About the Book
Book: Hybrid
Author: Candace Kade
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Release Date: March 5, 2024
Lee Urban’s search for truth could destroy everything.
After narrowly surviving several attempts on her life, Lee Urban retreats into hiding, seeking refuge with her family for the Lunar New Year. But the relaxing holiday turns into a heist when someone crashes the party with intel on the hybrid’s identity.
Driven by desperation, Urban accepts a position within the elite Dragons AI team, a high-stakes gamble that will propel her into the heart of the turbulent West. As she follows the elusive clues to the hybrid, the journey takes her closer to uncovering the truths about her own origins and the odd circumstances surrounding her adoption.
Tensions between the Enhanced and Naturals grow increasingly violent and the Western Federation teeters on the brink of civil war. Urban’s choices threaten to tear her family apart, and the secrets she unearths just might shatter the delicate balance of society.
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Book Review
After reading Enhanced, I was curious to see where Kade would take Urban in the next book. There were several questions I had left unanswered, and thankfully, Kade was able to answer all of them in Hybrid.
While I am not the biggest fan of science fiction, I felt that Kade did a very good job with character and world development in the series. I am fascinated by New Beijing and honestly, would like to know more about it.
I have to say, Urban wasn’t my favorite character in the first book, but during this one, she grew on me. I love her determination and her desire to help others like her. The plotline itself was intriguing enough, just slow moving at some parts. It felt like there were some parts of it that were just filler for word count purposes. I also felt myself frustrated by Everest’s and Urban’s relationship, as it was so back and forth and neither of them could seem to figure out what they want or really communicate.
I really did find the last third of the novel fascinating and wish it had been drawn out longer. The ending itself was interesting and I wanted to know how Urban would get out of the situation she found herself in.
Overall, I would recommend this series to anyone who loves science fiction. Its clean, interesting, with a well-developed world and characters.
I had received a copy of the book as part of the Celebrate Lit Blogging Team and was required to give an honest review.
About the Author
Candace Kade grew up in China and currently lives in Austin, Texas. When she’s not missing Chinese food, she’s busy writing, exploring new countries, volunteering, hiking in national parks, teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping a baby human alive.
More from Candace
危机 is an interesting character.
It means crisis in Mandarin. The first character, 危 or wei, symbolizes “dangerous.” The second, 機 or ji, means “opportunity.” Put those two words together and you have the Chinese word for crisis.
I learned about the breakdown of this character while I was living in Beijing and starting to write the Hybrid Series. It felt risky moving to Beijing to work in an all-Chinese office using my second language, taking on a completely new role, while in the middle of a serious relationship, and with zero friends or community there to support me.
When my health failed, my long-distance relationship wavered, and the program that sent me dissolved leaving me without a job or visa, I arrived at a crisis.
If you look at the Chinese character for crisis, there’s two ways of thinking about interpreting it. One, a crisis is something dangerous, to be feared, and to run away from. Or two, a crisis could be an opportunity.
The crisis I faced in Beijing led to some incredible things in my life.
Because of it, I ended up writing the Hybrid Series and getting published. My relationship (with my now husband) became stronger. I grew on a personal level in so many ways. My dependence on God deepened as well.
My time in Beijing was one you could not pay me to relive. It’s also a season I wouldn’t trade for the world.
I once heard someone say:
“Do what scares you most.”
Maybe if what you’re chasing after doesn’t scare you, you’re not reaching high enough.
Seeing a crisis as an opportunity involves a great deal of risk. It’s a scary thing. If I avoided the things that scared me, I never would have gone to graduate school, taken half the roles I did in my career, moved overseas, dated, gotten married, learned Krav Maga, given birth, signed a book deal, and many other things that ended up being some of the best experiences in my life.
It’s all a matter of perspective.
In Hybrid, the main character, Lee Urban, faces a crisis in her life.
When Urban risks everything to seek out answers about her birth origins, she finds more than she bargained for and danger ensues. At her darkest moment of despair, she sees the characters weiji, or crisis, for what they could be: a dangerous opportunity. That discovery changes everything for her.
That same discovery changed me.
At some point in our lives, we will all face a crisis. The question is, will we let the fear of danger cow us into taking the path of least resistance? Or will we be true to ourselves, take calculated risks, and pursue the things we know God made us for?
For me, I’m choosing the latter.
“What are you afraid of?”
– Candace
Blog Stops
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 23
Through the Fire Blogs, March 24 (Author Interview)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 25
Artistic Nobody, March 26 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, March 27
Guild Master, March 28 (Author Interview)
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, March 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 29
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, March 30 (Author Interview)
Inkling and notions, March 31
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, April 1 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, April 2
For the Love of Literature, April 3 (Author Interview)
Beauty in the Binding, April 4 (Author Interview)
Trinity Lofty Pages, April 4
Wishful Endings, April 5
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Candace is giving away the grand prize package of a hardback copy of Hybrid and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Thank you for sharing your review of Hybrid, I am a huge sci-fi fan and this is a must read book and series for me
This looks like a blast! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for your review of Hybrid. You gave an honest view of what sounds to be a fun read.