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About Breakeven by Michelle Diener
Dee had been fighting one war, only to find herself caught up in another . . .
When circumstances leave Dee stranded on the Breakaway planet of Lassa, she has to choose–take the easy way out, or stand and fight an enemy much like the one she left behind on her home world of Garmen.
For Sebastian, leading the Lassian resistance has come at a heavy price. Forced to gamble the last of his resources on a risky ploy to get some leverage over the Core Companies that run Lassa, he stares defeat in the face when it fails. There’s no backup plan left. Nothing more to work with. And all around him, people are starving, and it looks as if the Cores have entered a deal with a hostile alien force, to enrich themselves even more.
But Dee inspires him. Even though it’s his fault she’s on Lassa to begin with, her courage and steady calm are the assets he needs, and unbeknownst to both of them, she has with her the key to bringing the Cores to their knees.
Now they just have to turn the lock in time.
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Review of Breakeven
The Verdant String was supposed to be home to planets where everyone flourished. Why would anyone want to break away from that idyllic stetting? It’s a power/money thing.
Lassa is one of the two worlds that decided to break away from the Verdant String. The resulting power structure leaves everything of value in the hands of the elite with nothing left for the rest. Starving and destitute the losers in this world have nothing left but to gamble everything for a chance to change the world. The setup for the story means there will be plenty of people with desperation, heart and courage. As one might imagine, there is also plenty of opportunity for subterfuge, conflict and betrayal. These are many of the best elements of a great story.
In Breakeven, I especially like Dee. She is really a very strong woman, both physically and mentally, thanks to her training and experience on Garmen, the other breakaway world. She quickly insinuates herself into the rebel cause because she believes in it. At first I wondered why she didn’t just concentrate on getting home. But someone that had experienced life on Garmen like she did might find it very difficult to walk away from the same problems on Lassa.
Some of the natives don’t like her, don’t trust her and would really like to send her on her way. Some do like her, most particularly Sebastian. Sebastian is a man desperate for a win. He often seemed beaten down and very tired – a realistic rebel leader. Luckily, he did not give up. Maybe, having Dee on his side gave him a second wind. These two are drawn to each other, but they have a lot more important things to deal with before they can get too close.
Breakeven also has a sweet little pet. A talu. Dee happened upon the little critter when she was hiding out in a pleasure cruiser. She had know idea what Fluffy was, only that they bonded. Fluffy proves to have a pivotal role in this adventure which I thought was cool. Although when I found out why a talu was so important, the cuteness factor kind of decreased a bit – for me.
In addition to a charming pet, several secondary characters give depth and add intrigue to the Breakeven story. Every intrigue needs its sympathizers and its betrayers. They key is knowing who is who.
In Breakeven, Dee and Sebastion never stop running from something or to something. The action is non-stop in a plot that is thick. The romance provides brief respites from the constant commotion, but is perfectly placed and paced in this book. Scifi Romance readers, Breakeven is a great addition to your library especially if you are a Michelle Diener fan.
The author provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.
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