it.
Here’s the starting point: archaeology drop-out Delia and geek Simon are trying to get a business off the ground discovering buried artifacts and flogging them to collectors. Temi is a old friend of Delia’s, a former tennis pro on hard times. There’s also another old friend who handily analyses DNA samples when necessary, and a couple of weird guys on Harleys. Oh, and a monster. A going-round-randomly-killing-people-in-the-dead-of-night type monster. When Our Heroes stumble across a body in a cave, they find themselves sucked into a bizarre monster-hunting expedition. And when I say ‘sucked into�, I mean, of course, that they rush around following mysterious footprints or bloodtrails or exploring underground caverns with wilful disregard for their own safety.
For the first half of this book, I felt like I was reading the script for one of those cheap summer horror movies. Monster. Check. Bunch of nice, harmless kids. Check. Lots of stalking, screaming and desperate attempts to escape. Check. Yes, it’s all a bit cheesy but then there are some wait-what? moments. The two Harley riders who speak no known language (‘It’s not Klingon�, says the linguistics professor, deadpan). The non-human blood. The magic glowing sword (I kid you not). And the monster’s made of what? And the humour made me laugh out loud, which is always a plus, in my book.
The characters don’t sparkle yet, but this is the first in the series, and it’s hard to squeeze in all the character-building background when Our Heroes are frantically trying to escape the monster’s claws. Simon is a stock geek, more interested in apps and gadgets and blog posts than common sense, and a bit awkward with the ladies. Delia - well, I don’t get much of an impression of Delia. Both of them are far too ready to go careering after monsters or mysteriously hostile men, but then there wouldn’t be much of a story if they weren’t. Temi is more interesting, with her falling out with her family, her tennis and the sudden loss of that, and another mysterious quality which I won’t reveal but it’s intriguing. She was a little uneven, on the one hand perfectly ready to dive into whatever adventure the other two were haring off on, but also the voice of reality: “Guys, is this a sensible thing to do?� But if the main trio fell slightly flat, the two men on Harleys more than made up for it. I do like ultra-mysterious but very cool blokes. And there is one other character now on the loose that I am very much looking forward to seeing again.
This is a slightly lumpy start to the series, but that’s a very common problem. Once the characters settle down and start to gel I’m sure a lot of the rough edges will be smoothed away. For now, this is a straightforward, lightweight adventure caper, easy to read and a lot of fun, especially once the main chase begins, around the halfway point. There are a number of implausibilities, but, for me anyway, the humour more than makes up for it. The modern setting allows for a lot of quick-fire jokes, which you don’t actually need to be a Trekkie to appreciate (although maybe it helps). I wavered between three and four stars, but I’ll be generous on the grounds that a new series always needs time to iron out the kinks. Four stars.
[*] Look, the author self-defines it as urban fantasy, OK? So I'll go with that. But honestly, I don’t know what the hell it is - sci-fi or fantasy or paranormal or some wild mash-up of all of them. And honestly, it doesn’t really matter what you call it.
September 27, 2013
An excellent beginning to a new series from one of my favourite authors.
I enjoy nerdy, awkward characters, and we have an abundance of them here. The skinny Star Trek fan, the would-be Indiana Jones (complete with bullwhip, which turns out to be surprisingly useful), even the tennis star, sidelined by injury, whose awkwardness comes from having focussed so much on her sport that she doesn't know much about anything else. They're young, they're enthusiastic, they're curious to the point of incautious (more or less the Scooby Gang, complete with vanagon, though without any Great Danes), they're short of money, and when the chips are down they're determined and courageous. At least, the narrator, Delia, is. The other two are maybe a little less so, though they show potential.
As a big fan of the author's Emperor's Edge series, I couldn't help noticing similarities. Delia and Amaranthe (the protagonist of EE) both have emergent leadership qualities. The seeming magic in both series is mixed up with seeming aliens (it's not yet clear in this series whether it's really magic or they're really aliens, or both). There are hard-to-kill monsters and underwater caverns.
What's different is that this story is set in our contemporary world and told in first person. It's (broadly speaking) urban fantasy, rather than secondary-world steampunk fantasy. That's one of my personal favourite genres to read, more so than steampunk, if anything, and I thoroughly enjoyed this.
There were a few minor editing issues, but it's an improvement on the EE books in that respect, as well.
