Review: Imperfect
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 9, 2010
Illona is sequestered in the Lorahan seraglio for only three more days, and then she'll be free to retire with the help of the Alliance and a fat check.  She has avoided being selected thus far.  Now it's all about killing time and waiting out the one person she hopes to avoid.The Prefect of Lorahan has other plans.  He's been watching her to discover how she's avoided the selection process.  Frustration and anger make him desperate enough to use trickery to gain the knowledge he needs to make her his consort.Will Illona submit to his whims and desires?  Or will she outsmart him again and make her escape?Imperfect is a wicked commentary on a variety of subjects.  The main ingredient in this boiling cauldron of social issues is the ever raging battle of the sexes, and the warzone that is sometimes called marriage.  Illona and her mate are the means to ensuring the future of Lorahan.  I particularly enjoyed the way this couple matches wits and fighting skills--in and out of the bedroom.The story is unusual in how it tackles gender relations and the old ball and chain, which made for a zesty, humorous and insightful read.  No matter which direction the plot turned, everything stands apart from other Terran Times tales.  By the time you finish the first ten pages, you realize Illona's purpose on Lorahan is more complex than what you first presume.  She's not just some silly creature whiling away her time in a harem, waiting for the Alliance to cash her out so she can spend the rest of her days on a permanent vacation.  Nope, there's more to her rebel-without-a-cause demeanor than what's put in front.  She (and the other women) has a right to carry a chip on her shoulder after being labeled Imperfect.  Just what that entails...well, you'll have to read it for yourself.  There is a message there that is quite important on so many levels.  Whether Illona's up to the task of consort is what kept me on edge the entire time.  I'll let you decide if she succeeded, which means-drum roll-you'll have to take the plunge and read it.  For long-time fans of the series, you know this author never disappoints.  My advice to all the newcomers is it's time to catch up!  This story is a witty run that will make you smile and have you back tracking to indulge yourself again and again and again infinitely.PatriceReviewed for Joyfully Reviewed