Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Is love possible between sworn enemies when the universe seems determined to tear them apart?

Sagiv, a genetically modified Atavaq fighter, is captured when his master’s raid on a Domidian ship goes wrong. Daran, a young Domidian science officer, claims the warrior for ransom and as a subject for study. As they spend time together in the close confines of the shipboard cabin, both learn more about the other’s culture, and against all odds, a fragile trust begins to form. But the ship is approaching a frontier outpost, where Daran will be expected to ransom Sagiv—even though it means condemning Sagiv to die for the dishonor of his defeat or suffer in the fighting pits. That’s if bounty hunters don’t find them first. Daran’s risen up the ranks through hard work and always following protocol, but he sees something in Sagiv that might be worth breaking the rules for the first time in his life—maybe even something worth sacrificing everything to keep.

Book Review

Two men from very different cultures, sworn enemies at that, are thrown together in this story of genetically modified soldiers and a war among the stars that sounds not too different from many a war on Earth. This story may be set in space and involve sentient beings who have developed their own cultures, different from those on Earth, but the fundamental issues are hauntingly familiar.
 
The focus is less on interstellar politics, though there is sufficient information to set the scene. The real point of the story is around what happens when most of the trappings of culture and belonging are removed from Sagiv, a captive who now faces only disgust from the Atavaq masters he used to serve, and ultimately death. The second man in the equation is Daran, a Domidian scientist and member of a culture that believes they are superior in every way.  Yet when Daran learns to listen to Sagiv and begins to trust the “wild warrior”, he also starts to rethink the way he used to look at his enemies – as well as his own people.

Their physical attraction is the catalyst that sets in motion a fundamental change in how Sagiv and Daran relate to each other. Their gradually increased knowledge about how they each see relationships is interesting, and the way they get there quite hot. By the time they get to the settlement where Daran is supposed to hand over Sagiv and receive either a bounty or some other type of payment, Daran is worried enough about Sagiv’s future to reconsider everything he used to believe in and work for. But in a cruel twist of fate, things turn out to be far more difficult than Daran expected. It made for a suspenseful turn of events that had me on the edge of my seat.

If you like cross-cultural exchanges of the futuristic kind, if you want to find out more about two men confronting the validity of their individual belief systems, and if you’re looking for an unexpected love story set among the stars, then you might like this novella.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 90 pages/34700 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	11-November-2015
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/raider-captured-by-j-j-lore-5217-b