Dark Edge of Honor

Doctrine Wars

by Aleksandr Voinov, Rhi Etzweiler

Sergei Stolkov is a faithful officer, though his deepest desires go against the Doctrine. A captain with the invading Coalition forces, he believes that self-sacrifice is the most heroic act and his own needs are only valid if they serve the state. Mike, an operative planted within Cirokko's rebels, has been ordered to seduce Sergei and pry from him the Coalition's military secrets. His mission is a success, but as he captures Sergei's heart, Mike is tempted by his own charade and falls in love. When the hostile natives of the planet Cirokko make their move, all seems lost. Can Mike and Sergei survive when the Coalition's internal affairs division takes an interest in what happened in the dusty mountains of Zasidka Pass…?96,000 words

Genres: M M Romance, Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Romance, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, War

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2011

About the author

https://aleksandrvoinov.substack.com/

Reviews

[Julio Genao · Rating 3 out of 5]

FUCKYEAH SPACEDRAGONS.

Cunning plot.

Almost gorgeous in its symmetry and opportunity for satisfying conflict, which could easily have powered even more delicious tension for another hundred pages.

The voice in the prose was more playful than what I've seen of Mr. Voinov's catalogue before, and while I haven't yet read any of Ms. Etzweiler's work before this, I assume it is a product of their collaboration. While I prefer and very much admire Voinov's typical efficiency—as my own early work suffered from an unfortunate enthusiasm for extravagance in both tone and style—I find I have an enduring fascination for what the happens to Voinov's razor-sharp and ecumenical prose when passed through the prism of another writer's own distinctions.

But never mind my nerdery—this thing was fun.

Also? FUCKYEAH! DRAGONS! IN SPACE!

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio 5 stars!! Great performance by Jack LeFleur
Story 4 stars
Overall 4.5 stars

I don’t know if I have a full understanding of the Doctrine, but I enjoyed the story. It was dark, gritty and not the least bit predictable.

My only complaint...I wanted more information regarding the natives (flying lizards) and an epilogue.

[LenaRibka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,6 melting(♥♥♥♥, ♡♡♡♡♡♡) stars!

Dark Edge of Honor is a military dark science fiction novel.

YES - it is an enemies to lovers story a là Aleksandr Voinov.
Thereby everything has been said.

NO- it is not Special Forces. .

Still there are so many details that remind me of my favorite book!..
It is why I recommend it first of all to all true fans of SF.
Reading Dark Edge of Honor was like balm for my soul!
There were so many exciting Déjà vu moments!..

Without giving too much away:

There are two powerful systems in the book: the Doctrine and the Alliance that are not really at war with each other but represent two different ideologies and struggle for power in space. It is the Cold War of the future. The reader can very quickly find out who play here the bad guys and who the good ones, and that is not just because of the names of the two main characters.
S-e-r-g-e-i... This name melts in my mouth like a bitter-sweet chocolate....yeah, I have my reasons...
An attractive young officer of the Doctrine- loyal, honorable faithful and... naive.
Mike , the Alliance soldier, is an undercover agent, a spy, on the Cirokko, a small insignificant planet that the Doctrine would like to have under control, this planet looks like a miniature of Afghanistan, the same mountainous landscape with a huge unexplored territories and the rebel movement that fights against the invasion.

MOUNTAINS...MILITARY... If this two words come in connection with A. Voinov...*sigh*

"They were strange, the mountains. Rising up out of nowhere, snow-capped peaks breaking the vivid blue skyline. Not what he was used to seeing in the least. And how there could be snow up there, when it was so hot everywhere, baffled him.
The glare from the sun reflected off that snow and, when the heat rose from the valleys, the mountains seemed to drift or swim, which was the most disconcerting thing he'd ever seen."

Do I really need to explain how my heart started to race as the two protagonists came into play?

The circumstances under which the both met each other are not the same as in SF, and Sergei is not Vadim, and Mike is not Dan, but the chemistry between them, the sexual tension is very similar to that what Dan and Vadim had, and it would be a lie if I'd say that no parallel can be made between this characters. READ IT!!

What can I add to all that has just been said in the many positive reviews?

Great,well told story, with an ingenious solution, full of emotions and passion! Be prepared!
Great characters to die for, you will fall in love with both of them, it is my guarantee!!
Sex scenes-EXTREMELY HOT! And extremely beautiful. And extremely poetic and sensitive and intense.




Unforgettable writing style. As always.

Dark Edge of Honor is an absolute MUST READ for all SF and for all Aleks fans.

Love love love love it a lot!
It is definitely one of those books you would like to re-read someday.

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written June 13, 2014

4 1/2 Stars - Crisp and hard about glory, honor, indoctrination, enemies, betrayal, lust, loss - but in the end also an grandly romantic story

Nowadays (since a month or so) I just need an audio book at the same time I'm reading another book. I need something good to listening to when I do all that needed stuff at home, when I'm walking, driving, trying to sleep, rest etc (or cleaning windows and ironing the freshly washed curtains afterwards as this week).

Listening to an 12 hours long novel by Aleksandr Voinov and Rhi Etzweiler —a maybe hard and tough sci-fi / futuristic / war romance— felt like a challenge for me.



Jeez, I'm now afterwards so happy with my slightly strange audio choice this time. Dark Edge of Honor was a wonderfully intense, hot, harsh and cruel story, but also wonderfully romantic. I enjoyed every single word, paragraph, section and part.

**********************************************

May and will an hard indoctrinated young captain listening to his deepest desires and go against the Doctrine? ~ I can't help but think of the old Soviet Union.

“What would you struggle for? What’s worth fighting for?”
“Life, the next breath, the next beat of one’s heart. What else is there worth fighting for?”



‘Because I love you and I can’t get enough of you. That emotion ran deeper and deeper, like a river than had reached open plains, soft earth, and could burrow deeper now, build more force. There was no sense anymore that it would end, had to end, was better if it ended.’

I got big knots in my heart when I was thinking about how this would end.

A story where one character (Mike Godfrey) is a sort of undercover rebel spy and infiltrate the other (Sergei Stolkov) when he suspects the young captain's weakness (feelings) for the same sex. That is a tough topic to end well with an nice HEA. It's obviously made for a intense story with hurt feelings, broken hearts, betrayal, anger and strong emotions. ...and we get it all here.

...The war plot, and this sci-fi world?
I will not even try to give me at explaining all the complicated facts of this world. It takes place on another planet, in an unknown future, and it was cleverly done. I swallowed it all and listened with huge attentive ears.

**********************************************

Glory, honor, indoctrination, steam, enemies, missions, betrayal, lust, loss, setback, war, flogging - and wonderful grand romance in the end... Dark Edge of Honor had it all.

The Coaliation Captain, Sergei Stolkov and the operative planted as an Cirokko rebel, Mike Godfrey and their amazing love story, will remain within me.

“There is only one thing I want to be part of. You.”

**********************************************

Dark Edge of Honor is in my opinion splended narrated by Jack LeFleur. He did it so well and his voice was so pleasant to listen to even under the most gruesome, cruel, bloody scenes. ~ I just want more audio books, this was another great one. I'm more and more a romances listener by now.

**********************************************

This was my fourth Voinov book this spring (after Scorpion, Gold Digger and a few weeks ago, Hostile Ground) and this novel was just as good as the three before. That Voinow-man certainly know how to write a great (manly HOT gay) novel with big emotions, memorable characters and a interesting plot.

Next up is Skybound or maybe Lying with Scorpions, both are already waiting in my Kindle reader. There is of course also the long epic saga (which all girls here nag and talk about) but it will have to wait until later (when I retired .. if not sooner).

I LIKE - these guys know their stuff ~ Impressed!!

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sergei glanced over his shoulder, then looked at Mike. “Whatever…else you think about me…whatever else…you felt…when you return home, will you at least remember me?”

I don’t have enough words to describe the amount of excitement I experienced with this story. It is without a doubt my favorite sci-fi m/m novel out there!

I had some troubles finding into the story at the beginning. I found the writing quite complex and caught myself reading passages over and over again because I couldn’t catch on the first time, but this improved quickly, turning this story into one of my all time favorites!

