The personification of Aryan purity, Ellyssa's spent her whole life under her creator's strict training and guidance; her purpose is to eradicate inferior beings. She was genetically engineered to be the perfect soldier: strong, intelligent, unemotional, and telepathic. Only Ellyssa isn't perfect.
Ellyssa feels emotions--a fact she's spent her life concealing. Until she encounters the epitome of inferiority: a dark-haired boy raised among renegades hiding since the Nazis won the war a century ago. He speaks to her telepathically, pushing thoughts into her mind, despite the impossibility of such a substandard person having psychic abilities.
But he does.
His unspoken words and visions of a place she's never visited make Ellyssa question her creator. Confused and afraid her secret will be discovered, Ellyssa runs away, embarking on a journey where she discovers there is more to her than perfection.
Spelbring givers readers a chilling idea of what things could be like should genetic testing and experimentation that we take part in goes seriously wrong. I know there are plenty of stories out there where readers are presented with someone trying to create a "perfect" soldier...or whatever their idea of perfect is. Here we're told emotions are a weakness, but Ellyssa quickly learns that they're wrong, her emotions can prove to be just as much a strength as they can be a hindrance.
I enjoyed how Spelbring gives history a rewrite so to speak. Now I'm not saying I enjoyed the circumstances that came from the rewrite, genetic manipulation as a way to hopefully eradicate all less superior races, etc...but I guess I found myself appreciating our current circumstances even more because of the rewrite. I felt lucky that our society isn't going through what Ellyssa's world is described as, and grateful things turned out the way they did.
I think readers will enjoy the journey Ellyssa is forced to embark upon and possibly feel like they're right there with her. It was a great experience in my opinion, watching her discover new emotions, wend her way through deciphering who she can trust and above all else, falling in love. It was one of my favorite things about this book, I know big surprise there!
Everyone has their own ideas and opinions on what makes the perfect combination for a great book. I had fun with this one, it was action packed, I felt like the characters were well developed and there were a few that I couldn't help but grow to love, and at the same time there were others that I couldn't stand...but I'm pretty sure that's what Spelbring was going for with those in question. All in all at the end of the book, I found myself enjoying the characters and scenes flashing before me, that of course I'm going to be hoping for a continuation for the story and characters. Check it out for yourselves and report back!
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