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Jane Shambler – :
This was a really interesting read. My first book by Winter. It is a fast paced action packed read that literally left me feeling mentally shattered. I loved it. It had a bit of everything. Sometimes I really wish these books were true. No I haven’t lost my mind I just guess I wish there was more than what we have.
Anyway back to the book :). It has two main characters with several characters making the story more believable. You have Lena aka Silver a serious competent tracker and Nyah a superhero who just happens to be a black lesbian who loves science. Who has the superhero name of Shattergirl. My childhood dreams all rolled in to one. What’s not to love.
The cover of the book gives it a comic book feel but I didn’t buy into that. It is a story of life, a story of losses and a story of discrimination. It also talks of equality, friendship and shared experiences. It also talks of being over looked, ignored and wrongful perceptions. Now you know why I felt shattered when I finished the book. It covers a lot and in some detail I might add.
I’ve read a few other reviews and I’ll admit I agree that the ending isn’t exactly what you expect. But I’ll also admit I liked the end. The two leads will make better friends and companions than lovers.
The story is mainly about breaking down walls and rebuilding trust amongst different people. Or in the case of this book building a new trust between different worlds. I think the author has done an excellent job combining two very different worlds into a world of trust with a positive future for all. It is well worth your time reading this book. Just be aware you may feel shattered at the end. Enjoy!
*ARC provided by publisher via Ylva Publishing*
Lesmedia – :
Lee Winter has a rare and unique writing talent. This book is no exception.
In this tale of redemption, Winter brings you a thoughtful look at humanity from the perspective of a disenchanted superhero. This ice queen is matched by a human tracker who is equally unimpressed with the superheroes she is sent to track and together they make for some eye opening, funny and delightful moments.
Winter does a superb job at world building and Secotra is vividly brought to life.
A great read. And as will all of Winter’s books, you will never read another book like it. Plus, it has a truly awesome sex scene.
*ARC provided by Ylva Publishing*
Sue Hanna – :
I can’t say it any better than the preceding two reviewers. I would love a sequel.
KJ (verified owner) – :
Shattered – Lee Winter
To say that you’re absolutely shattered in some countries means that you’re utterly exhausted. It certainly means that in Australia. It certainly means that for Shattergirl. She’s done being Earth’s first black lesbian guardian who can hurl and destroy large objects with a flick of her wrist. She exists as simply a name now, and has taken herself off the grid so she can truly be alone with all her pieces.
When Shattergirl is required back at the Facility—guardian headquarters—she can’t be found, so Lena Martin, the street-smart tracker with a silver tongue and a disdain for the rogue guardians she chases, is sent to find her. When she does, they discover how much needs to be shattered and rebuilt to find out who they really are.
The distrust they have for each other, and of themselves, is a major aspect of the novel. It is born of years of promotion of the guardians’ gifts, to the point that Lena believes that the alien superheroes are spoilt brats, and Shattergirl believes that humans—commons—are xenophobic, homophobic, racist, fearful and dangerous knuckle-draggers.
The guardians are refugees from another planet who arrived on Earth a hundred years ago. They are not immortal and therefore had to plead for their existence, eventually signing an agreement that ensured the continued use of their gifts to protect, rescue, save, and generally be available to sort out human beings’ shit every day of the year for eternity in exchange for their lives. The problem is that after a hundred years, some of the guardians are shattered beyond simple exhaustion.
The premise of the story is that we all hide behind glass pretending it to be transparent but in reality it is no such thing. Shattered is not a romance. It is more than a superhero saga. Shattered is a commentary on the fear of others. It is a commentary on the fear of ourselves. And when the glass shatters, and our true selves are revealed, it is an exquisite commentary on how well each of us can mend ourselves with the shards.
Another aspect is the rolling critique of how appalling humans can be to each other, and how we explain it away, justify it, dismiss it as “that’s how it was back then” despite the awfulness occurring right now. Winter develops the story to the point where Lena, as herself and as a symbolic representative of all humans, is forced to look in a mirror, while she discovers that the guardians have adopted the very behaviour of those who enslaved them to the spectacle of their powers in the first place.
The book is Lee Winter’s shortest (I think) at only 70,000 words. But it’s dense with amazing plot twists and fabulous character development and everything else you expect from an author like Winter. Shattered doesn’t solve the social dilemmas and trauma that she highlights in the story. It’s not a statement of belief on how humanity should be restructured. It is, however, a wonderful novel with complexity, where Lena and Shattergirl collect the slivers of their shattered worlds and create one that isn’t perfect but works for now.
Word Saviour – :
I was just genre-browsing and looking for something to satisfy my hunger for new sci-fi stories when I found myself staring at the new cover for “Shattered”.
Now I know, that a) you can fall in love with a story for the second time b) I am that shallow-brained reader, who wants to buy the paperback again – only to find out that c) amazon won’t ship it overnight so I must wait till Friday – 🤷🏼♀️guess I’ll have a weekend with Nyah then.