The Android and the Thief

by Wendy Rathbone

Will love set them free—or seal their fate?

In the sixty-seventh century, Trev, a master thief and computer hacker, and Khim, a vat-grown human android, reluctantly share a cell in a floating space prison called Steering Star. Trev is there as part of an arrangement that might finally free him from his father’s control. Khim, formerly a combat android, snaps when he is sold into the pleasure trade and murders one of the men who sexually assaults him. At first they are at odds, but despite secrets and their dark pasts, they form a pact—first to survive the prison, and then to escape it.

But independence remains elusive, and falling in love comes with its own challenges. Trev’s father, Dante, a powerful underworld figure with sweeping influence throughout the galaxy, maintains control over their lives that seems stronger than any prison security system, and he seeks to keep them apart. Trev and Khim must plan another, more complex escape, and this time make sure they are well beyond the law as well as Dante’s reach.

Genres: Science Fiction, M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Fantasy, M M Science Fiction, Enemies To Lovers

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2017

About the author

Wendy Rathbone has had dozens of stories published in anthologies such as: Hot Blood, Writers of the Future (second place,) Bending the Landscape, Mutation Nation, A Darke Phantastique, and more. The book "Dreams of Decadence Presents: Wendy Rathbone and Tippi Blevins" contains a large collection of her vampire stories and poems. Over 500 of her poems have been published in various anthologies and magazines. She won first place in the Anamnesis Press poetry chapbook contest with her book "Scrying the River Styx." Her poems have been nominated for the Science Fiction Poetry Association's Rhysling award at least a dozen times.

Her recent books include:

"Pale Zenith," science fiction novel

"The Foundling," male/male romance novel

"None Can Hold the Dark," sequel to "The Foundling"

"The Secret Sharer," science fiction romance novella

"Unearthly," omnibus collection of 7 out-of-print poetry booklets

"The Vampire Diaries: The Myth," available from Kindle Worlds

"The Vampire Dairies: Deep In the Virginia Woods," available from Kindle Worlds

"My House Is Full Of Whispers," erotica short story collection

"Letters To An Android," science fiction novel

Upcoming very soon:

"Risque Science Fiction," short stories by Wendy Rathbone

"The Red Fountain, Where Vampires Come to Drink," short stories and poetry by Wendy Rathbone

Look for more novels and short story collections coming up in 2014.

She lives in Yucca Valley, CA with her partner of 32 years, Della Van Hise.

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so amazed! 
This story turned out to be my FAVORITE in m/m sci-fi! So beautifully and artfully written with a captivating plot and a heartwarming romance between a broken soldier and a young guy who wants to escape the tight confines of his criminal family.

I couldn't put it down until the very end.

Khim is an android. Not a robot like Commander Data in Star Trek, though. Khim is a vat grown human being who was 'born' as an adult man 10 years earlier and given generic memories of a non-existing family and childhood as well as the education and emotional reasoning of a 20 year old.



His purpose is fighting interstellar wars as one of a battalion of 'android' soldiers, killing enemies and destroying alien worlds all over the galaxy.

A battle wound, however, costs him his hand and it is replaced by a synthetic silver prosthesis that is able to touch, but not feel. Unfit for war, the military sells Khim off to a private enterprise.

Khim finds himself in a cage, drugged and prepared to perform as a sex toy in a high-end underground sex club alongside other 'androids' specifically grown for this purpose.

Khim, however, is not a pleasure android - he's never even had sex - and is unable to control his fighting reflexes when he is brutally held down and raped by a group of suit wearing 'customers'. His mind snapping, he kills one of his tormentors and finds himself beaten and sentenced to spend 70 years for murder in a space prison for dangerous criminals.

Glad that the fact he acted in self-defense is the only reason he is still alive, Khim faces another nightmare when he is paired with a young thief to share a cell: Trev Damico, son of the man who owns Khim and is responsible for his tragic fate...



This story simply blew me away.

I absolutely LOVED Khim! I came into this story expecting something totally different, since I too assumed an android was in fact a robot. Khim being a real organic person who was grown for a purpose gave the story so many possibilities, though, and it made Khim so beautifully relatable and vulnerable.

I also completely fell for Trev, who was a victim of his own father just like Khim, albeit in a completely different way.

Their complicated journey towards freedom and love was one of the most beautiful books in a sci-fi setting that I have ever seen! Also, the writing is simply spectacular. I've rarely seen a world come to life so beautifully. You gotta check this one out.

A 100% recommendation!!
5 stars and a place on my top ten shelf for 2020!!

