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New Seattle #1
Dark Sun
Lynx is the spoiled sheltered son of the Dragon Triad, a crime family that rules over futuristic New Seattle. When he gets separated from his cousins during an adventure in the seediest part of town, he meets the man of his dreams in a bar owned by the Phoenix Triad, his family's bitter rivals. After a night spent in passion, his mysterious lover disappears and Lynx fears he'll never find him again.
Orion has a secret. On the surface he's the perfect son, a society prince, heir to the Phoenix Triad's corporate throne. But in his other life he's known as Katana -- thief, hacker, hero who steals from the triads to help the poor citizens of Bottom City. Orion knows the pretty Dragon he met in the bar that night is trouble, but he can't forget the passion they shared.
So when the opportunity arises, Orion captures him and takes him on an adventure he'll never forget. Will their love match survive the revelation of their true identities and the heat of their families' feud?
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.
Orion has a secret. On the surface he's the perfect son, a society prince, heir to the Phoenix Triad's corporate throne. But in his other life he's known as Katana -- thief, hacker, hero who steals from the triads to help the poor citizens of Bottom City. Orion knows the pretty Dragon he met in the bar that night is trouble, but he can't forget the passion they shared.
So when the opportunity arises, Orion captures him and takes him on an adventure he'll never forget. Will their love match survive the revelation of their true identities and the heat of their families' feud?
Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2011
18 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
M.J. O'Shea
86 books948 followersMJ O’Shea has never met a music festival, paintbrush, or
flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms
and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and
more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.
She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there
and loves it, MJ has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all
her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her
books.
Except for every once in a while when she does what all
travelers have to do on occasion… come home.
flower crown she can stay away from. She loves rainstorms
and a perfect cup of tea, beach days, music, bright colors, and
more than anything a cozy evening with a really great book.
She is from the Pacific Northwest. While she still lives there
and loves it, MJ has the heart of a wanderer. So she puts all
her dreams of far off places and extraordinary people in her
books.
Except for every once in a while when she does what all
travelers have to do on occasion… come home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 27, 2013
I was pleasantly shocked by this book. I bought it years ago but never got around to reading it until today. With that being said, it has the plot of Romeo & Juliet with a twist of Robin Hood added in for good measure.
It's an adventurous story that follows the second son of the Dragon Triad, Lynx, as he accidentally meets the notorious 'Yoru Katana', the thief who is stealing from his family, and becomes infatuated with but who he doesn't know yet is Katana. Except, Katana is actually Orion, the supposed heir to the Phoenix Triad, the rivals of the Dragons. Orion believes completely in his mission to steal valuable meds from higher society and giving it back to the poor society. At the same time, he's also become infatuated with Lynx, putting more danger to his already dangerous missions especially when he not only has an intimate relationship with Lynx but takes him on a few missions with his team as well. However, that's not the worst of their problems and soon enough Lynx and Orion uncover a project that connects their family to something horrible that they feel needs to be stopped.
In the beginning, Lynx is this depressed, innocent, naive and spoiled noble. He's scared to mingle with those on the Bottom Level because he's been taught that they're deformed freaks. Sadly, Lynx has taken those lies to heart and is scared of interacting with anyone but his own people on Cloud Level. It was interesting to see the development between Lynx in the beginning and Lynx in the end. It's a huge change because not only does Lynx become less naive but he also becomes more fierce and confident, as well as, more generous and open-minded to those beneath him. Orion is pretty intense. He lives a dual life as one of the elitist who doesn't have a care in the world and then a life as the most notorious thief, Katana. I loved that it was so easy for him to change into the different personas. Mostly, while their sudden need for each other is not technically explained, I loved seeing these boys fall hard and fast for each other to the point that no matter what, they couldn't stay away from one another for long. It was adorable, IMO, but I still enjoyed their attempts at making things less complicated.
I think my biggest issue with this story is that it was too short. The world Ms. O'Shea created was phenomenal and interesting. It's slightly confusing at first but as the story progressed, everything made more sense. It was fascinating to see the world unravel and even more interesting to start to see how it got that way. However, because of the length, I felt like the ending was slightly rushed but, more than that, I'm left with a sense of incompleteness. I want to know what happens next, how Lynx and Orion will survive, what they'll do now. Will they continue with what Orion started? How will they be able to do that? So, I'm left with a bunch of unanswered questions.
All in all, though, I adored the story. It's short but it's also fast paced with an entertaining set of characters (who get a lot of sexy time!) and an interesting plot with suspenseful conflicts. I'm hoping there's more to come of this story, though, because I'd love to see if their efforts paid off in the end.
It's an adventurous story that follows the second son of the Dragon Triad, Lynx, as he accidentally meets the notorious 'Yoru Katana', the thief who is stealing from his family, and becomes infatuated with but who he doesn't know yet is Katana. Except, Katana is actually Orion, the supposed heir to the Phoenix Triad, the rivals of the Dragons. Orion believes completely in his mission to steal valuable meds from higher society and giving it back to the poor society. At the same time, he's also become infatuated with Lynx, putting more danger to his already dangerous missions especially when he not only has an intimate relationship with Lynx but takes him on a few missions with his team as well. However, that's not the worst of their problems and soon enough Lynx and Orion uncover a project that connects their family to something horrible that they feel needs to be stopped.
