Cats of War (Central Galactic Concordance) by Carol Van Natta – Review

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5 stars, Book Review, Carol Van Natta, cats, mystery, pets, Pets in Space, romance, scifi, scifi romance, series

About Cats of War by Carol Van Natta

A tarnished military Subcaptain, a repair technician hiding from her past, and two genetically engineered cats join must forces to save an important factory.

Military Subcaptain Kedron Tauceti counts the days until he can leave the rare metals factory and his current duty station as the liaison to the galactic government’s Criminal Restitution and Indenture Obligation system. The post was protection—and punishment—for exposing a theft ring during his previous assignment. He’s more than ready to get his career back on track on a new base halfway across the galaxy, even if it means leaving behind the one person who makes him want to stay. Not that he’s told her, because technically, he’s her warden.

Former financial specialist and current indenturee Ferra Barray, hiding from her past, only has three months to go on her restitution sentence. She’s lucked into a tech repair job. If she keeps her head down, she’ll soon be free to figure out her future. Unfortunately, the local shark behind every illegal scheme in the facility wants her to steal for him, and she’s running out of excuses. And now the heroically handsome Tauceti, who she hoped could help, is transferring out.

Everything changes when Ferra discovers two genetically modified cats. Saving them takes incredible risks. She doesn’t know what she’ll do if she can’t convince Tauceti to rescue the cats and keep them until she’s free to come for them.

But when trouble erupts at the factory, it might just be the cats who save them.

NOTE TO READERS: Cats of War debuted in the limited edition Embrace the Passion: Pets in Space 3 anthology. It has been edited for clarity, but is substantially unchanged from the original.

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Review of Cats of War

This is the second time I have read Cats of War. The first time, it was part of the Pets in Space 3 anthology. Now available as a stand alone novella, the second time reading this story, I enjoyed it just as much, if not more than the first time. Like the book, my review has not changed substantially from the first time I wrote about it. 😊

Cats of War by takes place in the galaxy of telepaths, telekinetics and patterners where not having those skills seems to be a major handicap, but having them puts one on the CPS radar. In this story, we have two people who have avoided the CPS trap, but find that sometimes, using your talent for good is worth taking the risk.

Our hero, Kedron, is a quiet nerd (I do love the quiet nerds!) who is trying to stay under the radar until he can get off this planet. He has noticed Ferra, but is not sure if he should open up to the lovely techie. He is pretty sure he should not. That doesn’t keep him from saving up week’s work of technical issues that will require her attention.

Ferra is the heroine who is dodging a past by doing time – voluntarily – as an indentured worker. Kedron is definitely out of her league, but when his repair requests put them together, she can’t help but think he is more than he appears to be.

Their mutual attraction goes unnoticed, mostly, until circumstances force them to spend more time together. Whether it is fixing technical problems with dubious causes, saving animals or fending off the gangster indenturees, Kedron and Ferra make a good team. I think you could say they have chemistry.

Wait – I haven’t mentioned the critters yet. Cats. Flying cats. Flying chameleon cats. Flying chameleon telepathic cats. How cool is that?! The cats are some of the animals that needed rescuing and they quickly worm their way into the hearts of Ferra and Kedron and the reader.

I am a big fan of the Central Galactic Concordance series, but the two Pets in Space stories, Pet Trade and Cats of War may be my favorites. Sci-fi reading animal lovers, this book is for you!

Thanks to the author for providing a copy of Cats of War in exchange for my unbiased interview.

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Maestra Rising (Project Enterprise #8) by Pauline Baird Jones – Cover Reveal with Excerpt

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Cover Reveal, excerpt, favorite series, Pauline Baird Jones, scifi, scifi romance, series, space opera

What’s that you say?  You need a good scifi adventure.  With a pretty dollop of romance.  And you could use a little quirkiness?  It sounds like you are saying that you need a Pauline Baird Jones / Project Enterprise fix?

In that case, I have good news.  Today I have a cover reveal of the soon-to-be-release Project Enterprise novel – Maestra Rising.  It will be out on June 18, but you can pre-order it today. In fact, I recommend it.  For today, here is a sneak peak at the cover (love it!) and at an excerpt from the book.  Thanks to Pauline Baird Jones for giving us this tantalizing taste of what is to come!

About Maestra Rising

She’s a gifted scientist. He’s a robot with a human mind. Can they save a lost ship and find love among the stars?

Nivi awakes from cryosleep plagued by guilt. The scientific genius had hoped her people would avoid war if she went into cold sleep, but she learns her sacrifice was in vain. And now a vicious enemy approaches a stranded Earth spaceship. Desperate to reactivate the technology she needs for the rescue, Nivi enlists the help of an attractive robot with a human consciousness and wisdom beyond his years…

Moose survived slavery but never forgot the feeling of worthlessness it forced upon him. After living in the body of a robot for years, he sees an opportunity to help the brilliant Nivi if he becomes human once again. In a new body with new dangers, he worries that the genius scientist will never see him as more than the robot he once was.

Outnumbered by a relentless foe, Nivi and Moose attempt to put their desires on hold to ensure humanity’s survival.

With time running out, can they defeat the enemy and enjoy a future filled with love

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Excerpt from Maestra Rising

Here is an extended excerpt about Arian and Coop from Found Girl: Project Enterprise 6. You’ve all been wondering when they are going to be rescued! Well, this is the book where they try. But as you can see, if you read the excerpt, they are in a LOT of trouble because thing are heating up where they are.

Please note this is an unedited version because I (Pauline) couldn’t wait to share it.

Deep in the tunnels of the Phoenicopterian’s central planet, the intermittent ticking echoed off the walls, seeming to reach up and out into space itself. That was the plan, according to Arian, Captain Jackson “Coop” Cooper thought a touch gloomily, as he followed his bird guide down and then down some more through the dull and rather damp tunnel system. Waiting wasn’t really his thing and Pappy—General Boyette—wasn’t a great wait-on-events guy either.

Hope had been, well, not high. Not Pappy’s skill set either. But Arian’s SOS beat trying to hoof it home in a hundred years or more—if they managed to elude the fleet of vicious storks hungrily pacing outside this sanctuary. He suppressed a memory of his fight with the storks and the men who had died. He hadn’t watched the video of that fight, hadn’t wanted to watch it again. He’d been there, so it already played on an almost constant loop inside his head.

Pappy had watched it because that’s what commanders of men did. He’d never seen the old man come out of a briefing that pale.

They’d been brainstorming an alternate plan ever since, trying to learn from the skirmish and do better the next time, if the SOS didn’t work or help didn’t come in time. Ideas for what to do better or different were thin on the ground and now—well, that’s why Pappy had sent him here.

They passed into the fountain room, then out again. That damn fountain was the only way he knew he was almost there. Like the Phoenicopterians, all the tunnels looked alike to him.

The tall double doors opened at their approach. The first time he’d been here, he’d wondered if they were all on the menu. He was glad they hadn’t been, but finding out they were kind of friends had not helped that much.

The guide stopped, letting him enter on his own. The room had morphed from weird dining room to echoing space with nothing but the Urclock and then into a sort of not-fun home away from home for them. Not that he felt comfortable doing anything but hugging Arian when anyone could walk in at any time. And often did.

The Phoenicopterians had moved in a couple of chairs, a bed, and a work station so Arian could be comfortable during her vigil. Somehow they’d managed to accommodate her other needs without her needing to get too far away. Pappy let him spend as much time here as events allowed.

Or when there was bad news.

She looked around, as if she sensed him coming. His breath caught and his heart kicked into high. Her smile lit her face until she saw his eyes. He hated that he’d been the one to erase that smile. It was the first thing he’d fallen for—

“It’s—” She stopped, her head turning to the side as Hoteimai—him or her, Coop still wasn’t sure—entered, moving toward them with that peculiar flamingo-like gait. Coop had been around them long enough to be able to tell when they were worried. Like now.

Arian’s fingers tightened around his, but her voice was calm. “They’ve broken through again? Haven’t they?”

The large bird raised and lowered its long pink neck in a nod.

“Not big enough for a ship to get through. Yet,” Coop added because what they’d done once the storks could do again, particularly when the array had already been damaged.

She nodded, her glance straying toward the Urclock. He didn’t want to look, but he couldn’t help it. The third symbol still blinked red, then yellow. They’d had some hope when the seven signal came on, but then nothing. At this point, if anyone answered the signal, could they get here in time to help them?

Suddenly the Urclock pulsed, light coming from the symbols and it also seemed to come from the surface of the thing, too. Arian’s eyes glazed for a few seconds and then it was over. Coop blinked in the bright light, his grip on Arian tightened as she swayed slightly.

“Was that…them?” he asked.

Instead of answering, she looked at the Urclock. It had changed. Arian’s symbol still blinked yellow and red, and another one had joined in hers. One and seven were yellow. And the rest were red. Not blinking red, but solid red.

“What does that mean?” Coop asked. Maybe red didn’t mean the same thing to this tangram thing…

“The Tangram can not form.” Hoteimai’s tone was flat, almost resigned, as if it had expected this.

“It’s been a long time,” Arian said, her brows creased. “But the One is active. She—” Arian’s gaze turned dreamy, distant. “The Maestra will not stop trying.”

Despite her words, her wide worried gaze met his. He managed a crooked grin for her.

“So, maybe we won’t be home by Christmas, but Easter for sure.”

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Maestra Rising is the eighth novel in the epic Project Enterprise sci-fi romance series. If you like gripping adventures, captivating characters, and emotional out-of-this-world encounters, then you’ll love Pauline Baird Jones’ thrilling saga.

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Pre-order Maestra Rising at Amazon (releases June 18):

Other purchase links here: http://paulinebjones.com/books/maestra-rising/

Purchase books in the Project Enterprise series:

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Pauline Baird Jones never liked reality, so she writes books. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. Loves chocolate, bacon, flamingoes, and mid-century modern anything.

Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion, #1) by Jessie Mihalik – Review

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4 stars, Book Review, Jessie Mihalik, scifi, scifi romance, series, space opera

About Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik

A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure—the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiancé captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .

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Review of Polaris Rising

As a big fan of scifi romance, I am always please to find a new talented writer in this genre. Jessie Mihalik has nailed it! The combination of scific culture and geography, plenty of otherworldly action and a they-should-not-be-together-but-they-are romance had me racing through the pages of Polaris Rising.

There is great chemistry between Ada and Marcus (the princess and the soldier), both romantically and as partners in the adventure. Like I said, they should not be together. They come from two very different backgrounds. But they have similar attitudes about what is right and what is wrong and also about the Rockhurst (the antagonist).

Secondary characters, friends Veronica and Rhys as well as sister Bianca add to the depth of the story and the back-story for both Ada and Marcus.

Ada is high-tech. Conveniently so. Maybe too conveniently so. I found it a little hard to believe that all her communications to her sister were never intercepted or deciphered. But that may be the paranoid former IT worker talking. Ada and her multiple identities, codes and encryptions never got caught. Also, I often felt that complications were written just to make it easy for Ada to get out of. Rather than creating complications and then making it hard for the heroine to get around. In other words, Ada was too darn lucky to suit me.

The escalation of the political crisis seems to be what this series will be about. That, and the people that are affected by it. The futuristic political consortium of three ruling families laying claim to a vast area of space was written fairly simplistically. I will continue to read this series hoping to see more depth in the socio-political environment.

I wanted to read this because a) I read Mihalik’s The Queen’s Gambit and loved it and b) a fellow-reviewer said the romance was downplayed to make room for the main story, which also reminded me of The Queen’s Gambit. Polaris Rising has far more romance than The Queen’s Gambit, and while the main story line never suffered for it, I would not described it as downplayed. Maybe it was that constant attraction without doing much about it that got in the way of other things. Ada did a lot of over-thinking about her hot partner, when I thought she should have been thinking about a) the bad guy(s), b) the current political situation, and c) the significance of tech on board her stolen ship, The Polaris.

Despite my slight criticisms, all-in-all Polaris Rising is a great scifi story with a smoldering romance, making this book a truly fun read!

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

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