Incursion

Oct 10, 2012 Blacky *YA/NA addict* rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, m-m, best-of-the-best, of-course, 5-stars-for-quality, 5-stars-for-enjoyment, favorite-m-m

This was fantastic

I don't usually (ever) read Sci-Fi books, and after finishing Incursion I can honestly say I'm a freaking idiot and should mentally bitch-slap myself

The story - Kyle is a retired hunter with a severe spinal injury done by a vicious enemy weapon. A military commander hires him to hunt down a fugitive enemy, in exchange for money and possibly a new prosthesis for his legs. He accepts and infiltrates Scorpion, a spaceship full of mercenaries, and the only lead he has on the ene...more

41 likes · like · see review

Dec 15, 2012 Monique ~ Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mr Voinov wrote it, and I loved it...

I am always in awe of Aleksandr Voinov's writing... as a writer he is... Ohhh. So. Very. Clever. He has the ability to tempt us... a slow seduction of words alone, and Incurrsion, even though it is not in his "dark" category, which I love, It is still evidence of a master at work.

We join our main character Kyle, six weeks after he was injured by a Glyrinny disruptor that left the nerves in his spine damaged. Now, with an implant in his spine and prosthetics...more

35 likes · like · see review

Nov 15, 2012 Akansha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, m-m, shorts, romance, shifters

First things first, I know the constraints that beset a novella or a short story and that the author has to cut corners to stay within the word limit. So, even the most ambitious ideas kind of fall short of the desired impact if not executed well, given those constraints. Incursion suffers from the same problem.

What I liked were the multitude of themes at play, acceptance, identity, xenophobia etc -Kyle's downward spiral into depression, self-pity and perceived imperfection because of his lost...more

18 likes · like · see review

Oct 09, 2012 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-author, hot-alpha-fighter, m-m-romance, scarred-hero, shifters, sci-fi

I have a confession to make. The only reason I read this is because it's written by Aleksandr Voinov.
Yes, it's the man with the sexiest name in literary history ever. I am in love with him, I love what lies in his mind. I want to climb inside, roll around and purr forever.
Netgalley wouldn't give me any of Aleksandrrrr's other books to review..pft! Whatever Rachel!
So this was all I got, and it's Sci-fi!!! I DO NOT read sci-fi . I never have, but for Aleksandr... I will. For you Aleksandr I will...more

21 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 LisaT - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog LisaT131 rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone, humans, healing, self identity

Shelves: adult, favorites, kindle, m-m-romance, sci-fi, shifters

~~~

A very clever book, with a very clever title.

Kyle is every human.

Grimm is potential.

Every human needs potential.

This is a profound and profoundly beautiful effort by a masterful writer, who has time and again caused me to look within and discover new truths about myself and humanity. Damn Voinov for his incursion of me.

I had a long, descriptive review typed out for this book, but it just isn’t necessary. My review is simply to tell anyone, who will listen, to read-this-book. For yourself.

"...more

13 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 DayDreamer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbtq, short-m-m, easy-read, perfect-yet-flawed, reviewed-or-kinda, want-more, favorites, sci-fi, again-and-again-and-again, angsty-feels-good, arrogant-mofo

4.5
Holy shit.
Strong, inspirational, full of hope. It made me sad that it ended. There just has to be more.

What is it with fiction that makes me rebel against set systems and want them to change/be destroyed? For almost every world built in the last 50 or something books. Again. And again. Even knowing a perfect world is not possible (and boring as heaven) doesn't stop me from thinking that the exact order is wrong and needs changing.

Whatever. My rambling stops here.

Highly recommended.

ETA: (view ...more

13 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Aleksandr Voinov added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-i-wrote

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

19 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2012 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, rainbow-gay

So good. This story takes place in the same universe of Dark Edge of Honor. There is less focus on the political aspects and more on the different races inhabiting it. I am not an expert of science fiction, but I really enjoyed it here.

This is Kyle's story. Kyle was injured and crippled by a Glyrinny weapon, which destroyed his nerves, and made him unable to walk without prosthetics, impotent and destitute. Stripped of his job and his pride, he is asked to perform a mission to access better surg...more So good. This story takes place in the same universe of Dark Edge of Honor. There is less focus on the political aspects and more on the different races inhabiting it. I am not an expert of science fiction, but I really enjoyed it here.

This is Kyle's story. Kyle was injured and crippled by a Glyrinny weapon, which destroyed his nerves, and made him unable to walk without prosthetics, impotent and destitute. Stripped of his job and his pride, he is asked to perform a mission to access better surgery that would allow him to be more independent: he has to capture or kill a Glyrinny spy. He looks for it on board of a space ship, the Scorpion, whose pilot comes from the same planet of Kyle, but while Kyle was a simple soldier who sought his fortune abroad, this man, Grimm, belongs to the warrior chaste, a class of superior beings which Kyle failed to access.

Grimm is handsome, fascinating and whole. He's probably a fallen warrior, but Kyle can't help feeling the attraction. He doesn't want to fall for it, because he is on a mission, but also because he feels inferior, damaged. Warriors on his home planet are also beings who comfort and heal people and Kyle needs comfort and recognizes his need even if he pushes it away. Grimm offers this comfort and more, clearly trying to make Kyle see that he's not half of a man because he can't feel anything from the waist down. It was heart-wrenching to see the hollowness in Kyle's life, the way he wasn't able to scrap himself together, how difficult it was for him to even believe there could still be a little bit of pleasure left for him.

The story gets more complicated and I don't want to spoil it and tell too much. I want to remark the beautiful writing, I was especially impressed by the seamless way we were able to transition from Kyle's words to his thoughts, in a style that is the trademark of Aleksandr Voinov's writing and its beautiful terseness.

He tried to get up, thought he felt his leg twitch, before he remembered he couldn't move his legs. He groaned with disappointment and felt so raw inside that his eyes blurred with tears.

Like mine. I mean, two sentences and I'm looking for tissues. When what a character is feeling automagically transfers to me, I feel a bit silly, because, it's supposed to be fiction, but I also feel privileged at the same time because it made me feel. I guess Kyle'd say the same. (less)

14 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hate it when people give 1 star ratings and have never read the book - I prefer to be optimistic ;)

Review to come - when I have actually READ the book :D

Finally read this book :)

I really enjoyed it but it feels kind of unfinished to me. I believe that there should be a sequel because I am still left with a bundle of questions. I want to know how the 'relationship' develops and how it does in such a species that sees with vibrations.

I actually think the sex would be spectacular and totally diff...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 12, 2012 Gwenith rated it 4 of 5 stars

