But then Ella learns a secret…and it changes everything.

Ella knows she needs to turn back and make a stand to reclaim her home. She’s determined to bring a new—and better—life to all who’ve suffered. Or die trying."

Thank you to Entangled Teen and A.L. Davroe for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

Redux is the amazing concluding book in the Tricksters duology by A.L. Davroe and let me tell you now, it's absolutely fantastic. While I am sad to see this series end (for now) I am so satisfied with the ending! I was worried it wouldn't end nice and clean and would have a lot of lose threads (that's clever, I promise) that wouldn't be tied up, but it was quite the opposite. While there are several things that at completely wrapped up, they're left in a very satisfying way to where things end but can also easily be picked back up in the future to continue the story. I definitely enjoyed the first book, Nexis, but did have a few small reservations about it. Going into Redux, all I knew to expect was the continuation of the story, but never thought I'd get such a satisfying conclusion. This world that A.L. Davroe has so masterfully crafted from the ground up is one that I would gladly get lost in again and is a book that should not be missed!

Plot:
This book picks up just minutes after the end of Nexis- with Evanescence in ruins and the Aristocrats on the run. One thing that I really enjoyed about Redux is that while you're reading a new book, you get loads of backstory about what happened in the first book so that you don't feel lost. I felt as if I got enough information that I would have been able to pick up Redux with no problems and would not have felt like I missed out on anything. However I would sill recommend picking up Nexis just because it's a good beginning to the series! Despite this book being a rather big one (428 pages!) it does move quite fast. You finally get to see the world outside of the dome and its inhabitants, both the Disfavored and Cannibals, and even get to see the game that the Disfavored play- Redux. There is a lot of action, and the question of who is the "real" Gus is finally answered. Trust me, you won't see the answer coming. There are twists and turns and truths are revealed that are pretty unexpected regarding Ella and her life. Also, the ending is pretty fantastic! While things do get wrapped up pretty nicely, they are also left open for potential future installments with Ella and her world and I am so excited at the prospect of more books in this series. I was on the fence about Nexis (although I did enjoy it) but Redux stole the show and is definitely my favorite book of the two, and I would love to see what direction the story can go from here. Redux is everything I could have wanted in a sequel/duology, and I am incredibly satisfied at the state of things after finishing the book.

Characters:
In the first book, I wasn't a huge fan of Ella. I was constantly frustrated that she was being held hostage and refused to ask for help from Gus in Nexis because she was afraid of what he would think of her in the real world without her legs. She definitely annoyed me whenever that issue would come up and I just found myself so...annoyed! But Ella in Redux is a completely different person. She's strong and loud and not afraid to be bold/take chances. I loved the huge growth difference from Nexis to Redux and I felt like a proud mom watching Ella grow up, basically. That may sound silly but I just absolutely adored Ella in this book and I could not get enough of her. I was so happy to see her take charge and lead people the way she wanted to, not in the way that others tried to tell her. Ella Drexel for president, am I right? Speaking of presidents, let's talk about Quentin and Gus. But not too much because spoilers. I loved the relationship between Ella and the two boys and I literally screamed when the "reveal" happened because I was so happy. I think there was more growth for Quentin compared to Gus but it was great to see Quentin kind of grow up as well. He gets a few twists thrown at him and it's interesting to see how he handles things as more of an adult rather than a teenager. Other characters, such as Quentin's Dolls, Delia, Bastian, Carsai, Violet, etc. are well-written but don't really stand out to me when I think about this book. They're good characters, especially Violet, and I liked the mini story arcs that they went through, but I like them as background characters and as possible main character story progression plots more than anything. But every character in this book was definitely well-written and I feel like this book is a great blend of both strong main characters and strong story lines.

Writing:
As a gamer, I loved the idea of a video game that you basically insert your consciousness into and play. Nexis introduced that idea and while Redux didn't expand heavily upon it (it was more about Ella's growth and realization of her purpose) it did reintroduce that concept again and we get to see the Disfavored version of Nexis, which is Redux. I loved that the writing was very balanced and never fell into too much detail and got boring, but never left the reader wondering just what was going on. It was beautiful, brutal, and scary, and I found myself flying through the pages and getting lost in the world that A.L. Davroe has created. There was so much more going on than I initially realized and I actually found myself enjoying the subtle political aspect that was woven in. Not only was there noticeable growth with Ella, but you can really tell there was a huge growth with the author from Nexis to Redux. A.L. Davroe quickly grew to an insta-read author for me, and I would definitely put her on my "you need to read this author" list!

This is a fantastic concluding book in the Tricksters duology that wraps up nicely while still leaving a potential opening for future books. I was so pleased with the beginning, ending, and everything in between. Have I mentioned that enough? If you're looking for an action-packed science-fiction/dystopian series with twists, turns, and creepy spider references, then Redux is the book for you!

Hi Amanda, and welcome! Before we get started, could you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your book?

Hello everyone, I'm A.L. Davroe. You can call me Amanda. I write speculative fiction for adults and teens and I am talking about, Nexis and Redux, the two books that make up my Tricksters Series. The series follows Ella, a young programmer who lives in Post-America after the Bio-Nuclear war. Ella's futuristic world is made up of robots, domed cities, genetic engineering, biotechnology, and virtual reality, but she is put in a situation that removes her from her insular world and sets her on a course that shakes the foundation of both the real and virtual worlds. I like to think its like a mix of Matrix, Tron, and Enders Game with a heroine at the helm.

1. Where did you get your inspiration for Nexis/Redux?

I first got the idea quite a few years ago when I was having lunch with a couple of women from my agency. They mentioned wanting a Steampunk Cinderella story and I immediately got the idea for a Cinderella who loses her leg instead of her shoe and gets a cool gadget as a replacement. I was sick of writing Steampunk, though, so I decided to make it a futuristic story instead. A few months later, Nexis was finished.  Obviously, it took on a very different life than the Cinderella story we know and love. Redux came as an organic extension of the story, specifically a showcase of Ella's problem-solving skills and developing strength.

2. How did the character naming process go? Was it easy or difficult to name your characters?

Ellani Drexel just happened. I have no idea where that name came from but it just jumped out of my mind and became the main character. Most of the other names were similar. Quentin actually had a different name in the original version of Nexis. At the request of the publisher, I changed it. It was really hard changing his name. It took me forever to find a new name that I liked and it was hard to write the sequel with the new name. His personality changed as a result and I had to make some edits to the first book to reflect that. I refused to change anyone elses name as per request after that, LOL! The only other name that changed was Zanes. I'd known from the beginning that I didn't like the original name I picked for him. It just wasn't him, but I had to wait for the right name to come to me. After I changed Quentin's name, Zane popped into my head directly after as if they came as a pair. And what a pair they are!

3. Is there a story of how the Anansi came to be a part of the Nexis world? Did you draw inspiration from anything for it?

You know, I want to say yes, but I cant seem to remember what the reason actually is. I think I had just wanted to call this novel Anansi's Baby when I first wrote it? And somehow Anansi and the Tricksters got incorporated in. I really couldnt tell you how. My mind works in mysterious ways and it's often best not to delve too deeply lest I find scary things. XD

4. There were a lot of interesting elements introduced in Nexis (disfavored live outside the domes in toxic air, bio-nuclear war). What are some things that will be expanded upon in Redux?

Redux deals mostly with Ella venturing outside of Evanescence. So, you'll be meeting some Disfavored and understanding their world. You'll venture a little into The Waste, encounter some cannibals, and understand how Evanescence operates. You'll also get a little bit more of the gaming world and the tricksters as well.  :D

5. Was Redux easier or more difficult to write with Nexis already written and the world already established?

By far, Redux was much more difficult to write. Nexis came exceptionally easy for me. I wrote it in just a few months and it endured very little content editing throughout its publication process.  Redux was much more difficult to initially write. It also had to go through a full re-write and a number of heavy content edits before it got to a place we all agreed on. Partially, that had to do with me having to grow as an author. I had to learn to build a story that allowed my characters to showcase their strengths and work on their weaknesses. The other part had to do with a change in how the original layout of the plot ended up having to change due to some publication decisions.

6. Are there any ideas/plot points that you had originally written that were eventually taken out?

In Nexis, not too much except for that pesky name change. In Redux, yes. I wrote Redux with the impression that there would be more to the series. But, alas, the final decision came down to make it a two book series and I had to rewrite Redux to wrap up the story arc. This meant cutting out a huge cyberpunk aspect that would have been too large and complex to handle in one book and replacing it with something else. All said and done, I'm happy with what I came up with and I hope readers are too.

7. In the world of Nexis, people have long forgotten things of the past such as straws. What is one thing you would include in Nexis that you couldn't live without?

The Nexis you read about in my novel is close to what I'd hope was included in the real thing. Warren Drexel, the creator of the game, is much like me- very curious and obsessed with history. I'd want lots of historical aspects, of course, but also lots of art, food, and those little comforts we all know and love  like dogs. All the greatness of humanity mixed with the unfathomable wonder of the natural world -- open plains under a blanket of stars and the lushness of a virgin forest. But, when all is said and done, the one thing I absolutely cant live without is chap stick.

8. If you had the opportunity, would you modify/alter yourself or stay natural?

You know, thats such a hard decision. On many levels, we as human beings attempt to modify ourselves every single day  women especially. It's one of the reasons I wrote Nexis to begin with- to highlight how our obsession with personal perfection could backfire. My Superego wants to be the better person and say, “stay Natural.” But, the self-conscious member of our society that is my Ego tells me to Modify and Alter as much as I can to reach perfection. So, my logical answer is that I'd want to be Natural, but I might very well fold if the pressure became too great.

9. Is there anything you can share about the future of the Tricksters series?

Tricksters, at this time, is wrapping up with Redux. I do hope to one day revisit the world and hopefully put out a few more stories. I really want to do a few companion pieces and perhaps a third novel expanding on the future of Evanescence, Ella, and the rest of Post-America, but well have to see. I do leave a few lose threads at the end of the story so that I can come back to this world and its fabulous characters at a later date.

10. What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring writers?

My usual advice is to just stay true to yourself and realize that success in this world is based entirely on luck and who you know. It often times has very little to do with you or your skills as a writer, so continue to have faith, work on your craft, and keep trying.

Thank you so much to A.L. Davroe for joining me for this interview and Entangled Teen for making this possible! I hope you all enjoyed getting some insight into this amazing author and her books and if you're interested in learning more about A.L. Davroe or picking up Nexis and Redux (releasing on 21 March 2017!), check out the links below!

Nexis

Redux

Meet the Author