GRR Reviews Driven by Eve Silver

Driven is a surprisingly adept sci-fi suspense romance that featured a very interesting post-apoc world. The characters are driven due to their own reasons, and they all make sense in their own contexts. The romance was actually only lukewarm due to forced proximity though.

In the post-apoc world Earth after the Great War, the Northern Wastes are as inhospitable as ever. The only ones moving about are the ice truckers moving supplies from the few camps and truck stops that remained, apart from the ice pirate camps and rebel camps. Raina Bowen was waiting at Bob's (Truck Stop) for Wizard, someone who's supposed to get her a special license so she can join the great race to Gladow station for the 50 million in prize money. But Raina was also on the run from the sadistic megalomaniac Duncan Bane that had hunted her for years because she destroyed half of his face when he tried to force her. Wizard arrived as a prisoner, necessitating a rescue by Raina, who then found to her chagrin he did not need rescuing at all, despite how circumstances looked. And indeed, Wizard is full of secrets, and they had to run across the wastes, outrun rival truckers, ice pirates, and the megalomaniac after them. As Raina discovered more of Wizard's secrets, and as Bane closes in on her, she discovered that she has her own secrets that even she did not know... and together with Wizard, they may be able to take down Bane once and for all...

The MMC, Wizard, is basically this world's "Data"... Superstrong, does not understand emotions, except he has some feelings for Raina he could not explain either. And yes, he was "fully functional". Raina's motivation was a mixed bag. She needs the 50 million in prize money to set up a life for her half-sister... Even though she's being hunted by Bane with almost unlimited resources? How does she think she can claim the prize without Bane getting wind of it? And it's clearly rigged contest anyway? As a plan, that was really lousy one. And where did Wizard get that super-nice rig at the beginning, only to blow it up later? Makes no sense.

Still, liked the overall setting well enough to recommend it.

Category: Science Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Primary Plot: In the Northern Wastes, Raina finds danger and passion with Wizard, a trucker with a mysterious past...

Tropes: forced proximity, protector, woman in peril, evil ex

Overall Rating: 4/5