This Was A Uniquely Clever All Nighter...Ugh...I Need Coffee

But it was oooh so worth it....♥

Damn book sucked me right in...I started this book close to midnight thinking I would just read a few pages and go to bed...LOL... I forgot this is a Voinov book~A New Favorite Author of Mine Yes, come morning it was OMG, WTF time is it!

Ah GAWD...I have to work...My Bad, but jeez, this book sucked me right in.

It is toooo short but, omg..the world building is spectacular~

The Clever stuff...hummm(view ...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Lenore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourite-authors, sci-fi, m-m, pub-riptide, great-britain-my-love, less-than-perfect-hh, enemies-to-lovers, shapeshifters, short, 2012, reviewed-by-yours-truly

I liked Grimm. I got him. And Winter/Spring. She had something.

Kyle? He was a challenge. It's not that I didn't like him. It's that I didn't get him right, I think. There was something about him I kept missing. He reminded me of Brooklyn from Counterpunch but he lacked that cynic lustre. And I had some issues with his disability. Why he was chosen to hunt down Kshar in the first place and how he planned to overpower Kshar after their encounter at that hotel.

But I liked the world-building. I thi...more

12 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Kaje Harper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, scifi, short-story

4.5 stars. This book has excellent world-building, interesting characters with a lot of issues and imperfections, and a well-designed plot. The only reason it wasn't five stars for me was that it felt a bit short. I guess like so many of this excellent writer's stories, I wasn't ready to let these guys go, which is more compliment than flaw.

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 08, 2012 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read-2012

in·cur·sion (n-kûrzhn, -shn)
n.
1. An aggressive entrance into foreign territory; a raid or invasion.
2. The act of entering another's territory or domain.
3. The act of entering or running into:

Perfect title for this book--Voinov has given us another great story

Re-read-- holy shit--I get it--the whisper that I couldn't grasp

7 likes · like · see review

Jul 14, 2012 deirdre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, lendable-nook

great read!! read it in one sitting today . . . couldn't put it down, not a shock given the author!

well written. great character development. easily sucked into their 'world'. fast paced story arc.

interesting premise, very intriguing and ORIGINAL idea!

the concept of self is explored . . .self as apart from one's physical being. this is certainly brain food i will be digesting for days to come.

update . . . this story stayed with me for DAYS . . . DAYS . . . as does most of the author's writin...more

5 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: boyswholoveboys

If there’s one thing you can expect from this author, it’s his ability to give us new characters and story arches to love, regardless of the genre he’s tackling. I’m not a fan of Science Fiction just because there’s this consistent bleakness to its world that adds to my inability to connect with the characters. And as much as I’d like to say Incursion’s world isn’t as dreary and cold as any others I’ve read, it would be an outright lie. I think it’s safe to say that I’ll read anything this autho...more If there’s one thing you can expect from this author, it’s his ability to give us new characters and story arches to love, regardless of the genre he’s tackling. I’m not a fan of Science Fiction just because there’s this consistent bleakness to its world that adds to my inability to connect with the characters. And as much as I’d like to say Incursion’s world isn’t as dreary and cold as any others I’ve read, it would be an outright lie. I think it’s safe to say that I’ll read anything this author would write within the confines of my reading comfort level, that is.

Incursion is a story of a retired hunter hired to find a spy morph. When the only lead he could find is by hitching a ride on a mercenary ship, he took a chance and found himself overly curious with its captain. But finding this rebel morph is a difficult mission. They have this ability to shift into whomever they want. Added to that is the restriction of having a prosthetic leg that he lost during a battle with one of those morphs and the growing suspicion that Grimm, the captain, could be the thing that he’s been assigned to hunt. Regardless of his attraction to Grimm, finding the Glyrinny spy is his ticket to getting his old life back.

To be honest, I’m having a hard time explaining what this book was about. I’ve committed the gravest of sin by focusing on the romance instead of the story as a whole. I’m very partial to Aleksandr’s men that I neglected to actually read the book in its entirety and skimming anything that resembles Sci-Fi’ish. And for that, I’m truly sorry. It’s not the book’s fault that my eyes glaze over with the detailed description of world set in this genre. It’s just not my thing.

The book wasn’t a total loss, however. I loved the aggressive captain who was not afraid to show his interest. I love the dynamics with the occupants of the ship. I love the intricate yet uncomplicated way Voinov explained how morphing works. But most of all, I love the romance between characters even though it was ill-timed and a bit problematic at first glance.

Give this book a go and ignore the ramblings of a person who’s got no business reviewing a Sci-Fi book. If you’re a fan of Aleksandr, read this and find out another reason why we love him.
(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 03, 2012 Amara rated it 5 of 5 stars

In an Amara word… fantabulous.

I have a confession to make. I’m not a big sci-fi lover. It’s a genre I rarely read. But… far be it for me to let a Voinov go by without getting my grabby little hands on it. Sci-fi or no Sci-fi.

I really loved this one. Voinov managed to pull me into his world, keep me intrigued, all without over sci-fi’ing me to death. Kudo’s on that.

One of the things I loved most about this one was the characters. Well written, fully fleshed out and intriguing. Damaged, rough aro...more

10 likes · like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Heller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cops-military, m-m, mystery-thriller, sci-fi

For me a good science fiction story hinges on the world building. Too much technobabble can muddy the waters and ruin it but not enough makes it feel not futuristic enough and unrealistic.

Incursion has just the right balance and this universe that Voinov has created really left me wanting to know more, there is so much potential to mine here. I have high hopes that this short is the beginning of new series. Fingers crossed!

Kyle Juenger is a retired soldier with massive spinal injuries that requ...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Kristalia rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone who wishes to read cool sci fi story :D

Shelves: glbt, me-likey-mucho, why-u-no-longer-u-make-me-sad, reviewed, best-couple-award, be-my-hero-plz

Final rating: ★★★★/★★★★★

This book was just...WOW. I didn't expect to like this book soooo much. But i am sad because it was just way to short for my tastes. The story itself was interesting, and i loved the writing. It kept me reading until i finally read it whole. And it's rare to find a sci-fi m-m book which was properly executed. And the ending (around 75%)! I sooooooooooo didn't see that one coming! I thought i knew who the shapeshifter was, but damn, i was wrong.

Anyway, the characters we...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jul 16, 2012 Edina Rose rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

I love this author's style. It's refreshing. The plot is great, the characters are tough AND sensitive fighters, the ladies in the story are anything but weak, and the sensuality is intense - typical Voinov.

This said, what I liked the most was the Morphs, these creatures who can read your lines, your patterns (who you are under your skin), read your thoughts and take your appearance. They regenerate too, so their injuries don't last. We don't know if they are male of female underneath their phys...more

4 likes · like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Trix rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, adventure, aliens, military, mm-novels, mystery, paranormal, shape-shifters, suspense

Quite a pleasure to read this. Second book by this author and I was not disappointed.

Voinov did a great job in giving life to this sci-fi story, the same way in which he built the world in Scorpion. (view spoiler)...more

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Kendell Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Check out all my reviews at Kenn's Reviews

Incursion is a Sci-Fi novella with an unusual twist. The main hero of the story is disabled. Don’t see this much in main-stream fiction but I think Aleksandr did a wonderful job of it. All in all this book has a lot of great action sequences and has an excellent storyline for only being 70-some pages long.

The protagonist, Kyle Juenger, suffered from a debilitating attack during a battle with the Glyrinny. He lost his legs and was basically numb and usel...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 02, 2013 Anja rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: lgbt

Since the name Aleksandr Voinov popped up reguarly (as in all the time) in my feed, I stalk...checked his Goodreads author profile where I stumled over this little gem. What first caught my attention was the cover. With its blue hightech-thingy background and the DNA strand it is pretty frakking awesome, a real eye-catcher. And the synopsis was as intriguing as the cover. I'm a sucker for a good, not too strange sci fi story, and so I simply had no choice but to read this book.

Obviously Incursio...more 3.5 Totoros

Since the name Aleksandr Voinov popped up reguarly (as in all the time) in my feed, I stalk...checked his Goodreads author profile where I stumled over this little gem. What first caught my attention was the cover. With its blue hightech-thingy background and the DNA strand it is pretty frakking awesome, a real eye-catcher. And the synopsis was as intriguing as the cover. I'm a sucker for a good, not too strange sci fi story, and so I simply had no choice but to read this book.

Obviously Incursion was my first Voinov, and whoa, this man has a way with words... I'm still speechless. The writing is just amazing. He's like a painter who's not painting colors on canvas but words on a blank page. Pictorial language at its best. The Incursion world is so vivid, so vibrant, it downright springs in your mind like a living thing ^^ And when I say world I mean hustle and bustle, colors, odors, variety of sounds, you name it. It's all there, you can feel it, see it, smell it, hear it... and to convey all this with simple words is a skill the author can be proud of.

As for the story it's too bad it's not a full novel. It's an interesting plot with so much potential that is way to complex for being covered up in a short story.

The beginnig was awesome, I loved diving in Kyle's world, getting to know this flawed, almost depressive guy. He's a great character, reminded me a litte of this guy from Avatar (can't remember his name -.- ah, wait, it's Sully, right? Named after him: sully

xD). Kyle is kind of deep and made a certain impression on me, so I could feel for him without feeling sorry for him, despite all of his dark brooding and sometimes hate-filled emotions. Am I making sense here? Whatever xD

When he got his new assignment and went finding a way to accomplish that mission, and then found ship and crew, I almost squealed. Sure, I did because of the hope and the energy radiating from Kyle and seeing him like that made me happy... but... but... mostly my almost-squeal was caused by my mental cinema that showed me one of my most favorite sci fi TV show crews :)))
Firefly Serenity Crew

Up to that point the story was well paced and well-narrated, and I really really liked Grimm, the ship's pilot/leader/whatever. My favorite character, however, was this Winter gal. Holy sweet reindeerbabies, how awesome is she? The author's imagination must have gone wild when he ~invented this figure :)))

Alas in the last third this book lost much of its appeal for me (and is one of the reasons why I wish this would be a real book instead of a short story). Something was missing, the last part seemd rushed and muddled, and there was too little chemistry between Kyle and Grimm for my liking. The sex scene was nice, but I wouldn't consider it necessary. Those words could've been better used for plot development. Because, honestly, the last part was pretty meh. In the end it was all too smooth, all too easy. What the hell happened with Kyle's hatred? Why wasn't he more conflicted about what he discovered? There was no struggling, just acceptance.

Don't get me wrong, the story line is a killer. I loved how it ended, I loved what happened. It's just... well, partially underdeveloped. It's still a gem, but not a flawless one that is a bit rough around the edges ;)(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 24, 2012 Cole Riann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: armchair-reviews, m-m, m-m-alternate-world, m-m-futuristic, m-m-military, m-m-scifi-space, m-m-tattoos

Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

Kyle is an ex-hunter and ex-pilot of the Navy, recently forcibly retired by his injuries. He has no feeling from the waist down and can only walk with the use of prosthetics. He's broke on his decommissioned salary and needs the large sum of money, or opportunity to travel to a planet with cheaper cyberware, to get the technology that would allow him to walk, fight, and blend in with the rest of humanity. His chance comes when he's given one last job of hunti...more Review posted at The Armchair Reader.

Kyle is an ex-hunter and ex-pilot of the Navy, recently forcibly retired by his injuries. He has no feeling from the waist down and can only walk with the use of prosthetics. He's broke on his decommissioned salary and needs the large sum of money, or opportunity to travel to a planet with cheaper cyberware, to get the technology that would allow him to walk, fight, and blend in with the rest of humanity. His chance comes when he's given one last job of hunting a Glyrinny double agent. The money would get him off world and fix him up, but it also serves his deep rooted anger at the loss of his old life, when he was shot with a Glyrinny weapon that his race doesn't understand how to properly cure.

I have to admit that I've read little of Voinov's work. His books are always ones that I mean to read, and I have many of them, but I've only read a few. I'm always happy with the level of detail and world building, and I really like the ambiguity of his characters, prone to embody the villain with a core of morality, unafraid to pursue their cause while bucking the system. There's a fearlessness about that we can connect with. It allows us our natural attraction to bad boys but gives us all of their redeeming qualities, and like secretly rooting on a vigilante and appeasing our desire to be vicariously brave and at the same time reckless.

There's a lot of room in these character for character growth, and while most of this story satisfied me, the ending felt a bit short to me. Perhaps, as readers, we don't like when a character wants to give up, or does. I felt like I understood Kyle, and I even understood the impulse that death, death in bliss, would be an improvement upon his life. He hasn't been injured long and he's still got a lot of issues that might slowly resolve with time and getting used to life without his legs. On the other hand, I was waiting for him to turn around and give a little fight. I wasn't quite so sure he would really accept the situation at the end of the story. It still felt a bit unresolved to me and I would have really liked to see his journey from that point on, especially with his new knowledge of himself and those around him. Was he really that untethered from his own race and his life? Or was that just post-trauma?

This is still a great example of Voinov's work, and fans of the author will definitely want to read this, as well as any SciFi fan. I definitely liked it and would recommend it.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Bookwatcher ~Mary MooCow~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt-gay, sci-fi, short-story, shifter, disability

"Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision.
Stevie Wonder

What you would do, to be (feel) whole again?
it's a trick question, but it's the essence of this story...

Kyle can't walk... can't be himself (or what he consider his old-self) any longer. After an attack with an alien weapon he lost the ability to walk. But as himself will say, it's more than that... he is frustrated because he desire, but can't have an active sex life anymore... he's alternative is have impl...more

7 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2012 Lady*M rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, science-fiction

Almost, but not quite 4 stars.

As always, Voinov's writing and characters are his forte. It's so easy to like his people and, in this case, aliens. But, I agree with Kate - the ending was too convenient and Kyle didn't become anything new through his own efforts or choices. I wanted more for him, certainly more than for him to shrug and go with the flow. I think these were the reasons why I didn't find the story as emotionally powerful as, say, Scorpion or Counterpunch.

That aside, this is still V...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2013 LiveYourLife BuyTheBook rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: barb, kapow, riptide, voinov, favorites

5 Stars - KAPOW!

The world that Aleks has created is believable without being boggling; and I thought that the characters were charming. Some of my favourite reads this year have been by Voinov – Country Mouse, Dark Soul and I was late to the “party” with Special Forces; this offering by Voinov doesn’t disappoint – AND I read one of his books without crying!! Who knew that was in fact possible? I loved Grimm straight away. His flirtiness, and the utter certainty that he could make Kyle respond to...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 ARe Cafe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vals-picks

Incursion by Aleksandr Voinov is a fast-paced, space-opera thriller told from the single, third-person perspective of a damaged hero. Kyle is unpretentious, tough yet vulnerable, and shrewd yet outmatched. At first, he seems flinty and understated, but his appeal increases with each page. The author has a talent for conveying the complexity of Kyle’s personality and his futuristic surroundings with no more than the smallest touch, such as a vivid phrase or image. There is no info-dump anywhere....more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 Lis added it

Shelves: mm-reviewbook

**Review for Rarely Dusty Books**

Okay. So. There we have it. The review for Incursion (if you can call it as much). After mucho cursing, hair pulling and even breaking my own rule: looking at other reviews, because I did not quite know what to do with this book, I sat down to write this. I think I’ve stopped reading this book and started up again at least 5 times upon receiving it.

Incursion falls in the category of George Martin, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Tolstoy. The books are pretty to look a...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2013 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi-romance

Being introduced to new peoples and worlds is the best part of Science-Fiction or Science-Fiction Romance. When it includes a bit of intrigue and espionage, that is just a bonus. Seeing the blurb on this one made me realize that this was going to be one of those.

This novella-length tale follows the first person account of a bitter, washed-up military guy who is given another chance to be a part of active service and earn his way into a comfortable retirement- maybe even go back to his home world...more Being introduced to new peoples and worlds is the best part of Science-Fiction or Science-Fiction Romance. When it includes a bit of intrigue and espionage, that is just a bonus. Seeing the blurb on this one made me realize that this was going to be one of those.

This novella-length tale follows the first person account of a bitter, washed-up military guy who is given another chance to be a part of active service and earn his way into a comfortable retirement- maybe even go back to his home world.

His assignment is to hunt down a double agent with morphing capability thought to be heading back into his home space. Kyle agrees to the assignment to hunt down Kshar and bring him back dead or alive to gain what he stole.

Kshar is suspected to be aboard a mercenary space craft so Kyle manages to get aboard too. That's the easy part because how does one really hunt down a being who can morph into any person they want. Kshar could be hiding or he could be one of the crew. Kyle is drawn to the pilot whom he really hopes is not his quarry.

The plot was packed with a wealth of good ingredients considering the length of the story- nicely paced story line, well developed characters, intrigue and a sprinkling of romance. Truthfully, I wish the story had been novel length just to tease out more of the relationship and world-building aspects along with some more of that fun intrigue.

I found the choice of first person narrator a good one because it left everyone else- the suspects- deliciously shadowy with their thoughts and motives kept secret. It was a treat to be inside Kyle's mind too. He was so well-drawn that I almost had all those aches and pains with him. His mental outlook on his life rang so authentic too- easy to believe that he had been a soldier who served faithfully and then when injured, finds himself patched back together, set aside and forced to exist on very little. He thinks his injury washed him up and made him useless. I was glad to see this change for him as the story progressed even though he is a hard sell when it comes to believing it. The romance level was perfect too. Due to the intrigue and Kyle's physical and mental state it developed slowly and was therefore much more believable.

In the end, this was a very enjoyable Sci-Fi Romantic Intrigue.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first novelette of Voinov's I've read since Lion of Kent, which was good but didn't quite match my expectations (it just wasn't detailed enough for me.) I've been reading his full-length novels instead and they've all just been pitch-perfect. When I saw this little novelette, though, the blurb hooked me instantly. Boy, it did not disappoint.

I wish I were better at critiquing writing, so I could tease apart everything that just made this little gem work for me. Alas, I am not. Instead...more This is the first novelette of Voinov's I've read since Lion of Kent, which was good but didn't quite match my expectations (it just wasn't detailed enough for me.) I've been reading his full-length novels instead and they've all just been pitch-perfect. When I saw this little novelette, though, the blurb hooked me instantly. Boy, it did not disappoint.

I wish I were better at critiquing writing, so I could tease apart everything that just made this little gem work for me. Alas, I am not. Instead, I just confirm the basics. This book is well-edited and proofed. I found one typo that was confusing--the word 'been' used instead of the word 'be'--and one turn of phrase in dialogue that sounded a little archaic? foreign? maybe just pretentious? poetic? Anyway, it drew only a split-second's attention. Otherwise, just smooth sailing all the way through.

The plot was so tight--so compact, and perfectly executed. And the sci-fi aspect was used perfectly to believably shorten the parts that would have required much more lead-in in standard m/m. I can't really be more specific because the work is so short and everything is important.

I generally prefer my m/m sex a little more raw and dirty, but this story, including the sex, was perfect as it was, and would probably appeal to more women than something raunchier would have. It's not a sappy romance novel, by any means, but if you've read solo Voinov before, you don't expect that stuff. I can't imagine anyone who loved Scorpion or Counterpunch not loving this, unless they hate Sci-Fi in principle. In fact, I think this was even more accessible than those novels, as long as sci-fi tropes don't bother you.

So overall, great (very, very fast) read, tightly plotted, well-paced, with likable, engaging, believably flawed characters, and a nice, gray universe serving as backdrop. Completely self-contained and not begging for any kind of sequel, though I'd love to see a new story/novel in this world. But it seems I'd enjoy anything Mr. Voinov writes at this point. Will move on to Dark Soul next.

Thanks to Mr. Voinov for another great read!(less)

1 like · like · see review

title link	preview: Incursion
avg rating	preview: Incursion Goodreads rating: 4.06 (263 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15698799-incursion?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1339279813l/15698799.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15698799-incursion?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Incursion by Aleksandr Voinov[/url]

Incursion

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Aleksandr Voinov

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Incursion

Quotes from Incursion

Incursion

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Aleksandr Voinov

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Incursion

Quotes from Incursion

new topic
Discuss This Book