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julesmcleish's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
reginaexmachina's review
2.0
I kinda bounced between 2 and 3 stars with this one. I loved the first book in the series, 'Gabriel's Ghost', to pieces. However, I felt like this was a completely different book. It had a much larger focus on character drama and dynamics than in the previous book, which wasn't necessarily a negative. The majority of the book focused on Sully and Chaz's relationship with Ren and most of the other characters making less appearances. I also think Sully must have gotten some kind of brain transplant between the first and second book. There were some excuses for things he did in this book, but nonetheless he does some pretty mean and morally bad things in this book. And personally if I was Chaz I'm not sure I would have made the same decisions. It got the the point where towards the end of the book I really didn't like Sully very much anymore. It also felt like a few plot strings were left open but I got a little lost and confused towards the end so I may have just missed some things.
I wanted to give it a higher rating since I was really exited for this book and Linnea's writing kept me from giving up on it. But with the problems I had with the plot and some of the things the character did, I just couldn't give it a better rating than that. I'm still holding hope for the next book in the series though. I've loved all of the other books by this series, and one book isn't going to ruin that.
I wanted to give it a higher rating since I was really exited for this book and Linnea's writing kept me from giving up on it. But with the problems I had with the plot and some of the things the character did, I just couldn't give it a better rating than that. I'm still holding hope for the next book in the series though. I've loved all of the other books by this series, and one book isn't going to ruin that.
schomj's review
3.0
Finally, 10 years after buying it, I have read this. Yay for working through backlists!
CW: rape, dickhead boyfriend not standing up for his girlfriend when she gets sexually harassed by said boyfriend's new bromance
CW: rape, dickhead boyfriend not standing up for his girlfriend when she gets sexually harassed by said boyfriend's new bromance
abkeuser's review
3.0
While it does not live up to the first book in the series… it comes pretty close.
As with all romantic sequels, Sinclair put the main characters into a situation that would test the mettle of their relationship. Personally, I found the method in which she did this something that completely threw me out of the story, not because it was out of character, but because it felt like a mortal sin… and I as the reader couldn’t forgive it.
I appreciate the inclusion of most, if not all of the characters from the first novel, it felt as though the characters were real people with real relationships that couldn’t be forgotten – even if the author had wanted to.
The plot itself feels a bit meandering, but that is due mostly to the number of obstacles that seem to pop up for them.
As with all romantic sequels, Sinclair put the main characters into a situation that would test the mettle of their relationship. Personally, I found the method in which she did this something that completely threw me out of the story, not because it was out of character, but because it felt like a mortal sin… and I as the reader couldn’t forgive it.
I appreciate the inclusion of most, if not all of the characters from the first novel, it felt as though the characters were real people with real relationships that couldn’t be forgotten – even if the author had wanted to.
The plot itself feels a bit meandering, but that is due mostly to the number of obstacles that seem to pop up for them.
helensbookshelf's review
2.0
A very slow and dull start let this one down. There are long, long periods of Chaz thinking about things and looking at the news with no action or any sort of plot to spice it up.
If I'm honest I read Linnea Sinclair books for the romance, she does romantic tension really well and it's a bonus for me that it's in a sci-fi setting. Here, Chaz and Sully are already together and the build-up of tensions between them from the last book is gone, replaced by some weird, soul-mate, spiritual sort of sex scenes. Not interesting, just odd.
It picks up a bit when Del appears and there is some action at the end but since I abandoned this for a couple of months before deciding I wanted to finish it I couldn't keep up with the endless list of names. We don't see any of these people either, it's just another load of Chaz thinking about them.
So overall, too slow and dull for me. I will be reading the next one though, it looks like it's about Chaz's ex-husband Philip and I thought he turned out to be one of the more interesting people in the story.
If I'm honest I read Linnea Sinclair books for the romance, she does romantic tension really well and it's a bonus for me that it's in a sci-fi setting. Here, Chaz and Sully are already together and the build-up of tensions between them from the last book is gone, replaced by some weird, soul-mate, spiritual sort of sex scenes. Not interesting, just odd.
It picks up a bit when Del appears and there is some action at the end but since I abandoned this for a couple of months before deciding I wanted to finish it I couldn't keep up with the endless list of names. We don't see any of these people either, it's just another load of Chaz thinking about them.
So overall, too slow and dull for me. I will be reading the next one though, it looks like it's about Chaz's ex-husband Philip and I thought he turned out to be one of the more interesting people in the story.
prationality's review
4.0
I stand corrected on my previous statement that I didn't need to know more about Sully's past/heritage. With the additional of his Kyi-Ragkiril mentor, Regarth, well it all got a whole lot more interesting. Reading the by-play between Sully and Regarth or the interchange between Chaz and Regarth was highly informative. Not just in how well (or little) each new the other, but also in how far they would push back.
Despite the fact I should have seen Philip as an obstacle, or at least a hindrance to Sully/Chaz's relationship (as I did in Gabriel's Ghost), I understood pretty quickly that Philip wasn't really in it to win back Chaz. He understood that even if by some chance Chaz came back to him, for whatever reason, what Chaz and Sully had could never be replaced by any feelings he had. So instead he became the protector and devil's advocate that Chaz needed occasionally. Someone who was, for the most part, looking out only for HER best interests. The family Chaz needed with everything that happened with Thad, her brother.
What fascinated me most was the not-so-slow dissolve of the original government and the move to a rebel Alliance. I may not be much of a politician myself, but boy how I enjoy them! Small acts are what topple a body of power moreso then large demonstrations. If you break a people's belief in the system, how can they complain when its replaced right under their noses under the guise of 'making things better'?
Despite the fact I should have seen Philip as an obstacle, or at least a hindrance to Sully/Chaz's relationship (as I did in Gabriel's Ghost), I understood pretty quickly that Philip wasn't really in it to win back Chaz. He understood that even if by some chance Chaz came back to him, for whatever reason, what Chaz and Sully had could never be replaced by any feelings he had. So instead he became the protector and devil's advocate that Chaz needed occasionally. Someone who was, for the most part, looking out only for HER best interests. The family Chaz needed with everything that happened with Thad, her brother.
What fascinated me most was the not-so-slow dissolve of the original government and the move to a rebel Alliance. I may not be much of a politician myself, but boy how I enjoy them! Small acts are what topple a body of power moreso then large demonstrations. If you break a people's belief in the system, how can they complain when its replaced right under their noses under the guise of 'making things better'?
the_wanlorn's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Did not stick the landing. Like, at all.
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