“Cipher” is a book written by Aileen Erin and I have to confess this book had been in my reading list for a very long time until I decided it was time to devour the book that had this insanely beautiful cover * squeals * .The blurb of the story got me in and I was very excited to have picked this as my next read. I gathered what I thought of the story and the way it was built.

*There may be spoilers ahead so stay warned*

Story:

The story mainly revolves around two people I.e. Cipher and Knight. Cipher is a Red Helix, someone who is considered dangerous by the  ‘Seligo’ ( as they are called ) and they are bound to hunt down/kill every red that exists.

You’re probably thinking what Red Helixes are, well, they are just humans with enhanced abilities (their DNAs are altered)  . There aren’t just Red Helixes, there are Greens and Black Helixes as well and some with dual Helixes (meaning they are that powerful ).

So, since the Seligo are hunting down the Reds , the Shadow Ravens are saving them and that’s what brings Cipher and Knight together. ‘Cipher’ is an alias used by Emma , who is a well-known hacker in the area and quite famous at games, so much that she has a fan following.

Cipher has an ability to manipulate electricity and every time she has some kind of mood swings , the tech devices around her get burnt. She is always on the run , changing where she lives ever since her uncle Jack got her parents killed. ( For some reason I was reminded of Static Shock -the super hero when I was reading about Cipher’s abilities )

Mona is Cipher’s only friend who sticks by her even after finding out that her best friend was a Red Helix. She has had her own past where people left her which is why she is grateful to Emma for not doing that.

Knight is an alias used by Hunter and he is a genius dual Helix who can make computer parts like it’s no big deal and apparently has his own line of computer parts which are pretty expensive as quoted by himself. He is looking for the girl who saved him from his abusive father , has his DNA altered for her and has undergone extensive training to become useful to her. When he finds Cipher, he helps her manage her power and they form an inseparable bond while practicing. The fascinating thing is he works for both the Seligo and the Ravens. A double Helix and a double agent .

Lady Eva leads the Shadow Ravens and helps the Reds find balance . She even has Cipher paired with Knight at his request so that he can help her . She is shown as a hardworking agent who provides what the Reds wish for if they choose to be a part of her team.

Oliver and Dex are two of Knight’s closest friends who have been through thick and thin with him. They work together like brothers and always have each other’s’ backs. One notable moment would be them blowing their covers for Knight when he tried to help Emma get out of danger.

Samantha is a fourteen-year-old who is like a little sister to Knight and who is always doing more than one tasks at once . She’s an extraordinary Red who often gets into troubles which is why Hunter has to look out for her. She also has a strange sense of humor according to Hunter.

What I thought of the story:

Well, tbh I had high expectations and the story started out really well, not gonna lie but it got weird the moment the book’s focus turned to romance. Let me explain, the first few chapters focus on Emma’s(Cipher’s) fake identity and myself being in the engineering field , I was overjoyed. I loved the way she was described, a funky hacker who could manipulate electricity AND had blue hair! . And when she met Hunter(Knight), I was glad they were able to find each other but then it became a love story like ‘BAM! They fell in love’ kinda love story. I mean I know this was supposed to be a standalone kind of book but they could have made it a slow paced romance. As much as I loved the first few chapters , I was literally skipping the pages of the last few ones ( maybe around chapter 18 or 19).

We never got to fully see how Emma gets hold of her powers , because this part was rushed. I thought there would be some suspense regarding Lady Eva since she was a mysterious figure BUT there was none. And Jack made an awful enemy.

A lot of things weren’t explained well like if something was happening, we weren’t told how it happened, it just happened because it did. So, I had to make assumptions of what the reasons would be. However, I do appreciate an insight to Emma and Hunter’s past.

I also kind of face-palmed when Emma let herself be captured when she and Hunter were caught in an isolated area by Jack. Like Hunter went through so much just to get to Emma and Emma just gave herself up instead of coming up with something that might have saved them both. I don’t know, it may just be me but I thought that was a stupid move.

Apart from this I loved the world they have. I imagined something like this:

Not to mention there are two POVs here, Emma’s and Hunter’s and at times I wanted just one POV to continue where they left off but I guess I made do with it. Like I said before a lot of things just weren’t explained in detail.

I think there were a few parts where the writing style got confusing for me but it was okay overall. Swearing here and there , mostly between Mona and Emma & Hunter and his friends.

Final words:

I had very high expectations and was very hyped when I started this book but when I finished it , I kind of felt nothing. Like I knew it would end that way? Or like it just didn’t interest me? I don’t know. I mean don’t misunderstand I loved the book, but only the first few chapters kept me glued . However, I would place this book in my collection of “Stunning cover” books.

If you happen to like such books , get them here: