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WORK TITLE: The Rule of Luck
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://catherinecerveny.com/
CITY: Millbrook
STATE: ON
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada; married.
EDUCATION:Holds two college degrees.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Catherine Cerveny is a Canadian writer and novelist who was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. “I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first learned how to read,” she said on the Catherine Cerveny website. Though she made many attempts at writing fiction, most of them ended up in one of many sock drawers, she said. She earned two university degrees, took up a regular job, and got married. Eventually, however, her persistence paid off, and she sold her first novel, The Rule of Luck. From this point forward, she remarked on her website, “hopefully my sock drawer will just be the place I keep my socks.”
The Rule of Luck
The Rule of Luck, Cerveny’s debut, is the first in the “Felicia Sevigny” series of science fiction novels. The story is set in the far future year of 2950. In the past, destructive forces such war, famine, and floods have had a serious impact on the planet and its population. Coats have been flooded, and the centers of world power are centered in Brazil and Kenya. In the present-day of the novel, however, these forces are no longer an issue. Terraforming has been established and is ongoing on Venus and Mars. Citizens can get genetic modifications to change or improve their physical appearance. Anti-aging treatments are available from the new world government, One Gov, which in turn leads to careful population control. High technology has created implants that give instant access to the CN-net, an Internet-like worldwide network of computers, and technology such as space elevators, clones, and even teleportation are not uncommon.
In this context, Felicia Sevigny, a Romany and resident of Nairobi, makes a living telling fortunes with a deck of tarot cards she inherited from her great-grandmother. She possesses a natural ability to foretell danger, and this ability will serve her well as the story progresses. When Felicia considers having a baby with her boyfriend, Roy, she discovers that she is on the government list that prohibits her from reproducing. She attempts to avoid the requirement, which causes unexpected troubles. Unexpectedly, she is saved by Alexei Petriv, a Russian mob boss who desperately wants to use her tarot reading and fortunetelling skills. It doesn’t take long for Felicia to realize that Alexei probably isn’t exactly who he says she is. To her surprise, she also begins to discover that the same could be said for her.
The Rule of Luck “mingles romance and science fiction—think Nora Roberts meets Neal Stephenson—and is certain to satisfy audiences of both genres,” commented Booklist reviewer Alison Spanner. A Publishers Weekly writer called the novel a “sexy science fiction romance debut” that is certain to “entirely satisfy fans of pulpy SF.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that “Cerveny’s world is noteworthy for its realistic balance” and elements that make it feel “both familiar and intriguing.” The Kirkus Reviews writer further noted that Cerveny has created a “well-crafted world with a promising heroine.”
The Chaos of Luck
The Chaos of Luck finds Felicia on the thoroughly terraformed planet Mars, looking for a new beginning as she adjusts to living with Alexei. The only thing she’s brought with her from Earth is the deck of tarot cards that have been in her family for generations. Her heritage as a fortuneteller will continue; everything else can be forgotten.
Though her life on Mars has a promising start, trouble soon finds her despite her best attempts to avoid it. Alexei is called away to an off-planet location. The important mines in the asteroid belt start falling in on themselves. And, unexpectedly, an ex-lover makes his way back to Felicia. Her readings of her own Tarot cards gives her little to go on, as the clues she seeks are chaotic and easy to interpret in several different ways. Despite it all, Felicia is determined to make her own luck and emerge successfully, no matter what obstacles are put in her way.
A writer on the website Utopia State of Mind remarked: “It was absolutely delightful to be back with Felicia and Alexei.” Nicola Onychuk, writing on the RT Book Reviews website, stated: “As a follow-up to Cerveny’s debut, The Chaos of Luck is a worthy successor.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2017, Alison Spanner, review of The Rule of Luck, p. 17.
Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2017, review of The Rule of Luck.
Publishers Weekly, September 18, 2017, review of The Rule of Luck, p. 58.
ONLINE
Catherine Cerveny website, http://www.catherinecerveny.com (June 3, 2018).
Utopia State of Mind, https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/ (March 21, 2018), review of The Chaos of Luck.
Whiskey with My Book Blog, https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com/ (January 4, 2017), review of The Chaos of Luck.
RT Book Reviews, https://www.rtbookreviews.com/ (June 3, 2018), Nicola Onychuk, review of The Rule of Luck; (June 3, 2018), Nicola Onychuk, review of The Chaos of Luck.
Catherine Cerveny
You’re supposed to avoid clichés in writing. It’s too bad I’m living one—I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first learned how to read. In fact, I have several sock drawers full of half-started novels and abandoned ideas to show for it. While no one ever really discouraged me from writing, it was strongly advised I keep my day job. So by day, I went to school (I have two university degrees that look great hanging on my walls), eventually got a job (because I have to eat), got married, and did all the other normal things people do. But by night, I was feverishly filling up my sock drawers with stories. First it was short stories, then novels because apparently I have a lot to say. And there always had to be a ghost. Or time travel. Or magic mazes. Or a telepathic dog, because who doesn’t like telepathic dogs? I was the nerd who was always drawn to the quirky and weird, and tried to figure out how to fit it into real life. Hey, I once had a letter published in a comic book and took an astronomy course in university because I thought we’d just be looking at stars (it had math in it, I almost failed).
