In 17-year-old Jax Mitchell's world, humans are nearly extinct and alien settlers have arrived.
Until recently, the E'rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them…but now they have taken Jax's brother. To rescue him, she forms an uneasy alliance with a teenage E'rikon left stranded in the woods. She agrees to guide him to the city if he sneaks her past the human-proof barrier. Too bad it's not that simple.
Jax, who cannot stand to be touched, finds that's she's drawn to the alien boy with bright green hair and jewel-like scales. And he's equally affected by her, the courageous redhead with haunted eyes. But she doesn't know the alien's true motives and he has no idea that she is much more than she seems.
In this world where alien and human are at odds, the connection forming between the two has consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens not only the remaining humans and the growing alien society, but Earth itself.
Wow. When I begin the audiobook, with a bit of sinocism since this is not my typical genre, I was quickly metaphorically bitch slapped by the writing of Theresa Kay. Theresa Kay you made me like Sci-Fi a little more.
Welcome to Bridgelake, one of the last and largest of the few civilizations left, where the women are docile, obedient, and ready to breed to help repopulate the Earth. For females on their 18th birthday, they are "Promised" to a male and not of their choosing. The women are treated as objects and expected to wear dresses. After most of the population was wiped out, an alien race came to Earth to make a new start for themselves. The aliens never tried to help or communicated with them. The grudge is pretty mutual between the humans and the aliens. People fear what they don't know. That seems to also be true for the aliens.
The heroine, Jax Mitchell is strong willed, intuitive, loyal, and isn't afraid to speak her mind, which is rare in the confines of BridgeLake. She has no interest in this promising ceremony or even found a man she thinks of romantically. She likes to wear pants and hunt.
She has a twin brother, Jace who has been everything to her since their father disappears and a tragedy occurs that Jax barely recovers from. He takes his job as her protector very seriously even at the expense of his own happiness.
The story grabs you quickly when her brother gets captured trying to protect her from getting discovered by aliens. This is where you are introduced to the E'rikon. Lir, a well known E'rikon in high standing who has a vendetta against her brother, has green hair and matching shimmering green eyes that draw Jax's attention to his glow and how human like the E'rikan are. Lir protects her from his alien companions and this when the story truly begins. After Jace is taken, Lir is captured and imprisoned by the humans. In an attempt to save her brother, Jax helps Lir escape from his imprisonment and they begin their journey.
Lir and Jax have an instant connection that turns into a bond that she's never known even with her twin brother. Jax doesn't like to be touched and has frequent nightmares. She only knows the comfort of her brother and is surprised how easy it is for her to accept Lir's kindness and comfort along their journey. Jax doesn't understand her pull to Lir or the weird feelings and emotions she's experiencing. She's learning about love and about herself in the process. Her discovery of love is heart felt and she risks it all to save the true owner of her heart. Some of the best stories are where the heroine learns something about herself and uses it to save the day. This book won't disappoint, even though the ending will leave you waiting for the next installment of the story.
Andrea Emmes, the narrator has a good grasp on Jax's personality and gives her a stubborn yet vulnerable quality. Each voice had it's own distinct characteristics and emotions, which made it easy to decipher who was speaking. Jax's journey was exciting and fun! I enjoyed this read.
NARRATED: ANDREA EMMES
LENGTH: 9 HRS AND 7 MINS
SERIES: BROKEN SKIES, BOOK 1
RELEASE DATE: 7/16/2014
PUBLISHER: AUDIBLE