Silver Shark (Kinsmen, #2)

Sep 16, 2011 An Abundance of Books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reviews

Featured at An Abundance of Books

Silver Shark was just the little bit of fun and entertainment that I needed to start my weekend with. The world building was well done and the book was not overly technical. The bionet concept was quickly and clearly explained. The parts of the story that took place in the bionic were almost like a dream sequence but with definite ground rules. I know some readers dislike dream sequences, but bionet interactions were limited and shouldn't prevent these readers fr...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 17, 2011 Sarah (LuigiGirlNZ) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved it!

I'm awful at giving reviews but here goes:

The Kinsmen world is fascinating and I love learning more about it. Ilona & Gordon write such absorbing worlds and characters. I look forward to any more pieces they give us regarding the Kinsmen.

The story is rich and absorbing with the reader being drawn in and held captive until the very end of the book.

I loved Claire from the very beginning. She came across as a very strong and independant woman. Ven....I mean WOW! If only I could find...more

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 14, 2011 Jen (Red Hot Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, sci-fi-romance

Claire has lived her entire life surrounded by war. She was forced into military service at 14; her psychic gifts, powerful enough to kill. But now, the war is over and those very same abilities have turned her into a target. Such a powerful Kinsman could never be kept alive. So Claire must hide her skills and appear as a normal person in order survive.

She is forced from the bleak, war-torn world and becomes a refugee on a new planet. There, she goes to work for Venturo Escana, a Kinsman whose p...more Claire has lived her entire life surrounded by war. She was forced into military service at 14; her psychic gifts, powerful enough to kill. But now, the war is over and those very same abilities have turned her into a target. Such a powerful Kinsman could never be kept alive. So Claire must hide her skills and appear as a normal person in order survive.

She is forced from the bleak, war-torn world and becomes a refugee on a new planet. There, she goes to work for Venturo Escana, a Kinsman whose power rivals her own. He doesn't know who she really is, but... like calls to like. There is an undeniable connection between the two of them. The feelings are as alien to Claire as the beauty of her new home. But despite the happiness she finds in Ven's company, she lives in constant fear of discovery. If anyone figures out her secret, she'll lose everything she has worked so hard to build.

I really, really enjoyed this novella. Ilona Andrews is pretty awesome at world-building. Part of what makes it so good is the seamless way it's incorporated into story. The characters are three-dimensional and engaging. And I never feel compelled to skim over the narrative. (That's a mighty big compliment too, because it's an urge I am forever having to fight. Too many authors fill up chunks of space describing every detail from the wallpaper to the shape of the sconces on the wall. Andrews sticks to describing only what truly adds to experience of the story.)

The tension Claire feels is palpable; the danger is real. The pull between her and Ven is fantastic. And omigod, the payoff is so hot.

So why am I not giving it 5 stars? I felt like there should have been more, especially toward the end. As hot as the sex was, I would have liked to have seen a little more of the relationship work out on-page after the truth came out. And I felt cheated out of the action referenced in the Epilogue. I wanted a full length book, dammit. The potential is there. I hope Andrews revisits this world again in the future. 4 1/2 stars.

*ARC Provided by author for review.(less)

like 5 likes · see review

Dec 04, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: futuristic-romance, sci-fi-romance, favorites, friendable

Hot off the press e-short Silver Shark (Kinsmen Series) by Ilona Andrews is set in the same world as the husband and wife author duo's Silent Blade. The seemingly oddly named Silver Shark is a rare beast, scifi romance but it's not so techy that it won't appeal to romance readers (especially paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance readers like me - after all we are accustomed to leads with psychic powers.)

I really loved Silver Shark, the heroine is a refugee and former psychic warrior who...more

like 1 like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: Silver Shark is a book which I got to read thanks to the authors’ benevolence. I had no idea as to what it entailed or even much about the blurb. All I knew that it had elements of SF as well as romance.

The story opens up in the middle of a war, there's the planet of Uley wherein two corporations have been fighting a war since the last sixty-eight years. Claire Shannon is a mentally trained warrior called psycher. She leads a team of traine...more
Full Review originally at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: Silver Shark is a book which I got to read thanks to the authors’ benevolence. I had no idea as to what it entailed or even much about the blurb. All I knew that it had elements of SF as well as romance.

The story opens up in the middle of a war, there's the planet of Uley wherein two corporations have been fighting a war since the last sixty-eight years. Claire Shannon is a mentally trained warrior called psycher. She leads a team of trained psychers into battle on a daily basis. Things however turn bad for her corporation and she gets deported to the planet of Rada wherein she finds a totally different civilization. They are the same people however their outlook towards life and general attitudes makes them almost seem alien.

Claire soon finds a job as a non-psycher as to be discovered otherwise means deportation to Uley and certain death. She finds employment in Venturo Escano’s company however finds that she is turning into a different person on this new planet. Thus begins the plot which will have Claire fight with her emotions as well showcase her iron will and determination which has seen her survive the Uleyian purge and perhaps conquer her heart’s desire after all.

While I have no idea about what kind of story this would be, I was certain in my mind that it would be worth my time solely because it was written by Ilona Andrews. The talented duo has shot up within my reading ranks since the past year and if I get a new book from them, it rapidly jumps to the top of my reading queue. This book shares certain characteristics with the Kate Daniels series namely it has a very strong heroine who’s fun to read about, the world building is also intriguing and while its not unique, it does have its own flavor.

The biggest plus point for this story was its narrative energy, from page one the reader gets rapidly introduced to Claire’s world and its from there on we are shown all her struggles and the plot twists, never once even losing any of its energy or becoming dull. The action in this book is top notch and while the novella structure robs the story of its full fledged potential, it does give out a tightly wound story which gives the reader no respite and demands for the reader to turn the page and know what happens next.

This book is a kind of a sequel to the novella Silent Blade which was set on the same world but featured different characters. Both those characters make an appearance and readers of the previous book will get a nice peek into their lives. For those of us (like me) who haven’t read Silent Blade, this does not become a problem as the characters appearance and presence is smoothly explained in the story and is vital from a plot point as well series continuity. Lastly there’s also the romance aspect to the story which I must say is nicely wrapped in the SF trappings of the story and for readers who like me don’t really care for romance tinged stories, this hardly becomes an issue as the authors have given us a very character driven story and this just makes it an enticing read. This novella seems almost set to be translated to the big screen and if this should ever happen I would be first in line to see it.

Now for a couple of foibles about the story, the world building is nicely done and is a bit dystopian as well, however readers will have to take certain things with a pinch of salt as certain plot happenings have a bit of loophole-ish quality to them however in the overall scheme of things don’t cause much of an issue. The biggest quibble could be the ending as the authors leave the stage set and then give out a coda about what happened while this again can be explained by the novella structure, certain readers would have definitely loved to read the happenings. The authors have even commented on this aspect saying that their editor Anne Sowards would have almost certainly never let them get away with such a thing.

CONCLUSION: I thoroughly enjoyed this story because of its quick pace, plot twists and good characterization. Ilona Andrews have given a quality story which will be enjoyed by readers who have or haven’t read their previous work. Dive in if you would like to read a terrific story about a woman whose life is turned upside down and has to re-learn how to live life all over again to get what she wants. Highly recommended for fans of Paranormal Romance books as well as for fans of Ilona Andrews.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Quinky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a really nice novella. It's kind of similar to Ghost in the Shell and Nalini's Psy-Changeling series. Don't ask me who came up with the idea first though because for all I know there's an ancient sci-fi dude who wrote something similar decades ago. The idea is, what if you have unlimited access to your mind and others? Think of your mind (or brain etc.) as a computer and each of us is connected through a vast tangible internet connection (called the bionet in Ilona's case). I love the co...more

like · see review

May 19, 2012 Lou rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-112-challenge, ebook, novella, romance, sci-fi, sffr

Just like the previous book in this series, the characters and setting pulled me in straight away. It's relatively short, so it didn't waste time on getting everything established, but nothing felt rushed either. It was nice to briefly visit the hero and heroine of the previous book, which set this book as occurring about 11 or 12 years after their story.

Claire and Ven were great, and I loved their interactions. Claire's fear of discovery was palpable throughout, but she never let that get in th...more

like · see review

Dec 04, 2011 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

I purchased book 1 of the disillusionist trilogy meaning to get started on it. I was a few chapters in, but I started to drift off and do other things, like check my favorite author's site. As I clicked on a few random links, I found myself at the Silver Shark page. I love urban fantasy, but I can't quite get into sci-fi ish books, and this had the feel of one. I'm bored and decide to read the first two chapters she has up anyway. By the end of the excerpt, I'm hooked. I immediately purchase the...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2011 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second novella in the Kinsmen series by husband and wife writing team Ilona Andrews. This was another fast-paced science fiction story laced with romance. I really enjoyed reading it. I didn't like it quite as much as the first Kinsmen novel, Silent Blade, but it was still a great read.

Claire Shannon is a psycher, she's been trained to wage war with her mind. When the decades long war on her home planet ends Claire is deported and forced to hide her psychic abilities to survive. She...more

like · see review

Oct 16, 2011 Madame X rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vip-hero, novella, sci-fi, romance-ends-with-hea-or-hfn

The worst thing I can say about SILVER SHARK is that I wish it had been longer. I'm not big on novellas in general, and when an author I love like Ilona Andrews tosses great ideas into short fiction like this, I feel a little pained or sad...it could be such a great novel!...but I guess I shouldn't complain about getting more from Andrews, who publishes two books a year as it is.

A novella, sort of by definition, just doesn't have all the twists and turns of a full-length book. I felt like the (...more

like 3 likes · see review

Oct 05, 2011 Brie C. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

I first heard of this series a couple of weeks ago when book 2, Silver Shark, was released. Since I’m a huge fan of the On the Edge series I decided to read these novellas because they looked promising and most importantly, short.

These are sci-fi stories set in a distant future were different planets have been colonized and where the most influential people have several enhancements that can be either mechanical or psychic, which gives them the upper...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

I first heard of this series a couple of weeks ago when book 2, Silver Shark, was released. Since I’m a huge fan of the On the Edge series I decided to read these novellas because they looked promising and most importantly, short.

These are sci-fi stories set in a distant future were different planets have been colonized and where the most influential people have several enhancements that can be either mechanical or psychic, which gives them the upper hand when it comes to the world the live in thus making them the political and economic force. They are called Kinsmen and they are quite the tight group. Family is everything to them and they marry other Kinsmen in order to make them stronger in a political world where genes and family ties are everything.

As much as I loved Silent Blade, I was blown away by Silver Shark. This takes the world-building one step further by showing us a completely different planet, which gives us better understanding of the incredible potential this world has. We now get to see a different culture and dynamics.

When the story begins the reader finds himself in Uley, a planet devastated by more than three hundred years of war. Claire is a soldier and a psycher, a strong psychic ability that allows her to control and read minds. Suddenly Claire’s faction loses the war and she must take cover because her abilities make her a target. So she takes her late mother’s identity and is sent to the planet Rada (the same planet where Silent Blade takes place) as a refugee. The refugees must adapt and so they are forced to look for jobs, Claire ends up becoming the personal assistant to Venturo Escana, one of Rada’s most powerful psychers and also entrepreneurs. But she needs to hide her abilities from him because if the authorities find out about her she will be deported back to Uley and murdered.

This novella was more about the world, and seeing it through Claire’s eyes than about the love story, in fact, there’s a bit of sexual tension between them but nothing really happens until the very end, although when it does you will see that all that waiting pays off.

Just like in the previous story, the characters were compelling a likeable. I think Claire was a fascinating character. Everything about this world is new to her, the colors, the people, the culture, the food, and she needs to adapt while feeling overwhelmed by everything. She comes from a place where everything was dull and grey and people weren’t even allowed to smile. And now she is in a planet where everything, from the scenery to the people, is exuberant and passionate, even to the point of violence.

The love story takes some time developing, but I didn’t miss it, first because everything else that’s going on keeps you riveted, and second because when the romance finally comes, it does it with a vengeance. So here you have a bit of everything, danger, intrigue, politics, sex and love. What else could you want? If you don’t feel like reading both stories you should at least consider reading this one, to me it was almost perfect and I can’t understand why this wasn’t written as a full-length novel, hopefully we won’t have to wait as long to get the next installment.(less)

like · see review

Sep 29, 2011 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this novella, and hope the authors continue with the series. It's science fiction with the romance on the side which will please fans of both genres. The characters are well developed, interesting and the plot is compelling, fast paced and suspenseful. I love that most of the story takes place in the Province of Dahlia and dahlias are used in the landscaping. Dahlias are a bright, cheerful flower that I've always loved, and for me it was a cool way to visualize the fashions and...more

like · see review

Sep 22, 2011 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-author, for-review

Any of you that have been following my reviews for a while know that I love books from the Author duo that is Ilona Andrews. Let me tell you now that Silver Shark is no exception. And before you say “Oh, but it’s the second in the series, I can’t read it before I read the first.” let me set you at ease. Silver Shark easily stands on its own.Even if you’re not a big sci-fi fan there is still a big chance you will enjoy Silver Shark. I was immediately enveloped into this rich world that continuous...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, science-fiction, kindle, read-in-1-sitting

This is at 3.5 stars for me. I really enjoyed the Kinsmen world it was set in, as always with Ilona Andrews' work, the worldbuilding is just awesome. There was previously another short novel in this world, but I liked this one better. I think because the main character, Claire, is an outsider discovering this beautiful and dangerous world. She is also a strong, competent woman. The romance in this book was a little sparse for me, but still satisfying. I am coming to realize that although I am a...more

like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 Amy A rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a great quick read from Ilona Andrews. It takes place in the same world as the short story Silent Blade. The characters from Silent Blade make a quick appearance. Silver Shark tells the story of psychers, people who can kill with their minds. Not just kill, really, they can read thought and emotions, and communicate through their minds. This is a very sci-fi story from Andrews. Their Kate Daniels series (whicI love) is more Urban Fantasy.

