Prime Deceptions

A Novel

De: Valerie Valdes

Narrado por: Almarie Guerra

The lovably flawed crew of La Sirena Negra and their psychic cats return in this fast-paced and outrageously fun science fiction novel, in which they confront past failures and face new threats in the far reaches of space from the author of the critically acclaimed Chilling Effect.

Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra find themselves once again on the fringe of populated space - and at the center of a raging covert war. When Eva's sister asks for help locating a missing scientist, promises of a big paycheck and a noble cause convince Eva to take the job despite lingering trust issues.

With reluctant assistance from her estranged mother, Eva and her crew follow the missing scientist's trail across the universe, from the costume-filled halls of a never-ending convention to a dangerous bot-fighting arena. They ultimately find themselves at the last place Eva wants to see again - Garilia - where she experienced her most shameful and haunting failure. To complete her mission and get paid, Eva must navigate a paradise embroiled in a rebellion, where massive forests and pristine beaches hide psychic creatures and pervasive surveillance technology. Can she find her quarry while avoiding the oppressive local regime, or will she be doomed to repeat past mistakes when her dark deeds come to light?

©2020 Valerie Valdes (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Pulpy Planet-hopping Hijinks

This was a pretty easy and fun listen. I didn't read the first book (this was a book club pick), so I was a little confused, but I could follow the basic story. Eva Innocente is an admirable and likable character. I didn't really know what was going on with her sister and mother since I didn't read the first book. The crew was all fun and very diverse. This book has a lot of action and fighting, but also a lot of introspection and a bit of goofing off. I would recommend it!

Love it

Action never ends and both reader/author are funny! This had a great story and the ending was satisfying.

Gotta Catch Em All

Somewhere a Nintendo/Game Freak lawyer is having an aneurysm because of this book, I am certain.

Did not anticipate what I thought was a gag becoming a main plot point.

Adore this series

Valerie Valadez’ characters come alive and get you invested in them. I love Ava and the complex family dynamics, subtle love stories and amazing diversity. I loved the deftness with which she integrates Spanish. I cannot wait to read more!

Entertaining Casual Listen

Love this authors sense of humor. Narrator is amazing- really brings all the characters to life. The really enjoyable stories are always such a quick listen! Can’t wait for the next book!

Interesting but Alienating

The plot for the second book in the Chilling Effect series is just as solid and defined as the first one, but suffers from the same short comings. The intersecting of words and phrases in Spanish wouldn’t be alienating if context clues were given, but none ever are. Even a key at the beginning of the book would have been helpful so that people who don’t speak the language aren’t constantly thrown out of the story, hustling over to Google to check word meanings. Ultimately, my enjoyment of the story suffered from this.