Boston is half-submerged in swamp, but that's
nothing new. Paramedic Eli Margolis is a new transfer,
moving with his Harvard-researcher sister Galena. He has
the misfortune to come into a city where everything is
new and everyone is against him from the get-go: his
boss's family, his co-workers, his own instincts. His
instincts are particularly troublesome, as they are
trying to lead him straight into the arms of his partner,
Cacy Ferry. Cacy's family is one of the wealthiest in
Boston, and is definitely the family with the biggest
secret. In addition to their day jobs, the Ferry family
works as guides to the Afterlife, sending the souls of
the dead to Heaven or Hell after they are Marked by the
Ker. Eli and Cacy grow even closer as they work, but
tragedy strikes when the former Charon, Cacy's father, is
killed hours after his retirement. From then on, it is a
battle of epic proportions to find the killer and unravel
a conspiracy which could bring on disaster to an already-
ravaged world.
MARKED is one of the best new science fiction
stories I've read in a long time. The pacing is
wonderful, mixing action with introspection in a perfect
balance which never expects too much of the reader. The
narrative is such a gift. The wording is not too heavy
handed, but it has some serious elements which keep the
story moving along even through the confusion of the
mystery. The mystery is not the most fascinating part of
the book, sad to say, but it doesn't have to be when the
voice is so fluid and interesting. The world building is
completely wonderful. I never once questioned that Boston
was now swampland and that Kansas was completely out of
water. The best part of the novel was touring this new
magnificent world with Cacy and Eli in their ambulance.
The characterization is an amazing piece of the
puzzle. Even if they hadn't been dealing with
supernatural forces, Cacy would have kept me hooked. She
was amazing. A layered female character who is
unabashedly sexual and exciting is such a rarity even
from a female author that I was just unable to put this
book down. I liked Eli, too, but he was a bit typical.
He's a big guy who has lots of bravado and he doesn't
take anybody's nonsense. We've seen that before in
literature. The sister is a bit dull, but she's not
enough in the book to make much of a difference. It's her
research that's important and it's not detailed enough
within the story. We need to know what she's doing in
order to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation.
I look forward to reading the further adventures
of Cacy and Eli and the rest of the Ferrys. This is the
most exciting science fiction novel I've read in a long
time. It's fun, it's sexy, it's very sweet. MARKED is an
excellent book and I recommend it to every reader.
In a broken landscape carved by environmental collapse,
Boston paramedic Cacia Ferry risks life and limb on the
front lines of a fragile and dangerous city. What most don’t
know—including her sexy new partner, Eli Margolis—is that
while Cacy works to save lives, she has another job ferrying
the dead to the Afterlife.
Once humans are “Marked” by Fate, the powerful Ferrys are
called to escort the vulnerable souls to either eternal
bliss or unending fire and pain.
Unaware of Cacy’s other life, Eli finds himself as
mesmerized by his fierce and beautiful partner as he is
mistrustful of the influential Ferry clan led by the
Charon—who happens to be Cacy’s father. Cacy, in turn, can
no longer deny her intense attraction to the mysterious
ex-Ranger with a haunted past.
But just as their relationship heats up, an apparent hit
takes the Charon before his time. Shaken to the core, Cacy
pursues the rogue element who has seized the reins of Fate,
only to discover that Eli has a devastating secret of his own.
Not knowing whom to trust, what will Cacy have to sacrifice
to protect Eli—and to make sure humanity’s future is secure?
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