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Ylendrian Empire #4
Peripheral People
Corwin Menivie and Nika Santivan are decorated veterans of the Imperial Enforcement Coalition, and are perfectly capable of solving cases the old-fashioned way. When they’re paired with Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale, the most powerful Reader/Ground team to emerge from the Psionics Academy, it could either be the best thing that’s ever happened to crime fighting, or the makings of a quadruple homicide.
During a routine investigation, West’s talent puts them on the trail of a brutal serial killer who traps his prey in a deadly mental playground. Then the killer starts baiting the team, laying psychic landmines at crime scenes and exposing IEC secrets. The strain of the case binds the agents closer together—so close that Nika and Gavin start sharing a room, and even the curmudgeonly Corwin finds himself as occupied with West as he is with the murders.
But as West’s visions of death grow more violent, the only way out for all of them may be straight through the mind of a monster. If they’re not careful, they may forget which side of the hunt they’re on.
Word 117,200; page 414
During a routine investigation, West’s talent puts them on the trail of a brutal serial killer who traps his prey in a deadly mental playground. Then the killer starts baiting the team, laying psychic landmines at crime scenes and exposing IEC secrets. The strain of the case binds the agents closer together—so close that Nika and Gavin start sharing a room, and even the curmudgeonly Corwin finds himself as occupied with West as he is with the murders.
But as West’s visions of death grow more violent, the only way out for all of them may be straight through the mind of a monster. If they’re not careful, they may forget which side of the hunt they’re on.
Word 117,200; page 414
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 9, 2015
5 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Reesa Herberth
6 books38 followersReesa Herberth grew up in Hawaii, tried Arizona for a few years, and eventually settled in the D.C. area, where they have things like trees and rain.
She’s held a variety of crazy writer jobs, including book and video store manager for a defunct chain of music shops, office goddess for an artisan ice cream maker, cheese-cup scrubber at an organic goat dairy, high school secretary, and dye-stained proprietress of a small yarn and fiber business.
When not writing, she can usually be found reading, gardening, cooking, or spinning yarns of another sort entirely. She often resents her need for sleep.
She welcomes your email at YlendrianEmpire@gmail.com
She’s held a variety of crazy writer jobs, including book and video store manager for a defunct chain of music shops, office goddess for an artisan ice cream maker, cheese-cup scrubber at an organic goat dairy, high school secretary, and dye-stained proprietress of a small yarn and fiber business.
When not writing, she can usually be found reading, gardening, cooking, or spinning yarns of another sort entirely. She often resents her need for sleep.
She welcomes your email at YlendrianEmpire@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 12, 2018
I’ve read stories in this world before, so the world building is always excellent. This one had more of an urban fantasy type feel for me than the outer space sci-fi I’m used to with this series. Well-written, excellent characterization, but the pace was slow for me in this one. I felt the book was probably longer than it needed to be. That said, it was an enjoyable read.
West is a quirky high level psy who’s had some trouble with getting too involved in his cases, taking too much risk to the point of endangering his ground and best friend, Gavin. Past cases haunt him, and his power is so strong and pervasive it gives him nightmares. When Nika and Gavin get together, he finds himself turning more to Corwin who he thinks is a null. When the truth about Corwin comes out, the two begin to get closer in ways neither have done before.
I enjoyed all four of the characters in this book. Nika was an exceptionally well done kick-ass female, not something we see a lot of in M/M romance.
West is a quirky high level psy who’s had some trouble with getting too involved in his cases, taking too much risk to the point of endangering his ground and best friend, Gavin. Past cases haunt him, and his power is so strong and pervasive it gives him nightmares. When Nika and Gavin get together, he finds himself turning more to Corwin who he thinks is a null. When the truth about Corwin comes out, the two begin to get closer in ways neither have done before.
I enjoyed all four of the characters in this book. Nika was an exceptionally well done kick-ass female, not something we see a lot of in M/M romance.
June 6, 2015
"Peripheral People" by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore is supposed to be a detective novel set in a distant science fiction empire. The novel is not hard to follow, as the essential elements of detectives trying to apprehend murderers is a common fictional trope, but it took a long time to develop and was boring. It would have helped for some early identification of the world and world building. While the actual investigators were on a ship, there are no sf elements to same. The science fiction aspects were really limited to the psy powers of the main characters. Basically this is a cop detective novel with characters with psy talents masquerading as sf. There is also some graphic homosexual sex acts so if that is not your cup of tea, you should avoid this book. In addition, some of the descriptions of the killings would have made a character on the tv show Bones queasy.
The essential elements of the story are that two regular investigators Corwin and his partner Nika are old fashion detectives who follow clues and piece together the killer. They have been one of the best teams in the Empire. However, for no apparent reason, they have been teamed up with a West and Gavin, West is psychic and Gavin is his "Ground", the person who is tasked with keeping West from going crazy from the visions that he sees of murderers and their victims. At some past event, never completely explained, West lost his way in an investigation and almost killed Gavin. It may be because of this reason that the two teams have been joined together, or because there is a thought that both sets of investigators will be better able to catch killers.
They are on the trail of a diabolical killer who uses both psy talents and blade work to kill the peripheral people on the fringes of worlds that no one can cares about. The murderer has been in business for a long time, when West stumbles onto one of his victims while investigating a completely separate case. West's visions of the killer are intense and the victims appear to have died of intense fear after being tortured in their minds. Soon enough they identify the killer, who is rich and protected by his wealthy family. Their investigation is hampered by their boss, who wants solid proof of crimes. Meanwhile there is a growing attraction between Nika and Gavin and a relationship between the straight laced Corwin, who was cast out by his people for his minor psychic talent and keeps his psychic talents hidden, and the flamboyant irrepressible West, who is very attracted to him. Their mutual love soon blossoms into a real love affair with graphic sexual imagery.
The novel just felt too long to get where it was going, the killer was obvious, and I was constantly fighting with myself as to whether to finish it or not. I finally gave up around 80% in, my innate curiousity about the ending quashed by my total non-enjoyment of the book.
Skip it
The essential elements of the story are that two regular investigators Corwin and his partner Nika are old fashion detectives who follow clues and piece together the killer. They have been one of the best teams in the Empire. However, for no apparent reason, they have been teamed up with a West and Gavin, West is psychic and Gavin is his "Ground", the person who is tasked with keeping West from going crazy from the visions that he sees of murderers and their victims. At some past event, never completely explained, West lost his way in an investigation and almost killed Gavin. It may be because of this reason that the two teams have been joined together, or because there is a thought that both sets of investigators will be better able to catch killers.