Lindsay Buroker is an experienced series author, and she does a good job of setting up some things to be resolved later (to keep us interested in reading the series), while also giving us a complete story with a resolution. She ties the characters together well, gives them clear, strong motivations and distinct personalities, and rubs those personalities together entertainingly.
Other reviewers have mentioned that the characters seem too immature. I remember being not too clueful in my early 20s, so that didn't bother me. I will say that the story as a whole reminded me of a kids' TV series with early-teen protagonists, something like Under the Mountain or a British series with magic and aliens that I watched on a plane a while back: exploration, monsters, danger, mysterious powers, and, of course, aliens. For my taste, that's not a problem. I enjoy that sort of story, and don't think it's any the worse for having young adults (or "new adults", if you must) in the place of the kids. Your tastes may differ.
I'm very much looking forward to more in this series, though.
I enjoy nerdy, awkward characters, and we have an abundance of them here. The skinny Star Trek fan, the would-be Indiana Jones (complete with bullwhip, which turns out to be surprisingly useful), even the tennis star, sidelined by injury, whose awkwardness comes from having focussed so much on her sport that she doesn't know much about anything else. They're young, they're enthusiastic, they're curious to the point of incautious (more or less the Scooby Gang, complete with vanagon, though without any Great Danes), they're short of money, and when the chips are down they're determined and courageous. At least, the narrator, Delia, is. The other two are maybe a little less so, though they show potential.
As a big fan of the author's Emperor's Edge series, I couldn't help noticing similarities. Delia and Amaranthe (the protagonist of EE) both have emergent leadership qualities. The seeming magic in both series is mixed up with seeming aliens (it's not yet clear in this series whether it's really magic or they're really aliens, or both). There are hard-to-kill monsters and underwater caverns.
What's different is that this story is set in our contemporary world and told in first person. It's (broadly speaking) urban fantasy, rather than secondary-world steampunk fantasy. That's one of my personal favourite genres to read, more so than steampunk, if anything, and I thoroughly enjoyed this.
There were a few minor editing issues, but it's an improvement on the EE books in that respect, as well.
Lindsay Buroker is an experienced series author, and she does a good job of setting up some things to be resolved later (to keep us interested in reading the series), while also giving us a complete story with a resolution. She ties the characters together well, gives them clear, strong motivations and distinct personalities, and rubs those personalities together entertainingly.
Other reviewers have mentioned that the characters seem too immature. I remember being not too clueful in my early 20s, so that didn't bother me. I will say that the story as a whole reminded me of a kids' TV series with early-teen protagonists, something like Under the Mountain or a British series with magic and aliens that I watched on a plane a while back: exploration, monsters, danger, mysterious powers, and, of course, aliens. For my taste, that's not a problem. I enjoy that sort of story, and don't think it's any the worse for having young adults (or "new adults", if you must) in the place of the kids. Your tastes may differ.
I'm very much looking forward to more in this series, though.
August 12, 2014
Wow! I really liked this book! I really, really liked this book!
I read this book as part of the Nine by Night anthology and I am so glad I did. I have not read any of Ms. Buroker's work previously, but I am adding her books to my TBR stream as soon as I finish this review.
(As an aside, does anyone else have more books in their TBR pile than they will read in this lifetime? Purgatory might not be so bad if I have time to get to all the books I've yet to read.)
Delia, Simon and Temi are an awesome team, and the more I learn about them the more I want to know. This was one of the those books that as soon as I finished it I was searching for the next book in the series. When I realized it wasn't written yet I email the author, told her how much I liked the book and asked her when she was planning on getting around to the sequel.
I would absolutely re-read this book when I got ready to read the sequel.
I read this book as part of the Nine by Night anthology and I am so glad I did. I have not read any of Ms. Buroker's work previously, but I am adding her books to my TBR stream as soon as I finish this review.
(As an aside, does anyone else have more books in their TBR pile than they will read in this lifetime? Purgatory might not be so bad if I have time to get to all the books I've yet to read.)
Delia, Simon and Temi are an awesome team, and the more I learn about them the more I want to know. This was one of the those books that as soon as I finished it I was searching for the next book in the series. When I realized it wasn't written yet I email the author, told her how much I liked the book and asked her when she was planning on getting around to the sequel.
