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A New Dawn #3
Haven 6
A product of an illegal pairing, Eridani is the only woman without a lifemate aboard the colonization ship, the Heritage, and she is determined her less than perfect DNA will not get in the way of finding love. As the ship nears its final destination of Haven 6 after five hundred years of travel, images of the surface show evidence of intelligent life on a planet that's supposed to be uninhabited. Commander Grier assigns Eri to the exploratory team to spy on the alien society and return with information on how to defeat them.
When Eri's team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth's colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander's intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.
When Eri's team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth's colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander's intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.
326 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2011
1 person is currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Aubrie Dionne
38 books568 followersAubrie grew up watching the original Star Wars movies over and over again until she could recite and reenact every single scene in her backyard. She also loved The Goonies, Star Trek the Next Generation-favorite character was Data by far-, and Indiana Jones. But, her all time favorite movie was The Last Unicorn. She still wonders why the unicorn decided to change back to a unicorn in the end.
Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted to be "A concert flutist" when she grew up. When she made that happen, she decided one career was not enough and embarked as a fantasy, sci fi author. Two careers seems to keep her busy. For now.
Now for the professional bio:
Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed, which will release in October 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity.
Aubrie wrote in her junior high yearbook that she wanted to be "A concert flutist" when she grew up. When she made that happen, she decided one career was not enough and embarked as a fantasy, sci fi author. Two careers seems to keep her busy. For now.
Now for the professional bio:
Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Entangled Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. She recently signed her YA sci fi novel with Inkspell Publishing titled: Colonization: Paradise Reclaimed, which will release in October 2012. When she's not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras. She's a big Star Trek TNG fan, as well as Star Wars and Serenity.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 22, 2012
Haven 6 is a fun novel full of action, adventure, and uncertainty. The characters were well written. I felt I knew and cared for even the minor players. While it was fast paced and enjoyable my only problem was that there were tons and tons of action/adventure but almost no romance. Yes, there was a budding relationship between Eri and Striver, but I would have liked to have seen it play out more. They do get their happily ever after, but I felt a little jipped by not getting the opportunity to read how it progressed from an innocent kiss to love :/
In all if you're looking for some adventure in a very realistic future setting, but not much steam, I can recommend Haven 6 for you.
*For the most enjoyment I highly recommend reading in series order!
In all if you're looking for some adventure in a very realistic future setting, but not much steam, I can recommend Haven 6 for you.
*For the most enjoyment I highly recommend reading in series order!
September 17, 2012
Ms. Aubrie Dionne has displayed her best writing talents thus far in Haven 6. Grabbing the reader from the beginning, the story carries you to the end. Best one of the series.
September 1, 2012
That sad moment has finally arrived and many of you know how that feels- the moment when a good series has come to an end. I relished this story and the whole series right down to the epilogue. I am relatively new to Sci-Fi Romance, but this will be a series that I will highly recommend to those who might ask me for a recommendation.
Now because I am offering up a review for the last book in the series and there are references in the book back to the first book and even the prequel, I'll be careful not to spoil it for you if you haven't read the others. So read on with confidence (though when it comes time to read the actual book, do read it in order). Its a 'see how far things have come' story along with the introduction of a new element.
So what was this final installment of the series all about? The story just like the others has not just a few story lines that intersect and separate as the story progresses. One storyline follows Eri, a colonist and descendant from the original colonists who left Old Earth. She has been chosen for a mission team to leave the ship and make contact with the planets' inhabitants and this is her moment to shine for the first time in her life. Eri is the only linguist on the ship, but she is not explorer team material. She has always felt inferior to the other colonists because she is the result of an unauthorized coupling (the colonists are assigned their life mate and don't get to pick their partners or their careers) thus she is considered to have inferior genes. But Eri is no fool and she is well aware that something about this mission doesn't smell right. Her sister and dearest friend gives her sage advice that is near traitorous in that she tells Eri to question things and think for herself.
On the surface of the planet, Striver and several others see the colony ship arrive in the heavens and the small expedition ship leave to descend to the planet. He and the others are descendants of humans who left Old Earth just like the colonists' ancestors so he's well aware of who these new arrivals are. He sees that the ship is landing right in the middle of land outside the protection of his peoples' territory in Lawless land where the wild pirate-like people live. The Lawless will not hesitate to attack the colonists and steal their technology- specifically their weapons. Striver already fears that the colonists may not come to co-habit, but to annihilate his people and take the world for themselves and if they are attacked by warlike humans they most certainly will wipe them all out for their own safety. He convinces the council to let him go over the wall and lead a rescue team.
Several parties converge where the expedition ship lands and that's when the adventure begins with a three-pronged stand off to control the planet. But is there another way?
The plot was exciting and intriguing with a strong romantic element. I love this blend that has the story switching mode as it moves along. The intrigue is created by the true purpose of the expedition and by a mystery found in a cave that's remained hidden until now. There are several moments of excitement created by search and rescue attempts. And then there was the sweet romance developing between Striver and Eri who come from the opposite side of the tracks so to speak. I also enjoyed many of the lesser story lines that just made the story richer and deeper particularly the tension between Striver and his brother, Weaver and then the situation between Eri's sister and her husband who is Eri's team leader.
The characters were strong historic types who were vulnerable yet strong. The growth in Eri from her hesitant lack of confidence to a woman who bravely did what had to be done in the clutch moments was awesome. And Striver, he had a gentle side and he really didn't want to be the leader, but took the responsibility and tried to save others by putting his own life on the line. The biggest villain was somewhat 2-D, but that didn't matter because there were several ambivalent secondary characters who were really fleshed out and ranged from trying to be good to trying to be redeemable.
Now I've said it before about the other books, but it doesn't hurt to say it again, the world building in this series is off the hook. It all makes sense in a gritty sort of way what led to earth dying and what those who actually avoided the disaster had to do to survive and thrive. The techno terms and otherworld stuff was not confusing or told in textbook pedantic style, but just infused in here and there with the right amounts so the story didn't bog down.
As noted above, this is the final book in a three book and one novella series. I recommend reading them in order so many references in this book make sense. I have enjoyed all the adventures in the series and am sorry to see it come to an end. Maybe we can pester Aubrie to write more.
I recommend this to those who enjoy sweet Sci-Fi Romance and adventure.
Now because I am offering up a review for the last book in the series and there are references in the book back to the first book and even the prequel, I'll be careful not to spoil it for you if you haven't read the others. So read on with confidence (though when it comes time to read the actual book, do read it in order). Its a 'see how far things have come' story along with the introduction of a new element.
So what was this final installment of the series all about? The story just like the others has not just a few story lines that intersect and separate as the story progresses. One storyline follows Eri, a colonist and descendant from the original colonists who left Old Earth. She has been chosen for a mission team to leave the ship and make contact with the planets' inhabitants and this is her moment to shine for the first time in her life. Eri is the only linguist on the ship, but she is not explorer team material. She has always felt inferior to the other colonists because she is the result of an unauthorized coupling (the colonists are assigned their life mate and don't get to pick their partners or their careers) thus she is considered to have inferior genes. But Eri is no fool and she is well aware that something about this mission doesn't smell right. Her sister and dearest friend gives her sage advice that is near traitorous in that she tells Eri to question things and think for herself.
On the surface of the planet, Striver and several others see the colony ship arrive in the heavens and the small expedition ship leave to descend to the planet. He and the others are descendants of humans who left Old Earth just like the colonists' ancestors so he's well aware of who these new arrivals are. He sees that the ship is landing right in the middle of land outside the protection of his peoples' territory in Lawless land where the wild pirate-like people live. The Lawless will not hesitate to attack the colonists and steal their technology- specifically their weapons. Striver already fears that the colonists may not come to co-habit, but to annihilate his people and take the world for themselves and if they are attacked by warlike humans they most certainly will wipe them all out for their own safety. He convinces the council to let him go over the wall and lead a rescue team.
