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Repelling the Invasion #2
Escapee
A Disillusioned Soldier
Hector Dukelsky, an upper-class career officer, yearns to fight a righteous war instead of defending corporate interests on Banff, an isolated mining moon. That dream seems dead when his entire command is slaughtered while he’s away, leaving him alone in smouldering rubble with no chance to survive, let alone strike back at the enemy.
A Pilot with a Chip on Her Shoulder
Catt Sayer, a working-class fugitive from the law, earns a meagre income carrying supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won life vanishes when invaders capture Banff. While searching for survivors, she rescues Hector and flies him to safety. But he doesn’t want safety. He wants her to risk her life on a hopeless journey to attack the enemy headquarters.
A Dying Moon
Catt is sure Banff will kill them long before the enemy can … yet she agree s to Hector’s scheme, certain he’ll quit after experiencing one of the moon’s eruptions or ferocious storms. But he doesn’t quit, and slowly his noble dream—and his love—conquer her heart. She pits her life and love against Banff’s lethal environment, even though the only reward for success will be the opportunity to face ten thousand enemy warriors.
Hector Dukelsky, an upper-class career officer, yearns to fight a righteous war instead of defending corporate interests on Banff, an isolated mining moon. That dream seems dead when his entire command is slaughtered while he’s away, leaving him alone in smouldering rubble with no chance to survive, let alone strike back at the enemy.
A Pilot with a Chip on Her Shoulder
Catt Sayer, a working-class fugitive from the law, earns a meagre income carrying supplies on a decrepit airship, but her hard-won life vanishes when invaders capture Banff. While searching for survivors, she rescues Hector and flies him to safety. But he doesn’t want safety. He wants her to risk her life on a hopeless journey to attack the enemy headquarters.
A Dying Moon
Catt is sure Banff will kill them long before the enemy can … yet she agree s to Hector’s scheme, certain he’ll quit after experiencing one of the moon’s eruptions or ferocious storms. But he doesn’t quit, and slowly his noble dream—and his love—conquer her heart. She pits her life and love against Banff’s lethal environment, even though the only reward for success will be the opportunity to face ten thousand enemy warriors.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 16, 2020
Catt Sayer’s battered airship – won in a poker game - is all she owns. Keeping it running so she can deliver supplies to the miners on desolate Banff takes all the resourcefulness she and her android pilot Lance can muster. Still she’s grateful to have escaped from the colonial overlords on her home planet, where she’d been forced into the role of mistress to a cruel and overbearing member of the aristocracy. Catt’s business isn’t strictly legal, but there’s nobody else crazy enough – or skillful enough – to pilot a fragile airship through Banff’s ferocious storms and unpredictable volcanic eruptions. Most important, as captain of the Escapee, she’s free to chart her own course through life.
Hector Dukelsky hates the military, but family loyalty made it impossible for him to avoid that despised career. As an officer, he’s responsible for the well-being the soldiers under his command. When every one of his men is slaughtered in a vicious Proxie invasion of Banff, he’s almost ready to take his own life. The only thing that keeps him going is the prospect of avenging them. He’s determined to use whatever resources he can muster to do just that – including Catt and her ship – despite the fact that they both know an attack on the enemy base is essentially a suicide mission.
Escapee has all the familiar elements that make a book by Ed Hoornaert fun: a clever, courageous heroine; a gallant but damaged hero; humorous, sometimes snarky, dialogue; extraterrestrial pets; danger and suspense; and of course a gradually developing romance with plenty of erotic heat, which the author somehow manages to convey without resorting to any sort of sexually explicit language. However, Escapee stands out for me as one of Mr. Hoornaert’s most creative works (among the tales that I’ve read), largely because of the vividly imagined and masterfully described setting. Banff, a planetoid in the process of falling into its sun, is literally being torn apart by gravitational forces. It offers such an incredibly harsh and inimical environment that only greed for its mineral resources could possibly justify human occupation.
A significant part of the story is devoted to Catt’s and Hector’s desperate journey across Banff’s ravaged planet-scape, in a crippled ship, with non-functioning sensors, a deteriorating robot pilot and worst of all (from my perspective), a dwindling supply of water. Mr. Hoornaert brings this epic trip to awful life – to the point that I couldn’t read the book without feeling horribly thirsty!
Another high point of this novel is the character of the android Lance. Somehow the author manages to make him believable as both a machine and a person. Catt’s subtle relationship with him – and his with her – provide a surprising emotional depth. When Lance sacrifices himself for the sake of the mission, I almost got weepy.
Finally, the tale includes a simultaneously funny and threatening antagonist, in the form of the Proxie fighter pilot that Catt and Hector rescue from his crashed ship. I don’t want to spoil the story by telling you more, but their prisoner of war adds significant complexity to the tale.
Overall, I really enjoyed Escapee. It has flashes of creative brilliance even as it follows the typical pattern of Hoornaert’s sci fi romance. Certainly if you’ve liked other books by Edward Hoornaert, you’ll love this one.
Hector Dukelsky hates the military, but family loyalty made it impossible for him to avoid that despised career. As an officer, he’s responsible for the well-being the soldiers under his command. When every one of his men is slaughtered in a vicious Proxie invasion of Banff, he’s almost ready to take his own life. The only thing that keeps him going is the prospect of avenging them. He’s determined to use whatever resources he can muster to do just that – including Catt and her ship – despite the fact that they both know an attack on the enemy base is essentially a suicide mission.
Escapee has all the familiar elements that make a book by Ed Hoornaert fun: a clever, courageous heroine; a gallant but damaged hero; humorous, sometimes snarky, dialogue; extraterrestrial pets; danger and suspense; and of course a gradually developing romance with plenty of erotic heat, which the author somehow manages to convey without resorting to any sort of sexually explicit language. However, Escapee stands out for me as one of Mr. Hoornaert’s most creative works (among the tales that I’ve read), largely because of the vividly imagined and masterfully described setting. Banff, a planetoid in the process of falling into its sun, is literally being torn apart by gravitational forces. It offers such an incredibly harsh and inimical environment that only greed for its mineral resources could possibly justify human occupation.
A significant part of the story is devoted to Catt’s and Hector’s desperate journey across Banff’s ravaged planet-scape, in a crippled ship, with non-functioning sensors, a deteriorating robot pilot and worst of all (from my perspective), a dwindling supply of water. Mr. Hoornaert brings this epic trip to awful life – to the point that I couldn’t read the book without feeling horribly thirsty!
Another high point of this novel is the character of the android Lance. Somehow the author manages to make him believable as both a machine and a person. Catt’s subtle relationship with him – and his with her – provide a surprising emotional depth. When Lance sacrifices himself for the sake of the mission, I almost got weepy.
Finally, the tale includes a simultaneously funny and threatening antagonist, in the form of the Proxie fighter pilot that Catt and Hector rescue from his crashed ship. I don’t want to spoil the story by telling you more, but their prisoner of war adds significant complexity to the tale.
Overall, I really enjoyed Escapee. It has flashes of creative brilliance even as it follows the typical pattern of Hoornaert’s sci fi romance. Certainly if you’ve liked other books by Edward Hoornaert, you’ll love this one.
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May 16, 2016Please see Boundless Book Reviews for the review, that will post at a later date.
May 30, 2016
Note: This review was part of a blog tour. Complimentary copies were available for reviewers, but I was so intrigued by this novel, I actually bought my own copy.
It's been a while since I've read a good science fiction novel. I was therefore very interested in this one, as it combines romance with science fiction, which are two of my favorite genres. And what a terrific story it was!
The author states, in one of the posts on his website, that he actually based the plot of this novel on that of a famous romantic film of the 1950s, "The African Queen", which starred Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The characters both start off hating each other, but, by the end of the movie, have fallen madly in love with each other.
In Escapee, Catt Sayer is an airship pilot, and she rescues Hector Dukelsky, who is the commander of a fort on Banff, a moon circling a planet in an unknown galaxy.
The fireworks begin as soon as they meet, although Hector is much more mild-mannered than Catt.
The other characters in the novel are Lance, who is Catt's android co-pilot, and Kelaini, an enemy invader. Two animals are included, as well -- a kitten and an alien animal known as a "skoot", who acts like a very affectionate dog, although he resembles an alligator to some extent, and has six legs. The comical actions of this strange animal made me laugh at certain points in the story.
The world building in this novel is very well-done, and totally convincing. Furthermore, the airship, its mechanisms, and the current technology, were all meticulously detailed. Yet, these technical explanations were not too long, nor did they take away from the story.
What truly makes this book shine, aside from all the SF elements, is the characters and their relationships. Hector and Catt are total opposites -- he's a highborn career officer, and she, a peasant fleeing from the law. He's a stickler for duty, even if it's unpleasant, while she's a devil-may-care survivor. She basically flies the airship by the seat of her pants throughout most of the story, since her 'fadar' (short for 'far radar') conks out during one scene.
