The Other Side of Life (Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)

By Jess C Scott

Summary: A thieving duo's world turns upside down when an Elven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacorporation.

Synopsis: Anya and Leticia are partners-in-crime who steal for a living. Their world turns upside down after a chance encounter with fellow rogue, Ithilnin--the enigmatic leader of an Elven band of thieves.

A scuffle to prove who's "the better thief" transforms into more than Anya and Ithilnin ever bargained for. They retrieve the missing piece of an ancient poem, before getting caught in the secret dealings of a megacorporation. What they uncover threatens to alter the very essence of not just human life, but the other side as well.

Elven intrigue, cyberpunk action, and a deadly dose of danger come together in The Other Side of Life [Book #1 in the (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy].

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Cyberpunk / YA with adult crossover appeal

* Recommended for adults or young adults seeking cyberpunk themes (not hardcore sci-fi), and a love story (not fluffy romance).

* This novel features a third-person omniscient point of view (inspired by the POV of Leo Tolstoy's novel, Anna Karenina).

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* {Book #2 in the series--The Darker Side of Life--and Book #3 in the series--The Arcane Side of Life--will be available in early 2012. Laer (the dark elf in Book#2) makes an appearance in 'Skins'--a free eBook short story now available on Jess's website!}

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Praise for Jess C Scott/TOSoL:

"The notion here is intriguing..."
-- Garrett Hicks, Will Entertainment

"Dear Jess: You are a very good writer--I like your plotting, your concept, the characters...pretty much everything. You are very gifted."
-- Dr. Uwe Stender

"The Other Side of Life features a writing style that is professional and thought provoking, with good dialogue."
-- Roger S. Williams, Central NJ

"This novel has a fast pace, takes its storyline seriously, is loaded with suspense and evokes genuine emotion in its love story."
-- Matt Posner, author of School of the Ages

"I have to honestly say I was pleasantly surprised by The Other Side of Life. Not only was it extremely well edited, but the plot was more well written than some house published books I've read. Truly, this was an incredible fantasy novel and a series I'm hoping Jess C Scott keeps up with, because she's obviously extremely talented."
-- Review @ There's A Book

Excerpt:

"That's sad. How plastic and artificial life has become. It gets harder and harder to find something...real." Nin interlocked his fingers and stretched out his arms. "Real love, real friends, real body parts..."

About The Author:

Jess is an author/artist/non-conformist who's dedicated to writing original stories that are both meaningful and entertaining. She focuses on style and substance over short-term success with current fads and marketing hype. Visit her website for free samples and more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jess C Scott
• Release date: Jan 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458001177

Jess C Scott

Jess is a writer who's moved on to better things.She thanks her (loyal!) readers for appreciating her writing over the years.She continues to write lots of non-fiction these days. And yes, she still blogs in a range of different specialties.Jess was a participating author in the 2012 Singapore Writers Festival, and has been called “bold, daring, and always original” by The Arts House.

Book preview

Praise for The Other Side of Life

(Book 1 in the Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)

Dear Jess: You are a very good writer — I like your plotting, your concept, the characters…pretty much everything. I would love to see future writing projects by you. You are very gifted.

— Dr. Uwe Stender, 2010

***

The notion here is intriguing…

— Garrett Hicks, Will Entertainment, 2010

***

[The Other Side of Life] features a writing style that is professional and thought provoking, with good dialogue.

— Roger S. Williams, Central NJ, 2010

# # # # #

THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE

(Book #1 / Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)

Published by Jess C Scott / jessINK at Smashwords

www.jesscscott.com

www.elventrilogy.wordpress.com

Copyright © 2011 by Jess C Scott.

Cover Art © 2011 by Jess C Scott.

All rights reserved.

First Print Edition: February 2011

ISBN: 1456529048

1. Fiction/Action & Adventure

2. Fiction/Fantasy/Contemporary

3. Fiction/Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic

4. Juvenile Fiction/Fairy Tales & Folklore

5. Juvenile Fiction/Love & Romance

Summary: A thieving duo’s world turns upside down when an Elven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacorporation.

