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July 1, 2008 12:32 PM
BOOK REVIEW: Slave by Cheryl Brooks
Reviewed by Angela Richardson
Slave is Cheryl Brooks’ first novel. I was very intrigued by this book. For a start the author is a critical care nurse by night and a romance writer by day. Also she has attempted to mix science fiction/fantasy and very heavy-duty romance in the story. When I picked up this book I was wondering whether she could pull off this highly ambitious mix, especially considering it’s her first novel. I was secretly hoping she would, considering she’s had to work on it in between her night shifts. Something I can sympathise with.
This story is set in space. Jacinth’s sister has been kidnapped. In an attempt to find her she has ended up chasing her rapidly cooling trail for the past six years. Always just missing her and hearing terrible stories of her being kept captive, this chase has led her across many planets. Finally she gets information that she’s on a planet where all the women are slaves. She has only one choice - to find a man to act as her owner. She knows it’s risky and decides the best way is to buy a slave herself. She’s hoping if she promises his freedom that he will be loyal for long enough to free her sister.
That’s where she meets Cat, filthy and chained, but she could still see the honour in his eyes. Jacinth’s hoping she can trust him with her life.
I just couldn’t help comparing this to films as Brooks has a great talent for allowing the reader to visualise her scenes in an almost filmic quality. It felt like a cross between Star Wars and Romancing the Stone to me. Brooks seamlessly blended the romance and science fiction even if it was a little racy for me at times. Definitely not a book for the prudish! The story line was high octane and when the plot faltered the romance rushed in to fill the space, it was a perfect balance. I read this in a couple of days and just couldn’t put it down. It was original and entertaining and I can’t praise this book enough. Go and buy it now!
Rating: 5/5
Like this? Try Vampires Are Forever by Lynsay Sands
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Posted by Aigua Media on July 1, 2008 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Series, Supernatural | Permalink
Comments
I read Slave a while ago, and I have to say, I agree wholeheartedly with this review.
Slave is not a cookie-cutter, me too, bland little romance--not in plot, not in tone. And it's not a silly medieval disguised as s-f/fantasy set far in the future, where one cliched idea after the other limps onto the pages. And it isn't romance disguised as s-f by being set in a world identical to this one, except the names for everything have been changed.
It's easier to say what Slave is not, than what it is, because what it is, IMHO, is real science-fiction and like all good s-f, it makes the reader think. And it's real romance, a juicy one ;-)and like all good romance, it leaves the reader satisfied and "up."
Slave is truly original. Cheryl has created a new (really new) sub-genre that will have s-f and romance fans grabbing books from the shelves.
Posted by: Mary Margret | July 2, 2008 4:48 PM
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