Reclaiming Shilo Snow is the sequel to The Evaporation of Sofi Snow (check the link for my thoughts on the previous book) and it's so clear how passionate author Mary Weber is about the themes in this series: The value of every human life, the importance of true and honest relationships, and the strength of family bonds, stood out to me the most.

The first theme was especially prominent in Reclaiming Shilo Snow, as this story explores the very real world issue of human trafficking and how much we miss of what is happening around us. Of course, all of that is going on in a tale that is jam packed with danger and twists at every turn. Computer genius Sofi is trapped on the alien planet of Delon along with Ambassador Miguel. She's there hunting for her brother Shilo, but it's soon clear that in a world ruled by virtual reality and corporate deception, nothing is what it seems. So pay attention or you'll miss what's happening.

Amidst the high stakes rescue - turned survival - mission is a second chance romance between Sofi and Miguel. The most rewarding aspect of their relationship for me was watching them reconnect and have a honest conversation with each other about there past. After a complicated history, Sofi and Miguel are sweet together and supportive of each other and it was so very needed in this story of danger, where nothing is certain.

I also love sibling bonds and I enjoyed Sofi and Shilo's unique connection and care for each other no matter what they're facing. On the other hand, Sofi's relationship with her mother is complicated, and I enjoyed exploring that a little more in this installment, as part of the narrative is told from her mother's perspective. That added another layer of depth to the story and to Sofi's character as well.

Sofi Snow remains at the center of this series, and as more information is revealed about her past, she has to face a lot of difficult truths about herself and her history. But through that, we also get to see Sofi begin to settle into her skin and embrace who she is and what she is capable of, and that was incredibly rewarding to watch happen.

I'm loving this trend towards duologies and Reclaiming Shilo Snow ends the story begun in The Evaporation of Sofi Snow. The fast paced nature of this duet and cliffhanger mid series, makes this the perfect series to binge as a unit, so if you've yet to pick these books up, I highly recommend doing so now. If you've already read the first in the series, you don't want to miss the conclusion to the duet!

Love Triangle Factor: None
Cliffhanger Scale: Serie end

Reclaiming Shilo Snow definitely delivers on what I thought was missing from the first book, in my review of book one I felt like there was a lot that had been left unfinished and I worried that a lot of things would get lost. Luckily that didn’t happen and in fact, a lot of the set up of that book starts to make sense the more you read in this one.

I think the first thing to mention is that this book takes off straight away from the events of the last book, I kind of wish there had been a bit of a reminder or that I had gone back and read the last few chapters of book one because it did take me a while for me to get back into the story. However, it didn’t take long for the momentum of events to take hold and have me hooked on every word.

In this book not only do we get Sofi and Miguel’s perspectives but we also get Sofi’s mother Inola’s as well, at first I was a bit unsure of whether this would throw off the story a bit, but actually having her perspective gave it that extra dimension that was needed. It showed her motives and insight into what had been going on in a way that had more impact than if it was just a reveal from another character.

It also made me more sympathetic toward her, in the first book I didn’t really like her because you only see her from Sofi’s interactions or lack thereof, but once I understood her point of view it did change my opinion. She wasn’t the only character that this happened with I felt like Sofi really came into her own in this book, she developed into a much stronger person. Miguel also managed to surprise me, he has a lot of hidden depths and it was nice to see that come to the surface.

I was a little disappointed because to me it felt like Sofi and Shilo’s relationship took a bit of a backseat in this story. I know she had a lot of other things going on but I had really loved it about the first book and whilst it was still there it didn’t quite capture it in the same way, it’s hard to explain without giving away spoilers so I won’t. There was also a part of the end of the story that to me just felt too neat, again I won’t go into detail hopefully if you read it you’ll know what I mean, but it just wrapped up too easily and left me wondering.

I have to say I’m really glad I got the chance to read this book, it helped me to understand a lot more of what was happening in the first book but also it has some very strong themes that I didn’t really see in book one. It was so emotional and did make me start to think and draw comparisons between what was happening in the story and what happens in the real world.

This book is more than the sum of its parts and I think the story will appeal to a lot of people even if they aren’t keen on sci-fi.

Mary Weber is one of my auto-buy authors and Reclaiming Shilo Snow is more proof of why! Weber handles hard topics while weaving in themes of family, friendship, and love. 💜

The action packed Sci-Fi sequel to The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is ready to drop on March 6, 2018. Strap in and get ready to head back to Deleon with your favorite gamer Sofi and suave Ambassador Miguel. 

