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Tales from the Edge #1
In the Black
Book one of Tales from the Edge
When Sam Keller left the military, she ran to the far end of the galaxy. Now she captains the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans who bring a little pleasure to hard-up men on mining colonies. When one of her girls turns up dead, it's Sam's job to find out who killed her, fast.
Marshal Daniel LeClair is as tough as steel and quick on the draw. But when his vacation gets replaced by an assignment to help find the killer, he can't help angling for a little action with the saucy, hard-charging Sam. She's got brains, attitude and a body he wouldn't mind investigating.
Sam, six months lonely, might just indulge him. But the Guild that owns the Belle wants the case closed yesterday. With pressure coming from all quadrants, Sam and her marshal clash over false leads and who's on top. But when the killer threatens the Belle again, romance will have to wait. It's a captain's job to save her crew, no matter the cost.
When Sam Keller left the military, she ran to the far end of the galaxy. Now she captains the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans who bring a little pleasure to hard-up men on mining colonies. When one of her girls turns up dead, it's Sam's job to find out who killed her, fast.
Marshal Daniel LeClair is as tough as steel and quick on the draw. But when his vacation gets replaced by an assignment to help find the killer, he can't help angling for a little action with the saucy, hard-charging Sam. She's got brains, attitude and a body he wouldn't mind investigating.
Sam, six months lonely, might just indulge him. But the Guild that owns the Belle wants the case closed yesterday. With pressure coming from all quadrants, Sam and her marshal clash over false leads and who's on top. But when the killer threatens the Belle again, romance will have to wait. It's a captain's job to save her crew, no matter the cost.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2014
5 people are currently reading
228 people want to read
About the author
Sheryl Nantus
60 books369 followersSheryl Nantus is an award-winning romance writer published by Entangled, St. Martin's, and Harlequin's Carina Press.
When she's not writing about hunky heroes, she is sipping tea, playing board games and writing haiku.
A total fangirl at heart, she met her husband through an online fanfiction community and currently lives in Pennsylvania.
When she's not writing about hunky heroes, she is sipping tea, playing board games and writing haiku.
A total fangirl at heart, she met her husband through an online fanfiction community and currently lives in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 31, 2016
The book starts out well enough, our heroine Sam is the captain of a pleasure ship full of courtesans (think a ship full of Inaras) who is also running from a terrible past of some kind. Our hero is of the Texas Ranger lone wolf cop good guy trope. There is a murder aboard the pleasure ship and the two must work together to figure out who done it. It’s a sci-fi/murder mystery/romance mash-up, and really just sounds like it should be a fun read. I thought each genre was mostly given it’s due, with romance being the heavily favored genre. But the sci-fi details were fun, and the mystery was more then just a contrivance to throw the two characters together. There’s enough world-building here to make me think the author has more in store for future books then just throwing characters together for hot sex in space.
My problems with the book started pretty early, but were generally minor nit-picky writing things that I could have brushed over if the rest of the book had been decent. Things like, why does a book published in 2014 have paperback books on a ship where space is so limited that the mechanic is specifically mentioned as only being allowed to have three changes of clothing? If the book had been published in the 90s I could have bought it as amusing past-future tech problems, but electronic books were well established by 2014. Small details like this really throw and annoy me. There were other things, for example I’m not sure the author really understood that dialogue is something the characters hear not see. There’s an exchange where Daniel (our hero) is talking about his AI and calls it ‘Etts’. Sam (our Heroine) asks about ‘ET’, as though she’d seen it written and not just heard him say ‘Etts’. He even corrects her and says, ‘It’s pronounced Etts, actually’. It’s just such poor writing that it annoyed me.
However the moment I gave up on the book was just after the two characters met. They were going over the murder scene with the dead person’s body in the next ‘room’, and flirting so heavily that I had a hard time remembering they were supposedly investigating a murder. The characters thoughts turn to sex so often and so easily that it felt more like they were young teenagers rather then adults. It got a little ridiculous. And things continued on in that vein for far too long. I understand this is a romance novel, but if you’re going to investigate a murder, maybe that should be your priority rather then the abs of your counterpart.
I don’t think this is a terrible book, but it really wasn’t my cup of tea. I’ll be giving the rest of the series a pass.
My problems with the book started pretty early, but were generally minor nit-picky writing things that I could have brushed over if the rest of the book had been decent. Things like, why does a book published in 2014 have paperback books on a ship where space is so limited that the mechanic is specifically mentioned as only being allowed to have three changes of clothing? If the book had been published in the 90s I could have bought it as amusing past-future tech problems, but electronic books were well established by 2014. Small details like this really throw and annoy me. There were other things, for example I’m not sure the author really understood that dialogue is something the characters hear not see. There’s an exchange where Daniel (our hero) is talking about his AI and calls it ‘Etts’. Sam (our Heroine) asks about ‘ET’, as though she’d seen it written and not just heard him say ‘Etts’. He even corrects her and says, ‘It’s pronounced Etts, actually’. It’s just such poor writing that it annoyed me.
However the moment I gave up on the book was just after the two characters met. They were going over the murder scene with the dead person’s body in the next ‘room’, and flirting so heavily that I had a hard time remembering they were supposedly investigating a murder. The characters thoughts turn to sex so often and so easily that it felt more like they were young teenagers rather then adults. It got a little ridiculous. And things continued on in that vein for far too long. I understand this is a romance novel, but if you’re going to investigate a murder, maybe that should be your priority rather then the abs of your counterpart.
I don’t think this is a terrible book, but it really wasn’t my cup of tea. I’ll be giving the rest of the series a pass.
August 10, 2022
This is a murder mystery on an outer space brothel ship, docked at a mining station. The mystery is solid and kept me guessing. The investigators are a traumatized military veteran with a new gig as the brothel ship's captain, and a marshal who hearkens back to a Texas Ranger vibe. I enjoyed this genre mashup quite a lot.
August 24, 2016
Although I appreciated the thought that went into the world building, this was pretty bad. The motivations of the characters were just plain bizarre-Sam, the military vet who has a horrible experience and so she decides, hey why don't I run a space brothel for a corrupt organization who requires a five year contract and will charge me for things like extra air and gravity? And then there's Daniel, the creeper detective who thinks it's okay to hit on a woman in the middle of a murder investigation.
The premise is alright, I guess: One of Sam's courtesan ladies is murdered and it's up to Daniel to figure out whodunit. The problem is that Daniel is a rather shitty detective, and that Sam literally does his job for him. I suppose he was too busy thinking of witty double entendres to review security footage or do anything useful other than being the village creep. They also fell in love in the space of about ten minutes and without having any meaningful interactions with one another, but hey, when you know, apparently, you know, even if there's a dead body floating past you when you first meet.
The premise is alright, I guess: One of Sam's courtesan ladies is murdered and it's up to Daniel to figure out whodunit. The problem is that Daniel is a rather shitty detective, and that Sam literally does his job for him. I suppose he was too busy thinking of witty double entendres to review security footage or do anything useful other than being the village creep. They also fell in love in the space of about ten minutes and without having any meaningful interactions with one another, but hey, when you know, apparently, you know, even if there's a dead body floating past you when you first meet.
August 15, 2016
A quick, easy read with a slight 'Firefly' vibe involving the 'Bonnie Bell', a Mercy ship that flies between mining colonies with a crew of courtesans who offer a lot more services than just the obvious. We have our martial arts expert, our financial expert, our tea ceremony expert (?!) and our older-male-medic who cater for all kinds of tastes, but when there is a murder on board, Captain Sam Keller,our heroine with a history, has to work alongside Marshall Daniel to ensure the safety of the rest of her crew and make sure the killer doesn't strike again. And perhaps even help Sam exorcise a few demons from her past...
It was fun but I would have liked to have seen a few of the characters expanded on but I do notice that there is a sequel involving my personal favourite courtesan, medic Sean, so I might just be tempted to pick this up at some point.
It was fun but I would have liked to have seen a few of the characters expanded on but I do notice that there is a sequel involving my personal favourite courtesan, medic Sean, so I might just be tempted to pick this up at some point.
November 24, 2015
This was very inventive and clever. It's basically a locked-room murder mystery set in a travelling space-brothel, with a loner sheriff and a world-weary captain. Throw in some creepy side characters and a growing romance and you've got a good story.
October 11, 2016
A step above your standard sexy-times fanfiction...but not a very big step.
What I did like about this book: our kickass protagonist, Sam Keller; and the world in which spaceship brothels travel from place to place to service clients throughout the galaxy, an idea that was new to me and thus caught my interest. As far as some of the details of this world, other readers seem to think the author has borrowed heavily from Firefly, so perhaps it's not as original as I thought.
What I didn't like: characters make some really nonsensical decisions in this book, most notably during the murder investigation. A lot more research into police procedurals and how such things are actually conducted would have made this much more enjoyable.
Another point that lacked a degree of realism - turning gravity on in this space ship apparently costs more money (why?) and so should only be done when it's really worth paying the greedy corporate overlords extra for a luxury (such as taking a shower rather than twirling yourself around in floating blobs of water); the crew of the ship, at least the two who aren't courtesans, have a limited supply of clothing, ratty bath towels, and must trade their few dog-eared paperbacks for new ones when they make landfall - and yet, you can tell the ship's AI that you want a coffee or a warm wet washcloth or an ice cold water, and it's delivered to you immediately.
Another point that needed research: arthritis. How it was used in this book just wasn't realistic.
The romance was full of cringeworthy innuendos that turned into love within 24 hours. A couple of hot scenes, but not quite "fleshed-out" enough (heh heh.)
I've certainly read worse, but was glad when I made it through to the end of this one, and won't be continuing with the series.
What I did like about this book: our kickass protagonist, Sam Keller; and the world in which spaceship brothels travel from place to place to service clients throughout the galaxy, an idea that was new to me and thus caught my interest. As far as some of the details of this world, other readers seem to think the author has borrowed heavily from Firefly, so perhaps it's not as original as I thought.
What I didn't like: characters make some really nonsensical decisions in this book, most notably during the murder investigation. A lot more research into police procedurals and how such things are actually conducted would have made this much more enjoyable.
Another point that lacked a degree of realism - turning gravity on in this space ship apparently costs more money (why?) and so should only be done when it's really worth paying the greedy corporate overlords extra for a luxury (such as taking a shower rather than twirling yourself around in floating blobs of water); the crew of the ship, at least the two who aren't courtesans, have a limited supply of clothing, ratty bath towels, and must trade their few dog-eared paperbacks for new ones when they make landfall - and yet, you can tell the ship's AI that you want a coffee or a warm wet washcloth or an ice cold water, and it's delivered to you immediately.
Another point that needed research: arthritis. How it was used in this book just wasn't realistic.
The romance was full of cringeworthy innuendos that turned into love within 24 hours. A couple of hot scenes, but not quite "fleshed-out" enough (heh heh.)
I've certainly read worse, but was glad when I made it through to the end of this one, and won't be continuing with the series.
June 14, 2014
The first book in this new sci-fi futuristic romance series is a riveting read that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Running from her past, Sam Keller is the captain of the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans. When one of the girls turns up dead, she’ll have to find the killer fast. Marshal Daniel LeClair is sent in to help find the killer, but he can’t help angling for a little action with the Captain.
This fast paced plot keeps readers quivering in anticipation with lots of suspense, drama and romance as the Captain and the Marshal are pressured to find killer as fast as possible, after all time is money. The author describes the story with well written scenes and details that capture the imagination and the intense and dramatic scenes are well orchestrated and believable. The strong compelling characters are easily related to and grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning.
The attraction between Sam and Daniel radiates extreme heat from every page but the romance progresses slowly throughout the story with some sensual teasing and flirting because of the investigation and problems that derive from it. When they finally get a chance to act on their intense attraction well let’s just say that the things get hot steamy and inventive in zero gravity. Sam also has her personal past issues that hampers the romance and causes some drama which adds depth to the story.
There are lots of intriguing characters in this fascinating world and this story keeps the reader guessing just who the culprit is with some twists and turns. I found the story to enjoyable and entertaining and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
This fast paced plot keeps readers quivering in anticipation with lots of suspense, drama and romance as the Captain and the Marshal are pressured to find killer as fast as possible, after all time is money. The author describes the story with well written scenes and details that capture the imagination and the intense and dramatic scenes are well orchestrated and believable. The strong compelling characters are easily related to and grab the reader’s attention from the very beginning.
The attraction between Sam and Daniel radiates extreme heat from every page but the romance progresses slowly throughout the story with some sensual teasing and flirting because of the investigation and problems that derive from it. When they finally get a chance to act on their intense attraction well let’s just say that the things get hot steamy and inventive in zero gravity. Sam also has her personal past issues that hampers the romance and causes some drama which adds depth to the story.
There are lots of intriguing characters in this fascinating world and this story keeps the reader guessing just who the culprit is with some twists and turns. I found the story to enjoyable and entertaining and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
August 28, 2016
Title: In the Black
Author: Sheryl Nantus
Series: Tales from the Edge #1
Genre: science-fiction, space opera, romance, mystery
Heat: 2/5
Plot: 3/5
Rating: 3/5
This wouldn't normally have come up on my reading radar, but it was selected as book of the month for the Vaginal Fantasy book club. I'm glad I read it - I found it sufficiently fun and interesting, and really liked the strength of Sam as the protagonist. To be honest, there wasn't much substance here, the murder mystery aspect was pretty straight forward, as was the romance (if not a little inappropriate at times). There wasn't really anything special or unique; even the characters were fairly one-dimensional, including Sam and Daniel, but I enjoyed it enough to want to read the sequel and follow these characters and the voyages/adventures of the Bonnie Belle a little more.
Author: Sheryl Nantus
Series: Tales from the Edge #1
Genre: science-fiction, space opera, romance, mystery
Heat: 2/5
Plot: 3/5
Rating: 3/5
This wouldn't normally have come up on my reading radar, but it was selected as book of the month for the Vaginal Fantasy book club. I'm glad I read it - I found it sufficiently fun and interesting, and really liked the strength of Sam as the protagonist. To be honest, there wasn't much substance here, the murder mystery aspect was pretty straight forward, as was the romance (if not a little inappropriate at times). There wasn't really anything special or unique; even the characters were fairly one-dimensional, including Sam and Daniel, but I enjoyed it enough to want to read the sequel and follow these characters and the voyages/adventures of the Bonnie Belle a little more.
August 18, 2016
Two-book Review: In the Black and In the Void (Tales from the Edge, a 2-book series) by Sheryl Nantus
Yes, I'm reviewing both of these books here together so be warned...and yes, inputting the same review under both books...
