Ruthless

Debt Collector #8

by Susan Kaye Quinn

Urban Fantasy with a Cyberpunk Twist
***eighth episode of the nine-part serial***

What’s your life worth on the open market?
In this gritty urban fantasy, debt collectors take your life energy and give it to someone more “worthy”… all while paying the price with black marks on their souls.

Ruthless is approximately 14,000 words or 56 pages, and is the eighth of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial.

With Elena's help, Lirium attempts to slash into Candy's files to get evidence about the conspiracy to transfer out kids.

Contains mature content and themes.

OPTIONED FOR VIRTUAL REALITY BY IMMERSIVE ENTERTAINMENT
2014 Semi-Finalist in Science Fiction in the Kindle Book Awards

It is recommended that you start with the first season, but each season is a complete story for that debt collector and can serve as an entry point to the series. There are five planned seasons in the Debt Collector series, the first four each from the perspective of a different debt collector with the fifth season bringing all four together.

READING ORDER

Season One – Lirium - COMPLETE
Episodes 1-9: Delirium, Agony, Ecstasy, Broken, Driven, Fallen, Promise, Ruthless, Passion

Season Two – Wraith **available for pre-order** releases 12.15.14
Episodes 10-18: Wraith, Specter, Menace, Temptation, Shattered, Penance, Judgment, Corruption, Atonement

Genres: Cyberpunk, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

ebook

First published June 10, 2013

About the author

CLICK HERE for a FREE STORY

Susan Kaye Quinn has designed aircraft engines and researched global warming, but now she uses her PhD to invent cool stuff in books. Her works range from hopeful climate fiction to gritty cyberpunk. Sue believes being gentle and healing is radical and disruptive. Her short fiction can be found in Grist, Solarpunk Magazine, Reckoning, and all her novels and short stories can be found on her website. She is the host of the Bright Green Futures podcast.

SOLARPUNK
collections
Bright Green Futures: 2024 (edited by SKQ)
Halfway to Better

novels
Nothing is Promised series
When You Had Power
You Knew The Price
Of Kindness and Kilowatts
Yet You Cry When It Hurts

short stories
A Moon Goddess to Watch Over Me (Luna Station Quarterly) (hopepunk)
It's in the Blood (Reckoning 8)
Once and Future Kilowatts (Solarpunk Magazine)
Rewilding Indiana (Little Blue Marble)
Seven Sisters (Grist)
The Joy Fund (DreamForge Magazine)

SCI-FI
Singularity Novel Series
The Legacy Human
The Duality Bridge
The Illusory Prophet
The Last Mystic

Stories of Singularity
Restore
Containment
Augment
Awakening
Harvest
Defiance
Resistance

YA SF
Mindjack Series
Open Minds
Closed Hearts
Free Souls
Locked Tight
Cracked Open
Broken Wide
Mindjack Short Story Collection

WATCH the award-winning live-action Mindjack Book Trailer!

STEAMPUNK ROMANCE
Royals of Dharia
Third Daughter
Second Daughter
First Daughter

CYBERPUNK
Debt Collector
LIRIUM (Season One)
WRAITH (Season Two)

WATCH the Debt Collector Book Trailer

ANTHOLOGIES
Synchronic
Telepath Chronicles
AI Chronicles
Dark Beyond The Stars
Future Chronicles
Cyborg Chronicles
CLONES: The Anthology

MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY
Faery Swap

WATCH the Faery Swap Book Trailer

CONTACT SUSAN
Susan's Website | Sue on Bluesky | Sue on Mastodon
Susan's Email: sue@twistedspacepub.com

Reviews

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This episode is brilliant again. There is a lot we learn about the conspiracy and Elena. I liked the direction the story took, but there also are some sad parts. I really enjoyed this episode and finished it in one sitting. The last episode can't get released fast enough for me. The suspense is terrible, I so want to know how it all ends and on the other hand am sad that the next episode will be the last.

These last few months I really started to love this serial and these characters and I can't believe this season is almost over. Lirium is such a awesome character and I liked getting to know Elena more, she really is more than she seemd at first.

This episode gives some world building into how depth collectors developed (not sure that's the right word for it). I would love to get to know more about the first period that debt collectors started showing up and how the world reacted.

To conclude: another great episode and I can't wait to read the last episode. I love this serial and the characters and I hope there will be a happy ending.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously, Sue, again you leave me hanging? You better have one heck of a finisher for the 9th episode is all I can say!
What can I say about this series that I haven't already said? Not much
The one thing I did notice about this episode is that Lirium is really starting to break down. He's starting to act very human with emotions overflowing out of him. I love seeing the vulnerable side of him. It makes me like him even more. Makes me want him to have a happily ever after even more. I'm not sure where he is going to end up but I hope it is somewhere that puts my mind at ease.
Come on EPISODE 9!!!!!!

[Jessica Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, awesome, awesome. I am loving Lirium more and more every single episode. And I'm super excited with the way the plot is developing. Thank goodness I received Episode 9 yesterday. Already started reading it!

[Norm Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Kaye Quinn's Ruthless, Debt Collector 8 seems to be the set up for the conclusion of Debt Collector Season One. On Goodreads the blurb is:

"With Elena's help, Lirium attempts to slash into Candy's files to get evidence about the conspiracy to transfer our kids."

This is probably more information than I would normally want to divulge while trying to keep the review interesting and encouraging you or discouraging you to read it according to my recommendation.

I do recommend it. It would be meaningless not to recommend it if you have read this far into the season. You're very likely to finish the season as Lirium and those who have interacted with him remain interesting characters and Ms. Quinn has the plot on this season set to 78 RPM, for those who may recall what a vinyl record is.

Elena, a.k.a. "Apple Girl" has turned out to be one of the more interesting characters in this "season". She has been key in several of Lirium's "turning points" throughout the season, and in this book a good deal is revealed about her - similar to the info dump on Valac in "Driven, Debt Collector 5". Also, turns out Elena is a surprise a minute in this book.

I'm giving the book four stars and recommend it.

For any who remember Mr. Brodskey who had received a pay out in an earlier book, he makes a reappearance in this book and seems he has been won over the cause surrounding Madam Anastazja's multiple businesses. Mr. Brodskey's latest volunteer test subject is another factor our author, Ms. Quinn, uses to drive Lirium through the story like a thoroughbred racehorse.

[Veronica of V's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the penultimate episode of the Debt Collector serial, titled RUTHLESS, Lirium/Joe and Elena attempt to track the illegal collections from terminal children. With Lirium's brute force and Elena's tech genius they are able to crack into Candy's accounts and pinpoint the pattern of collection. Unfortunately, there's a new collection scheduled for the next day and Lirium must send out the alert before another life is terminated early.

At the end of the last episode, Lirium/Joe saved his mother from collection. And, that's great, at least until she decides her remaining days would be best spent in the pursuit of an experimental cure.

Joe is distraught, and wants to prevent Dr. Brodsky from testing his tissue-boosting technology on her, but he realizes it's not his choice to make. Knowing he can't postpone alerting the authorities to Candy's illegal tranfer activity, Joe asks his mother to wait until he returns before beginning the experiment. While his contact wants to help cease the transfers, nothing can be done without hard evidence of the transfers--and the only way to get that is for Joe to confront the rogue collector, Moloch, to save another young life.

The action is still high, and the romantic spark building between Joe and Elena seems ready to burn into flame...so huge hopes for the final episode in this excellent series.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, I read straight through the episode without stopping. I'm fascinated by the way Susan manages to further develop both the plot and Lirium's character with each episode. In this one, Lirium continues to mature, becoming both stronger and more vulnerable. His need to nurture and protect becomes more pronounced with each episode. His mother is no slouch, either - that lady has got some spine. While I think it's a good thing that Lirium realizes that he needs help, I found myself regarding his bean counter with some suspicion. We'll see if that works out.

This is the next to last episode, and there is a lot of complicated things in play. Either the last episode will be a longer one, or - just maybe - there is more story needed. These nine episodes are the total of series 1, and it's just now occurring to me that perhaps not all will be neatly resolved in episode 9. So I'm now eyeing Susan with suspicion, too. :)

[Monica Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the eighth installment in the Debt Collectors serial/season.

Lirium has found his mom, but she's sick and was scheduled to be transferred out. With help from Apple Girl, Elena, he's able to rescue her from the hospital and smuggle her out to Mistress A's. The problem is she's dying and there may be nothing he can do to save her.

While struggling to come to grips with the fact that he's going to lose his mother after just having found her again, he also has agreed to try and get the records of the illegal transferring out of children from his Psycho Officer, Candy Kane Thornton.

This episode is emotional and action packed. I love the science/background portion of it too. We get more of the details of how the transfers work and how the whole ability to transfer came about. It's very cool.

I can't express how much I'm enjoying this series and am a bit sad that I only have one episode left. I am really excited to see that there will be a second season!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

IS LIRUIM MAKING THINGS BETTER OR WORSE?
This episode of Debt Collector adds yet another couple of dimensions to the story. Can Lirium trust his bean counter or is he in on the scandal too? Is Lirium going to be able to stop the sick children from being transferred out? Is his mother going to live or die? A lot of loose threads to tie up with just one more episode to go! Also I almost forgot, will "Apple Girl " fall in love with Lirium or is she just using him too? It's getting more difficult to wait for the next part of the series. If anyone can clear all this up in one more book it is Susan Kaye Quinn, but will she? Can Lirium even trust his story teller? We will find out soon. This is one of the best series I've ever read!!

[Bookphile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this serial and am vested in the intrigue, but I sometimes have problems with Lirium. I really like him as a character, but I feel like he's inconsistent at times and it pulls me out of the story a little because it makes me question his sincerity. I get that he's pretty messed up and is fumbling through life, but still. He vacillates between Elena and Ophelia, with other women thrown in for spice. It makes me think his caring for these women is shallow and transient.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also available at: https://devinhurd.herokuapp.com/singl...

This episode is the set-up for the final installment of the first season. The characters and conflicts are now in place for the explosive finale. But the setup is not without satisfying bits of character development and violence of its own. Debts promise to be settled ruthlessly going forward.

[Amie McCracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another of my ultimate favorites. It delves deeper into the science and the reasons this complex world exists. While all at the same time giving the characters personality boosts. It introduced new concepts but Susan wrote it so smoothly that I couldn't put it down.

[Kaye Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The suspense continue is this darkly human, furturistic serial. There are poignant moments that make me cry and other moments that just keep me guessing about what comes next! Can't wait for #9.

[J.A. Belfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARGH! How can it be left there!?!?!?!?!?!

Good job I already have the next one to dive into. :D

[Sandra Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrill ride!

I can not read fast enough. It is a fast pace story. Each episode drags me further into the story, emotionally. I keep reading, and then there is another twist.