A Hero for the Empire

The Dragon's Bidding #1

by Christina Westcott

"They want to save the world starting with each other."

"The Dragon s Bidding, Book 1"

Commander Kimber FitzWarren is running on borrowed time. The cybernetic augmentations that give her superhuman strength and speed have also shortened her life. The success of her next mission is imperative, not only to save her Empire, but because this operation could be her last.

She and a cabal of other idealistic officers are plotting to topple the corrupt Imperial government. The key to placing missing military legend Arianne Ransahov on the throne lies with the one man who can find her, mercenary Wolf Youngblood.

Having just survived an Imperial assassination attempt, Wolf is understandably on edge when Fitz shows up in his bedroom at 0-dark-30. Except she isn t there to kill him, but to plead for his help. Help he s reluctant to give until another assassin pushes the issue.

Pursued by Imperial forces, left with no one to depend on but each other, a bond begins to form that even their secrets can t destroy. But before they can explore what s left of their future, they have to survive the mission.

Space is no place to go it alone. We recommend taking along a telepathic cat, an immortal mercenary, and a cybernetically augmented Imperial SpecOps agent. You never know what kind of trouble you ll run into "

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Space Opera, Science Fiction Romance, Space, Adventure

315 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2014

Reviews

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian I was gifted my copy of this book.

Kimber FitzWarren is an augie: a human with cybernetic enhancements. She is sent to talk to Wolf Youngblood to gain the whereabouts of the only person with the right to be the next emperor, Arianne Ransahov, who happens to be Wolf's ex. There are forces at work keeping these people apart, and a secret that might well kill them all.

I have a thing about dragons, and 99 times out of a hundred, I won't even read the blurb if the word Dragon appears in the title, I'll just say yes please. So I need to say this: there are NO DRAGONS IN THIS BOOK !!!

That said . . . I really enjoyed this!!

Sci-fi isn't usually my thing so I was stepping out of my comfort zone here, but I was fully engrossed in this book.

There is quite a lot of technical talk and some went over my head, especially the secret that Wolf was keeping. It sorta springs on you, and it meant I had to slow my reading down and concentrate, but that's not a bad thing,not at all. It just meant I took longer than usual to read the 300 odd pages this is.

It's very well written, from both Wolf and Fitz' point of view. It's not overly explicit but it does get a bit . . . . .messy . . . .in places, what with fighting the bugs and other unsavoury characters. Have to say, I particularly enjoyed reading the fighting scenes, even if I almost felt every punch thrown, and every shot fired!! Like I said, outside my comfort zone!! But really REALLY good!!

Oh. Must mention Jumper, the telepathic cat who names Wolf as his person! Loved him. Great character amid a huge cast.

There is a second book, I believe, with these people and I would love to read it. I'd like to know that what Wolf, Fitz and Ari are fighting for comes to fore. Plus I like the way Westcott spins a tale.

An excellent step outside the comfort zone, and one I highly recommend.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

[Jess Anastasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I'm actually pretty picky about my sci-fi romance, which is why I don't read as much as I either should (to keep up with what's going on in the market, etc) or would like. However, both the blurb and extract I found of A Hero for the Empire online sounded pretty good, so I went ahead and got a copy.
I found this book to be quite well written, the action scenes and description done very well, though I felt it was a bit rough and ready to start with. We're tossed into this world with little reference, and some of the terms weren't really explained, so it took me until well into the book to fully understand the political and military side of it. However, I can't talk, because I know how hard opening chapters are, and the same problem -- rough opening chapters where the story struggles to get going -- is a flaw of my own that I'm constantly struggling with.

Anyway, the other thing was that the romance side of things also started off a bit rough. The two main characters were instantly attracted to each other, and were thinking about sleeping together within like a few hours of meeting. We've all read books where this works, but in this case, it was a little jarring. I actually think it would have worked better if the author had said they were attracted to one another, and left it at that, because following shortly after, the romance got pushed back in favor of the story, which felt more natural and allowed the characters to come together more organically.

This was one of those books that starts off good, but ends up being great. The further I got into the story, the more addicted I was, the more on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what was going to happen and how in the heck the author was going to pull together a convincing happily-ever-after with all the things going wrong all over the place. But she did it, and she did it really well, with plenty of action and the exact right amount of romance to round things out.

I'm really looking forward to seeing where the author goes with the series next, as I think (I hope) it will only continue to get better from here.

All in all, this was a great sci-fi romance read, one I think is a good representation of the genre we're all hoping will gain ground and popularity. Oh, I also have to say that even though I'm not a cat person, I really loved the psychic cat. He had his own great personality and called the hero his "person" which was just adorable! Anyone on the look out for good sci-fi romance should check this book out.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Suffers from characters that are flat and unrealistic and insta-love. The attraction between the main characters is unbelievable. If she's a professional soldier, she wouldn't let attraction compromise her mission, even if she did make a move. For that matter, neither would he. The way the romance developed so immediately in two characters supposedly in opposition to each other was ridiculous. Not worth the read.

[Rhonda Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked Guardians of the Galaxy or The Edge of Tomorrow, you'll LOVE A Hero for the Empire. It's an action-packed space opera thrill ride. The butt-kicking heroine is on a mission to save the empire -- and she won't take no for an answer. Her fighting spirit and badassery are equally matched by the hero, and they make for an awesome couple.

I couldn't put this one down. I loved watching the two of them fall in love amidst the chaos of the mission and the mounting tension in the empire.

A must read :)

[J.A. Kenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

My official review will be up on Smart Girls Love Scifi right before the books release. But this is was great Sci-fi romance! Well worth the read!



My Review on Smart Girls LOVE Scifi!

[Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a very enjoyable Futuristic romance, in the vain of Linnea Sinclair and Katherine Allred.

[T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced read with some fun characters. There were some flaws in the plot, but for the most part, I strapped myself in and simply enjoyed the ride. A good read!

[Kim Berkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read as much sci-fi as I should, and I don't read as much romance as I used to. But I am terribly glad I had the opportunity to read this sparkling gem of a story. It's not perfect—that is, it's not without the typos and small errors that plague many an independently published book—but it does what it's meant to do. It entertains. It engages. And it makes me wish I had a telepathic space cat of my own to accompany me on my adventures.

The novel's weakest point was, for me, the development of the central romance. While I enjoyed Fitz and Youngblood as a couple, it felt rushed into to me—as if the story skipped over the bits where they overcome their initial dislike and distrust (both of which were quite natural, given how they met) in favor of getting right to the part where they're already head-over-heels for each other. Even reading this as a bit of a hopeless romantic, I had a few reservations about how quickly their relationship evolved.

But reading this as a fan of rollicking adventures and a lover of intensive worldbuilding, I was hooked. Immersive detail, engaging action sequences, a fantastical yet believable universe—this is where the novel shines. And, say what you will (and what I already have) about their relationship, Fitz and Youngblood (and, of course, Jumper!) are fun characters with whom you enjoy spending time and root for throughout the book.

I look forward to reading the rest of the series. :)

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love action-filled sci-fi romance, and A Hero for the Empire has it all. Totally kick ass Special Ops agent with cybernetic augmentations, Kimber FitzWarren is on a mission to save the Empire, and because of those augmentations, she’s not expecting to live much longer. Wolf Youngblood is the mercenary that is the key to her mission success, since he can help her find the legendary Ari Ransahov and convince her to take the throne to replace the corrupt Emperor. What follows is a wild ride with attacks by mind-sucking parasites, giant killer bugs, assassins, and Imperial warships. As Wolf and Fitz are learning to trust one another, they’re assisted along the way by Wolf’s empathic and telepathic cat Jumper and Fitz’s ship Lizzy. This was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down, but then I’m sorry when I reached the end, although the ending was utterly fantastic. Luckily, waiting on my Kindle is the next book in the series, Cypher, ready to take me on another adventure.

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a mission to place Arianne Ransahov on the throne, Commander Kimber FitzWarren will have to join forces with the mercenary Wolf Youngblood. With their lives on the line every step of the way, a bond forms that even their secrets can’t destroy in this mesmerizing sci-fi romance.

Fitz is on borrowed time and she wants her last mission to mean something, so she’s understandably perturbed with Wolf when he’s reluctant to help out and the reader can’t help but get drawn into the story as assassins force the issue and send them on way with Imperial forces dogging their heels every step of the way. The chemistry between Fitz and Wolf has sparks flying in every direction from fiery clashes of temper to some fiery encounters of passion and these strong compelling characters grab the reader’s attention and ensure that they want to know everything.

Excitement and anticipation builds as the danger continually escalates and secrets are revealed throughout the story with lots of thrilling excitement from the Imperial forces trying to capture or destroy them and uncovering a diabolical plot that brings an enemy from the past back that could bring about the end of life as everyone knows it. The scenes and details capture the imagination and the suspense with some surprising twists keeps readers on the edge of their seat and there is some chuckles to brighten up the atmosphere and hey there is even a telepathic cat named Jumper full of sass and attitude …wonder where I can get one like him.

First let me say that the series is very promising with lots of intriguing elements and I am looking forward to reading the next one. This story seems to drag in some places but it may be because the author was trying to impart a lot of information in her world building because the characters and the world is quite complex but it wasn’t so slow that it keep the story from being enjoyable and entertaining.

3 ½ STARS

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Science Fiction Romance so it is a book I should have loved but it fell a little flat for me. So what did not work for me: The backstory was there but not in enough detail. There was no build up to the romance. It showed up too early, it was just sex and it interfered with the flow of the story. The world building seemed incomplete.
What worked for me: I liked the two main characters. They had to carry the story and they fit the action. I thought the writing was good. Everything was kept in a very active voice, which I love.
I liked the twists and turns in the plot. The things I did not like kept the plot from jelling as it should have. This is book one and I did like the story enough that I will be looking for book two. I hope that the back-story, world building and plot development will continue and it will be a book I love.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable space romance but I would have preferred the heroine to be a little more kick ass in practice rather than prose. For an augmented human who is a super soldier she got captured alot. And each time she had her spike removed making her not so super after all. It got kind of annoying after a while. I think she was captured and de spiked a 4 separate times and only actually used her 'super strength/skills' once. Also I thought the instant attraction between Kimber and Wolf was unnecessary and felt forced. They were thrown together soon enough that the attraction and romance would have plenty of time to flourish once they were spending actual ltime together and depending on one another. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it. I did. Some tweaking would have made it better though.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book overall. The characters were fun, the plot was interesting, and the sci-fit elements were a mix of unique and reused ideas that fit well together.
However, I did find it a little slow to start, perhaps just because there was background to establish, but while the story intrigued me from the start, based on the description, it took a little bit of time to really get into it.
In addition to this, there were a few instances of typos and misused words that really took me a second to understand what was being said (because I had to figure out the right word) and that is the main thing that detracted from this book for me.
I would still be interested in continuing the series though.

[Hasana · Rating 5 out of 5]

So pleased I chose this book

Wow ! The action was so intense and the characters entirely engrossing. The pain was visceral, smiles were wide and the tender moments warmed. The second book is definitely next. I am not ready to leave this world nor it’s tales.

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To Do The Dragon’s Bidding. Military. (Late Scyran Empire— 532 to 893 ER) (1) To pledge your life and honor to the Empire. The reference was to a soldier’s oath of allegiance to the Imperial Seal which bore the image of a rearing quolla— a creature resembling a mythological First World Dragon. (2) To offer blind obedience. Often derisive.”

Sometimes the best way to honor the Empire is to plot against it.

Commander Kimber Fitzwarren (Fitz) has a mission that requires the assistance of Wolfgang Amadeus Youngblood (Wolf). The mission of two main characters is to find Ari Ransahov, the people’s hero, and convince her to save a corrupt Empire. It seems, in A Hero for the Empire, the title character is not even a main character in the book.

Fitz is a seasoned soldier that grew up in a really tough neighborhood. She herself is equally tough. Augmentations make Fitz a super-soldier both physically, due to cyber-enhancements, and mentally, due to a built in computer. Such augmentations tend to decrease the soldiers life expectancy, so Fitz is determined to succeed in this mission. It may be her last.

Wolf, formally in the service of the Empire, got mad, threw a fist at the emperor in the council chambers, and got kicked out. That’s okay. He is happier at Gold Dragons Private Military Corporation with his mercenary group and has no interest in going back.

Fitz and Wolf don’t exactly hit it off at first. He thinks she is an assassin. She thinks he is an old man. He doesn’t want to help. She thinks she can make him. They both think they should be in charge. As I was reading the first chapter that described their first meeting, I just knew this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful relationship! Fitz and Wolf have some awesome chemistry between them.

I like this view of the beginning of their relationship from Fitz’s view.

“She’d found a man who looked at her like she was a woman, not a freaking cyborg, and all they did was argue. How could he antagonize her so thoroughly one minute, and in the next, all she wanted was to wrap herself around his naked body? What was it about him that made her libido go into hyperdrive?”

And here is Wolf’s view:

“Bloody hell, he didn’t need the kind of aggravation FitzWarren brought into his life. She argued with him, she infuriated him, she made him feel twenty-five again, alive and burning with emotions he thought he’d outlived.”

Despite their differences of opinion, they are strongly attracted to each other. And if that is not enough, there is a matchmaking telepathic cat. Jumper, pictured on the cover of the book and the real reason I downloaded it in the first place, is intelligent, funny, and supposed to be on a diet. He can also be quite heroic. Jumper is a one cool cat!

Wolf is Jumper’s person. Fitz is Lizzy’s person. I should explain. Lizzy is the name of the AI that lives in Fitz’s ship. While Jumper is all about matchmaking, Lizzy is not at all keen on the idea. This sets up the cat/ship relationship. More humor. More smiles!

But in all seriousness, there are some pretty heart-racing adventures happening in A Hero for the Empire. I liked that there are plenty of surprises and a lot of action. There is a major bad guy that has it in for Wolf. There is another augmented agent that similarly has it in for Fitz. There is a scientist that may or may not be mad. Lots of intrigue, plots, lies, and half-truths. And bugs. Really big dangerous bugs. There is also hunting, being hunted, getting captured, and being rescued. Earlier I said that the title character is not a main character is the book. But maybe, there is more than one title character.

The adventure is great, but mostly I loved the characters in A Hero for the Empire, human, cat and ship. If the series continues, I hope to see more of Fitz and Wolf.

For adventure, intrigue, spaceships, cybernetics, heroines, heroes and, lets not forget, cats, I recommend A Hero for the Empire.

Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. if you have ever seen the movie.

Then this book will seem really familiar. The story was just a little bit hard to follow for me. The author just uses way too many terms that don't get explained. I really needed a glossary. Other than that it was just okay, a hard read for me because I did not know what the author was talking about some of the time. However, If you are a die hard sci-fi fan you will love this.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Admittedly I wasn't quite sure that I would like it after reading the synopsis but it turned out to be a good, fun read. I'm always skeptical when romance makes up a significant amount of a science fiction story and while this story definitely showcased the typical romantic fluff between two main characters there was actually an entertaining story paralleling the gushy stuff. It looks like this book is to be the first in a series and I enjoyed the characters and the story enough to want to read further books.

[Mallori · Rating 4 out of 5]

SciFi world-5, it felt larger than the story and we only got tangential peaks into it, but those were fun and exciting.
Romance-3, a bit too instalove, but I liked the two leads and the eventual resolution.

[Hmr28 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one dragged a bit and suffered from poor editing.

[Ellen]

Did not finish it.

[Larissa Campos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell ya, talking (not really) cats!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very entertaining book. I'm glad I've filled myself in on the history of Cypher.