Fatal Extraction (Chikara Revolution, #1) by Evangeline Rain – Review

Tags

4.5 stars, Book Review, Evangeline Rain, interplanetary conflict, pirates, scifi romance, series, spaceship

About Fatal Extraction by Evangeline Rain

Nirvana Faust had led her crew of space pirates through years of successful raids without a hitch but now her lucky streak had ended. She’d flown straight into an ambush laid by the General of Panderon, from whom she had stolen weapons eight years ago. He would prosecute her for her crime unless she was willing to take on a mission for him – infiltrate the stronghold of Chikara and extract the war plans.

In order for the mission to succeed, she would need help from the man who had defected from Chikara. She was expecting to work with a seasoned soldier, not a much younger man who looked like he’d spent more time with books than guns.

But Nirvana should have known better than to judge a book by its cover.

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Review of Fatal Extraction

Fatal Extraction has a futuristic setting, spaceships, and interplanetary conflict mixed with a romantic pair.  This debut by author Evangeline Rain is solid Scifi Romance and should appeal to readers of that genre.

Nirvana is a likable heroine.  Strong, both physically and mentally, she is a pirate who turns her ill-gotten gains into humanitarian aid.  Her eclectic crew is loyal and play almost as important a role as the hero, Zane.

At first glance, Zane is just a geek who ran away from Daddy.  But there is much more to the young man.  To start, Daddy – Chorax Hayashi – is, at best a dictator, but despot may be a better word.  Power hungry, Hayashi steals his people’s resources to feed his quest for power.  Zane running from Hayashi is an act of rebellion – defection in order to help his people.

I found Nirvana and Zane to be an odd match.  For one thing, there is the age difference.  Zane is early twenties, Nirvana is thirty-six.  Also, Zane has this terrible tendency to, uh, forget to tell some of the details, while Nirvana is pretty straight-forward.  But Zane is incredibly intelligent and that is quite sexy.  However, for the record, I will state that I did not like Zane.  This is not a criticism of the book.  Zane is not the first hero I have run across that I could not sympathize with.  Zane is who he was meant to be to have his critical place in this story.

I have one teensy little complaint.  Early in the book, Zane removes a tracker from the ship they will travel on and then pitches out “out of the window”.  From the command center (cockpit).  In a space-faring ship.  And then they just take off, leave the planet’s atmosphere and soar into space.  Chucking things out of the window on a spaceship should not be that easy.  After that, I decided not to pay too much attention to the sciency details and enjoy the story.

The plot is nicely complex, involving leaders of two worlds on the brink of war.  Nirvana, her crew, and her former lover as well as Zane and at least one of his brothers are all vital characters that carry the action and story from start to finish.  The author has set up an interesting corner of the galaxy where the action is not about to die down.  Fatal Extraction is billed as book 1 in the Chikara Revolution series.  Looking for a new Scif Romance series?  I recommend you check out Fatal Extraction.

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

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The Mother Element (Glass and Iron,#2) by Monica Enderle Pierce – Review

Tags

5 stars x 2, aliens on earth, Book Review, earth invasion, genetic engineering, Monica Enderle Pierce, romance, scifi, scifi romance, series, space travel, spaceships

 

About The Mother Element

He would destroy the universe to keep her safe. She would become death to protect him.

Terran medic Rachel Pryne was designed by the Ohnenrai to destroy their pursuing foe before all life in the known galaxy and beyond falls prey to its aggression.

Ohnenrai leader Ehtishem Mahle was tasked with deploying Rachel into their deadly enemy’s path. Falling in love with her wasn’t part of the plan, but now he desperately needs a way to wield this weapon without ending her life.

The only possible solution to galactic extinction lies with Rachel and Ehtishem, but all they want is to survive and be together. Everyone else can go straight to hell.

 

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Review of The Mother Element

Warning: If you have not read Girl Under Glass, there may be spoilers for you.  Also, if you have not read it, turn around, go back and read it first.  You will be happy you did.

The Mother Element is the complex conclusion to the story that began in Girl Under Glass with Rachel Pryne escaping her earthly existence in a community where she was shunned, hassled and threatened with having her child taken away.  To escape, Rachel and daughter Pearl followed Ehtishem, the alien Ohnenrai soldier she healed.  She did not trust him, but he was her best option.  He became her savior without knowing that she was fated to be the savior of his people.  That is a very short synopsis of book 1.

Book 2 is the very tangled, multi-layered saga of Rachel and Ehtishem.  There is the romance, fraught with family issues (Ehtishem’s mother), cultural differences, and political pressure.  Also, the Ohnenrai people are in a fight for their existence.  At first I thought this was just another one of those stories about an alien race dying out and it is, but it is also so much more.

The Ohnenrai believe they have a solution.  It is the solution that is throwing the Ohnenrai into political unpheaval.  It is the solution that pits son against mother.  It is the solution that brings Rachel and Ehtishem together.  It is the solution that will require many to make the ultimate sacrifice.

I loved this spectacular Scifi Romance.  It had me constantly trying to work out so many aspects of the plot and of course, the ultimate ending.  Rachel is a strong yet vulnerable woman who seems to be in an impossible situation.  Ehtishem, once he has bonded with Rachel, is also in an impossible situation.   The romance between Rachel and Ehtishem is the glue that holds the entire plot together.  It inspires motivation, generates emotion, encourages action and gives us a reason to cheer.

The book is liberally sprinkled with Ohnenrai words and phrases.  Considerable thought went into creating this language.  While they are typically explained once, there were so many words, that remembering the meaning became problematic.  While the book does provide a supplement chapter of Ohnenrai phrases, it is difficult to use in the e-book form.  Suggestion to the author.  Either use fewer alien words, or add the list of words and phrases to your website.  Then a person could print it off for reference while reading.  Linquists will have no problem with the Ohnenrai language.

The Mother Element is one of my favorites of all the books I read in 2019.  If you are new to the series, be sure to start with Girl Under Glass and quickly follow it up with this winning SciFi Romance!

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Knight Protector (Star Kingdom, #5.5) by Lindsay Buroker – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Lindsay Buroker, romance, scifi, scifi romance

About Knight Protector by Lindsay Buroker

An arranged marriage she can’t escape.
A sexy bodyguard who will protect her at all cost.
A forbidden love she can’t give in to…

As one of the sultan’s fourteen daughters, and a successful businesswoman who puts money in the family’s coffers, Princess Nalini thought she would escape an arranged marriage.

She thought wrong.

Her father insists that an alliance with the savage and ambitious Star Kingdom is the only way to avoid a war at home.  As if that weren’t bad enough, her father believes the betrothal may make her a target and is assigning her a bodyguard.

But her new protector—Tristan—is not the brute she expected. He has a quick wit, a sexy smile, and even sexier things under the smile.

Unfortunately, Nalini can’t let herself fall in love with Tristan, not when she’s soon to be betrothed to another man.

As Tristan grew up on the streets, his father a convict and his mother a drug addict, all he ever wanted was to become one of the Star Kingdom’s elite knights, something that very few commoners ever achieve. After Tristan labors for years as a squire, the king is ready to appoint him a knight… if he accomplishes one simple task. He must infiltrate the sultan’s palace, gain the trust of Princess Nalini, and make sure she doesn’t run away from her marriage with Prince Jorg.

There’s just one problem.

Nalini isn’t the spoiled rich brat he expected—she spends her days working as hard as he does—and he soon develops feelings for her.  Can he stand back while a man who doesn’t deserve her claims her for his wife?

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Review of Knight Protector

This story, set in the Star Kingdom universe, is a stand alone scifi romance from a favorite author, Lindsay Buroker.

If you have read any of the Star Kingdom books, you will recognize this corner of the galaxy.  But the rest of the story is totally on it’s own.  Princess Nalini, real estate developer, is the only daughter of the Sultan who isn’t sponging off of the family wealth.  Likewise, almost-Knight Tristan work his own way through life.

When Tristan ends up as Nalini’s bodyguard, Nalini is not happy.  She already has a bodyguard.  But after meeting Tristan, she decides he is not that bad.  He’s a good guy – handsome, brave, smart.  But she is supposed to be marrying Prince Jorg, so maybe it is best if they just remain Princess and bodyguard.

Naturally, it will not be that easy.  Kidnapping attempts, betrayals, weeks in a space ship, and the not-so-desirable Prince Jorg combine to thwart Nalini’s best intentions.  You see where this is going.  In truth, it was pretty predictable.  Neverthless, I truly enjoyed this book.  Ms. Buroker always tells such a fun story!

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