I’ve read several Electric Eclectic Books and these novelettes have provided a vast array of genres and authors. They break the mold once again by presenting the same story in both an adult erotic version that’s steamy hot and a touching, romantic read. I decided to read the adult version first. Written by author Karina Kantas, Toxic is a no holds barred sensual exploration of passion in a dystopian society.
One hundred years in the future after the world has been changed by acid rain, a Malok named Lexi is straining against the rules of the new society. Lexi hungers for action and decides becoming a Ranger is her way out of her dull life. But her live-in boyfriend Aron doesn’t believe she is strong enough to take on the role of a fighter against the Outcasts. That group has been banned from the Malok’s mountain base, Mount Elta.
Aron loves her, but he treats her like a child, and she chafes under his attempts to control her. They have an intense sexual relationship, but Lexi is often distracted by the memory of a young friend who left years earlier, Marcus
When Marcus suddenly reappears, Lexi is thrust back into her feelings for him. But their reunion is spoiled by the simultaneous arrival of a girl who bullied her in her youth, Mae. When it appears Marcus and Mae are a couple Lexi is heartbroken. She resists Marcus’s attempts to speak to her privately because she feels betrayed. It is only when tragedy strikes the Rangers that Lexi is forced to see things the way they truly are.
This is more than a sexy love story; this is a book about a world changed by disaster and people separated by their responses to overwhelming change. There are two societies, each seeking to utilize a resource for their own needs, and willing to fight to the death to remain in control.
Lexi is a strong young woman and represents the courage and independence of today’s women. She is lusty, brave, challenging, and daring. Although she is young, she knows what she wants and despite occasional reservations, she doesn’t hesitate to pursue her dreams.
I think the characters could be more developed in a longer book and hope Kantas will take the story further. I’d love to know more about the Outcasts and the Outland where they are forced to live.
I recommend this as a quick read that dips into the possible disasters of a future society where our refusal to address negative environmental behaviors leaves the world desolate and poisoned.
Blurb
“A sensual, erotic read…Karina dares to figure out the nature of passion…thoughtful and thought-provoking.”
Lexi isn’t your normal Malok. She craves adventure and freedom from the mundane life forced upon her. 100 years ago, the first drop of acid rain fell. Maloks fled to the mountains, building a new way of life—a desolate life—a life Lexi knows all too well.
Lexi has a plan, her ticket out of this miserable existence, becoming a ranger. Aron, her partner, believes she’s not strong enough to fight alongside him. Lexi will stop at nothing, no matter what the danger, to achieve her independence, even if that means defying him.
Amidst everything, Marcus, Lexi’s childhood best friend makes a sudden return. Before she can rejoice in a reunion, her happiness is crushed when she sees Mae, the bully that had terrorized her in her teens. Marcus was aware of the mental abuse Lexi had suffered and yet the person she loved and the person she hated the most, stand before her, together.
“A powerful dystopian thriller that captures the heart and imagination”.
Karina Kantas on Electric Eclectic Books
Between the Beats 
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