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Men in Space #1
Men in Space: Beyond Meridian / Crimson / Moonlust
If you can't take the heat, get out of the cockpit... Beyond Meridian by C.C. Bridges When Raine took Karl on his crew, he didn’t sign up for battling privateers, the United Planetary Alliance—and his body’s response to the naïve kid. Karl’s covert mission is finally within reach. Unfortunately, so is Raine, who’s erotic poetry in motion. But Karl can’t trust him with secrets that could get them both killed. Crimson by Ethan X. Thomas Ben will do anything to bring down a drug czar—anything but kneel. Then an ambush wipes out his squad and threatens the life of a partner he never realized he cared about, much less loved. Ben always looked past Adam’s blue skin, yet suddenly Ben seems determined to get rid of him. But Adam won’t be scared off. He has his own agenda on this mission, and he’ll achieve it even if it means acting as Ben’s Master… Moonlust by Kallysten Stealing chromore from a deserted moon gets complicated when Kar and his two-man crew discover too late there’s a mating season in progress—and the pheromones plunge all three of them into lust. Blindsided by erotic visions of his crewmembers, things suddenly get much harder for Kar than expected…
253 pages, Paperback
First published December 9, 2009
1 person is currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
C.C. Bridges
36 books62 followersI love creating new worlds slightly off-center from our own. I'm a writer of scifi, fantasy and the paranormal.
Check out my webpage for excerpts and find out what I'm currently working on!
Check out my webpage for excerpts and find out what I'm currently working on!
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 23, 2011
Captain Rick Raine is the last hope for Karl. He want to save his friend, Sam, and the name Rick have an starship and his name is know everywhere.
I enjoy immensely both characters, loved the action and was a little annoyed by the narration... it´s the only problem I found in this book... the sudden change of narrators, that sometimes let me VERY confused.
So: great sci-fi
, not long and boring sex scenes 
to kill the action and a perfect characters is the reason of my 4 stars.
And let me expend few words about the erotic scenes. So well, there are sex scenes in this book
, but don't read it if you are searching an erotic book. C.C Bridges don't described, with pages and pages, the sex. It's there, but the book don't have that aim, to be erotic. It's a sci-fi and an adventure, so of course it's perfect to sci-fi readers.
I want to read more of this serie!
I enjoy immensely both characters, loved the action and was a little annoyed by the narration... it´s the only problem I found in this book... the sudden change of narrators, that sometimes let me VERY confused.
So: great sci-fi
, not long and boring sex scenes to kill the action and a perfect characters is the reason of my 4 stars.And let me expend few words about the erotic scenes. So well, there are sex scenes in this book
, but don't read it if you are searching an erotic book. C.C Bridges don't described, with pages and pages, the sex. It's there, but the book don't have that aim, to be erotic. It's a sci-fi and an adventure, so of course it's perfect to sci-fi readers.I want to read more of this serie!
October 14, 2018
My first m/m romance, this was a quick, easy read. Beyond Meridian is under 100 pages, but it is crammed full of action, adventure, romance and sexy time.
Karl needs a ride into enemy territory, word has it that Captain Raine is his best bet. Captain Raine knows that Karl isn’t telling him the whole truth, but he can’t turn down the money. Together they run illegal goods, battle space pirates and their feelings for each other all while trying to save the person who Karl owes his life to.
Raine had a total Han Solo feel to him, he was gruff and handsome. Karl was sweet, endearing. You know exactly how the plot will play out, but it was well written and fun so you don’t mind. By having it set in space, it makes it even more fun. The planets, the different people and the ongoing war are all in the background of the story, there is a lot of room for more books in this universe, even longer fleshed out ones if the author chose to go that route.
This is a re-release and the first in a series, so I’m assuming the next two will also be re-released as well.
I received this e-arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Karl needs a ride into enemy territory, word has it that Captain Raine is his best bet. Captain Raine knows that Karl isn’t telling him the whole truth, but he can’t turn down the money. Together they run illegal goods, battle space pirates and their feelings for each other all while trying to save the person who Karl owes his life to.
Raine had a total Han Solo feel to him, he was gruff and handsome. Karl was sweet, endearing. You know exactly how the plot will play out, but it was well written and fun so you don’t mind. By having it set in space, it makes it even more fun. The planets, the different people and the ongoing war are all in the background of the story, there is a lot of room for more books in this universe, even longer fleshed out ones if the author chose to go that route.
This is a re-release and the first in a series, so I’m assuming the next two will also be re-released as well.
I received this e-arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 1, 2018
The blurb sums up this short story quite succinctly, so I won’t rehash. This was an enjoyable romantic science fiction story. The plot moves briskly along, there is just enough character development to draw the reader in, and the world building made for a strong backdrop without losing plausibility.
Captain Raine is your Han Solo, Malcolm, Holden (geek points if you know the last two references…) in the Meridian universe. Loner, comes with a reputation, but appearances can be deceiving.
Karl comes across as naïve and young, but he’s already well versed in survival. What’s sweet about Karl is “street smarts” haven’t been so beaten out of him that he lost his idealism.
Itchy – perhaps my favorite character. You’ll have to read to find out more.
I’ve mentioned this before; short stories can be difficult to write. The author needs to trim the extraneous “fluff”, so to speak, and get down to the essentials, and still have an engaging story. I think Bridges does a wonderful job doing so in this story.
That being noted, I’m really on the fence if this should have been a longer story. There were some transitions that felt abrupt – on one hand, it moved the story along; on the other hand, I was mentally prepared for a scene to play out a certain way and…poof! Situation resolved and we’re on to the next thing.
My one other quirk was how easily one ship AI was able to hack into everything. This ship AI was very cool, I loved how Bridges developed the AI character, but given the background, the ship seemed almost too powerful. My idiosyncrasy aside (blame my 30 years of reading scifi), the ship was pretty awesome.
My review is starting to resemble a short story itself, so I’ll conclude by saying this was a well written, engaging, and fast paced scifi romance. If you like scifi, or are thinking about trying scif, give this one a try.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Captain Raine is your Han Solo, Malcolm, Holden (geek points if you know the last two references…) in the Meridian universe. Loner, comes with a reputation, but appearances can be deceiving.
Karl comes across as naïve and young, but he’s already well versed in survival. What’s sweet about Karl is “street smarts” haven’t been so beaten out of him that he lost his idealism.
Itchy – perhaps my favorite character. You’ll have to read to find out more.
I’ve mentioned this before; short stories can be difficult to write. The author needs to trim the extraneous “fluff”, so to speak, and get down to the essentials, and still have an engaging story. I think Bridges does a wonderful job doing so in this story.
That being noted, I’m really on the fence if this should have been a longer story. There were some transitions that felt abrupt – on one hand, it moved the story along; on the other hand, I was mentally prepared for a scene to play out a certain way and…poof! Situation resolved and we’re on to the next thing.
My one other quirk was how easily one ship AI was able to hack into everything. This ship AI was very cool, I loved how Bridges developed the AI character, but given the background, the ship seemed almost too powerful. My idiosyncrasy aside (blame my 30 years of reading scifi), the ship was pretty awesome.
My review is starting to resemble a short story itself, so I’ll conclude by saying this was a well written, engaging, and fast paced scifi romance. If you like scifi, or are thinking about trying scif, give this one a try.
Review is cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
August 27, 2018
This is a short book, easy and fun to read.
Rick Raine, a captain of his own ship, that transports different kinds of cargo, gets approached by Karl. Karl wants to take him to Medhem because he wants to save his friend Sam. Though Karl doesn’t say who Sam is and who he himself is and works for, Raine accepts if Karl can get him a cargo to transport. Karl happily does and they set off to save Sam.
The story is short, so we don’t get a lot of world building. Their mission happens fast with a bit of delay while going there. The banter between the characters is funny. One thing I really liked where Raine’s bots, especially Itchy! So cute! Raine’s ship has a very intelligent AI, and very cool piloting system. Sci-fi fans will like it.
I would have loved if it was longer. I wanted more action, more of the characters getting to know each other. I think the next books in the series have that. I’ll give them a chance!
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
Rick Raine, a captain of his own ship, that transports different kinds of cargo, gets approached by Karl. Karl wants to take him to Medhem because he wants to save his friend Sam. Though Karl doesn’t say who Sam is and who he himself is and works for, Raine accepts if Karl can get him a cargo to transport. Karl happily does and they set off to save Sam.
The story is short, so we don’t get a lot of world building. Their mission happens fast with a bit of delay while going there. The banter between the characters is funny. One thing I really liked where Raine’s bots, especially Itchy! So cute! Raine’s ship has a very intelligent AI, and very cool piloting system. Sci-fi fans will like it.
I would have loved if it was longer. I wanted more action, more of the characters getting to know each other. I think the next books in the series have that. I’ll give them a chance!
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
July 18, 2019
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This really a typical Novella with a lack of depth due to the length of the story.
Although well written there just is not the time to develop the characters or the story.
A real let down.
This really a typical Novella with a lack of depth due to the length of the story.
Although well written there just is not the time to develop the characters or the story.
A real let down.
July 11, 2011
I really liked this one. It had a lot of suspense and action and the story felt more along the lines of a novel instead of a novella so that's good. It means the story had enough in it I wasn't left completely lost or completely bored. It had a nice in between that had me invested in the story.
I liked both Raine and Karl. Raine is the typical mercenary, only taking cargo and jobs when he wants to. Karl, however, is much more than he seems. He has a lot of layers to him that slowly start to peel back during the story. Allowing Raine to catch a glimpse of who Karl really is and to know enough that he can't just let Karl leave his life now.
While I did enjoy the story immensely, I would have liked it better if the world was more developed and explained. We get the basics on what this new universe is like but I would have liked to be explained some things like why the Confed and UPA are fighting. Answers to questions that revolve around the world not so much the characters and plot. That's the thing about sci-fi, though. It's a great genre but can never live up to it's full potential unless everything about the new world that's created is explained.
Overall, I really liked this story. I'm hoping we'll get more of Karl and Raine in the future and see where their travels and lives take them. Recommended.
I liked both Raine and Karl. Raine is the typical mercenary, only taking cargo and jobs when he wants to. Karl, however, is much more than he seems. He has a lot of layers to him that slowly start to peel back during the story. Allowing Raine to catch a glimpse of who Karl really is and to know enough that he can't just let Karl leave his life now.
While I did enjoy the story immensely, I would have liked it better if the world was more developed and explained. We get the basics on what this new universe is like but I would have liked to be explained some things like why the Confed and UPA are fighting. Answers to questions that revolve around the world not so much the characters and plot. That's the thing about sci-fi, though. It's a great genre but can never live up to it's full potential unless everything about the new world that's created is explained.
Overall, I really liked this story. I'm hoping we'll get more of Karl and Raine in the future and see where their travels and lives take them. Recommended.
October 23, 2018
beyond meridian had a nice story and nice characters, but it kinda failed to keep me /really/ interested.
the plot was fun, fast-paced and interesting, making it the strongest aspect of the story, and while, like, i said, the characters were nice, none of them felt really developed/fleshed out. as a result, the relationship between the main characters felt hollow and a bit boring.
didn't hate it, but i didn't like it either.
the plot was fun, fast-paced and interesting, making it the strongest aspect of the story, and while, like, i said, the characters were nice, none of them felt really developed/fleshed out. as a result, the relationship between the main characters felt hollow and a bit boring.
didn't hate it, but i didn't like it either.
July 27, 2012
Sorry, but when you call your lover 'Kid' during/after sex, I stop reading, doesn't matter how old they are, it still makes me sick
October 28, 2018
More like 3.5 stars, not quite 4 because its too short. I don't even know where to start. I know I read the description before downloading it but I somehow missed that is was a "romance" M/M. No issues just caught me off guard at first. So we are following Raine and Karl. Raine is a Spacer...he moves cargo. And Karl needs help getting into "enemy" territory.
Its Firefly with a two man crew and a REALLY fancy ship. Its a quick read but its honestly really good. You want to hate Raine, he's a bastard but he isn't he has a heart so to say. Karl seems green but there is something lurking beneath the surface. He is on a mission to save his friend and needs Raine. The problem is Raine is a man ho (at least it seems) and Karl is "innocent".
Its written to move quickly but its captivating. It really does grab your interest. My only issue is it moves so fast. I like to see more development in characters and in story. I like to see the build in the relationship. But even with that lacking I like Raine and Karl. It's good. They are good. It's...just read it. Like I said Firefly...plus.
I got this book for free from Netgalley to read and give my honest review.
Its Firefly with a two man crew and a REALLY fancy ship. Its a quick read but its honestly really good. You want to hate Raine, he's a bastard but he isn't he has a heart so to say. Karl seems green but there is something lurking beneath the surface. He is on a mission to save his friend and needs Raine. The problem is Raine is a man ho (at least it seems) and Karl is "innocent".
Its written to move quickly but its captivating. It really does grab your interest. My only issue is it moves so fast. I like to see more development in characters and in story. I like to see the build in the relationship. But even with that lacking I like Raine and Karl. It's good. They are good. It's...just read it. Like I said Firefly...plus.
I got this book for free from Netgalley to read and give my honest review.
October 5, 2018
This short book is an easy and fun read.
Rick Raine is a captain of his own ship and transports all sorts of cargo. One gets the impression that not all of it is legal.
One day, Karl approaches him because of his reputation, as he needs someone to take him to Medhem. Karl doesn't say who he is and who he works for, nor why he has to get there. Over time Raine finds out it is to save his friend, Sam who was sold into slavery.
The story is short and I miss a lot of world building and story set up. It rushes through the events, where I think it could have been expanded a bit more.
One thing I LOVED though is the AI ship Raine owns and the two robots that help him keep it maintained. Especially Itchy, who took a liking to Karl from the first day. I would have been interested to get to know a bit more about this. There is much potential to this story.
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
Rick Raine is a captain of his own ship and transports all sorts of cargo. One gets the impression that not all of it is legal.
One day, Karl approaches him because of his reputation, as he needs someone to take him to Medhem. Karl doesn't say who he is and who he works for, nor why he has to get there. Over time Raine finds out it is to save his friend, Sam who was sold into slavery.
The story is short and I miss a lot of world building and story set up. It rushes through the events, where I think it could have been expanded a bit more.
One thing I LOVED though is the AI ship Raine owns and the two robots that help him keep it maintained. Especially Itchy, who took a liking to Karl from the first day. I would have been interested to get to know a bit more about this. There is much potential to this story.
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
August 24, 2018
Captain Rick Raine thinks he's helping Karl with a cargo load when he agrees to take him to another planet. Along the way, they get caught up with privateers and get stuck battling the United Planetary Alliance. When Karl finally shares some of his secrets, Raine has to decide if he's worth a mission that could result in execution.
This was a quick read and it was fun. Zooming through the galaxy at light speed with AI and spider looking robots is quite an adventure. I liked the story and it held my interest. I'd recommend this book.
I was given this ARC from NineStar Press, LLC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a quick read and it was fun. Zooming through the galaxy at light speed with AI and spider looking robots is quite an adventure. I liked the story and it held my interest. I'd recommend this book.
I was given this ARC from NineStar Press, LLC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2018
Beyond Meridian is a m/m sci-fi novella which combines action and romance to deliver a fast-paced and enjoyable story.
When Karl, a mysterious young man who’s seeking transportation to another territory, one that is closely guarded by the Confederation of Free Planets, approaches Captain Rick Raine asking for help, Rick has no real idea what he’s getting himself into. After uncovering a growing attraction for each other and learning about Karl’s true reason for his journey, Rick must decide if he wants to risk his life (and lifestyle!) for the mysterious young man he agreed to help.
What worked best for me in this novella was the relationship between Karl and Rick, which develops from virtual strangers to lovers as they get to know and trust one another on their journey. Seeing Karl work through some of his trust issues, and Rick working through his commitment issues offers great character development for both of them. To do this within the confines of a novella is a great achievement, and their relationship felt wonderfully paced and very real to me. The two men are very different to each other. Karl initially is perceived to be ‘weaker’ than Rick (by Rick!) and is quickly able to prove him wrong, coming out on top during their verbal spats.
The world-building unfortunately felt rushed to me. Although there were some great ideas in there – most notably the unique AI system and cute robots in Rick’s ship – the intergalactic world wasn’t explored sufficiently for me. Some of this is due to the length of the book, as it’s only a novella length; but I definitely felt that more inventive world-building if not necessarily more world-building would have helped me to feel more immersed in Karl and Rick’s world.
Overall, the novella is action-packed, romantic and a fun read!
When Karl, a mysterious young man who’s seeking transportation to another territory, one that is closely guarded by the Confederation of Free Planets, approaches Captain Rick Raine asking for help, Rick has no real idea what he’s getting himself into. After uncovering a growing attraction for each other and learning about Karl’s true reason for his journey, Rick must decide if he wants to risk his life (and lifestyle!) for the mysterious young man he agreed to help.
What worked best for me in this novella was the relationship between Karl and Rick, which develops from virtual strangers to lovers as they get to know and trust one another on their journey. Seeing Karl work through some of his trust issues, and Rick working through his commitment issues offers great character development for both of them. To do this within the confines of a novella is a great achievement, and their relationship felt wonderfully paced and very real to me. The two men are very different to each other. Karl initially is perceived to be ‘weaker’ than Rick (by Rick!) and is quickly able to prove him wrong, coming out on top during their verbal spats.
The world-building unfortunately felt rushed to me. Although there were some great ideas in there – most notably the unique AI system and cute robots in Rick’s ship – the intergalactic world wasn’t explored sufficiently for me. Some of this is due to the length of the book, as it’s only a novella length; but I definitely felt that more inventive world-building if not necessarily more world-building would have helped me to feel more immersed in Karl and Rick’s world.
Overall, the novella is action-packed, romantic and a fun read!
October 1, 2018
A quick, enjoyable read with fun worldbuilding and some sexy space rogues. Sure, there are sci fi tropes aplenty, but that added to my enjoyment - I do love a captain who loves his ship accompanied by a naive "kid" who's more than he seems. I would definitely read the future adventures of Raine and Karl!
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
December 9, 2023
A nice short read.
Read
November 7, 2010Crimson by Ethan X. Thomas
Crimson is an alternative reality story from all the possible perspectives you look at it. First of all, the prejudice here is not given by the fact that Benjamin is gay, but by the fact that Adam, his partner is of a different breed.
Benjamin and Adam are different in all possible aspects other than one, their sex, and this is the only thing that seems to not arising trouble. Benjamin is 44 years old and still mourning the betrayal of his former lover; he is an high level police officer, he should be always the leader and responsible for the good being of his men, but in his private life he craves to be mastered. Benjamin is a submissive and he did the unthinkable, he killed his previous master; for this reason, since he was forced to kill the one man in the world he swore to always obey, he now has made his special mission to hunt down Tazu, the man who forced him to do that.
Adam is not a Terran like Ben, he is a mix of human and bird, instead of hair he has feathers, and his skin is deep blue. You can’t possible not notice it, and that is the reason why he is ostracized. Actually Adam is not even gay, but truth be told, in this futuristic tale, the preference in sex seems to not be important; it not defines who you are or why you are a misfit. Other than being of a lesser breed, Adam is also a lot younger than Ben, 28 years old, so he doesn’t fit at all the role of Master, and Ben craves for a Master. Adam and Ben are totally mismatched, and so it’s quite difficult for them to go undercover as a married couple in a exclusive resort. More Ben has to play the role of Master, something he totally doesn’t feel in him, and Adam the one of the slave, something he totally hates since his people has always fought to come out from slavery.
