Inversion Point (Chaos Station, #4) by Jenn Burke

Jun 03, 2017 Richard Derus rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindled, quiltbag

Rating: 4.5* of five

There was more "w"-verbing at 74% but for that one and only time it was less than revolting in context.

I'll get to reviewing before long.

**A GOOD WHILE LATER**

So another solid four-plus star outing in a series whose SFnal street cred, if we could only get some straight boys to read it, would carry it far beyond the m/m ghetto. The resonance is my absolute favorite race so far, not excluding humans, because "fluffy yellow partner unit" made me laugh until my belly ached. I cou Rating: 4.5* of five

There was more "w"-verbing at 74% but for that one and only time it was less than revolting in context.

I'll get to reviewing before long.

**A GOOD WHILE LATER**

So another solid four-plus star outing in a series whose SFnal street cred, if we could only get some straight boys to read it, would carry it far beyond the m/m ghetto. The resonance is my absolute favorite race so far, not excluding humans, because "fluffy yellow partner unit" made me laugh until my belly ached. I could *see* Flick's confused amused slightly insulted mostly bemused face when he heard that. Men with curly blond hair must get similar nonsense thrown at them all the time, and the fact that he's the reasonably public partner of the Emissary of the Guardians can't make life as a mop-top any easier.

The political elements of this outing are genuinely involving, again without reference to m/m content...well, except for the fact that Flick is the space equivalent of Alma Mahler Gropius Werfel, having bagged humanity's chief envoy Theo as well as Zed the Emissary. Ducks always envy the swans, hm? What is it about some people, anyway, that they can score the best and the brightest without seeming to bring anything all that exciting to the table themselves? But wait, Flick is...well...Flick is from a world where ambassadors are equivalent to unicorns and now his sweet, lovely ex is one and his amazing one-true-love man is one and he's, you know, just this guy. His head's whirling. He's interacting with the stin, the very same precise stin who tortured him almost to death during his four-year stint as a POW just cuz. He's way outside his comfort zone and he only gets more remote from it as Ambassador Theo the ex-lover sets Emissary Zed the one-true-love's teeth on edge and causes him to act like a sulky adolescent ninny. Which for all of me is the best moment in the book. I love that Zed gets all "my man step off or suffer" about his Flick. Sure it's silly! No way in hell can even the scrummy hotness that is Theo compete with Zed's amazeballs pedigree, position, and prior claim on Flick's feelings. But your man being just a little extra attentive and a scoche more possessive in the presence of a potential rival? Yes please. Very agreeable if not carried too far, and Authors Burke and Jensen don't let it get out of hand.

The tragedies that befall our heroes are testing and frightening and the stakes are unfathomably high: a renewal of the Human-Stin War with a side order of Species Four/the resonance in the stin's sights as well. Flick pays a horrible personal price to keep this from happening. Zed will have nightmares the rest of his life about Flick's sacrifice, its reason and its agent.

That's the set-up, however, for one of the best endings I've read in a book lately. The resolution of the war threat and the reward for Flick's horrifying sacrifice is...sweet beyond belief, balm for so many wounds these awful author-ladies have put our guys through. I would give the book five stars just for the ending.

I can't quite do that. The ashushk have had their major inning. The stin, well, not sure that we need a lot more stin assholishness but we'd be better informed if we saw a weentsy bit more of their culture for some whys. It's the resonance that causes me to dock a half-star from the rating. I know, because it's been made clear, that the series ends with book five. You introduce me to the resonance and expect I'll trot happily alongside the carriage as it briskly bowls AWAY from the coolest aliens yet?! (Sorry, Qek.) In one of this era's billion-page-per-volume nonillionologies, sure okay I get it we'll be back around this way one say soon.

BUT THIS IS IT!

So very not cool. I'm being kind because ending but absent that I'd probably bust this one down a whole star or even two for the tease this represents.

Write more books in this series, please. Not with Zed and Flick, even, just in the wonderful and rich universe. Space operas are a blast to read, and I am completely at your mercy, great BurkeandJensen, for writing a solid one with men like me in it. ...more

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Feb 01, 2020 Ariana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: alternative-universe, lgbtq, most-fav-series-best, sci-fi-and-metahumans

Something monumental happens to Felix in this book.
And it’s not the horrifying WTH moment about halfway into the book. Which, incidentally, is really on the brutal side, even if I do understand why it has to happen.

