Driven *possible spoilers*

[Frakki]

The name Wizard is such a boner killer -- or whatever the female equivalent of that is.

[Hannah]

Frakki wrote: "The name Wizard is such a boner killer -- or whatever the female equivalent of that is."

I kind of agree. I'm only 10% in but his whole deal is... weird.

[Frakki]

I'm 21% in and liking the story. he sounds tasty, but every time his name is said it's like ... Wizard? Really.

[Alicia]

Hannah wrote: "

I kind of agree. I'm only 10% in but his whole deal is... weird."

I'm also about 10% in and there are so many things bugging me that his name hadn't even crossed my mind. I'm giving it 5 more pages to get better before I ditch it.

[Frakki]

I like my romance with minimal dialog. the first kiss was nice.

[Frakki]

a quiet guy who can fix things -- I'm in love

[Hannah]

Frakki wrote: "a quiet guy who can fix things -- I'm in love"

Okay, you're inspiring me to push on. :P I'll have to get some reading in today!
One thing I do like about the book so far is the worldbuilding!

[Frakki]

good sex scene in the first quarter if the book. don't give up yet!

[Jordan]

I really liked the IDEA of this and was excited in the first chapter or so, but then it kind of went downhill. Raina was too much in her head for me. For example, in the middle of fight scenes, thinking about Wizard and his emotions or lack thereof. Focus on the task at hand, maybe! Think about emotions later when your life is not in danger. And there were paragraphs where Raina would repeat the same thing like three times, as if Kenin assumed I had short-term memory loss and would forget what I'd read by the time I got to the end. Raina also seemed to be kind of dimwitted for somebody who allegedly survives on her wits. Like when she notices the finger tapping that Wizard does, and she's like, "Where have I seen that before?" when she'd literally just seen Yuriko do it.

I also called immediately that (view spoiler)[Wizard's Tatiana and Raina's Ana were the same person, as soon as Raina mentioned her. Especially since Kenin makes an excruciating effort to have Wizard constantly remind us that Tatiana is dead. Like this passage: "If he let himself think, then his mind filled will images of Raina and with raw and bitter regret. Regret was not new to him—he had regretted Tatiana's death for many years—but the intensity of the emotion was new. Unfamiliar. Unpleasant. And it was leaking out of the compartment he had assigned it to, permeating his every thought. That, too, was new. Even the loss of Tatiana had not eroded his control in this manner." (hide spoiler)]

Raina also states that Wizard smells "warm and male and clean" and then a few pages later states that he smells "fresh and clean and male." Do you not know any other adjectives?

I found most of the characters very two-dimensional, not least of them our villain, Duncan Bane.

The sexytime scenes were good. Those and the concept were enough to balance out the things I didn't like as much, so I didn't feel like I wasted my time reading it, but that may be the most I can say for it.

[Rina]

Jordan wrote: "I really liked the IDEA of this and was excited in the first chapter or so, but then it kind of went downhill. Raina was too much in her head for me. For example, in the middle of fight scenes, thi..."

I agree with everything you said. I think this book could have been about half as long if it was just edited better and repeated information was taken out. That said, I suppose a drinking game could be made out of it. Take a drink every time Raina (view spoiler)[ thinks about Wizard being a worthless gunrunner, or some variation thereof. Could do the same for every time she thinks about how she can't rely on other people and has to keep her barriers up, (hide spoiler)] but I think you'd end up wasted before you got 1/4 of the way in.

[Alicia]

Frakki wrote: "good sex scene in the first quarter if the book. don't give up yet!"

YOU LIE! I am 37% in and it is still tedious "Oh how could I be attracted to a man I don't even know" bollocks.

[Taryn]

Jordan wrote: "And there were paragraphs where Raina would repeat the same thing like three times, as if Kenin assumed I had short-term memory loss and would forget what I'd read by the time I got to the end. "

I noticed that too! Yeesh.

I'm not quite finished yet, but so far this book has been 'meh'. The world building is very vague and sparse, the characters I find flat and boring, and the story doesn't grab me. Plus, whenever I read Wizard's name I just get Pinball Wizard by The Who stuck in my head. Mmm, sexy. :-P

[Frakki]

The sex scene came 23% in on my device. I loved that there was no conversation. just bam, we're naked, we're tested, no egg in the shoot, we're banging.

and bonus points for using the word penis!

now, I agree this book could have used a better editor. and, the lack of slag was annoying. who sites full legislative titles with years? "you broke the blood something something of 2087!"

But, I like the story. Though two broken and lonely people finding love isn't unique, its a trope I enjoy.

I think the setting is unique. Its Ice Road Truckers meet Blackwater/KBR.

[Lindsay]

I'm only a little ways into this so far but I kind of feel like saying, "Okay, okay this Wizard dude has muscles, I get it. Consider me informed and aware of his abundance of muscles."

[Lindsay]

However, I am weirdly enjoying how he tends to do everything "ruthlessly."

[T.S.]

Lindsay wrote: "However, I am weirdly enjoying how he tends to do everything "ruthlessly.""

[Alicia]

Frakki wrote: "The sex scene came 23% in on my device. I loved that there was no conversation. just bam, we're naked, we're tested, no egg in the shoot, we're banging.

and bonus points for using the word penis!..."

It was a lot later on mine. 42% I think. It was a good one though! Didn't quite make up for the ridiculous cartoon villain (Bane, impotent & an eyepatch, seriously?!)

I'm glad she acknowledged her debt to Firefly with the Reavers in her afterword, but she has Wizard use almost a direct quote from Serenity which I thought was on the nose:

Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: So me and mine gotta lay down and die... so you can live in your better world?
The Operative: I'm not going to live there. There's no place for me there... any more than there is for you. Malcolm... I'm a monster.What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done.

Compared to:
"So you killed to help make the world a better place? And just where would you fit in to that new world?"
He blinked, and she sensed that she had struck something inside him. "There is no place for me in that world. I am a monster. I am a killer"

[Cayt]

I was surprised by how not that bad this book was. Haha! I expected to hate it but I thought it was halfway decent. Not great, by any means. The world building was pretty light and I didn't particularly like Raina. I agree that Wizard is seriously one of the most ridiculous and not sexy names I character could have. How do you cry out "Wizard" in passion without losing it and laughing? I did like Wizard as a character, though he really went too android for me at points. The sexy times were surprisingly well done and that kept my rating up. I like a steamy sex scene that isn't too over the top and doesn't use ridiculous wording, so this did it for me.

[Tiffany]

My biggest complaint was how Raina seemed to be struck by how handsome Wizard was every time she looked at him. I'm surprised she didn't bump into to something by how distracted she was by him. I think the book would have been much shorter if 3/4 of the descriptions of Wizard had been cut out.

I did like the world building enough to read the second book and the sexy times were satisfying. The few women in the book didn't make me want to shake them over how silly they were.

[Gunnhildur]

I liked the story. It was a quick read.

I liked Wizard and thought he was an interesting character. His past explained a lot about him.

“Tomorrow, I will order you a set of titanium body armor. Lightweight and impenetrable.” The corners of his mouth kicked up just a bit , and he looked incredibly pleased with himself. “Gifts.”

He was so logical when it came to romance, it was so funny.

Raina was such a loner and it was nice to see how she changed when she was in the rebel camp. How she started to build small friendships and let people in.

Bane was just crazy. Killing and torturing people left and right, a sadistic creep with the hots for a 12 year old Raina that knifed him in the face.

I would have liked to know more about the world and what happened to it.

[Hannah]

Okay, so 20% in and I cannot get over the fact that Wizard reminds me of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. Anyone else? It's so weird! >.<

[Ariel]

I loved this book. Screw world building and character development. I was not excited about reading it after reading the blurb, but I gave it a shot and couldn't put it down. Truckers?! Really?? But it was light and frothy, and a fast, fun, sexy read. Just what I was in the mood for.
Raina was relatable enough and not overwhelmingly passive or stupid. Wizard had a terrible name and an interesting mystery to his past. And so what if she noticed how handsome he was every time she looked at him? I do that with Dean Winchester too.... Mm, Dean...
Anyway, staying on topic, I had a blast reading it, so much so that I didn't take time to pick it apart for cheesy villains and repeated lines. /shrug. A trashy romance is sometimes all I'm looking for, and this was one of those times.
Mm, Dean...

[Jo]

I enjoyed this read. It wasn't best book ever, but it was fun with action and sexy times.
Like other readers I was a little grown by the name a
Wizard, they explained it later, but before that I just decided it is the future and it really isn't much weirder than current names like Bishop or Paige.
All and all I enjoyed it and am more excited than I was before to watch Mad Max.

[Frakki]

this thread is a riot to read!

no, I wasn't thinking of Sheldon until now :-€

I did catch the Serenity quote. glad she gave a shootout.

the baddie is over the top. picturing the guy from walking dead.

I can't tell if u love or hate Wizards computer-speak. think I was won over with the "compliments, gifts, romance."

[Ariel]

Lol, I actually envisioned Wizard as Sheldon with long hair and muscles.

[Frakki]

Jason momao face/body, Sheldon's voice/mannorisms

[Alicia]

Don't ruin my vision - at the moment I am seeing Jason Momoa as Wizard and I do NOT need Sheldon in the way.

[Maria]

I love the name Wizard. I'm having a hard time not imagining this book as an anime. I think specifically of Ian Somerhalder just as an anime character. *shrug*

I'm only into Chapter 2 though so I don't know how I feel about it over all yet.

[Lindsay]

Ok I finished it. - I really liked the idea behind this book but in the end... it missed the boat.

My favorite part of was when they were laying in bed discussing, "Complements, Gifts and Romance." I thought that bit was adorable and very well written.

Here's what I think could have improved the story.

• Raina - I didn't hate her, but I found her inner monolog repetitive and a bit melodramatic. I think I would have preferred it if she was more of a smarmy female-Han-Solo type of character who glossed over her inner turmoil and kept emotional distance from others with her snarky / seemingly selfish ways. If she had been that kind of character Wizard's initial surveillance and secrecy would have made more sense. Inevitably Raina would have started realizing that she was falling for the Wiz and she would have thrown up her snark-shields in an effort to push him away. Wizard, (being the way he is), would be totally oblivious and unruffled by her attempt to distance herself emotionally.

• Wizard's name didn't bother me as much as it did other people but I feel like more could have been done with it. I think it would have been amusing if Raina had a preconceived notion of what kind of guy Wizard was based on his name. She could have been waiting in the bar looking for some poindexter-nerd guy and then thrown for a loop when he shows up and turns out to be a hunky badass. Also, because this is a book about post-apocalyptic truckers I had originally assumed Wizard was his CB handle, and that's why there was no mention of his name being strange. I also think the author missed an opportunity to have fun with nicknames and CB handles for the other characters. - (Plus, what kind of super-secret rebel groups have their members running around using their real names?)

• The bad guy, Blane (or whatever his name was), was ridiculous! He should have either A.) been the type of bad guy who does horrible things because he believes it's for the greater good. Or B.) been the type of bad guy who the population at large believes is a good guy.

• The environment is described as being flat, snow-covered and treeless. How the heck do people keep sneaking up on other people!? There's nothing to hide behind and snow is kind of loud when you walk on it.

• Minor case of insta-love/friendship. I liked Wizard's POV and could see why he was falling in love with Raina but I felt like Raina was just obsessed with Wizard's muscles. And for a gal who supposedly doesn't "do" the friendship thing, she was really quick to buddy up to folks. - It would have been nice to experience the friendships building instead of having Raina just tell us, "I feel included! I think I've made friends!" The plant gifting, Ben's beat-down, and the sauna part helped a little, but I still didn't feel like we got to know any of the supporting characters.

[Lindsay]

*** I don't mind the use of the word "buttocks," however I think it may have been a bit overused here. By the end of the book I started hearing Forrest Gump in my head shouting "In the buttocks!" every time it popped up.

[Frakki]

bonus sexy times!?! Win.

I bought the combo pack of books for 99¢ on amazon. The author added a sex scene that had been cut out because they thought it came to early on. nice surprise I'm saving for later.

I thought this book was sweet and romantic. the Carmel corn of popcorn reading. not a slam. life is to long to read only serious books.

[Alicia]

Frakki wrote: "bonus sexy times!?! Win.

I bought the combo pack of books for 99¢ on amazon. The author added a sex scene that had been cut out because they thought it came to early on. nice surprise I'm saving f..."

The bonus sexy time is in the standalone Kindle version I got as well.

[Alexa]

The gunrunner thing was getting on my nerves a bit. For a character who ostensibly has some pretty well-honed instincts from surviving as a woman in a harsh, effectively lawless land (plus having been pursued for years in a vendetta by a sadistic human slaver/trucking tycoon--
THAT'S something you don't hear every day), it didn't really follow that she would persist in being so dense in her perception of him.

[Alicia]

Was it just me who was wondering how big a reservoir her truck had? To be able to store and heat enough water to have extended shower sexytimes in a truck in Siberia is a considerable feat of engineering.

[Taryn]

Alicia wrote: "Was it just me who was wondering how big a reservoir her truck had? To be able to store and heat enough water to have extended shower sexytimes in a truck in Siberia is a considerable feat of engineering."

Not to mention Wizard modified her truck so it ran on water as fuel instead of whatever the norm was. Unless it was catching snowflakes to use as water, the reservoir must have been half the size of the truck! ;-)

[Maria]

Alicia wrote: "Was it just me who was wondering how big a reservoir her truck had? To be able to store and heat enough water to have extended shower sexytimes in a truck in Siberia is a considerable feat of engin..."

Alexia, I was thinking that last night while I was reading.


Also, I'm so over the word frig. She is an adult woman who has seen some awful stuff. Why can't she cuss like one? It just seems so out of character and out of place in this world/book.

[Rina]

Taryn wrote: "Alicia wrote: "Was it just me who was wondering how big a reservoir her truck had? To be able to store and heat enough water to have extended shower sexytimes in a truck in Siberia is a considerabl..."

I think it was supposed to be a perpetual fuel thing. She had a hydrogen tank, which was what they used as fuel. Doing so produces water and oxygen (H2 reacts with O2 to make H2O and O), and then the resulting water can then be broken down in to hydrogen and oxygen (H2 and O), leaving you with more H2 to use.

Of course, it is not actually that simple a process to make happen, or we'd be doing it in real life.

[Carolyn F.]

Ariel wrote: "I loved this book. Screw world building and character development. I was not excited about reading it after reading the blurb, but I gave it a shot and couldn't put it down. Truckers?! Really?? ..."

Finally there are a few people who also liked this book. I even read the 2nd in the series. But that's it, I e-mailed the author and she said the publisher wasn't interested in printing more of the series.

[Sarah]

To me this was a total summer book / beach read which was perfect timing because the weather finally realized winter is over here (irony not lost). I was looking for a quick, easy read and just shut my mind off and read. I finished the book in 2 nights.

Wizard was a strange choice of name. Until the explanation, I was assuming it was a nickname but I got over it quickly and I definitely noticed the repeated text. I figured after last month's verbose description (which I did enjoy and I normally HATE descriptive writing) I could handle simplified repeated text.

I noticed that Raina was similar to what's her name from the space book who fell for Rupert - they both seemed to just fall right away. It seems like that annoys a lot of the readers? I'm ok with it. They both acknowledge that this is weird or different for them and I've always been a sucker for love at first sight, I guess. Although it seems like this might be a thug for the author. I'm reading the 2nd book and it seems as though Tatiana is going to fall for a guy right away too based on his eyes. I'm only a few pages in though. Can't explain why but THAT would annoy me.

[Claire]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who liked this! Sure, it's not going to win any "high literature" awards, but it was a fun and fast read. To me, this is what you would get if you mixed Ice Road Truckers and Mad Max (and yes I'm really excited for the new movie, and not only because TOM HARDY). Slightly over-the-top, full of out-sized personalities and cliches, but a fun summer popcorn flick.

I agree that even the revised edition I read could have used some more editing. There was a LOT of internal monologueing between the bits of dialogue and I admit to skimming some of it to get to the next speaking part. I also called that Raina's Ana and Wizard's Tatiana were the same person pretty early on, but I don't think the author was necessarily trying to hide that fact from the reader.

I also agree with Alicia that Wizard reminded me of the Operative from Serenity, especially the line about him making the world a better place and never expecting to live in it.

I liked that Sam was fleshed out a little more with info from Wizard towards the end - it didn't totally redeem him, but it made his actions a bit more understandable. And yay for bonus sex scenes after the fact!

I know I'll end up reading Tatiana's book as well, but now I'm sad that I'll never get to read Yuriko's book - there was totally something between her and Trey and now we'll never know!!! (based on Carolyn F.'s post above)

[Ashleigh]

Claire wrote: "Glad to see I'm not the only one who liked this! Sure, it's not going to win any "high literature" awards, but it was a fun and fast read. To me, this is what you would get if you mixed Ice Road Tr..."
I Liked this book too! It had so many lines that made me laugh. every time i read his name "wizard" i read it as "WIZARRRRD" and i cant remember the last time i heard or read "time to take out the trash" Also "it hurt like slag" is mentioned in this book...unsure what she meant by this but the UK meaning of slag does not make sence there.

I didn't have the extended version so feel i missed a lot but still i enjoyed it.
I can agree with the repetitiveness I read that he was an assassin mercenary so many times the words lost all meaning!

[Whitney]

I agree with those of you that said it was a perfect popcorn summer beach read. And after last month's pick, it was perfect! (I did like last month's pick too, but I like when we mix it up from month to month!)

I do think I am going to check out the next book since it sounds like it might be better than the first.

[Jenn]

I'll admit I am skimming over a lot of the not sexy stuff but I can appreciate that this is just a light read for smut reasons.

[Frakki]

I bought the book in the 99¢ jumbo pack Woman of the Apocalypse. if anyone is reading Silver, we should start a thread. just to the third chapter and its really interesting! don't think there is a romance though, unless its girl/girl.

[Maria]

Finally finished it. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'm still annoyed with the word frig and had a sense of release when Wizard finally used the word f**k.

I mentioned earlier that I couldn't help thinking of this as an anime and now I know why. She mentions in the end of the kindle version that she was watching a lot of anime at the time. I can definitely see the Trigun influence. I also called the reavers coming from Firefly.

I also read earlier in this thread that the kindle version had extra sexy times earlier in the book, but mine didn't and I'm glad it didn't. The first time came in about 1/2 through the book when they are at the camp and I thought the timing was just right for plot reasons. I can understand the want for sexy times to happen before because they obviously have this strong chemistry. I just think it was better placed later.

Overall, I enjoyed this and will probably pick up the next one.

[Alicia]

Maria wrote: "I also read earlier in this thread that the kindle version had extra sexy times earlier in the book, but mine didn't and I'm glad it didn't. The first time came in about 1/2 through the book when they are at the camp and I thought the timing was just right for plot reasons. I can understand the want for sexy times to happen before because they obviously have this strong chemistry. I just think it was better placed later. "

The bonus sexy time was in an afterword, but she says that originally it was really early in the story (when they are hiding the truck in the cave after being chased, in fact) but it was taken out because it didn't fit in the plot. And it really didn't - it was a nice bonus but it read as really gratuitous, whereas I agree with you, where it does happen in the book feels quite right.

[Maria]

Alicia wrote: "The bonus sexy time was in an afterword, but she says that originally it was really early in the story (when they are hiding the truck in the cave after being chased, in fact) but it was taken out because it didn't fit in the plot. And it really didn't - it was a nice bonus but it read as really gratuitous, whereas I agree with you, where it does happen in the book feels quite right."
Oh yeah, I remember it being at the back, and it was kind of hard for me to imagine it in the right place. So I agree, it was nice but awkward.

[Tracey]

Maria wrote: "Finally finished it. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'm still annoyed with the word frig and had a sense of release when Wizard finally used the word f**k.

I mentioned earlier that I co..."

Gah, yes! I thought well, geez you are clearly capable of using a naughty word, so why do we have to read frig a billion times? It was a good story, the writing wasn't stellar but for a fun, quick read it was fine. I don't watch Big Bang Theory so Wizard reminded me more of Castiel.

[Maria]

Tracey, I see the Castiel now that you mention it. I don't watch the Big Bang either.

[Laura]

Frakki wrote: "I'm 21% in and liking the story. he sounds tasty, but every time his name is said it's like ... Wizard? Really."

The name is terrible.