Review: Very Enjoyable 4-Star Read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 23, 2014
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.Striker is book two in the Valespian Pact series and picks up immediately after the events in Alpha Trine. To realy get the most out of the story, I would recommend reading the series in order.  I think I would've been lost had I not read book one.If book one introduced us to the main characters and the universe, book two really kicks it up a notch. We get more of Zeus' backstory and some unexpected character reveals. But it is the present that grabbed my attention. We learn what it really means to be an alpha trine. I felt like Alpha became more than Dargon's symbiote, he emerged as his own strong character experiencing pain and loss, love and joy.  And I really enjoyed growly, protective Zeus. Given his condition, Dargon was sorta sidelined in this book and I would've liked more of him. Underneath all the action, I think this is a story about connections, about what it really means to be family, lovers, comrades, even enemies.There is also a lot more of the evil bugs coming-to-conquer-and-enslave-the-world plot, complete with villains, co-conspirators and treachery.  Yay!  This story is packed with political intrigue, military maneuvering and plenty of space battles... Epic battles, well-fought and hard won. I thought the story was genuinely suspenseful, even though you know how it has to turn out. This is a very fast-paced book, sometimes too quick for me. I did get a little overloaded at times.What kept this from being a five-star story was the abrupt wrap-up of some of the smaller plot lines. I was disappointed to just get a paragraph stating so-and-so was caught. I mean, c'mon...  Overall though, for sci-fi/space opera fans, I think this would be a very satisfying read.