VORTEX

SUMMARY

When Coralie Frazer arrives at Nimbus Station aboard the National Space Research Council starship Triumph, it’s not as the engineer she expected to be. Light-years and several wormhole jumps from Earth, she’s now the prisoner of her former crew, and they want nothing from her but the blood that keeps them alive. When she’s granted a sliver of unexpected freedom, she jumps at the chance to escape—but fleeing seems impossible when Earth might as well be in another universe.

Commander Josiah O’Donnell has his own problems, and taking reluctant command of the newest United States Orbital Guard cutter Bayonet is the least of them. Fresh off medical leave and tasked with locating Triumph and rescuing her crew, he knows the wormholes he’s meant to traverse are hazardous—but what’s on the other side might be more perilous than he ever imagined.

Desperate to save her fellow captive blood sources, Coralie doesn’t intend to fail. Haunted by the memories of his disastrous last assignment, Josiah won’t allow more death. There’s just one problem: success for either means condemning a thousand others.

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OPINION

It's been a minute since I read a book that had me on the edge of my seat constantly, filled me with more anxiety that I wanted, therefore, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. To put it plainly, this might be my favorite book by Anne Wheeler.

 

Vortex had just about everything that I love in a book. Little bit of drama, some action, a romance rekindled, a disturbing antagonist (who I DID NOT fall in love with surprisingly😂😂😂 - see my Shadows of War review), complicated moral choices and decisions that involve the lives of many people, a man dealing with past guilt and starting a journey of healing, and a young woman dealing with the cards she's been dealt and doing the best she can to survive, plus a bit of mystery sprinkled in.

 

Reading this is like standing on the sidelines and being able to see both sides to the story going on (Josiah's side and Coralie's side), and being in a constant state of frustration at knowing everything that's going on and wanting to convey to each party what's up, what to avoid, what not to do or where to go, like just listen to me! But you can't, so you have to suffer (in a good way) as you watch the chips fall or the sh*t to hit the fan. And I'll admit it, it was a pretty fun ride!

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I hope Wheeler writes a sequel, because I need more of this world where these sketchy scientists are up to no good; I need to know more about these space vampires and how they’re going to survive; I need more of Josiah and Hope and how they’re going to fix and heal their marriage; I need more of Josiah and his journey to healing from his past ghosts; I need more of Coralie and Ethan!! I can’t be the only one who is shipping them so hard!!!!

Fantastic book all around! It was one of those stories I stayed up late into the night just to finish it.