I really, really enjoyed this book.
Blurb: Starship Captain Chaz Bergren thought her life was over when she was unjustly courtmartialed and sent to a prison planet with a life-expectancy of less than a year. Her powerful family and connections couldn't save her.
Who knew she'd run into a ghost?
Gabriel Ross Sullivan was supposed to be dead. Outlaw, handsome rogue, and a man with so many secrets it could make a woman's head spin, Sully has his own reasons for finding his beautiful former rival. Some of those reasons have implications that effect the fate of the entire Empire.
Review:
This book surprised me and kept surprising me. Just when I'd think things were about to be resolved and how could there be so many more pages...Wham! giant complication that added another layer to the Big and Little pictures.
The romance is spicy and great. The plot and SF are interesting and well-done (but technophobes, don't run!). The ending is a terrific HEA with enough plot questions and character development left for the sequel.
So far, this is my favorite Linnea Sinclair book. It rocks! It's also a keeper and I don't keep many books since I don't have a lot of space.
On the SFR Rainbow this is smack dab in the middle. Linnea handled the Romance well enough to keep me on the edge of my seat but still get warm fuzzies at the end, and she handled the SF well enough to please this old hard SF fan.
I'm now reading Shades of Dark, the sequel to Gabriel's Ghost. (And even though she never called him Gabriel out loud, she did think it all the time.)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
#18 Star Shadows by Colby Hodge
358 pages.
Located close to the middle of the SFR rainbow, but on the Romance side. I consider the telepathy to be sf since it was bred into people and not magic.
Book 3 in a series.
There isn't a lot of tech but there are spacecraft, hoverbots, genetic manipulation, and laser guns juxtaposed with the horror of gladitorial bloodbaths and creepy humans.
It's set in the far distant future with no mention of Earth, but there are dolphins and lots of current names.
Princess Elle and Prince Zander are kept very sheltered by their telepathic aristocratic parents. Spoiled and feeling oppressed just before their "coming of age" ceremonies, the brother runs off and is promptly captured by the female baddies (who remind me of the Bene Gesserit cult in Dune). Zander's family promptly gives him up for dead and no one looks for him--which bothered me because if they had they would have easily found him and the book would have been a whole lot shorter.
Add in Elle's cute and talented boyfriend, Boone, who vanishes searching for Zander because he was the only one who didn't automatically assume Zander was dead, legends of saviors, gladiatorial games, and prophetic dreams of soulmates and you have a good premise.
I didn't realize until partway through that it was the third in a series. As I haven't read the others I don't know if they *have* to be read in order. I understood the story fine without reading the others except for the lineage descriptions which got confusing. That said, I recommend starting at the beginning of the series.
At first, I wasn't sure if I liked this story but it got better as it went. I admit to not connecting with the heroine until very near the end of the book because she (okay, her twin a bit too) was selfish, bratty and a bit whiny until they grew up. They reminded me of some of the current preteen characters that annoy me. By the end they'd grown and matured, though for a while Elle was kind of scary in her power-hunger. Later, Elle turned out strong and had one heck of a good action scene at the pivitol moment. My dislike of the heroine as a child might also have been staved off if I'd started at the beginning of the series and "fell in love with" her parents during their story.
There's a HFN but definitely another book coming out. If you read the end you'll probably agree.
To sum up, not one of my favorite books but it was okay to read on a sweltering summer day. Others may like the romance of this since Boone was really sweet despite one scene.
Will I read the rest of the series? Probably. But not right now.
Currently reading: Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair. I was hooked by the first page on this one.
Located close to the middle of the SFR rainbow, but on the Romance side. I consider the telepathy to be sf since it was bred into people and not magic.
Book 3 in a series.
There isn't a lot of tech but there are spacecraft, hoverbots, genetic manipulation, and laser guns juxtaposed with the horror of gladitorial bloodbaths and creepy humans.
It's set in the far distant future with no mention of Earth, but there are dolphins and lots of current names.
