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Shielder
(Shielder #1)
by
Science Fiction Romance from RITA nominated author!
The Controllers have engineered a virus that is killing Shielders. In the hopes of finding a cure, the Shielders need a human host to get the deadly virus past Controller checkpoints and to a medical lab on the planet Santerra. With her people facing extinction, outcast Nessa dan Ranul volunteers to be the host and is ...more
The Controllers have engineered a virus that is killing Shielders. In the hopes of finding a cure, the Shielders need a human host to get the deadly virus past Controller checkpoints and to a medical lab on the planet Santerra. With her people facing extinction, outcast Nessa dan Ranul volunteers to be the host and is ...more
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Kindle Edition, 358 pages
Published
February 6th 2014
(first published April 1st 1999)
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Start your review of Shielder (Shielder, #1)
Some of the reviews I read for Shielder and its sequels led me to hope for great things from this series, but so far I am disappointed. There is nothing original about Spangler's science fiction setting, which seemed to be constructed to provide a thin backdrop for the romance. I prefer a little more science fiction in my science fiction romances.
The lack of SF content would have been easier to tolerate if the romance itself had been more compelling. Unfortunately, the author relied on the ...more
The lack of SF content would have been easier to tolerate if the romance itself had been more compelling. Unfortunately, the author relied on the ...more
What a fantastic story! Shielder takes us on an adventure through space, where moons are colonized, planets are trading posts, and starships are the general mode of transportation.
Living on a Shielder colony, and having endured many hardships, Nessa finds herself in a position where day-to-day life feels less than meaningful. She longs to contribute to the community in a way that will make a difference. The Orana virus has plagued her people, and the only hope is a medical facility, far from ...more
Living on a Shielder colony, and having endured many hardships, Nessa finds herself in a position where day-to-day life feels less than meaningful. She longs to contribute to the community in a way that will make a difference. The Orana virus has plagued her people, and the only hope is a medical facility, far from ...more
Feb 05, 2013
Lover of Romance
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
genre-science-fiction,
topic-futuristic
It starts out with Nessa, who has always felt less worthy in the eyes of her parents and the rest of the colony. Apart from her brother Jarek, whom she loves dearly she feels like a prisoner. She aches to get out there, and experience new things and make a difference. She volunteers for a mission where she would be injected with the Orana Virus. Where she could serve a purpose for her people and colony, even if it means her death. She wants to be remembered and do something her colony and her
...more
The first book in the series, Shielders, by Catherine Spangler. Nessa is an outcast to her people so it made sense for her to volunteer to take the deadly virus to the Shielder medical lab on the planet Santerra. Unfortunately, her outdated ship breaks down and leaves her stranded. Luckily, she is found by Shadower Chase McKnight. She must keep her identity a secret or he would surely take her to the Controllers. The Controllers are the ones who created the virus that is killing her people.
It ...more
It ...more
*spoilers*
Good book, except for the epilogue which just really annoyed me. Nessa still trying to get her parents and peoples approval, when she should have realised that she never needed it in the first place.
And how is it a happy ending that after saving their race her parents are willing to accept her, after abandoning her when she was 12 for TEN YEARS! It would have been better if they had tried to acknowledge her and Nessa had just been like screw you, you wanted me dead! (They did, at one ...more
Good book, except for the epilogue which just really annoyed me. Nessa still trying to get her parents and peoples approval, when she should have realised that she never needed it in the first place.
And how is it a happy ending that after saving their race her parents are willing to accept her, after abandoning her when she was 12 for TEN YEARS! It would have been better if they had tried to acknowledge her and Nessa had just been like screw you, you wanted me dead! (They did, at one ...more
I'm probably being generous since I'm reviewing this immediately after finishing it and the end is usually the most exciting part of the book for me. I contemplated not finishing it a few times since it was just OK and I have too many other books to read, but I was curious enough to see how things played out. Pretty predictably, I must say; pretty much exactly as I anticipated. This book was basically a routine romance set in space. There was a lot about Chase and Nessa's relationship that I did
...more
I read this series a long time ago and loved it. When I saw the first 4 books were available for kindle I snapped up all of them. Now I'm enjoying a leisurely re-read and falling in love all over again.
2 1/2
A nice romance, but it didn't work for me that well.
A nice romance, but it didn't work for me that well.
Found this book too thin on the background, details and character building. The epilogue was a total downer - you do not seek approval from your abusers.
Look, there were some things, but...
