Review by Wency
TITLE: Rarely Pure and Never Simple
SERIES: Variant Configurations
AUTHOR: Angel Martinez
PUBLISHER: MLR Press
LENGTH: 145 Pages
BLURB:
A search for missing children throws a misanthropic human GPS and an obnoxious human torch together in a struggle to survive dangerous conspiracies and each other.
Damien just wants to be left alone. Too bad his variant talent as a locator makes him the go-to contractor for the government’s missing person cases. He can refuse, but it’s not so easy when the missing are variant kids.
Blaze Emerson is a sparker. People fear him as much for his ability to call fire as his obnoxious, violent temperament. He’s good at what he does, though, and he’s intrigued by the quiet man who can find people with his brain.
Conspiracies, treachery, and wild rumors are only the start. First Damien and Blaze have to survive each other.
REVIEW:
I don’t really know what to expect when I started reading this book. I don’t know how it will turnout being this as the first book I’ve read from Angel Martinez. Well, it turned out I enjoyed reading this one. Just the right pace length for me.
It’s different from what I mostly read in Sci-fi genre. And this book kind of remind a little of X-men but differs a little in the abilities of the character in this book and of course it is MM romance, could I ask for more?
Damien is a variant. A genetic by-product which develops a certain ability. His is the ability to locate people through the trails they left behind. I really felt the connection with Damien’s character. There’s just something about him that makes you feel sympathetic. Plus he have a tendency to twitch when something is wrong or out place. He is kind of broken because of his past but he do functions. He just need some who can love him for who and what he is and his tendency to be neurotic.
Blaze is a variant too. He is a sparker, someone who can summon fire on his fingertips. When he landed into a job with Damien, after that first meeting, for once in his life something started to change. But he don’t know it yet at that time. And that’s where the tension and a little angst came from.
I always consider a MM romance book a good one if does something to my chest. When it grew tight and ache. And this book did that, all without straying to the main plot. I also the like the world building of this book. This is set in the future where technology shaped our society. Just right description I need when reading a sci-fi and it is futuristic and that’s one more thing that made this enjoyable for me.
Though I would have like some more actions. I think the characters here have a pretty good ability to just lay to waste. I am just kind of looking for more on the action department, something that would make my heart pound and anticipate the next action of the main characters.
But all in all I enjoyed reading this and I’m sure I will read the next book. If you are a fan of Angel Martinez and loved sci-fi be sure to check this out. You’ll be surprise how you will enjoy this one.
RATING: 