But … not talking about all that, but about the fact that something huge inside Felix shifts. He is the ultimate, self-declared angry man. Irritable. Crabby. Testy. Unsociable.
Part of that is in his nature, but a good part has to do with his past and how he deals with it. What happen ...more

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Dec 17, 2015 Simone rated it it was amazing

Shelves: series, favorites, sci-fi-alternate-universe

The past is always with us.
Waiting to mess with the present.

…and sometimes even with the future.

It’s an unwritten rule that you can’t escape your past. It catches up with you in the strangest of moments. Unexpected. Unwelcome. Inescapable.

Felix is forced to face his past in several ways. On the one hand, there are his demons in form of the aliens who kept him prisoner during the war, who tortured him and scarred him for life; those he hoped to never come near again. But their encounter

The past is always with us.
Waiting to mess with the present.

…and sometimes even with the future.

It’s an unwritten rule that you can’t escape your past. It catches up with you in the strangest of moments. Unexpected. Unwelcome. Inescapable.

Felix is forced to face his past in several ways. On the one hand, there are his demons in form of the aliens who kept him prisoner during the war, who tortured him and scarred him for life; those he hoped to never come near again. But their encounter is inevitable because of Zed’s role as a go-between for the already established species and the recently emerged Species Four, the resonance, since he is the only one capable of communicating with them.

On the other hand, there is Theo, ambassador for the humans, equally involved in the meeting of the species and ex-lover of Felix. A ghost of the past who puts a strain on Zed and Felix’s relationship and arouses jealousy and doubts in Zed.

There are some appalling situations in this book that grabbed my heart and squeezed it - hard and sometimes even painfully. My heart went out to both of them, even more than ever before, more than I thought possible…

…to Felix because he gets critically injured during an attack. Zed has to go into the Zone, his altered state of consciousness, to feel no pain, to function properly for the purpose of saving his lover. Believe me, I would have given anything to be able to do the same. Reading this scene made me want to curl up into a ball and cut out everything to just not feel. Beyond that, Felix himself is forced to make a sacrifice to have a reasonable chance of survival, which also might lead to a turning point in his life and it almost broke my heart.

…to Zed because the universal peace presses on his shoulders. He wears himself out, right up to utter exhaustion and collapse. He almost dies to save his crew and to prevent all of them from a new war and the world from falling into pieces.

All of this is aggravated by his doubts about his relationship with Felix caused by his jealousy and his worries about Felix’s health situation. Him being stalked by several cultists – not to say a whole order – who are seeing in him some kind of Redeemer, adds further stress to his situation.

After a hell of a ride near the end of this book, the ending itself was just... beautiful. It provides some kind of relief and hope and I really love Zed and Felix's new, even deeper connection. But knowing Zed and Felix and the apparent desire of the authors to torment their readers ;-), makes me a bit anxious to start with the final book of this series. I think it’s safe to say that there will be more excruciating moments for Zed and Felix (and for me!), but I really wish that they will get their well-deserved HEA.

There’s only one way to find out… ...more

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Oct 05, 2015 Adam rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-for-review, mild-angst-or-tension, wrote-a-review, broken-boys, disability-illness-injury-etc, mm-sciencefic-dystopia-apocolyptic, established-or-existing-couple, mysteries-thrillers-crime-etc, hurt-comfort, futuristic

This series!
description

Book 4 of the Chaos Station series has it all - politics, relationship drama, hot sexin', and even some near-death experiences.

Zed is settling into his role as Emissary, and gets called to duty when the Guardians announce the arrival of a new species to the intergalactic community. He is under constant pressure, juggling his duties and the public scrutiny. Felix sees the stress that Zed is under, but isn't sure what he can do to help. Things get even more complicated when the human ...more

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May 12, 2020 Lisazj1 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-author, m-m, favorite-series, favorites, hot-and-sexy, romance, friends-and-family, kindle, sci-fi, aliens

Good Lord, Fixer and Zed are going to be the death of me! This one was damn brutal but completely worth it in the end. Love them all (view spoiler), so much!

