Tag: Esper Files

Esper Files: The Sky Cult (Esper Files: Book 2) by Egan Brass

On By JolieIn book review3 Comments

Esper Files 2: The Sky Cult (A Steampunk Superhero Series) by [Brass, Egan]

Title: The Sky Cult

Author: Egan Brass

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: January 25th, 2017

Genre: Steampunk, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Number of pages: 183

POV: 3rd person

Series: Esper Files

Esper Files – Book 1 (review here)

The Sky Cult – Book 2

Can be read out-of-order from series: No

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

After the events of the first book, Freya has joined the Institute – an organization created to help Espers control their powers, and she thought she’d finally found peace.

That is until Anti-Esper weapons find their way into the hands of The Coalition, a radical group who is determined to kill anyone with powers.
At the same time, the Sky Cult has arisen, claiming that Espers have the right to rule over lowly humans.
The timing couldn’t be worse, as all of this happens three days before Esper Day, the first holiday designed to show that humans and Espers can coexist.

Now Nathan, Freya and the team have to fight both organizations in a race against time before one of the radical groups tips the scales and plunge the entire world into their own version of Armageddon.

My review:

The Sky Cult was a fast-paced, excellent second book to the Esper Files. Picking up shortly after The Esper Files ended, the book starts off with a bang and there are two new villains introduced. Jupiter, who can control thunder and lightning, and Lichtmann who can burn people with his touch and exudes a golden light (he also thinks he’s an angel). Jupiter is the leader of the Sky Cult and he believes that the Espers should rule over the non Espers. Lichtmann’s agenda is to protect Jupiter……as long as Jupiter is in the good graces of the mysterious Hades.

Freya is still my favorite character in this series. She is a typical teenager, except she can wield ice like Elsa in Frozen (sorry, I had to put it in there). And her mouth, oh boy, I was laughing in some parts. But, she was also someone you didn’t want to mess with. When the Institute gets attacked by the Anti-Esper Coalition, she was there defending it from the Coalition with her ice powers.

Nathan was still as suave as he was in the first book. He was also still absorbing other Esper’s powers. That is something he does by touch. I will say that he did get plenty of action in this book. The poor guy was injured more often than naught….well until he absorbed Red Cap’s powers.

The main storyline of the book was great. I loved that there was so much action and the steampunk elements (Hello….airships, RAILGUNS!!!!!!) were absolutely great. If it seems like I am going on a little overboard with the praise it’s because I can count on one hand how many good steampunk books I have read and truly enjoyed. This series is one of them.

The secondary characters of this book made it. I cannot wait to see if the Phantom Thief, Red Cap (who cracked me up while reading because while he was so evil, his one-liners that had me rolling) and more of the Espers from the Institute will be featured.

I loved the climax of the book. I was not expecting what happened to happen. It threw me for a loop. I also liked the explanation about why Nathan couldn’t absorb Jupiter’s powers. It made so much sense. Well, at least it made sense to me.

While the Coalition storyline was somewhat wrapped up and the storyline about the weapons that can cripple the Espers was definitely wrapped up (want to know what that is?? Read that book), another storyline opened up. I am very curious about what is going to happen with it and if we will ever find out who the mysterious Hades is. I also want to know how Nathan fits into this whole insane thing.

The end of the book was different and it raised more questions than it answered. Which is makes me want to read the next book.

How many stars will I give The Sky Cult: 4

Why: A strong second book that I couldn’t put down. It was full of action and humor, as well as mystery, and I loved it. Plus, it was steampunk and I love, love, love steampunk!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Young Teen

Why: Mild violence

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Esper Files (Esper Files: Book 1) by Egan Brass

On By JolieIn ARC, book review, Inkitt4 Comments
Esper Files

4 Stars

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of Publication: October 26th, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal

Series: Esper Files

Esper Files – Book 1

Esper Files: The Sky Cult – Book 2 (expected publication date: January 25th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

When an experiment goes wrong in Victorian London, Espers, people with supernatural abilities are created. In order to counter this new potential threat, the Institute is set up to teach Espers how to use their abilities for good and how to hunt down those who want to use their powers for evil.

Gifted with a formidable but self-destructive ability, Nathan is one of the Institute’s top agents. When the evil Baron executes his plan to control the minds of London’s political leaders, peace is dependent on Nathan and his team.

Will he learn to control his powers in time to save the world? Or will he succumb to their self-destructive nature?

My review:

I was so excited when I realized that this was another steampunk novel. I must have missed it in the blurb.

This book is fascinating. It starts with the Professor giving a demonstration on Electro-Magnetic energy at The Oxford Academy of Science to a crowd of people, including some influential Lords. Unfortunately, there was an accident involving a storm that blew up the lab, which was called the Great Storm. But not only the lab was destroyed in the Great Storm. Something was released, and it began to affect 20% of the Earth’s population with paranormal powers and natures. That was the day that the Espers were created.

Fast forward 30 years into the future, and Nathan and James, who are Espers, are introduced. They are about to jump off an airship and use James’s power of teleportation (he can teleport anywhere he has seen once) to the Bank of England, where there is a robbery occurring. After a bloody and fire-filled fight (one of the rogue Espers could control fire), they end up back at the Institute with the rogue Esper, who was robbing the bank.

While Nathan is being healed that it is disclosed that he has a rare paranormal ability. Just by touching another Esper, he gets their abilities and the emotions associated with them. It is while interrogating Firebrand (the rogue Esper), they find out that there is a diabolical plan being set into action by a mysterious Esper named The Baron. The first plan was to rob the Bank of England for a mind-control device. The second plan is to kidnap a 9-year-old Esper called The Siren. The reason the boy is called The Siren is that he has a voice that can hypnotize people, and The Baron needs him for his diabolical plan.

That’s when Freya is introduced. She is The Siren’s (aka Cyrus) older sister and his protector. Freya is also an Esper, but she has repressed her powers until the night that a trio of blood-drinking Espers brutally murders her adoptive mother and father. After that, her brother is kidnapped by The Baron’s assassin.

Freya is rescued from the ice block she made of her house and neighborhood by Nathan and brought back to the Institute. There she is told about the plan to use Cyrus for a nefarious reason. That is when she decides to take action.

I felt terrible for Freya at first, but then she got on my nerves. She didn’t listen and found herself in some pretty dangerous situations while not knowing how to use her powers. I said to my Kindle, “Just listen to Nathan, you silly girl” during the last battle.

I liked Nathan, but I couldn’t imagine the toll his power had on him. What I liked, even more, was that he used Tai Chi to ground himself and to keep his emotions in check after gaining a new power. Plus, he was able to use it in battle at the end of the book when his powers wouldn’t have been able to help him, and I liked that. He was also a sarcastic, cheeky son of a gun, and his mouth did get him in trouble (and made me laugh).

Not going to go into the story from there but man, it was full of action and evil people doing evil things. There is one scene of an Esper taking over another Esper’s mind that freaked me out. Also, The Baron at the end of the book was downright spooky.

Not going to go into the story from there but man, it was full of action and evil people doing evil things. There is one scene of an Esper taking over another Esper’s mind that freaked me out. Also, The Baron at the end of the book was downright spooky.

There wasn’t a happy ending with this book. Some storylines were wrapped up, others were left open, and new ones were started. It paved the way for a second book, which I can’t wait to read

.

I would give Esper Files an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Esper Files. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**