"You grow to love all the wacky personalities included in the cast of characters."

Embattled

Written by Darlene Jones

Genre: Science Fiction

Book Synopsis

A seemingly ordinary woman is transformed in to the Miracle Madame, a superhuman entity who travels the globe with the sole purpose of stopping war. The Madame, or Em in casual conversation, is, however, just a pawn in the plans of the Guardians and their deputy, a Drone named Yves. He guides her and protects her while hiding his forbidden love for her making for an engaging adventure story with just a touch of romance.

Eva's Rating

Eva's Review

A fascinating and original novel by Darlene Jones, EMBATTLED, wraps the reader in its tendrils the within in the first few chapters. Watching Em transform into the Miracle Madam is a wonderful journey and I'm sure that many readers can empathize with Yves' plight. Not only is the plot engaging, the supporting characters are a wonderful addition as well! You grow to love all the wacky personalities included in the cast of characters, even the prickly Mentor.

Nothing, however is perfect. There were a number of gramatical errors that interrupted the flow of the story. I also found issue with the dual narration. Part of the stort is told in the first person from the point of view of Yves and part is told in third person from the perspective of Em, either as her normal self the Miracle Madam. While this would normally be fine, and the execution of both is fantastic, there is no transition between the two and the two sides are by no means equally represented, making the story very disjointed.

Overall, I'll most likely go on to read the sequel, EMPOWERED if only just to tie up loose ends. Chances are, I won't reread EMBATTLED but I'm sure that it would certainly appeal to more hardcore modern-fantasy/sci-fi fans. I'd recommend this book to those looking for an alternative higher power or just a wonderful adventure story.

Just as a side note, I'd also like to offer special props to author Darlene Jones who writes fantastic fight scenes. They were realistic, engaging and entrancing!

Disclaimer: May not be appropriate for children due to language. There are also allusions to sex although there's nothing graphic.