Hidden

It's not often that I close a book and wish that it had more chapters, but that's exactly what happened with Hidden, by Eve Kenin. The characters and situations are so compelling that I want to know what happens next.

Set in the not-too-distant-future, in a frozen wasteland where no one can be trusted, Hidden centers on Tatiana, a human with genetic enhancements that make her a superwarrior. She's already killed one evil genius. Now she's after two more, before they can implement a plan to kill thousands, if not millions of people. A loner by choice, she unwillingly teams up with the mysterious Tristan, who may hold the key to finding her prey.

Author Kenin describes the settings and actions cinematically, making it easy to picture every setting and each deadly move in the action scenes. She never overwhelms with exposition. The plot is fast-paced, easy to follow, and always fascinating.

Dorchester Publishing describes the book as 'action romance.' It does have a lot of action, with Tatiana and Tristan taking on ruthless ice truckers, vicious Reavers, and cannibalistic mutants. The romance is almost secondary, realized primarily through Tatiana's unexpected attraction to Tristan. Raised by a computer and held prisoner for years by a sadistic doctor, Tatiana has little experience with or interest in social interaction. Her mission comes first.

The story is driven by Tatiana's thoughts, but occasionally we get a glimpse into Tristan's mind. Himself an enigma, product of 21st century Army experiments, he's attracted to Tatiana the first time he sees her. The second time they meet, she's facing down a murderous mob, and the outcome leaves him with a terrible choice to make.

My one criticism is that both Tristan and Tatiana are so focused on their goals, that their thoughts sometimes seem repetitive. They're always thinking the same thing. It didn't bother me enough not to recommend the book, but it's worth mentioning.

Hidden is the sequel to Kenin's Driven, which I have never read, so it's not necessary to read it first in order to enjoy the second book. I plan to read Driven soon, and I hope Kenin writes more in this world, because I'd like to see more of these characters and their fight for freedom in the Waste.