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Aurigan Space #5
Untouchable
Alan Stewart, First Lieutenant on the space ship Qatar, and Captain Robin Lang of the Huan Police Force, have been best friends since their days in the Space Academy, despite the fact that Stewart is homosexual and Lang has a wife and son, Max.
However Max is growing up and their friendship is threatened when Lang believes Stewart has designs on his son.
When Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to the Qatar, is assaulted in a gay bar, Lang accuses Stewart. In an attempt to protect his son at all costs, Lang finds himself drawn into a dark conspiracy of murder and blackmail.
Meanwhile, Stewart has his own battles to fight. Apart from defending himself against Lang’s accusations, he discovers the young man he is falling in love with, Michael Banner, is the one man on the ship who is out of bounds, untouchable.
Lives and love hang in the balance as Lang and Stewart search for the truth.
However Max is growing up and their friendship is threatened when Lang believes Stewart has designs on his son.
When Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to the Qatar, is assaulted in a gay bar, Lang accuses Stewart. In an attempt to protect his son at all costs, Lang finds himself drawn into a dark conspiracy of murder and blackmail.
Meanwhile, Stewart has his own battles to fight. Apart from defending himself against Lang’s accusations, he discovers the young man he is falling in love with, Michael Banner, is the one man on the ship who is out of bounds, untouchable.
Lives and love hang in the balance as Lang and Stewart search for the truth.
204 pages, ebook
First published October 16, 2014
18 people want to read
About the author
L.V. Lloyd
20 books26 followersAfter thirty years of working with the unemployed, coping with threats, tears and broken lives (and these were only from fellow staff), LV Lloyd decided it was time to make her escape. And what better place to go than the world of m/m romance? She started writing Dangerous Tension, her first ebook in the Aurigan Space Saga, years ago, but put it aside due to work and family commitments.
In 2012, she dusted off the foolscap pages stored under her bed, finished the story and turned it into a book. Since then, she has written six more ebooks in the Aurigan Space Saga series, and numerous short stories.
Gothic Romance is her first venture into a new genre, Historical Romance.
LV Lloyd lives in Adelaide, Australia, with her family and two cats. In her spare time she enjoys fishing and visiting the many local wineries.
You can visit her at www.lvlloyd.com
All my stories have some m x m action but none of them are rated "18+"
In 2012, she dusted off the foolscap pages stored under her bed, finished the story and turned it into a book. Since then, she has written six more ebooks in the Aurigan Space Saga series, and numerous short stories.
Gothic Romance is her first venture into a new genre, Historical Romance.
LV Lloyd lives in Adelaide, Australia, with her family and two cats. In her spare time she enjoys fishing and visiting the many local wineries.
You can visit her at www.lvlloyd.com
All my stories have some m x m action but none of them are rated "18+"
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 22, 2015
I got a free copy of Untouchable through the Don't Buy My Love project, in exchange for an honest review.
This book was an interesting read. It does not center solely on the love stories (yes, more than one); it is a decently plotted sci-fi/mystery/thriller combination, with the romance working its way in and out of the plot.
The story starts with the friendship between Alan and Robin. Alan is homosexual (om, in the parlance of the time); Lang is a widower with a teenage son, Max. There is a misunderstanding when Lang thinks that Stewart has designs on his son, and the men quarrel.
The story takes up a few years later when Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to Alan's spaceship, develops an attraction for Alan. He is later attacked in a gay bar, and his father accuses Alan. Alan is quickly cleared of all charges, but he starts investigating the reasons for the assault. During the investigation, Alan develops a relation with the medic of their ship, which goes through its own ups and downs.
The general plot and premises are good. The author does a good job of introducing the technologies of the universe without the usual clumsiness found in some sci-fi novels. Nevertheless, I found that I had to suspend my disbelief a bit too often to truly enjoy the book, and not about the technology or the setup but about the every day actions of the characters, e.g. the character presumed dead (nobody gave him a funeral?), or how fast everybody bounces back and forth between relationships, no matter how deeply in love or heartbroken they are say to be.
In spite of that, I did enjoy some clever details, like the bit about paper being a luxury item, and the dragons...because, hey , dragons.
This book was an interesting read. It does not center solely on the love stories (yes, more than one); it is a decently plotted sci-fi/mystery/thriller combination, with the romance working its way in and out of the plot.
The story starts with the friendship between Alan and Robin. Alan is homosexual (om, in the parlance of the time); Lang is a widower with a teenage son, Max. There is a misunderstanding when Lang thinks that Stewart has designs on his son, and the men quarrel.
The story takes up a few years later when Max, now an adult and a recent recruit to Alan's spaceship, develops an attraction for Alan. He is later attacked in a gay bar, and his father accuses Alan. Alan is quickly cleared of all charges, but he starts investigating the reasons for the assault. During the investigation, Alan develops a relation with the medic of their ship, which goes through its own ups and downs.
