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A Name Among the Stars
"Heiress? They've already stolen the estates. I'm heir to nothing."
When disgraced aristocrat Zara Aguirre barely escapes with her life from her home world, she hopes that she's found safety on the planet Kernow. She wants nothing more than to be left in peace, hidden away in a remote town on the wild and untamed western coast.
But living on the mysterious Duke Tremayne's estate, she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into his world, despite all her fears. What secret is he hiding in Cardu, his dark fortress that stands sentinel above the town of Stormhaven?
And is the sinister conspiracy that murdered her family a threat to this world as well? Zara must reveal her family Name and risk her own life to help expose the plot... or the Duke, and this whole planet, will fall.
"A delicious mix of the Brontë sisters, murder mystery, sf drama, space opera, and just general romance and derring-do. Hit the mark on every point."
- Charles de Lint, A Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
When disgraced aristocrat Zara Aguirre barely escapes with her life from her home world, she hopes that she's found safety on the planet Kernow. She wants nothing more than to be left in peace, hidden away in a remote town on the wild and untamed western coast.
But living on the mysterious Duke Tremayne's estate, she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into his world, despite all her fears. What secret is he hiding in Cardu, his dark fortress that stands sentinel above the town of Stormhaven?
And is the sinister conspiracy that murdered her family a threat to this world as well? Zara must reveal her family Name and risk her own life to help expose the plot... or the Duke, and this whole planet, will fall.
"A delicious mix of the Brontë sisters, murder mystery, sf drama, space opera, and just general romance and derring-do. Hit the mark on every point."
- Charles de Lint, A Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2017
109 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Mark Henwick
43 books362 followersI was born in Africa and left out in the sun too often.
After being persuaded that I wasn't going to be able to be a cowboy if I grew up, I got interested in philosophy and psychology. Tending bars proved to me they weren't as much fun as they sounded. While trying to enroll in a class to read Science Fiction full time, I ended up taking an electronic engineering degree which splendidly qualified me to move into marketing. That in turn spawned a late onset career in creative writing.
When not writing, I fly a microlight aircraft, or get muddy on a mountain bike.
I love reading obviously. Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thrillers, History, Crime, Art, oh nearly everything.
After being persuaded that I wasn't going to be able to be a cowboy if I grew up, I got interested in philosophy and psychology. Tending bars proved to me they weren't as much fun as they sounded. While trying to enroll in a class to read Science Fiction full time, I ended up taking an electronic engineering degree which splendidly qualified me to move into marketing. That in turn spawned a late onset career in creative writing.
When not writing, I fly a microlight aircraft, or get muddy on a mountain bike.
I love reading obviously. Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thrillers, History, Crime, Art, oh nearly everything.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
January 11, 2019
3.5 stars
A girl has no name...
This story, apparently originally offered as a serial on Henwick’s blog, is quite a departure from his Athanate series. It’s SF romance, though I have some issues with both aspects of that designation, as I’ll explain a bit later.
First the good stuff: Henwick has created appealing characters who are quite different from those in his previous books. Zara is young and an interesting mix of pragmatic and idealistic, a character easy to like and cheer on. She has some intriguing supporting characters, not the least of whom is a “self-actualized entity.” The main conflict of a conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of her entire family and her going on the run provides plenty of tension and action.
Now the less good stuff: The story takes place far in the future, with regular interstellar travel and the planets involved long ago colonized by Earth natives. Yet the style of living and level of technology on Kernow hearkens more to what you’d find in the first half of the twentieth century on Earth. Rickety trucks and planes, primitive or absent security systems, antiquated weapons, etc. all seemed anachronistic. Henwick provides some explanation for this nearly two-thirds of the way through the book, but I didn’t quite buy the reasoning. Besides, after spending most of the book with this incongruity as a niggling annoyance, any explanation was too little, too late. In addition to my issues with the SF aspects of thestory, the romance also at times seemed a bit out of nowhere. Zara and her interest spent little time together before both were smitten. I could buy her infatuation as she was young and inexperienced, but I never quite believed his quick fall.
I suppose it’s a lot easier to find fault than to pinpoint the things I liked. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the story and was engaged to the end. The book wraps up in a manner that suggests it was meant as a standalone, but a new book in what apparently now is a series (or at least a duology) has just come out. It’s a good measure of my enjoyment of this book that I plan to read it, thus the bump up to four stars.
A girl has no name...
This story, apparently originally offered as a serial on Henwick’s blog, is quite a departure from his Athanate series. It’s SF romance, though I have some issues with both aspects of that designation, as I’ll explain a bit later.
First the good stuff: Henwick has created appealing characters who are quite different from those in his previous books. Zara is young and an interesting mix of pragmatic and idealistic, a character easy to like and cheer on. She has some intriguing supporting characters, not the least of whom is a “self-actualized entity.” The main conflict of a conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of her entire family and her going on the run provides plenty of tension and action.
Now the less good stuff: The story takes place far in the future, with regular interstellar travel and the planets involved long ago colonized by Earth natives. Yet the style of living and level of technology on Kernow hearkens more to what you’d find in the first half of the twentieth century on Earth. Rickety trucks and planes, primitive or absent security systems, antiquated weapons, etc. all seemed anachronistic. Henwick provides some explanation for this nearly two-thirds of the way through the book, but I didn’t quite buy the reasoning. Besides, after spending most of the book with this incongruity as a niggling annoyance, any explanation was too little, too late. In addition to my issues with the SF aspects of thestory, the romance also at times seemed a bit out of nowhere. Zara and her interest spent little time together before both were smitten. I could buy her infatuation as she was young and inexperienced, but I never quite believed his quick fall.
I suppose it’s a lot easier to find fault than to pinpoint the things I liked. Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the story and was engaged to the end. The book wraps up in a manner that suggests it was meant as a standalone, but a new book in what apparently now is a series (or at least a duology) has just come out. It’s a good measure of my enjoyment of this book that I plan to read it, thus the bump up to four stars.
November 27, 2017
Liked the story, the world building, and many of the characters, didn't like the lack of character development for the MC. She is just as broken at the end of the book as at the beginning, even though circumstances around her have changed.
The story also had an oddly workable, and very memorable, historical fiction feel to it for a science fiction story. It has a credible low tech / high tech vibe to it, like the Cordelia's Honor part of the Vorkosigan story arc, or Firefly.
The story also had an oddly workable, and very memorable, historical fiction feel to it for a science fiction story. It has a credible low tech / high tech vibe to it, like the Cordelia's Honor part of the Vorkosigan story arc, or Firefly.
January 10, 2018
Wow. Action, suspense, drama. What more can you ask?
A new author for me. Gulped this book down and now I want more. Action? Check. Intrigue? Check. Well thought out science? Check. What a ride!
A new author for me. Gulped this book down and now I want more. Action? Check. Intrigue? Check. Well thought out science? Check. What a ride!
May 14, 2022
Absorbing Suspenseful Sci Fi
This is the first in an ongoing series. Though there is no cliffhanger you are aware there is probably more to come.
Zara is a Name on her home planet of Newyan, which means she was a member of a Founding Family. Her grandfather ruled her family with an iron fist and she was made very aware that she was failing the family for her aversion to being used as a political tool. Her abilities and interests outside the normal path of becoming marriageable helped her to survive when the rest of her family is wiped out in a wide ranging plot to destroy her family Name and steal all their assets. She manages to escape off world by the skin of her teeth and heads towards an unknown planet to take a very vague offer of employment to become a Dance Mistress for a young woman. She knows that the term Dance Mistress to a Name means someone with a very particular set of skills that are not simply dance related.
I found this book really hard to put down. The world building was excellent and woven into the story seamlessly. The universe in which this story is set is intriguing and believable. The characters are interesting, especially Zara, the MFC, but I particularly liked Hanna, the ‘other’ Dance Mistress, who was a complex and intriguing character. In fact, I would have really liked this story if told from her point of view because a lot of her unstated backstory looked like it might be fascinating. Rhoswyn, Zara’s charge, is mixed up jumble of an early teenager who is engaging, interesting and sweet, at the same time infuriating because of the idiotic ideas she acts upon. Then of course there is the darkly damaged father of Rhos, the Duke, who governs the province and lost his beloved wife 18 months earlier. He is hard to read, and closed off, even from his daughter. He is devoted to his planet and it’s people, which means that his duty often prevents him from the things he loves, but on the whole his people love and admire him.
