Review: Shoot the Messenger

Shoot the Messenger by Pippa DaCosta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, this story starts out with a bang and continues to move at a fast pace. I'm always pleasantly caught off guard by this new series and rush out to purchase the next book in the series. I'm not sure why I waited so long to read it. Ms. DaCosta has a way of writing her female leads that just grab my attention. They are anti-heroes done in all the right ways. I must caveat that this book has very little sex so those who are reading this for the reverse harem, there is no harem in this first book. There are two or three males who want her, but nothing comes out of it. My second caveat is that this book goes more into fantasy and urban fantasy style with a cyberpunk twist. For those who do not like tech, this book may be hard to get into. For those who love cyberpunk, this book will have enough of it to whet your appetite.

Kesh is a messenger who delivers messages. She is good at her job and stays under the radar. She has a past that no one should know. When she delivers a message that ends up in a death, she's being set up and she knows it. From here on out, it is a fast race to figure out how to get her out from under it.

The character development in this book is excellent. The characters are unforgettable and unique. No one in this book is really what they seem. It is interesting to see how Ms. DaCosta creates complicated layers that usually end up surprising the reader with an anticipated twist. This is why I love her books. For me, it is very difficult to surprise. Why? Because I read an average of 300 plus books a year for the past decade or so, I've seen just about everything as far as plot devices and red herrings. So when an author can catch me off guard in a pleasant way that I totally did not see coming, I am impressed. I love the feeling of shock and then having to re-read the passage to validate what I read was really what was written. This one is done so well and finishes the book with another bang. It isn't a cliffhanger, but it definitely hooks a reader in so they want to know what happens next.

I love the world building in here. This is a mix of the fae mythology taken to another level. The interpretation here of fae mythology mixed with space opera theme plus technology is fantastic. It flowed well and the descriptions are so vivid, I can easily see it all. In some ways it reminds me of Valerian and the city of a thousand planets when it comes to the city description. I can visualize it so well based on her descriptions. Overall, this book is highly entertaining and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book.

This space opera is highly recommended to fae lovers and cyperpunk fans who like the female being the center of male attention.

*provided by Netgalley