Susan Bohnet

Lethal Influence is a book that tells of Kai, a member of an alien race living among humans and trying to guide - "Influence" - humans into making better choices not by force, but by building on the capacity for good inside of us. The story is about Kai's self exploration as well as his exploration of how his race affects humanity.

As Kai learns more about himself, he finds himself doing things no other of his race can, as far as he knows, do. Discoveries include the depth and intensity of his love for a human as well as darker parts of himself - darkness that causes him to become embroiled in conspiracy, intrigue, and questionable acts.

I loved the way that the authors hinted at things to come without being predictable. As an empath, I can relate to Kai's struggling with what he sees not only in humanity but in himself. Thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing, this book is well worth the read.… (meer)

DNF 12%

Not bad, just blunt and naive in a way that annoys me personally. The bad guys (all men) have so far abused animals and raped/murdered women. Classic, "Want to make sure your readers know he's bad? Make him a rapist, preferably a smirking rapist." It's about as subtle as a sledge hammer to the forehead. Conversely, all victims have been female and one, the love interest, is too perfect to be believed. The whole thing has a certain Mary Sue feel to it that I do not enjoy. There will no doubt be those who enjoy this sort of writing style, I am not one of them. So, I'm stopping. I'm not making a quality judgment, just a 'not the book for me' sort of decision.… (meer)

This was a book set up I hadn't encountered before, aliens who were on earth to mentally influence humans to be better. That was interesting. The theme of "humans can't know what type of being I am or they have to die, but I'm going to fall in love with one anyway" was old hat. Still, it was developed differently than I expected and kept me engaged. I liked the main character. Some of the other Trebladores got mixed up in my mind, but that could be because I could only read a half hour a day over lunch break. However, the end was very abrupt and wasn't all that satisfying. It wasn't a cliff hanger exactly, but it did leave me wanting a more fleshed out conclusion.
I got this book in exchange for a true review. Thank you for the opportunity. I may read more by this author.… (meer)