The setting is (probably) the distant future. In best Star Wars tradition, we have two intergalactic associations fighting each other: The Alliance and the Doctrine. We don’t learn too much about the Alliance, except that they seem to be a liberal society protecting planets against the (obviously Russian) Doctrine invaders. The largest part of the story is told through the eyes of Captain Sergei Stolkov, a very young and aspiring Doctrine officer landing on the desert planet Cirokko to prepare the Doctrine takeover. He’s a stoic and proud man, the doctrine teachings reaching deep into his core, giving him a cold military view of the world, a fact that has the rest of the galaxy call his people ‘Doctrine Zombies’. Their aim is to spread the Doctrine empire throughout the galaxy (like Scientology, I guess, LOL).

He knows that being a brother among brothers is what the doctrine stands for. Obey and serve the state. Never be out of line. When his secret and strictly forbidden desires bring him face to face with a handsome Cirokko native – Mike – he starts to lower his stern façade for the first time in his life – and steps outside of the doctrine boundaries. Little does he know that Mike, the handsome translator, is actually an Alliance spy set out to gain intel on the Doctrine’s invasion. And Mike is willing to use ANY means to reach his goal.

Finding a soft-spoken, questioning man with hope in his eyes behind the cold young officer’s mask, turns Mike’s assignment into a blood-curdling race to save both Cirokko and their new-found love from being crushed under the iron fist of the Doctrine Empire.

Oh. My. God. I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!!

Sergei is probably one of my all time favorite MCs ever (I admit, I love Voinov’s Russian characters to pieces!!). I felt so so sorry for the poor guy here.

He went through EVERYTHING you could imagine …

Betrayal, torture, rape, abuse, flesh eating bacteria, getting bitten and carried away by a dragon(!!), losing an arm and a leg (!!!), becoming a cyborg (!!!!!!!), getting sentenced to have his memory erased, PTSD (the least of his issues, really). You name it!!!

And still he was such a good-hearted soft-spoken individual, loyal and (a tad bit too) trusting, only wanting his comrades and his lover to be safe, no matter what obstacles were thrown in his way. By the end I just wanted to wrap him into a blanket and tell him it would be alright in the end….

If you get this book, don’t forget to add the audiobook read by Jack LeFleur. His Russian accent is to die for and Sergei’s voice melted my heart. I was crying by the end of it.

This will make it to my top 10 list of books read in 2016!!!

Rhi Etzweiler is a new author for me. I can hardly wait to check out more of her books. Aleksandr Voinov has made it to the list of my favorite authors a long time ago, LOL. And no surprise, his touch in this story is unmistakable.

5 stars aren’t enough to rate this book. Not nearly enough!!

[Kaje Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This is a military-setting Sci-Fi with some dark moments in it, as invader and resistance fighter meet, have sex, and then find something more developing between them.

Sergei is a man who has always taken to heart the tenets of the Coalition which he serves as an officer. The focus and discipline ground him, and he truly believes in the philosophy. He sees their invasion as bringing the virtues of the Coalition, with its focus on the group over the individual, to the backward world which his forces are trying to subdue.

Mike is a spy for the Alliance. He dislikes the Coalition's motives and methods, and has a healthy respect for the rights and powers of the individual. Given the opportunity to seduce Sergei, and thereby get close to the aide of a Coalition General, he does so. As an opportunity to spy, it's a success, but Mike doesn't expect to find himself falling for the enemy.

Sergei's lack of any kind of romantic or sexual experience beyond anonymous or forced sex, means that his time with Mike feels like a revelation. He falls for Mike fast. But his basic decency, and his open eagerness to give himself to Mike, has Mike also becoming emotionally involved.

Aleks Voinov does really good enemies-to-lovers books. This one is a bit of a twist on that, because at first only one of the two men knows that they are actually on opposite sides of a smoldering war. And yet he falls in love just as fast as his oblivious counterpart. That gives the book an interesting dynamic, with shifts in the power relationship between the MCs occurring several times as the plot developed.

The first chapter was a bit dry and confusing - I didn't feel like I had a handle on the characters or the political and military situation until a couple of chapters in. But by about the first third, this book had grabbed me and I was fully engaged with both the main characters and the world-building. The story is dark, but the relationship is satisfying. There is an understated sweetness in and between these men that keeps showing in glimpses beneath the horrors of war, of prejudice, of military blind obedience and violence. Sergei in particular is an amazing character.

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3.25 stars ✰

“Brother shall not betray brother.”

I've been eyeing Aleksandr Voinov's Special Forces series for some time now, but I thought it would be better if I take a chance with one of their stand-alone books like Dark Edge of Honor before committing myself to their series - eager to give it a shot.



Alas, what can you do? 🤷🤷

Okay, *cracks knuckles* Amina, pull yourself together and not do this book a disservice - it was certainly not all that bad, and you have certainly read worse.

The story revolves around two military men, in the much much far-off future in a distant world on a distant planet - two men on opposing sides, but inexplicably drawn to each other - into each other's beds, despite the logic and factions that stand between them - enemies for all the wrong reasons. Mike and Sergei are destined to never be together... But they were - they shared the moments of intimacy that were seared into their skin - unforgettable and incomparable to either of them - with promises of a future and a hope for a brighter tomorrow. ❤️‍🔥 Was it a crime of passion or a mission of a tainted betrayal? For, the forces that be - be it man or alien - stand in their way, preventing any chance to make right what's been wronged.

Thus, is the story of Mike and Sergei that started off interestingly enough, but delved into certain territories that made it less than enjoyable for me.

“What I’m holding back right now…” Sergei lowered himself --- “…is to tie you up and keep you forever…”

Mike moved into the man’s strokes, not bothering to suppress his groan. “If you tied me up right now, I wouldn’t care how long forever was.”

And it's when 'the battle between one’s wants and the need for self- preservation. The two rarely aligned' does actually ring false is where Mike and Sergei meet. Mike is helplessly drawn to him, as he voices 'only I could come halfway across the universe and manage to find the one thing I’ve avoided for so long.' He's a man on a mission, but the heart is also on one without permission. But for Sergei, who has not had it easy - he has never understood or felt what true pleasure, what love can actually feel like - sees something in Mike he's never known in his Doctrine. Only ever being used by commanding officers as a piece of flesh to satisfy themselves, it's Mike who shows him what it truly means to be consumed by someone entirely, who 'makes me forget who I’m not.' 😟😟

Their chemistry in bed was electrifying. Mike had such a mouth on him and Sergei was so eager to learn the difference between sensual love and simply getting off for the sake of it. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 I loved how comfortable Mike made Sergei feel in his presence, how he just knew what to say to make him feel so safe with him - to do even wicked things to him - to drive him to the brink of pleasure - with all the levels of intimacy that promised so much more than just one night - that Mike was the real deal and not going to abandon him.

“The sense of betrayal in what the man had done warred with the deeply rooted affection—love—he couldn’t help but feel, even now.”

Now, here is where my sense of reason collides with my sense of reading preferences. This is a heavily military-based story - where honor above all else takes precedent over matters of the heart. And when Sergei and Mike do establish that they are actually on opposing sides - it is where the dark edge of honor really plays an integral part. The warring of the mind and sense of righteousness that plagues Sergei - to stay true to what he stands for - his staunch beliefs and purpose of being - or give himself up entirely to protect the man he loves. That even with the bitter sting of betrayal, he can't hate him - even though, Mike so very deserves it - but wants to live with the promise of the 'want to make love to you again.' 😢😢

These little details really pulled me along in the story, because Sergei's thoughts felt so very valid - he was so hurt and I hurt for him. And his pain becomes a lot more than just in his heart, but on the surface level, too, which really broke him. It became such a tragic and dismal despair, and what hurt the most - was that he was doing it all for his honor. 💔💔 For the pledge that he made to his creed - for what he believed in. And that's why it really started sinking in to me at how deliberate this title really is - it is the dark edge of honor - the dark side of what it means to live by the rules - to give up what you want - simply for the course in which you have given your life to. And yes, Mike has broken his trust - fed him lies, and make him 'tainted by the whisper of love, the twisting edge of convincing him to betray everything he’d known, only to turn around and desecrate his unquestioning trust.' 🥺🥺

“Whatever…else you think about me…whatever else…you felt…when you return home, will you at least remember me?”