Claire is transported off of her home planet aft...more

like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Marcela (BookaholicCat) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 ½ Stars

This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com

Silver Shark is book two in the Kinsmen series by Ilona Andrews. (What happened to me that I didn’t know about this series *headdesk*)

At fourteen years old Claire Shannon was recruited by the Brodwyn Corp. to joint their army in their fight for the planet Uley against the Melko Corp. After many years of battling, the war comes to an end with Brodwin as the loser.
Claire is a very powerful psycher, she has the ability to telepat...more 4 ½ Stars

This review is also published at http://thebookaholiccat.com

Silver Shark is book two in the Kinsmen series by Ilona Andrews. (What happened to me that I didn’t know about this series *headdesk*)

At fourteen years old Claire Shannon was recruited by the Brodwyn Corp. to joint their army in their fight for the planet Uley against the Melko Corp. After many years of battling, the war comes to an end with Brodwin as the loser.
Claire is a very powerful psycher, she has the ability to telepathically attack the minds of others. She knows if she is discovered by Melko because of her status in the war and her military rank she will be “eliminated”, that is why she tightens her mental shields and pretends to be somebody else, a normal woman. As all the other members of Brodwin she is deported; Claire is sent to the planet of Rada.
At her arrival to Rada she is given some job referrals and is assigned an apartment; she is also informed that she will have three months probation in the planet, during this time she would need to find a job and she cannot get in any trouble, if she fails to comply with any of those, she will be deported back to Uley where she will be executed.
Claire finds a job at Guardian Corp. as Venturo Escana’s assistant. Venturo Escana is the owner of Guardian and also a psycher as powerful as her. Because of her mental shields he doesn’t know what Claire really is or what she is capable of, but without a doubt there is an immediate connection between them.
Compare to Uley Rada is a paradise; Claire is content in her new job and with her boss, she is settling down, but her secret is gnawing at her, she wants to be able to trust somebody, especially Venturo but trusting anyone is a risk too big to take, being discovered by the authorities could mean her death.

I really liked Claire, she felt real to me; her fears and emotions were genuine and never over exaggerated. Her discoveries of new and simple things as flowers or fruits were innocent and pure.
Ven is one of those males with a very strong presence; he is not just yummylicious, he is smart, kind and caring too.
Even though I wanted to see their relationship being a bit more developed I can say that their feelings and the attraction they felt for each other were believable and hot!

My final thought: As with all Ilona Andrews’ books the world building inSilver Shark is top notch, very innovative and beautiful. The narrative is fluid and nice paced. The characters are truly likeable and interesting. The only complaint I have, if I can call it a complaint is that it was a bit short, just 96 pages, I really would have loved if I could have seen a bit more into Claire and Ven’s relationship after they got together, just couple of more pages to tide the story a little bit better.
Silver Shark is a great and fun read, a book I recommend to anyone who would want a quick, fun, sexy and well-written story.
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 14, 2011 Jessie Mihalik rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own-kindle

Generally, I prefer fantasy to science fiction, even if it is romantic SF, but I'll try anything written by Ilona Andrews. Ilona and Gordon (the writing duo behind "Ilona Andrews") have an amazing talent for world-building, one of the best I've read, and that talent was on full display in Silver Shark. The world was richly detailed and totally believable, even with all of the added SF aspects.

I loved the main character Claire and found her likeable and easy to relate to. I got emotionally involv...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 14, 2011 Kindle-aholic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, romance, novellas

Between 4 & 5 stars for this sci fi romance novella. It's set in the same world as Silent Blade, but you don't have to read one to understand the other. It was a treat getting an update on Meli and Celino, though.

Ilona Andrews referred to this one as a Billionaire and His Secretary romance, except that the secretary can kill you with her mind. This is my kind of romance.

For the sci fi fan, there are biologically enhanced psychic warriors (called psychers), bionet computers that psychers jack...more

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 18, 2011 Lauren rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: short-story, sci-fi, kindle-lendable

I always love Ilona Andrews but I only just picked up the Kinsmen series/short stories. I didn't love the first books main chracters but Claire and Venturo were a little more enjoyable.

Claire fled her home planet after the war finally ended and she found herself on the losing side about to be terminated by her own people. She secretly a Grade A psycher with a powerful mind. She hides her abilities so well that when she lands in her new home she's hired as a "null", someone with no psycher abilit...more I always love Ilona Andrews but I only just picked up the Kinsmen series/short stories. I didn't love the first books main chracters but Claire and Venturo were a little more enjoyable.

Claire fled her home planet after the war finally ended and she found herself on the losing side about to be terminated by her own people. She secretly a Grade A psycher with a powerful mind. She hides her abilities so well that when she lands in her new home she's hired as a "null", someone with no psycher ability whatsoever. This makes her the perfect secretary for Venturo, a powerful Grade A psycher who runs his own company. Psychers work almost as anti-virus programs for computer programs, only these powerful computer programs are biologic, allowing a human mind to run through them. As a null Claire's quiet mind is peaceful for other psychers. Of course in reality Claire's mind is hidden behind her shields and shouldering a burden.

My complaint in the first books was the "assassin" was more like a house wife - baking and cooking and having sex with her man, without much else. Claire is not that character at all which is an improvement. She hides as a "secretary" but she makes decisions that Venturo respects and he takes her on as back-up.

Spoiler time starts!
Claire gets called on by people from her old world and finally some action - noteably lacking in the first book. The bio-computers are cool, with the idea of human minds plugging into a world within the computer. She goes into the world to save the boys, and predictably (yeah!) runs into Venturo, who is protecting that world like the world's coolest anti-virus. She impresses him and Venturo becomes obsessed with finding the powerful mystery woman. Claire has been crushing on Venturo for a while so watching him try to find her and knowing she can't reveal herself without risking death builds toward the climax. Finally Claire is forced to reveal herself to once again save her old world "family". Cue the necessary romance book storm off and "oh no! he'll never love me now moment!", followed by everything coming together for the harmonious conclusion.

Venturois enjoyable - he's a powerful man but he treats his secretary with respect. Claire is a little blah at times but she's got a good excuse with her background and we get to see her cool abilities and explore the Kinsmen world a lot more enjoyably than book 1.

The finish of the book SPOILER was hysterically fun. You have to love families!(less)

like · see review

Sep 17, 2011 Honour rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: science fiction, romance, urban fantasy

Recommended to Honour by: Ilona Andrews blog

Shelves: reviewed-by-moi, suits-my-tastes-perfectly, so-very-close-to-favourite

4.85/5 (one must be very clear about these things) =D

I'll begin by the worst fault of the book - the absolutely heinous, most maddening, unpardonable of all its flaws - it's too short.

The premise is set beautifully. The first 25% of my ebook takes me from a war torn world, where existence is a punishment to be endured in service of a cause beyond your understanding and with loyalty to an unfeeling corporation trapped in an unending battle began and run by greed, to a planet where every colour is...more

like 4 likes · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-type-e-book, genre-science-fiction, genre-romance, review-blog

Its not a secret I have read, enjoyed and recc'ed the Andrews Duo's books countless times. So its not hard to imagine my happy delight when I got a chance to read their newest novella "Silver Shark" ahead of time. This is set in the same universe as their futuristic romance "Silent Blade" published by Samhain a couple years back. The two stories can be read independent of each other, though "Silent Blade" is set in New Delphi and it wouldn't hurt to have read it since it explores a different tra...more Its not a secret I have read, enjoyed and recc'ed the Andrews Duo's books countless times. So its not hard to imagine my happy delight when I got a chance to read their newest novella "Silver Shark" ahead of time. This is set in the same universe as their futuristic romance "Silent Blade" published by Samhain a couple years back. The two stories can be read independent of each other, though "Silent Blade" is set in New Delphi and it wouldn't hurt to have read it since it explores a different track in the world ("Silent Blade" was all assassins and kinsmen battles, "Silver Shark" is more about the trained psychers). Also "Silver Shark" has a field day with science fiction-y stuff.

In a word: riveting. The world that Andrews built in "Silent Blade" is let loose and has a freedom to play. The novella begins at Uley, a world torn between two fractions building their military might to wage a three centuries and plus war against each other for planet and cause no longer viable. The story then moves to Rada, which is where "Silent Blade" takes place, and the stark differences between the two worlds is more than a little problematic for Claire who was raised to believe that attention to oneself is the worst possible situation.

The situation, at least as its presented to Claire upon arrival on Rada as a refugee, isn't strictly fair and it was a little convenient that her first job interview went so smoothly. This was more or less my one complaint with Claire--not that she's too good or too powerful, but that happenstance favors her a lot. Within her first day on Rada she lands herself an enviable job, with a boss she's attracted to (on multiple levels) in a job that comes easy to her with a firm that specializes in what she was trained to do for years. When a personal debt threatens the life she was building, that doesn't so much faze her as give her some hiccups and momentary panics.

