What do you think?
Rate this book
Mercury's Orbit
"This is a previously-published edition of ASIN B075C3L5PK”.
Sometimes, falling in love means falling apart.
Mercury Fie is a freak of many natures, created in a lab. Driven by desires and the imaginary fairies in his brain, he is directed by a moral compass set in the land of make-believe. Feared by criminals, hated by cops, and adored by the public, Mercury rules his illegal empire with a velvet fist and violent temper.
Sean Argeneau is a good cop. Coming from a less-than-perfect childhood, he's the poster boy for overachievement and quiet humility. Although he makes little mention of his part in capturing the notorious Mercury Fie, he's tasked with transporting the mob boss to trial. As a former Federation pilot, Sean is no stranger to space travel, but the sickness he gets from jump-gates has kept him grounded.
Sean’s cynicism turns out to be his saving grace when everything that could possibly go wrong, does. He wakes up bound by police-issue handcuffs, and staring down the barrel of his own gun. Being a good cop hasn’t prepared him for surviving this insanely bad situation, and Mercury goes beyond any brand of crazy Sean has ever met.
When survival clashes with duty, both men must abandon their agendas to stay alive. But to make it work, Sean must succumb to a little bit of crazy, while Mercury struggles to understand what it's like to be sane.
Sometimes, falling in love means falling apart.
Mercury Fie is a freak of many natures, created in a lab. Driven by desires and the imaginary fairies in his brain, he is directed by a moral compass set in the land of make-believe. Feared by criminals, hated by cops, and adored by the public, Mercury rules his illegal empire with a velvet fist and violent temper.
Sean Argeneau is a good cop. Coming from a less-than-perfect childhood, he's the poster boy for overachievement and quiet humility. Although he makes little mention of his part in capturing the notorious Mercury Fie, he's tasked with transporting the mob boss to trial. As a former Federation pilot, Sean is no stranger to space travel, but the sickness he gets from jump-gates has kept him grounded.
Sean’s cynicism turns out to be his saving grace when everything that could possibly go wrong, does. He wakes up bound by police-issue handcuffs, and staring down the barrel of his own gun. Being a good cop hasn’t prepared him for surviving this insanely bad situation, and Mercury goes beyond any brand of crazy Sean has ever met.
When survival clashes with duty, both men must abandon their agendas to stay alive. But to make it work, Sean must succumb to a little bit of crazy, while Mercury struggles to understand what it's like to be sane.
286 pages, ebook
First published September 2, 2017
22 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Lia Black
10 books145 followersLia Black tends to do everything the hard way; beginning with being born backwards into the world and now raising a teenage daughter by herself in conservative Upstate NY. Her career choices are no less extreme, including occupations of fine artist, computer geek, firefighter, and mortician’s assistant— just to name a few.
A fellow Author describes Black's mind as "a glorious kaleidoscope of f*ckeduppery"; she loves the challenge of writing about people who probably have no business being together on the same planet, and who occasionally deal with questionable sanity/morality. It’s fun to glue broken things together and try to make something interesting and new.
--She especially loves broken boys who have lots of fascinating pieces.
Her characters often suffer through the worlds she creates for them, which leaves them a little cranky and sometimes less lovable than others in a romance genre. Yet Black swears that someday, "there will be comedy."
A fellow Author describes Black's mind as "a glorious kaleidoscope of f*ckeduppery"; she loves the challenge of writing about people who probably have no business being together on the same planet, and who occasionally deal with questionable sanity/morality. It’s fun to glue broken things together and try to make something interesting and new.
--She especially loves broken boys who have lots of fascinating pieces.
Her characters often suffer through the worlds she creates for them, which leaves them a little cranky and sometimes less lovable than others in a romance genre. Yet Black swears that someday, "there will be comedy."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 30, 2024
re-read 11/2024
So, I just had to reread this gem, I've been carrying Mercury with me since the first read and just missed his crazy mind.
first read 6/2023
One of the best books ever. Oh my goodness that was so extraordinary 💜💜💜
Rain, thank you for bringing this perfect piece of space opera to my attention. 😘😘😘
I don't even know where to start, maybe at the end ... oh, the last 30 percent or so cost me a lot of tissues. 🤧 I was always a little angsty throughout the book, but I didn't expect it to get so touching. Oh boy, that letter ... 🤧 Oh dear, I'm babbling and you don't even understand what I'm talking about.
Taking a deep breath.
Mercury Fie is a gene experiment and therefore he is not quite "normal" mentally to put it nicely ...
“If you wear red, how can I see the blood?”
He's slightly unhinged, but once you understand him, you get why he's like that and oh I just love him. And also he has purple eyes and silver hair, hello, what's not to love.
Sean is a no-nonsense cop who is just doing his job. He's grumpy with a soft heart, though he doesn't know it, but Mercury immediately recognizes his special soul.
The plot is action-packed with quite a good amount of violence. Wonderful world building. Also, the relationship between the two MCs evolves positively only later, you should be prepared for non-con and rape. I consider it an amazing achievement of the author that despite the negative parts something so beautiful could unfold.
“You are a fucked-up, spoiled brat,” Sean said. He looked angry, but more than that, Mercury thought he detected a note of disappointment.
“Yes,” he agreed, regardless. Everyone knew that. Everyone knew that he was deranged; that his thinking was narcissistic, his motivations arrogant and insane. Sadly, he’d hoped that Sean might know more by now.
So, by all means, don't expect a sex-filled story. If the two have consensual sex later in the book, that's great and hot, but that's not the main ingredient of this story. This is purely about love that blossoms under very difficult circumstances and actually seems impossible.
There was no later. This was his last chance to know what it was like to be loved, even if Sean couldn’t be in love with him. 😢😢😢
Yes there is a HEA, but you don't really believe in it until the very last pages.
So, I just had to reread this gem, I've been carrying Mercury with me since the first read and just missed his crazy mind.
first read 6/2023
One of the best books ever. Oh my goodness that was so extraordinary 💜💜💜
Rain, thank you for bringing this perfect piece of space opera to my attention. 😘😘😘
I don't even know where to start, maybe at the end ... oh, the last 30 percent or so cost me a lot of tissues. 🤧 I was always a little angsty throughout the book, but I didn't expect it to get so touching. Oh boy, that letter ... 🤧 Oh dear, I'm babbling and you don't even understand what I'm talking about.
Taking a deep breath.
Mercury Fie is a gene experiment and therefore he is not quite "normal" mentally to put it nicely ...
“If you wear red, how can I see the blood?”
He's slightly unhinged, but once you understand him, you get why he's like that and oh I just love him. And also he has purple eyes and silver hair, hello, what's not to love.
Sean is a no-nonsense cop who is just doing his job. He's grumpy with a soft heart, though he doesn't know it, but Mercury immediately recognizes his special soul.
The plot is action-packed with quite a good amount of violence. Wonderful world building. Also, the relationship between the two MCs evolves positively only later, you should be prepared for non-con and rape. I consider it an amazing achievement of the author that despite the negative parts something so beautiful could unfold.
“You are a fucked-up, spoiled brat,” Sean said. He looked angry, but more than that, Mercury thought he detected a note of disappointment.
“Yes,” he agreed, regardless. Everyone knew that. Everyone knew that he was deranged; that his thinking was narcissistic, his motivations arrogant and insane. Sadly, he’d hoped that Sean might know more by now.
So, by all means, don't expect a sex-filled story. If the two have consensual sex later in the book, that's great and hot, but that's not the main ingredient of this story. This is purely about love that blossoms under very difficult circumstances and actually seems impossible.
There was no later. This was his last chance to know what it was like to be loved, even if Sean couldn’t be in love with him. 😢😢😢
Yes there is a HEA, but you don't really believe in it until the very last pages.
May 16, 2023
“Am I so broken?” The sound of Mercury’s voice was high and soft.
“Tragically so,” Sean sighed. “But I don’t think it’s all your fault.”
I’m going to have a difficult time describing the reasons I loved his story so much.
✔️Genetically manipulated lab creation
✔️Law-abiding space cop
✔️Character heavy plot
✔️No confusing world building
✔️Gorgeous MM love story of two opposites
✔️Age gap
✔️Ends with a HEA/HFN
Genetically enhanced Mercury (22) is a morally grey character. A children’s cartoon is his moral compass, he is constantly processing interactions. The story opens with him blowing up a building filled with wealthy patrons. He is captured, sedated, and quickly shipped off planet. To the every day people, he is a bit of a hero. Mercury is like a sci-fi avenging angel, or a futuristic Robin Hood.
Police Sergeant Sean Argeneau (36) is a highly decorated officer who has turned down many promotions. He feels he can better help his community in his role, not to mention he sees how corrupt some of his superiors are.
When Sean is asked to transport Mercury to the Intergalactic Tribunal, where he’d be formally sentenced, he doesn’t question it. Naturally, bad shit happens and the two men end up on a planet, running from hired mercenaries.
Sean used the words psychopath and sociopath interchangeably, because frankly there were only so many epithets for Mercury’s brand of nuts.
Slowly, Mercury realizes Sean isn’t his enemy, and Sean begins to see that everything isn’t as black-and-white as he’s always thought.
The story is a perfect balance between action and adventure, romance and intimacy, angst and emotional healing. My only complaint is that I wish there was an epilogue, or even a second book with these two. I needed to know more about the lab and other creations.
Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi, unique storytelling, MM romance, and a beautiful ending that made me cry (in a good way).
While this is a love story, please be aware that there is one scene of on-page rape, and off-page description of severe child abuse, both physical and mental.
“Tragically so,” Sean sighed. “But I don’t think it’s all your fault.”
I’m going to have a difficult time describing the reasons I loved his story so much.
