Review Detail

The wait is finally over! SENECA ELEMENT by Rayya Deeb is now available. As a huge fan of SENECA REBEL, the first book in this series, I couldn’t be more excited. The sequel picks up where we last left off. Doro is in search of her father in hopes that he’s alive. Alone, she risks the South American wilderness, when Dom, the guy she’s in love with, lets her go without him. Dom found out Doro had been lying to him and is furious with her, even if her intentions were good. Doro, determined, but heartbroken, pushes on until an outside invader hacks into her flex device and starts messing with her brain. Not only does this intrusion put Doro’s life at risk, but if she survives, she’ll have to figure out who is attempting to interfere with her mission, or she could become a pawn in their game.

With SENECA ELEMENT, I’m reminded by how much I love this secret society, and I appreciate how the world expands. In this second installment, we get a look at other hubs under Seneca’s umbrella. In particular, I keep imagining the room with the blue rivers of liquid and the equipment at Claytor Lake. I also love how we get to travel to a futuristic Smithsonian in the District of Columbia, because the locations from the Above root us in the familiar. We also get to revisit familiar characters and are introduced to Jadel, a fun addition to the cast. I’m curious to see how and when he’ll show back up again. I really want to like him, but the verdict is still out on whether or not he’s trustworthy-- which is what makes him such a complex and compelling character to begin with.

The cliffhanger that this book ends on is not even fair. It is the ultimate “what will happen next?” In the third book, I want to see more of the Departer conflict, more of Doro’s evolving family dynamic, and more of Dom! We don’t get to spend too much time with Dom in this novel and I missed his romance with Doro. Regardless, Deeb sets herself up for a really explosive third book and I’m looking forward to seeing where this story goes next.