Arena

by Grace Draven

Herad of Ulien has been challenged to engage in ritual combat known as Arena for the right to keep his son. Recovering from wounds he received in an attack on his transport ship, he knows he will be defeated. Ulinar law doesn't allow provisions for illness or injury. It is fight or concede defeat, and that is an option Herad will not consider. But there is an alternative. He may name a champion to fight for him, and he chooses a most unlikely candidate--his son's human nanny... Savarin Jones is a sudakhan, a genetically enhanced human bred and trained to act as a front-line protector for exploration teams surveying recently discovered planets. Once respected members of the human race, they are now hunted and executed on sight. With a price on her head and the shame of a massacre in her past, she has gone into hiding. For eight years she has lived among the Ulinar under a false identity, working as caregiver for the son of Ulien's senior ambassador, Herad. It is a peaceful, if secretive life, a far cry from the one she left behind as a sudakhan. But that tranquility is shattered when Herad is faced with the prospect of losing his son. Suddenly, Savarin must reveal her notorious heritage and risk condemnation from the man she loves in order to save the child she adores...

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Futuristic, Aliens, Futuristic Romance, Ebooks

ebook

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

I'm an author and Louisiana native living in Texas with my husband, three smalls and a big doofus dog. I have lived in Spain, hiked the Teton Mountains, honeymooned in Scotland, ridden in competition rodeo and am the great great granddaughter of a Nicaraguan president. I also hate doing laundry and refuse to iron anything.

I've loved storytelling since forever. I published my first short story with Amber Quill Press and have since written several other tales. A love of the bad boy in fiction always inspires me.

Reviews

[Wyrdness · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't nearly as difficult to track down as I thought it was going to be, though I did have to pay £2 for a fairly short novella (I don't regret it).

[[Edit 16th Apr. 2018: It has come to my attention that since Amberquill.com stopped trading this short story has become significantly more difficult to find since I bought it. Hopefully one day Ms Draven will make it available via her website because it was a great read.]]

I really enjoyed this, though I am now left with the desire to see this fleshed out as a full length novel. I'd love to see a little bit about Savarin before she got to that planet and how she managed to get there, then her becoming part of the household and her daily interactions with Komar (and Herad). I'd like to have seen what happened after the arena too. I think there's a great deal that could be spun out in to a fully fleshed and interesting universe. Sadly this was written in 2006 so I doubt that the author will ever go back and do that, but I can dream!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story... horrible cover and it was super short for the amount that I paid. Reminder to self: always check the page count before purchase.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short novella set in the future. Ms Draven's writing makes every story resound deeply. Do not let the cheesy cover let you down. The plot is a love story (obviously) between an ambassador and a warrior woman on the run who passed as his son's nanny for the last 8 years.

Those years and the heroine's past are what make the love story believable. There's a sex scene almost at the end of the novella and it's woven perfectly into the plot. It's not there to titillate or for sex sake.

Warning: Ms Draven's novellas are difficult to find and, unfortunately, they are pricey (6$ each). At the moment, January 2012, the publisher is offering them with a 25% discount.

[Tabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This out-of-print short has a genetically engineered human woman reveal her secrets in order to protect the man she loves and the child of her heart. Single dad/governess angsty lusting in space! Also, sexy sparring y’all. I wish Draven would republish this.

[Katelyn Achatz]

The cover of this book is actually a crime, I’m dying.

[Duha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good little story. The romance didn’t feel too rushed because it’s been building behind the scenes for many years although super bittersweet that their lifespans are so different

[Hafiza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a Novella not full length.
Available on Nook but not Kindle
Over priced for length and mediocre quality.

[Coyora Dokusho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it but too short!! Simple, easy, quick read. Read while voraciously waiting for more installments of Radiance.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Sci-Fi Romance for a short story.