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saphirablue 's review for:
Gyrfalcon
by Anna Butler
I love it. I love it. I love it.
I love that this is a great military/spy sci-fi/space opera story with very likable characters which happens to have two bisexual male main characters that happens to be attracted to each other and that the focus is on the sci-fi plot and not the lovestory plot for the most part of the book. I really, really, really love that.
I love the plot of the sci-fi story - humans have colonized space long ago (aren't even sure if there ever has been an Earth) and are since over 120 years in war with an alien race that fights with droids and therefore they don't even know how they look like. And now, Shield Captain Bennet has a mission to gather intelligence behind the lines.
I love the action packed beginning. I love that we get to know Bennet and the other characters (Flynn, Caeden, Cruz, Simonitz and so on) a lot and a bit before the next action part - Bennet being dropped behind the lines - starts.
I love how the story just flows. No matter if they wait on ship to get to their destination or in briefings or when Bennet is on the planet - it doesn't get boring/dragged down. Everything is interesting and adds to get to know and understand these characters and the world they live in.
I love how some things that could haven been so cliche-y and drag down-y didn't end up that way. Yes, there is tension (and deep wounds) between Bennet and his father but they sit down and talk and try to make it better for both. Yes, the wounds need timne for healing. Yes, his father has been pretty asshole-y to Bennet. But, the will on both sides is there to work on and with each other and give each other a second chance. The same with the religion thing. The same with the possible love triangle (which isn't one when you really think about it and Bennet will hopefully realize it soon too).
I love that there is basically no insta-love and only very little insta-lust. The characters have a chance to get to know each other a bit and work with each other before they realize that there is something like attraction between them (but then it happens fast). I very approve of this. Also, the lovestory only really starts developing in the last third of the book (Yeah! I love plotty books.). There is one very steamy sex scene, one other that is pretty great too and one I'm not sure that if it goes into the dub-con territory or not (I mean, the character never says "Stop" or indicates that he doesn't want to have sex, but he admits to being surprised by everything.). Other than that, sex is mostly only mentioned/hinted at/fade to black for most of the book (Yeah! No unnecessary sex scenes every two pages.). I really want more books like this.
I love Bennet. He just captured my heart and ran away with it. He is just one of these characters that I love without being able to point to a specific thing. Hook. Line. Sinker.
Flynn, I love too. His 'devil my care' attitude that works as a shield for his more softer and vulnerable self (as we discover at the end of the book). Yeah, I love you.
Huge bonus point - Bennet and Flynn are bisexual. They might have a preference for men but they are bi which is something you don't often see in books.
All the other characters - awesome too. There are female characters in basically every position - doctors, ground crew, Shield personel, pilots, Generals/Supreme Commanders, squadron leaders, right hand of the Commander. Awesome. Same with the non-white characters. Wonderful. And they are all likable too. Even the ones that are set up to be unlikable in a way (Well, except for Joss. I do not like him at the moment.).
So, yeah, this is the second book in two weeks that makes me curse my book buying ban because I desperately want the next part. *meep*
I love that this is a great military/spy sci-fi/space opera story with very likable characters which happens to have two bisexual male main characters that happens to be attracted to each other and that the focus is on the sci-fi plot and not the lovestory plot for the most part of the book. I really, really, really love that.
I love the plot of the sci-fi story - humans have colonized space long ago (aren't even sure if there ever has been an Earth) and are since over 120 years in war with an alien race that fights with droids and therefore they don't even know how they look like. And now, Shield Captain Bennet has a mission to gather intelligence behind the lines.
I love the action packed beginning. I love that we get to know Bennet and the other characters (Flynn, Caeden, Cruz, Simonitz and so on) a lot and a bit before the next action part - Bennet being dropped behind the lines - starts.
I love how the story just flows. No matter if they wait on ship to get to their destination or in briefings or when Bennet is on the planet - it doesn't get boring/dragged down. Everything is interesting and adds to get to know and understand these characters and the world they live in.
I love how some things that could haven been so cliche-y and drag down-y didn't end up that way. Yes, there is tension (and deep wounds) between Bennet and his father but they sit down and talk and try to make it better for both. Yes, the wounds need timne for healing. Yes, his father has been pretty asshole-y to Bennet. But, the will on both sides is there to work on and with each other and give each other a second chance. The same with the religion thing. The same with the possible love triangle (which isn't one when you really think about it and Bennet will hopefully realize it soon too).
I love that there is basically no insta-love and only very little insta-lust. The characters have a chance to get to know each other a bit and work with each other before they realize that there is something like attraction between them (but then it happens fast). I very approve of this. Also, the lovestory only really starts developing in the last third of the book (Yeah! I love plotty books.). There is one very steamy sex scene, one other that is pretty great too and one I'm not sure that if it goes into the dub-con territory or not (I mean, the character never says "Stop" or indicates that he doesn't want to have sex, but he admits to being surprised by everything.). Other than that, sex is mostly only mentioned/hinted at/fade to black for most of the book (Yeah! No unnecessary sex scenes every two pages.). I really want more books like this.
I love Bennet. He just captured my heart and ran away with it. He is just one of these characters that I love without being able to point to a specific thing. Hook. Line. Sinker.
Flynn, I love too. His 'devil my care' attitude that works as a shield for his more softer and vulnerable self (as we discover at the end of the book). Yeah, I love you.
Huge bonus point - Bennet and Flynn are bisexual. They might have a preference for men but they are bi which is something you don't often see in books.
All the other characters - awesome too. There are female characters in basically every position - doctors, ground crew, Shield personel, pilots, Generals/Supreme Commanders, squadron leaders, right hand of the Commander. Awesome. Same with the non-white characters. Wonderful. And they are all likable too. Even the ones that are set up to be unlikable in a way (Well, except for Joss. I do not like him at the moment.).
So, yeah, this is the second book in two weeks that makes me curse my book buying ban because I desperately want the next part. *meep*