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The System
Capri is an alluring young prostitute with a painful past. Brody is a ruthless mercenary running with a crew of thieves on the spaceship Gypsy Lass. When he enters her brothel, the attraction between them is instant, electric, and too much for him to handle. He leaves unsatisfied, never wanting to see her again for fear she might soften his hard heart.
Brody's captain has other ideas. The crew attempts to rob the brothel, and when things don’t go quite as planned, they take Capri hostage, forcing her and Brody to remain in close quarters until they see fit to drop her on another planet.
But Capri's plight and the intense feelings between her and Brody turn out to be the least of their problems. Together--whether they like it or not--they uncover realizations not only about themselves but also the world in which they live.
Brody's captain has other ideas. The crew attempts to rob the brothel, and when things don’t go quite as planned, they take Capri hostage, forcing her and Brody to remain in close quarters until they see fit to drop her on another planet.
But Capri's plight and the intense feelings between her and Brody turn out to be the least of their problems. Together--whether they like it or not--they uncover realizations not only about themselves but also the world in which they live.
- GenresScience Fiction
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2012
9 people want to read
About the author
Heather Lin
16 books14 followersHeather lives in Delaware with her husband, kids, cat, dog, and house bunny. She began publishing in 2008 and enjoys writing romance in all its genres and heat levels.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 30, 2012
Though I'm still quite the sci-fi newbie when I read the above blurb of The System my interest was piqued, but I never would have thought The System would remind me so much of the setting of Joss Whedon's Firefly, so if you are a fan of the series you absolutely have to pick up The System and experience the journey Heather Lin will take you on.
The System is an action packed, thrilling story, where neither the characters nor the reader get one minute break, there is always something happening, danger lurking, some accident befalling the characters, so be prepared that your pulse will race and your nails won't survive the adventure intact. But wellbeing of nails aside this was a terrific and exciting story.
Through Heather Lin's writing the scenes and settings took shape and I had absolutely no problem picturing them. Although Heather Lin gave us a short summary of how the world and society came to be the way it is in the universe of The System, there were only mentions of some of the technological achievements (how cars are floating, people read books via their thin screen-like "readers", etc.) and I would have gladly seen more of those differences which made this future world more modern.
Besides the constant action taking place, The System is also a love story. Though not your usual kind of romance: here the hero is kind of rough, at times even rude, there is no gentle wooing and no romantic lovemaking but don't mistakenly think that due to the lack of these normal ingredients of romance The System falls short, because it does not. The intensity, the gritty setting emphasizes those moments when two people's eyes meet and you feel through that heartbeat that there is more to that look, that there is a connection, something deeper than can be seen on the surface.
Capri is not your usual heroine: she is working as a prostitute in a brothel and until the brothel is raided she even seems to be enjoying her life there: the comfort, the riches, the easy life. But once she experiences life on the Gypsy Lass, how it feels to have friends, to be part of a team and have people count on her she starts to feel what it's like to belong.
"There, she'd felt more like a useful doll, made to look pretty and provide pleasure, even taking pride in it. But she'd never felt exactly human, exactly herself. Here, even though she was trapped on this hard, metal ship, she somehow felt freer."
I think the way she adopted to this riskier, adventurous new life was quite admirable of her. She never whined, she truly wanted to prove herself to the team that she could be a full fledged member of their crew. I found Capri a great heroine, while being soft and feminine she had strength and backbone, dignity.
Brody is a complex and (both physically and emotionally) scarred man. Though he tries to scare Capri away because as he constantly tells her he isn't a good man (and also because the emerging emotions he feels for her scare him too much), he just can't fight his protectiveness when it comes to her:
"He wanted to protect her. Always. He needed to feel her, smell her, know she was safe. He didn't allow himself to feel afraid, to have that weakness. So instead of admitting how scared he was of losing her, he remained angry at the thought, angry at all the bastards on the planet who had ever looked at her wrong, angry at everything. But he needed to keep himself in check. It would be much easier to keep her safe if she wanted to be around him."
"Then he held her, listened to her shaky breathing, and felt her speedy heartbeat. And somewhere along the way, he finally gave in. He wasn't strong enough to push her away. He just hoped he'd be strong enough to keep her alive and whole."
Their romance is not an easy one. Neither of them had an easy life, both had lost loved ones, lived through rough times. Brody is a man's man: not the touchy-feely, talking about his emotions kind of man. He has a hard time facing and accepting his feelings for Capri, and through his realization he is at times rude, hurtful and even at times a jerk. But he is a complex character and I think the way Heather Lin drew his personality the reader gets why he is acting the way he does and we can even overlook some of his transgressions.
