Variant Beginnings

Number of pages: 518

Formats: ebook, paper

Languages: English

Let’s start from the beginning. So, this is the first book in a series of six books called Variant by Sandra R. Neeley. And the summary goes like this:  

‘Warning: This book is not suitable for sensitive readers. Please do not buy this book if you have triggers to sensitive situations.

Black Ops Lieutenant Maddox Larsen is missing. Not only is he missing, his entire team is missing. Their reality has been yanked from beneath them, replaced with a sadistic, twisted doctor eager to find just what the limitations of a soldier’s body and mind are. Unfortunately, Maddox and his men are not alone, there are others like them locked in this nightmarish facility. They barely survive torture, abuse, and drug induced changes of their DNA. Their needs have become simple: Food, Fight, Fornicate. Maddox exceeds all expectations and becomes the model by which all other males in the facility are measured. These males are no longer men, or even human for that matter. They are Variant. But now they’re free, and they’re angry. Their target? Those who made them what they are today.

Nina struggled most of her adult life just to survive. She made the fateful decision to marry her high school sweetheart right after graduation — now she’s his favorite punching bag. He interrupts her when she finally seizes a chance to run from him, and almost kills her. She loses consciousness, awakening to a nightmare worse than she ever imagined. She’s at the mercy of five predatory, aggressive males, all locked in a prison cell with her. Sold to a medical facility as a reward for their test subjects for good behavior, her hell has only just begun. Eventually the most volatile of them claims her, giving her a slight reprieve. But then he disappears, leaving her in the hands of all the others. He better hope he’s dead, because now she’s free and if she discovers he intentionally left her behind, her wrath will make the monster that created them seem like their best friend.’

What I like about the book

Now that you know what the book is about, I will tell you about my impressions. The story is not told from one character’s perspective but from different ones. We are talking about an omniscient narrator, which makes the story more interesting. It’s not limited to a single person’s beliefs, feelings, and thoughts. 

In general, the story is about Nina and Maddox. We follow their transformation throughout the story and can see what they think of each other. Also, we have some participation from circumstantial characters, which opens the scene. Because of this, we can see the Variant world in its totality. 

Another thing I like is that the protagonist, Nina, finds her inner strength. She starts as a victim, but in the end, she learns to stand up for herself. How to provide for her if the need arises. Also, initially, her relationship with her husband is more than toxic, and she could have followed that pattern, but her subsequent relationships are healthy. She knows what she wants and what to give. It doesn’t matter if we are talking about Maddox in a more intimate approach or his team in a working one. 

And it could have been really easy because Maddox is a possessive man. But he understands she is her one person, and he helps her thrive instead of protecting her from everything. He makes her strong instead of useless. It’s refreshing to read a story where the protagonist builds and earns her place in a group of testosterone-charged men. They see her courage and strength better than a ‘normal’ man. It makes you wonder if all it takes for women to be recognized is to change the DNA of men. 

What I didn’t like

What I was not too fond of about the book is that the story is sometimes predictable. There are moments when we know what has to happen for Nina and Maddox to be together. I wanted to know how Sandra R. Neeley would resolve them. Because it is something you have been waiting for chapters on end, and when it finally happens, it leaves you feeling dissatisfied. 

Because it’s something so easy, there is no surprise. Nina and Maddox didn’t have to fight or make a difficult choice. The problem was solved for them. So, the book is a little weak there, but overall, it is a good book. 

To whom do I recommend this book?

This book is perfect for fans of sci-fi romance and movies like Project Geminis. Readers who like a little smut and withstand violent themes. It is ideal for readers who love strong female protagonists who stand alongside their men and stand out in a male world. 

About the author

Sandra R Neeley is an International Best-Selling Author of Paranormal, SciFi, and Fantasy Romances. She is 58 and married, with two children, two grandchildren, a multitude of pets, and is a Self-Published Author. She’s a homebody who prefers her writing/reading time to a crowd. At a very young age she recognized that the stories and fictional characters living in her head, was not something everyone understood. But, after deciding to craft them into books that others could enjoy, surprisingly, people have loved them. Every story will leave you feeling like you’ve been visiting with a long-lost loved one during a respite from reality. A bit of a warning though, there are some “triggers” in her stories that certain people should avoid, so please read the synopsis and warnings supplied with each book before buying.

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