Sovran's Pawn by JC Cassels

Title: Sovran's Pawn (The Black Wing Chronicles #1)
Author: JC Cassels
Genre: Space opera
Publisher: Self 
Available: Amazon $2.99 (Kindle) $8.99 (Paperback)
Rating: 5+ stars
Rater: Pippa 





Blurb:
Convicted of treason and sentenced to be executed, Bo Barron is the last person who should be infiltrating a Sub-socia weapons auction. But when her father is kidnapped and the ransom demand is the schematics to an experimental weapon, she has no choice but to go under cover with her uncle to get it.

Nobody counted on former-government-agent-turned-holofeature-hero Blade Devon’s infatuation with her. A botched assassination under the guise of a bar brawl leaves Bo blind and Blade wondering if there isn’t more to this job than he was led to believe.

Never able to resist playing the hero, Blade tends her injuries and delves deeper into the intrigue only to find this mission isn’t about a weapon at all. It’s about two Sovrans’ maneuvering for control, with Bo and Blade as their pawns.

All Bo and Blade have to do is figure out how to survive the game they didn’t know they were playing.

The catch is, no one and nothing are what they seem…

What I liked.
I loved the characters, even the secondary ones. Bo is a strong, capable woman without being so kick ass she simply becomes a caricature. She retains an edge of vulnerability, and definite femininity while remaining believable. She reminded me very much of Dejah Thoris from John Carter. By contrast, I expected to hate Blade, as I'm not a fan of alpha males in general. But his self confidence didn't stray into arrogance, and despite his notorious reputation, he's a man with a deep seated sense of honour. Maybe Captain Mal from Firefly but he doesn't try to make out he's not really a good person like Mal seemed to. Great story arc with a decent opening to further books with a bigger arc. Interesting settings and technology, though not heavy tech. A military edge with Bo's standing as leader of the Black Wing. Good romantic tension without any explicit scenes for those who prefer their romances without all the intimate details.

What I didn't like.
Absolutely nothing. If I have to pick something, the opening wasn't instantly grabbing to me, but since the action kicks then off very quickly I have no complaints.

In conclusion.
This was a fantastic piece of space opera along the lines of Firefly/Farscape/original Battlestar Galactica. Flawless, entertaining, and with a solid, intriguing cast of three dimensional characters and thorough world building. This is one of my top reads for 2014, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Ghost in the Machine (Corwint Central Agent Files #1) by CE Kilgore #spaceopera #scifirom

Title: Ghost in the Machine (Corwint Central Agent Files #1)
Author: CE Kilgore
Genre: Scifi Romance
Publisher: Tracing the Stars
Available: Kobo, B&N, iBooks, Amazon (pages $)
Rating: 4.5*
Rater: Pippa




Blurb:
Ghost In The Machine is a mature space opera romance with strong language, some violence, a good heaping of romance, some steamy bits, a few crazy aliens, one very confused android, an empathic girl with emotional issues who tends to trip herself up, and a crew of space agents who seem to enjoy making their Central Director yank out her hair.

“Love is like a wormhole. You stumble on to it blindly, it sucks you in and takes you somewhere completely unexpected. You can’t fight it, because that would tear your ship apart. You can’t control it, either. All you can do is set your thrusters on glide and let it take you where it’s going to take you.”

Going against the rules of her Vesparian Sisterhood, which seeks to keep its entire existence a secret, Orynn is thrown into the open by a request for help that she could not refuse. Seeking to reconcile past mistakes and gain a forgiveness she feels she does not deserve, the control over her empathic abilities is put to the test when the darkness that lives within her spirit threatens to once again destroy any piece of happiness that she allows herself to find.

As a Mechatronic Automaton, Ethan defines his world through a set of logically defined values and understandings. Encountering Orynn throws his system out of balance as he tries to decide if he should trust the feelings he is developing, or if he should follow the logic telling him that she is trying to control him for some unknown purpose. Should he keep her at a distance despite his want to bring her near, or should he follow the heart he swears he does not have? As his understanding of her develops, he begins to question all of his preconceived notions about both himself and the universe around him.

Review:
I'll admit it - I was originally going to give this a 4* rating at the beginning, but I'd probably say 4.5* by the end. Why not quite 5? Because of the head-hopping, my personal bug bear. With several key characters being introduced quite quickly at the start, I found it particularly jarring and confusing. However, farther into the story I stopped noticing it so much. I was so in love with the characters, the in-depth and intriguing world-building, the snarky humour, and the two storylines full of romantic tension, I could almost forgive it.
I think I adore Ethan most, despite his frequent moments of being an asshole (I have a definite thing for human mecha). In fact, both male MCs needed a good slapping. Although Orynn's regular slips into self pity might irritate some, I found them understandable and acceptable. Hank irritated me extremely, but I can blame that on his youth. And Merik - ah, Merik! Such a bad boy (and not what I'd normally go for) but I have a soft spot for the warped little masochist.
The sex scenes are detailed but sweet and focus on the emotional and empathic connection as much as bodily descriptions. Some might find the use of expletives offensive, but they fit the settings and characters. The tension, both in the overall arc and the character relationships was good and generally the story zipped along (there were a couple of areas where it dragged a bit, mostly where back story was involved). Very, very few typos or grammatical errors that self published works are often notorious for.

