Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Linda, Paranormal Romance Guild
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About The Book
Regi has settled into a comfortable life away from his home and family and gods. By choosing to leave the Empire, he chose to leave all those behind and live alone and godless. He still claimed to follow Poque, goddess of wanderers, but he doesn’t expect her to notice him as he serves on Coalition ships. However, when an improbable series of events strands his ship near a black hole with no engines, no communication, and a pirate ship in the area, he must wonder if the gods’ first blessing—misfortune—has found him. If so, he needs to find the second blessing that follows, or the entire crew will die.
Dante had a rather uncomfortable life until aliens kidnapped him, and then it turned downright miserable, but when a ship shows up claiming to be law-enforcement from the Coalition, he wonders if life might improve. The security chief is kind with an expressive face and velvety skin, not that he’s noticing any of that. It’s just that he’s been alone for a long time and having someone touch him with kindness is stirring feelings Dante hasn’t felt for a long time. However, he doesn’t have time for foolishness when they’re on a pirate ship and trying to escape certain death. Danger first, deciding how to ask an alien out on a date second.
The Review
When I began this book, I was certain that I wouldn’t like it, and couldn’t wait for the end. My problem was the number of Gods and Goddesses, which seemed to be a focus of the story. My opinion changed as I began focusing my attention on Regi and Dante, two amazing men who kept me fascinated by their kindness and determination to protect.
Regi is a Kowri whose belief in their Gods and Goddesses and the dismissal of them by other races has kept them to themselves. They do not accept any interference in their religious system, and can be very aggressive with outsiders. For years, Regi considered leaving the Empire to join the Coalition. Watching his mother, an Exalted, ignore both her husbands and him after being touched by her Goddess, he finally made the choice to leave.
Regi is now Security Chief on a Coalition runner and there’s trouble – the ship is dead and drifting toward a black hole. When he spots what he believes is another ship idling nearby, they head toward it and dock. All signs point to pirates, but with nothing but death facing them, they have no choice but to enter the ship. The first pirate they encounter is killed, and there does not seem to be anyone else aboard. Now they just need to find a way to access the ship’s systems if there is to be any hope of survival.
While searching the ship, Regi comes upon a door containing what he believes is another pirate. But it turns out to be a human prisoner. Humans are a new species, and all they can discover is that he was kidnapped by the pirates and made a slave. He was tortured and beaten, and his future was bleak. He refuses to speak to anyone other than Regi, and when Regi discovers he was a slave, he’s determined to make things better for the human.
Dante has five fingers; five toes and his nose is close to his mouth, making Regi assume he has a breathing problem. He decides the human must be delicate and needs to be treated with care. Years of cleaning every corner of the ship have made Dante familiar with everything, and his description of the pirates leads Regi to assume the pirates are a hostile species, and that they must be gone before the rest of them return.
Unfortunately, they’re not alone. There’s one more pirate is aboard the ship, and he is the deadliest of all. Dante and Regi will have to work together to defeat him, but doing so might prove deadly.
Two men from two different species, with nothing in common but their desire to save everyone on their ship. Dante’s life was a nightmare, and now he has no way to get home, since no one knows where his home is. Still, he’s determined to survive in this new world he finds himself in.
Surprises, kidnapping, slavery, torture and an abundance of Gods and Goddesses – this is a great story is about two men who overcome their many differences to work with each other. There’s more coming, and I look forward to continuing Dante and Regi’s story.
Four stars.
The Reviewer
I am an avid reader the mother of 3 sons and grandmother to seven grandchildren. Since retiring I have been doing more reading while volunteering as a CASA worker. CASA is an organization that works with the family court system to ensure that children are in the best living situation. There are way too many children that get overlooked in the foster care system and I visit homes and make visits to the parents. I was born and raised in New York and my husband of 50 years and I live in Upstate New York.
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