Got to know what happens next! *dustcloud* ...more

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Jul 14, 2016 Kaje Harper rated it it was amazing

Shelves: comfort-reread, favorites, scifi, intense, m-m

As the book opens, Zander and Felix have worked past some of the issues that came between them in the last installment. They are solid, looking forward, although Zander's role as Emissary for the Guardians, the mysterious and most powerful race in the galaxy, has unwanted repercussions. Not only are there cultists following him, but the appearance of a new, possibly hostile galactic race puts him in the thick of first contact. To make it harder, the warlike stin, against whom the war they both f ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: lgbtqia, read-2017-books, bisexual-main-character, reviewed, science-fiction, physical-illness-disability, m-m, gay-love-interest, space-opera, scars-physical-differences

4.5 Stars

Review:
Oh these poor, poor characters (or maybe poor, poor Felix is more accurate). Every time it seems like things are getting better and they're gonna get a break from all the problems, things just spiral down again. It gave me this really weird mixture of feeling awful for them and feeling happy because that's exactly the kind of thing I like to read.

Anyway... the reasons I loved this book. For one thing, just like all the others, it had a great plot but also lovable and realistic ch ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Natalia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

4.5 stars

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Nov 02, 2015 AliciaJ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mm-sci-fi-space-opera, e-books-kindle, 5-stars, mm-romance

I knew it was gonna be good, and I was so right! I love it when I'm right. Can't wait for the next one. ...more

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Nov 08, 2015 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2016, 5-star-reads, lgbtq-romance, science-fiction-or-fantasy-romance, fully-reviewed-books, 2016-romance-roundabout-challenge, top-10ish-of-2016

Inversion Point is the fourth story in what to date has been a really exciting and original sci-fi space opera romance series. With the same two main characters being featured in each book, you’d think that by now it would start to feel a little familiar and possibly a tad boring. But no! With fresh and inventive plot ideas and galactic peace on the line, this latest is just as much fun as the previous entries. Felix and Zander have had a pretty rocky relationship, but at the end of the last boo Inversion Point is the fourth story in what to date has been a really exciting and original sci-fi space opera romance series. With the same two main characters being featured in each book, you’d think that by now it would start to feel a little familiar and possibly a tad boring. But no! With fresh and inventive plot ideas and galactic peace on the line, this latest is just as much fun as the previous entries. Felix and Zander have had a pretty rocky relationship, but at the end of the last book (Skip Trace) things seemed to have settled down between them. The biggest news now is the appearance of another species at the Hub, a sort of galactic meeting point where the Guardians (the benevolent overseers who’ve been instrumental in past stories in helping Zander survive) have let through a new and previously unknown species to interact with the three main groups we’ve seen in the story to date – Humans, the Ashushk, and the Stin (previously at war with humans and before that the Ashushk, but in a currently stable truce). What effect this new species will have on the stability of the peace holding between them is the question, as ambassadors from all 3 species, with Zander as the emissary and the only one who can communicate with the new arrivals race to the Hub. And just to add some more tension to the mix, the human ambassador just happens to be an old friend and ex of Felix. Can Zander and Felix continue to strengthen their relationship amidst the whirl of events surrounding them?

Once again, I was enthralled with this story, stuck out in deep space with an eclectic bunch of very likable characters with a new mission – to find a way to communicate with the species that has shown up in their quarter. I really enjoyed how inventive this was, both in terms of the species and how it communicates, as well as the whole story idea. Having Felix come face to face with the Stin who kept him as a prisoner of war during the Stin-Human war was definitely stressful to read! Because of Zander’s unique role as emissary, he must remain neutral and as a peacemaker for everyone involved, but you could just feel the emotion pouring off of him and Felix when they are put in this position. There was a part of the story mid way when all hell broke loose, and I was seriously doubting my grand idea of reading at bedtime as it was not at all conducive to sleep! Suffice it to say that the plot twists and turns and the action is non-stop in this rollicking adventure.

The relationship of Zander and Felix is tested once again, though not as much as in previous stories. In this case it’s a bit of jealousy on Zander’s side, when he sees the easy interaction Felix has with his friend and former lover Theo. The fact that Theo is a genuinely nice ‘normal’ guy isn’t lost on Zander who is a bit of a mutant in comparison, with parts of all these different species embedded in his body courtesy of experimentation when he was a soldier in the Allied Earth Forces, not to mention his time with the Guardians (see books 1, 2 and 3 for more about that). But some of the happenings result in Zander and Felix finding a new way to communicate, one that ensures their love for each other is strong and unbreakable. I loved seeing the two of them in this relatively happy state. As in the previous books, there are some sexy love scenes between them too.

