Review: Slow start but was worth it in the end...
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2014
*****MILD SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW*****I liked this BUT there were things I didn't like too. I will start with the bad and end with the good...To be completely honest, I was pretty dang worried about this book for almost the entire first half of it.  As I have read the first four in this series, I had been looking forward to Malachi's story greatly and though initially I was very interested, I found my interest then waned until I was about halfway through and then it FINALLY took off.  I believe in the end the author did redeem herself BUT there were times I was actually bored. Let me explain....I found it incredibly boring to read about Dorian's spiritual beliefs. I had to force myself to read that part and it added nothing to the actual story. I easily could have skipped that part and still understood exactly what was going on. I actually stopped reading in the middle of that conversation and waited until the next day. Then there was all that emissary/creator stuff. I understand some of it was necessary to the story but it felt like that stuff just dragged ON and ON. Seriously, I just wanted the story to move on which felt nearly impossible in the beginning!I also found it extremely annoying to jump around reading from one character's point of view to another.  I expected some of this from the author's previous writing, but this time it really felt excessive and initially created a disconnect in the story for me. Due to this, I am unsure if I will continue on with the series. I absolutely would if I knew the author would focus more on the main couple and their story rather than throwing a kaleidoscope at me. (The first two books in the series were waaaay more focused and I enjoyed them a lot more.) Picture a soap opera and how it jumps around from scene to scene, couple to couple - that is EXACTLY how this felt. I realize this book is classified as a space opera and yup, it is. So if your looking for that your going to be happy.(I'm just thinking maybe this genre is not for me and I'll stick to sci-fi romance....though I really do like Ms. McDonald's characters and stories...so again, I'm not sure.) There are SIX couple's relationships at various stages, in this book. While I enjoyed reading about the previous couples and meeting new ones, I really wanted more focus on Malachi, his love interest and their story.So with all that being said, I ended up liking the book.  Once the story got moving along, BAM! I was there! I loved the second half of the book. This author really shines when she actually tells us the story. I absolutely love these characters that Ms. McDonald has created! They are sooooo original and unique and they feel like real people to me. I felt fully vested in them and cared about them. I love the species she has created and the entire reality that the story takes place in.  In short, there is a reason I have read all 5 books in the series - because they are dang good, well written, and can just suck you right in.  None of them are stand alone books, you need to read them all in order.  Each story is basically a continuation of the previous story and could all be bound together to make one really long book.When the previous book ended, Malachi's love interest (the emissary of the creator's) appeared to have departed and the body of Rena Trax is in stasis. Rena awakens and mourns that she has been brought back to life while Malachi mourns the missing emissary. We soon learn that the emissary has not left - that she is still with our crew "investigating" things. At this point, I did NOT like her at all! I was actually rooting for Rena.  As the story progresses, our crew is sent on a mission to find the sole survivor of a race that was thought to be extinct - a survivor who happens to be female and thus the beginning of yet another relationship with a couple destined to be mated is introduced to us.  There are some unexpected and interesting twists and eventually Malachi gets his perfect mate....a mate that I felt very happy with.Sooo - after a slow start (3 stars) I found myself happy that I'd purchased this book and I enjoyed it (5 stars). The author is very talented and the quality of the book is stellar. I don't recommend this if you haven't read the other books in the series but if you have then I recommend this.  Malachi is a great character and to watch his progression (and his struggles) was awesome!If you haven't read the other books, and you like space opera type love stories then you will like this series. The men are all super sexy and possessive once they are mated and the women are strong, intelligent, alpha women!The first book is The Demon of Synar - which is free by the way.