What do you think?
Rate this book
Second Species Trilogy #1
Blue Shift
The Earth is cold, dead and divided. The rich hide away from reality while the rest will do anything to survive. Humanity have only one hope: reaching a habitable planet. But getting there means travelling in large numbers through alien-held space, something that's politically nearly impossible. Yet for some, fighting their way through space is just a way of life . . .
Jinnifer Blue is a rich girl on the run. An expert pilot, she apprehends criminals on behalf of the government and keeps her illegal genetic modifications a closely guarded secret. But when a particularly dangerous job goes south, leaving her stranded on a prison ship with one of the most ruthless criminals in the galaxy, Jinn realises that the rich and the powerful are hiding more than she'd ever guessed. Now she must decide if she can trust her co-prisoner - because once they discover what the prison ship is hiding, she definitely can't trust anyone else . . .
Jinnifer Blue is a rich girl on the run. An expert pilot, she apprehends criminals on behalf of the government and keeps her illegal genetic modifications a closely guarded secret. But when a particularly dangerous job goes south, leaving her stranded on a prison ship with one of the most ruthless criminals in the galaxy, Jinn realises that the rich and the powerful are hiding more than she'd ever guessed. Now she must decide if she can trust her co-prisoner - because once they discover what the prison ship is hiding, she definitely can't trust anyone else . . .
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
17 people are currently reading
283 people want to read
About the author
Jane O'Reilly
14 books58 followersJane O'Reilly was born in the north of England, where it was quite cold, and spent much of her childhood huddled under the duvet with a book. It's also how she's spent much of her adulthood. She also likes Captain America, handknit socks, and biscuits. Find her at www.janeoreilly.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 22, 2018
Jinnifer Blue could have made this a worthy read if everything around her had worked as well. A feisty pilot with a troubled past and biotech upgrades that give her Wolverine style claws, she's a fun creation with a serious attitude.
Unfortunately, the story built around her was lightly done and bizarrely interspersed with wannabe porn sexscapades. The dangerous love interest has been lab modified with alien DNA and he's large in every way *wink*. It means his orgasms only make him more aroused *double wink*. A scene where he sexes a sex robot into pieces had me rolling my eyes so hard I was nearly broken.
On top of that, the whole book feels like deja vu. While that works somewhat in the book's favour, creating a feeling of recognition and a sense of the wider world that the writing itself doesn't merit, it also lowers the tolerance for the bits that go jarringly wrong. And there are more than a few.
Overall, a disappointing read with the flashes of potential hidden beneath the messy whole.
ARC via Netgalley
Unfortunately, the story built around her was lightly done and bizarrely interspersed with wannabe porn sexscapades. The dangerous love interest has been lab modified with alien DNA and he's large in every way *wink*. It means his orgasms only make him more aroused *double wink*. A scene where he sexes a sex robot into pieces had me rolling my eyes so hard I was nearly broken.
On top of that, the whole book feels like deja vu. While that works somewhat in the book's favour, creating a feeling of recognition and a sense of the wider world that the writing itself doesn't merit, it also lowers the tolerance for the bits that go jarringly wrong. And there are more than a few.
Overall, a disappointing read with the flashes of potential hidden beneath the messy whole.
ARC via Netgalley
October 8, 2017
Blue Shift is Jane O’Reilly’s first foray into (romantic) science fiction and I’m sure it won’t be her last, even after this trilogy is completed. A seasoned author, even if it is in new adult romance, generally knows her stuff, and O’Reilly did an excellent job applying her knowledge and experience to a whole new genre. While Blue Shift has its weaknesses, it’s perfect for those of us who like their sci-fi on the lighter side and their romance on the hotter side. Jane O’Reilly delivers both with ease.
Jinnifer Blue is an outcast wherever she chooses to go. As the daughter of one of the most powerful ministers, she is hardly your average freighter pilot. And yet, her body modifications and life choices make her very different from those residing beneath the Dome, those that usually surround her powerful mother. Given the choice, Jinn wouldn’t want to be around Minister Blue anyway. In fact, she used the first opportunity and went trough several painful procedures just to run away from her.
Blue Shift is delivered through multiple perspectives, and while I sometimes wished for a better emotional connection with Jinn, I must admit that the story was weaved seamlessly. I’m not one for switching between POV characters, but here it worked pretty well. It was important for us to see the political machinations of Jinn’s mother, as well as understand Dax’s motivations.
The book is heavy on the romance, which isn’t odd considering O’Reilly’s background. I’m primarily a romance reader myself, so it wouldn’t work for me otherwise, and I was overall satisfied with the progression of the relationship. There was, I felt, more than enough chemistry between Jinn and Dax for the relationship to be believable. I found myself deeply invested in their feelings for each other from the start.
Blue Shift ends with a vicious cliffhanger that made me wish I’d waited a while to read it, but all things considered, it’s well worth nail biting and anxiousness I must endure until the next one comes out. Regardless of the flaws, I find myself deeply invested in this story. Read it if you liked Grimspace by Ann Aguirre or Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers.
Jinnifer Blue is an outcast wherever she chooses to go. As the daughter of one of the most powerful ministers, she is hardly your average freighter pilot. And yet, her body modifications and life choices make her very different from those residing beneath the Dome, those that usually surround her powerful mother. Given the choice, Jinn wouldn’t want to be around Minister Blue anyway. In fact, she used the first opportunity and went trough several painful procedures just to run away from her.
Blue Shift is delivered through multiple perspectives, and while I sometimes wished for a better emotional connection with Jinn, I must admit that the story was weaved seamlessly. I’m not one for switching between POV characters, but here it worked pretty well. It was important for us to see the political machinations of Jinn’s mother, as well as understand Dax’s motivations.
The book is heavy on the romance, which isn’t odd considering O’Reilly’s background. I’m primarily a romance reader myself, so it wouldn’t work for me otherwise, and I was overall satisfied with the progression of the relationship. There was, I felt, more than enough chemistry between Jinn and Dax for the relationship to be believable. I found myself deeply invested in their feelings for each other from the start.
Blue Shift ends with a vicious cliffhanger that made me wish I’d waited a while to read it, but all things considered, it’s well worth nail biting and anxiousness I must endure until the next one comes out. Regardless of the flaws, I find myself deeply invested in this story. Read it if you liked Grimspace by Ann Aguirre or Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers.
October 29, 2017
2.5*
Blue Shift was an interesting read and I enjoyed it but very peripherally. Jane O'Reilly's erotica/romance background shows up within this, her first science fiction novel, occasionally just lowering the standard of the rest of the storytelling for me, because some of those scenes were not really plot driven and just seemed thrown in for the hell of it.
That aside though, the world building is interesting, the plot is fast moving and often exciting, but character development wasn't quite up to scratch for my personal tastes - the two main protagonists, Jinnifer Blue and Dax were well rounded, had depth and were intriguing - with the above caveat in mind I also enjoyed how the relationship developed between these two - but I felt the supporting cast were left out in the cold a little bit too much. Especially Eva whose particular difference was, I felt, worth exploring much more deeply than it was, with attention to her particular way of coping with her issues.
The underlying themes of power fueling ambition fueling power were very well done, Jinnifer's mother was another strong character and it sounds like damning with faint praise but this was a competent novel. Maybe it will help if I say despite the lower star rating given here, that is more comparatively speaking putting it up against other similar themed novels I've read in this genre - I will still read book 2 in this series. It sparked my interest enough to carry on and see what happens next. I'm hoping that the character arc's will widen somewhat and give us some more depth of perception to the lesser front of house characters.
Blue Shift was an interesting read and I enjoyed it but very peripherally. Jane O'Reilly's erotica/romance background shows up within this, her first science fiction novel, occasionally just lowering the standard of the rest of the storytelling for me, because some of those scenes were not really plot driven and just seemed thrown in for the hell of it.
That aside though, the world building is interesting, the plot is fast moving and often exciting, but character development wasn't quite up to scratch for my personal tastes - the two main protagonists, Jinnifer Blue and Dax were well rounded, had depth and were intriguing - with the above caveat in mind I also enjoyed how the relationship developed between these two - but I felt the supporting cast were left out in the cold a little bit too much. Especially Eva whose particular difference was, I felt, worth exploring much more deeply than it was, with attention to her particular way of coping with her issues.
The underlying themes of power fueling ambition fueling power were very well done, Jinnifer's mother was another strong character and it sounds like damning with faint praise but this was a competent novel. Maybe it will help if I say despite the lower star rating given here, that is more comparatively speaking putting it up against other similar themed novels I've read in this genre - I will still read book 2 in this series. It sparked my interest enough to carry on and see what happens next. I'm hoping that the character arc's will widen somewhat and give us some more depth of perception to the lesser front of house characters.
June 11, 2017
In the future the Earth is dying and society is divided into the elite who are genetically engineered to perfection and the Underworlders who are not and are left to scramble for survival.
Having left that behind to go out into space Jinnifer "Jinn" Blue is double crossed by her colleague and left behind on the prison station where she encounters Dax. Jinnifer and Dax have history together. Now they have to figure out how to escape with the help of each other.
I bought this as a paper copy Even though this has been on my radar there has been zero promotion actovity for it online.
Its a bit of a gamble but just couldnt resist it when I saw it there on the self.
One of the antagonists ,the colleauge of Jinnifer is depicted as an one-dimensional scumbag with no deeper exploration of his character.
This has turned out to be very hard to get into. Its just very confusing.
The blurb mentions that I would like this book if I liked the Rachel Bach books but since I havent read those its a moot point.It certainly seems as the Publisher is trying to target the same crowd as the covers are very similar.
All I can tell you is that this book did nothing for me.
Having left that behind to go out into space Jinnifer "Jinn" Blue is double crossed by her colleague and left behind on the prison station where she encounters Dax. Jinnifer and Dax have history together. Now they have to figure out how to escape with the help of each other.
I bought this as a paper copy Even though this has been on my radar there has been zero promotion actovity for it online.
Its a bit of a gamble but just couldnt resist it when I saw it there on the self.
One of the antagonists ,the colleauge of Jinnifer is depicted as an one-dimensional scumbag with no deeper exploration of his character.
This has turned out to be very hard to get into. Its just very confusing.
The blurb mentions that I would like this book if I liked the Rachel Bach books but since I havent read those its a moot point.It certainly seems as the Publisher is trying to target the same crowd as the covers are very similar.
All I can tell you is that this book did nothing for me.
January 26, 2019
Oh man do I love a good space opera so when I was given the chance to read this in exchange for a review I was thrilled. The introduction about the author was so charming that I found myself really rooting for this book to blow me away. Things seemed promising as we get thrown into some space-piratey exploits pretty much right off the bat.
If you like Firefly and Dark Matter, then you’ll like this book.
Our story is about Jinn Blue, a technologically augmented pilot for a freighter ship that is bringing much needed resources from asteroid mining colonies back to the desolate, frozen Earth. I loved the unique plot point of Earth being an arctic wasteland due to failed scientific efforts to reverse global warming. Although I suppose you can argue their efforts worked- just a bit too well!
There was a lot going on in Blue Shift from the getgo but it was written well and had a good flow so it wasn't overwhelming. I think the author could have cut things out and still had a great story though as most of the plot could have fit within everything just being a far reaching human colonized galaxy.
I also could have done without the graphic sex scenes. I get the author mostly wrote romance before, but it was so out of place here. It was quite jarring at times and I’m no prude. I suppose it’s a good way to get people who wouldn’t normally go for a genre to try it (romance to sci-fi and vice versa), but it did nothing for me. I just skipped over it all.
It sounds like I have a lot of bad things to say about this book but that’s not the case at all. It was a blast to read and I have been telling everyone about it. There are so many amazing elements to a fantastic saga here so I’m very hopeful for this series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to review this.
If you like Firefly and Dark Matter, then you’ll like this book.
Our story is about Jinn Blue, a technologically augmented pilot for a freighter ship that is bringing much needed resources from asteroid mining colonies back to the desolate, frozen Earth. I loved the unique plot point of Earth being an arctic wasteland due to failed scientific efforts to reverse global warming. Although I suppose you can argue their efforts worked- just a bit too well!
There was a lot going on in Blue Shift from the getgo but it was written well and had a good flow so it wasn't overwhelming. I think the author could have cut things out and still had a great story though as most of the plot could have fit within everything just being a far reaching human colonized galaxy.
I also could have done without the graphic sex scenes. I get the author mostly wrote romance before, but it was so out of place here. It was quite jarring at times and I’m no prude. I suppose it’s a good way to get people who wouldn’t normally go for a genre to try it (romance to sci-fi and vice versa), but it did nothing for me. I just skipped over it all.
It sounds like I have a lot of bad things to say about this book but that’s not the case at all. It was a blast to read and I have been telling everyone about it. There are so many amazing elements to a fantastic saga here so I’m very hopeful for this series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to review this.
August 7, 2018
Full review to be posted at The Book Pushers.
Once again I had another book languishing in my TBR pile and I wished I picked it up sooner. This was a very enjoyable and engaging SF romance with an interesting universe. I especially loved the chemistry between Jinn and Dax and the backdrop of pirates, evil political conspiracies, illegal alien hybrid experiments and an Earth that is dying that is filled with inequality has engrossed me from the first page. I'm glad the second book is already out!
Once again I had another book languishing in my TBR pile and I wished I picked it up sooner. This was a very enjoyable and engaging SF romance with an interesting universe. I especially loved the chemistry between Jinn and Dax and the backdrop of pirates, evil political conspiracies, illegal alien hybrid experiments and an Earth that is dying that is filled with inequality has engrossed me from the first page. I'm glad the second book is already out!
August 17, 2017
This wasnt a bad book or a good book. There are better books published that are similar in story. A very simple plot with unoriginal characters. Will definitely appeal to readers who dont read alot of other scifi.
March 9, 2019
I was clearly not the target audience for this book. But I could not have known that because both the blurb and the opening hook were misleading. I thought the book was a “SciFi Mystery Conspiracy about the survival of humanity, with ethical and moral choices”, while in reality it was a “SciFi Romance with erotic elements”.
And to be frank, it wasn’t very good. The characters were bland, only three had any kind of personality, and the romantic interest was just too perfect. The aliens were boring, and we didn’t get any good description of them (despite being practically up in their faces). Everyone always instantly came to the correct conclusion, they just happened to always guess the right answer, and there were no disagreements or arguments. The “big reveals” weren’t that surprising, while the actual big reveals were haphazardly thrown into random paragraphs with no buildup or reactions. I never really got a feeling for what the current goal was, so I never got invested in the characters doing stuff.
There were also a lot of strange editing choices, like the paragraph order; I would like to know about the deadly gas -before- you tried to make me feel like the characters were in danger. There were exposition dumps/backstory right in the middle of tense moments, completely ruining the tension. A general lack of description of relevant things, so I couldn't get a clear picture of what was going on, or how something works. I need to know what a character can and cannot do, or there'll be no tension. But the exact opposite was also true: Detailed description of irrelevant things, like exactly who sit next to who around a table. The action scenes were confusing, I had no idea what was going on, and some scenes were skipped with a single sentence “He killed the three men”. And there were a lot of instantly skipping to the next scene without transitions, causing confusion and a feeling of teleportation.
It felt like I was reading a draft for a -movie-, complete with jump cuts, and not a published book.
If I have to say something positive about this book, I’d say the premise was interesting (too bad the story didn’t deliver). I liked the worldbuilding with the Domes and the Underworld, and I felt like it had potential. Oh, and the erotic sex scenes were actually well written, but that’s about it.
I know that this is the first book in a trilogy, and the story might evolve over the next two books, but I won’t find out, because I will not be reading anything else in this series.
And to be frank, it wasn’t very good. The characters were bland, only three had any kind of personality, and the romantic interest was just too perfect. The aliens were boring, and we didn’t get any good description of them (despite being practically up in their faces). Everyone always instantly came to the correct conclusion, they just happened to always guess the right answer, and there were no disagreements or arguments. The “big reveals” weren’t that surprising, while the actual big reveals were haphazardly thrown into random paragraphs with no buildup or reactions. I never really got a feeling for what the current goal was, so I never got invested in the characters doing stuff.
There were also a lot of strange editing choices, like the paragraph order; I would like to know about the deadly gas -before- you tried to make me feel like the characters were in danger. There were exposition dumps/backstory right in the middle of tense moments, completely ruining the tension. A general lack of description of relevant things, so I couldn't get a clear picture of what was going on, or how something works. I need to know what a character can and cannot do, or there'll be no tension. But the exact opposite was also true: Detailed description of irrelevant things, like exactly who sit next to who around a table. The action scenes were confusing, I had no idea what was going on, and some scenes were skipped with a single sentence “He killed the three men”. And there were a lot of instantly skipping to the next scene without transitions, causing confusion and a feeling of teleportation.
It felt like I was reading a draft for a -movie-, complete with jump cuts, and not a published book.
If I have to say something positive about this book, I’d say the premise was interesting (too bad the story didn’t deliver). I liked the worldbuilding with the Domes and the Underworld, and I felt like it had potential. Oh, and the erotic sex scenes were actually well written, but that’s about it.
I know that this is the first book in a trilogy, and the story might evolve over the next two books, but I won’t find out, because I will not be reading anything else in this series.
June 16, 2017
I wanted something different and that's certainly what I got! The author's confidence and ease with words make this story fresh and intriguing. Though the story is set way into the future the cleverly weaved descriptions put you right there without any interruption to the flow or pace of words.
Jinnifer Blue was desperate to leave her life beneath the Dome. Not surprising when her controlling mother seemed to see her as an inconvenience and someone that needed to be fixed. Jinn did the fixing herself, getting the modifications she needed in order to gain her freedom. It's not easy for Jinn working as a pilot with crew who always resent the privileged Dome brats, when those raised underground have had to struggle to survive. So when the ship she's working on comes under attack and Jinn is allowed to live, that resentment only increases.
When Dax is taken so easily from his crew, he becomes suspicious as to how his attack was so easy. He's not happy to find that he's been dumped alongside the Dome Brat he allowed to escape all those years ago. This time they have to work together in order to escape and to raise the alarm about what they have discovered.
The author makes every technical term seem plausible and brings the environment to life. The start of the plot, for me, is so reminiscent of Logan's Run, when there's that strive for perfection and survival, and the politics and characterisation of Star Wars. You are left guessing about who Jinn and Dax can trust, and if they can actually trust each other. There's that shared history that keeps hinting at some connection between the two. Did Dax actually need to save her? You hope that something will happen between them and because their relationship is a slow burner, it's incredibly satisfying and believable when it does. Although being together only serves to increase the danger for each of them as political twists, and the Dome's fragility, make their situation even more desperate.
I'm a lover of romance and I love an intricate plot, and this book has both. The plot keeps you engaged and the romance is an enhancement that doesn't detract from the gripping tension and the twists in any way. A marriage made in sci-fi heaven!
Blue Shift is book one in what seems to be the beginning of a fantastic trilogy!