✔️Genetically manipulated lab creation
✔️Law-abiding space cop
✔️Character heavy plot
✔️No confusing world building
✔️Gorgeous MM love story of two opposites
✔️Age gap
✔️Ends with a HEA/HFN
Genetically enhanced Mercury (22) is a morally grey character. A children’s cartoon is his moral compass, he is constantly processing interactions. The story opens with him blowing up a building filled with wealthy patrons. He is captured, sedated, and quickly shipped off planet. To the every day people, he is a bit of a hero. Mercury is like a sci-fi avenging angel, or a futuristic Robin Hood.
Police Sergeant Sean Argeneau (36) is a highly decorated officer who has turned down many promotions. He feels he can better help his community in his role, not to mention he sees how corrupt some of his superiors are.
When Sean is asked to transport Mercury to the Intergalactic Tribunal, where he’d be formally sentenced, he doesn’t question it. Naturally, bad shit happens and the two men end up on a planet, running from hired mercenaries.
Sean used the words psychopath and sociopath interchangeably, because frankly there were only so many epithets for Mercury’s brand of nuts.
Slowly, Mercury realizes Sean isn’t his enemy, and Sean begins to see that everything isn’t as black-and-white as he’s always thought.
The story is a perfect balance between action and adventure, romance and intimacy, angst and emotional healing. My only complaint is that I wish there was an epilogue, or even a second book with these two. I needed to know more about the lab and other creations.
Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi, unique storytelling, MM romance, and a beautiful ending that made me cry (in a good way).
While this is a love story, please be aware that there is one scene of on-page rape, and off-page description of severe child abuse, both physical and mental.
June 16, 2023
This is a quite interesting space opera little gem and I enjoyed the hell out of it. And what’s more important , I LOVED Mercury to death!! FOREVER AND EVER !! He’s such an interesting character, from his physical appearance-tall, willowy androgynous with long grey hair and purple eyes to his psycho and whacky character lol He was amazing and my heart hurt for him. Yes, he kills, he kinda forces the other MC to fuck him, and he is unhinged yet you couldn’t help loving him, hurting for him because he was such a lost and lonely soul . And what does it say about me that I had a hard time liking the other MC (the cop) ??? He was judgmental and self-righteous and kind of pissed me off for the first half of the book. He had a lot of daddy issues, ex-boyfriend issues and yet he was mocking Mercury’s past and trauma : “So you had a bad childhood, get over it” 🙄 I wanted to smack him. Ok, I might have been biased because did I mention I loved Mercury?? No? Well, I did. A lot. He was my biggest enjoyment in this book, a book that, sadly, had some things I didn’t quite like.
As I said it took me a minute to warm up to Sean. I know that Mercury wasn’t quite alright in the head but Sean not even seeing him as a human being for most of the book or calling him “a monster created in a petri dish” bugged the hell out of me. Also, I wanted more depth in the dialogues, I wanted Sean to really understand what Mercury went through and it didn’t happen. Yeah, he got used to his brand of crazy and he had a vague notion that Mercury’s childhood wasn’t an easy normal one but the author avoided to deepen the heavy subject. She kept everything superficial and conveniently resolved (like Mercury’s father being already dead, Mercury’s plan to off himself etc) and of course the melodramatic Hallmark ending -Mercury recovering from a gun shot in the head and Sean (who up until 70% of the book wasn’t even sure he liked Mercury ) suddenly took care of him for a year and kept himself stubbornly celibate, with a dedication that bordered disbelief . It didn’t feel like love, I don’t think he was there yet judging by their interactions up until that point. And yes Mercury’s letter was emotional but I think I wanted a more beautiful writing and a more intelligent prose because I couldn’t make myself to share a tear even though I adored Mercury. I have to confess I was annoyed that Evan was an on page part of the book. Sean still had feelings for him and he never said that he didn’t love him or that he doesn’t love him anymore. He regretted letting him go until the last moment so excuse me if I don’t believe in his epic love he apparently felt for Mercury.
Another thing I found unsatisfactory about the book was the fact that we weren’t explained anything about the world-building. What year it was, what happened to the Earth, how many planets and civilizations there were etc. I didn’t need a lecture but it would have been easier to grasp the context. The book wasn’t lacking to be perfectly honest but it would have helped.
Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable read , a dark-ish one with a psycho but amazing MC and a stern and sometimes misguided cop and of course an enemies to lovers vibe (it reminded me a lot of Soul Eater by Lily Mayne, without the cheesiness and the sex marathon) and I TOTALLY recommend it.
As I said it took me a minute to warm up to Sean. I know that Mercury wasn’t quite alright in the head but Sean not even seeing him as a human being for most of the book or calling him “a monster created in a petri dish” bugged the hell out of me. Also, I wanted more depth in the dialogues, I wanted Sean to really understand what Mercury went through and it didn’t happen. Yeah, he got used to his brand of crazy and he had a vague notion that Mercury’s childhood wasn’t an easy normal one but the author avoided to deepen the heavy subject. She kept everything superficial and conveniently resolved (like Mercury’s father being already dead, Mercury’s plan to off himself etc) and of course the melodramatic Hallmark ending -Mercury recovering from a gun shot in the head and Sean (who up until 70% of the book wasn’t even sure he liked Mercury ) suddenly took care of him for a year and kept himself stubbornly celibate, with a dedication that bordered disbelief . It didn’t feel like love, I don’t think he was there yet judging by their interactions up until that point. And yes Mercury’s letter was emotional but I think I wanted a more beautiful writing and a more intelligent prose because I couldn’t make myself to share a tear even though I adored Mercury. I have to confess I was annoyed that Evan was an on page part of the book. Sean still had feelings for him and he never said that he didn’t love him or that he doesn’t love him anymore. He regretted letting him go until the last moment so excuse me if I don’t believe in his epic love he apparently felt for Mercury.
Another thing I found unsatisfactory about the book was the fact that we weren’t explained anything about the world-building. What year it was, what happened to the Earth, how many planets and civilizations there were etc. I didn’t need a lecture but it would have been easier to grasp the context. The book wasn’t lacking to be perfectly honest but it would have helped.
Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable read , a dark-ish one with a psycho but amazing MC and a stern and sometimes misguided cop and of course an enemies to lovers vibe (it reminded me a lot of Soul Eater by Lily Mayne, without the cheesiness and the sex marathon) and I TOTALLY recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2018
2.5 stars
Mercury Fie will probably be an all-time favorite character of mine. I absolutely loved him. He was a psychopathic brat with a vulnerable and needy side that had me adoring him. As the story progresses, it’s bought to light why Mercury is the way he is. I applaud the author for creating such an interesting and unique character.
That said, the story fell flat for me somewhere around the 60% mark. I didn’t like how often Sean and Mercury were apart or the never-ending monologues. I was so bored and had to push through to finish. The ending was very anticlimactic. An epilogue would have been nice. Hopefully there will be novella in the future for these two.
Mercury Fie will probably be an all-time favorite character of mine. I absolutely loved him. He was a psychopathic brat with a vulnerable and needy side that had me adoring him. As the story progresses, it’s bought to light why Mercury is the way he is. I applaud the author for creating such an interesting and unique character.
That said, the story fell flat for me somewhere around the 60% mark. I didn’t like how often Sean and Mercury were apart or the never-ending monologues. I was so bored and had to push through to finish. The ending was very anticlimactic. An epilogue would have been nice. Hopefully there will be novella in the future for these two.
May 23, 2025
This book was a wild ass time and I can safely say that I was not expecting the direction that ending took! I would say to adjust expectations for people going into this bombastic sci-fi adventure it's better to approach it as a bit of a more campy sci-fi romp than a more serious affair.
Sometimes, I like to pick up books with kind of batshit sounding premises just to see how the author manages to pull them off and this is an example of one such book.
Mercury Fie, criminal mastermind and scientific experiment, is apprehended during a police operation and it's a foregone conclusion that a death sentence will be awaiting him once he is delivered to his trial. Sean Argeneau, ex-military pilot and currently decorated, morally rigid police officer, is assigned to Mercury's transport duty. However, after a hijacking attempt gone wrong, Sean finds himself a prisoner stranded on a planet and subject to Mercury's every crazy whim.
I can safely say that Mercury is the most batshit insane character I think I have encountered. This is not a safe sort of twee, cute crazy that books like this sometimes employ, where it's sanitised and convinient. Mercury is the type of crazy where I really struggled initially to see how a relationship or romance could exist of develop between the two main characters.
I should say that this is not a conventional romance and deals with some pretty heavy elements including noncon, dubcon, as well as some (open for debate) elements of Stockholm Syndrome and I don't think it would sit right for every reader.
I did find that the middle section dragged a little in places but nothing that impacted the reading experience as a whole.
This was just a solid, wild, dark, campy sci-fi prisoner romance.
Sometimes, I like to pick up books with kind of batshit sounding premises just to see how the author manages to pull them off and this is an example of one such book.
Mercury Fie, criminal mastermind and scientific experiment, is apprehended during a police operation and it's a foregone conclusion that a death sentence will be awaiting him once he is delivered to his trial. Sean Argeneau, ex-military pilot and currently decorated, morally rigid police officer, is assigned to Mercury's transport duty. However, after a hijacking attempt gone wrong, Sean finds himself a prisoner stranded on a planet and subject to Mercury's every crazy whim.
I can safely say that Mercury is the most batshit insane character I think I have encountered. This is not a safe sort of twee, cute crazy that books like this sometimes employ, where it's sanitised and convinient. Mercury is the type of crazy where I really struggled initially to see how a relationship or romance could exist of develop between the two main characters.
I should say that this is not a conventional romance and deals with some pretty heavy elements including noncon, dubcon, as well as some (open for debate) elements of Stockholm Syndrome and I don't think it would sit right for every reader.
I did find that the middle section dragged a little in places but nothing that impacted the reading experience as a whole.
This was just a solid, wild, dark, campy sci-fi prisoner romance.
October 5, 2017
Mercury Fey is as interesting as his name suggests. He is a lilac-purple alien genetically engineered in a space lab. He is a complex chappie, capable of having a rich imaginary fairy world and yet being a bad-arse. People and aliens alike assume he is a psychopath. When Sean-a kind of space cop- comes along to capture him, they are thrown together and this is where the dancing begins. Watching their relationship develop amidst the twists of the authors mind is a delightful and not altogether naughtiness-free experience.
Like all Lia Black books, it is not for the faint hearted or those who cannot appreciate a willowy lilac alien with purple jizz. I struggled for a gif here, which is sad. Why aren't there more?
The delight of the book is in the masterful manner in which the author unravels the psychology of Mercury and the interections (inter-erections hheeheh) between said good alien and Sean, space cop
I always think this author has a marvellous imagination. As always, I am both in awe and slightly terrified.
Like all Lia Black books, it is not for the faint hearted or those who cannot appreciate a willowy lilac alien with purple jizz. I struggled for a gif here, which is sad. Why aren't there more?
The delight of the book is in the masterful manner in which the author unravels the psychology of Mercury and the interections (inter-erections hheeheh) between said good alien and Sean, space cop
I always think this author has a marvellous imagination. As always, I am both in awe and slightly terrified.
December 5, 2024
Well, hell. Mercury Fie has just wormed his way into my heart.
July 12, 2023
This was an interesting and rather lovely story. I always hold a soft spot for the mentally unstable and traumatised characters - Mercury certainly fits that bill. I absolutely loved him and his backstory. This story had lots of interesting aspects - I would have loved a bit more, an epilogue or even a sequel would have been great. I still had some unanswered questions and felt like I wanted some more depth to the world building, what was there was really intriguing. Mercury was such a great, complex and flawed character, I’d happily read more about him!
This story has some triggers - non-con, suicide, violence, murder, traumatic childhood.
This story has some triggers - non-con, suicide, violence, murder, traumatic childhood.
April 7, 2018
4.75 stars. Excellent character building with growth. Lovely relationship development. Would have liked a little more world building for the aliens. Ending left a few things unresolved such as Mercury's brother Mars and their creator Sol Laboratories.
May 15, 2019
💥Wonderful 💫
***4.25 stars***
Warnings: Murder, attempted suicide and noncon. Also, flashback (no detail; just stated) of statutory rape.
Even with noncon (one scene I believe), sex was not the main focus of this story!!!!! So if your looking for a story you have come to the right place. IMO there is the right amount of balance in this story :)
I have to say that this one was a hard one for me to rate. Not because I did not like this book, but because of some unanswered questions at the end. Also, since I believe I leave 97% spoiler free reviews it’s hard for me to give my list of unanswered questions. Some are noted in other reviews if that helps. Or if you ask I will respond :)
I have to saw the character development and world building are wonderfully done. I love that I was able see what the author created. I will definitely look into her other works!
***4.25 stars***
Warnings: Murder, attempted suicide and noncon. Also, flashback (no detail; just stated) of statutory rape.
Even with noncon (one scene I believe), sex was not the main focus of this story!!!!! So if your looking for a story you have come to the right place. IMO there is the right amount of balance in this story :)
I have to say that this one was a hard one for me to rate. Not because I did not like this book, but because of some unanswered questions at the end. Also, since I believe I leave 97% spoiler free reviews it’s hard for me to give my list of unanswered questions. Some are noted in other reviews if that helps. Or if you ask I will respond :)
I have to saw the character development and world building are wonderfully done. I love that I was able see what the author created. I will definitely look into her other works!
Read
September 3, 2017Available on Amazon and KU! ☠
November 2, 2019
This is one of the few instances where the blurb does the work a disservice.
I did not remember the author's name (I have read a nice novel by her) and I expected a paper-thin light-weight. This novella is anything but.
It is M/M SF romance and there is a HEA, yes. The leads are both gorgeous and fall in love despite their star-crossed circumstances, check.
But.
Mercury is not a bit eccentric. A good guy with some flaws.
He is an actual sociopath who kills and rapes people. He has his good reasons and excuses for being what he is but there is no way around his behaviour. What is good is that Ms Black does not look for a way around. She hits full centre and lets her narration progressively unveil Mercury's past and motives. We get to know Mercury as Sean, the second lead, gets to know him.
Sean, though less sparkly, is also extremely well-rounded. The son of an apparently normal but disfunctional family, he is the kind of man who is smart but purposedly avoids asking (himself and others) too many questions because he knows he will not like the answers. He is straight (not sexually, mentally), honest to a fault and has a real, solid sense of what is right and what is not.
Characters' interaction is what drives this work the most and it is well done throughout but action scenes are not bad at all.
The plot flows and makes sense with just a couple of isntances where I actually thought the author sought the easy way out. This couple of loopholes pairs up with the few typos in a generally well edited ensemble.
This is not an easy read but it is well worth a read.
I did not remember the author's name (I have read a nice novel by her) and I expected a paper-thin light-weight. This novella is anything but.
It is M/M SF romance and there is a HEA, yes. The leads are both gorgeous and fall in love despite their star-crossed circumstances, check.
But.
Mercury is not a bit eccentric. A good guy with some flaws.
He is an actual sociopath who kills and rapes people. He has his good reasons and excuses for being what he is but there is no way around his behaviour. What is good is that Ms Black does not look for a way around. She hits full centre and lets her narration progressively unveil Mercury's past and motives. We get to know Mercury as Sean, the second lead, gets to know him.
Sean, though less sparkly, is also extremely well-rounded. The son of an apparently normal but disfunctional family, he is the kind of man who is smart but purposedly avoids asking (himself and others) too many questions because he knows he will not like the answers. He is straight (not sexually, mentally), honest to a fault and has a real, solid sense of what is right and what is not.
Characters' interaction is what drives this work the most and it is well done throughout but action scenes are not bad at all.
The plot flows and makes sense with just a couple of isntances where I actually thought the author sought the easy way out. This couple of loopholes pairs up with the few typos in a generally well edited ensemble.
This is not an easy read but it is well worth a read.
September 17, 2017
Full disclosure: I was a beta reader for this title.
The relationship between Mercury and Sean is the most challenging that Lia Black has written to date. For some authors, a 'broken boy' is a young man who wears black and mopes a bit, but Lia understands how to make characters who are truly damaged. They're complex, and three dimensional, and they have reasons why they are who they are.
Mercury's altered mental state is logical and consistent, from his point of view. Sean is trying to understand this mysterious man while dealing with his own inner demons. All the while, the two of them are dealing with events unfolding around them.
The characters adapt and evolve, in different ways, and there are some unexpected twists. For some people, the ending may seem a little unexpected, but it is very satisfying.
The relationship between Mercury and Sean is the most challenging that Lia Black has written to date. For some authors, a 'broken boy' is a young man who wears black and mopes a bit, but Lia understands how to make characters who are truly damaged. They're complex, and three dimensional, and they have reasons why they are who they are.
Mercury's altered mental state is logical and consistent, from his point of view. Sean is trying to understand this mysterious man while dealing with his own inner demons. All the while, the two of them are dealing with events unfolding around them.
The characters adapt and evolve, in different ways, and there are some unexpected twists. For some people, the ending may seem a little unexpected, but it is very satisfying.
Read
November 6, 2017I don't think I've read something by Lia Black that I haven't enjoyed. Love her books.
February 9, 2018
No matter how scientifically or technologically advanced we become, no matter where we go and no matter who we become, we will always be bound to the most raw traits that make us human. Our emotions. Love, sacrifice, and yearning of the hearts. - Himanshu Dubey (Interpretation of Interstellar's famous line : "Love is the one thing that we're capable of perceiving, that transcends dimensions of time and space.")
One is a virtuous and law-abiding sergeant yet lonely and living a mechanical and soulless life, Sean is his name. The other one is a mercurial and unstable psychopath with mixture races of human and aliens, stitched by his own father the mad and narcissist scientist as an assassin. His name is Mercury, the most wanted dangerous criminal.
For some circumstances that seemed odd at first but will make sense later, Sean was handpicked as Mercury's guard on his way to another planet to face his trial at Intergalactic Tribunal, only that the plan fell through because for some reason Dr. Sol the mad scientist wanted his 'product' back at all costs. By sheer force of will and his skill as an ex-pilot of war spaceship in the past, Sean successfully evaded the hijack attempt of Sol Labs in space and landed in dangerous fashion at nearest hospitable world in the system, Terra Huygen. Unsurprisingly, Sean was held captive by Mercury after that. So, their relationship started as mad captor and unyielding prisoner while they tried to survive in Terra with adequate rations and hiding from Sol Labs' militia at the same time.
Stranded in the forest outside the perimeter of civilization, Sean had no choice but tried to get along and to understand the lunatic's thoughts, and then bit by bit he got used to Mercury's mercurial temperament which actually had disturbing triggers behind it and felt sympathetic with Mercury's destiny. He realized he should stop seeing life in black and white because there is so much hiding amongst the greys.
On the other hand, Mercury had planned to use Sean as entertainment at first, but quite astonished to learn that his prisoner was not only feisty but kind and honest, the latter he appreciated very much because he's sick of lies and betrayals.
Somewhere along the way, the lines got blurred, and now they had this undefined relationship. Unlike Mercury's quick acceptance, Sean refused to acknowledge, at first.
My first thought, ah... Stockholm Syndrome. But later, around 90% I think, after the devotion show of Sean for Mercury which was awe-inspiring and breathtaking and tearjerking, I was not so sure anymore if it's a Stockholm Syndrome or not and I didn't care anymore. I always love it when my MCs are so devoted to their partner.
My only complaint is the appearance of 'All ready' instead of 'Already' for 61 times in this book and some mild typos. The 'All ready' was very annoying at first, but later I just ignored it as I was too immersed in the suspense.
I have to say, the first 40-45% was quite vapid for me at times, either it's because of its storytelling or my eyes weren't in their best condition as usual and sometimes had to stop reading for a while because it's too hurt to keep opening them and sometimes I had fallen asleep while reading.
But, after 45% it's a smooth sailing to the end. Again, either it's because of the storytelling or my eyes were getting better.
Reaching the end, my tears kept gushing like a waterfall. I love book that makes me weep like a baby. Crybaby, that's me. 😜
One is a virtuous and law-abiding sergeant yet lonely and living a mechanical and soulless life, Sean is his name. The other one is a mercurial and unstable psychopath with mixture races of human and aliens, stitched by his own father the mad and narcissist scientist as an assassin. His name is Mercury, the most wanted dangerous criminal.
For some circumstances that seemed odd at first but will make sense later, Sean was handpicked as Mercury's guard on his way to another planet to face his trial at Intergalactic Tribunal, only that the plan fell through because for some reason Dr. Sol the mad scientist wanted his 'product' back at all costs. By sheer force of will and his skill as an ex-pilot of war spaceship in the past, Sean successfully evaded the hijack attempt of Sol Labs in space and landed in dangerous fashion at nearest hospitable world in the system, Terra Huygen. Unsurprisingly, Sean was held captive by Mercury after that. So, their relationship started as mad captor and unyielding prisoner while they tried to survive in Terra with adequate rations and hiding from Sol Labs' militia at the same time.
Stranded in the forest outside the perimeter of civilization, Sean had no choice but tried to get along and to understand the lunatic's thoughts, and then bit by bit he got used to Mercury's mercurial temperament which actually had disturbing triggers behind it and felt sympathetic with Mercury's destiny. He realized he should stop seeing life in black and white because there is so much hiding amongst the greys.
On the other hand, Mercury had planned to use Sean as entertainment at first, but quite astonished to learn that his prisoner was not only feisty but kind and honest, the latter he appreciated very much because he's sick of lies and betrayals.
Somewhere along the way, the lines got blurred, and now they had this undefined relationship. Unlike Mercury's quick acceptance, Sean refused to acknowledge, at first.
My first thought, ah... Stockholm Syndrome. But later, around 90% I think, after the devotion show of Sean for Mercury which was awe-inspiring and breathtaking and tearjerking, I was not so sure anymore if it's a Stockholm Syndrome or not and I didn't care anymore. I always love it when my MCs are so devoted to their partner.
My only complaint is the appearance of 'All ready' instead of 'Already' for 61 times in this book and some mild typos. The 'All ready' was very annoying at first, but later I just ignored it as I was too immersed in the suspense.
I have to say, the first 40-45% was quite vapid for me at times, either it's because of its storytelling or my eyes weren't in their best condition as usual and sometimes had to stop reading for a while because it's too hurt to keep opening them and sometimes I had fallen asleep while reading.
But, after 45% it's a smooth sailing to the end. Again, either it's because of the storytelling or my eyes were getting better.
Reaching the end, my tears kept gushing like a waterfall. I love book that makes me weep like a baby. Crybaby, that's me. 😜
March 26, 2024
It's more like a 4/4.5* but I rounded it up because of Mercury. What a great character. I wish the ending wasn't so abrupt. I needed more time with them and it would be great to have an epilogue to see how they both settled together.
September 14, 2017
Very engaging story and 2 main characters I won't forget for a long while. Love Lia Black's writing.
September 18, 2017
I really enjoyed Mercury as a character. :D
November 12, 2017
Rating: 2 stars
I had a real problem with the two MCs in this story. Mercury does some really horrendous things at the beginning of this novel. It was really hard for me to get over the things that he does. That being said, there is a reason that he is so broken and by the end of the book he is a bit more sympathetic as a character. Sean is a much more sympathetic character. I just don't buy into Sean's feelings for Mercury. I don’t fully believe anyone would be capable of getting over what Mercury does to him in the beginning of their relationship. Even under the premise that Mercury was mentally unstable and not fully aware of his actions at the time, I would still think as the victim it would be hard to forget what he did and fall in love with him.
My other big complaint is I think that the story went on for too long. There were parts of it that I felt dragged on a bit too long. I think the story would have been better served if the story had been pared down a bit.
This is not a lighthearted story by any means. There really should be all kinds of trigger warnings attached to this story. Be aware that there is rape, drug use and excessive violence before attempting to read this novel.
I had a real problem with the two MCs in this story. Mercury does some really horrendous things at the beginning of this novel. It was really hard for me to get over the things that he does. That being said, there is a reason that he is so broken and by the end of the book he is a bit more sympathetic as a character. Sean is a much more sympathetic character. I just don't buy into Sean's feelings for Mercury. I don’t fully believe anyone would be capable of getting over what Mercury does to him in the beginning of their relationship. Even under the premise that Mercury was mentally unstable and not fully aware of his actions at the time, I would still think as the victim it would be hard to forget what he did and fall in love with him.
My other big complaint is I think that the story went on for too long. There were parts of it that I felt dragged on a bit too long. I think the story would have been better served if the story had been pared down a bit.
This is not a lighthearted story by any means. There really should be all kinds of trigger warnings attached to this story. Be aware that there is rape, drug use and excessive violence before attempting to read this novel.
September 14, 2017
Good, not great. This is a lengthy novel and I could not find it in myself to warm to both heroes; Sean's goody-two-shoes attitude does not really evolve nor does Mercury's psyche, which remains all over the place, and not in a fun way, for far too long. The prose tries very hard to be stylish and richly evocative, more or less deftly avoiding purpleness, but at the cost of a few irritating mispellings, the most cringeworthy of which is "all ready" instead of "already" (the adverb is not spelled right once !), and some wrong choices of words (for example, in "Since Evan had left, he’d thrown himself headlong into work, and when he wasn’t working, he was training his body to get better at working. A lot of officers his age had settled into the monotony of a desk job and let themselves go. Sean was determined to be in peak condition so he never had to retire from the cushioned seat of an office chair", 'from the cushioned seat' evidently ought to have been 'to a cushioned seat'). The three stars take due account of the literary gifts of Mrs Black balanced with her ambitious tale.
February 26, 2024
Something new
I really enjoyed reading about Mercury and his past life, both characters had a lot of depth to them and the story was a new and interesting read. It got a little slow towards the end but was very realistic. I liked the fact that Mercury wasn't your typical girly or macho character, he was just himself(a strong, courages and crazy man who likes to wear glittery nail polish. Why not?) which is refreshing
I really enjoyed reading about Mercury and his past life, both characters had a lot of depth to them and the story was a new and interesting read. It got a little slow towards the end but was very realistic. I liked the fact that Mercury wasn't your typical girly or macho character, he was just himself(a strong, courages and crazy man who likes to wear glittery nail polish. Why not?) which is refreshing
October 21, 2024
** 4.75 Stars **
This book needs a sequel!
This book needs a sequel!
February 6, 2018
It was perfect! Where did this book been hiding all the time?
The only reason it was like 3 months unread on my device as i didn’t like the cover and the summery was bit confusing.
There are still some unresolved matters...such as Sol, Mars, Venus....I felt like the last part at the court and the hospital was distraction...should have left it for another book (which I wouldn’t mind). However it doesn’t diminish the well developed characters and the depth of their relationship. This book needs more promotion!
The only reason it was like 3 months unread on my device as i didn’t like the cover and the summery was bit confusing.
There are still some unresolved matters...such as Sol, Mars, Venus....I felt like the last part at the court and the hospital was distraction...should have left it for another book (which I wouldn’t mind). However it doesn’t diminish the well developed characters and the depth of their relationship. This book needs more promotion!
December 8, 2018
I really liked this one. I always have a soft spot for the mentally unstable characters in books. Things really aren't what they seem with Mercury and I liked that he was so unpredictable,, sane but insane at the same time. I liked everything but how quickly Sean behavior changed after Mercury saved him other than that I did like the loyalty, love and willing to wait for Mercury to recover and then doing something so against his own moral beliefs.
February 25, 2021
A Dark Roller Coaster Ride of an M/M Romance
This book was not at all what I was expecting. It was dark and the romance was twisted and messy and the two main characters were fascinating. The author gets an A plus for creating the heck out of Mercury. He's probably one of the most complex characters I've read in a long time. I really hope the author revisits him and Sean someday.
This book was not at all what I was expecting. It was dark and the romance was twisted and messy and the two main characters were fascinating. The author gets an A plus for creating the heck out of Mercury. He's probably one of the most complex characters I've read in a long time. I really hope the author revisits him and Sean someday.
March 15, 2018
Wow
First off, triggers....non-con, kidnapping... That said, the perpetrator is not human, and lacks understanding of why what happens is wrong. Moving on, excellent story with evil corporations, lab born protagonist, love and finding out what love means. Thumbs up!
First off, triggers....non-con, kidnapping... That said, the perpetrator is not human, and lacks understanding of why what happens is wrong. Moving on, excellent story with evil corporations, lab born protagonist, love and finding out what love means. Thumbs up!
April 23, 2018
I dont usually leave a review
But I am a avid reader an often run out of good books to get lost in.I loved this book ,it has a little bit of everything and I have fallen for Sean an Merc.! I can't do it justice but if u don't read it ur missing out!
But I am a avid reader an often run out of good books to get lost in.I loved this book ,it has a little bit of everything and I have fallen for Sean an Merc.! I can't do it justice but if u don't read it ur missing out!
November 16, 2019
"'... and they were wise and right. Sometimes love hurt, they said, although this was a concept I didn't understand was not supposed to be physical. Dr. Edward must have really loved me.' He offered a crooked quirk of his mouth that was supposed to be a smile, and let out a bitter chuckle."
January 30, 2018
It never stops being amazing
this book was a amazing all of her books are amazing. I was captivated enthralled. I wish this story could go on and on!!!
this book was a amazing all of her books are amazing. I was captivated enthralled. I wish this story could go on and on!!!
April 4, 2018
This book was so frickin’ amazing 😭😭😭😭😭 full review to come!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews