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The Dragon's Bidding #2
Cypher
A murderous computer program has attacked her cyborg partner’s body and mind, turning him into a super assassin who is driven to destroy everything she’s vowed to protect.
In a high-stakes games of cat and gerbat, Kimber FitzWarren faces her deadliest challenge yet, an assassin with all the skills and knowledge of her partner Wolf Youngblood, but controlled by the mind of a killer. Fitz must find a way to protect her Emperor while keeping her adversary alive until she can free her partner from the program’s influence.
A prisoner in the dark labyrinth of his own mind, Wolf struggles to regain control of his body, concocting a plan to use the killer as a Trojan Horse to lead him to his attacker. In the meantime, he can only watch as a helpless passenger as the assassin plots to kill all the people he loves.
In a high-stakes games of cat and gerbat, Kimber FitzWarren faces her deadliest challenge yet, an assassin with all the skills and knowledge of her partner Wolf Youngblood, but controlled by the mind of a killer. Fitz must find a way to protect her Emperor while keeping her adversary alive until she can free her partner from the program’s influence.
A prisoner in the dark labyrinth of his own mind, Wolf struggles to regain control of his body, concocting a plan to use the killer as a Trojan Horse to lead him to his attacker. In the meantime, he can only watch as a helpless passenger as the assassin plots to kill all the people he loves.
382 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2016
13 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 16, 2018
Continuing the tale of Colonel Kimber FitzWarren and her love, Wolf Youngblood, Wolf goes in to have his augmentations updated and when he comes out, he’s a stranger. As the evil Janos Tritico continues to plot to assassinate the emperor and wreak havoc on the government, he’s decided to use Wolf by interfering with the programming of Wolf’s internal computer and inserting an assassin programmed to do his bidding. Since Fitz is head of Imperial Security, she must deal with the intelligence called Cypher that is wearing Wolf’s body and take him down in order to protect the emperor and do her job. Wolf is still in there fighting to wrest control over his own body and take down Tritico, and although I started feeling bad for poor Cypher, who was just being used against his will, of course Wolf needed to win. Throw in some deadly Tzrakas, telepathic cats, sassy AI ships, and immortal augmented soldiers and you’ve got an action-packed, thrill ride of a story. I sure hope there are more adventures to come, I love this couple and this world.
April 23, 2017
“Oh shit, we are so screwed.”
Said Jumper. Jumper is a cat. Well, he is a bit more advanced than the typical house cats many of us serve in our own homes. But, you know, still a cat. Cats are easy going. Seemingly lazy. Sleep a lot. And assume we humans will take care of them. So when Jumper is concerned, there is likely to be a crisis brewing.
He is not wrong. Did you read the book blurb? I did, and still, when Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf makes his first appearance, “Oh shit”, was exactly my reaction. Me and a telepathic cat think alike.
Before the story gets to that point, there is a little setup. First of all, the Dragon Emperor has a new face. One that Kimber is willing to follow. As Ari Ranashov’s chief of security, Kimber FitzWarren has her job cut out for her. Constant vigilance is required. That is where her cyber-enhancements come in handy. And the alien symbiont that heals pretty much any injury is good to have too. Both features have become vital tools in her risky occupation. Kimber is one cool security chief.
You get a sense that the threat of trouble is ever present. Wolf Youngblood, as the emperor’s military Triumvir is also concerned with security. Between Kimber and Wolf, all threats must be dealt with.
But this time, the threat is Wolf himself. And the nasty bit of bad guy that messed with Wolf. Janos Tritico, who first appeared in A Hero for The Empire, is back and is pulling more strings, causing more problems and just generally, making a huge nuisance of himself. And where Tritico goes, so do the Tzraka, the nasty giant bugs. The bugs are still a bit of a mystery, but every little bit one learns about them causes a shiver. I don’t think they are good for humanity.
The best part of Cypher is the character of Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf. Wolf is a complex character before the addition of what is basically an AI in his body. I find the relationship between the two intelligences to be fascinating. Wolf’s struggle with his body hijacker consumes a large part of the plot and is at the same time an engrossing study of two characters.
The relationship between Kimber and Wolf is intense. If you’ve read A Hero for the Empire, you are aware of everything these two went through to get to the point they are now. Very much in love, each devoted to the other. So when Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf showed up it was a real heartbreaker for Kimber. I truly felt the difficulty that Kimber experienced doing her job, tracking down her love, while all the time, there is a possibility she will have to hurt him or worse. This bit made my eyes water:
“Fitz slid down the slippery tiles into a tight ball of misery. The warm water running down her face disguised her tears. In the short time she’d known Wolf, she’d cried more than the rest of her life combined, because now she had something precious to lose.”
“Oh shit, we are so screwed.” I know, I already quoted Jumper, but I get such a kick out of that line, because it is coming from a cat. I love Jumper and his ability to state the obvious. His observations and telepathic comments (hence the italics) are always entertaining.
“….when the Emperor says she’s bringing her cat, all a ship’s captain can say about it is ‘What kind of food does she like?’ You’re along to accompany Faydra.” “Guess that makes me the Emperor’s cat’s consort, huh?” He stood and stretched. “I could get used to being a kept cat.” ”
Jumper is not really a kept cat. He really earns his keep. He is Kimber’s eyes, ears, and intuition in dicey situations. His ability to communicate telepathically is ever so handy. Jumper is one cool cat, hence his affiliation with a cool security chief.
There was a lot of tea with cream and sugar in this book. It happens to be favorite morning beverage, so I am very pleased to know that tea, cream and sugar are easily obtained in the futuristic world of the Late Scyran Empire. There are just enough earthisms in the story to make it accessible but not too many. The futuristic homeworld of the empire is majestic and gritty – the perfect backdrop for this story.
Like A Hero for the Empire, Cypher begins with a Late Scyran Empire definition:
“Cypher. (Late Scyran Empire— 532 to 893 ER) (1) n. A secret way of writing; a code (2) n. A person of no importance, especially one who does the bidding of another and seems to have no will of their own. (3) v. Military. To erase all records of an individual, rendering them nonexistent.”
These definitions are stage-setters and should not be passed over. Which definition applies in his book? Hmm. That is for you to determine.
I think Cypher is even better than A Hero for the Empire, which I loved. The characters are complex and the plot is rich with galactic possibilities. There is non-stop scifi action, gut-wrenching emotion and plenty of twists and turns in the plot. While it is a continuation of book 1 in The Dragon’s Bidding series, Cypher is a stand-alone story. Cypher is a new book for my favorites shelf. I. Love. This. Series!
Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.
Said Jumper. Jumper is a cat. Well, he is a bit more advanced than the typical house cats many of us serve in our own homes. But, you know, still a cat. Cats are easy going. Seemingly lazy. Sleep a lot. And assume we humans will take care of them. So when Jumper is concerned, there is likely to be a crisis brewing.
He is not wrong. Did you read the book blurb? I did, and still, when Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf makes his first appearance, “Oh shit”, was exactly my reaction. Me and a telepathic cat think alike.
Before the story gets to that point, there is a little setup. First of all, the Dragon Emperor has a new face. One that Kimber is willing to follow. As Ari Ranashov’s chief of security, Kimber FitzWarren has her job cut out for her. Constant vigilance is required. That is where her cyber-enhancements come in handy. And the alien symbiont that heals pretty much any injury is good to have too. Both features have become vital tools in her risky occupation. Kimber is one cool security chief.
You get a sense that the threat of trouble is ever present. Wolf Youngblood, as the emperor’s military Triumvir is also concerned with security. Between Kimber and Wolf, all threats must be dealt with.
But this time, the threat is Wolf himself. And the nasty bit of bad guy that messed with Wolf. Janos Tritico, who first appeared in A Hero for The Empire, is back and is pulling more strings, causing more problems and just generally, making a huge nuisance of himself. And where Tritico goes, so do the Tzraka, the nasty giant bugs. The bugs are still a bit of a mystery, but every little bit one learns about them causes a shiver. I don’t think they are good for humanity.
The best part of Cypher is the character of Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf. Wolf is a complex character before the addition of what is basically an AI in his body. I find the relationship between the two intelligences to be fascinating. Wolf’s struggle with his body hijacker consumes a large part of the plot and is at the same time an engrossing study of two characters.
The relationship between Kimber and Wolf is intense. If you’ve read A Hero for the Empire, you are aware of everything these two went through to get to the point they are now. Very much in love, each devoted to the other. So when Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf showed up it was a real heartbreaker for Kimber. I truly felt the difficulty that Kimber experienced doing her job, tracking down her love, while all the time, there is a possibility she will have to hurt him or worse. This bit made my eyes water:
“Fitz slid down the slippery tiles into a tight ball of misery. The warm water running down her face disguised her tears. In the short time she’d known Wolf, she’d cried more than the rest of her life combined, because now she had something precious to lose.”
“Oh shit, we are so screwed.” I know, I already quoted Jumper, but I get such a kick out of that line, because it is coming from a cat. I love Jumper and his ability to state the obvious. His observations and telepathic comments (hence the italics) are always entertaining.
“….when the Emperor says she’s bringing her cat, all a ship’s captain can say about it is ‘What kind of food does she like?’ You’re along to accompany Faydra.” “Guess that makes me the Emperor’s cat’s consort, huh?” He stood and stretched. “I could get used to being a kept cat.” ”
Jumper is not really a kept cat. He really earns his keep. He is Kimber’s eyes, ears, and intuition in dicey situations. His ability to communicate telepathically is ever so handy. Jumper is one cool cat, hence his affiliation with a cool security chief.
There was a lot of tea with cream and sugar in this book. It happens to be favorite morning beverage, so I am very pleased to know that tea, cream and sugar are easily obtained in the futuristic world of the Late Scyran Empire. There are just enough earthisms in the story to make it accessible but not too many. The futuristic homeworld of the empire is majestic and gritty – the perfect backdrop for this story.
Like A Hero for the Empire, Cypher begins with a Late Scyran Empire definition:
“Cypher. (Late Scyran Empire— 532 to 893 ER) (1) n. A secret way of writing; a code (2) n. A person of no importance, especially one who does the bidding of another and seems to have no will of their own. (3) v. Military. To erase all records of an individual, rendering them nonexistent.”
These definitions are stage-setters and should not be passed over. Which definition applies in his book? Hmm. That is for you to determine.
I think Cypher is even better than A Hero for the Empire, which I loved. The characters are complex and the plot is rich with galactic possibilities. There is non-stop scifi action, gut-wrenching emotion and plenty of twists and turns in the plot. While it is a continuation of book 1 in The Dragon’s Bidding series, Cypher is a stand-alone story. Cypher is a new book for my favorites shelf. I. Love. This. Series!
Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.
August 9, 2021
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in The Dragon’s Bidding series, and it cannot be read as a stand-alone. You NEED to read A Hero For an Empire before this one and I would recommend you read them back to back. It’s been 4 years since I read the first one, and I think that’s why I feel as I do about this one. I did not have time to reread book one before reading this one!
I found this a much more difficult read, to follow. It’s heavy on the technical stuff and at times I struggled to keep up.
It moves fast, and even though I had to slow down my reading (which is usually a good thing!) I still struggled a bit.
Fitz and Wolf’s relationship is intense in book one, and that flows over into this one. That fact, and the fact we meet Cypher here, are what made me able to finish this book.
Cypher takes over Wolf’s body, his muscles and his bones but not his mind. He can see what Cypher is doing and is helpless to stop it. He has to trust his love for Fitz, Ari and the others in his life will tide him through and THEY will get to the bottom of it all.
It is HEAVY on the fighting/violence scale. While I enjoyed that in book one, it was a not so much here.
Things are still not where Wolf, Fitz and Ari want them to be, and I expect it may take more than one more book to make it so.
I have Cypher’s book to read next, and given what happens here, I’m looking forward to that.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 2 in The Dragon’s Bidding series, and it cannot be read as a stand-alone. You NEED to read A Hero For an Empire before this one and I would recommend you read them back to back. It’s been 4 years since I read the first one, and I think that’s why I feel as I do about this one. I did not have time to reread book one before reading this one!
I found this a much more difficult read, to follow. It’s heavy on the technical stuff and at times I struggled to keep up.
It moves fast, and even though I had to slow down my reading (which is usually a good thing!) I still struggled a bit.
Fitz and Wolf’s relationship is intense in book one, and that flows over into this one. That fact, and the fact we meet Cypher here, are what made me able to finish this book.
Cypher takes over Wolf’s body, his muscles and his bones but not his mind. He can see what Cypher is doing and is helpless to stop it. He has to trust his love for Fitz, Ari and the others in his life will tide him through and THEY will get to the bottom of it all.
It is HEAVY on the fighting/violence scale. While I enjoyed that in book one, it was a not so much here.
Things are still not where Wolf, Fitz and Ari want them to be, and I expect it may take more than one more book to make it so.
I have Cypher’s book to read next, and given what happens here, I’m looking forward to that.
3 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
September 26, 2016
I loved "A Hero for the Empire" by Christina Westcott, the first book in the Dragon's Bidding duology, and couldn't wait for the second one! Cypher does not disappoint. It has everything SFR fans want: action, life-and-death stakes, complex characters, an engaging and well-developed lovestory, and of course, sensual sparks :)
I'm hard-pressed to say whether I love Fitz or Wolf more in this novel, not to mention Cypher himself! The story rolls right in from book 1 and continues on naturally. This is not a "sequel for sequel's sake." This is the novel Fitz and Wolf needed in order to evolve as a couple. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. No one writes a faster, tighter SFR than Westcott, and this is her best so far!
Jumper the telepathic cat *almost* steals the show a few times.... <3
If you're a fan of Linnea Sinclair, Susan Grant or Rachel Bach, you HAVE to read this book :)
I'm hard-pressed to say whether I love Fitz or Wolf more in this novel, not to mention Cypher himself! The story rolls right in from book 1 and continues on naturally. This is not a "sequel for sequel's sake." This is the novel Fitz and Wolf needed in order to evolve as a couple. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. No one writes a faster, tighter SFR than Westcott, and this is her best so far!
Jumper the telepathic cat *almost* steals the show a few times.... <3
If you're a fan of Linnea Sinclair, Susan Grant or Rachel Bach, you HAVE to read this book :)
September 13, 2016
This series has been a fun read so far although I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. It was still a good read, it just felt a little slower than the first in my opinion. However, I like that the author doesn't get too carried away with the romance at the expense of the rest of the story, which I find sometimes happens with sci-fi-romance. The only trouble I had with this book was that it has been a while since I read the first book and it took me a while to remember the whole background and various characters. I had to finally go back and skim through the first. All in all though, it was a good read.
August 28, 2016
Romance and space opera, adult oriented
This is the second book in a fun series. The series is an interesting mix of romance and space opera. There are adult oriented sex scenes, and a fair amount of violence. These are tempered with interesting characters, a psychic cat, and love.
This is the second book in a fun series. The series is an interesting mix of romance and space opera. There are adult oriented sex scenes, and a fair amount of violence. These are tempered with interesting characters, a psychic cat, and love.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews