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Morgan Selwood #1
Morgan's Choice
NOTE: Alternate cover edition for ASIN B00I9INOTY.
Somewhere out in space, humanity’s past is about to catch up with its future.
When Morgan Selwood’s spaceship is stranded in unknown space she is relieved to be rescued by humanoid aliens. But her unusual appearance and her extraordinary technical abilities mean that everybody wants a piece of her.
Who’s it to be? Autocratic Admiral Ravindra, who press-gangs her to help against a shadowy threat from the stars, or the freedom fighters who think she’s a legend reincarnated, returned to help them throw off the yoke of oppression?
Morgan doesn’t much care which it is until the uprising and the atrocities start. While civil war rages across the planet the shadowy threat from the stars emerges as an implacable killer bent on destroying all intelligent life. Morgan will need every bit of her superhuman, bio-engineered intelligence to save the man she has come to love and his people from annihilation. And spare a little to save herself.
This book is a science fiction romance. It contains coarse language and sex scenes.
Somewhere out in space, humanity’s past is about to catch up with its future.
When Morgan Selwood’s spaceship is stranded in unknown space she is relieved to be rescued by humanoid aliens. But her unusual appearance and her extraordinary technical abilities mean that everybody wants a piece of her.
Who’s it to be? Autocratic Admiral Ravindra, who press-gangs her to help against a shadowy threat from the stars, or the freedom fighters who think she’s a legend reincarnated, returned to help them throw off the yoke of oppression?
Morgan doesn’t much care which it is until the uprising and the atrocities start. While civil war rages across the planet the shadowy threat from the stars emerges as an implacable killer bent on destroying all intelligent life. Morgan will need every bit of her superhuman, bio-engineered intelligence to save the man she has come to love and his people from annihilation. And spare a little to save herself.
This book is a science fiction romance. It contains coarse language and sex scenes.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
16 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Greta van der Rol
56 books61 followersGreta van der Rol loves writing science fiction with a large dollop of good old, healthy romance. She lives not far from the coast in Queensland, Australia and enjoys photography and cooking when she isn't bent over the computer. She has a degree in history and a background in building information systems, both of which go a long way toward helping her in her writing endeavours.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
d-n-f
October 18, 2013Oh, my goooood... could this move any fucking slower? Twenty-two chapters in and we're still only in the development stages. I also can't stand the idea that this girl falls for the guy that beat her.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Don't even bother trying to read this crap unless you're interested in boring yourself to sleep.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Don't even bother trying to read this crap unless you're interested in boring yourself to sleep.
November 8, 2011
(Cross-posted from Adarna SF)
Cyborg meets alien admiral; space opera meets romance. This results in an awesome premise with twice the pulp, as if the half-naked guy in front of a spaceship didn’t already spell that out for you. There are space battles, insurgent separatist movements to throw off the yoke of a caste system, and sexual tensions of the you’re-hot-but-you’re-kinda-the-enemy! variety. Morgan’s Choice has the makings of an action-packed space opera adventure (with all kinds of action).
The prose is slick and easy to get into, and the story wastes no time in piling up the conflict. Morgan finds herself being used for the military and political factions of an alien world, because her Supertech abilities make her a powerful weapon. She can compromise security systems, fly enemy spaceships, and pretty much hack everything. But it’s difficult for her to figure out which side she should be on, especially when things heat up with the Admiral.
The repulsion-attraction dynamics between the two are well-done and manages to avoid major unfortunate implications, which is important given that Morgan’s a prisoner and the Admiral comes from a super patriarchal society. Van der Rol writes Morgan well as a resourceful heroine doing her best in an unpredictable environment. I really enjoyed the first half of this book and would give it a solid 4 stars.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that the final portion is as strong. The antagonists are underdeveloped, the chase sequences feel lacklustre, and the world-building around the Supertechs could be clearer. Why could Supertechs only reproduce with other Supertechs? What are the limitations on a Supertech? Morgan’s special abilities are treated like magic without a cohesive rule system. I didn’t have a problem with it early in the book, but as the story went on without these abilities being explained and the Rule of Cool lost its effect, my suspension of disbelief drifted away.
