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Unchained
Cidra Faulkner saw her family murdered and her people condemned for a crime they didn't commit. Now a skilled Kin-Sha warrior, she vows to track down the true culprit and exact justice, both for her family and all the Kin-Sha.
Intergalactic treasure hunter Grey Stone had no intention of helping Cidra until his old mentor tricked him into it. Now he's trapped into helping the daughter of the man who brought about the downfall of his people -- a woman whose very presence jeopardizes all he's worked for.
But honor won't let him say no. And love won't let him turn back.
Reader's Note: This is not part of the UN-Forgettable Series, but a stand alone.
Intergalactic treasure hunter Grey Stone had no intention of helping Cidra until his old mentor tricked him into it. Now he's trapped into helping the daughter of the man who brought about the downfall of his people -- a woman whose very presence jeopardizes all he's worked for.
But honor won't let him say no. And love won't let him turn back.
Reader's Note: This is not part of the UN-Forgettable Series, but a stand alone.
222 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2002
4 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Barry
16 books54 followersC.J. grew up reading science fiction novels, comic books, and her brother's Cracked magazines. In high school, a creative writing teacher told her she should be a writer, but she decided to go to college instead. In college, a writing professor told her she should be a writer, but she decided to be a computer programmer instead. A husband, a cat and two kids later, an adult education teacher told her she should be a writer. She finally gave in, and after selling the first novel she ever wrote, decided that all those teachers were right. Seven novels later, she continues to bring her unique blend of high adventure and sizzling romance to her novels.
C.J has won numerous awards for her novels, and is a member of the Romance Writers of America.
By day, she works as a web manager. By night, she co-hosts a writing podcast, dreams up adventures, and pens the books she was destined to write.
Per the author's website, this person also writes under the pen name "Samantha Graves."
Go to: http://www.cjbarry.com/
Click on Romantic Suspense and it takes you to "Samantha Graves."
http://www.samanthagraves.com/
C.J has won numerous awards for her novels, and is a member of the Romance Writers of America.
By day, she works as a web manager. By night, she co-hosts a writing podcast, dreams up adventures, and pens the books she was destined to write.
Per the author's website, this person also writes under the pen name "Samantha Graves."
Go to: http://www.cjbarry.com/
Click on Romantic Suspense and it takes you to "Samantha Graves."
http://www.samanthagraves.com/
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 3, 2015
**slight spoiler**
This was an all right read...or at least I decided it was once I let go of any science fiction expectations and accepted that it's really just a romance that happens to be set in space. It's heavy on the sexual tension and light on...well, light on just about everything else. But it's still an enjoyable read. Having said that, there were a number of points that really irked me.
For one, Cidra is said to be a well-trained Kin-sha practitioner (think some high level martial arts form). And though we do OCCASIONALLY see her use those skills to kick some butt, she is still very much a coddled, protected princess. The bent of the story is very much one in which the H wants to protect his h and in order to make this possible Cidra feels very fragile. As is so common in fiction, her 'strength' comes in the form of being willing to sacrifice herself for the good of others (in other words, her pure heart). How many times have I seen that trait in a heroine?
For another (and this is a personal pet peeve), the primary way that grey is described is as 'primally male.' Granted it was rephrased a few times, 'masculine' was used on occasion, etc. But the whole thing drove me to distraction, for a couple reasons. One, it's a HORRIBLE way to describe a man as sexy. It infers that just by virtue of being male he is attractive to Cidra. I get that what the author is going for is that he possesses the attributes women find attractive in a man in abundance. I do get that, but it's not actually what is said when the narrator says things along the line of:
What this actually does is separated the trait that is being male from the character and it alone is presented as attractive, not Grey himself. It's dehumanising (just as it would be for women). At it's most basic, it suggests that Cidra is attracted to a man (with no further description necessary to attract her). Is that really all we need here?
Second, if being a man is all it takes...or even extrapolating the argument out to include the appealing male attributes that calling him MALE (which how is should be said) is supposed to be relaying, Rourke or Bohr should be better candidates for Cidra's attention. Both are bigger and more muscular...more masculine or MALE according to any circumstance in which MALENESS is enough to make someone sexy and attractive. Argg. Surely there are better adjectives out there!
For the most part, I thought that the writing was fine. There were a lot of really abrupt scene changes. The book could really do with some form of indication for this, heck even a line of asterisks would do. But I needed something to warn me, 'hey, you're leaving Grey and Cidra now and are gonna spend some time with Rourke and Decker.'
There were times that it was painfully predictable, however. This was mostly because the set up to some scenes was so readily apparent. Here's an example: at one point Cidra and Grey travel to a very male-dominated planet to speak to a socially powerful man. Before Cidra even got off the ship I knew, just KNEW that at some point he (Bohr) would corner her and try to force himself on her. Not ten pages later, that's exactly what happened.
I was further annoyed at this particular instance because it also presented an inconsistent cultural construct. Women were supposed to be severely oppressed and hold almost no rights. However, the woman Cidra meets isn't at all cowed by her social situation as someone raised to believe herself a secondary citizen should be. Her (Sil's) boldness didn't fit the culture she was placed in. What's more, there was supposed to be some sort of law empowering women whose mates weren't faithful. Why would a über male-dominated culture that doesn't believe in women's rights or autonomy contradictorily provide them the legal means to castrate their husbands? Wouldn't happen!
It was also incredibly repetitive about certain things, like Grey's overpowering maleness. 'Heat' was another one. I realise these characters aren't necessarily human, just humanoid. But Grey must run hot, 'cause his body heat seared Cidra in a hundred different ways. She felt is 'wrap around her.' His 'masculine scent and body heat swept her senses.' His 'close proximity generating more heat than...' 'His big body wrapped around her, gilding her with his heat...' She felt 'the incredible heat of his arms.' She could 'feel his heat through the thin fabric...' At one point heat even 'roared through him like a supernova' and he experienced 'burning arousal.' (I bet that's painful.) I could go on. I stopped keeping track at about 50% and only started once I'd read enough to notice the repetition. But it's the primary way that lust is expressed here.
It was only exacerbated by the way Grey's virulence was highlighted by being described as barely contained (like fire?). He came across as hardly able to control himself at all. He was always on the edge of snapping or unable to think or move on account of something he saw in/on Cidra. He even growled on occasion. He definitely came across as a bit of an ape-man and I don't think he was supposed to.
Lastly, there's a fairly massive coincidence at about 90% that was less than believable. It felt very contrived and convenient. It did however bring all of the characters together at last.
So, all in all, I had a lot of personal complaints. There were a lot of points that bothered me, even as I generally liked the characters themselves. But these points may not bother other people. As a piece of fluffy entertainment, it did the job. Oh, and it really is a stand-alone book. It ends!
This was an all right read...or at least I decided it was once I let go of any science fiction expectations and accepted that it's really just a romance that happens to be set in space. It's heavy on the sexual tension and light on...well, light on just about everything else. But it's still an enjoyable read. Having said that, there were a number of points that really irked me.
For one, Cidra is said to be a well-trained Kin-sha practitioner (think some high level martial arts form). And though we do OCCASIONALLY see her use those skills to kick some butt, she is still very much a coddled, protected princess. The bent of the story is very much one in which the H wants to protect his h and in order to make this possible Cidra feels very fragile. As is so common in fiction, her 'strength' comes in the form of being willing to sacrifice herself for the good of others (in other words, her pure heart). How many times have I seen that trait in a heroine?
For another (and this is a personal pet peeve), the primary way that grey is described is as 'primally male.' Granted it was rephrased a few times, 'masculine' was used on occasion, etc. But the whole thing drove me to distraction, for a couple reasons. One, it's a HORRIBLE way to describe a man as sexy. It infers that just by virtue of being male he is attractive to Cidra. I get that what the author is going for is that he possesses the attributes women find attractive in a man in abundance. I do get that, but it's not actually what is said when the narrator says things along the line of:
He glided from position to position, purely, powerfully male. It called to her on a level she couldn't explain.
Cidra gasped at his masculine power and hunger.
She pressed the length of her body to his, absorbing the fluid flow of male strength.
He was pure male muscle and strength.
What this actually does is separated the trait that is being male from the character and it alone is presented as attractive, not Grey himself. It's dehumanising (just as it would be for women). At it's most basic, it suggests that Cidra is attracted to a man (with no further description necessary to attract her). Is that really all we need here?
Second, if being a man is all it takes...or even extrapolating the argument out to include the appealing male attributes that calling him MALE (which how is should be said) is supposed to be relaying, Rourke or Bohr should be better candidates for Cidra's attention. Both are bigger and more muscular...more masculine or MALE according to any circumstance in which MALENESS is enough to make someone sexy and attractive. Argg. Surely there are better adjectives out there!
For the most part, I thought that the writing was fine. There were a lot of really abrupt scene changes. The book could really do with some form of indication for this, heck even a line of asterisks would do. But I needed something to warn me, 'hey, you're leaving Grey and Cidra now and are gonna spend some time with Rourke and Decker.'
There were times that it was painfully predictable, however. This was mostly because the set up to some scenes was so readily apparent. Here's an example: at one point Cidra and Grey travel to a very male-dominated planet to speak to a socially powerful man. Before Cidra even got off the ship I knew, just KNEW that at some point he (Bohr) would corner her and try to force himself on her. Not ten pages later, that's exactly what happened.
I was further annoyed at this particular instance because it also presented an inconsistent cultural construct. Women were supposed to be severely oppressed and hold almost no rights. However, the woman Cidra meets isn't at all cowed by her social situation as someone raised to believe herself a secondary citizen should be. Her (Sil's) boldness didn't fit the culture she was placed in. What's more, there was supposed to be some sort of law empowering women whose mates weren't faithful. Why would a über male-dominated culture that doesn't believe in women's rights or autonomy contradictorily provide them the legal means to castrate their husbands? Wouldn't happen!
It was also incredibly repetitive about certain things, like Grey's overpowering maleness. 'Heat' was another one. I realise these characters aren't necessarily human, just humanoid. But Grey must run hot, 'cause his body heat seared Cidra in a hundred different ways. She felt is 'wrap around her.' His 'masculine scent and body heat swept her senses.' His 'close proximity generating more heat than...' 'His big body wrapped around her, gilding her with his heat...' She felt 'the incredible heat of his arms.' She could 'feel his heat through the thin fabric...' At one point heat even 'roared through him like a supernova' and he experienced 'burning arousal.' (I bet that's painful.) I could go on. I stopped keeping track at about 50% and only started once I'd read enough to notice the repetition. But it's the primary way that lust is expressed here.
It was only exacerbated by the way Grey's virulence was highlighted by being described as barely contained (like fire?). He came across as hardly able to control himself at all. He was always on the edge of snapping or unable to think or move on account of something he saw in/on Cidra. He even growled on occasion. He definitely came across as a bit of an ape-man and I don't think he was supposed to.
Lastly, there's a fairly massive coincidence at about 90% that was less than believable. It felt very contrived and convenient. It did however bring all of the characters together at last.
So, all in all, I had a lot of personal complaints. There were a lot of points that bothered me, even as I generally liked the characters themselves. But these points may not bother other people. As a piece of fluffy entertainment, it did the job. Oh, and it really is a stand-alone book. It ends!
October 13, 2013
I was getting bored with contemporary and historical romances, but I didn't really want to veer over to vampires and shapeshifters. When I saw this one free for Kindle, I knew I'd have to read it again to see if it was as good as I remember (I already have the paperback). Sometimes you just need a good space-opera.
This one didn't disappoint. It's raw and gritty and sometimes violent. You jump around perspectives pretty often, but it never felt confusing. The violence was suspenseful and I didn't really want to turn off the light as I was reading it, but it wasn't so graphic that you have nightmares or something. This is an adventure that centers around a romance, but it's about so much more than just these two characters.
The world-building is complete, but not overwhelming. We don't get information dumps, everything just organically flows together and it's easy to grasp where each element fits together. It has a bit of a Star Wars feel to it, using some standard space travel words like hyperspace and Servo-Unit, but it felt original and fresh.
These characters don't have trouble caring about each other. Cidra and Grey have real reasons for their hesitation to get involved, but it's not because they just can't emotionally connect. They have a huge emotion connection that is incredible and they see early on that they're soul mates. I had almost forgotten how much I love these sweeping adventure-romances that are nearly ethereal. I love stories where the characters have an almost psychic intuition and things just mean more in that world.