And uff, the hurt and pain that followed after - the guilt and grief that plagued them both - Mike, tortured by his crime - 'the knowledge, the betrayal, was a stone, a boulder, in his soul', and Sergei, broken by his trust and feeling like 'the weakest of the weak' for being ' seduced, played and finally betrayed' The emotions were raging - and not in a good way! Add insult to injury (literally!) - it's not so easy to let this betrayal be forgotten or tossed aside. 🤕 Someone has to pay the price and it's not going to be pretty - retribution never is, sadly, and Mike will do anything to make right what he's done - to earn Sergei's forgiveness - even his anger and rage, for 'what’s it going to take for you to just hate me?' The writing was so expressive in their pain and their sacrifice of their love, for the sake of the cause - that my heart went out to both of them. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

Yet, despite it all, the few points that really blew the steam away from me and dampened my reading spirits was firstly having lizards as an alien enemy. Yeah, not too keen on those, and I think, the extent of their violence and what a toll they had on the plot and characters entirely - made for a less than appealing set-up for me. Some might enjoy it - me, not so much. 😩😩 Also, I felt that the sting of betrayal dragged on a little too much longer than necessary; it made its points valid in the beginning, but afterwards, I think it felt a little too much of a stretch, especially when Sergei was really the only one baring the brunt of it all. 😔 And even if I excuse that - it was that absolutely abrupt ending that left me a little stunned, I have to admit. Why would they end it just like that? Nothing felt resolved - it didn't give me any sense of closure that how it concluded was justified or even made plausible sense. Unless I missed something, which would have to make me re-read and I don't think I had the energy for that. 😅

Suffice to say, it wasn't the best of reads, and hey, it just might be the first case for me, where I can see 'it's not the book, it's me' - especially since science fiction/military really aren't some of my favorite genre. 😞 For regardless of my complaints, the writing was very impactful and again, I did appreciate how much emphasis the title really played in the entire storyline. 👍🏻

[Amara · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts: This was a hard book for me to write a review for. I actually had to read it twice, as the first time thru was so intense of a ride all I could do was drool on myself, gasp, stutter and want to scream at the authors… “OMG what did you do?!” … and... so on and... so forth. When I finished, I had no words and was left a bit dazed, wide eyed and gaping, with only one word uttered… Dayum. A review, this does not make. Upon rereading, I am really no better off. The second time thru still took me for a wild ride and …threw me for a loop.

So what's it mean?

In a nutshell, I uber loved this book. Twice. Aleksandr Voinov and Rhianon Etzweiler make one fine writing team. The writing was fantastic; strong, vivid, done in such a way as I could see and feel what was taking place.

I fell in love with both the main characters. Sergei, the young Doctrine officer, falling for Mike and learning what it is to “feel” for the first time just tugged at my heart. He was a mixture of the strong character I expect from a Voinov, yet so young and naive at the same time. He was quite a mix for me. Mike, the more experienced one, in the difficult position of being ordered to seduce Sergei in a covop mission while falling for him at the same time just tore at me, even wrecked me at times. I’d be lying if I said he didn’t leaving me wanting to throttle him on occasion. The secondary characters, good and bad, were just as engaging for me.

I loved the world in this book as well. I’m personally not a big sci-fi fan, but this one was done in such a way that it had enough of a real world feel that the sci-fi didn’t throw me as it so often does, and yet it retained an otherworldly feel at the same time. The plot was a rather slow build at first, which I didn’t at all mind as I loved watching Mike and Sergei connect. I loved watching the emotions build, and I must say, I rather enjoyed the OMG scorching hot sex. Once the action got started, almost ½ way thru the book, the intensity of the ride was incredible. I hesitate to say too much past that, as I would not want to spoil the ride for anyone. It’s a thrill ride worth taking to be sure. I will say, my second time thru, even knowing what was coming, I was brought thru every emotion possible, and still found myself wanting to scream “OMG how could you?!” By the end, I was completely satisfied, and still left with only one word. Dayum.

Bottom line: I loved it and cannot recommend it highly enough. I very much hope to see more co-writing from these two authors, and a sequel would please me to no end.

Please note, this book book is not a light romance. It is a dark, gritty, military Sci-fi novel about war and soldiers. It contains scenes of dub-con, torture, violence and other various difficult scenes involving the main characters.

Book received as ARC by request

Find more reviews on my blog: Amara's Place
http://amaras-place.blogspot.com

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Damn. That was one amazing, complex, deep & entertaining story. I know I say it a lot (and usually about SciFi titles)...but OMFG I could totally see this as a movie or mini-series. I'd watch the HELL out of it, too. Damn.

Yeah, I'm repeating myself but this is one book I can't stop saying that about. One of these days I'll get back to this review and maybe add something coherent about the plot and characterization or whatnot. In the meantime, I did make some comments (below) when I was reading this originally. (If you have the option of listening, choose that instead; holy cow the narrator was amazing.)

Oh, I did also want to mention that sometimes, unfortunately, book covers do not live up to the story or do not do a good job of portraying the characters as detailed in the text. This one? Whoever chose the models did a bang up job because they look exactly like how Mike and Sergei were described. Bravo.

[Pavellit · Rating 4 out of 5]

~4.5~

Oh YES! Such a good rollercoaster experience! Why I waited so long to read this dark, gritty romance set in an alternative (sci-fi) world of pending war?Okay, I wasn't sure about the sci-fi element, but thanks to my friend, Caipi, and when I hear Voinov I start breathing slowly, I reconsidered it and decided that this would be a good place to start. It is a Sci-Fi, but not being a heavy alternative universe(other than the technology and the creatures that it could have been seen in many movies), the military bent and above all Sergei and Mike's character-development drive the whole story. The world building helps and affects the characters, and unfolds their individually and the excellency of being together. This is not an easy read just because of some of the things that happens to the characters. Their minds, bodies (one of them newly mended) and souls put to extreme tests, but this is the way in which they both have to realize how deep their love goes. This isn’t for the faint of heart. I dare you to find out.

Sergei is a young captain in the Coalition Forces with a current assignment as aide to a general on the planet of Cirokko. He deeply believes in the Doctrine. A military world dominated by sacrifice, obedience and order, set up in a way to be conquered new worlds- just another planets 'to burgeon their ranks. Another sources of raw materials to feed, their always-ravenous war machine.' But Sergei is different. 'He never publicized his sexual preferences. That aspect had never influenced the execution of his duties, his professional ethics or his employment. He refused to give that part of himself enough power to influence anything.' This his attraction is something that is not allowed in the Doctrine but allowed elsewhere in space.

Mike (not his real name, but my real guy) is an alliance spy and is helping out the Cirokko's rebels. His mission is to blend into the local culture embed himself with the Coalition Forces by seducing one of its officers. As a matter of fact he has noticed Sergei before his handler orders him to seduce Sergei.

“Mike traced his fingertips over Sergei’s scalp, enjoying the abrasive sensation of close-cropped hair. This was…he wasn’t sure. It just was…more than his handler would be expecting. More than any professional role or interest. Sergei…something about this man reached into places Mike had spent the greater part of the last two decades ignoring. He listened to Sergei’s breathing, felt the rhythm slow, synch with his own. It was eerie, this familiarity, this intimacy. Not in a bad way, but if he thought about it too deeply it touched upon unsettling emotions.”

Now the game begins , the slap of flesh against flesh, and ragged breathing in the room is just a memory that they can use later. The world goes dark and the pain follows pain. Cirokko is home to an indigenous species of intelligent lizards capable of flight. The claws and bite cause rapidly developing gas gangrene and blood poisoning. Mike has to try to do his job while trying to protect Sergei. Sergei must try to accommodate what he and the doctrine consider unnatural feelings, following the rules: He should marry—have a wife, children! Brother shall not betray brother! Death is preferable to dishonor!

Being from opposite sides, it seems impossible, and each man is keeping secrets.

The audio performance is great. Jack LeFleur brought the story and characters to vivid life. The differentiation among the characters of the enemy camps are very easy to follow. Sergei and the Doctrine's voices have (probably) Russian accent, you know, stressing on 'R' sound and echoing it (but not the soft French 'rrrr', much closer to the solid German 'R'). That the reason why it made me think of the Soviet Union campaign in Afghanistan (nothing reasonable just an association with). The original pace can be sped up, without the voices to be comical . I did it by 20% and the length from 12 hrs and 15 mins came to less than 10 hrs. During the first half the erotic bits were so steamy it could be (kind of )embarrassing if you listen to it out.

If I have a complaint, it would be that the cover needs to be refreshed.

