Liddi Jantzen has lived her whole life in the spotlight. The youngest of the Jantzen siblings and the heir to the Jantzen technology company, Liddi has always felt inadequate compared to her brothers. When masked men break into her home, she assumes that they’re the typical papazzi. At least until they start shooting. Liddi’s escape reveals her brothers are missing, and a betrayal from someone she trusted leaves her implanted with a device that could kill her brothers if she speaks. Which means even when she reaches safety, she has no way to share what she know without risking her remaining family. Without her voice, Liddi will have to figure out some what to convince her new allies to help and figure out how to save her family, all the while the clock is ticking.
This is an adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans, and it does work as an adaptation. The novel itself could use a little work. Most of what bothered me are more nitpicks than anything else. The plot is good, but the relationships between characters could use some expansion, especially when it comes to Liddi and her brothers. Having eight brothers is a lot of characters, but I would have loved to see more of their family dynamics as well as gotten a better sense of where Liddi’s sense of inferiority came from. Unlike her wariness of nonfamily members which is explained via flashbacks, we don’t get as much as of the family dynamics except with Liddie and her brothers as a whole. Honestly, it sort of felt like there was enough material for two books here making several parts feel very rushed. Also, since we are confined to Liddi’s pov, changes in some of the other characters seem rushed or out of nowhere. Lewis clearly has a talent for creating sci-fi worlds, and I would have loved to see more of this one. This wasn’t a bad read, but was a little disappointing after reading Stitching Snow. Three out of five stars.
Bingo – Left – Liddi is left on her own when her brothers disappear.
