Rainbow Book Reviews
Another visit to planet Alpha with its tradition of triads, strong Alphan warriors, their brutal Xyran enemies, and stubborn humans who sometimes get right in the middle of things –quite literally. This time it’s an Alphan fighter pilot, Avollo, who ends up as a Xyran prisoner and is brought to a jungle-covered prison moon. It was an interesting difference to see one of the usually in-control Alphans in a situation that looks hopeless. Of course Avollo has a different perspective… and ‘Escape’ is the title of this story. As soon as I met Geth and Nix, the Xyran bondmates who have been waiting to take their revenge on Avollo and who are in charge of the prison where he ends up, it became obvious that not just Avollo was in for the battle of his life… All three main characters are hardened warriors, and their view of life, each other, and relationships reflects that. There is a lot of violence in this book, much as expected when a warrior becomes a prisoner and lands on a harsh prison moon. Geth and Nix, while bonded, are not lovey-dovey with each other. They do work together to defend themselves, to capture Avollo, and to “slate their lusts”, as the saying goes. But as for love? If you listen to their words, love is for weaklings. If you watch their reactions and read between the lines though, it becomes apparent that they know exactly what love is. Avollo has never confronted Xyrans face-to-face, he has no idea why the two are after him when they set out to chase him through the hostile jungle once he has escaped, and it takes having to face a common enemy for him to start seeing the Xyrans as anything other than enemies to be killed. Once that happens, other instincts take over, and the three warriors face the challenge of figuring out if, and how, they can stop fighting and become physically intimate. If you like tough guys, if you think actions speak louder than words and want to see that principle applied to men who start out as mortal enemies, and if you’re looking for a read full of macho behavior, warriors’ honor in action, and some very rough loving, then you might like this novella.