In the beginning, Lynx is this depressed, innocent, naive and spoiled noble. He's scared to mingle with those on the Bottom Level because he's been taught that they're deformed freaks. Sadly, Lynx has taken those lies to heart and is scared of interacting with anyone but his own people on Cloud Level. It was interesting to see the development between Lynx in the beginning and Lynx in the end. It's a huge change because not only does Lynx become less naive but he also becomes more fierce and confident, as well as, more generous and open-minded to those beneath him. Orion is pretty intense. He lives a dual life as one of the elitist who doesn't have a care in the world and then a life as the most notorious thief, Katana. I loved that it was so easy for him to change into the different personas. Mostly, while their sudden need for each other is not technically explained, I loved seeing these boys fall hard and fast for each other to the point that no matter what, they couldn't stay away from one another for long. It was adorable, IMO, but I still enjoyed their attempts at making things less complicated.
I think my biggest issue with this story is that it was too short. The world Ms. O'Shea created was phenomenal and interesting. It's slightly confusing at first but as the story progressed, everything made more sense. It was fascinating to see the world unravel and even more interesting to start to see how it got that way. However, because of the length, I felt like the ending was slightly rushed but, more than that, I'm left with a sense of incompleteness. I want to know what happens next, how Lynx and Orion will survive, what they'll do now. Will they continue with what Orion started? How will they be able to do that? So, I'm left with a bunch of unanswered questions.
All in all, though, I adored the story. It's short but it's also fast paced with an entertaining set of characters (who get a lot of sexy time!) and an interesting plot with suspenseful conflicts. I'm hoping there's more to come of this story, though, because I'd love to see if their efforts paid off in the end.
September 15, 2011
This review was originally written for The Romance Reviews and can also be found there.
Fantastic futuristic world with all the familiar concepts twisted just a bit differently and turned into something extremely interesting. That's about the crudest way I could have described this wonderful story but still made it intriguing enough.
Lynx is the middle son of the Dragon Triad, one of the two most powerful Triads in New Seattle. He is sheltered, naïve and spoiled, but surprisingly enough, he also has a soft heart and is untainted by the ways of his family. On a night out with his more adventurous cousins, he gets lost and ends up in bed with a mysterious lover who just about rocks his world with a kiss.
Orion is the only son of the Phoenix Triad and not as innocent as he seems. Far from the eyes of the Cloud Level and his family, he is Katana, a hacker and a thief who steals from the Triads and gives to the poor. Orion is the more level headed of the two and realizes just how dangerous the world they live in is. While he can't resist his Dragon lover and mystery man any more than his lover can forget about him, Orion has other things to think about, like saving the people the Triads have destroyed.
It is understood that the two end up together, have passionate sex and a bunch of cute and adorable moments. What you won't get from the blurb is the notion of how exactly action-filled and interesting is this story. Katana fights for his beliefs with a passion and adrenaline infused recklessness while Lynx can barely see further than Orion's eyes and gorgeous hair. The two fit surprisingly well together and their struggle for justice and mutual happiness is at moments extremely heart-warming.
I loved the world this author created, where only the rich live comfortably and almost everyone else suffers. It is the everlasting conquest for power and wealth that leads the people and at one point they stop caring about the consequences their actions might have during their crime riddled journey.
The first few pages were conflicting when it came to Lynx. No matter how sheltered he might be, he was also raised to be a fighter and a killer. What I read at the beginning clashed with Lynx's supposed capabilities and made me think of him as someone not overly bright. While that sort of faded during the story I never did manage to like him as much as I did Orion.
In addition to those few irregularities, it was also obvious that this story should have been longer. The excessive rush present in the book took from the plot and the quality, leaving behind a wonderful introduction to the world I would have loved to know more about. It wasn't really so much about the characters as I wanted to know what happened next, what they actually accomplished with their actions and what reactions their fathers had. It think with a bit more effort, this could have been a brilliant book, nonetheless I do suggest you read it when in the mood for a bit of cyberpunk sci-fi.
Fantastic futuristic world with all the familiar concepts twisted just a bit differently and turned into something extremely interesting. That's about the crudest way I could have described this wonderful story but still made it intriguing enough.
Lynx is the middle son of the Dragon Triad, one of the two most powerful Triads in New Seattle. He is sheltered, naïve and spoiled, but surprisingly enough, he also has a soft heart and is untainted by the ways of his family. On a night out with his more adventurous cousins, he gets lost and ends up in bed with a mysterious lover who just about rocks his world with a kiss.
Orion is the only son of the Phoenix Triad and not as innocent as he seems. Far from the eyes of the Cloud Level and his family, he is Katana, a hacker and a thief who steals from the Triads and gives to the poor. Orion is the more level headed of the two and realizes just how dangerous the world they live in is. While he can't resist his Dragon lover and mystery man any more than his lover can forget about him, Orion has other things to think about, like saving the people the Triads have destroyed.
It is understood that the two end up together, have passionate sex and a bunch of cute and adorable moments. What you won't get from the blurb is the notion of how exactly action-filled and interesting is this story. Katana fights for his beliefs with a passion and adrenaline infused recklessness while Lynx can barely see further than Orion's eyes and gorgeous hair. The two fit surprisingly well together and their struggle for justice and mutual happiness is at moments extremely heart-warming.
I loved the world this author created, where only the rich live comfortably and almost everyone else suffers. It is the everlasting conquest for power and wealth that leads the people and at one point they stop caring about the consequences their actions might have during their crime riddled journey.
The first few pages were conflicting when it came to Lynx. No matter how sheltered he might be, he was also raised to be a fighter and a killer. What I read at the beginning clashed with Lynx's supposed capabilities and made me think of him as someone not overly bright. While that sort of faded during the story I never did manage to like him as much as I did Orion.
In addition to those few irregularities, it was also obvious that this story should have been longer. The excessive rush present in the book took from the plot and the quality, leaving behind a wonderful introduction to the world I would have loved to know more about. It wasn't really so much about the characters as I wanted to know what happened next, what they actually accomplished with their actions and what reactions their fathers had. It think with a bit more effort, this could have been a brilliant book, nonetheless I do suggest you read it when in the mood for a bit of cyberpunk sci-fi.
November 17, 2020
3.5 stars
Pretty sweet and fast pasted dystopian fantasy, light on the realism but high on the enjoyment and action factor. The MCs were somewhat too young for my taste, but I liked them and the "Romeo & Juliet" thing they had going, worked for me. But most of all, I found myself caught in the action and found it hard to put it down, which is rare for me these days, so rounding up to 4 stars.
Pretty sweet and fast pasted dystopian fantasy, light on the realism but high on the enjoyment and action factor. The MCs were somewhat too young for my taste, but I liked them and the "Romeo & Juliet" thing they had going, worked for me. But most of all, I found myself caught in the action and found it hard to put it down, which is rare for me these days, so rounding up to 4 stars.
August 18, 2011
As a fan of dystopian fiction, I was pretty excited to read Dark Sun. The story has a very nice urban fantasy setting that fulfilled that craving I always have for the genre while the characters and plot are decent. They’re not great unfortunately, partly due to the short nature of the novella, and the entire story rushes from start to finish. The characters feel unfinished and somewhat empty as they stick close to pretty well known stereotypes. There is a vague Romeo and Juliet feel to the star crossed lovers from warring families while one character is a pretty typical Robin Hood by stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Because of these obvious tropes, the story never quite satisfies and moves into something wholly unique but the various elements included are enough to make an interesting enough story if you’re a fan of urban fantasy.
The plot starts with Lynx, the middle son of a rich powerful ruling family, out on the town one night semi against his will. He stumbles incoherently into the lair of his archenemy and encounters a beautiful young man, Orion. Both hiding who they really are the two spend one amazing night together, prompting Lynx to search for his lover again. Yet matters are complicated as Orion is also a thief known as Katana, stealing from both families to give medicine and food to the poor. Together the two young men have incredible chemistry but their warring families and Orion’s true mission may come between them.
The plot itself is pretty basic, if pretty rushed. The two men meet and have some light star-crossed lover angst as they realize they’re from different, opposing families. There is a definite nod to the Shakespeare classic here as the two seem to follow along many of those same lines. Towards the end of the novella though, the plot takes an incredibly fast (and somewhat ridiculous) turn into the dramatic with an evil scheme between the two families and both Lynx and Orion rushing to save the world. It’s too much packed into too short a story without the necessary background to have it make any sense or for the reader to really care. There was enough tension between the young men already without tacking on a somewhat silly evil plot towards the end.
Besides that issue, there are a few others. The characters are engaging enough and they held my attention while reading. Yet they feel somewhat bland and empty. They should be very dramatic and exciting, racing around the city trying to evade capture while sneaking sex scenes in but instead they feel somewhat predictable and placid. Part of this issue is the tropes I mentioned previously obviously at work with the characterizations. There is little depth offered for the characters, even though the reader is told again and again how much they care and want to do the right thing. I believe it in an abstract way but it never made a significant impact as the main protagonists and the story itself stays pretty light and breezy.
What does work is the urban fantasy setting. It’s set in the future after some war/catastrophic event and the details used to create the world are pretty thorough and interesting. It feels very familiar to most urban fantasy books I’ve read, which isn’t a problem as it fits well within the genre. The plot and tone of the writing keep the story pretty light but the world building feels mostly complete and engaging. The numerous details are continued throughout the story so you never forget the setting, which is a touch I always like and appreciate. Combined with the super fast pace, this is an easy story to read in one sitting if you’re an urban fantasy fan and want something light, easy, and romantic.
Overall Dark Sun isn’t a homerun by any means but it’s an entertaining and enjoyable enough story to read. It feels somewhat too familiar in many places but the setting is good and should please urban fantasy fans. If you’re not into that genre, I’m not entirely sure how well this story will resonate but the characters are decent and definitely romantic with a solid happy ending but room for a sequel should the author choose.
The plot starts with Lynx, the middle son of a rich powerful ruling family, out on the town one night semi against his will. He stumbles incoherently into the lair of his archenemy and encounters a beautiful young man, Orion. Both hiding who they really are the two spend one amazing night together, prompting Lynx to search for his lover again. Yet matters are complicated as Orion is also a thief known as Katana, stealing from both families to give medicine and food to the poor. Together the two young men have incredible chemistry but their warring families and Orion’s true mission may come between them.
The plot itself is pretty basic, if pretty rushed. The two men meet and have some light star-crossed lover angst as they realize they’re from different, opposing families. There is a definite nod to the Shakespeare classic here as the two seem to follow along many of those same lines. Towards the end of the novella though, the plot takes an incredibly fast (and somewhat ridiculous) turn into the dramatic with an evil scheme between the two families and both Lynx and Orion rushing to save the world. It’s too much packed into too short a story without the necessary background to have it make any sense or for the reader to really care. There was enough tension between the young men already without tacking on a somewhat silly evil plot towards the end.
Besides that issue, there are a few others. The characters are engaging enough and they held my attention while reading. Yet they feel somewhat bland and empty. They should be very dramatic and exciting, racing around the city trying to evade capture while sneaking sex scenes in but instead they feel somewhat predictable and placid. Part of this issue is the tropes I mentioned previously obviously at work with the characterizations. There is little depth offered for the characters, even though the reader is told again and again how much they care and want to do the right thing. I believe it in an abstract way but it never made a significant impact as the main protagonists and the story itself stays pretty light and breezy.
What does work is the urban fantasy setting. It’s set in the future after some war/catastrophic event and the details used to create the world are pretty thorough and interesting. It feels very familiar to most urban fantasy books I’ve read, which isn’t a problem as it fits well within the genre. The plot and tone of the writing keep the story pretty light but the world building feels mostly complete and engaging. The numerous details are continued throughout the story so you never forget the setting, which is a touch I always like and appreciate. Combined with the super fast pace, this is an easy story to read in one sitting if you’re an urban fantasy fan and want something light, easy, and romantic.
Overall Dark Sun isn’t a homerun by any means but it’s an entertaining and enjoyable enough story to read. It feels somewhat too familiar in many places but the setting is good and should please urban fantasy fans. If you’re not into that genre, I’m not entirely sure how well this story will resonate but the characters are decent and definitely romantic with a solid happy ending but room for a sequel should the author choose.
June 22, 2019
Almost. Nearly there. Just shy.
There was great potential and I wanted it to shine. It was budding but then it never fully bloomed. So I asked myself…why? What happened? (yes, yes, occasionally I talk to myself…don’t tell anyone. and no, I promise I’m not crazy)
I believe the answer is more.
I needed more. I wanted to dive further into what should have been a vast pool in an intoxicating world, and I was stuck in the shallow end.
It was pleasant, but it was only partially satisfying. I have encountered many-o novella’s that take my breath away, push all my buttons, and leave me in a state of beautiful blissful book buzz.
Maybe I have high expectations? Nevertheless I know it can be done, and it can be done well.
O’Shea creates a fabulously fun futuristic ‘dark’ world ruled by wealth and power. Lynx and Orion are born enemies, rivals of the ‘other’ family. They stumbled into each other’s arms and beds by chance, each hiding their true identity. Soon they are telling secrets about their secrets and the clouds thicken.
Intriguing regal boys with enormous hearts, and I fell for both of them. I cheered for them, I praised their efforts, and I was eager for their survival in their challenging mission.
They straddle the young adult line… kinda there, kinda not. Which didn’t bother me much, but I can see it easily becoming an annoyance for some.
All in all it was completely my desired cocktail… sweet and sexy with a bit of action. The writing was solid for me, and I’m anxious to see what else O’Shea’s bookshelf contains.
If there had been a sequel (or one coming) I would have happily bumped it to four full stars. But this appears to be it. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel whole as it was. More, I wanted more. I quite enjoyed the ending, but essentially, I was left unfulfilled.
There was great potential and I wanted it to shine. It was budding but then it never fully bloomed. So I asked myself…why? What happened? (yes, yes, occasionally I talk to myself…don’t tell anyone. and no, I promise I’m not crazy)
I believe the answer is more.
I needed more. I wanted to dive further into what should have been a vast pool in an intoxicating world, and I was stuck in the shallow end.
It was pleasant, but it was only partially satisfying. I have encountered many-o novella’s that take my breath away, push all my buttons, and leave me in a state of beautiful blissful book buzz.
Maybe I have high expectations? Nevertheless I know it can be done, and it can be done well.
O’Shea creates a fabulously fun futuristic ‘dark’ world ruled by wealth and power. Lynx and Orion are born enemies, rivals of the ‘other’ family. They stumbled into each other’s arms and beds by chance, each hiding their true identity. Soon they are telling secrets about their secrets and the clouds thicken.
Intriguing regal boys with enormous hearts, and I fell for both of them. I cheered for them, I praised their efforts, and I was eager for their survival in their challenging mission.
They straddle the young adult line… kinda there, kinda not. Which didn’t bother me much, but I can see it easily becoming an annoyance for some.
All in all it was completely my desired cocktail… sweet and sexy with a bit of action. The writing was solid for me, and I’m anxious to see what else O’Shea’s bookshelf contains.
If there had been a sequel (or one coming) I would have happily bumped it to four full stars. But this appears to be it. Unfortunately, it didn’t feel whole as it was. More, I wanted more. I quite enjoyed the ending, but essentially, I was left unfulfilled.
February 25, 2014
LOVED IT!!!
THIS BOOK WAS SO REFRESHING.
I LOVED THE KISSING AND THE HAND HOLDING
I LOVED THE SEX
I LOVED THE MILD SUSPENSE
I HATE THAT IT ENDED SO QUICKLY
I HATE THAT WE HAD NO EPILOGUE
THAT IS ALL
THIS BOOK WAS SO REFRESHING.
I LOVED THE KISSING AND THE HAND HOLDING
I LOVED THE SEX
I LOVED THE MILD SUSPENSE
I HATE THAT IT ENDED SO QUICKLY
I HATE THAT WE HAD NO EPILOGUE
THAT IS ALL
July 7, 2011
I'm going to stop at WOW!!!
January 9, 2018
3.8 Stars
Take a little Romeo &Juliet Julio, plus a touch of Robin Hood...add a pinch of an Oligarchy & elite class making money off polluting the environment, then mix with a heaping helping of oppressed poor relegated to sub-human conditions and voila! You have this book. Only I still liked it given the obvious tropes.
I think the world-building was a little less developed than, say, LA Witt's Falling Sky series (with a similarly structured city); this story mentions that the fortunes of the rich - living privleged lives of plenty in Cloud City - are made off the backs of those in Bottom City...but it's not mentioned how this happens. They don't have money so can't buy the drugs, and the adults are emaciated and diseased so aren't working in factories or mines...so I can't figure out the specifics. The mid-level populations work in the less affluent white-collar or blue-collar jobs, too, so I'm left a little confused.
However, as there is another book in the series I'm interested enough to see how everything in the climactic scene plays out for those in power...
Take a little Romeo &
I think the world-building was a little less developed than, say, LA Witt's Falling Sky series (with a similarly structured city); this story mentions that the fortunes of the rich - living privleged lives of plenty in Cloud City - are made off the backs of those in Bottom City...but it's not mentioned how this happens. They don't have money so can't buy the drugs, and the adults are emaciated and diseased so aren't working in factories or mines...so I can't figure out the specifics. The mid-level populations work in the less affluent white-collar or blue-collar jobs, too, so I'm left a little confused.
However, as there is another book in the series I'm interested enough to see how everything in the climactic scene plays out for those in power...
September 25, 2018
Interesting and had potential. I feel like I would've enjoyed it more if it were a bit longer or had more depth in a way. The characters are decent. I liked the world building, and the way the plot ties to the "apocalypse" that had happened. The ending felt a bit rushed but it was fine.
February 13, 2017
This book surprised me. I'm not a fan of written sci-fi, but somehow dystopia is the exception to that, so I gave it chance. The world is very different, but the story is a mash up, of a couple classics.
Orion steals from his family, and the Dragon family, to give to the poor, underprivileged. Not money, but medications, helping the children to survive. Orion and Lynx are from feuding fractions...and their love would be forbidden. Sound familiar? Yep, but that's the basis of a great deal of books and movies, it works.
While the world was pretty well developed, the conflict could have been delved into more. It was over a little fast. But, it is a series, so it's a nice start, with plenty of room to expand.
Orion steals from his family, and the Dragon family, to give to the poor, underprivileged. Not money, but medications, helping the children to survive. Orion and Lynx are from feuding fractions...and their love would be forbidden. Sound familiar? Yep, but that's the basis of a great deal of books and movies, it works.
While the world was pretty well developed, the conflict could have been delved into more. It was over a little fast. But, it is a series, so it's a nice start, with plenty of room to expand.
August 27, 2011
More of a 4.5 than a 4. A really fantastic story with a nice sense of world building. It has a Romeo and Juliet feel with a bold dash of Robin Hood thrown in. But in all honesty, the story universe and the problems associated with it, rather reminded me of Total Recall. And the ending was rather abrupt. It made the story feel like there's more to come, like it's the first of a series, but nothing on the author's site mentions additional books of the series, if it is.
...I hope so, because there's so much more that could be said of this world and Rion and Lynx.
...I hope so, because there's so much more that could be said of this world and Rion and Lynx.
August 31, 2015
Love, love, love, love these two guys! <3
The story was loads of fun. I don't know why I'd been so hesitant to pick this one up...
Read the 2015 edition - lovely cover btw.
Some dialogues I found a bit odd, to be honest, and the whole thing would profit from a little revision. I actually thought the book was a revised version, what with the new cover and all, therefore the many typos threw me...
The story was loads of fun. I don't know why I'd been so hesitant to pick this one up...
Read the 2015 edition - lovely cover btw.