This deeper look into the world of the psychers, as the psychic-powered bionet users are known as, was mesmerizing. I said in the "Silver Blade" review that the kinsmen set-up is nothing so much as Mafialand--I stand by that. The bionet evolves and changes for each user in response to their own perceptions--for one it might be a jungle filled with jungle animals and dangers, for another its an ocean with sharks and coral reefs. Claire's Bionet 101 about halfway through was more telling then showing, but within the confines of the mission it made sense.

"Silver Shark" focuses less on the romance angle (much of it reserved for the latter third) and more on the world/characters. We learn more about the kinsmen and their oddly archaic system of dealing with things (duels!), but also how it affects the civilians. The matter of fact way the Immigration Officer let Claire know that savage fights in the streets are pretty standard between kinsmen and she should basically just hide in a corner until its over with had me smiling a bit.

A regret I have though is I wish there had been more time for Venturo and Claire to play around in the bionet together. A confrontation that must have been pretty spectacular is briefly mentioned at the very end and I have to admit it was fun reading about how Claire outwitted folks. If anyone deserved to be able to swagger about because she's that good its Claire. A little too good at points; she makes a big deal about the different tests they use to find Psychers, but she manages to pass them all, rather easily. Its excused as part of her training--from a very young age she was taught discipline and control, but it couldn't have been mentally or physically healthy for her to constantly keep such tight shielding or to crack it occasionally.

The Andrews have made science fiction accessible to those who are wary of the science-babble, even with "Silver Shark" (which is more scifi focused then "Silent Blade") there wasn't a time when I had to step back and try to figure out what they were trying to explain with all the jargon. I'm crossing my virtual fingers that there will be more tales in the Kinsmen universe. (less)

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Linzi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

I very nearly gave this 4 stars and to be fair it only deserves 4.5 for the truly lousy ending - but it was too good to give 4 to - so ...
OK I loved this - great new world, fab characters - wonderfully written, all absolutely awesome. Highly recommend it. I bought it myself - for my Kindle about 15 seconds after the UK pricing was released (I'm a fan of their stuff and I loved the free snippet on Ilona's blog a few days ago)

However I was REALLY disappointed with the end.
I realise this was a shor...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Chachic rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, best-of-2011, galley

Originally posted here.

Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews is a romantic science fiction story set in the same world as Silent Blade. I gobble up everything written by Ilona and Gordon, the power couple behind the pseudonym Ilona Andrews. I'm so glad they decided to revisit this world because I thoroughly enjoyed reading Silent Blade and I even reread it a few weeks ago. I've been wanting to read Silver Shark ever since Ilona first posted snippets on their blog. So when she offered review copies on Tw...more Originally posted here.

Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews is a romantic science fiction story set in the same world as Silent Blade. I gobble up everything written by Ilona and Gordon, the power couple behind the pseudonym Ilona Andrews. I'm so glad they decided to revisit this world because I thoroughly enjoyed reading Silent Blade and I even reread it a few weeks ago. I've been wanting to read Silver Shark ever since Ilona first posted snippets on their blog. So when she offered review copies on Twitter, I jumped at the chance to read this. In this futuristic setting, kinsmen with enhanced biological abilities are the most influential people and they're grouped by family similar to the mafia. I loved the Hispanic/Italian heritage evident in this world. Kinsmen who can read minds and are mentally capable of attacking other people are called psychers. Claire Shannon is a psycher living in a planet colony torn by war that has been going on since before she was born. She's been trained to fight for something that she doesn't believe in and that has made her weary. When the war ends, she's forced to pretend to have no special skills to live as a civilian on a new planet. She ends up as an admin assistant for Venturo Escana, a powerful psycher and the head of a company that provides cybersecurity.

I'm constantly surprised at how much worldbuilding can be packed in such a short story. I think it was a great idea to write the story from Claire's point of view because we get to see Silent Blade's setting through the eyes of a foreigner and I feel like that added depth to my perception of the world. It was easy to fall into the lush and vibrant setting in this novella because there weren't that many technical ideas to complicate the story. That's one of the reasons why I'm not such a big fan of sci-fi, I usually don't want to get bogged down with stuff that I don't understand. No need to worry about that in this one! Plus, I always enjoy romance in my fiction and Silver Shark is based on the Billionaire and His Secretary trope. Kinsmen are ruthless people but because this is a romantic story, we get to see Claire and Ven's softer side and that's something that I was able to appreciate. Sparks fly the moment the two of them meet but there was enough time for the romance to fully develop. There's mutual admiration between the two main characters based on their working relationship. I also liked that the authors continue to build into the world that they created because psychers weren't even mentioned in Silent Blade and look how fascinating their abilities are.