Princess Elle and Prince Zander are kept very sheltered by their telepathic aristocratic parents. Spoiled and feeling oppressed just before their "coming of age" ceremonies, the brother runs off and is promptly captured by the female baddies (who remind me of the Bene Gesserit cult in Dune). Zander's family promptly gives him up for dead and no one looks for him--which bothered me because if they had they would have easily found him and the book would have been a whole lot shorter.
Add in Elle's cute and talented boyfriend, Boone, who vanishes searching for Zander because he was the only one who didn't automatically assume Zander was dead, legends of saviors, gladiatorial games, and prophetic dreams of soulmates and you have a good premise.
I didn't realize until partway through that it was the third in a series. As I haven't read the others I don't know if they *have* to be read in order. I understood the story fine without reading the others except for the lineage descriptions which got confusing. That said, I recommend starting at the beginning of the series.
At first, I wasn't sure if I liked this story but it got better as it went. I admit to not connecting with the heroine until very near the end of the book because she (okay, her twin a bit too) was selfish, bratty and a bit whiny until they grew up. They reminded me of some of the current preteen characters that annoy me. By the end they'd grown and matured, though for a while Elle was kind of scary in her power-hunger. Later, Elle turned out strong and had one heck of a good action scene at the pivitol moment. My dislike of the heroine as a child might also have been staved off if I'd started at the beginning of the series and "fell in love with" her parents during their story.
There's a HFN but definitely another book coming out. If you read the end you'll probably agree.
To sum up, not one of my favorite books but it was okay to read on a sweltering summer day. Others may like the romance of this since Boone was really sweet despite one scene.
Will I read the rest of the series? Probably. But not right now.
Currently reading: Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair. I was hooked by the first page on this one.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
#17 Dushau by Jacqueline Litchtenberg
238 pgs. First of three books. HFN ending, that is satisfying.
Location on the SFR Rainbow: far to the SF.
The Dushau are one of myriad alien races of the far distant future. They live so long as to appear immortal to most other life.
The heroine, Krinata, bascially debriefs the Dushau psychic teams who seek out habitable planets by sort of "becoming one" with the planets and the ecosystems.
As the story begins a new Emperor has taken over and is desperately trying to stay in power by blaming all society's ills on the Dushau. Choas erupts just as Krinata has tried to debrief a Dushau Oliat team that contains her friend and the hero, Jindigar.
She faces the choice of safety via eschewing all things Dushau, allowing Jindigar to be executed, or taking a risk and saving her friend's life at the cost of everything familiar to her.
The worldbuilding is stellar. The aliens are varied and realistic. The tech is great. There is galactic politics, action, character growth, space battles, deep thought, and the feeling throughout that the main motivation for Krinata and probably Jindigar is an unrecognized love for each other.
My favorite characters were the ship's Sentient, Arlai, and the piol, Imp, who looks like a koala on the cover.
The Romance in this novel is very understated. They aren't making out or anything, but they do have enough growth as characters and in a relationship that I wonder if the romance will play out over all the books.
Overall I enjoyed this novel, but it isn't for someone who wants a breezy romantic book.
Next? I've started reading Colby Hodge's Star Shadows. And my car book is Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair.
Location on the SFR Rainbow: far to the SF.
The Dushau are one of myriad alien races of the far distant future. They live so long as to appear immortal to most other life.
The heroine, Krinata, bascially debriefs the Dushau psychic teams who seek out habitable planets by sort of "becoming one" with the planets and the ecosystems.
As the story begins a new Emperor has taken over and is desperately trying to stay in power by blaming all society's ills on the Dushau. Choas erupts just as Krinata has tried to debrief a Dushau Oliat team that contains her friend and the hero, Jindigar.
She faces the choice of safety via eschewing all things Dushau, allowing Jindigar to be executed, or taking a risk and saving her friend's life at the cost of everything familiar to her.
The worldbuilding is stellar. The aliens are varied and realistic. The tech is great. There is galactic politics, action, character growth, space battles, deep thought, and the feeling throughout that the main motivation for Krinata and probably Jindigar is an unrecognized love for each other.
My favorite characters were the ship's Sentient, Arlai, and the piol, Imp, who looks like a koala on the cover.
The Romance in this novel is very understated. They aren't making out or anything, but they do have enough growth as characters and in a relationship that I wonder if the romance will play out over all the books.
Overall I enjoyed this novel, but it isn't for someone who wants a breezy romantic book.
Next? I've started reading Colby Hodge's Star Shadows. And my car book is Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
#16 Grimspace
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre, 312 pages.
I really enjoyed this book, even if it took me a little while to get used to the point of view. I rarely read first person books, and this is the only first person present tense book I remember reading all the way through.
Once I got used to it the book was really good.
It's on the SF side of the SFR rainbow.
The SF is great. The plot and world are complex. The characters are multi-layered, even the background characters.
This is dark book. The heroine and hero are flawed, dark and tortured souls. Theirs is not a happy, sunny world. It's a universe willingly conquered by a greedy and unscrupulous Corporation who don't really give a crap about anyone.
What did I love about Grimspace besides the sf? The plot was twisty, and I loved how the Romance was handled differently than many of the romantic books I've read. They didn't keep thinking of each other in bed or thinking of how the other looks. I don't even know exactly what the hero looks like after reading the whole book. I know enough to know he's handsome, but not gorgeous.
The physical attraction was shown in unique ways. She catches him staring at a tiny sliver of skin peeking under her shirt. She stares when he's not looking. He watches out for her even though she misinterprets what he's doing. They start to reach out and touch the other and stop. Little things build up to bigger things.
It was just different. I thought there was chemistry. Both of these people are so screwed up it's as if the other is the only one they could ever really be with.
If you want a sweet, light, happy story without a lot of heavy issues pick a different book and choose this one when you feel like a little rain and grit, with a HFN of course.
This is book 1 of 4 (so far). I've already asked for the other three for my birthday.
Next? I think I'll finish my Car Book: Dushau by Jacqueline Litchenberg. I know, I said I was reading the next in the 2176 series, but I was craving a bit more SF and Dushau definitely starts out that way.
New Car Book? I don't know yet.
I really enjoyed this book, even if it took me a little while to get used to the point of view. I rarely read first person books, and this is the only first person present tense book I remember reading all the way through.
Once I got used to it the book was really good.
It's on the SF side of the SFR rainbow.
The SF is great. The plot and world are complex. The characters are multi-layered, even the background characters.
This is dark book. The heroine and hero are flawed, dark and tortured souls. Theirs is not a happy, sunny world. It's a universe willingly conquered by a greedy and unscrupulous Corporation who don't really give a crap about anyone.
What did I love about Grimspace besides the sf? The plot was twisty, and I loved how the Romance was handled differently than many of the romantic books I've read. They didn't keep thinking of each other in bed or thinking of how the other looks. I don't even know exactly what the hero looks like after reading the whole book. I know enough to know he's handsome, but not gorgeous.
The physical attraction was shown in unique ways. She catches him staring at a tiny sliver of skin peeking under her shirt. She stares when he's not looking. He watches out for her even though she misinterprets what he's doing. They start to reach out and touch the other and stop. Little things build up to bigger things.
It was just different. I thought there was chemistry. Both of these people are so screwed up it's as if the other is the only one they could ever really be with.
If you want a sweet, light, happy story without a lot of heavy issues pick a different book and choose this one when you feel like a little rain and grit, with a HFN of course.
This is book 1 of 4 (so far). I've already asked for the other three for my birthday.
Next? I think I'll finish my Car Book: Dushau by Jacqueline Litchenberg. I know, I said I was reading the next in the 2176 series, but I was craving a bit more SF and Dushau definitely starts out that way.
New Car Book? I don't know yet.
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