Justice Ascending (The Scorpius Syndrome, #3)

by Rebecca Zanetti

“Thrilling post-apocalyptic romance at its dark, sizzling best!” —Lara Adrian

Before surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Tace Justice was a good ole Texas cowboy who served his country and loved his mama. After Scorpius, the world became dark, dangerous, and deadly—and so did he. The Vanguard medic is stronger, faster, and smarter than before, but he’s lost the line between right and wrong. His passion is absolute, and when he focuses it on one woman, there’s no turning back for either of them…

Sami Steel has been fighting to survive right alongside Tace, convincing the Vanguard soldiers she’s one of them. In truth, Sami is a former hacker turned government agent who worked at The Bunker, where scientists stored both contaminants and cures. Only she knows the location, and she’s not telling. Yet when sexual fire explodes between her and Tace, she’ll face even that hell again to save him.

“Sexy, tough, and deftly sprinkled with dark humor.” —New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione

• ISBN10: 1420137980
• ISBN13: 9781420137989
• Publish Date: 31 January 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 2 January 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Zebra Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9781420137989

Reviews

[Melanie]

Review originally posted at RabidReads.ca.

I’ve really enjoyed this series from the beginning. Tace is a character that I’ve loved since I met him in the first book. I’ve been a bit worried about him, since he contracted Scorpius, but learning that he was getting his own book made me very happy.

So, if you’re not familiar with this series, it is a post apocalyptic story. There is a bacteria that has been released on the world and it is changing people. Most people don’t survive if they contract this bacteria. They can survive and live a pretty normal life (as normal as a post apocalyptic life can be), if they get high doses of vitamin B. Without the vitamin B, they survivor could be high functioning, but psychopathic or they could be low functioning, almost zombie like or act like a dog or something. The current president of the US is one of these high functioning psychopaths.

Both the hero and heroine have been a part of this story since book one. Tace is former military and a field medic. He is working as the Vanguard’s medic and really their doctor (medical training of any kind is a high priority). However, he was infected and they didn’t have vitamin B at the time, and so his personality has changed since we first met him in book one.

Sami is one of the guards in Vangaurd. She has gotten herself into the inner circle with Tace, Jax, Raze and a few others. She told them she was a rookie LAPD cop before Scorpius broke out. She’s a good fighter, so that helps her out, but she isn’t a very good shot, which doesn’t. Especially when a rival group, the Mercs, start working with Vanguard and the main guy they work with is a former LAPD member.

So a lot happens with the overall series story arc. There is stuff going on with the Pure, a group of religious fanatics that thinks they were saved from the bacteria because God wants to keep them pure. Their leader has segregated the group and taken all the children with them. The Vanguard inner circle is working to make sure that everyone joined the group willingly and that the children are safe.

There is also this battle with the President and Vice President and their soldiers. The search for the Bunker which might have the cure for Scorpius or possibly a way to make the human body to produce these large amounts of vitamin B. There is also the search for Jax’s brother Marcus.

So a lot happens in this book outside of the romance between Tace and Sami. It is a fast paced story. There is a ton of action, but we also get plenty of romance too and not just from Tace and Sami. It was great to see Jax and Lynne and Raze and Vinnie together too.

Tace Justice read the last depressing line on the page and growled, tossing the journal across the room. When it landed, the cover slapped back into place with Hello Kitty smiling at him. Jesus. Paper was scarce, but doc could’ve found a different notebook when she’d ordered him to start journaling. Like his descent into madness really needed to be recorded by a happy cat.

Tace lifted his head, his body going into overdrive. “What happened to your mouth?” The Merc leader’s lip was already swelling nice and fat.
“Your woman kicked me in the face,” Greyson growled, gingerly touching his mouth.
Anger, the real kind, sped through Tace so quickly his ears burned. “What did you do?” He advanced.
Grey held up a hand. “Just threatened to shoot you. We didn’t touch her.”
Tace paused. A smile tickled his mouth, and warmth bloomed in his chest. “She was defending me?”
“Apparently.” Greyson frowned. “She didn’t need to kick me in the mouth though.” He shook his head as Tace started to ask the question. “Of course I didn’t retaliate. Even though it’d be a fun contest, I don’t hit women. Even mean ones who kick a guy in the lips just for making an ordinary threat against somebody not even present. God.”

She rolled her pretty green eyes. “Okay, tough guy. Sit on the table, and I’ll get Tace. He’s much better at stitching people up.”
“Tace punched me through the glass door.” Jax jumped onto the table.
Lynne paused. “Is he still breathing?”
“Yes,” Jax sighed. “He thought I made Sami cry, and he reacted, which was probably a good thing so they can get their shit figured out. So I didn’t kill him. See? I’m growing as a person.”
Lynne hustled to the counter and yanked out surgical stuff that looked pointy and painful. “You really are.”

**Book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. This review is my opinion and was not requested or provoked in anyway.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Post-apocalyptic and dystopian series always fascinating me. When you mix in alpha males, brilliant women, and suspense I begin to drool. The overall ARC to the Scorpius Syndrome series has held my attention from the beginning. While a virus that killed most of the population and changed the behavior of others is nothing new, Zanetti has added some fresh twists and made it her own. I liken it to Mira Grant's Newsflesh or Parasite world. Just mix in delicious romances. Each book deals with one member of Vanguard's compound and their romance. There are several threads in the overall ARC from a zealot preacher to a frantic search for a secret government facility that may hold the cure to the Scorpius virus. While these could be read as standalone, I strongly recommend reading them in order. Not sure if this is for you? Begin with the novella, Scorpius Rising.

Sami Steel has been a favorite character of mine since the beginning. As the only female soldier, she is demanding of herself. She is tough as nails with an unspoken grace. Steel has been hiding secrets about her past and it was cool discovering who she really was pre-Scorpius. Tace Justice, a former soldier, and Texan has recently survived infection from the virus. With it comes changes both in personality and behavior some of which he hides from the group. He has always been attracted to his partner and I delighted to see him make a move. I loved their partnership, friendship, and the romantic development. It felt genuine as Zanetti allowed me to connect and experience a range of emotions from laughter to tears.

The story had us visiting the Mercs compound, dealing with issues within the Vanguard compound. In addition, we had exciting discoveries that will have an impact on the overall arc going forward. Zanetti is a powerful storyteller and she threaded these tales together creating a story the ebbed and flowed between nail-biting battle scenes, humor and romance. Dealings with the Mercs proved interesting as the beginning of relationships developed. We were teased with them just enough to have us eager for more.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Justice Ascending is extremely tense, there are traitors in the midst of our heroes, and there is love, betrayal, hope and so much action it's impossible to sit still while reading!



The Scorpius Syndrome is one of my favorite dystopian series - it is really realistic in many ways, and even more so in Justice Ascending. There is a lot of tension, as different factions continue to fight, all the while trying to see if there is any cooperation possible. The president and his elite guard are lurking in the dark, at the outskirts, partly out of reach, but still able to meddle where they aren't wanted. Of course, some suspension of disbelief is needed, but the fact that there is love and hope actually makes it more realistic to me - not less. I think we are hardwired for hope, and so, seeing Jax, Raze, Tace and the others keep moving forward, protecting the people they love, and ultimately, seeing the light somewhere sends a really strong message.

Sami is one of the stronger female characters I've had the pleasure to get to know lately. Present and important in the prior installments, in Justice Ascending, she takes on a leading role, next to Tace. And their dance is filled with equal parts romance and violence. Both want the power, and neither wants to admit to anything. However, even with Sami's excellent fighting skills, Tace just might be stronger than her.

The overall plot of the series moves forward very nicely in Justice Ascending, and some loose ends are tied up, while others seem to keep unraveling. I really enjoyed that both Lynne and Vinnie are present and have important roles in the storyline, especially as the next novel has been neatly set up. (Please tell me there is a next novel being written?!?) The pace is extremely fast, and I have to admit that my heart-rate is still way up there, while I am thinking of possibilities and directions for these vanguards who need to build something strong to keep humanity going.

Written in third person point of view, focusing mostly on Sami and Tace, and in past tense, the action was really never-ending here. The way the story unfolded kept me in suspense, and I loved that even with some devastating moments, the characters were able to both grieve and stay strong all at the same time. Leaning on each other, and being strong for each other - again, a message of hope and strength that is important in a series that could easily become very bleak.



Tace sat back to watch crumbling buildings and deserted alleyways rush by. Nature had quickly begun to reclaim the earth, poking through concrete and climbing up brick. What was once a perfectly gray and concrete area was rapidly turning green again. Seemed like the earth always won the battle, didn't it?

[EBookObsessed]

Once again Rebecca Zanetti held me captive. There was no way I was putting this story down.

I wanted Tace’s story since he recovered from infection and started noticing his own lack of emotion. It was a very intriguing (and sad) development to see the gregarious and flirtatious medic loose his emotions. It was also hinted at the end of Shadow Falling that Tace was obsessing on fellow soldier, Sami. Was this a hint of his further fall into darkness or a tingle of his humanity returning? It may be a bit of both.

As a refresher, Tace was infected while Vanguard was out of the Vitamin B cocktail that they all take. They found that B helps against the worst of the infection. This is why Tace is showing a lack of emotions that the others do not. He did receive B during his recovery so we are still learning how that will effect him in the long run. It is also important to remember that while we have had months and months between stories to digest the happenings of the prior stories, time wise, this novel takes place right after Shadow Falling and in general, it has been less than a year since the spread of Scorpius and the fall of civilization, and just weeks since the infection of Tace specifically until this story begins.

In Justice Ascending, we see Tace still struggling with knowing that he lacks emotions…or maybe it is more correct to say that he knows he should be struggling with that fact, but he can’t work up any concern and he knows that is wrong. His concern is more that he will become a ripper and the friends he has made will be the ones forced to kill him. Again, while he is not emotional about that, just the fact that he knows that they will be upset shows that all is not completely lost for Tace.

He knows that he is becoming obsessed with Sami and his concern is less his obsession, since he noticed Sami and was attracted to her since the first day she arrived. Tace is more concerned that the obsession in conjunction with his fall into darkness might cause him to hurt her. Again, this shows that all is not lost for Tace.

Tace knows he should put some space between him and Sami but that won’t be happening anytime soon since they are both sent up to the Merc camp. Their only doctor was killed during the attack by the President when he tried to take Vinnie and Raze’s sister. (I’ll give you a moment to recall…okay) Jax sends them Tace to patch up their wounded but Jax won’t let him go alone, so he sends Sami to back him up.

We are still looking for the bunker. We are still trying to find Deacan and Nora from Scorpius Rising.

What is great in this series is that both Jax (Vanguard) and Greyson (Mercenaries) are contemplating an alliance but since they aren’t 100 percent sure it will work out, they both strategize each situation with how do we get the other camps stuff and what do we need to do to be allies? And they both know that the other is also weighing each interaction the same way and they are cool with it since they are both good leaders and aren’t going to risk their people by trusting too easily. It’s just funny to see them shaking hands while checking the area for goods and forces but there is no malice just the reality of the new world order and no malice between the leaders as long as they don’t actually act against one another.

There is so much happening in Justice Ascending and yet there is still so many things left up in the air. Part of me wants to know what will happen and the other part doesn’t want it to end.