Review – Shoot the Messenger (Messenger Chronicles, Book 1) by Pippa DeCosta (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 324 pages
Publisher: Crazy Ace Publishing
Release Date: February 22, 2018
ASIN: B079ZZ2681
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Messenger Chronicles
Source: Borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Kesh Lasota is a ghost in the machine. Invisible to tek, she’s hired by the criminal underworld to carry illegal messages through the Halow system. But when one of those messages kills its recipient, Kesh finds herself on the run with a bounty on her head and a quick-witted marshal on her tail.
Proving her innocence should be straightforward. Until a warfae steals the evidence she needs. The fae haven’t been seen in Halow in over a thousand years. And this one—a brutally efficient killer able to wield tek—should not exist. But neither should Kesh.
As Kesh’s carefully crafted lie of a life crumbles around her, she knows being invisible is no longer an option. To hunt the warfae, to stop him from destroying a thousand-year fragile peace, she must resurrect the horrors of her past.
Kesh Lasota was a ghost. Now she’s back, and there’s only one thing she knows for certain: Nobody shoots the messenger and gets away with it.”
This is the first book in the Messenger Chronicles series which is a five book series. This is described as being a science fiction fantasy paranormal book with a slow burn reverse harem romance (whew! that’s a mouthful). I enjoyed this quite a bit. It’s a fun light read with a lot of action, a creative world, and some interesting characters.
Kesh Losota works as an “under the radar” messenger. When things go very wrong for her she gets involved with a warfae who brings up her painful past. Suddenly Kesh is involved deeply with the fae again and involved in the fate of humanity itself.
This book is fast-paced and ended up being a bit different than I expected. It reminds me quite a bit of Karen Marie Moning’s “Fever” series but in a more science fiction type of setting. Kesh ends up working with a Marshall and an exiled fae. There isn’t much romance in here but you can tell things are building. This is going to be one of those books where Kesh ends up demanding loyalty and affection from multiple men.
There’s a lot of action in here which I really enjoyed. The action scenes are well written. I also enjoyed the fae magic and the way the universe is put together. The characters are equally fascinating. There aren’t a ton of characters in here but the ones introduced have a lot of depth to them and are mysterious in their own ways.
Overall I enjoyed this and plan on continuing the series. I would recommend if you are looking for an action-packed science fiction read with a more paranormal/UF feel to it.
