Author Archives: sadie

Mercenary Instinct

Book Review of Mercenary Instinct (Mandrake Company, #1), by Ruby Lionsdrake

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Mercenary InstinctI picked up a copy of Ruby Lionsdrake‘s Mercenary Instinct when it was free on Amazon.

Description from Goodreads:
Skulking around in the ruins on a planet swarming with treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters isn’t good for one’s health. But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up. Unfortunately, she has no sooner collected her samples than she’s captured by a band of brawny mercenaries. The captain might be handsome, but he’s intent on turning her over to some finance lord who has, for reasons unknown, put a bounty on her head, a ridiculously large one at that. If she can’t figure out a way to escape before she’s delivered to the lord’s home world, she could be forced into a life of indentured servitude—or worse.

Captain Viktor Mandrake doesn’t usually take on piddling bounty hunting gigs, but when his intelligence officer informs him of a criminal on a nearby planet, he decides it wouldn’t hurt to take a shuttle down to collect the woman. But Ankari Markovich is trouble from the start, nearly eluding his elite forces, then fighting and tricking his people left and right. He finds himself admiring her spirit, but according to her warrant, she’s a criminal. The safest thing is to keep her in the brig and ignore her until she can be handed off to the man who wants her.

But the situation grows more complicated when other bounty hunters show up, wanting to claim Ankari for themselves. Thanks to this woman, Viktor’s ship is in danger, his crew members are going missing, and he’s fighting enemies he never asked for in a jungle in the middle of a hurricane. He’s either going to strangle Ankari… or fall in love. Either scenario could get him killed.

Review:
An amusing bit of Sci-Fi/Space Opera romance fluff. Nothing too serious here, but no big grievances on my part either. The characters were likable enough and the plot easy to follow. There were no big surprises and everything seems to happen with questionable ease, but it’s an entertaining ride.

I might have liked a little more world-building and character development and the whole thing could do with another editing pass, but for easy reading it passes.

Bloodlines

Book Review of Bloodlines (KinKaid Wolf Pack #1), by Jessica Lee

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BloodlinesI picked up a copy of Bloodlines, by Jessica Lee, when it was free on Amazon. It was still free at the time of posting.

Description from Goodreads:
Evin KinKaid, the only son of the KinKaid pack’s alpha, has a secret. One that will tear his family apart. In one year, Evin is to succeed his father as alpha leader and continue the dominant bloodline of his family. There’s only one problem: Evin is gay. When Evin is pushed into the bed of his intended female mate, he’s forced to reveal the truth. And for an alpha male wolf shifter promised to a female whose goal is to one day be queen, coming out has never been more explosive.

To Mason Thorne II, heir to Thorne Global Inc., life is a lie. To sustain his father’s love, Mason has agreed to stay in the family business and to one day assume his place as CEO. Instead of reaching for his heart’s desire, he’s settled for a life he never wanted. But an unexpected auto accident will send Evin and Mason into each other’s arms and down a path toward a destiny neither man can escape: an eternity sealed in blood.

Review:
This was ok, not great, deep or important in any way, but also not all bad. It was basically 75% sex though. Which was a shame because that left far too little room for the plot, which was weak to say the least. I rather thought it just a pretty skin laid over the sex to tie it all together. Meh.

The main characters, while likable, were shallow and poorly developed. Everyone else were just caricatures, blown up and over exaggerated villains or angels. Mostly including cheesy dialogue to match their role. Meh.

The writing, when not dripping cheese, was fine. But the editing was a mess. Meh.

black monastery

Book Review of Black Monastery, by William Stacey

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The Black MonasteryAuthor, William Stacey, sent me a copy of his novel, Black Monastery.

Description from Goodreads:
In 799 A.D. Viking warband leader Asgrim Wood-Nose sails his prized longship Sea Eel south along the coast of Frankia to raid the island of Noirmoutier—the Black Monastery. 

Banned from his homeland following a night of rage-filled murder, Asgrim has been declared outlaw. Unless he can raise a princely blood debt, he will never see Denmark again. When a Saracen merchant brags of a great treasure hidden deep within the monastery, Asgrim realizes fate is offering him a chance to go home again. But Asgrim has led his men into a trap: somehow, the monks of the Black Monastery have released a dark supernatural force, an eastern demon that wears the skins of its victims. Hunted by this monstrous evil and tormented by the ghosts of those he has slain, Asgrim’s only ally becomes another lonely soul, a Frankish woman abandoned by her people under suspicion of witchcraft. 

The Viking north clashes with the supernatural east in an epic historical fantasy tale of heroism and redemption in the face of unimaginable horror.

Review:
This was an enjoyable enough read once you got past the How To Build a Long Boat lesson in the beginning. I enjoyed the complexity of the main character, in that he is not a nice man. Neither are any of his men. They’re a Sword-Danes, Vikings. Murder, rape and pillage is the name of the game. But we’re given enough of a glimpse of Asgrim’s beginnings to know that he could have, in other circumstances, been a kind person. The fact that he isn’t makes him hard to relate to and empathize with, however.

The villain is truly horrific and you feel the tension it creates. However, he’s defeated in a bit of a Deus ex Machina move. There’s a bit of a sex-equals-love romance element that I didn’t feel was well developed. I found the writing repetitive, though clear and easy to read. All in all, I consider it worth the read.