Review: Complex, mesmerizing story that will astound you!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 18, 2013
I thought this book was amazing in so many ways.  Dakota Reyes, a kick-ass Private Investigator, gets much more than she ever bargained for when she impulsively hitch-hikes a ride with an odd stranger who saved her bacon in a dark alley encounter gone wrong.  With little chance of ever returning home, Dakota finds herself and her strangely blank-faced companion caught up in a political nightmare between warring factions in another dimension.Told from Dakota's perspective, the writing reflects her confusion and uncertainty amongst people in a structured society of reticent beings.  Linked emotionally to her rescuer Nihkil during the transfer process, Dakota takes center stage when she unintentionally becomes Nihkil's lock-keeper and because of her exotic appearance and fertility.This complex story mesmerized me with its unique setting(s), alien cultures, and backstabbing viciousness.  While there are scenes of intense action, much of the book focuses on the military and political ramifications of Dakota's arrival, and the shattering news that the gates (space portals) have been closed - apparently broken beyond repair.  The pacing was somewhat slower than I usually prefer, but in this case it made sense because of the overwhelming foreignness of the situation in which Dakota finds herself.  Nihkil risks his own well-being in order to keep her safe and Dakota repays his loyalty with her own.  The pair slowly learns to work together, and the respect they have for each other grows in the process.  The various people and caste-like cultures are brought forth in a brilliant mosaic against the tumultuous upheavals of a slowly dying civilization - one willing to take extraordinary measures to survive. Dakota witnesses the events from a unique perspective and takes the reader along for the ride.This book was given to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.Reviewed by Laurie-J