A recommended read for fans of Firefly/Farscape, and those who've enjoyed Jaine Fenn's Hidden Empire series, and Linnea Sinclair's Sass and Kel-Paton stories. And a full length novel for free? Bargain!

Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials (Partials Sequence #1) 
Author: Dan Wells
Genre: YA Scifi/Dystopia
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Available: $8.99 (paperback) at Amazon
Rating: 4.5 stars
Rater: Pippa



 
From the publisher:

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

What I liked:

Although I didn’t connect that well with the main character, I admired her determination and drive, and a surprising maturity considering her youth. Her somewhat naive faith in her ability to cure a disease that no adult had managed turned out to be correct, and my inner teenage self cheered her success. After a slow start, the action didn’t stop and provided an interesting conflict, intriguing characters and a couple of twists – one not that surprising, the other very much so. I didn’t find this anywhere near as whiny and full of teenage angst as a lot of YA I’ve read – I felt the teens all had damn good reason to protest life was unfair!

What I didn't like:


The beginning was slow and dragged, to the point I almost wanted to quit. There was too much repetition -- I felt the whole Partials war, plague, and the details of the RM virus had been engraved into my memory the number of times they were mentioned, something that an editor should have picked up on. It all seemed to go round in circles, and even though it spelled the end of humanity, I didn’t really feel the impact emotionally. I was close to not caring if they all died out.

In conclusion:

So why, despite being things I didn't like, did this still rate 4.5 stars? Because I really enjoyed the story. I'll forgive certain flaws in a book if the overall story is compelling enough, and from the fact that I'm keen to read the sequel. The twists at the end definitely hooked me to read the next. YA without a lot of the irritating angst, and dystopian without being 'we're all going to die'. Recommended.

The Girls from Alcyone: Merchantman by Cary Caffrey

Title: The Girls from Alcyone: Merchantman

Author: Cary Caffrey
Genre: Scifi/Space Opera (short story)
Publisher: Alcyone Studio (July 13, 2013) 
Available: $0.99 at Amazon
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa




From the publisher:

Sigrid Novak embarks on an all or nothing mission to secure vital supplies for the girls' homeworld of New Alcyone. But with a price on her head the size of a planet, and pursued across the galaxy by the Council for Trade and Finance, finding a willing trading partner proves a more complicated problem than Sigrid thought.

Fortunately, there are always the Merchantmen

What I liked:

I loved The Girls from Alcyone so this was an immediate buy for me, and I wasn't disappointed. Another exciting adventure with the lovely, kick-ass Sigrid, a space station, betrayal, and technology from the super-advanced to the seriously dodgy. It fulfilled all my main wishlist items for scifi/space opera.

What I didn't like:

I can't really say there was anything I didn't like, aside from it was over too quickly. The only reason I couldn't rate this five stars like TGfA is that it just didn't have the same emotional punch as the novel, and I felt I had to reflect that in my rating.

In conclusion:

As an addition to Caffrey's universe, this is a quick, enjoyable read, and long enough to give you a decent taster of his work. I would personally, however, recommend reading The Girls from Alcyone first because of the complexity of the world building, and references made to events in the novel during Merchantman. Give me more!

Reckless Rescue by Rinelle Grey

Title: Reckless Rescue (A Barren Planet Romance #1)

Author: Rinelle Grey
Genre: Scifi Romance/Space Opera
Publisher: Self (27th February 2013)
Available: $2.99 at Amazon
Rating: 3 stars
Rater: Pippa


 
From the publisher: 

Marlee's people are dying—the valuable anysogen gas that covers their planet is making the entire population infertile. When the council tells her she must leave her partner and choose another to improve her chances of having a baby, she’s devastated. She swears she’ll never love again—it hurts too much.

Tyris thinks he has everything he wants, despite his world suffering from overpopulation—until his wife leaves him because he is forbidden to have children.

In an attempt to convince his world, and his wife, that he’s worthwhile, Tyris goes hunting for a lost planet said to contain untold riches in the form of anysogen gas.

When he crashes on her world, Marlee and Tyris agree to pretend to live together while they try to repair his ship and escape from the planet. But as they battle the harsh winter on the planet together, keeping their distance becomes even more challenging than the snow, the council and the risks of a real relationship...

What I liked:

I loved the premise about the essential FTL fuel becoming scarce, a similar situation to present day with fossil fuels running out, but combined with the horrible side effects of nuclear power when it goes wrong. Marlee and her people are in a terrible, emotionally desperate situation on their planet, with a real moral conundrum that promised much conflict. I liked the idea of Tyris's quest, and the concept of the contraceptive chip being forced on anyone with a criminal record. The romance was sweet and the bedroom scenes tastefully done. Forbidden love (and in a way, this is a play on that trope with partners being chosen, but then forced to break up) is one of my favourite themes, and this story does it with a twist.

What I didn't like:

Emotionally, the story fell flat for me. Considering how many options there were for serious conflict,  the tension was lacking, particularly in the romance. It didn't go deep enough. Plus it had a slightly weak plot line toward the end regarding the lack of enthusiasm to escape amongst some of the colony members that wasn't adequately explained. The opening scene also made me dislike the two characters intensely, leaving me with little sympathy for the hero at the start. This was mitigated somewhat throughout the story with Tyris supporting Marlee, but I couldn't empathize with him totally.


In conclusion:

If you like dystopian scifi with romance and aren't looking for the 'everybody dies' scenario, this could be for you. Some interesting world building and differing concepts of society, but not visceral enough for me. I really, really wanted to love this story but can only say it scored a 'like' - I would probably read the sequel to see how the overall story arc develops, although it wouldn't be high on my TBR priorities at the moment.

Made for Her by Jessica E Subject

Title: Made for Her

Author: Jessica E Subject
Genre: Military/Futuristic Erotica/Romance
Publisher: Decadent Publishing Company, LLC (January 12, 2013) Available: $2.99 at Amazon
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa


From the publisher: 

After terrorists murder the love of her life, Major Mikayla Jones trains squadron after squadron of the clones her husband helped develop to take to the skies. When she discovers a young clone of her husband in her newest class, her world spins out of control. How can she command the look-a-like when she can’t help but yearn for him to fill the ache in her heart?

Dare was created to be the best. As the first Daniel clone to leave Onatria Labs, he needs to prove he is more than just a DNA copy. To do that, he must rely on the wife of the man who donated his genes. But when she refuses to train him, Dare faces discharge and a return to the labs. Can he convince Major Jones to finish his training—and find a way into her bed? Or will long-kept secrets unhinge the entire clone project?

What I did like:

I'm a huge fan of the idea of cloning, and of Jessica's previous works in general. Being faced with a clone of your lost love sets up great potential for emotional and ethical conflict. There's also a brilliant plot twist that was a tear-jerker, and had me physically reeling - I really hadn't expected it. The ending will leave you reaching for a hanky and hoping for a sequel.

What I didn't like:

For me, this focused a little too much on the sex rather than the emotions behind it and the inner conflict of the main characters. For all his claim of wanting to be the best, Dare seemed more set on getting into Jones's panties, and for all her 'I shouldn't', she didn't put up as much resistance as I would expect. I felt it could have been deeper and been explored more. It wasn't as heart wrenching as some of her previous works, and I would have liked to know much more about this near future world, and the cloning process.


In conclusion:

Fans of military-based scifi romances and erotica will enjoy this. For me it lacked some emotional depth, and I prefer my scifi more offworld, although I loved the cloning aspect and the big twist. While this particular story may have missed the mark for me a touch, I'm still a huge fan of J Subject's writing and will be back for more.


DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that this blog does NOT accept submissions of erotica. Any erotica reviews posted on this site are of books bought or personally gifted to the reviewer (Pippa) and not through general submission to Critique de Book.

Starheart by Greta van der Rol

Title: Starheart (Ptorix Empire #4)
Author: Greta van der Rol
Genre: Scifi Romance/Space Opera
Publisher: Self (latest edition April 2013)
Available: $3.99 at Amazon
Rating: 4 stars
Rater: Pippa


From the publisher:

Freighter Captain Jess Sondijk thought she had her life under control until Admiral Hudson's Confederacy battle cruiser stops her ship to search for contraband. His questions reopen matters she had thought resolved. What if her husband's death during an official boarding wasn't accidental?

Hudson has his own questions. Who in the Confederacy is trading with the Ptorix? And what price is high enough to pay for starhearts, the prized jewels the aliens call the windows of the soul?

Jess and Hudson's interests collide in more ways than one as they follow a shadowy trail of deceit and corruption in search of the truth. But while Jess is more than willing to put her life on the line to protect what's hers, Hudson must balance the risk of inter-species war at worst and the end of his career at best, in a deadly game of political intrigue, murder and greed.

What I liked:
This was a fun book, in the true spirit of classic space opera akin to Star Trek and it's ilk, with good tension and interesting plot twists. A spunky heroine does it for me every time, and we get that in Jess. She's had it tough and skirted the grey area between legal transport and smuggling. She's smart, confident, and yet caring - no coming over as a hard-nosed bitch determined to be the match of any man, and yet being totally up to the challenge. Personally I enjoyed the secondary story line with her first officer Santh, and would have liked more on him. In that respect, the story felt slightly unbalanced.

What I didn't like:
So why didn't this rate a five? In a word, Hudson. I cannot stand smug men. In spite of his charms, his attitude just made me want to slap, and despite the situation they were in, I begrudged Jess surrendering. Also, one major stunning revelation at the end gave me a very 'huh?' moment. Not because I object to the content. I just couldn't see the overall point to the story, except to cause some additional conflict. But forgiveness came far too quickly to make it a significant conflict, so I felt a little 'why do it?', unless it has more relevance in another book in the series.

In conclusion:
This is classic space opera that Star Trek fans would probably enjoy. It had my heart going and had me rooting for the good guys and gals, and I would definitely read more by this author. It also stands alone well despite being labelled book four, so even someone totally new to the series would be able to enjoy this without reading the others (as I did).