Published: 2013
Author: A.G. Chambers
A good second novel – but more engagement required
At the end of last year I read and reviewed the debut novel of local author A.G. Chambers. Jaded Rein was an assured science fiction debut which held my interest and could almost see me develop an interest in a genre that I’ve so far pretty much ignored. Jaded Rein, the story of a group of mutated human mercenaries each of whom has a Doppelganger with its own special powers, was a great introduction to an intriguing set of characters and a feisty new heroine. Chambers promised that the story of Jade and her associates would form a five part series and I was delighted to receive a copy of the second installment – Jaded Youth
Following the team’s successful mission to free Stratford from the grip of terrorists (including Jade’s father) the team of Doppelgangers are almost invincible in the eyes of other mercenary teams and the government. Tensions are rising within the group – youngest members Adrian and Joanna are desperately trying to ignore their feelings for each other but are thrown together when Jade partners them on a dangerous mission which both exposes corruption at the heart of government and a deadly threat to all Doppelgangers.
I was slightly more bought into the idea of humans with a separate side to them with powers including healing and ESP than I was with the first book and this helped me to settle into the story quicker than last time. It was good to see different members of the team thrust centre-stage, I imagine that by the end of the series each character will have featured prominently in their own story. The genocidal nature of the narrative development was nicely introduced and appropriately chilling.
Main characters Jade and Rein remain likeable and worthy central characters and while the it was good to see Adrian and Joanna’s story developed I was pleased not to lose sight of Jade and Rein (or indeed the three other members of the team).
I did however, have a few problems with Jaded Youth. It was very obvious that this was a ‘plot development’ story, the second in a series which is going to lead to more exciting events in a future book. I was getting a little frustrated, feeling slightly disengaged until I realised half-way through the book that I was reading an exposition piece. Given the very strong last third and cracking cliffhanger I can easily forgive this, as long as the next parts are more action driven.
I was reading an advance review copy of Jaded Youth so this may be a little unfair but I was really put off by the number of extraneous apostrophes. It’s one of my real bugbears and several times I was so frustrated by the appearance of an apostrophe in a word which just happened to end in S that I considered putting the book down. I know that’s an extreme reaction and that in the final copy editing may have caught the errors but it was a real distraction for me.
I enjoyed Jaded Youth, Chambers is undoubtedly a talented author who knows how to keep a story ticking along exceptionally well. I like the characters and the thought-provoking manner in which the story is developing but I hope the next instalment is just a little more engaging and has fewer unwanted apostrophes.