You guys, I’m loving this series SO MUCH! The 1000 Revolution follows 1001, a cyborg implanted with the memories of a dead girl, and Caleb, a smuggler riddled with guilt over the part he played in said dead girl’s murder. It’s not technically a romance, but if you know me, you know I love constant action, interesting characters, and spice that’s not only sexy but also makes sense within a more complex overall plot. The 1000 Revolution fills all those criteria to overflowing.
We left off in book one with Caleb sentenced to live on the prison planet Asgard, and 1001 taken into custody by Chitec. Aptly, book two is entitled Escape, and starts with each of our two main characters escaping captivity, Caleb with the help of his traitorous second Fran, and 1001 with the help of Chitec scientist James, who went to school with Hailey Hung.
But things get complicated when Caleb discovers that Fran has indebted them both to unhinged space pirate Adalina Candelario, who wants them to hijack a Fleet freighter to repay their debt. Meanwhile, 1001 complicates her escape by breaking into Chitec headquarters to confront Chen Hung.
The story kept me turning page after page, with even more twists and surprises than the first book. But the star of the show is again the character of Caleb. As I said in my last review, the smuggler captain reminds me of a more realistic portrayal of a Han Solo type–the kind of guy Han Solo would have been if Star Wars had been rated R instead of PG. Caleb is an alcoholic, a womanizer, and a complete dirtbag, and yet the more you know of his backstory and his soft spot for the women in his life, the more you can’t help rooting for him, hoping he might be redeemable.
Lovers of morally grey MMC’s will adore Caleb Sheppard.
The other characters make interesting contrasts to Caleb, and have their own intriguing personalities, too–From Fran, the Fleet spy who just might go rogue, to Caleb’s brother Brenden, whose spotless life highlights Caleb’s darkness, to Adelina, the maniacal former pirate who turns out to be Caleb’s ex. And of course, there’s our second POV character, 1001, whose robotic facade is starting to crack wide open, revealing tons of character development yet to be explored.
I do want to mention, though, that this series is slightly more lascivious and a touch more violent than your average sci-fi action story. It contains alcoholism, drug addiction, sex, and graphic violence.
That being said, it all feels realistic to the characters and their journey.
I highly recommend The 1000 Revolution to lovers of sci-fi action who aren’t turned off by darker content. It’s one of my favourite indie sci-fi series to date. If you haven’t read book one, check out my review of Betrayal. If it looks like something you’d be into, you’re in luck! Betrayal is “perma-free” so you can try it out at no cost. But be warned–authors tend to use the “first book free” tactic when a series is truly addictive–I can pretty much guarantee you’ll be coming back for more!
