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Atrophy

(Atrophy #1)

Jess Anastasi (Goodreads Author)

3.71 · Rating details · 137 ratings · 55 reviews

Winner of a 2015 Galaxy Award for science fiction romance!

Twelve years on the prison planet Erebus makes a man long for death. The worst part for Tannin Everette is that he was framed for murder. He's innocent. When the ship Imojenna lands for emergency repairs, Tannin risks everything to escape...only to find himself face to face with the captain's undeniably gorgeous ...more

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ebook, 329 pages

Published December 7th 2015 by Entangled: Select Otherworld

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Nov 04, 2015 Mei rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, sf

I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

I think that Atrophy is the beginning book in a promising series! While some things have been concluded, some others have been left wide open! :)

Also, I'm asking myself the why of the title... Nothing is atrophying here... maybe it has something to do with the next book/books...

Anyhow, the premise of the book is excellent and interesting: shape-shifting aliens! And they don't shapeshift into animals, but into humans! Great twist in shapesh ...more

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May 08, 2017 Caz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-other-time-period, kindle, sci-fi, 2017-tbr-challenge

B+, so 4.5 stars

When I saw this month’s prompt was to read Something Different, I knew pretty much exactly which genre and which book I was going to choose. Last year sometime, one of my fellow reviewers at AAR reviewed a Sci-Fi romance called Quantum, whcih was the second book in Jess Anastasi’s Atrophy series. I really liked the sound of it and it struck me that while I’m actually a fan of Sci-Fi in TV and film, I don’t read it – so I picked up the first book in the series, Atrophy for the ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Chanel rated it liked it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

Coming off the high of season two of the Expanse, I decided to jump into Atrophy which came highly recommended from one of my girls. I had tried it previously but I was in slump land and everything I tried to read was failing. This round, Atrophy worked.

The story begins on Planet Erebus from Tannin's POV. He's been a prisoner for 12 years. He's worked his way up to an administrative position and had become an accomplished tech analyst. Rian and his crew on the Imojenna land there one day and Tan Coming off the high of season two of the Expanse, I decided to jump into Atrophy which came highly recommended from one of my girls. I had tried it previously but I was in slump land and everything I tried to read was failing. This round, Atrophy worked.

The story begins on Planet Erebus from Tannin's POV. He's been a prisoner for 12 years. He's worked his way up to an administrative position and had become an accomplished tech analyst. Rian and his crew on the Imojenna land there one day and Tannin decides it's time to escape. Before he makes his getaway he becomes a witness to an officer mistreating Zahli and essentially becomes her partner in a coverup. Zahli is Rian's sister so when Tannin sneaks aboard Imojenna, he luckily runs into Zahli and between his skills and Zahli's relation, they're able to convince Rian to let him stay; at least til they get to the next planet and he can go on the run.

What started as just hiding and helping a fugitive escape turns into a bigger plot involving an Arynian priestess, Reidar infiltrating the government and trying to take down said Reidar while trying to figure out the bad guys from the good and keeping the crew on civil terms with one another. Tannin and Zahli have chemistry but Rian has ship rules that are a constant battle between them whether it's worth the risk to break them or not.

I struggled with how to review this for a bit mostly because the flow of the book was a bit obnoxious. It started with specifically focusing on Tannin and Zahli but then they became background, secondary characters because I felt like Rian and his story and quest for vengeance totally overshadowed their story. This made it incredibly hard to even like Rian because his character is so complex but it definitely should have been reserved for his own book with us getting glimpses from Zahli.

The chemistry, when it finally exploded, was super hot but again, it would go back to Rian and my happiness would dissolve because he would be a giant dick to Zahli. There are a ton of different plot points so it can be a little overwhelming to keep up but overall the story did work for me and I definitely plan to continue to read the next books in the series. ...more

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Oct 28, 2015 Lekeisha The Booknerd rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

This book is difficult to review, simply because it took me almost a month to finish it. It was very slow in the beginning, which forced me to put it down too many times to count. Not much happened until around 35% or so, and even that wasn't really mind blowing. I think if this had been told in first person, it would have been a whole lot better to read.

I could only grasp that Rian is an intolerable person to be around. He's arrogant and disrespectful at every turn. Tannin, for all his escape ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 Dísir rated it really liked it

Shelves: speculative-fiction, syfy, favourites, i-actually-laughed, arc, netgalley, syfy-romance, ugly-pokey-aliens

A malfunction gets an old, rickety ship onto a prison planet for emergency repairs, the last place any sane person wants to do. But Captain Rian Sherron isn't the sanest person around, so he does it, setting a chain of events in motion that ends up with a stowaway on board who not only finds a place as a tech hacker on board but also some steamy times with Rian's sister.

While Tannin and Zahli are well-conceived characters, I'm drawn to the compelling way Jess Anastasi portrays the hard, scarred ...more

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Dec 07, 2015 1-Click Addict Support Group rated it really liked it

This book had all the things. Literally, anything you could think of to place in an erotic space paranormal made its presence known in this book.

Aliens? Check.
Spaceships and different galaxies? Check.
Hot male prisoner that escaped from a planet with the help of a crazy space caption and his rebellious badass of a sister? Check, check and check.

Really, the list goes on. I surely can't say that this book lacked entertainment. It hopped from one thing to the next, making sure the reader was inv ...more

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Apr 02, 2020 Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell marked it as kindle-stash · review of another edition

Free prison planet romance!

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Jan 05, 2016 Hannah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

ARC REVIEW

I'm always on the look for a new sci-fi romance to fall in love with. This is the book. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this book. The best way I can think to describe it, it's like a darker twisted version of Firefly meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers (both of which I loved). The characters, like with those in Firefly, are all unique and have their own little quirks that makes them charismatic and well just plain likeable. The storyline is captivating and full of mystery ARC REVIEW

I'm always on the look for a new sci-fi romance to fall in love with. This is the book. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this book. The best way I can think to describe it, it's like a darker twisted version of Firefly meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers (both of which I loved). The characters, like with those in Firefly, are all unique and have their own little quirks that makes them charismatic and well just plain likeable. The storyline is captivating and full of mystery and conspiracy, the love story is an easy one, instalove, with an overprotective big brother standing in the way.

The Imojenna is a cargo ship, she is also falling apart. But Captain Rian Sherron uses her for his own reasons, if only the crew could keep it in one piece. At the beginning of the book she is falling apart and the stubborn AI is ready to dump the cargo hold to keep it on one piece. Their only solution is to land on the nearest planet and make repairs. Unfortunately said planet is Erebus a prison planet, fortunately Rian has connections being an ex-military and a War Hero.

Inmate Tannin Everette has spent the last twelve years of his life on the prison planet of Erebus for a crime that he didn't commit. Tannin learned early on he can have an easy life, well for an inmate at least, by volunteering to do all the menial admin tasks no one else wants to do. In doing this he was in the right place at the right time to overhear the plans for a cargo ship to land for repairs. Tannin sees his opportunity to escape and against all odds was able to escape the inescapable prison planet.

Zahli Sherron is the heart of the crew, little sister to Rian and the money manager she also finds them all their jobs. Zahli is also the first one to meet Tannin, he helps her escape the guard who tricked her and tried to rape her. Zahli in truth saves herself by killing the guard but escapes with Tannin's help. When later she finds him stowed away on board the ship she agrees to help him escape. Rian catches him and the only thing keeping him from turning the ship around and turning him in is the fact he likes the challenge and outwitting the system. As it turns out Tannin ends up being more helpful than any of them imagined. During Tannin's twelve years in Erebus and working in the admin building he because a genius computer wiz. Tannin and Zahli fall in love at first sight, but Rian's no fraternization rule gets in the way especially after Rian kind of threatens Tannin with his freedom if he messes around with Zahli.

