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Dock Five Universe #1
Gabriel's Ghost
Award-winning author Linnea Sinclair brings her special sizzle to science fiction with this action-packed blend of otherworldly adventure and sexy stellar romance. . . .
After a decade of piloting interstellar patrol ships, former captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’ t commit–and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.
Gabriel Sullivan—alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue—is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom—for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates Imperial space. The mission means putting their lives on the line—but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all.
After a decade of piloting interstellar patrol ships, former captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’ t commit–and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.
Gabriel Sullivan—alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue—is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom—for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates Imperial space. The mission means putting their lives on the line—but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all.
447 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 14, 2002
About the author
Linnea Sinclair
28 books684 followersWinner of the prestigious national book award, the RITA, science fiction romance author Linnea Sinclair has become a name synonymous for high-action, emotionally intense, character-driven novels. Reviewers note that Sinclair’s novels “have the wow-factor in spades,” earning her accolades from both the science fiction and romance communities. Sinclair’s current release is HOPE'S FOLLY and, scheduled for 2010 from Bantam Dell, REBELS AND LOVERS, book #4 in the Dock Five Universe. A former news reporter and retired private detective, Sinclair resides in Naples, Florida (winter) and Columbus, Ohio (summer) with her husband, Robert Bernadino, and their thoroughly spoiled cats. Readers can find her perched on the third barstool from the left in her Intergalactic Bar and Grille at www.linneasinclair.com .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 385 reviews
July 16, 2010
In Gabriel's Ghost Linnea Sinclair has fashioned a romantic but practical scifi adventure. I know, "practical" doesn't exactly sound enticing, but how else to describe Gabriel's Ghost? On the one hand, Sully and Chasidah do expose and explore more of their feelings than do most rough and tough scifi leads.
On the other hand, Chasidah "Chaz" Bergren springs from military stock, and she's written very true to character. She's practical, calm even when she panics, and she's passionate about her career- but she's also sympathetic and kind. She's a refreshing breath after the hard cases of urban fantasy and the redemptive Mother Theresa candidates in paranormal romance, who respectively seem to indicate that women cannot walk a middle road. These women, like their real counterparts, continually negotiate between the softness and aggression society demands of them by turns.
In her male-dominated profession, Chaz seems to have found a more healthy balance where other heroines have failed, and I believe she more accurately reflects the everywoman. I enjoyed the well-adjusted leads. Even Sully, that tortured soul, never abuses or inflicts his problems on Chaz, unlike the typical UF hero who rebuffs, disdains, and outright hurts the heroine (either that author has a martyr complex or she believes in the masculine mystique).
Not Sully! I don't want to give away too much, since learning about this apparently cocky space pirate's half the fun, but we get to know him well as he and Chaz travel to their goal. We see their relationship develop in subtle, simple but meaningful gestures and romance. Fortunately, the romantic rhapsodizing doesn't overpower the novel, though it does occasionally mar the love scenes. Something about galaxies. Happily, Sully's sexy outside those scenes.
Other than some other cheesiness -Sully and Chaz apparently come to an unspoken agreement in the first chapter to call him the "ghost from Hell" that is thankfully dropped in later chapters- and the endless expansion of the magic system ("Oh, you thought that was it? There's more. This also means they can do...") I really enjoyed Gabriel's Ghost. I liked the dark side of power there, the questions of government and absorbed prejudice, etc., and I liked the secondary characters (Ren! <3)
This is scifi lite, outside of a few space station layouts I glossed. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an adventure romance and a mysterious hero who's a pleasure to unravel! Look for the sequels which continue to follow Sully and Chaz's adventures. Beware of spoilers in reviews. This is one of those books easy to spoil.
On the other hand, Chasidah "Chaz" Bergren springs from military stock, and she's written very true to character. She's practical, calm even when she panics, and she's passionate about her career- but she's also sympathetic and kind. She's a refreshing breath after the hard cases of urban fantasy and the redemptive Mother Theresa candidates in paranormal romance, who respectively seem to indicate that women cannot walk a middle road. These women, like their real counterparts, continually negotiate between the softness and aggression society demands of them by turns.
In her male-dominated profession, Chaz seems to have found a more healthy balance where other heroines have failed, and I believe she more accurately reflects the everywoman. I enjoyed the well-adjusted leads. Even Sully, that tortured soul, never abuses or inflicts his problems on Chaz, unlike the typical UF hero who rebuffs, disdains, and outright hurts the heroine (either that author has a martyr complex or she believes in the masculine mystique).
Not Sully! I don't want to give away too much, since learning about this apparently cocky space pirate's half the fun, but we get to know him well as he and Chaz travel to their goal. We see their relationship develop in subtle, simple but meaningful gestures and romance. Fortunately, the romantic rhapsodizing doesn't overpower the novel, though it does occasionally mar the love scenes. Something about galaxies. Happily, Sully's sexy outside those scenes.
Other than some other cheesiness -Sully and Chaz apparently come to an unspoken agreement in the first chapter to call him the "ghost from Hell" that is thankfully dropped in later chapters- and the endless expansion of the magic system ("Oh, you thought that was it? There's more. This also means they can do...") I really enjoyed Gabriel's Ghost. I liked the dark side of power there, the questions of government and absorbed prejudice, etc., and I liked the secondary characters (Ren! <3)
This is scifi lite, outside of a few space station layouts I glossed. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an adventure romance and a mysterious hero who's a pleasure to unravel! Look for the sequels which continue to follow Sully and Chaz's adventures. Beware of spoilers in reviews. This is one of those books easy to spoil.
September 6, 2010
I just never totally settled into this book. To be fair, I don't tend to like science fiction. I loved "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" but that's about the level I tend to go for, it seems. Regular people dealing with alien races.
I'm not even sure why this is. I can deal with the strange races and places: Takas, Stolorths, Moabar, when they're in fantasy -- I mean I have no problem with hobbits -- but somehow they seem inaccessible to me in sci fi. I can't really explain it except that fantasy generally deals with a world similar to what surrounds me and sci fi deals with outer space.
Still, I tried to put all that aside and just enjoy the romantic adventure story between Chasidah and Sullivan. That ended up not working out so well, unfortunately, because the main device used to maintain tension between the hero and heroine was deception via omission. Secrets told in little dribs and drabs until the end of the book and a character that constantly says "trust me". Um ... why? There was no reason for trust and plenty of reason for fear. Sinclair seemed to want to make a point against bigotry, but we weren't just dealing with different races, we were dealing with someone who wasn't providing information and who was legitimately a potential danger to others. The only reason to trust that person was because we know them. Only they keep getting busted with secrets so why in the world would anyone think they know enough to trust?
Sorry for the rant. I genuinely wanted to like this couple and this story. Some of the characters were intriguing so I'll see if following stories focus on them. I would be willing to continue if I thought we would get a better relationship arc.
So, not giving any spoilers it's a bit vague, but I think you catch my drift. It's just like other stories I've been frustrated with in the past. I don't like deception in romance unless it's absolutely necessary, dealt with believably, and ends by about the halfway mark. Otherwise I have no reason to believe in the continued connection of the couple.
I'm not even sure why this is. I can deal with the strange races and places: Takas, Stolorths, Moabar, when they're in fantasy -- I mean I have no problem with hobbits -- but somehow they seem inaccessible to me in sci fi. I can't really explain it except that fantasy generally deals with a world similar to what surrounds me and sci fi deals with outer space.
Still, I tried to put all that aside and just enjoy the romantic adventure story between Chasidah and Sullivan. That ended up not working out so well, unfortunately, because the main device used to maintain tension between the hero and heroine was deception via omission. Secrets told in little dribs and drabs until the end of the book and a character that constantly says "trust me". Um ... why? There was no reason for trust and plenty of reason for fear. Sinclair seemed to want to make a point against bigotry, but we weren't just dealing with different races, we were dealing with someone who wasn't providing information and who was legitimately a potential danger to others. The only reason to trust that person was because we know them. Only they keep getting busted with secrets so why in the world would anyone think they know enough to trust?
Sorry for the rant. I genuinely wanted to like this couple and this story. Some of the characters were intriguing so I'll see if following stories focus on them. I would be willing to continue if I thought we would get a better relationship arc.
So, not giving any spoilers it's a bit vague, but I think you catch my drift. It's just like other stories I've been frustrated with in the past. I don't like deception in romance unless it's absolutely necessary, dealt with believably, and ends by about the halfway mark. Otherwise I have no reason to believe in the continued connection of the couple.
August 14, 2016
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
Chasidah, was once highly respected as a ships pilot of the sixth fleet, but when someone spread lies about her, she was wrongfully convicted of crimes that she didn't commit, and sent to a prison world but she managed to escape with the help of a man that is a ghost to her: a man she thought she cared for deeply but yet was her enemy: Gabriel Sullivan. He offers to help her escape in return for her badass and creative knowledge to disband breeding labs that are killing innocent women in a very brutal way. Chasidah, knows the harm they these labs could create, but through their journey they discover treachery of those they trust and that these plans go very high in all forms of military and government. Very few can they trust. But Gabriel and Chasidah will rekindle old flames and find a love worth fighting and even dying for...
The Hero
Gabriel Sullivan, or also known as "Sully" is a pirate, rogue and managed to fake his own death so he could be a "ghost". Sully has a past where if the knowledge was fully revealed, then he would be hated and despised by many including the one woman he has held his heart for. Gabriel is a man that is alpha when he needs to be, proud, a fighter and cunning and over protective especially of his closest friends. Sully is a hero you could cheer for, I loved him to pieces. It was quite fun to see more and more depths to his character come shining through the story. and man, the more you learn about him, the more you like. Even though he does keep some things about himself a secret, I understood fully why.
The Heroine
Chasidah, grew up being raised by her mother who was a fighter herself. She is a heroine that is passionate and a fighter and doesn't back down from a fight. I loved how courageous and brave she could in the most toughest of conditions. For the most part she is fairly level headed but can be quite stubborn about certain things. I did feel that she held things against Sully "too long" and Ren had to beat some sense into her every once in a while. I did love her personality---it was sassy yet sweet at times. I did like how practical she was and saw the bigger picture and could get the group of them out of trouble pretty quickly.
Plot and Story Line
I am so glad I was able to pick this book up, and it reminded me why I love sci fi romance and wow it has been way too long since I have picked up this genre. Gabriel's Ghost is the first book in this series, and its a story of a mix of enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes. Our hero has been in love with Chasidah for seven years, and I loved how he fights for her even when she is being a bit unforgiving at times and unaccepting of who he is.
He does keep secrets from her, but in all honesty, I supported the reasons why. We see how much his "kind" is despised and literally hated, so the last thing he wants is the woman he would die for to hate him too. So he gives her the truth in increments. I respected this aspect of his character, because you see how torn he is many times through the book so my heart just ached for him and the kind of life he has had to live.
Also one of the side characters...Ren is amazing with his long blue hair and six webbed fingers. He is a bit of a sweetie, and a romantic at heart because he is always helping these two get past their issues. We see the story through the heroine's POV---so we see how she deals with situations and even though she does make mistakes, I did like she owns up to them and makes up for it. The romance between these two was simply perfect---very sweet and tender and quite a few tear jerking moments. This aspect really surprised me because I was expected such a soft side to their relationship especially considering the intense tone of the plot with them in danger constantly. It does leave us with a HFN type of ending, I do know that book 2 is a continuation of this same couple so I am pretty excited for that.
The Cover
LOVE it!! Its the perfect sci fi romance cover....sensual and so blue
Overall View
Gabriel's Ghost is a intense and action packed romance that takes us across the galaxy and into a world of redemption, love and fighting for what is right over what is easy!
Click On Image For Buy Link
[foogallery id="23210"]
Summary
Chasidah, was once highly respected as a ships pilot of the sixth fleet, but when someone spread lies about her, she was wrongfully convicted of crimes that she didn't commit, and sent to a prison world but she managed to escape with the help of a man that is a ghost to her: a man she thought she cared for deeply but yet was her enemy: Gabriel Sullivan. He offers to help her escape in return for her badass and creative knowledge to disband breeding labs that are killing innocent women in a very brutal way. Chasidah, knows the harm they these labs could create, but through their journey they discover treachery of those they trust and that these plans go very high in all forms of military and government. Very few can they trust. But Gabriel and Chasidah will rekindle old flames and find a love worth fighting and even dying for...
The Hero
Gabriel Sullivan, or also known as "Sully" is a pirate, rogue and managed to fake his own death so he could be a "ghost". Sully has a past where if the knowledge was fully revealed, then he would be hated and despised by many including the one woman he has held his heart for. Gabriel is a man that is alpha when he needs to be, proud, a fighter and cunning and over protective especially of his closest friends. Sully is a hero you could cheer for, I loved him to pieces. It was quite fun to see more and more depths to his character come shining through the story. and man, the more you learn about him, the more you like. Even though he does keep some things about himself a secret, I understood fully why.
The Heroine
Chasidah, grew up being raised by her mother who was a fighter herself. She is a heroine that is passionate and a fighter and doesn't back down from a fight. I loved how courageous and brave she could in the most toughest of conditions. For the most part she is fairly level headed but can be quite stubborn about certain things. I did feel that she held things against Sully "too long" and Ren had to beat some sense into her every once in a while. I did love her personality---it was sassy yet sweet at times. I did like how practical she was and saw the bigger picture and could get the group of them out of trouble pretty quickly.
Plot and Story Line
I am so glad I was able to pick this book up, and it reminded me why I love sci fi romance and wow it has been way too long since I have picked up this genre. Gabriel's Ghost is the first book in this series, and its a story of a mix of enemies to lovers and second chance romance tropes. Our hero has been in love with Chasidah for seven years, and I loved how he fights for her even when she is being a bit unforgiving at times and unaccepting of who he is.
You have all of me. All that I am is yours.
He does keep secrets from her, but in all honesty, I supported the reasons why. We see how much his "kind" is despised and literally hated, so the last thing he wants is the woman he would die for to hate him too. So he gives her the truth in increments. I respected this aspect of his character, because you see how torn he is many times through the book so my heart just ached for him and the kind of life he has had to live.
Chasidah. Angel. I love you beyond all measure. That is the only real truth.
Also one of the side characters...Ren is amazing with his long blue hair and six webbed fingers. He is a bit of a sweetie, and a romantic at heart because he is always helping these two get past their issues. We see the story through the heroine's POV---so we see how she deals with situations and even though she does make mistakes, I did like she owns up to them and makes up for it. The romance between these two was simply perfect---very sweet and tender and quite a few tear jerking moments. This aspect really surprised me because I was expected such a soft side to their relationship especially considering the intense tone of the plot with them in danger constantly. It does leave us with a HFN type of ending, I do know that book 2 is a continuation of this same couple so I am pretty excited for that.
The Cover
LOVE it!! Its the perfect sci fi romance cover....sensual and so blue
Overall View
Gabriel's Ghost is a intense and action packed romance that takes us across the galaxy and into a world of redemption, love and fighting for what is right over what is easy!
Click On Image For Buy Link
[foogallery id="23210"]
February 6, 2023
I started Gabriel’s Ghost with very low expectations, but what a great surprise: this space opera was a wonderful read!
Both protagonists are realistic and very likable. Chasiday Bergren (Chaz) is everything I like in a female lead. She is independent, strong-willed, determined and level headed, nonetheless feminine and not without indecisions and fears. Linnea Sinclair builds a great hero in Gabriel Sullivan (Sully): a mercenary and smuggler, gorgeous and easy to get along he may appear superficial, but there is more to him. As secrets are revealed, we get to know Sully’s inner emotions, making him an engaging and enigmatic character.
They used to be on opposite sides, but as Sully rescues Chaz from a planet prison where she’s confined after been wrongly court martialed, everything changes. From there a superb plot develops, we get an abundance of adventure, mystery, betrayals and romance. The secondary characters only add to the story, Ren particularly.
Amazing from start to end, I highly recommend Gabriel’s Ghost.
Both protagonists are realistic and very likable. Chasiday Bergren (Chaz) is everything I like in a female lead. She is independent, strong-willed, determined and level headed, nonetheless feminine and not without indecisions and fears. Linnea Sinclair builds a great hero in Gabriel Sullivan (Sully): a mercenary and smuggler, gorgeous and easy to get along he may appear superficial, but there is more to him. As secrets are revealed, we get to know Sully’s inner emotions, making him an engaging and enigmatic character.
They used to be on opposite sides, but as Sully rescues Chaz from a planet prison where she’s confined after been wrongly court martialed, everything changes. From there a superb plot develops, we get an abundance of adventure, mystery, betrayals and romance. The secondary characters only add to the story, Ren particularly.
Amazing from start to end, I highly recommend Gabriel’s Ghost.
February 10, 2012
I have read two other novel by Ms Linnea. I really liked Finders Keepers and liked enough Games of Command. Gabriel's Ghost had higher reviews, so I expected it to be better. This may have been my downfall. :)
While reading Gabriel's Ghost I kept feeling echos, like a sonar, of stories past by. I know genre fiction is often formulaic. Hell, all stories are formulaic at hearth. Love stories, whether comedies or tragedies, are built on the lines of girl meets boys, problems ensue, HEA or tragedy struck.
But here I re-read pieces of her other novels.
-Enemies who liked each other from their bridges and flirted through war (deja vu)
-Non human male (deja vu)
-He loves her in secret and writes letter to her
-Government lies (deja vu)
-And it goes on and on.
The plot was different, but the details weren't engrossing enough to make me forget the common mold.
To this I have to add a few other cons for me.
-Gabriel: supercilious ass if I ever read of one. I would have gladly stomped on him as a bug.
-Chaz: she is supposed to be this good (brilliant?) Fleet captain wrongfully accused and sentenced to a term literally worse than death. Do you see her intelligence? No. She appears this naive country girl whose only focus is avoiding being a fool (aka she has no self confidence). She trusts Gabriel and his crew in a flash, she may doubts him/them sometimes, but at the end she always trust them. After a life of being told telepath are monsters, she trusts one in a day (or a couple). Same apply with the other details.
Hell, she has being betrayed by her system, but she still believes....Does she look brilliant to you? Does she sound military? I'm not an expert at all. Still I wouldn't believe they know no paranoia..
-Insta-love. I'm starting to hate this trope. These two have flirted by proxies (their bridges/ships) for years. Have kissed once. Does this make love? No, it may make some hot sex at the end of the teasing, but not love. You are dumped in a love story mid way with no way (pun intended) to believe it.
-The language. To explain empathy and auras, Ms Sinclair keeps repeating they are like rainbows. It got annoying after a while. When Chaz send Gabriel rainbows I stopped reading.
I may try again. But at the moment it was a fail reading.
While reading Gabriel's Ghost I kept feeling echos, like a sonar, of stories past by. I know genre fiction is often formulaic. Hell, all stories are formulaic at hearth. Love stories, whether comedies or tragedies, are built on the lines of girl meets boys, problems ensue, HEA or tragedy struck.
But here I re-read pieces of her other novels.
-Enemies who liked each other from their bridges and flirted through war (deja vu)
-Non human male (deja vu)
-He loves her in secret and writes letter to her
-Government lies (deja vu)
-And it goes on and on.
The plot was different, but the details weren't engrossing enough to make me forget the common mold.
To this I have to add a few other cons for me.
-Gabriel: supercilious ass if I ever read of one. I would have gladly stomped on him as a bug.
-Chaz: she is supposed to be this good (brilliant?) Fleet captain wrongfully accused and sentenced to a term literally worse than death. Do you see her intelligence? No. She appears this naive country girl whose only focus is avoiding being a fool (aka she has no self confidence). She trusts Gabriel and his crew in a flash, she may doubts him/them sometimes, but at the end she always trust them. After a life of being told telepath are monsters, she trusts one in a day (or a couple). Same apply with the other details.
Hell, she has being betrayed by her system, but she still believes....Does she look brilliant to you? Does she sound military? I'm not an expert at all. Still I wouldn't believe they know no paranoia..
-Insta-love. I'm starting to hate this trope. These two have flirted by proxies (their bridges/ships) for years. Have kissed once. Does this make love? No, it may make some hot sex at the end of the teasing, but not love. You are dumped in a love story mid way with no way (pun intended) to believe it.
-The language. To explain empathy and auras, Ms Sinclair keeps repeating they are like rainbows. It got annoying after a while. When Chaz send Gabriel rainbows I stopped reading.
I may try again. But at the moment it was a fail reading.
March 25, 2015
I actually finished this a couple of nights ago, but didn't want to rate it yet because I wasn't sure it wouldn't be affected by my well publicised Sirantha Jax hangover. And, this book reads a whole bunch like fan fiction. According to GR, this book came before Grimspace - which would make Grimspace the fanfic. EGADS!
In my head though, Jax will always come first.
I plan to start book II tonight and may come back to this laters because I'm almost certain I'm not being fair. Surely I can't really hate EVERYTHING at the moment.
I miss you Jax. The sun doesn't shine as bright, the grass isn't as green, food doesn't taste as good, nothing is the same anymore. I'm ruined.
In my head though, Jax will always come first.
I plan to start book II tonight and may come back to this laters because I'm almost certain I'm not being fair. Surely I can't really hate EVERYTHING at the moment.
I miss you Jax. The sun doesn't shine as bright, the grass isn't as green, food doesn't taste as good, nothing is the same anymore. I'm ruined.
January 17, 2011
**3.5**
Gabriel’s Ghost is absorbing, both in terms of its sci-fi elements and its romantic underpinnings. It’s not as gripping as my favorite of the genre, Grimspace, but it’s a solid read with characters to root for.
Within the first few lines, Linnea Sinclair establishes the narrator, Chasidah Bergren, as a strong-willed, level-headed heroine. Chaz is capable of taking care of herself. She assesses situations quickly, gathering facts and objectively analyzing them. However, she’s not the stereotypical hard-ass. Although she reached the rank of Captain while in the Imperial Fleet, she seems to have done so without subsuming her feminine side. She resists her attraction to Gabriel Sullivan, but only for practical reasons. She never denies feeling a strong pull towards him and even flirts with him willingly in moments she feels at ease. She’s a likable character.
In many ways, Gabriel Sullivan fits the rogue archetype: devastatingly handsome, overtly masculine, with a magnetic sexual personality he uses to full advantage. He’s got a “wicked, wicked” smile, and an infinite talent for skirting around the law. That’s Sully on the surface. As the story progresses and secrets are revealed, Sinclair grants him more depth of emotion - making him a sympathetic and engaging character who’s not as cocksure as he seems.
(My favorite character may be Ren, though. I seem to have a big ol’ soft spot for aliens befriended by heroines - Sirantha Jax’s Vel, anyone?)
The romance between Sully and Chas often frustrated me. They would come to an understanding, only to backtrack significantly as more information came to the fore. Although Chas had a right to her confusion and fears, her repeatedly renewed outrage at Sully grated on me. I couldn’t help but feel the romance suffered some as Sully withstood several emotional beatings. Not that Sully does himself any favors. He withholds a great deal of information from Chaz, and the truth is always revealed at the most damaging moments.
While Sully’s secrets and Chaz’ quickly ignited fear undermined their closeness, the two still have undeniable chemistry. The moments in which they come together are very strong; it’s the strength of that connection that makes all the miscommunications and misgivings so frustrating! I’m glad to hear the next book delves into these characters more. It’ll be great to see how their relationship progresses now that (hopefully) everything is out in the open.
The sci-fi elements are pervasive but never overwhelming. As my friends and I discussed, this would be a good transition book for PNR fans sampling the SFR genre. The characters - which include non-humans - travel from an inhospitable planet to several space stations, navigating through different sectors and using jumpgates to cross large distances. Tech-speak is woven throughout the story, and in most cases Sinclair allows the context clues to define the new vocabulary. It’s easily understood and doesn’t hamper the flow. The pace slows down during travel from one stop to the next, but that’s simple to overlook compared to the emotional turmoil and explosive action scenes. The over-arching plot is one of political intrigue and conspiracy, and Sinclair does a good job of making everyone seem suspect. Protagonists against the Big Bad Corporation/Government/Mogul is a bit played out, but Sinclair makes it engaging.
Gabriel’s Ghost wraps up at an appropriate scene. It finalises the action of the moment, but makes it clear there’s much more intrigue and tension to come. Sinclair has done her job well - so well that I’ve already downloaded the sequel, Shades of Dark, and I’m curious about everything else the Dock Five Universe will offer.
Gabriel’s Ghost is absorbing, both in terms of its sci-fi elements and its romantic underpinnings. It’s not as gripping as my favorite of the genre, Grimspace, but it’s a solid read with characters to root for.
Within the first few lines, Linnea Sinclair establishes the narrator, Chasidah Bergren, as a strong-willed, level-headed heroine. Chaz is capable of taking care of herself. She assesses situations quickly, gathering facts and objectively analyzing them. However, she’s not the stereotypical hard-ass. Although she reached the rank of Captain while in the Imperial Fleet, she seems to have done so without subsuming her feminine side. She resists her attraction to Gabriel Sullivan, but only for practical reasons. She never denies feeling a strong pull towards him and even flirts with him willingly in moments she feels at ease. She’s a likable character.
In many ways, Gabriel Sullivan fits the rogue archetype: devastatingly handsome, overtly masculine, with a magnetic sexual personality he uses to full advantage. He’s got a “wicked, wicked” smile, and an infinite talent for skirting around the law. That’s Sully on the surface. As the story progresses and secrets are revealed, Sinclair grants him more depth of emotion - making him a sympathetic and engaging character who’s not as cocksure as he seems.
(My favorite character may be Ren, though. I seem to have a big ol’ soft spot for aliens befriended by heroines - Sirantha Jax’s Vel, anyone?)
The romance between Sully and Chas often frustrated me. They would come to an understanding, only to backtrack significantly as more information came to the fore. Although Chas had a right to her confusion and fears, her repeatedly renewed outrage at Sully grated on me. I couldn’t help but feel the romance suffered some as Sully withstood several emotional beatings. Not that Sully does himself any favors. He withholds a great deal of information from Chaz, and the truth is always revealed at the most damaging moments.
While Sully’s secrets and Chaz’ quickly ignited fear undermined their closeness, the two still have undeniable chemistry. The moments in which they come together are very strong; it’s the strength of that connection that makes all the miscommunications and misgivings so frustrating! I’m glad to hear the next book delves into these characters more. It’ll be great to see how their relationship progresses now that (hopefully) everything is out in the open.
The sci-fi elements are pervasive but never overwhelming. As my friends and I discussed, this would be a good transition book for PNR fans sampling the SFR genre. The characters - which include non-humans - travel from an inhospitable planet to several space stations, navigating through different sectors and using jumpgates to cross large distances. Tech-speak is woven throughout the story, and in most cases Sinclair allows the context clues to define the new vocabulary. It’s easily understood and doesn’t hamper the flow. The pace slows down during travel from one stop to the next, but that’s simple to overlook compared to the emotional turmoil and explosive action scenes. The over-arching plot is one of political intrigue and conspiracy, and Sinclair does a good job of making everyone seem suspect. Protagonists against the Big Bad Corporation/Government/Mogul is a bit played out, but Sinclair makes it engaging.
Gabriel’s Ghost wraps up at an appropriate scene. It finalises the action of the moment, but makes it clear there’s much more intrigue and tension to come. Sinclair has done her job well - so well that I’ve already downloaded the sequel, Shades of Dark, and I’m curious about everything else the Dock Five Universe will offer.
March 31, 2016
The first book in Linnea Sinclair's Dock Five Universe series. Chasidah Bergren, formerly Captain in the Sixth Fleet, is now stuck on a prison planet after a court-martial for crimes she didn't commit. Chasidah does what she must to survive and now she has just killed a guard who tried to rape her. Then a familiar face from the past appears. Gabriel Sullivan was supposed to be dead but it's not a ghost that Chaz sees. "Sully" has come to get Chaz off the planet and together they must work to find out who is recreating the murderous jukors that were once destroyed. They don't know who they can trust and sometimes even doubt their trust in one another as they rush to save the day.
I have been on a roll with Science Fiction Romance for a few weeks. I just keep wanting more. While this is a romance it is teeming with action and excitement. It puts me into a world that reminds me of Star Wars and Star Trek combined. In a galaxy far, far away.... Well I enjoyed it and I am going on to the next book in the series.
I have been on a roll with Science Fiction Romance for a few weeks. I just keep wanting more. While this is a romance it is teeming with action and excitement. It puts me into a world that reminds me of Star Wars and Star Trek combined. In a galaxy far, far away.... Well I enjoyed it and I am going on to the next book in the series.
May 4, 2008
I have read this fabulous story a few times already, but the sequel is coming out soon, and I am re-reading it again for a smooth transition to Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair.(The Sequel).
This book is for anyone who adores SFR. The hero is welcome to move in here with me anytime he so wishes. Did I mention that he is drop dead gorgeous, has supernatural powers, and can help you get to sleep when he is not busy saving your life? The heroine is feisty, smart, brave, and pretty. I wish I were her, after the story starts I really wish I were her.
Excellent story, Great Adventure, Outer Space, fun supporting characters, serious situation to be dealt with, and a sequel coming soon to a bookstore near you! What more could a reader want?
This book is for anyone who adores SFR. The hero is welcome to move in here with me anytime he so wishes. Did I mention that he is drop dead gorgeous, has supernatural powers, and can help you get to sleep when he is not busy saving your life? The heroine is feisty, smart, brave, and pretty. I wish I were her, after the story starts I really wish I were her.
Excellent story, Great Adventure, Outer Space, fun supporting characters, serious situation to be dealt with, and a sequel coming soon to a bookstore near you! What more could a reader want?
November 7, 2016
This book reminds me that need to read more science fiction. Well done, with just the right amount of romance. I have to get the rest of the series in my calendar..
July 3, 2011
I think I liked this more than Sinclair's Finders Keepers. There was a bit more depth, though still nothing extraordinary. The characters were well developed. I was beginning to think the characters would continue to develop throughout the book but I fear it ended up being more of a case of *in my game show voice* let's reveal the next thing someone can do! And always in the midst of an action sequence. Forbid that the characters would discover anything while sitting down and talking.
But this is a adventure romance, so some of the action-oriented reveals were to be expected, and I do not mean to come across as not having enjoyed the book. I had a lot of fun reading it and I truly liked the characters, especially Ren. There is a resolution of sorts at the end, no true cliffhanger, but I desperately wanted to see what would happen next so I immediately began reading what I thought was book 2, only to finish a chapter of An Accidental Goddess before I was so frustrated, I looked up the series, something I should have done first, and realized my mistake. I am very happy to learn that this book continues in Shades of Dark with the same characters, which I will probably begin tonight.
But this is a adventure romance, so some of the action-oriented reveals were to be expected, and I do not mean to come across as not having enjoyed the book. I had a lot of fun reading it and I truly liked the characters, especially Ren. There is a resolution of sorts at the end, no true cliffhanger, but I desperately wanted to see what would happen next so I immediately began reading what I thought was book 2, only to finish a chapter of An Accidental Goddess before I was so frustrated, I looked up the series, something I should have done first, and realized my mistake. I am very happy to learn that this book continues in Shades of Dark with the same characters, which I will probably begin tonight.
July 13, 2018
I’ll admit, it took me a little while to really get into this book. But I have read from this author before, and I enjoyed the other book so much, I really wanted to give this a chance. I’m so glad that I did because I totally ended up a fan of this one too.
The story centers on Chas, a pilot who was convicted of a crime she did not commit and sentenced to spend the rest of her life on a dangerous prison planet. But after just a few weeks there, she is rescued by an unlikely savior. Chas thought Gabriel Sullivan had been dead for two years. Before then, she had gone round and round in small skirmishes with the rogue space pirate. They’d even shared kisses. But she did not think she could trust him. Now she doesn’t have much of a choice.
So his rescue plans involve sneaking Chas out under the guise of a religious group. One of his closest companions is Wren, who we learn is part of a race reviled for their telepathic abilities. Only Wren’s skills are largely muted because he is blind. Can I just stop and tell you how much I loved this character? He is such a gentle soul and it was lovely to see the friendship that formed between him and Chas. It also laid the groundwork for difficult discoveries and personal truths she would have to face as the book progressed.
Anyway, so he did not rescue her from the goodness of his heart. He is on a mission and he needs her skills to help him. Of course, there’s more to it than that. He is nursing some serious feelings from their history together. But they are so deliciously tangled by the secrets he is withholding. Secrets that are peeled away just a little bit at a time. And Chas is packing some surprises of her own. I loved watching all of this unfold. The author kept me engaged throughout and I was never entirely sure what was going to happen next.
The romance is… complicated. And it gave me lots of feels. The world building is great. There is a solid plot and plenty of action. Other than the quasi-slow start, I really only have good things to say here. If you are looking for a sci-fi romance, I would definitely recommend this one. Now I am going to go hunt for whatever else is in Linnea Sinclair’s backlist.
Rating: B/B+
The story centers on Chas, a pilot who was convicted of a crime she did not commit and sentenced to spend the rest of her life on a dangerous prison planet. But after just a few weeks there, she is rescued by an unlikely savior. Chas thought Gabriel Sullivan had been dead for two years. Before then, she had gone round and round in small skirmishes with the rogue space pirate. They’d even shared kisses. But she did not think she could trust him. Now she doesn’t have much of a choice.
So his rescue plans involve sneaking Chas out under the guise of a religious group. One of his closest companions is Wren, who we learn is part of a race reviled for their telepathic abilities. Only Wren’s skills are largely muted because he is blind. Can I just stop and tell you how much I loved this character? He is such a gentle soul and it was lovely to see the friendship that formed between him and Chas. It also laid the groundwork for difficult discoveries and personal truths she would have to face as the book progressed.
Anyway, so he did not rescue her from the goodness of his heart. He is on a mission and he needs her skills to help him. Of course, there’s more to it than that. He is nursing some serious feelings from their history together. But they are so deliciously tangled by the secrets he is withholding. Secrets that are peeled away just a little bit at a time. And Chas is packing some surprises of her own. I loved watching all of this unfold. The author kept me engaged throughout and I was never entirely sure what was going to happen next.
The romance is… complicated. And it gave me lots of feels. The world building is great. There is a solid plot and plenty of action. Other than the quasi-slow start, I really only have good things to say here. If you are looking for a sci-fi romance, I would definitely recommend this one. Now I am going to go hunt for whatever else is in Linnea Sinclair’s backlist.
Rating: B/B+
March 24, 2008
Predictable romance tropes and unstellar science fiction, alas. Written decently enough that I got through it, but the world's a typical sort of creation with multiple species, telepathy, and a standard galactic military -- sort of a Star Trek Lite variation.
The guy's the sort who adores the girl passionately, has one of those wicked grins, yet requires her acceptance to prop up his secret sensitive innermost self.
All in all, not creative enough for my tastes.
The guy's the sort who adores the girl passionately, has one of those wicked grins, yet requires her acceptance to prop up his secret sensitive innermost self.
All in all, not creative enough for my tastes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2016
It's hard to come by a decent romance with an actual plot. I started this book since it was already in my pile and I had little time to search for another book. My first Linnea Sinclair -- it turned into a really good, solid story, despite that grimace-inducing cover. I'm surprised it didn't rate higher. I'm surprised it rated lower than Grimspace (which did not live up to the reviews. at all.).
The Romance Plotline
Some reviewers marked this down to be insta-love. Really? That's surprising. At the start of the book, they stumble across each other on Moabar, the boonies planet set up to be a prison. Chaz (the heroine) was sent there on drummed up charges. Sully (the hero) has been presumed dead for two years. But they have a history going way back, on either side of the law. Chaz is the equivalent of the high seas patrol. Sully is the equivalent of a pirate/smuggler. They've even shared a smooch or two at a seedy bar when both were buzzed. It's not unnatural; both are accounted to be good-looking by the other person.
But whatever the case may be, Chaz is suspicious of Sully and his offer to break her out of prison (seeing as how survival on this creepy planet has an expiration date). He smirks and gives her come-on lines. She thinks it's per his MO. There are moments when he reaches for her and you (the reader) knows that he's into her, her mind is on her mission. Even as she acknowledges his attractiveness, she remains wary of him. Good on her.
This lack of insta-love is part of the book. It was a good halfway into the book before they started to trust each other more. Some reviewers thought that his constant "trust me" refrain was annoying. I get that. I could also posit that she was super untrusting and ready to bolt whenever she found out something new about him.
Sully might have come across as being a perv. I mean, the guy cannot keep his hands off Chaz. At one point, I really did want him to stop it, since in her shoes, I would have shoved him up against the wall and warned him off against the tip of my dagger. After all, she's on a hair-trigger reflex, having just been set up and sent to prison-planet. I didn't blame her for not trusting him, even in a romantic way, because he really came off as the last person you'd trust to be in a relationship with.
But as with all romances with an arrogant, flirty bastard, it all came together for me when you realize that that his thing for her goes back years, and that it was all part of his schema to win her over eventually, and that every little rejection from her of him hurts, because he's so invested. His torch for her goes back beyond her past, her trial and subsequent sentence, and beyond his advances when she thinks he's just drunk.
There's the necessary misunderstanding because he has secrets, secrets he keep close because she's shown from the outset how much such a thing bothers/frightens/disgusts her, and he's so desperate to keep her that he is afraid of revealing too much. Did I love Sully as he came across initially? No, he was annoying. But his actions were definitely justified.
So, on those grounds, the book works, even as a pure romance novel, culled of all alien/political/sci-fi plotline.
The Sci-fi Plot
Heroine Chaz is set up and sent to prison camp, and hero Sully appears to break her out, with the proviso that she, with the necessary military intel of the inner workings and schema of the base camp ([planet?] Marker, where all ships dock), works with his team in his anti-government bombing an evil facility.
Of course, she's not totally for this plan to start with, until she finds out that the evil facility is a plot by some higher-ups to breed outlawed genetic killer animals in order to grasp control of the Empire. This plot is only uncovered by them step by step as it wasn't clear who was behind the program and the motive. The killer animals were particularly despicable because the facility had to use kidnapped Taka females (a humanoid race) forced to breed at the cost of their lives. This program was also because of fears of Stolorth (a humanoid race thought to be telepathic), because these killer animals (Jukor?) were unaffected by telepathic abilities.
The Stolorth race, or those with Kyi-Ragkiril abilities (the uppermost level of telepathic abilities, apparently includes telekinetic powers, powers of illusion, mind control, even flight), are abhorred and also misunderstood. Picture Jean Grey in the X-Men, and that's kind of how it is. There are people like Jean Grey, and then there are people like the Phoenix, but the Phoenix is what people are picturing when they think of telepathy in this world.
THE BIG REVEAL -- SPOILERS up the wazoo
I'm sure there were some other issues to be had with the mystery behind who their saboteur was, but all in all, this was a pretty good book. I almost didn't feel the length (over 400 pages, not to be sneezed at when you've limited time). A solid plot, a heroine who isn't falling all over the hero, a hero who turned out to be pretty awesome, in a dark, tortured superhero sort of way (even though he really shouldn't have been dark and tortured, but revered as a god, seriously, people)...there's not much to dislike about this book.
The Romance Plotline
Some reviewers marked this down to be insta-love. Really? That's surprising. At the start of the book, they stumble across each other on Moabar, the boonies planet set up to be a prison. Chaz (the heroine) was sent there on drummed up charges. Sully (the hero) has been presumed dead for two years. But they have a history going way back, on either side of the law. Chaz is the equivalent of the high seas patrol. Sully is the equivalent of a pirate/smuggler. They've even shared a smooch or two at a seedy bar when both were buzzed. It's not unnatural; both are accounted to be good-looking by the other person.