At the end of this story, I breathed a huge sigh of relief that they had made it through this latest adventure. Truth be told I’m kind of dreading the end of the series (with the next story Phase Shift scheduled to be the last, though I’ll do my darnedest to convince the authors otherwise). It’s been such a fun and exciting series to date, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for something innovative in the sci-fi romance genre. 5 stars.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

This review also appears as a blog post at: http://straightshootinbookreviews.com... ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Harshini rated it it was amazing

Perfect mix of great plot sci fi great characters & angst

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Sep 14, 2017 Ulysses Dietz rated it it was amazing

Inversion Point (Chaos Station Book four)
By Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen
Carina Press, 2016
Five stars

“Fluffy yellow partner-unit.”

This series (I’m on the fourth of five books) just gets better—or at least stays as good as it’s been since “Chaos Station,” book one. Felix Ingesson, known as Fix or Fixer to his crew, but as Flick to Zed—Zander Anatolius, his lover and best friend—is back. He is as annoying as ever, but happy to be on the road (or however one describes that in space—“in the black” I Inversion Point (Chaos Station Book four)
By Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen
Carina Press, 2016
Five stars

“Fluffy yellow partner-unit.”

This series (I’m on the fourth of five books) just gets better—or at least stays as good as it’s been since “Chaos Station,” book one. Felix Ingesson, known as Fix or Fixer to his crew, but as Flick to Zed—Zander Anatolius, his lover and best friend—is back. He is as annoying as ever, but happy to be on the road (or however one describes that in space—“in the black” I guess) with his teammates on the Chaos. But once more their comfortable, profitable life as small-scale cargo and retrieval guys serving the Milky Way is interrupted. And this time it’s for a good reason.

A new species has appeared from a distant part of their galaxy. That makes four, if you don’t count the Guardians. We have the humans, the ashushk, the stin, and this new one. Apparently, Zed is the only one who can head up the team of galactic ambassadors to greet the new players in their galactic sandbox. If you want to know why, read book 3.

Burke and Jensen have built this fascinating, seamless world of humanity in the twenty-third century. Their excellent writing and judicious use of humor makes this book fun to read, even when it’s harrowing (and it is). The familiar characters (and I cannot say how much I love Qek, the ashushk second mate of the Chaos) are expanded by several new players in this drama. This includes an old boyfriend and classmate of Flick’s, which causes all sorts of lovely anxiety in Zed’s gentle heart. Of course, for all the action and all the great sci-fi geekiness, the tumultuous love between Zed and Flick is the hub around which this series turns. Two good, smart, gentle men, all but destroyed by the war between the insect-like stin and humanity, brought back together by a coincidence that seems more and more to be something more…fated. They are outlaws because they have rebelled openly against the unthinking bureaucracy of the military and galactic politics. But they are also heroes, and become the focus of the entire galaxy’s attention as they are poised to greet the unknown in peace and friendship.

I just love these books. Most of all, I love the visibility I feel because of Flick and Zed. The truth remains that the fact that the central characters in this superb sci-fi adventure are a gay couple will automatically limit its audience, because prejudice still runs deep in our galaxy way back here in the early 21st century. Their loss is all I can say.

...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Online Eccentric Librarian rated it it was amazing

More reviews at the Online Eccentric Librarian http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I really have fallen completely in love with this series. The authors have lovingly crafted a strong science fiction story replete with heart-pounding adventure and interesting worldbuilding. Yet they have also stayed true to the characters in the process. The result is a group of people that we want to follow long after the romance aspect was taken care of in the first book. Remarkably, the action continues to ratche More reviews at the Online Eccentric Librarian http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I really have fallen completely in love with this series. The authors have lovingly crafted a strong science fiction story replete with heart-pounding adventure and interesting worldbuilding. Yet they have also stayed true to the characters in the process. The result is a group of people that we want to follow long after the romance aspect was taken care of in the first book. Remarkably, the action continues to ratchet up slowly and organically, creating acute tension with exquisite pathos. Did I mention I love this series?

Story: Zed and Flick are thrown right into the deep end of things when the Guardians announce the arrival of a new species. Will they be friend or foe - and how will the hyper aggressive Stin deal with a human being the Emissary to greet the new species? It can all go very right or very wrong: only Zed and Flick's strength of relationship will see them through the chaos about to erupt in the universe.

The writing continues to be smooth and the story flows quickly. Our main characters as well as their cohorts and adversaries continue to grow while still retaining some doubts and shortcomings. But most importantly, this fourth book is just as action-packed and riveting as the first three in the series. The authors have done an excellent job of continuing to escalate the plot while still keeping it relevant.

Our two main characters go through a lot in this book physically but we never veer into torture porn territory. There's just the right amount of danger and suspense, heart and soul. Yes, there are still graphic sex scenes that I admittedly skip over since I'm more invested in the characters' emotional interactions. But this was also a book with several heartstopping action and suspense scenes that had me flipping pages eagerly. The books always have just the right length - never overlong or too short.

I've already preordered the next book in the series and will have to wait frustrating months until it arrives. But ah, it will be so worth it when it does! ...more

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Dec 30, 2015 Vanessa theJeepDiva rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, science-fiction, ebook, net-galley, m-m, 2015

Four books into the Chaos Station series and it seems like Zander and Felix just can’t catch a break. Zander’s role as emissary to the still mysterious Guardians has him introducing a new alien species to the Ashushk’s, Stin, and his fellow humans. All of this is supposed to take place aboard an AEF ship that won’t even acknowledge the Chaos and its crew. To add even more tension to an already stressed situation the ambassador that they must work directly with is Felix’s ex-boyfriend, his first ...more

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Oct 08, 2015 Diane Dannenfeldt rated it it was amazing

Shelves: multiple-readings, 200-300_pgs, on-my-kindle, m-m, si-fi

Okay first off, I am saddened to hear that Phase Shift is the last book in this series. With it being the last book I hope that we get more on the Guardians, or maybe I will never find out what they look like, where their home is, etc. But that's okay if we don't. This was another great addition to this series. What happened to Felix was heart breaking. What then happened was awesome. I'm glad to see that Zed & Felix finally worked out their issues and now fully understand that they truly love e ...more

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Feb 07, 2016 Em rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mm

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this series, it's just so frickin' awesome! I'm someone who has always tended to shy away from Sci-Fi books, it's never been a genre I was interested in. A spur of the moment decision made me give Chaos Station a shot and boy do I not regret it one bit. I fell in love with everything about the 1st book and things just got better and better after each progressive book.

I held off on reading Inversion Point until Phase Shift had been released because I ...more

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Dec 15, 2015 Paul rated it really liked it

Shelves: review

Another excellent instalment of the Chaos Station series. It's just good fun. ...more

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Apr 24, 2018 llv rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018, sci-fi-or-aliens

Rating: 4.5 stars
I think this my favorite in the series so far. While I wouldn’t say it was the best science fiction story I ever read, it was highly enjoyable and didn’t bog me down with a lot of technical jargon that is prevalent in many sci-fi stories. There were definitely some scenes that I could really visualize and thought they could be done well in a movie.

I liked Felix a lot better in this installment of the Chaos series more than I did in the others. He got some help and while still pr ...more

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Nov 09, 2015 Eileen Griffin rated it it was amazing

Yet another fantastic installment in the Chaos Series by Kelly Jensen and Jenn Burke. Each time I pick up one of these books, I have high hopes that Jensen and Burke will take my advice and pen 300 pages of Felix and Zed happily vacationing on a tropical island with nothing to do except laze around, frolic in the water, tinker with some electronics (Felix) and read some books (Zed), and have lots and lots of hot and heavy man-sex. Alas, my pleas have yet again fallen on deaf ears, even though I Yet another fantastic installment in the Chaos Series by Kelly Jensen and Jenn Burke. Each time I pick up one of these books, I have high hopes that Jensen and Burke will take my advice and pen 300 pages of Felix and Zed happily vacationing on a tropical island with nothing to do except laze around, frolic in the water, tinker with some electronics (Felix) and read some books (Zed), and have lots and lots of hot and heavy man-sex. Alas, my pleas have yet again fallen on deaf ears, even though I know one of these days they will make this happen. (*hint, hint ... nudge, nudge*)

What does happen in Inversion Point, however, is nothing short of brilliant. I loved/hated Theo and think he should definitely have his own spin-off series (*hint, hint ... nudge, nudge*), was enthralled by the resonance (such a cool species), loathed the Stin (seriously, can they just go away already?), and fell even more in love with Zed and Felix than I thought possible.

There were parts of the book where I audibly sighed (when F & Z connect at the end), parts where I laughed (Felix has some great one liners), and parts where I berated Jensen and Burke online for (yet again) screwing with my boys (pretty much the whole book). (Side note - yes, they're mine while I'm reading. All of them. Even Theo.)

I'm not into posting spoilers, so I'll just end with the best way I can describe this series: It's pretty much the same way I feel watching Star Trek, except with man-sex. (The newer version, not the Shatner/Nimoy version, because ... hello, Pine and Quinto. And the two of them together??? Holy hell ... yeah. That's where the money's at.) This series has all the action I love in ST, coupled with witty banter, excellent world-building (again, love the resonance), a healthy dose of emotional angst, and some fantastic boy kissing.

Even though there was no time spent on a deserted island with nothing for Felix and Zed to do besides get all hot and bothered in the ocean (which I KNOW will happen some day!!! *hint, hint ... nudge, nudge*), I cannot recommend this series/book enough :) ...more

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Sep 28, 2015 Curtis rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, netgalley, mm-romance, reviewed, lgbt, science-fiction, romance, read-in-2015, 0-sh-recs

Felix was certainly more than glad to get Zander back after he died. And he never expected that things would suddenly be normal for the two of them. But everything just gets more and more complicated by the day. For one, there's a cult that apparently worships Zander now intent on following them all around the galaxy. It's not just an annoyance; it's actually get in the way of them completing jobs. And a new species has emerged, potentially triggering a war when they destroy a probe belonging to ...more

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Jan 25, 2016 Joyfully Jay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sue

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

Inversion Point is another fantastic addition to the Chaos Station series. These books really must be read in order to fully understand the multi layered plot lines and extensive characterizations. At the beginning of Inversion Point, the relationship between Zander and Felix is stronger than ever. Zander has settled into his role as Emissary for the Guardians and Felix has begun to deal with some of the complex emotional baggage he’s carried since the war. But a su ...more

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Nov 07, 2015 Teresa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mm, own, series, challenge, romances, sex-erotic-explicit, favorites, sci-fi, prism-review, promo-free-gift

****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****

Ms. Burke and Ms. Jensen knocked it out of the park with Inversion Point! I loved everything about it, including the book cover! We were given action, wit, dire straits, drama and love. And in a creative new species, old enemies, past lovers and a fanatical cult to an already fabulous crew and you can’t help but have a wild ride.

Felix and Zander’s relationship is floundering but they aren’t sure why – they both love each other more than everything but sel ...more

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Feb 02, 2016 Shymsal rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m-romance, science-fiction

Another well-written and fast reading addition to this strong series. Felix and Zander are great together, despite the occasional angsty moment - and with the life they've led I think they're due a little angst. (At least this time it WAS only a little angst.) Maybe soon they'll both accept their relationship is solid.

Burke and Jensen's aliens are one of the best parts of their world-building. The huge puppy-crystal aliens were so very cool and different. I can't wait to see more of them! Qek an ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, for-review, series, alternating-pov-s, lbgqtia, read-2015

I thought Felix & Zander had already hit their breaking points by now, but the authors manage to surprise me with each installment, pushing our heroes a little bit further past what we think they can handle.

While it's hard to watch them hurt (again!), I like how it makes F&Z confront difficult issues and how it end up strengthening their bond. Theirs isn't an easy relationship. Finding each other again was just the beginning. Now we have the hard part - sticking with it when it gets tough - when ...more

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Oct 28, 2015 Buzz H. rated it really liked it

Shelves: space-opera, f-sf, m-m-romance

Another very strong sequel in the Chaos Station series. If you've enjoyed the others I cannot imagine that you would not like this one as well. ...more

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Apr 03, 2017 ⚣Michaelle⚣ rated it really liked it

Shelves: z-04-uc-twister-mm, series, z-gb-done-2017-q2, m-m-romance, gbmini-comfort-done, scifi, m-m-scifi

4.3 Stars

I adore how some of this reminds me of the best parts of Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5 without having to blatantly rip-off plot points or story-lines because the books remain original, have distinct feels that set them apart. And I adore Felix & Zed together; that mental connection is probably gonna take a whole helluva lot to get used to...can't wait to see how they deal with it!! ...more

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Mar 09, 2018 Sunny rated it really liked it

Shelves: hugged-my-ereader, m-m, emotional, science-fiction, favorite-collections-series

4.5

Loved this story, especially all the techie stuff, and the new contact with resonance. So cool. Intense, great pacing, I was hooked.