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 2 out of 5]

87%DNF

I can see how a lot of other readers would enjoy this story, but it’s not for me. I’ve had this book on my “currently reading” way too long...months!. At 87%, it’s time for me to call it quits. Even though it’s well written and one of the MCs, Khim, stole my heart, I just can’t push through and finish. The romance is not only secondary, it felt like an after-thought and the repetitive monologues seemed endless. So, bye, bye book…

[Sydney Blackburn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I've been a sci-fi reader since forever, and I'm always on the lookout for good sci-fi books in m/m romance. This really wasn't it, for world-building reasons.

First, what I really liked about the story--both characters as described sounded ace to me, which was intriguing. Then Khim's asexuality was later described as a psychological problem, which kind of soured me. I guess they weren't meant to be ace, so my fault in reading them that way.

The other thing I really loved was the synesthesia Khim experienced under the anesthetic when he was fitted for his metal arm. It was amazing and delighted me and I was a little disappointed that it was just an effect of the drug and not a permanent scrambling of his brain from the accident. That would have been so cool!

What I didn't like. The world building or incredible lack thereof. Four thousand years in future, a colonized galaxy, and there's no finer meal than steak and baked potatoes? Humanity has colonized numerous planets and not found anything to eat other than Earth food? Scratch that, American food. Because the society is only slightly different from early 21st century USA. Roombas do the vacuuming. Jeans and hoodies are casual clothes. Tuxedos are formal wear.

Who the military is fighting is never really clear, it seems to be a never ending conflict with unspecified enemies that has no negative impact on daily life.

Women--there are no women in this world. The military has no women, the vat-grown humans are all male, the sex slaves are all male, the brothel patrons are all male, any figure in authority is male. Only three women are ever mentioned, all sub-ordinates to an Italian crime boss. Yeah. Four thousand years from now... did I mention the world building is pretty much non-existent?

And when Khim is described as having "won the genetic lottery" by being blond with blue eyes... eek.

As for the relationship, I only felt like there was any kind of connection between them after their escape. Maybe that was my fault for reading them as ace, I don't know.

To sum up, this was not a bad book (though I found it problematic in places apart from the lack of world-building), but it was a long, long way from the book I hoped it would be.

[♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 4 Stars
Audio book: n/a
Book Cover: 4 stars
MC1: Trev
MC2: Khim



I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review!! (Thank you Wendy)

I loved this book!!!!!

The setting is in the Sixty-seventh century with Vat grown humans called Androids. They are Vat grown HUMANS made of flesh bone and blood - NO METAL they have creative minds and a nervous system that feels pleasure and pain just like humans but with a programmed chip in the brain, and conditioned according to their need from military to sex toy. They have no rights and are owned by humans.

Khim the Android:
Khim was grown to be a soldier but after loosing his hand he was sold as a "sex-slave" He was programmed to obey orders as a soldier he's trained to handle any weapon he could make a weapon out of almost anything and then he ends up drugged with Zotic smoke (the drug aroused and made him pliant and paralyses his vocal cords and took away his aggression) in an exclusive brothel (owned by Dante) as a sex object... but what happens to him changed his life. You can't help but falls head over heals in love with this lost soul...

Trav Damico
Trav was adopted by Dante Domico. He was excepted as a part of the family by Dante and his other children without any questions but without giving away to much of the story...

From the outside world looking in, it must look pretty nice living on a floating island with everything you want and need at your fingers tips (wealth and power)... but is it??? Trav is so different than all the rest of the Domico's he has a moral compass that drives him to get away from Dante's control.....

I really enjoyed this story and HOPE LIKE HELL THERE WILL BE MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please be warn behind this spoiler you will have a vivid image of what I would like to happen to DANTE DOMICO in the near future. Please note this image may offence sensitive viewers and may contain graphic content of blood and gore.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked but didn't love this. Mostly because I really think it wanted to be a light fluffy read (and mostly was), but starting with a fairly detailed gang rape killed any real chance of succeeding with this. And I don't even think showing the rape was necessary. The reader could have known it happened without all the details.

Setting the need for the rape scene aside, I liked both characters. They were each cute and cute as a couple. I can't say I really felt any real chemistry between them, but I liked them. Beyond liking the characters though, I was iffy on a lot of the book. So many things pulled me out of it.