Several parties converge where the expedition ship lands and that's when the adventure begins with a three-pronged stand off to control the planet. But is there another way?
The plot was exciting and intriguing with a strong romantic element. I love this blend that has the story switching mode as it moves along. The intrigue is created by the true purpose of the expedition and by a mystery found in a cave that's remained hidden until now. There are several moments of excitement created by search and rescue attempts. And then there was the sweet romance developing between Striver and Eri who come from the opposite side of the tracks so to speak. I also enjoyed many of the lesser story lines that just made the story richer and deeper particularly the tension between Striver and his brother, Weaver and then the situation between Eri's sister and her husband who is Eri's team leader.
The characters were strong historic types who were vulnerable yet strong. The growth in Eri from her hesitant lack of confidence to a woman who bravely did what had to be done in the clutch moments was awesome. And Striver, he had a gentle side and he really didn't want to be the leader, but took the responsibility and tried to save others by putting his own life on the line. The biggest villain was somewhat 2-D, but that didn't matter because there were several ambivalent secondary characters who were really fleshed out and ranged from trying to be good to trying to be redeemable.
Now I've said it before about the other books, but it doesn't hurt to say it again, the world building in this series is off the hook. It all makes sense in a gritty sort of way what led to earth dying and what those who actually avoided the disaster had to do to survive and thrive. The techno terms and otherworld stuff was not confusing or told in textbook pedantic style, but just infused in here and there with the right amounts so the story didn't bog down.
As noted above, this is the final book in a three book and one novella series. I recommend reading them in order so many references in this book make sense. I have enjoyed all the adventures in the series and am sorry to see it come to an end. Maybe we can pester Aubrie to write more.
I recommend this to those who enjoy sweet Sci-Fi Romance and adventure.
November 8, 2012
A product of an illegal pairing, Eridani is the only woman without a life mate aboard the colonization ship, the Heritage, and she is determined her less than perfect DNA will not get in the way of finding love. As the ship nears its final destination of Haven 6 after five hundred years of travel, images of the surface show evidence of intelligent life on a planet that's supposed to be uninhabited. Commander Grier assigns Eri to the exploratory team to spy on the alien society and return with information on how to defeat them.
When Eri's team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth's colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander's intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.
What happens when the Earth is so ravaged by wars, abuse and space pirates that its inhabitants must find another planet to live on? But what do you do when other earthlings beat you there and the Captain of your ship is nothing more than a 500 year old brain (literally) with a secret vendetta? This is the premise of Haven 6. Colonists from Earth set out to find a new plant and those aboard the colony ship have been searching for the planet Haven 6 for 500 years. With a story like that I was intrigued from the start. I was immediately reminded of Avatar and Star Trek all at the same time (both favorites of mine).
On board Eri's colony ship, she is considered unsuitable for a life mate because she is in essence illegitimate. When asked by the Captain to be a part of the initial contact team, Eri is both excited and nervous about this new adventure. But things are not as they seem when the advance team is going to Haven 6 bearing arms. The attraction between Striver and Eri is instantaneous. But not everyone is happy about a pairing between Striver and Eri. After Eri's team is attacked by the pirates and the survivors are taken captive, Striver and Eri band together to rescue them.
Striver's ancestors came to Haven 6 from earth by way of a wormhole. His ancestors had history with the pirates that inhabit the planet as well. However, their existence isn't a peaceful one. There is constant fighting between the two factions because Striver's forefathers believed that technology was the root of their problems on earth and refuse to use it while the pirates believe that with the use of technology they all would be better off. While constantly trying to protect his people from the warring other side, Striver is having family problems as well. His mother is dying and his jealous brother has now crossed over and has joined the pirates in an effort to get out of Striver's shadow.
I really liked Eri; despite being "different" she never let the opinions of others hinder her from her dream of having a life mate and discovering her new home planet. I also liked that Striver was alpha but sensitive to his people, his family and Eri. He was also willing to be open to change, especially when the use of technology could save his mother and his people. Striver was the epitome of leader and statesmen. There are no sex scenes but there are sensual moments. Which I thought enhanced the story, I really believe that if the author had sex scenes it would have ruined the sweetly innocent romance developing between Striver and Eri. Don't get me wrong I LOVE a hot sex scene, but it would have been out of place here. Haven 6 is a true romance with a hint of suspense. AND, it the fourth installment of a series but completely stand alone! I didn't even know there were others until after I finished reading it. I highly recommend Haven 6 if your in the mood for a sweet romance. Reading the first three in the series would enhance the story but it's definitely not required. (originally reviwed for not now...mommy's reading @ www.mommysreading.com)
When Eri's team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth's colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander's intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.
What happens when the Earth is so ravaged by wars, abuse and space pirates that its inhabitants must find another planet to live on? But what do you do when other earthlings beat you there and the Captain of your ship is nothing more than a 500 year old brain (literally) with a secret vendetta? This is the premise of Haven 6. Colonists from Earth set out to find a new plant and those aboard the colony ship have been searching for the planet Haven 6 for 500 years. With a story like that I was intrigued from the start. I was immediately reminded of Avatar and Star Trek all at the same time (both favorites of mine).
On board Eri's colony ship, she is considered unsuitable for a life mate because she is in essence illegitimate. When asked by the Captain to be a part of the initial contact team, Eri is both excited and nervous about this new adventure. But things are not as they seem when the advance team is going to Haven 6 bearing arms. The attraction between Striver and Eri is instantaneous. But not everyone is happy about a pairing between Striver and Eri. After Eri's team is attacked by the pirates and the survivors are taken captive, Striver and Eri band together to rescue them.
Striver's ancestors came to Haven 6 from earth by way of a wormhole. His ancestors had history with the pirates that inhabit the planet as well. However, their existence isn't a peaceful one. There is constant fighting between the two factions because Striver's forefathers believed that technology was the root of their problems on earth and refuse to use it while the pirates believe that with the use of technology they all would be better off. While constantly trying to protect his people from the warring other side, Striver is having family problems as well. His mother is dying and his jealous brother has now crossed over and has joined the pirates in an effort to get out of Striver's shadow.
I really liked Eri; despite being "different" she never let the opinions of others hinder her from her dream of having a life mate and discovering her new home planet. I also liked that Striver was alpha but sensitive to his people, his family and Eri. He was also willing to be open to change, especially when the use of technology could save his mother and his people. Striver was the epitome of leader and statesmen. There are no sex scenes but there are sensual moments. Which I thought enhanced the story, I really believe that if the author had sex scenes it would have ruined the sweetly innocent romance developing between Striver and Eri. Don't get me wrong I LOVE a hot sex scene, but it would have been out of place here. Haven 6 is a true romance with a hint of suspense. AND, it the fourth installment of a series but completely stand alone! I didn't even know there were others until after I finished reading it. I highly recommend Haven 6 if your in the mood for a sweet romance. Reading the first three in the series would enhance the story but it's definitely not required. (originally reviwed for not now...mommy's reading @ www.mommysreading.com)
November 27, 2012
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Two warring tribes, birdmen and a spaceship which has reached it's destination after a 500 year journey, are just part of the action taking place in Haven 6, the fourth and final book in Aubrie Dionne's New Dawn series. With a likable heroine and hero, good dialogue and a well developed setting, Ms. Dionne's sci-fi romance captured my attention from the first page. While it's been a while since we last visited the planet called "Refuge", last seen at the end of Paradise 21, it was nice to discover what's happened in the 300 plus years since we left it.
Linguist Eridani "Eri" Smith is the product of an illegal pairing and the only adult female aboard the spaceship Heritage, who's been denied a lifemate. Feeling sorry for herself, and secretly contemplating hacking the computer system which chooses lifemates, she's pleased to be selected as part of the advance landing team on the planet they know as Haven 6 (which we know as Refuge). Hoping a successful mission would force the captain to give her a lifemate, Eri is surprised to discover her new brother in law has been placed in charge of the mission. With a warning from her sister, Eri is not exactly sure just what their mission is, are they to establish friendly communications or spy on the planets alien lifeforms in order to seize the planet for themselves?
Young, strong and virile, Striver is the leader of his tribe. Determined to keep his people safe from the "lawless" pirates who inhabit another part of their planet, he's also tasked with helping "The Guardians" keep what technology they have away from what's left of humanity. He's also trying to keep his distance from one of his tribeswomen who wants to become his mate. When a space shuttle arrives on his planet, he knows it's important to discover their plans and make sure their technology doesn't fall into the hands of the lawless.
The scenes between Eri and Striver are well written and their relationship develops at a very nice pace. With so much at stake, it's important they get to know each other and discover who's worthy of trust. Ms. Dionne did an excellent job developing their characters and introducing Eri to the descendants of a previously lost ship. As they learn to trust each other, Eri will have to make a choice between doing what her captain wants or doing what is best for everyone involved. At the same time, Striver will have to decide if he's made a mistake by giving Eri his trust.
The secondary characters are well developed and their actions help to move the story along, I especially liked Litus, Eri's brother in law, Eri's sister Aquaria and Phoenix, the lead "Guardian" (you'll have to read the book to find out just who they are). The villains of the story are also well developed from Commander Greer, the human who's brain operates the space ship Heritage, to Jolt, the leader of the lawless. We also get introduced to Weaver, Striver's younger brother, who leaves his brother and his tribe to join the lawless.
Will all of Eri's dreams come true and will Striver agree to be her lifemate? Will the old and the new inhabitants of Haven learn to get along and learn from man's previous mistakes? You'll have to read Haven 6 to find out. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.
Two warring tribes, birdmen and a spaceship which has reached it's destination after a 500 year journey, are just part of the action taking place in Haven 6, the fourth and final book in Aubrie Dionne's New Dawn series. With a likable heroine and hero, good dialogue and a well developed setting, Ms. Dionne's sci-fi romance captured my attention from the first page. While it's been a while since we last visited the planet called "Refuge", last seen at the end of Paradise 21, it was nice to discover what's happened in the 300 plus years since we left it.
Linguist Eridani "Eri" Smith is the product of an illegal pairing and the only adult female aboard the spaceship Heritage, who's been denied a lifemate. Feeling sorry for herself, and secretly contemplating hacking the computer system which chooses lifemates, she's pleased to be selected as part of the advance landing team on the planet they know as Haven 6 (which we know as Refuge). Hoping a successful mission would force the captain to give her a lifemate, Eri is surprised to discover her new brother in law has been placed in charge of the mission. With a warning from her sister, Eri is not exactly sure just what their mission is, are they to establish friendly communications or spy on the planets alien lifeforms in order to seize the planet for themselves?
Young, strong and virile, Striver is the leader of his tribe. Determined to keep his people safe from the "lawless" pirates who inhabit another part of their planet, he's also tasked with helping "The Guardians" keep what technology they have away from what's left of humanity. He's also trying to keep his distance from one of his tribeswomen who wants to become his mate. When a space shuttle arrives on his planet, he knows it's important to discover their plans and make sure their technology doesn't fall into the hands of the lawless.
The scenes between Eri and Striver are well written and their relationship develops at a very nice pace. With so much at stake, it's important they get to know each other and discover who's worthy of trust. Ms. Dionne did an excellent job developing their characters and introducing Eri to the descendants of a previously lost ship. As they learn to trust each other, Eri will have to make a choice between doing what her captain wants or doing what is best for everyone involved. At the same time, Striver will have to decide if he's made a mistake by giving Eri his trust.
The secondary characters are well developed and their actions help to move the story along, I especially liked Litus, Eri's brother in law, Eri's sister Aquaria and Phoenix, the lead "Guardian" (you'll have to read the book to find out just who they are). The villains of the story are also well developed from Commander Greer, the human who's brain operates the space ship Heritage, to Jolt, the leader of the lawless. We also get introduced to Weaver, Striver's younger brother, who leaves his brother and his tribe to join the lawless.
Will all of Eri's dreams come true and will Striver agree to be her lifemate? Will the old and the new inhabitants of Haven learn to get along and learn from man's previous mistakes? You'll have to read Haven 6 to find out. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.
November 10, 2012
I really, really loved this book. I had read some of the previous ones (Paradise 21 for instance) and loved this one, as we get to see what became of Striker and crew from that first book. I am sure I missed something, as I only have read Paradise 21 and part of Tundra 37 as of writing this (and didn’t see much connection between the books, until this one). I mean, it seems many generations have passed, as they were the founders of Refuge (they had found a wormhole to this planet in the first book and brought the eggs of the winged people alien race with them, on the alien ship Striker had found, called Guardians now) So in this book, one of the colony ships finally arrive, The Heritage, they took the long route, not knowing of this wormhole, hundreds of years.
Anyway, this story is about Eri who we first see getting denied again, for the matchmaking for a lifemate, as she was born from “love” and not computer picked mates, based on DNA. (her parents were rebels, and fell in love, and had her) Then she gets sent on a mission to see what is on this planet, as they were under the impression that this planet they call Haven 6 was uninhibited by intelligent life, but then they got photos back from a scout drone of thatched roof buildings, and an arrow shot the camera, and then it went black. She goes to this planet with Litus, her sister Aquaria’s, new lifemate and 8 other colonist.
Striver is the leader of the colony behind the wall they built on Refuge (what they call it) and then there is the Lawless, the outcasts, which refuse to abide by the rules made by the founders and the Guardian race. They choose to live without technology, and have the original alien ship hidden. It contains their histories and is the only reason they keep it, and not destroy it. The Lawless are always trying to get their hands on that technology.
Then of course things get exciting as Eri and her crew end up landing near the Lawless territory, and Striver and his crew take off to try to protect them from the savages of the Lawless, who would want to kill the invaders (colonist) and steal their technology. Striver saves Eri’s life and things get interesting form there. This all happens within the first 25% of the book, and just gets more exciting from that point on. Eri must struggle with the knowledge that the commander of her colonist ship plans to take over this planet and she feels this is wrong, so she needs to decide to warn Striver or not.
I was sucked in right away, I have really enjoyed these books, they are just right, not too much far-fetched aliens and stuff, you know, not too much like star trek, or something, lol. I love the love interest in this one. Striver is so hot too, lol.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend to anyone who likes paranormal or sci-fi books.
I received this book from the author for my honest review
Anyway, this story is about Eri who we first see getting denied again, for the matchmaking for a lifemate, as she was born from “love” and not computer picked mates, based on DNA. (her parents were rebels, and fell in love, and had her) Then she gets sent on a mission to see what is on this planet, as they were under the impression that this planet they call Haven 6 was uninhibited by intelligent life, but then they got photos back from a scout drone of thatched roof buildings, and an arrow shot the camera, and then it went black. She goes to this planet with Litus, her sister Aquaria’s, new lifemate and 8 other colonist.
Striver is the leader of the colony behind the wall they built on Refuge (what they call it) and then there is the Lawless, the outcasts, which refuse to abide by the rules made by the founders and the Guardian race. They choose to live without technology, and have the original alien ship hidden. It contains their histories and is the only reason they keep it, and not destroy it. The Lawless are always trying to get their hands on that technology.
Then of course things get exciting as Eri and her crew end up landing near the Lawless territory, and Striver and his crew take off to try to protect them from the savages of the Lawless, who would want to kill the invaders (colonist) and steal their technology. Striver saves Eri’s life and things get interesting form there. This all happens within the first 25% of the book, and just gets more exciting from that point on. Eri must struggle with the knowledge that the commander of her colonist ship plans to take over this planet and she feels this is wrong, so she needs to decide to warn Striver or not.
I was sucked in right away, I have really enjoyed these books, they are just right, not too much far-fetched aliens and stuff, you know, not too much like star trek, or something, lol. I love the love interest in this one. Striver is so hot too, lol.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend to anyone who likes paranormal or sci-fi books.
I received this book from the author for my honest review
September 26, 2012
Aubrie did a mighty impressive job of squeezing so much awesomeness into the pages of Haven 6! I’ve enjoyed this series from the very beginning. I like how she has created a series that surrounds the same objective, getting survivors off a crumbling Earth and to a new planet five hundred years into the future. Each book has focused on a different ship, a different planet, different years, and different characters. This allows reader to enjoy so many different facets of the series.
If you have read this series I have to point out that Haven 6 happens to be the planet that Aries and Striker got to at the end of Paradise 21, they called it Refuge. So if you’ve read Aries and Striker’s story and were curious (like I was) about how life panned out for them and what they found in the hull of that ship… well you get to see it three hundred and twenty-two years after they landed.
There are so many incredible characters in Haven 6. I loved Eri. She is one of the lifers on board the Heritage that has never walked on land. Finally landing is a huge deal for her and everyone else on that spacecraft. For her it is a new beginning in more ways than she could have ever dreamed of. She not viewed as important on the Heritage. She is the child of an illegal pairing and she a linguist. The people on the ship have no use for her until they realize their new home planet is inhabited by people they may not be able to communicate with.
Striver and the small village he lives in on Refuge are shocked when they see one of Old Earth’s colony ships hovering above their planet. They know from their ancestors what happened to Old Earth and why people had to seek solace in space for centuries while traveling to their new home. He struggles to protect his people from the Lawless who are constantly trying to attack his village, now he has to contend with the possibilities that this colony ship will bring.
I would have loved to read more Phoenix and Weaver. They are secondary characters and as such they have small roles, but they both intrigued me so. Phoenix, it is what his character is that crabbed my attention. I wanted to know so much more about him and his people. Weaver gets himself into a mess of trouble. His continuous poor decisions lead him to something. I’m very curious about that something. I know that sounds vague, but I strive for spoiler free.
Everyone it seems wants Haven 6/Refuge for their own. Two of the factions don’t want to coexist, they want to rule. Striver and Eri have taken the initiative of attempting to get the various peoples to coexist. People from all sides are used to their methods and not looking to just take on another’s way of life. Things get pretty intense, especially when Eri figures out exactly what the commander of the Heritage wants and the reasons behind it.
If you have read this series I have to point out that Haven 6 happens to be the planet that Aries and Striker got to at the end of Paradise 21, they called it Refuge. So if you’ve read Aries and Striker’s story and were curious (like I was) about how life panned out for them and what they found in the hull of that ship… well you get to see it three hundred and twenty-two years after they landed.
There are so many incredible characters in Haven 6. I loved Eri. She is one of the lifers on board the Heritage that has never walked on land. Finally landing is a huge deal for her and everyone else on that spacecraft. For her it is a new beginning in more ways than she could have ever dreamed of. She not viewed as important on the Heritage. She is the child of an illegal pairing and she a linguist. The people on the ship have no use for her until they realize their new home planet is inhabited by people they may not be able to communicate with.
Striver and the small village he lives in on Refuge are shocked when they see one of Old Earth’s colony ships hovering above their planet. They know from their ancestors what happened to Old Earth and why people had to seek solace in space for centuries while traveling to their new home. He struggles to protect his people from the Lawless who are constantly trying to attack his village, now he has to contend with the possibilities that this colony ship will bring.
I would have loved to read more Phoenix and Weaver. They are secondary characters and as such they have small roles, but they both intrigued me so. Phoenix, it is what his character is that crabbed my attention. I wanted to know so much more about him and his people. Weaver gets himself into a mess of trouble. His continuous poor decisions lead him to something. I’m very curious about that something. I know that sounds vague, but I strive for spoiler free.
Everyone it seems wants Haven 6/Refuge for their own. Two of the factions don’t want to coexist, they want to rule. Striver and Eri have taken the initiative of attempting to get the various peoples to coexist. People from all sides are used to their methods and not looking to just take on another’s way of life. Things get pretty intense, especially when Eri figures out exactly what the commander of the Heritage wants and the reasons behind it.
October 18, 2012
Aubrie Dionne's New Dawn series comes to an exciting and action-packed conclusion with Haven 6 where space colony DNA freak Eridani Smith finally finds her true purpose after landing on a planet as part of a first contact mission. As the child of an unacknowledged pairing, Eri is not allowed a lifemate and is looked down upon by her fellow colonists. The only person who supports her is her half-sister Aquaria whose recent lifemate pairing isn't what she thought it would be and is the first sign that the way the colonists live might not be the best way. On this mission Eri becomes more assertive and realizes she does have value. That puts her in a quandary when she has to choose between the mission set forth by Commander Grier and wanting to protect the man and his people who accept her for who she is. Striver sees only perfection in her and a woman of loyalty and for the first time she experiences true love.
Striver has always had responsibilities with guilt as his constant companion. Since becoming leader of his people after his father's disappearance it falls to him to keep technology from harming his people. Their beliefs, and his brother's desires to gain power through technology, lead to his brother Weaver going to their enemies which is another reason for him to eschew technology. But when a ship lands in their enemies territory he's the first to lead a rescue mission for the alien visitors. Upon seeing a red-haired sprite his life, and that of his people, changes forever. He finds unconditional acceptance from Eri and a true partner who does whatever she can to ease his soul. In an action-packed showdown loyalties shift and a lifetime of beliefs are thrown away to create a new and better society.
The relationship between Eri and Striver evolves slowly and sweetly as they're constantly on the run from their enemies. There's only one kiss between them but it speaks volumes. The focus of this story is the action which is fast-paced with battle sequences vividly depicted. My heart was racing every time the characters went to war and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to reach the satisfying conclusion of this story and series. Although it's not a necessity, this series is best read in numerical order to gain the fullest emotional impact and to get the best grasp of its intricately connected storyline. Ms. Dionne perfectly balances action and romance giving both male and female readers exactly what they want. This was a wonderful series that I'm sad to see end but am excited for what the author will come up with next.
Striver has always had responsibilities with guilt as his constant companion. Since becoming leader of his people after his father's disappearance it falls to him to keep technology from harming his people. Their beliefs, and his brother's desires to gain power through technology, lead to his brother Weaver going to their enemies which is another reason for him to eschew technology. But when a ship lands in their enemies territory he's the first to lead a rescue mission for the alien visitors. Upon seeing a red-haired sprite his life, and that of his people, changes forever. He finds unconditional acceptance from Eri and a true partner who does whatever she can to ease his soul. In an action-packed showdown loyalties shift and a lifetime of beliefs are thrown away to create a new and better society.
The relationship between Eri and Striver evolves slowly and sweetly as they're constantly on the run from their enemies. There's only one kiss between them but it speaks volumes. The focus of this story is the action which is fast-paced with battle sequences vividly depicted. My heart was racing every time the characters went to war and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to reach the satisfying conclusion of this story and series. Although it's not a necessity, this series is best read in numerical order to gain the fullest emotional impact and to get the best grasp of its intricately connected storyline. Ms. Dionne perfectly balances action and romance giving both male and female readers exactly what they want. This was a wonderful series that I'm sad to see end but am excited for what the author will come up with next.
September 6, 2012
Eridani Smith is rejected one last time in her request for a lifemate. As a product of illegal pairing, her DNA is considered flawed and thus she's forced to face life alone. Most people shun her already except for her loving sister. Things are about to change, though. The colonization ship is approaching their destination and probes have discovered it's already occupied. Eri, being the colony's only linguist, is sent with an exploratory team to gather information, but they're attacked when they land. Her teammates are taken, but Eri manages to escape with the help of Striver, the gorgeous leader of a peaceful people. They shun technology, but their enemies greatly desire it and will stop at nothing to obtain what they want. And what they want is the ship with all its weapons. Eri must find some way to help her people and Striver's, going against her commander's orders. She loses her heart to the brave leader, but fears that she can't stop the commander's ultimate plan.
This is a magnificent tale of science-fiction and romance. The imagery is brilliant with its hulking ship with a brain in a jar and the dangerous swampy planet with its fearsome creatures. I could almost smell the stink of the boar! The story builds into a deep and twisted tale with a rich history. I enjoyed reading about Striver's people and what happened when they arrived on the planet. He's an impressive hero and it's no wonder Eri falls for him. Eri is an impressive character. She seems meek at the beginning, but she finds a great strength within her and grows into a heroine that I very much admired. Striver and Eri's romance grows slowly, and it's sweet to see it develop. They complement one another perfectly even having lived two very different lives.
Action, romance, and mystery. There's something in HAVEN 6 for everyone. Aubrie Dionne never ceases to amaze me with her outstanding writing. I highly recommend this book to all readers.
This is a magnificent tale of science-fiction and romance. The imagery is brilliant with its hulking ship with a brain in a jar and the dangerous swampy planet with its fearsome creatures. I could almost smell the stink of the boar! The story builds into a deep and twisted tale with a rich history. I enjoyed reading about Striver's people and what happened when they arrived on the planet. He's an impressive hero and it's no wonder Eri falls for him. Eri is an impressive character. She seems meek at the beginning, but she finds a great strength within her and grows into a heroine that I very much admired. Striver and Eri's romance grows slowly, and it's sweet to see it develop. They complement one another perfectly even having lived two very different lives.
Action, romance, and mystery. There's something in HAVEN 6 for everyone. Aubrie Dionne never ceases to amaze me with her outstanding writing. I highly recommend this book to all readers.
September 14, 2012
I was so happy that I was approached to review Haven 6. I've read the previous books in the A New Dawn series and I was not disappointing. I was, however, left wondering what happened to Striker and Aries in the first book, Paradise 21. Haven 6 gives readers of this series an amazing look into what happened to them and their descendants on Refuge.
In this book we follow Eri, who is a linguist, as she travels down to Haven 6 (Refuge) to find out what kind of being live there. Eri is considered genetically inferior, and I think in the beginning she maybe felt that was true. As the book goes on, she shows amazing strength and bravery. She was an amazing female lead.
Striver tries to do what is right all the time, except maybe where his brother is involved. Striver and Eri's relationship was very interesting. Neither of them knew if they could trust each other. They seemed to have an instant connection though, and I loved reading about how their relationship developed.
Weaver, Striver's brother, and the Lawless were very exciting elements to the story. I liked Weaver a lot. His internal struggle with what was right was written really well. Even if I didn't agree with his choices I could easily see why he felt the way he did.
I also really loved Aquarius and Litus. Their journey as new life mates really had my attention. The rest of the characters were well written, and the had depth. The planet of Refuge sounds both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
I would say that Aubrie Dionne has done another amazing job with Haven 6. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I am sad to think the series may be ending.
I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
In this book we follow Eri, who is a linguist, as she travels down to Haven 6 (Refuge) to find out what kind of being live there. Eri is considered genetically inferior, and I think in the beginning she maybe felt that was true. As the book goes on, she shows amazing strength and bravery. She was an amazing female lead.
Striver tries to do what is right all the time, except maybe where his brother is involved. Striver and Eri's relationship was very interesting. Neither of them knew if they could trust each other. They seemed to have an instant connection though, and I loved reading about how their relationship developed.
Weaver, Striver's brother, and the Lawless were very exciting elements to the story. I liked Weaver a lot. His internal struggle with what was right was written really well. Even if I didn't agree with his choices I could easily see why he felt the way he did.
I also really loved Aquarius and Litus. Their journey as new life mates really had my attention. The rest of the characters were well written, and the had depth. The planet of Refuge sounds both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
I would say that Aubrie Dionne has done another amazing job with Haven 6. I couldn't put it down once I started reading. I am sad to think the series may be ending.
I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
December 4, 2012
Eri is an expert in old languages and an oddity on board the Heritage. She has been denied a match because her parents didn’t go through the recognized pairing system designed to promote healthy and disease free colonists. As such her blood is tainted and she is unacceptable.
Given this, she is surprised to receive a summons from the commander of the Heritage. She’s told she is to go with the advance mission to Haven 6 and report back on their intelligence level, weaponry and advancements.
She meets Striver, the leader of the people on Haven 6 after he rescues her and some of the other crew from the Lawless land.
This is a fast paced book with a lot going on – there’s the people on the Heritage who want to land on their new home but the commander doesn’t want to share with the existing inhabitants, the split between Striver and his brother, the war between those who live in the Lawless land and Striver’s people and also the disappearance of Striver’s father. The conflicts all interweave nicely and make for an action-packed read.
The romance between Eri and Striver happens gradually, and they’re both great characters. Striver is already a leader, but he feels he’s failed with his brother. Eri begins the story by thinking of herself as a useless translator of old languages and during her adventures she finds new strength and learns a lot about herself during the process.
Haven 6 is a wonderful, fast paced story and perfect for those who enjoy sci-fi romance with a good balance of action and romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Given this, she is surprised to receive a summons from the commander of the Heritage. She’s told she is to go with the advance mission to Haven 6 and report back on their intelligence level, weaponry and advancements.
She meets Striver, the leader of the people on Haven 6 after he rescues her and some of the other crew from the Lawless land.
This is a fast paced book with a lot going on – there’s the people on the Heritage who want to land on their new home but the commander doesn’t want to share with the existing inhabitants, the split between Striver and his brother, the war between those who live in the Lawless land and Striver’s people and also the disappearance of Striver’s father. The conflicts all interweave nicely and make for an action-packed read.
The romance between Eri and Striver happens gradually, and they’re both great characters. Striver is already a leader, but he feels he’s failed with his brother. Eri begins the story by thinking of herself as a useless translator of old languages and during her adventures she finds new strength and learns a lot about herself during the process.
Haven 6 is a wonderful, fast paced story and perfect for those who enjoy sci-fi romance with a good balance of action and romance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a blog tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.
September 8, 2012
Faith in humanity comes from the strength of love in Aubrie Dionne’s HAVEN 6, a thrilling conclusion to the epic New Dawn series.
Linguist Eridani Smith lived her life on the Heritage as a second class citizen because of an illegal pairing. Yet her skills come into play when scouting vessels report that the planet Haven 6 might not be as uninhabited as the colonists hoped. With a small exploratory team, Eri has to travel to Haven 6, befriend the aliens, and report to the commander about how to exterminate them, but nothing is as easy as it seems. The so-called aliens are humans from Old Earth too, and she has to decide whether to follow orders or her heart.
HAVEN 6 quickly had me sitting on the edge of my seat and holding my breath while I read. To think of traveling hundreds of years to find out your planet is already taken must be devastating. The characters are well-rounded and feisty with their individual quirks. The plot weaves through several characters and brilliantly touches on the other books in the New Dawn series. Dionne has created a fantastical world set amongst the stars. The stakes are high and packed with emotion, and the writing style is beautiful and firmly set within the characters’ minds. At the end, Dionne ties up the threads from her entire series to reaffirm the theme of hope, unity, and love.
HAVEN 6 by Aubrie Dionne is the perfect end to a fantastic science fiction romance series, although I miss the characters and worlds already.
Linguist Eridani Smith lived her life on the Heritage as a second class citizen because of an illegal pairing. Yet her skills come into play when scouting vessels report that the planet Haven 6 might not be as uninhabited as the colonists hoped. With a small exploratory team, Eri has to travel to Haven 6, befriend the aliens, and report to the commander about how to exterminate them, but nothing is as easy as it seems. The so-called aliens are humans from Old Earth too, and she has to decide whether to follow orders or her heart.
HAVEN 6 quickly had me sitting on the edge of my seat and holding my breath while I read. To think of traveling hundreds of years to find out your planet is already taken must be devastating. The characters are well-rounded and feisty with their individual quirks. The plot weaves through several characters and brilliantly touches on the other books in the New Dawn series. Dionne has created a fantastical world set amongst the stars. The stakes are high and packed with emotion, and the writing style is beautiful and firmly set within the characters’ minds. At the end, Dionne ties up the threads from her entire series to reaffirm the theme of hope, unity, and love.
HAVEN 6 by Aubrie Dionne is the perfect end to a fantastic science fiction romance series, although I miss the characters and worlds already.
August 2, 2012
Yes, I edited it, so I got to read it already! Aubrie is a fabulous and imaginative author and I really think fans of the series will love this final book! Can't wait to see it on shelves.
November 2, 2012
This dual review was originally published at Book Lovers Inc
Marlene: Haven 6 is the final book in Dionne’s New Dawn series, and she’s trying to tie up all the loose ends. So she goes back to the beginning. All the beginnings. The colony ship that arrives at Haven 6 is commanded by none other than the former Governor of New York, or what’s left of her. Governor Grier’s brain is Commander Grier, and she still remembers the last panic-stricken days of Earth. Those events form the story of A Hero Rising, book 3 of Dionne’s series.
But when the Heritage reaches Haven 6, it finds that the original scouting reports were wrong. The planet is populated. That population is descended from Aries and Striker, the main characters of the first book in this series, Paradise 21. (See what I mean about all the loose ends?)
But the crew of the Heritage doesn’t know that, yet. All they know is that there are huts showing up in the fly-by scan. Enter our heroine, this story’s ship-misfit, Eridani. Eri is a double-misfit; she is the result of an unauthorized pairing, and her job is less-than-essential. Eri is a linguist. on a ship that doesn’t meet anyone who speaks dead Earth languages. But since she’s good at her job, maybe she can make sense out of whatever the species inhabiting Haven 6 speaks.
Too bad it turns out to be English. And too bad for everyone that the first group of “natives” that Eri’s team runs into turns out to be pirates.
Things go downhill from there.
Has: Oh yes, you have summed up exactly how I felt about this final installment of the series and I was hoping it would improve. But, sadly this wasn’t the case. I was lukewarm on the romance, lukewarm on the plot and very lukewarm on the characters. The one aspect that I really enjoyed about the previous books, was the element of world-building and how Dionne sets up a tense and engaging setting of groups of survivors on their journeys to find a new home. However, even this factor wasn’t apparent and in fact didn’t make sense. Because it was set a few 100 years after the events in the previous books. I couldn’t understand how the survivors of the Omega station would devolve into petty warfare over technology especially since they kept that alien ship which was the only working tech which they kept for historical and nostalgic reasons.
There was not an element of how their society evolved and in fact it was regressing and it definitely didn’t make sense with aliens who Striker and Aries saved in PARADISE 21. They showed real promise and imagination in that book and I was looking forward to see how events would evolve when we revisit them in this book. But their depiction fell into a huge cliche pitfall of stand-offish aliens who must not interfere with human affairs. And the entire conflict in the book was relegated with the tensions between the opposing human factions of the pirate like gangs and the humans who lived in harmony with the aliens. I was very let down on how this played out in the book, because the plot wasn’t engaging, or had real depth for me.
Marlene: In the attempt to wrap everything up into a nice, neat package, the author recycled an unfortunately large number of cliches from the lesser Star Trek scripts. (I’m saying this and I love Trek with all my geeky little heart) The aliens that Aries and Striker rescue in Paradise 21 are now operating under some kind of semi-operative Prime Directive; they can’t interfere if it will lead to loss of life, but they can help a bit. They owe their existence as a species, not just as individuals, to Aries’ and Striker’s interference; does this make sense?
The society on Haven 6 has either devolved, or something weird is going on that we don’t know. There are hints, but not enough information. In Paradise 21, Aries and Striker bring the entire population of Outpost Omega to Haven 6, only they call it Refuge. Lots of those folks were pirates, but many were prisoners, and some were just folks trying to get by. How did things descend practically into chaos in just a couple of centuries? Also, they used a wormhole to get ahead of the colony ships. Many of the pirates, and others had their own ships. Did anyone go elsewhere? Use another wormhole?
These folks have gone effectively back to, as Mr. Spock put it in City on the Edge of Forever, “stone knives and bearskins”. Or very nearly. High-tech is seen as the great evil. Yes, the last days of the Earth that everyone escaped from were really bad, but all the way back to primitivism? Couldn’t they find a happy medium? Or even a happy medium-rare?
And then there’s the romance. We have insta-love between an outsider from the colony ship and a hero who otherwise wouldn’t know she exists. Along with a bully for romantic tension, although in this case the bully, a Haven girl named Riptide, isn’t as bad as Luna was in Tundra 37.
Speaking of Riptide, there are the two side-plots with Striver’s brother Weaver, and the golden liquid of doom, but I’ll leave those to Has.
Has: I also have to add that this reminded me of Battlestar Galactica’s remake where the humans decided to renounce technology, and although I get why they did - there was no reason why the pirate gangs could have developed their own tech especially since they came from a space faring race. Riptide’s character who felt like an obstacle to force emotions out of Eri and to create tension between her and Striver. Although like Eri, I was bemused by Riptide’s appearance of foot-length hair which isn’t that practical in a jungle like planet (imagine the humidity!). But I also felt Riptide’s character was redundant and never really offered any real conflict in the romance and she was pretty much a cliche for me for being a bitchy character with no real depth.
However, I have to say I was very bored with the sub-plot with Striver’s brother who defected to join the pirate gangs because he was jealous and bitter of his brother’s popularity and leadership skills. I found his character to be a whiny, selfish and stupid and the reasons on why he joined a dangerous albeit another stupid group of people didn’t make sense. And although it tried to bring out real emotions - for me it emphasized his TSTL reasons. I also found myself being bored reading his POV chapters because it didn’t offer any real emotions or push the plot forward and when he encounters the glowing pool which is similar to the glowing orb in TUNDRA 37 where people get lost and sucked into their past memories - Well it was a bit of an anti-climactic twist and I was very disappointed because the alien orbs/glowing pool ties in previous plot threads and adds more twists in this universe. But, overall I found that the main plot a huge disappointment and how it ended was a bit of a wet fish.
Marlene: The divide between the pirates and the what? not-pirates? on Haven seems to be that the pirates want to exploit the remaining technology, and Striver’s people keep the remaining technology under wraps, feeling that all technology beyond the most rudimentary is bad. The pirates seem to be too lazy or too violent to develop their own tech, they just want to steal it, which makes them one-dimensional bad guys.
Weaver was whiny, self-centered and fairly stupid. Not in the IQ sense, but in the survival sense. He didn’t see other people as “real”, only as how they held him back from his supposed “greatness”. He never saw himself as part of the problem. And he was a complete idiot to think that going to the pirates was any kind of long term strategy. They were murdering lunatics. Weaver’s purpose in the plot was to show the redemptive power of the golden memory liquid, and to be the obligatory sacrifice for the greater good at the end.
I also thought this one was a bit anti-climactic, especially compared to the first two.
Has: And that is why I feel let down by this because it resorted to cliches and not in a good way. There was a lot of promise because there was such a rich tapestry of promise with the alien and different human factions however the resolution was a lot to be desired. However I do have to say the romantic build-up between Striver and Eri was slightly better compared to the previous books. But once again their romance suffered from insta-love syndrome which I am not a huge fan of because there was no real tension between them. But I preferred this sub-plot compared to the main story of the book.
Marlene: You’re right, Has. The romance did work just a bit better this time. Although there was definitely an insta-love start, the romance between Eri and Striver had enough time and enough “stuff” in it for us to see why these two get together in the end.
But the rest of the story doesn’t work as well. The fight between the pirates and Striver’s people seems basically under-explained. Mostly because every time I say, think, or write the word “Pirates” when there is no water or space or ship involved, my brain goes “tilt”. They are thugs that this society hasn’t taken care of. The alien Guardians have “Vulcan syndrome” without being half as cool. Or a quarter as hot.
And the insecure younger brother plot was really insecure. The best part of the story, the golden memory liquid, got dribbled away.
For that, I dribble out 2 and a half stars for Haven 6.
Has:I also agree! I wished that this last installment, would have closed this series with a bang and whilst I liked how Aubrie Dionne intertwined the plot threads from the previous books. This was pretty much an anti-climactic ending and didn’t live up to the promise of the earlier books. I found that this was the weakest book in the series and I am disappointed because I loved the world-building that was set up. And even though this had actually a stronger romantic subplot compared to the previous books, I enjoyed the setting and premise much more but I am sad to say this was a bit of a meh book for me and I don’t think I will continue with the spin-off series.
2 and half stars for Haven 6.
Marlene: Haven 6 is the final book in Dionne’s New Dawn series, and she’s trying to tie up all the loose ends. So she goes back to the beginning. All the beginnings. The colony ship that arrives at Haven 6 is commanded by none other than the former Governor of New York, or what’s left of her. Governor Grier’s brain is Commander Grier, and she still remembers the last panic-stricken days of Earth. Those events form the story of A Hero Rising, book 3 of Dionne’s series.
But when the Heritage reaches Haven 6, it finds that the original scouting reports were wrong. The planet is populated. That population is descended from Aries and Striker, the main characters of the first book in this series, Paradise 21. (See what I mean about all the loose ends?)
But the crew of the Heritage doesn’t know that, yet. All they know is that there are huts showing up in the fly-by scan. Enter our heroine, this story’s ship-misfit, Eridani. Eri is a double-misfit; she is the result of an unauthorized pairing, and her job is less-than-essential. Eri is a linguist. on a ship that doesn’t meet anyone who speaks dead Earth languages. But since she’s good at her job, maybe she can make sense out of whatever the species inhabiting Haven 6 speaks.
Too bad it turns out to be English. And too bad for everyone that the first group of “natives” that Eri’s team runs into turns out to be pirates.
Things go downhill from there.
Has: Oh yes, you have summed up exactly how I felt about this final installment of the series and I was hoping it would improve. But, sadly this wasn’t the case. I was lukewarm on the romance, lukewarm on the plot and very lukewarm on the characters. The one aspect that I really enjoyed about the previous books, was the element of world-building and how Dionne sets up a tense and engaging setting of groups of survivors on their journeys to find a new home. However, even this factor wasn’t apparent and in fact didn’t make sense. Because it was set a few 100 years after the events in the previous books. I couldn’t understand how the survivors of the Omega station would devolve into petty warfare over technology especially since they kept that alien ship which was the only working tech which they kept for historical and nostalgic reasons.
There was not an element of how their society evolved and in fact it was regressing and it definitely didn’t make sense with aliens who Striker and Aries saved in PARADISE 21. They showed real promise and imagination in that book and I was looking forward to see how events would evolve when we revisit them in this book. But their depiction fell into a huge cliche pitfall of stand-offish aliens who must not interfere with human affairs. And the entire conflict in the book was relegated with the tensions between the opposing human factions of the pirate like gangs and the humans who lived in harmony with the aliens. I was very let down on how this played out in the book, because the plot wasn’t engaging, or had real depth for me.
Marlene: In the attempt to wrap everything up into a nice, neat package, the author recycled an unfortunately large number of cliches from the lesser Star Trek scripts. (I’m saying this and I love Trek with all my geeky little heart) The aliens that Aries and Striker rescue in Paradise 21 are now operating under some kind of semi-operative Prime Directive; they can’t interfere if it will lead to loss of life, but they can help a bit. They owe their existence as a species, not just as individuals, to Aries’ and Striker’s interference; does this make sense?
The society on Haven 6 has either devolved, or something weird is going on that we don’t know. There are hints, but not enough information. In Paradise 21, Aries and Striker bring the entire population of Outpost Omega to Haven 6, only they call it Refuge. Lots of those folks were pirates, but many were prisoners, and some were just folks trying to get by. How did things descend practically into chaos in just a couple of centuries? Also, they used a wormhole to get ahead of the colony ships. Many of the pirates, and others had their own ships. Did anyone go elsewhere? Use another wormhole?
These folks have gone effectively back to, as Mr. Spock put it in City on the Edge of Forever, “stone knives and bearskins”. Or very nearly. High-tech is seen as the great evil. Yes, the last days of the Earth that everyone escaped from were really bad, but all the way back to primitivism? Couldn’t they find a happy medium? Or even a happy medium-rare?
And then there’s the romance. We have insta-love between an outsider from the colony ship and a hero who otherwise wouldn’t know she exists. Along with a bully for romantic tension, although in this case the bully, a Haven girl named Riptide, isn’t as bad as Luna was in Tundra 37.
Speaking of Riptide, there are the two side-plots with Striver’s brother Weaver, and the golden liquid of doom, but I’ll leave those to Has.
Has: I also have to add that this reminded me of Battlestar Galactica’s remake where the humans decided to renounce technology, and although I get why they did - there was no reason why the pirate gangs could have developed their own tech especially since they came from a space faring race. Riptide’s character who felt like an obstacle to force emotions out of Eri and to create tension between her and Striver. Although like Eri, I was bemused by Riptide’s appearance of foot-length hair which isn’t that practical in a jungle like planet (imagine the humidity!). But I also felt Riptide’s character was redundant and never really offered any real conflict in the romance and she was pretty much a cliche for me for being a bitchy character with no real depth.
However, I have to say I was very bored with the sub-plot with Striver’s brother who defected to join the pirate gangs because he was jealous and bitter of his brother’s popularity and leadership skills. I found his character to be a whiny, selfish and stupid and the reasons on why he joined a dangerous albeit another stupid group of people didn’t make sense. And although it tried to bring out real emotions - for me it emphasized his TSTL reasons. I also found myself being bored reading his POV chapters because it didn’t offer any real emotions or push the plot forward and when he encounters the glowing pool which is similar to the glowing orb in TUNDRA 37 where people get lost and sucked into their past memories - Well it was a bit of an anti-climactic twist and I was very disappointed because the alien orbs/glowing pool ties in previous plot threads and adds more twists in this universe. But, overall I found that the main plot a huge disappointment and how it ended was a bit of a wet fish.
Marlene: The divide between the pirates and the what? not-pirates? on Haven seems to be that the pirates want to exploit the remaining technology, and Striver’s people keep the remaining technology under wraps, feeling that all technology beyond the most rudimentary is bad. The pirates seem to be too lazy or too violent to develop their own tech, they just want to steal it, which makes them one-dimensional bad guys.
Weaver was whiny, self-centered and fairly stupid. Not in the IQ sense, but in the survival sense. He didn’t see other people as “real”, only as how they held him back from his supposed “greatness”. He never saw himself as part of the problem. And he was a complete idiot to think that going to the pirates was any kind of long term strategy. They were murdering lunatics. Weaver’s purpose in the plot was to show the redemptive power of the golden memory liquid, and to be the obligatory sacrifice for the greater good at the end.
I also thought this one was a bit anti-climactic, especially compared to the first two.
Has: And that is why I feel let down by this because it resorted to cliches and not in a good way. There was a lot of promise because there was such a rich tapestry of promise with the alien and different human factions however the resolution was a lot to be desired. However I do have to say the romantic build-up between Striver and Eri was slightly better compared to the previous books. But once again their romance suffered from insta-love syndrome which I am not a huge fan of because there was no real tension between them. But I preferred this sub-plot compared to the main story of the book.
Marlene: You’re right, Has. The romance did work just a bit better this time. Although there was definitely an insta-love start, the romance between Eri and Striver had enough time and enough “stuff” in it for us to see why these two get together in the end.
But the rest of the story doesn’t work as well. The fight between the pirates and Striver’s people seems basically under-explained. Mostly because every time I say, think, or write the word “Pirates” when there is no water or space or ship involved, my brain goes “tilt”. They are thugs that this society hasn’t taken care of. The alien Guardians have “Vulcan syndrome” without being half as cool. Or a quarter as hot.
And the insecure younger brother plot was really insecure. The best part of the story, the golden memory liquid, got dribbled away.
For that, I dribble out 2 and a half stars for Haven 6.
Has:I also agree! I wished that this last installment, would have closed this series with a bang and whilst I liked how Aubrie Dionne intertwined the plot threads from the previous books. This was pretty much an anti-climactic ending and didn’t live up to the promise of the earlier books. I found that this was the weakest book in the series and I am disappointed because I loved the world-building that was set up. And even though this had actually a stronger romantic subplot compared to the previous books, I enjoyed the setting and premise much more but I am sad to say this was a bit of a meh book for me and I don’t think I will continue with the spin-off series.
2 and half stars for Haven 6.
January 8, 2019
OMG SO GOOD. I am sad now that I have read ALL the books in this world. So incredible. I just loved ALL of them. I would read more space stories by this author.
April 21, 2014
Haven 6 Review on K-Books
I read one of Aubrie's other science fiction novels in the past so when I got the chance to review this one I instantly said yes. I am a fan of science fiction. Ever since reading Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan which is set on a spaceship I have loved science fiction novels. I enjoyed this one. I didn't read the previous books in this series so I was going into the book completely blind of the world and what it was really about.
Eri has given up hope. The only woman without a lifemate upon her ship she has given up hope of ever finding love. But then she is given the assignment of going ahead to the assumed uninhabited destination, Haven 6. Now finding that the planet is actually inhabited, Eri is sent as a spy on the unhabitants. But when she is saved by Striver, one of the 'alien's' she is sent to spy on she must make a hard decision. Stay true to the ship she has been on her whole life or follow her heart and warn Striver that his people may be in danger from the ones she has come from.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a really original great concept and I just kept on reading dying to know what was going to happen to Eri and Striver. I didn't love this book as I really wanted to but I did enjoy it. Haven 6 is the third book in the New Dawn series and I didn't read the first couple of books. I don't know whether this is why I didn't love the book quite as much as I wanted to. A lot of the beginning of the book I was quite confused. They were all in a spaceship having left Earth as it was uninhabitable. I wanted to know why Earth was uninhabitable. What happened to it? I never really found this out and I don't know whether this was explained in the previous books but you didn't find that out in this book. I was also confused about these creatures on Haven 6. What were they? Some were humans who had arrived by ship years ago but others were a bird-like creature and I was just confused as to what they were, how could they speak? To me there was a lot that was unexplained and I was confused for the most part of it.
However as soon as the romance started I started to really enjoy this book so much more. Eri is a great character and I really enjoyed following her story. I loved how she was a strong heroine but you saw the more vulnerable side of her as she started to battle with her loyalty issues. I really loved Striver as well. He was a great lead hero and I really loved him. He was torn between the stress put upon him having to lead his people and protect them from the rebels and wanting to find his brother and find out what caused him to leave. Striver and Eri are really two characters who are perfect for each other. They both have duties and are torn between what they should do and what they want to do.
I really enjoyed this story and I think it's a perfect book for any science fiction fans. The characters are great and the world is great. I would suggest anyone who wants to read this to read the first 2 books in the series first as otherwise the beginning of this book is rather slow and I was quite confused by it. That was the only thing that stopped me absolutely loving this book. It's still a great book and definitely worth reading. I just wish I had read the first two books first.
I read one of Aubrie's other science fiction novels in the past so when I got the chance to review this one I instantly said yes. I am a fan of science fiction. Ever since reading Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan which is set on a spaceship I have loved science fiction novels. I enjoyed this one. I didn't read the previous books in this series so I was going into the book completely blind of the world and what it was really about.
Eri has given up hope. The only woman without a lifemate upon her ship she has given up hope of ever finding love. But then she is given the assignment of going ahead to the assumed uninhabited destination, Haven 6. Now finding that the planet is actually inhabited, Eri is sent as a spy on the unhabitants. But when she is saved by Striver, one of the 'alien's' she is sent to spy on she must make a hard decision. Stay true to the ship she has been on her whole life or follow her heart and warn Striver that his people may be in danger from the ones she has come from.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a really original great concept and I just kept on reading dying to know what was going to happen to Eri and Striver. I didn't love this book as I really wanted to but I did enjoy it. Haven 6 is the third book in the New Dawn series and I didn't read the first couple of books. I don't know whether this is why I didn't love the book quite as much as I wanted to. A lot of the beginning of the book I was quite confused. They were all in a spaceship having left Earth as it was uninhabitable. I wanted to know why Earth was uninhabitable. What happened to it? I never really found this out and I don't know whether this was explained in the previous books but you didn't find that out in this book. I was also confused about these creatures on Haven 6. What were they? Some were humans who had arrived by ship years ago but others were a bird-like creature and I was just confused as to what they were, how could they speak? To me there was a lot that was unexplained and I was confused for the most part of it.
However as soon as the romance started I started to really enjoy this book so much more. Eri is a great character and I really enjoyed following her story. I loved how she was a strong heroine but you saw the more vulnerable side of her as she started to battle with her loyalty issues. I really loved Striver as well. He was a great lead hero and I really loved him. He was torn between the stress put upon him having to lead his people and protect them from the rebels and wanting to find his brother and find out what caused him to leave. Striver and Eri are really two characters who are perfect for each other. They both have duties and are torn between what they should do and what they want to do.
I really enjoyed this story and I think it's a perfect book for any science fiction fans. The characters are great and the world is great. I would suggest anyone who wants to read this to read the first 2 books in the series first as otherwise the beginning of this book is rather slow and I was quite confused by it. That was the only thing that stopped me absolutely loving this book. It's still a great book and definitely worth reading. I just wish I had read the first two books first.
March 25, 2013
I loved this book! I am glad I won this book! The saddest part for me is when Weaver died/disappeared. Even thou he was a bad guy for most of the book I liked him. But he is happy now that he is with his father. I was glad when Eri killed the Commander (the Commander really deserved it.) Even thou I haven't read the first two I could still follow the story. I would recommend this book :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2014
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow!
A wonderful ending to a great series! This one wraps up all loose ends perfectly. Of course, I wish there were more to come, but am extremely happy with this ending.
A wonderful ending to a great series! This one wraps up all loose ends perfectly. Of course, I wish there were more to come, but am extremely happy with this ending.
October 29, 2012
Two and a half stars. The romance was better built up than previous books but I was lukewarm on the main plot and setting. It is a disappointment because I enjoyed those aspect in previous books.
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