Blood Fever

Let me start by saying that this is my first sci-fi book, so maybe take some of my comments with a grain of salt! Anyway, here we go: this book is sort of a science-fiction meets murder mystery book, with 3 main characters, each going through their own struggle. We first meet Mich Janelle, and later Rel and Zeth. The three meet up and we follow them along their mission to solve a gruesome murder. As more and more comes to light about the murder, the three must work together to stop a conspiracy to kill millions.

As an overall grade, I’d say this book did okay. The story itself is nice and exciting: there’s twists and turns, and if the story went too fast for you, there is typically a little recap so you, yourself, know whats going on. There we some things I didn’t like as much though.

First of, there’s the names: Mich Janelle (really Michele Janelle), Rel Charley and Zeth Wen. All these names are fine, but multiple variations are used throughout the book, like Mich, Michele, Janelle, Michele, but more annoyingly for Rel and Zeth. They are sometimes referred to as Charley and Wen. Not really a problem perse, but this happens before the characters are fully fleshed out in the book, making the read sometimes complicated and confusing on who is who, when it doesn’t need to be.

Secondly, I think the book could have done with a little more world building (but that is my personal opinion). For example, the main characters often use the words ‘res’ or ‘res it’, or ‘resing hell’, but the origin is never properly explained. The worlds aren’t really described: we as a reader don’t know what the planets look like, for example. Are they desert-y or forest-y? We are also continuously told that there’s been a war, but what kind of war or why isn’t really touched upon. I feel like overall, both the worlds and the characters could be fleshed out a little more, especially since the book hints upon a second book.

Having said that: if you are looking for a fast-paced, sci-fi, action packed novel that has twists and turns at every chapter, this one is definitely for you! The book reads fast & the writer knows how to build suspense.

Overall I’d say this book did great. The story itself is nice and exciting: there’s twists and turns, and if the story went too fast for you, there is typically a little recap so you, yourself, know what's going on. Blood Fever starts with Mich Janelle, a private investigator and unstable ex-hunter determined to prove her innocence and restore her reputation after being accused of a crime she didn’t commit. She’s forced to team up with partners, Zeth Wen and Rel Charley, who botched a terrorist takedown resulting in multiple innocent deaths. These three damaged characters must work together to solve the murder of a tech smuggler who died in mysterious circumstances. When their investigations lead to more bodies, they uncover a sinister bio-terrorism plot to kill millions that leads right back to Mich’s fall from grace.


The writing style in Blood Fever is fast-paced, clear and confident. Structurally, some transitions between scenes were too fast, but overall the story was easy to follow. I particularly enjoyed the latter part of the story where the scenes rolled along at rifle-fire pace, and I was glad it did because I was as desperate as the characters to find out what happened at the end. I’m also glad the end finished with a hint of more to come because I would love to follow these characters on another journey. I highly recommend it to readers who love a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller, relatable characters with solid character arcs, inventive gadgets and futuristic biotechnology.