MERCURY STRIKING by Rebecca Zanetti
THE WRITING – I enjoy Zanetti’s writing style each and every time I read one of her novels. Everything flows together extremely well, and this book is no different. However, there was one instance where I noticed that instead of the main male character’s actual name of Jax, “Jack” was used. Further into the story, we learn that his mother was originally going to name him Jack, but didn’t speak English very well so it became Jax. My thinking was that perhaps his name was originally supposed to be Jack, and then Zanetti changed it, but this one occurrence got missed(?). The mix up only happened the one time that I caught, and took me out of the story for as long as it took me to comprehend that his name had changed, but that was it.
The scientific information was conveyed very well and in a way that I kept up with it and was interested in what the characters were going through. I didn’t feel overwhelmed or that the author felt the need to “info dump” all of the research she’d gone through to produce the book.
Also, something that I always appreciate in a novel is when there are no abrupt POV shifts. Some authors can do this well, but it keeps things smooth if I’m only in one character’s head at a time. This book had multiple POV’s, but each got their own block of time to shine without interruption from another, easily blending from scene to scene, character to character.
The descriptions of this burgeoning dystopic world were gritty, visceral, and surprisingly dark compared to other works by this author. I appreciated the shock value of the scenes she presented, and the fact that Zanetti was fearless in a way when it came to explaining the viciousness of human nature, but not in a I’m-going-to-be-sick fashion.
One negative (I guess it can be called that, anyway) was the comical, almost painful, names of the characters – Tace Justice, Razor “Raze” Shadow, Lynne Harmony, Jax Mercury, etc. A little too over-the-top for my tastes.
THE STORY/PLOT – The story had a steady, succinct timeline, and I never experienced a moment when I was confused as to where or when I was. Having read the prequel SCORPIUS RISING—featured in the ON THE HUNT anthology, which cast Nora (Lynne’s best friend) and Deke (Nora’s husband) as the main characters—I already knew how the world had become so damaged. However, the prequel is not necessary reading material for anyone to slip with ease into this new apocalyptic universe.
There were two conflicts threaded throughout: the main major conflict and the personal conflict. The major conflict, was, of course, the destruction of society and trying to survive the bacteria that could turn humans into sociopaths or zombie-like creatures. The minor, personal conflict was Jax’s vendetta against/with the leader of one of the gangs in the area because the man had killed Jax’s brother before the outbreak. Zanetti balanced both of these conflicts really, really well, and even combined them toward the end for a climactic finish that was satisfying, but kept me on the hook for more.
THE CHARACTERS – I really enjoyed the main characters and the supporting characters, as well. Jax was quintessential alpha-male, but he also grew as a person as he finally came to accept his leadership responsibilities, and that he was more than simply a body to stand in front of bullets. He was honest with Lynne from the start about their relationship, though, he, of course, falls for her. I genuinely love books where the H falls for the h and has to convince her that they’re meant to be together. Oftentimes, it’s the h who has to do all of the hard work (and brings on so much drama), so these kinds of romantic stories are refreshing. The only issue I had with Jax’s character was the part where he used a belt on her to scare her into submission. I felt that was too far for him to go when he could have intimidated her in other ways.
Lynne was smart, funny, fearless, logical, and barring the one scene where I thought she didn’t fight back enough (after he spanked her with the belt), she stood up to keep others alive, herself alive, and managed to stay true to herself. She didn’t let Jax overwhelm her, but other than being overprotective male on her, he really didn’t try to make her this docile little thing, either. The characters truly fit each other, and grew together by the end of book.
FAVORITE SCENE: This quote from Jax to Lynne says it all. It’s positively swoon-worthy, and covers the love story for the entire novel. ‘His hands manacled her wet jeans around her thighs. “You’re smart and spirited, and I never thought I’d meet anybody like you. If there are bullets, I’m between you and them. If you get taken, I’m hunting you down till my last breath. And if you end up in hell, I’ll storm the f*****g place until the fires go out.”’
LEAST FAVORITE SCENE: This would have to be the scene where he spanks her with a belt. I really thought it was unnecessary and more violent-dominant versus hot-dominant. And then she doesn’t really retaliate. After a little moment of anger, she sleeps with him a few hours later. I could have done without it, but considering the last book I reviewed and the issues with that male lead (see SPIDER GAME by Christine Feehan), this wasn’t anything to turn me away from the awesomeness of the story.
In conclusion, Rebecca Zanetti hit it out of the park once again with the start to this new series. I will definitely be preordering the next book in the series, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of any of Zanetti’s books.
Thanks for spending time with my review, and Happy Reading!
Recommended Reads that are similar to MERCURY STRIKING:
SCORPIUS RISING by Rebecca Zanetti
FLESH Series by Kylie Scott –
FLESH
SKIN
ROOM WITH A VIEW
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Yes I like it, i will read the next installment in this series.
Reviewed in Mexico on September 10, 2016Edie
An Entertaining Read - Start to Finish!
Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2016