This story is mainly focused on the suspense aspect of this romantic suspense. To be honest the Sci-Fi part of the story isn’t genre that jumps out the most, even if it is very important to aspects of the storyline. The romance is a minimal part, and the book is ‘clean’, for those that care about that sort of thing. The thing that drives this story is the need Zara has to protect those she cares about even if it puts herself in danger, and she is definitely put in danger multiple times in this book.
Despite it’s very absorbing nature, I felt that the story was let down a little by the character work. Zara doesn’t actually have much backstory beyond being a disappointment to her grandfather and her being a Name. There is very little reference to her parents for instance and we only really know much about her feelings in relation to her grandfather other than they are slightly conflicted, which is hardly surprising when looking at a 21 year old. I also feel that there could have been more about Bledyn, the Duke who seems to be nothing but painted on attributes of duty and being a widower with a daughter he doesn’t understand. It may be in future books we get to know more about all of these things, but for this book I felt it detracted from my enjoyment.
All that being said, I enjoyed the book and will probably read the next in the series at some point when I’m in the mood for some straight-up plot driven Sci-Fi suspense.
This is the first in an ongoing series. Though there is no cliffhanger you are aware there is probably more to come.
Zara is a Name on her home planet of Newyan, which means she was a member of a Founding Family. Her grandfather ruled her family with an iron fist and she was made very aware that she was failing the family for her aversion to being used as a political tool. Her abilities and interests outside the normal path of becoming marriageable helped her to survive when the rest of her family is wiped out in a wide ranging plot to destroy her family Name and steal all their assets. She manages to escape off world by the skin of her teeth and heads towards an unknown planet to take a very vague offer of employment to become a Dance Mistress for a young woman. She knows that the term Dance Mistress to a Name means someone with a very particular set of skills that are not simply dance related.
I found this book really hard to put down. The world building was excellent and woven into the story seamlessly. The universe in which this story is set is intriguing and believable. The characters are interesting, especially Zara, the MFC, but I particularly liked Hanna, the ‘other’ Dance Mistress, who was a complex and intriguing character. In fact, I would have really liked this story if told from her point of view because a lot of her unstated backstory looked like it might be fascinating. Rhoswyn, Zara’s charge, is mixed up jumble of an early teenager who is engaging, interesting and sweet, at the same time infuriating because of the idiotic ideas she acts upon. Then of course there is the darkly damaged father of Rhos, the Duke, who governs the province and lost his beloved wife 18 months earlier. He is hard to read, and closed off, even from his daughter. He is devoted to his planet and it’s people, which means that his duty often prevents him from the things he loves, but on the whole his people love and admire him.
This story is mainly focused on the suspense aspect of this romantic suspense. To be honest the Sci-Fi part of the story isn’t genre that jumps out the most, even if it is very important to aspects of the storyline. The romance is a minimal part, and the book is ‘clean’, for those that care about that sort of thing. The thing that drives this story is the need Zara has to protect those she cares about even if it puts herself in danger, and she is definitely put in danger multiple times in this book.
Despite it’s very absorbing nature, I felt that the story was let down a little by the character work. Zara doesn’t actually have much backstory beyond being a disappointment to her grandfather and her being a Name. There is very little reference to her parents for instance and we only really know much about her feelings in relation to her grandfather other than they are slightly conflicted, which is hardly surprising when looking at a 21 year old. I also feel that there could have been more about Bledyn, the Duke who seems to be nothing but painted on attributes of duty and being a widower with a daughter he doesn’t understand. It may be in future books we get to know more about all of these things, but for this book I felt it detracted from my enjoyment.
All that being said, I enjoyed the book and will probably read the next in the series at some point when I’m in the mood for some straight-up plot driven Sci-Fi suspense.
May 4, 2019
2.5, maybe
"A Name Among the Stars" is an unusual mix of space opera and gothic romance. Zara Aguire, the heroine, flees her homeworld of Newyan with shame attached to her Name. She travels to Kernow, another world colonized by humans, to begin a new life as a 'dancing mistress' (it's like a governess mixed with a bodyguard). I thought it fun and twisty for the author to create a ninja governess. There's the added element of a noble woman switching to a servant status.
