Customer Reviews

Moonstruck (Borderlands series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The war is over. Finally there is peace in the galaxy. The Coalition, Drakken Horde and Earth are now united (The Triad Alliance). But Admiral Britasha Bandar doesn't like it one bit. She's made a career out of capturing and killing the vile Drakken. The same people who made her into the emotionless leader of the Coalition forces she is today. Brit didn't get the nickname 'Stone Heart' for nothing. Now the alliance wants her to command a diplomatic ship called Unity bringing stabilization and reorganization. If that wasn't bad enough, her ships crew will be a mixture of those peoples. And her second in command is none other than the former Imperial Fleet warleader (and sometimes pirate) the Hordish Finnar Rorkken -her nemesis. The one man she was never able to capture. Their attraction is immediate. Soon Finn finds that under Birts icy exterior lies a woman who needs to be healed and loved. But will she ever allow him close enough?

I loved this book. A nice change having the heroine be the alpha instead of the hero. Brit is a fearless, somewhat emotionless and controlled leader. And just like in other romances (except of course its usually the hero), she needs the perfect someone who will show her unconditional love and patience. Finn is that man. But don't be fooled, he's not the shrinking violet type. He provides the support and love Brit needs while giving her the space to make her own decisions. And boy! are they smoking HOT together! Just a really great couple.

There is also an interesting secondary romance with Brit's assistant and another member of the crew. That one had me guessing and hopefully Grant will expand on it in future books.

Admittedly I don't read sci-fi (something about Star Trek makes me want to burst out laughing) so I can't compare this to that genre. But I do read a lot of contemporary, historical and paranormal romance. And I found Moonstruck to be way above average compared to a typical romance (especially anything harlequinn). The sci-fi part is just right IMHO. Not overly detailed (eyes glazing over) but enough to be intriguing. And I loved the romance mixed with a bit of space adventure.

I'm not sure I'd recommend Moonstruck to strictly sci-fi readers -not meaty enough. But romance readers should enjoy this lite sci-fi romance book.

So few romance authors cross the line into science fiction and fewer still are able to do it well. I LOVED MOONSTRICK! Finn Rorkken and Brit Bandar are two engrossing characters that I enjoyed getting to know and wanted to read more about. Ex-pirate in the now defeated Drakken - Hoarde empire, Rorkken is the best of the worst to join the new Triad alliance. Coalition, Drakken and Earth forces are now on the same side trying to keep the peace. Unfortunately, there are those who do not want peace. War is all they know and these new conditions are unacceptable.

Admiral Brit Bandar is one of those who has lived for war and is not having an easy time in this new found peacetime. Having a Horde ex-pirate (one who eluded her capture nonetheless) as her second in command on the new ship Unity, is intolerable. All Horde soldiers are murderers and savages and should be dead. So why does Brit feels alive in Rorkken's presence for the first time in 20 years?

These two circle around each other, but ultimately, they find that life is not full without the other. If they can find peace, does that signal something for the future of the Triad? MOONSTUCK is full of interesting secondary characters, hot relationships, and world building. While some of the plot is a bit predictable for seasoned science fiction fans, it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. I look forward to reading more in this series, and as always from Ms. Grant.


Sarah Silversmith, The Romance Readers Connection

I loved this book. Moonstruck reminded me of all those classic space epics I adored in my youth - things like Asimov's Foundation series. Two galactic empires have fought a long and bitter war. When one empire collapses and sues for peace, an uneasy truce results.

Admiral Brit Bandar has made vengeance against the Drakken her life's work, so she's pretty ticked off when she's given command of a diplomatic vessel that will boast a combined crew of Coalition and Drakken forces. The name of the ship is Unity and the very idea is so repugnant to Brit, she can't even say the ship's name out loud. Imagine how annoyed she is when she learns that her first officer is Drakken. And not just any Drakken, either. It's Finn Rorkken, a Drakken Warleader and pirate she chased all over the galaxy and never managed to capture. Brit can't stand the idea of the guy being anywhere near her ship. Until she finally lays eyes on him and discovers he resembles her long-dead husband.

Finn knows the Admiral wants him, because hey, what woman wouldn't? He's good-looking, powerful and smart. But unlike the Admiral, he's also tired to death of war. He welcomes the truce, hoping it will bring luxuries like adequate food and medicine to his people. So far, it's certainly worked out well for him. He's got a cushy new job as Brit's second-in-command; and soon he's moonlighting as her personal boy toy. But along the way, is he selling out his own people for comfort and security?