The general plot and premises are good. The author does a good job of introducing the technologies of the universe without the usual clumsiness found in some sci-fi novels. Nevertheless, I found that I had to suspend my disbelief a bit too often to truly enjoy the book, and not about the technology or the setup but about the every day actions of the characters, e.g. the character presumed dead (nobody gave him a funeral?), or how fast everybody bounces back and forth between relationships, no matter how deeply in love or heartbroken they are say to be.
In spite of that, I did enjoy some clever details, like the bit about paper being a luxury item, and the dragons...because, hey , dragons.
April 25, 2015
I received a free copy of Untouchable from the author through the GoodReads, M/M Romance Group's, Don't Buy My Love project, in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This sci-fi, gay romance book is different than most others that I read. Due to the fact that it is not first and foremost a romance nor does it have just one romance. Honestly I'd have to categorize it as a space opera.
While I personally did not like the time jumps nor the lightening quick POV changes I did on the whole find this to be a well written book.
The world building was thorough enough that I was able to picture it and find it believable as were the plot and characters. Though I did find myself having to suspend belief a few times at some of the characters actions and I must say that I find it sad that homophobia are still alive and well even in this far off time. Though of course we do find that some are not as untouchable as they would believe.
This sci-fi, gay romance book is different than most others that I read. Due to the fact that it is not first and foremost a romance nor does it have just one romance. Honestly I'd have to categorize it as a space opera.
While I personally did not like the time jumps nor the lightening quick POV changes I did on the whole find this to be a well written book.
The world building was thorough enough that I was able to picture it and find it believable as were the plot and characters. Though I did find myself having to suspend belief a few times at some of the characters actions and I must say that I find it sad that homophobia are still alive and well even in this far off time. Though of course we do find that some are not as untouchable as they would believe.
April 25, 2015
I was provided with a copy of Untouchable via the Male/Male Romance group's Don't Buy My Love event in exchange for an honest review.
Untouchable has a sparse writing style and a brevity of chapters that I really enjoyed. The downside being that I was tempted to read 'just one more'(and then another and another) chapter whilst I should be doing other things like working or sleeping. The story kept rolling at a cracking pace and as the plot unfolded various twists and turns it was intriguing to see how each of the main characters reacted and interrelated with one and other.
The main protagonist Alan Stewart is well respected and open in his sexuality, and therefore deeply hurt when his former best friend Robin Lang, suspects him of making inappropriate advances on his son Max Lang.
The story has an interesting mix of not one, but three romances, all with various age brackets and varying degrees of openness about their sexual preferences. Untouchable has a lightness of touch and a deftness that regardless of the pared down writing style conveys empathy and portrays somewhat flawed and immensely likable individuals. There is also a mystery that kept me guessing the what the motivation underlying a blackmail threat might be.
I enjoyed this scifi romp greatly as it concentrated mostly on the human dynamics of a group of guys living and working together. Told in the third person and from various perspectives, this was an engaging read with moments of humour, as each of the protagonists considered life, love, loyalty, relationships and their careers in the light of their own self-acceptance and sexual preferences.
I guess I was a little disappointed that in this new universe settled by humans, sexuality would still be the subject of social prejudice. Untouchable depicted a life where being homosexual or 'om', whilst not illegal seems to hold some stigma and professional difficulties. I was pleased that each of these men acted largely with personal integrity (some more readily than others).
I have not read other books in the Aurigan Space series and that was not a hindrance, Untouchable can easily be read as a standalone book. One star removed for some minor quibbles I have about plot holes. Over all a really enjoyable reading experience and some interesting world building.
Untouchable has a sparse writing style and a brevity of chapters that I really enjoyed. The downside being that I was tempted to read 'just one more'(and then another and another) chapter whilst I should be doing other things like working or sleeping. The story kept rolling at a cracking pace and as the plot unfolded various twists and turns it was intriguing to see how each of the main characters reacted and interrelated with one and other.
The main protagonist Alan Stewart is well respected and open in his sexuality, and therefore deeply hurt when his former best friend Robin Lang, suspects him of making inappropriate advances on his son Max Lang.
The story has an interesting mix of not one, but three romances, all with various age brackets and varying degrees of openness about their sexual preferences. Untouchable has a lightness of touch and a deftness that regardless of the pared down writing style conveys empathy and portrays somewhat flawed and immensely likable individuals. There is also a mystery that kept me guessing the what the motivation underlying a blackmail threat might be.
I enjoyed this scifi romp greatly as it concentrated mostly on the human dynamics of a group of guys living and working together. Told in the third person and from various perspectives, this was an engaging read with moments of humour, as each of the protagonists considered life, love, loyalty, relationships and their careers in the light of their own self-acceptance and sexual preferences.
I guess I was a little disappointed that in this new universe settled by humans, sexuality would still be the subject of social prejudice. Untouchable depicted a life where being homosexual or 'om', whilst not illegal seems to hold some stigma and professional difficulties. I was pleased that each of these men acted largely with personal integrity (some more readily than others).
I have not read other books in the Aurigan Space series and that was not a hindrance, Untouchable can easily be read as a standalone book. One star removed for some minor quibbles I have about plot holes. Over all a really enjoyable reading experience and some interesting world building.
April 22, 2015
Original Blog Post: Review Request: Untouchable (Aurigan Space #5) by L.V. Lloyd
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Note: This is the fifth of the series and yet it reads quite well as a standalone. It took some time to get the terminologies straight but eventually, it came easier as I read alone.
Untouchable is the story of two men who were considered Untouchable. One is the son of Captain Robin Lang of the Huan Police Force, Max; the other is Michael Banner, a medic onboard the Qatar. Each have their own reasons for being untouchables, each define the lives of two best friends. Both men are 'om,' short for homosexual.
Let's start with Max. He is the son of Robin Lang and Robin is very protective of him. When Max begins to show signs of being an om, Robin is scared, he is angry, he is fearful. He fears men will not treat the boy right. When he sees Max's crush on his best friend, Alan Stewart, he flips. Literally. Thus ends the friendship between the two men and Robin simmers in anger. The reasons, you have to read yourselves, I cannot risk spoilers here at this point.
Now let us consider Michael. He is an om, he admits to it, but his being a medic onboard the Qatar is risky because of that status. Thus, he cannot risk admitting to being an om. The regulations clearly states he cannot work as a medic if he is one. But he falls for Alan Stewart and Alan falls for him. Alan, so much older, cannot believe this beautiful young man would even consider him, but then, Alan feels the same way. And this is where the complications begins.
Alan rescues Max from certain rape and probably death but is stunned shot by the third assailant. When he wakes up, he is blamed by Robin to be the assailant placing his integrity and career at risk. He has an alibi, Michael, but if Michael steps up, his career would be put at risk and where would both end? In the sidelines, Robin's anger is focused on Alan unwilling to even consider any other assailant possible. Why? Again, please read...
Thus the convoluted mess that is Robin's actions affect everyone onboard the Qatar and people are asking why Robin is acting like he is. Max's statement is imperative to clear Alan but he is still in a coma. It is left to Michael to step up to the challenge without risking his career. Alan is angry at Robin for even thinking he would harm Max, the boy he saw born and grow up into a stellar young man.
In the meanwhile, we have a mystery to solve: who are the assailants and why did they target Max in particular? That is the question that spurs this story on until the very last page. Be warned, there are many twists and turns that can give you whiplash at best, but its all for a good reason.
In this space-age story, the oms are still considered anathema in certain parts. The same bigotry survives at this time as it does today, the same fears for those who just realize their sexuality live on. For all the sci-fi action and mystery going on here, the author managed to make this a very light read, although the pace slows down in certain areas. Overall, this is a standalone read but I would recommend (***note to self) reading the first four. Just to get a better picture of this new world.
Review by: multitaskingmomma
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Note: This is the fifth of the series and yet it reads quite well as a standalone. It took some time to get the terminologies straight but eventually, it came easier as I read alone.
Untouchable is the story of two men who were considered Untouchable. One is the son of Captain Robin Lang of the Huan Police Force, Max; the other is Michael Banner, a medic onboard the Qatar. Each have their own reasons for being untouchables, each define the lives of two best friends. Both men are 'om,' short for homosexual.
Let's start with Max. He is the son of Robin Lang and Robin is very protective of him. When Max begins to show signs of being an om, Robin is scared, he is angry, he is fearful. He fears men will not treat the boy right. When he sees Max's crush on his best friend, Alan Stewart, he flips. Literally. Thus ends the friendship between the two men and Robin simmers in anger. The reasons, you have to read yourselves, I cannot risk spoilers here at this point.
Now let us consider Michael. He is an om, he admits to it, but his being a medic onboard the Qatar is risky because of that status. Thus, he cannot risk admitting to being an om. The regulations clearly states he cannot work as a medic if he is one. But he falls for Alan Stewart and Alan falls for him. Alan, so much older, cannot believe this beautiful young man would even consider him, but then, Alan feels the same way. And this is where the complications begins.
Alan rescues Max from certain rape and probably death but is stunned shot by the third assailant. When he wakes up, he is blamed by Robin to be the assailant placing his integrity and career at risk. He has an alibi, Michael, but if Michael steps up, his career would be put at risk and where would both end? In the sidelines, Robin's anger is focused on Alan unwilling to even consider any other assailant possible. Why? Again, please read...
Thus the convoluted mess that is Robin's actions affect everyone onboard the Qatar and people are asking why Robin is acting like he is. Max's statement is imperative to clear Alan but he is still in a coma. It is left to Michael to step up to the challenge without risking his career. Alan is angry at Robin for even thinking he would harm Max, the boy he saw born and grow up into a stellar young man.
In the meanwhile, we have a mystery to solve: who are the assailants and why did they target Max in particular? That is the question that spurs this story on until the very last page. Be warned, there are many twists and turns that can give you whiplash at best, but its all for a good reason.
In this space-age story, the oms are still considered anathema in certain parts. The same bigotry survives at this time as it does today, the same fears for those who just realize their sexuality live on. For all the sci-fi action and mystery going on here, the author managed to make this a very light read, although the pace slows down in certain areas. Overall, this is a standalone read but I would recommend (***note to self) reading the first four. Just to get a better picture of this new world.
June 8, 2016
(This story was received free in return for an honest review via the Goodreads Don't Buy My Love program.)
For anyone using PDF please see my reader's note at the end of this review.
This story was a rollercoaster. Good points, bad points, and I was certainly stunned by the ending.
The twists and turns of this sci-fi mystery/investigation were interesting as were the whole cast of characters. And I do mean cast, there were quite a few. The original four main characters were Alan Stewart and Michael Banner to Robin and Max Lang. Now add in the Captain, Captain and Captain. They were a bit of a nuisance trying to keep of. Several other characters had POV chapters too. Let's not forget the bad guys whose names are too numerous to mention.
Overall, I enjoy the storyline and plot, but it was extremely telling. Dialogue was fair, and the sex, when present, was disappointing. I never got a firm attachment to any one main character because the POVs kept jumping around. This, I felt, hurt the story. The story would have been better served by just focusing on the major four characters, but because it's an investigation I realize that that was probably harder for the author to do, it would have resulted in a lot more dialogue which perhaps the author was uncomfortable doing.
While reading this story I actually thought it was going to end twice before it truly did, and at one point I was ready for the story to end. Then I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Untouchable's ending. At least all the four main characters have their "happy for now" endings.
Reviewers note: the version I received was through Smashwords and I prefer epub for my reading. However the epub version would not load onto my particular eReader (Nook w/Overdrive) so I ended up downloading a PDF file which had some glaring errors that the author needs to address. Commas were missing with large spaces in their place. Random numbers and letters were within the text which made it feel like this was a working copy versus a final copy. Granted all of this may have just been my particular version of PDF and my particular reader, and it wasn't enough for me to downgrade the story. Again, it might have been my issue, but for anyone who uses PDF they may find this to be a problem.
For anyone using PDF please see my reader's note at the end of this review.
This story was a rollercoaster. Good points, bad points, and I was certainly stunned by the ending.
The twists and turns of this sci-fi mystery/investigation were interesting as were the whole cast of characters. And I do mean cast, there were quite a few. The original four main characters were Alan Stewart and Michael Banner to Robin and Max Lang. Now add in the Captain, Captain and Captain. They were a bit of a nuisance trying to keep of. Several other characters had POV chapters too. Let's not forget the bad guys whose names are too numerous to mention.
Overall, I enjoy the storyline and plot, but it was extremely telling. Dialogue was fair, and the sex, when present, was disappointing. I never got a firm attachment to any one main character because the POVs kept jumping around. This, I felt, hurt the story. The story would have been better served by just focusing on the major four characters, but because it's an investigation I realize that that was probably harder for the author to do, it would have resulted in a lot more dialogue which perhaps the author was uncomfortable doing.
While reading this story I actually thought it was going to end twice before it truly did, and at one point I was ready for the story to end. Then I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Untouchable's ending. At least all the four main characters have their "happy for now" endings.
Reviewers note: the version I received was through Smashwords and I prefer epub for my reading. However the epub version would not load onto my particular eReader (Nook w/Overdrive) so I ended up downloading a PDF file which had some glaring errors that the author needs to address. Commas were missing with large spaces in their place. Random numbers and letters were within the text which made it feel like this was a working copy versus a final copy. Granted all of this may have just been my particular version of PDF and my particular reader, and it wasn't enough for me to downgrade the story. Again, it might have been my issue, but for anyone who uses PDF they may find this to be a problem.
May 1, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
At the beginning of the novel, you start off reading about Alan and you think the story is about Alan, but in truth, this novel is about 3 people and their struggles to find love – Alan, Max and Robin.
At the beginning, you think Alan is the main character as the story starts off shockingly distressing with the court case about the attempted rape of the son, Max, of Alan’s best friend, Robin Lang with Alan being the main suspect.
Jump back a couple of year, and you learn to love Alan, his ethics and loyalty. You become invested in his success and feel distress over, in the beginning of the novel, his staunch mistreatment by his best friend, Robin, over the misperception Robin has over the relationship between his son, Max and Alan.
This novel has sweet love for Alan with a good medic. There is young, bittersweet love for young Max whose widowed father appears to disapprove of his own family friend’s preferences especially when it has to do with his own son. Robin’s story is probably the most twisted and interesting.
There is discovery, salvation and redemption for stringent Robin who you originally think is homophobic as a result of his determination to blame his out best friend Alan when his son, Max, first became aware of his sexuality. We then find out Robin is actually in denial and has been accepting punishment and shame for his unconscious desire for his best friend. We find amnesia coming into play and meet a carefree Robin who is absolutely endearing and then the whole Robin we see at the end of the novel – at peace with himself, his preferences, desires, his best friend and a blossoming love.
Throw in some detective work, space travel, attempted rape case, mistaken identity, involuntary manslaughter, stun guns, suicide, return from assumed death, blackmail and you have find yourself loving novel despite the unpleasant start. I find starting a book out with attempted rape and best friends being torn apart to be quite unpleasant. However, by the end of this novel I was in love and I think anyone who reads it will be too.
3.5 stars
At the beginning of the novel, you start off reading about Alan and you think the story is about Alan, but in truth, this novel is about 3 people and their struggles to find love – Alan, Max and Robin.
At the beginning, you think Alan is the main character as the story starts off shockingly distressing with the court case about the attempted rape of the son, Max, of Alan’s best friend, Robin Lang with Alan being the main suspect.
Jump back a couple of year, and you learn to love Alan, his ethics and loyalty. You become invested in his success and feel distress over, in the beginning of the novel, his staunch mistreatment by his best friend, Robin, over the misperception Robin has over the relationship between his son, Max and Alan.
This novel has sweet love for Alan with a good medic. There is young, bittersweet love for young Max whose widowed father appears to disapprove of his own family friend’s preferences especially when it has to do with his own son. Robin’s story is probably the most twisted and interesting.
There is discovery, salvation and redemption for stringent Robin who you originally think is homophobic as a result of his determination to blame his out best friend Alan when his son, Max, first became aware of his sexuality. We then find out Robin is actually in denial and has been accepting punishment and shame for his unconscious desire for his best friend. We find amnesia coming into play and meet a carefree Robin who is absolutely endearing and then the whole Robin we see at the end of the novel – at peace with himself, his preferences, desires, his best friend and a blossoming love.
Throw in some detective work, space travel, attempted rape case, mistaken identity, involuntary manslaughter, stun guns, suicide, return from assumed death, blackmail and you have find yourself loving novel despite the unpleasant start. I find starting a book out with attempted rape and best friends being torn apart to be quite unpleasant. However, by the end of this novel I was in love and I think anyone who reads it will be too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2015
This book has been given to me for free in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
I really liked this book. This book has three couples who's relationships are working out throughout this story. Captain Lang, best friend to Lt Stewart and father to Max, is I would say a cause and effect character. He is in strong denial of his sexual orientation through most of the story and the things he says and does causes some dire things to happen.
The first being Lt Stewart is charged with the assault and rape of Max. Which brings me to one of the things I didn't like and that is the beginning of this book. It starts with a prologue where Lt is bing arraigned for the charges, and then the first chapter said 3yrs earlier, 2nd chapter -present day (but really was before the prologue-I didn't know where we were going. I hate starting a book at a point and then having to go to the past and come forward. Thankfully that past came to present 30% in.
A lot happens in this story, assault, kidnapping, murder and of course love. It's all here and moves along at a fast pace. There were times I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was wrong. Of course there were also the times when I though " really? Your an idiot!"
I thought the last 4 or 5 chapters were a little rushed, a lot of stuff happening. But all in all I thought this was a fantastic story in an interesting setting and I'm going to read more of this author.
4.5 stars
I really liked this book. This book has three couples who's relationships are working out throughout this story. Captain Lang, best friend to Lt Stewart and father to Max, is I would say a cause and effect character. He is in strong denial of his sexual orientation through most of the story and the things he says and does causes some dire things to happen.
The first being Lt Stewart is charged with the assault and rape of Max. Which brings me to one of the things I didn't like and that is the beginning of this book. It starts with a prologue where Lt is bing arraigned for the charges, and then the first chapter said 3yrs earlier, 2nd chapter -present day (but really was before the prologue-I didn't know where we were going. I hate starting a book at a point and then having to go to the past and come forward. Thankfully that past came to present 30% in.
A lot happens in this story, assault, kidnapping, murder and of course love. It's all here and moves along at a fast pace. There were times I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was wrong. Of course there were also the times when I though " really? Your an idiot!"
I thought the last 4 or 5 chapters were a little rushed, a lot of stuff happening. But all in all I thought this was a fantastic story in an interesting setting and I'm going to read more of this author.
April 8, 2015
Untouchable is the first book in this genre that I have read and as such I really didn't know what to expect, but someone reccomended it and I decided to give it a try. I hadn't realized it was a part of a series but it didn't stop my enjoyment. The story seemed to stand alone.
The author does a good job with the Sci. Fi scene setting and characterization. The story ramps along very quickly and at the beginning I would have liked to have spent a little more time with the set up but this might have been down to me jumping into book 5 instead of starting at book one. The characters are well rounded and the plot unfolds neatly. There was some head hopping early on that confused me a little but it settled down further into the book. All in all an entertaining read.
