Biohack

Gender Wars, Book 1

By: J. D. Lasica

Narrated by: Denise Howell

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

What would you give for a second chance?

Valerie Ramirez, a special ed teacher still haunted by her toddler’s drowning accident, faces a fateful decision when she’s admitted into an exclusive program run by a mysterious biotech company.

Kaden Baker, an elite hacker who dabbles in covert ops, finds her life turned upside down when she discovers her parents turn out to be imposters. Where does she come from? Who’s been financing her high-stakes secret missions?

The answers lead back to the same sinister biotech firm. As Kaden and Valerie become allies, they make one startling discovery after another about the company’s dark intentions. But each step closer to the truth puts their lives at greater risk.

The stakes couldn’t be higher - for Kaden’s freedom, for Valerie’s fate, and for the future direction of humanity itself.

Get it now! Biohack is a roller-coaster thrill ride that appeals to both the head and the heart - with a shocking twist you won't see coming.

Perfect for fans of the late, great Michael Crichton's science thrillers and fans of Lee Child, A.G. Riddle, and Tim Tigner.

©2018 Joseph Daniel Lasica (P)2018 Joseph Daniel Lasica

Critic reviews

“Biohack is the perfect thriller for our anxious age when biology has become hackable and the future of our species hangs in the balance.” (Jamie Metzl, former NSC official and author of Eternal Sonata and Genesis Code)

“Well-drawn characters and heart-stopping action combine to make Biohack an adrenaline rush of excitement!” (Chris Patchell, author of the thrillers Dark Harvest and Vow of Silence)

“Biohack is the Dan Brown-meets-Laura Croft-meets-Michael Crichton thriller we’ve been waiting for.” (Saul Tanpepper, author of the thriller/sci-fi series Gameland)

Interesting start to what could be a good series

This one was all over the place for me, but it wasn't without promise. I liked the premise and the characters, but there were some pacing issues and other things that could very well be ironed out as the series progresses. I think there is a solid foundation for some good sci-fi entertainment to mined from, and I will check out the next book.

The narration by Denise Howell showed some promise but also had some issues. She hits some good points when things get going and have decent voices to spread around, but some of the time she will get a little monotone when doing the general narration. I have no doubt she will flesh that part out in future narration, and I feel like when she is hitting her stride it is quite good and she just needs to keep that going throughout the rest of her work.

If you want a sci-fi tale that deals with some dicey subject matter in what is a possible future, and all of the sides that could exploit or encounter these technologies or changes, and are willing to give some leeway in the hope that it all comes together I recommend giving it a chance. There is definitely a lot going on in this book, and it is quite ambitious and I hope it can grow and succeed.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

A great example of this genre

Biohack: Gender Wars, Book 1. Gripping gets you on the 1st chapter and holds you till the last sentence, and leaves you wanting more, I do hope there is a book2 as suggested by the title. Fast paced with lots of action and maybe closer to the truth than we think.
Well written and edited, Beautifully narrated.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my own request, and voluntarily leave this review.

Exciting story, subpar narration

Valerie Ramirez is promised a miracle at a mysterious biotech company: using his deceased child’s DNA to give life to a new child. But this company has more clients, and they are all offered babies with almost any genetic enhancements they can imagine if they can pay for it. Kaden, with special military training, and hacking abilities, is hired by this company to recover human remains from tombs where famous men in history are buried. Valerie and Kaden will meet and discover the dark secrets this biotech company is hiding.

I tend to enjoy technothrillers, they have enough of science-fiction and enough of thriller to keep get me hooked to a story. This one was no exception. Biohack also has interesting characters, and the main ones are developed enough to be able to root for them, which is not always the case when reading a thriller. There also were a good number of secondary characters that were less developed, but it helped to make the story richer. I didn’t find issues keeping track of all, as they were all clearly presented.

The book kept me interested and entertained from beginning to end, and I found the science and technology plausible in the near future. It also was a quick-paced book, with several parallel stories that came together towards the end. It was a bit scary to see what can be possible thanks to advanced technology when some people are willing to keep secrets and cross moral boundaries. I enjoyed the possibilities and felt intrigued by the lies they were telling their clients. It was clever!

