Title: Quanta (The Shadow Ravens #2)
Author: Lola Dodge
Publication Details: October 13th 2015 by Ink Monster, LLC
Cover: Art: Ana Cruz; Graphics: Paddy Donnelly
Cover: Art: Ana Cruz; Graphics: Paddy Donnelly
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian, New Adult
Copy: eARC through NetGalley
Just because Quanta can see the future doesn’t mean she can change it. She’s spent most of her life imprisoned, feeding her captors information to keep herself alive, but she’s finally reached the endgame and her death creeps closer by the moment.
The son of two senators, Altair Orpheus leads a life of privilege that provides the perfect cover for his side job: working with the rebel Shadow Ravens to undermine the ruling Seligo government. Everything is running like clockwork until he crosses paths with Quanta. As he watches her deftly maneuver through life in a perverse prison, his plastic heart melts. A jailbreak would be suicide, but Tair is willing to sacrifice everything to give her a chance at happiness.
Now Quanta senses a terrifying new future brewing. She and Tair are bound together, but every image of them kissing, snuggling, and acting knee-weakeningly happy is balanced by a much darker possibility. They’ll be picture perfect together, but only until time rips them apart. How can she follow her heart when she’s seen how their love plays out?
The son of two senators, Altair Orpheus leads a life of privilege that provides the perfect cover for his side job: working with the rebel Shadow Ravens to undermine the ruling Seligo government. Everything is running like clockwork until he crosses paths with Quanta. As he watches her deftly maneuver through life in a perverse prison, his plastic heart melts. A jailbreak would be suicide, but Tair is willing to sacrifice everything to give her a chance at happiness.
Now Quanta senses a terrifying new future brewing. She and Tair are bound together, but every image of them kissing, snuggling, and acting knee-weakeningly happy is balanced by a much darker possibility. They’ll be picture perfect together, but only until time rips them apart. How can she follow her heart when she’s seen how their love plays out?
I read the first book in The Shadow Raven series, Cipher (review here), about a year ago. I remembered liking that one, so when a review opportunity came, I immediately grabbed it.
Plot/World-Building
A short yet gripping and fast-paced read. Quanta is a companion novel following another Red Helix who is a clairvoyant. Despite the narrowness of the setting, as it's mostly located in the laboratory, I was still able to enjoy the book. I especially liked the time-looping element smartly laced into the story. I did not find it dragging and boring. Instead, I found myself looking forward to what will happen to Quanta and Altair.
I think this is my first read about a clairvoyant character, so I find the theme refreshing. Some parts got a bit weird for me, but still acceptable (? Haha!).
There was an insta-love between the 2 characters (as there is with Cipher). And usually, I don't like that trope. HOWEVER, one plot thread in the Shadow Raven series justified it. The technology is quite hard to believe, but as long as there's an explanation, I'm okay with it. Haha!
Characters
The major characters are okay. I did not see anything amazing or extremely unique about them but they are fun to read and get to know. I was able to feel the right "feelings" for each of them and I was able to relate to them easily.
Among the secondary characters, I liked Cass, Altair's sister. And I think it would be nice to read her story too. Her bio is included below. :)
Writing
I liked the writing style of the author. Written in an alternating, first person POV, the writing style made the characters more relatable.
Despite the seemingly complicated theme, I was able to follow and understand the story. The flow of events is smooth, and no too technical words for my nose to bleed. Haha!
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Overall, Quanta is an enjoyable, action-packed read. More than the entertainment, Quanta is about individuality and making decisions for oneself and for others. I definitely recommend this book and the Shadow Raven series. And I can't wait to read the third book! :)
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Want to know more of Quanta and Altair? Read on for their bios.
Name: Quanta
Hair: Long, black (usually tangled)
Eyes: Gray
Helix Color: Red (unstable)
Family: Unknown
Likes: Sweets, drawing (mostly with charcoal), VR games, elephants
Dislikes: The Seligo, captivity, Darren Waldman
Bio: Quanta was an experiment gone wrong (or right?). She was kidnapped from a lab at birth and raised by Lady Eva and the rebel Shadow Ravens, but she was too valuable to be left alone for long. At ten, she was captured again, and she’s lived the past ten years in captivity. Her unstable DNA gives her the power to see the past and the future. That alone would make her insanely powerful, but her abilities are still evolving… And the Seligo are trying to dig the information out of her any way they can.
Reference Photo: Kiko Mizuhara
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| The author actually took the time to morph the actors. Kudos to that! |
Name: Altair Orpheus (Tair)
Hair: Dark
Eyes: Brown/gold
Helix Color: Green (science)
Family: Parents Rashad and Mei-Lin Orpheus. Sister Cassiopeia Orpheus.
Likes: Independence
Dislikes: The Seligo, mindless parties, being betrayed
Bio: Altair is elite in every sense of the word. His parents (both senators) basically picked his traits from a catalog and he was trained from birth to be exceptional. He was on the path to fulfilling his promise when an accident changed his point of view. Now he works for the rebel Shadow Ravens, using his research and family connections to dig deeper into the inner circles of government research.
Reference Photo: David Henney + Will Demps
Bonus side character!
Name: Cassiopeia OrpheusHair: Dark curls
Eyes: Violet
Helix color: None
Family: Parents Rashad and Mei-Lin Orpheus. Brother Altair Orpheus.
Likes: Programming, energy drinks, pizza, trapping idiots in VR room escape games
Dislikes: Helixes, sunlight, her parents
Bio: Cassie is tech genius who’s never fit into the system. She designs games and VR helmets, and spends as much time as possible locked in her workroom. Although she’s not so oblivious that she hasn’t noticed her brother, Tair, acting suspicious. He’s definitely up to something.
Reference Photo: Liya Kebede
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Lola is a compulsive traveler, baker, and procrastinator. She earned her BA in English from Stonehill College and MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University—and hasn’t stopped moving since. When she’s not on the road, Lola spends her time indoors where the sunlight can’t melt her, writing or bingeing on anime and cherry soda. She can be summoned in a ritual involving curry, Hello Kitty idols, and a solid chocolate pentagram.