Silver Shark occurs a few years after Silent Blade and both Meli and Celino appear in this story (loved that scene, by the way) but both novellas can stand well on their own. I was really excited to read this and it lived up to my expectations. I would gladly read anything else set in this world. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Ilona and Gordon would continue the series because these novellas are satisfying reads and they tide me over until their next book is released. More please? Highly recommended for Ilona Andrews fans or anyone looking for a romantic read, I promise the sci-fi elements are easy to understand even for non-sci fi readers. I keep meaning to read more books like this ever since I discovered Silent Blade so if you have recommendations, feel free to list them in the comments section.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Feb 11, 2013 Ayumi Sakuragi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: must-read

So this is my first time reviewing so here goes. I decided to check this book out when I saw this book being talked about on twitter. I regret nothing. A light read that kept me on the edge from beginning to end. There wasn't too much technical information which is good since too much is sometimes overwhelming. The only problem I had with this book (view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, arc

What I Loved
Characters
Claire: I love Claire's character type, kick-ass, strong both physically and mentally. Claire is a survivor, she can and will do whatever it takes to live (she doesn't sacrifice anyone for her survival though). Ilona and Gordan create some of my favorite character, actually all of their characters both the good and the bad guys I absolutely love.
Venturo: Another sexy male character to love. He is the golden boy, but he is also a kind person as well with good moral ethics t...more

like · see review

Sep 17, 2011 Estara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Estara by: auto-buy author - and there were excerpts on the site already ^^ - same world as Silent Blade!

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2011

I loved revisiting the Kinsmen universe - although I still wouldn't mind reading more about the daily life of the couple in Silent Blade. I guess we won't get that as there was a visit to see them and their family in this book and they are happily retired.

I think I can justifiably say "as always" the Andrews team have created likeable characters within a world that is illuminated with various details - the biggest introduction here is the bionet - and a plot that is propelled by the characters'...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 29, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at ashleychristiano.wordpress.com

Blast through the pages of Silver Shark, a sci-fi romance novella by Ilona Andrews. Super short. Super fast. Super sexy.

Claire Shannon is a Class A Psycher, which basically means she’s been trained since the age of 14 to kill people with her mind. She’s powerful. For her, killing takes but a thought: “She seared his mind. Death was instant. He didn’t have the time to scream.” But on Uley, a bleak planet with minimal natural resources, she’s just...more Originally posted at ashleychristiano.wordpress.com

Blast through the pages of Silver Shark, a sci-fi romance novella by Ilona Andrews. Super short. Super fast. Super sexy.

Claire Shannon is a Class A Psycher, which basically means she’s been trained since the age of 14 to kill people with her mind. She’s powerful. For her, killing takes but a thought: “She seared his mind. Death was instant. He didn’t have the time to scream.” But on Uley, a bleak planet with minimal natural resources, she’s just a pawn. Uley has been at war for nearly 70 years.

Until her side loses. She’s forced to leave the planet and go into hiding on Delphi as a drone, or somebody with absolutely no Psycher powers. She’s hired as a secretary by Venturo Escana, a powerful Psycher in charge of an up-an-coming Guardian business. The sexy, powerful, and rich businessman takes pity on Claire, and prizes her for what he calls “her quiet mind.”

So Claire goes about her new life on the colorful planet Delphi, diving into new experiences, tastes, and styles with excitment. She’s doing so much less with her talents, but so much more for herself. But things start to fall apart for Claire when she falls in love with Venturo.
Be prepared to zoom through this novella. It’s non-stop action, romance, and excellent writing. Plus, the characters are well developed, even in this short of a book.

Claire is a wonderfully complex woman. She had power on Uley, but she grew tired of using it for war. But having to completely hide that power when she arrives on Delphi means hiding an immense part of herself. She’s proud of her power, but knows that revealing it could get her killed. She struggles with the perceptions of her peers, especially Venturo’s perception of her lack of power. She’s a Class A Psycher hiding as a drone…which would basically be the equivalent Yo Yo Ma playing in a high school pepband. It’s hard for Claire not to stand out.

And Venturo is just as complex…and also hot. Venturo built up the Escana family name and business from small-time wealth to big-time power. But he’s not arrogant over his achievements. He’s humble and compassionate, he doesn’t brag about his Psycher power or extravagent wealth. And again…he’s hot.

Spend a day with Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews. You won’t regret it.(less)

like · see review

Sep 18, 2011 MandyM rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-romance, kindle-lendables

3.5 stars A Scifi romance novella from well known Urban Fantasy author Ilona Andrews. I believe this is self published. Silver Shark is set in the same universe as 2009 novella Silent Blade and the original couple do make a brief appearance. However it's not necessary to read Silent Blade first.

