{"id":6825,"date":"2015-12-25T18:19:38","date_gmt":"2015-12-25T23:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=6825"},"modified":"2018-09-26T22:42:49","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T02:42:49","slug":"arc-review-mercury-striking-scorpius-syndrome-1-by-rebecca-zanetti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=6825","title":{"rendered":"ARC Review: Mercury Striking (Scorpius Syndrome, #1) by Rebecca Zanetti"},"content":{"rendered":"

Buy: Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\r\n <\/div><\/div>\n
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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

4.5 post-apocalyptic, action-packed, exciting and romantic stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan. She writes fantastic action\/adventure, suspenseful, sexy and romantic stories, and she\u2019s totally nailed it with this one! Full of sensational characters living in a terrifying world, they face danger and violence and a true struggle for survival. There are lots of surprises and on-the-edge-of-your-seat excitement, and the romantic (and super-hot) love story woven throughout satisfied the romance reader in me. I was enthralled from start to finish.<\/p>\n

While this is technically book 1 in\u00a0The Scorpius Syndrome<\/em>series, part of the way through reading, I realised that there was a prequel novella,\u00a0Scorpius Rising<\/em>\u00a0(available in the compilation\u00a0On the Hunt<\/a>), so I put this book down to read that one, and it set the stage nicely for everything that was happening. It\u2019s set only a few months before this book, and while I wouldn\u2019t consider the prequel a necessary read, and this book is definitely easy to follow without it, I\u2019d recommend reading it to give you a good base for the story.<\/p>\n

Set in a present-day post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, a bacteria has spread across the US (and possibly the world), wiping out 99% of the population. Those that have survived the bug have been left either been turned into a \u2018Ripper\u2019 – completely altered and stripped of humanity – or have recovered, but have been enhanced in some way (eg. with additional intelligence). Technology has broken down, essentials like food, water, clothing and gas are scavenged and hoarded, and society has completely fallen apart.<\/p>\n

Lynne Harmony is a brilliant microbiologist and ex-head of the Infectious Diseases division of the CDC. She was involved in the initial discovery of the bug and worked tirelessly to develop a cure. She ended up being infected, but survived, and she is now on the run from an elite forces group who are mercilessly (and somewhat mysteriously) hunting her. She is searching for now-abandoned scientific facilities, looking for research carried out on the bacteria which may lead to a cure, and this has led her to LA where she seeks out notorious vigilante, Jax Mercury, offering herself and her knowledge in exchange for his protection.<\/p>\n

Jax is the badass leader of a group of survivors. He lived his childhood on the streets before coming a soldier in the special forces and he has established a camp in the middle of an LA which is overrun by violent gangs. He now shelters a few hundred people who work together to protect each other, fight off attacks and scavenge for supplies, doing whatever it is that is necessary to survive. And, he is sensational! A total badass, he didn\u2019t ask for the role that he\u2019s been thrust into, but he does what is necessary to protect \u2018his\u2019 people. His ruthless badassery melds brilliantly with his intelligence, wit and sarcasm, and I loved his dry sense of humour in the face of everything he is dealing with.<\/p>\n

The second they lost hope of survival, they lost everything. \u201cHope is the dream of a waking man.\u201d
\nTace snorted. \u201cI like that quote better than the\u00a0<\/em>we\u2019re all gonna die\u00a0quotes you spouted yesterday.
\nJax rubbed his aching temple. \u201cI was moody.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lynne is also a great character. Strong and brave, she has overcome a lot already in the story, but the way she stands up for herself and does whatever is necessary to protect herself and fight to do everything she can to help with the bug is amazing. As a known survivor of the bacteria, she is viewed as a threat and hated on site by a most of Jax\u2019s people, but he recognises the potential of having such a brilliant mind among them, so he agrees to take her in. Their attraction is evident from the very beginning and as Lyn settles in and assimilates herself into Jax\u2019s compound, that attraction sizzles and after enduring months of hardship and little contact with others, they are drawn together in a way that is intense, passionate, and totally freaking hot!!!<\/p>\n