I would absolutely re-read this book when I got ready to read the sequel.
September 12, 2014
College friends Delia, an archaeologist, and Simon, a tech expert, barely scratch a living from Rust and Relics (cool name, btw), their antiques business. While treasure hunting in an abandoned mine in Arizona, they find a freshly decapitated body and barely get out before they are the next victims. From that point on, their lives are full of a large animal killing off the local population, mysterious bikers with glowing artifacts who seem to be hunting it,and Delian's childhood friend with a tragic past who shows up looking for a job.
The mystery keeps a reader guessing and the climactic scenes in the caverns under the lake were tense and claustrophobic. I enjoyed the scifi in-jokes and sarcastic banter between Delia, Simon, and Temi.
Personally, though, something didn't quite work for me and, honestly, I'm not sure why. The story and characters hit a lot of my favorite topics, and the writing itself is excellent. In fact, I absolutely love this author's Emporer's Edge series. I guess there's just something in this book's combination that didn't jive with me.
The mystery keeps a reader guessing and the climactic scenes in the caverns under the lake were tense and claustrophobic. I enjoyed the scifi in-jokes and sarcastic banter between Delia, Simon, and Temi.
Personally, though, something didn't quite work for me and, honestly, I'm not sure why. The story and characters hit a lot of my favorite topics, and the writing itself is excellent. In fact, I absolutely love this author's Emporer's Edge series. I guess there's just something in this book's combination that didn't jive with me.
September 16, 2015
Actual rating: 2½
I knew this would happen. I love Buroker’s Emperor’s Edge series so much (one of the best I have read in a long time) that I just knew this would be a disappointment.
I think the big difference between this new series and EE lays is the characters. In The Emperor’s Edge the characters are strong, charismatic & funny and the reader cares about them. It’s the opposite here. The characters simply felt bland and uninteresting. I wasn’t really interested in finding out what would happen to them next.
The story in itself wasn’t too bad but it was simply boring. There is quite a lot of action going on but the book still felt like it was never going to end. The last few chapters dragged on and on and I almost gave up on the book several times. I am really not sure if I want to read the second instalment in the series. Were this series by another author I probably wouldn’t bother but I love Buroker so I just might give her another chance here.
I knew this would happen. I love Buroker’s Emperor’s Edge series so much (one of the best I have read in a long time) that I just knew this would be a disappointment.
I think the big difference between this new series and EE lays is the characters. In The Emperor’s Edge the characters are strong, charismatic & funny and the reader cares about them. It’s the opposite here. The characters simply felt bland and uninteresting. I wasn’t really interested in finding out what would happen to them next.
The story in itself wasn’t too bad but it was simply boring. There is quite a lot of action going on but the book still felt like it was never going to end. The last few chapters dragged on and on and I almost gave up on the book several times. I am really not sure if I want to read the second instalment in the series. Were this series by another author I probably wouldn’t bother but I love Buroker so I just might give her another chance here.
September 27, 2013
I have loved all the books I've read by Lindsay Buroker (EE Series and Encrypted Series, especially) until now. I SO appreciated winning a copy of the book and truly hate to give this book a negative review (really 2.5 stars, not 3). However, I was pretty bored for about 3/4 of the book. I didn't care that much about or for the characters. They weren't very well-developed.
For a shorter book, it seemed to drag on...until the last 40 or so pages. Perhaps, now that something is finally happening in the story, things will pick up, but I just don't feel much of a connection to or with any of the characters yet. I want a strong female and male, not the lackluster Del, Simon, and Temi.
It pains me to say these things about SUCH a talented writer, but this book just didn't hit the mark for me.
For a shorter book, it seemed to drag on...until the last 40 or so pages. Perhaps, now that something is finally happening in the story, things will pick up, but I just don't feel much of a connection to or with any of the characters yet. I want a strong female and male, not the lackluster Del, Simon, and Temi.
It pains me to say these things about SUCH a talented writer, but this book just didn't hit the mark for me.
December 31, 2013
This didn't grab me in quite the way the Emperor's Edge books (and characters) did, but it was a very fun read all the same, and I loved seeing Buroker doing this-world-fantasy for a change. Also, she chooses the *best* unlikely protagonists-and-careers. Hope this does succeed with other readers as well, so there'll be more books to come.
June 22, 2016
I guess I don't mind when a novel doesn't match up to its "designated" genre. Not every book fits neatly into one category, but anyway. I loved the characters and the general Indiana Jones-y feel. Because heck, it's fiction. It can anywhere it dang well pleases. Fun read. Looking forward to the next one.
February 6, 2017
Lindsay has been one of my favorite authors for quite a while. I first discovered her through The Emperor's Edge series. This series takes place in the United States rather alternate worlds but her unique perspective and great writing draws me in every time. I listened to the Audible version and sound it entertaining and well done.
January 17, 2014
Took a while to get started but once I got three chapters in it just seemed to take off. Liked Delish and the two mysterious motorcyclists. Not sure about Simon, seems like a good guy and then he does something which I find myself questioning. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 9, 2022
Okay. Exciting adventure, strange monsters, people who aren't quite what they seem, and a whole slew of other things. Delia and Simon had NO idea what they were stumbling into when they went scavenging in the mountains and things only got weirder after they found the first dead body.
On the other hand, they picked up a side gig as monster hunters. Sort of. Maybe I should say monster-reporters. Folks who report on monstrous events happening in the area. As people who keep ending up in the middle of dangerous situations (thanks in part to their propensity for rushing headlong toward said danger while trying to convince themselves and others they're not), they do seem well positioned to keep the public informed. Well, Simon's dedicated to that cause, at least.
Meanwhile, monsters are out and about, dangerous men are being less than forthcoming, an old friend has tentatively joined their group, and there's a strange gallery of old-timey warriors hanging out under a mountain. Because Delia's life isn't complicated enough, amirite?!?!
-Kelly @
On the other hand, they picked up a side gig as monster hunters. Sort of. Maybe I should say monster-reporters. Folks who report on monstrous events happening in the area. As people who keep ending up in the middle of dangerous situations (thanks in part to their propensity for rushing headlong toward said danger while trying to convince themselves and others they're not), they do seem well positioned to keep the public informed. Well, Simon's dedicated to that cause, at least.
Meanwhile, monsters are out and about, dangerous men are being less than forthcoming, an old friend has tentatively joined their group, and there's a strange gallery of old-timey warriors hanging out under a mountain. Because Delia's life isn't complicated enough, amirite?!?!
-Kelly @
Read
January 13, 2023I stopped a little bit into this as it just wasn’t grabbing me but I must have been having an off day. I resumed it not long after and enjoyed the rest. It’s quick paced which is refreshing after reading so many self publishing writers who believe a full page equals a book. Action from the beginning and throughout but with good breaks in between to create good momentum of storytelling. The characters have good dialogue that sounds natural although Artemis comes off as really robotic. I’m guessing it’s supposed to infer she was closed off from the average things of normal life as she was dedicated strictly to training at a pro level but you have to dig to get that point. She’s very flat and rather dull in her depiction. I’ll definitely check the other book (and half) of the series.
Just a heads up to the writer - the past tense of hanging a picture or anything else is hung. The past tense of hanging a person is hanged (not hung).
Just a heads up to the writer - the past tense of hanging a picture or anything else is hung. The past tense of hanging a person is hanged (not hung).
May 13, 2020
I've enjoyed Buroker's steam punk novels and this new fantasy book with a modern world trio of characters teases the reader. It gradually introduces the supernatural element but keeps part of the mystery through the novel's last page. Lindsay Buroker will have to write the next installment to this series to answer some of the questions remaining at the end - that's the not so subtle hint for her to continue the series! Her writing has great humour, she creates likeable, real to life and unusual females leads. She will need to work hard to produce as sexy and attractive a man as Sicarius (from her Emperor's Edge series) but I'm hoping she does it.
On the whole, editing and proof reading are very good, with just a couple of typos (so much better than many books in this category of ebook). Hope it won't be too long before book two is published..
On the whole, editing and proof reading are very good, with just a couple of typos (so much better than many books in this category of ebook). Hope it won't be too long before book two is published..
February 10, 2022
As a the plot line was very juvenile and honestly, as someone who’s studying to be an archaeologist, this book in terms of archaeology was very disappointing. I perpetrates the same stereotypes that are actually harmful to archaeologists and the field of archaeology it’s self, and feels like it was written based off of an antique pickers show or a bastardized version of Indiana Jones (who is also a harmful stereotype for archaeology). I was really excited to read this because it’s hard to find any good female lead archaeology fiction books, but now I’m absolutely disappointed and wasted money on this. :( The character, even though they are supposed to be well out of college read like teenagers.
March 28, 2022
Not bad, but some of her other series are so much better. Still, better than a lot of what I've read
Not bad, but at least so far I have to say I like many of her other series much better. But I'm willing to read more and see if it grows on me. Somehow the personalities all of the characters, except for the main one, haven't really appealed to me as much as some of her other characters. But maybe they just need some time to unfold. But like all of the author's books it moves along smartly and it is fun to read. But definitely check out some of her space centered science fiction stories as they are all five stars for me! Star Kingdom, Fallen Empire just search you'll find them!
Not bad, but at least so far I have to say I like many of her other series much better. But I'm willing to read more and see if it grows on me. Somehow the personalities all of the characters, except for the main one, haven't really appealed to me as much as some of her other characters. But maybe they just need some time to unfold. But like all of the author's books it moves along smartly and it is fun to read. But definitely check out some of her space centered science fiction stories as they are all five stars for me! Star Kingdom, Fallen Empire just search you'll find them!
September 6, 2021
Four and a half stars
The story is a bit flat to start but definitely gets more interesting and drags the reader along, on a hell of a ride. Delia and her friend Simon run a business based around salvage and sales of interesting objects. Artemis, a former tennis pro and childhood friend of Delia's, comes looking for work. The three of them encounter two males, who appear to be other than human as well as a man killing monster which seems to be a construct of some kind. This is the first book in the series and is set in twenty first century America, this is certainly different for this author. She generally writes science-fiction or steam punk fantasy.
The story is a bit flat to start but definitely gets more interesting and drags the reader along, on a hell of a ride. Delia and her friend Simon run a business based around salvage and sales of interesting objects. Artemis, a former tennis pro and childhood friend of Delia's, comes looking for work. The three of them encounter two males, who appear to be other than human as well as a man killing monster which seems to be a construct of some kind. This is the first book in the series and is set in twenty first century America, this is certainly different for this author. She generally writes science-fiction or steam punk fantasy.
February 28, 2022
I enjoyed the narrator - though she sounds a lot like the narrator for Emporer's Edge, Vivienne Leheny, so any similarities to Emperor's Edge were more obvious to us.
The book was light fluff to listen to on a road trip. I don't know that I'd spend a credit on the second book - maybe a buck or two for the ebook. Pretty much zero questions asked in the book get resolved ... but then, the characters don't really ASK questions that should be asked, so they run in circles and get into "adventures" that are really more like "very poor life choices." Do they actually have a place to live? I never quite iron that out.
That said, still fun fluff.
The book was light fluff to listen to on a road trip. I don't know that I'd spend a credit on the second book - maybe a buck or two for the ebook. Pretty much zero questions asked in the book get resolved ... but then, the characters don't really ASK questions that should be asked, so they run in circles and get into "adventures" that are really more like "very poor life choices." Do they actually have a place to live? I never quite iron that out.
That said, still fun fluff.
December 15, 2013
Lindsay Buroker may well be best known for her Emperor’s Edge series, but she has by no means restricted herself to the quasi–steampunk genre.
This, the first book in a theoretical new series, is set in a contemporary US of A which both USians and others will easily recognise. The overall genre is fantasy, drawing heavily on the relic hunting sub–category, as well as archaeology, mystery and even a very faint whiff of romance. Quite a bit of humour is in here, tho this is not a comedy.
The language is English � as always I recommend reading books in their original � and flows easily. Naturally, as a norwegian, I am not competent in judging the prose itself, but there are no snags; no need to go back and re–read to understand what the author attempted to say.
The writing does not come across as overly simplistic, childish, or stuffed with «he said, she said»s. Dialogue and scene description mix cleanly, and info–dumps are handled by intermixing required information with the action. It is also clear that the author has a good thesaurus, in her head or on paper. Very rarely do I run across the problem of repetition so common to newly hatched writers � myself among them. Quite chuffed with the style here, in short.
How about the plot? It certainly is unique � at least in my experience: a self–professed explorer (she does indeed avoid the word «scavenger») plus (business)partner hunt for reasonably modern–day relics in the backwaters of the US. Their speciality, this season, is in old mining equipment; young enough not to attract undue attention from museums and governments, but old enough to be collector’s items. From this they make a meagre living until all hell breaks lose in the form of a likely–not–accidentally decapitated body pops up. Can’t blame Br’er Bear for this one, kids.
With the arrival of two very strange fellows (not strange because they drive Harley–Davidson motorbikes. That just show they got poor taste�:) with odd clothing and queer speech, events speed up and twist. When an old girlfriend turns up, followed in rapid order by a brace of LEOs, a school of national guardsmen and –women, a single ex colleague and � remotely � a host of drunken–and–getting–worse scientists, the scene is almost set.
The magic sword complete it. Is fantasy. Has elves too. Of sorts. The single strangest elves since Tanya Huff’s di’Taykan and Mercedes Lackey’s Serrated Edge variants, I might add. Twelve out of ten for that quirk :)
Delia and Simon make up our protagonists. Together they run Rust & Relics, selling old coffee grinders and claw buckets, making a meagre living and more often than not camping out in Simon’s old Volkswagen Vanagon � Transporter for us Europeans � nicknamed Zelda.
The naming of the ’wagen gives us a clue to Simon’s personality � he’s a gamer. Such clues, allowing the reader to assemble their own mental image of both characters, are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. Such a methodology can only be applauded. 10/10 for the effort.
We learn that Simon is Simon Jimmicum, a gamer, a geek, a part–time hippie, full time programmer, and reluctant Makah native american with a love–hate relationship with his heritage.
Delia is, by her own admission, a child of the only Greek eco–hippy community in the world, an archaeology graduate by vocation, an Indiana Jones fan complete with self–made whip and self–made sarcasm.
Both are well–rounded, three–dimensional, characters whom you can easily start to care for. I want to see how things work out for them � I ought to add, in relation to the third main character: Artemis «Temi» Sideris, new on–probation–only–hiree at Rust & Relic, owner of a Jaguar, a mean reputation on the tennis courts, and a contrary leg.
She, however, is a mite flat at this point. We know a great deal of her, but she remains so firmly in the background that, at times, she disappear � one of my very few gripes with the story. Even in circumstances where one would expect Ms. Sideris to be part of the dialogue, she remain strangely quiet. Five out of ten for this one, mainly because while she isn’t a main character, she’s not a supporting actress either. Between two chairs she fall.
Stuff � that’s one of those professional terms we reviewers use � get very confused, very fast; our two protagonists are never quite sure where they stand and it doesn’t let up until well past the final scene. The two quite realistic humans are left with more questions than answers, a little bit more money than they used to have, new friendships and the above mentioned magical sword.
They make mistakes, they fail, they succeed, they get into and out of trouble. In short: they are human, and well described.
Does the story make sense, then? Yes, and no. It is written from the point of view of two entirely ordinary individuals who lacks the big picture. They simply don’t know, and what little they learn are not enough for them to make sense of what has happened � and neither do we. The truth may be out there, but we are stuck with not knowing it. If experiencing the story as the characters does is not your cup of tea, I cannot suggest Torrent.
But if you accept that you are riding shotgun with the characters, knowing roughly what they do, seeing what they see and learning what they learn, then a very, very warm recommendation for Torrent.
And Ms. Buroker? You ask, in the end, whether readers think you should write more in this series? To quote myself on Twitter: HELL, yeah.
This, the first book in a theoretical new series, is set in a contemporary US of A which both USians and others will easily recognise. The overall genre is fantasy, drawing heavily on the relic hunting sub–category, as well as archaeology, mystery and even a very faint whiff of romance. Quite a bit of humour is in here, tho this is not a comedy.
The language is English � as always I recommend reading books in their original � and flows easily. Naturally, as a norwegian, I am not competent in judging the prose itself, but there are no snags; no need to go back and re–read to understand what the author attempted to say.
The writing does not come across as overly simplistic, childish, or stuffed with «he said, she said»s. Dialogue and scene description mix cleanly, and info–dumps are handled by intermixing required information with the action. It is also clear that the author has a good thesaurus, in her head or on paper. Very rarely do I run across the problem of repetition so common to newly hatched writers � myself among them. Quite chuffed with the style here, in short.
How about the plot? It certainly is unique � at least in my experience: a self–professed explorer (she does indeed avoid the word «scavenger») plus (business)partner hunt for reasonably modern–day relics in the backwaters of the US. Their speciality, this season, is in old mining equipment; young enough not to attract undue attention from museums and governments, but old enough to be collector’s items. From this they make a meagre living until all hell breaks lose in the form of a likely–not–accidentally decapitated body pops up. Can’t blame Br’er Bear for this one, kids.
With the arrival of two very strange fellows (not strange because they drive Harley–Davidson motorbikes. That just show they got poor taste�:) with odd clothing and queer speech, events speed up and twist. When an old girlfriend turns up, followed in rapid order by a brace of LEOs, a school of national guardsmen and –women, a single ex colleague and � remotely � a host of drunken–and–getting–worse scientists, the scene is almost set.
The magic sword complete it. Is fantasy. Has elves too. Of sorts. The single strangest elves since Tanya Huff’s di’Taykan and Mercedes Lackey’s Serrated Edge variants, I might add. Twelve out of ten for that quirk :)
Delia and Simon make up our protagonists. Together they run Rust & Relics, selling old coffee grinders and claw buckets, making a meagre living and more often than not camping out in Simon’s old Volkswagen Vanagon � Transporter for us Europeans � nicknamed Zelda.
The naming of the ’wagen gives us a clue to Simon’s personality � he’s a gamer. Such clues, allowing the reader to assemble their own mental image of both characters, are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. Such a methodology can only be applauded. 10/10 for the effort.
We learn that Simon is Simon Jimmicum, a gamer, a geek, a part–time hippie, full time programmer, and reluctant Makah native american with a love–hate relationship with his heritage.
Delia is, by her own admission, a child of the only Greek eco–hippy community in the world, an archaeology graduate by vocation, an Indiana Jones fan complete with self–made whip and self–made sarcasm.
Both are well–rounded, three–dimensional, characters whom you can easily start to care for. I want to see how things work out for them � I ought to add, in relation to the third main character: Artemis «Temi» Sideris, new on–probation–only–hiree at Rust & Relic, owner of a Jaguar, a mean reputation on the tennis courts, and a contrary leg.
She, however, is a mite flat at this point. We know a great deal of her, but she remains so firmly in the background that, at times, she disappear � one of my very few gripes with the story. Even in circumstances where one would expect Ms. Sideris to be part of the dialogue, she remain strangely quiet. Five out of ten for this one, mainly because while she isn’t a main character, she’s not a supporting actress either. Between two chairs she fall.
Stuff � that’s one of those professional terms we reviewers use � get very confused, very fast; our two protagonists are never quite sure where they stand and it doesn’t let up until well past the final scene. The two quite realistic humans are left with more questions than answers, a little bit more money than they used to have, new friendships and the above mentioned magical sword.
They make mistakes, they fail, they succeed, they get into and out of trouble. In short: they are human, and well described.
Does the story make sense, then? Yes, and no. It is written from the point of view of two entirely ordinary individuals who lacks the big picture. They simply don’t know, and what little they learn are not enough for them to make sense of what has happened � and neither do we. The truth may be out there, but we are stuck with not knowing it. If experiencing the story as the characters does is not your cup of tea, I cannot suggest Torrent.
But if you accept that you are riding shotgun with the characters, knowing roughly what they do, seeing what they see and learning what they learn, then a very, very warm recommendation for Torrent.
And Ms. Buroker? You ask, in the end, whether readers think you should write more in this series? To quote myself on Twitter: HELL, yeah.
June 3, 2023
I had fun with these quirky characters, mysterious aliens, deadly monster, and an adventure that might change all of their lives. Delia and Simon are working hard to make their scavenging business into something more, but after running into more trouble than they can handle, when friend Artemis (Temi) shows up looking for work, they enlist her to help figure out what’s going on with a monster that’s killing people and strange bikers that seem stranger and stranger, the more they see them. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of this series to see what happens next.
February 2, 2019
I will probably read the novella as well as the second book simply because that would complete the series and I would like to see if questions actually get answered. I feel a bit disappointed with this first book because I don’t feel that enough of the mysteries were explained. And while I am a little curious about what happens next, I don’t feel compelled to find out. Fortunately, my local public library carries all three volumes so I can sate my curiosity without having to buy them.
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