This Cruel Design (Mortal Coil)

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada picks up where This Mortal Coil left off. With Lachlan on the run and a mutated strain of virus on the loose, it’s up to Cat to save everyone above ground. To put it quite simply: this book was SO good! I had a hard time putting it down and couldn’t wait to find out what misadventures Cat and her unlikely team got into. This was a book of answers, and I was pleased to learn more about Cat, her past, her family, and her motivations. I had a lot of questions coming out of This Mortal Coil, so I was happy to have some of those questions answered. The writing was beautiful in This Cruel Design, and the pace was quick. Cat raced against time in this book, which kept the storyline moving along swiftly. The plot is wicked cool in this series, and I really liked the direction This Cruel Design took. Cat’s backstory was a real bomb dropped, and I didn’t see it coming. The storyline between Cat and Cole continued to progress, though not without some tension. I’ll be curious to see where their relationship goes in the next book. The ending of the book was a whirlwind of fast-paced action. Sides were chosen, and not everyone made it out alive. The ending also left me eagerly anticipating the next book. At this point, I have no idea what’s going to happen next, but I can’t wait to find out! All of the characters in the book were delightfully written, unique and original. Some of the new characters, like Mato and Regina, added to the story nicely. Where there’s good, there’s bad, and Mato and Regina, both morally gray characters, were fun to get to know. Jun Bei’s story also ramped up in This Cruel Design. The more I learn about Jun Bei, the more I like her character. She has a streak of compassion but all the hardness of someone who’s had a really hard life. If you like science fiction, strong characters, and lots of action, I highly recommend you check out this wonderful series! Thank you to NetGalley for providing the Kindle version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you read book 1 you know it’s based on questionable morality & ethically ambiguous science resulting in an unpleasant set of circumstances. I like the world building & the way the story explores the difficult questions. Such as how much genetic material warrants an evolution passed human & into another species? Should the public have the ability to self regulate their own genome? If not, How much should be regulated? This world is harsh & book 2 is ugly. Be warned there is no HEA here. In fact the entire time I read this I was physically tense 😬. I’ve never read a series in which I actively disliked the the characters but was fascinated with storyline prior to this series. I’ll continue the series.

We pick up where we left off from the first book....... Wow I really enjoy this 2nd book and I didn't think we will find out so much and still have have so much to learn. I do really like the Science, DNA and learn about different area of the virus. We learn that the virus was stop but a bigger virus is on it way and will kill everybody when it released. Also we learn some more about Cat learn and what happen with the 6 months of her life Cons; I really dont like the romance and both pairs are really annoying... For example Cole keep talking about their conversation to Anna but when Cat what answers it not my story to tell (no really 😑🤦‍♀️) Than Mato, I understand not telling everything about someone pass and sent want to force anything or decision but using pain to force information out the person you love

The sequel is exciting and action-packed and will keep you on the edge of your seat. I expected the sequel to be a bit romance-driven; though, there was actually hardly any romance which was kind of astonishing but also really realistic considering the circumstances. Absolutely nothing is as it seems and Suvada’s not done surprising and shocking the reader, her storytelling is simply exquisite.

This Cruel Design was next level insanity. It was incredibly smart, thought provoking and a little disturbing at times. Okay a lot. What did I just read??!? I have so many questions. How am I supposed to wait for the next one? If you love great SciFi, I highly recommend this series!

The story is fast and engaging with a lot of science thrown in the mix. I am eager for the final book!

Actual rating 4.75 stars. Such a fantastic book!! I have not read a science fiction series that I have been so engrossed in that is not based in space or alien planets ever. I bow to you Miss Suvada! There is only a few teeny-tiny things that stopped me from giving this novel a perfect score. The first being I had difficulty getting my bearings at the start. I was about 50 pages in before everything clicked. Even though the story takes up right after the debut ended, there was no summary or re-cap and given the length of time between picking up ‘This Cruel Design’ since reading ‘This Mortal Coil,’ I was just floundering along trying to make sense of things and trigger memories – in a sense I was like Cat attempting to fill in gaps of memory. I really think a foreward would have been helpful just to summarize and set the scene from ‘This Mortal Coil’ and then ‘This Cruel Design’ could have launched in earnest. The other small aspect, was the novel had a bit of a slow start. ‘This Mortal Coil’ starts off with a bang, and I didn’t get that sense with ‘This Cruel Design.’ There is a lot of science and technology in this series. A true STEM geek-out (which I adore) but with having to get back into world building of a universe the reader was already familiar with felt counter intuitive. Besides those niggling aspects, ‘This Cruel Design’ is an excellent read. I have not read a series that has continued to surprise and delight me multiple times with each instalment. I am so envious of Emily Suvada’s writing and ability to craft a plot and plot twists. She doesn’t drop obvious hints that have you sleuthing out the ending... she is a true master craftswoman. Add to that the science, theories, grounded in practical experience lends so much credence to the storyline. It may be isolating to some readers who don’t have a grasp on things like genetics, coding, and technology, but this was right up my alley. All those shows discussing the direction of human and technological evolution are like an appetiser to this series. I felt we really got to see what Cat was made of in ‘This Cruel Design,’ like she became even more fully resolved. Plus the aspects of biology and technology she plays with is truly mind-bending. The relationship she had with Cole did feel slightly too fast. Not insta-love, but not a slow burn either, and did not feel quite organic. The rest of the gifted children (genetically altered soldiers) while each a fully rounded characters - both endearing and annoying... there is always something holding me back from falling in love with them. Maybe it’s the military aspect with them withholding information; or the fact they may be controlled or manipulated to some extent, but that is a truly marvellous storytelling device. This is interwoven with the expansion on Cat and Jun Bei’s family through flashbacks, history and present day events. I love the introduction of a counter-faction to Cartaxus; equal in diverging biology and technology. A side note of things yet to come, like the Dax mystery, the Lachlan mystery, and Agnes (yaya) secrets – these should be the big ones in the final book of the trilogy. The pigeons still have a part to play – they’ve been mentioned far too much to not have any significance. I’m keen to find this out. Not to mention the final showdown between Cat and Jun Bei… I’m clenching my buttocks with excitement for that one. Oh, yeah, and the ending of Cartaxus and orientating the world towards a new freedom. No biggie. Though the story concluded, you still get a sense that there is still a much bigger picture and fight to be had (sans abovementioned notes) – setting up ‘This Vicious Cure’ really well. Can’t wait to see what surprises are in store. What new twists Suvada has in store.

I stumbled across this series on social and absolutely LOVED the first book when I got it as a gift for my birthday! I immediately ran to purchase the second one and will be diving into the third once ot gets here! This series is so underrated! You will not regret this read. So so good!

Apesar de ter dado nota 3 para o livro em geral, confesso que minha vontade era de dar menos e, se não fosse pela ideia da história e pela leitura não ter sido tão chata, definitivamente teria dado 2. Eu adorei o primeiro livro dessa trilogia quando li anos atrás e fiz questão de reler antes de ler este daqui. This Mortal Coil é realmente muito bom, com pequenos problemas só, mas interessante, diferente e tenso na medida. This Cruel Design é, infelizmente, uma decepção. Eu entendo que a autora queria que esse livro fosse instigante e fizesse o leitor não querer parar de ler, mas ficar criando reviravoltas a cada capítulo acabou deixando o enredo ridículo. São tantas revelações forçadas e desnecessárias e que acabam não tendo nenhum propósito a não ser causar surpresa, que depois da quinta eu parei de me surpreender e comecei só a revirar os olhos. Outra coisa que me incomodou bastante foi que os personagens ficavam indo e vindo dos mesmos lugares o tempo todo, como se fosse uma super decisão. Vou tentar explicar melhor. Eles estavam com algum problema, então decidiam que o melhor a fazer era ir para tal lugar. Lá, algo acontecia e eles tinham que sair correndo o quanto antes. Mas aí, do lado de fora, outra coisa acontecia e eles precisavam voltar para o tal lugar. E isso aconteceu tantas vezes, que foi outra coisa ridícula do enredo. Parecia que a autora não conseguia expandir o universo para além disso e que nem tinha decidido direito o que queria. Outra coisa que me incomodou demais foi o perigo iminente da Cartaxus que nunca era realmente perigoso, porque eu já tinha aprendido antes que, não importa quão próxima a tragédia estava, ela nunca pegaria os protagonistas. Sempre era "daqui a segundos" e acabava durante horas para acontecer, de tanto tempo que ainda tinham para fugir. Sim, eles tiveram que tomar decisões difíceis às vezes, mas nada que fosse irreversível, e isso tira um pouco da graça dos obstáculos que eles tinham que superar. Sei que já falei das reviravoltas excessivas, mas quero falar mais. Principalmente, porque acho que o maior problema delas é algo que já atrapalhou outras questões do livro desde o começo da trilogia. A autora tem a péssima mania de explicar coisas, de parar a narrativa para explicar aspectos do mundo em que a Cat vive, o que faz zero sentido quando ela narra na primeira pessoa e não deve explicação para ninguém em sua própria "mente". Ou seja, o primeiro livro estava cheio de infodumps, e o pior é que muitos deles poderiam ter sido evitados com as próximas cenas, que os explicava na prática. É esse o mesmo problema das reviravoltas desse livro. Elas são ditas, quando poderiam facilmente ter dado algumas dicas pela história e terem sido descobertas com algo acontecendo, com uma atitude e não só com alguém contando a informação para outra pessoa. Já que desgraça pouca é bobagem, claro que eu tenho mais uma coisa para criticar. A Cat era uma personagem tão interessante no primeiro livro, ela era hacker e tinha truques na manga para resolver problemas diferentes. Neste, infelizmente, ela é burra, incompetente e só fica sendo jogada de um lado para o outro, completamente perdida. Me desanimou demais ver uma protagonista que tinha tudo para ser ótima, que era ótima, se transformar em uma tão lerda e inútil. Eu realmente queria pensar em algo que gostei nesse livro, mas tudo acaba sendo ofuscado pelos problemas. Eu esperava mais, esperava achar mais interessante e não me incomodar com as tentativas de ação e complicação do livro. Não posso dizer que odiei ou que foi difícil de ler, só perdeu todo aquele peso e impacto que o primeiro livro tinha. O final é inesperado sim, mas é uma bagunça também, que pelo menos promete algo melhor para final da trilogia!

Having read the first in the series, I couldn't wait for the second and I wasn't disappointed. It blew my mind! This book continues where the previous one left off. We find out so much more about all the characters and what has made them the way they are, and the complex relationships they share. We are also introduced to a few new characters, who really add to the plot. The lines between good and bad are often blurred, with many of the characters being morally ambiguous. The story is fast paced and thrilling, with plenty of plot twists. I can't wait to see what happens to Cat and Cole in the next book. Their chemistry has kept me riveted. I hope the next in the series is out soon, as I'm desperate to know what happens next. The minute I'd finished this book, I went back to read the first again. This is high praise indeed since I very rarely re-read anything. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Bought for my daughter who is an avid reader and had already read book 1 in the series. She has only just started reading this book but said the 1st book was brilliant and if book 2 is even half as good then she will be very happy. Arrived on time in excellent condition as per the item description. 5*