Verdict: The System is a thrilling, action packed sci-fi romance fans of Firefly will adore. It will keep you at the edge of your seat and make you chew off your nails while reading through the characters' exciting adventures. I really hope this is part of a series and we'll see the crew of the Gypsy Lass again!
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Cover: 9/10 - suits the story perfectly
The System is an action packed, thrilling story, where neither the characters nor the reader get one minute break, there is always something happening, danger lurking, some accident befalling the characters, so be prepared that your pulse will race and your nails won't survive the adventure intact. But wellbeing of nails aside this was a terrific and exciting story.
Through Heather Lin's writing the scenes and settings took shape and I had absolutely no problem picturing them. Although Heather Lin gave us a short summary of how the world and society came to be the way it is in the universe of The System, there were only mentions of some of the technological achievements (how cars are floating, people read books via their thin screen-like "readers", etc.) and I would have gladly seen more of those differences which made this future world more modern.
Besides the constant action taking place, The System is also a love story. Though not your usual kind of romance: here the hero is kind of rough, at times even rude, there is no gentle wooing and no romantic lovemaking but don't mistakenly think that due to the lack of these normal ingredients of romance The System falls short, because it does not. The intensity, the gritty setting emphasizes those moments when two people's eyes meet and you feel through that heartbeat that there is more to that look, that there is a connection, something deeper than can be seen on the surface.
Capri is not your usual heroine: she is working as a prostitute in a brothel and until the brothel is raided she even seems to be enjoying her life there: the comfort, the riches, the easy life. But once she experiences life on the Gypsy Lass, how it feels to have friends, to be part of a team and have people count on her she starts to feel what it's like to belong.
"There, she'd felt more like a useful doll, made to look pretty and provide pleasure, even taking pride in it. But she'd never felt exactly human, exactly herself. Here, even though she was trapped on this hard, metal ship, she somehow felt freer."
I think the way she adopted to this riskier, adventurous new life was quite admirable of her. She never whined, she truly wanted to prove herself to the team that she could be a full fledged member of their crew. I found Capri a great heroine, while being soft and feminine she had strength and backbone, dignity.
Brody is a complex and (both physically and emotionally) scarred man. Though he tries to scare Capri away because as he constantly tells her he isn't a good man (and also because the emerging emotions he feels for her scare him too much), he just can't fight his protectiveness when it comes to her:
"He wanted to protect her. Always. He needed to feel her, smell her, know she was safe. He didn't allow himself to feel afraid, to have that weakness. So instead of admitting how scared he was of losing her, he remained angry at the thought, angry at all the bastards on the planet who had ever looked at her wrong, angry at everything. But he needed to keep himself in check. It would be much easier to keep her safe if she wanted to be around him."
"Then he held her, listened to her shaky breathing, and felt her speedy heartbeat. And somewhere along the way, he finally gave in. He wasn't strong enough to push her away. He just hoped he'd be strong enough to keep her alive and whole."
Their romance is not an easy one. Neither of them had an easy life, both had lost loved ones, lived through rough times. Brody is a man's man: not the touchy-feely, talking about his emotions kind of man. He has a hard time facing and accepting his feelings for Capri, and through his realization he is at times rude, hurtful and even at times a jerk. But he is a complex character and I think the way Heather Lin drew his personality the reader gets why he is acting the way he does and we can even overlook some of his transgressions.
Verdict: The System is a thrilling, action packed sci-fi romance fans of Firefly will adore. It will keep you at the edge of your seat and make you chew off your nails while reading through the characters' exciting adventures. I really hope this is part of a series and we'll see the crew of the Gypsy Lass again!
Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 8/10
Cover: 9/10 - suits the story perfectly
August 31, 2012
Overall, I really liked this book. I had thus far been a purely paperback girl, but I saw a review of this book, read the Amazon description and the first couple of pages, and decided that I really wanted to read it. So I downloaded Kindle for PC and read half of it in one sitting.
The System is incredibly engaging. The tension between Capri and Brody–sexual AND emotional–begins almost immediately, followed a page later by an explosive introduction to the rest of the major characters. After that, the action didn’t let up. Every time you thought things were going to go according to plan…they didn’t. This unpredictability was really effective. I was saying “Oh my god!” and “You’re kidding me!” with every turn. It excited rather than annoyed me.
And speaking of excited…let’s just say I shouldn’t have been reading this at work this afternoon, but I had to anyway.
Ahem. All that being said, now that I’m finished I almost feel that it went too fast. Part of this is my own speed-reading and my eagerness to find out what was next, but I would have really enjoyed a bit more downtime. I wanted a little bit more about the different technology, what was the same, what was different. I imagined the setting being somewhere between Firefly and Neuromancer, and while this was more than enough to get me through the story, I wanted a little bit more to really give it that sci-fi feel: descriptions of normal life on the spaceship, for example, or a trip to a modern city as well as the shady places. Something unique to this world concept.
I understand from Heather Lin’s blog that there may be a sequel in the works, so hopefully it expands on the world-building.
Capri and Brody are an interesting pair, to say the least. It took me a while to get over the fact that I hate the name Capri and that Brody rhymes with grody (although maybe that was intentional?). I liked that tough-guy Brody’s soft side wasn’t actually all that soft. I might not like him as much in real life, but too many male characters make these gargantuan leaps between Dirty Harry and a doe-eyed puppy who just wants to cuddle. It felt more authentic to see Brody’s gruff attempts at doin’ stuff that, you know, people in love do.
You all know how I like my strong lady characters, and I can’t find a whole lot to complain about with Capri. She went from a comfortable life in what appeared to be a fairly nice, clean, equitable brothel (only five customers a night!) to being a lookout for a pirate crew and getting dumped on a prison planet full of murderers, rapists, and corrupt government officials. A lot of times during this transition, female characters get a completely personality overhaul. They go from being soft, untried girls to total bad-asses who laugh in the face of danger. Uh-uh. Luckily, this doesn’t happen with Capri. She has both spark and weakness from the very beginning (go figure) and her personality carries through unchanged from beginning to end, except for gaining more confidence and dignity and all those other personal strengths you develop when you’re nineteen.
The System is well-written and action-packed and has endearing characters and a tumultuous love story that will certainly have you engrossed. Though it could use with a little more meat on its bones, this book is a very satisfying read. I recommend it for those who enjoy pirates, sex, and adventure.
The System is incredibly engaging. The tension between Capri and Brody–sexual AND emotional–begins almost immediately, followed a page later by an explosive introduction to the rest of the major characters. After that, the action didn’t let up. Every time you thought things were going to go according to plan…they didn’t. This unpredictability was really effective. I was saying “Oh my god!” and “You’re kidding me!” with every turn. It excited rather than annoyed me.
And speaking of excited…let’s just say I shouldn’t have been reading this at work this afternoon, but I had to anyway.
Ahem. All that being said, now that I’m finished I almost feel that it went too fast. Part of this is my own speed-reading and my eagerness to find out what was next, but I would have really enjoyed a bit more downtime. I wanted a little bit more about the different technology, what was the same, what was different. I imagined the setting being somewhere between Firefly and Neuromancer, and while this was more than enough to get me through the story, I wanted a little bit more to really give it that sci-fi feel: descriptions of normal life on the spaceship, for example, or a trip to a modern city as well as the shady places. Something unique to this world concept.
I understand from Heather Lin’s blog that there may be a sequel in the works, so hopefully it expands on the world-building.
Capri and Brody are an interesting pair, to say the least. It took me a while to get over the fact that I hate the name Capri and that Brody rhymes with grody (although maybe that was intentional?). I liked that tough-guy Brody’s soft side wasn’t actually all that soft. I might not like him as much in real life, but too many male characters make these gargantuan leaps between Dirty Harry and a doe-eyed puppy who just wants to cuddle. It felt more authentic to see Brody’s gruff attempts at doin’ stuff that, you know, people in love do.
You all know how I like my strong lady characters, and I can’t find a whole lot to complain about with Capri. She went from a comfortable life in what appeared to be a fairly nice, clean, equitable brothel (only five customers a night!) to being a lookout for a pirate crew and getting dumped on a prison planet full of murderers, rapists, and corrupt government officials. A lot of times during this transition, female characters get a completely personality overhaul. They go from being soft, untried girls to total bad-asses who laugh in the face of danger. Uh-uh. Luckily, this doesn’t happen with Capri. She has both spark and weakness from the very beginning (go figure) and her personality carries through unchanged from beginning to end, except for gaining more confidence and dignity and all those other personal strengths you develop when you’re nineteen.
The System is well-written and action-packed and has endearing characters and a tumultuous love story that will certainly have you engrossed. Though it could use with a little more meat on its bones, this book is a very satisfying read. I recommend it for those who enjoy pirates, sex, and adventure.
December 30, 2012
Originally published at Title">Book Lovers Inc.
The comparison between Heather Lin's The System and Joss Whedon's Firefly is not too far off the mark, with a few notable exceptions. The System is probably even darker and grittier than Firefly, and the backstories for our main characters, Brody and Capri, are even more tragic than their Serenity counterparts Mal Reynolds and Inara Serra.
Yes, I said more tragic. Even though there is no equivalent to the horrific Battle of Serenity Valley.
Brody is the muscle for a free-trader ship called the Gypsy Lass. And by free-trader I mean that sometimes the Gypsy Lass carries a legitimate cargo, and sometimes, she smuggles goods to places that the authorities don't let legit ships serve. It's a living for her crew.
And by muscle, I also meant shooter. The crew calls Brody "Shots".
Capri is a prostitute in a fairly high-end brothel that the Gypsy Lass is supposed to rob. But the job goes horribly wrong. When Brody comes in to case the place, he and Capri connect on one level, but not on another. He can't use her when he can tell she's not remotely interested, and she's honked off because he's suddenly very not interested.
Then his crew comes back and fights off a rival gang of mercenaries. In the shooting, there's only one survivor. Capri. Brody can't stand to leave her there, so he takes her back to the ship.
She's the only woman on the Gypsy Lass, but there's never a moment when the Captain expects her to pay her passage on her back. Capri decides that it's time to start her life over. To become someone she wants to be, instead of what she had to be. She's only 19.
Capri and Brody are drawn to each other, even though they both know that they are wrong for each other. Whatever is happening between them, it's part of the adrenaline of the escape. Part of being on the ship.
And for him, it's a feeling he's trying to fight, because he never wants anyone close to him again. People close to him get killed. And he's not a good man. He never was.
But the crew of the Gypsy Lass, they all like Capri. Not just because she's pretty, but because she's trying so hard to fit in and make a place for herself. She wants to earn a place. To belong.
To become more like Kaylee, since she never wanted to be Inara. And it works. She's freer as a mascot and grease monkey and occasional fifth gun on assignments than she ever was before.
And she's happy.
If only Brody doesn't screw things up. For both of them. Again.
Verdict: If you remember Firefly fondly, just get this book. But it is not for the faint of heart. The world of The System is very dark. Brody is right, he is not a good man. And he does some really stupid things to prove it to Capri.
Very harsh things happen on this world. There are scenes of rape and near-rape and murder. The happy-for-now is an HFN for certain fragile values of happy, but it feels like the right ending for these people.
There's no white picket-fence subdivision in this universe. Surviving together is the best option. Figuring that out is the journey.
I give The System 4 blaster-shot stars
The comparison between Heather Lin's The System and Joss Whedon's Firefly is not too far off the mark, with a few notable exceptions. The System is probably even darker and grittier than Firefly, and the backstories for our main characters, Brody and Capri, are even more tragic than their Serenity counterparts Mal Reynolds and Inara Serra.
Yes, I said more tragic. Even though there is no equivalent to the horrific Battle of Serenity Valley.
Brody is the muscle for a free-trader ship called the Gypsy Lass. And by free-trader I mean that sometimes the Gypsy Lass carries a legitimate cargo, and sometimes, she smuggles goods to places that the authorities don't let legit ships serve. It's a living for her crew.
And by muscle, I also meant shooter. The crew calls Brody "Shots".
Capri is a prostitute in a fairly high-end brothel that the Gypsy Lass is supposed to rob. But the job goes horribly wrong. When Brody comes in to case the place, he and Capri connect on one level, but not on another. He can't use her when he can tell she's not remotely interested, and she's honked off because he's suddenly very not interested.
Then his crew comes back and fights off a rival gang of mercenaries. In the shooting, there's only one survivor. Capri. Brody can't stand to leave her there, so he takes her back to the ship.
She's the only woman on the Gypsy Lass, but there's never a moment when the Captain expects her to pay her passage on her back. Capri decides that it's time to start her life over. To become someone she wants to be, instead of what she had to be. She's only 19.
Capri and Brody are drawn to each other, even though they both know that they are wrong for each other. Whatever is happening between them, it's part of the adrenaline of the escape. Part of being on the ship.
And for him, it's a feeling he's trying to fight, because he never wants anyone close to him again. People close to him get killed. And he's not a good man. He never was.
But the crew of the Gypsy Lass, they all like Capri. Not just because she's pretty, but because she's trying so hard to fit in and make a place for herself. She wants to earn a place. To belong.
To become more like Kaylee, since she never wanted to be Inara. And it works. She's freer as a mascot and grease monkey and occasional fifth gun on assignments than she ever was before.
And she's happy.
If only Brody doesn't screw things up. For both of them. Again.
Verdict: If you remember Firefly fondly, just get this book. But it is not for the faint of heart. The world of The System is very dark. Brody is right, he is not a good man. And he does some really stupid things to prove it to Capri.
Very harsh things happen on this world. There are scenes of rape and near-rape and murder. The happy-for-now is an HFN for certain fragile values of happy, but it feels like the right ending for these people.
There's no white picket-fence subdivision in this universe. Surviving together is the best option. Figuring that out is the journey.
I give The System 4 blaster-shot stars
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