Alien Minds: Alien Romance Meets Science Fiction Adventure

Christina Bauer

Apr 2019 · Dimension Drift Book 3 · Monster House Books

About this ebook

“The layers of the dimension created pulls you in and lures you further… a thrilling adventure!” – The Book Junkie

On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy-but-terrible accident. My perfect-looking parents say I live an ideal life inside the Boston dome. And although my swoon-worthy guard, Thorne, looks totally familiar, he says we don’t have a history.

What a bunch of crap.

I don’t remember anything—not even my real name—but I can still tell when someone’s lying. From what I figure out, my dystopian overlords wiped my memory, leaving only my super science skills behind. Now, instead of expecting me to scream for revenge, the government demands that I build new tech that will launch an apocalypse against anyone who isn’t perfect.

So I nod. Say yes. And scheme to blow the whole thing up.

My memory may be gone, but my sass remains intact. I round up a team of teenage scientists to take down the nasty-ass government without getting ourselves killed. Only trouble is, I must accomplish all this while avoiding my growing attraction to Thorne, who may or may not be an alien. Something tells me that protecting my heart from my hottie guard might be the most dangerous adventure of all …

From the author: Please know that of the forty-plus books I've published, Alien Minds holds a special place in my heart. Why? I'm a woman on the autism spectrum, so I absolutely adored writing in the voice of a female engineer and MIT student. Before I became a full-time author, I co-wrote a patent with Dr. Constantine Papageorgiou from MIT's Artificial Intelligence lab, so there's that, too. I hope you enjoy reading Alien Minds as much as I did writing it!

Dimension Drift Series

1. Scythe

2. Umbra

3. Alien Minds

4. ECHO Academy

Ratings and reviews

I finally dove into Christina Bauer’s sci-fi/fantasy adventure series with ALIEN MINDS. While this is book 1 in the Dimension Drift series, the characters and worlds are well-established from other, connected, series. That is evident from the opening chapter. Though I’m new to this world, Bauer does a great job of balancing the plot with world building so that even a newbie like me can grasp the nuances of the setting without being bogged down by details that detract from the story. When 17-year-old Meimi awakes with no memories, she knows something is off about the story she’s been told. She may not remember who she is or anything about her past, but she’s sure the doctor standing in front of her is evil. Just as she’s sure the tall, brooding guard, Thorne, assigned to her means something to her. She just isn’t sure what. When the doctor slates millions of people for execution for being “undesirable” and demands Meimi help him accomplish his goals, she’s determined to thwart him while pretending to go along with his plan. This sets up a wicked game of deception that rivals some of the best heist movies I’ve seen. Plot The story revolves around Memi’s plans to prevent the destruction of innocent human lives while remaining alive herself. Told in dual points of view from Memi’s and Thorne’s perspectives, we see flashes of Meimi’s life before her mind wipe through Thorne, and insights into how she thinks through hers. Despite her memory loss, she is who she is, and her spunk and intelligence shine through. Teaming up with people from Meimi’s past, they plan the ultimate act of defiance and bravery to save the world. Strong subplots include Meimi’s battle to regain who she is and Thorne’s battle to win back her feelings for him. Characters Meimi is a strong protagonist who inherently knows right from wrong and will risk everything to do what is right. Thorne is a tortured soul with a secret – he’s an alien, and oh yeah, son of the ruler of the omniverse. These two shouldn’t work, yet they are linked in a way that is more than just mutual attraction. Meimi is witty, sarcastic, and driven. Thorne is dark and brooding. Both are well-developed and a joy to read. The evil Dr. Godwin is more of a cartoonish character, though. Evil for the sake of evil. While he makes for a good bad guy, he’s not as developed as he could have been. Supporting characters, twins Zoe and Chloe, Fritz, and the others are more complex and nicely round out the cast. World Building This is where the story really shines. The alien world, dystopian Boston, alternate dimensions, and the technology are extraordinarily well constructed, and the writer’s ability to paint vibrant pictures with her words brings this amazing omniverse to life. What I Enjoyed About ALIEN MINDS 1. World Building. Some of the best world building I’ve read in a long time. 2. Meimi. Her sarcastic wit is a blast to read. 3. Tech. The technology that populates this world is as engaging as the characters. 4. Sticking it to the Man. Their goal of beating Godwin at his own game is something we all can root for. 5. Thorne. His devotion to Meimi is both sweet and swoony. Bottom Line A fun, action-packed adventure with amazing world-building and fun characters. Disclaimer I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I not going to say that you should have reads the prequels first, but I just saying. The prequels give you so much more insight to the two rich and wonderful characters that you fall in love with. The awareness of this young woman upon waking up and not recognizing her surroundings. She's there but not really there. She was determined, smart, strong, and I would even call it a bit intuitive. I found that the dynamic between Thorne and Meimi was still there even if she really didn't understand why. She could feel that connection and it was not exactly comforting to her but in a way it was. Thorne was determined to be there for her not matter what. He was there but at a distance. I fell for him even more. He knew what she needed but was not forcing it on her. Come take this journey with with Meimi and Thorne as they battle the course of actions taken to set them on the path of which they find themselves. Christina Bauer has brought to me another thrilling adventure. The layers of the dimension created pulls you in and lures you in to go further. I look forward to more for both Meimi and Thorne. I want more. I want to be taking on the drift. Reasons I enjoyed this book: Easy-to-read Entertaining Great world building Page-turner

I recommend reading the prequels first but it's not necessary. They will help fill in how Thorne becomes a guard and how Meimi ends up in the hospital, but you won't be lost if you don't read them. There is secrets, lies, espionage, danger, and lots of awesome tech. The tech gets more of an explanation in the prequel Scythe like how drift voids are a way to cross realities, but I don't think it's confusing as it's presented in this book. Meimi is out to take down the plans of an evil scientist who is willing to kill millions to take over the government. She only needs the help of her friends that she can't remember, and a possible alien who has a psychotic dad. It's fast paced fun with a little violence and no graphic content. I would recommend 14-15+ ages due to the science.

About the author

Christina Bauer believes that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too. Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. 

Dimension Drift Series

A dystopian adventure with science, snark and hot aliens 

1. Scythe

2. Umbra

3. Alien Minds

4. ECHO Academy

5. Drift Warrior

Also From Christina Bauer

- Angelbound, the story of a part-demon girl who fights evil souls in Purgatory’s Arena

- Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, a series of modern fairy tales with sass, action and romance

- Beholder, where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love

Don’t Miss Out

Get your FREE copy of Christina’s novella, BEVERLY HILLS VAMPIRE, when you sign up for her personal newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/bauersbooks ***Not available in stores***