Scarlet (Dead World, Book 2)

I must admit, I had the original book 'Red' for at least three months after I bought it. It just sat on my book shelf collecting dust. Eventually, I got around to reading it and when I did I could not believe it took me as long as it did to read it. It was so well written that I was capable of reading it in less than five hours(non stop). When I completed the novel, ran to my PC in order to buy the next installment. Unfortunately, it had not released and I had to settle with preordering the second book 'Scarlet'. When 'Scarlet' arrived, I read it right away and I LOVED IT! This installment in the Dead World series was much darker than its predecessor. First, the main characters did spend very much time united in this book. Without spoiling the plot, they get seperated due to surprising circumstances. Second, this story goes into more depth of not only the main character's lives but the supporting characters as well. Lastly, the circumstances that plague the characters are troublesome enough to engross the reader in the plot until the very end. I noticed only two main issues that bothered me. The initial problem was the stupidity of MORGAN'S character. His actions in this book was best described as foolish and lacking in acknowledging other's intellegent advice. I will again not go into detail, but he made mistake after mistake bent on some impulse to fulfil a part of the past. This ended up causing Red much distress, which on occasion Morgan blindly refused to acknowledge much less assist with. But I can say it did allow for the advancement of the plot. The second issue that was noticed was the length of the novel. This novel seemed very short to me but it could have just been the fact that I did not want it to end. All in all, I loved the novel and praise the author for her ability to write not only a superb first novel, but to continue the excellence on to the second installment. I cannot wait for the third novel 'Crimson' to release!

I thought this one lost something since the last. Gina wasn't as strong a character as she was portrayed in the first book, Red. In this installment, Morgan feels he has to leave to save the memory of his long dead wife and child. Gina is left in charge of the town, but the town-folks are not taking her being in charge very well. They seem to believe she has ran off their beloved sheriff/alpha. Things go from bad to worse when a dead body shows up and fingers point to Gina. I did like the new and interesting characters introduced in this one, but I wished they had a bigger, better part to play in the story. The story traveled from Gina, to Morgan, to the local vampire (sorry, I'm having trouble remembering his name). Overall, I still enjoyed the novel regardless of its drop in characterization and I will read the next one.

I enjoyed the first book so much that I knew the second would be just as good and I was not disappointed. Jordan Summers has a way of making you feel as though you are actually there. You feel the characters as if they are well known to you on a personal basis. I can't wait for the final book.

Plot Summary: Red has left her job with the International Police Tactical Team, and she's living in the small border town where her lover, Morgan Hunter, is the sheriff. Red's acceptance in town has been evaporating since she can't shape-shift to wolf on command, and when Morgan leaves town, Red's tenuous hold is threatened by several crimes that all point toward her guilt. What Red and Morgan don't realize is that their nemesis, Roark Montgomery is pulling all the strings and setting a trap that will ruin their lives and wipe out all of the Others. This is turning into a unique paranormal romance series, and I'm really digging it. I was impressed with the intro book, "Red," and author Jordan Summers is keeping it dark, gritty, and desperate in this follow up. This is one of the few PNR series that follows the same couple from book to book, and I wonder why more authors don't try this tactic. The relationship between Red and Morgan is put through a meat grinder here, and the only reason I care is because I watched them fall in love in book one. My emotional investment is now reaping some serious interest. The post-apocalyptic Earth setting is solid, and I have no problems visualizing the barren deserts, the fried ozone, and the technologies that keep people alive. I wish Summers would show the Others using more of their freaky powers, but they seldom shape-shift, and mores the pity. On the other hand, I have zero regrets regarding the sex scenes, and since this is a paranormal romance (and not urban fantasy), I'm glad that my high expectations for some steamy bedroom action are satisfied. I appreciate Summer's technique of leaving loose ends rather than dropping her readers off a cliff at the end of each book. There's sufficient incentive to follow the series without leaving me with that icky feeling that I'll never see a final resolution. She closes each book in a way that keeps me happy, but wanting to know more. I wish more authors could handle their series with the same kind of grace. The third novel, "Crimson," will come out November 3, 2009, and frankly I'm curious to see how many books Summers can keep naming with this red color theme. I like it, but how many colors are left? Magenta? Vermilion? Puce? It may lose some of its cache with the choices that are left.

The war left much of the globe in dangerous chaos and many areas became deserts by 2010. During the hostilities scientists genetically engineered the Others; species with super or para normal skills like vampires, shifters and special elite Captain America soldiers. In the twenty-second century, on a mission sanctioned by her grandfather to Nuria, Arizona , super soldier Gina "Red" Santiago learns she is a werewolf (see RED) and remains in the town where she has fallen in love with the Sheriff alpha werewolf Morgan Hunter. He worries about Red as her survival will depend more on her learning to shift when awake than on him. A commercial advertises buying clones as a wife, prostitute, child or slave labor. Morgan is shook because the clones in the ad are that of his dead family; he leaves town to find and destroy his late family's cells. Immediately after he departs, someone commits murder; the townsfolk believe Red killed him. Another newcomer inflicts injuries on himself and accuses Gina of beating him up. A vigilante mob demands justice while an enemy from before whom she defeated manipulates behind the scenes emotions of the townsfolk; the goal is the death of Red, who faces everyone alone again, naturally. The super SCARLET contains two strong subplots; that of Morgan seeking a needle in a deadly haystack and Red under a lethal threat from a nasty villain. The two segments merge into a strong post apocalyptic science fiction thriller that can be summed up by the heroes' understanding that Others have to hide in plain sight as politicians play the genetics card like they used to use race in the twentieth century; especially one ruthless individual with ambitions to rule the world. The story line is filled with action while the lead couple and "Others" insure the decimated earth with paranormal and super species seem genuine. Harriet Klausner