I found the narration of this book not great, though, and I think it is such a pity to pair an inexperienced narrator with a great book. Denise Howell tried to provide decent character interpretations, and she did well imitating the voice of the AI, but I had issues to differentiate some characters during dialogs. The audio production also had some issues, like background music, background noises, and audible breathing through the nose. It is true that the quality of sound improved a bit after a while, but sadly I can’t consider this narration worthy of this story.

Biohack

A thrilling story that could become a very real possibility in our not too distant future. It really makes you think about the ethics of what could be possible. J. D. Lasica really drew me in to this storyline.

Denise Howell did a decent job with the narration. I was a little worried when a first started listening... the introduction has some sound quality issues, but things improve greatly once the story gets started.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

all in all pretty good

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I really enjoyed this story. That being said, the narration was hit and miss for me. Sometimes it was really engaging but others it kind of lapses into a dry place that had me starting to lose interest. All in all, though, this was a good book and I'd be open to more in the series.

Great Start to This Series!

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

First a disclaimer, I actually listened to the second book in this series before the first. i Really enjoyed it, and was happy to get an opportunity to listen to this book right after finishing it. Thanks so much JD!

The story starts out as one would expect, establishing the main character’s back story. This was super interesting and answered a lot of questions I had from the second book. Kaden is really a well balanced yet almost fatally damaged character; so compelling.

I’m not going to spoil the story, but I can say that the future tech coupled with well written action worked really well. Characters are sympathetic, vulnerable, and tragic.

Narration, in my opinion was better in this book than the second, primarily because I enjoyed hearing a female voice that matched so well with Kaden. It just felt right. That being said, the narration in the second book was good; just not quite as good as in the first.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This is a Glimpse of What Could be our Future

This book is so masterfully written you feel like it could be happening around you now. The characters are believable and likeable with some plain interesting and just scary. Denise Howell the Narrator in Audible compels you to keep going. you won't want to stop listening. The storyline is believable and so interesting. You have computer hacking, scheming, genomics and all the could be's were facing with our future. JD Lasica uses technology to create babies without deficits. You pick the eye color, hair color, , future bra cup size,, height weight and you pay extra to remove hereditary traits or disabilities. There are so many twists and turns, mixed with action and adventure. This intriguing book about Buotech shaping our future and changing history. Unfortunately, you have people who could and will misuse advancements in technology. It leaves you wanting more of Kaden Baker. She is such a strong character, the book leaves you wanting more of her character. You won't be disappointed with this book, you will be on the edge of your seat at times, almost a nail biting moment. I highly recommend this book.

Background noise

The recording of this book leaves much to be desired. Siren noise in the background and a hollow echo sound throughout.

Intriguing blend of technology and genetics

The premise of this book is mind boggling. It posits a future when designer babies become possible. The author presents some chilling possibilities of what could happen as the capabilities of genetic manipulation continues to advance.

I loved the main character Kaden and her bad ass, yet vulnerable personality. But there were so many other characters that she did not get the in-depth development I would have liked. I would have preferred it if the author had focused more on Kaden and a few key characters rather than using so many point-of-view characters throughout the story.

The story has lots of intense, well-drawn action scenes for those who like the visuals. I had trouble following some of them, but that’s more my problem than the author’s.

It’s hard to write too much without giving away spoilers. I enjoyed the overall premise and storytelling. I could’ve done without some of the scenes involving young girls.

The ending was explosive and satisfying.

This is the first book I’ve listen to narrated by Denise Howell. Her voice was monotone and did not change no matter what was happening or which character was speaking. At times it felt like she was reading a children’s book. She seemed a little uncomfortable narrating about technological subjects and I cringed when she twice mispronounced Tay-Sachs disease.

I received a complementary copy of this Audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Amazing

I received a free review copy and am leaving a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to continue it. As genetics and bio-engineering become more and more prevalent in real life, this story brings to life what can possibly happen in the future and what a wild ride it was. Genetic engineering and human trafficking all wrapped into one. An amazing concept and thrilling way to bring it to life. I would highly recommend this book.