Clare was a psychic warrior able to invade biological computers and kill people with her mind. Now living as a refugee on a beautiful new planet she must hide her abilities every second of the day lest sh...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 21, 2011 Colette rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novella. I read book one (review to come) right before this one because my need to read series books in order wouldn't let me do otherwise, however, this book works well as a stand alone. The characters from the first book make an appearance in the book, but not so much that they overpower the storyline being told in this novella, and no knowledge of the first novella is needed to appreciate their appearance.

Claire was one of my favorite kind...more

like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Leontine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi-romance

From the moment I read the first page Ilona Andrews pulled me into a world which was fascinating to say the least. The prologue introduces you to the society structure and the different humans inhabiting the worlds of Uley and Rada. The first chapter leads me into a war torn Uley where I met Claire Shannon. By the end of the first chapter I followed Claire on a trip to a new planet as she was exiled.

The first chapter gives rapid information as I quickly tumbled from one moment in to the next. I...more From the moment I read the first page Ilona Andrews pulled me into a world which was fascinating to say the least. The prologue introduces you to the society structure and the different humans inhabiting the worlds of Uley and Rada. The first chapter leads me into a war torn Uley where I met Claire Shannon. By the end of the first chapter I followed Claire on a trip to a new planet as she was exiled.

The first chapter gives rapid information as I quickly tumbled from one moment in to the next. I got the notion of a war going on for too long in a bleak and dreary world and as I got in to that setting the war was ended with the flip of a page. I understood that the initial chapter was there to introduce Claire in her world yet I could've used a battle of some form to give me a sense they were defeated. However, from the moment Claire got deported I practically inhaled this story!

Claire Shannon is a skilled warrior, trained to use the bionet as a grade A psycher. She knows how to kill but not how to cook. She is focused, empathetic but also very lonely and the city of New Delphi engages many of her senses that weren't used to such a lascivious world. Sight, smells, emotions. Life is lived different in New Delphi but I loved to see the adaptability of Claire!

The first time Claire meets Venture Escana the air is electric with the zing of attraction. Even though the story focuses on Claire's journey the mannerisms of Venture signaled he wasn't ignoring Claire! He is the kind of intense character who breaths leadership. Potent virility combined with a commanding presence and a fierce intellect made this man instantly on the receiving end of my unwavering attention.

The romance might have a minor role in Silver Shark but the attraction between Venturo and Claire is all the more palpable. Together they have incredible verbal and nonverbal communication which warned me passion could explode of the pages at any time. There were secrets to uncovers, battle skills and prowess to match which made there beginning relationship very combustible.

Even though Silver Shark is a sci-fi romance it wasn't bogged down with unnecessary information but rather flowed with an imaginative writing that appealed to the imagination. It resulted in a swift pace where all the story elements were given in the right dose but it is the writing style of Ilona Adrews that gave all those elements more depth. Settings became more lush, emotions more intense, dialogues more lively. I was trying to read slow and absorb every nuance of the storytelling but somehow I still was going to fast!

Sample of the imaginative writing style

Directly in front of them the ground dropped down. Far, far below silvery waters of an ocean lay placid, tinted light pink and the yellow to the left, where a golden globe of the sun set, cushioned in soft clouds. Above the clouds, the cosmos spread, vast and glorious, with bright stars melting into the glow of nebulas and distant galaxies.
To the right, past the gulf of the ocean, another cliff rose, naked rock wall topped by a lush jungle. Twin rivers spilled from the cliff, wrapped in feathery mist. Between them the massive tree waited. The purple lanterns glowed, beckoning her.

In the span of 96 pdf pages I was given vivacious major and minor characters. The secrecy plot created personal havoc where I got two of the best scenes in this story. One scene was rife with grace, fortitude and strength in combat and the other scene was one of smoldering passion erupting in a fierce need. Both scenes were so vivid, so intense and brimming with the spirit of both main characters I could only want more. This is why the ending felt abrupt. I was so in to Claire and Venturo to a point I was ready to go with them wherever they needed to go. The bluntness of the ending however was lessened by the epilogue and I felt very satisfied. It wasn’t picture perfect but that would not have been believable in the time span of the story, so the author does get kudos from me for doing that!

Ilona Andrews could write many more novella's or even novels set in the Kinsmen universe. The ground work is all there setting up a vastly interesting world with fascinating characters! All that is left to say is: The worlds Ilona Adrews writes are the ones I love walking in to and explore!
(less)

like · see review

title link	preview: Silver Shark
avg rating	preview: Silver Shark Goodreads rating: 4.26 (1884 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12633879-silver-shark?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328316944l/12633879.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12633879-silver-shark?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews[/url]

Silver Shark (Kinsmen #2)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Ilona Andrews

Books by Ilona Andrews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Silver Shark