A gifted psionic with a troubled past, Kirsten possesses a rare combination of abilities that give her a powerful weapon against spirits. In 2418, rampant violence and corporate warfare have left no shortage of angry wraiths in West City. Most exist as little more than fleeting shadows and eerie whispers in the darkness.
Kirsten is shunned by a society that does not understand psionics, feared by those who know what she can do, and alone in a city of millions. Every so often, when a wraith gathers enough strength to become a threat to the living, these same people rely on her to stop it.
Unexplained killings by human-like androids known as dolls leave the Division One police baffled, causing them to punt the case to Division Zero. Kirsten, along with her partner Dorian, wind up in the crosshairs of corporate assassins as they attempt to find out who – or what – is behind the random murders before more people die.
She tries to hold on to the belief that no one is beyond redemption as she pursues a killer desperate to claim at least one more innocent soul – that might just be hers.
Title: Division Zero (Division Zero #1)
Author: Matthew S. Cox
Genres: Cyberpunk, New Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication Date: March 7, 2014
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Kirsten
Wren, a psionic, is an agent with Division Zero, a division of the police force whose members all have special gifts. Kirsten can communicate
telepathically and send mind blasts to others, though she's hesitant to use that power. But what makes her an outcast - even among her law enforcement peers in other divisions - is her gift to not only see ghosts, but to communicate with them and kick their asses with a psychic whip, if need be. Imagine Indiana Jones's leather whip crossed with a light saber.
With a wretched mother who used religion as an excuse to abuse her as a young child, Kirsten is scarred and still trying to cope with her mother's abuse, though she hasn't had to suffer her mother's abuse for a long time, seeking refuge with Division Zero as a child, and training to become an agent.
The other lead character we get to know well is Kirsten's partner, Dorian Marsh. Though a charming fellow, I was confused by his lack of involvement, especially in scenes where his actions would have benefited Kirsten's welfare, until it hit me - long before I was supposed to know. It's an interesting "Dr. Malcolm Crow" kind of twist, and if you're reading fast and not catching the tiny details, you'll miss it and find out when the author reveals it.
The only thing that bothered me about the writing was the lack of dialogue tags that would reveal a character's emotion in the moment. For instance, in one scene, a big cop from another division is interrogating an AI known as a doll. He says something to her, but it isn't until the next paragraph, where she cringes from his yelling that the reader is aware that he was actually yelling at her. That kind of information sets the emotion of the scene, and should be revealed in the moment. It pulled me out of the story a few times, and I found it distracting.
However, I was completely fascinated with the world the author created. With his attention to detail and amazing descriptive scenes, I could easily imagine the hover cars, ad bots, holograms, droids, not to mention the manifestations, astral-projecting strings, and psychic whip. He did a fantastic job of breathing life to this cyberpunk world and it is obvious he did his research when it comes to police procedure. Attention readers, BOLO for Division Zero #2.
I'll end my review with my favorite quote from the novel. Dorian tells Kirsten,
With a wretched mother who used religion as an excuse to abuse her as a young child, Kirsten is scarred and still trying to cope with her mother's abuse, though she hasn't had to suffer her mother's abuse for a long time, seeking refuge with Division Zero as a child, and training to become an agent.
The other lead character we get to know well is Kirsten's partner, Dorian Marsh. Though a charming fellow, I was confused by his lack of involvement, especially in scenes where his actions would have benefited Kirsten's welfare, until it hit me - long before I was supposed to know. It's an interesting "Dr. Malcolm Crow" kind of twist, and if you're reading fast and not catching the tiny details, you'll miss it and find out when the author reveals it.
The only thing that bothered me about the writing was the lack of dialogue tags that would reveal a character's emotion in the moment. For instance, in one scene, a big cop from another division is interrogating an AI known as a doll. He says something to her, but it isn't until the next paragraph, where she cringes from his yelling that the reader is aware that he was actually yelling at her. That kind of information sets the emotion of the scene, and should be revealed in the moment. It pulled me out of the story a few times, and I found it distracting.
However, I was completely fascinated with the world the author created. With his attention to detail and amazing descriptive scenes, I could easily imagine the hover cars, ad bots, holograms, droids, not to mention the manifestations, astral-projecting strings, and psychic whip. He did a fantastic job of breathing life to this cyberpunk world and it is obvious he did his research when it comes to police procedure. Attention readers, BOLO for Division Zero #2.
I'll end my review with my favorite quote from the novel. Dorian tells Kirsten,
"In the grand scheme of all things creepy, that doll rates two points below a knife-wielding clown."I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Becky, thank you for the wonderful review of Division Zero! I appreciate you taking part in the blog tour. Also, noted regarding the yelling bit... I'll keep an eye out for that :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Matt. I look forward to reading more from you.
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