Generation 18

Sam is not finding it easy being Gabriel’s partner – because he’s determined to drive her away with grunt work and side lining her from anything resembling a real case. She’s toughing it out, but she isn’t happy

But even he can’t keep her in the background when two series of murders come to light – both of them involving high level and highly secretive military experimentation; their former victims, their former test subjects and their former scientists are all definitely being targeted. But by who and what remains unknown…

Who is doing the killing, what secrets are being hidden – and how much does this relate to Sam’s own mysterious beginnings?

I’m not a big fan of one of the central conflicts in the book. Gabriel show more has had two previous partners, one of which he was romantically involved with. Because of the whole “these things come in threes” thing, Gabriel has decided he never ever wants another partner and resents having Sam forced on him. For added conflict he is very attracted to her (which is more of a conflict than a much better one – that Sam and him are actually very effective together) which means he’s even more convinced that there will be DOOM in the future. She responds to his constant rejection by… trying to seduce him. The whole thing just feels really convoluted and forced because there’s some unknown need to force some kind of relationship conflict in there (and it is CONFLICT, it couldn’t be them both falling for each other, there has to be this highly dubious reasons why it simply cannot be) and it makes me want to find the biggest book of professional ethics in the world and throw it at them.

Especially since this book does not need extra complexity because this book is full! The main plot has 2 or 3 entirely different investigations all twined together in immense complexity – we have the murder of scientists, the murder of test subjects, we have secret nefarious projects with Penumbra and Generation 18 and new unknown monsters and a vast and complicated conspiracy with a squillion and one different characters with different involvements. It’s a glorious conspiracy, it’s a magnificent conspiracy with so many names that it’s hard to keep track of and schemes within schemes and you don’t know who needs protecting or who needs killing or exactly what is happening and there are red herrings and twists and it’s wonderful and complex and I got completely lost. Completely and utterly lost. And it was excellent – I loved it. Did I often not know what was happening? Did the many people confuse me? Did the plots twist in and out that I had trouble unravelling? Yes to all – and it worked because it should be like this. It should be confusing, we’re dealing with an epic and secret conspiracy that has last decades and involved some incredibly nefarious abuses of power and people – and it is firmly connected to the great uber-mystery of the series – just who and what is Samantha.

But there is another element which fell flatter for me. The whole mystery of who and what Sam is, the unknown answers to her missing memory and all that is fascinating. I love her slow realisation she isn’t human, developing powers she shouldn’t have that defy everything they know – that’s excellent. Less so is her seeming hostility to learning answers mixed with eagerness for them. I can see why that would be, I can see how she would be conflicted, curious yet afraid of what she might learn – but it isn’t really conveyed that well. Still, the worst part of the whole discovering herself storyline is mysterious guy who drops in every now and then to say mysterious things and then runs off again. I hate this trope I really do, a mysterious figure drooping in to leave actual knowledge before disappearing would be annoying and feel slightly like a convoluted way of pushing the plot forward. But a mysterious figure who shows up and only throws around cryptic puzzles before leaving? Aaargh, I’d be tempted to carry something heavy so I can bludgeon him on sight the next time he appears.

Read More show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

GENERATION 18 is the middle book in the Spook Squad series and it valiantly escapes the classic second book syndrome of not living up to the expectations of the previous book and being a dull set up to the expected major events of the third and last book. Its exciting, fun, and attention grabbing with mysteries wrapped around yet more mystery. There is a frentic pacing to GENERATION 18 considering Sam’s supposed connection to the victims and her mysterious origins. Sam is in a constant search for answers to just who she is and as she moves closer to the answer, three more come up.

While I would say a book leans more towards one genre or another this one solidly treads the line between urban show more fantasy and science fiction with shifters and other magically abled people alongside secret government projects messing around with human genes creating super powered people. The intriguing mysteries of some truly horrid murders and just who and what Sam is are what keeps the plot rolling. I mainly kept reading this book just to figure out what the mystery of Sam’s past is and about all of the secret government projects that seem to keep popping up in this story.

Sam is a very strong character and I liked her determination and will to keep going forward even when she hits a roadblock. Her relationship with Gabriel is an odd one. I can’t really figure it out. I think they work well together but I just don’t see them getting together as love interests which I assume will occur in the next book as Sam seems determined for it to happen. With GENERATION 18 there are mysteries to untwist, bad guys to fight, and brilliant new powers to discover. This story is a wonderfully exciting build up to the last book in this trilogy, PENUMBRA. show less

A strong sequel to Memory Zero, Sam is still struggling with her identity, and how it ties in with a series of brutal murders linked to Hopeworth, a secretive military base. Gabe also wants answers but is torn between protecting Sam and his duties to the federation. As with Memory Zero there is plenty of action, grisly murders and intruiging mysteries. The tension between Sam and Gabriel grows as Gabriel continues to deny his attraction to Sam in an effort to protect her and himself.I raced through this novel, caught up in the relationships and interested in the answers.

The middle book or a trilogy, and doesn't it show!

Gabriel is trying to freeze Sam out, and whilst his reasons make sense and are explored, we all know it's a waste of time which makes it rather annoying.

They learn more about the military experiments that gave birth to Sam and they're starting to acquire hints about what she might be (although they're distressing dim for cops about putting the pieces together).

Despite these moans it's fast, engaging and most of the time it's fun. It could be better, but it's not a waste of time either.

Number 2 in Australian author Keri Arthur's ‘Spook Squad’ series. Former policewoman Sam Ryan is now an agent working for the Spook Squad. She must discover the link between a serial killer that is striking every twelve hours and a vampire-like Kite monster that seemingly murders at random. Investigations lead to the Hopeworth military base and a cover-up that involves Sam and the past she cannot remember. Are the murders of red-headed adoptees like herself connected to her past? What about the increase in her paranormal talents and the strange man Joshua who haunts her dreams? Sam’s shape-shifter partner Gabriel Stern doesn’t want her in danger, but when his life is on the line Sam must do all she can to save him and uncover show more more about Hopeworth’s genetic experiments known as Generation 18 and Penumbra. Interesting, but a quick read. show less

Gabriel's constant denial and blocking of any attempts to form a relationship is really annoying. I liked the story otherwise.

S'ok, innit?