Fragile Bond in Riptide Publishing

Jan 18, 2013 Thomaidha Papa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, military-sci-fi

Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Brilliant isn't nearly strong enough a word to describe this book.

Human race travels space in search of inhabited planets that will provide resources for their survival. Caught up in a difficult position, with their resources dropping low fast, they reach planet Horace Deuce-Niner. A superficial glance of the terrain shows no sign of any intelligent species on the planet and the scouts are dropped in order to provide Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.co...

Brilliant isn't nearly strong enough a word to describe this book.

Human race travels space in search of inhabited planets that will provide resources for their survival. Caught up in a difficult position, with their resources dropping low fast, they reach planet Horace Deuce-Niner. A superficial glance of the terrain shows no sign of any intelligent species on the planet and the scouts are dropped in order to provide safe path for the battalion and the scientists that would take the much needed resources. Things however are not always like they seem.

Sniper Sergeant Marc Staille is good in one thing and one thing only. Along with his trusted rifle he’s an excellent hunter. The scary predators that live on this planet never had a chance against him and his trusted “Mat”. One by one they fell under his scope. Until one of them managed to locate and approach him in total silence. The only indication that something was wrong was the rich scent of soil that had Marc in complete surrender. Under the influence of the scent Marc manages to understand that that is in fact pheromones, huge amounts that are deliberately thrown his way. As if the sharp claws and fangs the beasts had was not enough, he was reduced to mush by a vicious wave of arousal. As much as it didn’t made sense that their pheromones would be compatible, truth was they were, but what had Marc paling and going completely limp was the fact that the tawny predators were sapient indigenes. The horrible truth hitting him like a sledgehammer that he was “murdering” intelligent beings.

Commander Hamm Orsonna is beyond rage when he finally manages to capture the scrawny alien. Who would have thought that this little vulnerable being would succeed in taking out his entire squad? He should be killing him in sight if there wasn’t valuable intel he needed to extract from the alien. As it was, it took him by surprise when the need to dominate him emerged and the air around reeked of pheromones. What was even more shocking was the fact that the little alien responded and exuded his own very potent scent, a scent that hit him like a drug making it almost impossible to resist.

In the process of gaining intel and reaching a way toward peace hamm and Marc find themselves in the middle of the strangest things of all. The forming of a bond where there should be none. A bond that could forever forge peace or doom them all.

There is no easy way to express myself as to how this story will truly affect you. It had a strong impact on me. I loved, I adored every aspect of it. The way the author wrote this book is simply brilliant. The focus on the natural instinct of each species, the aggressiveness, the attraction and the forging of the Human/Furr bond was simply perfect. You don’t simply read this book, you experience it as if you were in this strange planet, side by side with these strange creatures.
This story is not a romance in the stereotypical sense of it. It’s a beautiful combination of war, survival, grief, evolution and well… love. Never mind the word “love” is not mentioned. It didn’t need to and that’s the sheer beauty of it. Emotions are so palpable that words are not needed.

It’s one of those books you wish made it to Hollywood and on the big screens just so you could see it in 3-D, hoping what you’ve “seen” in your head while reading it will match the screen.
Bottom end, if you have even the slight inclination toward the sci-fi genre you will absolutely LOVE this book.
Highly recommended.

Thommie! ...more

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May 13, 2014 Kathleen rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, sci-fi

Very well written and edited. Original. Told from from both protagonists' POV.

I would like to have seen more extensive world building; there was a lot of unrealized potential here. It was a wonderful sci-fi romp, but it could have been so much more. I like this author's writing style. A star was withheld only because of so much confusion on my part about who was speaking. It simply wasn't clear in many instances of dialogue. Love to experience this story again as an audiobook.

This book would ha ...more

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