The Fated Stars by Veronica Scott Series: The Sectors #11.5
on November 4, 2017
Genres: Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 151
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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arissa Channer, a tough no-nonsense mercenary in the Sectors, is celebrating success on her last job and a big bonus, with no slightest thought of taking on another assignment anytime soon. Out for a night of carousing with her friends at a third rate carnival on a backwater planet, she walks into the tent of a fake fortune teller and finds herself confronting the most intriguing man she’s ever seen. But something’s wrong, ominous currents lie beneath the surface of their encounter and Larissa can’t leave well enough alone.
Samell, a powerful, high born empathic priest, has been kidnapped from his own primitive planet along with a number of his people, and sold to the shady operator of an interstellar carnival. Kept enslaved, pretending to be a fortune teller while forced by his captor to steal information from the minds of all who come before him, Samell despairs of every breaking free.
Until Larissa walks into his tent and he recognizes the warrior who might mean the difference between life and death.
The situation becomes dire when Larissa and Samell come to the attention of the Shemdylann pirates who kidnapped him in the first place and the deadly Mawreg, aliens who threaten the Sectors.
While this story returns to a fourth tale about a one of the enslaved psychic aliens sold to a human, there is a twist. This alien is a priest and his ‘warrior’ is a tough female ex special forces now turned mercenary. I was all for the change and seeing a tough female warrior in action.
The Fated Stars is #11.5 in The Sectors series and can be read standalone, but personally I thought getting the earlier books about members of Samell’s race and their adventures starting with #8.5 Star Cruise: Stowaway, then Danger in the Stars and Two Against the Stars filled in some back story for this one.
The Fated Stars opens with Larissa Channer, a successful merc, just finished up a job and got a bonus with her payout. A little R&R at a scrubby carnival has her suspicious about the way the fortune teller is restrained and seems under duress. But, then he sends telepathic thoughts of needing help to escape. Larissa thinks it will be a simple rescue attempt because she doesn’t realize who and what the fortune teller is beyond a telepath. But, she relishes a challenge and doesn’t let a fail thwart her or even the guy’s fatalistic attitude about his dreary slavery. Samell seems way out of her starlane, but he doesn’t seem to think so.
The Fated Stars has an interesting dynamic in that the tough military type doing the rescue and protecting is a woman and the helpless alien in need of rescue is a male priest. Even in his own culture, Samell is aware that the legend is more apt about priestess and warrior. Samell is a powerful psychic, but his power has been kept as imprisoned as his physical body by an alien tech and he is forced to use his telepathy to read thoughts for his masters. He’s resigned to his fate and needs Larissa’s combat boot up the butt to believe that she can get him free and safe, even if the situation is a bit tricky. They both think they are undeserving of the other and I loved that Samell did step up and make it clear to Larissa that he finds her beautiful and attractive and he can respect her skill and see her worth so that she eventually starts to believe him and believe in that side of herself.
I love some good alien action especially against the formidable types in this series so I was glad to see the big climax action scene and a nice developed denouement after spiced up with a bit of political intrigue.
This series has offered up so many wonderful settings, situations, and characters that I am in high anticipation for what comes next. Sci-Fi romance fans who like far future space, aliens, and a touch of fantasy along with a swift and spicy romance for an engaging pair should definitely give the book/series a go.
About Veronica Scott
USA Today Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author.
Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.
MISC FACTS ABOUT VERONICA
Seven time winner ~ SFR Galaxy Award
Proud recipient ~ NASA Exceptional Service Medal but must hasten to add the honor was not for her romantic fiction!
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt – I’ll improve your process (mwahahahaa)!
Elvis Presley’s best friend once serenaded Veronica on a local TV telethon…now that could be a novel…
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
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My daughters really were pushing me at the time to write a tough female mercenary and I thought it would be a fun way to change up this empath series – so glad you liked Larissa and Samell!
I’m so glad they did. I loved seeing a tough gal ride to the rescue, Veronica. 🙂
It seems easy to breeze right through this series since the books are not that long. Yay for another win!
You hit the nail on the head, Rachel. They are easy to breezy through and they don’t shirk on development. 🙂
This sounds great and I do love the sound of the characters. I am always ready for a female warrior!
I thought that was a great change up and made it a fun read.
This heroine sounds tough, I love your description of her as a “tough female ex-special forces now turned mercenary”! wow
She was great. She knew how to be tough, but mistrusted that she could be attractive to a man, too.
I’ve read a couple of this authors books and really liked them. I really need to read more.
I second that. 🙂
I still have to read this one, but hopefully soon. I think it’s interesting with how the author switches it up with a empath male and tough female in this book. I look forward to reading this one and I like how you describe them helping each other see their own worth and falling in love with eahc other.
Yes, that change up was a fun twist so that it was a fresh story and brought out how much this pair needed to be accepted for what they are.
Eee! I am so far behind in commenting. I was doing SO good for a while.
BUT you have me curious about this series
Glad to tempt you with this series, Carole.
Tis the season to get behind. 🙂