Title: The Bane (The Eden Trilogy #1)
Author: Keary Taylor
Release Date: March 5th 2013
Publisher: Self-published
Source: NetGalley
Before the Evolution there was TorBane: technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter. It had the ability to grow new organs and limbs, to heal the world. Until it evolved out of control and spread like the common cold. The machine took over, the soul vanished, and the Bane were born. The Bane won't stop until every last person has been infected. With less than two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction.
Eve knows the stories of the Evolution, the time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. But she doesn't need memories to know this world is her reality. This is a world that is quickly losing its humanity, one Bane at a time.
Fighting to keep one of the last remaining human colonies alive, Eve finds herself torn between her dedication to the colony, and the discovery of love. There is Avian and West – one a soldier, one a keeper of secrets. And in the end, Eve will make a choice that will change the future of mankind.
The Bane is The Terminator meets The Walking Dead with a heart-twisting romance.I really wanted to love this book, if only because I loved What I Didn't Say by the same author. Sadly, like most of the sci-fi/dystopian/post-apocalyptic books that I've read before, I had a hard time getting into The Bane and in the end, I was underwhelmed.
I love kickass female characters so it wasn't a surprise for me to like Eve from the start, what with her strength, ferocity, and determination, but even though the book was written in first-person from her perspective, I just couldn't connect with her because she was so... mechanical. An explanation was given for that, though, so I just ignored it and focused on the other parts of the story.
As half of the book dealt with Eve's inner turmoil with her past and her real identity, a quarter was spent on outrunning the Bane: creatures who came about by mankind's attempt at playing God. They were like zombies, but instead of preying on humans as a food source, they were wired to turn the few remaining "organics" into Bane with something as simple as a touch. The presence of the Bane was the main conflict in the story as Eve, with her unusual talents at survival, tried to protect her small family of other refugees in Eden. But the Bane were getting smarter and more aggressive, pushing her and everyone else to their limits.
Unfortunately for Eve, her problems didn't end there. With the arrival of West, her long-time dormant heart started feeling, awakened by the thrill that he ignited within her. She didn't like this one bit, but even more so when Avian, her savior and one of the people closest to her, began revealing the feelings he'd hidden. This love triangle was very unexpected for me; it had me on my guard the whole time because Eve's condition made it even more unpredictable. That said, I felt like it was forced and lacked emotion and passion and just didn't mix in well with the rest of the plot.
Although the mystery surrounding Eve kept things interesting, I didn't find it enough to make this unputdownable. Halfway through, the stakes brought by the need to survive from the Bane was downplayed to make way for the romance, which disappointed me. The climax wasn't too thrilling because it focused on Eve's feelings as she finally shed off her indecision, but it led to a fairly satisfying ending that has me curious for the sequel.
MY FAVORITE PART was Eve's suicide mission.
RATING:
(cover and blurb from Goodreads.com)
I suppose it's a good thing that you're still curious about the sequel. It's a shame you couldn't connect with Kate completely though. I'd love to find out why she's so mechanical. Still, I'm not sure if this is my kind of read. Lovely review!
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