The dilapidated ship and her crew are more than they seem. Tannin soon realizes that the cargo business is more of a cover for their real purpose which is to stop a shapeshifting alien race from taking over. I won't go to much more into because I don't want any spoilers but damn. Overall this was a really good book and I am really looking forward to more books especially Rian's. ...more

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Jun 01, 2018 Jacki rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I read this book because it came up on some lists of best scifi romance. Call it another lesson in how far this subgenre has to go. So, rant-ish review ahead.

It started off fairly well, but when it got to the romantic conflict--the heroine's brother won't let her date the hero--it began to lose momentum. Ostensibly the hero doesn't want crew members fraternizing. In reality, he's a drunk jerk who won't let his sister, a grown ass woman, make her own decisions. It's always "Stay away from MY sis I read this book because it came up on some lists of best scifi romance. Call it another lesson in how far this subgenre has to go. So, rant-ish review ahead.

It started off fairly well, but when it got to the romantic conflict--the heroine's brother won't let her date the hero--it began to lose momentum. Ostensibly the hero doesn't want crew members fraternizing. In reality, he's a drunk jerk who won't let his sister, a grown ass woman, make her own decisions. It's always "Stay away from MY sister." Uh, you don't own her, and she's an adult. The hero comes off as weak because instead of standing up for their relationship, he slinks around bowing to the brother's wishes until the very end.

Character development of the two leads stops at "he is a master hacker" and "she is a nice girl." An unresolved secondary romance between the brother and a random space priestess who lands in the crew's lap takes a lot of space and energy away from the main romance. She has a confusing set of powers (telepathy AND magical healing AND control of the elements) that allegedly make her able to take care of herself but didn't help her when slavers kidnapped her or at any other point except when the author needed to make the brother mad at her for trying to help.

The plot and pacing were uneven. It starts off as a stowaway story but then veers into going to a black hole to hunt aliens only this crew believes in; the escape from prison, fleeing for life angle didn't need help from the aliens, who are evil and sneaky but somehow also flat and uninteresting.

I think I could have forgiven most of the flaws had the writing been better, but alas. The first quarter to third of the book seems to have had some editing. The rest is a mess. The author's word choices often make no sense. What the heck is "a rupture of steam," for example? At other points, she desperately needed a thesaurus. She constantly describes the heroine and all her attributes as "sexy." I read the word "sexy" so many times, I wanted to scream, "Get a synonym already!" The issues get worse the farther you read. Toward the end, I found a couple of places where a sentence just stopped with no punctuation and didn't read as complete, like loose ends from revisions that never got tidied.

Also, might I add that two characters deciding to immediately start having a large but unspecified number of children when they just met, don't lead a lifestyle conducive to raising small children, and haven't even discussed whether they both even want kids seems so unrealistic that I wondered if they'd gone space-mad by the end?

The author's note at the end was pretty interesting. Apparently the book got rejected several times because it was too romance or too hard scifi. With its total lack of real scientific grounding and the lack of relationship development, I am more inclined to think the rejections came because it wasn't enough of either. ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Eva Millien rated it it was amazing

Risking everything, Tannin Everette plans to use the Imojenna’s emergency repair landing as his means to escape…only to come face to face with the captain’s gorgeous sister in this thrilling paranormal sci-fi romance.

Even though no one escapes Erebus and lives to tell about it, Zahli Sherron hides Tannin on the ship and the reader can’t help but get caught up in this space opera of a romance as Zahli risks the lives of the entire crew for a love that can never be. The chemistry is a smoldering h ...more

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Dec 20, 2016 Judi Easley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: recommended, on-kindle, read-in-ebook, romance-future-scifi, sci-fi, review-done, series-book-1

I read the number two book (Quantum) in this series awhile ago and really liked it. Then a short time ago, the publisher asked if I'd like to read the third book (Diffraction) and do a review. And, of course, I said yes! I thought perhaps I should go back and read book number one so I would have the whole picture. Now I know how Mae gets involved!