I was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Now I live in the country in Fraserville, just outside of Peterborough. Me, in the country. I didn’t see that one coming. But it must have been a good thing because I finally wrote something that made it past the sock drawer stage. After lots of querying, I found an awesome agent and she was able to sell my novel The Rule of Luck. Not only that, she turned it into a two book deal! I didn’t see that one coming either. So now I’m busily working on the sequel and hopefully my sock drawer will just be the place I keep my socks.
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Print Marked Items
The Rule of Luck
Alison Spanner
Booklist.
114.5 (Nov. 1, 2017): p17.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
* The Rule of Luck.
By Catherine Cerveny.
Nov. 2017.384p. Orbit, paper, $14.99 (9780316510561); e-book (9780316355506).
In the year 2950, dark days of floods, war, famine, and devastation are over, but the world has been
reshaped forever. Terra-forming on Venus and Mars, tech implants allowing for seamless access to the
Internet-like CN-net, genetic modification to enhance beauty, government-sponsored anti-aging treatments,
and strictly regulated population control are the new normal under the world's new government, One Gov.
Felicia Sevigny grows up blindly believing her life is her own until she discovers, for reasons unknown to
her, she has been blacklisted from having a baby. Felicia has made a name for herself as a skilled fortuneteller,
and her life changes the day Alexei Petriv, a high-ranking member of the Tsarist Consortium, a
shadow organization set to take One Gov down, walks into her shop and demands a reading. In return for a
promise to remove her blacklisted status, Felicia agrees to help Alexei in his quest to take power from One
Gov. Their attraction is immediate, but Alexei's plan is dangerous and unpredictable, and someone from
Felicia's past threatens their plans, and their lives. Cerveny's first novel in a planned trilogy mingles
romance and science fiction--think Nora Roberts meets Neal Stephenson--and is certain to satisfy audiences
of both genres. --Alison Spanner
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Spanner, Alison. "The Rule of Luck." Booklist, 1 Nov. 2017, p. 17. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A515382918/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6d201c4e.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A515382918
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The Rule of Luck
Publishers Weekly.
264.38 (Sept. 18, 2017): p58+.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Rule of Luck
Catherine Cerveny. Orbit, $14.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-316-51056-1
Being lucky means never having to say you're sorry in this sexy science fiction romance debut. Nairobi
resident Felicia Sevigny lives on a near-future Earth where melted ice caps have led to flooded coasts and
the centers of power are now located in Kenya and Brazil. She tells fortunes with a tarot deck inherited
(over family objections) from her Romani great-grandmother. While trying to maneuver around being
blocked by the world government from getting approval for pregnancy, she is swept up by Alexei Petriv, the
wildly attractive heir apparent to the exiled Russian mafia, and tossed into a power struggle over human
progress. Jetting around the world, Felicia confronts her hereditary ability to foretell danger, which stems
from a gene that her missing mother researched and that Alexei wants to control. There's a strong whiff of
dominance and submission in Felicia's relationships, accompanied by vivid romance; Felicia and Alexei are
clearly consumed by both emotional and physical passion. Cerveny includes a variety of typical futuristic
elements, such as remote-control bodies, life extension, space elevators, clones, teleportation, and flying
cars, that will entirely satisfy fans of pulpy SF. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Nov.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"The Rule of Luck." Publishers Weekly, 18 Sept. 2017, p. 58+. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A523623351/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=91a3c2fd.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A523623351
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Cerveny, Catherine: THE RULE OF
LUCK
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Cerveny, Catherine THE RULE OF LUCK Orbit (Adult Fiction) $14.99 11, 7 ISBN: 978-0-31651-056-1
In the year 2950, Romani tarot card reader Felicia Sevigny discovers she's at the heart of a sinister plot to
manipulate human genetics in Cerveny's debut.Hundreds of years in the future, mankind has survived
floods, multiple world wars, and "Dark Times" to integrate computers into human bodies, sustain colonies
on both Mars and Venus, and invent "Renew treatments," which dramatically slow aging. Felicia has a
comfortable life reading tarot cards and is considering having a baby with her boyfriend, Roy. But for some
reason, Shared Hope, the government program controlling reproduction, has blacklisted her from having a
child, so she enlists the help of the mysterious Mr. Pennyworth to help her cheat the system. Just when it
looks like Felicia has bitten off more than she can chew, Russian mob boss Alexei Petriv saves her and
requests her tarot reading skills. But Felicia suspects there is more to Alexei than meets the eye (though
what meets the eye is more than pleasing), and she soon learns that the same can be said of her own life.
Cerveny's world is noteworthy for its realistic balance. Her future, where everyone has access to age-halting
technology but political turmoil still abounds, feels both familiar and intriguing. The romance is key to the
plot, but it's leaned on too heavily. The narrative justifies the intense heat between Alexei and Felicia, but
even if you take the misogynistic elements out of a Christian Grey--type fellow, slathering on the smolder
doesn't make up for a missing personality in your plucky heroine's love interest. A well-crafted world with a
promising heroine, but hopefully the sequels will spend less time describing the love interest's blue eyes.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Cerveny, Catherine: THE RULE OF LUCK." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A504217694/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=47ffebe0.
Accessed 17 May 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A504217694
Review: The Chaos of Luck by Catherine Cerveny
MARCH 21, 2018 INAUTOPIASTATEOFMIND LEAVE A COMMENT
What has The Chaos of Luck convinced me of? That Alexi should be mine. I had some real intense feelings regarding this book and I was put through the emotional wringer.
Summary
Mars, the terraformed jewel of the TriSystem, is the playground for the rich and powerful. A marvel of scientific engineering, the newly colonized world offers every luxury. For the first time in human history, the picture perfect life is possible.
Felicia Sevigny’s come to the Red Planet for a fresh start. She’s brought the tarot cards that have been her family’s trade for generations but is hoping to leave the rest of her troubled past behind.
Felicia wants to believe that Mars will also be a clean slate for her and Alexei Petriv, notorious leader of the Tsarist Consortium, but her cards keep predicting something even darker and more insidious is ahead. Something that could mean the end, not just for her and Alexei, but for the entire TriSystem – and all of humanity.
Review
book review The Chaos of Luck by Catherine Cerveny(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Felicia, I want you to know that I love Alexi. If you ever don’t want him, let me know and I’ll gladly come pick him up. (Just had to get that out of the way)
It was absolutely delightful to be back with Felicia and Alexi. I found this book centers around the question – can Alexi and Felicia really be together? The first book was about Felicia and the initial question of will they be together. Yet this book is focused on their actual relationship – and also Felicia’s feelings. Do they trust each other, know each other, and can they work out their issues? They have issues. Who doesn’t have issues??
It’s something to get together with the girl, but it’s another thing to accept the girl, forgive the girl, and live with the girl. (Excuse my frequent use of the word girl there). Their relationship goes through the wringer in this book and so your heart will too. There’s frustration, agony, and sadness all in one book. But it’s pretty realistic. We are asked what we would prefer – danger or stability and can you have both?
Not to mention, Cerveny still makes us question this whole luck thing. How does it work? And Felicia herself doesn’t know. So it all feels like we are being manipulated by Cerveny and luck and Felicia’s actions and it’s so emotional alright?
You can’t not read this book if you’ve read the first, and I think for those who were like – okay but what happens after our ‘happy ever after’ this is the excellent nitty gritty sequel.
Make sure to check out The Chaos of Luck on Goodreads.
The Chaos of Luck by Catherine Cerveny – Review
04 Wednesday Jan 2017
Posted by WWMB in Book Review ≈ 2 Comments
Tags5 stars, Catherine Cerveny, criminal organization, luck, Mars, romance, scifi, series, Tarot, totalitarian government
Review by Riley
the-chaos-of-luckAbout The Chaos of Luck
A whirlwind thriller romance in a futuristic setting that will tug at your heartstrings while sending you on high-speed chases alongside a genetically-enhanced (and incredibly handsome…) criminal mastermind.
Felicia Sevigny makes her own luck. So it’s no surprise that her new life on the Red Planet is off to a good start. She’s making a living reading the fortunes of the fabulously wealthy, and making a home with Alexei, the dangerous, handsome love of her life.
Then Alexei is called off planet unexpectedly, mines in the astroid belt start collapsing, and an ex-lover walks back into Felicia’s life. Felicia’s readings predict that there is something bigger going on. Something darker and far more insidious that threatens everything she has come to love.
And as luck would have it, the cards are right for things to go horribly wrong.
**************************
Review of The Chaos of Luck
All along, I’ve been saying that the thing I liked about The Rule of Luck, book #1 in the Felicia Sevigny series, is the hero – Alexi. Crime boss, lover, mover, shaker, entrepreneur, killer, visionary. What is he? Is he good? Is he bad?
After reading The Chaos of Luck, I still hold Alexi responsible for the success of this series. Sure, the first person saga is written from Felicia’s perspective, but the book comes alive when Alexi is in the scene. Alexi is totally alpha, strong, virile and annoyingly controlling and manipulative. Every time Felicia stands up to Alexi I cheer. But every time Alexi gets all tender around Felicia I melt a little. But let’s face it. Alexi is not a good person. But he totally makes this story come alive!
The Chaos of Luck is Felicia’s story though. The Tarot card reader comes off a bit flaky in this story, but with reason. I’ll explain. One minute she is pledging her eternal love to Alexi, and the next minute she goes off and does something behind his back. There are all sorts of other non-Alexi influences in her life, including a former lover and a long lost relative. They add interest to the story and they add to my frustration with Felicia. But think about it. Felicia is blessed/cursed with the luck gene. Perhaps that means she doesn’t have as much control over her life as the average person. Now think about the title of the book. The Chaos of Luck. Felicia’s flakiness does make sense. Oh, it still bugs me, but it also give the story an edge.
The setting has moved from a post-flood-apocalyptic, thriving Earth in book 1 to a terraformed Mars in book 2. Well, more than terraformed – moons were added, the orbit was nudged closer to the sun and gravity made nearly earth-like. This Mars is both fantastic and fascinating and would be a great book tourist destination.
While the setting changes, several other aspects remained the same. One Gov is still the iron-fisted ruling party. One Gov may have saved Earth, but in doing so, it created a totalitarian system that monitors and controls everything from caloric intake to reproduction. There are many that think the system is stifling and believe change is needed.
Such as the Consortium. Basically a legitimate business empire fronting a lot of questionable activities, the Consortium is headed in title by Alexi. But it is ruled in the background by the five centuries old Belikov. Between Alexi and Belikov, the Consortium is on a path to make some huge changes. The internal politics of the Consortium add the perfect element of intrigue to the story. Having read book 1, I could see that something was going to happen, but I did not guess the direction Belikov would take.
In The Chaos of Luck, Felicia’s reading of her Tarot cards is less than successful. She is constantly interpreting, misinterpreting and reinterpreting what she sees. Which takes me back to the word ‘chaos’ in the title. While eventually, Felicia will work it out with the cards, the seeming unreliability of them keeps the reader from discovering the answers before Felicia does. As it should be.
There are several philosophical discussions about luck. What they come down to is the question of whether luck controls people or people make their own luck. But in The Chaos of Luck, because Felicia has the luck gene, the discussion becomes a bit more than philosophical and takes an implied morality turn. Should the luck gene be duplicated? If it is duplicated – or passed on – what will that mean for humanity?
Catherine Cerveny has imagined a fascinating future for mankind. Whether you think being hooked up to the CN-net 24/7 is the greatest thing since Irish Whiskey was invented, or you think the less everyone knows about you the better, you will be enthralled with the worlds in this series. On the character side, the tumultuous romance, the ever-changing plight of the heroine and intrigue around every corner make this book a 5-star read. One more thing that might interest you: in The Chaos of Luck, there are dogs getting their fortune read.
THE CHAOS OF LUCK
Image of The Chaos of Luck (A Felicia Sevigny Novel)
Author(s): Catherine Cerveny
As a follow-up to Cerveny’s debut, The Chaos of Luck is a worthy successor. Readers will be caught up and entertained by New Adult elements of high drama, angsty insecurity, angry sex, clubbing and fun details about futuristic fashion, but it’s all grounded by the speculative fiction tradition of posing serious ethical questions about where today’s social and political trajectories might lead. The advanced technology is a well-executed backdrop for the suspense-driven plot, and the “luck gene” continues to be a fresh, fascinating twist. Felicia makes some choices that seem inexplicable and frustrating at times, but in the end the plot resolves to make it all make sense.
Felicia and Alexei’s story continues on a terraformed Mars. They are together after beating steep odds in their first book, negotiating an uneasy truce with Alexei’s high-risk position with the Consortium. Under pressure from family and an old flame, Felicia’s luck continues to lead her in unexpected directions. With the stakes high, will Felicia’s luck gene allow her to find happiness with Alexei? The answer in the cards is terrifying, but there is always more than one way to interpret the Tarot. (ORBIT, Dec., 432 pp., $15.99)
Reviewed by:
Nicola Onychuk
THE RULE OF LUCK
Author(s): Catherine Cerveny
2016 – Futuristic Romance nominee
A fresh heroine pairs with a dangerous hero to confront nuanced and compelling ethical dilemmas in this fast-paced, tightly plotted romance. Felicia evolves from determined but hapless to focused and empowered, while the plot picks up dizzying speed, delving into society’s capacity for manipulation and dehumanization. Fans of classic sci fi will recognize echoes of Orwell and Huxley.
Petriv is a future version of the billionaire/mafia alpha trope with a palpable aura of danger, which acclaimed Tarot reader Felicia mistrusts ... yet cannot resist. A chilling reunion and a decades-old scheme make Felicia the pivot in a power struggle between factions who both have questionable motives. (REDHOOKBOOKS.COM, dl $2.99)
Reviewed by:
Nicola Onychuk