All in all , the rollercoaster experience was intense, provocative, sexy, often devastating yet delicious in prose and message. “I’ll admit being fascinated by your body when I first met you, but that’s not what I fell in love with.”

Enjoy reading!

[Experiment BL626 · Rating 1 out of 5]

CAUTION: Long Review, Spoilers

Dark Edge of Honor is about a soldier and a spy on opposite side who, somehow against years of training and some brainwashing, quickly fall in love and give up everything to grab their HEA. There's war, rape, blackmail, torture, betrayal, vindication, and ultimately redemption—all excellent ingredients for a thriller of a story. Alas, I was confused, bored, frustrated, and bored by the story.

Bored. =/

The first chapter was written horribly. I had no idea what was happening except that there were two characters named Mike and Pat. It was not until the end of chapter four when Mike was speaking with his handler that I finally understood chapter 1 was about Mike and Pat doing a reconnaissance mission. I got that the authors were trying to avoid the "show not tell" pithole, but they did it to such an extreme that it left me wondering what was going on most of the time. And when I get confused, boredom quickly follows.

Sentences of Little Sense

Dark Edge of Honor (DEoH) suffered lumps of short sentences that caused the story to be choppy. The following piece of paragraph was starving for transitional words:

He knew better than to mention it. The brother general wasn’t stupid. He would have voiced objections to the methods, but the decisions were made by the Committee back home on Liberty. The general merely made it happen. His career depended on it. Sergei’s too.

I had no idea what "it" was. I know the first "it" was about not mentioning Cirokko being the worst planet to war against because of the preceding paragraph in the chapter. The last two "it"-s, however, I don't know what they are. That quoted piece needed clarification of its pronouns.

Beside short sentences, DEoH also suffered incomplete sentences. I do not mind incomplete sentences because their use can quickly push the plot. However when they are overused, the opposite happens—the plot drags like a limp foot. Here's an example:

But it was impossible to think “Cirokko” without remembering other powers that had tried to take a bite out of it. The Alliance, about a hundred years ago, before it joined the Intergalactic Peace League and became non-expansionist. The League of Seven just twenty years ago. Unable to cut its losses, the League had bled itself dry in a way that it couldn’t have won anyway. But the Seven had then been swept up in the Doctrine, desperate to rebuild its morale and sense of purpose.

The two quoted pieces above formed a single paragraph, the third paragraph of chapter 3 to be specific. This paragraph was overall a mishmash of incomplete thoughts, and to a larger extend represented how the story was written.

Somewhere To Somewhere Else

Due to the writing, I had a hard time transitioning from one scene to another. The authors were not specific nor straightforward about the where and when. For in example, in chapter 4, I had no idea where Mike was. Was he on a spaceship or a building or something? And the people he was spying on, were they Sergei and his General? If so, was this taking place while Sergei was about be raped?

Another example is chapter 5 where Sergei was taking off his uniform while reflecting back his recent past. There, in a bunch of paragraphs, we learn that his General has been raping him and that it has been going on for a while. But readers are never told how long of a while. For all we know, it could have been for a couple of days, weeks, or even months. Suddenly we found ourselves seeing Sergei having a massage. What?

While re-reading to write this review, I suddenly realized the first two sentences of Sergei taking off his uniform were supposed to let the reader know that Sergei was preparing for his massage. These sentences failed to do so because I got distracted by the bunch of paragraphs telling me Sergei has been raped for an unknown period of time in the recent past. For chapter 5, I never learn where the couple was, just that the place has massage and sauna facilities. I do not know if they were at a high-classed gym, a hot spa, or a spaceship.

The first couple of chapters were prety much like this. The characters would be doing something somewhere but we forget what they were doing because the authors went off a tangent. It's not that those tangent of paragraphs were irrevelant, but they were so horribly placed in the story that they interrupted the flow of the story. And the authors not being specific about the character's location, coupled with horrible sentence structures, made me confused and impatient.

Barely Any World-Building and Backstory

Since the authors rarely and vaguely tell the me the where and when, I had a hard time imagining DEoH's world. For the first couple of chapters, I did not know where Sergei and Mike were. I know they were on a primitive planet called Cirokko, but I do not know whether they were in a city, a docked spaceship, a spaceport, a shanty-town, or the jungle. What happened to imagery?

The story was so poorly set up that for a while, I thought that the CovOps and the Doctrine were different forces of the Alliance, parts of the greater whole like the U.N. I didn't realize till late in the story that CovOps were part of the Alliance but the Doctrine wasn't, that the Alliance and Doctrine were two different galactic powers.

I still don't know what the frell is Doctrine. Are they a galactic government, a military group of a galactic government, or some sort of philosophy/religion/training? The way the author used the term, I think it was a combination of them all.

Why was the Alliance's CovOps spying on the Doctrine? Were the two galactic powers at war against each other? Or was it like the Cold War between the democratic West and communist East from real-life history?

I really wished the authors straight-out told me the races that inhabit Cirokko. I'm still unsure if humans were the native inhabitants or if it was different species altogether, like the flying lizards. Were the flying lizards really just smart animals or were they a sentient race of people?

Characters I Cared Little For

Sergei as a character was wholesomely unrealistic. I find it mind-boggling that a rape victim, with barely any issues, could be so easily seduced to bed by a stranger on a hostile world. In chapter 5, readers learn how Sergei's superior has been using him as a sextoy against his will. Suddenly in chapter 6, Sergei was doing it with Mike. WTF? And it was not like Sergei's superior was gone and Sergei was not being raped anymore. No, just the opposite; Sergei's superior was still there, still raping Sergei.

Thus, I had a hard time believing that Sergei could develop love for Mike while he was still being raped. Where's the trust issue? Intimacy issue? Hello! You're being raped, where's the mental trauma?

I felt strange reading Mike and Sergei shagging in one chapter, Sergei being raped in the next chapter, and back to the couple shagging each other again in the chapter after the next. Wow. O.o

Mike sucks as a CovOps agent.

He never publicized his sexual preferences. That aspect had never influenced the execution of his duties, his professional ethics or his employment. He refused to give that part of himself enough power to influence anything. It had no bearing on any of it, and anyone who thought otherwise would be proven wrong.

Right. *rolls eyes* Let's see, he created a plan to seduce a rape victim for intel. He ended up falling with the rape-victim/enemy Sergei. He risked his cover to protect Sergei. Upon rescuing Sergei, he got captured by the enemy. Afterwards, he was tortured and imprisoned until Sergei rescued him. Yeah, right, Mike was soooo believable as a competent spy. /sarcasm

Pat, the spy partnered to Mike, was also unbelievable as a character. How could Pat plead with Sergei to find Mike when Pat recently tortured Sergei? Someone who has the capability to freely torture another person would not plead their victim to find their missing friend. I expected some manipulation, bargaining, threats, or some combination thereof from Pat. It was hard watching Sergei and Pat suddenly got all buddy-like as if one had never tortured the other and weren't on the opposite side of a war.

Wasn't All Bad

All the beginning chapters until chapter 16 were slow. Sure, there some spying, raping, and fighting but the writing made the story dreary to read. Come chapter 16 when Sergei was being tortured by Pat, the writing got slightly better and was more cohesive. After Sergei got rescued, I was back to being bored until chapter 23 when Sergei sat with Nikishin and everything was revealed. Sergei confronting his rapist was a WOOT moment. A point for the authors writing an excellent confrontation scene.

After Sergei rescued Mike, I got bored again. Then I got frustrated at Sergei for making some stupid decisions and then had to be rescued by Mike...again. Finally, at the end they quit their jobs and got their HEA.

I rate DEoH 1-star for didn't-like-it.

Similar Stories Suggestion

by Andra Sashner.
Soft sci-fi set on Earth, like maybe 100-200 years in the future. Easy to read, easy to engage. I rate that story 2-stars because the author gave a HFN when I really wanted a HEA.

by Sonny and Ais
Soft sci-fi set on post-apocalyptic Earth. It's free, it's super-long, and it's the first of a series. I gave it 4-stars.

[LenaLena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love SciFi. I love the endless possibilities it creates to build a world in which the author can bend the everyday rules in order to tell a story with different 'what if's. This book being slashfic SciFi, it means that the World Building is World Building Light. So the reader is not forced to slog through endless info dumps explaining all the finer points of the Doctrine ideology, for instance. If you're a deadly serious, beardy, bespectacled, socks-in-sandals kind of SciFi geek, this will probably cause snorts of derision and disdain. If you're me, this is World Building Just Right. Enough to set the parameters of the world, enough to explain the different set of rules we'll be playing with, and then let's get on with the story!

In very, very broad strokes (forgive me, authors), the Doctrine is like Communism, the Alliance like the West and the planet Cirokko like Afghanistan (Do I hear the cheers of the hordes of Special Forces fans out there? Yes, I believe I do). Mike and Sergei are solid alpha males in the best of the Voinov tradition (I am less familiar with Etzweiler's work). The writing is crisp and concise, you can't really skim and not miss anything. The emotions build slowly and satisfyingly. There are a few surprises in the story that make it unpredictable, there are moments when the reader really fears it's not going to end well and there is enough conflict to satisfy my inner Drama Queen. And I couldn't possibly go to bed before I finished it.

4.5 stars, because it could have been (should have been) longer, dammit.

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** The brutality of a harsh planet, and ongoing violent war with raw, edgy soldiers, is given to us by Aleksandr Voinov and Rhi Etsweiler, and it is magnificent ! *** Tall and handsome, Sergei, is an assistant to the General, and has caught Mike's attention.

Mike, equally strong and skilled soldier, want nothing greater than to explore Sergei, in every way. His job is to infiltrate and get information, but it turns in to MUCH more. Mike meets Sergei in a bath house and their rendezvous begin.

Deeply passionate, erotic sexiness, total immersion, and these two men are destined, "hooked",
and meant to be together.

Being from opposite sides, it seems impossible, and each man is keeping secrets. Beautifully written and flowing story has us riveted, with extraordinary descriptions, fast paced event, and has us cheering our soldiers to make this work.

The beginning just requires patience, because this new world of war and planets must be set up for you, and then things move along fabulously. The connection the men felt is palpable, and the intricacies of the plot are amazing. You will be enamored of these beautiful, deserving men.
Loved the happy ending, and I highly recommend this superb, stand alone story !
ENJOY !
====================

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

*****slight spoilers

This was a great book. I fell head over heels in love with Sergei. Sergei Stolkov is a Captain in the Doctrine. Sergei is part of the force that is trying to take control of the planet Cirokko. He is young and naive. Although he is a loyal soldier, his deepest desires go against the core philosophy of the Doctrine. The Doctrine believes that every action and every decision is made for the collective good. It is ingrained in everyone. The needs of the individual are not even a consideration. The SciFi geek in me kept comparing the Doctrine to the Borg. All the Doctrine needed was to be flying around in a cube :)

Mike is a spy in the Alliance who was sent to gather information on the Doctrine's invasion of Cirokko. One of his objectives was to seduce Sergei and use any information gathered to get ahead of the invasion and stop them before it begins.

Mike shows Sergei a taste of freedom. A freedom to be who he wants to be. To take the "mask" off. Sergei is constantly struggling with who he wants to be and ashamed of not living up the Doctrine. Mike tries to show Sergei what it means to make your own choices. It's ironic that for all Mike's hatred of the Doctrine's beliefs, many times he ends up putting his own feelings aside for the good of the Alliance.

I loved seeing the development in Sergei's character, to open himself up to emotion, to love. We got to experience everything right along with him. My heart broke for him. I didn't connect with Mike as strongly as I did with Sergei. I think his character was a bit underdeveloped. I didn't feel there was much depth to him. I would have liked to have seen more of him struggling with his feelings for Sergei. We know that he loves him, and time and time again he has to choose between Sergei and his mission but I didn't feel his anguish.

I also wanted more world building. I was fascinated by the planet and the dynamics between the Alliance and the Doctrine. How did they become enemies? What was unique about Cirokko? Was it just to get another planet to follow the Doctrine ways or was there more? I wanted to know more about the indigenous life on Cirokko. Also, how far in the future did this take place in?

I also thought the ending was a bit rushed. I loved Nikishin and wanted to see more of him confronting Mike and Pat at the end, and I felt unsettled how we left Sergei. Although I'm happy with his decision, I wanted to see him dealing with the consequences. How Nikishin and the Doctrine dealt with what happened would have also been a bonus.

I guess I'm saying I want more! I want more of Nikishin and I want to see how Sergei is dealing with his new life.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sorry that story ended. I could have listened to Jack LeFleur all day! Sergei & Mike could easily have more stories to tell 4.5 stars.

Audio & book version.

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. *** spoilerish ***

Mike and Sergei are on two different sides of the same war. Sergei is the assistant to the general of the invaders of the planet Cirokko. Mike is supporting the resistance of the natives. When Mike takes a picture revealing a glimpse of the improper relationship between Sergei and the general, he is ordered to seduce the young captain to gather useful information to organize an attack against the invaders.

Sergei is young and his behavior is ruled by the Doctrine - a sort of philosophy and moral law - that shapes and conditions the mind of Sergei and the people living under it. Sergei's homosexuality goes against the rules and he feels inadequate and defective, abnormal maybe, so the Doctrine and performing the duty established by its rules is the only way the young captain can feel he belongs somewhere and his existence is worth of living and productive. Sex with his superior is forbidden, but obeying is more important, so that's the way he can stand the abuse.

When Sergei meets Mike and knows real passion and a measure of liberty and free choice and freedom to express himself, Sergei begins to question his education and his way of life and he tries in a way to resist the abuse by his general. The general, faced eventually with a man who is not perfectly obedient and compliant anymore, arranges for his deployment to the most dangerous part of the planet, in order to fulfill a desperate mission. Sergei knows what that means, he is perfectly aware of his dire situation, but he obeys.

Mike is next to Sergei on his mission, employed as a translator, and he tries to be as close to the young soldier as possible, even if he knows that the difficulties the other man is facing, the vicious attacks of the natives, the weaknesses they are exploiting, all depend on his activities as a spy, on the betrayal of an enemy he has begun to love. Worse than that, his ultimate betrayal is necessary to save the life of the man he loves.

When Sergei comes back to his native planet broken in body and spirit, he has to be investigated, since the circumstances of his liberation are not clear. At the same time, Mike is in danger for having saved Sergei and he has to face his guilt, while being held prisoner by the sleazy general. Even when they are separated, the two men can't help thinking about each other with passion, guilt and regret, because they are both living in a situation where their needs as individuals are trampled upon by outside forces.

Rhianon Etzweiler is a new author for me, but I appreciated Aleksandr Voinov writing in many occasions. I must say that superficially this book reminded me of Special Forces - Soldiers, the first book in the Special Forces saga: Cirokko, with its tribal system and forbidding nature, is very much like Afghanistan and one of the main characters is an officer of the invading army and the other is fighting with the natives. But as I said before, it's very superficial because while in Soldiers the protagonists knew clearly that they were enemies, in this book there is an element of deception that makes you hurt when you read how Sergei opens up to his deceiver and makes you feel sorry when Mike has to reveal himself for what he is. Moreover the conditioning of the Doctrine is much more pervasive of Sergei's mind than Communism for the Soviet soldiers in Afghanistan. Of course, the setting is fast-forwarded to the future and to an other-world, and this provides technological devices and strange creatures that give new elements to play with.

The Doctrine and its influence on individuals reminded me of 1984 and its dealing with the needs and aspirations of individuals versus the greatest good of society. In this respect I don't think Sergei and Mike's situations were so different, in fact Sergei's is more in the open. In order to be himself, Sergei has to deny the Doctrine, to go against what he's learned so far, to commit a sort of sin against his people. Mike tries to make him understand that there's something wrong in a society that sacrifices the desires of even one of his members for its own good, but even Mike in my opinion places his mission before his desires as he reveals his true identity to Sergei only when it's inevitable. While Mike fulfills his mission and betrays Sergei, Sergei fails his mission but he remains true to himself, even if it's a warped kind of being true.

The book is very intense, because the feelings expressed by the protagonists, the moral dilemmas they have to face, the attraction, the trials, the investigation, the recovery, each moment places both Sergei and Mike in constant danger. They are always in a hostile environment, except when they are alone and the more desperate the situation the more the word love makes its appearance. Their intimacy is tinted with a sort of desperation, because Sergei and Mike, for different reasons, know that they know what they have won't last. This is maybe more clear to Sergei, because the indoctrination is deeply rooted within him, so much so that the alternative of leaving everything to be with Mike seems the way of a traitor. He is probably the most complicated character and he is my favorite, I loved being in his head, even if it was heartbreaking.

I liked the writing, the way the protagonists let us follow what they were seeing, doing and believing. There were moments when I felt I was there with them, seeing their surroundings through their eyes, how they affected them and then plunging into their minds and feelings.

There's something that left me a bit perplexed. *** VERY SPOILERISH *** There are a few hints of something peculiar in the relationship between the Interior investigator Nikishin and the Colonel Ulyanov which was left a bit said and unsaid as the final confrontation between Mike and one of the lizards. I also felt that there wasn't really closure for Sergei. I wish there were some sort of follow-up to what happened in the Coalition's ranks after what happened to Sergei, because one way or the other I think it was such an important part of Sergei's life that it deserved more space to be developed. We get to see Sergei take his decision, but not its effect, so I don't know if he was really able to deal with the Doctrine. Will he be happy, really really happy? I adored him and I am still worried about him.*** END VERY SPOILERISH***

I think this book is much more than your typical romance, because the struggle of the main characters with their conscience, with their idea of honor, is probably more important, but there's no doubt that love is what changes the world in both Sergei and Mike.

Galley received via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

[Ana_P · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★ 4 Intense-Intense-Intense Stars ★★★★

When Aleksandr Voinov has a hand in writing anything, then you know it is going to be angst wrapped in angst piled on top of angst.


Is that what I got?

You can bet your bottom dollar that I did!

First and foremost, as with any novel where Voinov has a part in, I have to commend the writing. It is just so attention-grabbing, entertaining, heart-pounding, and wholly poetic.

…Sergei hadn't imagined he could be in so much pain. And it didn't stop, just wrenched him, twisted him, made him gasp and maybe scream. If he could scream, he did, but he didn't know. The pain seared and burned, dug into him with a million claws, everywhere, every part of his body, and he thought he'd die. He couldn't possibly survive this. His heart would stop…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Now, for the story. Dark Edge of Honor was not a romantic story. That being said, it was a gritty, harsh war novel where two men, one a spy for the native rebels and one an officer part of the invading army, under the most brutal circumstances and against all odds, find themselves falling in love.

Mike knows that he shouldn't care about Sergei, the Doctrine officer he was sent to seduce and get military secrets from, but he just finds it impossible to emotionally distance himself.

All he knew was that he'd do just about anything to keep the man's spirits up. Because when they weren't, seeing it caused him physical pain.

Sergei can't help but be drawn to Mike, who is the only person to show him true intimacy and be concerned for him as a lover should.

"What you do..." His defenses had been pulled down, and he couldn't care, either. It had to be a mistake admitting this. "It's...all new." And I want it. I didn't know it existed, but I want it so bad.

As the story went on, I became more and more emotionally invested in these two and was sitting on pins and needles, waiting for them to get their HEA when, at times, it seemed utterly inconceivable and impossible.


Also, there was some great world-building in this book. It takes place on a planet called Cirokko, where the Doctrine, which Sergei is a part of, wants to take over, and the native rebels are fighting against the Doctrine. Voinov and Etzweiler just suck you into this futuristic universe, and you become completely immersed.


As much as I enjoyed the story, I had to take points off for a few things. The first 15% of the book was difficult to get through because it felt very info-dumpy. There was a lot of information bandied about the war going on Cirokko and the opposing sides (the Doctrine and the native rebels who are getting help from the Alliance). It was hard to keep track of who was who and what was what, but as the story went on, it did become easier and easier to keep everything straight in my head. Also, I felt that the ending was a little rushed and abrupt.

Overall, I thought that this novel was utterly enthralling, and I enjoyed it a lot. If you are a fan of the Special Forces saga and haven't read this yet, all I have to ask is WTH are you waiting for? If you haven't read Special Forces but want a military/war book with some magnificent world-building and two amazing MCs, then I am definitely recommending this one!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Some Warnings:
This book does have scenes of non-con Sergei is forced by his superior to have sex and gory violence. If either of these are absolutely not your cup of tea, then I would definitely skip this book.

Otherwise, enjoy!

[Kazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, great co-write, seamless. I would give it 4.5 except there are no half ratings. Just the ending that took the total shine off for mine, it just....stopped. I have a few questions that a short story sequel would probably cover really well. Hard book to review without waffling, so I'll just waffle.

I understand why so many reviews reference Afghanistan, the book definitely pushed you in that direction when the two MC's are named Mike and Sergei and there is lots of sand/dust, tribes, factions, brutality, Doctrine vs Allied forces. All the characters names were familiar (Pat being another, Nikishkin - nice Russian sounding name). I thought that was clever to write it that way, it made DEoH's characters seem more relateable, human and thus drive home sides and more easily push emotional investment. There was a lot to think through in the book, war machine, politics, different sides in the fight, personalities, the natives. The personal feel for me throughout the read was of Communist Russia, their outlook on life pre Gorbachev's Glasnost/Perestroika, more like Leonid Brezhnev's time. That's just my mind's view.

Anyway, I saw no flaws in Sergei, I do not count naievty as a flaw. He was a great character, young and, even though having suffered greatly at the hands of his general, sweetly (un)affected. Yes, Sergei was inculcated with the Doctine's philosophy, but that was his upbringing, his career. Inspite of or maybe because of the Doctine's philosophies, Sergei still looked out for his men, cared, was decent in his dealings with all. Although it was the Doctine's mantra "brother shall not betray brother" (which they were quick to toss aside if it suited) really was Sergei's own personal philosophy. He was an eminently likeable character - kind, honest, brave, looking for and wanting to give caring and love, willing to embrace the attentions an older, experienced man offered - things he didn't know or dare dream existed. In fact he feared these things because of his sexual orientation and the Doctine's laws regarding them. Everything, although causing conflict, changed for Sergei primarily because of Mike.

I really liked Mike too. Yes, he was flawed, he was older, experienced in conflict/combat, interrogation and intelligence collecting. You can't make a career of these things and survive without hardening. Yes, he took information from Sergei, used it as intel to CovOps, that was his job. Yes, he sold Sergei out, which culminated in his capture, but he also loved Sergei. Hard mission all in all, realistic. If it were my job I'd proably do it too. He also saved Sergei and took punishment for that, he loved Sergei. Pat (fellow CovOps operative) spoke of Mike's feelings for Sergei to Sergei, describing Mike as a "lovesick fool".

The thing is, Sergei knew before Zasidka Pass about Mike, knew he wasn't a native, it was a beautiful lie that Sergei chose to believe, because Mike gave him so much of what he wanted. In one specific conversation Sergei said he wouldn't like to fight Mike because he believed he'd fight dirty, he knew Mike to be a soldier of some description and definitely not Doctrine. He loved Mike though, wanted him with him. Nothing wrong with that, except in times of war/conflict it will cost you.

There was the right amount of world building for this novel, if I want full on sci-fi I'll read Dune, DEoH was descriptive yet aptly concise. In this genre I do not want world building at the expense of feelings, character development and (I'll be honest) intense sex. The book unfurled slowly at first, but there was action and angst aplenty in the second half. Mostly, though, this book is psychological. Mike and Sergei were right in the thick of the politics/struggle for a planet, trying to do what was right for their respective sides, gradually finding that what they wanted was even more important than fighting for a side. It was them, their relationship that was important. I loved the men's inner thought(s), it was never a monologue, just a word or phrase, it made them real for me. Sergei, possibly dying, bleeding out after friendly fire, whispered to Mike "just...want...to...make...love...to...you...again", poignant.

I love what I have read of Aleksandr Voinov and, as a result Of Dark Edge of Honor, I will now look for Rhianon Etzweiler too.

PS: I know it's an ebook, but great cover (my fetish sated).

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay, that was insane - really good. Narrator was just terrific... I had no idea what was going to happen next and where this story was going to go. Just fantastic.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stars: 4.5/5

Overall
In a story as gritty as the planet it takes place on, Mike and Sergei struggle with their environment, their armies, and their own feelings. While this isn't a light read, it's not overwhelmingly dark either, immersing the reader in Sergei's struggle to keep hope in what seems like a doomed situation.

The plot, the beginning of which is pretty much described by the blurb, is excellent and definitely interesting, but its the characters that, through strong writing, come alive on the page through their strengths and weaknesses. On my initial read, I had two problems with the story, which I've listed below, but upon re-reading I reconsidered these "weaknesses" and feel they were both handled well in the situation. The main issue, which I think pushed the two supposed weaknesses, was that the blurb sets up a heavy plot that doesn't start really moving until 40% of the way through the book.

That being said: The wait, and the build up to it, are worth it.

Strengths
The characters are in a difficult situation and almost constantly show their bad side, but despite this they are easy to fall in love with because even in their dark moments they struggle for love and hope (without it being as cheesy as that just sounded). Mike, who feels like the 'good guy' since he's not part of the invading army, is an interesting conflict, since while he may be on the 'good' side in the war, he's the more underhanded in the relationship. Sergei, who is part of the militaristic invasion, is almost naive in his dealings with Mike, making the good guy bad and the bad guy good, blurring the lines of there being any sides at all.

This is developed further as we meet Pat and Ulyanov and Nikishin (both of whom I want more of), who are not, on any level, flat characters. In fact, and this applies to the main characters as well, there is so much not talked about beyond a passing mention. Much of what is happening with the characters that isn't vital to the story that is only alluded to, which in its own way is frustrating, but is perfectly acceptable for the story we're being told. It's great to have a story that is bursting with history that we only get a small taste of.

Once the plot really starts, it moves quickly building off all the previous information and relationships. Details that seem insignificant are brought to light as being important without the authors seeming underhanded, misleading or sneaky. One element I enjoyed most about this story is that while it involved politics, war and star-crossed lovers (of sorts), it never relied on a sudden plot twist. What you see is what you get: This story is about the struggle of the individual and the circumstances he finds himself in.

In addition, this novel has a very attractive cover, which doesn't mean much for an ebook, but it still is worth noting, although I've noticed this publisher is better at providing appropriate and understated covers.

Weaknesses
There are two points that I think count as weaknesses, although I know the one at least was, if not on purpose, at least recognized by the authors.

The beginning of the novel is sex heavy, and then followed by the second half of the novel which is plot heavy and completely lacking sex except in moments of flashback. There are obvious reasons for this flip, the most important of which is that the plot and major amounts of sex couldn't happen at the same time, but it is slightly jarring in the switch and did leave me wanting for more plot in the beginning. I felt it was worth the wait and the sexual encounters between the two men did further the plot and character development.

There is a slight feeling of the two men falling in love rather quickly, but it was done in a way that only niggled me slightly, as Sergei hasn't really experienced someone like Mike before, and for Mike there is just something about Sergei that grabs him right from the beginning. Plus they are in a high intensity situation, which amps up both their emotions and reactions.

Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.

[Fangtasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what SF could have been, had AV not run into the issues he did with his co-author in that instance. Here we have Soldiers and a good glimpse of Veterans, with no Mercenary BS in between. Perfect! But then, we wouldn't enjoy the delicious pain and indulgent torture that is SF, would we? And that would truly be a disservice to the genre.

DEoH is a wonder of excellent world-building, engaging characters, and well-paced plot. It'll snag your imagination from page 1 and keep you reading beyond any semblance of propriety, or even necessity. Yes, you will go to work/school/wherever half-asleep while you are reading this book. You will carry it with you everywhere you go and read whenever you have a couple of minutes to spare. There's just no putting it down. For any reason.

Still, there are a couple of situations that made me go "hmmm." Sergei comes off as being a bit thick, being so easily duped by Mike, and giving up so much tactical information seemingly without realizing it. Was he not taught, along with everything else he learned during military training, to be suspicious of strangers in wartime? To safeguard vitally important information from enemy spies on foreign soil? And then there's the Revisionist and the Colonel. For Pete's sake, it is beyond obvious they are a couple. Near the end, when Sergei thinks the Colonel trying to protect K from the lizards is Doctrine-originated behavior, I wanted to slap him upside the head. How stupid can he be? Apparently, very, which bothered me to no end because Mike is pretty smart.

Other than the niggles under the spoiler tags, it's a vastly entertaining read, worthy of financial and time investment. Enjoy!

[JR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this story was a slow starter, but midway, it became a snow ball rolling down mountain, carrying me on an exhilarating ride.
This is a science fiction tale dealing with polar opposites in characters. They come together with intense passion and the desire to love. Sergei is a Doctrine soldier or "zombie" as the natives call them because of their devotion to the "hive mind" that is their planets devotion to all things must be order. Mike is an Alliance Space spy sent to gather intel. Fortunately for us, they fall in love, from there we watch them come together, separate, and ultimately, come back together.
This had elements that reminded me of Starship Troopers which I'm happy for. It's a ripping yarn and a great love story. It's Sergei's story of discovery.
Sergei "Because I love you and I can't get enough of you. That emotion ran deeper and deeper, like a river that had reached open plains, soft earth, and could burrow deeper now, build force. There was no sense anymore that it would end, had to end, was better if it ended."
Mike to Sergei "Do I smell like wild places, still."

[M'rella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. The story itself, loved it. At the same time I can't stop bitching about annoying things in the book, either. Just go through my updates, some of it is there.

What I disliked the most is uneven writing, perfectly clear picture one moment and the next is like looking through a dusty window and needing a description. But I don't want actions and emotions described to me. I want to experience them with the characters. Here is an example. Sergei finds out about Mike. What do we get from him? Something along the lines "Well, goddamit. Who could he ...and how could I. I should probably feel bad about it." "And he did," adds the author. The whole two paragraphs and a few scattered sentences. It was a disappointment.

That's not to say the rest of the book was the same way. There are absolutely brilliant parts in it. Never a dull moment.

3.5 stars on BookLikes and Leafmarks, rounding up to 4 here, on GR.

*

Ребяты! В книге присутствует побратим Ульянов! :D

[Irina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audible

Dark and intense enemies-to-lovers story narrated perfectly by Jack LeFleur.

Highly recommend to Special Forces and Aleksandr Voinov's fans.

***4.3 stars***

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Content warning: rape, abuse of power, torture.

I’ve no idea how to rate and review this book, but I’ll try, even if the result won’t probably help anybody.

I liked this book, it’s got good plot and good characterization, it could’ve been a little more generous with the world building but what there was of it was enough for the plot. The writing is good, the POV shifts aren’t marked with the character's name and I still didn’t get lost or wonder who was the POV’s character at any point.
So, I liked it, but at times it also left me with a weird sense of disconnection, like I couldn’t get completely invested in the characters. I’ve a feeling that I would’ve probably found less difficult to immerse myself in the story and the characters if I’d read it two years ago, so it might be a case of “right book, wrong time”. I’ve also asked myself if the things that left me perplexed were intentional on the authors’ part or not, if maybe they were written that way to convey the character’s personality or their situation. Not only in terms of plot choices, I mean written that way as in the actual writing reflecting the character’s view of life. It won’t make much sense if you haven’t read the book, but I already said this review wouldn’t be very helpful.

If you don’t want to read the content warning, and in that case I’d advice against checking my shelves too, just be aware that some things in this book are far from pretty.
It wasn’t by far the worst I’ve ever read, but it might be disturbing for some readers.
There’s detailed description of rape on page. It’s what I call “subtle rape”, as in it’s written in a way that makes it not ugly-violent, there’s no violent assault (at first, there’s some violence later), but it’s not any less disturbing for it.
It’s maybe worse because at first I wasn’t even sure if I was reading about soulless, but still consensual, sex or actual rape. It’s the kind of rape that comes from an abuse of power and, since the character seemed to find his abuser attractive before it happened, at first I couldn’t determine if he wanted to obey or not. Later it becomes clear that he’s hurting and he doesn’t want it, but he doesn’t refuse at any point because:
a) he comes from a society where you blindly obey your superiors and individuals don’t matter much;
b) he doesn’t know there’s any difference between what his superior is doing and real, consensual sex.

Regarding the plot, if you’ve read the blurb, you already know too much of what’s going to happen. It doesn’t spoil much, but you already know from the beginning that Sergei and Mike are on opposite sides and only one of them is aware of it, reading how things unfold from there is the main appeal of this book, so I think the blurb could have stopped before revealing in what direction things went well into the second half of the book.

