susanvoss18

Now, this book was a lot of fun. It is my first Gena Showalter book and I really enjoyed getting inside Mia’s head. Her past isn’t too dark, but definitely has grey spots, especially concerning her dead brother Dash and her distant father who turned abusive after loosing his son. She’s been reliant on herself for a long time and it shows in her work and snarky attitude. She holds her own in a male dominated career. I kind of had mixed feelings about that element of the story: Even in the future, men still dominate police business and women have to use attitude and occasionally a well-placed elbow to hold their own. While it sets up a fun and well-known dynamic, I had a little trouble believing us ladies hadn’t evened the battle of the sexes by the time the aliens found Earth.

So, back to the goodness. Men turn up dead and an alien is suspected. Leela is arrested and detained, though she is difficult to subdue with her strong telepathic abilities. Nevertheless, Mia manages it, barely. However, as more info comes forth, Mia becomes convinced that Leela, while not telling everything she knows, is not the center of the crime spree. Leela’s brother, an Arcadian who is quite nice to look at, wants his sister released. He offers Mia a trade: His healing blood for her injured partner Dallas in exchange for his sister’s freedom. Obviously, Mia can’t go for such a trade. Hence, a combative dynamic is set up between the two – they are both physically fit, emotionally damaged, and in need of a good lay. Yes, we’re talking about the romantic element here folks. I loved the sexual tension that gave a tantalizing undercurrent to the murder plot for the first 2/3 of the book. I won’t give away the ending to this subplot, but let me say the initial combative nature between these two was the best.

I really enjoyed how everyone had a past in this urban scifi (yes, I just made that term up). Mia has her issues with family. Kyrin and his entire race have a population issue on the homeworld. Then there are all the guys from AIR that I am looking forward to seeing what Showalter does with them: Kitty, Ghost, her boss Jackson, partner Dallas. The cool tech was interspersed along the plot, built into the furniture and weapons and transportation. While we really only spent time with one alien race, we heard little snippets of others. The world building for the series is off to a good start. While I would like to see more female characters, a bit more tech, and some related cover art, Awaken Me Darkly was still a fun read.

Justine Eyre, the narrator, was a perfect fit for Mia Snow. She gave the character a sensual yet no-nonsense voice. I could totally see Eyre in kick-ass boots while narrating this book, channeling Mia Snow. My one negative criticism is that sometimes the male voices were not distinct and I had to pay extra attention to figure out which male character was talking.