He grabbed her hair and wrenched her head to the side, his gaze capturing hers. \u201cThis is\u00a0<\/em>fucking. Full bore, I\u2019ll take you and make you come so hard you\u2019ll forget the world for a few minutes. But that\u2019s all it is. Not love, not forever, and not a way to manipulate me.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yep, Jax may have some emotional issues, but his life has been hard, and we get to see that in great detail as the story progresses and our characters are forced to deal with terrifyingly violence, betrayal, death, and the challenge of simply living in the world as it is. It\u2019s exciting and suspenseful with some mystery and shocks, but there is also a nice amount of emotion. It\u2019s heartbreaking in places, and I even teared up at one point, but the character development through it all is really well done as Jax reveals his vulnerability, learns what it means to be a true leader, and allows himself to truly feel – and the slow yet consistent relationship progression shows that beautifully.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there are bullets, I\u2019m between you and them. If you get taken, I\u2019m hunting you down till my last breath. And if you end up in hell, I\u2019ll storm the fucking place until the fires go out.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not good at this.\u201d Taking her hand from his jaw, he pressed it against his heart. \u201cYou\u2019re in here. Stay safe.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a fantastic read. Fast paced, action packed, full of intrigue and excitement, with a great romance and a lot of heart, I was totally hooked. The book finishes off well, though there is a lot more story to be told, and with a number of other characters set up nicely for their own books, I am really excited to continue on with this series and can\u2019t wait for Raze\u2019s book up next.<\/p>\n

I loved it \u2013 4.5 stars.<\/p>\n

An Advanced Review Copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Scorpius Syndrome\u00a0series<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"scorpius-rising\"\u00a0 \"Mercury\u00a0\u00a0\"Shadow\u00a0\u00a0\"justice-ascending\"\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/h4>\n

\"\"\u00a0 \"\"\u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/h4>\n

Scorpius\u00a0<\/strong>Rising (#0.5 Scorpius Syndrome\/Brigade Novella) <\/b>(Deke & Nora)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a> (available\u00a0in the compilation\u00a0On the Hunt)<\/p>\n

Mercury Striking (#1) <\/strong>(Jax & Lynne)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0\u00a0Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Shadow Falling (#2) <\/strong>(Raze & Vinnie)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0\u00a0Kindle Ebook<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Justice Ascending (#3) <\/strong>(Tace & Sami)
\n Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Storm Gathering (#4)<\/strong> (Greyson & Moe)
\n<\/strong>Review<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Blaze Erupting<\/strong> (#4.5 Scorpius Syndrome\/Brigade Novella) <\/strong>(Hugh & Eleanor)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/p>\n

Winter Igniting (#5)<\/strong> (Damon & April)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Knight Awakening (#6)<\/strong> (Marcus & Penny)
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Kindle Ebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Power Surging (Scorpius Syndrome\/Brigade Novella)<\/strong>
\nTo be released<\/p>\n

Hunter Advancing (Scorpius Syndrome\/Brigade Novella)<\/strong>
\nTo be released<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more reads like this one, see our Action\/Adventure Recommendations<\/a> Page<\/strong><\/h4>\n

And check out our Rebecca Zanetti Author Spotlight<\/a> for more reads from this author<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Buy: Kindle Ebook\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Paperback Review 4.5 post-apocalyptic, action-packed, exciting and romantic stars I\u2019m a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan. She writes fantastic action\/adventure, suspenseful, sexy and romantic stories, and she\u2019s totally nailed it with this one! […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79,118,9,29],"tags":[59,305,48,317],"class_list":["post-6825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-action","category-post-apocalyptic","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-rebecca-zanetti","tag-review","tag-scorpius-syndrome"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Mercury-Striking.jpg?fit=150%2C245&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-1M5","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}