Note:

Jess’s cyberpunk elves are Tolkien-esque elves, in terms of stature

[they’re not the Santa type elves ;)].

All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

# # # # #

For everyone who likes blending & mixing.

And thank you to friends, customers, reviewers, bloggers, etc, for checking out my

non-conformist works + non-conformist ways.

# # # # #

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Author Q&A

# # # # #

Chapter 1:

Nin looked up and around the abandoned stone church, in quiet solace and admiration.

There was something distinctly unique about the building—it felt safe.

He waved a hand in front of the hidden camera situated in a crack in the stone wall, watching the small screen on his N-Gage wrist device. The screen showed the scene at the church—empty—with no sign of him, or his moving hand. Debug: successful, he noted.

An old battered wooden cross hung on the wall, and there were a few pews strewn about the interior. The air was cold. The silence, overpowering.

He took out a small piece of paper, which had three letters written on it:

[o], [i], [l].

Two words were scribbled at the bottom: orn . lir . Elven words for ‘tree’ and ‘life.’ The letter ‘i’ was most perplexing. There were too many urban legends swirling about; Nin could never determine what that letter really stood for.

He focused on the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing, allowing himself to immerse in the meditative calm that would naturally come. With a clear mind, maybe he’d notice a clue in one of the letters, staring right back at him…

Nin turned instinctively, to hide behind the nearest pillar, when he heard the sound of fast approaching footsteps.

He kept his eye on one of the cracked, black acrylic posters at the back of the church. Its reflection offered him a glimpse of the scene behind him. Nin watched as two girls entered the building, via the open doorway. All three individuals kept still for a few tense moments, before one of the girls muttered, C’mon.

The girls moved lightly and quickly, like thieves in the night. They made their way to the front, stopping just before the old cross.

Let me see, let me see, the other girl said, tucking some of her long hair behind her ears. She was barely audible—she sounded quite out of breath.

Nin stepped out for a moment, angling his wrist device at the first girl’s hand. He got a screenshot of her hand, and zoomed in on her thumbprint. He ran a quick search for her basic information.

Name: Anya London

Sex: Female / Age: 18

Employment: Undergraduate

Address: 2XT St. 5th Floor. ZC.03 (10010).

Tel: [phone]

D.O.B. 18th April 2017 (Aries)

Patience, Leticia… the one named Anya said, playfully and slightly condescendingly. Anya had a faded pink streak in her hair.

Nin glanced down at the bottom edge of the broad, digital device on his left wrist:

July 16th, 2035 | 16:20:35

He puzzled over the numbers, wondering if the double numbers had any significant meaning. He believed in signs. He had never come across a human in this locale. But that changed today.

ASK and it will be given. SEEK and you will find. Nin read the hot pink and white text, which graced the black poster.

He squinted against the bright light that shone in from the outside, to make sure there was no one else following. He stepped out from his hiding place, without a sound. He looked at the two girls—no distinctly Elven ears—definitely human.

He brought a hand up to his own ears, in reflex. He made sure his razored, medium-length tresses covered the upper portions of his ears, which were slightly pointed—a distinguishing feature that would be a giveaway of his identity. This was a part of him that would stand out, if a human was observant enough. Otherwise, he enjoyed being able to blend in with crowds quite, quite easily.

He brought the collar of his coat up too, to cover the right side of his neck. He had a faint tattoo mark on the lower part of his neck, and part of his collarbone. It peeked out a little bit, if he was wearing just a shirt. All elves had a similar mark (not all on the neck), from the day they were born.

Beautiful, Anya breathed, flicking aside the faded pink streak in her dark chestnut hair. She gave a low whistle, as she held up what seemed to be an orb filled with glittering bits of diamond pieces. She gave a proud, sideward glance to Leticia.