One of the best things about this book is the friendships behind it. Although the villain is all bad, every character associated with Cidra and Grey are three dimensional and a huge part of the story. Cidra kicks butt and is an awesome heroine, but she can't win this alone. Each of her friends, and Grey too, have a pivotal role to play in this story and I believe they each understood that they had no way of getting through without everyone playing their part.
I believe this is the first in a series of interconnected books, although I can't remember if these characters make appearances later or if the world itself is the connection. I think I'll have to go through and re-read the rest of the series just because this one was so good. Also, C.J. Barry's newest book, Redemption, was just released and I had to start that one immediately after I finished this one because I like her writing so much.
This one didn't disappoint. It's raw and gritty and sometimes violent. You jump around perspectives pretty often, but it never felt confusing. The violence was suspenseful and I didn't really want to turn off the light as I was reading it, but it wasn't so graphic that you have nightmares or something. This is an adventure that centers around a romance, but it's about so much more than just these two characters.
The world-building is complete, but not overwhelming. We don't get information dumps, everything just organically flows together and it's easy to grasp where each element fits together. It has a bit of a Star Wars feel to it, using some standard space travel words like hyperspace and Servo-Unit, but it felt original and fresh.
These characters don't have trouble caring about each other. Cidra and Grey have real reasons for their hesitation to get involved, but it's not because they just can't emotionally connect. They have a huge emotion connection that is incredible and they see early on that they're soul mates. I had almost forgotten how much I love these sweeping adventure-romances that are nearly ethereal. I love stories where the characters have an almost psychic intuition and things just mean more in that world.
One of the best things about this book is the friendships behind it. Although the villain is all bad, every character associated with Cidra and Grey are three dimensional and a huge part of the story. Cidra kicks butt and is an awesome heroine, but she can't win this alone. Each of her friends, and Grey too, have a pivotal role to play in this story and I believe they each understood that they had no way of getting through without everyone playing their part.
I believe this is the first in a series of interconnected books, although I can't remember if these characters make appearances later or if the world itself is the connection. I think I'll have to go through and re-read the rest of the series just because this one was so good. Also, C.J. Barry's newest book, Redemption, was just released and I had to start that one immediately after I finished this one because I like her writing so much.
April 22, 2020
Cidra escaped the murder of her whole family, who were wrongfully blamed for a major atrocity. When her mentor and savior dies 10 years later he leaves her and the task of clearing the family name to his protege, Grey Stone. Grey is a galactic treasure hunter who at first feels tricked into helping her. Soon though the mystery and Cidra draw him in. On the surface this is an adventure and romance in space, but I had a couple of issues that kept it average. Cidra has been hidden for 10 years, but when her mentor dies and the bad guy finds out that he left a “niece” named Cidra, he remembers a daughter named that in the massacred family. He's been watching this mentor for 10 years and never heard of the niece or her name in all that time? The bad guy's second in command who begins questioning the actions of his boss and seems to have an honorable hidden soul took over 10 years of seeing bleak living conditions for the people of the nation without showing any conscience until a discrepancy in a computer file makes him question things? I just found a lot of unexplained motivation propelling this plot. It could have been a lot better.
October 7, 2017
NOT A BAD BOOK SET IN SPACE ... LOVE STORY ... SAVE THE PLANET & PEOPLE TYPE STORY ... SOMETHING DIFFERENT & WELCOMED
June 17, 2018
Amazing story!
Amazing story! I love all of CJ Barry’s books. They have a great plot and always keep you wanting more.
Amazing story! I love all of CJ Barry’s books. They have a great plot and always keep you wanting more.
September 15, 2012
Ah; verys good. A futuristic where people have comms and even can have them inserted in their person (as opposed to still using cell phones).
Ok. This book suffered from some formatting errors. I don't know if this is a common problem with this publisher but... chapters ended and began with maybe a couple of blank lines separating them. There was at least one instance where the chapter ended, a brief blank space existed, and the words Chapter__ were right on the bottom of the page.
Another slight issue - the synopsis on the back indicates the h's father was somehow responsible for the death of the H's dad, yet this was never mentioned in the book. In fact, the only mention of the H's father was that he beat the H when the H was a kid. Of course, there was also the almost casual revelation that the H's mother was beaten to death w/her killer never found. One other thing - the H has a competitor who has a spy on the H's ship. The H fires the spy, the competitor tries to force him to sign over his ship (and kill him), he's thwarted, and that loose end just flies off trying to find some treasure with bad info. It's like the author decided they liked the happenings with the thread, but didn't want it to further muddy up the story, so sent them on a wild goose chase w/no further appearance.
So on to the story, the h has grown up in isolation and one gets the feeling that the H is the first male she's seen in 10 years who wasn't old enough to be her grandfather. So was her attraction real chemistry, or just the reaction of a largely isolated woman to a physically fit male specimen? I *know* he was very attracted to her; I just wonder about her. Still, one could believe the emotions.
Heh; this is the first time I believe I've ran into the concept of a HUMAN male claiming an equally HUMAN female as his mate. Most of the time, that seems reserved for various not-quite-human characters.
All in all, not a bad read but... could have been tightened up a bit - or had parts expanded so the reader wasn't left wondering what was going to happen next. Perhaps the author intended another book after this. I don't know. Supposedly the 4 mass market publications are set in the same world but in the future (which, considering their overlap with our time, would make this one way in the past). All I know though is that this feels like there's something missing.
Ok. This book suffered from some formatting errors. I don't know if this is a common problem with this publisher but... chapters ended and began with maybe a couple of blank lines separating them. There was at least one instance where the chapter ended, a brief blank space existed, and the words Chapter__ were right on the bottom of the page.
Another slight issue - the synopsis on the back indicates the h's father was somehow responsible for the death of the H's dad, yet this was never mentioned in the book. In fact, the only mention of the H's father was that he beat the H when the H was a kid. Of course, there was also the almost casual revelation that the H's mother was beaten to death w/her killer never found. One other thing - the H has a competitor who has a spy on the H's ship. The H fires the spy, the competitor tries to force him to sign over his ship (and kill him), he's thwarted, and that loose end just flies off trying to find some treasure with bad info. It's like the author decided they liked the happenings with the thread, but didn't want it to further muddy up the story, so sent them on a wild goose chase w/no further appearance.
So on to the story, the h has grown up in isolation and one gets the feeling that the H is the first male she's seen in 10 years who wasn't old enough to be her grandfather. So was her attraction real chemistry, or just the reaction of a largely isolated woman to a physically fit male specimen? I *know* he was very attracted to her; I just wonder about her. Still, one could believe the emotions.
Heh; this is the first time I believe I've ran into the concept of a HUMAN male claiming an equally HUMAN female as his mate. Most of the time, that seems reserved for various not-quite-human characters.
All in all, not a bad read but... could have been tightened up a bit - or had parts expanded so the reader wasn't left wondering what was going to happen next. Perhaps the author intended another book after this. I don't know. Supposedly the 4 mass market publications are set in the same world but in the future (which, considering their overlap with our time, would make this one way in the past). All I know though is that this feels like there's something missing.
May 7, 2016
The story sort of starts out with a somewhat complicated political story. There's a plague taking place on a planet and the vaccine is never sent. So, a tyrant comes to power because of it and orders the destruction of the group of people who were supposed to send the vaccine. This tyrant has become super powerful, though this is not obvious to the people of the galaxy. Cidra's family was killed in that destruction and she was raised by her father's security person as a Kin-Sha warrior. After her mentor dies, Grey Stone, a treasure hunter trusted by the mentor, agrees to take her on his ship and, with certain clues, find the person responsible for her family's death. They stumble onto a much greater problem than they originally figured which takes them halfway across the galaxy, but along the way Grey and Cidra also fall in love.
On the whole, this was a decent and enjoyable story, but compared to other stories written by this author, it felt slightly more amateurish. And maybe this was a debut novel, I don't know. But the ease with which the romance took place, the somewhat cliche dialogue and situations...it wasn't bad or anything. It just felt like it wasn't this author's best work. For example, it was ridiculously easy for the villain to learn who Cidra was because they never changed her name. Wouldn't you think, if you were trying to keep a secret like this, you would change her name? It went like this...
Villain's lackey: He left the planet with Mr. Mentor's niece, Cidra.
Villain: Cidra? Wasn't that the name of the daughter of the guy we killed? That's a coincidence.
Villain's lackey: Yes it is. I'll check into it. (some time passes) So, yeah. We never did find her body...it's probably her.
Villain: Correct that little mistake, would you?
That just seemed way too easy - it should have been a bit more difficult for the villain to learn of her identity. How is it he didn't know where she was all those years then?
Other than that, it is a nice little adventure sci-fi story. Not as good as this author's "Un-forgettable" series though.
On the whole, this was a decent and enjoyable story, but compared to other stories written by this author, it felt slightly more amateurish. And maybe this was a debut novel, I don't know. But the ease with which the romance took place, the somewhat cliche dialogue and situations...it wasn't bad or anything. It just felt like it wasn't this author's best work. For example, it was ridiculously easy for the villain to learn who Cidra was because they never changed her name. Wouldn't you think, if you were trying to keep a secret like this, you would change her name? It went like this...
Villain's lackey: He left the planet with Mr. Mentor's niece, Cidra.
Villain: Cidra? Wasn't that the name of the daughter of the guy we killed? That's a coincidence.
Villain's lackey: Yes it is. I'll check into it. (some time passes) So, yeah. We never did find her body...it's probably her.
Villain: Correct that little mistake, would you?
That just seemed way too easy - it should have been a bit more difficult for the villain to learn of her identity. How is it he didn't know where she was all those years then?
Other than that, it is a nice little adventure sci-fi story. Not as good as this author's "Un-forgettable" series though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2015
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would after reading some of the reviews and seeing that it was originally published several years ago. It features a very entertaining story arc with well-choreographed action, a bit of mystery, and a helping of steam on the side provided by Grey and Cidra. I've been a pretty avid reader of SFR series with good amounts of action (Nina Croft, Ruby Lionsdrake or Catherine Spangler anyone?), but for some reason, none of C.J. Barry's books ever hit my radar until this one popped up on a Kindle Unlimited list for me. After reading this one, I will definitely be looking up her other sci-fi romance books.
A lot happens in this book, in a lot of locations. It was a fast-paced page turner, but like another review said, the romance never felt really rushed. Barry takes the time to advance multiple relationships beyond just the one between Grey and Cidra. We get a peek at a romance between an older couple, too, in addition to the typical buddy friendships. I always enjoy when authors spread the love around to secondary characters.
Cidra was an unconventional blend of shy/untested and centered/well-trained. The Kin-sha elements thrown into the book were very interesting. Cidra reminded me a little of the women from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with their blend of innocence and lethal precision.
Unusual for a SFR book is the amount of time Barry spends developing the villains in Unchained. They are smart, methodical and motivated. There are a considerable number of scenes written from the villains' points of view, which really serves the actions sequences. I especially enjoyed reading how the good guys are occasionally outsmarted by the bad guys. It is always more suspenseful when the good guys have to work a little harder for it than the reader expects. The action just kept taking a left turn and was UNPREDICTABLE.
A lot happens in this book, in a lot of locations. It was a fast-paced page turner, but like another review said, the romance never felt really rushed. Barry takes the time to advance multiple relationships beyond just the one between Grey and Cidra. We get a peek at a romance between an older couple, too, in addition to the typical buddy friendships. I always enjoy when authors spread the love around to secondary characters.
Cidra was an unconventional blend of shy/untested and centered/well-trained. The Kin-sha elements thrown into the book were very interesting. Cidra reminded me a little of the women from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" with their blend of innocence and lethal precision.
Unusual for a SFR book is the amount of time Barry spends developing the villains in Unchained. They are smart, methodical and motivated. There are a considerable number of scenes written from the villains' points of view, which really serves the actions sequences. I especially enjoyed reading how the good guys are occasionally outsmarted by the bad guys. It is always more suspenseful when the good guys have to work a little harder for it than the reader expects. The action just kept taking a left turn and was UNPREDICTABLE.
June 8, 2012
A lovely sci-fi romance that is an early unseasoned work.
QUOTE:
“Although he’d kept his distance from her, she could still feel the strange, transparent strings that seemed to pull her toward him, wrapping and binding them together. It seemed the closer he got, the tighter the strings drew, vibrating to her very bones.”
SYNOPSIS:
Heroine is the only surviving member of her family that was slaughtered by warriors from a planet that were bent on revenge for her father allegedly denying their plague ridden planet vaccines that would have saved millions from death. She’s hidden, trained, and grows up. Her guardian dies, and has planned for her to travel the stars with a hero/treasure hunter. Together, they discover the secret behind the missing vaccines, and fall in love.
POSITIVES:
It’s a cool sci-fi world that was easy to understand and fall in love with. The characters were sturdy, and heroic and enjoyable. The storyline was fresh, and interesting.
NEGATIVES:
The romance was tepid. They met, fought, talked a couple of times, and somehow, boom, apparently without much thought, or anguish, or the usual hand wringing that goes into big decisions, the hero and heroine decide to be forever. It was ok and a good thing..... but um....... there were no ‘falling in love’ scenes played out. There was a seriously brief picnic that could have been the jump-gate for romance (the feelings, not the doing), but it was alas... too brief.
This author has other sci-fi books out “Unearthed”, “Unleashed”, and “Unmasked”. With each book, she grows as an author and you can see the progression of her skills. As stated, this is an early work, but still enjoyable.
QUOTE:
“Although he’d kept his distance from her, she could still feel the strange, transparent strings that seemed to pull her toward him, wrapping and binding them together. It seemed the closer he got, the tighter the strings drew, vibrating to her very bones.”
SYNOPSIS:
Heroine is the only surviving member of her family that was slaughtered by warriors from a planet that were bent on revenge for her father allegedly denying their plague ridden planet vaccines that would have saved millions from death. She’s hidden, trained, and grows up. Her guardian dies, and has planned for her to travel the stars with a hero/treasure hunter. Together, they discover the secret behind the missing vaccines, and fall in love.
POSITIVES:
It’s a cool sci-fi world that was easy to understand and fall in love with. The characters were sturdy, and heroic and enjoyable. The storyline was fresh, and interesting.
NEGATIVES:
The romance was tepid. They met, fought, talked a couple of times, and somehow, boom, apparently without much thought, or anguish, or the usual hand wringing that goes into big decisions, the hero and heroine decide to be forever. It was ok and a good thing..... but um....... there were no ‘falling in love’ scenes played out. There was a seriously brief picnic that could have been the jump-gate for romance (the feelings, not the doing), but it was alas... too brief.
This author has other sci-fi books out “Unearthed”, “Unleashed”, and “Unmasked”. With each book, she grows as an author and you can see the progression of her skills. As stated, this is an early work, but still enjoyable.
December 28, 2013
I enjoyed this book,...sort of. I have never read a CJ Barry book before and heard many positive things so I thought I would give it a try. I found the characterization was good and believable. I didn't realize, however, that this was a romantic suspense and the romance part of it, I found annoying. I think it was done well enough, it just isn't my preferred genre. The story was compelling and interesting enough with a couple of solid twists that held together, seemed plausible and were entertaining. I think my biggest problem with the book was the romance, so if you're into romance with your action and suspense, don't be afraid of this book.
March 23, 2014
I really enjoyed this book; I wish there had been some ongoing continuity in the other books in the series; while the universe is the same, the characters all seem different. I like a little continuity in books marketed or presented as a series, even if it's just one recurring character who has cameos in the other books. The world CJ Barry has created is interesting, and I hope to read more of the series at a later date.
January 27, 2016
A great adventure among the stars, in a race to clear Cidra's family name, to uncover a mystery and right the wrongs of the past.
Love the fast path, the action and passion. The characters were all very attaching and funny, very real which makes you want to help them in their quest.
Love the fast path, the action and passion. The characters were all very attaching and funny, very real which makes you want to help them in their quest.
Read
August 5, 2010I feel a little guilty but I just don't feel like finishing this. Sending it back. Maybe I'll order it again some day.
November 13, 2014
A good read, a decent story, there were some format errors but if you can get past that its worth giving it a try.
October 18, 2013
good read
July 14, 2015
A fine mix of romance and science
This was a great read, filled with adventure and romance. The characters are strong and the story compelling. I really liked this one.
This was a great read, filled with adventure and romance. The characters are strong and the story compelling. I really liked this one.
March 24, 2014
A good sci-fi romance. I read it before but it wasn't until the end before I realised that. I have done that before. This time around I hope to remember the story because it was enjoyable.
December 18, 2019
I read this book in 2008 and in about 2014, GRs lost it in an update.
December 15, 2012
That was a fun read. Kinda reminded me of a long episode of Firefly.
Want to read
March 27, 2017c.j. barry...like author
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