Book Review: The Atomic Circus by K.C. Finn

Synopsis:

A story is never a good story unless it starts with a murder. The more unusual the murder, the better the story, generally speaking. Meet Caecilius (KAI-KILL-EE-USS) Rex, a young detective in the not-too-distant future, a smog-filled post apocalyptic world riddled with crime and conspiracy. When a new case quite literally falls at Rex's feet, he teams up with his neighbour and associate Kendra Nai, an ex-army sergeant recently dismissed, to investigate. Little do they know that the events of The Atomic Circus will be the first step to solving the case of a lifetime.

This was a very pleasant surprise. I’ve had a less than spectacular track record with review requests, so I was wary when I started this. My fears were shattered within the first chapter. The Atomic Circus is extremely well written with interesting characters and an intriguing plot.

Caecilius Rex is a very mysterious character. Finn keeps a cloud of mystery around him for the better part of the novella. He has some dark events in his past that have shaped his present, but the reader doesn’t learn of his history until later. I enjoyed his quirks and somewhat odd behavior, and I’m sensing there is more to him that will be revealed in the second book. Likewise, his partner, Kendra, is quite unlike most characters I’ve read. The two are very unique; they are not the dashing, gorgeous, flawless hero/heroine pair of most of my library. They are real-feeling characters with strengths and weaknesses and quirks and flaws and less-than-beautiful looks. It was actually kind of refreshing to not be focusing on someone who should be featured on the cover of Cosmo.

They had good, quirky chemistry (not really of the romantic nature, although I can see the potential) and they were a fun crime-solving partnership to watch. I’m excited to see how both of their characters progress and how their relationship changes in the next book.

I really enjoyed the elements that made up the conflict. It reminded me a bit of Syfy’s remake of “Alice” (which I love) with the different substances giving super human powers. Added a nice touch of Sci-fi action without bringing in a bunch of the weirder alienating elements of sci-fi. The Atomic Circus itself was creepy and yet fascinating, and I wanted to see more of it. It sounded like the perfect setting for a fascinating Sci-Fi scene from a movie, with bizarre items being sold and strange clientele milling about.

All in all, this is a solid novel, with interesting characters and a very creative conflict. I’m excited to see more of Cae and Kendra in the future! It’s only $0.99 on Amazon, which is well worth it! I highly recommend heading over now and picking up a copy!