Ms. Anastasia writes a pretty good sci-fi adventure. She throws in just enough of the love scene business to satisfy all but the really hardcore romant ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Tarsha rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015-arc-books

**ARC provided by publisher for an honest review**

This was an OK book for me. I think I was way more excited to read it, but wasn't as excited as I started to read the book. I not sure what bugged me, but I couldn't really get into it. The main characters were OK to me, but I think I was more excited about Zahli's brother Rian. He was an interesting, troubled yet memorable character to me. I really hope he gets a book. Would I reread this book again? Most likely not. Would I recommend it? Sure. ...more

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Apr 21, 2020 Netanella rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-romance, 2020-dangerous-hero-addiction, 2020-april-reading-challenges

"Atrophy" is good science fiction with romantic elements. No, make that great science fiction with romantic elements.

Yes, there's some hot sex (not enough to cross the line to erotica, but enough to keep a girl's interest), but there's also a prison planet, a space junker in disguise, a mismatched crew of said space junker captained by a former war hero/assassin/alien kidnap victim who's barely hanging on to his need for vengeance. There's true love, and hate, and murder. There's even an enigma ...more

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Nov 30, 2015 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction-or-fantasy-romance, 5-star-reads, fully-reviewed-books, workplace-romance, best-of-2015

Tannin was wrongly convicted of murder twelve years ago, and sent to the prison planet Erebus for his crime. Biding his time, he can't quite believe that the chance to escape has really arrived, in the form of a derilect ship landing on Erebus for repairs. When a chance encounter in a marketplace has him saving the life of Zahli, sister to the ship's formidable ex-war hero captain Rian, she returns the favour by enabling him to escape with their ship. But with enemies closing in on all sides, an Tannin was wrongly convicted of murder twelve years ago, and sent to the prison planet Erebus for his crime. Biding his time, he can't quite believe that the chance to escape has really arrived, in the form of a derilect ship landing on Erebus for repairs. When a chance encounter in a marketplace has him saving the life of Zahli, sister to the ship's formidable ex-war hero captain Rian, she returns the favour by enabling him to escape with their ship. But with enemies closing in on all sides, and his wanted man status, will Tannin get the life he deserves, and the woman to match or will his past catch up to him too soon?

I really enjoyed this story! I read a previous sci-fi romance book that this author wrote (Damage Control) and I actually thought when I picked this up that it would be somewhat linked to that, but it isn't. It's the start of a whole new series (and I can honestly say that I'm thrilled by that news!). It centers around the crew of the ship Imojenna, and we are introduced to several characters in this story who will make up the bulk of the series. This particular story is the romance between Tannin and Zahli. Both of their characters were very appealing to me. Tannin is super smart, a hacker extra-ordinaire (a talent that fortunately his prison wardens never caught onto). While we know that based on his prison experience he's had to do whatever is necessary to survive, he comes across as a good guy and someone who will be loyal to the end. He's definitely smitten with Zahli from the get go, and torn between his feelings for her, and his responsibilities to Rian, her brother, without whom he would have been kicked off the ship (and is constantly threatened by Rian that it is still a distinct possibility). Zahli comes across as a smart and friendly woman, one who has a deep affection for her scarred brother even if they are often at odds. As a crew mate on the ship, she has to follow his orders just like the rest of them, getting no quarter just because they are siblings. But at the same time, she knows he has her back, and vice versa. She knows that getting involved with Tannin is a mistake, and against the ship's fraternization policy, but she's never met someone she's so attracted to. The result is a semi-illicit affair, with some steamy scenes between them.