Zara goes into so much detail about space travel, technology, politics, and space colonization. It's a lot of world-building. (Too much was unnecessary, in my opinion.) The setting then switches to the planet Kernow and her travels to the town Stonehaven. The mood changes as Zara walks to a remote residence with stormy skies and cliff tops. The setting is now like an 18th century gothic. Included is a brooding duke and widower.
The plot is intriguing, at first. It's not like "A Name Among the Stars" has an identity crisis. It's unbalanced. Too much emphasis on the insignificant and not enough on the plot. This book is missing tension. The mystery doesn't satiate as it should. Zara's most interesting relationship is unexpected; then, it's skipped over for a speedy ending. "A Name Among the Stars" has elements I like. I have issues with the overall execution.
"A Name Among the Stars" is an unusual mix of space opera and gothic romance. Zara Aguire, the heroine, flees her homeworld of Newyan with shame attached to her Name. She travels to Kernow, another world colonized by humans, to begin a new life as a 'dancing mistress' (it's like a governess mixed with a bodyguard). I thought it fun and twisty for the author to create a ninja governess. There's the added element of a noble woman switching to a servant status.
Zara goes into so much detail about space travel, technology, politics, and space colonization. It's a lot of world-building. (Too much was unnecessary, in my opinion.) The setting then switches to the planet Kernow and her travels to the town Stonehaven. The mood changes as Zara walks to a remote residence with stormy skies and cliff tops. The setting is now like an 18th century gothic. Included is a brooding duke and widower.
The plot is intriguing, at first. It's not like "A Name Among the Stars" has an identity crisis. It's unbalanced. Too much emphasis on the insignificant and not enough on the plot. This book is missing tension. The mystery doesn't satiate as it should. Zara's most interesting relationship is unexpected; then, it's skipped over for a speedy ending. "A Name Among the Stars" has elements I like. I have issues with the overall execution.
October 28, 2017
Wow! This book, first started as a weekend project by the author on his blog, captured my attention and gently lulled me into its spell only to then grab me and not let go so that it was practically grabbing me and yelling in my ear, as I very impatiently waited for one exciting cliffhanger after the next. Now the book is here in it's entirety and I gobbled it down in one exhilarating sitting. Over the last few months I have often thought about these characters and the situations they find themselves in.
Zara is a 'Name', royalty amongst the evolved planets that humans now travel amongst and call home. When she barely escapes a coup on her home planet after it destroys everything she loves, she finds herself on an evolved ship, Shohwa, where she meets an interesting crew and it's 'captain'. This ship will come to have an importance in her life that she never could have guessed and it's help becomes invaluable as she finds herself embroiled in another planet's politics. On the planet of Kernow she finds a people she comes to respect and love, along with an adventure that I absolutely adored. Story telling at it's absolute finest, rugged cliff top horse chases, Dukes in uniform, battles involving canons... and laser guns(!), space ships of unimaginable abilities, family politics and a good dollop of something reminiescent of Cornish fairy tales. Mark Henwick's writing just gets better and better with everything he produces, I can't recommend this book highly enough. An absolute must read that is out of this world ;-)
Zara is a 'Name', royalty amongst the evolved planets that humans now travel amongst and call home. When she barely escapes a coup on her home planet after it destroys everything she loves, she finds herself on an evolved ship, Shohwa, where she meets an interesting crew and it's 'captain'. This ship will come to have an importance in her life that she never could have guessed and it's help becomes invaluable as she finds herself embroiled in another planet's politics. On the planet of Kernow she finds a people she comes to respect and love, along with an adventure that I absolutely adored. Story telling at it's absolute finest, rugged cliff top horse chases, Dukes in uniform, battles involving canons... and laser guns(!), space ships of unimaginable abilities, family politics and a good dollop of something reminiescent of Cornish fairy tales. Mark Henwick's writing just gets better and better with everything he produces, I can't recommend this book highly enough. An absolute must read that is out of this world ;-)
November 6, 2017
Mark Henwick does SF as well as he does UF. Goodreads 3.7; Amazon 4.2
Well-written, with a satisfying resolution. Zara is a dimensional character, with realistically complex feelings. Her growing connection with the AI (pardon me, Self-Actualized Entity) Shohwa is fascinating. The rest of the cast is also well-done, given the constraints of a who-can-she-trust plot's deliberate ambiguity, and young Rhoswyn is a believable and likable girl. (There's some clever misdirection in the whodunnit aspect, BTW.) My only hesitation is re. the very negative impression a significant male character makes (SEMI-SPOILER for early development: ), which I don't really understand given his later presentation/role.