My final criticism is that the romance becomes dreary in the absence of richer character development. One of the most interesting tensions is Morgan’s romantic feelings for the Admiral versus her dislike of his arrogance and being a product of a very repressive and patriarchal culture. This gets resolved, but not in a way I found impressive, because it relies on a formula romance resolution which trivializes the conflict. I think romance readers who want a tidy ending would be satisfied, but I was looking for something more.
If you’re looking for a space opera/romance adventure, Morgan’s Choice serves up some fast-paced pulp, but don’t expect much else.
Note: a free review copy was provided by the author.
Cyborg meets alien admiral; space opera meets romance. This results in an awesome premise with twice the pulp, as if the half-naked guy in front of a spaceship didn’t already spell that out for you. There are space battles, insurgent separatist movements to throw off the yoke of a caste system, and sexual tensions of the you’re-hot-but-you’re-kinda-the-enemy! variety. Morgan’s Choice has the makings of an action-packed space opera adventure (with all kinds of action).
The prose is slick and easy to get into, and the story wastes no time in piling up the conflict. Morgan finds herself being used for the military and political factions of an alien world, because her Supertech abilities make her a powerful weapon. She can compromise security systems, fly enemy spaceships, and pretty much hack everything. But it’s difficult for her to figure out which side she should be on, especially when things heat up with the Admiral.
The repulsion-attraction dynamics between the two are well-done and manages to avoid major unfortunate implications, which is important given that Morgan’s a prisoner and the Admiral comes from a super patriarchal society. Van der Rol writes Morgan well as a resourceful heroine doing her best in an unpredictable environment. I really enjoyed the first half of this book and would give it a solid 4 stars.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that the final portion is as strong. The antagonists are underdeveloped, the chase sequences feel lacklustre, and the world-building around the Supertechs could be clearer. Why could Supertechs only reproduce with other Supertechs? What are the limitations on a Supertech? Morgan’s special abilities are treated like magic without a cohesive rule system. I didn’t have a problem with it early in the book, but as the story went on without these abilities being explained and the Rule of Cool lost its effect, my suspension of disbelief drifted away.
My final criticism is that the romance becomes dreary in the absence of richer character development. One of the most interesting tensions is Morgan’s romantic feelings for the Admiral versus her dislike of his arrogance and being a product of a very repressive and patriarchal culture. This gets resolved, but not in a way I found impressive, because it relies on a formula romance resolution which trivializes the conflict. I think romance readers who want a tidy ending would be satisfied, but I was looking for something more.
If you’re looking for a space opera/romance adventure, Morgan’s Choice serves up some fast-paced pulp, but don’t expect much else.
Note: a free review copy was provided by the author.
May 7, 2013
A fun space opera. A little pornographic for my taste, not to mention the usual political correctness.
I like first contact stories, but this was all too easy. When is sex with an alien not sex with an alien? A simple DNA analysis could have answered all their who's-related-to-whom questions.
Still, a good read.
I like first contact stories, but this was all too easy. When is sex with an alien not sex with an alien? A simple DNA analysis could have answered all their who's-related-to-whom questions.
Still, a good read.
May 31, 2012
Great idea and great execution! Even if this is a stand-alone book, I would love to read more about both Ravindra and Morgan! There are so much things that can be expained more/better: who were the Makers? why Morgan is barren? were there other living-ships like Artemis? where are they? will Ravindra and Morgan be allowed to marry? how did Morgan's presence impacted on the manesa? ... There's enough ideas left to make more books about this world!
March 5, 2021
A really good sci-fi romance! Lot's of action and a steamy romance to go along with it. Not a bunch of horny blue aliens running around, humping everything in sight. Greta is a really talented writer and I look forward to reading more of her work!
December 26, 2011
So many choices for Morgan, right from the beginning. To accept being captured by first one ship, then another. To leave or stay. To cooperate or rebel. To love or hold back because of the potential for hurt.
I have no idea why Morgan and Ravindra fell in love though. Actually that's not true. The author alludes to the fact that during their evening meals together, they would talk about themselves and their lives. I guess it was then. They had sex once and then he called her a tart, to her meant whore to him meant sexy. She felt something until then and left before her could hurt her more. Then she was captured so he wasn't sure what he felt was true and she was sure that he would either hate her or not care about her when they met again.
Enjoyed the book.
