If you enjoy high-octane, scifi, action thrillers this is absolutely the book for you. It is filled to the brim with violence, crime, action, and things that a lot of people can’t stomach though – so check those warnings!
About the Book
Just as Jayden Amare Fox’s quiet life on an East London estate looks to be steadily improving, things take a sudden dark and violent turn. Consumed by pain and obsessed with vengeance, his path crosses with that of an infamous hacker, wanted internationally for the crimes he is accused of.
What begins as a manhunt uncovers conspiracies of corruption and greed, and the consequences of playing god.
When a formidable common enemy emerges, secrets of a mysterious past that Jay has unknowingly been carrying his whole life are both a gift and a curse. The body count rises as the pair are forced to make sacrifices in a desperate attempt to save the little of what remains
My Thoughts
This one went from zero to full-throttle violence in two seconds, so definitely buckle in before you start. There’s some misnomer that Americans are all violence and blowing things up and – let’s be honest – I just posted a love fireworks video the other day. And who doesn’t love a fireworks display? But graphic violence doesn’t do it for me. I’m also puritanical about bedroom scenes. Death by cozy and chocolate for me I guess. Gentle vices all around.
So, while this book was absolutely thrilling, action-packed, and keeps the pages turning, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. In some places it felt a little violence for violence sake. Which is totally what some people are in to, and I’m not shaming at all. But there were a few typical content warnings that rubbed me the wrong way in this book – child harm, human experimentation, governmental overstep (of course – welcome to a typical Tuesday in 2024). I also had a bit of a hard time really connecting to any characters. I can’t really put my finger on why, but that’s a big thing for me in books. I need a character to latch onto, and I got a little overwhelmed by the number of characters and keeping up with who was who and why I should care about them. So my connections never quite got formed in the ways I would have liked.
QOTD: Do you prefer action or character drive stories?
Content Warnings: Adult Situations, Adult Language, Graphic Violence, Death, Military Acts, Human Experimentation (Nonconsentual), Human Mutations, Child Harm/Death, Derogatory Language, Bigotry, Xenophobia, Rude Language, Sexism, and Much More
P.S. This is the first time I’ve ever been unable to find any information about the author. So, they’re a real person of mystery!
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/0gcN5gY2
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/0aeEhVik
Bookshop UK: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/catalyst-cameron-phoenix/7450153?ean=9781800163652
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/142539388-catalyst
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.