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heabooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
So, I have very mixed feelings about DEAL WITH THE DEVIL and that hurts because this was one of my most anticipated new releases of 2020. I'm a big fan of science fiction romance, especially post-apocalyptic or dystopian so from the description this was checking all my boxes. And when it comes to world building and setting I was thrilled. I really liked the world that Kit Rocha created and while the cover and marketing made me think it would be grittier I have no complaints when it comes to the setting. I would have loved to explore more of Atlanta and dig deeper into the way things have changed, so I look forward to this in future books.
I also really enjoyed the characters and liked their mix of badass and dangerous, but also a little soft-hearted. While Nina and Knox are our love interests and theoretically the main characters, there were times where the other team members upstaged them and it felt more like everyone was a main character. This isn't necessarily a complaint because we still get plenty of Nina and Knox but the story isn't really about just them.
So what were my problems? First, while I liked the setting and the characters I never felt that extra thing that grabs my attention and keeps me sucked into the story. I even read another book in-between chapters of this one because I just wasn't that attached to the story. I also expected a lot more librarian-ness considering the name of the series, the description, and the way this was being marketed. We're told that Nina, Dani, and Maya are information brokers and they smuggle, print, and sell books to earn some money. But it's kind of dropped for the rest of the book and this was a disappointment. It felt more like these women were just soldiers who happened to like books rather than librarians who could kick ass.
But my biggest problem is centered on the reveal of the villain and the events that occur afterward. I don't want to give too much away but when we realize who is blackmailing Knox and the Silver Devils it kind of ruins everything that's happened up to that point and for me the book really falls apart in the last 40%. Knox, Nina, and their teams have been traveling, supposedly to look for the Rogue Library of Congress servers but they're really moving closer and closer to the ambush Knox has agreed to in order to get back their kidnapped contact, Luna. However, I can't figure out why Knox's team was hired for this job because they weren't needed at all and there doesn't seem to be any reasoning behind why our villain set up their attack this way. I get why they were after Nina but not why they didn't just do the job themselves. Because of this it felt like that entire plot line was just a convenient way to create betrayal between Knox and Nina instead of an actual meaningful plot point.
Then comes the aftermath which really frustrated me. Both Knox and the villain do the wrong thing but their intentions and reasons are completely different. Knox is trying to save his kidnapped hacker who the Silver Devils need because she can fix their tech enhancement and prevent them from dying an incredibly painful death. The villain is mad at Nina and just wants to hurt her so they kidnap Luna, blackmail Knox into giving up the last of his humanity by sacrificing Nina for Luna and even makes Nina and Knox fight each other to see which team will be allowed to leave alive. Knox made bad decisions because he was trying to save his only family (of course by giving up Nina and I'm not excusing that) and he's plagued by guilt for the entire book about that decision. But the villain made bad decisions because they're cruel and wanted to hurt Nina and get back at her. And yet Nina forgives the villain for "reasons" but she can't bear to be around Knox anymore. And to be clear, I'm fine with her needing to sort out her feelings toward Knox and work through that but the fact that she forgives the villain immediately even though the villain shows no remorse for what they did was beyond annoying.
With all of that being said, I do plan to give the next book in the series a try because I am intrigued and I can see the potential even if it wasn't there for me with this one.
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
Content Warning: References to abuse and torture in the histories of several characters
I also really enjoyed the characters and liked their mix of badass and dangerous, but also a little soft-hearted. While Nina and Knox are our love interests and theoretically the main characters, there were times where the other team members upstaged them and it felt more like everyone was a main character. This isn't necessarily a complaint because we still get plenty of Nina and Knox but the story isn't really about just them.
So what were my problems? First, while I liked the setting and the characters I never felt that extra thing that grabs my attention and keeps me sucked into the story. I even read another book in-between chapters of this one because I just wasn't that attached to the story. I also expected a lot more librarian-ness considering the name of the series, the description, and the way this was being marketed. We're told that Nina, Dani, and Maya are information brokers and they smuggle, print, and sell books to earn some money. But it's kind of dropped for the rest of the book and this was a disappointment. It felt more like these women were just soldiers who happened to like books rather than librarians who could kick ass.
But my biggest problem is centered on the reveal of the villain and the events that occur afterward. I don't want to give too much away but when we realize who is blackmailing Knox and the Silver Devils it kind of ruins everything that's happened up to that point and for me the book really falls apart in the last 40%. Knox, Nina, and their teams have been traveling, supposedly to look for the Rogue Library of Congress servers but they're really moving closer and closer to the ambush Knox has agreed to in order to get back their kidnapped contact, Luna. However, I can't figure out why Knox's team was hired for this job because they weren't needed at all and there doesn't seem to be any reasoning behind why our villain set up their attack this way. I get why they were after Nina but not why they didn't just do the job themselves. Because of this it felt like that entire plot line was just a convenient way to create betrayal between Knox and Nina instead of an actual meaningful plot point.
Then comes the aftermath which really frustrated me. Both Knox and the villain do the wrong thing but their intentions and reasons are completely different. Knox is trying to save his kidnapped hacker who the Silver Devils need because she can fix their tech enhancement and prevent them from dying an incredibly painful death. The villain is mad at Nina and just wants to hurt her so they kidnap Luna, blackmail Knox into giving up the last of his humanity by sacrificing Nina for Luna and even makes Nina and Knox fight each other to see which team will be allowed to leave alive. Knox made bad decisions because he was trying to save his only family (of course by giving up Nina and I'm not excusing that) and he's plagued by guilt for the entire book about that decision. But the villain made bad decisions because they're cruel and wanted to hurt Nina and get back at her. And yet Nina forgives the villain for "reasons" but she can't bear to be around Knox anymore. And to be clear, I'm fine with her needing to sort out her feelings toward Knox and work through that but the fact that she forgives the villain immediately even though the villain shows no remorse for what they did was beyond annoying.
With all of that being said, I do plan to give the next book in the series a try because I am intrigued and I can see the potential even if it wasn't there for me with this one.
**ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review**
Content Warning: References to abuse and torture in the histories of several characters
podanotherjessi's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I was tempted to put this book down very early because it felt very cliche "ooh, look at this hot bad A woman in a tight tank top during the apocalypse" at the beginning. But I trust Rocha, so I pushed through that feeling, and I'm glad I did. The world building was really cool, and I want to learn more. The characters are really fun. It's a bit predictable, but that's a comfort sometimes. Overall, a fun time, and I look forward to continuing the series!
xx_jade_xx's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This slapped and I will now be reading everything by Kit Rocha.
attackrat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I have mixed feelings. There was a lot of good writing in this book, but there was also a lot of nonsense and things that didn’t make sense. The overall plot / big baddie was sort of disappointing and rushed, and honestly I didn’t like Knox or think he had any chemistry at all with Nina. But I love most of the characters!! The other pairings were lovely and I loved the other women but I unfortunately was stuck hearing about Knox for most of the time. And he is just boring :(
But there were moments in this book that sincerely moved me.Maya’s panic attack and her whole thing with Gray? Chef’s KISS. Knox’s voice coming through the comm while he’s comforting the hostage woman and being a lifeline to Nina after she was just hurt… good stuff. There is good character writing but the other parts just didn’t feel that real to me.
But there were moments in this book that sincerely moved me.
yourfairygodmother's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I want more library!
I loved the characters and rooted for them in a big way. I’ll listen to the next one and look for more Kit Rocha
I loved the characters and rooted for them in a big way. I’ll listen to the next one and look for more Kit Rocha
wa_reader's review against another edition
The action started out strong, and I love a capable kiss-arse heroine.
However I'm still not in the mood for post-apocalyptic Earth sci-fi following Covid. Had a crack, but just couldn't do it. Probably doesn't help that I tend to live in places where cyclones, floods & storm damage have cut road & rail transport lines (to the entire state/western 40% of Australia) causing food shortages, black-outs, and water restrictions regularly enough over the past few years. So I read the map & descriptions of access to water/food/power a bit too closely. Some of the details were way too simplistic and got me thinking about the sheer effort involved around water/food and I gave up on the book/series. For now.
Will try again in a few years time. Maybe after I've installed solar power & a back-up water tank to my suburban house.
Ebook via Libby
However I'm still not in the mood for post-apocalyptic Earth sci-fi following Covid. Had a crack, but just couldn't do it. Probably doesn't help that I tend to live in places where cyclones, floods & storm damage have cut road & rail transport lines (to the entire state/western 40% of Australia) causing food shortages, black-outs, and water restrictions regularly enough over the past few years. So I read the map & descriptions of access to water/food/power a bit too closely. Some of the details were way too simplistic and got me thinking about the sheer effort involved around water/food and I gave up on the book/series. For now.
Will try again in a few years time. Maybe after I've installed solar power & a back-up water tank to my suburban house.
Ebook via Libby
shawniebooks's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this futuristic apocalyse world! I plan to read more Kit Rocha now.
katyanaish's review against another edition
5.0
This book has been chilling on my TBR for a long time. Every time I glanced at it, was was like ... mmm, maybe next time. Probably because I just don't generally do dystopian / post-apocalyptic stuff, and wasn't sure I had the emotional bandwidth for it right now.
Well, I needn't have worried. There's stress - from the blurb, you know we're looking at a betrayal plot - but it isn't overwrought and the teams bond so fast that you quickly can't imagine them going through with it. So then it's just a matter of enjoying the ride as it all plays out.
I liked it a lot. I liked the interaction between the teams. I liked that the women were just as badass as the guys (Dina is a hoot, she's such a psycho). It was a bit of a grumpy/sunshine trope, in that Nina infects Knox with her optimism. Nina has been through some horrible shit, but she has not let it turn her into a bitter shell of herself - she's determined to do right, be a protector. And she's found a ride-or-die team that gets shit done. They're seriously inspiring, but not in a Pollyanna way. And Knox's team as well ... they HAVE been beaten down by what they've been through, and they're just looking for a way out. Until Nina and her team reminds them of the guys they were when they joined the military because they wanted to help, before they realized what corrupt horseshit it all was.
It's PNR-style, in that we're dealing with enhanced people - either cybernetic enhancements, or genetic ones - that have super-abilities. And each book is featuring a different couple coming together. That's not my favorite, either, because I prefer the detailed arc and more natural unfolding of a relationship. There's a part of me that always scoffs a bit about 1-book romance plots where the couples are in undying love with each other 4 days after meeting. But that's what I signed up for with this series, and I'm not going to hold it against the book. It was a good story, a fun ride, and fabulous characters. I'll be reading book 2 right away.
Well, I needn't have worried. There's stress - from the blurb, you know we're looking at a betrayal plot - but it isn't overwrought and the teams bond so fast that you quickly can't imagine them going through with it. So then it's just a matter of enjoying the ride as it all plays out.
I liked it a lot. I liked the interaction between the teams. I liked that the women were just as badass as the guys (Dina is a hoot, she's such a psycho). It was a bit of a grumpy/sunshine trope, in that Nina infects Knox with her optimism. Nina has been through some horrible shit, but she has not let it turn her into a bitter shell of herself - she's determined to do right, be a protector. And she's found a ride-or-die team that gets shit done. They're seriously inspiring, but not in a Pollyanna way. And Knox's team as well ... they HAVE been beaten down by what they've been through, and they're just looking for a way out. Until Nina and her team reminds them of the guys they were when they joined the military because they wanted to help, before they realized what corrupt horseshit it all was.
It's PNR-style, in that we're dealing with enhanced people - either cybernetic enhancements, or genetic ones - that have super-abilities. And each book is featuring a different couple coming together. That's not my favorite, either, because I prefer the detailed arc and more natural unfolding of a relationship. There's a part of me that always scoffs a bit about 1-book romance plots where the couples are in undying love with each other 4 days after meeting. But that's what I signed up for with this series, and I'm not going to hold it against the book. It was a good story, a fun ride, and fabulous characters. I'll be reading book 2 right away.
saintburns's review
5.0
I honestly cannot wait for this to be the next big post apocalyptic tv show or movie. This was a delightful story about a group of people doing their best to save the world the best way they knew how, with books. The fight scenes were extremely well done and the sense of rising tension as they were running out of time made it feel like things were moving a thousand miles a minute. I can’t wait to read the rest of these stories and will definitely be recommending this to everyone.