This book didn't get the greatest reviews on Amazon, and I have to say I get it! Nessa is an outcast among her people, shunned, and viewed as less than human, all because of physical deformities that were out of her control. So when a human host is needed to carry a pathogen that may lead to the colony's survival, Nessa is eager to prove herself. All she has to do is escape the clutches of Chase McKnight, a Shadowhunter, who could expose her, and destroy her ...more
This book didn't get the greatest reviews on Amazon, and I have to say I get it! Nessa is an outcast among her people, shunned, and viewed as less than human, all because of physical deformities that were out of her control. So when a human host is needed to carry a pathogen that may lead to the colony's survival, Nessa is eager to prove herself. All she has to do is escape the clutches of Chase McKnight, a Shadowhunter, who could expose her, and destroy her ...more
Perfectly pleasant sf romance; I hadn't read it before but I felt like I had, if that makes any sense. Thinly sketched setting, and the author went for the virginal, I-do-not-understand-this-thing-you-call-sex heroine rather than a more self-sufficient one; the heroine spent a lot of time, even after having sex with the hero, assuming that she was so ugly and undesirable that he couldn't actually want to have sex with her. The plot, like the setting, was thin and involved a couple of adorable
...more
Initially I was a little skeptical of this novel. I'm not a big fan of martyrlike, sick heroines but Nessa surprised me with her strength. she constantly defied Chase's orders and did what she needed to do to help her people. I loved that Chase kept her safe and provided medical attention even when she betrayed him several times. I feel in love with the way he cared for those two kids and saw beauty and strength in Nessa. Chase and Nessa's love and compassion for each other and others made this
...more
the idea of the story is fine.
but static (main and supportive) characters, abrupt and literally impotent romance sequences (he doesn’t give her orgasms until their third coupling, but it’s always barely a few sentences), & convenient clichés that rely on tiring tropes?
thanks, but no thanks.
but static (main and supportive) characters, abrupt and literally impotent romance sequences (he doesn’t give her orgasms until their third coupling, but it’s always barely a few sentences), & convenient clichés that rely on tiring tropes?
thanks, but no thanks.
No too deep a plot but an ok read
Fabulous!! I loved the Sentinel Series and I have no doubt the Shielder Series will be equally as good or better. 10+stars.
The plot line had great potential but this book was not for me. There were certain elements of the characters that I really enjoyed but as a whole it didn’t come together for me.
Shielder (Shielder, #1)
Leonessa dan Ranul; a 22 year old Shielder woman, who seeks the approval of her people. Abandoned and outcast at the age of 12 because of a medical condition that shows itself in seizures, she lived for the last 10 years on her own in a cot next to her city. On top of that she is disfigured by a severe leg injury that left her with a limb. Her only visitor in all that time was her brother. A deathly virus threatens the Shielder people and she volunteers for a dangerous ...more
Leonessa dan Ranul; a 22 year old Shielder woman, who seeks the approval of her people. Abandoned and outcast at the age of 12 because of a medical condition that shows itself in seizures, she lived for the last 10 years on her own in a cot next to her city. On top of that she is disfigured by a severe leg injury that left her with a limb. Her only visitor in all that time was her brother. A deathly virus threatens the Shielder people and she volunteers for a dangerous ...more
Not *quite* a 4 but close enough.
The good news - a futuristic with no noticeable Star Wars influence. Yay.
Alright. Our h is...epileptic I guess, and was severely injured at 12 when she had a seizure. Her people don't have the resources to support those who are...damaged, so she's cast out. At 12. At least she wasn't euthanized. Someone engineered a virus that's specific to her people so she volunteers to be a host and carry said virus to a lab somewhere far away. In an ancient shuttle that ...more
The good news - a futuristic with no noticeable Star Wars influence. Yay.
Alright. Our h is...epileptic I guess, and was severely injured at 12 when she had a seizure. Her people don't have the resources to support those who are...damaged, so she's cast out. At 12. At least she wasn't euthanized. Someone engineered a virus that's specific to her people so she volunteers to be a host and carry said virus to a lab somewhere far away. In an ancient shuttle that ...more
This is an EXCELLENT romantic suspense SCI-FI book. There’s so few of them out there that they are a rare find and “Shielder” is a gem!
STORY SYNOPSIS:
This girl was shunned and threatened with execution by her own family for the audacity of having epilepsy. She was cast out and suffered alone since she was 12, Her colony needed someone willing to transport a dangerous virus inside a living host to scientists who could find a cure.
Nessa volunteers to save the colony. En route, to the scientists, ...more
STORY SYNOPSIS:
This girl was shunned and threatened with execution by her own family for the audacity of having epilepsy. She was cast out and suffered alone since she was 12, Her colony needed someone willing to transport a dangerous virus inside a living host to scientists who could find a cure.
Nessa volunteers to save the colony. En route, to the scientists, ...more
Nessa, an outcast in her shielder colony due to physical impairment and a seizure disorder volunteers to be a live carrier of a deadly virus off world in hopes that a vaccination can be created. After her derelict shuttle breaks down in the middle of outer space she is picked up by shadower Chase McNight. Using the cover as a religious pilgrim, she begs Chase to take her so she can make a very important ceremony on time. While Chase agrees, he has his own agenda and after several delays, Nessa
...more
Shielder is the first book in Catherine Spangler's well-loved Shielder sci/fi romance series. It's been years since I first read Shielder, and it was thoroughly enjoyable to reread this wonderful book.
The heroine, Nessa, although physically flawed, is able to shield her mind from the murderous Controllers who have created a lethal virus specifically designed to kill only Shielders. In Nessa's rather primitive colony, which is in hiding from the Controllers, Nessa is shunned for her defects. But ...more
The heroine, Nessa, although physically flawed, is able to shield her mind from the murderous Controllers who have created a lethal virus specifically designed to kill only Shielders. In Nessa's rather primitive colony, which is in hiding from the Controllers, Nessa is shunned for her defects. But ...more
This book I give a 2.5 rating.
As a whole, the book starts with a fairly credible situation, (though maybe for me it was difficult to understand the entire issue in the beginning with her parents and clan about the way she was because it had never been her fault in the first place,) but going in after those first chapters of the book I was somewhat skeptical.
The writing was actually pretty good, which is where my middle of the boat rating comes from. Other than that, I am missing originality, ...more
As a whole, the book starts with a fairly credible situation, (though maybe for me it was difficult to understand the entire issue in the beginning with her parents and clan about the way she was because it had never been her fault in the first place,) but going in after those first chapters of the book I was somewhat skeptical.
The writing was actually pretty good, which is where my middle of the boat rating comes from. Other than that, I am missing originality, ...more
Shielder is a little gem of futuristic romance. I found myself rooting for the young heroine Nessa dan Ranul, as she leaves her world behind to find the cure for the virus that is killing her people, the Shielders. When she hitches a ride with bounty hunter Chase McKnight, her efforts are both helped and hindered by him. Bounty hunters can make good money by turning in any Shielder they run across. While Nessa must keep her identity secret from Chase, she is also learns to appreciate Chase's
...more
This is my review from 2003:
I really liked this book. Nessa, the heroine, is a cripple and for that she is banned by her own people, including her parents! She is a shielder, a race on the brink of extinction. The shielders are hunted down and killed by an evil dominion that rules the galaxy. When her help is needed for a dangerous mission, Nessa takes off in an old spaceship and encounters Chase. The story is really heartbreaking sometimes and also very original (I loved her pet). The love ...more
I really liked this book. Nessa, the heroine, is a cripple and for that she is banned by her own people, including her parents! She is a shielder, a race on the brink of extinction. The shielders are hunted down and killed by an evil dominion that rules the galaxy. When her help is needed for a dangerous mission, Nessa takes off in an old spaceship and encounters Chase. The story is really heartbreaking sometimes and also very original (I loved her pet). The love ...more
I really wanted to like this book but I didn't.
There are many reasons why didn't like this book I don't think that I truly liked either of the characters. Another reason was it just repeated over and over again that she needed to go somewhere and he wouldn't take her there over and over. I personally like my female characters to be strong and not weak like Nessa. I don't mean physically either I just meant mentally. All she would focus on was that she wasn't pretty and that no man would want her ...more
There are many reasons why didn't like this book I don't think that I truly liked either of the characters. Another reason was it just repeated over and over again that she needed to go somewhere and he wouldn't take her there over and over. I personally like my female characters to be strong and not weak like Nessa. I don't mean physically either I just meant mentally. All she would focus on was that she wasn't pretty and that no man would want her ...more
An overall fun, though not great, sci fi romance read. The romance wasn't quite as developed as I would have liked (which would have helped with that one slightly squicky scene I think) but I found the overall world building interesting and may take a gander at the second book in the series next time I am in the mood for this flavor of genre.
I enjoyed this a lot.
Fast fun read. Have to agree with another review that the whole lack of communication thing went too far and I got bogged down a few times with repeat of characters motivation (we got it the first and second times, trust your readers) but the writing kept me going and I found myself caring. She threw in a few twists and turns that surprised me as well. Nicely done.
Fast fun read. Have to agree with another review that the whole lack of communication thing went too far and I got bogged down a few times with repeat of characters motivation (we got it the first and second times, trust your readers) but the writing kept me going and I found myself caring. She threw in a few twists and turns that surprised me as well. Nicely done.
Okay read
It was a decent book. I liked the world building. Unfortunately the love wasn't convincing. I don't see why they fell in love with each other. I also didn't like the ending, how she seemed to need her parents approval. Stuff them!
It was a decent book. I liked the world building. Unfortunately the love wasn't convincing. I don't see why they fell in love with each other. I also didn't like the ending, how she seemed to need her parents approval. Stuff them!
I was looking for more science fiction stories with romantic elements, but this book was slightly frustrating. The science fiction, while serving as a backdrop setting, wasn't heavily delved into, the characters were annoying, and the plot a bit to pat in its coincidences.
A nice read. Loved the characters, how both being severely scarred emotionally and physically, are still drawn to each other and end up in love.
Missed some more unusual aspect or fantasy as this is a science fiction book.
Missed some more unusual aspect or fantasy as this is a science fiction book.
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Readers also enjoyed
Catherine Spangler is a bestselling and award winning author of the Shielder series (futuristic romance)and the Sentinel Series (romantic urban fantasy). She is a two-time Golden Heart finalist and a RITA finalist and has received numerous other awards and honorable mentions.
She is an active member of Romance Writers of America and her local chapter, Dallas Area Romance Authors. A frequent ...more
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Shielder
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