Book Review: Enemies by Robert J. Crane {Girl in the Box, book # 7}

Title: Enemies
Author: Robert J. Crane
Series: Girl in the Box 
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: August 17, 2013
Source: received from author for my honest opinion of it


Goodreads Synopsis:

Far from home, having failed in her quest to kill Old Man Winter, Sienna Nealon finds herself in the city of London, working with Omega, her oldest enemies. Surrounded by people she doesn't trust, thrust into events that could mean the extinction of the metahuman race, Sienna will discover that the line between friend and foe is thinner than she ever could have believed - and that her greatest enemies may lie within.

My Thoughts:

This is one of those series that once you read the first words in the first book you are irreparably hooked into something so incredible and breathtaking that the waiting between books is insanely difficult.
But we find a way to manage....

As we travel down this road with Sienna, the book's protagonist, we can't help but see the change that she goes through as she matures and becomes an adult.  Hell, I don't think she really ever got the chance to be a child, in a sense, but we really see her develop more complex thinking that shows us she is ready to become everything she is supposed to be.

All of the situations that Sienna goes through lets us peek into a more darker side that she hosts.  Of course, we could also believe that all of this killing and massacres could be a direct result of having Wolfe inside her brain.   But I am more prone to believe that Wolfe had some to do with it but not completely all of it.  I think there is a dark side to Sienna because I believe every person has a dark side.  The only difference is whether or not someone acts on it-which Sienna does and often.    I actually like the fact that Sienna can represent our society with both polar opposites combined inside warring to get out through her actions.

And honestly, Sienna is interesting as hell!  I know I keep relating this series to the X-Men Series but it rivals it in many ways.  I could honestly see myself going and seeing a movie called Girl in the Box.  Or turning the tv on to DVR the series.  But it should definitely be on Starz or some other paid channel because I wouldn't want it to be watered down at all.

But I get ahead of myself.  {Though, I would like to petition to get it movie rights too eventually}

In Enemies, Sienna is not in a great place still.  She has all these metas in her head and she just really doesn't know, deep down know, where she wants to be right now.  So she gives Janus a try and travels to London.  Yeah! Okay so I personally, like Janus.  I know he is the bad guy but there is just something about him that really pulls me to him.  But hey, he can influence feelings so could that be it?  I kid, I kid.  So I am pretty excited that she is willing to give Janus the time he needs and deep down that she needs too.
Now here is where we see the great research skills of Mr. Crane.  I have never been to London but from his very descriptive writing, I felt the dampness from the weather, and I just felt immersed in all of London society.  I also enjoyed the way we get to experience it with Sienna for the first time.  As she was awed, I was awed as well.  I truly believe that Mr. Crane is on his way to mastering the art of world building because I just fall into his books so easily.

Just as the world building can capture all of our senses, I firmly believe that the action scenes capture our imagination because some of the creative ways Sienna finds to disarm people is beyond me.  But thankfully, for us, Mr. Crane is there to weave some very brutal and highly entertaining fighting.   Okay, so there were many scenes in Enemies that really made me want to jump up out of my seat with excitement and some that made me want to put my hands over my eyes and read through my fingers.  (Like when I watch Saw: hand over face, peeking through fingers ever so often)
The jumping up out of my seat scene?  Towards the end when Sienna and some new found allies help take on some very old trouble makers.
The peering through my fingers scene? When Sienna is introduced to the one in charge.

And the ending?  Okay let's just say I wasn't very happy with the ending.  Not because it was bad but because I was not ready for it to end.  Especially like that!!!??!! Come one Crane - no fair!  But I understand you have to have that one of a kind ending that doesn't repeat itself and Mr. Crane definitely keeps us on our toes with his exceptional cliffhangers.

Overall, Enemies is definitely living up to what I come to expect from Robert Crane.  It has a solid plot with some very emotional threads in it that can bring a tear or two, but will always satisfy my hunger for the fight that I love in my action packed stories.  This is a great installment and I can't wait to get to the next one in Girl in the Box.... Or anything he puts his name on.  I am truly awed by the talent that Mr. Crane exhibits every time I pick up something he has penned.
I give Enemies five stars!

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