I’ve sat here for an hour trying to decide how I feel about this book. I’m not even sure how to describe it, so I’ll start with what it isn’t. Enemy Games is not a hard core romance. Nor is it a standard thriller, paranormal or fantasy although there are some pretty strange characters that lunge from the pages.
Enemy Games is a Sci-Fi/Futuristic tale full of intrigue. Ms. Burnard obviously spent a lot of time on world building and yet I was a little confused in the beginning. Rather than weave in bits of details so I could understand the various aliens, ships, colonies and languages and their purpose or relationship, I felt like someone had taken a New Year’s Eve popper and exploded it in my face. It was almost too much to wrap my mind around, but I persevered and I’m glad I did.
The opening scene is actually quite exciting. It’s a shame I was so overwhelmed with strange names and oddball creatures to really enjoy it the first time around. In fact, I had to put the book down and walk away for a few days. During that time, I read a lot of reviews and excerpts from the first book, Enemy Within. It helped me to transition to the characters in this book. But to be honest, a reader shouldn’t have to research other books in a series in order to understand the one they’re reading.
Once I was able to find some quiet time and mentally focus, I found Enemy Games to be a good book. Not great, but good. I liked it. I didn’t love it. Take away the futuristic world, and Ms. Burnard has written an interesting tale of political intrigue, spies, conspiracy and genetic adaptability.
The relationship between the heroine, Jayleia, and her hero counterpart, Damen, is explored nicely but not enough for those readers looking for a lot of sexual tension and romance. It did offer some interesting twists and turns such as genetic blending.
Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy Sci-Fi Futuristic themes. I would suggest they read Enemy Within, before embarking on Enemy Games. A lot of the world building and characters are introduced in the first book that makes understanding the second a little easier.
~ Deb Sanders |