Just beautiful, Nin’s thoughts echoed. A raw kind of energy seemed to radiate from the dainty-bodied girl with the diamonds. There didn’t seem to be a trace of fear or nervousness in her slight frame. He continued to eavesdrop on their conversation, remaining undetected. The girls went on speaking in hushed tones.

That’s two in a row this week.

You brought the other one in?

Leticia opened a vinyl laptop bag she had with her. Nin couldn’t see what was in it, but both girls were nodding impressively at its contents.

Nin considered letting his guard down—who else would bother with this place? The church was part of a small ghost town situated within a two-mile radius of Zouk City, capital state of Zone One. Brainwashed citizens were too busy toiling away at work, keeping the economy running, to even think about heading out for a stroll. Working and splurging (to offset the drudgery of working at a job one would rather not do—if it weren’t for the money) were the chief aims in life. Nin thought with vague distaste that this was what had become of the glorious Confederation of States.

He moved closer, feeling somewhat anxious. Why are the two girls here? Who are they? Will they run away? Say something?

Nin was looking out for himself too. Humans are dangerous. Anyone who observes the species knows that.

Leticia tilted her head down towards the floor, and smoothed the surface of her small bag.

How much are we getting for the diamond orb? she asked her friend coyly, as she twirled one of the strands of her luxurious black hair.

She turned to face the doorway when a raven flew in, its broad wingspan a silhouette against the column of stained glass. She gasped when she saw Nin’s majestically tall, lean figure, the physique of a Tolkien-esque elf. His pristine white hair added to his ethereal look.

Anya! Leticia gasped.

Anya jumped back when she saw Nin. The orb slipped from her hands as she did so. Her heart was in her throat. This was highly unusual, someone else sneaking around. It was what she and Leticia did, for a living.

Nin dashed a couple of steps forward and put a leg out, balancing the orb on his foot, just before it hit the ground. He deftly kicked the orb up to his hand. It required minimal effort for him to do so.

Yours, I believe? Nin said to Anya, with a slight bow. He held the dazzling diamond sphere out to the girls. Nin was a punk by Elven standards, but good manners were something he had never quite shaken off.

Anya was staring straight at him, blankly yet intensely. Nin noticed the warm shade of brown in her eyes, which was quite different from his own dusky-violet ones. Nin noticed the slightly wan glow of the girls’ skin, like their health had been sucked away from spending too many hours in front of a computer screen, a common characteristic of the human species.

Anya’s fingers lightly grazed across his palm when she took the orb back. The other girl was staring at his shiny, black leather boot, and the gloves he had on. They were black gloves, open at the fingertips.

Elves don’t make a sound with their footsteps, if they don’t want to, Nin said to himself, stifling a chuckle. The girls didn’t know he was wearing shock and impact absorbing military boots, which were lightweight, functional, and stylish, all at the same time. His gloves weren’t ordinary gloves either.

Neither of the girls seemed to be the sort who thrived on social interactions. At least, not on first impression. They were dressed quite plainly, in dark jeans and gray jackets, without tons of make-up or piercings. They looked slightly scruffy and disheveled, and like their hair had gotten blown around a bit in the wind.

Still, Nin believed there was a reason for this chance encounter. He decided to err on the side of intuition. I’m Nin.

He extended his right hand. He wondered if these two even believed in the Elven race, in the first place.

Nin blinked a few times before petite, bold-faced Anya finally responded by returning the handshake.

I’m Anya London.

She had wideset eyes, a high forehead, and a few tiny freckles on her ski-jump nose—Nin thought it gave her more character. It complemented the slightly haughty lift in her small chin too. They continued looking at each other before Anya turned to her friend, and bobbed her head in Nin’s direction. The dark-haired girl got the message.

I’m Leticia. She had a softer, more agreeable look than Anya. She relaxed a little before adding, Leticia Pinto.

Anya wiped the orb on one of her sleeves, before slipping it into her pocket.

So… Nin grinned. Anya’s actions hadn’t gone unnoticed. "How much would that fetch?"

Immediately, both girls turned pale.

Are you a sentinel guard? Anya snapped, quickly realizing what a stupid question that was. Armed forces, including a cadre of super-soldiers who were part man and part machine, were stationed in and around Zouk City—Nin didn’t look like one of them. Other thoughts swirled in her mind. But then again, he could be part of a new secret squad. What difference would it make who he was, if she and Leticia were finally going to be arrested anyway?

No… Nin coolly wondered what identity to assume. He’d play his questions game, and see if the girls reciprocated. Maybe then, he’d reveal bits and pieces of trivia, about himself. I’m just…a regular. Like you. Can’t anyone enjoy the great outdoors anymore? Nin had a harmonious quality in his voice, expressive of his congenial nature within.

Still, Anya was cautious. She was wary of the male species—nice ones with strikingly good looks, in particular. They always seemed to have ulterior motives. Anya had to make an effort, not to be distracted by Nin’s charm and the curious blend of sultry sophistication he exuded. He had a presence—a silent but powerful charisma…

The Elven rogue had his own set of well-guarded secrets to maintain. Like what was lying underground. Nobody would ever guess. Not in a million years.

I’m not armed, I’m not wired, he said. You’re free to take a closer look, if you’d like.

Nin opened up his coat—his sleek, black trench coat, built so he could move like a shadow in the dark—to show he wasn’t hiding any guns or suspicious gadgets. He drew in a sharp breath.

We’re not wired or bugged too, Anya replied, more softly than she intended. Her response made Nin understand why humans were known to be the race that couldn’t trust anyone. Anya didn’t offer to mention that they were unarmed, because technically, that wasn’t true. She and Leticia always carried around a couple of compact, but deadly self defense weapons—just in case. They both had a foldable little knuckle knife, and single cord strangling weapon, tucked away in a compartment in their shoes.

Anya was looking at Nin’s neck.

Here—you can scan me, Nin said to Anya, to distract her from his tattoo. He removed a small detector from his N-Gage, and handed it to Anya. Anya frowned at the device, wrapped around Nin’s wrist and part of his hand. She wasn’t sure whether it was connected to his glove.

Nin stretched his hands out. Anya did a quick body scan, then tried it out on Leticia, before grinning sheepishly, and returning it to Nin.

So, he started again, determined to break the ice. Tell me what you’re doing here.

Still no answer.

Do you steal for a living? Nin got straight to the point. He sounded more amused, than aggressive.

Anya chewed on her lower lip for a moment or two. Nin had an underlying purity and simplicity about him, which she felt compelled to be honest with.

Technically, she began carefully, "we’re returning—she articulated the word extra clearly—items, to their rightful owners."

Leticia gave a laugh before turning all serious. It’s true, she said in a deadpan voice, and blank-slate face, to Nin.

Nin’s smooth brow was beginning to furrow. What do you mean?

Well… Anya started gesticulating in the air with her hands, as she spoke her thoughts. Museum directors…and collectors…don’t exactly own the artifacts, that they commission people to find. Sometimes, people want their items back. Like this here—she patted a hand over her pocket—belongs to Saudi Arabia. It was stolen from a tomb of one of their ancient kings, and has been on display at The Civilizations Museum in Zouk City. The museum people have been unwilling to negotiate so…that’s when we step in.

Nin smiled, as he continued watching her closely. And you charge a fee for this…service?

Most are willing to pay, Anya answered, self-assuredly. She turned her head slightly towards one side. We’d do it for free—just for kicks. That’s how it all started anyway.

Your…hobby? Service to mankind?

Anya nodded slowly. There was an email a few months ago. Some Egyptian guy wanted something. I almost deleted the email—I thought it was spam! We had to travel far for that one—Zone Five over on the west coast.

It was a gorgeous, onyx sphinx, Leticia said dreamily. We got fifty grand, in cash. Just like that!

Fifty grand? Nin thought to himself. The elves had been siphoning millions out from banks, by charging bank accounts with small amounts from $0.10 to $10—the numbers were so minor, most people overlooked it, or were too busy to care. But a small amount could snowball into something much more massive. A good hacker could reroute email, reset passwords, and transfer money out of accounts in a snap.

All gone, by the way, Leticia added as an afterthought.

Money’s a good incentive, Anya finished. Real good.

Her eyes widened. Had they said too much?

Nin knew how much humans loved money, riches, and material things—though he never really could understand why. The more technologically advanced the human species got, the more isolated they seemed to become, at the same time. It was alarming, how humans could spend entire lifetimes engaged in all kinds of activities, without getting any closer to knowing who they really were, inside.

You must live a good life, then... Nin pondered whether making a lot of cash was the main aim of most human beings. What do you spend the money on anyway?

School fees, and rent. Leticia gave a cynical smile. It’s expensive living in the city.

Why rent when you could buy a house? Nin enquired.

Leticia pursed her lips, and folded her arms across her chest. We’re working towards it, she replied rather tersely.

It’d look…suspicious if we bought a house right now, Anya explained. Nin’s genuinely innocent, semi-naïve air was the only reason she still entertained his questions. Six million dollars for a studio apartment? We couldn’t afford it. We don’t come from rich backgrounds.

Nin nodded. The disparity between the rich and the poor wasn’t as great in the Elven world as it was with humans, but he knew the privileges of nobility—he’d walked away from it all, not so long ago. Quality of life shouldn’t be structured around social class and status.

He made his way to one of the pews, and stretched his arms out behind him. Do you meet the buyers…here?

Anya shook her head. We thought we could stash some of our treasures here. Temporarily.

It’s quite bold of you, to steal things in broad daylight, Nin remarked, stalling for time.

Anya tried to hide a smirk. The museum is closed on Mondays. She rubbed her eyes—there were faint dark rings under them.

Nin was absolutely convinced that Anya and Leticia weren’t amateurs. He was considering enlisting their help. He needed to get his hands on an artifact himself, one that might hold the key to explaining what the letter ‘i’ was all about, the letter on the piece of paper he had neatly tucked away.

But could the girls be trusted?

Penny for your thoughts? Anya asked him, as if reading his mind.

Nin tilted his chin up slightly, as he pointed to the bag in Leticia’s hand. What’s in there?

Anya gave a twisted smirk. It was something Leticia had bought online from one of their counterculture friends.

It’s a secret toolbox. She felt like she could trust Nin—it was hard keeping her real life a secret from everyone she knew. Maybe he was into the whole counterculture scene too. Might he be something of a kindred spirit, that way? It’s made of some hi-tech TN.09 thing…whatever you put in a secret compartment zipped at the side, is literally invisible. You could pass this through security baggage scanners, and whatever you hide in it wouldn’t show up on the screen.

Nin nodded, seemingly impressed. TN.09 was the short form for Titanium-nano—it was the code a group of cyberpunk elves used to refer to their ongoing experimentations with a new form of nanotechnology. It was more sophisticated and less environmentally damaging than what humans had been working on all along.

Fascinating, Nin said, with a convincing smile. I know some of the people who…made that. He stopped himself, before saying anymore.

Anya and Leticia gasped. Really? Does that mean people can be invisible too?

Nin thought about it. I don’t know. He knew the substance was safe to touch, and wasn’t lethal if injected directly into an elf’s bloodstream. But he wasn’t sure about humans. He presumed it could be worse, since humans were generally weaker-bodied.

Is it cancerous? Anya had lots of unanswered questions about TN.09.

Even the sun is cancerous. Nin hoped they wouldn’t be put off by his sense of humor. So, he tried again, determined to have a look at the bag’s contents. Tell me what’s inside.

Tension

Reviews for The Other Side of Life (Book #1, Cyberpunk Elven Trilogy)

[radella_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anya and Leticia are petty thieves, in the not-too-distant future where cities are run by megacorporations and technology subliminally keeps everyone in line. Into this enters Nin and his companions, elves, for the most part living outside of the human cities and desperately trying to find a way to save nature. Nin and Anya team up to try and gain information to help the elves’ cause. Things don’t go as planned, and they soon find themselves kidnapped by powerful interests. The story was unique enough to keep me reading, but there was very little tension to move things forward. To me, it seemed like there were a lot of places where things are being repeated and rehashed unnecessarily. The characters were interesting, and watching them interact was mostly entertaining, but the character stereotyping left little room for them to be truly exceptional. There were places where I felt the author was just trying too hard, and not letting things flow in a natural progression. Overall, it’s a solid story and fairy enjoyable to read.

[bibliophile9brouhaha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

So, who here is a perfect snob about not reviewing self-published authors? (**blushes**waves hand**). Yeah, that's me. And guess what? Jess C. Scott's The Other Side of Life schooled me right into the bad kids' corner.Scott isn't just a decent writer; she's good, as in G-O-O-D. This Other Side of Life isn't just interesting; it's enterprising. You'd think so many different elements - sci-fi, classic fantasy, romance and something of n hero quest (with a twist) - could become jumbled and be too much at once. There's even a hint of a dystopian setting here. Somehow, Scott makes all the distinctions flow together. I didn't have to try to make the mixing work together - the writing makes it seem perfectly natural and the story flows. That's saying a lot when reading about a tall, hot elf walking around in 2035 with a Bond-worthy, high-tech doofatchee on his wrist:Nin looked up and around the abandoned stone church, in quiet solace and admiration.There was something distinctly unique about the building - it felt safe.He waved a hand in front of the hidden camera situated in a crack in the stone wall, watching the small screen on his N-Gage wrist device. The screen showed the scene at the church - empty - with no sign of him, or his moving hand. Debug: successful, he noted.An old battered wooden cross hung on the wall, and there were a few pews strewn about the interior. The air was cold. The silence, overpowering.-The Other Side of Life, page 1Scott has a great way of weaving unfamiliar elements through familiar settings, and I think is one of the reasons why everything works well together. I think for fans of urban fantasy, this particularly works well.Then there are the characters themselves. I've introduced you to Nin: he's the leader of his crew which consists of his cousin and good friend. However, as he is self-renounced elven prince, you might think that's a demotion. You'd be wrong. It's a deliberate choice of his to eschew a privileged lifestyle an opt for a much less boring one filled with authenticity and purpose. Together, the elves are working on retrieving an important elven artifact which they hope will solve a major problem that both elf-kind and humankind face (although humans don't know it). To help them, they develop their own technology that helps them find this artifact and to keep their presence in the human world as secret as possible. Hence, the 'cyperpunk' descriptive - they've turned their back on traditional elven wisdom and live in harmony with nature and technology, but not slave to it, as humans seem to be.Enter Anya and Leticia., the thieving (human) duo. A chance encounter introduces the duo to the elven trio (during a robbery, no less). Anya and Leticia are both 18 year-old college students, but don't come from backgrounds that can afford the expense of education. Hence, they are thieves for hire (can I tell you how much I love that girls are the sneaky 'bad' guys here? Love it when the ladies tease the law on their own intitiative. . . teehee). Despite initial misgivings, the elves hire them to help retrieve the artifact. The elves are stunned at their decision. Traditional elven wisdom states that humans are dangerous and to be avoided. A lovely attraction develops between Nin and Anya. . . the romance mostly feels natural at times and is a sweet and understated part of the book, but occasionally borders on corny. However, Nin and Anya seem to know this themselves and do some self-chastising when it happens.Those are the bare bones of the story, but I have t tell you, this isn't merely an exciting let's-find-it sci-fi/fantasy adventure (although it's that, too). This is a thoughtful, well-done narrative that incorporates discussion on social distinctions and consequences, environmental irresponsibility, and discussion on how we as a society live our lives. Just when you fear the narrative is going to shift from relevant commentary into pulpit rant, it pulls back and refocuses on the excitement and romance. That's something I really want to praise Scott for: no one element of the story ever overwhelms the other - there was a very nice balance that made everything flow in and out of each part.Is this book perfect? Nope. There are a few issues here and there. I did notice that Scott is comma happy, and they aren't always needed. There are also some redundant adjectives and descriptions - these are little, nitpicky things that I noted here and there (former journalist - my inner editor comes sneaking out). Nin is in danger of getting too gushy with his elven love poetry at times, but then it's funny because he mocks himself for it. However, it is a testament to how interesting I found the story that theses things did not truly bother me. I adored the first half the book, and enjoyed the second half. I occasionally would get confused during the 'covert ops' scenes, and by that I mean I wasn't always sure if I was picturing what was going on correctly. That being said, I stand in admiration of Scott - she has accomplished a great story as a one-man band. When you think that an author with a major house has both an agent, editor, as well as a marketing and design team for guidance, I think it says a lot for Scott that she's put together a solid story with good characters and interesting plot by herself and on her own terms. I adored the ending. You might be crushed, but I appreciate that Scott stuck by the sad consequences of a selfless choice instead of conjuring up a last minute miracle. Nope, not telling you what happened, but it definitely has me looking forward to book two.I found the title intriguing, and I really loved how well it tied into so many different aspects of the story. The Other Side of Life relates to everything from having a worldview different from the one you are raised with, to knowing what it's like walking in someone else's shoes, to knowing what literally happens when our consciousness passes from this one existence to another. This book is an entertaining, enlightening and engaging read. In particular, if you liked The Unidentified by Rae Mariz, Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder and are anticipating Memento Nora by Angie Smibert, I think you'll enjoy this one, too. I know I did.In your waderings and dealings, neglect not - the Other Side of Life.-2nd Poem, pg. 41, The Other Side of Life

[mariasavva_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you're not a reader of sci-fi and wouldn't usually read the genre, don't be put off by the label. This book would This is the first Cyberpunk book I've read, and to be honest, I wouldn't usually choose a book labelled 'Cyberpunk' to read. However, I am already a fan of Jess C Scott's work, so when she asked me to read it, I was more than a little curious.If you're not a reader of sci-fi and wouldn't usually read the genre, don't be put off by the label. This book would be a perfect read for sci-fi fans, but it also contains a love story and lots of action and adventure which would appeal to anyone who likes contemporary fiction.It's 2035, Anya and Leticia are thieves. They make their living by stealing things and selling them on. One day they meet Nin, an elf (as the author puts it, not like one of Santa's elves, more like Tolkien's). At first, they don't know he's an elf. Nin is one of a trio of elves who live amongst humans, keeping a low profile as they do not trust humankind.Nin feels that Anya is a human who can be trusted, and he lets his guard down. He asks the girls to join him, his cousin Tavia and his friend Dresan on a mission to save the world. There is the parallel story of Anya's strange attraction to Nin, the charismatic elf.The Other Side of Life deals with, among other things, the subject of mega-corporations' greed for profit at the expense of the health and survival of the planet. There are elements of magic, mystery and wisdom, woven into this story. It is an entertaining read, with some gripping action scenes. Jess C Scott's talent is boundless.This is the first book in a trilogy. The ending definitely leaves you wanting more.

[darcia_10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is marketed as cyberpunk but, for those drawn to more traditional reads, don’t let that label scare you off. Within these pages, we’re treated to fantasy, suspense, mystery and romance. The characters, both elven and human, are vivid, feel real and immediately drew me right in to the story. They made me care, which ensured that I would follow them wherever they led me.The plot is intricate and incredibly well crafted. At the same time, it is not so complicated that a reader would have difficulty keeping up with the details. So much is right within this story, from the three-dimensional characters to the subtle (and maybe not so subtle) messages about our current society. My only complaint is that I have to wait for book 2.