Final Stand Review and Interview with author Rose Garcia

FINAL STAND by ROSE GARCIA

Dominique is still alive after killing Tavion, the Tainted who’s hunted her for lifetimes. Yet her protectors still fear for her life. They force her to flee Houston and abandon the friends she loves. But they can’t protect her from herself. When Dominique starts hearing Tavion’s voice in her head, she realizes that her personal connection to the Tainted still exists. And when her car is ambushed, she discovers another frightening truth—someone close to her is a traitor.

Desperate for answers, Dominique seeks the aid of first lifers Trent and Infiniti. With their help, she hopes to find her new enemy. But things get complicated with Trent when she finally accepts her eternal love for Farrell, and even more complicated when the whispers in her head threaten her loved ones. Determined to live, Dominique decides to make a final stand against the forces that want to end her. For good.

 

 Julie’s Review: 

Final Stand is a great follow up to Final Life. This sequel contained even more action and adventure and some unexpected plot twists. The story was pretty fast-paced and I found the events exciting – especially the time travel portion. That was really cool, I have to say. Props for throwing that in there. This book contains a lot of mystery as well as betrayal, and Dominique doesn’t know who to trust or who is really on her side.

I liked the growth in Dominique’s character in Final Stand. She is no longer the scared teenager from book 1, the girl who runs and hides from her problems and doesn’t want to deal with them. Now she knows she has to face them and, even though she is still secretive and keeps very important things to herself, she keeps pushing those around her to keep moving and figuring out their next steps. I really enjoyed learning about the abilities her friends possess, and seeing how powerful Transhumans really are. I really, really liked Trent in this book, even more than in the first one. I’m not even going to talk about what happens because… I really liked Trent. Infinity is pretty cool as well, though she seemed stronger in the first book.

I don’t even know how I feel about Ferrell. I think that is my main complaint about this book, and series, is the primary love interest seems flat to me. As a reader, I should feel more emotions when I read about him and Dominique, but mostly the book glosses over their remembered attraction and then moves on to other things. Then when stuff happens and it should be devastating, well, I guess it really wasn’t as much. I expected more emotion from Dominique, more something. I really didn’t feel much until the very end when that other thing happened and Ferrell, being who he is, ends up having to change his.. um.. job description? Well that was a shocker and that was kind of woa to me, but I still don’t know if Dominique really cares that much about them as much as she wants to save her own skin.

So overall, 3.5 stars. Really good read, great follow up, but still kind of missing something in the relationship department for me. Normally this isn’t a big deal to me, if the book isn’t a romance at all, but since their prior love is mentioned so much, I expect emotion too.

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Describe the Transhuman Chronicles in 10 words or less for people who are just being introduced to it.

Transhumans can use their entire brain, allowing them to manipulate the energy in and around them. (I really tried to keep it at ten, but couldn’t! LOL)

Do you identify with Dominique or did you create a character that is your opposite?

I definitely identify with Dominique, and there’s a lot about her that I really love. For instance, she’s a smart girl with a close-knit family. She cares deeply about her friends. She also has real-world reactions to what’s happening to her—fear, disbelief, and then finally acceptance. I also love how she gets stronger throughout the book and rises to the occasion when push comes to shove.   

Do you have any odd (writing) habits?

Not really odd, but I do have two cups of coffee, breakfast, a shower, and sometimes a quick walk before I write. 

What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?

I received a lot of tough criticism in my early stages of writing. And if you could read the first draft of Final Life, you’d understand! I needed a lot of work on pacing and structure. At first, the critiques I got really bummed me out. But then I got serious. If I was going to be a successful writer, I had to learn to take a hard look at my writing so that I could improve. Which leads me to the best compliment… I’ve had several readers tell me that they cried at the end of Final Life. Bringing someone to tears is definitely a WOW moment for a writer.   

Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?

The number one piece of advice I’d give to an aspiring author is to get connected with the local writing community. You’ll learn so much about the craft of writing, about your own writing, and about the publishing industry. I got connected right away because I knew I needed help! It was the best thing I ever did!

What is your favorite line from your book?

This is easy! When I wrote this line I didn’t realize how awesome it was until I went back and started editing. This line is from Final Stand:

Damn, he was hot as shit, and for a second there I thought of kissing him, but what the hell for? He was on the other side and as good as dead to me anyway.

 

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Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who’s always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she’s been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles–a series of books about people who have overcome human limitations.

Rose lives in Houston with her husband and two kids. You can visit Rose at www.rosegarciabooks.com