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A Place of Refuge #1
Finding Refuge
They lost the revolution. But then, they found sanctuary—and hope.
After the fascist Federated Colonies crushes their interstellar revolt, freedom fighters Talia and Miki have only each other.
Telepathic warrior Talia Avi lost her home planet, her people, and their psychic communion when the FC invaded, but thanks to Miki Boudreaux, she can glimpse a life beyond defeat. Genius engineer Miki lost Talia once to FC captivity and never plans to lose her again.
Miki will risk her life and her freedom to reunite Talia with the escaped remnants of her people, on a mysterious planet far outside of FC control. But the difficult part will be what comes after…when you’ve always been a guerilla at the sharp end of death, how do you learn to make a life?
Can two freedom fighters find refuge at last?
After the fascist Federated Colonies crushes their interstellar revolt, freedom fighters Talia and Miki have only each other.
Telepathic warrior Talia Avi lost her home planet, her people, and their psychic communion when the FC invaded, but thanks to Miki Boudreaux, she can glimpse a life beyond defeat. Genius engineer Miki lost Talia once to FC captivity and never plans to lose her again.
Miki will risk her life and her freedom to reunite Talia with the escaped remnants of her people, on a mysterious planet far outside of FC control. But the difficult part will be what comes after…when you’ve always been a guerilla at the sharp end of death, how do you learn to make a life?
Can two freedom fighters find refuge at last?
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2021
6 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Janssen
35 books99 followersVictoria Janssen currently writes science fiction romance for Kalikoi.
Her most recent print novel is The Duke and the Pirate Queen, fantasy erotica (Harlequin). It has pirates, sharks, and the Island of the Lotus Eaters. It's set in the same universe as her first novel, The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom, and Their Lover. Her second novel, The Moonlight Mistress, is an erotic historical set during World War One. It has a tie-in story with a cross-dressing soldier heroine, "Under Her Uniform."
Janssen has sold over thirty short stories. For her blog and a full list of her publications, please visit her website at victoriajanssen.com.
She's a member of The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.
Social Media:
Bluesky.
Wandering Shop at Mastodon.
Tumblr.
Facebook Author Page.
Her most recent print novel is The Duke and the Pirate Queen, fantasy erotica (Harlequin). It has pirates, sharks, and the Island of the Lotus Eaters. It's set in the same universe as her first novel, The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom, and Their Lover. Her second novel, The Moonlight Mistress, is an erotic historical set during World War One. It has a tie-in story with a cross-dressing soldier heroine, "Under Her Uniform."
Janssen has sold over thirty short stories. For her blog and a full list of her publications, please visit her website at victoriajanssen.com.
She's a member of The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.
Social Media:
Bluesky.
Wandering Shop at Mastodon.
Tumblr.
Facebook Author Page.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 12, 2021
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club for free in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Finding Refuge was a really therapeutic read for me. The story follows a group of three rebels protesting a massive, seemingly all-powerful government engaged in genocide, beginning with their reunion in a prison. Over the course of the book, they find refuge.
I thought the world of Finding Refuge was absolutely fascinating, and therein lies my main criticism of this book: I wanted to know more. Although the trio's involvement with a larger rebel organization is well established, there is not a lot of information about this group's leader, the other members of their band, and their past missions. I actually had to stop and make sure I hadn't accidentally missed the first book in the series. While this was certainly frustrating at times, once I shifted my perception of the plot to focus on the healing process, I found it a much more enjoyable read.
The protagonist, Talia, spends most of the book struggling to recover from over a year of drugging in a government prison, having been captured during a mission. Talia is from a planet where residents are telepathically connected to one another. After losing her people in a destructive, all-consuming war, she is constantly fighting to regain that sense of interpersonal connection.
Miki is central to that struggle, as the two have a deeper romantic relationship. Miki is an interesting character in her own right, but I was particularly intrigued by the third character in this trio, Faigin. If Talia is the heart of the group and Miki is the brain of the group, Faigin is the muscle. She has a set of enhancements that were surgically added to her body by the government's military but has since escaped and been using those skills to aid the revolutionary cause. In the next book, I'd love to learn more about her!
Overall, I thought this book was incredibly engaging. The focus on the healing journey certainly took me by surprise, given how accustomed I am to that process being left out of the main narrative, and I have to say I really enjoyed that. While it could have used more background information about the past exploits of these characters, Finding Refuge had plenty of action and kept my interest the entire way through!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Finding Refuge was a really therapeutic read for me. The story follows a group of three rebels protesting a massive, seemingly all-powerful government engaged in genocide, beginning with their reunion in a prison. Over the course of the book, they find refuge.
I thought the world of Finding Refuge was absolutely fascinating, and therein lies my main criticism of this book: I wanted to know more. Although the trio's involvement with a larger rebel organization is well established, there is not a lot of information about this group's leader, the other members of their band, and their past missions. I actually had to stop and make sure I hadn't accidentally missed the first book in the series. While this was certainly frustrating at times, once I shifted my perception of the plot to focus on the healing process, I found it a much more enjoyable read.
The protagonist, Talia, spends most of the book struggling to recover from over a year of drugging in a government prison, having been captured during a mission. Talia is from a planet where residents are telepathically connected to one another. After losing her people in a destructive, all-consuming war, she is constantly fighting to regain that sense of interpersonal connection.
Miki is central to that struggle, as the two have a deeper romantic relationship. Miki is an interesting character in her own right, but I was particularly intrigued by the third character in this trio, Faigin. If Talia is the heart of the group and Miki is the brain of the group, Faigin is the muscle. She has a set of enhancements that were surgically added to her body by the government's military but has since escaped and been using those skills to aid the revolutionary cause. In the next book, I'd love to learn more about her!
Overall, I thought this book was incredibly engaging. The focus on the healing journey certainly took me by surprise, given how accustomed I am to that process being left out of the main narrative, and I have to say I really enjoyed that. While it could have used more background information about the past exploits of these characters, Finding Refuge had plenty of action and kept my interest the entire way through!
January 30, 2022
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
I read some reviews before reading this book and I was curious to see this recovery journey that was mentioned by many people.
When I actually started this book I got super worried I wouldn't like it because there were so many names mentioned and events I couldn't figure out at first what was going on.
I'm glad that I kept reading and the initial fog dissipated, making me able to see the plot and characters clearly and love them.
Plot:
Talia is the main character with telepathic communication powers that was separated from her people's collective hive mind and her closest friends during a rebel mission against a totalitarian government.
The two people who save her are Miki who has a special place in Talia's heart and is also a tech genius and Faigin the enhanced government soldier who now fights for the rebellion and is also the pilot of their ship.
During Talia's imprisonment she was drugged to make her unable to use her telepathy and that weakened her body and spirit.
The guilt of not being able to fight, the ghosts of lost lives of other rebels, with the silent emptiness of the deep telepathic contact with her people make Talia's recovery hard.
That's why they together decide to look for a safe planet hidden from the Government where they can find shelter, safety and refuge.
Talia has to fight not only for the cause but to accept that the steps for recovery are slow and heavy and leave her unable to actively fight.
The purpose of their mission helps Talia to start this journey to find herself again and recover from her wounds both physical and emotional.
The author describes Talia's feelings in a way you easily get in her shoes.
The book portrays the hardest part of recovery, the one where you have to accept to be deserving of good things, to think of a future and even dream of a better one.
What I enjoyed the most reading were the interactions between the characters.
They are really entertaining especially since they all have such distinctive and different temperaments and to see their synergy it's amazing.
I would recommend this book also for the ease in which the author makes you imagine this futuristic universe, their inhabitants and the hopeful vibes that it inspires.
I read some reviews before reading this book and I was curious to see this recovery journey that was mentioned by many people.
When I actually started this book I got super worried I wouldn't like it because there were so many names mentioned and events I couldn't figure out at first what was going on.
I'm glad that I kept reading and the initial fog dissipated, making me able to see the plot and characters clearly and love them.
Plot:
Talia is the main character with telepathic communication powers that was separated from her people's collective hive mind and her closest friends during a rebel mission against a totalitarian government.
The two people who save her are Miki who has a special place in Talia's heart and is also a tech genius and Faigin the enhanced government soldier who now fights for the rebellion and is also the pilot of their ship.
During Talia's imprisonment she was drugged to make her unable to use her telepathy and that weakened her body and spirit.
The guilt of not being able to fight, the ghosts of lost lives of other rebels, with the silent emptiness of the deep telepathic contact with her people make Talia's recovery hard.
That's why they together decide to look for a safe planet hidden from the Government where they can find shelter, safety and refuge.
Talia has to fight not only for the cause but to accept that the steps for recovery are slow and heavy and leave her unable to actively fight.
The purpose of their mission helps Talia to start this journey to find herself again and recover from her wounds both physical and emotional.
The author describes Talia's feelings in a way you easily get in her shoes.
The book portrays the hardest part of recovery, the one where you have to accept to be deserving of good things, to think of a future and even dream of a better one.
What I enjoyed the most reading were the interactions between the characters.
They are really entertaining especially since they all have such distinctive and different temperaments and to see their synergy it's amazing.
I would recommend this book also for the ease in which the author makes you imagine this futuristic universe, their inhabitants and the hopeful vibes that it inspires.
October 28, 2021
Queer science fiction has my heart, and this little gem is no exception. Strong, well-realized characters living through traumas that mostly happen before the narrative begins, and the characters are handling their healing in realistic, well-thought-out ways, while rebuilding their lives. That makes it sound like this story isn't action-packed, which is completely untrue! The narrative has plenty of action to keep you reading, but what makes it so hard to put down is the people. I am looking forward to sequel!
August 7, 2022
Pretty good. Short easy read. I'm enjoying getting to know the characters. Look forward to the next book.
February 27, 2022
Janssen has laid the ground floor for what could be an exciting series about PTSD, life after war, human and non-human relations, and just personal relationships in general. I am excited to see whether refuge can be found after war for Talia, Miki, and Faigin. Finding Refuge is definitely just the beginning.
I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Check out the rest of my review at Phoebe's Randoms. Link in bio.
I received a free copy of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.
Check out the rest of my review at Phoebe's Randoms. Link in bio.
November 13, 2021
This is so good. The basic story is that three freedom fighters are given the opportunity to start new lives and heal from their traumatic experiences, but there's so much richness packed into the novella.
This is my favorite kind of world building--no info dumps, no belaboured dialogue to catch the reader up. Everything about this universe is explained organically, and by the novella's end, there's still a lot of ambiguity about universe history and etc.
The novella is 100% character-focused which I love. Each of the three main characters is complex and interesting, and I am very much looking forward to reading about how they integrate into this new community they've found.
I teared up at the end. Just lovely.
This is my favorite kind of world building--no info dumps, no belaboured dialogue to catch the reader up. Everything about this universe is explained organically, and by the novella's end, there's still a lot of ambiguity about universe history and etc.
The novella is 100% character-focused which I love. Each of the three main characters is complex and interesting, and I am very much looking forward to reading about how they integrate into this new community they've found.
I teared up at the end. Just lovely.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews