Review: Finally a great concept of bond
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 28, 2013
I like the way this author creates worlds: there are not only different cultures, species, environments, but there's always a "political" element that gives a further sophistication to the stories and that I personally find very intriguing. I am usually looking for character-driven stories, but I really appreciate plots where there's a bigger picture, where the struggles of the protagonists are the clogs that keep the mechanism of the whole society going.I don't think this book is romance, and if someone goes into it expecting a clear romantic development might be disappointed, even if it's the two main characters, the human sniper Marc and the furr battlemonger Hamm with their inexplicable bond, that move the story forward.Marc is scouting a planet to make sure it's safe for the humans who want to exploit its resources. He has been informed that the creatures inhabiting the planet are basically animals, and he kills some of them, performing his duty as a soldier, until he is attacked by one of these creatures. Hamm subdues Marc using his pheromones and he captures him in order to interrogate him. Marc realizes that the creatures he's been killing are intelligent, they have a humanoid form, but they are more imposing, more furry, they purr and roar, and possess an advanced technology to instantly translate the language of different species. The chemical bond between Marc and Hamm, though, seems to complicate things, because it undermines Hamm's credibility as a leader and it gives a special position to a man who has killed the furrs' companions.I have to confess that I wasn't very enthusiastic about the whole pheromones things at the beginning, because I've become quite tired of the mate/fated lovers theme. I was afraid it would devolve into a "mine/yours" kind of story, and I couldn't believe this author would go through that route. And indeed it didn't happen, because Etzweiler is much clever than that. The chemical bonding only jumpstarted the connection between the two men, giving it a shaky foundation instead of a strong one, because the difference in cultures, verbal and non-verbal communication, the natural distrust for an invader and a killer, the insecurity of a man who thinks he's being played through induced lust, the loyalties to their people, each of these elements was a barrier that had to be dismantled before the insta-lust became respect and more.The alternating point-of-views let us see the different takes on the events, which take place in a very short period of time, I think no longer than a day. The writing is very good. My only issue is about the use of space: it was sometimes difficult to visualize where things were happening, I always had a feeling of a closed, limited space, even when the action was happening outside. Also, there were a few moments when it seemed the main characters were more spectators than protagonists, and the overall action seemed disjointed.Anyway, I liked it, I loved the military attitude of Marc and Hamm, the way they understood each other more through that than through their bond. Also the furrs are such an interesting species, I mean, I'd LOVE to have a purring guy.