I've read the first couple Amber Farrell stories, and thought the writing very well done (why I bought this when it came up in my Kindle recommendations). I just was iffy about the character's relationship decisions/dynamics, so haven't yet read farther in that series. Maybe I'll get back to it now that I've enjoyed something else from the author.
I do have to make a critical comment about this e-book, though: I didn't spot a single error in the first 40%, but after that, I marked 12! Most were minor, from missing punctuation and rewording vestiges like "as much X than", to a couple random bits where the text was in gray, but what happened to his proofreader?
Nonetheless, I recommend to any readers who'd like mainly-planetary SF with AIs, a romantic subplot, and political conspiracy mixed with a murder mystery.
Well-written, with a satisfying resolution. Zara is a dimensional character, with realistically complex feelings. Her growing connection with the AI (pardon me, Self-Actualized Entity) Shohwa is fascinating. The rest of the cast is also well-done, given the constraints of a who-can-she-trust plot's deliberate ambiguity, and young Rhoswyn is a believable and likable girl. (There's some clever misdirection in the whodunnit aspect, BTW.) My only hesitation is re. the very negative impression a significant male character makes (SEMI-SPOILER for early development: ), which I don't really understand given his later presentation/role.
I've read the first couple Amber Farrell stories, and thought the writing very well done (why I bought this when it came up in my Kindle recommendations). I just was iffy about the character's relationship decisions/dynamics, so haven't yet read farther in that series. Maybe I'll get back to it now that I've enjoyed something else from the author.
I do have to make a critical comment about this e-book, though: I didn't spot a single error in the first 40%, but after that, I marked 12! Most were minor, from missing punctuation and rewording vestiges like "as much X than", to a couple random bits where the text was in gray, but what happened to his proofreader?
Nonetheless, I recommend to any readers who'd like mainly-planetary SF with AIs, a romantic subplot, and political conspiracy mixed with a murder mystery.
October 31, 2017
Wow
I have to admit I’m a blind follower of Mark Henwick. I’ve enjoyed very much his bite back books and Amber Farrell is one of my all times favorites. So I was a little curious about MH foray into SF. But what a pleasant surprise. A great master author can succeed in any genre.
This is an amazing book that makes you laugh and cry and relate to the characters like they are here with you. This book was a one straight read, with a “ do not disturb “ sign on my face to warn my family that I’m busy enjoying my read.
I’m not going to give a synopsis of the book, but just say to you the potential reader that I loved it and urge you to read it and to MH to keep doing us a favor and write more about Zara and the rest of the gang. It is a well worth effort. Thank you.
I have to admit I’m a blind follower of Mark Henwick. I’ve enjoyed very much his bite back books and Amber Farrell is one of my all times favorites. So I was a little curious about MH foray into SF. But what a pleasant surprise. A great master author can succeed in any genre.
This is an amazing book that makes you laugh and cry and relate to the characters like they are here with you. This book was a one straight read, with a “ do not disturb “ sign on my face to warn my family that I’m busy enjoying my read.
I’m not going to give a synopsis of the book, but just say to you the potential reader that I loved it and urge you to read it and to MH to keep doing us a favor and write more about Zara and the rest of the gang. It is a well worth effort. Thank you.
May 3, 2022
An interesting read that rolls forward at speed with excitment
This popped up as a promotion on my Facebook feed. Free offer for the first book. I needed a new space futuristic read, so though why not give it a go. Told from the first person point of view of Zara, it takes some getting going. But once it gets going, it is like a old V8 burbling along with a pace that is unrecognisable. Does it answer all my questions by the end? No but that must be for the second book. This is fast pace with action and space travel. Is it for everyone, not sure, but pick it up and enjoy it. It is so well written and the characters are believable.
This popped up as a promotion on my Facebook feed. Free offer for the first book. I needed a new space futuristic read, so though why not give it a go. Told from the first person point of view of Zara, it takes some getting going. But once it gets going, it is like a old V8 burbling along with a pace that is unrecognisable. Does it answer all my questions by the end? No but that must be for the second book. This is fast pace with action and space travel. Is it for everyone, not sure, but pick it up and enjoy it. It is so well written and the characters are believable.
September 3, 2022
Awesome sci fi adventure with a touch of romance
I thought I reviewed Name when it was published, but I didn't. Name is a fantastic sci fi adventure with dark gothic elements, fantastical Dance Mistresses, and Self-Actualized Entities. Zara is a great character and narrator. The story is filled with plot twists, hidden villains, heartbreak, and courage. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction.
I thought I reviewed Name when it was published, but I didn't. Name is a fantastic sci fi adventure with dark gothic elements, fantastical Dance Mistresses, and Self-Actualized Entities. Zara is a great character and narrator. The story is filled with plot twists, hidden villains, heartbreak, and courage. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction.
October 29, 2017
HEA
Nice romance /detective , science fiction drama. Several good subplots and suspicious characters throughout the story. Good job Mark, I didn't guess the killer till just before the second assassination attempt.
Nice romance /detective , science fiction drama. Several good subplots and suspicious characters throughout the story. Good job Mark, I didn't guess the killer till just before the second assassination attempt.
July 14, 2022
Mark Henwick has long been one of my favorite authors. He has created a great sci-fi adventure/mystery in A Name Among the Stars. It has awesome world-building and a storyline that kept my attention throughout. I highly recommend it.
Read via Kindle Unlimited
Read via Kindle Unlimited
July 30, 2022
Truly a Wonderful Tale
I stayed up all night to read this book. It grabbed me from page one and would not let go. The world building is spot on. I felt the sea breezes and breathed deeply. I can't wait to jump into book two.
I stayed up all night to read this book. It grabbed me from page one and would not let go. The world building is spot on. I felt the sea breezes and breathed deeply. I can't wait to jump into book two.
May 14, 2022
A Galactic murder mystery
What a clever approach with something for everyone, planetary travel colonies with a back to basics feel but still plagued by mankind s basic woes.
What a clever approach with something for everyone, planetary travel colonies with a back to basics feel but still plagued by mankind s basic woes.
August 8, 2022
Fun read
Plot was engaging. The author creates strong female characters. Looking forward to reading the next book. I recommend this series.
Plot was engaging. The author creates strong female characters. Looking forward to reading the next book. I recommend this series.
August 19, 2022
I believe this story is so good it would make a wonderful movie
October 1, 2022
A great read
A really good plot line, great character development make this a very enjoyable read.
I look forward to reading more of Mark's books.
A really good plot line, great character development make this a very enjoyable read.
I look forward to reading more of Mark's books.
August 14, 2022
I was expecting a sort of Jane Austen novel in space, and I find these derivatives quite pleasing. But the book is something more than that and puts me in mind of the picaresque Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, though without the benefit of decades of worldbuilding. It is also written quite competently, though I think that the Hanna arc was a rushed and could have used a bit of seasoning, maybe through a reveal in a sequel? These sorts of rushes are in keeping with the novels that this work appears to be inspired by, so maybe it was a deliberate choice. Like a lot of books by less well known authors in sci fi, the cover is atrocious and does not inspire anything and does not seem to have any link to the novel. Something abstract, like the silhouette of the Shohwa ship, would have been a better choice. I do judge books by the cover, and I am glad I didn't in this case.
January 10, 2019
Mark, I know that this is not considered PC but i have to ask, are you sure you are not a women in disguise? Why i asked is that you have just produced a wonderfully delicious "historical" romance, that Barbara Cartland would be proud of. It has the prerequisite lost and persecuted heiress, widowed duke and vulnerable child, thrown into the the mix a bit of the "Godfather" meets "Ghost in the Shell" and we have.... I am not sure what we have... but I LOVED IT!!!
So Mark you need to brush off your tiara and take a bow !
So Mark you need to brush off your tiara and take a bow !
December 15, 2018
Good story just a few holes
Enjoyable sci-fi mystery. The love story was weak though. Thought there was more connection and chemistry between Talan and Zara than between Zara and the Duke. The wine scene was poignant! The concept of Hwa was great as was Shohwa! Two creative characters i could fall in love with. More of them in future i hope. Lots of potential. There were a few holes and inconsistencies in ANATS - grandfather parents, not a lot about Zara's relationship or lack thereof with them, Hanna's back story and motivation, Rhos needed more characterization. Some predictability but overall a good tale I enjoyed. Will go find his other titles.
Enjoyable sci-fi mystery. The love story was weak though. Thought there was more connection and chemistry between Talan and Zara than between Zara and the Duke. The wine scene was poignant! The concept of Hwa was great as was Shohwa! Two creative characters i could fall in love with. More of them in future i hope. Lots of potential. There were a few holes and inconsistencies in ANATS - grandfather parents, not a lot about Zara's relationship or lack thereof with them, Hanna's back story and motivation, Rhos needed more characterization. Some predictability but overall a good tale I enjoyed. Will go find his other titles.
November 23, 2017
A pleasant departure
Damn you, Mark! You made me cry at an unexpected turn of events.
However, if your fans follow you because of the Bite Back series, then your exploration into science fiction will bring them yet another avenue of enjoyment. I know it did for me.
I highly recommend Name, and, Mark, I hope that some day in the future, you will find time to explore Zara and her friends once again.
Damn you, Mark! You made me cry at an unexpected turn of events.
However, if your fans follow you because of the Bite Back series, then your exploration into science fiction will bring them yet another avenue of enjoyment. I know it did for me.
I highly recommend Name, and, Mark, I hope that some day in the future, you will find time to explore Zara and her friends once again.
December 9, 2017
New type of heroine
This is a change in the type of heroine you usually find in a sci-first novel of this genre. Conflicted in many instances. Doing the right things in a way that kept me engaged. The storyline was tight with many twists and turns that kept me reading until early in the morning. Recommend to all that enjoy reading a story that has well developed characters and a plot that will keep you reading to see what happens next.
This is a change in the type of heroine you usually find in a sci-first novel of this genre. Conflicted in many instances. Doing the right things in a way that kept me engaged. The storyline was tight with many twists and turns that kept me reading until early in the morning. Recommend to all that enjoy reading a story that has well developed characters and a plot that will keep you reading to see what happens next.
February 23, 2018
This was a very enjoyable book. The writing style makes the first few chapters hard to get through but once you get to understand how the heroin interacts with herself (yes, that's what I mean), it is very possible to become enveloped by the story. That is a rare commodity in story telling these days
December 18, 2017
Starts very strongly, with an entertaining setting that it never quite manages to live up to. But has a good cast of varied characters and a heroine who forms believable friendly relationships with all of them, even if the central plot turns out to a be a bit weaker than I was hoping.
December 21, 2017
A tale in the best sci-fi traditions. Many of the best elements: oppressive government conspiracies, interstellar flight, escape, suspense, coming of age, romance, combat training, with other settings of travel on land, water, and air. A true adventure.
February 8, 2018
I enjoyed this story and found I wanted more when I finished it. This is an interesting approach to the story and the Author keeps it moving quite well with the intrigue and hidden figures in the background.
March 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. The only complaint I have was the relationship between the two main characters I didn't really see it. Other than that I loved the characters, the storyline, world building, and the tech imagined for this story.
April 1, 2018
Action, intrigue, suspense and love, what more could you ask for.
Loved the book! The characters were well developed. Enjoyed the whole story line. All wrapped up with a good ending
Loved the book! The characters were well developed. Enjoyed the whole story line. All wrapped up with a good ending
October 19, 2021
Overall very enjoyable and fast-paced. Recommended as a quick, entertaining read. As some other reviewers have mentioned, the romance was almost like an add-on and not too believable, given how little actual interactions or conversations the characters had
May 2, 2022
Captivating characters and riveting plot!
This book captures your full attention and drags you through to the end. Very hard to put down. Yes there is a romantic element, but it's no bodice ripper. The relationships grow organically. Worth your money and time.
This book captures your full attention and drags you through to the end. Very hard to put down. Yes there is a romantic element, but it's no bodice ripper. The relationships grow organically. Worth your money and time.
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