In a futuristic world run by sentient machines, Steel is
trying to stay below the radar of the Grid. If she can make
one last major drug sale she will have enough money to live
free and undetected, but her plans go wrong when she runs
into a dangerous ex-boyfriend on the Metro. Dante lives
even further off the Grid than Steel. Bred and raised for
experimentation, his sole purpose since escaping the
machines is to get revenge. When he saves a young woman
from being raped and she sees his face, he knows he must
kill her. However, in the short time they spend together
he becomes intrigued by the tattooed and pierced Steel and
is impressed by her strength and determination. He knows
he can't trust her to keep his identity secret, but he
can't bring himself to kill her, and time is running
short. Dante and Steel both have near-impossible plans to
achieve the lives they want, and if they can learn to
believe and rely on each other, it could mean the
difference between life and death.
GRIDLOCK, by Nathalie Gray, is a dark and edgy novella set
in a future run by machines. The world of the Grid is
dangerous and depressing, without any hope or compassion
for its inhabitants. Steel and Dante are two outcasts with
nothing lose and running into each other puts a sudden
twist on their plans. They are used to being alone, and
trust doesn't come easy between the two, yet there is a
real attraction that they can't ignore. I really liked the
characters and could understand their interest in each
other, yet their time together was so short that I had a
difficult time believing they could come to care for and
put their lives on the line for each other that quickly.
The story just wasn't long enough to fully develop their
relationship, though the one sex scene in the book was
definitely hot.
The book's strongest point is the non-stop action and
suspense. I was immediately drawn into Steel's plight and
all the hardships and violence she had to face held my
attention. The plot is solid, well-written, and I read the
whole thing in one sitting because there just wasn't a slow
point for me to put it down. I was also intrigued by the
world of the Grid and hope Gray will continue to write
stories in this frightening but fascinating depiction of
the future. I would recommend GRIDLOCK to fans of
futuristic and science fiction that are looking for a good
novella-length story with lots of adventure and a little
bit of romance.
He finds love on the eve of a war he doesn’t plan on
surviving. A Cybershock Story.
Dante knows the price of rebellion. The Grid created him in
its likeness, turning him into a killing machine—tested,
modified and enhanced to be a “better citizen”. Years may
have passed since he escaped that freak show, but the scars
are still fresh. Without the mandatory implant, Steel
scrapes by, living free of the Grid’s control. When a job
goes bad, everyone around her dies, their minds crushed by
the notorious Cardinal. But he doesn’t kill her. He takes
her to a secret lair filled with fascinating, forbidden
pre-Grid knowledge. Who is this man—ruthless murderer or
eccentric loner? Bad-mannered as she is, Dante can’t bring
himself to silence the abrasive, cigarette-addicted Steel.
Something about her calls to him, though trusting her could
be a mistake. Should she betray him, it would wipe out years
of patient waiting. Waiting while the Grid hunts him for the
priceless information he carries within his living data
vault. Waiting while his dish of revenge turns ice cold. For
Dante intends to go back. And this time, he intends to be
the only one left standing.
Warning: Contains violence,
offensive language, a tattooed woman, a man who’s ready to
light a few fuses, several variants of the F-word, machines
behaving badly, thugs and PVC fashion. But no ninjas. That’s
for the next book.
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