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After the World Ends #1.5
Blacklight
Richard Nash has always been blessed with great commanders. After his service under Captain Naude comes to an abrupt end with the woman’s heroic death, he’s not ready for a change. Neither is his grieving company.
But when Captain Gareth Heights arrives to take over the border base, his approach jokingly strict and his skills undeniable, the man manages to turn the entire unit around in no time. Yet nothing prepares them for the brutal force of the enemy charge. The Captain and his Lieutenant are left stranded in the mountains, their base now in enemy hands.
With the Captain injured, Richard’s strength failing, there is no time to think of anything but survival. But there is something sparking between the two men.
Friendship? Camaraderie? More?
Richard hasn’t opened his heart for too long. His trust a fragile thing, he must first regain control over his own life before searching for love again. And his Captain would be his last choice anyway…
This book follows the path of a survivor towards a better life. Action and self-exploration take turn on the page of another After The World Ends novel full of diversity and acceptance.
But when Captain Gareth Heights arrives to take over the border base, his approach jokingly strict and his skills undeniable, the man manages to turn the entire unit around in no time. Yet nothing prepares them for the brutal force of the enemy charge. The Captain and his Lieutenant are left stranded in the mountains, their base now in enemy hands.
With the Captain injured, Richard’s strength failing, there is no time to think of anything but survival. But there is something sparking between the two men.
Friendship? Camaraderie? More?
Richard hasn’t opened his heart for too long. His trust a fragile thing, he must first regain control over his own life before searching for love again. And his Captain would be his last choice anyway…
This book follows the path of a survivor towards a better life. Action and self-exploration take turn on the page of another After The World Ends novel full of diversity and acceptance.
- GenresLGBT
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 31, 2017
50 people want to read
About the author
Rori I.
2 books26 followersRori I is unapologetically queer, unapologetically immigrant, and unapologetically Balkan. Zer worlds are filled with Rainbow Characters which always get their turn in the spotlight, one book at a time.
The debut novel Republic’s Chosen is first in a long series, which aims to deconstruct believes about marriage and heteronormative dynamics, and provide both queer and immigrant people with the chance to see themselves represented in literature.
The debut novel Republic’s Chosen is first in a long series, which aims to deconstruct believes about marriage and heteronormative dynamics, and provide both queer and immigrant people with the chance to see themselves represented in literature.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 21, 2018
So here I am, two months later I’ve finally found time to sit on my pretty behind and finish reading “Blacklight”. I should warn you that there are probably a few spoilers in this review, so...
After I’ve read “Republic’s chosen”, I knew there is a really good reason to love Gareth Hights and Richard Nash but Rori I. showed me it’s not just one reason.
First of all, they are both smart, brave, excellent leaders and most of the time emotionally intelligent – Richard more often than Gareth. I absolutely adore Gareth’s honesty and shameless mouth. His sharp mind and sometimes cheeky thoughts/replies made me smile wide or brought me to tears of pure joy.
“He frowned down at his coffee as if it was the source of all his problems.”/p.12/
I totally sympathize him here cause I felt like that way too many times. That line made me feel close to the character.
But he is also a great Captain, even when he has doubts about it. He manages his emotions and acts professionally - no angry outburst at subordinates for his own mistakes or lack of info. If only our current leaders could act so reasonably… Taking responsibility for your actions is a sign of maturity and great leadership.
Richard excels in that, too.
Oh, dear! The speech he gave the platoon after that Code Red. I wasn’t there and I’ve done nothing wrong but he made me feel guilty as if I was one of those childishly behaving soldiers. It was a powerful speech without being humiliating or insulting, but it made a point. I absolutely adore it.
Gareth looks intimidating but he is fair and isn’t cruel, though his direct manner could set some people on edge sometimes.
“52nd, there’s a sniper on our two, five hundred meters out. Take their ass down before they put holes in our pretty heads. I like mine as it is!”/p.27/
“If I survive Fucking Puebla, I’ll have so much sex, I’ll cause heart attacks for all abstinence advocates in the entire damn country!” the Captain announced at some point. /p.31/
“…You better go now, and quickly – the damn Slavic don’t seem to understand the idea of the dead zone is for them to be fucking dead…”/p.37/
And then he is joking in the middle of the battle and I LOVE him for that.
And then in one of the hardest times for him, while injured and most probably scared.
“Bloody Fucking Puebla!” the Captain spat out.
Richard burst into a weak, hysterical laughter. Chocking at his own saliva, Richard reached around and without realizing why, tapped the other man’s shoulder hesitantly.
“Indeed!” he whispered back.
“How are you alive, Nash?”
“I don’t know. How about you, Sir?”
“No fucking idea. But I know it hurts all over as if I am dead. Do you think the pre-Disaster societies were right and there’s an afterlife?”
Richard snorted. “If that’s it, I’d like to file a complaint!”
“Seconded,” the Captain muttered.” /p.44/
“You can keep the shirt, thank you, Sir.”
“Yea, better that way – I have been told I render the observers speechless when bare-chested…”/p.46-47/
“If you can't hold it together, I swear I will kiss you to shut you up!”/p.60/
“I just— ha-ha! I just imagined Senator Nash throwing knives at the other politicians when they are being assholes! The stars know they deserve it sometimes.”/p.63/
There are also Richard’s cheeky thoughts adding humor to a very tough and scary situation.
“Apparently, Richard was about to die just because a couple of Slavic soldiers wanted to take a piss. Lovely.”/p.58/
And even at gunpoint, after his platoon was eliminated by the Slavic soldiers he is still a smartass. He is not afraid for himself but for the few survivors. He is willing to sacrifice himself. I bet that in his place Ewing would have been singing like a little birdy.
“Shove your questions up your rear.”/p.272/
Richard is such a good person, brave and honest. It breaks my heart to read how he underestimates himself just because he believes his ex. And John Mikelson is one big lying piece of…garbage! Pathetic, full of insecurities he projects on other people and mostly on Richard. I couldn’t believe he managed to influence so much a really smart man as Richard, but then I remembered that when feelings like love are involved people’s reason kind of flies out of the window.
I hoped so much that Gareth will show him that this is not true but then “kitty” got his knickers on a twist and ran off, leaving Richard to feel used and mislead. I wanted to strangle Gareth cause I knew he is just scared of his feelings and had no intentions of hurting Richard. Instead he tried to excuse himself in the most moronic way! I couldn’t believe it when Richard restrained himself to smack him right to his smug face! I wanted to do it for sure!
But let’s rewind a bit. There is a very good reason Nash is wearing sunglasses everywhere.
“Then Gareth knew why he wore them. There were a thousand emotions all folded into a single gaze, one of them such intense gratitude that Gareth was too confused to pinpoint how he could have deserved it.”/p.85/
As I’ve already observed, Rick is a very sincere person and unlike Gareth has never been trained to cover and hide his emotions. His eyes are Richard’s greatest weapon and wining his trust and heart is the greatest treasure a person can acquire. Gareth was stupid enough to lose the first but luckily Richard is an optimist and believes in second chances.
Rick’s eyes are also an object for Gareth’s funny remarks. Sometimes Heights just has no limits but at least he learns fast not to joke like that with his Second.
“I will drown my sorrows in the gorgeous green eyes of my Lieutenant.”/p.95/
It is also very good that Rick kind of got used to his Captain’s humor.
I totally love the way Gareth encouraged and trained Rick during Officer’s competitions. There we learned Gareth isn’t always so sensitive but also can take criticism from a friend. And Richard already is one. Or at least Gareth hopes so.
Then, the surprise for Richard’s birthday. The time Gareth spend to organize it – no matter how limited it was and their conversation. That is my absolute favorite chapter in the book. Heights – May Universe have mercy on his soul, can be so clumsy when it comes to expressing care and him being so straightforward makes it also kind of funny. But what truly counts is his concern for his Second’s emotional and psychological state – something nobody else seemed to find relevant. Not in that base at least.
And then there is Liana – that impossibly frustrating woman who gave Rick hope but also warned him about Gareth. And when she was on the brink of death and Gareth was completely compromised, Richard was there for him. The rock for Gareth to lean on.
"Richard offered the perfect solution. “I’ve been in this Corps for fifteen years; I know a lot of people on this Base and that includes some medics. Let’s walk around and see whom we can find – you’ll walk off the nerves and maybe find somebody with the time to check your implant. Sounds good?”
Obvious relief washed over Suarez. Hurried words of gratitude stumbled out of the man’s lips. Richard showed Suarez down the same corridor Colonel Gudhart had walked and the two of them left without any more hassle.
Rutherford was watching after Richard with something Gareth later managed to interpret as awe./p.290/
And how wouldn’t you be looking with awe at that clever and compassionate man? He is TRULLY gorgeous! Remember that, Captain Gareth Heights!
I hope that Rick and Li will become friends in the next books cause they are so much alike. I have the feeling they may find a common ground that is not related to Gareth.
I like the end of that book very much and not just because of the hot moments. Gareth and Richard managed to actually talk in the middle of that madness. And Richard had to be called out on his fears. The book ended with optimism for the future that Richard and Gareth could have together. I am sure, despite of his moronic actions, that Gareth deserves Richard’s trust. Li trusts him and she is like a real-life lie detector.
I can’t wait for “Republic’s reach”. I feel that the real battle is yet to come.
I want to thank the author for this amazing story zie wrote. Despite the raging war and political twists, this is a world I want to live in. Well, in the Latin republic of course – I am not suicidal, you know…
I want to live in a world with brave, reasonable and responsible for their actions leaders. I want to live in a world where everyone’s rights are respected no matter of race, age, bank account, sexual orientation or gender identity. I want to live in a country where I will find a job according to my skills, where my employer will not expect me to know everything. I want to live in a world where people use science to help other people instead of creating weapons of mass destruction. I very much want to live in the future Rori. I. has created and I am deeply grateful that zie made me live in it through that amazing story.
Thank you Rori I.
Keep writing! Keep making our lives better! Keep showing us we can do better!
After I’ve read “Republic’s chosen”, I knew there is a really good reason to love Gareth Hights and Richard Nash but Rori I. showed me it’s not just one reason.
First of all, they are both smart, brave, excellent leaders and most of the time emotionally intelligent – Richard more often than Gareth. I absolutely adore Gareth’s honesty and shameless mouth. His sharp mind and sometimes cheeky thoughts/replies made me smile wide or brought me to tears of pure joy.
“He frowned down at his coffee as if it was the source of all his problems.”/p.12/
I totally sympathize him here cause I felt like that way too many times. That line made me feel close to the character.
But he is also a great Captain, even when he has doubts about it. He manages his emotions and acts professionally - no angry outburst at subordinates for his own mistakes or lack of info. If only our current leaders could act so reasonably… Taking responsibility for your actions is a sign of maturity and great leadership.
Richard excels in that, too.
Oh, dear! The speech he gave the platoon after that Code Red. I wasn’t there and I’ve done nothing wrong but he made me feel guilty as if I was one of those childishly behaving soldiers. It was a powerful speech without being humiliating or insulting, but it made a point. I absolutely adore it.
Gareth looks intimidating but he is fair and isn’t cruel, though his direct manner could set some people on edge sometimes.
“52nd, there’s a sniper on our two, five hundred meters out. Take their ass down before they put holes in our pretty heads. I like mine as it is!”/p.27/
“If I survive Fucking Puebla, I’ll have so much sex, I’ll cause heart attacks for all abstinence advocates in the entire damn country!” the Captain announced at some point. /p.31/
“…You better go now, and quickly – the damn Slavic don’t seem to understand the idea of the dead zone is for them to be fucking dead…”/p.37/
And then he is joking in the middle of the battle and I LOVE him for that.
And then in one of the hardest times for him, while injured and most probably scared.
“Bloody Fucking Puebla!” the Captain spat out.
Richard burst into a weak, hysterical laughter. Chocking at his own saliva, Richard reached around and without realizing why, tapped the other man’s shoulder hesitantly.
“Indeed!” he whispered back.
“How are you alive, Nash?”
“I don’t know. How about you, Sir?”
“No fucking idea. But I know it hurts all over as if I am dead. Do you think the pre-Disaster societies were right and there’s an afterlife?”
Richard snorted. “If that’s it, I’d like to file a complaint!”
“Seconded,” the Captain muttered.” /p.44/
“You can keep the shirt, thank you, Sir.”
“Yea, better that way – I have been told I render the observers speechless when bare-chested…”/p.46-47/
“If you can't hold it together, I swear I will kiss you to shut you up!”/p.60/
“I just— ha-ha! I just imagined Senator Nash throwing knives at the other politicians when they are being assholes! The stars know they deserve it sometimes.”/p.63/
There are also Richard’s cheeky thoughts adding humor to a very tough and scary situation.
“Apparently, Richard was about to die just because a couple of Slavic soldiers wanted to take a piss. Lovely.”/p.58/
And even at gunpoint, after his platoon was eliminated by the Slavic soldiers he is still a smartass. He is not afraid for himself but for the few survivors. He is willing to sacrifice himself. I bet that in his place Ewing would have been singing like a little birdy.
“Shove your questions up your rear.”/p.272/
Richard is such a good person, brave and honest. It breaks my heart to read how he underestimates himself just because he believes his ex. And John Mikelson is one big lying piece of…garbage! Pathetic, full of insecurities he projects on other people and mostly on Richard. I couldn’t believe he managed to influence so much a really smart man as Richard, but then I remembered that when feelings like love are involved people’s reason kind of flies out of the window.
I hoped so much that Gareth will show him that this is not true but then “kitty” got his knickers on a twist and ran off, leaving Richard to feel used and mislead. I wanted to strangle Gareth cause I knew he is just scared of his feelings and had no intentions of hurting Richard. Instead he tried to excuse himself in the most moronic way! I couldn’t believe it when Richard restrained himself to smack him right to his smug face! I wanted to do it for sure!
But let’s rewind a bit. There is a very good reason Nash is wearing sunglasses everywhere.
“Then Gareth knew why he wore them. There were a thousand emotions all folded into a single gaze, one of them such intense gratitude that Gareth was too confused to pinpoint how he could have deserved it.”/p.85/
As I’ve already observed, Rick is a very sincere person and unlike Gareth has never been trained to cover and hide his emotions. His eyes are Richard’s greatest weapon and wining his trust and heart is the greatest treasure a person can acquire. Gareth was stupid enough to lose the first but luckily Richard is an optimist and believes in second chances.
Rick’s eyes are also an object for Gareth’s funny remarks. Sometimes Heights just has no limits but at least he learns fast not to joke like that with his Second.
“I will drown my sorrows in the gorgeous green eyes of my Lieutenant.”/p.95/
It is also very good that Rick kind of got used to his Captain’s humor.
I totally love the way Gareth encouraged and trained Rick during Officer’s competitions. There we learned Gareth isn’t always so sensitive but also can take criticism from a friend. And Richard already is one. Or at least Gareth hopes so.
Then, the surprise for Richard’s birthday. The time Gareth spend to organize it – no matter how limited it was and their conversation. That is my absolute favorite chapter in the book. Heights – May Universe have mercy on his soul, can be so clumsy when it comes to expressing care and him being so straightforward makes it also kind of funny. But what truly counts is his concern for his Second’s emotional and psychological state – something nobody else seemed to find relevant. Not in that base at least.
And then there is Liana – that impossibly frustrating woman who gave Rick hope but also warned him about Gareth. And when she was on the brink of death and Gareth was completely compromised, Richard was there for him. The rock for Gareth to lean on.
"Richard offered the perfect solution. “I’ve been in this Corps for fifteen years; I know a lot of people on this Base and that includes some medics. Let’s walk around and see whom we can find – you’ll walk off the nerves and maybe find somebody with the time to check your implant. Sounds good?”
Obvious relief washed over Suarez. Hurried words of gratitude stumbled out of the man’s lips. Richard showed Suarez down the same corridor Colonel Gudhart had walked and the two of them left without any more hassle.
Rutherford was watching after Richard with something Gareth later managed to interpret as awe./p.290/
And how wouldn’t you be looking with awe at that clever and compassionate man? He is TRULLY gorgeous! Remember that, Captain Gareth Heights!
I hope that Rick and Li will become friends in the next books cause they are so much alike. I have the feeling they may find a common ground that is not related to Gareth.
I like the end of that book very much and not just because of the hot moments. Gareth and Richard managed to actually talk in the middle of that madness. And Richard had to be called out on his fears. The book ended with optimism for the future that Richard and Gareth could have together. I am sure, despite of his moronic actions, that Gareth deserves Richard’s trust. Li trusts him and she is like a real-life lie detector.
I can’t wait for “Republic’s reach”. I feel that the real battle is yet to come.
I want to thank the author for this amazing story zie wrote. Despite the raging war and political twists, this is a world I want to live in. Well, in the Latin republic of course – I am not suicidal, you know…
I want to live in a world with brave, reasonable and responsible for their actions leaders. I want to live in a world where everyone’s rights are respected no matter of race, age, bank account, sexual orientation or gender identity. I want to live in a country where I will find a job according to my skills, where my employer will not expect me to know everything. I want to live in a world where people use science to help other people instead of creating weapons of mass destruction. I very much want to live in the future Rori. I. has created and I am deeply grateful that zie made me live in it through that amazing story.
Thank you Rori I.
Keep writing! Keep making our lives better! Keep showing us we can do better!
December 2, 2017
*review to come*
February 8, 2018
This book took its time but in the end it was worth it.
Looking back, it was good that the plot didn't get rushed. It played on my patience sometimes but in all the good ways - getting me to turn the page, waiting for the time Richard would realise he doesn't have to keep his feelings locked away.
The relationship between Gareth and Richard was sweet, genuine, and supportive. Even when things were going badly, it showed that there was something more between them.
I was hurt, amazed, excited, awed, and completely lost in this story - because of the characters but also because of the wonderful storyworld.
Looking back, it was good that the plot didn't get rushed. It played on my patience sometimes but in all the good ways - getting me to turn the page, waiting for the time Richard would realise he doesn't have to keep his feelings locked away.
The relationship between Gareth and Richard was sweet, genuine, and supportive. Even when things were going badly, it showed that there was something more between them.
I was hurt, amazed, excited, awed, and completely lost in this story - because of the characters but also because of the wonderful storyworld.
April 21, 2018
*to be reviewed*
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews