Review: What a Reaction!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 9, 2012
I've been looking forward to this story for quite a long time. I really enjoyedCollision Course, which is a totally different genre than her Blades of the Rose series. The world Ms. Archer created for her elite 8th Wing fighter pilots, as well as the characters, was so consuming that I reread COLLISON COURSE several times since I first cracked it open months ago.We first heard Lieutenant Celene Jur's name as the reason for Mara and Kell's rescue mission in COLLISION COURSE. She was taken captive after a mysterious device disabled her ship. She and her top-secret ship would have been sold at a black market auction if she hadn't been rescued. Three months later, she has a chance at vengeance when she receives intel on the man who built the device.  Lieutenant Nils Calder, Engineering's golden-boy, has spent every minute since Celene's return in figuring out what happened to her ship and track it back to its origin. Now that he knows, he's not backing down from Lieutenant Celene "Stainless" Jur's indignant stare and is determined to prove he is just as capable a fighter as he is with his gadgets. Soon, Celene and Nils are navigating the outer reaches of space, trekking on an untamed planet, infiltrating a high security stronghold, and pulling off the mission of the century on which hangs the fate of millions.What I loved:1. Celene--she is strong, disciplined, and more capable than anyone, well maybe except Kell. Her nickname is "Stainless Jur" and has become quite a legend among her people because of her ruthless determination and stellar record. She's pulled off amazing missions with a cold-calm. But her legendary status makes for a cold bed as men tend to worship her from afar and those who dare get close soon become disappointed to learn the legendary "Stainless Jur" is only human.2. Nils--he is more shy and nerdy, but that is what is so endearing about him. He isn't happy with the bare minimum, but holds himself to a higher standard--just like Celene. He's had a crush on Celene for years--a bit of unrequited loved.3. The action--Wow! There were a lot of cool action scenes that played out nicely. It was easy to visualize what was happening, and I found myself completely caught up in it.4.  The romance--the chemistry between Celene and Nils slowly built and grew. The progression of their relationship felt very organic and real.Even though I really enjoyed this story and was so glad that Ms. Archer continued this series, I didn't like it as much as its predecessor. The story telling was beautifully executed with a unique plot. The world was just as vivid and engrossing. I finally nailed it down to the fact that even though I liked Celene and Nils, I loved Mara and Kell much more.  We don't get much backstory on Celene and Nils other than that they both went to the 8th Wing from happy homes. That's it. They are both driven by duty and honor, and both are highly disciplined. That's not a bad thing--it gave this story something different. And it was fun to watch the amazing things they did and created. With that said, I loved both Mara and Kell because they had much more edge and scoundrel in them. So, of course I had to pick up COLLISION COURSE and read that one...again.Would I read CHAIN REACTION again? Already have and know I will again. When asked on a book blog how many books we can expect from this series, Ms. Archer said it all depended on sales. So please, pick up these books so she knows we enjoy them and hopefully she'll treat us to another hot-shot 8th Wing pilot.Contains: swear words, including the F variety, detailed sex scenes8th Wing PilotsCollision CourseCHAIN REACTION