Review: In the Ruins by Hailey Turner

Yeah… as much as I love this series. Random Shirtless Dude covers are still a no.

Genre: Adult, Science-Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, M/M
Pages: 354
Series: Metahuman Files #2 (Cannot be read as standalone)
Release Date: May 22, 2017
Publisher: Independently published

    (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

Remember when I reposted the review of In the Wreckage and said it was because I was gonna reread the rest of the series (which I hadn’t reviewed yet) and post the reviews within the next month or so? Yeah, that plan crashed and burned. Like a lot of my plans do.

But, I’m still rereading the series (and discovering so many things I missed the last time). I will just be doing it a little slower than I initially wanted to. I think. Trying not to make plans this time.

This is the second book in the Metahuman Files series and again follows Jamie, Kyle and the rest of Alpha team. In book 1, we found out that a bunch of criminal organizations seem to be working together to open and operate Splice chemical labs. They’re experimenting on kidnapped people to find out what aspects of an individual’s biology turned them into metahumans on coming in contact with Splice, rather than just killing them, which is a fate most people exposed to Splice suffer. Alpha team, who are very familiar with the horrors of Splice, are working to find out exactly who’s behind these labs and how they can be stopped.

In this book, there’s another mission, one related to the Splice labs, that has them working undercover in London. They need to make contact with the person who is funding the labs, which will bring them one step closer to shutting the whole thing down.

It’s a really good plot, but a little convoluted. The first time I read the book, for example, I found myself slightly overwhelmed with the information that was being given and I missed a lot of things. The author is still establishing the world and it’s politics, as well as the important players. And between that and the mission and all the action it entails, it becomes a tad too much. But that’s my only issue with the book.

I love this world that Hailey Turner has created. I love her characters, I love the overall plot about Splice labs and criminal organisations, and I love the romantic subplot. Jamie and Kyle have amazing chemistry and where the first book was heavier on the sex than I would have liked, this one takes it down a notch and gives us more about their feelings.

Also, I love the camaraderie between the team. Whether they’re on a mission or just sitting on couches, there’s fun banter to be had, especially between Kyle and Alexei, Kyle’s brother. Alexei is one of my favourites, in fact, with his disgruntled Russian routine that adds much needed levity to an otherwise serious book. I’m excited to reread the next book, which has more of a focus on him and a new character who was introduced in this book.

Overall, a great installment to a series that’s still kind of finding its sea legs. This is such a good series and I highly recommend it.