The MCs' relationship development slower than I'd like after all this time, but it's good, and I love them together. ...more

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Sep 08, 2018 Yvonne rated it really liked it

Gut wrenching emotions abound, which seems to be a hallmark of this series.

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Aug 03, 2020 ElmoVsBibo2.0 rated it really liked it

This one was a little slow going and a lot about politics. But it was none the less a great read and I'm just in love with Flick and Zed and the whole Crew of the Chaos. And now Theo. :) ...more

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Nov 04, 2015 Christi Snow rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

My Review:
Every time i go into reading one of these books from this series, I think...'okay, the authors can't keep up that kind of intensity. This one will be easier for my heart.' But nope, every single time, they tear out my heart before putting it back together again. Kudos to the authors because I LOVE how they do that to me.

In this book, Zed, Felix, and the crew of the Chaos are having to do an errand for the Guardians. The errand Zed was saved for...he's the emissary in charge of communi My Review:
Every time i go into reading one of these books from this series, I think...'okay, the authors can't keep up that kind of intensity. This one will be easier for my heart.' But nope, every single time, they tear out my heart before putting it back together again. Kudos to the authors because I LOVE how they do that to me.

In this book, Zed, Felix, and the crew of the Chaos are having to do an errand for the Guardians. The errand Zed was saved for...he's the emissary in charge of communicating with a new species to the system...whom are eventually named the Resonance. Of course, a new species means that all the political advances have to begin and the other three species have been invited along, too...just to make things really, really uncomfortable for everyone because they've all been at war at some point and what's life without a little conflict...or a LOT.

One of those species that's there is the Stin, including the particular stin who tortured and broke Flick over the course of the 4 years that he was a POW. But he's learned coping mechanisms which help, but then it everything gets completely out of control.

First, I have to say I ADORE the Resonance. Although they are completely foreign, they are such a cool species. At first Zed is the only one that communicate with them and it's not a normal kind of communication...more like layers of images and emotions to create a full picture of what they're trying to say. It's not easy and is exhausting for him. But they are such a neat, excited, happy species, you can't help but fall in love with them. They call Flick, Zed's 'fluffy-yellow partner unit' and every single time that came on the page I smiled. (And I really need those smiles because this is another emotionally traumatic book.)

And I have to just stop here and do a quick bow to the creative brilliance of the authors. I read these books and am never ever confused although there is a ton going on with super-creative worlds, species, and story lines. There's so much just pure brilliance to these stories. Creative...wow...that's all I can say...just so creative.

There's so much going on here with both Zed and Flick, but what never wavers is their love for one another...even when they aren't sure if that love is what's best for either of them. Because of that, this book had an incredible romantic, sweet feel to it. Zed and Flick connect deeper in this one than in any other book and that was so emotionally satisfying. I loved this book just because of what the events did to bring them closer. Yes, it's an incredibly hard journey for both of them, but they've proven over and over and over again at just how tough they both truly are.

I've loved this series...and yes, this is a series that you need to read all the books. And I mean that...YOU NEED TO READ THIS SERIES. It's just so good and angst-filled, but then there's so much happiness and hope at the end of each book, I have to forgive the authors for the sobs I've cried in between the pages...and yes, I think I've sobbed while reading each of these books.

The next book is the last in the series and I'm already mourning the passing of this amazing group of characters. Zed and Felix and the entire crew have come to be characters I've loved deeply. I don't want to let them go.

(So, Carina Press...if you're reading this, I know you don't do it very often, but you have made a few exceptions over the years...It would be AWESOME if you brought this ENTIRE series out in print. I want it for my keeper shelf to read over and over and over again.)

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review. ...more

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