I am delighted to share my review today for Atoned by Steve J. McHugh. I have read some of this author’s books before and loved them, they were urban fantasy novels, but Atoned is a sci-fi and it is fabulous. The first book in The Wardens series and one I am definitely looking forward to.

My huge thanks to Zoe at Zooloos Book Tours for arranging my copy of the book and for my spot on the Blog Tour.

Civil War tore across the Union Empire, leaving countless dead in its wake. It was a war started by one man, once beloved by the Empire. His betrayal still lingers in the memory of those who lived through it.

Decades later, his son, Felix Drake, is a Warden tasked with both protecting the ruling members of the Union Empire and its Council, and bringing those powerful and influential people to justice should they break the law.

Drake protects the very Empire his father sought to destroy.

When two members of a Council family are murdered, Drake and his team investigate, only to uncover corruption, resentment, and yet more death.

As the case deepens, Drake is forced back into a life he’d left long ago, bringing with it the same disdain and anger from the very people he’s sworn to protect.

However, he’s no longer a helpless child, and the people who try to intimidate him now are about to discover that Drake is so very much his father’s son.

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MY REVIEW

I do like this author and have enjoyed his urban fantasy books but this is the first time I have read one of his science fiction ones and I loved it. If I was to break it down, it is a crime thriller that follows a procedural route but it is a science fiction story. The Wardens are essentially the police, but there is so much more to them than that, especially Drake!

When two members of the Council are murdered it is up to Drake and his team to try to discover what has happened. This takes him into an underworld environment with gangs and those wanting to alter or change things for more power. Who the actual leaders are is a mystery, and one step forward seems to lead to more questions and answers are not easy to come by.

An attack against the Royal household is an indicator that there is something more going on that people realise. Drake is joined by another team and with some influential backing they are tasked with using what they can to discover what is going on with any means necessary.

There are several characters in this book and these are listed at the front. I did a quick scan over these but I was too eager to get to the story itself. Drake is the main character, but only just as several others have an equally important role to play. I have to say I really liked the character of Bokk, they are brilliant and while they come across as a little naive there is something more to them than you first realise.

While there is an investigation going on, this is also a science fiction story. The author has not used too many technical terms and what he does use is introduced and explained enough so the reader can keep up. Some of the armaments and augmentations make the mind boggle but they also fit well with the characters. His world-building is great and the author gives descriptions where needed to explain the scenery and also the political and power structure. In any world, there is going to be a level of hierarchy and this one is no different.

The characters in the story have pasts and the author has given us a glimpse of some of those and I do think there is more to reveal as this series continues. While the author has given some indication as to Drake’s past there is something that Drake himself is made aware of towards the end of this first book.

A fabulous start to a series and it was a brilliant story. Full of action and it is one I would definitely recommend. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Steve is a bestselling author of Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction books. His novel, Scorched Shadows, was shortlisted for a Gemmell Award for best novel. He was born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three young daughters in Southampton.

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