Jaloon: Assassin's Cape

by Rex Hurst

Jaloon: a fourteen fingered alien woman on a colonized planet in the far-off Andromeda galaxy. It is a pipeline between alien cultures she can barely comprehend, and she is simply a lowly cog in an interstellar alliance between races at war with an unstoppable enemy. Jaloon must contend with assassins, violent galactic criminal organizations, and her own malicious family, while trying to pay off a massive debt to a faceless mega-corporation. She has to use all of her skills and smarts to stay alive in an increasingly dark future.

98 pages, Paperback

Published September 27, 2019

About the author

Originally born in Argentina to German immigrants, Rex Hurst was kidnapped by narco-terrorists and sold to a Satanic drug cult in Matamoros, Mexico. There he was subjected to various humiliations and would have been sacrificed in a blood ritual if not for the timely intervention of the Mexican police. He was evacuated to family in Montana, where he obtained his bachelors in Fermentation Sciences and a masters in Philosophy. When not writing, he runs a small vineyard with his wife and six children.

Reviews

[Paul J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaloon is a favorite character of mine. I could read a thousand stories about her. Hurst's short novella is an action/mis-adventure story, but it has so many darkly comic elements and the blend is hard to put down.

[Dan Williamson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is only for fans of Battlelords of the 23rd Century role playing game. It's not very well written, but there are at least some interesting ideas in there: the description of the Ashanti culture and technology as an example.

[Brian Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read with an interesting main character, who grows and changes, while trying to survive in a unique alien world. A fast and fun read.

[Andrew Bator · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a Mary Sue
Are you tired of the modern fad in genre media of "strong female characters" that start out perfect and overcome every obstacle and challenge easily? That is not Jaloon. She's relatable, fallible, and has anxiety issues. All she's trying to do is get by and out from under crushing debt. She's confronted with escalating situations out of her control. A fun read and the author's best effort to date.

[Gia Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun collection of stories each centered around an out-of-her-depth alien girl tech, named Jaloon. She isn't a fighter, but a thinker and is forced in many situations where she needs to use her brains to get out, rather than at the barrel of a gun. She is a great character that you can't help feeling for. This is connected to the novel Across the Wounded Galaxy, but it isn't necessary to have read the book to enjoy these stories.