Must-read romances: 'Invaded' and 'Soulprint'
Invaded by Melissa Landers
What it's about (courtesy of Disney Hyperion):
Cara always knew life on planet L'eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L'eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.
Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L'eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L'eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.
Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L'eihr relations. Humans don't know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx's people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists' multiple attempts on Aelyx's life.
The Way clearly needs humans' help ... but with what? And what will they ask for in return?
Why you should read it: I have been waiting for this book since I finished listening to Alienated. I loved the story and really loved Cara and Aelyx's relationship. This time, though, Cara is on L'eihr, and it's a huge adjustment. I was so glad Melissa gave us an entire book on Aelyx's planet because their customs and colors are intriguing. Cara is like this breath of fresh air, or maybe a bright painting, too loud but also beautiful. I missed the couple being together as much as they had been, but watching each grow was necessary. Cara has this air about her now that allows her to move through this alien world with grace, and Aelyx is trying so hard to get the humans to agree to an alliance they don't realize how badly they need. We get to meet new characters, and there's never a dull moment. There is a lot going on beneath the surface of what I described, but to go any further would ruin the secrets and hidden plot threads. All in all, there HAS to be at least another book in the series, and I have already pre-ordered it on Audible. The narrators do an amazing job, and I can't wait to hear about Vero come to life beneath their voices.
What Melissa Landers has to say …
How was writing the Cara and Aelyx romance since they are apart for most of this book?
Melissa: Keeping the romance burning while Aelyx and Cara were galaxies apart was a challenge, but I drew on my own experiences with long-distance relationships. I think sometimes we appreciate our loved ones more when we can't be with them, and it makes us cherish the times when we're together. Aelyx and Cara are separated, but they make the most of their intergalactic "Skype" sessions, and when they're finally reunited, it's combustive.
What would your aliens look like (in real life :))?
Melissa: It would be nice if sexy L'eihrs discovered Earth, but I'm betting real alien life wouldn't be as romantic as I've imagined it.
What are you currently working on?
Melissa: Right now I'm wrapping up a stand-alone sci-fi romance called Starflight, which should release in 2016. You can read a little more about it on Goodreads.
Favorite snippet/line from Invaded?
Melissa: My favorite line is in the prologue, when Aelyx tells Cara, "Actually, you're the alien now."
Soulprint by Megan Miranda
What it's about (courtesy of Bloomsbury Children's):
With the science of soul-fingerprinting a reality, Alina Chase has spent her entire life imprisoned for the crimes her past-self committed. In an attempt to clear her name, Alina unintentionally trades one prison for another when she escapes, aided by a group of teens whose intentions and motivations are a mystery to her. As she gets to know one of the boys, sparks fly, and Alina believes she may finally be able to trust someone. But when she uncovers clues left behind from her past life that only she can decipher, secrets begin to unravel. Alina must figure out whether she's more than the soul she inherited, or if she's fated to repeat the past.
Why you should read it: This idea was just so fresh and interesting I wanted to read it the moment I saw it on Goodreads! In Alina's world, reincarnated souls can be tracked … and their reincarnates can be imprisoned for past crimes. Alina is good … but was June all bad? Is it right to decide on a person's fate based on crimes in a past life that they know nothing about? These questions are paired perfectly with the adventurous fast pacing of the book. I liked both Alina and June (yeah, yeah, they're the same-ish), and the puzzle June sent her reincarnate on was so much fun to read. The secondary characters also made the book. The teens who are trying to break Alina out? Liam, June's passionate love? They all add something deeper to the story. I did want to see more romance, maybe make it a driving force, but this is great for those who just like the slight spice of romance in a sci-fi adventure plot. So, at the end of the day … is it nature or nurture?
What Megan Miranda has to say …
Tell us about June's passionate love affair.
Megan: June and Liam met when they were teenagers in college — at first drawn together by their shared ideology and passions, and they quickly developed a deep respect for each other. Within six months, though, they had hacked into the soul database and spent the rest of their affair nearly always on the run from those who wished to punish them. There was nothing romantic about their circumstances (hiding, running, in constant fear for their lives). But they were willing to do anything for each other — and in the end, they did. One sacrificed their life for the other to have a chance. They believed their love was strong enough that they would one day find each other again.
What type of notorious criminal would your soulprint be?
Megan: I think I was drawn to write about June's crimes because they originally stemmed from her curiosity and pursuit of the truth (which then went horribly awry). And likewise, if I try to imagine a crime for my soulprint in a previous life, I could see it stemming from that same initial place — from the desire for truth and information.
So maybe my soulprint was a notorious spy, sent to uncover critical information. I am going to imagine that it was exciting and not terrifying and that I was working on the side for Good — but whether the espionage made my soulprint a criminal? I guess that depends which side you're on …
What are you currently working on?
Megan: I'm currently editing two books, both scheduled to come out in 2016:
My debut adult suspense novel from Simon & Schuster, which is about two girls who disappear 10 years apart, and whose cases are linked by the same group of friends in a small North Carolina town. The story covers the span of two weeks, and it's also told backward.
I also have a new YA coming out next year, about a girl named Kelsey who has been raised on fear by her mother, who was the victim of an abduction many years before. When her mother goes missing, Kelsey finds herself questioning the version of events she's grown up with and realizes she may have just set something dangerous in motion.
Favorite line/snippet from Soulprint?
Megan:
I keep waiting for freedom to feel like something else. Something not so disorienting. Something not so terrifying. Something more.
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Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions departments at Dreamspinner Press and Entangled YA. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).