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The Morcai Battalion #1
The Morcai Battalion
In the very dream of peace lurked a monstrous treachery
The galaxy is on the brink of disaster, the long-awaited truce torn apart by an unprovoked attack. The colony whose residents represented more than a hundred planets has been destroyed, and the new vision for unity in the universe is at risk.
Faced with a war that would mean destruction and chaos, one man has stepped forward to lead those fighting for their lives. Undeterred by insurmountable odds, his courage inspires a team�the Morcai Battalion�to battle for the cause of peace…and love.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
117 people are currently reading
469 people want to read
About the author
Diana Palmer
1,042 books3,098 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Diana Palmer is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle.
(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 9, 2009
I will admit that I have more than a casual interest in this book. It is dedicated to me, Susan Kyle's younger sister. I was too young to read any of it in 1963, when my sister set out to get published [wasn't even out of high school!:]. But, when I was 11, I proofread Susie's revised copy as it came, with three carbons, fresh from the typewriter. We used to joke about needed to fan the typewriter! My sister was an extremely fast typist.
I love this book. I read the older version as it was sent off, and I have read this one, expanded and just as exciting as the old one. But, this new version has a lot of material Susie wanted to put into the old one. It's the fulfillment of her dream, and mine, to finally see it in print.
When I received my hardcover copy, I sat down there and then, intending to read a chapter or two, because I needed to do other things. Uh, I sat up until 2 in the morning finishing it!
The description alone transports the reader to a totally alien environment. Then, the interaction of the characters adds the personal touch. These people become real as the story unfolds. But, unlike my books, which are at more of a walking pace, the action doesn't stop until the very end. The plot takes twists and turns that defy a single guess. Ruszel, the main character, is a woman who led an Amazon squad into battle, but she is a physician. She is an effective warrior, yet tender when caring for patients. I'd like to be friends with her. She's quite a loyal friend to her friends in the book, willing to give her life for them. But, she will go down fighting.
Mysterious Dtimun and the members of the ship Morcai are Cehn-Tahr, a catlike people who don't like to be touched. Their eyes change color with their moods. Dtimun, the Commander, is a no-nonsense leader. Komak, his second-in-command, is a fierce warrior when need be, but one wouldn't guess it from his joking attitude, accompanied by laughing green eyes. Guess what color Madeline Ruszel's eyes are? She's a green-eyed redhead who brawls right along with the fellas on leave. This doesn't amuse the straight-laced Commander a bit. Captain Stern, Ruszel's Captain when she became Medical Officer on his ship, is brave, loyal, and gets the job done. The other friend in the trio is Hanhson, also Medical Officer under Ruszel. Together they survive the crash of Stern's ship, and they are assigned to the Holconcom aboard the Morcai. No human soldiers have ever been assigned to a Cehn-taur ship. It's a volatile combo.
I won't spoil the read. If you like fast-paced space opera, this series is for you! Many people are discovering The Morcai Battalion: The Recruit, and buying The Morcai Battalion, originally released under the name of Diana Palmer. My sister always wanted to be published under her real name, and here it is, waiting for you, the reader, to pick up and enjoy. As with all my sister's books, The Morcai Battalion is well-researched and grounded in science, yet sensitive to the characterization, which really makes the book. Note that, though many think Star Trek was the inspiration for this book, it predated ST by three years. Susie had the characters, the universe, and the basic plot long before we eagerly sat in front of our small color TV in September, 1966, to watch the premiere episode. Susie knelt in front of the TV with a 3" reel-to-reel tape recorder which ran on batteries, to record every episode. They were lousy quality, but we played them often, just to hear this exciting new sci fi show.
I love this book. I read the older version as it was sent off, and I have read this one, expanded and just as exciting as the old one. But, this new version has a lot of material Susie wanted to put into the old one. It's the fulfillment of her dream, and mine, to finally see it in print.
When I received my hardcover copy, I sat down there and then, intending to read a chapter or two, because I needed to do other things. Uh, I sat up until 2 in the morning finishing it!
The description alone transports the reader to a totally alien environment. Then, the interaction of the characters adds the personal touch. These people become real as the story unfolds. But, unlike my books, which are at more of a walking pace, the action doesn't stop until the very end. The plot takes twists and turns that defy a single guess. Ruszel, the main character, is a woman who led an Amazon squad into battle, but she is a physician. She is an effective warrior, yet tender when caring for patients. I'd like to be friends with her. She's quite a loyal friend to her friends in the book, willing to give her life for them. But, she will go down fighting.
Mysterious Dtimun and the members of the ship Morcai are Cehn-Tahr, a catlike people who don't like to be touched. Their eyes change color with their moods. Dtimun, the Commander, is a no-nonsense leader. Komak, his second-in-command, is a fierce warrior when need be, but one wouldn't guess it from his joking attitude, accompanied by laughing green eyes. Guess what color Madeline Ruszel's eyes are? She's a green-eyed redhead who brawls right along with the fellas on leave. This doesn't amuse the straight-laced Commander a bit. Captain Stern, Ruszel's Captain when she became Medical Officer on his ship, is brave, loyal, and gets the job done. The other friend in the trio is Hanhson, also Medical Officer under Ruszel. Together they survive the crash of Stern's ship, and they are assigned to the Holconcom aboard the Morcai. No human soldiers have ever been assigned to a Cehn-taur ship. It's a volatile combo.
I won't spoil the read. If you like fast-paced space opera, this series is for you! Many people are discovering The Morcai Battalion: The Recruit, and buying The Morcai Battalion, originally released under the name of Diana Palmer. My sister always wanted to be published under her real name, and here it is, waiting for you, the reader, to pick up and enjoy. As with all my sister's books, The Morcai Battalion is well-researched and grounded in science, yet sensitive to the characterization, which really makes the book. Note that, though many think Star Trek was the inspiration for this book, it predated ST by three years. Susie had the characters, the universe, and the basic plot long before we eagerly sat in front of our small color TV in September, 1966, to watch the premiere episode. Susie knelt in front of the TV with a 3" reel-to-reel tape recorder which ran on batteries, to record every episode. They were lousy quality, but we played them often, just to hear this exciting new sci fi show.
May 15, 2013
Long long ago, in an America far far away, before Star Trek graced the small screen or Star Wars splashed gaudily across the silver screen, a teenager named Susan Kyle wrote a science fiction novel no one wanted to publish, at least at first. In 1980, she did manage to sell the novel to minor Canadian paperback publisher Manor House...after she took out Amazon warriors, a strong female lead and much of the romance. Actually, I think it was the romance that shot her down mostly, for although science fiction discovered sex in the 1950s (and modern science fiction writers still approach it like sniggering schoolboys) romance has never been a good fit.
Fast forward to the early 21st Century. The world has changed, and so has Susan Kyle. Now, she is Diana Palmer (bestselling romance novelist, not the Phantom's girlfriend) and has enough clout in publishing to get The Morcai Battalion a second showing to the world, with all the excised bits put back in and the text "refreshed" to include all the technology that has emerged in five decades. The result is a book that is as forward looking as it is backward glancing.
The Morcai Battalion has all the characterization and action you expect from a Diana Palmer novel where heroes are bigger than life, honor is paramount and romance can never be stopped no matter what. Despite a revision to reflect 21st Century advancements and technological projections, the book is still very much a product of the 1960s, with its concerns about a woman's role in society and racial equality; that being said, however, it is heavily tinged by the science fiction of the 1950s, with its massive space battles, super-sized spaceships and a cosmos that could contain infinity while still being pocket-sized enough to permit all the important players to know each other.
The novel is quite an exciting read, that starts off quite simply but grows more complex as the story goes along, much like the characters themselves. There are many awkward moments in the book, generally centered around clunky terminology and personal names (much as is found in 1950s sci-fi) and in the depiction of the universe itself -- she tries too hard to make the familiar alien, and vice-versa, resulting in cultures, worlds, races and alliances that seem rather cobbled and haphazard. All of that works to give the story the appearance of an old-fashioned space opera. Now, that is not at all a bad thing is you enjoy the classics of Doc E.E. Smith, Edmond Hamilton and the other seasoned practitioners of the craft; seeing as how I enjoy their stories very much, I enjoyed Miss Palmer's novel as well, though it is a bit inferior to those tales of yore.
Rather than being a one-shot novel doomed to paperback purgatory, The Morcai Battalion is now just the first of a trilogy. For this resurrection of the old book, Miss Palmer kept closely to her original work, perhaps one of the reasons why portions of the novel made me feel as if I was tripping back to the Sixties and the Summer of Love; for the next two books, I hope she either updates the writing to her current mature standards or fully embraces classic space opera. Either way, it will make, I think, for an even better and more satisfying story.
Fast forward to the early 21st Century. The world has changed, and so has Susan Kyle. Now, she is Diana Palmer (bestselling romance novelist, not the Phantom's girlfriend) and has enough clout in publishing to get The Morcai Battalion a second showing to the world, with all the excised bits put back in and the text "refreshed" to include all the technology that has emerged in five decades. The result is a book that is as forward looking as it is backward glancing.
The Morcai Battalion has all the characterization and action you expect from a Diana Palmer novel where heroes are bigger than life, honor is paramount and romance can never be stopped no matter what. Despite a revision to reflect 21st Century advancements and technological projections, the book is still very much a product of the 1960s, with its concerns about a woman's role in society and racial equality; that being said, however, it is heavily tinged by the science fiction of the 1950s, with its massive space battles, super-sized spaceships and a cosmos that could contain infinity while still being pocket-sized enough to permit all the important players to know each other.
The novel is quite an exciting read, that starts off quite simply but grows more complex as the story goes along, much like the characters themselves. There are many awkward moments in the book, generally centered around clunky terminology and personal names (much as is found in 1950s sci-fi) and in the depiction of the universe itself -- she tries too hard to make the familiar alien, and vice-versa, resulting in cultures, worlds, races and alliances that seem rather cobbled and haphazard. All of that works to give the story the appearance of an old-fashioned space opera. Now, that is not at all a bad thing is you enjoy the classics of Doc E.E. Smith, Edmond Hamilton and the other seasoned practitioners of the craft; seeing as how I enjoy their stories very much, I enjoyed Miss Palmer's novel as well, though it is a bit inferior to those tales of yore.
Rather than being a one-shot novel doomed to paperback purgatory, The Morcai Battalion is now just the first of a trilogy. For this resurrection of the old book, Miss Palmer kept closely to her original work, perhaps one of the reasons why portions of the novel made me feel as if I was tripping back to the Sixties and the Summer of Love; for the next two books, I hope she either updates the writing to her current mature standards or fully embraces classic space opera. Either way, it will make, I think, for an even better and more satisfying story.
February 5, 2017
3.75 stars
First, this is not a romance. It is sci-fi with very light romance elements. It was a nice break from what I've been reading lately. While I thought the plotting was clumsy at times, and the dialog was straight out of a certain celebrated TV series that survives to this day, I enjoyed this fast-paced read. There is a ton of action, as well as high tensions from racial misunderstandings when humans and a combat troop of aliens are forced to work together to survive a traitorous attack from violent, murderous alien society.
More to follow
First, this is not a romance. It is sci-fi with very light romance elements. It was a nice break from what I've been reading lately. While I thought the plotting was clumsy at times, and the dialog was straight out of a certain celebrated TV series that survives to this day, I enjoyed this fast-paced read. There is a ton of action, as well as high tensions from racial misunderstandings when humans and a combat troop of aliens are forced to work together to survive a traitorous attack from violent, murderous alien society.
More to follow
November 29, 2011
There is an ongoing war between most of the human colonies and the Rojok nation. The Centuarian people are allied with the human race, but they don't really get along. Madeline Ruszel is a doctor called in to triage at a colony that has been slaughtered by the Rojok. However a diplomatic ship carrying some members of the Centuarian royal family is part of the triage zone. This brings the Centuarian ship Morcai to the scene, along with it's complement of elite fighters. Everyone is forced to flee the scene when the Rojok return and Madeline's ship is damaged, forcing them to evacuate to the Morcai. Will their intolerance for each other destory them before the Rojok catch them?[return][return]I read this a few years ago and loved it. I just picked it up again to refresh before reading the sequel and noticed some major flaws in the writing style this time around that just drove me crazy. There were several points that are mentioned over and over again, just in case we forgot them. That got old fast. Other than that the storyline is still so intriguing that I enjoyed the story anyway.
March 23, 2011
I really wish Ms. Palmer would write more books for this series. This and True Colors are the only books she's written that are remotely worth reading. I'm sorry to say I've read all her books and I have to wonder how many long-haired, naive virgins there are left in that stupid little Texas town.
But Morcai Battalion was a pleasant change from her regular formula books. I'm not big on sci-fi, but I like variety now and then and this was a good story.
But Morcai Battalion was a pleasant change from her regular formula books. I'm not big on sci-fi, but I like variety now and then and this was a good story.
February 7, 2008
Usually Diana Palmer writes strickly romances. This is her one and only sci-fi that she wrote when she was 17. Unfortunately at the time 40 odd years ago it wasn't accepted that women had high ranking roles in society. This didn't get published until much later and she had to change some things. She has been able to have it reprinted through Luna publishing with minor changes to the original. Considering this is her first book ever and she was very young when she wrote it, I thought it was very good. Keep in mind this was also written well before Star Trek or Star Wars were ever thought of. Many things in this book parallel Star Trek in many ways, but than you would only know that if you watch Star Trek!!
October 28, 2008
This book was one of the few sci-fi books I've ever read that has made me wait anxiously for the sequel. The style of writing was a little unique, but since I've never read any of her romances, I couldn't say if it was typical for her or not. I do know that the story line really pulled you in, after three or so chapters as the terminology was quite original. I liked that it was written way before Star Trek and the like, because it shows how inovative she is. The Morcai Battlion is a must read for me because it's a very diverse and intriging plot, as well as an interesting study on social topics, such as women's rights.
August 30, 2018
Well, I read it LOLOL. I love Diana Palmer's early 2000's books, but anything before that is too old school for my tastes, and anything after that is really just too much the same story over and over. When I saw that she had written a sci-fi romance I was both horrified and intrigued! I put off reading it for a while because I was sure I wouldn't like it, but really it wasn't that bad! It isn't romance, though I can see the beginnings of it popping up in some obvious spots.
On the whole, the world building wasn't too bad. It did find it really over the top violent at times - not in description but in ideas. It was a bit strange, and not really my thing.
As this was her first ever book, it reads like a fairly dated sci-fi story (as it is). It's a bit hard to explain how, it's mainly just the vibe and how the characters act. A modern sci-fi story would have given the female lead a lot more to do, whereas this book didn't have her actively participating as much. As she describes in the introduction - she wrote this book before Star Trek was there to put a lady in a position of power, so it was pretty unique for it's time!
While I wouldn't mind seeing how the romance plays out, I am just not into it enough to read more in the series. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be going into it, so that's pretty great!
On the whole, the world building wasn't too bad. It did find it really over the top violent at times - not in description but in ideas. It was a bit strange, and not really my thing.
As this was her first ever book, it reads like a fairly dated sci-fi story (as it is). It's a bit hard to explain how, it's mainly just the vibe and how the characters act. A modern sci-fi story would have given the female lead a lot more to do, whereas this book didn't have her actively participating as much. As she describes in the introduction - she wrote this book before Star Trek was there to put a lady in a position of power, so it was pretty unique for it's time!
While I wouldn't mind seeing how the romance plays out, I am just not into it enough to read more in the series. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be going into it, so that's pretty great!
December 6, 2024
The Morcai Battalion is some good, light sci-fi reading: 3 bill-stars.
Good: The first half of the book is very good. There's lots of action, and we are introduced to a variety of alien races in the Morcai universe. The author does a good job with foreshadowing some difficult/surprise events to come.
Not so good: The second half of the book slows way down and isn't nearly as enjoyable. The space battles of the first half are gone and are replaced with lots of chitchat. The anti-cherry on top: a sugar sweet ending.
QOTD
A Rojok squadron had managed to reduce it to a smoldering ball of dust in a matter of minutes. An unprovoked attack against a defenseless continent of colonists. A dream of peace gone black in the sleep of treachery. She glared at the turmoil around her. The legendary code of ethics of the Rojok field marshal, Chacon, had gone up in smoke, along with ten million colonists.
- The Morcai Battalion
A good read. thanks...yow, bill
June 26, 2021
Alien general vs. amazon doctor - which are you going to bet on? My bet is on Dr. Madeline Russell. No matter how much the commander of the Holconcom detests humans, Dr. Russell will force him to accept humans as equals. Seriously, the author's scenes where Maddie gets up in Dtimun's face are hilariously ridiculous and the bar brawls? So unsuited to the dignity of an officer - as if Maddie cares. This is a rollicking action-packed roller coaster of a ride, resulting in the not-so-smooth integration of an elite human warship crew into an equally elite crew of commando aliens to create - the Morcai Battalion. This series is going to be a thrill to follow!
June 20, 2021
Departure to the stars.
This bold undertaking by a romance author gives fans of masterful storytelling an escape from the mundane world of typical romantic fare. The setting and the characters require readers to suspend their disbelief in a far flung future society and embrace a variety of lifeforms and concepts that seem as far fetched as flying pigs and calculus spouting squirrels. Lovers of science fiction and military battles will have no trouble doing so. This reader had no problem jumping right in.
This bold undertaking by a romance author gives fans of masterful storytelling an escape from the mundane world of typical romantic fare. The setting and the characters require readers to suspend their disbelief in a far flung future society and embrace a variety of lifeforms and concepts that seem as far fetched as flying pigs and calculus spouting squirrels. Lovers of science fiction and military battles will have no trouble doing so. This reader had no problem jumping right in.
May 17, 2018
This is a straight up sci-fi action/adventure which is a very big change for a Diana Palmer book. I'm not surprised though that she has this series as she has always stated in her author's notes how big of a sci-fi fan she is. It was a fast paced well written story and kept me entertained.
For me, at least, it would have been a 5 star book if it also included a real actual romantic development and not just hints of "maybe feelings." :oD
For me, at least, it would have been a 5 star book if it also included a real actual romantic development and not just hints of "maybe feelings." :oD
June 17, 2017
I felt like it started a bit slowly, but I ended up being interested in the characters. It seemed to me to be a first book, or a very young writer. Turns out both were true. It's not deep, and there are some holes and questionable details that probably would have been polished out in the fullness of time. Very impressive for a 17 year old, even with later editing.
July 6, 2018
The Beginning
First book of the series introduces Dtimun, Konak, Maddie, Stern, Struck and Chacon. The Morcai with the survivors of the Bellatrix on board are sabotaged and captured by the Rojoks who take them to th prison moon. They escape with help from Chacon, abduct the Rojok emperor and head home.
First book of the series introduces Dtimun, Konak, Maddie, Stern, Struck and Chacon. The Morcai with the survivors of the Bellatrix on board are sabotaged and captured by the Rojoks who take them to th prison moon. They escape with help from Chacon, abduct the Rojok emperor and head home.
November 29, 2024
3 stars
I purchased the book: The Moracai Battalion: book 5 by Diana Palmer and this review was given freely.
I couldn’t get into it. There is a lot of history and background in this galactic, and Earth-based book. Royal great-nephew of the old Tnurat/ emporer, Mekashe became captain of the Cehn-Tahr emperor Tnurat Alamantimichar’s Imperial Guard where he found himself on a cruise ship.
I purchased the book: The Moracai Battalion: book 5 by Diana Palmer and this review was given freely.
I couldn’t get into it. There is a lot of history and background in this galactic, and Earth-based book. Royal great-nephew of the old Tnurat/ emporer, Mekashe became captain of the Cehn-Tahr emperor Tnurat Alamantimichar’s Imperial Guard where he found himself on a cruise ship.
February 13, 2019
It took a while to get into, but this series is clearly playing a long game. Billed as a romance, I still didn't know who the romance was between by the middle of the book. I liked it, though, and look forward to reading more of the series.
August 30, 2025
The Morcai Battalion by Diana Palmer – The first book in this series was free on Audible, but now I have to contemplate buying the rest. I liked not having to figure out how to say the alien names! Be prepared for heartbreak, heroism, and just the barest tease of romance!
November 28, 2017
Awesome
This is one of the best science fiction stories I have read in a long time. Wonderful characters and lots of drama and action.
This is one of the best science fiction stories I have read in a long time. Wonderful characters and lots of drama and action.
June 1, 2018
Loved this book! Can't wait to read the next!
April 6, 2019
Engaging !
I loved the book. It kept me in suspense and joyfully surprised me . I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!
I loved the book. It kept me in suspense and joyfully surprised me . I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!
January 9, 2020
This is one of my favorite top ten series!!!! I love this book so much, I've probably reread it 10 times.
March 10, 2020
Just don't like it
I am addicted to her books. This one just can flow the catcher can flow the name just didn't enjoy it . Will not recommended it.
I am addicted to her books. This one just can flow the catcher can flow the name just didn't enjoy it . Will not recommended it.
July 18, 2023
Excellent! Highly recommended.
February 28, 2024
Science fiction; returned
February 28, 2017
Torn
I'm torn about my rating of this book. As the plot and premise had so much promise, but the execution and character development was lacking. Instead of the author telling me about the deep camaraderie between the human crew she should have shown me, how they cared for each other, as a reader I felt lost in this book. I am a reader that thrives on the personal relationships the characters have, and this book had glimpses of them but they were never fleshed out. It was a frustrating read for me, as so much of the book seemed edited out. I am a reader that thrives on complex stories, but this one was muddled by inconsistencies, mostly by the character Stern. The character was suspect from the introduction, and this elite commander knew there was something not right with Stern. He told his people to watch Stern, this elite force that fights as one, but Stern is sabotaging the ship? It was too implausible for me. Then the author dangled out a true form for the aliens, but nothing came from this. In closing the author tried to throw everything plus the kitchen sink at me as the reader and it was far too much to make an enjoyable adventure.
I'm torn about my rating of this book. As the plot and premise had so much promise, but the execution and character development was lacking. Instead of the author telling me about the deep camaraderie between the human crew she should have shown me, how they cared for each other, as a reader I felt lost in this book. I am a reader that thrives on the personal relationships the characters have, and this book had glimpses of them but they were never fleshed out. It was a frustrating read for me, as so much of the book seemed edited out. I am a reader that thrives on complex stories, but this one was muddled by inconsistencies, mostly by the character Stern. The character was suspect from the introduction, and this elite commander knew there was something not right with Stern. He told his people to watch Stern, this elite force that fights as one, but Stern is sabotaging the ship? It was too implausible for me. Then the author dangled out a true form for the aliens, but nothing came from this. In closing the author tried to throw everything plus the kitchen sink at me as the reader and it was far too much to make an enjoyable adventure.
April 27, 2012
Prisoner of War Science Fiction
This is a book with graphic violence that makes the Nazi death camps look like a Girl Scout picnic.
Bad aliens have attacked yet another clone colony killing millions. Only this time, they tortured and murdered the only son of an enemy’s emperor. The bad aliens also kidnaped his daughter and stole technological spheres that could lead to the total destruction of hundreds of races.
A human ship is sent to provide emergency assistance, recover the VIPs, and the spheres. The bad aliens secretly capture the human captain. They instantly clone him, program the clone to act as a saboteur, then murder the captain.
Meanwhile, the emperor who’s children are murdered and missing, sends his elite troop of clones to remedy the situation.
The human ship is destroyed and the elite troop of clones take all the survivors onboard the Morcai. There is enormous tension between the human an alien crews. At one point, a small fight breaks out and the alien Captain kills his own man, then without benefit of a trial or hearing spaces the human.
The traitorous clone, sabotages the Morcai, so the entire ship’s complement and all survivors of the destroyed colony are taken to a death camp planet. This is where it gets dicey. And Violent. With a capital V. The bad aliens want the elite Captain and systematically torture and kill his crew to find where he is concealed.
I’m not giving away the ending. It was a good book that I enjoyed and would recommend to sci-fi lovers.
My only complaint was that I kept getting glimpses of romance, but nothing more. The members of the space command are ‘mentally neutered’ so they are not attracted to each other, but in their off hours, they can be attracted to people who are not in the military. Weird right? There are no real families in this future, babies are raised by the state and born to indifferent surrogates or in a laboratory.
The only death penalty in their space fleet is to fraternize i.e. ‘sleep or have strong feelings for’ another member of their military. This is opposite from another military sci-fi book called “The Forever War”, where in that military culture, men and women fought side by side in combat, and were required by law to NOT refuse any sexual advance by any member of their squad be they male or female. I thought that was pretty weird too.
This book was set up to have sequels. The characters are fascinating, they are well thought out, heroic, flawed, restless and made me want to read more of their adventures.
This is a book with graphic violence that makes the Nazi death camps look like a Girl Scout picnic.
Bad aliens have attacked yet another clone colony killing millions. Only this time, they tortured and murdered the only son of an enemy’s emperor. The bad aliens also kidnaped his daughter and stole technological spheres that could lead to the total destruction of hundreds of races.
A human ship is sent to provide emergency assistance, recover the VIPs, and the spheres. The bad aliens secretly capture the human captain. They instantly clone him, program the clone to act as a saboteur, then murder the captain.
Meanwhile, the emperor who’s children are murdered and missing, sends his elite troop of clones to remedy the situation.
The human ship is destroyed and the elite troop of clones take all the survivors onboard the Morcai. There is enormous tension between the human an alien crews. At one point, a small fight breaks out and the alien Captain kills his own man, then without benefit of a trial or hearing spaces the human.
The traitorous clone, sabotages the Morcai, so the entire ship’s complement and all survivors of the destroyed colony are taken to a death camp planet. This is where it gets dicey. And Violent. With a capital V. The bad aliens want the elite Captain and systematically torture and kill his crew to find where he is concealed.
I’m not giving away the ending. It was a good book that I enjoyed and would recommend to sci-fi lovers.
My only complaint was that I kept getting glimpses of romance, but nothing more. The members of the space command are ‘mentally neutered’ so they are not attracted to each other, but in their off hours, they can be attracted to people who are not in the military. Weird right? There are no real families in this future, babies are raised by the state and born to indifferent surrogates or in a laboratory.
The only death penalty in their space fleet is to fraternize i.e. ‘sleep or have strong feelings for’ another member of their military. This is opposite from another military sci-fi book called “The Forever War”, where in that military culture, men and women fought side by side in combat, and were required by law to NOT refuse any sexual advance by any member of their squad be they male or female. I thought that was pretty weird too.
This book was set up to have sequels. The characters are fascinating, they are well thought out, heroic, flawed, restless and made me want to read more of their adventures.
February 21, 2017
This is a re-release of a Diana Palmer novel written under the pen name of Susan Kyle. Originally published in 2007 this is science fiction and fairly different from Ms. Palmer's other series. This series has the humans and the Centuarian race fighting to survive. This is science fiction with romance at it's finest. Book one of the series with what appears to be 4 titles.
September 24, 2016
Before all the Harlequin cowboys Susan Kyle, aka Diana Palmer, wrote a Sci Fi, military, multiple speices book. I read the edition in which the author freely admits the first book, although cleaned up, still is a bit stale due to advancements in technology today. That being said she did get to add back the Amazon battalions she had to remove to get the book published originally.
I found the world building well developed. Where humanity was at that time and place, the society and it's mores were believable. I found the aliens to be uniquely alien but alike enough to care for their well being. The adversaries where despicable, with a hint of possible transformation. The story line grippped from the onset and left me wanting more stories with these characters, without leaving me at the edge of a cliff. This was good since the other two books didn't get written till decades later.
If you are a science fiction enthusiast who likes a little interspeices romantic tension ( I am looking at you Anne McCaffrey fans ), then definitely take this series for a spin.
I found the world building well developed. Where humanity was at that time and place, the society and it's mores were believable. I found the aliens to be uniquely alien but alike enough to care for their well being. The adversaries where despicable, with a hint of possible transformation. The story line grippped from the onset and left me wanting more stories with these characters, without leaving me at the edge of a cliff. This was good since the other two books didn't get written till decades later.
If you are a science fiction enthusiast who likes a little interspeices romantic tension ( I am looking at you Anne McCaffrey fans ), then definitely take this series for a spin.
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