My one and biggest issue with the plot was the fact that Sergei didn’t question Mike’s loyalty before Mike’s betrayal was right in front of his eyes and he couldn’t ignore it anymore.
When Sergei asked Mike what he would do when the Doctrine finally conquered the planet, if he would just leave to leave or leave to fight the Doctrine, Mike didn’t answer, which was already answer enough. It didn’t take a wild stretch of imagination to deduce what he thought of the Doctrine, given the conversations they’d had before.
And yet, Sergei never questioned WHY Mike had been so ready to offer his services as a translator to the invading force of a society he intended to fight or at very least he despised enough to not want to be there when it would prevail.
It stands to reason that a trained officer, or any sentient human being for that matter, would question Mike’s motive and would be wary to put sensitive information of troops’ movements in his hands. Sergei doesn’t think once about this after that conversation, he simply goes ahead and brings Mike with him and his battalion. It was completely unnatural and it didn’t make any sense.
It was also never explained why that happened, the only explanation I could find was that the authors had badly dropped the ball on coherency or that it was meant to show that Sergei was completely and utterly trusting of Mike and the thought of being betrayed would never enter his mind, even in the face of such blatant warning bells, until he saw it happening with his own eyes (or hear it with his own ears, in this case).
Even if that was the case, though, it was at odds with Sergei being presented as a pretty clever character until then, but that might be my cynical side talking.

Overall, I would have liked to feel more emotionally invested in these characters but, despite my issues, I wanted to read more about them when the book ended (and I would have liked to know what was up with the Revision officer and the Colonel, it was just me or it was implied that something was going on between those two?) and I consider that reason enough to round the rating up.

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep, finally getting around to writing a review for this.

Full retro read review on Prism Book Alliance®

Mike.

Oh, Mike.

Such a simple name for a rather complicated man. Oh, you like to portray yourself as a simple guy with simple pleasures, but that’s not exactly true.

Sergei.

Well, you’re the opposite, now aren’t you.

His life is quite complicated, filled with lies and secrets and the constant threat of his life losing its balance on the knife’s edge. All he wants is… Mike.

Chapter two and I was reminded why I enjoy this story, the intimately human details and interactions, the danger and surprises. I realized I’d been missing this delicious writing:

… Herschel melded into the native populace like hundred-proof alcohol in orange juice.

Savor that for a moment. Yes? Yes. I remembered why I’ve now read this twice while also having listened to the audio.

The world building, and the military bent of it all, is what I consider extensive in its detail. Then again, not being a heavy alternative universe reader, it might be middle of the road for some. It’s the military part that always grabs me.

Something that helps me escape into a story is the physical description of place and how it affects the characters.

The roof was coarse and rough, still warm, radiating into him, soothing.

In one sentence, I understand where he is, how he feels, and all of it is something to which I can relate. My connection is near immediate and I’ve been brought into the story and, most importantly, taken the hand of Mike to go along this journey with him.

Infusing emotion into the physical makes it real:

He didn’t offer a name or greeting. Just moved his thigh a fraction, shifting against the stone. The clench of his muscles, rolling beneath the skin, was entrancing.

Well, now… entrancing, you say. Yowza, is what I say. It might be a bit overdone, the sentiment, but underneath the rubble and doubts is a love story. So, bring on the plump sentiment.

Which leads me to: holy hotness, Batman. Just imagine what it’s like when the actual bow chicka bow wow begins. Yeah. nods uh huh, exactly.

I like these two characters, Mike and Sergei. Neither are easily pinned down based on their traits, even while definitely feeling constrained by their cultures and positions within them. Again, something I think about which most of us can find some connection and understanding. They both change as the story progresses, though not for change’s sake but, in the way the force of someone’s life colliding with yours breaks things open while simultaneously putting others back together.

This world of pending war, clashing motives, and ever present danger feels suffocating, threatening, and filled with unexpected passion and flashes of hope. I know this sounds vague but I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that I was constantly pulling for these two men, for their survival and for the possibility of a life together, and battling with the insistent tension that flowed throughout.

Maybe he could be that weak with him. He’d already been there once. “There’s only one thing I want to be part of. You.”

Mike moved in, hooking an arm around his neck to pull Sergei against his chest. “You never stopped being part of me, Sergei.”

It’s interesting. Even as the end approached, I felt like I’d just scratched the surface in getting to know Mike and Sergei. My imagination was engaged and I love when storytellers can evoke that from me.

Will Mike and Sergei make it? Will the surprises and apparent changes in loyalty prove too much? With battles waging, where and how do they run? Do they run? To each other and what they know? Or to where they each feel their obligations lie? What about love?

This isn’t for the faint of heart. I dare you to find out. ;)

[Sunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh...Sergei.....



Okay - one could say it is a short and less intense version of "Special Forces". Some reviewers even compare Sergei to Vadim.

I don't think so. Yes, there are some silimarities like the mitlitary setting, Sergei being a soldier in a system that clearly resembles the comunism.
But I couldn't find any of Vadim's cruelty or hardness in Sergei. Acutally he was mostly a young men who wanted to be loved, acknowlegded as an individual and cherished like one.
Mike on the other hand - I had a bit of a hard time because he really betrayed Sergei - even when he had fallen for him. Well, then it was in his best interests, to save Sergei's life, but he should have come clear at some point.

I found the side characters very interesting. There is a lot of potential for more stories....yeah, I think the Colonel and Nikishin would make a very interesting couple (I think they already are). And what about Pat and his strange connection to the lizards.
And the end was a bit rushed. Just like that they are gone and happy together...duh...not even a bit information about the effects it had on Nikishin or Sergei's aunt.

But I still think it's a very good book, the world building was enough to make it work, the MCs a perfect couple.

The narrator has done a good job.

[Eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Distinctive Voinov, beautiful read... heartbreaking 4.5 stars...

WAR, PAIN, FEAR, WAR, BETRAYL, WAR, LOVE

recommended to all fans of Special Forces

“You make me forget who I'm not.”





“There is only one thing I want to be part of. You.”

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Special thanks to Martin for recommending the book to me.]

This book is a mix of military and Sci-fi with a stronger focus on the military aspect in the story. It didn't start out very well for me as there was no background or context provided to the reader to what was happening at the start of the book. Terms like 'Doctrine' and 'CovOps' were repeatedly used without being explained what were they or their motives. It certainly didn't help that we were in another fictional planet and neither was there any introduction about their world at all. The story seemed to jump in expecting the readers to be already equipped with the necessary knowledge to understand the story. My reading experience would have been much better if the authors would just throw in a little bit more explanation of the forces and their background.

Despite the confusing start, the story became easier to follow after the first few chapters. By the halfway mark, I was so enrapt in the story I couldn't put it down! It was a nerve-wracking read from then on, and I was so worried about the fates of our characters. They seemed to be consistently trapped in dire predicaments that could break their lives, and it seemed like I could never get any respite from it until the end of the book!

There was a part near the ending of the story which had me reading it twice because a part of the story seemed to have been cut away without being described. After Mike was released back to the natives, I couldn't tell what happened at all and even by the end of the book I wasn't fully aware what transpired during that scene.

The sex scenes in this book were really hot. I wished that there was a little more emotional impact to the story after our characters finally got together at the end. It's a pity we didn't get any more sex scenes afterwards as well. After all, all Sergei wanted was to make love to Mike again. Loved this one!

4.5 Stars!

[Princess under cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooooo.... 3.5 rounded to 4.

The good:

Sergei is definitely the center of the story. But vs. Voinov's magnum opus , Sergei pales in comparison to the heroes of that story.

The relationship dev in the first 50% or so was engaging and interesting. And all that sex didn't hurt either.

BUT--

The bad:

About half way through all the sex ended and all the PAIN began. Lots of war stuff, limbs getting blown off stuff, attaching mechanical limbs, Sergei basically getting shredded and put back together, Mike being tortured (which wasn't explored in great detail, thanks for small favors). It got overly gruesome and not sure what the hell the plot was any more, I guess it was about Sergei's trials and tribulations and coming clean to bring the general down etc.

But the evolution would have been so much more powerful if Sergei overcame the numbness of the Doctrine to want to be free instead of choosing to get his mind wiped. One thing Mike was good for was he finally did rescue Sergei and I guess they lived HEA.

Well, as HEA as you can live with fake limbs, PTSD and on the run from the Doctrine forever. At least Sergei's man parts still work? No reunion sex either.

It just ended pretty abruptly. Which was jarring.

Pretty sure I won't voluntarily read this again. But I won't return for refund.