Susan Grant's story goes beyond the superficial love story to explore what makes these two complicated people tick. Both Brit and Finn have known war for so long, they have no clue how to cope with peace. When a nation's whole identity revolves around defeating the enemy, what's the point of life when the war ends? Brit especially is not sure about the answer. Grant does a beautiful job of gradually unfolding Brit's complicated feelings as she tries to relearn what it means to be a woman and not just a soldier. Moonstruck offers a vivid, believable science fiction universe combined with a sensitive, sexy love story. A great discovery!

Admiral Brit Bandar, aka `Admiral Stone-Heart', of the CSS Vengeance, hunts down desperate Hurdish Pirates hiding in the Borderlands. Now the galaxy is heading to a time of peace. A peace she is just not sure of. On shore leave, she is informed that she is `trading up' from her beloved Vengeance. Under orders from Prime Admiral Zaafran, she will go to `the Ring of the Goddess' for the trade.

War leader Finnar Rorkken, `the Scourge of the Borderlands', an Imperial Fleet War leader, was tired - tired of being tired. After the end of the Great War had reduced his people's `scrip' currency to nothing, he was forced to pay his crew out of his own funds and to liquidate whatever was not needed or necessary on his ship. He was reduced to the `old ways' of pirating. Now Prime Admiral Zaafran has requested his presence at `the Ring of the Goddess'. Life is becoming surreal.

These two warriors have developed a grudging respect of each other, even though they have never met. The treaty between the Coalition, the Drakken's and the Earthlings brought these two warriors together after years of battles and sparring. What does the future hold?

Susan Grant's Moonstruck is a fantastic read. She has written a descriptive story of two people who are working towards the future by attempting to control, not forget, their pasts. From the first chapter I was drawn in by Ms. Grant's descriptive writing style. Her characters are drawn as fallible, normal beings. No matter what the character's background is, the reader finds themselves drawn to each one. Also, thrown in is humor for when things start to get intense. I found myself along for the ride in a wonderful adventure. I enjoyed Moonstruck to the point I have to Joyfully Recommend it.

Emma
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The war with the Drakken is over. But when Admiral Brit Bandar of the Coalition is offered command of a new ship, she discovers that her second in command is Warleader Finnar Rorkken of the former enemy. Brit won't trust the Drakken, so how can she work with one, especially one with such a suspicious past?

Brit is a complex woman and leader. She has a lot of baggage from her past and has earned the name "Admiral Stone-Heart." She has a lot of reasons not to trust Finn, but there is something about him that begins to break away at her hardened heart.

Moonstruck has a wonderful cast of characters, each with their own interesting story. From the elusive Admiral to the mysterious former Imperial Wraith with no memory of his past, Grant is extremely adept at creating characters that pull readers into the story. And I found myself loving the secondary characters almost as much as the main ones, if not more. Enough backstory is given, without slowing down the pace. With even more romance, this latest science fiction tale by Susan Grant, is her hottest yet. But this is also her darkest and most dramatic story, with a stirring, huge twist and a climactic ending.

Trust me, you don't want to find this volume missing when you stumble across the rest of the series. So much happens in this first volume! You want to savour it before the next one.

MOONSTRUCK explores the ways in which having sex changes a person -- the first time with a given partner or the first time ever. It explores what it means to be the only virgin on a starship full of tough customers. The story delves into a peculiar type of "first time" when a jaded Captain used to "only sex" falls in love for the second time in her life, and discovers the unique experience of making love instead of "just sex." Love is more disturbing than she could ever imagine -- because it is with her enemy, her nemesis, the symbol of all that's despicable in her world.

Oh, Star Trek fans will love Grant's BORDERLANDS series. It's just what we've all been waiting for.

This starship captain is a woman with a sexual appetite and a lust for definitive action. She's carrying a huge emotional load that leads her to obsessive behavior and has distanced herself from all human contact because of that. Now, all of that has to change - fast - because she's been given a new ship to command and a First Officer (you guessed it) who was her enemy, her nemesis, the symbol of all that's despicable in her world. But that was before the war ended.

MOONSTRUCK is an independent study in the reconstruction of a society fragmented for centuries by war. This novel introduces you gently to the universe that is so fraught with complexity you will live in it for years to come.

In fact, the Borderlands saga may owe as much to the turmoil in the Middle East as it does to Star Trek -- it is about Nation Building seen from within.

Grant takes us on a love-venture (loventure?) into a relationship forbidden by religious and cultural rules, and forbidden by the common sense rule of the Service that sexual relationships up and down the chain of command do more harm than good, and forbidden by emotional rules about sleeping with the enemy.

This starship captain has few qualms about "just sex" with anything male, enemies included (remind you of James Kirk?). So no harm done? Right? uh-oh.

But after it dawns on her that it ISN'T "just sex" -- what then?

Doing something forbidden may have a certain spice to it -- but afterwards, is it worth it? What are the consequences and upon whom does the toll fall? If the cost is only to yourself, then it's nobody else's business. But if it involves another - that's a problem. If it involves two interstellar civilizations, that's something else entirely.

But if it weren't "forbidden" then there wouldn't be any consequences, right? It's crossing the line of "forbidden" that causes all the trouble -- not the act itself. Hmmm?

Or are things "forbidden" because some ancient ancestors got into trouble doing that thing?

Well, then but that was then and this is now -- rules have to change, right? The "forbidden line" has to move from generation to generation. No?

So we have to figure out what should or should not be forbidden in our own time. From scratch. Don't we?

Should nothing be forbidden?

Is there some logic or reasoning that can be applied to select what taboos a culture needs? What about a brand new culture built from the shards of war shattered cultures? How do you make new rules?

Grant's first novel in her Borderlands Series could be viewed as a powerful springboard story into a series that will grapple with the very personal drama of love that must answer all these questions or perish.

Live Long and Prosper,
Jacqueline Lichtenberg

Plot Summary: After a millennia of war, peace has been declared between the Coalition and the Drakken. Admiral Brit "Stone-heart" Bandar was the Coalition's most feared and respected commander. Her new mission is to command the starship "Unity," which will have a mixed crew of Coalition, Earthling, and Drakken. Her second in command is Finn Rorkken, a Drakken pirate who slipped through her grasp many times during the war, and his very smell brings back horrible memories from Brit's past. Despite Brit's hatred for the Drakken, her body wants the man that her mind cannot accept.

This story has a nice blend of romance, space adventure, and three cultures colliding during an uneasy peace. The Coalition officers have to overcome their prejudice against their vanquished foe, and the Drakken have to assimilate themselves into the advanced, civilized Coalition culture. The Earthlings are happy to stick out like a sore thumb, and Grant gets a lot of mileage out their conflicts.

Brit is a hot, sensual lady hiding under her cold outer façade. I appreciate that she's no wilting pansy, and it's not surprising that she's the one who initiates the affair with Finn. Since Brit clearly wears the pants in their relationship, Finn comes across as the sensitive one, and it's an interesting role reversal. I was hoping for more from the pirate, but in the end I just think of him as a good guy. He's rather ineffectual during the climax when Brit's in trouble, and that didn't bolster my mental image of Finn as a tough guy.

This is my second Grant novel, and I enjoy her practice of having more than one romance story-line within a single book. There's a nice subplot involving a love triangle with Brit's green lieutenant, Hadley Keyren, who is trying to lose her virginity. Everything is blended together nicely, and while I found this book enjoyable, I have to admit that I probably won't remember it a couple of months down the road. It was a fun read, but this story didn't touch me deeply, and it has to tap one of my emotions more forcefully in order to get my higher ratings.

I'm a total fan of this author's work. One hundred percent gaga. And yet, I did not really expect that she could further surpass my expectations and blast them completely out of the galaxy. Moonstruck embodies for me everything that is necessary when it comes to reading romance. I was in fact moonstruck in the sense it has in this book: totally in love with everything about it.

Admiral Britasha Bandar (Brit for short) isn't thrilled with the turn of events. She's not ready to give up the ghosts and despair that drove her to become one of the most successful women in the Coalition. However, the Coaltion is no more, but rather the Triad, a conglomerate of Coalition, Earthling and Drakken soldiers. Brit's been chosen to command the symbolic accord amongst all of them aboard the new ship, Unity. For a woman that believes the only good Drakken is a dead one, it'll be a challenge to say the least. And when she meets her new second-in-command, her emotional barriers will be stretched to the limit.

Warleader Finnar Rorkken of the former Drakken Horde is grateful in the extreme for the opportunity that comes his way. To serve aboard the Unity, even if under one of his biggest rivals, means a better life for him and his ragtag crew. But can the former Scourge of the Borderlands assimilate successfully into such a foreign culture? Brit certainly has her doubts, but Finn is determined to prove his and his crew's worth, indeed the worth of the Drakken people as a whole. The beautiful woman is an incentive too like no other. As they tumble into a raging attraction, they'll have to deal with terrorists that threaten the new Triad efforts, Brit's past horrors that cripple her emotionally and Finn's struggle to find himself in the face of a new culture.

This first in Grant's Borderlands series is a spin off of her Otherworldly Men series (Your Planet or Mine, My Favorite Earthling, How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days). This book was amazing -- I could not put it down. It was a fast read due to pure unfiltered enjoyment. Brit and Finn were a scorching couple. Their attraction isn't sweet and simple; rather it's heated, raw and conflicted due to a horrible tragedy Brit suffered. In other words, they have wonderful conflict to draw from and have to work at slowly building up and exposing their feelings for one another. Brit is as hardened a warrior as they come. She's known for her ruthlessness in destroying enemies, yet she works through the trials given her and earned a new respect, one on a different and deeper level than war hero. Finn was a true romance hero, strong and loyal, even in the face of a one-time enemy. He's the perfect person to command alongside Brit, who was laid bare and vulnerable by the new Triad circumstances at times. And he has his own set of conflicts, that of how to become Triad instead of Drakken and bind the two. The progression of their relationship was absolutely beautiful to read and it engaged me on a very emotional level. A pleasant surprise was the amount of face time given to secondary characters, most notably Brit's assistant, Hadley and one of Finn's crew, Bolivarr. The secondary plot involving them was almost as equally interesting and I couldn't wait to see what became of them too.

As usual, Grant writes a tight story that doesn't falter from the moment it starts. I do believe she's stepped up quite a few notches though and seriously improved in character development with this one, and I never even thought she needed to before. There's a very pleasing progression for Brit and Finn, and I was kind of sad to come to the end of their book -- I just wanted it to keep going! The series will continue with another release in spring of '09, The Warlord's Daughter. Till then, I think I'll be rereading Moonstruck and placing alongside other keepers.

Susan Grant introduced us to Aviation Romance with strong female aviator/role models such as Jas Hamilton (THE STAR KING) and Jordan Cady (CONTACT) and Earth to alien cultures. Like CONTACT which dealt with terrorism in the aftermath of 9-11, Ms. Grant's latest novel MOONSTRUCK is very edgy dealing with the scars left by war. This is a tale about an injured but strong woman, an honorable man who had been her sworn enemy and the healing power of love. Did I say that I simply love an edgy paranormal romance? I really adored this one.

In MY FAVORITE EARTHLING (Otherworldly Men series: Book 2) the Goddess herself, Queen Keira of Sakka, had killed the Drakken leader and with the help of thousands of Draaken faithful who had worshiped the goddess in secret, had put an end to the brutal galactic war between their peoples. Earth, the backwater home of Keira's consort Prince Jared, had been declared a holy untouchable Shrine. The Coalition government and their former enemy the Drakken Horde were no more. Instead the two would unite, along with Earth, to form the new Triad government. And they all lived happily ever after, right? Not quite.

Not everyone was happy about the new arrangement. Admiral Brit Bandar, commander of the Coalition Space Ship Vengeance had spent her career hunting down Hordish pirates, among whom she'd earned the name Admiral Stone-Heart, and protecting the Coalition worlds from the Imperial Armada . It had been a name well earned for her heart had turned to stone following the Massacre at the Arrayar Settlement which had taken her beloved family from her. To Brit the only good Drakken was a dead one. Vengeance even more than a sense of duty had spurred her to become the most successful commander in the Coalition forces, winning more battles than any other. Her business with the Horde was far from finished. No one other than Prime Admiral Zaafran knew of her secret pain, a pain she both buried and revived on shore leave in the pleasure dome of a resort planet. It is there that she is contacted to report to the Ring to receive her new assignment -- a diplomatic assignment. Peace wouldn't last, of that she was certain. Imagine her chagrin upon arriving at the Ring and smelling -- Horde!

Drakken Warleader Finnar Rorkken, of the former Imperial Fleet, had been summoned to the Ring as well. Prior to his promotion he'd been a notorious pirate tagged The Scourge of the Borderlands. Although he is not certain whether the trip indicates a new assignment or a trial for war crimes he is optimistic for he has very little to lose. He and his crew are on the verge of starvation. Brit had come close to capturing Finn several times. He'd respected and admired her as a worthy opponent and was more than a little intrigued by his rival. She had held a secret admiration for her adversary as well and she fully expected to make him pay for that. Imagine her dismay to learn that her new assignment would be a diplomatic position as the Captain of the Triad Alliance Ship Unity, commanding a crew consisting of Coalition, Earth and Drakken, with Rorkken as her second in command!

No, she couldn't relegate the Drakken crew to menial tasks as far from her sight as possible, they were to be integrated and if she didn't like it she would be reassigned to dry dock. For the first time in her life duty would have to come before her need for vengeance. Her career was her life. But nothing could have prepared her for the shock of meeting Finn or his resemblance to an older version of her dear departed husband, the love of her life murdered by his kind.

Finn sees the assignment as an opportunity. Orphaned as an infant in a Coalition attack, he'd been rescued and then abandoned on another world and raised by other homeless children. His crew was his only family and he would do anything to convince Brit to take them aboard the Unity. He's floored by their first meeting. He'd admired Brit before but couldn't reconcile Admiral Stone-Heart with the woman he'd kill to have in his bed. Brit is shocked and dismayed at the medical reports that reveal his meager beginnings, the last thing she had wanted was to see him as human. With both hiding their feelings, working together is NOT going to be easy! It's not long before she realizes there is only one way to get him out of her system. She was going to hate herself in the morning, or would she?

Brit wasn't the only one dissatisfied with peace. When communication is lost with the Cupezikan science outpost in the Borderlands, the Unity is sent to investigate. What they find is a brutal slaughter. Has Brit gotten gotten her wish or have time and Finn finally healed her wounds?

Oh my! The interaction between these two star-crossed lovers is as complex as it is heartwarming. Brit's feelings are raw and heart wrenching, due to her devastating tragedy that has stolen her faith. What begins as admiration, curiosity and intense attraction for Finn quickly becomes a need to know the woman he's come to love in every sense of the word and to do whatever it takes make her whole again. For that to happen, Brit must let go of both her pain and her hatred. The result is a touchingly beautiful romance filled with courage and heart that was pure pleasure to read.

On a final note, I very much enjoyed the secondary thread, the adventures of Admiral Bandar's assistant Lt. Keyran. Hadley is a true innocent who hero-worships Brit. Brit sees her own strong potential in the girl and plans to toughen her up on this assignment. In the meantime the hopeless romantic from a planet of hopeless romantics becomes caught up in a romantic triangle between Rueben Barrientes a.k.a. Tango, a big time player from Texas and Battle-Lieutenant Bolivarr, a shy former Drakken Wraith assassin who has amnesia due to a near fatal injury. She's swept away by the smooth talking Tango but the mood ring he gives her has other ideas. This side story brought humor to an otherwise intense situation. I do hope we see Keyran and Bolivarr again.

For me a keeper is a gut wrenching, edge of the seat novel that makes you laugh, cry, and sigh, one that you can't put down until you've finished the last word, and then want to read all over again. MOONSTRUCK is a keeper! ~ Reviewed for PNR Reviews

Coalition Admiral Britasha "Brit" Bandar 'Brit is upset with the changes that impact her. The courageous warrior knows she must adapt as the Coalition has merged with Earthling and Drakken to forge a Triad; she grew up believing the Drakken were the enemy who must die and now they are allies and on board.

Brit Commands the Unity with her second in command a Drakken, Finnar "Scourge of the Borderlands" Rorkken. He is a former leader of the Drakken Horde and is proud to be on board the key example of peace the Unity although he is concerned about his superior officer as they have battled one another for years. Still Finnar also knows the assignment will include better working conditions for his crew. However, neither expected an attraction hotter than a star while they battle their unwanted feelings they also confront terrorists threatening the fragile peace.

Expanding the Grant universe, MOONSTRUCK is a suburb military science fiction romance starring Beloved Enemies. The Jasper saga (see YOUR PLANET OR MINE, MY FAVORITE EARTHLING, and HOW TO LOSE AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL IN 10 DAYS) goes into the Borderlands of outer space with this terrific entry as the lead couple have a lifetime of combat leading to total distrust; however failure to communicate will prove disastrous as many from the three sides want the Triad to fail. Fans will be "Star" struck by Susan Grant's extraterrestrial talent as this may be her best sci fi tale to date.

Harriet Klausner