Ambasadora

Sep 11, 2011 Yasmeen (Yaz) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-ebooks, sci-fi

I don't normally read sci fi romance but I was pleasantly surprised with Ambasadora. Set in a future world where love is considered an emotional fallacy and society is based on a polygamous caste system, where continuing the family line is everything and having an unpolluted genetic pool is considered the epitome of success, to the point that anyone unable to have children is 'shamed' and encouraged to commit voluntary suicide.

All the characters are well written and easy to relate to, so much so...more

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May 08, 2011 Heidi Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-featuring-heidi-ruby-miller, kindle, seton-hill-writers, signed, science-fiction-romance, sfr, sf-romance, sfr-challenge, futuristic-romance

Because if I won't give my own book 5 stars, why should I expect other readers to? :)

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Jan 23, 2012 Judah Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars

A testament to the genius of this book, is the fact that I was able to complete it within two days of receiving it - truly a miracle.

I have eleven unfinished books lingering on my bookshelf collecting dust, and for good reason. I am the mother of two small children who are at prime talking age. I have a severe case of bong-induced A.D.D. that still lingers even eleven years after graduating from college, and I have a husband who blares death metal on the stereo 24-7 – probably to drown out the...more

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Dec 31, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was a pleasant surprise, overall I loved it. The characters were deep and easy to care about. The tortures were believable and brutal. The love story was great and the sex was good. The worlds were well defined. The writing style was excellent. The plot moved along well with good action.
The only con I found was this minor issue. I had trouble buying into a main point in the plot regarding the "cure" being only obtainable from one source. In these futuristic worlds full of techno could...more

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Jun 13, 2011 E.B. Loan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! What you need to know about me: I don't like sci-fi-at all. I sat through every episode of Star Trek the Next Generation because I fell in love with a man that loved it. For me it was a snooze fest with a capital S. So, the fact that this book was so thoroughly enjoyable threw me for a loop.
The story is fast paced and exciting. I was amazed at how thorough the author was in creating an entire alternate universe. Her attention to detail really sucked me in. That and the relation...more

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Mar 05, 2012 T.K. Toppin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-speculative-reading-challenge

Ambasadora is just one of those books that swallow you whole. Heidi Ruby Miller created an amazing and detailed world, from scent bots, intra-tats to wrist reporters. Don't know what those are? You'll just have to find out for yourself...but I wish I had them. The story dragged me into Sara Mendoza's world, a world riddled with dangerous contractors, fanatic fraggers, and a ruthless sovereign in a world segregated and corrupted through the vast generations. Completely believable, completely engr...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Kara-karina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Boy, I was so not expecting this book to hit me over the head. I really really like it, and I'm officially on sci-fi binge after Silver Shark as you can see.

First of all, the imagery of the book doesn't deserve this plastic cover. I imagine more of Cliff Neilsen luminous art to describe the look of Sara Mendoza.

I can't believe this book was written as a thesis work on sci-fi. Delightfully twisted world. There is no clarity of Ilona Andrews in it, more of hazy madness of Blade Runner.

Sara starts...more Boy, I was so not expecting this book to hit me over the head. I really really like it, and I'm officially on sci-fi binge after Silver Shark as you can see.

First of all, the imagery of the book doesn't deserve this plastic cover. I imagine more of Cliff Neilsen luminous art to describe the look of Sara Mendoza.

I can't believe this book was written as a thesis work on sci-fi. Delightfully twisted world. There is no clarity of Ilona Andrews in it, more of hazy madness of Blade Runner.

Sara starts up as a naive debutante who only thinks about her marriage to Chen, her Rogue partner. Then couple of pages after she is on the run from the government agents being set up by Chen and left to fend for herself.

She spends a month tortured, scarred beyond any recognition and tripping out of her mind on strongest hallucinogens in the hands of an evil female contractor, Faya, all because a mad Sovereign thinks she conspired against him with the Fraggers (rebels).

Then he decides to blackmail her into becoming his spy on a ship suspected in fraggers activity.. She undergoes reconstructive surgery and becomes one of the Embassy's Ambasadoras - diplomats with beautiful live light designs on their arms.

The rest is an absolutely wild and brutal ride rigged with layers of intrigues, betrayals, assassins and fight to survive and regain Sara's sanity.

There are quite a few main characters - Sara, Sean - the ship's tech, David - ex-military and the ship's captain, enigmatic contractor Rainer and many more. They are engaging and different, - none of them are there to just fill the space.

There is also no romance the way we used to it. Instead there are two paranoid and scarred individuals who become close to each other. There are also plenty relationships around them.

I'm being as cagey as possible because I don't want to give away more than I already have, but this is a book certainly worth reading if you love a dash through space with laser guns and totally alien reality. Wonderful sci-fi. I'm in love!(less)

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Nov 30, 2011 Jackie Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

The setting in Ambasadora is so unique and interesting. It grabbed my attention from the start of the book. I like when an author puts a new spin on a genre. There were alot of little details that added up to create a rich environment with characters that I loved.

There are a few different view points throughout the story, and they are all strong. There was never one I just wanted to 'get through' so I could read about someone else. (You know you've read books like that too. . . :-) Everyone in t...more

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Feb 26, 2013 ✿Michelle✿ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-futuristic, ebook, 1st-in-series, freebie, nook

I could see this being turned into a movie :)

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Sep 03, 2011 Krystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

The cover will make plenty of readers stop to read the back of the book. However, the cover isn't the main draw at all; the plot and characters are very fun to read about.

This novel contains science fiction that would satisfy any sci fi reader while still maintaining the romance theme. This is also what allows a reader who normally would not enjoy science fiction as much to still like this book-the romance aspect. The main characters both have a depth to them, the reader will truly feel as if h...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Meg Mims rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy

Although I used to be a big Andre Norton, Ursula LeGuin and Thieves' Guild reader, I don't often pick up a SCI/FI book anymore. I'm perfectly happy in the mystery/suspense genre. I might even pick up a YA or Fantasy (or combo) -- it could be a few technical sci/fi's lowered my threshold of desire for a solid science fiction plot. But Miller's Ambasadora has sparked a fresh fire in my reading choice.

Think levels. With elements of mystery, tension, a complex, caste-system world with uber-political...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Marissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, romance, ebook

Fantastic sci-fi story with lots of action and some really nice romance weaved throughout.
I would have given this five stars but for the ending. It was kind of just...unfinished? I am not sure how to explain it. I guess I wanted more finality on a few things, mostly with Sean and Sara. However, without knowing if there are plans for a sequel, I give this a solid four stars.
Definitely a great read for sci-fi/romance fans!

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Jul 03, 2012 Shara rated it 4 of 5 stars

The premise: ganked from the author's website: If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it?

Sara Mendoza and Sean Cryer are.

In their multi-partner, caste-ruled society, love and jealousy are considered emotional fallacies, nothing more than fleeting moods and sentiments biased by hormones. Relationships and conceptions in this world obsessed with celebrity, beauty, and power are based on DNA and lineages...or should be. But not everyone believes in the ruling t...more

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May 24, 2012 Jen Foehner Wells rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-romance

I really loved this book. Miller is an architect of a believable set of worlds. The romantic elements are lovely and the characters are interesting. This is one of those rare books that spans the genres of science fiction and romance and does it really well. I would advise, however, reading the prequel Greenshift before embarking on the Ambasadora journey.

You will love both books, so why not start there? Greenshift introduces all the major characters as well as the interesting terra-formed lands...more I really loved this book. Miller is an architect of a believable set of worlds. The romantic elements are lovely and the characters are interesting. This is one of those rare books that spans the genres of science fiction and romance and does it really well. I would advise, however, reading the prequel Greenshift before embarking on the Ambasadora journey.

You will love both books, so why not start there? Greenshift introduces all the major characters as well as the interesting terra-formed landscape of the solar system they inhabit. It's a lovely novella. I am guessing that they were originally written together as one book, but the author was probably given the advice to separate them because Ambassadora already had two plot lines running concurrently. I personally wouldn't have had a problem with this--it is a style sometimes used in Space Opera to have a large cast of characters and they are all present and accounted for except for the Sara in Greenshift. And actually, in Greenshift, I believe some elements of the society and worlds are more thoroughly explained.

This author's many strengths include complex world building, complex societal structure, complex technology. The plot was well-crafted as well. The story unfolded in such a way that I wasn't ever sure where we were headed next and each new scene brought an interesting setting. That is a great compliment to the author because I generally feel like I can see what is coming next and here I just couldn't put it down--I had to know what Sean and Sara were going to do next.

I had a little trouble connecting with Sara at first--the only real flaw I can find in this book. The author didn't give us a lot to go on--I would have liked more internal dialogue and more of what makes Sara tick in those first chapters--at first she just seems like a selfish Socialite girl and I didn't really feel that sorry for her, but after a few chapters I started rooting for her. I also could have used more fleshing out of the world in those first few chapters (the stuff that is present in Greenshift, but more scarce here.)

Sean, I identified with right away and I actually was left wanting to see more of Sean, his life and backstory. He is a really wonderfully complex character--very well drawn. I hope he figures in some of Miller's future works.

I loved this look at a future dystopian society that had forgotten its roots and had a whole new series of problems that we don't face. I thought the complex societal structure was really amazing and a believable human reaction to a very real threat. A polygamy cast system developed in response to widespread fertility problems and the human race nearly dying out? I could actually see that happening.

Dialogue was good, descriptions interesting but not overdone. There are no info dumps in this book. The author deftly keeps you informed just what you need to know at any given moment and lets your imagination do the rest. Some of the descriptions given in Greenshift bear repeating in Ambasadora, though. Just a teeny info dump would have helped those first chapters for me.

A great start for an indie author. I'm glad I happened across this book--I was incredibly sad when I finished it! I look forward to sequels!(less)

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Aug 06, 2011 Tammy ~NovelOpinion rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-in-series, scifi-romance, favorites, indie-self-pubbed

4.5 STARS!!

Book Summary: If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it?

Citizens of a six-moon system in our arm of the Milky Way don't remember Earth, only the History of a generational worldship culture. In their multi-partner society a caste system rules tradition, but the governing body of the Embassy rules everything else. Obsessed with celebrity, beauty, and power, relationships and conceptions are based more on DNA than emotional ties...or should be.

What...more 4.5 STARS!!

Book Summary: If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it?

Citizens of a six-moon system in our arm of the Milky Way don't remember Earth, only the History of a generational worldship culture. In their multi-partner society a caste system rules tradition, but the governing body of the Embassy rules everything else. Obsessed with celebrity, beauty, and power, relationships and conceptions are based more on DNA than emotional ties...or should be.

What the citizenry can't escape are the human feelings of love and jealousy that turn the sterile to honorable suicide, force a couple to make the ultimate sacrifice, and allow rebels to spin their world into a violent revolution.

Ambasadora Sara Mendoza becomes the unwilling face of this revolution. Captured, tortured, and given a second chance at freedom, she proves that sacrifice for the man she loves is more honorable than sacrifice to a society's antiquated mores.

I just can't say enough good things about this book and this Author! The cover and summary doesn't do the actual story justice and I mean no offense by that. I just really expected an average Sci Fi Romance, which would have been fine because I love those. I got so much more!
There is hard science fiction, so my geeky scifi heart was content. There is great action, so my adrenaline pumped and the romance kept me yearning until the last page.
With Ambasadora, Heidi Ruby Miller creates a multi-genre read that fulfills the voracious reader in me. I just couldn't read it fast enough and I hated reading the last page. In fact, at times I turned the page before finishing it and had to go back.
The characters are complex, which is a sticking point for me. The world-building is believable. The author doesn't assume her readers are of lower I.Q. so doesn't water down the science, neither does she talk over our heads. I will admit to needing some time in the opening scenes to wrap my mind around this new world but thank goodness because I love exploring new societies through reading.

I highly recommend this to Science Fiction, Action/Adventure, Fantasy and Sci Fi Romance readers!(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: just about anyone

Recommended to Katy by: Coral Russell

Shelves: ebook

Book Info: Genre: Romantic science fiction Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free copy with no expectations, but am happy to provide an honest review.

Synopsis: The Ambasadora-verse...a new futuristic romance series.

If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it? Sara Mendoza and Sean Cryer are.

Sara is part of the Embassy's plan. Captured, tortured, and falsely accused of treason, she is given a chance to win back her freedom. She only needs to charm in...more Book Info: Genre: Romantic science fiction Reading Level: Adult

Disclosure: I received a free copy with no expectations, but am happy to provide an honest review.

Synopsis: The Ambasadora-verse...a new futuristic romance series.

If everyone told you love wasn't real, would you still be willing to die for it? Sara Mendoza and Sean Cryer are.

Sara is part of the Embassy's plan. Captured, tortured, and falsely accused of treason, she is given a chance to win back her freedom. She only needs to charm information from one of the fragger leaders, then kill him. But by the time she figures out the Embassy's intel is flawed and that Sean Cryer is her true mark, she's already in love with him.

Sean knows why Sara is on his ship from the start, but as a lonely, anti-social doser, he doesn't value his life, only his ideology within the fragger organization. Against his better judgment, he becomes her protector, each day caring more about a future he was always afraid to hope for

My Thoughts: My good friend Coral over at Alchemy of Scrawl blog recently posted a review of this book, and I realized I’d had a free copy since last summer. She made it sound so enticing, I decided to give it a quick read right away. I’m not generally a fan of romance, but I figured in a science fiction setting I might find it more bearable. And I was right – in fact, the romance was understated and realistic, and I quite enjoyed the book (except for the descriptions of the pain the characters went through; I know pain and the descriptions made me feel it with them – it was quite uncomfortable. A big compliment to the author, who created such a realistic and visceral reaction!). The book has a lot of themes, dealing with issues of caste, social mores, sexuality, freedom and the danger of a person gaining too much power over others. Like any good piece of science fiction, it makes the reader really think about things while at the same time creating an entertaining world to experience; in this case, the author took her background in anthropology to create a very realistic world. Highly recommended.(less)

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Oct 17, 2011 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I was curious going into this book, as I lean more towards PNR than sci-fi in my tastes, but this book exceeded my expectations and made me re-think my genre bias.

Ms. Miller has done a stellar job creating a world of complex ideologies, multiple exotic settings and cool technology for both her “real” and “virtual” worlds. I found myself reading slower in the first quarter of the book, because the descriptions were so rich with detail that I re-read parts to ensure that I had the visuals fixed i...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Critique de Book rated it 5 of 5 stars

The good:
I loved the touches of technology in this, especially the details like the scent bots and the intra-tattoo. The civilization and world-building are complex and well thought out, with some virtual reality thrown into the mix. The characters are intensely interesting, each with their own flaws, and you can't help but empathize them. I wanted so, so badly for the two MCs to get their happily ever after that I was almost skipping pages to find it! The bedroom scenes are hot, but they don't...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Andrew Carlson rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a good work of science fiction. It's an engaging story of intrigue, revenge, and romance mixed with a cool vision of the future.

At times I felt the story was just a bit too detailed and not all the plot pieces fit together snugly, but the story line held together well and resolved at the end. And I really liked the futuristic concepts that the author developed.

I recommend Ambasadora to any sci-fi fan! Try it! You'll like it!

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Nov 12, 2011 Kelly/yllektra rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: sci-fi lovers

Shelves: read-in-november, favorites

Sara Mendozza is a young girl, living in a world that is distinctly different from our own.
People are divided in Castes, segregated and even more or less living in different areas.
She is lucky to belong into the Upper Caste, the Socialites, her life revolving around procreation.
It seems that it is the most important attribute in a woman, the ability to procreate, along with genetic purity. Any gene-tampering is frowned upon and if for some reason you are rendered sterile it is common to take y...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books

Ambasadora by Heidi Miller is an interesting novel. The book is novel length (209 pages) and fairly intense. It has a lackluster beginning but picks up as you continue on. The basic plot is that a young woman is captured and tortured for the whereabouts of information that she was used similar to a drug mule to obtain. She is then utilized to seduce the actual information about those who have it. The story is set in a futuristic polygamous world that is never really fleshed out. Many things exis...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Stefanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

All in all, I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Admittedly, the beginning of it was a little scattered. Miller throws a LOT of different terminology at you in a short span of time. For the most part it isn't too hard to pick up on, but I just kind of felt like it was all rushed in there in the first chapter and then it evened out after that.

I enjoyed that the action in it took off right away, this is a fast paced read, without a doubt. It has a ton of political intrigue, and I...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Soo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

In a futuristic world with four moons, hovercrafts, grav lifts, a strictly tiered society and where your whole life is determined by your genetics, a sadistic ruler takes complete control with immortality and becomes steadily insane when he's infected & made mortal. Sara Mendoza, a middle-class Socialite, is only thinking about continuing her genetic line by netting a good Prime and having her first child. Instead, she takes the fall for an information hijack and tortured until pain becomes...more In a futuristic world with four moons, hovercrafts, grav lifts, a strictly tiered society and where your whole life is determined by your genetics, a sadistic ruler takes complete control with immortality and becomes steadily insane when he's infected & made mortal. Sara Mendoza, a middle-class Socialite, is only thinking about continuing her genetic line by netting a good Prime and having her first child. Instead, she takes the fall for an information hijack and tortured until pain becomes the meaning of life.