But whatever the case may be, Chaz is suspicious of Sully and his offer to break her out of prison (seeing as how survival on this creepy planet has an expiration date). He smirks and gives her come-on lines. She thinks it's per his MO. There are moments when he reaches for her and you (the reader) knows that he's into her, her mind is on her mission. Even as she acknowledges his attractiveness, she remains wary of him. Good on her.
This lack of insta-love is part of the book. It was a good halfway into the book before they started to trust each other more. Some reviewers thought that his constant "trust me" refrain was annoying. I get that. I could also posit that she was super untrusting and ready to bolt whenever she found out something new about him.
Sully might have come across as being a perv. I mean, the guy cannot keep his hands off Chaz. At one point, I really did want him to stop it, since in her shoes, I would have shoved him up against the wall and warned him off against the tip of my dagger. After all, she's on a hair-trigger reflex, having just been set up and sent to prison-planet. I didn't blame her for not trusting him, even in a romantic way, because he really came off as the last person you'd trust to be in a relationship with.
But as with all romances with an arrogant, flirty bastard, it all came together for me when you realize that that his thing for her goes back years, and that it was all part of his schema to win her over eventually, and that every little rejection from her of him hurts, because he's so invested. His torch for her goes back beyond her past, her trial and subsequent sentence, and beyond his advances when she thinks he's just drunk.
There's the necessary misunderstanding because he has secrets, secrets he keep close because she's shown from the outset how much such a thing bothers/frightens/disgusts her, and he's so desperate to keep her that he is afraid of revealing too much. Did I love Sully as he came across initially? No, he was annoying. But his actions were definitely justified.
So, on those grounds, the book works, even as a pure romance novel, culled of all alien/political/sci-fi plotline.
The Sci-fi Plot
Heroine Chaz is set up and sent to prison camp, and hero Sully appears to break her out, with the proviso that she, with the necessary military intel of the inner workings and schema of the base camp ([planet?] Marker, where all ships dock), works with his team in his anti-government bombing an evil facility.
Of course, she's not totally for this plan to start with, until she finds out that the evil facility is a plot by some higher-ups to breed outlawed genetic killer animals in order to grasp control of the Empire. This plot is only uncovered by them step by step as it wasn't clear who was behind the program and the motive. The killer animals were particularly despicable because the facility had to use kidnapped Taka females (a humanoid race) forced to breed at the cost of their lives. This program was also because of fears of Stolorth (a humanoid race thought to be telepathic), because these killer animals (Jukor?) were unaffected by telepathic abilities.
The Stolorth race, or those with Kyi-Ragkiril abilities (the uppermost level of telepathic abilities, apparently includes telekinetic powers, powers of illusion, mind control, even flight), are abhorred and also misunderstood. Picture Jean Grey in the X-Men, and that's kind of how it is. There are people like Jean Grey, and then there are people like the Phoenix, but the Phoenix is what people are picturing when they think of telepathy in this world.
THE BIG REVEAL -- SPOILERS up the wazoo
I'm sure there were some other issues to be had with the mystery behind who their saboteur was, but all in all, this was a pretty good book. I almost didn't feel the length (over 400 pages, not to be sneezed at when you've limited time). A solid plot, a heroine who isn't falling all over the hero, a hero who turned out to be pretty awesome, in a dark, tortured superhero sort of way (even though he really shouldn't have been dark and tortured, but revered as a god, seriously, people)...there's not much to dislike about this book.
December 22, 2008
Incredible Sci-Fi that’ll take you for a ride!
Stripped of her post as Captain for the interstellar Sixth Fleet after being convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Chasidah “Chaz’ Bergren is sent to Moabar prison planet, with only her Grizni dagger to protect and defend herself.
Just when she defends herself and kills a Taka, she comes face-to-face with Gabriel “Sully” Ross Sullivan, the legendary mercenary and scoundrel, whom she’d met several times before. Chaz is sure Sully loved the chases then. But meeting up with him now is a surprise, considering he’s supposed to be dead. Mind you, the dead man still looks as good as he did then.
Sully has a proposal for Chaz; in return for her help and services for his mission, he’ll get her off of Moabar and help clear her name.
She accepts and wonders if she’ll regret it.
Racing from one station to the next, Chaz learns that someone is breeding “jukors”; uncontrollable monsters. However, Sully has learned of a new gen-lab breeding these monsters, and using Takan females as incubators. Sully is determined to put a stop to it.
The question is: who can they trust? Who’s behind the gen-labs? How high up the chain of command does it go? For recent reports gleamed by inside informants say the lab is on Marker, where the Empire is based.
And all the while trying to determine answers to those questions, Chaz is falling for Sully more and more, even when she refuses to be on that “long list of confused women” that Sully is purported to have left behind in his wake. And despite not wanting to be on that “long list”, Chaz is falling in love with him.
But Sully isn’t everything he plays himself to be. Sully is an Empath, a Telephath, and then Chaz finds out he’s something more. Can she push past those barriers she was taught to put up against someone, something like Sully, or will her decision be lead by her heart?
Oh, did I so enjoy this story!
At first, I worried. I’m not usually one who likes a story narrated in first-person. While I sometimes have a hard time reading stories told that way, this in no way hampered this book. In fact, I think the story being told by Chaz herself adds to the book - I can’t see it as a third-person story.
The action starts immediately and pretty much doesn’t let up, no matter which kind of action, defending one’s self and others or heating up the sheets. As the story grows, so do the characters, coming full circle from start to finish, and is more than satisfying to this reader. Add in mystery with amazing characters, primary and secondary, and you have the makings of an amazing book.
Chaz is a strong woman, more than capable in defending herself, and like Sully, believes the gen-labs needs to be stopped, is willing to do what is necessary to see them stopped. She knows she’d been framed, doesn’t want to believe that someone close to her helped put her there, but she needs to get to the bottom of it, even if she doesn’t like the truth.
Sully is Alpha through and through; strong, brave, forceful, incorrigible, and protects those he loves and cares about with a fierceness that will steal a reader’s breath. But Sully also hurts more than most, for he hides a deep, dark secret, one that he knows very few will accept. Only one person truly knows what he is, and he’s hoping Chaz will be the second, for he truly loves her deeply, and to be rejected by her would surely put an end to the Sully we grow to love.
Incredible from start to finish, the story will suck you in and leave you with a sigh of contentment when finished. I can’t wait to get my hands on Shades of Dark, book #2 in this series. Awesome job, Ms. Sinclair!
Stripped of her post as Captain for the interstellar Sixth Fleet after being convicted of a crime she didn’t commit, Chasidah “Chaz’ Bergren is sent to Moabar prison planet, with only her Grizni dagger to protect and defend herself.
Just when she defends herself and kills a Taka, she comes face-to-face with Gabriel “Sully” Ross Sullivan, the legendary mercenary and scoundrel, whom she’d met several times before. Chaz is sure Sully loved the chases then. But meeting up with him now is a surprise, considering he’s supposed to be dead. Mind you, the dead man still looks as good as he did then.
Sully has a proposal for Chaz; in return for her help and services for his mission, he’ll get her off of Moabar and help clear her name.
She accepts and wonders if she’ll regret it.
Racing from one station to the next, Chaz learns that someone is breeding “jukors”; uncontrollable monsters. However, Sully has learned of a new gen-lab breeding these monsters, and using Takan females as incubators. Sully is determined to put a stop to it.
The question is: who can they trust? Who’s behind the gen-labs? How high up the chain of command does it go? For recent reports gleamed by inside informants say the lab is on Marker, where the Empire is based.
And all the while trying to determine answers to those questions, Chaz is falling for Sully more and more, even when she refuses to be on that “long list of confused women” that Sully is purported to have left behind in his wake. And despite not wanting to be on that “long list”, Chaz is falling in love with him.
But Sully isn’t everything he plays himself to be. Sully is an Empath, a Telephath, and then Chaz finds out he’s something more. Can she push past those barriers she was taught to put up against someone, something like Sully, or will her decision be lead by her heart?
Oh, did I so enjoy this story!
At first, I worried. I’m not usually one who likes a story narrated in first-person. While I sometimes have a hard time reading stories told that way, this in no way hampered this book. In fact, I think the story being told by Chaz herself adds to the book - I can’t see it as a third-person story.
The action starts immediately and pretty much doesn’t let up, no matter which kind of action, defending one’s self and others or heating up the sheets. As the story grows, so do the characters, coming full circle from start to finish, and is more than satisfying to this reader. Add in mystery with amazing characters, primary and secondary, and you have the makings of an amazing book.
Chaz is a strong woman, more than capable in defending herself, and like Sully, believes the gen-labs needs to be stopped, is willing to do what is necessary to see them stopped. She knows she’d been framed, doesn’t want to believe that someone close to her helped put her there, but she needs to get to the bottom of it, even if she doesn’t like the truth.
Sully is Alpha through and through; strong, brave, forceful, incorrigible, and protects those he loves and cares about with a fierceness that will steal a reader’s breath. But Sully also hurts more than most, for he hides a deep, dark secret, one that he knows very few will accept. Only one person truly knows what he is, and he’s hoping Chaz will be the second, for he truly loves her deeply, and to be rejected by her would surely put an end to the Sully we grow to love.
Incredible from start to finish, the story will suck you in and leave you with a sigh of contentment when finished. I can’t wait to get my hands on Shades of Dark, book #2 in this series. Awesome job, Ms. Sinclair!
July 3, 2008
What a fabulous read. "Gabriel's Ghost" by Linnea Sinclair is an amazing blend of romance, science fiction, fantasy, and suspense that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could. I broke down and picked up this book because its sequel "Shades of Dark" will hit the shelves on July 29, 2008 and I was curious as to whether or not to put it on my shopping list. I'm so glad I read this book and I already put the new one on my 'must buy' list!
Chaz is suspicious when she's 'rescued' from her unjust sentence on the prison planet by an old foe and almost lover. Gabriel was supposed to be dead, and Chaz had secretly mourned him...so what was he doing rescuing her? If they're caught, they'll both die. What's in it for him?
The emotions between these two jump off the page. Neither trusts the other at first, and both have old scars that need to be exposed and healed. As they work together to smoke out a group using kidnapped women to breed deadly animals, they gradually learn each others secrets and learn how to open themselves up to love.
The universe Sinclair creates is peopled with a plethora of fascinating aliens and interesting new worlds yet still struggles with prejudice, fear, love, forgiveness, religious fanaticism, greed, kindness, and betrayal. It's one hell of a story regardless of the setting. The heat between the lead characters is WWAAAYYYYY hot and very moving. To be accepted with all our differences and flaws is, to me, the essence of love and that's what this book is all about.
Chaz is suspicious when she's 'rescued' from her unjust sentence on the prison planet by an old foe and almost lover. Gabriel was supposed to be dead, and Chaz had secretly mourned him...so what was he doing rescuing her? If they're caught, they'll both die. What's in it for him?
The emotions between these two jump off the page. Neither trusts the other at first, and both have old scars that need to be exposed and healed. As they work together to smoke out a group using kidnapped women to breed deadly animals, they gradually learn each others secrets and learn how to open themselves up to love.
The universe Sinclair creates is peopled with a plethora of fascinating aliens and interesting new worlds yet still struggles with prejudice, fear, love, forgiveness, religious fanaticism, greed, kindness, and betrayal. It's one hell of a story regardless of the setting. The heat between the lead characters is WWAAAYYYYY hot and very moving. To be accepted with all our differences and flaws is, to me, the essence of love and that's what this book is all about.
May 30, 2012
I read this for the Vaginal Fantasy Hangout book club, so I suppose I should review it somewhat. Though I usually enjoy sci-fi, and generally enjoy romance, this book was pretty lame. The female lead started out seemingly strong-willed, independent, fierce, everything you could want in a sci-fi/romance heroine. Halfway through the book she turns into this wishy-washy, muddled femme-bot without two brain cells to rub together and it felt like she was constantly turning to one male or another to save her. The hero in the book starts out as the rakish pirate type who you want to hate yourself for liking, but again, halfway through the book, I just ended up hating him. He lied to the heroine constantly, justified his actions with some sad tales of woe from his past, and never learned from his mistakes, so continued to do the same things over and over again through the second half of the book. I truly wanted to like the book, it had the potential to be an excellent story, the ideas were original (for the most part) some of the secondary characters were truly lovable and well written, but the main characters were the sort of people I would avoid in public places if I knew them in real life. I won't be reading the rest of the series, or probably anything else by this author. The only reason I even gave it two stars, was that I truly liked one of the secondary characters enough that he made it worth finishing the book.
September 23, 2020
It has been several years since I read the author's Games of Command and fell in love with her writing style and her action-packed futuristic military space adventures and political intrigue. I was determined to pick up more of her books at some point and a series reading challenge produced the proper motivation to grab up Gabriel's Ghost and the rest of the Dock Five Universe. More military space opera, more futuristic political intrigue, and a captivating slow burn romance between a straight arrow disavowed space captain and a mysterious smuggler.
Captain Chasidah Bergren worked hard to earn her place in the fleet and comes from a history of military achievers, but someone set her up and she lands on a dangerous prison planet where the other prisoners and the environment are only the tip of the danger. On the night one of the guards tries to kill her, an old elusive nemesis shows up with a welcome proposition right about the time a horrendous and supposedly impossible beast, the Jukor, nearly eviscerates her.
Gabriel Ross Sullivan is supposed to be dead. Yet here is Sully willing to trade- her freedom for her help getting inside the Marker station to destroy a secret Jukor breeding lab. They are illegal and someone high up and powerful has started breeding them again. She doesn't trust Sully and especially when she spots a scary member of his crew, but she wants her freedom and she needs to help stop the breeding program. And, if she is honest, she is drawn to Sully in spite of his illegal activities and his secrets- secrets he slowly lets her in on. She can either get past her fear and trust or lose someone truly special.
Gabriel's Ghost jumps in with a pulse-pounding opening scene and has a few of those scattered throughout the book between a slow burn romance and journey of personal growth for Chaz. It's an unevenly-paced book. It has a repetitive nature that makes perfect sense and worked on one level for me, but annoyed the heck out of me on another. It's really my only niggle and I'll get into that after I chat a bit about the central figures.
Chaz is a central figure and the only narrator of the book. Her world was neat, orderly, and disciplined right up until it wasn't. She has a past that plays a factor in how she sees things just as much as her military training and world. Sully and his mission as well as his friend Ren come along at the low point in her life when she's lost everything she cared about when she was framed.
Sully was a devil may care dashing swashbuckler, but showed, as his life is revealed, that he was ever so much more. He's definitely one who took what he got and worked it as best he could. Even though Sully never gets to narrate, the reader gets to know him and everyone else through Chaz's eyes. Sully loves a woman with all he has, but he has dark secrets that he thinks will keep her from returning his feelings. This is the key to everything about him. Fortunately, Sully has a strong advocate.
And, that brings me to Ren, Sully's companion and mission partner. Ren is one who is feared and repudiated for his race. His race have powerful psychic abilities and have a reputation for using them to scramble human brains and more. Ren is not resentful and it is he who gets through to Chaz more than once when she needs a boot up the butt to get over herself and stop hurting Sully because she has her own issues. Ren is a beautiful and generous person and I adored this alien guy.
So my niggle... Chaz gets stuck in her head and particularly after each one of Sully's reveals. It is a series of thoughts/actions that cycle through the same halting progress of: something occurs that force a secret out of Sully, Chaz is duly shocked and goes through the hurt and anger and getting over herself to see that what and how he did it was necessary, but now she's scared and mistrustful once again while Sully has to reassure her as do Ren and others. Things are kosher and then we do it again at least a half-dozen times in the story. I'm pretty sure if most of us were faced with what Chaz was taught and what Sully revealed; we'd handle it worse so I'm cutting her some slack. It's not her reaction that causes the niggle; it's how many times the reader has to see her process like this that got wearying.
My niggle in no way ruined the sci-fi adventure or even the romance. I loved Chaz and Sully together and thought what they had together in the end was sensual, but also anchored strongly.
The last several chapters were explosive and riveting. The set up for the rest of the series is there and this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves things wide open for the grander scale series story to come. Sci-Fi Romance fans who enjoy military space opera should give this one a go.
Captain Chasidah Bergren worked hard to earn her place in the fleet and comes from a history of military achievers, but someone set her up and she lands on a dangerous prison planet where the other prisoners and the environment are only the tip of the danger. On the night one of the guards tries to kill her, an old elusive nemesis shows up with a welcome proposition right about the time a horrendous and supposedly impossible beast, the Jukor, nearly eviscerates her.
Gabriel Ross Sullivan is supposed to be dead. Yet here is Sully willing to trade- her freedom for her help getting inside the Marker station to destroy a secret Jukor breeding lab. They are illegal and someone high up and powerful has started breeding them again. She doesn't trust Sully and especially when she spots a scary member of his crew, but she wants her freedom and she needs to help stop the breeding program. And, if she is honest, she is drawn to Sully in spite of his illegal activities and his secrets- secrets he slowly lets her in on. She can either get past her fear and trust or lose someone truly special.
Gabriel's Ghost jumps in with a pulse-pounding opening scene and has a few of those scattered throughout the book between a slow burn romance and journey of personal growth for Chaz. It's an unevenly-paced book. It has a repetitive nature that makes perfect sense and worked on one level for me, but annoyed the heck out of me on another. It's really my only niggle and I'll get into that after I chat a bit about the central figures.
Chaz is a central figure and the only narrator of the book. Her world was neat, orderly, and disciplined right up until it wasn't. She has a past that plays a factor in how she sees things just as much as her military training and world. Sully and his mission as well as his friend Ren come along at the low point in her life when she's lost everything she cared about when she was framed.
Sully was a devil may care dashing swashbuckler, but showed, as his life is revealed, that he was ever so much more. He's definitely one who took what he got and worked it as best he could. Even though Sully never gets to narrate, the reader gets to know him and everyone else through Chaz's eyes. Sully loves a woman with all he has, but he has dark secrets that he thinks will keep her from returning his feelings. This is the key to everything about him. Fortunately, Sully has a strong advocate.
And, that brings me to Ren, Sully's companion and mission partner. Ren is one who is feared and repudiated for his race. His race have powerful psychic abilities and have a reputation for using them to scramble human brains and more. Ren is not resentful and it is he who gets through to Chaz more than once when she needs a boot up the butt to get over herself and stop hurting Sully because she has her own issues. Ren is a beautiful and generous person and I adored this alien guy.
So my niggle... Chaz gets stuck in her head and particularly after each one of Sully's reveals. It is a series of thoughts/actions that cycle through the same halting progress of: something occurs that force a secret out of Sully, Chaz is duly shocked and goes through the hurt and anger and getting over herself to see that what and how he did it was necessary, but now she's scared and mistrustful once again while Sully has to reassure her as do Ren and others. Things are kosher and then we do it again at least a half-dozen times in the story. I'm pretty sure if most of us were faced with what Chaz was taught and what Sully revealed; we'd handle it worse so I'm cutting her some slack. It's not her reaction that causes the niggle; it's how many times the reader has to see her process like this that got wearying.
My niggle in no way ruined the sci-fi adventure or even the romance. I loved Chaz and Sully together and thought what they had together in the end was sensual, but also anchored strongly.
The last several chapters were explosive and riveting. The set up for the rest of the series is there and this book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it definitely leaves things wide open for the grander scale series story to come. Sci-Fi Romance fans who enjoy military space opera should give this one a go.
May 2, 2019
This was a fun read but I admit that all the political players did get overwhelming at times. I really enjoyed the slow buildup of Chaz getting to know more about Sully. Plus I loved the world building. Excited to continue the series.
May 12, 2009
Linnea Sinclair takes your old fashion boy meets girl story and brings it into outerspace with incredible results. Fans of the sci-fi genre will enjoy this fresh story with a very strong heroine and a hero who almost puts Han Solo to shame. To be honest, Sully is beyond droolworthy. (Our hero even has an incredible sidekick also!)
Chasidah or Chaz as she goes by has been framed as a traitor. She use to be a captain of her own ship but now is a prisoner on a planet that would kill a lesser woman. Chaz breaks out but is saved by Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan. These two have major history between each other. Sully is a raider,and an outcast. He needs Chaz to help him stop an interspace crime that could destory humanity. And what other choice does Chaz has?
Sully and Chaz are more than just nemesis's. Chaz has a major attraction to Sully and in turn Sully has also had it bad for Chaz for many years. But Sully has a big secret, something that if found out could kill him and lose the woman in his life he has wanted for so long. As they are fighting for their lives and the universe, Chaz has to decide if she can take what Sully is and what he can do.
Along with a secondary cast of characters, including Sully's friend Ren and alien who can control minds and read them, you have an excellent tale dealing with love and trust between friends. There is romance that is more about passion. There are fights and the questioning of what is right and wrong.
Take this intersteller journey and hope Sinclair writes a sequel to this book that is just as good.
Chasidah or Chaz as she goes by has been framed as a traitor. She use to be a captain of her own ship but now is a prisoner on a planet that would kill a lesser woman. Chaz breaks out but is saved by Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan. These two have major history between each other. Sully is a raider,and an outcast. He needs Chaz to help him stop an interspace crime that could destory humanity. And what other choice does Chaz has?
Sully and Chaz are more than just nemesis's. Chaz has a major attraction to Sully and in turn Sully has also had it bad for Chaz for many years. But Sully has a big secret, something that if found out could kill him and lose the woman in his life he has wanted for so long. As they are fighting for their lives and the universe, Chaz has to decide if she can take what Sully is and what he can do.
Along with a secondary cast of characters, including Sully's friend Ren and alien who can control minds and read them, you have an excellent tale dealing with love and trust between friends. There is romance that is more about passion. There are fights and the questioning of what is right and wrong.
Take this intersteller journey and hope Sinclair writes a sequel to this book that is just as good.
June 6, 2010
Wow. This book was absolutely fabulous. I really didn't think I'd be able to give a book five stars, but this one defnitely deserved it.
It was perfect. It had the right mix of science fiction and romance. It was a book that (almost) made my want to give up writing because it was so perfectly done. The story was fantastic. I loved the characters. From page one, I couldn't put it down.
Sinclair did something great with this book: she had an intriguing backstory built in, and she hardly had to mention it at all. The backstory: the MC was a pilot who spent a lot of her career hunting down the pirate hero. That could be a book in itself, but having the reader fill in the gaps of what happened on those hunts was brilliant.
Ah, this is the type of book I want to write. I doubt if I'll ever be able to pull it off as well as Sinclair did. I will now go out and buy every single book she has ever written. She has just leaped into the position of being one of my favorite authors of all time.
I guess my only criticism is that I expected this to be a stand alone novel when I bought it, but twenty pages from the end, I realized Sinclair could not possibly wrap up all the loose ends in time. Yes, there is a sequel. I think it's coming out in July. Good thing she has a few other books I can read to (hopefully) hold me over until then.
It was perfect. It had the right mix of science fiction and romance. It was a book that (almost) made my want to give up writing because it was so perfectly done. The story was fantastic. I loved the characters. From page one, I couldn't put it down.
Sinclair did something great with this book: she had an intriguing backstory built in, and she hardly had to mention it at all. The backstory: the MC was a pilot who spent a lot of her career hunting down the pirate hero. That could be a book in itself, but having the reader fill in the gaps of what happened on those hunts was brilliant.
Ah, this is the type of book I want to write. I doubt if I'll ever be able to pull it off as well as Sinclair did. I will now go out and buy every single book she has ever written. She has just leaped into the position of being one of my favorite authors of all time.
I guess my only criticism is that I expected this to be a stand alone novel when I bought it, but twenty pages from the end, I realized Sinclair could not possibly wrap up all the loose ends in time. Yes, there is a sequel. I think it's coming out in July. Good thing she has a few other books I can read to (hopefully) hold me over until then.
December 19, 2015
This is one of those books that's defying my classification purposes. Book two picks up with the same pov narrator, making this look like a tightly coupled series, but books 3 and 4 move on to the "couple per book" thing. Correspondingly, I'm not sure if I should call it sf or sf romance. At the moment, I'm leaning towards sf romance.
The book started off awkwardly. There was a bit of an info dump when it came to world building - specifically all the alien species that populate this universe. On the other hand, it felt like the background information on the lead characters was slow in coming. The awkwardness was relieved by maybe the 4th chapter.
I like the leads, Chaz and Sully, as well as Ren. Sully is certainly the ultimate mystery man, both in who and what he is. Upon finishing the book, I was relieved to see the second book picked up with the same couple. It didn't feel like their story was fully told. (The preview chapter was actually for book 3, which appears to focus on Philip.)
Once we get past those opening chapters, the world-building stabilized a bit. I'm not sure I understand the full nature of the universal conspiracy, but I'm not sure I'm supposed to at this point. I think I have most of the alien species straight, and the mission that was the focus of the book was pretty straightforward.
Looking forward to book two.
The book started off awkwardly. There was a bit of an info dump when it came to world building - specifically all the alien species that populate this universe. On the other hand, it felt like the background information on the lead characters was slow in coming. The awkwardness was relieved by maybe the 4th chapter.
I like the leads, Chaz and Sully, as well as Ren. Sully is certainly the ultimate mystery man, both in who and what he is. Upon finishing the book, I was relieved to see the second book picked up with the same couple. It didn't feel like their story was fully told. (The preview chapter was actually for book 3, which appears to focus on Philip.)
Once we get past those opening chapters, the world-building stabilized a bit. I'm not sure I understand the full nature of the universal conspiracy, but I'm not sure I'm supposed to at this point. I think I have most of the alien species straight, and the mission that was the focus of the book was pretty straightforward.
Looking forward to book two.
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March 25, 2022Puedes encontrar esta reseña en español al final.
I´m calling quits on this one early because:
1.- We don´t get to see/read their first kiss. (It´s told (repeatedly) it happened some time ago…) I´m a super fan of first kisses.
2.- I´m at 25% (more or less) of the story and, well, they are (already) in love. I didn´t feel/see it.
Too many no see/read/feel´s.
But basically, because it sounds like some other stories by this author that I have read and I´m a bit bored.
No rating because the story could be great but I´m not going to verify it.
***
Esta la voy a abandonar antes de tiempo porque:
1.- No vemos/leemos el primer beso. Nos cuentan (repetidamente) que pasó algún tiempo atrás. Soy muy fan del primer beso.
2.- En el 25% de la historia y ya están enamorados. Ni lo he visto ni lo he “sentido”.
Demasiados ni ver ni leer ni sentir.
Pero, sobre todo, porque esta historia se parece a otras que ya he leído de esta autora y estoy un pelín aburrida.
No puntúo porque podría ser una gran historia, pero no me voy a quedar para comprobarlo.
I´m calling quits on this one early because:
1.- We don´t get to see/read their first kiss. (It´s told (repeatedly) it happened some time ago…) I´m a super fan of first kisses.
2.- I´m at 25% (more or less) of the story and, well, they are (already) in love. I didn´t feel/see it.
Too many no see/read/feel´s.
But basically, because it sounds like some other stories by this author that I have read and I´m a bit bored.
No rating because the story could be great but I´m not going to verify it.
***
Esta la voy a abandonar antes de tiempo porque:
1.- No vemos/leemos el primer beso. Nos cuentan (repetidamente) que pasó algún tiempo atrás. Soy muy fan del primer beso.
2.- En el 25% de la historia y ya están enamorados. Ni lo he visto ni lo he “sentido”.
Demasiados ni ver ni leer ni sentir.
Pero, sobre todo, porque esta historia se parece a otras que ya he leído de esta autora y estoy un pelín aburrida.
No puntúo porque podría ser una gran historia, pero no me voy a quedar para comprobarlo.
March 1, 2009
I re-read this as the start of reading the three book series.
Gabriel's Ghost
Shades of the Dark
Hope's Folly
Linnea Sinclair writes excellent action-oriented science fiction. She also writes excellent romance. Luckily for us she blends the two together... Tight, page-turning plot, great characters [and her aliens are outstanding:] and dialog that grabs you - it is a must read.
As are her other books - all of which are stand-alones.
An Accidental Goddess
Finders Keepers
Games of Command
The Down Home Zombie Blues
Gabriel's Ghost
Shades of the Dark
Hope's Folly
Linnea Sinclair writes excellent action-oriented science fiction. She also writes excellent romance. Luckily for us she blends the two together... Tight, page-turning plot, great characters [and her aliens are outstanding:] and dialog that grabs you - it is a must read.
As are her other books - all of which are stand-alones.
An Accidental Goddess
Finders Keepers
Games of Command
The Down Home Zombie Blues
April 15, 2010
Just really liked this book. Reminded me of Tanya Huff's "Valor" series if were romantic/sexual. Loved the characters, loved the tension and the dialogue. Though Sinclair became prosey and poetic at times, it completely worked.
Am about to start the sequel to this novel - "Shades of Dark"
Am about to start the sequel to this novel - "Shades of Dark"
April 27, 2014
I. AM. IN. LOVE. WITH. THIS. BOOK...
Mindblowing...
Linnea Sinclair delivers it all yet again - futuristic, sci-fi romance, all-consuming love, angst, action, treachery and betrayal...
Mindblowing...
Linnea Sinclair delivers it all yet again - futuristic, sci-fi romance, all-consuming love, angst, action, treachery and betrayal...
October 21, 2017
3.5 stars! Space opera mixed with romance! Good story line with a strong female lead! I disliked how many times Sully lied to Chaz by omission!
May 5, 2008
Linnea Sinclair got me hooked on romantic sci-fi with her last Bantam Dell release, FINDERS KEEPERS. Now, with GABRIEL'S GHOST, she's outdone herself once again, perfectly balancing the love story of her two main characters with her vivid descriptions of world-building that you're not soon to forget.
Pilot Chasidah Bergren was the one-time darling of the Imperial Sixth Fleet, a woman who could take the interstellar patrol ship she commanded in and out of places that no one else would ever dare. She's a strong woman with an independent nature, and her rough childhood had shown her that the only person she could truly depend on was herself. Now, though, it's going to take a lot more than luck and good piloting skills to save her from the situation she's in. Accused of a crime she didn't commit, Chas has been court-martialed, found guilty, and sent to the prison planet of Moabar to serve her sentence. Not only is she an innocent woman forced to interact with hardened criminals, the harsh climate of the planet alone is almost enough to kill her-if the guards don't do it first. And as if things weren't already bad enough, one moment of danger turns into Chas killing a guard in self-defense-and suddenly she is guilty of a crime, with nowhere to run to or hide.
Who should show up just when she needs him except for Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan, a ghost from Chas's past that she'd never thought to see again. Actually, all indications pointed to Sully being dead, but the legendary mercenary, smuggler, and all around baddie is alive and well-and intent on rescuing Chas from the dangers of Moabar. Rescue her? Sully? Sure, he'd been known to show up at the strangest times, but it's pretty darn weird for him to arrive on the prison planet just when she needs him the most-and Sully knows it. Sully, though, has his own agenda, mainly getting Chas off of Moabar and coercing her to agree to help him with his plans-without her finding out the secret he's been hiding for years.
As sparks fly, like they always have, between these two head-strong individuals, they must avoid the guards of Moabar who set chase, the Imperial Sixth Fleet officers who set Chas up for her fall from grace, and the people behind the breeding jukors, the deadly creatures that Sully is on a mission to destroy. As their feelings go from deep-seated aversion to warm-hearted attraction, Chas and Sully must stay alive long enough to clear Chas's good name and reputation, and for Sully to complete his mission.
Ms. Sinclair does a perfect job of blending sci-fi, technology, world-building, and romance in GABRIEL'S GHOST. For all lovers of science fiction romance, this book is not one to be missed. If you're like me, when you're finished you'll be eagerly anticipating her next release, AN ACCIDENTAL GODDESS.
Pilot Chasidah Bergren was the one-time darling of the Imperial Sixth Fleet, a woman who could take the interstellar patrol ship she commanded in and out of places that no one else would ever dare. She's a strong woman with an independent nature, and her rough childhood had shown her that the only person she could truly depend on was herself. Now, though, it's going to take a lot more than luck and good piloting skills to save her from the situation she's in. Accused of a crime she didn't commit, Chas has been court-martialed, found guilty, and sent to the prison planet of Moabar to serve her sentence. Not only is she an innocent woman forced to interact with hardened criminals, the harsh climate of the planet alone is almost enough to kill her-if the guards don't do it first. And as if things weren't already bad enough, one moment of danger turns into Chas killing a guard in self-defense-and suddenly she is guilty of a crime, with nowhere to run to or hide.
Who should show up just when she needs him except for Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan, a ghost from Chas's past that she'd never thought to see again. Actually, all indications pointed to Sully being dead, but the legendary mercenary, smuggler, and all around baddie is alive and well-and intent on rescuing Chas from the dangers of Moabar. Rescue her? Sully? Sure, he'd been known to show up at the strangest times, but it's pretty darn weird for him to arrive on the prison planet just when she needs him the most-and Sully knows it. Sully, though, has his own agenda, mainly getting Chas off of Moabar and coercing her to agree to help him with his plans-without her finding out the secret he's been hiding for years.
As sparks fly, like they always have, between these two head-strong individuals, they must avoid the guards of Moabar who set chase, the Imperial Sixth Fleet officers who set Chas up for her fall from grace, and the people behind the breeding jukors, the deadly creatures that Sully is on a mission to destroy. As their feelings go from deep-seated aversion to warm-hearted attraction, Chas and Sully must stay alive long enough to clear Chas's good name and reputation, and for Sully to complete his mission.
Ms. Sinclair does a perfect job of blending sci-fi, technology, world-building, and romance in GABRIEL'S GHOST. For all lovers of science fiction romance, this book is not one to be missed. If you're like me, when you're finished you'll be eagerly anticipating her next release, AN ACCIDENTAL GODDESS.
October 5, 2010
Overall I really enjoyed it. It's always a bit difficult to review an audiobook, I'm never sure if my experience was similar to print readers. The audio experience emphasizes so many different things. For example, I thought the reader, actress Dina Pearlman, was terrific. Her husky voice was just perfect for Chaz. It added so much to the story, hearing the intelligent, thoughtful tones of her voice, especially with the first-person perspective. But she gave Sully a British accent that bugged the heck out of me. I got used to it eventually, but I still don't like it. I just can't imagine the handsome bastard described in the story with that voice. Another issue was the insane number of repetitions of the phrase "his obsidian eyes" or variations thereof, all containing obsidian. His eyes were never black, velvety, dark, or anything other than obsidian. And in an audiobook the listener can't just skim over annoyances, when each is pronounced (out loud) the irritation is pronounced (emphasized).
As for the story, I liked it a lot. The author included a lot of details that made it feel quite real. For example, when Chas was lost in the jungle at the beginning she had a hard time seeing well because her eyes were adjusted to artificial light after so many years aboard ships. It was a small detail that I actually remembered, remarkable for me, and added a distinct sense of realism. The settings and characters are all detailed and fully-fleshed. Sully is the ultimate dream guy, a little too perfect maybe once we see all of his many layers revealed, but the revelations are handled well and Chas has a lot to come to grips with. I'm still not sure why he loves her, it seems like he was already in love with her before he rescued her in the first few pages, but the hardly knew each other. Maybe more will be revealed in the next books.
What I really liked was that although there is a strong romantic element (and some kind of cheesy sex scenes, not fun to listen to while driving), it's not a romance novel. The story is deeper than just the relationship. They have a mission, one that becomes even more serious as they discover additional layers to the situation.
Sorry, that's the best I can do! I should have written the review right when I finished the book. Plus it takes me so long to finish audiobooks that details tend to escape me. But I bought the 2nd book and started it right away, so that has to be a good sign.
As for the story, I liked it a lot. The author included a lot of details that made it feel quite real. For example, when Chas was lost in the jungle at the beginning she had a hard time seeing well because her eyes were adjusted to artificial light after so many years aboard ships. It was a small detail that I actually remembered, remarkable for me, and added a distinct sense of realism. The settings and characters are all detailed and fully-fleshed. Sully is the ultimate dream guy, a little too perfect maybe once we see all of his many layers revealed, but the revelations are handled well and Chas has a lot to come to grips with. I'm still not sure why he loves her, it seems like he was already in love with her before he rescued her in the first few pages, but the hardly knew each other. Maybe more will be revealed in the next books.
What I really liked was that although there is a strong romantic element (and some kind of cheesy sex scenes, not fun to listen to while driving), it's not a romance novel. The story is deeper than just the relationship. They have a mission, one that becomes even more serious as they discover additional layers to the situation.
Sorry, that's the best I can do! I should have written the review right when I finished the book. Plus it takes me so long to finish audiobooks that details tend to escape me. But I bought the 2nd book and started it right away, so that has to be a good sign.
October 11, 2015
Sci-Fi/Romance What a hero!
I love this story. I will admit, it had me worried in the beginning, too much going on, with all three or four alien races popping up at once, right near the beginning of the book. My advise, make a little cheat-sheet, or hi-light it with your kindle. I wish I had done that!
Nevertheless, I did make it through that section, and thank goodness I did, because this story has one of the best heroes I've ever come across. Sully is a complex, multi-layered character with an underlying vulnerability that will steal your heart. The story unfolds in unexpected ways, ways I never would have imagined, making for a heart-wrenching read.
Ms. Sinclair did an incredible job with the character development here, and not just with Gabriel, aka Sully. Chas, the heroine, is written with superb depth as well. She's strong, but not invulnerable, the danger feels very real throughout the book. I really appreciate having the point of view solely from Chas' perspective, so that I felt all her insecurities. It was me living this story.
One of my favorite things about Chas is how she keeps trying to define Sully, but she just can't get him neatly tucked away into her well ordered mind. I also love that the hero and heroine are never set at odds with each other.
Bottom line, this is a beautiful love story that will leave you feeling loved and cherished. Set in an action packed novel with an undercurrent of humor, it meets all my requirements for THE PERFECT BOOK, including that elusive one, a deep, deep yearning for that which can never be.
Highly recommended, 4.5 stars, docked because it did take until just over the 25% mark to truly engage me.
The novel is not clean, there are a few bad words, one used fairly frequently, but not often enough to derail the story. There are a couple of love scenes, not overly long or descriptive, but beautifully written, almost like poetry.
Oh my goodness, I just found out there's a sequel! This one is a stand-alone, so I had no idea. I feel like a kid at Christmas, so glad I didn't start another book yet.
I love this story. I will admit, it had me worried in the beginning, too much going on, with all three or four alien races popping up at once, right near the beginning of the book. My advise, make a little cheat-sheet, or hi-light it with your kindle. I wish I had done that!
Nevertheless, I did make it through that section, and thank goodness I did, because this story has one of the best heroes I've ever come across. Sully is a complex, multi-layered character with an underlying vulnerability that will steal your heart. The story unfolds in unexpected ways, ways I never would have imagined, making for a heart-wrenching read.
Ms. Sinclair did an incredible job with the character development here, and not just with Gabriel, aka Sully. Chas, the heroine, is written with superb depth as well. She's strong, but not invulnerable, the danger feels very real throughout the book. I really appreciate having the point of view solely from Chas' perspective, so that I felt all her insecurities. It was me living this story.
One of my favorite things about Chas is how she keeps trying to define Sully, but she just can't get him neatly tucked away into her well ordered mind. I also love that the hero and heroine are never set at odds with each other.
Bottom line, this is a beautiful love story that will leave you feeling loved and cherished. Set in an action packed novel with an undercurrent of humor, it meets all my requirements for THE PERFECT BOOK, including that elusive one, a deep, deep yearning for that which can never be.
Highly recommended, 4.5 stars, docked because it did take until just over the 25% mark to truly engage me.
The novel is not clean, there are a few bad words, one used fairly frequently, but not often enough to derail the story. There are a couple of love scenes, not overly long or descriptive, but beautifully written, almost like poetry.
Oh my goodness, I just found out there's a sequel! This one is a stand-alone, so I had no idea. I feel like a kid at Christmas, so glad I didn't start another book yet.
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