Review & Giveaway: Ixeos Rebellion by Jennings Wright

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Title: Ixeos Rebellion

Author: Jennings Wright

Release Date: June 1, 2013

Pages: 396, Paperback

Goodreads Rating: 3.5 stars

My Rating: 3/5 stars

Content Rating: PG (Some violence, but no adult content)

Summary from Goodreads: With rebel leader Darian free at last, the humans and outsiders on Ixeos must find a way to join forces and defeat the Firsts. The problem? All slaves are tracked with GPS, the Firsts are the only ones with power, and roving gangs hate the rebels just as much as they hate the aliens. As Darian and the outsiders from Earth travel the globe through the mysterious tunnels in Paris, they learn that the Firsts are preparing to launch another wave of biological warfare. With a transporter that will allow the aliens to target any city, anywhere on the planet, the rebels know they must stop them at all costs. As things get more dangerous on Ixeos, the outsiders find that they're pushed to their limit. Will they fight for freedom, no matter the price?

MY TAKE

Even though this is technically a tour for Ixeos Rebellion, I also read Ixeos (the first book in the series) for this review. so I'm going to talk about both.  (For a synopsis of Ixeos, see below).

Honestly, these books are a bit difficult for me to review because they weren't what I was expecting and they didn't exactly fit in with the type of book that I typically like to read.  When I read the blurb for Ixeos, I was expecting a YA dystopian fantasy.  And this series definitely has some elements of the genre - the main characters find themselves stolen away to an alternate version of earth.  A version that has been overrun by aliens and where humans have been forced into slavery.  It certainly sounds dystopian, doesn't it?  The problem is that the books didn't read like dystopian novels in my opinion.  While the teens are swept away to Ixeos in a supernatural manner, there is very little other supernatural activity in the book (besides a few isolated scenes which I won't go into because it would spoil part of the mystery of one of the characters).  And, while the planet is overrun with aliens, we don't see them much at all and when we do, they just seem like people - just kind of dangerous people.  So, yes, the setting is dystopian, but the books don't meet my general expectations for a dystopian novel.

So, if these books don't seem like dystopian novels, what are they?  I felt like they read more like technological thrillers maybe?  The first book centers around the group racing to crack the aliens' codes using World War II code machines.  They are attempting to break the leader of the revolution out of prison, but the prison moves constantly and they need to break these codes in order to figure out where he will be.  The second book involves the revolutionaries trying to disable the aliens' satellites so that they can free the slaves.  Of course, there is more to both books than that, but those elements are the ones that stood out as the main plots of the books.  The books were well-written and would probably really appeal to someone who loves this type of book.  I just found myself losing interest because it's not the type of book I'm completely interested in.  I found myself skimming some of the technological stuff so that I could get to the character development scenes (including romance - there wasn't a huge romantic element to the books, but there was some).  So, having said all that, here are a few specifics:

What I enjoyed:

• The characters.  I was interested in getting to know these characters and I really enjoyed the scenes that focused on building their relationships.  There were LOTS of characters in these books (perhaps a few too many) and I thought that Wright did a good job of giving them all distinct personalities.
• The cinematic feel.  I actually found myself thinking that I would really enjoy this story if it were made into a TV show.  I know that's ironic since I said that I wasn't crazy about the genre, but I think it would really play out well on the small screen and would be similar to other shows that I love (something along the lines of Revolution).  I think that, as a TV series, we would have time to really get to know all of these characters that Wright created, which would heighten the stakes for us.  I think that the world that Wright created would be really interesting on TV as well.  

What I didn't love:

• The lack of POV.  These books seemed to have a sort of omniscient point of view, which I wasn't fond of.  I felt like I couldn't get to know the characters as well this way and would have preferred seeing the world from one or two characters perspectives.

Overall, I thought that Ixeos and Ixeos Rebellion were well-executed, but they weren't exactly my style.  If you enjoy technological thrillers with a splash of dystopian fantasy, then these are the books for you! 3/5 Stars.

**Disclosure: Ixeos Rebellion was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review (I downloaded Ixeos for free on Amazon awhile back). No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***

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Ixeos

The McClellands are enjoying a lazy summer vacation at the beach when they are lured from our world into Ixeos, an alternate Earth. Finding themselves lost in a maze of tunnels under Paris and surrounded by strangers, they discover that they have been brought to Ixeos for one purpose: to take the planet back from humanoid aliens who have claimed it. With the aid of the tunnels and a mysterious man named Landon, the teens travel the world seeking the key that will allow them to free Darian, the long-imprisoned rebel leader. But the aliens aren't the only problem on Ixeos -- the McClellands have to deal with brutal gangs, desperate junkies, and a world without power, where all the technology is owned by the aliens, and where most of the population has been killed or enslaved. The worst part? There's no way home.

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Author Jennings Wright Born and raised in Florida, Jennings spent her early years reading anything she could get her hands on, when she wasn't spending time in and on the water. She won a prize in the 6th grade for her science fiction stories. Jennings attended the University of Tampa, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and almost enough credits for B.A.s in both English and History. She attended graduate school at the University of West Florida, studying Psychology. She spent time over the years doing various kinds of business writing, editing, and teaching writing, but mostly having and raising her family, homeschooling her children, owning and running a business with her husband, and starting a non-profit. Thanks to a crazy idea called NaNoWriMo Jennings got back into creative writing in 2011 and hasn't stopped since. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, also a business owner and writer, and two children, and travels extensively with her family, and her non-profit in Uganda.

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  Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 7/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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