I had some trouble to mentally enter in the story since the authors don’t give you background notion, you are plunged directly into the story and have to pick up clues here and there to understand the whole. It’s something that I find quite often in futuristic tales, actually there are two opposite ways to tell a story: or the author gives full details, even too much, sometime overloading so much the story to boring the reader, or the author only hints to the alternative reality, letting the reader to fill the voids with his own imagination. Probably I prefer the second way, and it’s the one chosen for Crimson, just enough details to allow understanding the surroundings, and then, you are free to build the reality as much as you like.
Moonlust (Men in Space) by Kallysten
Usually a sci-fiction story tends to have a “grandeur” feeling; maybe it’s the great expanse of the space, of those spaceships, big and cold. You almost get lost in those spaceships, and the simple men who work in there are in second line, all the high tech solutions are the main characters and the men succumb to them.
Moonlust takes a turn from the usual plot and uses a very old fashioned device to do that, the mating fever. At first Kar met Jay alone, Kar had a very old spaceship he needed someone to pilot and Jay was the right man; probably Jay was not right only for the spaceship, he was right also for its captain, but Kar feared to be hurt from Jay’s possible future deception (how an old fashioned feeling, the old as time fear to fail that pushes men to not even try). Consciously or unconsciously, it’s not clear, Kar hired also Will, a pretty hot young thing who is immediately all octopus over Jay. But Kar clever diversion backfires him: now he has not only to avoid Jay, now he has to avoid the both of them together, who are all over each other at every moment and in every place of the ship!
Kar is barely managing to do that when a mission sends them to an alien planet during the mating season: the pheromones in the air produce an unexpected side effect also on them. Or maybe Kar is saying to himself that to justify why he is suddenly in bed with both Jay than Will and he is enjoying every moment.
As I said, other than being setting in a spaceship sailing unknown routes, this novella is basically a funny romp. Unusually for me, I like all three men in the ménages: Kar is almost tender in his “I want/I don’t want to want” attitude towards Jay, and it’s almost funny how he put himself in a bigger danger when he hired Will to “distract” Jay; Jay has those mystery aura around himself, and basically that easy attitude that makes him like a rascal, a character that I always liked in romance; and finally Will, the happy-to-go boy, the one who is always smiling, the one who wants to make everyone happy… obviously if this means making himself happy along with.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/160504914X/?...
Crimson is an alternative reality story from all the possible perspectives you look at it. First of all, the prejudice here is not given by the fact that Benjamin is gay, but by the fact that Adam, his partner is of a different breed.
Benjamin and Adam are different in all possible aspects other than one, their sex, and this is the only thing that seems to not arising trouble. Benjamin is 44 years old and still mourning the betrayal of his former lover; he is an high level police officer, he should be always the leader and responsible for the good being of his men, but in his private life he craves to be mastered. Benjamin is a submissive and he did the unthinkable, he killed his previous master; for this reason, since he was forced to kill the one man in the world he swore to always obey, he now has made his special mission to hunt down Tazu, the man who forced him to do that.
Adam is not a Terran like Ben, he is a mix of human and bird, instead of hair he has feathers, and his skin is deep blue. You can’t possible not notice it, and that is the reason why he is ostracized. Actually Adam is not even gay, but truth be told, in this futuristic tale, the preference in sex seems to not be important; it not defines who you are or why you are a misfit. Other than being of a lesser breed, Adam is also a lot younger than Ben, 28 years old, so he doesn’t fit at all the role of Master, and Ben craves for a Master. Adam and Ben are totally mismatched, and so it’s quite difficult for them to go undercover as a married couple in a exclusive resort. More Ben has to play the role of Master, something he totally doesn’t feel in him, and Adam the one of the slave, something he totally hates since his people has always fought to come out from slavery.
I had some trouble to mentally enter in the story since the authors don’t give you background notion, you are plunged directly into the story and have to pick up clues here and there to understand the whole. It’s something that I find quite often in futuristic tales, actually there are two opposite ways to tell a story: or the author gives full details, even too much, sometime overloading so much the story to boring the reader, or the author only hints to the alternative reality, letting the reader to fill the voids with his own imagination. Probably I prefer the second way, and it’s the one chosen for Crimson, just enough details to allow understanding the surroundings, and then, you are free to build the reality as much as you like.
Moonlust (Men in Space) by Kallysten
Usually a sci-fiction story tends to have a “grandeur” feeling; maybe it’s the great expanse of the space, of those spaceships, big and cold. You almost get lost in those spaceships, and the simple men who work in there are in second line, all the high tech solutions are the main characters and the men succumb to them.
Moonlust takes a turn from the usual plot and uses a very old fashioned device to do that, the mating fever. At first Kar met Jay alone, Kar had a very old spaceship he needed someone to pilot and Jay was the right man; probably Jay was not right only for the spaceship, he was right also for its captain, but Kar feared to be hurt from Jay’s possible future deception (how an old fashioned feeling, the old as time fear to fail that pushes men to not even try). Consciously or unconsciously, it’s not clear, Kar hired also Will, a pretty hot young thing who is immediately all octopus over Jay. But Kar clever diversion backfires him: now he has not only to avoid Jay, now he has to avoid the both of them together, who are all over each other at every moment and in every place of the ship!
Kar is barely managing to do that when a mission sends them to an alien planet during the mating season: the pheromones in the air produce an unexpected side effect also on them. Or maybe Kar is saying to himself that to justify why he is suddenly in bed with both Jay than Will and he is enjoying every moment.
As I said, other than being setting in a spaceship sailing unknown routes, this novella is basically a funny romp. Unusually for me, I like all three men in the ménages: Kar is almost tender in his “I want/I don’t want to want” attitude towards Jay, and it’s almost funny how he put himself in a bigger danger when he hired Will to “distract” Jay; Jay has those mystery aura around himself, and basically that easy attitude that makes him like a rascal, a character that I always liked in romance; and finally Will, the happy-to-go boy, the one who is always smiling, the one who wants to make everyone happy… obviously if this means making himself happy along with.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/160504914X/?...
March 5, 2017
I bought this book awhile ago and had it on my e-shelf to be read at some later point. I finally got around to reading it, and I'm so disappointed I didn't read it sooner. I absolutely LOVED this story. The setting was wonderful, the details of the ship-while sparse at times-were executed well. There were just enough details to leave me enjoying the scifi elements of the story while focusing on the characters.
Raine and Karl are both wonderful. Raine is a spacer who makes runs-legal and not-between the two different groups in space. Karl is a bit of an enigma at first. A former child on Meridian, he is on a mission to save a friend.
The chemistry between them is so hot. I loved their moments together, and I wanted more of it. I would read an entire series with them. The little touches they each had made them memorable as well, from Raine's collection of antiques to Karl's computer chip bracelet. How can you not love Itchy and Dina? They were fantastic characters in themselves.
When Karl is shown how to fly the ship through the holographic commands, I was completely absorbed. Though he was distracted by Raine's touches, I found the scene to be completely sensual. Truly a great, if short, scene.
This story was well worth the purchase. I just wish there was more to it and that I had read it sooner.
Raine and Karl are both wonderful. Raine is a spacer who makes runs-legal and not-between the two different groups in space. Karl is a bit of an enigma at first. A former child on Meridian, he is on a mission to save a friend.
The chemistry between them is so hot. I loved their moments together, and I wanted more of it. I would read an entire series with them. The little touches they each had made them memorable as well, from Raine's collection of antiques to Karl's computer chip bracelet. How can you not love Itchy and Dina? They were fantastic characters in themselves.
When Karl is shown how to fly the ship through the holographic commands, I was completely absorbed. Though he was distracted by Raine's touches, I found the scene to be completely sensual. Truly a great, if short, scene.
This story was well worth the purchase. I just wish there was more to it and that I had read it sooner.
January 19, 2010
Beyond Meridian is the second book (because I read it second) in the trio of stories in the Men in Space anthology. This is better than the first story and it’s packed with action and adventure for those thrill seeking readers. The characters are good with plenty of hot sex but this novella also includes a fully fleshed out and executed plot. The story is a little reminiscent of every other space story in existence but that familiarity shouldn’t bother too many readers as long as they know that going in.
The plot revolves around a young man named Karl who is on a mission to save a friend. This friend is like a mother to Karl and is currently undercover as a slave on a distant planet. Karl enlists space pilot Rick Raine’s help to free Karl’s friend in an action filled space adventure. Along the way the two men happen to fall in love.
The world building in this story is somewhat better than the first but still has very familiar aspects to it. Here there are two warring entities – the United Planetary Alliance and the Confederacy. The Confederacy promotes the heavy use of slaves and gives those slaves no rights and no identity. The UPA on the other hand are working to stop the Confederacy’s evil ways and in between the two warring factions are a number of “neutral” planets. There is obviously nothing especially unique or inventive about this space world and nothing especially science fiction based either but the elements are well known to readers so thankfully the story doesn’t have to provide too much background for readers to understand the setting.
Along the mission to save Karl’s friend are several side trips with contraband and even an encounter with space pirates. This keeps the action level high while Karl and Raine are dancing around each other sexually. The actual sex scenes don’t take place until almost the end of the book as the flirting and adventure fill most of the novella. This helps the story stay more plot based with a bit of sex for a thrill towards the end. The characters are decent but somewhat stereotypical. Raine is a well known dashing captain who sleeps with men and women in every port, but is known as one of the best pilots. Karl is the innocent young man with a shady past and more courage than intelligence. Of course Raine can’t help falling for Karl’s youthful good looks and naïve crusades.
The story and themes are classic ones and nothing startling unique or original but the writing helps keep the plot interesting and readable. The ending is a bit over the top and the final emotional resolution comes too fast. However there is a strong happy ending which should please fans and the almost non-stop action keeps the story from being dull or rote. As a fan of fun, over the top, and somewhat ridiculous space stories, this story delivered exactly what I was hoping.
The plot revolves around a young man named Karl who is on a mission to save a friend. This friend is like a mother to Karl and is currently undercover as a slave on a distant planet. Karl enlists space pilot Rick Raine’s help to free Karl’s friend in an action filled space adventure. Along the way the two men happen to fall in love.
The world building in this story is somewhat better than the first but still has very familiar aspects to it. Here there are two warring entities – the United Planetary Alliance and the Confederacy. The Confederacy promotes the heavy use of slaves and gives those slaves no rights and no identity. The UPA on the other hand are working to stop the Confederacy’s evil ways and in between the two warring factions are a number of “neutral” planets. There is obviously nothing especially unique or inventive about this space world and nothing especially science fiction based either but the elements are well known to readers so thankfully the story doesn’t have to provide too much background for readers to understand the setting.
Along the mission to save Karl’s friend are several side trips with contraband and even an encounter with space pirates. This keeps the action level high while Karl and Raine are dancing around each other sexually. The actual sex scenes don’t take place until almost the end of the book as the flirting and adventure fill most of the novella. This helps the story stay more plot based with a bit of sex for a thrill towards the end. The characters are decent but somewhat stereotypical. Raine is a well known dashing captain who sleeps with men and women in every port, but is known as one of the best pilots. Karl is the innocent young man with a shady past and more courage than intelligence. Of course Raine can’t help falling for Karl’s youthful good looks and naïve crusades.
The story and themes are classic ones and nothing startling unique or original but the writing helps keep the plot interesting and readable. The ending is a bit over the top and the final emotional resolution comes too fast. However there is a strong happy ending which should please fans and the almost non-stop action keeps the story from being dull or rote. As a fan of fun, over the top, and somewhat ridiculous space stories, this story delivered exactly what I was hoping.
January 17, 2012
I ordered this because I truly enjoyed CC Bridges' SciFi novel, Angel 1089, and wanted to read more by the author. There are three novellas included. All are solid stories, but none of them fully pulled me in. I think this is because SciFi is so difficult to pull off in the short story format - the length means something is usually scarified (character development, world-building, plot, or the romance).
BEYOND MERIDIAN BY CC BRIDGES. This was my favorite of the three. Rick takes on Karl as passenger/crewmember in exchange for taking him to a planet in the Confed. He doesn't know that Karl is out to rescue a friend sold into slavery. Rick gets more than he bargained for when he falls for the naïve young man. There is sufficient world-building to base the story on (and more to come, I hope) and I felt the SciFi was more than just window dressing. Both men are likeable protagonists, with some surprises to them. The romance was a bit rushed, but not overly so for a short story. I enjoyed this. 4 stars
CRIMSON BY ETHAN X. THOMAS. This started out good, throwing readers right into the action. I've read the story before: two cop partners sent undercover discover their attraction/love for each other. Not original, but it can be enjoyable. However, pretend the cops in questions are the protagonists from the tv show Alien Nation (only the names have been changed to protect the innocent!). Since the world-building was already done, and the undercover work is a straightforward storyline, I expected more in the romance and that is what disappointed me. I never felt the two men connect, and the long-awaited sex scenes just weren't inspiring. In fact, I put this book down several times over the course of a week, and each time it was during this story. Perhaps as a novel, the author could have run with the idea. As it is, I was disappointed. 2 stars
OONLUST BY KALLYSTEN. Perfectly satisfying for what it is -an erotic SciFi story. Sex is the driving force here, and on that level it succeeded. Kar won't let himself get involved with his two hot (for each other) crewmembers. When they stop on a moon with some erotic pheromones tainting the air, all inhibitions are lost, but maybe love is found. There was just enough world-building to bring the setting to life and enough character development to draw me in and supplement the romance. Add in some humor and this was a quick, fun read that actually left me hoping to see the characters again. 3 stars
Overall, this anthology is worth reading, it just didn't blow me away like I hoped. Those looking for some exotic settings for an M/M romance will surely enjoy this.
BEYOND MERIDIAN BY CC BRIDGES. This was my favorite of the three. Rick takes on Karl as passenger/crewmember in exchange for taking him to a planet in the Confed. He doesn't know that Karl is out to rescue a friend sold into slavery. Rick gets more than he bargained for when he falls for the naïve young man. There is sufficient world-building to base the story on (and more to come, I hope) and I felt the SciFi was more than just window dressing. Both men are likeable protagonists, with some surprises to them. The romance was a bit rushed, but not overly so for a short story. I enjoyed this. 4 stars
CRIMSON BY ETHAN X. THOMAS. This started out good, throwing readers right into the action. I've read the story before: two cop partners sent undercover discover their attraction/love for each other. Not original, but it can be enjoyable. However, pretend the cops in questions are the protagonists from the tv show Alien Nation (only the names have been changed to protect the innocent!). Since the world-building was already done, and the undercover work is a straightforward storyline, I expected more in the romance and that is what disappointed me. I never felt the two men connect, and the long-awaited sex scenes just weren't inspiring. In fact, I put this book down several times over the course of a week, and each time it was during this story. Perhaps as a novel, the author could have run with the idea. As it is, I was disappointed. 2 stars
OONLUST BY KALLYSTEN. Perfectly satisfying for what it is -an erotic SciFi story. Sex is the driving force here, and on that level it succeeded. Kar won't let himself get involved with his two hot (for each other) crewmembers. When they stop on a moon with some erotic pheromones tainting the air, all inhibitions are lost, but maybe love is found. There was just enough world-building to bring the setting to life and enough character development to draw me in and supplement the romance. Add in some humor and this was a quick, fun read that actually left me hoping to see the characters again. 3 stars
Overall, this anthology is worth reading, it just didn't blow me away like I hoped. Those looking for some exotic settings for an M/M romance will surely enjoy this.
February 22, 2010
This is a good meld between an adventure/rescue, an interesting future world and characters who reveal who they really are bit by bit and only when they have no other choice. There is quite a bit of plot in this story and a lot of secrets.
I enjoyed following Raine and Karl on their trip to rescue a good friend of Karl's who's been sold into slavery. The two men gradually become closer as they learn to trust each other. Their relationship is almost entirely driven by lust, but there is a hint of love, even if the words are never spoken.
I enjoyed following Raine and Karl on their trip to rescue a good friend of Karl's who's been sold into slavery. The two men gradually become closer as they learn to trust each other. Their relationship is almost entirely driven by lust, but there is a hint of love, even if the words are never spoken.
August 15, 2011
I'm actually suprised by the low ratings here. I'm going to have to say that this is probably simply because we all have different tastes. It is a well written, exicuted story. The characters are not only detailed but intresting and amusing. The plot is familiar but good. However not everyone is into sci like this. I love aliens :) So it was and enjoyable read for me.
March 4, 2010
I enjoyed the interaction between Rick Raine and Karl and, in particular, their banter with each other. Good, fun, quick read. The tie-up at the end (i.e., the development of their HEA) was a bit too quick and not completely believable.
August 20, 2012
Young hero hires hunky space pirate to rescue the female secret agent who in turn rescued him from a brothel when he was young. Great gay action/adventure romance novella. Fans of authors like Mel Keegan are going to love this. Excellent stuff.
June 3, 2015
Liked the genre, liked the characters, liked the direction the story was going in. Didn't like the lack of detail in surround world and environment the characters had to exist in. The lens was too focused on the characters and needed to include the world they lived in.
March 15, 2010
well, it was a little 2D on the characters, and a little lacking on scifi for my tastes. But, with that said: still an 'ok' read. ;)
November 7, 2014
This is a good read. It could be filled out a little more but I like the characters and the sexy times were good.
June 29, 2016
3.8 Stars
See updates for my comments; I'll also add that it felt a little rushed, and lacked some depth of character.
See updates for my comments; I'll also add that it felt a little rushed, and lacked some depth of character.
August 27, 2018
A space spy story. Karl hires Rains to take him to Mendhem.
Where Karl wants to rescue Sam. Sam is a fellow spy that got sold into slavery.
Most of the tale is a bout the trip thru space. Raine is captain of the ship that Karl hired. They have a fun time seeing some new things. Getting to know each other. Then they become more than friends.
A shortish tale. A quickie about spies in space.
(Given a copy for an honest review) (Thanks) (NetGalley)
Where Karl wants to rescue Sam. Sam is a fellow spy that got sold into slavery.
Most of the tale is a bout the trip thru space. Raine is captain of the ship that Karl hired. They have a fun time seeing some new things. Getting to know each other. Then they become more than friends.
A shortish tale. A quickie about spies in space.
(Given a copy for an honest review) (Thanks) (NetGalley)
September 2, 2018
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Lacking world building, nuance, and depth, Beyond Meridian often feels like a warmed over Luke/Han Solo slash fanfiction. The leads were nearly perfect copies of those two characters - even to where they have to infiltrate and then rescue the girl. Obi Wan's character was turned into a ship AI. Because of the lack of originality, this made for a very unchallenging and quick read - a Twinkie of a book.Story: Karl needs a ship to save his friend Sam. He enlists the help of rogue ship captain Raine and the two set out to find Sam and rescue her. In the process, they fall into bed together.
I think this book took all of two hours to read. There just wasn't much meat on the bone and the writing really lacked sophistication. I would have preferred it didn't have such a strong Star Wars vibe (e.g., every time Raine calls Karl 'kid', I cringe). The romance, such as it was, was pretty unbelievable and really needed to be developed better in order to have credibility. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
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