‘SYNTHETIC ILLUSIONS’ by Mary Fan BREATHTAKING SEQUEL TO ‘ARTIFICIAL
ABSOLUTES’
I remember my excitement when I purchased a copy of Mary Fan’s debut
novel ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES. The book was so great in many ways (link to my
review is at the bottom of the page), that I jumped at the opportunity to read
and review Mary’s sequel to ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES, SYNTHETIC ILLUSIONS. Mary Fan
has created another sci-fi / thriller masterpiece. Following Artificial
Absolutes, Synthetic Illusions throws Jane Colt into another whirlwind of breathtaking
action as she and the love of her life, an AI named Adam Palmer, are persecuted
by Jane’s elder brother, Devin Colt.
The book opens with a “What-the-hell’s-going-on?” scene that made blood
pump faster in my veins. Why did Devin act the way he did? What was going on?
The scenes in the book were so vivid as if I was watching a movie. SI is written
in multiple points of view, but they are presented in a way that you never feel
lost in the scenes. Mary Fan masterfully manages to combine action scenes with
the characters’ thoughts in a way that we get to know them so well, as if they
are real people, someone we’ve known for ages.
Whereas I sympathized with Jane and Devin, I think I cared about Adam
the most. That may sound strange, “to care the most about an AI”, but I
couldn’t help myself when reading about the pain he had to go through, and
about the sacrifice he was making for Jane.
As a slow reader, I should say the ending kept me so thrilled I couldn’t
stop reading it until the last page. I was literally on the edge of my seat,
biting my nails and keeping my fingers crossed for the trio of characters that
I’ve fallen in love with. I’d love to thank the author and Red Adept Publishing
for giving me the chance to read the sequel. I don’t know if there’s going to
be a sequel, but in any case I’ll be looking forward to reading more books by
Mary Fan.
Here’s a taster to give you an idea what Synthetic Illusions is like.
“Adam firmed his grip on the gun.
Forgive me, Absolute One.
He shot the nearest guard in the leg, then ducked, dodging the guards’
blasts with agility he hadn’t known himself capable of.
His mind became murky, and he was hardly aware of his own actions as he
fired again. The world blurred. His body moved as though possessed.
His mind cleared, and he became aware of his surroundings. All six
guards lay dead on the floor. Adam stared in horror. How could I have done that?
He turned to Jane, who glanced up at him with tear-filled eyes. The
scientist was nowhere in sight. I have to
get her out. He started toward her. Scorching pain erupted through his
back. He fell.”
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Illusion is the only
reality.
Jane’s new career as
a composer is a dream come true, but her blossoming relationship with Adam is
marred by his terrifying nightmares. When Jane receives a warning that a
shadowy agency is targeting Adam’s seminary school, she rescues him in the nick
of time, but the only way she can protect him from such a powerful enemy is to
run.
In a shocking
betrayal, her brother wasn’t the one who warned her about the attack on Adam.
Instead, Devin was leading it. As Jane struggles to keep one step ahead of
Devin, Adam’s exhaustion gives way to horror: His nightmares have begun to
touch the real world.
Jane can’t abandon
Adam to a fate worse than death, and far more than Adam’s life hangs in the
balance. As Jane pushes further into the dark unknown, she must challenge
everything she once believed in, and she faces the most wrenching decision of
her life: choosing between the two people she loves most.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Fan is a hopeless dreamer, whose mind insists on spinning tales of
“what if.” As a music major in college, she told those stories through
compositions. Now, she tells them through books—a habit she began as soon as
she could pick up a pencil. And what stories she has! Currently, she has three
series in progress: her well-received Jane Colt sci-fi novels (Red Adept
Publishing, released 2013), her upcoming Flynn Nightsider YA dystopian
fantasies (Glass House Press, 2015), and her recently contracted YA fairytales,
Fated Stars (Glass House Press, 2015). Mary would like to think that there are
many other novels in her bag, and hopes to prove that to the world as well. And
though she's well on her way, she can't help dreaming of more.
Mary lives in New Jersey and has a B.A. from Princeton University. When
she’s not scheming to create new worlds, she enjoys kickboxing, opera singing,
and blogging about everything having to do with books.
NB! My review of ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES can be found here: http://amberlake-bookreveal.blogspot.com/2013/04/artificial-absolutes-by-mary-fan.html
