BZRK Reloaded - Hardcover

Michael Grant has spent much of his life on the move. Raised in a military family in the USA, he attended ten schools in five states, as well as three schools in France. Even as an adult he kept moving, and in fact he became a writer in part because it was one of the few jobs that wouldn't tie him down. His dream is to spend a whole year circumnavigating the globe and visiting every continent. He lives in Marin County, California, with his wife, Katherine Applegate, their two children, and far too many pets. You can visit him online at www.themichaelgrant.com.

"In the not-too-distant future, war can be waged at the cellular level, and the BZRK biots (genetically engineered extensions of humans) battle Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation (AFGC) nanotechnology for control of the country and the fate of humanity. AFGC's number-one (human) operative, the Bug Man, is intent on wiping out mankind and controls the American president, while BZRK is attempting to rebound from the death and insanity resulting from its last encounter with AFGC. BZRK's only hope is to destroy or subvert Bug Man, and it is a slim hope at best. Readers will need seat belts and a road map to keep up with the frequently gruesome nonstop action in this middle title of a trilogy that explores the intersection of morality and technology. Caution: read this after BZRK (2012) because Grant doesn't pause for definitions or recaps, although Plath, Keats, the Twins, and other familiar characters reappear and are further developed as the plot careens through a second AFGC-BZRK close encounter. A shocking, violent, yet engrossing thrill ride of a story.

"HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With Grant's Gone series finished, this looks to be the best-selling author's flagship project. Expect it to be treated as such." ―Booklist

5Q 5P J S

"Recent battles, fought from the nano-level all the way up to automatic weapons, left both BZRK and the Armstrong Twins damaged but unbroken. With each side infecting targeted individuals with their own nanobots, the next round of fighting is about to take place inside the altered brain matter of a few unwilling victims. There can be no real winner in this scenario and so the real question might be: how horribly will the human race be changed at the end of it all? Would anyone be the wiser?

"It is creepy enough knowing there are actually microscopic creatures all over the human body but it is even creepier to think artificially created bots could be sharing or even controlling that space without a person's permission. The graphic descriptions of what the real and artificial creatures look like, and how or why they are moving around the body starts the level of 'gross and icky' off at pretty high, and it only goes up from there. Add in some discussable ideas on the ethics of human experimentation and a smart, simple explanation of the potential in nanotechnology to increase those lingering shivers. Round out the experience with realistically unpredictable characters and blockbuster action sequences to complete this thoroughly enjoyable, incredibly disturbing story. As the second book in the trilogy, the only complaint is waiting to find out how all those sneaky, complicated loose-ends will be wrapped up." ―starred, VOYA

"Freedom fighters BZRK may have lost the first battle, but the war is far from over.
New York's BZRK cell took heavy losses in series opener BZRK (2012), including one of team leader Vincent's biots, genetically engineered, microscopic organisms controlled via psychic link. It was killed in battle with Bug Man's nanos, the technological counterpart to the biological biots. Experiencing death over the psychic link plays havoc with Vincent's sanity, which forces reluctant Nijinsky to step into leadership. But BZRK has no recovery time: Bug Man's nanos are in the U.S. president, allowing him to rewire her brain and control her behavior on behalf of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corp. in their bid for world domination via enforced happiness. Meanwhile, on the AFGC side, holding the dominant position is harder than expected―Bug Man struggles to control the president, Burnofsky has his own agenda, the Anonymous hacker group sniffs for leaks, and some of the conjoined Armstrong Twins' past scientific indiscretions start attracting notice. Through all of this, Plath comes into her inheritance and toys with running from BZRK and its morally dubious tactics, even though if the Armstrongs win, free will loses. With the worldbuilding's heavy lifting taken care of in BZRK, plots upon plots race forward, almost every character is sympathetic to some degree, and microscopic world descriptions from the biots’ views are oddly beautiful.
High-octane; high stakes; high cool-quotient." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Fast paced and action packed, Reloaded picks up where BZRK (Egmont USA, 2012) left off. The New York BZRK cell is reeling from a massacre at the United Nations building, and many members are either injured (physically or psychologically) or dead. The evil, wealthy, conjoined Armstrong brothers continue to usher in an age of 'sustainable happiness' for all humanity by having world leaders infected by nanobots in order to manipulate them. Battles between the members of BZRK and AFGC (Armstrong Fancy Gift Corporation) occur in both the visible world and at the microscopic level. Fighting has moved to a new level, as one group is ready to pilot self-replicating bots and another has twitchers, people who are especially skilled at controlling others through nanotechnology. Grant's descriptions of cells, bacteria, and other miniscule bits are viscerally disturbing, as is the Armstrongs' creepy Doll Ship. Sexual episodes and violent scenes are included. Backstory is sprinkled throughout, but it's best to read this novel in conjunction with the first. The ending will leave fans anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this exciting trilogy." ―School Library Journal