But while this romance is going on, there is a lot more action moving the story along. We get a fair portion of the story from Rian's point of view, a bitter and scarred man seeking revenge on the aliens who captured and tortured him during the last war. His goal now is to find and destroy them. With that in mind, he seeks more and more dangerous cargo shipment assignments, skirting the edges of the law and making decisions that aren't always in the best interests of his crew, but that will lead him to his end game. He's got lots of friends in high and low places to make that happen. On one of their assignments however, he ends up with more than he bargained for - transporting a kidnapped priestess. Mirella has psychic abilities that scare him, but draw him to her, much to his dismay. Their relationship of sorts is just getting off the ground in the story and very unresolved but definitely headed in an interesting direction. Other crew mates are also featured and I love where this story is headed and all the intricacies of the plot. The worldbuilding is great, not too complex as to be difficult to follow, but with an obviously well thought out setting and scenario for the story. Though we get a happy ending for Tannin and Zahli here, I'm definitely intrigued as to what will happen next for the crew of this ship! 5 stars for the start of a great new sci-fi romance series!

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review. ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 Jacque rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-reviews, reviewed, favorites, scifi

I’ve always been a lover of sci-fi stories. Adventures of space travelers boldly going where no man (Or woman!) have gone before, discovering new planets, and all that jazz has always been a fun escape for me. Unfortunately, they all seem to be lacking one thing: Romance. Why, I have no clue. All that flying around in space together, colonizing new planets and what, people can’t connect and fall in love? Then I found author Jess Anastasi and read her Valiant Knox series. Yes! Followed up by Atro I’ve always been a lover of sci-fi stories. Adventures of space travelers boldly going where no man (Or woman!) have gone before, discovering new planets, and all that jazz has always been a fun escape for me. Unfortunately, they all seem to be lacking one thing: Romance. Why, I have no clue. All that flying around in space together, colonizing new planets and what, people can’t connect and fall in love? Then I found author Jess Anastasi and read her Valiant Knox series. Yes! Followed up by Atrophy and I knew I finally found an author who could scratch the Sci-Fi romance itch. Snoopy dance time!

After reading the Atrophy and comparing it to the blurb I realized, there is so much missing. The blurb in a nutshell:
Tannin has been on prison planet for a crime he didn’t commit. When a ship lands on the planet needing repairs, he sees an opportunity to escape. He meets one of the female crew, who thinks he’s attractive and innocent, helps him escape and the live happily ever after. The end.

Let me tell you what is missing from that. The action, the intrigue, the suspense, and most of all, Rian!

When I first started reading I initially thought this is going to be a fluffy romance. Tannin helps rescue Zahli and in turn she helps him escape the prison planet. Mutual saving equals insta-love, HEAs, yada-yada-yada. However, in this case there was a added bonus of Rian and NOTHING is ever simple, or what it seems, with him in the mix. I’ll get back to him in a moment. Tannin and Zahli, great couple here. They’re both tough as nails with a vulnerable side – his coming from being in prison and hers from an overbearing brother. The build-up of there is romance is sweet and spicy as it weaves in and out of what’s going on around them. HEA? Of course, but there is one heck of a cliffy and then there is Rian.

So let’s put the romance on the back burner and let me get to, IMO, is the meat of this story. Rian and the Reiders. Rian is Zahli’s older brother who also happens to be a war hero. He is crazy, dark, and suicidal all served with a heavy dose of PTSD from having been a prisoner of the Reiders. Reiders are shapeshifting aliens and no one seems to believe aliens exist. WT??? You're traveling in space and you don't believe in aliens?! Whatever. Anyhoo... The Reiders had captured his ship and killing everybody aboard and tortured Rian. Now he has this vendetta going on to unmask them and destroy them and NOTHING will stand in his way. That's were all the crazy and psycho-ness of Rian comes into play. There's so many plot twists you don't see coming because of his actions and that's on top of the assortment of interesting secondary characters, which are part of Rian's crew (Think the movie Firefly) on the Imojenna. I know this is supposed to be Tannin and Zahli's story but for me, Rian and his hunting the Reider are the star of this book.

So a quick recap - Great book filled with action and suspense, outstanding characters and the best part, it's a sci-fi romance. The only thing that could make it even better is if Atrophy was a series. I read the book from cover to cover hoping to catch a hint if it was. Ms. Anastasi - if you’re reading this, PLEASE, pretty please make this a series!

