The third book of “The Scarab Beetle” series, FAKE
Unfortunately, that was the climax of the story as it unfolded into a wild goose chase, with the Academy boys dropping like flies as they face their faceless enemies.
Though FAKE
At the center of the story is Kayli, an 18-year old girl who was recruited by the Scarab Beetle team of the Academy for a certain job in “Thief” (book #1) and ended up staying with the team in their Captain Jaspers Apartment.
Unknown to each other – Axel, Marc, Brandon, Corey and Raven have all feelings for Kayli. And unknown to them also is that Kayli has feelings for all of them which are so confusing. Plus, there is Blake, a 27-year-old billionaire playboy (pun intended for Christian Grey) who has been very open with Kayli with his attraction to her.
In the high-octane chase of FAKE, Axel and Marc together with Kayli who was able to escape from the kidnappers tried to recover Brandon, but Axel and Marc were easily neutralized. Blake made a better headway but was also neutralized. It took Raven and Corey with the whole Academy to the rescue to finally defuse the situation.
The story in terms of The Academy remained enjoyable but in FAKE, the Scarab Beetle team came out as weak while Blake Coaltar, a non-Academy guy came out as strong, intelligent and astute.
For fans of both Academy series, this will sound like a slap to the Academy boys. And it is! Axel, Marc, Brandon, Corey and Raven, including Kevin might be older than Kota, Nathan, North, Luke, Gabriel, Viktor, Silas, Dr. Green and Mr. Blackbourne, but the Ghost Bird team are light years ahead of the Scarab Beetle team in terms of organization, coordination and planning.
Case in point – It has been two weeks since their last assignment and they did not even think that Kayli needed a “paying” job so that she will feel she is earning her keep. In the Ghost Bird team, even 16-year old Sang found a job as a cashier at the diner and the boys insisted that she carry cash with her all the time.
And Kayli’s clothes! I don’t expect the SB team to understand fashion like Gabriel does in the GB team, nor for Marc, Axel or Kevin buy Kayli designer clothes the way Christian Grey did for Anastasia, but flip flops during fall or early winter? Charleston might not have the cold temperatures of the northeast, but still, you don’t buy flip flops for fall.
At this point in time, I don’t know where C. L. Stone is taking the series. Perhaps, she is going to change gears and stay away from the reverse harem on this one to truly separate Kayli and Sang. Or perhaps with Henry Anderson making a cameo appearance, the SB team will finally get their heads screwed correctly. Nevertheless, as a reader, FAKE
FAKE
Still on the hunt for her missing brother, Kayli Winchester’s life amid the Academy team comes to an abrupt halt when she and Brandon are kidnapped. Mistaken for his identical twin brother, Brandon’s life is threatened unless he helps a team of criminals hack into a secret underground cellular network and exploit it.
The cunning Kayli makes a daring escape. With Brandon still held prisoner, she turns to the guys to help save him. Despite the team of Axel, Marc, Corey and Raven working tirelessly, this desperate search and rescue mission quickly changes into submission to the kidnappers. If the team doesn’t give the bad guys what they want, someone will die.
It’s unavoidable: they’re going to need to bring in outside help… help that will come at a high price. Saving the guys might require Kayli to do the unthinkable, and may shatter the team forever.
 by C.L. Stone){kind=link}
 by C.L. Stone){kind=link}