From darkness and pain, Sara wakes up in an improved body, an expensive bio-tattoo, and higher status as Ambasadora. She's become one of the select few to portray intelligences and grace to the public for the Sovereign. Her first mission is to find the cure for the ruler's infection and kill the revolutionary ruffian that has it.

Rate: 3.5 Stars (view spoiler)[Be warned: Lengthy Review

The world is intricate and a little confusing in it's complexity. There are some details that are vivid and clear. Some other aspects are glossed over and I'm left wondering what it is & how it fits.

I love the intra-tat and it's complex biometrics that interfaces with the host body. When I imagine it in my mind, it's beguilingly beautiful and annoyingly noticeable. It's hard to hide in plain sight if your arm is glowing in changes beats timed to your pulse. That goes for the Voyeur feeds and the invasive methods that create really cool & unique responses. Music that syncs up to your biorhythms & sings lyrics from your thoughts--how cool is that? Scary, but cool!

Sara and Sean's torture sessions are amazingly brutal and very vivid. There is no mistaking what is happening and you can't close your eyes because you need them open to find out what's going on next. In a morbid way, those parts will stay with me as one of the best things about this book.

The fighting is described well and I like them except for how easily some of the damages occur. I love the first bike ride Sara takes with Sean. When they finally hook up, it's touching, fragile and a little frantic. There's a nice build up to them getting together but I felt that they accepted the feelings too quickly. Neither of them are people that bend easily and I felt they both took on a new paradigm with little work to conform to a new idea. David loving Mari is completely sweet. That had more time, development and acceptance of the choice both wanted to make. Plus, their sex scene is hot!

I enjoyed the sequences where the events taking place told the story rather than information being narrated via internal dialogue. Overall, I felt detached from the struggle that's taking place in the society. It was too much being told at me rather than inter-playing with the characters. The parts that really resonated with me were the torture scenes, Sara flipping out due to the drugs, Sara & Sean hooking up, the funeral, David proposing to Mari, and Rainer's "death". I was okay if he died there. It would have been heroic.

Chapter 54 is my favorite chapter of all! If Sara was a little bit more like that (true to whatever state she's in) throughout the book, I would love the story even more!

This part made me laugh snort-chuckle:
Chen wasn’t sure what disgusted him more--the thought of Faya docking Prollixer or the fact that she would alter her genes in such a drastic way.

Perhaps, in my mind, there were too many main characters. Sara should be the heroine and the rest are close but not it. Yet, I felt like there were four main characters: Sara, Rainer, Sean and David. Sean & David's development is very well done. Sara's is clear but not as personal in some aspects. Rainer doesn't really change so much as takes the best option open to him in any given state. (hide spoiler)]

I admit that I'm stingy with my stars. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm too stingy with them. Ambasadora is a good novel that takes place in a richly textured world with characters that you'll grow to love. It would be fun to read more stories in this world. I'll be intrigued to see what else Heidi Ruby Miller will create and publish. Bring it on! (less)

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Sep 12, 2011 Claire rated it 4 of 5 stars

As posted on www.clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com

Ambasadora is classed as a science fiction romance book written by Heidi Ruby Miller. It features an Upper caste socialite called Sara Mendoza. In Sara’s world which is run by Sovereign Simon Prollixer head of the Embassy a caste system operates. In this system there are various castes such as Uppers who are beautiful people who have better educations and jobs, Lowers who do less glamorous jobs that involve labour, Contractors who enforce the Embass...more As posted on www.clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com

Ambasadora is classed as a science fiction romance book written by Heidi Ruby Miller. It features an Upper caste socialite called Sara Mendoza. In Sara’s world which is run by Sovereign Simon Prollixer head of the Embassy a caste system operates. In this system there are various castes such as Uppers who are beautiful people who have better educations and jobs, Lowers who do less glamorous jobs that involve labour, Contractors who enforce the Embassy’s rule, Armadans who are warriors and Fraggers who are the rebels against everything that is the Embassy. Life is different in Sara’s world everything revolves around your lineage and passing on your genes by having children, nothing is more important than this. If you are sterile people host a party where they will commit suicide rather than bring shame on their family by not carrying on their line. People also have more than one partner or amours as they are called and it is quite normal to have six partners and have children with each one of them. It is at one of the suicide parties where Ambasadora begins. Sara has been brought to a party by her future amour Chen, she is very excited as he has just given her a piece of obsidian jewellery which shows that they are to become amours. Life is perfect and brilliant for Sara then suddenly everything goes to hell and she finds herself being accused of downloading data. After months of torture by the Embassy Sara is transformed onto an Ambasadora and is forced into hunting down the downloaded data or face not being able to carry her line by having her fertility taken from her.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked Sara a lot and it was wonderful to see her change and grow throughout the book. She starts out a socialite whose only concern is her looks and lineage into a fighter who will gladly give away her lineage for the safety of her friends. We are introduced to other characters two of which are Sean who I didn’t warm to at first but loved him at the end and Rainer who I did like at first but then….well I’ll let you find out for yourself. There are parts in the beginning of the book that dragged a little for me and this was when the story turned to Sean’s pov but then there were other parts mainly involving Sara that were so exciting I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. I did struggle at the beginning of the book trying to understand the caste system but I eventually got there. The science part of it was just right for me not too light and not too difficult to understand. There was lots of action, great world building and some romance which I think was tastefully done. Whilst the story was resolved the ending is left open so maybe we will Ambasadora two. All in all a very good read and I would like to give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(less)

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Jul 31, 2011 Leanne Bell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adults, alternative-dystopian-realities, blue-green-grey, fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, general-romance, given-by-author-for-review, kindle-read, read-2011, seriously-evil-bad-guys, taboo-topics, damn-evil-governments

First of all I'd like to thank Heidi for allowing me to review her book for her and for asking me to do an honest review :-)
I'll start, as usual, by giving a brief synopsis of the general story:
Sara Mendoza lives in a world where feelings and especially love is seen as an emotional fallacy and people are encouraged to have multiple partners in order to have more children. Infertility is seen as the ultimate shame, a caste system rules everyone and those who can't bear children are often encourag...more First of all I'd like to thank Heidi for allowing me to review her book for her and for asking me to do an honest review :-)
I'll start, as usual, by giving a brief synopsis of the general story:
Sara Mendoza lives in a world where feelings and especially love is seen as an emotional fallacy and people are encouraged to have multiple partners in order to have more children. Infertility is seen as the ultimate shame, a caste system rules everyone and those who can't bear children are often encouraged to commit 'honorable suicide'. Having grown up with these beliefs Sara knows no different until she is captured and tortured and ends up caught up in events that she never could have imagined happening.

I was a bit torn about this novel and there are a few reasons why, so bear with me while I explain my reasoning for my rating.
First of all I will say that the world building and the sheer imagination that went into this is incredible. It's been a long time since I've read about such a vastly detailed and completely different world in a sci-fi novel and I was fascinated by it. However, I felt there were a lot of new terms and ideas used in a short space of time and I felt slightly overwhelmed and a bit lost whilst reading it.
I'm aware that other readers did not have this problem though, so I guess that this is more down to the individual reading it.

Secondly, because of the sheer amount of new terms, places and concepts, I found a little difficult to follow the plot at times, especially with some of the chapters jumping to a different place and focusing on a different character. It would make me stop and have to think about what had just happened and what was now happening. Having said this, it was different reading about so many unique places, people and ideas and I found myself torn between wonder and outrage at some of the things that happen throughout the novel.

Some of the concepts for example, having multiple partners, I found really weird and I don't think I could live in a world like that, I mean I'd get insanely jealous if my partner had another 3 wives. But that's what is done well in this book, because you can tell that to most of the characters this is perfectly normal and for a lot of people there are no emotions involved in that sense.

The characters themselves are incredibly vivid though my opinion on them is once again divided as I found that I'd meet a character and not see them for a while despite having learned quite a bit about them and this threw me off a little bit or a character would be mentioned lots then hardly seen.
On the other hand, the attention to character detail is fantastic and I feel like I know Sara and Sean like best friends because of how descriptive Miller is in this book.
I loved Sean and Sara, they were fantastic and one of the best duo's I've read about in a while, although I flinched at some of the things they both had to go through and felt myself disgusted at what happens to Sara part way through the novel.
As for the bad guys? Well I'm not going to spoil anything so I will just say that they're very evil and I was hard pressed to decide who I hated more; Faya or Simon as both gave new definition to the term 'bad guy' in so many different ways.

I will summarise by saying that although I had a few issues with a few areas this is a great example of sci-fi that will give anyone's imagination a run for their money. The writing quality is brilliant, characters are vivid and if you're looking for a bit of sci-fi escapism, yet still with a hint of realism and a healthy dose of romance, then most definitely give this book a read.
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Jun 13, 2011 Elsie Love rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! What you need to know about me: I don't like sci-fi-at all. I sat through every episode of Star Trek the Next Generation because I fell in love with a man that loved it. For me it was a snooze fest with a capital S. So, the fact that this book was so thoroughly enjoyable threw me for a loop.
The story is fast paced and exciting. I was amazed at how thorough the author was in creating an entire alternate universe. Her attention to detail really sucked me in. That and the relation...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Lyndi Alexander rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a science fiction and romance author myself, I have to say that I did not find Miller's book lacking in either field. AMBASADORA takes place on a world with a caste system so different from our own that the reader is dropped into a new field of imagination, with rich detail to fill in the background and build the world. We are there, with Sara Mendoza, as she enjoys her beautiful, pampered Socialite existence--until that existence is shattered by events beyond her control. Tortured by her own...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ambasadora wasn't the book I expected. If you know me, then it's easy to know that Sci-Fi romance isn't in my vocubulary. My brother kept saying, get the book and read it...don't pay attention to anything else. Wow, was he right. The story is filled with action, adventure, human struggle and yes, okay, a bit of romance. (There, I said it!) I was impressed with the world Heidi Ruby Miller created and the people she populated it with. Sara, Sean, David, Simon and others come to life in this futuri...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Charlotte Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

At first I wasn't sure what to make of it because the beginning seemed a little confusing and out of this world for me, but I think that was more to me being stubborn and refusing to accept that I was a little worn out. However, I pushed on with the book and I am so glad that I did. I love reading but I love reading something that has an original and yet a somewhat fresh idea to it. The whole novel was imaginative and very well written. There just seemed to be a huge level of creativity to it th...more At first I wasn't sure what to make of it because the beginning seemed a little confusing and out of this world for me, but I think that was more to me being stubborn and refusing to accept that I was a little worn out. However, I pushed on with the book and I am so glad that I did. I love reading but I love reading something that has an original and yet a somewhat fresh idea to it. The whole novel was imaginative and very well written. There just seemed to be a huge level of creativity to it that you couldn't help but actually paint the whole novel in your mind. Sara, this gorgeous ideal women, I am sure perhaps we all imagined the woman that we ourselves would like to be, and Sean, the gorgeous hunky bloak that we have to get to know and want to be with. What I liked with this though was the fact that the author made her characters relatable to, so that when you were reading about them you could connect to them and identify them for who they were. There were quite a few characters within the novel, but they were all well written about and described, meaning that you didn't feel overwhelmbed by them all.

The scenarios that the characters came across were also well defined in words that also had a lot of imagery painted to it. The disastors felt natural, as if these were the sort of things that could actually happen. Whereas in other books it often feels forced and too over emphasized. There did seem to be mixed messages within the book though about who was romantically involved with who and I think that added this bit of interest into the book. I would have liked to have seen more profile on the baddies, but I have feleing that perhaps this may come up in the next book? For example, I would have loved to have known more about the curse, what sort of affect it has on a person and how it all came about in the first place. Perhaps a story from their perspective would allow you to gain an insight as to why this all had to happen?

I enhoyed the hot and steamy scenes that were not overdone but were written about enough to really have your mind focus and lviing the moment. I like the fact that the author did not go overboard, because I have read many books where it feels like they are only focused on the sex scenes whereas I liked to read more about the drama, the scenarios and the plot of the piece. I do feel that this was an amazing book and I was determined to not go to sleep until I had finished it, in fact I was going to do an all nighter if I had to because thats how much I enjoyed the book. I really hope that a series is produced from this because I would love to know what happens in the future, surely that can't just be the be all and end all of it? Can it?(less)

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Aug 07, 2011 Lee Howard rated it 5 of 5 stars

In a society where breeding and caste are sacrosanct, can you find true love? Heidi Ruby Miller proves you can—in a world with six moons that provides all the imaginative richness a sci-fi milieu can muster. The setting is fantastically painted, concrete, and nothing less than fascinating.

The Embassy coerces broken and remade Ambasadora Sara Mendoza to help squelch the techno-militant fragger rebellion by extracting information from their operative leader. But Sara learns a lot about the Embassy...more

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