Review: INTERESTING,  but I wish it were longer...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 18, 2011
NO SPOILERS or plot summaries. Recommendations included.HIGH LEVEL: Stand-alone sci-fi romance novella, some erotica. Decent story set up, strong themes of survival, independence, and power threaded through a post-apocalyptic setting. Not a bad read, but it would have been much better if it had been developed into a full novel.SEXUAL CONTENT: Explicit & lusty, though also a few humorous moments. In addition, be prepared for the forced sex. In a departure from the norm, here it is the man who is raped and the woman who is choosing to "do her duty." It's disturbing, but not offensive if you're prepared.PLOT & WRITING: Intriguing and had potential, but was stunted and forced. Largely first person limited narration from Mali's perspective.  You get brief glimpses through Jaegar's eyes- but not nearly enough. It would have been a better story if we had more insight into his thought process. Plot was well thought out and interesting. Made me really wish this book explored the world a bit more. Unfortunately, due to the limited length, the pacing was choppy and the story felt incomplete. Romance never really felt romantic because we didn't get a chance to warm up to it.CHARACTERS: Again, they were compelling, but I wanted more of them. Mali was a great character and full of nuances that deserved to be fully flushed out. Being raised in such a backward community gave her a very different concept of "fairness" that I would have liked to see expressed more. Jaegar was the same. Clearly he had an interesting backstory that shaped him into a fascinating and complicated man, but we didn't get to see it.BOTTOM LINE: Worth reading, though you may end up filling in a lot of blanks with your own imagination. It would be fun to see this turned into a series to get to know these two and their world over time. It's isn't totally satisfying, but interesting and thought provoking none-the-less.RECOMMENDATIONS:1. Linnea Sinclair'sGames of Command- One of my all-time favorites, another sci-fi romance with political intrigue, psychic predators against a spunky captain and her very sexy, but emotionally challenged biocybe admiral.2. Kaitlyn O'Connor'sThe Ninth Orb- excellent futuristic sci-fi romance/erotica where human women have to adapt to alien men with truly foreign mating habits. Men here are also VERY sweet.3. Kaitlyn O'Connor'sThe Lion's Woman- another thought provoking sci-fi romance involving a breeding plot line.4. Lanette Curington'sStarkissed- sci-fi erotica/romance. Very sweet and fulfilling story of unlikely love of a human woman and an alien warrior.5. Marie Harte'sLurin's Surrender (Life in the Vrail)- short sci-fi erotica centering on men who have evolved to provide pleasure, with a well-rounded cast of characters promising a good series6. Emily Ryan-Davis & Elise Logan'sMore than a Man- sci-fi erotica about a made to order husband. NOTE: short story not full novel7. Linnea Sinclair'sGabriel's Ghost- another sci-fi romance with political intrigue, hostile aliens and a very sexy, very dangerous telepath8. The "Wastelands" series which is futuristic fantasy erotica, written by 4 authors, which begins withWasteland: The Wandererand then moves through: The Whore, The Breeder and The Priestess.