Customer Reviews

Protector of the Realm (Supreme Constellations)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Gun Brooke has done it again with only her second novel; Protector of the Realm hooked me at once with the riveting opening scenes of an intergalactic space fight where Commodore Rae Jacelon takes Kellen O'Dal prisoner. The action never ceases until the last pages are read.

When Rae captures Kellen and holds her on her space station, she learns that Kellen is wanted on kidnapping charges. She has abducted Armeo M'Aido, a young boy, and future heir to the kingdom, supposedly in her care. Kellen's accuser Ambassador M'Ekar claims that Armeo is a relative through his deceased wife, and has been pursuing Kellen. The story doesn't ring true to Rae after she discovers that Kellen was seriously injured trying to escape from M'Ekar. With conflicting accounts from both parties, Rae Jacelon, with the help of her father, Admiral Jacelon, tries to get to the bottom of the truth, but there are forces working against her. To protect Kellen and Armeo from further injury or possible death, Rae is forced to marry her and remain that way for five years so she can become a Supreme Constellation citizen with rights. Neither woman is happy with that choice, but the young Armeo must be shielded from any potential harm.

Gun Brooke has fashioned an enticing love story filled with electrifying conflicts to get this reader's heart racing. The action progresses from the rapid-fire battles, to a possible romance beginning with a forced marriage. While the author sets it up as a marriage of convenience, we are not fooled because the tension is present between Rae and Kellen instantly. Using the characters' thoughts, the reader is treated to a promise of eventual passion. But Protector of the Realm doesn't give away anything too early, keeping the reader completely engrossed throughout.

Character development and the smooth interweaving of multiple plots are the book's strengths. Rae Jacelon is truly a heroic character. She is honorable and noble and chooses to protect Kellen and Armeo because it is right, never questioning whether she will put herself in danger by doing so. While Kellen doesn't trust Rae throughout most of the story because of her fear for Armeo's safety, Rae is above reproach, and the reader sees that immediately. Kellen and Rae's mutual distrust of each other, along with Rae's deep seated feeling of unworthiness, cause much angst for the two. Both are tortured by their developing feelings that they do not act on. It takes some time for the passion to ignite fully, but the doubts still linger. Brooke handles this well by giving the reader sweet release along the way, but drawing out all of Rae's and Kellen's issues and insecurities. Their pasts must be examined and revealed before they can hope for a future.

We slowly and methodically find out the truth behind who Armeo, Kellen and M'Ekar are and how they are connected. The answers are complicated and show the strength of Brooke's storytelling abilities. She never takes the straight path and develops a history that continually unfolds up to the book's ending. It is imaginative and spellbinding. We are left wanting more.

Protector of the Realm has it all; sabotage, corruption, erotic love and exhilarating space fights. Gun Brooke's second novel is forceful with a winning combination of solid characters and a brilliant plot. The book exemplifies her growth as inventive storyteller and is sure to garner multiple awards in the coming year.

This science fiction novel takes the marriage of convenience plot that's so popular in het romances and makes it more interesting. Not only are the partners both women but one is an alien on the run from enemies determined to kill a child, a boy called Armeo, that she is protecting. But Kellen O'Dal is lucky to be captured by Commodore Rae Jacelyn who marries her to protect her. Nothing is simple in this arrangement and the story follows their progress toward love, at the same time as describing the events that lead up to important revelations about who Armeo really is and why he is in danger.
This is not the best science fiction you'll ever read, and sometimes Rae and Kellen sound like the same person, but it's not a bad story and there is plenty of it, possibly too much as it is quite drawn out in places. I skimmed some parts because I got bored, but other than that I enjoyed this book and it's better than the average awful lesbian sci fi.

This is a real page turner. At over 350 pages the story is fully satisfying. The action is non-stop and the characters wonderfully drawn. The main characters exude a warmth that I found utterly endearing and I didn't want the story to end.

This is a perfect read for the beach, or on a long airplane trip or an evening at home.

It is nominated for a Golden Crown Literary Award www.gclscon.com

This from the publishers site - A space adventure filled with suspense and a daring intergalactic romance.

When fired upon during a space journey, resolute Commodore Rae Jacelon of the Gamma VI space station apprehends a stunning, but decidedly lethal, Gantharian woman fleeing from her home planet together with an unusual young boy. Kellen O'Dal is prepared to cut any deal or commit any crime to carry out her duty and keep the child with her.

Having lived for her career in the Supreme Constellation, a vast union of planets, Rae risks her future and offers Kellen a solution with unanticipated ramifications. High-stake power games among bitter planetary rivals further complicate the unexpected attraction that develops between the women. While the powerful Council debates how to take advantage of the politically explosive situation, Rae and Kellen embark on a dangerous mission to save the child, and ultimately, each other.

I have to say this was a great book. I was leery to start it because so far all of the lesbian Sci-fi/Fantasy I've read was either too unrealistic, or too much on the science and too little on the fantasy. Gun gave just enough description and information to create a good picture of how things worked. Anyone who enjoys reading Star Trek books and Star Wars books will enjoy this book very much.

The book, is very character driven. All of the characters had a strong impact on me. There is the relationship; which is not the usual love/hate relationship, but more a matter of trust and priorities. And each woman is strong, talented and independent in their own right.

Sometimes there are characters that pick up their suitcases and plant themselves inside your brain. But then there are those few characters that just pick up their suitcases and move inside your head. In this book, Kellen, Rae - and their whole family did that to me. The interaction between the characters is very real, and very complex as each character carries a good deal of personal baggage with them - both emotional and professional.

Equally important is the very complex storyline, it isn't something you necessarily see coming. Yes, you figure out that there is obviously something about the boy - the reader learns things at the same time Rae learns them. And just just when you think all is well and it's safe...well...maybe not.

While she didn't leave me hanging at the edge of suspense for the next book; (thankfully - because I really hate that) she did prepare a good set-up for the next book which left me hungry more. I look forward to the next book - I believe it's going to be a trilogy.

This is a good sequel. I liked the new characters introduced and I really liked that the characters from the first book were in this one. If you like sci-fi you will like this.

If you're a sci-fi fan and read lesbian fiction, this book should be on your bookshelf. The ultra-talented Gun Brooke introduces what this reader hopes will be a multi-volume series based in the far reaches of outer space. Admittedly, I am not generally a big fan of sci-fi on the written page and prefer it on the small or big screen. However, Brooke does a really nice job separating the personalities of her characters from their setting... she does this while also intermingling them seamlessly.

Commodore Rae Jacelon of the Gamma VI space station apprehends suspected space pirate Kellen O'Dal and her ward, Armeo. After subduing the prisoner, Rae ends up fighting everything from intergalactic legal battles to her growing feelings for the humanoid. In his own way Armeo ultimately holds the key to their future.

In her usual fashion, Brooke masterfully brings her characters to life, giving even the minor characters dimensionality. This book will not disappoint readers who enjoyed `Course of Action' and `Coffee Sonata.' Highly recommended, but once you start be prepared to stay up all night to finish reading the final sentence.

Twice I put this back on the cyber shelf because of the cover. It just looks so cheesy and the portrait of the commander is, sorry Gun, awful. The book looked to be a mess of a amateur sci fi/lesbian adventure. With welcome surprise, I found instead a thoughtful, well paced adventure/love story. Good character development and a broad supporting cast helped to maintain interest and added depth to the story. The author set up for the sequels solidly without leaving readers hanging in this novel. Great job, looking forward to the continuations.

I thought I would review some of my old favorites and this is a stand out. Also wanted to read this again in preparation for Gun Brooke's newest in this series that is coming out in September. I loved the two protagonists. While I have heard that this is a Star Trek Voyager type novel, I didn't get that impression. Nor did I get the feel that they were copies of Star Trek's Janeway and Seven. Rae Jacelon, the commander of a space station, is a strong and dynamic individual with a strong belief in seeing justice done. This is shown in her willingness to offer marriage to Kellen, a stranger and alien, in order to protect Kellen and her charge, Armeo, from falling into the wrong hands. Kellen is written as loyal to her duty in protecting the last member of a Royal house, and is willing to die for her charge. Both women are headstrong and tension builds in their relationship. The backdrop of a pending war with an aggressive species that is bent on domination of its neighbors is interesting. This has villains you love to hate. We also have Rae's strained relationship with her parents. Her father is an admiral and is critical of Rae. Her mother is a diplomat and it appears she and Rae were never close. Armeo, the lovable royal heir, works his magic in Rae's relationship with her parents. Plenty of action in this also. I can't wait until the next installment coming in September of this year.

Book 1 in the Supreme Constellations series, "Protector of the Realm" is solid science fiction, and by that I mean there are times when I've read "sci-fi" where the storyline and plot feel like contemporary fiction except for a few advanced gadgets or someone is flying a space ship instead of an airplane. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, but when I read (and perhaps that's why my favorite genre is science fiction) I wish it to be an immersive experience.

Society and cultural needs are different. If there are young people, schooling and what subjects are offered are different, attitudes and behaviors are also changed even if subtly, even if it involves what we think of as those from our own society now in space or on some distant world. All societies evolve over time, other ideas are incorporated or former ideas put aside, yet usually it is not very extreme.

These are the intangibles some writers neglect including in their work. Gun Brooke did not. Some writers aim for the extreme, which can be interesting in and of itself, yet Gun had the right balance to keep her characters and the universe they live in believable within the type of story she created. There were times I found some descriptions regarding emotion repetitive and a character's choices perplexing, but if they were of an alien race, I suppose that was to be expected.

The plot is complex with a number of details and players, but not so much so that I grew frustrated. Progression is natural, with no serious lags in action although it is a longer novel. I understand a little more than average about theories of how space-going vessels might travel and appreciate when a writer presents them in an understandable way, but not overly detailed so as to be distracting. When it is too complex and extended, for many it causes attention to wander or one questions the necessity of that much information, similarly thus with the sex scenes in this novel. I felt the relationship was reasonable and engaging, yet the extended scenes not integral to the whole.

"Protector of the Realm" is a sweeping space adventure, a romance and a drama. The writing style is distinct, and might take a little while to get into, but once you're in it, is compelling to the very last page.

From the review/interview site Flying With Red Haircrow [...]

I have been very pleased with this series by Gun Brooke. I look forward to reading more from her. Her imagination is inspiring. I was riveted by the first book in the series, "Protector of the Realm". I read it over and over again. I am a fan. I would suggest reading the first book and see if you like the series. Check it out!!