Trapped on the ice-planet of Delon, gamer girl Sofi and Ambassador Miguel have discovered that nothing is what it seems, including their friends. On a quest to rescue her brother, Shilo, a boy everyone believes is dead, they must now escape and warn Earth of Delon’s designs on humanity. Except the more they unearth of the planet and Sofi’s past, the more they feel themselves unraveling, as each new revelation has Sofi questioning the very existence of reality.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Sofi’s mom, Inola, is battling a different kind of unraveling: a political one that could cost lives, positions, and a barely-rebuilt society, should they discover the deal made with the Delonese.

But there’s a secret deeper than all that. One locked away inside Sofi and ticking away with the beginnings, endings, and answers to everything. Including how to save humanity.

The second in this duology series picks up minutes after the ending of Evaporation of Sofi Snow. Once again the chapters alternate from the perspectives of Sofi and Miguel, but there is a new player added, Sofi's mom. I thought adding Inola's perspective was going to slow the story down. I was wrong. Inola's pov helps show the love she really had for her kids and helps gives us a view into the dirty side of the corporate world she works in. Sadly, despite the title, Shilo Snow does not have any chapters in his POV. I was hoping to hear how he discovered what he and Sofi could do, but there is an explanation as to where Shilo was the whole time. 

The epic conclusion to the series answers a lot of questions from book one and gives plenty of insight on what Sofi is really capable of. The majority of the story takes place on the planet of Delon, but Sofi makes sure to bring the fight back to Earth and settles some long awaited scores. Weber does a great job at world building and keeping a fast pace in this book. At one point, even I was afraid of the Delonise and may have looked up at the night sky just to make sure no other planets suddenly appeared next to Earth's Moon.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

reviewed for romantic times book reviews

“And the minute I elevate my life above another’s… is the moment I begin to give away my humanity. And that is the moment we all begin to lose.”

Wow. Just wow. This is a book you can’t put down!

Everything we thought we knew from The Evaporation of Sofi Snow gains new dimension in this sequel – and for each layer we uncover, it seems there are more waiting to be explored. Mary Weber is truly a master at world-building and science fiction/fantasy. And y’all – this isn’t my favorite genre. But in Weber’s hands, the story comes alive and I’m immediately captivated.

We get to see the story unfold through the eyes of Sofi, Miguel, and Inola, a technique that in this case both heightens the suspense and softens our hearts toward each of these three key players. It also allows us to see the story from three different facets, which gives us a trifold look at the puzzle that is Delon as a whole. I think in Reclaiming Shilo Snow, especially with Inola, we get to see beyond the surface mask and into the heart of these characters.

My very favorite part of the story, though, is this: Even though this is science fiction and portrays an imagined future Earth & its associates, its message regarding humanity and our care of each other is timely now. Particularly as it shines a spotlight on the atrocity of human trafficking and our own responsibility – “And even if we’re not partaking, we’re certainly allowing it. Because what are you and I doing to stop it?” Weber reminds us that our greatest weapon in that fight (or any others) is more accessible than we might think.

“…Sofi had maintained compassion. And that was her greatest weapon. A person could change history with that kind of thing.”

Bottom Line: I love this duology, and it’s best to read it as a unit. Because while I loved The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, I LOVED even more the way it all came together in Reclaiming Shilo Snow. Weber’s mastery of the genre and her compassion toward victims of human trafficking shines brightly into the darkness, confirming again that story is a powerful thing. While this isn’t a book that overtly explores faith, there is faith between the lines and a gentle nod to the “unwavering hands of Love” that hold us. This is a riveting duology – so don’t plan to do anything else but READ once you begin! You’ve been warned...lol.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

I love Mary Weber’s writing, but I’ll admit I was hesitant to pick up this book’s predecessor, The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, simply because of the setting; it’s hard to think of a topic that interests me less than gaming. But pick it up I did, and I’m glad—doubly so, now that I’ve read this book, which I thought was even better than the first. If, like me, you’re not into gaming, don’t let that put you off, because the heart of this duology is something that is common to us all: relationship—our craving for genuine relationship (Sofi’s relationship with her mother as much as her relationship with Miguel), and in a more general sense, our relationship with this world we live in and those we share it with.

As you would expect, things become even more harrowing for Sofi in this novel, with the full agenda of the Delonese finally revealed and her perception of reality becoming blurred by her memories and a new awareness of coding abilities she’s only just beginning to understand. Don’t be surprised if you get thrown for a loop once or twice, because the characters certainly do! Unlike the first book in the duology, in this book we also get to see things from the point of view of Inola, Sofi and Shilo’s mother, who must come to terms with the mistakes she has made as both a parent and a CEO, however well intentioned they may have been in the beginning.

The best part is, as strong as the themes of compassion and forgiveness are, they never overpower the plot. In fact, the two work together synergistically and culminate in a rather stirring speech by Miguel toward the end that leaves the reader in no doubt of the vision for a better and more compassionate world the author hopes to inspire in her readers. Likewise, the strength of the romantic thread lies in its subtlety and the emphasis on genuine relationship rather than a purely physical attraction.

Great reading for teens and adults like!

"Reclaiming Shilo Snow" is an even better continuation of "The Evaporation of Sofi Snow" duology. All the story lines are wrapped up in this final/second book. The book begins right where the previous book left off. In this alternate Earth, World War 3 ravaged the planet and made living there more difficult. In the midst of the rebuilding, an alien planet showed up in orbit around Earth. The Delonese, living on this planet Delon, helped humanity recover with new technology and medical advances, seemingly without cost. However, as Sofi learned in the first book (and this is a SPOILER FOR THE FIRST BOOK, so don't read the rest of my review if you haven't read the first book), the Delonese are using human children to regrow their species, harvesting organs and performing experiments on them.

The world is divided according to Corporations, which produced much-needed materials after the war (food, medicine, etc.), and Sofi and her brother Shilo lived in Corp 30, where her mother was the CEO. The CEOs of the Corps form the United World Council along with ambassadors. Miguel is the youngest of the Earth Ambassadors to Delon. The Corps have also created the deadly FanFight Games, in which children compete in a deadly arena which combines reality shows with virtual realities. Shilo was a contestant as the representative of Corp30, fighting to stay alive and beat each level, while Sofi was his programmer who helped to alter the reality and help to keep him alive. After an explosion, Shilo and Sofi were presumed dead- however, Sofi had been captured by people working against humanity and Shilo was abducted quietly by the Delonese.

Sofi was soon to learn that she was one of the children taken and altered by the Delonese when she was 10 years old (now 17) along with her brother Shilo (then 5, now 12). They were the only children to survive the early experiments. This book picks up right where the first left off, where Sofi and Miguel are on Delon searching for Shilo, while Sofi is confronted by her previously hidden memories of her childhood abduction. Interestingly, where we previously only saw Sofi and Miguel's points-of-view in the first book, here, we get both of their points-of-view, plus that of Inola, Sofi and Shilo's mother and the CEO of Corp30. Inola's perspective shed some additional light on the dealings of Earth with the Delonese and what had been happening historically. She ends up being an interesting and sympathetic character, where she had a less 3-dimensional role in the first book.

This book was much faster paced than the first, as we travel quickly through events with Sofi and Inola. I found this one to be much better and harder to put down than the first book. An interesting theme that appears is that it is not only outside forces who are cruel to humanity, but also humanity itself (as we see constantly on the news/in our world). This is a powerful message to younger readers and also a valuable one. I assume this is the main point of this engaging YA sci-fi duology, and I think this is definitely worth a read.

Overall, this was a fantastic end to an interesting duology. The only thing I wish I had seen more of was the build/furthering of the relationship between Sofi and Miguel in this book- it was much more present in the first. That might be just because I'm a romantic at heart- there's certainly enough else in the book to keep the reader engaged. There's great closure in this book and things are ended beautifully. Fans of the first book will need to get their hands on this one!

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Reclaiming Shilo Snow picks up right where Sofi Snow left off. The chapters are once again told from multiple points of view, mainly Sofi, Miguel and Sofi’s mother Inola.

The majority of the story is taking place with the Delon’s and still trying to figure out what their angle is with Earth, and why they are so focused on Sofi and Shilo. This time there are a few flashbacks too before the Delons showed up and what life was like for Sofi and Shilo, we also get a better understanding as to why Inola did what she did both for her children and for the people of Earth.

There were a few parts in the book that did confuse me, but as it went on it made a lot more sense as to what was going on and why things happened the way that they did. Since the Delons are so focused and interested in Sofi and her hacker skills, which were very cool, and made me jealous of Sofi.

Without getting too involved with spoliers, I will say there were a few scenes in the book that made me think of The Matrix series. Outside of the “I know Kung-Fu” line, I don’t know if the author meant to use similarities to the movie, but even if she didn’t I found it easy to visualize what was going on.