I have no idea why Morgan and Ravindra fell in love though. Actually that's not true. The author alludes to the fact that during their evening meals together, they would talk about themselves and their lives. I guess it was then. They had sex once and then he called her a tart, to her meant whore to him meant sexy. She felt something until then and left before her could hurt her more. Then she was captured so he wasn't sure what he felt was true and she was sure that he would either hate her or not care about her when they met again.
Enjoyed the book.
March 15, 2022
By chance, I read the 3rd book in this series first. I enjoyed the characters so much I had to be back to the beginning. So glad I did. The reader gets a terrific fish-out-of-water experience when Morgan ends up rescued by aliens. Her talent worries her rescuers--until she uses that talent to save them. A great beginning to a new series. I loved the worldbuilding almost as much as the characters.
July 18, 2023
A space opera, with rich characters and plenty of intrigue and action! In fact, I have read the series several times.
July 31, 2011
What a fabulous read. I enjoyed this work from word one and held my breath often in the journey through the pages.
The pacing is relentless, yet peppered with a wry humour and an authors certain knowledge that the characters are hers to command, and command she does. As a reader I was under no illusion that I wouldn’t react to the characterizations. You can’t help but like and care about the outcome of their situations.
This plot is well thought out, nothing jars the reader, from the outset of the novel you are caught up in the survival of the central character…Morgan Selwood…
So let me introduce her; Morgan Selwood; you won’t forget her after you are introduced; she is a character that gets into the psyche and raises more than a smile and your blood pressure... Tough, smart, resilient and in control of herself…as good a way as any to begin describing “Supertech” Morgan Selwood.
A ‘Supertech’? So what is a Supertech?
A Supertech, is bio-engineered from birth, a living, breathing, complex and at times downright cantankerous woman with a supercomputer embedded in her brain.
Make no mistakes though, Morgan is all female, and then some, added to that she possesses an incredibly high IQ and attitude to spare!
Her eyes are artificial so she can link wirelessly with a computer; her eyes see so much more than a mere human can possibly see.
Most people can’t make direct eye contact with her, she simply will not back off or look away, her silvery mercurial eyes can take the ability to speak away especially in the male of any species.
She is one feisty woman, outspoken, and not a team player if less than honorable intentions are afoot, she will ensure that someone pays the price for any lack of integrity.
So, what happens when she is in a craft that is running out of air? The Curlew, her ship, has one month left…one month before guaranteed death for both Morgan and her co-worker Jones.
Their distress signal is heard, and a rescue seems to have occurred, but by whom? The ship is taken in tow by a craft that neither Morgan Selwood nor her co-pilot Jones can be certain won’t end in death of a different kind.
An attack from another craft, and they are boarded…rescued but from what? And by whom?
The aliens appear to be almost human. With the exception of their catlike eyes, and customs that relegate the male of the species in total control of the females. Not a happy situation for the feisty outspoken ‘supertech’ her skills do not include pandering to the whims of male ego’s…
The ego of one particular male needs no stroking…Admiral Ravindra, a man of courage, integrity and power...a man that makes a white dress uniform look like it was designed with only him in mind.
So what happens when Morgan’s unstoppable force meets Ravindra’s Immoveable object? Chemistry…with a capital ‘C’.
Author Greta Van der Rol writes beautifully, and the scenes between Ravindra and the lovely Morgan are handled with a touch both erotic and extremely sensual.
Morgan discovers herself caring for this dominant man. Caring more than she believed possible.
Their relationship has much to weather. Can he trust her? What chance do they have when she appears to have betrayed his people? What lured her into believing that what she was doing was right?
I have no wish to spoil this story for the reader. It is fast paced and well written. The history of the human race and beliefs that date back thousands of years are interconnected with those of the Admiral Tavindra’s race… the Mirka.
The race known as Bunyada are their enemies…but are they terrorists…or freedom fighters?
And what of the alien ship? Who or what is Artemis? Will Morgan Selwood and Admiral Ravindra be able to defeat an intelligence created to destroy ‘primitive cultures’.
Author Greta van der Rol has a deft touch, combining a well-drawn science fiction plotline with romance and action, with enough of the romance to more than satisfy those that enjoy it, yet not compromising the integrity of the science fiction setting.
Well written, fast paced, and intriguing. I have no hesitation in recommending this to all those that enjoy a provocative and enjoyable read.
The pacing is relentless, yet peppered with a wry humour and an authors certain knowledge that the characters are hers to command, and command she does. As a reader I was under no illusion that I wouldn’t react to the characterizations. You can’t help but like and care about the outcome of their situations.
This plot is well thought out, nothing jars the reader, from the outset of the novel you are caught up in the survival of the central character…Morgan Selwood…
So let me introduce her; Morgan Selwood; you won’t forget her after you are introduced; she is a character that gets into the psyche and raises more than a smile and your blood pressure... Tough, smart, resilient and in control of herself…as good a way as any to begin describing “Supertech” Morgan Selwood.
A ‘Supertech’? So what is a Supertech?
A Supertech, is bio-engineered from birth, a living, breathing, complex and at times downright cantankerous woman with a supercomputer embedded in her brain.
Make no mistakes though, Morgan is all female, and then some, added to that she possesses an incredibly high IQ and attitude to spare!
Her eyes are artificial so she can link wirelessly with a computer; her eyes see so much more than a mere human can possibly see.
Most people can’t make direct eye contact with her, she simply will not back off or look away, her silvery mercurial eyes can take the ability to speak away especially in the male of any species.
She is one feisty woman, outspoken, and not a team player if less than honorable intentions are afoot, she will ensure that someone pays the price for any lack of integrity.
So, what happens when she is in a craft that is running out of air? The Curlew, her ship, has one month left…one month before guaranteed death for both Morgan and her co-worker Jones.
Their distress signal is heard, and a rescue seems to have occurred, but by whom? The ship is taken in tow by a craft that neither Morgan Selwood nor her co-pilot Jones can be certain won’t end in death of a different kind.
An attack from another craft, and they are boarded…rescued but from what? And by whom?
The aliens appear to be almost human. With the exception of their catlike eyes, and customs that relegate the male of the species in total control of the females. Not a happy situation for the feisty outspoken ‘supertech’ her skills do not include pandering to the whims of male ego’s…
The ego of one particular male needs no stroking…Admiral Ravindra, a man of courage, integrity and power...a man that makes a white dress uniform look like it was designed with only him in mind.
So what happens when Morgan’s unstoppable force meets Ravindra’s Immoveable object? Chemistry…with a capital ‘C’.
Author Greta Van der Rol writes beautifully, and the scenes between Ravindra and the lovely Morgan are handled with a touch both erotic and extremely sensual.
Morgan discovers herself caring for this dominant man. Caring more than she believed possible.
Their relationship has much to weather. Can he trust her? What chance do they have when she appears to have betrayed his people? What lured her into believing that what she was doing was right?
I have no wish to spoil this story for the reader. It is fast paced and well written. The history of the human race and beliefs that date back thousands of years are interconnected with those of the Admiral Tavindra’s race… the Mirka.
The race known as Bunyada are their enemies…but are they terrorists…or freedom fighters?
And what of the alien ship? Who or what is Artemis? Will Morgan Selwood and Admiral Ravindra be able to defeat an intelligence created to destroy ‘primitive cultures’.
Author Greta van der Rol has a deft touch, combining a well-drawn science fiction plotline with romance and action, with enough of the romance to more than satisfy those that enjoy it, yet not compromising the integrity of the science fiction setting.
Well written, fast paced, and intriguing. I have no hesitation in recommending this to all those that enjoy a provocative and enjoyable read.
September 29, 2011
This is space opera at its best. Set in a galaxy far, far away, Morgan (a Supertech which in itself is an excellent concept) is lost and unable to find a way home with only a single surviving shipmate to keep her company. Rescued from a one of the dominant species in the area and a questionable future at their hands, Morgan finds herself imprisoned on a ship with another species and under the watchful eye of Admiral Ravindra – a stuck up humanoid alien born into the ruling class.
There are fight scenes, conspiracies, ancient alien history to delve into and a romance that takes two characters by surprise. There is an entirely new culture to find out about, with customs and ideals that Morgan finds difficult to adjust to. The author created such an in-depth world, I was sad to end the book. I thoroughly enjoyed Morgan’s Choice and will be looking out for her future novels.