○ Being set in the far distant future or a galaxy far, far away but people still ordering pizza, dressing just like we do today and reading Bradbury.
○ The operas and such with names just a little off recognizable contemporary songs. I think it was meant to be cute, but it felt lazy.
○ The questionable idea that anyone could plan and break out of a maximum security space prison, let alone do so easily.
○ The coincidence of so many security setups had the exact same loophole for Trev to exploit.
○ How easily Trev could do anything and everything, bypassing any system in seconds. Somehow even accessing things that shouldn't be online at all.
○ The ending, where everyone is presumed to live happily ever after, but there is nothing to suggest the bad guy (phrased that way to avoid spoilers) couldn't find them just as easily as he did the first time.
○ The painful lack of women. Even situations that easily could have women in them were declared "all-male."
○ The question of how and why Trev was apparenlty the only one in the universe who easily saw androids as human, if he was raised the same way as everyone else. What made him different?
Similarly, why was he the only one in his family not to be criminally inlined if he was raised just like the rest of them.
○ The term android, the reader is told repeatedly that android isn't the correct term for androids, it's an insult, but we're never told what the correct term should be.
○ How much of it was written in tell, instead of show.
○ How little happened, considered it's 294 pages long.

All in all, I'll say this was a book I don't regret reading, but I wasn't blown away by it either. It was ok.

[Qin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much to recount about this book that a list of bullet points is all I can do at this time.

On the plus side:
- the terrific personality of Khim, the android;
- the deliciously warped father figure, Dante Damico, about whom one can hardly tell whether he is a sociopath or a ruthless paterfamilias with a deep-seated core of genuine love for Trev, his favorite son who bears his name (Trevor Dante Damico);
- the poetic quality of the descriptions (of space, the Damico mansion, the prison, the planet Gideon, the solitary cells);
- the low level of steam, more than compounded by two clever descriptions of gang-rape;
- the interesting take on sci-fi popular culture (the books and vids our two heroes upload into their brain during they sojourn in jail).

On the minus side:
- Trev's infuation with Khim from the start comes perilously close to insta-love and ought not to have been combined with his description as a bookish virgin (as if, with a family mobster !);
- the story suffers from being painfully white-washed (Khim "has won the genetic lottery" because he has flaxen hair with blue eyes; no blacks or asians or half-bloods of any kind are ever featured) and from taking place in an OK-homo universe (women and straights are nearly non-existent);
- there is no world building of any sort, and the use of advanced technology clashes with many details that are typically American of the twentieth century (food, working out paraphernalia, etc);
- the same plot contrivances are used again and again (water not being detected by laser sensors in three different locations ! the Damico family has the eyes of Argus and the good fortune of Midas);
- we do not get to delve much into the fascinating aspects of a love-match between a human and a vat-born male endowed with a 190 years life-span (the fanfictions shipping the TV show Almost Human are far more satisfactory in this regard);
- the style goes from poetic (in the descriptions) to flat and jejune (in the dialogues, but also in the action) in the blink of an eye.

To sum up: a fairly great first novel, which could have been awesome had some tweaking intervened and a good literary agent had piped in.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was such a good story!! I love fantasy and sci-fi stories and this one really hit the nail on the head, I've needed a good sci-fi for a while. The his a awesome world building, three dimensional characters and a great story line. The best part was I got my story with no insta-love, just a nice slow burn. I fell in love with Khim and Trev and was rooting them on through the whole book, so I was very happy when they got their HEA. Wendy left it open to easily do a sequel too, which is awesome because I would love to see more of Khim, Trev and their friends! I loved all the other characters too, they all gave this story a little extra something. The one I couldn't stand was Trev's father, Dante (he would have been thrown into space if I had my way!) This book took me about 4 hours to read in one sitting, yes, it was just that good! I will absolutely be waiting for more about this little piece of universe!

ARC was provided by author for an honest review. Thanks Wendy!!

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of unrealized potential, lack of imaginative world building, unresolved/unfinished ending. Nothing about Khim is “android” and Trev proves himself inept more than once. Author does a face plant in setting up a powerful soldier only to fail repeatedly in defending himself. And where were the women? This story needed more than just a line edit.

[iam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
The Android and the Thief is a heartbreaking and at times dark book that at the same time manages to be gentle and beautiful.

Trev is the adopted son of a big crime lord (think Italian mafia in space) and feels crushed under his father's tyriannical rule over him and his siblings. Despite his father's power, Trev manages to come up with a plan to escape the man's grasp - by going to prison.
Khim is an android. In this book, "android" doesn't mean robot with an AI, but simply a genetically engineered human that has been vat-grown and who was birthed at age 20 with fake memories. Following that birth comes intense conditioning (aka brainwashing) to either become a the perfect soldier (strong but submissive, following orders but never hurting other humans) or the perfect lover (meaning basically able to endure whatever sexual scenario). As might be obvious from that setup, androids don't really have rights - they are owned by "normal" humans. I suspect that this book plays in the same universe as another of the author's books, Letters to an Android, which has an almost entirely similar setup regarding androids.
Khim is a solider, but when he becomes injured the military no longer has use for him and he gets sold to the highest bidder, who wants to use him for what is apparently the only other option for an android aside from war: sex. Khim snaps when he is sexually assaulted while drugged out of his mind, kills one of the rapists and since he's an android with no right to defend himself is thus sent to prison.
Which is where he meets Trev, who has no idea there is more connecting the two of them than just being cellmates.

The book is very heavy in the abuse area. There are graphic scenes of rape and there is emotional manipulation, violence, humiliation, solitary confinement, extreme invasions of privacy, corporal punishment and child abuse. Due to their experiences, both characters experience heavy trauma which they handle in different ways.

Yet somehow the book isn't exactly dark. The mood was never oppressive or got too heavy for me, which was probably because of the beautiful prose. The writing is very good and has truly beautiful phrases, most of which describe the introspective thoughts of the two main characters. Especially Khim's mind is very vivid.

For the most part this book was 4 stars for me, but I ended up giving it 3.5 stars because of there are HUGE plot holes. One in particular is at the very beginning and I waited the entire book for it to get resolved just for it to never be brought up again. The ending, while sweet for various reasons, was anticlimatic compared to the excitement and high stakes before, and didn't particularly make sense to me either. So Dante, Trev's father, can figure out a super elaborate plan and ruin Trev's life that way, but he can't find Trev later when he hides just half an hour away in a house that belongs to the same person who tried to help Trev earlier but got found out??? Especially when this time one of Trev's siblings knows about it?

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the future, this is not really a novel about an android and a thief, but rather about a vat-grown human (no metal parts, except for a replacement hand--and we don't call Bucky or Luke androids, now do we?).

It's heavily implied that the thief, Trevor, is a clone/android of his adoptive father.

There were several things I didn't like about this novel, despite it being a m/m romance novel set in the future.

Firstly, there is a significant prison subplot, which is not a trope I enjoy and go out of my way to avoid.

Secondly, the "android" (Khim) is brutally raped (although not graphically) after our first meeting of him. (Something happened to his spaceship, causing him to lose his hand, and therefore his worth, as a soldier. So he gets sold as a pleasure slave.) Understandably, he snaps, killing his rapist.

This brings me to a third point that really bugged me: despite the fact that Khim is every inch a human, he, and all others like him, are considered subhuman, and not worthy of respect, rights, or free will. Didn't we settle this in The Measure of a Man? (And that episode concerned Data, who is definitely not human, but the conclusion reached is that it's not lawful to enslave someone, even if you created that person.) The novel also doesn't end with "androids" being considered human, or even not needing to be owned. Indeed, Trevor 'acquires' another android, in an effort to help someone who sort-of helped him.

There are also several deus ex machina plot points--such as the repeated ability of Trev to bypass laser detection by being drenched in water. It is understandable in his first scene, because the detector needed to not pay attention to an indoor waterfall. But it gets used at least two more times, and the reasoning seems to be "because".

There's also the feeling of insta-love, because the whole book seems to take place over the course of maybe two weeks?

Idk. The writing was pretty good, and I finished it, but I found myself distinctly unsatisfied.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Believable sci-fi in a future where slavery still exists and that moniker goes to the vat grown humans called androids. I loved both main characters as a reflection of myself. Demisexual book nerds who find a bond in the quiet time they share together is prison. Sure one is a thief and the other a murdering slave but they are also sweet, virginal boys and though the romance comes late in the story, it's touching and a forever kind of thing that warms the heart. The tension of the story was also nicely done and kept me "edge of seat" for most of the book. However, WR didn't give me a plausible reason why that tension should be broken at the end. Yes, it's a HEA ending, but really, I kept waiting for the other shoe to fall and the evil Dante to show up again. Could have been a perfect 5 stars for me had there been a more complete resolution at the end. Faked his own death, stole a star cruiser and left the galaxy, something, anything. But, SPOILER AHEAD: Living, essentially next door to the wicked father, in paradise with an escaped slave, mooching off of someone who is a contemporary of said wicked father, doesn't seem like the best place to end the book. I suppose this does leave open the possibility of a book two continuation of this story, which at this point, I need. Wendy get back to writing!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.7 stars. The ending felt unfinished because the conflict with Trev's father was unresolved.

Khim was all human and not an android. His emotional maturation was wonderful.

Trev came across ineffective. He was naive plus not very cunning in evading his family.

The world building was spotty.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: the story contains a detailed gang rape scene that may be objectionable to some.

Premise of the book is Trev Damico is trying to escape Dante Damico’s reach and influence. Khim is a battle damaged vat-grown “android” soldier who was sold to be a pleasure slave. Trev’s plan goes awry and instead of spending a year incognito in a white collar prison, he gets sent to maximum security. Khim goes straight from the auction block to the brothel, is drugged and raped, and subsequently murders a wealthy patron of the club. Despite his status as an android which should result in immediate death, judge and lawyer grant him leniency and send him to prison for life.

Much to Khim’s dismay, he’s cellmates with Trev, family to the people who orchestrated his rape. Trev is dismayed not only that he can’t escape his father, but he’s cellmates with someone who hates his existence. Prison circumstances force them to strike an agreement that will change both men.

As a scifi geek (and I have the badges from the conventions to prove it), I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I thought the plot was well thought out and executed, the world building was appropriate to the story line, and I appreciated how the romance was interwoven and grown as the characters moved forward (as in, the author avoided “insta-love”).

But I have a few caveats that kept this from a five star rating. A handful of quirks bounced me out of the story:
• The use of suits and ties, t-shirts and sweats, in a far future society and galaxy immediately yanked me back to modern day. With the beautiful job at describing Dante’s floating home the clothing was incongruous with the rest of the world building.
• The prison food – apples, green beans, potatoes. If you can create a floating house, create future food. Just skip the soylent green (geek points if you get that reference).
• Comparing the prison station to a black widow spider. Mixed thoughts on this – on one hand in a galaxy far far away, spiders might not be known. On the other hand, it is a readily identifiable feature. For myself, I would have preferred a description of an eight tentacled structure extending out into space.
• I struggled with the premise that a Soldier-android would be so quickly sold as a Pleasure-android. I would think a soldier would make a better body-guard, security-guard, whatnot. Granted, that would not have provided the impetus for what happened, but… there it is.
• And I did find it somewhat implausible that a soldier would have long hair, especially if they are using any kind of space suits on a regular basis.

My issues noted, I will say again I did enjoy how the plot was rolled out – each man was brought to the point in prison, desperate, lonely screwed over by their respective systems and circumstances. They struck a détente of sorts, built trust through honest friendship, and found something more. I really appreciated the slow build, the emotional roller coasters, and seeing each man come to terms with his feelings from his own experiences and perspectives.

A very enjoyable science fiction story indeed.

Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Nikyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on The Blogger Girls

4.5 stars

This was such a phenomenal novel! I’ve always been a huge fan of scifi and futuristic stories so when I saw this one, I just HAD to read it. Add to that a thief and an android and it felt like this story was MADE for me! I won’t go into too much detail about it because the blurb does a pretty good job of that but what I will say is that I absolutely loved Trev and Khim. For one, I loved that Trev was stuck in a life that he hated and tried to do something about it to escape it even though it was a cushy life. It was almost like he was in the mob without actually being in one and he was the thief of the family.

While I loved Trev, I ADORED Khim. I loved that he was an android but he was put in a shitty situation. It was cruel what they did to him and when he’s put into a situation that causes him to fall back on his combat training, it lands him in prison. It was so heartbreaking but I liked even though he didn’t want to be anywhere near Trev, he realized the advantages of sticking with him. It was interesting to see them connect and how Khim was like a big shadow while Trev was able to offer him protection. You’d think with Trev being a little guy, he would be the one who needed protection in prison but nope, it was Khim that needed it. As the story progressed, I loved that Khim became just a bit more human and seeing his feelings change from hatred to affection towards Trev was so sweet.

I absolutely LOVED this book but the ending wasn’t very satisfactory. Don’t get me wrong, I adored how it ended, very sweet and I’m happy with where they’re at BUT it didn’t make sense. Dante could find Trev anywhere so who’s to say he won’t be able to find Trev and Khim now? It doesn’t make sense that he CAN’T so I felt like that was a loose end that wasn’t tied up at all and wasn’t even explored. As it is, while it seems like an HEA, it didn’t FEEL like an HEA because of that reason so really, they’re happiness could be shattered again at any minute.

Overall, this was a great read. Scifi is one of my favorite genres so really getting into the thick of things and seeing how this world functioned was a huge highlight. Add to that, Trev and Khim bonding over being in prison together even though they were both in horrible situations made this a delightful story. I hope this isn’t the last we see of these guys because I’d love to read more of them but I’m really hoping Breq gets a story. He definitely deserves one now!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.75 stars

I definitely came away from this book with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the world building was wonderful and creative. A futuristic society with all the requsite technology, beautifully described so it was easy to picture and get lost in. I really enjoyed the world, and the way the author carefully explained the ins and outs so there were no plot holes. And I really enjoyed both Trev and Khim. But that being said, I found the pacing to be a bit off in places, and some of the narrative to be overly poetic, which pulled me out of the story time and again.

Trev is one of those anti-heroes that’s easy to love. Yes, he does unlawful things. But he also has a strong moral compass and a big heart, so there’s a limit to what he will do. When he forges the bond with Khim, you see his loyalty and you know he will stop at nothing to keep the man safe. Khim was also wonderfully drawn. As a vat-grown human, he has a particular way of speaking and his experiences and programming have shaped him in a certain way. I really loved his consistency especially, and his growth as he came to make his own choices. Together, these guys fit perfectly and it’s easy to see their connection and to believe that they will do whatever is necessary to keep each other safe. Their love grew from their friendship, and it was completely believable. Khim’s dislike of Trev at the beginning was solid, and I liked watching him come to like Trev, and then feel more, as he got to know the man.

Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.

[piranha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good ideas in the details (my favourite was probably the solitary confinement in the prison, and it was really well handled to show the two MCs had very different reactions to it), and I didn't mind that the romance was very slow-burn, which made sense for two people who started out as enemies with serious trauma. I also liked the Bradbury homage -- I actually think Bradbury has the sort of staying power that might have cult SF enthusiasts still reading him a long time into the future.

But overall there were way too many problems:

- There were no actual androids. For some dumb reason, vat-grown humans are called androids, even though they're not synthetic and have no robotic parts. Now, ok, humans are sometimes not terribly smart about labeling things, but the terminology is already so well established that I have a hard time seeing it go off the rails so much, especially since by that time there probably would be plenty of actual androids since we have some now.

- Where were the women? The writer usually writes Ok-Homo books, where women often don't even exist (like in her Omegaverse whose three genders are alpha, beta, and omega males). That's totally ok for erotica and erotic fantasy, but it's not ok for what otherwise passes as mainstream-y SF, unless there's a darn good explanation. There are a few women in this book, but they're nothing worth mentioning, and everything is overwhelmingly male.

- The world wasn't believable, because this is supposed to be the 67th century, but people dress and eat like today's Americans; flying cars aren't enough to build a world that far into the future. The security especially is very silly; the author has no idea how good security is already, nevermind how much better it will be 4000+ years into the future. Given that, it's also unbelievable that the MCs found so quickly the first time they escaped (which is explained as pure coincidence), but apparently never the second time when they're close by and on the property of a known associate. The book is basically full of handwavium because not enough research was done (believable SF requires a huge amount of research).

- It did not make sense to me that Khim would have been sold by the military into sexual slavery rather than growing a replacement hand for him. Clearly they are not limited to prosthetics, they have the tech to grow entire bodies, so of course they have the tech to grow individual body parts for specific people, and any military would want to do that as matter of course because there's loads of expensive investment in those soldiers that can't possibly be recouped by selling them because they were injured, which happens regularly in military action.

- I always have issues with one-dimensional evil. Dante is such a person, despite professing to "love" his children. He's a psychopath, he doesn't know what love is. I didn't find him a satisfying antagonist because I never once felt even slightly moved by anything he had to say; I just wanted him dead and gone.

- I like Khim, he's an interesting character. The author doesn't use the enormous differences between him and Trevor enough; all the adversity for the lovers is external, and once Khim recognizes that despite being a member of the Domico crime family who's treated him abysmally, Trev isn't like them, it's like there are no more issues between them. But there would be, with such extremely different backgrounds.

- Trev is too competent. He can do all sorts of wizardry to get them out of a maximum security prison, and away from his powerful father, and sorry, but I'm not buying it. At least he does get some external help, but it's all too haphazard and he has to take on way too much on his own on the go without much prep. It's like robbing a bank even today is actually damn hard and requires a lot of specialist work, and here Trev does something similar 4000+ years into the future with basically a PDA and a few paper clips. I mean, where did the parts come from to modify the remote to put the bots out of action in the prison?

- I could have done without the graphic depiction of gang rape. I'm not exactly complaining about it, but I always wonder how much that is gratuitous in a book like this where the rape is basically a plot device. It bothers me a bit. And I sorta need to see more healing at the end than I got here to make up for that.

- I don't want to make too much of this, but aside from being very male, the book also felt very solidly white, which society in 4000+ years will (very probably) not be. Especially eyebrow-raising was that the Android, described as blond and blue-eyed, had supposedly "won the genetic lottery" -- that was pretty cringe-worthy.

