Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha Narrator: Lidia Dornet
Series: Mercenary Librarians #1
Published by MacMillan Audio on July 28, 2020
Genres: Dystopia
Length: 12 hours and 36 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Orphan Black meets the post-apocalyptic Avengers in the vein of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author duo Kit Rocha
The United States went belly up 45 years ago when our power grid was wiped out. Too few live in well-protected isolation while the rest of us scrape by on the margins. The only thing that matters is survival. By any means. At any cost.
Nina is an information broker with a mission: to bring hope to the darkest corners of Atlanta. She and her team of mercenary librarians use their knowledge to help those in need. But altruism doesn’t pay the bills—raiding vaults and collecting sensitive data is where the real money is.
Knox is a bitter, battle-weary supersoldier who leads the Silver Devils, an elite strike squad that chose to go AWOL rather than slaughter innocents. Before the Devils leave town for good, they need a biochem hacker to stabilize the experimental implants that grant their superhuman abilities.
The problem? Their hacker’s been kidnapped. And the ransom for her return is Nina. Knox has the perfect bait for a perfect trap: a lost Library of Congress server. The data could set Nina and her team up for years...
If they live that long.
This is the first book in the new Mercenary Librarians series by Kit Rocha. I’ve been a fan of Kit Rocha going back to the early years of the Beyond series. I don’t remember how I stumbled upon the writing team, but I really love their stories and always look forward to new books. And more importantly, new characters.
These two authors write really fun characters I can always relate to in one way or another. Their characters always have their flaws, but want to be good people as a whole. They always surround themselves with friends that are more family. Many have blood relations that leave a lot to be desired. And things are no different here.
Here we get to meet the unofficial leader of a group of women in Atlanta which is much different from what we know now (this is set in the same world as the Beyond and Gideon’s Riders series, though you can read this without having read either of those series. There’s just a teeny Easter egg towards the end of the book). Years ago, there were solar flares that changed the world as we know it. And now Nina and her crew are just trying to survive and do some good along the way. They like to collect information in many forms. They share books, music and videos with the people of their community. But they also collect other information for money, because something has to pay the bills.
Garrett Knox is a leader of super soldiers on the run from their elite unit. They all have implants which increases their abilities in one way or another. However, those implants require maintenance or they can die a horrible death. That’s one of the ways they are kept in line. Though they are working on how to survive.
These two groups come together on a mission. They don’t trust each other. However, as they travel along the back roads from Atlanta to Tennessee, they learn to trust and more between the two groups. They truly become friends, which makes this all a bit harder for Knox and his group. But one of their own is in trouble.
I had no doubt starting this book that it would be a fun read. As I expected, I fell in love with the characters of this story. Even the villain, I found I liked. I found the plot of the story and the mission to be a good one, as well. I’m really excited for the second book to come out.
Narration:
This is my first time listening to Lidia Dornet. At first, I thought her voice was a bit too soft for a book that was more on the darker side. But the more I listened, she became the character voices for me. I found that all the voices really did fit each of the characters. I look forward to getting the second audiobook with her at the helm.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Kit Rocha
Once upon a time, two best friends decided to write paranormal romance. And while that was awesome, they also sometimes wanted to write insanely dirty stuff that wasn’t paranormal at all. This is that stuff.
Kit Rocha is the dystopian-erotic-romance writing alter-ego of writing duo Moira Rogers.
How do you make a Moira Rogers? Take a former forensic science and nursing student obsessed with paranormal romance and add a computer programmer with a passion for gritty urban fantasy. Toss in a dash of whimsy and a lot of caffeine, and enjoy with a side of chocolate by the light of the full moon.
By day, Bree and Donna are mild-mannered ladies who reside in the Deep South. At night, when their husbands and children are asleep, they combine forces to unleash the product of their fevered imaginations upon the page
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I started listening to audiobooks when a new book in a series was coming out and I wanted to get a refresher, but didn’t have time to read all the books (I think it was Anita Blake). I fell in love. I stayed with strictly re-reading books that I’d already read for a long time. I eventually tried an audiobook for something that I hadn’t read first and was hooked there too. Now, I listen to audio for both re-reads and first time. I have some series that I’ve given up reading and only listen. I try to get any many books/audiobooks from the library to help save on my budget. Books on CD and the newer digital downloads from the library really allow me to listen more. I then purchase my favorites (because who can wait in line for your favorite book??) and less mainstream books from Audible or some other online retailer.
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I still need to finish the Beyond series. I really enjoyed those books. This is one that I’m also looking forward to. I love the cover on it as well.
That is a very fun series. I love all those characters. Now, I want to revisit it. 🙂
Yeah. I enjoyed this too Melanie and cannot wait for the next audio. Fantastic review.
Thanks Kimberly. I’m excited for book two also.
I like that one can jump in on this series or start back at the beginning all within the same world. Love what they’re doing preserving information and that set up with the enhanced soldiers makes for some excitement.
Agreed. I love spinoff series, but I also think it is great when someone can start with that spinoff series. This has more easter eggs of the other series than a true spinoff, though it might get tighter in later books.
I enjoyed this one a lot but I read the ebook. The next one is on my radar too.
I hope book two comes out soon. I’m really looking forward to it.
Nice review, Melanie. I started this one last year (on audiobook), but struggled to get into the story, so I’ve put it on pause, with the intention to get back to it. I’ve never read the Beyond series, but I loved the Gideon’s Riders spinoff.
I understand. I’ve had books like that too (I still have several that are on pause that I swear I will pick up again sometime).
I have an ARC of this book that I have not read yet. I do love the sound of this story. I might check my library for a copy of the audio.
I hope your able to get the audio. I really enjoyed the narrator.