The dialogues between these two are incredibly funny at times, with Catt determined to show Hector who's boss, while Hector is equally determined to get her to help him with what she views as a suicide mission -- a surprise attack on an enemy base.
I just totally adored Lance, the android! This name is short for "Lancelot", which strikes me as a rather comical reference to the tales of King Arthur, and the whole knight-in-shining armor thing.
Lance immediately reminded me of a combination of three other science fiction characters who are very familiar to all of us SF fans -- Mr. Spock and Data, from Star Trek, and C3PO, from the first three Star Wars movies.
Lance, is, of course, perfectly logical, and perfectly efficient. Yet, he also had me in stitches at times. Of course, he takes everything literally, since he's an android, not a human. Paradoxically, he's constantly trying to come up with good jokes, but doesn't quite succeed. And he has the unfortunate tendency to call Hector "Captain A-Hole", which is Catt's nickname for Hector. Lance has heard her call him this on many occasions, so he's picked it up himself.
Catt is very fond of Lance, and considers him her best friend, instead of a very lifelike machine (he looks like a hunk and has a very sexy voice) programmed to serve as her co-pilot. In spite of his nature as a machine, Lance, too, seems to feel something for Catt. Their friendship certainly has some poignant touches to it.
At one point in the story, I laughed out loud at a dialogue between Catt and Lance. One of his replies to her instructions would have been worthy of Mr. Spock, Data, or C3PO: "If you order it, I believe I can hit a human over the head with non-lethal intent. It will require altering built-in algorithms so I can calculate the safest speed to produce unconsciousness, rather than serious injury."
Kelaini, the enemy pilot, and a Proximanian (from a neighboring planet), is also funny at times, although he's also rather crude and disgusting in his behavior toward Catt.
Another aspect of this novel I really enjoyed was its subtle psychological underpinnings. The initial struggle between Catt and Hector is based not only on male-female power struggles, but on class differences, as well. It's clear to see that Catt has been traumatized by her experiences with the abusive patroon in her past. Hector is disillusioned with his military career, and wonders if he might be a lesser man than his twin brother, who is nicknamed "Duke".
The novel has quite a bit of action, especially toward the end, and it made me keep swiping the text on my Kindle app nonstop, while volcanoes erupted, missiles flew close by, and our heroes valiantly attempted to do some damage to the enemy base. The author's descriptions here were very vivid, and created the necessary tension.
Hoornaert also does something very interesting in this novel -- he has invented a funny substitute for "the F bomb". For instance, both Catt and Hector (never Lance, interestingly enough) use variations of the word "plark" a lot. Catt especially seems to love to use this word, with such exclamations as "Plark it!", "Shut the plark up", and "Plarking patroon manners!"
Although I did think that the romance was a bit rushed, thus making it less believable, I also think that, all in all, Escapee is a great story, one that seamlessly combines two seemingly disparate genres -- science fiction and romance. It contains great characters, many touches of humor, and a very interesting futuristic backdrop. I would definitely recommend this very entertaining novel to anyone who, like me, loves both science fiction and romance! In fact, I'm seriously considering re-reading it in the very near future! I'm also planning to read the first book in this series, and looking forward to the third!
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com
It's been a while since I've read a good science fiction novel. I was therefore very interested in this one, as it combines romance with science fiction, which are two of my favorite genres. And what a terrific story it was!
The author states, in one of the posts on his website, that he actually based the plot of this novel on that of a famous romantic film of the 1950s, "The African Queen", which starred Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. The characters both start off hating each other, but, by the end of the movie, have fallen madly in love with each other.
In Escapee, Catt Sayer is an airship pilot, and she rescues Hector Dukelsky, who is the commander of a fort on Banff, a moon circling a planet in an unknown galaxy.
The fireworks begin as soon as they meet, although Hector is much more mild-mannered than Catt.
The other characters in the novel are Lance, who is Catt's android co-pilot, and Kelaini, an enemy invader. Two animals are included, as well -- a kitten and an alien animal known as a "skoot", who acts like a very affectionate dog, although he resembles an alligator to some extent, and has six legs. The comical actions of this strange animal made me laugh at certain points in the story.
The world building in this novel is very well-done, and totally convincing. Furthermore, the airship, its mechanisms, and the current technology, were all meticulously detailed. Yet, these technical explanations were not too long, nor did they take away from the story.
What truly makes this book shine, aside from all the SF elements, is the characters and their relationships. Hector and Catt are total opposites -- he's a highborn career officer, and she, a peasant fleeing from the law. He's a stickler for duty, even if it's unpleasant, while she's a devil-may-care survivor. She basically flies the airship by the seat of her pants throughout most of the story, since her 'fadar' (short for 'far radar') conks out during one scene.
The dialogues between these two are incredibly funny at times, with Catt determined to show Hector who's boss, while Hector is equally determined to get her to help him with what she views as a suicide mission -- a surprise attack on an enemy base.
I just totally adored Lance, the android! This name is short for "Lancelot", which strikes me as a rather comical reference to the tales of King Arthur, and the whole knight-in-shining armor thing.
Lance immediately reminded me of a combination of three other science fiction characters who are very familiar to all of us SF fans -- Mr. Spock and Data, from Star Trek, and C3PO, from the first three Star Wars movies.
Lance, is, of course, perfectly logical, and perfectly efficient. Yet, he also had me in stitches at times. Of course, he takes everything literally, since he's an android, not a human. Paradoxically, he's constantly trying to come up with good jokes, but doesn't quite succeed. And he has the unfortunate tendency to call Hector "Captain A-Hole", which is Catt's nickname for Hector. Lance has heard her call him this on many occasions, so he's picked it up himself.
Catt is very fond of Lance, and considers him her best friend, instead of a very lifelike machine (he looks like a hunk and has a very sexy voice) programmed to serve as her co-pilot. In spite of his nature as a machine, Lance, too, seems to feel something for Catt. Their friendship certainly has some poignant touches to it.
At one point in the story, I laughed out loud at a dialogue between Catt and Lance. One of his replies to her instructions would have been worthy of Mr. Spock, Data, or C3PO: "If you order it, I believe I can hit a human over the head with non-lethal intent. It will require altering built-in algorithms so I can calculate the safest speed to produce unconsciousness, rather than serious injury."
Kelaini, the enemy pilot, and a Proximanian (from a neighboring planet), is also funny at times, although he's also rather crude and disgusting in his behavior toward Catt.
Another aspect of this novel I really enjoyed was its subtle psychological underpinnings. The initial struggle between Catt and Hector is based not only on male-female power struggles, but on class differences, as well. It's clear to see that Catt has been traumatized by her experiences with the abusive patroon in her past. Hector is disillusioned with his military career, and wonders if he might be a lesser man than his twin brother, who is nicknamed "Duke".
The novel has quite a bit of action, especially toward the end, and it made me keep swiping the text on my Kindle app nonstop, while volcanoes erupted, missiles flew close by, and our heroes valiantly attempted to do some damage to the enemy base. The author's descriptions here were very vivid, and created the necessary tension.
Hoornaert also does something very interesting in this novel -- he has invented a funny substitute for "the F bomb". For instance, both Catt and Hector (never Lance, interestingly enough) use variations of the word "plark" a lot. Catt especially seems to love to use this word, with such exclamations as "Plark it!", "Shut the plark up", and "Plarking patroon manners!"
Although I did think that the romance was a bit rushed, thus making it less believable, I also think that, all in all, Escapee is a great story, one that seamlessly combines two seemingly disparate genres -- science fiction and romance. It contains great characters, many touches of humor, and a very interesting futuristic backdrop. I would definitely recommend this very entertaining novel to anyone who, like me, loves both science fiction and romance! In fact, I'm seriously considering re-reading it in the very near future! I'm also planning to read the first book in this series, and looking forward to the third!
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog, A NIGHT’S DREAM OF BOOKS.
http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com
July 24, 2016
2.5 Stars
I was provided a copy of Escapee: Repelling the Invasion in exchange for an honest review. I’m not sure if maybe I was provided an older unedited copy; but one issue I had with the story was, it seemed like explanations were missing. For example, one moment they would be kissing then she is awkwardly covering her breasts. I would go back and re-read thinking I missed something; not realizing she stripped down, but nope, it wasn’t mentioned. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one to get hung up with tons of superfluous details; however, there are times when those details are left out I’m left scratching my head. Yes, I can conclude 1+1=2, but if you are going to write about 1, then two why not give us the other +1.
The imagery in the story was excellent; I had the air ship and the lava filled waste land clearly pictured in my mind. Yet again, so much time was spent reading about the ship, that it was hard not to get a clear picture of it. The story was getting a bit tedious with all of the technical aspects that really didn’t mean anything to me. Although the imagery was awesome.
So much time was spent fixing the ship, flying and trying to get to where they were going, I was becoming bored with the story; it would get exciting for a bit, then slow down again. There were some very strong emotional moments that were extremely heartfelt, and Hoornaert did an excellent job with the realism and desperation of the situation the survivors found themselves in. A point that I wasn’t happy with, it was a fade to black; not my favorite. He had his two leads screwing like rabbits, yet we got none of that, instead we got pages of how to fix parts of the ship. No offense, here I was thinking to myself, yep a man wrote this, sorry Edward.
Overall; I liked the excitement and the imagery of the story, yet too much time was spent on details that made the story drag. Don’t feel bad, I skipped pages of the inner working of the submarine in a Hunt for Red October too. Same type of thing. I am giving Escapee: Repelling the Invasion 2.5 stars. It was good at points, but could have been better at others....Sara
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
I was provided a copy of Escapee: Repelling the Invasion in exchange for an honest review. I’m not sure if maybe I was provided an older unedited copy; but one issue I had with the story was, it seemed like explanations were missing. For example, one moment they would be kissing then she is awkwardly covering her breasts. I would go back and re-read thinking I missed something; not realizing she stripped down, but nope, it wasn’t mentioned. Don’t get me wrong, I am not one to get hung up with tons of superfluous details; however, there are times when those details are left out I’m left scratching my head. Yes, I can conclude 1+1=2, but if you are going to write about 1, then two why not give us the other +1.
The imagery in the story was excellent; I had the air ship and the lava filled waste land clearly pictured in my mind. Yet again, so much time was spent reading about the ship, that it was hard not to get a clear picture of it. The story was getting a bit tedious with all of the technical aspects that really didn’t mean anything to me. Although the imagery was awesome.
So much time was spent fixing the ship, flying and trying to get to where they were going, I was becoming bored with the story; it would get exciting for a bit, then slow down again. There were some very strong emotional moments that were extremely heartfelt, and Hoornaert did an excellent job with the realism and desperation of the situation the survivors found themselves in. A point that I wasn’t happy with, it was a fade to black; not my favorite. He had his two leads screwing like rabbits, yet we got none of that, instead we got pages of how to fix parts of the ship. No offense, here I was thinking to myself, yep a man wrote this, sorry Edward.
Overall; I liked the excitement and the imagery of the story, yet too much time was spent on details that made the story drag. Don’t feel bad, I skipped pages of the inner working of the submarine in a Hunt for Red October too. Same type of thing. I am giving Escapee: Repelling the Invasion 2.5 stars. It was good at points, but could have been better at others....Sara
http://www.boundlessbookreviews.com
https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
April 22, 2016
This book is go-go-go from page one. Ed Hoornaert did a wonderful job pulling it all together just right. Action, character development, and world-building are perfectly done. I laughed literally out loud a couple of times in spite of the tense situations. There were sad moments. Hoornaert made me care about the characters, two-legged, four-legged, and even the ugly six-legged one.
There were sex scenes, but tastefully done. I wouldn't consider the genre to be erotica. The romance was good. The two main characters went from really, really not liking each other in the beginning of the book to...something much different as the story progressed. I liked that there were actually mushy romantic moments.
The world-building was outstanding. The descriptions of their surroundings were vivid. The creatures, the android, the technology, all good.
There is another book in this series that comes before this one. I haven't read it yet, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this story. I liked this book so much that I plan on reading the first one now. And I hope the author plans on writing more in this series.
Very entertaining read.
There were sex scenes, but tastefully done. I wouldn't consider the genre to be erotica. The romance was good. The two main characters went from really, really not liking each other in the beginning of the book to...something much different as the story progressed. I liked that there were actually mushy romantic moments.
The world-building was outstanding. The descriptions of their surroundings were vivid. The creatures, the android, the technology, all good.
There is another book in this series that comes before this one. I haven't read it yet, but that didn't affect my enjoyment of this story. I liked this book so much that I plan on reading the first one now. And I hope the author plans on writing more in this series.
Very entertaining read.
January 25, 2019
The Banff Blimp!
As usual with Ed Hoornaert’s books I started reading this and couldn’t stop! Which means, of course, that I’m now completely overtired. But that doesn’t matter because it’s a good tiredness.
I loved the way Ed took the story of The African Queen as a basis for his story. Of course, he reversed the roles but it was so good to read about a fantastic woman pilot. There was a moment when I could see KH, as Rose, saying in her beautiful voice, “Oh Charlie! I can call you Charlie can’t I?” Catt and Hector were just great characters. And we can’t forget Lance! Ed Hoornaert knows all the right buttons to push when it comes to writing a romance. Since he’s been married since Adam was a boy he must be putting his knowledge to good use! LOL.
There’s not much point in saying much about the story as it all takes place in Catt’s dirigible. Yes, just like The African Queen takes place in one boat. All you really need to know is that it’s a darned good read!
As usual with Ed Hoornaert’s books I started reading this and couldn’t stop! Which means, of course, that I’m now completely overtired. But that doesn’t matter because it’s a good tiredness.
I loved the way Ed took the story of The African Queen as a basis for his story. Of course, he reversed the roles but it was so good to read about a fantastic woman pilot. There was a moment when I could see KH, as Rose, saying in her beautiful voice, “Oh Charlie! I can call you Charlie can’t I?” Catt and Hector were just great characters. And we can’t forget Lance! Ed Hoornaert knows all the right buttons to push when it comes to writing a romance. Since he’s been married since Adam was a boy he must be putting his knowledge to good use! LOL.
There’s not much point in saying much about the story as it all takes place in Catt’s dirigible. Yes, just like The African Queen takes place in one boat. All you really need to know is that it’s a darned good read!
January 26, 2019
As usual with Ed Hoornaert’s books I started reading this and couldn’t stop! Which means, of course, that I’m now completely overtired. But that doesn’t matter because it’s a good tiredness.
I loved the way Ed took the story of The African Queen as a basis for his story. Of course, he reversed the roles but it was so good to read about a fantastic woman pilot. There was a moment when I could see KH, as Rose, saying in her beautiful voice, “Oh Charlie! I can call you Charlie can’t I?” Catt and Hector were just great characters. And we can’t forget Lance! Ed Hoornaert knows all the right buttons to push when it comes to writing a romance. Since he’s been married since Adam was a boy he must be putting his knowledge to good use! LOL.
There’s not much point in saying much about the story as it all takes place in Catt’s dirigible. Yes, just like The African Queen takes place in one boat. All you really need to know is that it’s a darned good read!
I loved the way Ed took the story of The African Queen as a basis for his story. Of course, he reversed the roles but it was so good to read about a fantastic woman pilot. There was a moment when I could see KH, as Rose, saying in her beautiful voice, “Oh Charlie! I can call you Charlie can’t I?” Catt and Hector were just great characters. And we can’t forget Lance! Ed Hoornaert knows all the right buttons to push when it comes to writing a romance. Since he’s been married since Adam was a boy he must be putting his knowledge to good use! LOL.
There’s not much point in saying much about the story as it all takes place in Catt’s dirigible. Yes, just like The African Queen takes place in one boat. All you really need to know is that it’s a darned good read!
August 16, 2017
Looking for an exciting, fast-moving story? You have to read Escapee. Danger from the wild mining moon is everywhere--something Catt, pilot of a derelict airship, knows too well. But Hector, the man she rescued, insists they go after an enemy with a superior force. Well, what doesn't kill them, makes them stronger. Or so they say.
I loved the contrast between the free-spirited Catt and rule-bound Hector. He's elite, she's working class. They'll never get along. She wants to stay safe by hiding out, while he wants to rush into danger. A suicide mission, for sure. The longer they're together, she admires his integrity, his devotion to duty. Because of Catt, Hector loosens up and puts his trust in her. A secondary character, an enemy adds some humor, at first. Soon he reveals his true colors. More humor comes from the skoot, a lizard-like native of the moon. Author Hoornaert develops the characters well, while keeping tension high. A great read.
I loved the contrast between the free-spirited Catt and rule-bound Hector. He's elite, she's working class. They'll never get along. She wants to stay safe by hiding out, while he wants to rush into danger. A suicide mission, for sure. The longer they're together, she admires his integrity, his devotion to duty. Because of Catt, Hector loosens up and puts his trust in her. A secondary character, an enemy adds some humor, at first. Soon he reveals his true colors. More humor comes from the skoot, a lizard-like native of the moon. Author Hoornaert develops the characters well, while keeping tension high. A great read.
May 14, 2016
This book is supposed to be a bit like the African Queen. I never watched the African Queen so I can't really compare and I'll have to write this review totally ignoring that fact and doing it for the story itself without prejudice, I guess.
The story is about a relationship during a freakishly successful invasion. Most of the story took place on board a very tiny ship with a reduce number of characters.
I have to say that the closed environment in this book made me kind of claustrophobic, which totally works because well you are taken in the same confined space as the characters, however it was a bit hard at time. I wanted to yell at them to get a a freaking city, join some resistance or fix the communication system. I mean get someone around, like a real person not a decorative prisoner.
The entire setting is about what the characters feel and how much they want each other. We know that there must be a lot happening outside because there was an invasion and it's a foreign planet with a crazy weather and crazy geography, which will crash into it's star but we don't know much about what else is happening to the people, about the invasion itself. Everything is so confine inside of the spaceship and the characters' sexual desire that I felt myself wanting more of the outside world a lot.
The characters are very well constructed and interesting. They both have heavy background that they end up sharing. I'm not sure how great a match they would have been if they were not in that kind of last man and last woman in existence sort of situation. There is a lot of prejudice to work around which is done very nicely as the story develop.
I'm not a big fan of romance, I like the science fiction part better. This book definitely fit in the romance category a lot more so it's more for romance fan than the science fiction fan.
The story is about a relationship during a freakishly successful invasion. Most of the story took place on board a very tiny ship with a reduce number of characters.
I have to say that the closed environment in this book made me kind of claustrophobic, which totally works because well you are taken in the same confined space as the characters, however it was a bit hard at time. I wanted to yell at them to get a a freaking city, join some resistance or fix the communication system. I mean get someone around, like a real person not a decorative prisoner.
The entire setting is about what the characters feel and how much they want each other. We know that there must be a lot happening outside because there was an invasion and it's a foreign planet with a crazy weather and crazy geography, which will crash into it's star but we don't know much about what else is happening to the people, about the invasion itself. Everything is so confine inside of the spaceship and the characters' sexual desire that I felt myself wanting more of the outside world a lot.
The characters are very well constructed and interesting. They both have heavy background that they end up sharing. I'm not sure how great a match they would have been if they were not in that kind of last man and last woman in existence sort of situation. There is a lot of prejudice to work around which is done very nicely as the story develop.
I'm not a big fan of romance, I like the science fiction part better. This book definitely fit in the romance category a lot more so it's more for romance fan than the science fiction fan.
March 28, 2016
Escapee can sort of be summed up as The African Queen, but in the future, on a moon that is falling apart, and with far more sex than the character of the source film or novel ever had. Unless I'm remembering my Hepburn and Bogart films very wrongly.
It was actually that very same sexual component which weakened this book for me. The relationship between two characters who start out hating each other seemed especially rushed in its progression.
Yes, life or death situations do funny things to hormones, but the relationship wasn't helped by the fact that sexual scenes often happened during events or moments of crises that seemed totally outlandish timing-wise. I do admit I read very little romance, but the believably could've been better. The love story wasn't as impactful as it could've been.
However, romance aside, this book was entertaining and I did end up enjoying a great many things within it. The characters were well realized in their personalities and motivations. The world itself, complete with a war, the technology of busted airships, and alien creatures, was wonderfully inventive and well described, and the plot (despite being loosely based on a decades-old source) was twisty and exciting and left me wondering where things would end up.
In short, it was a fun read, albeit one with a few flaws that perhaps more hard-core romance fans would be less bothered by.
(This is technically the second book in the series, based on my internet-pecking, though the first was about characters related to the protagonist's here. Aside from a scene early on where I felt like I was missing some back ground information, this book can be read as a standalone.)
It was actually that very same sexual component which weakened this book for me. The relationship between two characters who start out hating each other seemed especially rushed in its progression.
Yes, life or death situations do funny things to hormones, but the relationship wasn't helped by the fact that sexual scenes often happened during events or moments of crises that seemed totally outlandish timing-wise. I do admit I read very little romance, but the believably could've been better. The love story wasn't as impactful as it could've been.
However, romance aside, this book was entertaining and I did end up enjoying a great many things within it. The characters were well realized in their personalities and motivations. The world itself, complete with a war, the technology of busted airships, and alien creatures, was wonderfully inventive and well described, and the plot (despite being loosely based on a decades-old source) was twisty and exciting and left me wondering where things would end up.
In short, it was a fun read, albeit one with a few flaws that perhaps more hard-core romance fans would be less bothered by.
(This is technically the second book in the series, based on my internet-pecking, though the first was about characters related to the protagonist's here. Aside from a scene early on where I felt like I was missing some back ground information, this book can be read as a standalone.)
May 12, 2016
I would never normally even consider reading a science fiction romance, having always considered that it is not the genre for me. However, I have to recant that bias now, after reading this great book by Mr Hoornaert; and it was only because I happened to read some snippets from the book on a blog post that I was persuaded to put my aversion to science fiction to one side. And how glad I am that I did so, for I loved this book. The fact that I hadn’t read the previous Part 1 did not matter in the slightest, as the book stands very well on its own.
Catt Sayer is a feisty, independent woman, who flies her own rather decrepit airship delivering supplies, while on the run from the law, as a way to support her mother and sister following the death of her father. Her prickly manner can be attributed to her experience at the hand of an abusive man, so, when she comes into contact with Hector Dukelsky, a disillusioned army officer, who is mourning the loss of all his men in battle, there is immediate antagonism between them.
The chemistry between the two is electric and the story grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. The characters are well developed and there is emotion, romance and even humour at times. The book is full of action and excitement as the two fight a desperate battle against the hostile environment and the equally hostile enemy. I thoroughly recommend this book.
Catt Sayer is a feisty, independent woman, who flies her own rather decrepit airship delivering supplies, while on the run from the law, as a way to support her mother and sister following the death of her father. Her prickly manner can be attributed to her experience at the hand of an abusive man, so, when she comes into contact with Hector Dukelsky, a disillusioned army officer, who is mourning the loss of all his men in battle, there is immediate antagonism between them.
The chemistry between the two is electric and the story grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. The characters are well developed and there is emotion, romance and even humour at times. The book is full of action and excitement as the two fight a desperate battle against the hostile environment and the equally hostile enemy. I thoroughly recommend this book.
January 14, 2019
Great sci-fi adventure with romance. Though advertised as The African Queen in space, I missed the obvious references to one of my fav movies the first time I read this. When it was reissued, I read it again and caught the references. Just call me slow. LOL Catt has a chip on her shoulder for a good reason. The only thing that matters is her airship (think the Goodyear balloon). It's her home and her livelihood. No way does she want to risk it for Hector Dukelsky's wild suicide mission. Hector, a by-the-book duty-in-his-blood soldier, just saw his entire command wiped out by the enemy. He can't let that go unpunished, even if it means he won't survive the attempt. He just has to convince the freelance supplier pilot to help him. The sparks fly off Catt and Hector (don't call him Hec). Confined to a space for one, the two practically live in each other's pocket. For a loner like Catt, this is intolerable. Almost. Mr. Hoornaert slowly develops their relationship (which had gotten off on a bad foot when he called her a prostitute) into one of caring, lust, then love. All the while, Catt is fighting the ferocious winds on the desolate moon that threatens to destroy their only means of transportation and shelter. A great tale of adventure and romance.
May 18, 2016
From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Escapee (Repelling the Invasion, #2) . . .
You should not tell a man that he does not know romance. We know they they can make wicked with seduction when needed, action for effect, suspense to draw you in or along, but this was a romantic adventure set in space that could teach some that romance does not have to be hardcore in your face right now. This was a romance to bloomed over time and under stress induced situations.
The world was rich and vivid. The characters warm, personable, and developed. Their adventure was engrossing, dangerous, and impossible. The creatures, tech, moons, planets, space itself were richly developed and allowed one to experience it visually.
I got the goods delivered in this one. I got action. I got emotional sadness, joys, humor. I got some suspense. I got it. I could and would read this one again. Space Opera. Action. Adventure. Romance.
**This ARC was provided via Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**
You should not tell a man that he does not know romance. We know they they can make wicked with seduction when needed, action for effect, suspense to draw you in or along, but this was a romantic adventure set in space that could teach some that romance does not have to be hardcore in your face right now. This was a romance to bloomed over time and under stress induced situations.
The world was rich and vivid. The characters warm, personable, and developed. Their adventure was engrossing, dangerous, and impossible. The creatures, tech, moons, planets, space itself were richly developed and allowed one to experience it visually.
I got the goods delivered in this one. I got action. I got emotional sadness, joys, humor. I got some suspense. I got it. I could and would read this one again. Space Opera. Action. Adventure. Romance.
**This ARC was provided via Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**
May 22, 2016
I found this book very entertaining. The heroine is very independent and feisty woman, and flies her airship. The relationship of the couple begins from a weird successful invasion. Reading this romance and science fiction tale show their world vivid and rich from the adventure to the danger to impossible moves. Having impressive creatures, and the technology allowed the readers to experience the visually action. I loved the humor and all the emotion of the drama aka space soap opera.
July 20, 2016
Edward Hoornaert has crafted a Sci-fi that has it all!
Read full review in the 2016 July/August issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2016 July/August issue of InD'tale Magazine.
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