Jinnifer Blue was desperate to leave her life beneath the Dome. Not surprising when her controlling mother seemed to see her as an inconvenience and someone that needed to be fixed. Jinn did the fixing herself, getting the modifications she needed in order to gain her freedom. It's not easy for Jinn working as a pilot with crew who always resent the privileged Dome brats, when those raised underground have had to struggle to survive. So when the ship she's working on comes under attack and Jinn is allowed to live, that resentment only increases.
When Dax is taken so easily from his crew, he becomes suspicious as to how his attack was so easy. He's not happy to find that he's been dumped alongside the Dome Brat he allowed to escape all those years ago. This time they have to work together in order to escape and to raise the alarm about what they have discovered.
The author makes every technical term seem plausible and brings the environment to life. The start of the plot, for me, is so reminiscent of Logan's Run, when there's that strive for perfection and survival, and the politics and characterisation of Star Wars. You are left guessing about who Jinn and Dax can trust, and if they can actually trust each other. There's that shared history that keeps hinting at some connection between the two. Did Dax actually need to save her? You hope that something will happen between them and because their relationship is a slow burner, it's incredibly satisfying and believable when it does. Although being together only serves to increase the danger for each of them as political twists, and the Dome's fragility, make their situation even more desperate.
I'm a lover of romance and I love an intricate plot, and this book has both. The plot keeps you engaged and the romance is an enhancement that doesn't detract from the gripping tension and the twists in any way. A marriage made in sci-fi heaven!
Blue Shift is book one in what seems to be the beginning of a fantastic trilogy!
January 12, 2018
‘Blue Shift’ by Jane O'Reilly is a thrilling adult sci-fi space adventure set in 2187 with a backdrop of a dying earth, space travel, aliens, technology and fabulous space pirates. The cast of characters are an eclectic mix of personalities with questionable morals, hang-ups and conflicts that are brought to life with vibrant description, thrilling action and humour. There’s villainy, heroics, romance and dangerous abilities. The protagonists Jinn and Dax, have different but equally difficult backgrounds that are only gradually revealed, adding tension to the mystery plot and racy action.
I had a great time reading this book, enjoyed it immensely, and am now very impatient to read the next book in 'The Second Species' series. Loved it, and even though their world was harsh, I find myself missing the escapism its detailed landscape and characters provided. Another recommended read!
I had a great time reading this book, enjoyed it immensely, and am now very impatient to read the next book in 'The Second Species' series. Loved it, and even though their world was harsh, I find myself missing the escapism its detailed landscape and characters provided. Another recommended read!
February 16, 2018
Good sci-if take and left me wanting to read the next two books, but slightly irritated at having to wait such a long time for the next instalment to be ready.
Too much explicit sex in this book really. It does little to enhance the tale but I guess it’s an interesting mix. Overall, a good, easily readable book - quick read but the sex did nothing for the story.
Too much explicit sex in this book really. It does little to enhance the tale but I guess it’s an interesting mix. Overall, a good, easily readable book - quick read but the sex did nothing for the story.
January 11, 2019
3.5 stars.
This was fun. I’ve read some of Jane O’Reilly’s erotic romances in the past and enjoyed them, so expected more of the same in a sexy space romp style. Which made this a bit of a surprise, because although it is a good space romp (without too much depth) and there is some sex (and lusty modifications to the hero), it takes a while to get there, giving Jinn and Dax time to actually get to know each other. They even, astonishingly, have a conversation first.
Actually, they have a few conversations, but any lack of meaningful discussion is more down to running around, blowing stuff up, escaping the evil government and saving each other than because they can’t control their insatiable lust (although Dax has that too, thanks to those “modifications”). That, surprisingly, doesn’t come in until quite close to the end. Probably because they’re too busy running around, blowing stuff up, escaping the evil government and saving each other. It’s action-packed and easy-read fun, with rarely a dull moment.
Those mostly come when the action moves away from Jinn and Dax to follow the other POV characters – the Earth-bound villain, who does dastardly stuff for the greater good (but really because she enjoys it) and wants to get her hands on our intrepid space fugitives; and the agent who goes a bit rogue because of various reasons but mostly so we can have yet another person running around the galaxy trying to make trouble.
And there is much trouble to be had, with aliens, a dying Earth, explosions, weapons, genetic modifications, injuries, attraction and everything you’d expect from this kind of book. It’s fast, fun and predictable, but no less enjoyable for it if you like your sci-fi with a high dose of pulp. The ending was a little close to TSTL for me, but I still want to read the next one. Which, yay, is out now!
(Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.)
This was fun. I’ve read some of Jane O’Reilly’s erotic romances in the past and enjoyed them, so expected more of the same in a sexy space romp style. Which made this a bit of a surprise, because although it is a good space romp (without too much depth) and there is some sex (and lusty modifications to the hero), it takes a while to get there, giving Jinn and Dax time to actually get to know each other. They even, astonishingly, have a conversation first.
Actually, they have a few conversations, but any lack of meaningful discussion is more down to running around, blowing stuff up, escaping the evil government and saving each other than because they can’t control their insatiable lust (although Dax has that too, thanks to those “modifications”). That, surprisingly, doesn’t come in until quite close to the end. Probably because they’re too busy running around, blowing stuff up, escaping the evil government and saving each other. It’s action-packed and easy-read fun, with rarely a dull moment.
Those mostly come when the action moves away from Jinn and Dax to follow the other POV characters – the Earth-bound villain, who does dastardly stuff for the greater good (but really because she enjoys it) and wants to get her hands on our intrepid space fugitives; and the agent who goes a bit rogue because of various reasons but mostly so we can have yet another person running around the galaxy trying to make trouble.
And there is much trouble to be had, with aliens, a dying Earth, explosions, weapons, genetic modifications, injuries, attraction and everything you’d expect from this kind of book. It’s fast, fun and predictable, but no less enjoyable for it if you like your sci-fi with a high dose of pulp. The ending was a little close to TSTL for me, but I still want to read the next one. Which, yay, is out now!
(Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.)
October 7, 2017
I received this book via Netgally for an honest review.
I really wanted to get into more science fiction and I saw this on netgally, read the blurb and knew it was for me, a book set in space (tick), a bit of a mystery (tick) a romance (tick) it ticked all the boxes for me, however it wasn't as great I was expected.
In this story Earth is uninhabitable due to years of global warming, the climate is too cold for humans to survive and is only getting colder so the government has built Domes in all the major cities where the rich can go and live and protected them from the outside world, the poorer citizens of society have to live under the domes in order to survive.
Jinn was born on earth and grew up in the Domes, child of a power hungry government official, Jinn took the first chance she had when she turned 18 to escape, enrolling to be a pilot and modifying herself to fit the roll, Jinn then gets a job on a cargo ship and all is going well until her ship is boarded by pirates and all of the crew killed except for Jinn, Pirate Caspin Dax lets her live and get away. 20 year later Jinn is working for the security service, capturing fugitives and taking them to the prison ship with her partner Bryant, they get a warrant to apprehend Caspin Dax, the pirate who let her get away all those years ago, Jinn then finds herself stranded on the prison ship with Dax for reasons she does not know, and a web of lies start to be revealed.
This book really started strong with some very action packed and thrilling moments, however about 40% of the way through we have learned why what is happening is happening and most of the mystery has been solved, and what we are left with is a countdown to stop the bad guys. Some of this story was very similar to X-men and did not feel original at all with some of our characters being modified with alien DNA that gave them special abilities. we Have Dax who like Wolverine is huge of stature, very fast and can heel instantaneously, Jinn has a metal running through her body which helps her connect with the flying system of the ships however she has overdone it and now has blades that come out of her hands (this metal is failing and poisoning her body and Jinn is finding it harder and harder to heel) also like Wolverine , Eve is bright green and her skin is poisonous to touch and Alister can read minds via brain waves!!
There was some steamy sex scenes in this book and the romance between Jinn and Dax was wonderful however the story did fall a bit flat.
It ended on a cliff hanger and nothing had really got resolved I know it's a series but it was a tad annoying.
Overall this was a fine book, nothing special and nothing original....will I carry on with the series....maybe! would I recommend it , probably not.
P.S can we just stop and talk about that cover, I know this book has been compared to
but do we really need a nearly identical cover?
I really wanted to get into more science fiction and I saw this on netgally, read the blurb and knew it was for me, a book set in space (tick), a bit of a mystery (tick) a romance (tick) it ticked all the boxes for me, however it wasn't as great I was expected.
In this story Earth is uninhabitable due to years of global warming, the climate is too cold for humans to survive and is only getting colder so the government has built Domes in all the major cities where the rich can go and live and protected them from the outside world, the poorer citizens of society have to live under the domes in order to survive.
Jinn was born on earth and grew up in the Domes, child of a power hungry government official, Jinn took the first chance she had when she turned 18 to escape, enrolling to be a pilot and modifying herself to fit the roll, Jinn then gets a job on a cargo ship and all is going well until her ship is boarded by pirates and all of the crew killed except for Jinn, Pirate Caspin Dax lets her live and get away. 20 year later Jinn is working for the security service, capturing fugitives and taking them to the prison ship with her partner Bryant, they get a warrant to apprehend Caspin Dax, the pirate who let her get away all those years ago, Jinn then finds herself stranded on the prison ship with Dax for reasons she does not know, and a web of lies start to be revealed.
This book really started strong with some very action packed and thrilling moments, however about 40% of the way through we have learned why what is happening is happening and most of the mystery has been solved, and what we are left with is a countdown to stop the bad guys. Some of this story was very similar to X-men and did not feel original at all with some of our characters being modified with alien DNA that gave them special abilities. we Have Dax who like Wolverine is huge of stature, very fast and can heel instantaneously, Jinn has a metal running through her body which helps her connect with the flying system of the ships however she has overdone it and now has blades that come out of her hands (this metal is failing and poisoning her body and Jinn is finding it harder and harder to heel) also like Wolverine , Eve is bright green and her skin is poisonous to touch and Alister can read minds via brain waves!!
There was some steamy sex scenes in this book and the romance between Jinn and Dax was wonderful however the story did fall a bit flat.
It ended on a cliff hanger and nothing had really got resolved I know it's a series but it was a tad annoying.
Overall this was a fine book, nothing special and nothing original....will I carry on with the series....maybe! would I recommend it , probably not.
P.S can we just stop and talk about that cover, I know this book has been compared to
but do we really need a nearly identical cover? 
July 11, 2017
I am a real sucker for a good space-opera-romp - and I really struggle to find them. I devoured the Fortune's Pawn trilogy and I'm foot-tappingly waiting for Tanya Huff to write some more Valour please, but there's little else out there that grabs me in the same adventure meets spaceships with a touch of romance way. So thank goodness for Jane O'Reilly's new trilogy. Feisty but vulnerable heroine? Check. Gorgeous but dodgy hero with a tortured backstory? Check. Space stations and planets and aliens? Oh, yes. A crew full of damaged souls and robots. Check. Cat. Nip. AND it's gorgeously written...
Jinnifer Blue is a pilot - she's also pretty damn lonely, an escapee from the Dome, the privileged worlds where the lucky minority escaped the effects of global cooling. She's working for the security forces and saving for the day when she can disappear completely when a mistake leaves her stranded on a notorious prison ship with an even more notorious space-pirate. But was it a mistake - and if not why was she left there? A
This is a rollicking, sexy, intriguing space-adventure filled with believable characters and enough tension to keep you up way past your bed time. Highly recommended.
Jinnifer Blue is a pilot - she's also pretty damn lonely, an escapee from the Dome, the privileged worlds where the lucky minority escaped the effects of global cooling. She's working for the security forces and saving for the day when she can disappear completely when a mistake leaves her stranded on a notorious prison ship with an even more notorious space-pirate. But was it a mistake - and if not why was she left there? A
This is a rollicking, sexy, intriguing space-adventure filled with believable characters and enough tension to keep you up way past your bed time. Highly recommended.
May 7, 2018
Highly enjoyable space romp!
I raced through this story and enjoyed it immensely. The main characters have that special chemistry that ticks the boxes for romance and adventure - and interesting sex scenes. I think the world-building is water-tight - no mean feat - and the fact that Earth has been over-corrected into a frozen blob is quite a believeable, and original, feature.
When we first meet Jinnifer, she is piloting a space ship and has her feet up on the control panel. Immediate identification :-)
The pace is fast, and you have to pay a bit of attention to keep up, but when a book flows well like this one (due to very good writing), that's no problem. I did want to know a bit more about the secondary characters, but then again the danger and adventure has to keep moving, so that made sense. I wanted a bit more Eva and Theon - is that bad? - but I know it's a tricky to juggle everyone's story.
Jinn's bad-mom is scarily well done, and the whole power-lust foundation of the story is, sadly, quite a believable situation similar to our own world.
But that ending! OMG. Bring on book two. Talk about a cliff hanger. Love it!
I raced through this story and enjoyed it immensely. The main characters have that special chemistry that ticks the boxes for romance and adventure - and interesting sex scenes. I think the world-building is water-tight - no mean feat - and the fact that Earth has been over-corrected into a frozen blob is quite a believeable, and original, feature.
When we first meet Jinnifer, she is piloting a space ship and has her feet up on the control panel. Immediate identification :-)
The pace is fast, and you have to pay a bit of attention to keep up, but when a book flows well like this one (due to very good writing), that's no problem. I did want to know a bit more about the secondary characters, but then again the danger and adventure has to keep moving, so that made sense. I wanted a bit more Eva and Theon - is that bad? - but I know it's a tricky to juggle everyone's story.
Jinn's bad-mom is scarily well done, and the whole power-lust foundation of the story is, sadly, quite a believable situation similar to our own world.
But that ending! OMG. Bring on book two. Talk about a cliff hanger. Love it!
December 23, 2018
This is a good, enjoyable and entertaining sci-fi book.
I like the world building and the plot. The characters were well written and I liked them.
Unfortunately I'm not a fan of explicit erotica that I find a bit boring and there were too many sex scene that I skipped.
I will surely read the next instalment.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for this ARC
I like the world building and the plot. The characters were well written and I liked them.
Unfortunately I'm not a fan of explicit erotica that I find a bit boring and there were too many sex scene that I skipped.
I will surely read the next instalment.
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for this ARC
Read
October 15, 2017Kick-ass sexy space pirates. Made of awesome.
August 7, 2019
Very middle of the road, bordering on the wishy washy. I invested because the blurb sounded interesting and there was a reference that if you liked Rachael Bach's series, you'd like this. Um, no, Rachael Bach's series is cool and awesome by a factor of ten when compared to this wannabe effort.
The world building is adequate, if a little simplistic. The plot, had potential but the author failed to nail suspense, mystery or make me feel that anything was ever at stake for any of these characters.
The biggest let down story wise is the characters themselves. Jinn, is passive, head in the sand, until she's forced by events going on around her not to be. Then she's just all about survival, with no seeming thought behind her actions but acting out in terror or some kind of dazed survival instincts kicking in. She never owns any of her actions. Hasn't matured in the 20 years the author says have swept by b/w interactions with the pirates. Sure, we get the briefest of glimpses of her bad childhood, but that was no where near enough. I was left feeling Jinn a cardboard waif with no definition.
Dax was no better, his physical description helped set the character in my mind, but the author failed to give him any layers and I couldn't connect. Mainly because his connections to others were so childish and ill-formed.
The rest of the secondary character were non-starters, except for the two main bad guys who actually were given more time and effort by the author (than the main characters it felt) though we don't really know what drives Ferona other than her own survival (why, why is she willing to sell out everything for her plans?) and Bryant, the sicker he got the more I got to know him, though his logic didn't always twig, basing it all on racism seemed a cop out.
Because the characters were poorly drawn the plot failed to connect with me. When Jinn finally steps up she cites Dax, Theon, Eve and Alistair as the reasons. Except she never had one single conversation with Eve or Alistair, not one. And her interactions with Dax were harder to explain still as she falls in love with a man she barely talks to.
There were also a couple of continuity errors that slammed me out of the story. At one stage Dax calls Jinn - Jinn. Her response? No one calls me Jinnifer. Him - well what do they call you? Her - Jinn. BUT, that is what he called you???????????? From then on I kept waiting for the next error to smack me b/w the eyes.
This wasn't bad, but it was no where near good enough. It felt YA. The romance, though it is a poor excuse for one, felt wrong and crammed in. And the over the top sex there in a desperate bid to seem an adult offering. Plus, we never really got a good enough description or feel for the alien races.
This should have been an early draft. Not the end product.
The world building is adequate, if a little simplistic. The plot, had potential but the author failed to nail suspense, mystery or make me feel that anything was ever at stake for any of these characters.
The biggest let down story wise is the characters themselves. Jinn, is passive, head in the sand, until she's forced by events going on around her not to be. Then she's just all about survival, with no seeming thought behind her actions but acting out in terror or some kind of dazed survival instincts kicking in. She never owns any of her actions. Hasn't matured in the 20 years the author says have swept by b/w interactions with the pirates. Sure, we get the briefest of glimpses of her bad childhood, but that was no where near enough. I was left feeling Jinn a cardboard waif with no definition.
Dax was no better, his physical description helped set the character in my mind, but the author failed to give him any layers and I couldn't connect. Mainly because his connections to others were so childish and ill-formed.
The rest of the secondary character were non-starters, except for the two main bad guys who actually were given more time and effort by the author (than the main characters it felt) though we don't really know what drives Ferona other than her own survival (why, why is she willing to sell out everything for her plans?) and Bryant, the sicker he got the more I got to know him, though his logic didn't always twig, basing it all on racism seemed a cop out.
Because the characters were poorly drawn the plot failed to connect with me. When Jinn finally steps up she cites Dax, Theon, Eve and Alistair as the reasons. Except she never had one single conversation with Eve or Alistair, not one. And her interactions with Dax were harder to explain still as she falls in love with a man she barely talks to.
There were also a couple of continuity errors that slammed me out of the story. At one stage Dax calls Jinn - Jinn. Her response? No one calls me Jinnifer. Him - well what do they call you? Her - Jinn. BUT, that is what he called you???????????? From then on I kept waiting for the next error to smack me b/w the eyes.
This wasn't bad, but it was no where near good enough. It felt YA. The romance, though it is a poor excuse for one, felt wrong and crammed in. And the over the top sex there in a desperate bid to seem an adult offering. Plus, we never really got a good enough description or feel for the alien races.
This should have been an early draft. Not the end product.
June 11, 2017
Triggers in this book: sex (esp rough - but consensual - sex), violence and bloodshed, mentions of rape but nothing in detail, needles, mentions of child abuse and sex trafficking, swearing
Loved this! It's not super talented writing, and the author is coming from a background of erotica and new adult books, which means she's weak on world-building and the science side of science fiction... However, it is such fun! The characters really grow on you, the love interest and sex scenes are done surprisingly convincingly and really allow for growth - both individually and in terms of their relationship with one another (although they always seem to run off to have sex at the most un-sexy moments; just after bloody battles etc...)
The multiple perspectives are well-employed, don't get confusing, and really enrich the plot. The cliffhanger at the end has me wishing I hadn't read this right after its release!!
My only important complaint is the shoddy writing, really, because not only is it not stylistically unique or talented, it is also sloppy and badly proof-read. There were several occasions where characters would jump to their feet... and then stand up two paragraphs later. At one point Jinn closes her eyes, and in the next sentence Dax notices her emotion in the glossy sheen coating her eyes...
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this, and I now really want to read more of this kind of mixed genre romance/erotica/sci-fi. Although the world-building did have some serious flaws, I kind of enjoyed the vagueness to it because it means it's a sci-fi you don't have to think about too hard. There were also some plot points that prompted serious thought, and some truly unexpected twists and turns. An enjoyable, quick and sexy read!
Loved this! It's not super talented writing, and the author is coming from a background of erotica and new adult books, which means she's weak on world-building and the science side of science fiction... However, it is such fun! The characters really grow on you, the love interest and sex scenes are done surprisingly convincingly and really allow for growth - both individually and in terms of their relationship with one another (although they always seem to run off to have sex at the most un-sexy moments; just after bloody battles etc...)
The multiple perspectives are well-employed, don't get confusing, and really enrich the plot. The cliffhanger at the end has me wishing I hadn't read this right after its release!!
My only important complaint is the shoddy writing, really, because not only is it not stylistically unique or talented, it is also sloppy and badly proof-read. There were several occasions where characters would jump to their feet... and then stand up two paragraphs later. At one point Jinn closes her eyes, and in the next sentence Dax notices her emotion in the glossy sheen coating her eyes...
Overall, though, I really enjoyed this, and I now really want to read more of this kind of mixed genre romance/erotica/sci-fi. Although the world-building did have some serious flaws, I kind of enjoyed the vagueness to it because it means it's a sci-fi you don't have to think about too hard. There were also some plot points that prompted serious thought, and some truly unexpected twists and turns. An enjoyable, quick and sexy read!
August 23, 2018
NOTE: Plot summaries are available elsewhere for this book so I don't include one here
A dying earth, alien species, secret experiments, space pirates, a glamorous scheming villain, and a heroine on the run from the past. The first installment of the Second Species series has lots going for it in the space opera genre.
The themes of colonisation, indentured service and slavery as well as class and the poverty gap are used well to build the world and create a credible background for the story.
Jinn Blue works well as the central character who has run away from her rich roots to find independence and eventually a quiet life but for whom life doesn't plan out that way. She is also older than many heroines which makes a refreshing change.
I would have liked to seen more character depth for the rest of the Mutant's crew but to a greater extent they are defined by their particular abilities rather than other aspects or their pasts.
That said the plot moves a decent place, there are some interesting battles and missions and it definitely a good ride of a book.
I was interested to discover, however, that the author has a background in erotic/romance fiction because the sections that didn't work for me were space pirate Dax's agonising over his feeling for Jinn and the eventual sex scenes. It felt these had been cut and pasted in to a certain extent. I think there are other ways to address the aggression and lack of impulse control resulting from his genetic modification rather than the "I don't want to hurt you" angst and the broken bunk cliche.
I will be interested to see where this series goes next - the world building themes and the adventures will keep me reading but if it veers more towards the "romance", it will lose me.
A dying earth, alien species, secret experiments, space pirates, a glamorous scheming villain, and a heroine on the run from the past. The first installment of the Second Species series has lots going for it in the space opera genre.
The themes of colonisation, indentured service and slavery as well as class and the poverty gap are used well to build the world and create a credible background for the story.
Jinn Blue works well as the central character who has run away from her rich roots to find independence and eventually a quiet life but for whom life doesn't plan out that way. She is also older than many heroines which makes a refreshing change.
I would have liked to seen more character depth for the rest of the Mutant's crew but to a greater extent they are defined by their particular abilities rather than other aspects or their pasts.
That said the plot moves a decent place, there are some interesting battles and missions and it definitely a good ride of a book.
I was interested to discover, however, that the author has a background in erotic/romance fiction because the sections that didn't work for me were space pirate Dax's agonising over his feeling for Jinn and the eventual sex scenes. It felt these had been cut and pasted in to a certain extent. I think there are other ways to address the aggression and lack of impulse control resulting from his genetic modification rather than the "I don't want to hurt you" angst and the broken bunk cliche.
I will be interested to see where this series goes next - the world building themes and the adventures will keep me reading but if it veers more towards the "romance", it will lose me.
August 20, 2024
This was looking like a rare five-star review from me - a good old-school sci-fi adventure with spaceships and pirates and blasters and hyperspace, reminding me of classics from the likes of Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke that I consumed so voraciously as a youth.
There are a few plot holes and sections of clumsy writing, though, and I soon downgraded my opinion to four stars - still pretty good.
And then I got to chapter 13. Lucky for some, if you like that sort of thing. Previously there had been barely a hint of a flirtation, nothing more, but suddenly the reader is faced with hardcore porn. No subtlety, no lead in, just straight into explicit sex. And it's not even well-written sex. Ugh.
There are a couple more scenes like this, just as badly written, none of them contributing much to the plot and certainly not proving erotic or stimulating.
Beyond that the overall impression is a lack of originality and far too many ungrammatical passages. Where were the editors when this was being proofed?
...glanced back to see Jinn stood by the door
...he was stood within touching distance
...He was sat on the end of the bunk
This is really unforgiveable.
The author has a very strange idea about abbreviation, adding a full stop (.) on shortened words such as communications and navigation.
Open a comm. link to the
The effect of this, of course, is the bring the reader to a screeching halt. It's just bizarre.
The story clunks along with plenty of extended action scenes but not much in the way of plot development, towards an unsatisfactory ending in which little is resolved. Yes, I know it's a trilogy but each volume ought to stand up by itself and, ultimately, this doesn't.
I don't think I'll be seeking out the further instalments.
There are a few plot holes and sections of clumsy writing, though, and I soon downgraded my opinion to four stars - still pretty good.
And then I got to chapter 13. Lucky for some, if you like that sort of thing. Previously there had been barely a hint of a flirtation, nothing more, but suddenly the reader is faced with hardcore porn. No subtlety, no lead in, just straight into explicit sex. And it's not even well-written sex. Ugh.
There are a couple more scenes like this, just as badly written, none of them contributing much to the plot and certainly not proving erotic or stimulating.
Beyond that the overall impression is a lack of originality and far too many ungrammatical passages. Where were the editors when this was being proofed?
...glanced back to see Jinn stood by the door
...he was stood within touching distance
...He was sat on the end of the bunk
This is really unforgiveable.
The author has a very strange idea about abbreviation, adding a full stop (.) on shortened words such as communications and navigation.
Open a comm. link to the
The effect of this, of course, is the bring the reader to a screeching halt. It's just bizarre.
The story clunks along with plenty of extended action scenes but not much in the way of plot development, towards an unsatisfactory ending in which little is resolved. Yes, I know it's a trilogy but each volume ought to stand up by itself and, ultimately, this doesn't.
I don't think I'll be seeking out the further instalments.
September 19, 2019
It was alright. Easy to read.
I was concerned before I started that this could be "mills & boon"like - soft female lead and dashing heroic pirate... But, although it threatened to at times, it wasn't quite.
The story centres around Jinnifer Blue, estranged daughter of Senator Blue, who has grand designs, and Caspian Fax, genetically modified space pirate who has a moral compass. After an early exchange the story jumps forward a number of years (no one seems to age or suffer for being close to the wrong side of 40), and has class prejudice between the haves and have-nots.
There is a build up to a few sex scenes, which actually ruined the book for me, the latter scene which was described briefly fitted the story better in my view but the last 15% did seem to defend more into a moral love story which took the edge off of it for me.
Overall it was ok though. Readable and I may well finish the trilogy but it doesn't have me rushing to buy the next one.
I was concerned before I started that this could be "mills & boon"like - soft female lead and dashing heroic pirate... But, although it threatened to at times, it wasn't quite.
The story centres around Jinnifer Blue, estranged daughter of Senator Blue, who has grand designs, and Caspian Fax, genetically modified space pirate who has a moral compass. After an early exchange the story jumps forward a number of years (no one seems to age or suffer for being close to the wrong side of 40), and has class prejudice between the haves and have-nots.
There is a build up to a few sex scenes, which actually ruined the book for me, the latter scene which was described briefly fitted the story better in my view but the last 15% did seem to defend more into a moral love story which took the edge off of it for me.
Overall it was ok though. Readable and I may well finish the trilogy but it doesn't have me rushing to buy the next one.
November 17, 2019
I was looking for a fun, cheesy romance with a suitably daft sci-fi storyline and Blue Shift provided all those things.
It needed a bit more romance to balance the daft story. I appreciate the attempt at a decent storyline, that's not often a thing in a romance book, but it felt too heavily weighted in that direction. If I wanted to read a sci-fi book there are loads out there that are more realistic than this, I wanted this for the sci-fi romance mix.
I read through the whole book in a day though, and I enjoyed it too. The storyline is interesting if farfetched and not completely based in reality. Jinn and Dax have enough personality to keep things interesting and carry the story. I'm not convinced it needed to be two books but I'm hooked enough to want to read the next one.
So it's a good bit of silly in a good way fun, I just wanted more interaction between the main characters.
It needed a bit more romance to balance the daft story. I appreciate the attempt at a decent storyline, that's not often a thing in a romance book, but it felt too heavily weighted in that direction. If I wanted to read a sci-fi book there are loads out there that are more realistic than this, I wanted this for the sci-fi romance mix.
I read through the whole book in a day though, and I enjoyed it too. The storyline is interesting if farfetched and not completely based in reality. Jinn and Dax have enough personality to keep things interesting and carry the story. I'm not convinced it needed to be two books but I'm hooked enough to want to read the next one.
So it's a good bit of silly in a good way fun, I just wanted more interaction between the main characters.
May 16, 2019
I received a copy of Blue Shift from Hachette Australia to review.
I did a short review of this book in the Canberra Weeky:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/05/16/...
Originally published in August 2017, I have re-published this review on my blog as part of my Throwback Thursday series.
Make sure to check out my review for the sequel to Blue Shift, Deep Blue:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/07/23/...
Or visit my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
I did a short review of this book in the Canberra Weeky:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/05/16/...
Originally published in August 2017, I have re-published this review on my blog as part of my Throwback Thursday series.
Make sure to check out my review for the sequel to Blue Shift, Deep Blue:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2018/07/23/...
Or visit my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
May 21, 2018
I honestly didn't have high hopes for this book at first. The author's works are mostly romance and erotica, so I was slightly concerned this book wouldn't be the fast-paced adventure it was advertised as.
There is romance in this book, but it doesn't take precedence over the main plot and is very well-executed. The whole story is a thrill-ride, taking place mostly in space.
Overall it's amazing.
There is romance in this book, but it doesn't take precedence over the main plot and is very well-executed. The whole story is a thrill-ride, taking place mostly in space.
Overall it's amazing.
January 1, 2019
I appreciated the complex world that has been created here, even though none of the aspects were particularly fleshed out. The story itself ploughed along easily enough with some nice unexpected turns. The main issue I had with this story was the relationship between Blue and the pirate, which felt forced and unnecessary and really bogged the story down in places.
I’m glad I read it, but I’m also glad I borrowed it. Will look out for book 2 as there was enough here to keep me interested.
I’m glad I read it, but I’m also glad I borrowed it. Will look out for book 2 as there was enough here to keep me interested.
February 20, 2019
Enjoyable space opera that felt somewhat familiar in the best way as it had all the elements I look for. Only thing I wasn't too keen was the side-trips into weird descriptive sex which interrupted the flow of the story. Don't get me wrong I actually love a good romance in my space opera and have no objection to on page sex scenes as opposed to fade to black. However, these ones were kind of jarring and threw me out of what was otherwise a very engaging adventure.
March 27, 2021
This is the first book I have read by the Author and I was not disappointed .
If you like Sci Fi with more than a touch of Romance then this is the book for you .
The characters were well written ..... I was fully invested in their outcomes .......add plenty
of good fun along the way and what you have is an entertaining book
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you like Sci Fi with more than a touch of Romance then this is the book for you .
The characters were well written ..... I was fully invested in their outcomes .......add plenty
of good fun along the way and what you have is an entertaining book
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 1, 2018
umm - when i selected this book on the ibooks menu I was looking for a sci story - an adventure - but nothing to heavy - just " chewing gum for the mind" - I think that's what I got - it was fun, a little clunky in places, and doesnt break any new ground - but it scratched the itch. Good.
March 26, 2019
I did not realize that this book is straight up sci-fi, not a romance. Though there is a romance in the background. The story is good but I found myself feeling stressed and unhappy while reading it. The ending is a setup for book two, which is ok. because that was clear from the start. Not sure if I will read book 2, but I am glad I read book 1.
Bought from kobo
Bought from kobo
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews