Matilda and her friends are on the run to save their lives, and to save the lives of all the galvanized. Her brother's research has paid off and he believes the original experiment that created the galvanized had a minor error in its calculations and created a rift in time. Now that rift is going to snap back, killing all the galvanized, including Matilda. If they time it right they can use the rift to go back in time and give the correct calculations to their ancestor, if he believes them. But before they can do that, they have to escape everyone hunting for them, ally with some bad people, and survive.

Great book, with more backstory for many of the characters, and an excellent twist at the very end that changes Matilda's entire world.

If you like mad science, chimeras, Frankenstein's monster, evil corporations, found family, and time travel, this series is for you. (Provided by publisher) ( )

I love Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom and Broken Magic series and was excited to see something new come out. I’m not sure how to classify this one – not typical urban fantasy, not really science fiction, but some blending of the two. The start of the first book had a Hunger Games feel, but that doesn’t carry throughout the book. I’ll guess you’ll just have to read it and decide for yourself.

Main characters: I love Matilda. Crazy mutant lizards? Just a pet. Bleeding men on her doorstep? Patch ‘em up. Being hunted and shot at? Just another Thursday. Time traveling in an eight year-old’s body? Sure thing. High heels and fancy dresses? No effing way! Okay, that part is from the first book, but it fits her so well. Matilda takes on every challenge with a “do what you have to” attitude and yet retains a sense of innocence not born from cluelessness, but from being a genuinely good person.

Other characters: I really love all the characters in this book. The Neds – a two-headed farm hand with a secret past, the Galvanized – long-lived and super-strong super heroes/slaves, even the political Heads of Houses – with the exception of Slater Orange. He kinda falls into that megalomaniac trope I hate so much. He wants power and immortality, but we don’t know why. Why does he hate the Galvanized? Why does he want to live forever? What are his long-term goals? The building romance between Abraham and Matilda is sweet without being too sappy… most of the time. I really want to know more about Matilda’s grandmother and get my hands on some of her time-rewinding wool!

World: Monk does a great job of creating a world of haves and have-nots. As I mentioned, the system is a bit reminiscent of Hunger Games, in that there are competing houses who control the resources and industry, and there are the back water folks who try to live off the grid. Heads of Houses and the Galvanized work together on their agendas – both public and private – and there is a lot of plotting and scheming. Everyone wants power and control over the Galvanized and each other.

Story: This book picks up right where the first one leaves off – with Matilda and her crew fleeing … everyone, actually. House Orange is hunting her brother, Quentin, to silence what he knows. The authorities are hunting Abraham for allegedly killing a Head of House, and everyone is hunting Matilda just to say they have her. The plot of this book involves time travel, and really, this could have been the end of a good two-book story. But I see a third book is due out soon, so it will be interesting to see where the story goes next.

Overall: This is certainly a series worth investing in. Great characters, lots of action, a rich and diverse world – all things Devon Monk seems to do best.

Purchased. Review courtesy of onebooktwo.com | one book, two reviews. ( )

This is the second book in the House Immortal trilogy. The third book, Crucible Zero, is scheduled to come out this September. I have been absolutely loving this series. It’s action packed, creative, and full of fun characters.

Tilly, Abraham, Quinten, and Ned are on the run after the events in the first book. They have also just found out from Quinten that time is going to mend soon and when it does all the galvanized will die. They are in a race against time to try and travel back in time to try to mend time differently. Meanwhile Slater, the head of House Orange, has taken over a body of a galvanized and is trying to maneuver his way into power. The politics following the events of the first book are tangled and twisted.

I have really enjoyed the characters in this series a lot. Tilly is a strong heroine and shows in this book how far she is willing to go to protect those under her protection. Abraham is awesome as well, he showed some leadership in the last book but we get to know him a lot better in this book. The budding relationship between him and Tilly is very well done and I really enjoyed it.

We learn more about Ned in this book as well and he is becoming a much more complicated character than he seemed in the first book. It was also a lot of fun to get to know Tilly’s brother Quentin better. He is one smart cookie, with a whole bevy of issues.

Some new and intriguing characters are introduced as well. I really liked the addition of Gloria; she is in this story a lot, has a ton of interesting medical knowledge, and has some history with Quinten. Of course the little sheep with wool that stops time are still some of my favorites in this book.

The world-building in this book is fantastic. I love the idea of the galvanized and the complex politics of the Houses. I also enjoyed that this is an interesting mish-mash of urban fantasy, steampunk, intrigue, time travel, science fiction, and dystopian themes. There is a very Frankenstein-like overtone to the idea of the galvanized as well that I really enjoy.

The plot is very unpredictable with lots of interesting twists and turns. I also really loved how action packed and fast-paced the novel is.

Overall this was a fantastic book, it’s a lot of fun to read and very creative. I love the characters, the complex house politics, and how action packed the story is. This is a very creative series with excellent world-building and characters I love reading about. I would definitely recommend this series to fans of fast-paced urban fantasy, steampunk, and sci-fi. ( )