Countdown (SHOMI) [Mass Market Paperback]

Countdown is non-stop action and it's a really great read. As the story begins we meet Kira Jordan, a young woman who's lived as a pickpocket for many years following the brutal murder of her parents. She awakes to find herself in the dark, chained to the wall, with a strange man in the room. That man turns out to be a convicted rapist and multiple murderer, Rogan Ellis, whose actions might be more significant to her than she initially realises.

Kira and Rogan are thrust into a series of challenges as part of a giant subscriber-viewed game where failure means death. The challenges get progressively harder and more bloodthirsty and there's no escape from the game, called Countdown. But as Kira and Rogan work their way through the challenges they learn more about each other and Kira has to begin to learn to trust, despite appearances. But is Countdown more than just a game, might it be even darker than it appears - and can Kira and Rogan escape and prevent something even worse happening?

I really enjoyed this book, finding it gripping from start to finish and very much enjoying the characters and their personalities. The setting is a post-plague future world in which people work to try to escape Offworld to a new colony and the bleak and often dangerous surroundings in which our hero and heroine find themselves add to the story. There were one or two points within the plot that were just a little too easy or coincidental but overall it was a great read.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

I don't think there's any point in going the premise of the story again, but just give my thoughts to this book.
Michelle Maddox a.k.a, Michelle Rowan is the author of some fabulous paranormal romance novels, so we know were in for a great book already.
She certainly doesn't fail with the excitement in this book. From the very first page, the story just grabs you & never lets go. It's one of the few books, that is soooo entertaining that you read it with a smile on your face & ignore all life around you just to get it finished.
As with a lot of books that deal with science fiction, you have to put aside all normal reasoning & wonder why "doesn't nobody see whats going on". Who cares, this is just such a fabulous read, i really would highly recommend it.

7 years ago Kira Jordan's life changed drastically; when her parents and sister were murdered she found herself completely alone in the world. Now 22 and surviving by turning to a life of petty crime; Kira, as well as thousands of other people living on a post-plague Earth dream of obtaining a ticket to Offworld; a beautiful paradise discovered 25 years previously.

Waking up after stealing a pair of shoes, Kira finds herself handcuffed in a pitch black room; her only companion a wounded stranger. She is soon informed this man; Rogan Ellis is not only her partner in "Countdown; a game in which you either win all six levels or die trying, he is also a convicted murderer and rapist responsible for the deaths of her family.

A low level psi, Kira has the ability to read the "soul" of an individual and know if they are trustworthy or not. The vibe she receives from Rogan is totally unexpected considering the charges he is guilty of; however Kira is a young woman who trusts her instincts. She soon discovers she is not only associating with a man innocent of the horrific crimes he was jailed for, she also has a starring role in a secretive, underground game watched by an increasing number of bloodthirsty and extremely rich subscribers.

If the "The Running Man" and "The Matrix" were combined and an extra dollop of romance added, the end result would be "Countdown". The love scenes, although infrequent, fairly brief and not particularly explicit, are red hot and work well with within the action packed story line as Kira and Rogan face increasingly dangerous life threatening situations. This pair are certainly well matched as they use their skills to stay alive; protecting each other and falling in love in front of an elite clientele watching their every move through a networked chip embedded in their brains.

MM has certainly made an extremely positive first impression, and after checking out her website I have earmarked her ""Immortality Bites" series for my TBR pile (writing as Michelle Rowen). This series looks very similar to the light hearted, paranormal fantasy romances Stephanie Rowe produces so I'm sure to enjoy.