Some dialogues I found a bit odd, to be honest, and the whole thing would profit from a little revision. I actually thought the book was a revised version, what with the new cover and all, therefore the many typos threw me...
December 29, 2015
Wow! Amazing! Amazing! The world-building itself is a dream!!! I could see this in a film! I loved how Orion and Lynx found each other coming from rival triads. Awesome job for Orion becoming Robin Hood of some sort. Gaahh… the dialogues, the story! It’s amazing! Perfection! And that cliffhanger! Gosh! Loved it!
December 4, 2015
Reminded me of LA Witt's "A Chip In His Shoulder".
March 16, 2021
The romance part of the story is very much star-crossed lovers, a futuristic Romeo and Julian who belong to families that hate each other. I found it refreshing that they fell for each other without knowing that though. Neither one was were they were supposed to be, so it allowed for a spark that may not have been allowed to grow had they known who the other was at the time. I wouldn't say it was quite insta-love, but it sure was insta-lust. Orion and Lynx enjoyed each others company. And the pull to be together was strong enough to take the serious risks they took. There was a desperation to their time together, because the fear of being discovered carried a near death sentence, but Mj was able to infuse some sweetness into their love story.
The surrounding story was one of injustice, greed, and cruelty. Dark Sun is set in the future, and the rich and powerful are living way up in the clouds, with clean air, food, and luxury. The lower down you live in this "structure", the harder your life becomes. The people who live on the ground .... the bottom .... are living in absolute poverty, with very limited resources, polluted air, and very little access to the medicine needed to avoid/prevent/cure the deformities of living a full life under such contamination. One of our main characters is completely clueless of this fact, while the other has been playing Robin Hood to help. It isn't until they come together, a member of each controlling family, that they have access to enough information to see what is really causing the pollution. At first I had Total Recall vibes, but as the story went along, once some important information came to light, I'm thinking more in terms of Divergent (without the Shailene Woodley character.) Technical warfare on the environment and the poor because of greed.
The story is a long novella/short novel ... and because the romance and the surrounding conflict share an equal amount of page time, I think the romance part is more defined. Which makes sense because the overarching story will evolve over 3 books, and it seems others will take over the POV, so Orion and Lynx needed to be all-in before handing the torch to the next couple. But there was plenty of action/adventure to keep things moving. I really enjoyed how they got around, how they were able to avoid capture or escape when necessary. I liked them taking those risks for the greater good. What was being done to the people in the bottom city, and the sacrifice parents were making to so that their kids could get the stolen medicine ... heartbreaking. The science and research wasn't overly detailed, but it was clear what was happening. It allowed for a faster read and lighter tone than what may normally be expected in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian novel. My current mood appreciated that, and I'm looking forward to starting book 2.
The surrounding story was one of injustice, greed, and cruelty. Dark Sun is set in the future, and the rich and powerful are living way up in the clouds, with clean air, food, and luxury. The lower down you live in this "structure", the harder your life becomes. The people who live on the ground .... the bottom .... are living in absolute poverty, with very limited resources, polluted air, and very little access to the medicine needed to avoid/prevent/cure the deformities of living a full life under such contamination. One of our main characters is completely clueless of this fact, while the other has been playing Robin Hood to help. It isn't until they come together, a member of each controlling family, that they have access to enough information to see what is really causing the pollution. At first I had Total Recall vibes, but as the story went along, once some important information came to light, I'm thinking more in terms of Divergent (without the Shailene Woodley character.) Technical warfare on the environment and the poor because of greed.
The story is a long novella/short novel ... and because the romance and the surrounding conflict share an equal amount of page time, I think the romance part is more defined. Which makes sense because the overarching story will evolve over 3 books, and it seems others will take over the POV, so Orion and Lynx needed to be all-in before handing the torch to the next couple. But there was plenty of action/adventure to keep things moving. I really enjoyed how they got around, how they were able to avoid capture or escape when necessary. I liked them taking those risks for the greater good. What was being done to the people in the bottom city, and the sacrifice parents were making to so that their kids could get the stolen medicine ... heartbreaking. The science and research wasn't overly detailed, but it was clear what was happening. It allowed for a faster read and lighter tone than what may normally be expected in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian novel. My current mood appreciated that, and I'm looking forward to starting book 2.
October 11, 2011
As others have mentioned it borrowed heavily from both Romeo & Juliet and Robin Hood (alas no helpful apothecaries or villainous sheriffs showed up). The world building was good, but I didn't get a strong sense for either Lynx or Rion. Lynx was like a little kid just discovering that boundries are flexible and should be tested and that you shouldn't believe everything you're told. Rion, on the other hand, was so enmeshed in Katana's dealings that I had to wonder what led to his self-discovery and subsequent subversions and how long ago it occured. Overall it was a decent story that ended far too vaguely for my liking.
November 1, 2012
This is another one of those books that I've had on my Kindle for ages and just kept passing over. I actually bought this on its release day last year, which shows how long I've been putting it off! But once again, I've been left wondering why I didn't read it sooner. Dark Sun was a wonderful read! It was such a perfect mix of science fiction and romance, and I loved the whole rivals to lovers thing that was going on. Lynx and Orion were awesome main characters. This story was interesting, unique and fabulously written - I will definitely be reading it again!
August 17, 2015
This would probably not be the type of book I would usually read. Set in a dystopian city in the future but I found myself getting pulled into the story and really enjoying it. Lynx and Orion are both sons of Triad leaders and they find themselves working together after sharing a night of passion in Bottom City.
I will certainly be adding the second book in the series to my tbr.
I will certainly be adding the second book in the series to my tbr.
August 27, 2011
Excellent Romeo & Juliet-esque story of forbidden love mixed up with some Robin Hood-like adventures. A fun, exciting read.
November 29, 2014
3.5 stars
Well, that was fun. Part gay futuristic Romeo and Juliet, part gay futuristic Robin Hood. A bit shallow, but I enjoyed it quite a lot.
Well, that was fun. Part gay futuristic Romeo and Juliet, part gay futuristic Robin Hood. A bit shallow, but I enjoyed it quite a lot.
July 26, 2016
2.0 stars
A dystopian m/m that had promise but didn't really deliver.
A dystopian m/m that had promise but didn't really deliver.
September 27, 2020
4.5 stars for a terrific storyline with lots of action and adventure. Orion is a futuristic Robin Hood and liked his ability to see beyond his easy life to the need of others. Lynx and Orion have a 'Romeo and Julian' affair going on. It only took Lynx one moment for everything he believed to be upended and for him to join Rion's efforts. The twist at the end took me by surprise. I'm ready for Rising Sun book two in the series.
Highly recommended author
Highly recommended author
July 25, 2017
I loved this new world that O'Shea has so beautifully created. I'm not much of a dystopia reader, usually only pick them up for challenges, and of course that's how I found this one. Yay! Another great book found (I really love challenges). It a little bit, Romeo and Juliet. Warring triads, enemies by birth yet they found love together (and helped save the world...).
April 3, 2022
Interesting concept and world. I wish it had been a bit longer and I had gotten a little bit more in each relationship, but overall I really enjoyed and with the snippet at the end, I will definitely be reading the second one.
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December 18, 2011
3 - 3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, which was surprising since these days I'm not too interested in "sweet romance". This book wasn't quite what I had expected, but it was still good in a couple of respects:
The World-building I found it really intriguing. I would have loved to have more information about this world. The author did a pretty decent job with it, but I wanted more such as why . Actually, what I liked best about this book was the world-building.
The Characters They were...sweet. I didn't think I'd like it so much since I'm not interested in young main characters, but this worked for me. I guess my primary problem with them would be that Lynx, at least, sounded far younger than his 20 years, but I guess if he was a spoiled young man in a fantasy setting, it makes sense to make him sound more like he is 16 than 20. Orion was pretty interesting in that he here was a society prince who, a la The Scarlet Pimpernel, fools everyone into thinking him a frivolous idiot and is actually the mastermind behind all the thefts and charity acts that were hurting the rich families and benefiting the poor ones (Robin Hood, anyone?).
A few problems:
While I liked the Romeo and Juliet aspect (it amused me), Orion's insistence that felt a bit too contrived in an effort to create tension and friction. As mentioned by other reviewers, the felt a bit unnecessary and dare I say, silly? And
I did enjoy this book, and I am really intrigued by the world. I would love to read more about Lynx's and Orion's current status, the development of their relationship, and how the fight is going.
I really enjoyed this book, which was surprising since these days I'm not too interested in "sweet romance". This book wasn't quite what I had expected, but it was still good in a couple of respects:
The World-building I found it really intriguing. I would have loved to have more information about this world. The author did a pretty decent job with it, but I wanted more such as why . Actually, what I liked best about this book was the world-building.
The Characters They were...sweet. I didn't think I'd like it so much since I'm not interested in young main characters, but this worked for me. I guess my primary problem with them would be that Lynx, at least, sounded far younger than his 20 years, but I guess if he was a spoiled young man in a fantasy setting, it makes sense to make him sound more like he is 16 than 20. Orion was pretty interesting in that he here was a society prince who, a la The Scarlet Pimpernel, fools everyone into thinking him a frivolous idiot and is actually the mastermind behind all the thefts and charity acts that were hurting the rich families and benefiting the poor ones (Robin Hood, anyone?).
A few problems:
While I liked the Romeo and Juliet aspect (it amused me), Orion's insistence that felt a bit too contrived in an effort to create tension and friction. As mentioned by other reviewers, the felt a bit unnecessary and dare I say, silly? And
I did enjoy this book, and I am really intrigued by the world. I would love to read more about Lynx's and Orion's current status, the development of their relationship, and how the fight is going.
April 18, 2013
SlashReads: I first came across M. J. O'Shea's work in the 'Cross Bone's' anthology (you can read my review here), and decided to look into some of her other work. While, the premise of this book was interesting to me, I have to admit that I was less than impressed by it. The work itself is fun but there were a number of things that bothered me.
The first one was the word choice. I was often thrown by the use of common curse words or phrases in this setting. The vernacular and use of certain words would have changed over the course of time as things do. So to have the characters going around throwing out modern day cuss words, bothered me.
Secondly, this is one of those novels were many of the characters come across as being much younger than the set age in the novel. This fact simply made the characters somewhat unbelievable to me. Who they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to have done didn't jive with the actions. Similarly, it made it hard to believe the social construction of the society and the Triad system. All combined to make things somewhat confused in terms of how things worked.
That being said, I find a lot of potential in M. J. O'Shea's work and will continue to keep an eye out on what she's working on to see if anything perks my interest. I think that she has a lot of good ideas that could go some fun places.
The first one was the word choice. I was often thrown by the use of common curse words or phrases in this setting. The vernacular and use of certain words would have changed over the course of time as things do. So to have the characters going around throwing out modern day cuss words, bothered me.
Secondly, this is one of those novels were many of the characters come across as being much younger than the set age in the novel. This fact simply made the characters somewhat unbelievable to me. Who they were supposed to be and what they were supposed to have done didn't jive with the actions. Similarly, it made it hard to believe the social construction of the society and the Triad system. All combined to make things somewhat confused in terms of how things worked.
That being said, I find a lot of potential in M. J. O'Shea's work and will continue to keep an eye out on what she's working on to see if anything perks my interest. I think that she has a lot of good ideas that could go some fun places.
July 10, 2012
I enjoyed this fairly short sci-fi novel (novella).
The writing was competent if a bit simplistic. The plot was pretty good though and kept me reading till the end.
I enjoyed the setup in New Seattle, a polluted, multi-layer city where the rich lived at the top and the poorest at the bottom, in the most polluted air. The city is run by triads who profit from selling medicines that keep those wealthy enough to buy them healthy in the dreadful smog. My cynical side sees all sorts of parallels with our own society here.
The 'insta-love' of the main characters was somewhat unbelievable, as one was drugged and hardly said a word and their first 'wonderful' night contained plenty of sex, to be sure, but not a lot to base a lifelong romantic partnership on, I'd have thought. Still, if you suspend disbelief here it does get better as they interact.
This story, imo, is the right length. I don't think there was enough there to make it into a full-length novel, but it was pretty good as it stands.
So yeah, good world-building was the best part, and a neat plot just the right size for the work.
The writing was competent if a bit simplistic. The plot was pretty good though and kept me reading till the end.
I enjoyed the setup in New Seattle, a polluted, multi-layer city where the rich lived at the top and the poorest at the bottom, in the most polluted air. The city is run by triads who profit from selling medicines that keep those wealthy enough to buy them healthy in the dreadful smog. My cynical side sees all sorts of parallels with our own society here.
The 'insta-love' of the main characters was somewhat unbelievable, as one was drugged and hardly said a word and their first 'wonderful' night contained plenty of sex, to be sure, but not a lot to base a lifelong romantic partnership on, I'd have thought. Still, if you suspend disbelief here it does get better as they interact.
This story, imo, is the right length. I don't think there was enough there to make it into a full-length novel, but it was pretty good as it stands.
So yeah, good world-building was the best part, and a neat plot just the right size for the work.
October 2, 2014
To be totally fair, it should be known that I am not a fan of dystopian stories in general. I was attracted to this story because of the Romeo/Juliet qualities more than anything and MJ O’Shea is a fantastic writer.
Realistically, this is Romeo and Juliet meets Robin Hood – as there is the conflict between the two Triads as well as Orion’s robbing the rich to give to the poor.
The love story was sweet and I liked the two MCs. The smexy scenes were hot and appropriate, not too many, not too few.
The names of everyone got burdensome, but it was appropriately explained in the story, so it can be forgiven.
All in all it was a nice, short, somewhat dark love story that – if you like dystopian stories – you will probably love, but since I don’t – I only liked it. But really, that’s saying a lot for the author, it would have been easy to not like it at all, but it really was well written and interesting.
I give it 3.75 hearts out of 5. (You may give it more if that’s your thing. ☺ )
Realistically, this is Romeo and Juliet meets Robin Hood – as there is the conflict between the two Triads as well as Orion’s robbing the rich to give to the poor.
The love story was sweet and I liked the two MCs. The smexy scenes were hot and appropriate, not too many, not too few.
The names of everyone got burdensome, but it was appropriately explained in the story, so it can be forgiven.
All in all it was a nice, short, somewhat dark love story that – if you like dystopian stories – you will probably love, but since I don’t – I only liked it. But really, that’s saying a lot for the author, it would have been easy to not like it at all, but it really was well written and interesting.
I give it 3.75 hearts out of 5. (You may give it more if that’s your thing. ☺ )
July 5, 2012
Mix together a bit of unique sci-fi, an enemies to friends/lovers theme for the main characters, and a mission that’s reminiscent of Robin Hood’s (steal from the rich to give to the poor) and voila – “Dark Sun”! There were some familiar elements from the author’s style in this particular book (i.e., the sensual steam) and yet it also felt new and unique. I was very intrigued with certain aspects of the futuristic world in which the story was set and would have enjoyed just a bit more in order to see how things turned out for the risk-taking heroes down the road. As expected, I loved it!
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