They are on the trail of a diabolical killer who uses both psy talents and blade work to kill the peripheral people on the fringes of worlds that no one can cares about. The murderer has been in business for a long time, when West stumbles onto one of his victims while investigating a completely separate case. West's visions of the killer are intense and the victims appear to have died of intense fear after being tortured in their minds. Soon enough they identify the killer, who is rich and protected by his wealthy family. Their investigation is hampered by their boss, who wants solid proof of crimes. Meanwhile there is a growing attraction between Nika and Gavin and a relationship between the straight laced Corwin, who was cast out by his people for his minor psychic talent and keeps his psychic talents hidden, and the flamboyant irrepressible West, who is very attracted to him. Their mutual love soon blossoms into a real love affair with graphic sexual imagery.
The novel just felt too long to get where it was going, the killer was obvious, and I was constantly fighting with myself as to whether to finish it or not. I finally gave up around 80% in, my innate curiousity about the ending quashed by my total non-enjoyment of the book.
Skip it
March 3, 2015
I waited a while to write the review so the book is not fresh in my head anymore. RL sucks! Just wanna say the world-building is quite extraordinary, but I especially liked the plot. West's visions were a very nice touch as well as Corwin's own unique talent. What I most like about the book was the characterization though. It was a brilliant work! the chemistry between Mcs was palpable and because of that, the ending was so much more meaningful. I loved this book and I hope it'll have a sequel. Definitely a must read!
Read
April 14, 2021The cover copy could have said nothing more than 'psychic detectives in space' and I'd have still picked up Peripheral People by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore. By the end of the first chapter, I applauded my decision. In the Ylendrian Empire, two teams of detectives work together to solve crime. The physical evidence is collected by the Inspectors and the psychic evidence is examined by a Reader/Ground team. It's not a foolproof system. A case cannot be tried on psychic evidence alone but a Reader can help narrow down a profile and offer clues for location and motivation. The Ground is integral to this process as the psychic's anchor. The Investigators take care of the more traditional aspect of the case: the legwork.
The story begins with a routine investigation and a trip to the morgue. Senior Investigator Corwin Menivie and his partner, Nika Santivan, have a theory regarding the untimely death of a young woman. Reader/Ground team Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale are asked to determine if the physical evidence matches the psychic trail left behind by the deceased. At the morgue, Westley inadvertently reads a different body first and is quickly consumed by the victim's last terrible hours. Reading the body of the actual victim is comically restful after that and the pronouncement of accidental death is confirmed.
The more horrible death of the first body haunts West, however, and he puts in a request to investigate the case. The rest of the team isn't exactly thrilled by this. Gavin, because he worries for his partner's mental health and this case promises to be deeply tricky and sticky. Corwin, because he's not a fan of Psy Agents, for many reasons. Nika, because everyone else is being contrary. One thing they can agree on is this case will not get the attention it should, because the victim is one of those peripheral people. Homeless and most certainly missed by no one.
Another body matching the profile of the first - abuse, torture and death - makes it an official case. While Reading the second body, West falls into a psychic trap left by the killer and the team realises that not only are they looking for one sick and twisted individual, he knows they're on his trail and seems to be playing with them.
Following the killer is not simply a matter of investigation. Spliced in between engrossing chapters of police procedural is the story of four people learning to work together. Each brings a different strength to the team and each has definite weaknesses. Two of them are hiding secrets that could be detrimental to their performance as agents and investigators. These mysteries and their resolution are as enthralling as the case itself. When Nika and Gavin give in to the physical attraction between them, this only causes more problems for the two more irascible members of the team. West can hear his partner's sexual escapades on the psychic channel. Corwin appears just as disturbed. They indulge in a little itch scratching of their own, but it's clear Corwin is uncomfortable with intimacy.
Put four people in a closed environment, pump in some eau de sexual tension, add in some past indiscretions and a serial killer with an over-inflated ego, and tempers will more than fray. But when another member of the team proves they're not invulnerable to the psychic traps left for Westley, all four must pull together to solve the case. Despite personality clashes and differing procedural preferences, they need to have one another's backs or they'll lose more than a wanted killer.
I really enjoyed Peripheral People. The authors don't spend so much time world building you're left too numb to read the story. I always appreciate that. But there is enough detail thrown in along the way that readers new to the Empire won't be lost. There is a sense of scope and history to this world I found both interesting and grounding. The characters are the definite focus, though, even beyond the mystery. The case is fascinating and gruesome and West's trips through psychic hell are very well written. But I might not have enjoyed that aspect as much if I hadn't liked Westley as much. He's a wonderfully engaging character. Annoying in some aspects, conceited regarding his fantastic abilities and often too flippant, but genuinely good-hearted. Characters without flaws aren't that interesting, anyway. Putting him against the curmudgeonly Corwin was inspired. The two are like the proverbial chalk and cheese. Corwin, himself, is a fascinating character. I'd love more of his history. The story of his past is teased out in slow drips and it's integral to the plot. Nika and Gavin are the secondary characters here, but they often don't feel that way. They're as important a part of the team and story as Corwin and Westley.
The mystery/thriller aspect is also handled well. I did figure out whodunit before the end of the book, but there is enough complication toward the end that I did doubt my conclusion. The final showdown is thrillingly long and twisty and demands to be read in one straight sitting. Then, for those who like all their loose ends tied off, there is a final chapter that does just that, leaving the reader with a nice sense of satisfaction.
Peripheral People is the fourth book in the Ylendrian Empire series. It is a fully stand alone novel, however, requiring no prior knowledge of the world.
Written for SFCrowsnest.
The story begins with a routine investigation and a trip to the morgue. Senior Investigator Corwin Menivie and his partner, Nika Santivan, have a theory regarding the untimely death of a young woman. Reader/Ground team Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale are asked to determine if the physical evidence matches the psychic trail left behind by the deceased. At the morgue, Westley inadvertently reads a different body first and is quickly consumed by the victim's last terrible hours. Reading the body of the actual victim is comically restful after that and the pronouncement of accidental death is confirmed.
The more horrible death of the first body haunts West, however, and he puts in a request to investigate the case. The rest of the team isn't exactly thrilled by this. Gavin, because he worries for his partner's mental health and this case promises to be deeply tricky and sticky. Corwin, because he's not a fan of Psy Agents, for many reasons. Nika, because everyone else is being contrary. One thing they can agree on is this case will not get the attention it should, because the victim is one of those peripheral people. Homeless and most certainly missed by no one.
Another body matching the profile of the first - abuse, torture and death - makes it an official case. While Reading the second body, West falls into a psychic trap left by the killer and the team realises that not only are they looking for one sick and twisted individual, he knows they're on his trail and seems to be playing with them.
Following the killer is not simply a matter of investigation. Spliced in between engrossing chapters of police procedural is the story of four people learning to work together. Each brings a different strength to the team and each has definite weaknesses. Two of them are hiding secrets that could be detrimental to their performance as agents and investigators. These mysteries and their resolution are as enthralling as the case itself. When Nika and Gavin give in to the physical attraction between them, this only causes more problems for the two more irascible members of the team. West can hear his partner's sexual escapades on the psychic channel. Corwin appears just as disturbed. They indulge in a little itch scratching of their own, but it's clear Corwin is uncomfortable with intimacy.
Put four people in a closed environment, pump in some eau de sexual tension, add in some past indiscretions and a serial killer with an over-inflated ego, and tempers will more than fray. But when another member of the team proves they're not invulnerable to the psychic traps left for Westley, all four must pull together to solve the case. Despite personality clashes and differing procedural preferences, they need to have one another's backs or they'll lose more than a wanted killer.
I really enjoyed Peripheral People. The authors don't spend so much time world building you're left too numb to read the story. I always appreciate that. But there is enough detail thrown in along the way that readers new to the Empire won't be lost. There is a sense of scope and history to this world I found both interesting and grounding. The characters are the definite focus, though, even beyond the mystery. The case is fascinating and gruesome and West's trips through psychic hell are very well written. But I might not have enjoyed that aspect as much if I hadn't liked Westley as much. He's a wonderfully engaging character. Annoying in some aspects, conceited regarding his fantastic abilities and often too flippant, but genuinely good-hearted. Characters without flaws aren't that interesting, anyway. Putting him against the curmudgeonly Corwin was inspired. The two are like the proverbial chalk and cheese. Corwin, himself, is a fascinating character. I'd love more of his history. The story of his past is teased out in slow drips and it's integral to the plot. Nika and Gavin are the secondary characters here, but they often don't feel that way. They're as important a part of the team and story as Corwin and Westley.
The mystery/thriller aspect is also handled well. I did figure out whodunit before the end of the book, but there is enough complication toward the end that I did doubt my conclusion. The final showdown is thrillingly long and twisty and demands to be read in one straight sitting. Then, for those who like all their loose ends tied off, there is a final chapter that does just that, leaving the reader with a nice sense of satisfaction.
Peripheral People is the fourth book in the Ylendrian Empire series. It is a fully stand alone novel, however, requiring no prior knowledge of the world.
Written for SFCrowsnest.
May 31, 2015
This is the kind of book that both restores your battered faith in intelligent, well-written romance and makes you realize how lucky you are when you find it. I bought this book because at RT15 I happened to start talking to the woman next to me about shared reading tastes and eventually she said that while we were on the subject, she wrote queer sci-fi romance. Reesa Herberth gave me her card and I thought what the hell? I found her table later and bought a book.
Peripheral People is about a four-person team of Imperial Empire inspectors and PsyAc field agents. The two sets of partners have just been assigned together. One team consists of two veteran inspectors (Corwin Menivie and Nika Santivan) and the second is psychic Reader Westley Tavera and his Ground, Gavin Hale (long time agents). The senior inspector, Corwin, has made no secret of his dislike of working with PsyAc agents so the paring of the two teams is tense. It doesn’t help that Agent Tavera is a stirrer and enjoys provoking the much more repressed Corwin. Corwin is from a very xenophobic planet and feels the same about the inside of his head: he wants everyone out. West is a psychic, too flamboyant, and works too differently from Corwin, which causes Corwin to tighten up even more.
The four pull a case that turns out to be an accidental death, but West reads another corpse inadvertently when he enters the morgue. That death starts the team on the investigation that eventually obsesses them all.
The plot is good, but to me this was a character driven novel. The dialogue was really (really) good, the motivations were real, and there were insights such as this one by Corwin: “He’d never believed in predestination, but he was willing to give some credence to the idea that everyone was sketched out a certain way, smudged by the hands they passed through, shaded by experience. Trust made someone into an artist, gave them permission to redraw, burnish, change the lines and the light.” The characters are multi-layered. The push-pull between all four plus Corwin's evolution is fascinating and beautifully done.
Corwin and West, initially drawn together by West’s inability to leave well enough alone, begin a tentative relationship. All the characters show affection. You see it between the partners and between Nika/Gavin and Corwin/West. It felt real and put me in the moment. So often romances are driven by overblown uber passion and completely lack affection. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.
My last comment is about West. He reminded me of so many friends I’ve had over the years. The flamboyant hero is unusual in my experience and having him there brought me into the story even more. The closest to that type of hero I’ve come across is Tony from Emma Holly’s Hidden series.
I'm so glad I read this book.
Peripheral People is about a four-person team of Imperial Empire inspectors and PsyAc field agents. The two sets of partners have just been assigned together. One team consists of two veteran inspectors (Corwin Menivie and Nika Santivan) and the second is psychic Reader Westley Tavera and his Ground, Gavin Hale (long time agents). The senior inspector, Corwin, has made no secret of his dislike of working with PsyAc agents so the paring of the two teams is tense. It doesn’t help that Agent Tavera is a stirrer and enjoys provoking the much more repressed Corwin. Corwin is from a very xenophobic planet and feels the same about the inside of his head: he wants everyone out. West is a psychic, too flamboyant, and works too differently from Corwin, which causes Corwin to tighten up even more.
The four pull a case that turns out to be an accidental death, but West reads another corpse inadvertently when he enters the morgue. That death starts the team on the investigation that eventually obsesses them all.
The plot is good, but to me this was a character driven novel. The dialogue was really (really) good, the motivations were real, and there were insights such as this one by Corwin: “He’d never believed in predestination, but he was willing to give some credence to the idea that everyone was sketched out a certain way, smudged by the hands they passed through, shaded by experience. Trust made someone into an artist, gave them permission to redraw, burnish, change the lines and the light.” The characters are multi-layered. The push-pull between all four plus Corwin's evolution is fascinating and beautifully done.
Corwin and West, initially drawn together by West’s inability to leave well enough alone, begin a tentative relationship. All the characters show affection. You see it between the partners and between Nika/Gavin and Corwin/West. It felt real and put me in the moment. So often romances are driven by overblown uber passion and completely lack affection. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.
My last comment is about West. He reminded me of so many friends I’ve had over the years. The flamboyant hero is unusual in my experience and having him there brought me into the story even more. The closest to that type of hero I’ve come across is Tony from Emma Holly’s Hidden series.
I'm so glad I read this book.
September 13, 2015
This was good, but I wasn't really feeling the romance. I liked the action part of the story, but the romance is definitely pushed back. More chemistry between Corwin and Westley would have helped. (they go from 'don't really like you' to 'oh wait, i kinda might like you' too quick)
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May 30, 2015Hmmmmmm...this sounds interesting....
May 14, 2015
5 Hearts Review by Roberta
Holy Hannah, this book was AMAZING!! I read the blurb for this book and was hooked!! Even better…it was a loooonnng book, my absolute fave!! This book had me so enthralled from the beginning to the very last word!!
Corwin Menivie is one of the highest rated Inspectors along with his partner, Nika Santivan. They work on this fly-by crew…meaning they are on a ship for 6 months getting cases that they are able to investigate and move on from. Corwin comes from a planet that holds such deeply held views and privacy and when he left home…he left all of that behind him. Corwin is this really reserved man who doesn’t really make overtures towards others. Corwin truly keeps to himself and holds his life and his secrets close to his breast. Corwin is tightly wound and is very much a by the book kind of guy, yet his life is about to change…West is entering his life and with West coming in…trouble is on his heels.
West Tavera…this guy is just the kind of character that I love…his life isn’t perfect…he’s bent…not broken and yet, he uses humor to hide behind. West has some issues in his closet that haunt him and as he is trying to move on with his life…the burdens of these issues still holds onto him. West is part of the Reader/Ground team with Gavin Hale…his best friend since they were kiddos. West and Gavin they are one of the highest-level Reader/Ground team as West is one of the highest-level Readers alive. West gets so caught up in this case, that he’s become a bit obsessed with this case and doesn’t want to stop until the bad guy is caught.
Now…this story had so much going on that I was HOOKED!! Holy Hannah, did this story just suck you in. First with these great characters and then this mystery….Good Grief…these authors really do know how to write a HELL of a Yarn!! I’m that girl who usually figures out who did it and how from the beginning or at least the middle of a book. This time…I didn’t even figure it out until the end. That really works for me. They had such a great story with an amazing plot that just kept me so intrigued…I hated having to put the book down. It was such a pleasant surprise that the authors gave you bits and pieces of the mystery and you felt just like the characters figuring out who did it. I just barely figured it out before our characters did. That is an A+ in my book.
I will say that I like the fact that the romance, while important…wasn’t the main thing. The mystery, the suspense…that was where the true story lay and I for one…wasn’t turned off in the least. Now we all know that I love good, dirty, raunchy sex…however, in this story…the sex that did happen…it wasn’t explicit and it wasn’t marathon length. What you saw on the page was just enough to satisfy my need and love of romance.
Now, I will bring up Gavin and Nika. I really liked these characters. This book wasn’t just Corwin and West, it was a book that all four of them were important. I liked the fact that Nika and Gavin got together. They really seem like a great couple and I totally love them as the respective partners of West and Corwin. Nika is Corwin’s perfect match. She is by the rule kinda girl, yet as they’ve been partners for awhile now…it affords her the right to be able to delve as deep as Corwin will allow her into his life and it was sweet to see the change in their relationship as the book went on. West and Gavin having been friends for years as well as Reader and Ground…well, they had their own issues that they needed to work on and it was nice to see that no matter what…these two had each other’s back.
I will say that this story was so very well written with a plot that keeps you enthralled and intrigued from the beginning until the very end. You will totally enjoy this book!!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
Holy Hannah, this book was AMAZING!! I read the blurb for this book and was hooked!! Even better…it was a loooonnng book, my absolute fave!! This book had me so enthralled from the beginning to the very last word!!
Corwin Menivie is one of the highest rated Inspectors along with his partner, Nika Santivan. They work on this fly-by crew…meaning they are on a ship for 6 months getting cases that they are able to investigate and move on from. Corwin comes from a planet that holds such deeply held views and privacy and when he left home…he left all of that behind him. Corwin is this really reserved man who doesn’t really make overtures towards others. Corwin truly keeps to himself and holds his life and his secrets close to his breast. Corwin is tightly wound and is very much a by the book kind of guy, yet his life is about to change…West is entering his life and with West coming in…trouble is on his heels.
West Tavera…this guy is just the kind of character that I love…his life isn’t perfect…he’s bent…not broken and yet, he uses humor to hide behind. West has some issues in his closet that haunt him and as he is trying to move on with his life…the burdens of these issues still holds onto him. West is part of the Reader/Ground team with Gavin Hale…his best friend since they were kiddos. West and Gavin they are one of the highest-level Reader/Ground team as West is one of the highest-level Readers alive. West gets so caught up in this case, that he’s become a bit obsessed with this case and doesn’t want to stop until the bad guy is caught.
Now…this story had so much going on that I was HOOKED!! Holy Hannah, did this story just suck you in. First with these great characters and then this mystery….Good Grief…these authors really do know how to write a HELL of a Yarn!! I’m that girl who usually figures out who did it and how from the beginning or at least the middle of a book. This time…I didn’t even figure it out until the end. That really works for me. They had such a great story with an amazing plot that just kept me so intrigued…I hated having to put the book down. It was such a pleasant surprise that the authors gave you bits and pieces of the mystery and you felt just like the characters figuring out who did it. I just barely figured it out before our characters did. That is an A+ in my book.
I will say that I like the fact that the romance, while important…wasn’t the main thing. The mystery, the suspense…that was where the true story lay and I for one…wasn’t turned off in the least. Now we all know that I love good, dirty, raunchy sex…however, in this story…the sex that did happen…it wasn’t explicit and it wasn’t marathon length. What you saw on the page was just enough to satisfy my need and love of romance.
Now, I will bring up Gavin and Nika. I really liked these characters. This book wasn’t just Corwin and West, it was a book that all four of them were important. I liked the fact that Nika and Gavin got together. They really seem like a great couple and I totally love them as the respective partners of West and Corwin. Nika is Corwin’s perfect match. She is by the rule kinda girl, yet as they’ve been partners for awhile now…it affords her the right to be able to delve as deep as Corwin will allow her into his life and it was sweet to see the change in their relationship as the book went on. West and Gavin having been friends for years as well as Reader and Ground…well, they had their own issues that they needed to work on and it was nice to see that no matter what…these two had each other’s back.
I will say that this story was so very well written with a plot that keeps you enthralled and intrigued from the beginning until the very end. You will totally enjoy this book!!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
July 23, 2015
This isn't a terrible book, and yet I really didn't enjoy it.
The worldbuilding is almost nonexistent. I got no feeling for the environment at all. They were on a ship, but were they in space or planetside? I never figured out what sort of environment they were operating in.
The theme is "adversarial turns sexual," but Corwin and West built no chemistry at all. In fact, they were beyond adversarial and into cruel and inconsiderate before they suddenly announced that they didn't hate each other at all and jumped into bed. And then they remained cruel and inconsiderate afterward, just with sex.
None of the characters is particularly likeable. The quirks are taken way over the line. The dialog gets really uncomfortable and then, instead of resolving the discomfort, the dialog just randomly changes direction. It is kind of like they throw darts at each other and then just when things get bloody, they decide to make dinner. All of the tension just fizzles. Insults are flung around, but nobody has an emotional reaction to them at all. It doesn't make much sense.
Things get hard to follow, and the authors introduce backstory randomly that doesn't seem to explain things.
Visually, "Corwin" and "Gavin" are difficult to differentiate. Since the characters have identical speaking patterns I had to mentally check "wait, which one is this?" several times.
The worldbuilding is almost nonexistent. I got no feeling for the environment at all. They were on a ship, but were they in space or planetside? I never figured out what sort of environment they were operating in.
The theme is "adversarial turns sexual," but Corwin and West built no chemistry at all. In fact, they were beyond adversarial and into cruel and inconsiderate before they suddenly announced that they didn't hate each other at all and jumped into bed. And then they remained cruel and inconsiderate afterward, just with sex.
None of the characters is particularly likeable. The quirks are taken way over the line. The dialog gets really uncomfortable and then, instead of resolving the discomfort, the dialog just randomly changes direction. It is kind of like they throw darts at each other and then just when things get bloody, they decide to make dinner. All of the tension just fizzles. Insults are flung around, but nobody has an emotional reaction to them at all. It doesn't make much sense.
Things get hard to follow, and the authors introduce backstory randomly that doesn't seem to explain things.
Visually, "Corwin" and "Gavin" are difficult to differentiate. Since the characters have identical speaking patterns I had to mentally check "wait, which one is this?" several times.
October 21, 2015
3.5 Stars rounded up.
October 8, 2017
4/5
This is a sci-fi book. Then a crime novel. And lastly a romance. If those genres don't work for you or if that order doesn't suit you, then this book won't. I happen to enjoy them all. While I enjoy a little more romance, it was fun to get into something a little different from my typical mind-escape-books.
Of course I read this book out of any order in the series. I don't think it mattered too much other than missing some world building staples. Luckily, this wasn't my first outer space rodeo and I was able to roll with it. See first statement.
I adored these characters. I liked how complicated they were and how Corwin's growth felt natural. I loved that Nika was a strong female character without apology or leeways given bc 'she's a girl'. This ability to write a strong female character in some ways was best exemplified the Director who could switch genders...way cool.
Spoiler coming....
I guess I am not giving this book a 5/5 is bc it was SO LONG and our heroes didn't actually figure out whodunnit. This irked me. As soon as we were told there was a DNA theft I knew what happened. While the psyc battle was expected I did enjoy how it went down.
In all, time will tell if I'm drawn back to reread this. If so I may amend my rating at that time.
End spoiler....
Very much enjoyed. Will read more by author.
This is a sci-fi book. Then a crime novel. And lastly a romance. If those genres don't work for you or if that order doesn't suit you, then this book won't. I happen to enjoy them all. While I enjoy a little more romance, it was fun to get into something a little different from my typical mind-escape-books.
Of course I read this book out of any order in the series. I don't think it mattered too much other than missing some world building staples. Luckily, this wasn't my first outer space rodeo and I was able to roll with it. See first statement.
I adored these characters. I liked how complicated they were and how Corwin's growth felt natural. I loved that Nika was a strong female character without apology or leeways given bc 'she's a girl'. This ability to write a strong female character in some ways was best exemplified the Director who could switch genders...way cool.
Spoiler coming....
I guess I am not giving this book a 5/5 is bc it was SO LONG and our heroes didn't actually figure out whodunnit. This irked me. As soon as we were told there was a DNA theft I knew what happened. While the psyc battle was expected I did enjoy how it went down.
In all, time will tell if I'm drawn back to reread this. If so I may amend my rating at that time.
End spoiler....
Very much enjoyed. Will read more by author.
December 4, 2019
It's lovely reading a book with a bisexual protagonist, but I found the beginning so confusing as the other protagonist was referred by his first name by 2 other characters and his surname by the other protagonist.
March 10, 2015
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
Peripheral People is an interesting blend of sci-fi, murder mystery, and romance novel. I’m not sure it achieves everything that it could do in each of those areas, but it’s certainly a valiant effort. Essentially, the narrative follows a team of four investigators for an interstellar body as they dig into a series of murders. Two of the investigators are a ‘psy team’ ; one has the ability to read psychic traces, and the other serves as his ‘ground’, pulling him back out when this gets dangerous.
I have to give the authors marks for the setting; the ‘Ylendrian Empire’ in which the narrative is based isn’t really explored directly, but through character memories of worlds they’ve seen, references to other investigative branches, and other subtle cues in the environment and dialogue. There’s enough meat over the implied structure to make it work, and the minimalist descriptors leave the reader able to draw a lot of the structure in the imagination – it works surprisingly well.
The only real distinction here is in those areas of the world which the characters interact with – the ‘IEC’, a sort of interplanetary police force, and the various psy-training measures. The former is given a bit more of a gloss, but really it feels like a modern police department; the discussion of psy ethics, of the various abilities manifested, the consequences of using them…these are all approached in a nuanced way. In particular the text unflinchingly approaches ‘burnout’, the loss of power, and the possibility of being one of the unpleasantly labelled ‘pharmed out’ – psy agents who use drugs to suppress their powers, with typically unpleasant side effects, It’s a sparse world, but it’s been crafted to let you put your own layer over things, and where the detail exists, it’s unflinching and honest.
