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Daughter of Mars #2
Araphel
Sometimes, the best thing a girl has to look forward to is killing someone.
At learning the truth behind her father’s death, Risa Black thought she’d given up on revenge, but after an unknown enemy takes the life of someone dear to her, it’s all that keeps her going. Her hunt for the assassins uncovers a web of deceit that undermines everything she thought she knew.
It soon becomes clear she’s eyeball deep in a mire she cannot bear alone. Consumed by the sorrow of loss, she accepts a mission from the Martian Liberation Front, knowing it’s a one-way ticket. Desperate to uncover the truth behind all the lies, she looks for answers in a place that should not exist:
The home of the angel Raziel.
At learning the truth behind her father’s death, Risa Black thought she’d given up on revenge, but after an unknown enemy takes the life of someone dear to her, it’s all that keeps her going. Her hunt for the assassins uncovers a web of deceit that undermines everything she thought she knew.
It soon becomes clear she’s eyeball deep in a mire she cannot bear alone. Consumed by the sorrow of loss, she accepts a mission from the Martian Liberation Front, knowing it’s a one-way ticket. Desperate to uncover the truth behind all the lies, she looks for answers in a place that should not exist:
The home of the angel Raziel.
344 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2017
About the author
Matthew S. Cox
468 books265 followersBorn in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 15, 2017
Ghosts Of The Past
••• NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded or faint of heart •••
~This series is best read after Virtual Immortality, the Division Zero and The Awakened serieses. The first book "The Hand Of Raziel" takes place congruent to "Grey Ronin". The second book takes place congruent to "Daughter Of Ash".~
This series must be read in order. The first book is "The Hand Of Raziel". This is the second book. I can't wait to read "Ghost Black"!
Risa has spent her life seeking revenge. First it was for her father... And now... Well Pavo is GONE and she isn't even sure she wants to live anymore. She never thought she would love anyone ever again after her father was brutally murdered in front of her. Then Gen became her big sister... And she died. Is she cursed? Will everyone she loves die? Why didn't Raziel protect him? Should she do as Shiro wants and leave the Front? Can she be happy with him and Kree on Earth? Can she even leave the MLF? She was chosen by an Angel... But what does that even mean anymore? How can she make a difference? Will everyone always die around her? Why does thinking about Shiro and his offer seem so wrong? Why do people keep saying MLF is just part of C-Branch? And if it is why did they try to kill her? Why did they kill Pavo? Why does nothing make any sense anymore? Is she crazy?
***This series is suitable for adult readers who enjoy futuristic paranormal sci-fi action adventure horror thrillers filled with intrigue, a few mysteries and a dash or two of romance set in a dystopian post postapocalyptal world :)
••• NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded or faint of heart •••
~This series is best read after Virtual Immortality, the Division Zero and The Awakened serieses. The first book "The Hand Of Raziel" takes place congruent to "Grey Ronin". The second book takes place congruent to "Daughter Of Ash".~
This series must be read in order. The first book is "The Hand Of Raziel". This is the second book. I can't wait to read "Ghost Black"!
Risa has spent her life seeking revenge. First it was for her father... And now... Well Pavo is GONE and she isn't even sure she wants to live anymore. She never thought she would love anyone ever again after her father was brutally murdered in front of her. Then Gen became her big sister... And she died. Is she cursed? Will everyone she loves die? Why didn't Raziel protect him? Should she do as Shiro wants and leave the Front? Can she be happy with him and Kree on Earth? Can she even leave the MLF? She was chosen by an Angel... But what does that even mean anymore? How can she make a difference? Will everyone always die around her? Why does thinking about Shiro and his offer seem so wrong? Why do people keep saying MLF is just part of C-Branch? And if it is why did they try to kill her? Why did they kill Pavo? Why does nothing make any sense anymore? Is she crazy?
***This series is suitable for adult readers who enjoy futuristic paranormal sci-fi action adventure horror thrillers filled with intrigue, a few mysteries and a dash or two of romance set in a dystopian post postapocalyptal world :)
September 22, 2017
Cox blends the nuances of espionage thrillers with the technology and pace of cyberpunk to create a story that engages the mind and the heart.
This novel is the second in the Daughter of Mars series. Spoilers ahead.
Between discovering the truth about her father’s death and her growing relationship with Pavo, Risa Black had resolved to leave behind her vengeful youth – until an unknown organisation kills Pavo. Her pleas to Raziel, the angel who has watched over her, remain unanswered, and her attempt to investigate on her own almost ends in failure when the augmentations that make her a figure of fear catastrophically fail. Torn between a new life away from Mars and joining Pavo in the afterlife, she discovers that some of those she considers her closest allies are not who they seem; and even her own recollection of events might not be true.
