4.5 ★ – THRILLING AND SO MUCH FUN
PUBLISHED BY INKSPELL PUBLISHING, FEBRUARY 13, 2018
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, DYSTOPIAN, RETELLING, ROMANCE
PAGES: KINDLE 381
Purchase Links: Amazon | Kobo | Itunes | B&N
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A girl looking for a way out.
Being the daughter of New America’s leader, Mercury Masters has everything a girl could want. A glamorous life full of beautiful people, and the power to have anything she wants, except for one thing—to escape. Because Mercury’s perfect life comes with secrets to keep. Dangerous secrets that if made public would destroy her, her family, and her father’s reign. Then she meets Hawk.
A boy looking to be a hero.
Hawk, a handsome prep school dropout turned vigilante, has his own family secrets. Deadly secrets that have haunted him since he was fifteen. But instead of fighting the ghosts of his past, Hawk has assembled a group of misfit hackers and thieves to save the future from the corrupt government of New America and the mysterious virus that is killing off its citizens. But trying to do the right thing is tough when the person you really want to save is your enemy’s daughter.
A love that could kill them both.
Powerful forces keep them apart, but coming together could be the key to saving New America from destruction—even though it may cost both their lives.
A near-future YA biopunk retelling of Robin Hood.
Running Away
I reached into my apron and pulled out the week’s rent. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me, Bill. I really appreciate you taking me in.”
“No sweat. You work hard, and the regulars seem to like a pretty, young face around here. Stay as long as you’d like.” He took the wad of bills and slid them in his pocket. “Now get out of here. I’ll finish up. You look exhausted.”
Walking past, I squeezed his hand and continued on. As I glanced back over my shoulder, he smiled, and for a minute I thought I saw him blush. Bill was the nicest person I had met since I left. I’d miss him.
I ran up the stairs to my room. Time to move on. If there was still a chance of running into my past, I was still too close to the city. Too bad. Part of my heart hurt thinking about how I was going to let Bill down. I stopped at the door and rested my forehead against the rough wood. Maybe if I stayed the night, I could stick around and say goodbye in the morning. Better not. Fewer questions if I left now. Safer for him the less he knew, anyway.
A tight feeling spread across my lungs and up my throat as I slid the gold key in the lock for the last time, but I’d get over it. I had to. I sighed and clicked the door closed. My hand hesitated on the doorknob, the unexpected weight of a stare bearing down on the back of my head. I wasn’t alone.
Standing motionless, I scanned the darkness over my shoulder. A voice cut through the black.
“Mercury, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Mercury Rises by Scarlett Kol is a fantastic retelling of Robin Hood that had me undeniably enthralled the entire time. It’s been a while since I’ve been this excited about a YA Dystopian book, so I’m really hoping there’s a sequel because I want more! (Pretty Please Please Please!!!)
I love fairytales and enjoy reading about different retellings. I think they’re creative, entertaining, and so much fun. Mercury Rises was no exception and I’m utterly in love with this story. The world building was great, well-developed and absolutely intriguing. The plot was filled with action, mystery, romance, and so much thrill that I had a difficult time putting it down. This story totally made my emotions go haywire and I LOVED IT! Not to mention, there were some nice twist and turns that kept me on my toes.
The characters were fantastic. I thought Mercury was frustrating at times, but totally lovable. She was determined, independent, sassy, and strong-willed. Hawk was the kind of hero you root for — smart, resourceful, courageous, passionate and genuinely just a really good guy. Totally doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome and such a hottie too! I definitely fell hard for him and admired everything he was trying to do to save the world from a corrupt government. The side characters were really awesome, interesting and delightful in their own ways… yes even the one that get under your skin and make you furious.
The romance gave me the swooniest feels. I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, but this one was pleasantly done. I thought Christophe and Hawk were great love interests. I felt how much they cared about Mercury and my heart definitely got messed up a few times. I wish I could share every scene that made me aww, but I don’t want to take out all the fun and ruin it for you. Just know that there were plenty of satisfyingly sweet, deliciously steamy and wonderfully heartwarming moments that had me swooning over and over again. That being said, I have to admit that I was Team Hawk and rooted for him and Mercury the entire time. Their chemistry was just so amazing that I couldn’t get enough of them.
Mercury Rises is an amazing debut novel. With gorgeous writing, an action-packed and thrilling storyline, beautifully flawed characters you can’t help but root for, and an adorable romance, this book has become an instant favorite of mine. If you want something fun to read that will keep you up late at night, then I think you should definitely add this book on your TBR.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the author through Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinion are my own.
Scarlett Kol grew up in Northern Manitoba reading books and writing stories about creatures that make you want to sleep with the lights on. As an adult, she’s still a little afraid of the dark. Scarlett now lives just outside Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada with her husband and two boys, but if you need to find her she’s likely freezing at the hockey rink.
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I hope you enjoyed reading my review and get to meet Mercury and Hawk really soon.
Christine Potter is a writer and poet who lives in a very old (haunted) house on a creek in Rockland County. She has an organist/choirdirector husband (Ken) and two spoiled tom cats. One of the house’s two ghosts lives in the room behind her office.
Sincerely Karen Jo 