House Immortal

July 28, 2014
Eleven color-coded Houses control the technology and resources of Earth. The 12th House, House Brown, is democratic but has little real power. Many people find freedom only by living hidden from the Houses’ movers and shakers. Matilda Case has spent her life on an isolated farm, carefully avoiding notice, but all that is for naught when a bleeding Abraham Seventh appears at her door. Abraham is one of the galvanized—a group of 12 immortals created centuries ago—and Matilda appears to also be galvanized, even though she’s not one of the 12. The secret of Matilda’s origins makes her a treasure beyond compare, and it also makes her the key to megalomaniac Slater Orange’s plan to rule the world forever. Monk’s corporatist feudal future is painted in broad strokes, and while the technology that drives the plot is uninhibited by any sort of plausibility, the melodramatic story moves with such energy that readers will be inclined to forgive its slip-ups. Like Monk’s Allie Beckstrom, Matilda has the misfortune to be sought after by powerful, immoral men; she has been dealt a no-win hand, and the entertainment is in watching how she plays it out.

September 15, 2014

In 1910, an experiment to manipulate time went very wrong. Twelve human survivors of the time blast were permanently changed and have come to be referred to as the galvanized--incredibly strong, immortal, and stitched with life thread. Nearly 300 years later, Matilda Case, a young woman with a farm full of unusual creatures, has tried to hide herself away--hoping that no one will notice the similarities she shares with the galvanized. All of that is altered when Abraham the Seventh, a galvanized claimed by House Gray, shows up on her farm severely wounded, with a message from her long-dead mother. Matilda must quickly make a life-altering choice: run and hide to secure her freedom or exchange her servitude to one of the ruling Houses for the safety of those she loves. VERDICT This series launch by the author of the "Age of Steam" steampunk series and the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasies will appeal to readers intrigued by both time travel and dystopian society stories. In future installments, readers will learn if Matilda, with the help of her genius brother Quinten, will be able to unlock the mystery behind the Wings of Mercury experiment, or if they will simply run out of time to change history and save the world.--Vicky M. Coffin, Eastern Connecticut State Univ. Lib., Willimantic

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