I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars – 5, Flames - 3
...more

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Jun 07, 2018 Eleni Konstantine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kick-butt-heroine, adventure, series, e-book, humorous-elements, romance, tbr, june, sci-fi, alien

4.75 stars

It's way into the future and the human race is across the galaxy. On board the Imojenna, Zahli tries to keep her brother from going supanova, his dark past threatening to always engulf him. Meanwhile, Tannin stowaways from the prison planet Erebus, imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Adventure after adventure abounds, with the scorching attraction between Zahli and Tannin increasing. Throw in some aliens, and you've got a rollicking good sci-fi romance. I will definitely be readin ...more

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Aug 13, 2016 Alex (HEABookNerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: active-series, hacker, couple-mf, genre-romance-sci-fi, genre-romance, rating-4-stars-really-enjoyable, 2016, forbidden-love, convict-ex-con

Series: Atrophy #1
Rating: 4 stars - really enjoyable

I love Sci-Fi romance and I’m always struggling to find good examples of this genre. I must admit I bought one of Jess Anastasi’s books a month ago and haven’t gotten around to reading it but I’ll be fixing that shortly. I really enjoyed THE LAST SKY and I am very impressed with the extensive universe that Anastasi has created.

I loved Tannin and Zahli and how they both wanted to be with each other so much even against Rian’s explicit orders. Ta ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 Stacy rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, from-publisher-author

Zahli and the rest of the Imojenna crew are forced to land on Erebus to repair their ship and she can't wait to get off of it. It's Tannin's chance to escape the prison planet Erebus and he is taking it. Zahlia and Tannin's worlds collide in a story about love, loyalty and the fight against the aliens that are taking over their world.

I really liked both Zahli and Tannin and together they made a great team. They had a lot of issues to work out, but they had each others back when it was most impor ...more

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Dec 16, 2015 Jo (Mixed Book Bag) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, science-fiction-romance, steampunk, space-opera, netgalley, series

Atrophy is part Science Fiction Romance and part Space Opera. Zahli and Tannin are attracted but there is a big problem. That problem is found in Zahli’s brother, Rian, who is the captain of the space ship Imojenna. The Space Opera part is the quest Rian is one. I found Rian the most complex character in the book. It is hard to put him in any category. Things have happened to Rian that make him difficult to understand or to get a focus on his personality. His reactions drive the story.

The plot h ...more

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Aug 12, 2016 Ash P Reads rated it it was amazing

At first I was a little wary of getting this book but fans of Firefly and Serenity! this is the series for you. Any one who has ever craved for more of this space Western drama television series + movie will LOVE Atrophy. Rogue space bad boys, ass kicking women, mysterious and evolved beings and of course let's not forget shape shifting aliens. Everything your heart desires in an awesome series by Jess Anastasi. So buckle down for this adventure, because it is going to blow your socks off.

Tanni ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Erica rated it it was ok

I got about halfway before I couldn’t handle it anymore. The way her brother treats her and how she just lays down and takes it infuriates me to no end. No matter what anyone has been through they should at least have some human decency. I cannot stand over protective family. I thought she had at least some balls after she killed that guy but nope. She literally has no purpose on that ship. Why are you still there. The author tried to make this like a two for one romance but I was not having it. ...more

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Nov 28, 2015 Literati Literature Lovers rated it really liked it

Best science fiction romance book by Jess Anastasi that I have read. If you loved Joss Whedon's FireFly series or his Serenity movie, than this is a book that needs to be on your radar. Full review to come. ...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Mark Wilson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-check-outs, a-universe-of-stories

Until I'd come across this book, I didn't think science-fiction and romance could co-exist with one another without thinking about the YA dystopias like The Hunger Games or Maze Runner. Not saying that's a bad thing, but still, a science-fiction romance not too long ago seemed rare to me if not unimaginable. Then again, until I read Zeroboxer two years, sports taking place outside the planet Earth was a foreign concept to me as well, so if I can get through that, then why shouldn't I give Atroph Until I'd come across this book, I didn't think science-fiction and romance could co-exist with one another without thinking about the YA dystopias like The Hunger Games or Maze Runner. Not saying that's a bad thing, but still, a science-fiction romance not too long ago seemed rare to me if not unimaginable. Then again, until I read Zeroboxer two years, sports taking place outside the planet Earth was a foreign concept to me as well, so if I can get through that, then why shouldn't I give Atrophy a chance? Well, apparently this book was first written in 2008 because science-fiction romance was basically nonexistent (am I getting that right?), so it was in publishing hell for the better part of a decade until it finally saw the light of day in 2015. Combine that with the sloppy editing and the fact that I typically don't read romances and the main male protagonist Tannin Everette symbolizes this book's odds perfectly: just like escaping from Erebus is for Tannin, this book has odds stacked heavily against it for me. This is profounded by a rather slow first chapter, so I needed the next few after for the book to even have a chance of keeping me on board.

Even with galaxies of bad editing, a plain supporting cast, and a slow beginning, I'm glad I stuck around because this book pushes an envelope that is worth taking a peek and giving a read to. The plain supporting cast is not a huge problem because I am aware that there are sequels to this book in which other members of the Imojenna get their chance to shine (Diffraction talks about Kira in the synopsis despite her being the crew's doctor here in Atrophy). Now, I didn't have a good first impression of Rian, but I later learn that despite being an over-protective brother and being an absolute asshole, his sense of humor lends him to some laugh-out-loud one-liners. Plus, there are reasons as to why Rian is the way he is, and even though he does need a good smack in the head or two, I see where Rian comes from and it gives me a level of appreciation for the guy. There does happen to be hints of dystopia once I learn who the Reidar are, aka Atrophy's villainous species, but they're not in-your-face like some other books I've read and movies I've watched. It's a subtle dystopia mixed in with the science-fiction romance, so if I ever get the chance to read the next book, I'll be onboard!

But what steals the show is what should steal the show: the romance between Zahli and Tannin. Typically I don't read romance because they either come off as cliched or leave me uncomfortable. I need the chemistry in the romance to really make me want to read more and in many romances I have come across, that never happened. But here in Atrophy, our two leading characters pull it off against all odds, and not only that, their obstacles including their crew's rule forbidding fraternizing, the fact that Tannin is a fugitive from his prison world Erebus, Rian being the overprotective captain as well as being Zahli's brother, and the ever-present threat of the Reidar hanging over the Imojenna's heads. Whenever I read the scenes with them both together, I'm left rooting for their connection to grow, and I find that them together creates a duo that is sexy, badass, and genuine. What's even better is that not only do they grow as a couple in the book, but they both actually hold their own by themselves as well, something that can only also be said for Rian so far. Tannin and Zahli not only work well in this book, but they are the ones who hold this entire story together. Without them, I don't think I could have ever found myself wanting to try science-fiction romance again. Kudos to Jess for taking the risk by going in the direction you have!

At the end, I actually wanted to give this 4 stars, but the grammar and sentence-structures were edited poorly throughout that I just couldn't. But the romance is great, the chemistry between the two leads are genuine, and despite a slow beginning, this was actually an entertaining read. This gets a strong 3/5, and out of 10 would be a 7. It really is a good book that you just have to be patient with once you start. Give it a few chapters and then decide if you want to stick with it or not. ...more

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Dec 10, 2015 Marlene rated it really liked it

Originally published at Reading Reality

If Mal Reynolds went really, really dark, and if the Reavers were shapeshifting aliens who had infiltrated the government (wait, that sort of happened) then you’d get something like Atrophy.

Or at least, that’s the way it feels. So for those of you who have never gotten over the loss of Firefly (like moi), Atrophy is a great place to get a Firefly-type fix.

The crew of the barely profitable frieghter Imojenna is every bit as oddly assorted as the crew of Sere ...more

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Aug 20, 2018 L Bongiorno rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hot-males, romance, kick-ass-female, action, sex, alien

I stayed up until 3:30 in the morning reading this and I really wanted to make it an all nighter... it was that good. I forced myself to get a few hours sleep and get some work done before I dove into it again. Great story line!! Great characters!! Well written; I can't wait to read the next one.
Sci- fi, action and romance, what's not to love;) ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 Jen rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

Good space adventure story. The hero/heroine did read very young to me, though, and sometimes they felt pretty immature. I liked them as a couple though, and I loved the cast of characters. I'll keep reading the series. ...more

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Jun 01, 2018 Josephine rated it it was ok

It started of interesting, then it became tedious and predictable. I did some speed reading to get to the end.

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Oct 23, 2019 Helen Lucy Howe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thoroughly enjoyed the story, and read it in less than 24 hours. The characters resonated and I definitely will be continuing the series.

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Mar 02, 2021 Coco.V marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: freebie

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/2/2021)! 🎁

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Oct 30, 2015 Book Gannet rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi-romance, 3-5-stars-review

3.5 stars. Welcome aboard the Imojenna where the captain is a war hero who may or may not once have been an assassin, has a bit of a problem controlling his temper, some serious PTSD problems and is also on a universe-wide hunt for a bunch of aliens most other people don’t even realise exist! Oh, and there’s his little sister, Zahli, who accidentally ends up helping a prisoner escape from a prison planet which no one is supposed to leave alive.

Because although the romance portion of this book is 3.5 stars. Welcome aboard the Imojenna where the captain is a war hero who may or may not once have been an assassin, has a bit of a problem controlling his temper, some serious PTSD problems and is also on a universe-wide hunt for a bunch of aliens most other people don’t even realise exist! Oh, and there’s his little sister, Zahli, who accidentally ends up helping a prisoner escape from a prison planet which no one is supposed to leave alive.

Because although the romance portion of this book is between Zahli and Tannin, to be honest the most compelling aspect of this book is all about big brother Rian, captain and haunted man, out to destroy the evil shape-shifting aliens.

Which is probably for the best really, because although Tannin is an interesting character – with his false imprisonment, his escape plans and his super-special hacking abilities – Zahli… well, she just isn’t. She’s Rian’s little sister and she’s supposed to be in charge of their freight business, but in truth she doesn’t really do much and isn’t all that important. Which bothered me a bit. I like my romantic couples – especially in an adventurous setting – to be well matched. Here, though, it seemed that the more interesting and important to the crew Tannin became, the less Zahli had to offer. She’s just the little sister, just Tannin’s temptation. I wanted more from her, and sadly didn’t get it.

My issues with Zahli aside, I enjoyed this. The plot is intriguing and nicely woven, leading the characters from one place to the next as they pick up clues and the bigger picture unravels. Yes, occasionally things seem far too easy and convenient, but on the whole it kept my interest and I always wanted to know what would unfold next for Rian, Tannin and the rest of the crew. Even if I did want to keep growling at Ella to keep out of a certain someone’s head. Respect the boundaries, woman! And stop being so precious, because diplomacy isn’t working anymore.

As a series opener, this has got potential in spades. There’s a crew of different and intriguing individuals, plenty of backstory just waiting to make itself known, a noble quest that keeps spiralling out of control, and more danger than you can shake a shock pistol at. It’s a romping space adventure with a forbidden romance, scary aliens and definitely left me wanting more. So buckle in, blast off and prepare to enjoy, because wherever this series heads next, there is one thing I’m certain of – the adventure is only just beginning.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.) ...more

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About Jess Anastasi

Jess Anastasi

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Jess has been making up stories ever since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn’t deterred and now she gets to make up stories for a living. She loves loud music, a good book on a rainy day, and probably spends too much time watching too many TV shows. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia. Find out more about Jess on her website w ...more