The ending of this book hurt, the sacrifices that were made, the people that were betrayed, the truth finally coming to light, it was a great way to end the story. Even knowing that things will not fix themselves over night I liked how things were paced out to wrap up the every end of the book, and that prologue ending was not was I was expecting. Now saying that I do hope at some point there will be a novella or short story about the family at the end of the book.

This duology is such an amazing read, when I read The Evaporation of Sofi Snow I could not shut up about it for weeks, and I’m pretty much at that point now with Shilo. The two books are great fast reads, if you are into hi-tech hacker/gamer type stories with a dash of alien interaction. Grab both of them.

This book had a really satisfying ending. I'm glad with how things were wrapped up. Things were a bit confusing at times, I felt like at times there could've been more of an explanation. But overall really loved this duology.

I throughly enjoyed this final book in the Sofi Snow duology. These titles read like a quick-paced game plays out. This one in particular brings a little more heart to the genre than most. It's packed with action, but the theme of humanity is so strongly woven that it requires acknowledgment in any review. I enjoyed how that theme was explored through several different characters and how their individual decisions played out. As much as this touches on some pretty dark scenarios, it is not without a feeling of hope. There's a strong sense that we're only ever one decision away from being a change for good.

For anyone that enjoyed The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, this title is a must read if only to discover more about the secondary characters that have so much more than a supporting role in the world of the UWC and Delon.

While I enjoyed The Evaporation of Sofi Snow (you can find my review of book one in this duology here), I adored the finale.

Mary Weber is one of the pre-eminent authors when it comes to world-building in the sci-fi/fantasy genre and Reclaiming Shilo Snow is no exception with plenty of action, intrigue and head-scratching in the search for the truth. Through the eyes of Sofi, Miguel, and Sofi’s mom, readers are given a well-rounded picture of Sofi’s world. The story engaged me from the start and moved at a speedy clip.

Yet, it was the message of this book that shines through the pages the brightest. The message of what sets us apart. What makes humanity, well, human is our ability to love others more than ourselves.

Granted, not everyone does so (neither in the book nor in life) and evil pervades. But in Jesus’s own words…And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love (I Corinthians 13:13).

Weber has managed to wrap the essence of that verse within the covers of a fictional story with aliens, gamers, corrupt leadership, and a girl and boy who have the ability to save earth.


Disclosure statement:

I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This book is action packed, and dare I say it? Better than the first. If you enjoyed The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, you will love this sequel.

I quickly melted back into the characters, their unique techy techy world, and their fight for humanity. All of humanity.

I enjoyed getting to know Sofi's mom better, her point-of-view added to the plot. Learning about the secretive Delonese was captivating and felt a bit like reading a Star Trek episode--bonus points to Weber. Oh, and Miguel--even more points for Miguel.

The ending wrap up scenes were longer than needed, but somehow did not give me exactly what I wanted. Hmm.

Weber is a creative writer and I will be reading her next book, whatever it is about. I also appreciate Weber's message about the evils of human trafficking and the value of human life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is a about Hacking and gaming In a futuristic world which also contains aliens!!
I enjoyed the suspense, the unstoppable action, the futuristic adventures and the bits of drama with human emotions. I also loved the relationships formed and healed in the story, as well as, the good versus evil aspects.This story also touches on the issue of human trafficking.
This was my first book by this author, It was okay. It was slow paced but it was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
5 star rating!

I first was introduced to Mary Weber as an author last fall when I read The Evaporation of Sofi Snow. Her writing style blew me away then with her attention to small details in the story setting to her major development of characters as the story progressed. Once I finished that book, I then was anxiously awaiting its sequel.
Reclaiming Shilo Snow completely overwhelmed me in the best of ways. I sat down one night, ready to read just a few chapters...a few hours later, the book was completed and my heart was so full. Shilo and Sofi and Miguel had such courage. Courage to face the atrocities of harassment and abuse going on in the world around them. They didn't stand by and let those atrocities continue, but they fought with everything they had. Each of the characters underwent such a change and went through such trials to reach those changes. I especially enjoyed reading more about Inola and Miguel. This book left me with strong feelings of courage and hope because of the character's battles. At times I had a little trouble understanding what was going on as Sofi's thoughts often were jumbled, but Mary did such an excellent job developing the characters then holding onto her readers as she put the characters through test after test. Nothing ever seemed to be going right for them, and I felt like I was right there with them. I would very much recommend this book to all my friends. In a world so full of negativity, this book gifts its readers with a little bit of hope and courage to face their own life's challenges.

Rating: 4/5

Genre: YA Dystopian/Science Fiction

Recommended Age: 16+ (some sexual references, blood, violence)

Pages: 352

Author: Mary Weber

Amazon

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was also asked to help promote this book. Thanks NetGalley and Mary Weber! Also, this was an arc of the book and I’ve heard some things in this book may change before the final version is released.

Quickly after I finished Sofi Snow I started this book, which is the sequel. Once again I fell in love with all of the world building and the characters in this book. I also felt that the story definitely picked up from that last book and the pacing and plot worked fairly well together throughout this book.

The only thing I felt that was off about this book was that there were some glaring plot holes and there were some things that I felt were really confusing in how they were explained. Because this is an arc I have hope that the holes and confusion will be cleared up by the release date of March 6th, but even with these faults the book was fantastic and exciting. It had a beautiful ending and I felt satisfied with the series overall.

Verdict: Satisfying and exciting read, just some small holes and issues. Hopefully they’ll be cleared up by the release.

Once again I was captivated by Mary Weber and her writing.
I was so drawn into the world of hacking and gaming; a world I've never fully understood and still don't. Yet Mary Weber presents this world in such a way it's easy to imagine. Along with this futuristic world is a world containing aliens.
Now, I’m not one to believe in aliens, but Mary Weber makes it so believable. With her wonderful word pictures and sentence flow, it’s easy to imagine there just might be those creatures in our world. Are there really things we don’t know going on in the universe?
What would it be like if we were taken over by beings of another world? Who could we trust and what is real?
I enjoyed the suspense, the unstoppable action, the futuristic adventures and the bits of drama with human emotions. There were times I didn’t know if what was happening was real or fabricated in Sofi’s mind. I also loved the relationships formed and healed in the story, as well as, the good versus evil aspects.

This story has some great quotes, and one of these quotes I find very powerful:

“Your life is precious. So is mine. So are our neighbors’, and coworkers’ and those who disagree with us. And the minute I elevate my life above another’s – the moment I choose mine as more valuable for the survival of humanity – is the moment I begin to give away my humanity. And that is the moment we all begin to lose.”

This story also touches on the whole horrible issue of human trafficking. What makes those individuals less valued in our eyes? We need to open our eyes to the struggles going on around us and take a stand. If more of us give voice to this injustice, then it will have less of a hold on our society. Thank you, Mary Weber, for being a voice!
I highly recommend picking this book up.
I received this book from the publisher to read. All opinions are my own.

I was really hopeful for this book. The first one was a little messy, but it pulled itself together by the end of the book, so I was hoping that this second one would just continue where the first one left off and pull itself together. Even though the story continued right where the first one left off, the plot and structure started to fall apart. I really really wanted to like it, I liked the premise and there was a lot to like in the first book, but everything just felt uncoordinated in this second book. The plot was messy and very unrealistic. Unrealistic as in random changes of shifts in the characters and very confusing scenes that came out of no where. It jumped around a little too much and everything about it really felt off. I was really disappointed in this because the story and the characters had so much potential, the world was super creative and the characters relatable and endearing, but the pieces just did not come together.

First off, a million stars *might* be enough to show how much I love this book. I've read and adored all of Mary's books, but this one is special. There is so much heart and hope for humanity in this book. This gorgeous conclusion to the Sofi Snow duology asks us what we would do for family. For humanity. And what our responsibility is when we are faced with the truth of our broken world. I'm not going to say much more, for fear of giving away the fun parts, but honestly, the world needs more books like this one. ❤️

Oh my goodness, make sure you set aside a day of no interruptions for the conclusion of the Snow Dualoligy. A fitting end to this pair of books because as much as I tried to guess what would happen, I did not even come close. Mary Weber is extremely skilled at world-building, character development and making me stay up way into the night because I HAVE TO READ ONE MORE CHAPTER. Without giving away any spoilers, in The Evaporation of Sofi Snow, we really get to know Sofi, but in Reclaiming Shilo Snow we get to know a lot more about some of the other characters who were in the first book. While much is uncovered and revealed, this book kept me on the edge of my seat right up to the satisfying end.

This book, while fast-paced and superbly entertaining, raises an awareness of the state of humanity as a whole today, here and now and the choices we make to make a better future for all, particularly the vulnerable. I'm kinda sad in a way that it's all over, this one is definitely worth a few re-reads, and definitely goes on my keeper shelf.