This Tales from the Edge series was recently brought to my attention, so a quick jump over to Amazon to grab it showed that I bought both books of this 2-book series nearly a year ago – how had these gotten lost in my digital TBR pile? Especially for a series that has been compared to Firefly, one of my most favourite shows ever! Well, ok, that was probably part of the reason – am I the only one getting tired of seeing review after review of SFR books being compared to Firefly only to read them and find out that the similarity is usually a group of people…on a spaceship?
So it was with a bit of skepticism that I started reading. Imagine my surprise…a group of people…on a spaceship…but wait, this isn’t just any ship, this is a Mercy ship – a ship of paid companions who travel to mining colonies offering paid services…and an ex-military captain…and a ship’s mechanic that could have been my beloved Kaylee reincarnated! The atmosphere is a little gritty, too, as everything and everyone seems to be controlled by larger corporations or organizations, while even basic necessities like food, clothes, and even shipboard gravity come at a price. OK, this has been an oversimplification, but yeah, there are some valid comparisons this time.
Tales From the Edge - In the Black
In the Black seemed to start off a bit slow, the first 10% of the book was all about captain, Sam Kellar, hawking the wares of her Mercy ship: that is, giving a presentation to the people of a mining colony about the six courtesans offering “resources for your pleasure”. Then I realized I was still in chapter one! And that I had picked up quite a lot of information already about not only the courtesans, but also the captain herself. And can’t leave out the spaceship Bonnie Belle, controlled by an artificial intelligence that makes it seem as if it’s another character all of her own. (I kept envisioning a miniature Moya, the ship from Farscape, which really is a biological entity.)
In the Black really picks up quickly after that, as there’s this pesky murder that occurs, putting the Bonnie Belle and the mining colony on complete lockdown until Marshal Daniel LeClair arrives to investigate. Daniel is almost the epitome of an old-West marshal riding into town to save the day, even if he is riding his own AI spacecraft instead of a horse and is better represented by his leather jacket rather than a cowboy hat. But Sam can’t just wait, especially with demons from her previous military experience haunting her, and this quickly brings her into Daniel’s path when he arrives. Without more spoilers, just going to sum it up to say that the mystery is solved, the murderer is caught, and Sam and Daniel find they can’t resist each other.
Tales From the Edge - In the Void
In the Void picks up about six weeks after the events of In the Black. Nothing slow here, this one starts off with a bang. Almost literally.
The Bonnie Belle receives a distress call, and while Mercy ships are not equipped to provide aid or defense, Sam cannot resist helping. They arrive in time to watch a star yacht explode…with a single intact lifepod as part of the debris. Jenny, the mechanic, proves her creativity in finding a way to retrieve it.
Inside is Catherine Rogers, vice president of Global Transport, one of the largest builders of spaceships in the galaxy. She was on her way to a Justice base to provide testimony about largescale corruption she had uncovered within GT. Of course, this makes the explosion of her yacht suspicious and soon the Bonnie Belle and its crew, finds itself racing off to get Catherine to safety. Marshal Daniel LeClair is on his way to help, too, but it’s going to take days for his arrival even at top speed.
Meanwhile, Sean Harrison, one of the older courtesans onboard the Bonnie Belle, is tasked with watching over Catherine. Sean has some basic medic training, so he is the obvious choice to take care of the burns and bruises Catherine has suffered during her escape in the lifepod. Catherine has come aboard with a bad impression of Mercy ships and the people that serve on them thanks to a former cheating husband, but she quickly learns that not every ship or every courtesan is alike, and you can’t judge everyone from one bad experience.
Sean is quickly overcome by attraction to Catherine, coming to terms with the ghosts of his own past while trying to maintain professionalism and emotional distance. As Catherine works out her feelings about the Mercy ship, its crew, and especially those growing emotions between her and Sean, someone is trying to finish what they had started: kill her. Everyone on the Bonnie Belle is now in danger because they provided her aid, so the crew has to quickly come together to defend themselves – and each other – as they face assassination attempts, a bounty placed on Catherine’s life, and an invasion by mercenaries.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading both In the Black and In the Void, along with an extremely, all-too-short, more-of-a-blurb-than-a-story piece called Interlude that comprise the Tales from the Edge. The series has a lot of action, a lot of attraction, and some nice romance.
The steam level of this series is surprisingly low. You’d think that a series based on a spaceship full of people selling sexual favours would be pretty steamy, but no, not here. Oh, there are a lot of references to sex, a lot of innuendo, a lot of flirtation, and yes, at some point our heroes and heroines do get down to consummating their relationships, but it’s not shown in much detail.
This isn’t so much a story about workers in the sex trade, but rather about a group of people who have found themselves together in an unusual and probably unexpected setting trying to not only survive, but make life a little better. They provide care and spread happiness when they can, but are not afraid to call upon unexpected abilities and resources, not to mention backbones of steel, when needed. It’s about people coming together to help each other deal not only with current crises, but also to come to terms with their pasts. The ending of each story seems more of a happy-for-now than a true happy-ever-after, but I think the HEAs are implied.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? I’m on the fence, so maybe I should say 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the stories, but both stories each felt a little rushed in places, particularly the endings. And the mystery of In the Black was a bit predictable. Also, there seemed to be some incompleteness. A lot of details throughout each story brings up questions that don’t get answered. Maybe if the author had written more books in the series some of this would have been cleared up.
There is a lot of interaction with the Guild, the organization that controls the Mercy ships and the people that serve on them, but there is a lot of mystery left untold about it. Some hints the Guild may have its hands in a larger scheme, which almost makes the characters we’ve met seem pawns in a larger game.
There are also a lot of questions about who, and what organizations and corporations, can be trusted. In addition to the Guild, there is the UNS, which is the galactic enforcement agency Daniel works for. Are there multiple levels of corruption spread throughout the UNS and Guild, maybe even tying them together?
Plus, we see a lot of hints about the backgrounds of the Bonnie Belle’s crew that leave me wanting more. Who is Kendra, the courtesan that seems to be the ‘mother hen’ of the group and why does she seem to have a grasp of the larger picture? Then there’s April, a deadly domme with defense skills that even a soldier would dream about. And Jenny, the sweet, seemingly-innocent mechanic who has surprising resources both on and off the ship and a creative mind that shouldn’t be restricted to just keeping the Bonnie Belle in working order. And then there is the Bonnie Bell herself, an AI-enhanced ship that seems to have emotions and a capacity for out-of-the-box thinking beyond what a simple AI should have. And who, really, does she answer, to – the captain, the crew, the Guild? Or just herself?
Bottomline: Read this series! Back-to-back if you can. Read in order, too, because there is a lot of background and world-building in In the Black that you will be missing if you only try to read In the Void. Just for personal reasons, I probably enjoyed In the Black the most. The interaction and flirtation between Sam and Daniel felt far more intense that anything steamy I’ve read in a while.
Yes, I'm reviewing both of these books here together so be warned...and yes, inputting the same review under both books...
This Tales from the Edge series was recently brought to my attention, so a quick jump over to Amazon to grab it showed that I bought both books of this 2-book series nearly a year ago – how had these gotten lost in my digital TBR pile? Especially for a series that has been compared to Firefly, one of my most favourite shows ever! Well, ok, that was probably part of the reason – am I the only one getting tired of seeing review after review of SFR books being compared to Firefly only to read them and find out that the similarity is usually a group of people…on a spaceship?
So it was with a bit of skepticism that I started reading. Imagine my surprise…a group of people…on a spaceship…but wait, this isn’t just any ship, this is a Mercy ship – a ship of paid companions who travel to mining colonies offering paid services…and an ex-military captain…and a ship’s mechanic that could have been my beloved Kaylee reincarnated! The atmosphere is a little gritty, too, as everything and everyone seems to be controlled by larger corporations or organizations, while even basic necessities like food, clothes, and even shipboard gravity come at a price. OK, this has been an oversimplification, but yeah, there are some valid comparisons this time.
Tales From the Edge - In the Black
In the Black seemed to start off a bit slow, the first 10% of the book was all about captain, Sam Kellar, hawking the wares of her Mercy ship: that is, giving a presentation to the people of a mining colony about the six courtesans offering “resources for your pleasure”. Then I realized I was still in chapter one! And that I had picked up quite a lot of information already about not only the courtesans, but also the captain herself. And can’t leave out the spaceship Bonnie Belle, controlled by an artificial intelligence that makes it seem as if it’s another character all of her own. (I kept envisioning a miniature Moya, the ship from Farscape, which really is a biological entity.)
In the Black really picks up quickly after that, as there’s this pesky murder that occurs, putting the Bonnie Belle and the mining colony on complete lockdown until Marshal Daniel LeClair arrives to investigate. Daniel is almost the epitome of an old-West marshal riding into town to save the day, even if he is riding his own AI spacecraft instead of a horse and is better represented by his leather jacket rather than a cowboy hat. But Sam can’t just wait, especially with demons from her previous military experience haunting her, and this quickly brings her into Daniel’s path when he arrives. Without more spoilers, just going to sum it up to say that the mystery is solved, the murderer is caught, and Sam and Daniel find they can’t resist each other.
Tales From the Edge - In the Void
In the Void picks up about six weeks after the events of In the Black. Nothing slow here, this one starts off with a bang. Almost literally.
The Bonnie Belle receives a distress call, and while Mercy ships are not equipped to provide aid or defense, Sam cannot resist helping. They arrive in time to watch a star yacht explode…with a single intact lifepod as part of the debris. Jenny, the mechanic, proves her creativity in finding a way to retrieve it.
Inside is Catherine Rogers, vice president of Global Transport, one of the largest builders of spaceships in the galaxy. She was on her way to a Justice base to provide testimony about largescale corruption she had uncovered within GT. Of course, this makes the explosion of her yacht suspicious and soon the Bonnie Belle and its crew, finds itself racing off to get Catherine to safety. Marshal Daniel LeClair is on his way to help, too, but it’s going to take days for his arrival even at top speed.
Meanwhile, Sean Harrison, one of the older courtesans onboard the Bonnie Belle, is tasked with watching over Catherine. Sean has some basic medic training, so he is the obvious choice to take care of the burns and bruises Catherine has suffered during her escape in the lifepod. Catherine has come aboard with a bad impression of Mercy ships and the people that serve on them thanks to a former cheating husband, but she quickly learns that not every ship or every courtesan is alike, and you can’t judge everyone from one bad experience.
Sean is quickly overcome by attraction to Catherine, coming to terms with the ghosts of his own past while trying to maintain professionalism and emotional distance. As Catherine works out her feelings about the Mercy ship, its crew, and especially those growing emotions between her and Sean, someone is trying to finish what they had started: kill her. Everyone on the Bonnie Belle is now in danger because they provided her aid, so the crew has to quickly come together to defend themselves – and each other – as they face assassination attempts, a bounty placed on Catherine’s life, and an invasion by mercenaries.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading both In the Black and In the Void, along with an extremely, all-too-short, more-of-a-blurb-than-a-story piece called Interlude that comprise the Tales from the Edge. The series has a lot of action, a lot of attraction, and some nice romance.
The steam level of this series is surprisingly low. You’d think that a series based on a spaceship full of people selling sexual favours would be pretty steamy, but no, not here. Oh, there are a lot of references to sex, a lot of innuendo, a lot of flirtation, and yes, at some point our heroes and heroines do get down to consummating their relationships, but it’s not shown in much detail.
This isn’t so much a story about workers in the sex trade, but rather about a group of people who have found themselves together in an unusual and probably unexpected setting trying to not only survive, but make life a little better. They provide care and spread happiness when they can, but are not afraid to call upon unexpected abilities and resources, not to mention backbones of steel, when needed. It’s about people coming together to help each other deal not only with current crises, but also to come to terms with their pasts. The ending of each story seems more of a happy-for-now than a true happy-ever-after, but I think the HEAs are implied.
So why 4 stars instead of 5? I’m on the fence, so maybe I should say 4.5 stars. I enjoyed the stories, but both stories each felt a little rushed in places, particularly the endings. And the mystery of In the Black was a bit predictable. Also, there seemed to be some incompleteness. A lot of details throughout each story brings up questions that don’t get answered. Maybe if the author had written more books in the series some of this would have been cleared up.
There is a lot of interaction with the Guild, the organization that controls the Mercy ships and the people that serve on them, but there is a lot of mystery left untold about it. Some hints the Guild may have its hands in a larger scheme, which almost makes the characters we’ve met seem pawns in a larger game.
There are also a lot of questions about who, and what organizations and corporations, can be trusted. In addition to the Guild, there is the UNS, which is the galactic enforcement agency Daniel works for. Are there multiple levels of corruption spread throughout the UNS and Guild, maybe even tying them together?
Plus, we see a lot of hints about the backgrounds of the Bonnie Belle’s crew that leave me wanting more. Who is Kendra, the courtesan that seems to be the ‘mother hen’ of the group and why does she seem to have a grasp of the larger picture? Then there’s April, a deadly domme with defense skills that even a soldier would dream about. And Jenny, the sweet, seemingly-innocent mechanic who has surprising resources both on and off the ship and a creative mind that shouldn’t be restricted to just keeping the Bonnie Belle in working order. And then there is the Bonnie Bell herself, an AI-enhanced ship that seems to have emotions and a capacity for out-of-the-box thinking beyond what a simple AI should have. And who, really, does she answer, to – the captain, the crew, the Guild? Or just herself?
Bottomline: Read this series! Back-to-back if you can. Read in order, too, because there is a lot of background and world-building in In the Black that you will be missing if you only try to read In the Void. Just for personal reasons, I probably enjoyed In the Black the most. The interaction and flirtation between Sam and Daniel felt far more intense that anything steamy I’ve read in a while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2015
(Disclaimer before I begin: Sheryl and I are both Carina Press authors, and she has been featured on my site's Boosting the Signal column, promoting this very book! This book was not, however, received as part of that column promotion, and I'm reviewing it on my own recognizance.)
Sheryl Nantus' Tales from the Edge series was pitched to me as heavily influenced by Firefly--and anything that invokes Firefly is a surefire way to get my attention. My Browncoat inclinations certainly see that influence right in the very title, since "the Black" is common parlance for space in that universe, and there's also a Marian Call song of this title! (Which you should listen to. But I digress!) Certainly the scenario is Firefly-like, with the action being set aboard the Bonnie Belle, a so-called Mercy ship whose task it is to bring a crew of courtesans to a mining outpost so the miners there can have some hard-earned time with them. And if you know Firefly at all, you'll also recognize the Guild that runs the Mercy ships as being reminiscent of the Companions, including giving the courtesans power to blacklist problem clients.
Nor did the book disappoint once it reeled me in. This is more or less SFR, but with rather less R than I expected. The primary plot is in fact a murder mystery, which erupts once the Belle docks at the mining outpost and one of the courtesans is discovered killed in her quarters. This gives the reader a rather tasty helping of intrigue as well, since there's bucketloads of drama as to how both the Guild and the mining outpost will handle the ensuing investigation. Our two lead characters, Captain Sam Keller and Marshal Daniel LeClair, are not terribly complicated characters. But they're likable and have good strong chemistry together, both from a romantic standpoint and from the standpoint of working together to investigate the murder.
And while there is indeed a romance between our two leads, it surprised me that there was actually no on-camera sex to be found--especially given that most of the action is taking place on board a Mercy ship. This is actually absolutely fine by me, because that's actually exactly how I like to see a romance handled. So mad props to Nantus for that, because she certainly revs the imagination with what Sam and Daniel get up to off-camera. For me as a reader, leaving those shenanigans to the imagination actually makes them more fun.
I should also mention that while the worldbuilding was a bit light, just enough to give you the scenario with the Mercy ships and with military trauma in our heroine's background, it was not non-existent. There's a nice scene between Sam and Daniel when he's telling her something of his own history, and he mentions growing up on Titan and swimming with other young people in a lake. Details were not heavily sketched in in this scene, but the simple fact that this was on Titan does raise rather interesting questions as to when Titan was terraformed in this particular universe.
I liked the supporting cast as well, though it was inevitable that I kept imagining the Belle's female engineer played by Jewel Staite and the ship's medic played by Sean Maher. I also kept imagining the ship's AI as voiced by Morena Baccarin and the senior courtesan in the crew as played by Gina Torres. Because what can I say? Browncoat.
And needless to say, I'll be reading Book 2 in this series very soon, since the aforementioned medic does in fact star in that installment. For this one, four stars.
Sheryl Nantus' Tales from the Edge series was pitched to me as heavily influenced by Firefly--and anything that invokes Firefly is a surefire way to get my attention. My Browncoat inclinations certainly see that influence right in the very title, since "the Black" is common parlance for space in that universe, and there's also a Marian Call song of this title! (Which you should listen to. But I digress!) Certainly the scenario is Firefly-like, with the action being set aboard the Bonnie Belle, a so-called Mercy ship whose task it is to bring a crew of courtesans to a mining outpost so the miners there can have some hard-earned time with them. And if you know Firefly at all, you'll also recognize the Guild that runs the Mercy ships as being reminiscent of the Companions, including giving the courtesans power to blacklist problem clients.
Nor did the book disappoint once it reeled me in. This is more or less SFR, but with rather less R than I expected. The primary plot is in fact a murder mystery, which erupts once the Belle docks at the mining outpost and one of the courtesans is discovered killed in her quarters. This gives the reader a rather tasty helping of intrigue as well, since there's bucketloads of drama as to how both the Guild and the mining outpost will handle the ensuing investigation. Our two lead characters, Captain Sam Keller and Marshal Daniel LeClair, are not terribly complicated characters. But they're likable and have good strong chemistry together, both from a romantic standpoint and from the standpoint of working together to investigate the murder.
And while there is indeed a romance between our two leads, it surprised me that there was actually no on-camera sex to be found--especially given that most of the action is taking place on board a Mercy ship. This is actually absolutely fine by me, because that's actually exactly how I like to see a romance handled. So mad props to Nantus for that, because she certainly revs the imagination with what Sam and Daniel get up to off-camera. For me as a reader, leaving those shenanigans to the imagination actually makes them more fun.
I should also mention that while the worldbuilding was a bit light, just enough to give you the scenario with the Mercy ships and with military trauma in our heroine's background, it was not non-existent. There's a nice scene between Sam and Daniel when he's telling her something of his own history, and he mentions growing up on Titan and swimming with other young people in a lake. Details were not heavily sketched in in this scene, but the simple fact that this was on Titan does raise rather interesting questions as to when Titan was terraformed in this particular universe.
I liked the supporting cast as well, though it was inevitable that I kept imagining the Belle's female engineer played by Jewel Staite and the ship's medic played by Sean Maher. I also kept imagining the ship's AI as voiced by Morena Baccarin and the senior courtesan in the crew as played by Gina Torres. Because what can I say? Browncoat.
And needless to say, I'll be reading Book 2 in this series very soon, since the aforementioned medic does in fact star in that installment. For this one, four stars.
September 2, 2016
In the Black is a sci-fi/murder mystery/romance. It's a light read, and draws from all three genres rather equally.
Sam Keller, a former soldier, signs a contract as a Captain on a Mercy ship, Bonnie Belle. A Mercy ship is a courtesan ship that stops at different places in the galaxy to provide lonely men and women sexual services.
The ship stops at a mining colony, and things start well, until one of the courtesans, Halley, is found dead. Sam investigates the murder, with the pressure from The Guild to resume money-making activities.
Marshal Daniel LeClair is sent to the colony to help Sam. He and Sam have instant chemistry, but Sam won't indulge until she solves the mystery.
There's a cast of courtesans who are all possible suspects, in addition to a whole mining colony. The protection of courtesans' data makes it hard for Sam to get the information she needs.
Overall, the mystery is rather simple, so I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for a strong mystery story. How the characters approached investigation was a bit sloppy.
However, the setting and characters seem so familiar. Other reviewers have commented on its similarity to Firefly, which I get.
The story could be an episode off a sci-fi show. The characters don't have much development, but their interactions and pressure of the mystery are entertaining enough.
Sam's trauma didn't mesh well with everything else. It felt superfluous at times, place to make her more submissive to Daniel. At least that's how I interpreted it. There were no issues of consent. They both clearly agree to pursue.
I did find the restriction of data available to Sam was bizarre. If she's the Captain of the ship, there should be extenuating circumstances that allow her to have access to everything.
Most of the romantic/steamy parts didn't occur until the end. It did make the story seem some unbalanced, like it reminded suddenly it was a romance at the end. The whole thought of doing things in zero gravity seems complicated.
Sam Keller, a former soldier, signs a contract as a Captain on a Mercy ship, Bonnie Belle. A Mercy ship is a courtesan ship that stops at different places in the galaxy to provide lonely men and women sexual services.
The ship stops at a mining colony, and things start well, until one of the courtesans, Halley, is found dead. Sam investigates the murder, with the pressure from The Guild to resume money-making activities.
Marshal Daniel LeClair is sent to the colony to help Sam. He and Sam have instant chemistry, but Sam won't indulge until she solves the mystery.
There's a cast of courtesans who are all possible suspects, in addition to a whole mining colony. The protection of courtesans' data makes it hard for Sam to get the information she needs.
Overall, the mystery is rather simple, so I wouldn't recommend this if you're looking for a strong mystery story. How the characters approached investigation was a bit sloppy.
However, the setting and characters seem so familiar. Other reviewers have commented on its similarity to Firefly, which I get.
The story could be an episode off a sci-fi show. The characters don't have much development, but their interactions and pressure of the mystery are entertaining enough.
Sam's trauma didn't mesh well with everything else. It felt superfluous at times, place to make her more submissive to Daniel. At least that's how I interpreted it. There were no issues of consent. They both clearly agree to pursue.
I did find the restriction of data available to Sam was bizarre. If she's the Captain of the ship, there should be extenuating circumstances that allow her to have access to everything.
Most of the romantic/steamy parts didn't occur until the end. It did make the story seem some unbalanced, like it reminded suddenly it was a romance at the end. The whole thought of doing things in zero gravity seems complicated.
May 26, 2014
Today I am musing about a Science Fiction Romance book. If you have been on my blog much you know that Science Fiction and Science Fiction Romance are my favorite for reading. I recently received In the Black (Tales from the Edge, #1) by Sheryl Nantus from Netgalley and I just finished reading it.
It is SFR but SFR with a difference. First look at the premise:
When Sam Keller left the military, she ran to the far end of the galaxy. Now she captains the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans who bring a little pleasure to hard-up men on mining colonies.
OK, a ship full of courtesans. That is a first for me. So it must be erotica, Yes. No!!! Instead this happens:
When one of her girls turns up dead, it's Sam's job to find out who killed her, fast.
So it is a mystery but wait a minute it is suppose to be a romance. Where does that come into the story. Here is where:
Marshal Daniel LeClair is as tough as steel and quick on the draw. But when his vacation gets replaced by an assignment to help find the killer, he can't help angling for a little action with the saucy, hard-charging Sam.
They are attracted to each other but guess what?
But when the killer threatens the Belle again, romance will have to wait.
I have to admit In the Black was a really fun read that kept me guessing the entire time. The mystery is really fun, Sam is a great character, Marshal Daniel is a match for Sam and the way Sheryl Nantus got to the HEA without changing the responsibilities and commitments both Sam and Daniel had was unexpected and very elegant. All in all a great fun read that has a unusual setting.
It is SFR but SFR with a difference. First look at the premise:
When Sam Keller left the military, she ran to the far end of the galaxy. Now she captains the Bonnie Belle, a spaceship full of courtesans who bring a little pleasure to hard-up men on mining colonies.
OK, a ship full of courtesans. That is a first for me. So it must be erotica, Yes. No!!! Instead this happens:
When one of her girls turns up dead, it's Sam's job to find out who killed her, fast.
So it is a mystery but wait a minute it is suppose to be a romance. Where does that come into the story. Here is where:
Marshal Daniel LeClair is as tough as steel and quick on the draw. But when his vacation gets replaced by an assignment to help find the killer, he can't help angling for a little action with the saucy, hard-charging Sam.
They are attracted to each other but guess what?
But when the killer threatens the Belle again, romance will have to wait.
I have to admit In the Black was a really fun read that kept me guessing the entire time. The mystery is really fun, Sam is a great character, Marshal Daniel is a match for Sam and the way Sheryl Nantus got to the HEA without changing the responsibilities and commitments both Sam and Daniel had was unexpected and very elegant. All in all a great fun read that has a unusual setting.
July 29, 2015
Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. It has a well-woven plot that kept me guessing and kept the story moving forward at a good pace. It is full of interesting characters and good science fiction.
The beginning was a bit slow to get into for me, but once I understood what was actually going on, it took off. I liked the concept, with the main character, Sam, being an ex-military who is now a captain on a ship of courtesans. I liked that there were both female and male courtesans, and how each of their characters were unique with their own reasons for being there. The courtesans actually seemed to have a bit more life to them than Sam, which was part of why this book fell short of five stars.
Sam felt a bit rigid, and not just because she's ex-military, tough, and can certainly take care of herself. Her past with the Hub defines a large part of her character, even though I feel like this wasn't fully explored. The main male character, Daniel, had more life to him, and his computer sidekick was great. I love what the author did with both the ship's AIs, actually, and the courtesan ship's engineer, Jenny, was a hoot.
Daniel and Sam together, however, I just couldn't feel the romance. They are both strong characters, and they certainly had their moments where the romance bloomed, but it never gave me that warm-fuzzy moment I expect.
The science fiction, story and murder-mystery more than made up for the lukewarm feeling I got about the romance, though, so I give this read a solid four stars and recommend it to those looking for a great murder mystery involving a space-mining colony, a space marshal, and a Mercy ship full of courtesans.
The beginning was a bit slow to get into for me, but once I understood what was actually going on, it took off. I liked the concept, with the main character, Sam, being an ex-military who is now a captain on a ship of courtesans. I liked that there were both female and male courtesans, and how each of their characters were unique with their own reasons for being there. The courtesans actually seemed to have a bit more life to them than Sam, which was part of why this book fell short of five stars.
Sam felt a bit rigid, and not just because she's ex-military, tough, and can certainly take care of herself. Her past with the Hub defines a large part of her character, even though I feel like this wasn't fully explored. The main male character, Daniel, had more life to him, and his computer sidekick was great. I love what the author did with both the ship's AIs, actually, and the courtesan ship's engineer, Jenny, was a hoot.
Daniel and Sam together, however, I just couldn't feel the romance. They are both strong characters, and they certainly had their moments where the romance bloomed, but it never gave me that warm-fuzzy moment I expect.
The science fiction, story and murder-mystery more than made up for the lukewarm feeling I got about the romance, though, so I give this read a solid four stars and recommend it to those looking for a great murder mystery involving a space-mining colony, a space marshal, and a Mercy ship full of courtesans.
February 13, 2015
Interesting premise with Mercy and Charity ships. Nice to see something a little different about life on a mining operations. Reading about lonely miners is fairly common, but I like the idea of the Guild capitalizing on it.
August 11, 2016
A fun SciFi crime procedural with good sexy times at the end
May 17, 2018
Not bad, but also not good either.
Ragtag crew in space. Ship is a brothel run by a strong-willed captain and her spunky first mate (also a young woman). The prostitutes on board don't offer just sex; they're more like companions selling their time to anyone looking for a way to relax. The ship often stops at mining colonies to entertain. That's the background of the ship anyway.
The plot is about the captain and crew getting embroiled in a murder mystery that happens on the ship (I think) and implicates someone on the ship. So the captain must join forces with a strapping investigator to clear her ship's name. And of course they fall for each other during the course of the investigation.
I read about half of this book before becoming so bored that I ended up skimming the rest. Didn't care about who got killed, or how the investigation was going, or how the captain and her investigator were getting it on (in zero-g!), or who the killer was, or what the motive was. Everything about the writing was just boring, and what started out as an interesting premise could've been so good but was ruined by the bland execution.
I think with a different author, one who knows how to write a thrilling mystery and romance, this book could've been a fun read.
Ragtag crew in space. Ship is a brothel run by a strong-willed captain and her spunky first mate (also a young woman). The prostitutes on board don't offer just sex; they're more like companions selling their time to anyone looking for a way to relax. The ship often stops at mining colonies to entertain. That's the background of the ship anyway.
The plot is about the captain and crew getting embroiled in a murder mystery that happens on the ship (I think) and implicates someone on the ship. So the captain must join forces with a strapping investigator to clear her ship's name. And of course they fall for each other during the course of the investigation.
I read about half of this book before becoming so bored that I ended up skimming the rest. Didn't care about who got killed, or how the investigation was going, or how the captain and her investigator were getting it on (in zero-g!), or who the killer was, or what the motive was. Everything about the writing was just boring, and what started out as an interesting premise could've been so good but was ruined by the bland execution.
I think with a different author, one who knows how to write a thrilling mystery and romance, this book could've been a fun read.
January 15, 2018
One of the things that irritated me most about Firefly was its treatment of the courtesans - on the one hand, an all-powerful and highly-respected organization whose business just happened to be providing sex, and on the other hand everyone still has the same-old same-old attitudes towards prostitutes, i.e. calling them whores and denigrating the fact that they have sex for money. Which is it? Make an authorial decision as to how this works and is viewed in your created context! Anyway, this book - which begins with the captain, a woman, dressing up in a fancy catsuit and wiggling around while introducing the whores to a bunch of sex-starved miners, and getting called "whore" by an angry moralist (who showed up to the Whore Introduction Party why?) - has the same problem. Everyone we meet seems morally ambiguous and at least vaguely unpleasant so I decided not to continue because I'm just going to get really annoyed.
December 7, 2016
Giving this a two because I think someone else would like it more than me.
There are things I liked about this book - I like stories set in brothels, I like the premise of a sci-fi murder mystery, I like the idea of the main character. I just didn't think the execution was all that good. World-building is sloppy, and the romance elements are just intrusive. I know that different people react to trauma differently, but when one of coworkers is BRUTALLY MURDERED I think you'd be a little less insta-lusty with the hot cop investigating her murder.
There are things I liked about this book - I like stories set in brothels, I like the premise of a sci-fi murder mystery, I like the idea of the main character. I just didn't think the execution was all that good. World-building is sloppy, and the romance elements are just intrusive. I know that different people react to trauma differently, but when one of coworkers is BRUTALLY MURDERED I think you'd be a little less insta-lusty with the hot cop investigating her murder.
August 7, 2017
I found the idea at the base of the book intriguing, that's why I bought and read it. And it was exactly how I'd expected.
Like the other book of Sheryl Nantus, you want to know more about the universe around and it's a little sad that she stick to the plot and no more.
Like the other book of Sheryl Nantus, you want to know more about the universe around and it's a little sad that she stick to the plot and no more.
February 6, 2017
Molto carino e scritto bene, in modo professionale. L'ambientazione e i personaggi mi hanno ricordato tantissimo il telefilm Serenity di Joss Whedon.
May 15, 2014
My first book by this author and it's the first in her new sci fi series. I usually read paranormal but enjoy dipping into other genres so was quite intrigued by the synopsis of this book.
Sam a hard nosed military woman is in charge of a space ship traveling around the galaxy populated by " Courtesans" who service miners at the furthest reach. What would ordinarily be a routine visit turns sinister though when one of the women is found dead and all signs point to murder! It's vital to catch her killer but unfortunately time is money and Sam needs answers fast!
Daniel is a Marshall and he is sent by his superiors to liaise with the miners and the Bonnie Belles Captain to track down and capture the killer. What he hadn't expected was that the ships captain would be a distraction! Sam is an independent woman clearly with untapped needs and the chemistry between them is off the charts but finding out who the murderer is must come first. With the mining station and ship under lockdown no one can leave but that means the killer is still amongst them!
Well this was unexpected treat I must say! I downloaded this expecting a sexy sci fi story and what I got is actually a very good who done it! Yes there's a romance brewing here but it's secondary to the actual mystery and if you are looking for lots of erotic sex then you might be a touch disappointed but I for one wasn't . It was such fun trying to work out who had motive and more importantly opportunity as the victim was hardly the most popular of the crew. These are interesting characters and the dynamics are really intriguing as red herrings abound!
Sam is clearly kick ass but hides a secret that has left her traumatised. A damaged hero or heroine are always interesting to read about and this author tapped into Sams past beautifully without giving too much away too soon. As for the Marshall Daniel well he's a very sexy guy whose overtures keep the relationship firmly in the readers mind. This may not be erotica but the long slow build up to the romance was very sensual and yet it did not detract from the plot in any way.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will certainly search out more by this author. This is not as long as some books I've read and loses a little because of that but it was still a great little story. Fabulous world building and very imaginative . I loved the use of computers in this storyline and the author gave me great insight into what it would be like on a space ship without gravity and indeed has quite creative uses for it! This is more than a simple romance it's a mystery to solve with a great cast of characters. Well done Ms Nantus and please write more!
Four and a half from me
Sam a hard nosed military woman is in charge of a space ship traveling around the galaxy populated by " Courtesans" who service miners at the furthest reach. What would ordinarily be a routine visit turns sinister though when one of the women is found dead and all signs point to murder! It's vital to catch her killer but unfortunately time is money and Sam needs answers fast!
Daniel is a Marshall and he is sent by his superiors to liaise with the miners and the Bonnie Belles Captain to track down and capture the killer. What he hadn't expected was that the ships captain would be a distraction! Sam is an independent woman clearly with untapped needs and the chemistry between them is off the charts but finding out who the murderer is must come first. With the mining station and ship under lockdown no one can leave but that means the killer is still amongst them!
Well this was unexpected treat I must say! I downloaded this expecting a sexy sci fi story and what I got is actually a very good who done it! Yes there's a romance brewing here but it's secondary to the actual mystery and if you are looking for lots of erotic sex then you might be a touch disappointed but I for one wasn't . It was such fun trying to work out who had motive and more importantly opportunity as the victim was hardly the most popular of the crew. These are interesting characters and the dynamics are really intriguing as red herrings abound!
Sam is clearly kick ass but hides a secret that has left her traumatised. A damaged hero or heroine are always interesting to read about and this author tapped into Sams past beautifully without giving too much away too soon. As for the Marshall Daniel well he's a very sexy guy whose overtures keep the relationship firmly in the readers mind. This may not be erotica but the long slow build up to the romance was very sensual and yet it did not detract from the plot in any way.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will certainly search out more by this author. This is not as long as some books I've read and loses a little because of that but it was still a great little story. Fabulous world building and very imaginative . I loved the use of computers in this storyline and the author gave me great insight into what it would be like on a space ship without gravity and indeed has quite creative uses for it! This is more than a simple romance it's a mystery to solve with a great cast of characters. Well done Ms Nantus and please write more!
Four and a half from me
August 26, 2016
In the Black by Sheryl Nantus is a sci-fi/murder mystery/romance story mash-up that is a simple and fun read. It is refreshing to be able to say that there is nothing I disliked about this book. It was nice average length of 244 pages that kept me entertained the whole time. I loved that Sam was a strong female lead that was not afraid to admit when something was difficult. I also loved that Daniel walked the line between knowing Sam was a competent woman and needing to keep her as safe as he could. It is always nice to have a book where the female lead is not a damsel in distress and male lead agrees. The courtesans had their own flaws in a realistic way but banned together for their captain and ship when it as necessary, which is also marginally uncommon of the main character set in stories. The story was not just about one bad guy either, three in fact, which is also a nice change in pace. I would definitely recommend it to someone who like sci-fi, mystery, romance, or easy reads.
My full review: https://anerdgirlsthoughts.wordpress....
My full review: https://anerdgirlsthoughts.wordpress....
August 6, 2016
Woooooooowwwwwwww I loved this SO much. Sam is a total bad ass. I was worried her "tragic past" storyline would make me roll my eyes and get sick of her but it was written perfectly and made Sam a more interesting character. Daniel is.....daaaammmnnnnnn Daniel.
The story itself is science fiction-y without the usual tech babble. This I enjoyed. It left a lot up to the imagination when it came to how this book universe works. I loved the spaceships, Belle was a character in itself and could be quite sassy when provoked.
The Guild is so evil, holy crap! I was raging at them by the end of the book. Perfect villain. All the other side characters were fleshed out and interesting. The romance is what you'd expect from an "urban fantasy" type book. Readable, not too cheesey, but sometimes over the top. I mean, Daniel basically falls in love with Sam within two days. But I'd fall in love with Sam too. Such a bad ass.
Great mystery, I had no idea who the killer would be and was shocked when it was revealed.
Overall a fun, quick read.
The story itself is science fiction-y without the usual tech babble. This I enjoyed. It left a lot up to the imagination when it came to how this book universe works. I loved the spaceships, Belle was a character in itself and could be quite sassy when provoked.
The Guild is so evil, holy crap! I was raging at them by the end of the book. Perfect villain. All the other side characters were fleshed out and interesting. The romance is what you'd expect from an "urban fantasy" type book. Readable, not too cheesey, but sometimes over the top. I mean, Daniel basically falls in love with Sam within two days. But I'd fall in love with Sam too. Such a bad ass.
Great mystery, I had no idea who the killer would be and was shocked when it was revealed.
Overall a fun, quick read.
August 9, 2016
I read this book because it was chosen by the vaginal fantasy book club. I'm not sure I would have read it otherwise, but I greatly enjoyed it. It's a fairly short read and so the characters don't get as much attention as they could in favor of progressing the story. It is first and foremost a mystery, and the mystery itself is interesting and complex enough to keep you guessing for a while. The author hides clues in the exposition throughout the story, instead of having the characters reveal them only through dialogue which is wonderful as it gives the reader a chance to solve the mystery. The world building is well done, though external areas are more broad strokes than detailed. I enjoyed the characters, though there are quite a few and I occasionally found it difficult to keep some of the secondary characters straight. Sam and Daniel's chemistry builds in a realistic fashion, though it does seem pretty fast in some instances. This mainly is due , again, to the shortness of the story, and the time-sensitive nature of the story construct. All -in-all the book is enjoyable, frequently clever, and definitely worth a few hours of your time.
January 30, 2015
I picked this one up because the description of the courtesans intrigued me. I was thinking it might have a bit of a Firefly to it. I was right! And it was awesome.
The world Nantus has built in this series is at once relatable and different. Female fans of Firefly should love this.
The mystery aspect of the book was easy for me to figure out. It's a rare author who can keep me guessing as to who-dun-it for more than four chapters. It did allow for a lot of exploring of courtesan daily life and how they operate, though, without being all about sex. Major props for that!
The MC's were very well done. Sam is totally sympathetic and never once did I find myself disliking her. Not an easy thing to accomplish with me. My one big complaint is not enough time in Daniel's head.
The AI's on each ship were also done very well, Etts, Daniel's AI, in particular. Etts was a hoot! I also enjoyed the way Nantus wrapped it up with neither MC having to leave behind what they're doing.
I will definitely be reading the rest in the series.
The world Nantus has built in this series is at once relatable and different. Female fans of Firefly should love this.
The mystery aspect of the book was easy for me to figure out. It's a rare author who can keep me guessing as to who-dun-it for more than four chapters. It did allow for a lot of exploring of courtesan daily life and how they operate, though, without being all about sex. Major props for that!
The MC's were very well done. Sam is totally sympathetic and never once did I find myself disliking her. Not an easy thing to accomplish with me. My one big complaint is not enough time in Daniel's head.
The AI's on each ship were also done very well, Etts, Daniel's AI, in particular. Etts was a hoot! I also enjoyed the way Nantus wrapped it up with neither MC having to leave behind what they're doing.
I will definitely be reading the rest in the series.
September 12, 2016
This book was ok, not great. Had some interesting parts. Although I won't be continuing the space series, I did pick up a cat-shifter book from the same author.
August 27, 2016
Intriguing premise - a pleasure ship, whose moneymaking journey is interrupted by murder - but, overall, not executed very well. The murder mystery was predictable and the romance didn't have any conflict to keep me engaged. Sam and Kendra were interesting characters, and I would have enjoyed more interaction between the captain and the courtesans, or to learn more about the courtesan's inner lives. However, even with a pleasure ship, a murder, and a romance between a lone wolf and a tough captain, it seemed like nothing really happened. There was a lot of characters going from one ship to another or to the camp, or sitting and thinking for awhile, but not a lot of plot or action. I found myself being more or less bored as the story progressed. It seems like most readers enjoyed this book, it just didn't have a spark for me, and I don't think I'll be reading more from this series.
August 24, 2016
This was very readable. Good cleanser, as I call books I read after really long high fantasy or just super detailed books. I think everyone was pretty reasonably written, if not super sexed up. I personally don't get the freaky level of horn dog she felt after a couple months but maybe that's something unique to her or realistically, a book about two horny lonely people? Hm.
Nothing much to be said about the plot because well it wasn't that important. I like a lot of the small space the author used, the ship, the crew. It's certainly different. Maybe more time with the pairing vs only getting a couple pages of that.... Well. Not terribly sexy. Lots of hype for very little of that. But hey, it wasn't disgusting level of poorly written smut, very light and not detailed.
It's a solid read. Space. Stuff.
Nothing much to be said about the plot because well it wasn't that important. I like a lot of the small space the author used, the ship, the crew. It's certainly different. Maybe more time with the pairing vs only getting a couple pages of that.... Well. Not terribly sexy. Lots of hype for very little of that. But hey, it wasn't disgusting level of poorly written smut, very light and not detailed.
It's a solid read. Space. Stuff.
August 30, 2016
Yay, good SFR!!!! I found both the science and the romance aspects of this story interesting and believable to a high enough degree that I could immerse myself in the world. As other reviewers have mentioned, it had a bit of a Firefly feel to it, but only the smallest hint. I think the description of the ships and mining stations, as well as the travel time between stations, was very grounding and made this seem like a real version of Earth's future.
It was a nice role reversal to have Sam as the tough military vet, and have Daniel be the more flirty and open of the two. I really enjoyed both ship's AIs and want a little Etts of my own now!
It was a nice role reversal to have Sam as the tough military vet, and have Daniel be the more flirty and open of the two. I really enjoyed both ship's AIs and want a little Etts of my own now!
August 26, 2016
I read this because of the Vaginal Fantasy book list. Romance is not my usual genre.
This was a fast read (ebook). I liked the flirty banter and zero-g coffee scene. However, there was no romance just sexual need. Sam would have settled for any man. Daniel was smitten though. More bedroom details would have been interesting. The song "A Reconsideration (Zero-G Sex)" by Kristoph Klover may explain why so many of the miners paid for gravity.
I did enjoy "In the Black". The story did not feel like Firefly. {Did you mean the government cover up?} It was more like a David Weber/Keith Laumer (Honor meets Retief) thing. If the library gets the series I might read another one.
This was a fast read (ebook). I liked the flirty banter and zero-g coffee scene. However, there was no romance just sexual need. Sam would have settled for any man. Daniel was smitten though. More bedroom details would have been interesting. The song "A Reconsideration (Zero-G Sex)" by Kristoph Klover may explain why so many of the miners paid for gravity.
I did enjoy "In the Black". The story did not feel like Firefly. {Did you mean the government cover up?} It was more like a David Weber/Keith Laumer (Honor meets Retief) thing. If the library gets the series I might read another one.
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