There are fight scenes, conspiracies, ancient alien history to delve into and a romance that takes two characters by surprise. There is an entirely new culture to find out about, with customs and ideals that Morgan finds difficult to adjust to. The author created such an in-depth world, I was sad to end the book. I thoroughly enjoyed Morgan’s Choice and will be looking out for her future novels.
February 24, 2016
3.5 stars. I liked it, I really did. I just sometimes felt more like a I was reading a story than involved with the story. I do think this is more realistic of how new aliens would be treated, it just isn't as exciting. When they were first rescued we got a lot of coverage on her sleazy male counterpart, and nothing really on our heroine... how can I connect?!? I also felt like our heroine jumped from being slapped silly and told not to wear to a dinner to love a little too quickly. We are told they had a lot of good conversations at their following dinners and fell in love, but we didn't experience it.
July 11, 2016
Since I was unable to finish this book I have to give it a 1 star. I got halfway through the book, but I could never like the hero. He smacked the heroine in the face towards the beginning of the book and never acknowledges or apologizes for it. It's just left alone and all of a sudden the heroine is falling in love with the hero. I thought maybe the author could somehow redeem the hero, but I figure giving her half the book to do this in was enough of my time waiting and hoping it would get better. It didn't.
July 28, 2011
Having grown up with Francis Carsak's "The vermin of the lion", I can completely appreciate a work of science fiction combining adventure, romance, politics, history and a few other things thrown in for good measure. "Morgan's Choice" has all of that and is bound to appeal to the sci fi fans who like genre-hopping between hard-core space fiction, cyber-punk and "Foundation"-style political intrigue. Absolutely brilliant!
August 19, 2011
Morgan's Choice is an excellent blend of sci-fi and romance. Fantastic world building that's easy to follow
and charismatic characters who are absolutely fascinating.
Even if you're not a sci-fi fan, do try this book, it's well worth the read with wonderful plot twists and an
ending that will leave you wanting to read more from this great author.
I'm off to read the Iron Admiral, Ms van deer Rol's new sci-fi/romance.
and charismatic characters who are absolutely fascinating.
Even if you're not a sci-fi fan, do try this book, it's well worth the read with wonderful plot twists and an
ending that will leave you wanting to read more from this great author.
I'm off to read the Iron Admiral, Ms van deer Rol's new sci-fi/romance.
August 26, 2020
This is one of my favourite Sci-fi books. No 'insta love' between alien and human in this one. Strong characters and intriguing story. This is another that I like to go back and re-read. The story is quite involved and almost operatic without being WAAAAAy to long like most space operas. I enjoyed the sequel as well, although not as much as this one. There is a short tale that in between this one and the sequel that I really enjoyed too ('A Victory Celebration').
February 20, 2013
Morgan is a singular individual, the not so obvious perfect match for arrogant Admiral Ravindra. Unlike the many captured by aliens books that fill the market (okay, and my Kindle) this book emphasizes character growth over steamy hot physical stuff (you know, sex and so on) Watching them interact is almost as much fun as meeting Greta's view of the future. Good reading!
March 19, 2015
Another very good romp
Good sequel and I'm looking forward to what happens to our Morgan. She's not a superwoman and she is minus bulging muscles or super enhanced skeletal structures. I like her normalcy, enjoy how she uses her "brain", and best of all she gets in trouble. Great read...
Good sequel and I'm looking forward to what happens to our Morgan. She's not a superwoman and she is minus bulging muscles or super enhanced skeletal structures. I like her normalcy, enjoy how she uses her "brain", and best of all she gets in trouble. Great read...
February 7, 2016
was really good, the sci-fi/futuristic details were really good and the story was really good. Almost wish there would be another book based around the historical finds and the scientist.
1st read - 10-17-12
2nd read - 2-6-16
1st read - 10-17-12
2nd read - 2-6-16
Want to read
September 23, 2011Received this book for free today from Goodreads First Reads! Will give a full report when I'm finished.
November 4, 2011
On the phone again..RTC, I loved this book <3
November 18, 2012
Fun, fast and compelling read.
March 11, 2014
Sci fi romance/adventure where the aliens have Indian names and appearance(except for the cat eyes!).
April 2, 2016
I really enjoyed this one, very well written, perfectly balanced between action and romance so you don't forget you are reading both. Good stuff.
January 21, 2012
I read the excerpt, and had to buy it. It reminds me of the Sirantha Jax series.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews