Monday, August 12, 2013

Denounced (Exalted Book 2) by Tara Elizabeth

"Your race is the product of a government experiment gone wrong.  Some of the Exalted overtook the U.S. military.  They started bombing every country that they saw as a threat.  Those countries retaliated.  And that was the end of the world, as we once knew it.  What people that were left, they cowered from your race.  But we finally devised a plan to get control back.  And it worked.  We were able to modify a common drug that would kill your emotions, thus making you more manageable."

   This is how the world ended, according to Dr. Fredericks.  A few minutes before that, Mena decided to take a stand and not let Ryker be executed.  There was no way she would ever do that.  She was in love with him, and he loved her.  The whole idea of uniting with Ethan had not been nearly as appealing as it once was.  She had met Ryker and things had changed.  Things had been nothing but weird between she and Ethan for a while now.  After all, she got a position working for Dr. Fredericks even though she had technically been second in the trials.
   Mena had decided to come back and try to help her parents, friends, and everyone else who's life had been altered by the drugs they were giving them.  At the time, she had no idea why they were being given drugs to kill their emotions.  She had left Ryker and Lily behind for the greater good.  Once she got back, she realized Kinah, one of her enemies, had come in before her.  She was first.  She would be the one to unite with Ethan, who had finished first out of the male Exalted.  Then, the announcement is made that Kinah had broken the rules by killing one of the Exalted during the third trial.  So she would be brought down to third place.  Now it would be Mena to unite with Ethan.  She would be honored for her placement in the trials.  It was still going to be a month before they were united.  Mena hoped she had time to find out some information to help their cause, but no sooner than she walks in the door to see Dr. Fredericks to start her new job does Ryker appear.  He is also working for the evil doctor. Should she trust him now?  It seems like he betrayed her.  But there is more to that story than meets the eye as well.  The two of them begin working together, which brings Mena's feelings for him to the very front of everything.  She constantly tries to remind herself and Ryker that she will be united with Ethan, but the feelings for Ethan are just not there.  While she struggles with her warring emotions, they are also trying to find out more information about where the Pump is made and why.  And  any other information about the rebel forces outside of their own little colony.  Turns out that there are two others just like it.  And there is an island where the Pump is made.
   In a sudden turn of events, Mena is placed among the Citizens to find any rebellion and those that might be off of the Pump.  In this position she feels like she is helpless.  There is no way she can help Ryker like this.  But more problems arise when one of the Citizens that Mena meets is executed for sending information out to the rebels and being off the Pump.  This is a dangerous world indeed.
   Then we get to the United Ceremony and that is where Mena decides to start being her own person.  She steps up and decides that things have to change.  Before Ryker is denounced and executed.  She will no longer let anyone else rule over her or her life.  Then she finds out why the apocalypse happened....

Am I crazy like he says?  I felt stronger emotions once I got off the Pump for a while, but I wasn't crazed.  Do I have the potential to kill millions of people? No. Never.


This book was everything I expected of it.  Danger on every corner.  The sudden appearance of Ryker, and even Lily.  Then Mena trying so hard to deal with her emotions.  She has a hard time doing what she feels like is the right thing to do, and doing what she wants to do.  She feels like the right thing to do is give up Ryker for the greater good of all other Exalted who are being controlled.  But he is not about to let Mena go so easy and shows up again as a double agent.  Since Ryker is so good at being a double agent, it makes you wonder for a while just how trust worthy he is.  But his affection for Mena is very real.  And so are hers.  But she is trying to put them away, hidden so they can't be found.  In the end, she realizes she can no longer deny her feelings.  And she can have Ryker while helping the others as well.  A total turn of the tables comes for Dr. Fredericks and when it happens all hell breaks loose.  Brother fighting brother.  It ends in a faction of loyalists fleeing the colony and the ones willing to change remain.  The bad news?  Mena's parents and friends are missing, along with Kinah and Dr. Fredericks.  A war could be coming....


                                                 http://authortaraelizabeth.com/




*image via Tara Elizabeth
*quotes via Tara Elizabeth

  

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