Author: Belinda McBride
Purchase at Loose Id
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: PL Nunn
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 139 pages est, 43k words
Formats: ePub, MOBI, PDF
"As a general rule, you won't find the love of your life while you're on your knees under a table."
-- Helios Dayspring
Pasha is a slave, whoring for travelers at the most dangerous bar on Warlan. He has no memory, no future of his own, yet deep inside Pasha knows that that he is meant for better things. The day that Pasha spots the dangerous pirate in the bar, he knows that he mustn't let the stranger slip away, regardless of what he must do to attract his attention.
Captain Griffin Hawke spent the greater part of a decade searching for his lost king, only to find Helios Dayspring crouched between his knees, swathed in the robes and shackles of a whore. Though he is appalled by the downfall of his king, the hardened officer finds himself falling for the allure of the sensual creature who has taken his place. Returning Helios to his position on the throne is the only right thing to do, yet Griffin knows that in doing so, he risks losing his lover forever.
"A whore is a whore is a whore, unless he's something else completely. I guess I must be an uncommon whore."
-- Helios Dayspring
~*~*~*~*
I can’t believe I hadn’t read this until now. The vivid first person narration of Helios Dayspring, sometime whore and slave, brings a whole universe to life in an economical way. With his accepting, calm demeanor, he narrates his adventures, beginning with the hours spent under the table between the knees of his rescuer and once and future lover, Captain Griffin Hawke.
Only gradually is it revealed, even to himself, that he’s the lost king of a beaten and exiled people, and that Griffin has been searching for him across the galaxy. Definitely a needle in a haystack hunt, and only luck and some interesting technology make it happen.
The worldbuilding is really outstanding, managing to hint at entire technologies with a few artifacts. Also wonderful is the emotional upheaval around Helios, although I didn’t really feel the journey with him as he recovers himself in chunks of memory. The love between him and Griffin is strong though, and definitely displays Helios’ strength, recovered after long suppression.
The pacing is a little strange, but there’s a sequel, which I now need to read. The last section of the book catapults everyone into the action phase of the plot, and gives the impression there should have been just one big book.
Still, I’ve been given enough promise of an epic to follow the rest. 4 marbles
No comments:
Post a Comment