- The ending was anticlimactic and unsatisfying. Yeah, our lovers got to make out finally, but how can this be the end? I don't feel they're safe from Dante, who is just the sort of person who won't give up when he's been thwarted. Because he found them so easily the first time I can't believe he won't find them again. So this sort of feels like the happy-for-now setup for a sequel, but the book dates from 2017 and there isn't one, so this is it. I dunno. I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

- And one thing that seemed to me strongly implied, but is never elaborated on, even though it would make the whole "androids are 2nd class citizens" so much more poignant, is that it seemed to me that Trevor might be a clone of Dante's (that scene with Dante holding up li'l Trevor in front of the mirror, and his constant preference for Trevor over the other kids). See why I expected a sequel?

The writing was alternating between very expressive descriptions and quite awkward passages; it almost felt like two writers with very different skill levels wrote this together.

[Violet Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderfully Descriptive and Imaginative Book that is Unpredictable

The author did a fantastic job of describing and building her world and characters. I was immediately drawn in by Trevor Damico climbing a waterfall to steal a book. He’s a thief with a love of books and I had to like him from the start. Well besides the thief part, but hey no one perfect right. I love Trevor’s inner strength, vulnerability, his quick mind and his quiet respect to Khim.

Khim 18367 is a vat grown human, an “Android” which is a full human without any rights at all. They can be bought, sold, whatever but they have no choice or rights of their own. Khim is a soldier until he is hurt and then he is sold into a brothel. I think that the author shows her writing ability here when Khim is raped because you understand the trauma but she doesn’t put every little detail in. I like Khim’s speed, his ability to be patience, his memory, and how he is when with Trevor in the last half of the book.

Trevor and Khim end up as cellmates in a maximum-security prison. There are problems left and right and to top it off Khim hate Trevor. And poor Trevor is clueless as to why. One of my favorite parts of the book happens in the prison. It involves “red eyed” sentry robot guards singing (funny) I was laughing out loud and I don’t do that often reading. And another at a later point in the book is “Trev laughed under his breath. ”Wonderful the blind leading the blind.”” There is more to that but you will need to read the book to see it, totally worth it. I think this book was well paced and unpredictable and I loved that.

My only complaint is that it was a little rough in flow at times but only minimal I would absolutely refer this book it an entertaining and wonderful read. If you want characters that move you they are here, dozens of corners to go around to see what is next, action, villains, family problems, crime, futuristic environment, and surely hope then this book is for you.

[Danielle Gypsy Soul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mixed bag for me and I settle on 3 stars. There were some things I really liked but also a lot that I didn't. I really liked Khim and his story broke my heart but overall he didn't read as much like an android as I wanted/expected. Also the world building was non existent! Khim was a soldier and it seemed they were constantly fighting - but who? Where are all the women in this world - we only meet a couple of them. All the people and androids for that matter seem to be male. Also this is set in the future but so much of what people did (ate, wore ect) was no different than today. I liked Trev and was rooting for him but we never really got to understand why he turned out so different from his siblings. From the very beginning he seemed to think of androids as people unlike anyone else we met along the way. Where did this belief come from? I really didn't like the rape scene but that might be a me thing - I would have rather just been told it happened then to have it on page. My other issue was that Khim was a hardcore soldier who was supposed to be able to defeat people easily and yet it seemed he was rarely successful at it in this book. why did they not just knock the brothers out - if Trev didn't want them killed and escape. Them giving up made zero sense to me The ending had some issues as well as it was never explained how they expected to remain free from Trev's father. So overall, this one was just okay. It had potential but so many issues.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the far future, Trev, a master thief and hacker, makes a deal to escape from his father’s control. He finds himself In Steering Star, a floating space prison. He cell mate is a former combat android called Khim. Khim had been sold into the pleasure trade, drugged and then used. He snapped and killed one of the men sexually assaulting him. The two are not at all happy to be in the same cell, but soon find themselves making a pact to survive prison and to escape.

Trev’s father, Dante, controls all his children and Trev’s escape lands both him and Khim back into his father’s control. Love is a very powerful emotion and Trev plans another escape but this one must be fool proof.

The world building in this one was amazing. The action is nonstop and quite suspenseful at times. There was quite a bit of the future but still a thief is a thief. Trev was quite accomplished and could do just about anything if he puts his mind to it. His original plans did not work out as expected, but he met Khim. Khim had been injured and could not fight so he was sold as a pleasure android which should never have happened. It was like fate. His reaction caused him to be sent to the same prison as Trev. The story is rich in undercurrents and side actions which makes the story that much better. You cannot help but wish for a happy ending for Trev and Khim.

[Susan Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers, hurt/comfort Android and human

Khim is a vat grown human. He was given memories and knowledge to enhance himself as a military soldier. He has worked for 10 years as a soldier when he is involved in an accident that causes him to lose his hand. He is no longer able to be a soldier. He is then sold to a brothel. Khim only knows how to be a soldier not a sex worker. As a sex worker he is drugged then forced to comply. Khim rages against the men who touched him and attacks. Khim ends up in prison.

Trev was adopted into a wealthy family. His father is controlling and cold. Trev is more interested in books than people.ans he is an incredible thief and hacker. He arranges to get away from his controlling father and escape his reign. However, stuff happens and he ends up in prison.

Trev and Khim are cellmates in prison. They have to help each other to survive. They slowly start to fall for one another. Then they begin to plot their escape.

This story was slow slow burn. Khim hates Trev because of the family he comes from. But Khim needs Trev to help keep him alive.

I love the characters. World building is great. Suspenseful to see if they escape and if they can be together.

[Yaredi Pizano · Rating 4 out of 5]

We find Trev who has always lived through the orders of his father, making him the best thief and with Khim an android that is programmed for war but that when losing his hand is sold to a brothel. certain events mean that both end up in jail and sharing a cell, which leads them to form an alliance to survive that later becomes something deeper.
I really liked the way in which the relationship develops, as little by little the trust that leads them to friendship and then to fall in love is built. The way in which Khim reacts to physical contact reflects well what victims of rape suffer, as they have a constant struggle of what they want but still do not feel physically or emotionally prepared to do so. The characters know how to handle their strengths and weaknesses well. Each one is strong in their own way and they know how to make a good team to face the difficulties that are presented to them.What I needed was to know the reaction of Dante at the end and what happened with Breq, and to develop more the end. I feel that the end was very fast I leave several loose ends. I really recommend it.

[Bob Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wendy Rathbone has NEVER written a bad book. Ever. This is certainly no exception. I always know I am reading a great novel when I am immediately drawn into the story. This story is about an android, Khim, and a wealthy human, Trevor. Khim is a vat-grown human warrior who has the misfortune of ending up as a pleasure "toy" owned by Trevor's father's family business. Through a series of unfortunate events the two are forced to be together. The relationship turns from one of hatred to something more intimate. The book brings up ethical issues and pulls at your heartstrings. There are themes of mistrust, heartbreak, hope, and finally HEA love. Ms. Rathbone not only knows how to tell a good story but is one of the best authors at bringing you into the scenes of erotica and sensuality. As she takes you through the non gratuitous sexual scenes you almost feel like a voyeur because they are so well played out in the novel. Good grief. This really is a must read and is one of Ms. Rathbone's finest to date.

[Karleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have been reading a lot of middle of the road books recently and it was fantastic to finally get a book that is well written and has some nice twists and really engaging characters.

A lot of books focus on just the two main characters to the exclusion of all else making them feel really disjointed, but this book is well rounded in its world creation and I really enjoyed most of the characters introduced. Trev was my favourite character, and I really enjoyed his interactions and struggles with his family, it felt real.

The book is a nice length and it really left me wanting more stories from Trev and Khim.

I received an ARC copy of this book (thank-you so much!), and loved it so much I went out and bought 2 more books from the author! I would definitely recommend this book.

[Devoted❤️Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deal me in

Wendy Rathbone weaves a fantastic world in this sci-fi love story. The scenery sounds beautiful and I wish I could see it as long as I could avoid Trev’s family. Trev is super smart, resourceful and clever. If I ever get lost in space I’d want to have him on my side. I want a Khim of my own. He won my heart with his bravery, protectiveness and his prickly nature. While I wish they didn’t have to live through what they have, these two belong together and I know they will always be by the other’s side.

[Meghann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book so far this year. The writing was beautiful with beautiful descriptions of emotions. I loved both Trev and Khim and loved the slow build of romance. I wish there was a sequel because it really felt like the story was unfinished. There are questions that feel unanswered. I would love to see what other adventures this couple goes on and see whether they get their happily ever after.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved Khim, not so much anything else. The title is misleading. Khim is a vat grown human and not android, despite the metal arm. Also, 4000 years in the future and we can't improve on the metal arm bit? You can grow a whole ass human in a vat but not body parts? not to mention it was hinted that Trev is a clone of his adoptive father. It just didnt' work for me as a whole, poor world building, uneven pace, flat characters for the most part. Lots of plot holes.

[Anais Bergeron · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️😱

I was outraged at the treatment the Android's received the whole time and I really hope there is a second book about this univers. This was a slow burn, the characters were well though. There was a lot of SciFi but I still loved it.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So beautiful ❤

[Raffaella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Read-A-Book Everyday Reviews!!! · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Good but very king sci-fi romance
Enemies ti lovers
Very slow burn but worth the wait
Abrupt ending but an HEA