Pirates of the Dark Nebula

Destiny's Legacy #2

by S.C. Mitchell

A romantic science fiction adventure…with space pirates.

It can’t fall into the wrong hands.
Luna Callista holds the key to a galaxy-changing new technology. When she’s captured by a ruthless band of deep-space pirates, she’s rescued by a man filled with dark secrets of his own. Who is Rik Mazar?

Galactic protector or rogue pirate?
After three years undercover among the Brotherhood of the Dark Nebula, Rik Mazar isn’t sure what side of the law he’s walking. In a world of murder and betrayal, his life goes on the line every day. But, protecting Luna Callista means putting his heart in as much danger as his hide.

A rusting service droid, a Ferang fortuneteller, and a ship full of back-water refugees are their only allies, as Luna and Rik fight to save a galaxy in peril.

294 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2015

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pirates is a fun space romance filled with unexpected plot twists and adventure. The leads are engaging, and the robot has some excellent lines. If you liked Star Trek, you'll understand the space jargon and pick up on the spoofs embedded here (red-shirts beware!). The two leads have emotional depth, and selected secondary characters are described well. However, I could have used more physical description and emotional depth throughout. The main villain is purely evil in a melodramatic way, but some of the other pirates are portrayed as more humanly complex. All in all it's a fast-paced and satisfying adventure as well as a good follow-up to the first book in the series.

My main quibble is with the copy editing. For instance, the Oracles should be "old biddies," meaning old hens as in the term "biddy" referring to a hen or used as a derogatory word for an insignificant woman. The constant use of "old bitties" yanked me out of the story every time.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luna's ship was overtaken by pirates and she was almost kidnapped, but for the quick thinking of an undercover Galactic marshal. From there, things go from bad to worse, but the marshal (Rik) and his crew of rag tag escapees from the pirates manage to win our hearts as they forge ahead in their attempt to escape the pirates of the Dark Nebula.
This story was enjoyable. Another pair of seemingly star-crossed lovers caught in situations beyond their control This time planets and solar systems were the scene. There was romance, and adventure and (more sex and gunfights than I usually prefer). The characters were all likable and I loved that the female lead character was smart!
I confess that the lack of editing from this publishing house is distracting for me. The male main character's last name was even spelled two different ways in the book. Ah well... all in all, a fun read!

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sci fi adventure

But don't let the occasional, slightly overblown character language fool you. This series is not a parody; it is serious science fiction with a high body count and a lot of destruction. The story is thrilling, and the characters are enjoyable.

[Catherine McLean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good plot and story line but lackluster ending.