Equinox (Horizon, #3) by Tabitha Lord – Review

Tags

5 stars, Adventure, Book Review, genetic engineering, romance, scifi, series, space opera, Tabitha Lord

About Equinox by Tabitha Lord

After a brutal civil war, Almagest is finally at peace, but the larger battle isn’t over. Dr. Caeli Crys has been captured by the Drokarans, feared enemy of the Interplanetary Alliance, who plan to use her unique telepathic gifts for their own sinister purposes.

Captain Derek Markham and his elite team of operatives race after Caeli, but soon find themselves trapped behind enemy lines on an occupied world. Despite the mounting danger, Derek will stop at nothing to save the woman he loves.

As events spiral toward a conflict that will define the fate of the Alliance, the Horizon team will be pushed to the limits of their strength—and discover that the greatest threat of all may come from an enemy within.

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Review of Equinox

Caeli and Derek still have so much to go through before they can relax and enjoy their life together. They find this out at the beginning of Equinox when Caeli is kidnapped by the Drokarans. When Derek and his team attempt to rescue Caeli, they learn some disturbing information. Their view of their own past is now completely upended. I like how this revelation sets off the rest of the story. There will be several more missions, lots of action, and lots of danger for the characters I have connected with in the first two books of the Horizon series.

When reading the final book of a series, I am always a little nervous. Will all the characters get a HEA? Will it even really end? Will the author wrap things up in a way that will have me saying – “That was good!”

The main thing I was looking for in the finale is the final part of the history of Almagest, which was revealed in pieces through old data files in the first 2 books. At the end of book 2, I was left to do some speculation and I can report I was pretty close on the origin of the Novali (the empaths) and the Drakorans (the physically stronger humans). I won’t say more because you will want to read that for yourself.

Beyond that, the final chapter of the Horizon series took me places I would never have imagined. It was not so much a wrap up as it was another story with a complex plot that just happens to end with no more questions. There was so much going on that the story seemed a bit rushed in places. I think the author could easily have added 50 pages and it would not have made the novel too long. On the other hand, the fast pace got me to the exciting conclusion quickly since I had a hard time putting my Kindle down.  And then I said “That was good!”

If you haven’t started the Horizon series, the first book, also called Horizon, can be purchased for the low price of $.99. This would be a great series to binge read! I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning.

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Dark Matters (Class 5, #4) by Michelle Diener – Review

Tags

5 stars, AI ship, alien abduction, aliens, Book Review, human interaction with aliens, Marie Dry, romance, scifi, scifi romance, spaceships

About Dark Matters by Michelle Diener

A time bomb, waiting to go off . . .

Lucy Harris is on the run, not sure where she can turn to for help, or if help is even available. But even as her abductors chase her down, she realizes they don’t just want to recapture her, they want to erase her.

When your very existence puts a planet at the risk of war, there’s no choice but to do everything in your power to stay out of your enemies hands.

A predator . . . waiting for the chance to pounce

The powerful AI battleship, Bane, is accompanying the United Council envoy to Tecra to mete out the punishment the Tecrans have earned for breaking UC law. He revels in the power he’s about to have over his old masters. But his mission isn’t only to rain down retribution on the people who kept him chained for years, he’s also looking for a human woman his fellow Class 5 thinking system mentioned in the final seconds of his life. Paxe admitted to taking Lucy Harris from Earth, and Bane has been looking for her ever since.

A warrior conflicted . . .

Commander Dray Helvan thinks the Grih made a mistake in not pushing for war with the Tecran, but he’s had to accept the compromise, that he and the other envoys from the United Council will go to Tecra and dismantle its military from the top down. His mission is not one of his choosing, but when he and his team arrive, he’s handed a very different job. While he distrusts Bane on principle, when the thinking system tells him there’s a woman running for her life on the planet below, he will do whatever he has to to see her safe. And if that means war for Tecra, well, then it means war.

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Review of Dark Matters

In Dark Matters, Michelle Diener takes the adventure planetside to Tecra, home of the species that has been out there making trouble. The Tecrans, subverting the law in their part of the galaxy, are the instigators in this series. The rest of the UC (mostly) are the law and some of the good guys.

In previous books in the Class 5 series, the UC has attempted, with a fair amount of success, to quash the Tecran attempts. They have found and freed 3 humans, and 4 Class 5s, while a 5th Class 5 blew itself up. As far as anyone knows, there are no more Class 5s and no more imprisoned sentient beings. Meanwhile, in order to make sure the Tecran military is no longer causing problems, the UC sends a coalition to, effectively, occupy Tecra. This seemed a bit high handed to me at first. Then I thought about the Tecran military and their part in all the trouble. And I sort of agreed that taking control of Tecra from the top down, was needed.

Turns out, this was wise thinking. The Tecran military was hiding the fact that there was another imprisoned Earth woman. Lucy Harris’ escape, early in the book, is the catalyst for all the conflict and action.

Bane is the Class 5 ship that is angry with all Tecrans and would really like some revenge. But first, he will do whatever it takes to save Lucy. Helping Bane search for Lucy, is the Grih commander Dray Helvan. There were several, ‘almost saved’ moments for Lucy, but the Tecran military (and by now, it becomes apparent that this is a renegade portion of the military) always seemed to come between Lucy and her salvation.

The romance between Lucy and Dray was fast and fueled by the heat of the moment. Lucy herself, is a ‘make the most of right now’ type of woman, so I thought the romance aspect of Dark Matters worked well.

I really liked the planetary setting for a change in this series and a look at the Tecran people, most of who were unaware of the military actions. Yet they must put up with the discipline imposed on Tecra. This made for a bit of moral reflection on the part of the occupiers and also, for Bane. If the series continues, I will be interested to see where this goes on the planet Tecra.

Each book in the Class 5 series can be read as a standalone story, so you can start the series at any point. I can recommend all 4 books: Dark Horse, Dark Deeds, Dark Minds and Dark Matters.

Thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

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Penny for Your Secrets (Verity Kent Mystery, #3) by Anna Lee Huber – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, England, France, historical, historical mystery, London, post-war, romance, The Great War

About Penny for Your Secrets by Anna Lee Huber

The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder.

While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined.

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Review of Penny for Your Secrets

Two deaths, a missing ship, British intelligence work, and possible rebellion close to home have Verity and Sidney Kent digging up clues, history and connections in order to find the truth. The constant flow of facts can be overwhelming, but the constant conjecture by Verity and Sidney have the reader following along with bated breath.

While mysteries are being investigated, Penny for Your Secrets shows us the developing relationship between the Verity and her husband Sidney, the returned war hero. They are, at times, very close and in sync and at other times, emotionally separated due to their own war experiences. This intriguing couple will continue to grow and make the series more than just a mystery series.

I dare you to read Penny for Your Secrets and not come away with a renewed understanding of that time in history. Like any of Ms. Huber’s historical mysteries, the details are meticulously researched and beautifully drawn in her depiction of post-World War I England. The post-war atmosphere is both carefree and tense. As a reader, it is easy to see how the Great War changed society forever.

You can read the books in this series as a standalones, but the experience is enhanced by starting at the beginning.  The Verity Kent Mystery series includes This Side of Murder, Treacherous is the Night and Penny for your Secrets. If you are a fan of historical mysteries, I recommend all three books!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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