The Fair and Foul by Allie Potts is scientifically stimulating. The over-achieving Dr. Juliane Faris isolates herself within her innocent shell, believing that a scientist’s purpose in life is to make life better for others. Juliane was recruited to join the team at ACI after completing her post graduate work. Young, vibrant and hopeful, Juliane knew that her algorithms would one day be the path to success. Soon after joining the team at ACI, she realizes she is nothing more than a prop for her project partner, Alan. They are involved in a study that would radically impact humanity. Juliane names it “Project Gene Assist.” Alan and Juliane master the ability to access data through the mind alone, “internet enabled telepathy.” The goal is to turn the body into an internet server, never considering just because they can, doesn’t mean they should. Juliane and a small group of others become human trial specimens; their lives and the world will never be the same.

Allie Potts' biography states that she is a “self-professed science geek.” She certainly let her imagination soar in her science fiction novel, The Fair and Foul: Project Gene Assist. The characters are those of unique genius, setting them apart in their scientific fields of study and research. The main character is the nucleus; Potts keeps the supporting cast spinning and orbiting around her heroine. The antagonist feigns his love and attraction, but remains devoted to ego and to self-accomplishment alone, charismatically setting his brilliance above all the rest. The setting doesn’t deviate much from the laboratory, except for a trip to a symposium in Las Vegas and a professional football game. Both of these shifts in setting, however, are pivotal to the story’s outcome. Using a three-part story format, the plot action is steady, gradually peaking and ebbing. Potts uses time progressions to move quickly through time, thus avoiding story stagnation. Good science fiction should challenge the reader’s mind; Allie Potts certainly achieves that in The Fair and Foul. Not only does she leave you in suspense awaiting the sequel, but pondering could this really happen?

Gene Assist Book One, The Fair and Foul by Allie Potts is definitely a science fiction novel. There is a lot about the brave new world of virtual reality and how it may be combined with biochemistry to create a much better alternate reality experience. But I have to say there is a very strong element of romance in The Fair and Foul, as well as a pretty good look at corporate espionage and malfeasance. The protagonist, Juliane, is strong, smart, and beautiful. Her romantic interest, Louis, is a handsome captain of industry and he happens to be the son of the owner of the company where she does her research so, in effect, her boss. Together they generate a lot of heat as they try to circumvent the corporate villains intent on stealing and misusing Juliane's research. A host of interesting minor characters gives us an inside peek into the sometimes glamorous, sometimes comical, and sometimes frightening world of corporate science.

I liked The Fair and Foul because of the exciting look at the near future, a look at the potential of the virtual reality field, but I also found myself rooting for the love story too. Science without the critical human elements of love, envy, greed, and hubris is not nearly as exciting as this romantic thriller by Allie Potts. Her characters are flawed but believable, as is the scenario she paints of scientists and businessmen who are willing to do anything to get what they want. I look forward to the next book.

The Fair & Foul is about the life of Juliane Faris, a young woman who is able to escape a chaotic childhood using her scientific gifts to reach a world more suitable for her. Armed with ambition, brains, and beauty, she is frustrated for not receiving the attention she deserves for her contributions. When she meets Louis, the new CEO of her company, he is given a demonstration of one of her projects. Louis whisks her away to Las Vegas to present her project for a demonstration, where she is catapulted into the world of the rich and famous, and all of the publicity that comes with it. When she creates a way to connect with the world wide web using an injected serum, things take a turn for the worst when she cannot reach Louis through their private connection. She gets frustrated and severs the connection, and Louis ends up missing.

Not able to stay idle, Juliane is recruited to pursue her passion to make life easier for all mankind. Suddenly Louis turns up, with some shocking news. From there everything in both her professional and personal life takes her on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Allie Potts does a marvelous job of creating a group of characters that even above their arrogant brilliance are still only human. Even when all seems lost, and things are piling up against our heroine, Allie consistently throws in a few surprises with things both fair and foul. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat. Well done, MS. Potts!

The Fair and Foul, a new series by Allie Potts, promises to bring a new perspective to the increasing world of technology. Juliane Faris, abandoned by her flighty mother as a young girl, is determined to make a success of her life. Strings of temporary homes later, she graduates with a doctorate and begins her career. She quickly learns that computer algorithms will be her path to success. Working alongside the charismatic Alan Dronigh, she meets up with Louis Evans, her extremely attractive new boss, and things become spicy between them. An experimental procedure Juliane and Alan design enables the human mind to connect to the Internet. Alan, Louis, Juliane and their new assistant, Betty, all undergo the experimental procedure. This opens an entirely new world, and they set about changing the way humanity can evolve and interact. Their journey is just about to begin.

The Fair and Foul is an interesting, well thought out novel by Allie Potts, dealing with an alternative idea of human evolution through science. The story twists and weaves a tale of so many human emotions and hidden agendas. Do you really control your own life? Will the future be controlled by humans, machines or hybrids? Genetic manipulation may offer many great advancements, but will they all be helpful or do we need to be careful? This story certainly looks at those issues and deals with them in an interesting and novel way. The story line moves slowly through the introduction of new characters, growing them, and helping one to relate to them, before zipping off at a frantic pace! A must-read for all people who wonder about where technology is taking us in the future!