The author does a good job with the Sci. Fi scene setting and characterization. The story ramps along very quickly and at the beginning I would have liked to have spent a little more time with the set up but this might have been down to me jumping into book 5 instead of starting at book one. The characters are well rounded and the plot unfolds neatly. There was some head hopping early on that confused me a little but it settled down further into the book. All in all an entertaining read.
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July 9, 2016What do you do if the one you love is the one you cannot love? And how do you protect your kid if he is an adult, when he stumbles into dark times, spiraling out of control.
L.V. Lloyd has painted this beautifully. The story is captivating from the first page and don't let you go until you've read it all.
L.V. Lloyd has painted this beautifully. The story is captivating from the first page and don't let you go until you've read it all.
October 4, 2015
Lloyd's space series keeps getting better and better! This one had a bit of suspense and mystery woven in. And three romances in one novel! I really am enjoying this series even if it's soft m/m. Fun read.
May 4, 2015
« Free copy provided by the author through the the Don’t By My Love program in exchange for an honest review.»
Guys, I so wanted to love this book! It promised all the good trappings of an epic space adventure, set into a series of books in which the universe has been developed in depth. I was looking forward to discovering what would happen to the two main characters, Lieutenant Alan Stewart and Captain Robin Lang, and their friendship when it becomes challenged by Lang’s belief that Stewart would actually hurt his son. I can’t imagine many situations that are more horrible than believing your best friend would rape and hurt your own son. How can a friendship survive and overcome this feeling of ultimate betrayal, even if Stewart was innocent all along? And what about the actual perpetrator? What are his secret machinations and goals?
So I was really looking forward to devouring this book on my long weekend off. I stocked up on tea and hogged the couch ... only to re-emerge two days later, disillusioned and frustrated, feeling a bit cheated. What the hell happened? This was not supposed to happen!
The story starts with giving us a glimpse of Lieutenant Alan Stewart’s hearing in regards to assault charges raised by none other than his best friend Robin Lang. Then the story skips back and shows us the roots of the suspicion and wariness and the actual events that ultimately lead to this situation. Max Lang, Robin Lang’s son, was attacked in a bar and we soon learn that Alan Stewart was not only innocent, but also tried to save Max. Unfortunately, Max is in no position to testify and Robin Lang is convinced that Alan Stewart is guilty because he shares some physical attributes with the attacker. When Max finally clears the situation up, it becomes apparent that at least one other party has an interest in the Lang family and is trying to influence the powerful chief of police, Captain Robin Lang, to achieve their own agenda. This party seems to have intimate knowledge of not only Lang, but also his son and best friend and soon they find themselves in a web of blackmail and death. If they want to get to the bottom of it, they will have to find a way to work together.
At the same time, Alan Stewart is pulled toward the one person on his space ship that he can never have a relationship with. Regulations forbid homosexual medics on certain types of space ships and for Michael Banner being exposed means being dismissed. He needs to make a choice between his dream job and the chance on a relationship with Alan Stewart.
Although there was a whole world – a whole universe – out there and the story spans several planets, it was like viewing everything through thick, tinted plexiglass. You get the general shape and colour but the details are lost. I wasn’t really able to get a feeling for the world and found it really difficult to form it in my mind (and believe me, I’m not suffering from underdeveloped imagination ;) ). Maybe this was due to the fact that I just jumped in with the 5th book in the series and hadn’t read the prequels?
But I not only had that feeling (or non-feeling, if you will) in regards to the actual environment, but also when reading about the character interactions. They tended to stay at the surface, working to bring the actual plot forward, but not really letting me get to know the characters’ feelings, dreams, desires or thoughts. In some way this reminded me of the space novels from the late 1960s that my father still has at home, where camaraderie is in the foreground and God forbid any kind of romantic interest is expressed. Don't get me wrong, I like this style as well. It is a viable style of storytelling, and I appreciated the quite subtle use of sex and intimacy in Untouchable. That fit into the world and story perfectly, so kudos for the restraint! :)
But at the same time I felt that there were a lot of scenes that should have actually been there but weren’t. Take for example the scene where Max learns that is dead. The story just skips a few days ahead and we hear of it from a secondary character in a very cursory description. And what about Alan Stewart’s reaction? We never get to know how he reacts, what he thinks or feels in the face of the death of , not even in retrospect. For me, accompanying characters through their sorrow, joy and struggles make them come alive. But since we never really become privy to the above, for me the characters never made the leap from two- to three-dimensional, which also made a lot of the story hard to believe for me. Okay, I have to admit, instalove is a pet peeve of mine. You’d have to work pretty hard to convince me on any given day, but here a lot just didn’t add up for me. Why in the world would Michael Banner Why would a formerly completely straight man enter into a relationship – with a former homophobe no less – without any kind of internal struggle on both their sides?
I also would never have imagined how important descriptions of sensory inputs are in a book – until they were more or less completely missing. I can’t recall a single instance where smell or taste played a role and only a couple where sound was important here. This took another layer of depth out of the book and somehow blunted the whole experience.
This is a real pity as the storyline in itself is promising. There is quite a cast of characters with some very interesting side stories. There is also the adversary that has targeted Lang, who has access to some evidence that gives the reader a quite shocking ‘aha’-moment and explains a lot about the character and the story. I so didn’t see that coming! There are some nice twists and turns and several moments of ‘no, really?!’ in the best possible way.
However, I can’t help feeling as if the story is not really concluded yet, as if a sequel should come and the outcome that was presented here was too simplistic for that to be it, but I fear that wasn’t really the author’s intention. The complexity of the storyline would have warranted giving more time and space to wrapping it up.
All in all I’d say it was a solid read and some of the readers here seem to be very happy with it. But because I still feel like I’m on the outside looking in, it’s not more than 2 stars, unfortunately!
Guys, I so wanted to love this book! It promised all the good trappings of an epic space adventure, set into a series of books in which the universe has been developed in depth. I was looking forward to discovering what would happen to the two main characters, Lieutenant Alan Stewart and Captain Robin Lang, and their friendship when it becomes challenged by Lang’s belief that Stewart would actually hurt his son. I can’t imagine many situations that are more horrible than believing your best friend would rape and hurt your own son. How can a friendship survive and overcome this feeling of ultimate betrayal, even if Stewart was innocent all along? And what about the actual perpetrator? What are his secret machinations and goals?
So I was really looking forward to devouring this book on my long weekend off. I stocked up on tea and hogged the couch ... only to re-emerge two days later, disillusioned and frustrated, feeling a bit cheated. What the hell happened? This was not supposed to happen!
The story starts with giving us a glimpse of Lieutenant Alan Stewart’s hearing in regards to assault charges raised by none other than his best friend Robin Lang. Then the story skips back and shows us the roots of the suspicion and wariness and the actual events that ultimately lead to this situation. Max Lang, Robin Lang’s son, was attacked in a bar and we soon learn that Alan Stewart was not only innocent, but also tried to save Max. Unfortunately, Max is in no position to testify and Robin Lang is convinced that Alan Stewart is guilty because he shares some physical attributes with the attacker. When Max finally clears the situation up, it becomes apparent that at least one other party has an interest in the Lang family and is trying to influence the powerful chief of police, Captain Robin Lang, to achieve their own agenda. This party seems to have intimate knowledge of not only Lang, but also his son and best friend and soon they find themselves in a web of blackmail and death. If they want to get to the bottom of it, they will have to find a way to work together.
At the same time, Alan Stewart is pulled toward the one person on his space ship that he can never have a relationship with. Regulations forbid homosexual medics on certain types of space ships and for Michael Banner being exposed means being dismissed. He needs to make a choice between his dream job and the chance on a relationship with Alan Stewart.
Although there was a whole world – a whole universe – out there and the story spans several planets, it was like viewing everything through thick, tinted plexiglass. You get the general shape and colour but the details are lost. I wasn’t really able to get a feeling for the world and found it really difficult to form it in my mind (and believe me, I’m not suffering from underdeveloped imagination ;) ). Maybe this was due to the fact that I just jumped in with the 5th book in the series and hadn’t read the prequels?
But I not only had that feeling (or non-feeling, if you will) in regards to the actual environment, but also when reading about the character interactions. They tended to stay at the surface, working to bring the actual plot forward, but not really letting me get to know the characters’ feelings, dreams, desires or thoughts. In some way this reminded me of the space novels from the late 1960s that my father still has at home, where camaraderie is in the foreground and God forbid any kind of romantic interest is expressed. Don't get me wrong, I like this style as well. It is a viable style of storytelling, and I appreciated the quite subtle use of sex and intimacy in Untouchable. That fit into the world and story perfectly, so kudos for the restraint! :)
But at the same time I felt that there were a lot of scenes that should have actually been there but weren’t. Take for example the scene where Max learns that is dead. The story just skips a few days ahead and we hear of it from a secondary character in a very cursory description. And what about Alan Stewart’s reaction? We never get to know how he reacts, what he thinks or feels in the face of the death of , not even in retrospect. For me, accompanying characters through their sorrow, joy and struggles make them come alive. But since we never really become privy to the above, for me the characters never made the leap from two- to three-dimensional, which also made a lot of the story hard to believe for me. Okay, I have to admit, instalove is a pet peeve of mine. You’d have to work pretty hard to convince me on any given day, but here a lot just didn’t add up for me. Why in the world would Michael Banner Why would a formerly completely straight man enter into a relationship – with a former homophobe no less – without any kind of internal struggle on both their sides?
I also would never have imagined how important descriptions of sensory inputs are in a book – until they were more or less completely missing. I can’t recall a single instance where smell or taste played a role and only a couple where sound was important here. This took another layer of depth out of the book and somehow blunted the whole experience.
This is a real pity as the storyline in itself is promising. There is quite a cast of characters with some very interesting side stories. There is also the adversary that has targeted Lang, who has access to some evidence that gives the reader a quite shocking ‘aha’-moment and explains a lot about the character and the story. I so didn’t see that coming! There are some nice twists and turns and several moments of ‘no, really?!’ in the best possible way.
However, I can’t help feeling as if the story is not really concluded yet, as if a sequel should come and the outcome that was presented here was too simplistic for that to be it, but I fear that wasn’t really the author’s intention. The complexity of the storyline would have warranted giving more time and space to wrapping it up.
All in all I’d say it was a solid read and some of the readers here seem to be very happy with it. But because I still feel like I’m on the outside looking in, it’s not more than 2 stars, unfortunately!
June 18, 2020
EPIC !
Another emotional roller coaster of a space action drama by L. V. Lloyd! Each story is better than the last! This story in particular shows we’re all human. We’re all part of the human condition. That there is a thin line between right and wrong. This story has it all!
Another emotional roller coaster of a space action drama by L. V. Lloyd! Each story is better than the last! This story in particular shows we’re all human. We’re all part of the human condition. That there is a thin line between right and wrong. This story has it all!
June 22, 2019
As always with LV Lloyd, I didn't feel bogged down with lots of SciFi and there are two happy endings with lots of excitement/twists and turns in between. I enjoyed this story.
May 11, 2015
A copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
A pretty good read. I give it 3.0 stars.
To be honest, the relationship between Alan and Michael didn't really stand out to me. The book reads a little like an episode of a soap opera with multiple story lines going on and the reader gets to hone in on the one they want. The end was result was a story about four couples that I didn't really feel like I knew well but who had somewhat interesting courtships.
I appreciated the world-building in the story and the suspense regarding what happened to Max and what the connection to Lang was. The police procedural part was pretty well done and there were more than a few intentional nail biting moments where the scene just flipped to another story line and came back later. I think this contributed to the tv show/soap opera feel of the story.
I don't think I'm a horndog but I do like a certain amount/level of sensuality in my stories. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably rank the sensuality level of the book a 4. There's a show scene, a couple of make out sessions, and what amounts to phone sex but most of the actions happens off camera. I was frankly disappointed by that, particularly as more than a few characters came off as pretty sexually active. It seemed weird to have this activity implied but not present. I don't think I would have minded so much if this was book 1 but since this is book 5...it probably doesn't get any hotter than this.
I'm not sure if I will read the rest of the series, but I will at least read more about it.
A pretty good read. I give it 3.0 stars.
To be honest, the relationship between Alan and Michael didn't really stand out to me. The book reads a little like an episode of a soap opera with multiple story lines going on and the reader gets to hone in on the one they want. The end was result was a story about four couples that I didn't really feel like I knew well but who had somewhat interesting courtships.
I appreciated the world-building in the story and the suspense regarding what happened to Max and what the connection to Lang was. The police procedural part was pretty well done and there were more than a few intentional nail biting moments where the scene just flipped to another story line and came back later. I think this contributed to the tv show/soap opera feel of the story.
I don't think I'm a horndog but I do like a certain amount/level of sensuality in my stories. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would probably rank the sensuality level of the book a 4. There's a show scene, a couple of make out sessions, and what amounts to phone sex but most of the actions happens off camera. I was frankly disappointed by that, particularly as more than a few characters came off as pretty sexually active. It seemed weird to have this activity implied but not present. I don't think I would have minded so much if this was book 1 but since this is book 5...it probably doesn't get any hotter than this.
I'm not sure if I will read the rest of the series, but I will at least read more about it.
March 21, 2015
Oooh, some men aren't as untouchable as they might think...corruption and blackmail and murder...oh, and in the bedroom, too. Or a private room at a club...
Science fiction with a spicy sauce of gay romance, LV Lloyd's books never disappoint. In fact, this one had several courses - more than one romance as the mystery is unravelled. It makes me wonder if anyone in the universe isn't willing to at least experiment - dangerous tension notwithstanding.
Plenty of action of the thrilling as well as the romantic kind, in this book I think Banner was my favourite character. While he had his conflicts, at no point did he let these get in the way of doing what he felt was right.
Well worth a read.
Science fiction with a spicy sauce of gay romance, LV Lloyd's books never disappoint. In fact, this one had several courses - more than one romance as the mystery is unravelled. It makes me wonder if anyone in the universe isn't willing to at least experiment - dangerous tension notwithstanding.
Plenty of action of the thrilling as well as the romantic kind, in this book I think Banner was my favourite character. While he had his conflicts, at no point did he let these get in the way of doing what he felt was right.
Well worth a read.
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