The investigative narrative is alright. It’s a by the numbers murder piece really. The inclusion of psychic imagery as an investigative tool is a nice touch, and where it’s used, the elaborate images drawn in the prose are both effective and affecting. That said, whilst everything rumbles along to a conclusion (and that conclusion is actually rather surprising and well done), the intervening stages don’t feel like they have enough in them. There’s a few leaps in logic that I wasn’t sure were entirely justified (though they were helpful from a plot point of view), and several moments where an antagonist suffered the urge to explain his diabolical plan in great detail, for…no particular reason, really.
The real core of the text, though, is the relationship between the four members of the investigative team. The effervescent psy, his more normal ‘Ground’, and the pragmatic, phlegmatic investigators they look into the murder with. What begins awkwardly, with believable resentment on all sides, gradually evolves over the text into something more. I won’t go into detail here, as with the above, to avoid spoilers – though I will say that some of those relationships turn to romance, possibly not the ones you expect – and they do so in a fairly explicit manner. If that’s going to be a problem, this might not be the book for you. If you’re alright with that, then carry on. The relationships that build do so, perhaps, a little quickly – but that may be a side effect of being a single novel set of character arcs. But the emotions described are believable, raw, and very well written.
Overall then, this is actually a decent read in its niche. It would be nice to see more from the investigative side, and maybe a bit more nuance to the non-romance relationships, but still, this is a surprisingly good read, if you’re looking for an unflinchingly adult sci-fi romance.
Peripheral People is an interesting blend of sci-fi, murder mystery, and romance novel. I’m not sure it achieves everything that it could do in each of those areas, but it’s certainly a valiant effort. Essentially, the narrative follows a team of four investigators for an interstellar body as they dig into a series of murders. Two of the investigators are a ‘psy team’ ; one has the ability to read psychic traces, and the other serves as his ‘ground’, pulling him back out when this gets dangerous.
I have to give the authors marks for the setting; the ‘Ylendrian Empire’ in which the narrative is based isn’t really explored directly, but through character memories of worlds they’ve seen, references to other investigative branches, and other subtle cues in the environment and dialogue. There’s enough meat over the implied structure to make it work, and the minimalist descriptors leave the reader able to draw a lot of the structure in the imagination – it works surprisingly well.
The only real distinction here is in those areas of the world which the characters interact with – the ‘IEC’, a sort of interplanetary police force, and the various psy-training measures. The former is given a bit more of a gloss, but really it feels like a modern police department; the discussion of psy ethics, of the various abilities manifested, the consequences of using them…these are all approached in a nuanced way. In particular the text unflinchingly approaches ‘burnout’, the loss of power, and the possibility of being one of the unpleasantly labelled ‘pharmed out’ – psy agents who use drugs to suppress their powers, with typically unpleasant side effects, It’s a sparse world, but it’s been crafted to let you put your own layer over things, and where the detail exists, it’s unflinching and honest.
The investigative narrative is alright. It’s a by the numbers murder piece really. The inclusion of psychic imagery as an investigative tool is a nice touch, and where it’s used, the elaborate images drawn in the prose are both effective and affecting. That said, whilst everything rumbles along to a conclusion (and that conclusion is actually rather surprising and well done), the intervening stages don’t feel like they have enough in them. There’s a few leaps in logic that I wasn’t sure were entirely justified (though they were helpful from a plot point of view), and several moments where an antagonist suffered the urge to explain his diabolical plan in great detail, for…no particular reason, really.
The real core of the text, though, is the relationship between the four members of the investigative team. The effervescent psy, his more normal ‘Ground’, and the pragmatic, phlegmatic investigators they look into the murder with. What begins awkwardly, with believable resentment on all sides, gradually evolves over the text into something more. I won’t go into detail here, as with the above, to avoid spoilers – though I will say that some of those relationships turn to romance, possibly not the ones you expect – and they do so in a fairly explicit manner. If that’s going to be a problem, this might not be the book for you. If you’re alright with that, then carry on. The relationships that build do so, perhaps, a little quickly – but that may be a side effect of being a single novel set of character arcs. But the emotions described are believable, raw, and very well written.
Overall then, this is actually a decent read in its niche. It would be nice to see more from the investigative side, and maybe a bit more nuance to the non-romance relationships, but still, this is a surprisingly good read, if you’re looking for an unflinchingly adult sci-fi romance.
July 25, 2017
Based on a promotional eBook received from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Peripheral People, a Ylendrian Universe novel
Written by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 3/5
This title is the most recent volume in a series of interconnected stand-alone science fiction books. Having this information negated most of my original protests about the plot development, which seemed forced and rushed with assumptions of knowledge about the world which the reader had no access to. Perhaps if I had read the previous books, I wouldn't have had this initial hurdle to overcome, so a simple word of warning: series, not the first book.
Peripheral People is set in a world of science fiction against a hard sci-fi backdrop of Imperial governance over a series of affiliated planets. Mostly, this rule appears to be accepted by the people of the various planets and the citizens of the Empire welcome the IEC agents who are the central focus of this particular book. Most of the characters appear to be human or at the very least humanoid, though details in this area are scant: I was startled to discover late in the book that the captain's race has triple-jointed digits, making him/her far more alien than the ability to switch between genders.
The main plot line centers around a pair of IEC inspectors, Corwin Menivie and Nika Santivan, and their psi-trained Agents, Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale. Corwin has a reputation for loathing psi agents and Westley is by nature and design an effusive and irritating personality. While they don't get along well on their small ship at first, a grudging respect and attraction grows between them against the backdrop of Nika and Gavin getting it on like gangbusters.
While the romance between the couples is part of the story, it is hardly the focus. The team is investigating a murder which West came across by accident in pursuit of an unrelated case. As they investigate this dangerous new murder, obviously psi-gifted and unstable, the team have to negotiate their personal lives in addition to addressing the rapidly multiplying bodies. While this story takes a bit to get off the ground, it quickly becomes the utterly consuming focus of both the team and the reader.
This book was slow to start for me. I struggled with shifting perspectives between characters and occasionally inconsistent modes of address: first names are informal, last names are professional, and sometimes they switch suddenly and I kept forgetting who belonged to which last name. As previously mentioned, there were details of setting and description which I felt were missing and made it hard to place what was going on and how things were supposed to progress. I suspect this is largely due to its placement as the most recent installment in a series and am actually really looking forward to locating and reading the rest of the series.
Once the story takes off, I couldn't put this down. Half-way through the book, it was a wild and bumpy ride, both with the characters' relationships and the unfolding mystery. Overall, this book was slightly predictable, but well worth the read, an excellent addition to an LGBT-friendly sci-fi collection.
Peripheral People, a Ylendrian Universe novel
Written by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 3/5
This title is the most recent volume in a series of interconnected stand-alone science fiction books. Having this information negated most of my original protests about the plot development, which seemed forced and rushed with assumptions of knowledge about the world which the reader had no access to. Perhaps if I had read the previous books, I wouldn't have had this initial hurdle to overcome, so a simple word of warning: series, not the first book.
Peripheral People is set in a world of science fiction against a hard sci-fi backdrop of Imperial governance over a series of affiliated planets. Mostly, this rule appears to be accepted by the people of the various planets and the citizens of the Empire welcome the IEC agents who are the central focus of this particular book. Most of the characters appear to be human or at the very least humanoid, though details in this area are scant: I was startled to discover late in the book that the captain's race has triple-jointed digits, making him/her far more alien than the ability to switch between genders.
The main plot line centers around a pair of IEC inspectors, Corwin Menivie and Nika Santivan, and their psi-trained Agents, Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale. Corwin has a reputation for loathing psi agents and Westley is by nature and design an effusive and irritating personality. While they don't get along well on their small ship at first, a grudging respect and attraction grows between them against the backdrop of Nika and Gavin getting it on like gangbusters.
While the romance between the couples is part of the story, it is hardly the focus. The team is investigating a murder which West came across by accident in pursuit of an unrelated case. As they investigate this dangerous new murder, obviously psi-gifted and unstable, the team have to negotiate their personal lives in addition to addressing the rapidly multiplying bodies. While this story takes a bit to get off the ground, it quickly becomes the utterly consuming focus of both the team and the reader.
This book was slow to start for me. I struggled with shifting perspectives between characters and occasionally inconsistent modes of address: first names are informal, last names are professional, and sometimes they switch suddenly and I kept forgetting who belonged to which last name. As previously mentioned, there were details of setting and description which I felt were missing and made it hard to place what was going on and how things were supposed to progress. I suspect this is largely due to its placement as the most recent installment in a series and am actually really looking forward to locating and reading the rest of the series.
Once the story takes off, I couldn't put this down. Half-way through the book, it was a wild and bumpy ride, both with the characters' relationships and the unfolding mystery. Overall, this book was slightly predictable, but well worth the read, an excellent addition to an LGBT-friendly sci-fi collection.
May 17, 2015
My bestie and writing partner, Kelly Jensen, picked this title up for review and kept telling me how much she thought I would enjoy it. She knows all my catnips.
Cop/detective character(s)? Check.
Cop/detective character(s) in space? Check.
Cop/detective character(s) in space who are psychic? HELL YES CHECK.
She wasn't wrong. I adored this story.
West is one half of a psychic team—he’s a Reader and Gavin, his best friend since childhood, is his Ground. In this world, psychics are always on. They’re constantly picking up impressions from the people that surround them, and Gavin, as a null, is West’s safe place. He literally grounds West through touch.
West and Gavin work with a pair of Inspectors, Corwin and Nika. Corwin has a reputation for not liking psys much, but he doesn’t have an option of not working with West and Gavin—no matter how much West annoys him. On purpose.
See, West likes to poke. It’s simultaneously charming and annoying to everyone around him, depending who’s on the receiving end. He uses his smile, happy-go-lucky mask and teasing to keep people at arm’s length, to prevent them from seeing everything churning beneath the surface.
Corwin’s got his own secrets, too, and his (very valid) reasons for not wanting to be around psys. But when they catch wind of a possible serial killer, both Corwin and West have to put their internal conflicts aside and work together to stop him.
There was so much I loved about this book. First and foremost were the characters. I loved watching their many, many layers get peeled back as the story progressed. What you saw for both West and Corwin wasn’t always what was real—which was awesome. I love when authors are able to pull that off.
Though Corwin and West’s relationship is the romantic focus of the story, the friendship between West and Gavin was so amazing and special. The partnership goes beyond what was required for the job; they’re best friends, something I could feel with every one of their interactions.
Another element of the story I loved was that the Reads West does are rarely coherent or even sane. It really illustrated how difficult his ability was, taking him to the edge of sanity over and over again.
As I told the authors on Twitter, I could read a hundred stories about West and Corwin, I loved them that much. I can’t wait for the next book!
Cop/detective character(s)? Check.
Cop/detective character(s) in space? Check.
Cop/detective character(s) in space who are psychic? HELL YES CHECK.
She wasn't wrong. I adored this story.
West is one half of a psychic team—he’s a Reader and Gavin, his best friend since childhood, is his Ground. In this world, psychics are always on. They’re constantly picking up impressions from the people that surround them, and Gavin, as a null, is West’s safe place. He literally grounds West through touch.
West and Gavin work with a pair of Inspectors, Corwin and Nika. Corwin has a reputation for not liking psys much, but he doesn’t have an option of not working with West and Gavin—no matter how much West annoys him. On purpose.
See, West likes to poke. It’s simultaneously charming and annoying to everyone around him, depending who’s on the receiving end. He uses his smile, happy-go-lucky mask and teasing to keep people at arm’s length, to prevent them from seeing everything churning beneath the surface.
Corwin’s got his own secrets, too, and his (very valid) reasons for not wanting to be around psys. But when they catch wind of a possible serial killer, both Corwin and West have to put their internal conflicts aside and work together to stop him.
There was so much I loved about this book. First and foremost were the characters. I loved watching their many, many layers get peeled back as the story progressed. What you saw for both West and Corwin wasn’t always what was real—which was awesome. I love when authors are able to pull that off.
Though Corwin and West’s relationship is the romantic focus of the story, the friendship between West and Gavin was so amazing and special. The partnership goes beyond what was required for the job; they’re best friends, something I could feel with every one of their interactions.
Another element of the story I loved was that the Reads West does are rarely coherent or even sane. It really illustrated how difficult his ability was, taking him to the edge of sanity over and over again.
As I told the authors on Twitter, I could read a hundred stories about West and Corwin, I loved them that much. I can’t wait for the next book!
October 1, 2015
I wanted to like this story more than I ended up doing. The premise is great and I enjoyed learning about the characters as we went along...
My first issue started at page 1 and didn't really resolve until the middle of the book. I was very confused on the setting-- the actual physical place the characters were standing. A ship? Earth? An alien planet? Moving from scene to scene was confusing without clarity on where the characters were.
My second issue started at page 1 and didn't resolve at all. I had a very hard time keeping the two main characters apart. Different people call them by different names and the voice wasn't distinct between them. Their first names at the top of each scene didn't help until mid-book when I finally understood who was the psychic and who wasn't. Knowing I'm reading from West's POV isn't useful if I can't figure out which one is West.
These were major setbacks for my understanding and enjoyment of the story which the rest of the book couldn't overcome.
The plot was engrossing and I very much enjoyed the twists of the mystery. The descriptions of Reading and psychic work in general were excellent. I have several favorite characters!
But I wish the first third of the book had been more concrete. I'm left mostly with disappointment.
My first issue started at page 1 and didn't really resolve until the middle of the book. I was very confused on the setting-- the actual physical place the characters were standing. A ship? Earth? An alien planet? Moving from scene to scene was confusing without clarity on where the characters were.
My second issue started at page 1 and didn't resolve at all. I had a very hard time keeping the two main characters apart. Different people call them by different names and the voice wasn't distinct between them. Their first names at the top of each scene didn't help until mid-book when I finally understood who was the psychic and who wasn't. Knowing I'm reading from West's POV isn't useful if I can't figure out which one is West.
These were major setbacks for my understanding and enjoyment of the story which the rest of the book couldn't overcome.
The plot was engrossing and I very much enjoyed the twists of the mystery. The descriptions of Reading and psychic work in general were excellent. I have several favorite characters!
But I wish the first third of the book had been more concrete. I'm left mostly with disappointment.
July 20, 2015
I expected a futuristic world where some people have psychic abilities and where some even use their abilities for nefarious activities. I believed the story would be of crime and solutions found by the team built of seasoned detectives and introduced psychic agents.
The story was basically as I expected. However it was extremely convoluted and deep, though engaging and interesting. I enjoyed it for these elements.
The 'detectives' Corwin and Nika have West and Gavin forced into their team to help with the solving of their caseload. Corbin is resistant but realises he has no choice. The relations between the team members evolves over the course of the story. Extra insights into the relationships are given through 'psy' abilities.
I enjoyed the tale and it's telling, however the intimate aspects of the story were far too explicit and graphic for my liking. The, what I consider to be, pornographic elements added nothing to the book and in fact detracted from the tale tremendously for me. If I were not reading the book with the aim of reviewing it, I would have left it unread. For that reason I give it only one star.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.
The story was basically as I expected. However it was extremely convoluted and deep, though engaging and interesting. I enjoyed it for these elements.
The 'detectives' Corwin and Nika have West and Gavin forced into their team to help with the solving of their caseload. Corbin is resistant but realises he has no choice. The relations between the team members evolves over the course of the story. Extra insights into the relationships are given through 'psy' abilities.
I enjoyed the tale and it's telling, however the intimate aspects of the story were far too explicit and graphic for my liking. The, what I consider to be, pornographic elements added nothing to the book and in fact detracted from the tale tremendously for me. If I were not reading the book with the aim of reviewing it, I would have left it unread. For that reason I give it only one star.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. NetGalley does not allow for paid reviews.
May 10, 2015
4.5 stars. I have been a fan of this series for a long time and it feels like I have been waiting for this book forever. I am happy to say it was worth the wait!
These books are a loosely linked series of stories set in the Ylendrian Empire, in this book 2 IEC investigators are joined by a PsyActive Agent and his Ground. In the process of investigating a standard case Westley Tavera, the PsyAc Agent uncovers another murder and soon they are on the trail of a serial killer. What I love most about this series, other than the Empire itself, is the way the authors develope the relationships between the characters - it's never insta love, there is always a build up, a growing understanding, friendship, respect and love. Not only between the MCs but the secondary characters also.
If you like science fiction, psychological thrillers and a good story, you will enjoy this. Although part of a series each book can be read as a stand alone.
These books are a loosely linked series of stories set in the Ylendrian Empire, in this book 2 IEC investigators are joined by a PsyActive Agent and his Ground. In the process of investigating a standard case Westley Tavera, the PsyAc Agent uncovers another murder and soon they are on the trail of a serial killer. What I love most about this series, other than the Empire itself, is the way the authors develope the relationships between the characters - it's never insta love, there is always a build up, a growing understanding, friendship, respect and love. Not only between the MCs but the secondary characters also.
If you like science fiction, psychological thrillers and a good story, you will enjoy this. Although part of a series each book can be read as a stand alone.
September 10, 2015
This book definitely dragged. There were scenes that should have been trimmed, and one or two that could have been cut entirely. I loved the characters and watching them grow closer, but the rest of the story just went on and on to the point I was bored enough I started skimming/skipping (but still never was confused about what was going on, though to be fair I had the whole mystery figured out pretty quickly).
Over all, not bad. If it had been shorter I probably would have loved it.
June 21, 2015
Beautifully detailed sci-fi thriller with rich world-building and a twist at the end that I didn't see coming. I especially loved the rich way psy experiences were described. The authors' clever way with words had me laughing at some points and gasping at others.
For me, this was an excellent return to reading sci-fi after a whole lot of urban fantasy and paranormal romances!
For me, this was an excellent return to reading sci-fi after a whole lot of urban fantasy and paranormal romances!
May 13, 2015
LOVED this story! ^^ It was soooo so awesome. And all the storylines were so cool and new! And they didn't feel forced and revealed each character so beautifully, layer by layer. Absolutely worth reading. :)
May 31, 2015
The book is quite good overall, except for the mystery part- it was very easy to guess who the murderer was, and the detectives didn't seem to get it even when it was already painfully obvious. Otherwise, the characters and their interactions were nice and the world building was very detailed.
May 6, 2015
Review coming soon!
September 7, 2015
4.5 rounded up.
December 15, 2015
Peripheral People by Reesa Herberth & Michelle Moore: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwid... 2015 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
May 4, 2017
3.75 stars
May 31, 2016
Enjoyed it but found it sometimes confusing. Hard to remember you were wandering in someone's imagination. Not sure about reading others in the series.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
September 11, 2016
** 4.5 Stars **
Intricate and twisted!
August 15, 2016
Damn that was so much better than I ever expected. Characters, plot, plot, characters. More please.
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