Introducing a breathtakingly inventive futuristic suspense novel about one woman who rebels against everything she is told to believe.
Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself.
Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters.In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . .
The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her. Look for Prototype, the second novel from M.D. Waters, coming July 2014.
Hardcover, 384 pages
Published February 6th 2014 by Dutton
Source: Library![]()
Five stars: A riveting, can't stop read that blends sci-fi, suspense and thriller, that will leave you pondering on it for days to come.
Emma blinks her eyes. Someone is peeling back her eyelid and shining a bright white light in her eye. Where is she? Who is she? How did she get here? For the next few weeks, Emma is confined to a hospital room. She has no memory of her previous life, nor does she know how she got here. The one bright spot is Declan with his sea green eyes. Declan tells Emma that he is her husband and that he loves her. At night, Emma is haunted by nightmares. When the doctor questions her about her dreams, an inner voice urges her to keep quiet. This strange inner voice grows stronger and stronger every day as Emma begins to recover her memories. It seems she had another life, and she loved another man, but how could that be possible? The more Emma learns, the more she begins to question who she can trust. Will Emma find the truth?
What I Liked:
- Archetype was a book I picked up thanks to the recommendations of fellow bloggers. Once I read the first chapters, I was hooked. I couldn't put this one down. This is a book that blends several genres. It is a futuristic sci-fi story as well as a thriller and a suspense mystery and a bit of dystopian all blended into one fast and furious read that will have you on the edge of your seat until the shocking finale. If you need an exciting, suspenseful read, look no further, grab Archetype and set aside some time.
- I loved the way the story was presented. Picture an empty table, where a large jigsaw puzzle is dumped out. Slowly pieces are sorted and placed into the puzzle randomly, just as it is in the book. A piece is picked up and inserted in the story line, in no particular order. In the story, you get all these flashes of memory from Emma's previous life, and you scramble to analyze each piece of information and figure out where it fits into the story. I liked that I never knew from one page to the next what I was going to uncover. There are so many surprises all leading up to those final, all important pieces, and once they are clicked in place, everything comes together and makes sense. I was completely blown away not only by the story and the execution but by the plot twists and the reveals. This is definitely not your average read. It is smart, complex and so thrilling. It is a must read.
- At the heart of the story is Emma. She starts out grappling like a newborn child. She has to learn to do things all over, and she has no memories of her former life. She is a blank slate, open to the suggestion of her doctor and her husband. When she starts to have flashes of another life in her nightmares, and then in her waking hours, she figures out that not everything is at it seems. As the story progresses, she gets stronger and stronger as she learns to find her way, and she gains her footing. She becomes strong and fierce, far removed from the frightened, malleable girl we meet at the beginning. I admired her ferocity and her courage, especially when she learns the truth.
- I wish I could explain how awesome and unique this story is. There are so many mysteries to figure out, and then the shocking big picture is laid out, and I was awestruck. I wanted to know so much more. I loved how it all came together. The suspense and mystery are top notch. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good, challenging, intelligent and suspenseful read. Just do yourself a favor and try it.
- This is the first in the series, and I was expecting a cliffhanger, but I was satisfied with the way the book ended. There are some questions still needing answers, but I have enough of the big picture that I closed the book satisfied. There is a terrific tease at the end setting up the next book, which I thankfully have ready to go.
And The Not So Much:
- I have to be a bit vague in this part of the review as I don't want to give anything away. Once I understood what had happened to Emma, I had questions on the how it all went down. I am not clear on how the doctor was able to do what he did. How did he access her? Even though I wasn't certain on the supposed science of what happened to Emma, I honestly didn't care because I was so amazed.
- Even though I loved the way the story was delivered, one bread crumb of information at a time, I was left with some blank spots. I am so curious to know what happened to Emma around her eighteenth birthday and beyond. How did she get away and how did she make contact with the resistance? That part of the story is unclear. I am hoping that it will all come clear next time out.
- This is a futuristic sci-fi book, and the one area I thought it faltered was the world building. The reader has very little information about life in this era. At the end, there is a brief mention of a civil war in the U.S. and how it is now divided into East and West. Fertility is a huge issue, but no one understands why. The details are so sparse about the world, I was left wanting to know so much more. Normally, that would be a strike against a book for me, but the riveting story line made up for the shaky world building.
Archetype was a book I picked up on a whim thanks to recommendations from fellow bloggers, and I am certainly glad that I gave this book a read. It was a book I couldn't put down as it was a thrilling read from beginning to end. This is a book that blends the sci-fi, dystopian, mystery and thriller genres. If you want a story that will stun you and leave you thinking on it for days, I urge you to give this novel a try. It is one of the best books I have read in awhile. Just do yourself a favor and go get Archetype.
I borrowed this book from the library. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.