What do you think?
Rate this book
Conquest
The war for humanity's freedom is just beginning.
Syteria is a survivor. She survived being kidnapped by the Matriarchy. She survived being turned into one of their slave soldiers. But even she didn't think she'd survive saving her brother's life, an act of treason.
After the ship taking her to her execution crashes, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land.
Syteria's very existence threatens the donai --a race of genetically engineered warriors who overthrew the humans who created and enslaved them. Only one person stands between life and death, between freedom and slavery--Darien, a half-breed donai prince who defied his emperor to rescue her, a derelict spaceship's only survivor.
His motives are suspect, especially when turning her over to the tender mercies of the Imperium would cost him nothing and redeem him in the eyes of the emperor.
To save their societies Darien and Syteria must risk everything--even falling in love--to forge an alliance that will change everything.
Related
" A Ravages of Honor Novella" gives us Lady Yedon's backstory. She is introduced to us in RoH as Galen's original owner, and the emperor's favorite assassin.
"Bonds of Love and Duty" is a short story in Laurell K. Hamilton's Fantastic Hope anthology. It features House Dobromil's founder and the start of the donai's war against their human masters.
Syteria is a survivor. She survived being kidnapped by the Matriarchy. She survived being turned into one of their slave soldiers. But even she didn't think she'd survive saving her brother's life, an act of treason.
After the ship taking her to her execution crashes, she finds herself a stranger in a strange land.
Syteria's very existence threatens the donai --a race of genetically engineered warriors who overthrew the humans who created and enslaved them. Only one person stands between life and death, between freedom and slavery--Darien, a half-breed donai prince who defied his emperor to rescue her, a derelict spaceship's only survivor.
His motives are suspect, especially when turning her over to the tender mercies of the Imperium would cost him nothing and redeem him in the eyes of the emperor.
To save their societies Darien and Syteria must risk everything--even falling in love--to forge an alliance that will change everything.
Related
" A Ravages of Honor Novella" gives us Lady Yedon's backstory. She is introduced to us in RoH as Galen's original owner, and the emperor's favorite assassin.
"Bonds of Love and Duty" is a short story in Laurell K. Hamilton's Fantastic Hope anthology. It features House Dobromil's founder and the start of the donai's war against their human masters.
548 pages, Hardcover
Published October 26, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 12, 2024
**MINOR SPOILERS**
This book is the first book in the Ravages of Honor series. I had read a short story by this author in a compendium and decided to try a full length book. The short story was written in the same world but did not have the characters from this book. There are also other novellas set in the Ravages of Honor world.
The author created an interesting world. Syteria is from a two planet system that is in a separate galaxy from the one in the main part of the story. While she is on a spaceship, a wormhole opens and brings her to the other galaxy. In this galaxy, there are separate rulers of different parts of the galaxy called Houses. There is also a “federal government” called the Imperium which has some powers over the Houses. The Imperium is run by a leader who wants to have more power over the Houses and to be a supreme ruler. The leader is devious, manipulative, and cruel.
Syteria is rescued by Darien’s spaceship. Darien is ½ human, and ½ Donai. The Donai were created by the humans to help them protect their world. They were genetically enhanced to be stronger and smarter. The inevitable happened and the Donai took over.
The relationship between Syteria and Darien was not well developed. In the early part of the book, they have very little interaction. When they finally met, Darien appears to be immediately committed to Syteria and I did not understand why. There is a pair bond that can develop with Donai but was Darien feeling it? Later you find out he did feel it, but it just was with no explanation for why they were a good match.
In addition, Syteria constantly pushes back on Darien but it is done with no knowledge of the world she is in, what his role is, and it just seemed endless. I think the author wanted to show that she was spunky but it came across as foolish. I don’t think obstinacy for the sake of it is admirable. I would have preferred that she indicate some intelligent thoughts (strategic, philosophical, etc) as part of her challenge. It would have made it more interesting rather than her simply thinking of him as a tyrant.
Syteria acts impulsively after a nightmare and I lost some sympathy for her. I thought her actions showed a lack of control and a lack of forethought.
The wormhole that opened between the two galaxies was part of a secret Imperium program. Darien’s accidental discovery of what happened and Syteria’s actual presence cause major issues.
The secondary characters are interesting. Galen, the doctor, seemed kind and his priority was to help people. However, there is a point after Syteria’s physical recovery that he realizes that she also has PTSD from her terrible childhood. He puts her into a sleep despite knowing that she did not want that to happen. He then says to Darien, “Allowing her to stay here for a few days would let me work on alleviating some of her nightmares, perhaps even some of her people’s draconian conditioning. … Let me do some good, for her sake.” I would think people might stand on different sides of the “it is for her own good” issue, but I thought this should have been Syteria’s choice and this cost the book a star as it was done by Darien as well.
In addition, Darien makes a decision about how to keep Syteria safe that affected her life more greatly than she realized. He tells Galen and others not to tell her his decision.
The story alternated mostly between Syteria and Darien’s point of view, though there were a few scenes from the points of view of others.
There are points in the book where the wording is absolutely great. The author sometimes conveys a perfect symbolic moment, a descriptive thought, etc.
There were times when the relationship between Darian and Syteria felt like a dom/sub one.
Darian, at times, spoke with the royal we.
There is a possible transgender tone to this book that some people may like and others may not. Syteria is captured as a child and genetically modified to become less feminine. When she is healed by Darien’s people, her body reverts to her natural size, shape, etc. This was not overemphasized other than showing some references to Syteria’s fear that this reversion will get her in trouble with her old masters. Submitting to those original changes or her healing back to her original state had not been Syteria’s choice.
I do not plan to continue to the second book and will not continue reading other books by this author. I do not recommend this book.
This book is the first book in the Ravages of Honor series. I had read a short story by this author in a compendium and decided to try a full length book. The short story was written in the same world but did not have the characters from this book. There are also other novellas set in the Ravages of Honor world.
The author created an interesting world. Syteria is from a two planet system that is in a separate galaxy from the one in the main part of the story. While she is on a spaceship, a wormhole opens and brings her to the other galaxy. In this galaxy, there are separate rulers of different parts of the galaxy called Houses. There is also a “federal government” called the Imperium which has some powers over the Houses. The Imperium is run by a leader who wants to have more power over the Houses and to be a supreme ruler. The leader is devious, manipulative, and cruel.
Syteria is rescued by Darien’s spaceship. Darien is ½ human, and ½ Donai. The Donai were created by the humans to help them protect their world. They were genetically enhanced to be stronger and smarter. The inevitable happened and the Donai took over.
The relationship between Syteria and Darien was not well developed. In the early part of the book, they have very little interaction. When they finally met, Darien appears to be immediately committed to Syteria and I did not understand why. There is a pair bond that can develop with Donai but was Darien feeling it? Later you find out he did feel it, but it just was with no explanation for why they were a good match.
In addition, Syteria constantly pushes back on Darien but it is done with no knowledge of the world she is in, what his role is, and it just seemed endless. I think the author wanted to show that she was spunky but it came across as foolish. I don’t think obstinacy for the sake of it is admirable. I would have preferred that she indicate some intelligent thoughts (strategic, philosophical, etc) as part of her challenge. It would have made it more interesting rather than her simply thinking of him as a tyrant.
Syteria acts impulsively after a nightmare and I lost some sympathy for her. I thought her actions showed a lack of control and a lack of forethought.
The wormhole that opened between the two galaxies was part of a secret Imperium program. Darien’s accidental discovery of what happened and Syteria’s actual presence cause major issues.
The secondary characters are interesting. Galen, the doctor, seemed kind and his priority was to help people. However, there is a point after Syteria’s physical recovery that he realizes that she also has PTSD from her terrible childhood. He puts her into a sleep despite knowing that she did not want that to happen. He then says to Darien, “Allowing her to stay here for a few days would let me work on alleviating some of her nightmares, perhaps even some of her people’s draconian conditioning. … Let me do some good, for her sake.” I would think people might stand on different sides of the “it is for her own good” issue, but I thought this should have been Syteria’s choice and this cost the book a star as it was done by Darien as well.
In addition, Darien makes a decision about how to keep Syteria safe that affected her life more greatly than she realized. He tells Galen and others not to tell her his decision.
The story alternated mostly between Syteria and Darien’s point of view, though there were a few scenes from the points of view of others.
There are points in the book where the wording is absolutely great. The author sometimes conveys a perfect symbolic moment, a descriptive thought, etc.
There were times when the relationship between Darian and Syteria felt like a dom/sub one.
Darian, at times, spoke with the royal we.
There is a possible transgender tone to this book that some people may like and others may not. Syteria is captured as a child and genetically modified to become less feminine. When she is healed by Darien’s people, her body reverts to her natural size, shape, etc. This was not overemphasized other than showing some references to Syteria’s fear that this reversion will get her in trouble with her old masters. Submitting to those original changes or her healing back to her original state had not been Syteria’s choice.
I do not plan to continue to the second book and will not continue reading other books by this author. I do not recommend this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review