While this novel is set in the same universe as Division Zero and The Awakened, so blends cyberpunk with paranormal and metaphysical elements, it sits more toward the science-fiction end of the scale than those others. There are points where psionics advance the plot, but much of the resolution – as Risa herself thinks – is done the hard way with investigation and graft rather than with telepathy or other paranormal edges. However, Cox delivers the full-on thrill that characterises his other works making this a book that will engage readers who prefer their cyberpunk a little more gadgety without reducing the enjoyment of all but that rarest of readers: one who reads only for the description of abstruse metaphysical acts.
Picking up immediately after the previous volume, the plot is set within the same struggle for Mars between two corporate nation states, the several different flavours of independence organisations, and those groups that just want to indulge in apolitical self-interest. This lack of change on a more than personal scale from the start of the first book creates a powerful sense of gritty reality: Risa’s augmentations allow her to move at high speed, kill with great efficiency, and sense beyond the human, making her an exceptional freedom fighter; but all of her effort is tiny compared to the immense structures of Martian socio-politics.
This theme of great physical competence being weak by comparison to the scale of the issues is echoed by the emotional arc: the stability Risa found from solving her father’s death is set not just against the death of Pavo but also growing evidence that both her superiors in the Mars Liberation Front and Raziel might have ulterior motives, her fear that allowing Kree to bond further will just lead to disaster, and the generous offer of Shiro to not only replace her augmentations but also spirit her away from the guerilla war to a life of privilege.
Risa continues to be a complex and sympathetic protagonist. Where the previous book ended with a desire to regain her humanity, the failure of her augmentations reveals the downside of that wished-for normality. This mixture of longing for what she lost and fear it is worse than what she has tints her other interactions: the desire to become the protector Kree needs is balanced by the fear that it opens the girl up to greater heartache if the worst happens; Shiro’s offer would give her a better life, but she decided to become augmented while in a place of grief, so how can she trust herself to make this decision. So, she slips back toward the risk-taking terrorist that she desired to escape.
The supporting cast are similarly driven by layers of motives. Returning characters remain consistent with their previous selves, but reveal new depths that suggest different interpretations to their actions. New characters conceal their true selves in a way that fits either deliberate manipulation or an entirely plausible caution in a world riven by corporate war, criminal gangs, and terrorist acts.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel immensely. I recommend it to readers seeking a complex and nuanced cyberpunk thriller.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
This novel is the second in the Daughter of Mars series. Spoilers ahead.
Between discovering the truth about her father’s death and her growing relationship with Pavo, Risa Black had resolved to leave behind her vengeful youth – until an unknown organisation kills Pavo. Her pleas to Raziel, the angel who has watched over her, remain unanswered, and her attempt to investigate on her own almost ends in failure when the augmentations that make her a figure of fear catastrophically fail. Torn between a new life away from Mars and joining Pavo in the afterlife, she discovers that some of those she considers her closest allies are not who they seem; and even her own recollection of events might not be true.
While this novel is set in the same universe as Division Zero and The Awakened, so blends cyberpunk with paranormal and metaphysical elements, it sits more toward the science-fiction end of the scale than those others. There are points where psionics advance the plot, but much of the resolution – as Risa herself thinks – is done the hard way with investigation and graft rather than with telepathy or other paranormal edges. However, Cox delivers the full-on thrill that characterises his other works making this a book that will engage readers who prefer their cyberpunk a little more gadgety without reducing the enjoyment of all but that rarest of readers: one who reads only for the description of abstruse metaphysical acts.
Picking up immediately after the previous volume, the plot is set within the same struggle for Mars between two corporate nation states, the several different flavours of independence organisations, and those groups that just want to indulge in apolitical self-interest. This lack of change on a more than personal scale from the start of the first book creates a powerful sense of gritty reality: Risa’s augmentations allow her to move at high speed, kill with great efficiency, and sense beyond the human, making her an exceptional freedom fighter; but all of her effort is tiny compared to the immense structures of Martian socio-politics.
This theme of great physical competence being weak by comparison to the scale of the issues is echoed by the emotional arc: the stability Risa found from solving her father’s death is set not just against the death of Pavo but also growing evidence that both her superiors in the Mars Liberation Front and Raziel might have ulterior motives, her fear that allowing Kree to bond further will just lead to disaster, and the generous offer of Shiro to not only replace her augmentations but also spirit her away from the guerilla war to a life of privilege.
Risa continues to be a complex and sympathetic protagonist. Where the previous book ended with a desire to regain her humanity, the failure of her augmentations reveals the downside of that wished-for normality. This mixture of longing for what she lost and fear it is worse than what she has tints her other interactions: the desire to become the protector Kree needs is balanced by the fear that it opens the girl up to greater heartache if the worst happens; Shiro’s offer would give her a better life, but she decided to become augmented while in a place of grief, so how can she trust herself to make this decision. So, she slips back toward the risk-taking terrorist that she desired to escape.
The supporting cast are similarly driven by layers of motives. Returning characters remain consistent with their previous selves, but reveal new depths that suggest different interpretations to their actions. New characters conceal their true selves in a way that fits either deliberate manipulation or an entirely plausible caution in a world riven by corporate war, criminal gangs, and terrorist acts.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel immensely. I recommend it to readers seeking a complex and nuanced cyberpunk thriller.
I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
May 23, 2019
Risa is going through hell. So much loss and she's just not dealing well with it. She doesnt know which way is up and is struggling especially after Pavo is gone. Her complex character just got her ass whipped literally. I felt sooo much for her. I really love her character and not everything is as it seems but it takes her time to learn this. I'm not a spoiler so I dont want to give up too much for those who are just reading reviews to get a picture of the book. You will love this series because I do. Action from beginning to end. I loved the end but of course it ends on a cliffhanger haha. Still...I recommend this series because its riveting and pulls you IN!
May 18, 2019
Araphel
Wow! Couldn’t put this down! I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. With so many twists and turns I never saw coming this book left me speechless. I can’t wait to read the next one!
Wow! Couldn’t put this down! I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. With so many twists and turns I never saw coming this book left me speechless. I can’t wait to read the next one!
January 24, 2018
Full review to come!
November 18, 2017
Goodreads Synopsis:
Sometimes, the best thing a girl has to look forward to is killing someone.
At learning the truth behind her father’s death, Risa Black thought she’d given up on revenge, but after an unknown enemy takes the life of someone dear to her, it’s all that keeps her going. Her hunt for the assassins uncovers a web of deceit that undermines everything she thought she knew.
It soon becomes clear she’s eyeball deep in a mire she cannot bear alone. Consumed by the sorrow of loss, she accepts a mission from the Martian Liberation Front, knowing it’s a one-way ticket. Desperate to uncover the truth behind all the lies, she looks for answers in a place that should not exist:
The home of the angel Raziel.
My Review:
Received an arc of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Where the last book left us in a crumpled heap, this one begins with a new day. Risa is still feeling completely shattered after a certain event that took place at the end of the last book, and escapes to her sanctuary, an abandoned vent. Soon after, her tech starts showing errors and shuts down. She's helpless and alone. I was excited to start this book after the last one, and was really glad I could just pick this one up. I really like the cover, keeping in theme with the first book.
The thing I love the most about the authors writing is that although the sentences tend to be on the long side, there's always these little bits of information dropped into the story that you don't think are important, until later when they turn out to be actually really important. The characters are realistic and consistent throughout the two books, and although they're broken and the world is miles ahead of our own, they react to things the way anyone would. In comparison the story is just as exciting as the first book and equally enjoyable. I can't say which one I like better, because I like both of them. I'm glad I get to keep learning about the characters and the world they live in.
This book is jam packed with action, self loathing, tech, armies of homeless children, revenge, and conspiracy theories. It's all really well put together and I honestly love these books, Just when you think it's going one way it goes another. I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance!
Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the authors twitter.
https://www.amazon.ca/Araphel-Daughte...
https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction?ref...
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Sometimes, the best thing a girl has to look forward to is killing someone.
At learning the truth behind her father’s death, Risa Black thought she’d given up on revenge, but after an unknown enemy takes the life of someone dear to her, it’s all that keeps her going. Her hunt for the assassins uncovers a web of deceit that undermines everything she thought she knew.
It soon becomes clear she’s eyeball deep in a mire she cannot bear alone. Consumed by the sorrow of loss, she accepts a mission from the Martian Liberation Front, knowing it’s a one-way ticket. Desperate to uncover the truth behind all the lies, she looks for answers in a place that should not exist:
The home of the angel Raziel.
My Review:
Received an arc of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Where the last book left us in a crumpled heap, this one begins with a new day. Risa is still feeling completely shattered after a certain event that took place at the end of the last book, and escapes to her sanctuary, an abandoned vent. Soon after, her tech starts showing errors and shuts down. She's helpless and alone. I was excited to start this book after the last one, and was really glad I could just pick this one up. I really like the cover, keeping in theme with the first book.
The thing I love the most about the authors writing is that although the sentences tend to be on the long side, there's always these little bits of information dropped into the story that you don't think are important, until later when they turn out to be actually really important. The characters are realistic and consistent throughout the two books, and although they're broken and the world is miles ahead of our own, they react to things the way anyone would. In comparison the story is just as exciting as the first book and equally enjoyable. I can't say which one I like better, because I like both of them. I'm glad I get to keep learning about the characters and the world they live in.
This book is jam packed with action, self loathing, tech, armies of homeless children, revenge, and conspiracy theories. It's all really well put together and I honestly love these books, Just when you think it's going one way it goes another. I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance!
Here's a link to the book on Amazon, and another link to the authors twitter.
https://www.amazon.ca/Araphel-Daughte...
https://twitter.com/mscox_fiction?ref...
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
May 18, 2019
As we grow up our future forms ahead of us.
Some of it by our dreams and goals. More by circumstances we face along the path. Very hard blow to find ones choices have been manipulated all along. Regardless of the reasons. It's starting over either way when facts come to light.
Some of it by our dreams and goals. More by circumstances we face along the path. Very hard blow to find ones choices have been manipulated all along. Regardless of the reasons. It's starting over either way when facts come to light.
May 25, 2019
This series just keeps getting better with every book you read. Most of us knows how it feels to loose someone we love dearly and riza is learning just how much she has actually lost and she feels hollow and empty inside which is very relatable. She needs answers and will do anything to get them even if it costs her life. This is another amazing book in this series that you have to read.
February 19, 2018
I highly recommend this book because Mr. Cox has a way of getting into the mind of the reader and giving it a generous twist.
May 17, 2019
When you loose someone dear to you what do you do . Revenge is all that Risa Black can think of. Risa is all about trying to find out the assassins that killed her dear friend . But when a child becomes involved all her revenge goes to the way side and all she can think about is protecting this child . Then the assignment comes up that she does because she is over come and isn't thinking right . All she wants is answers but she might not find them but it could cost her, her life .
The characters in the second book are most definitely getting more and more complex. Risa has lost it all in the first book and we see that at the beginning of this book . She is lost and ready do dangerous things . Its like she has given up . Then we see her grow a bit after she finds Kree . She goes into protective mode and will do almost anything to keep her safe .She is like a fighting machine ready to take down anyone that come anywhere near the child . She is getting stronger and stronger towards the end of the book . She is just a fighting machine. Kree is well she is a sweet child that is hiding something horrible . She clings to Risa and doesn't want to let her go . I just wanted to wrap her up and hug her tight and tell her everything will be ok . We also get introduced to Saris and Chaia . They are so fun to read . I truly love all these characters they really grow on you,
I will say when I sat down to read this book I was wondering how Risa was going to take the death of her friend . The author picked up where the first book left off and it took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. There were parts of the book where I was just wanting to take all the characters and wrap them up in fuzzy blankets and hug them all tight and tell them life will be ok . This was a faster read then in book one . There is a lot more action and it will hold your attention all the way through. I will just tell you to do up your seat belt when you start reading this book cause it will blow you away . I was on the edge of my seat most of the time through out this book . So if you like sci fi with a dash of cyber punk check out this series for your summer reading list
The characters in the second book are most definitely getting more and more complex. Risa has lost it all in the first book and we see that at the beginning of this book . She is lost and ready do dangerous things . Its like she has given up . Then we see her grow a bit after she finds Kree . She goes into protective mode and will do almost anything to keep her safe .She is like a fighting machine ready to take down anyone that come anywhere near the child . She is getting stronger and stronger towards the end of the book . She is just a fighting machine. Kree is well she is a sweet child that is hiding something horrible . She clings to Risa and doesn't want to let her go . I just wanted to wrap her up and hug her tight and tell her everything will be ok . We also get introduced to Saris and Chaia . They are so fun to read . I truly love all these characters they really grow on you,
I will say when I sat down to read this book I was wondering how Risa was going to take the death of her friend . The author picked up where the first book left off and it took me on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. There were parts of the book where I was just wanting to take all the characters and wrap them up in fuzzy blankets and hug them all tight and tell them life will be ok . This was a faster read then in book one . There is a lot more action and it will hold your attention all the way through. I will just tell you to do up your seat belt when you start reading this book cause it will blow you away . I was on the edge of my seat most of the time through out this book . So if you like sci fi with a dash of cyber punk check out this series for your summer reading list
October 17, 2026
Oh my God!!!! What? when? how? This one has so many twists and turns that if you blink you might miss it!!! Loved it!!! She faces so much loss and she struggles for answers, might Raziel hold those answers? Do not miss this series, it keeps getting better!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews