27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
breathtaking flight across of futuristic planet!, April 23, 2004
This review is from: Ravyn's Flight (Jarved 9, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
Having read Day of Fire by Kathleen Nance and The Legend of Banzai Maguire by Susan Grant, I immediately pre-ordered Shadow Chasers by Liz Maverick, Grant's finale to Dorchester's 2176 series, The Scarlet Empress, and the fifth in the series,The Power of Two by Patti O'Shea. While I ordered, I noticed I had somehow missed O'Shea's debut book Ravyn's Flight, so I had to have it. If this is a preview of her style of writing, I cannot wait to get to her book in the 2176 series. This novel is amazing. There is such great talent in the Futuristic Romance genre, Robin D. Owen, C.J. Barry, Grant, but these new voices such as Robin T. Popp and Patti O'Shea are sounding they are a force that is here to stay. I just finished Popp's Too Close To The Sun and she blew me away. After reading such a great book as that, it's harder to come on the heels and impress me as much. Yet from page one that is precisely what O'Shea's book did! It's a strong story with such great female characters, but the males are just as vividly created, formed with such insight and emotion.
The main story centers on Ravyn Vedier. She is the communication expert on a team of 20 CAT specials - they go in and investigate if a planet is uninhabitable - or so they believe. They were sent to Jarved Nine, which is strangely like Earth in terrain, air etc. The only thing keeping this planet from being labeled a prime target for human habitation is the Old City. A town built for about 20,000 to 50,000 people, perfect in every way, but no people. When Ravyn visited the Old City, she found it in pristine condition, just as if the people walked off. The intriguing riddle soon takes second place in her mind as she faces mind-bending horror. She is down in the subbasement of the CAT facility, no more than 45 minutes, and returns to find her 19 CAT mates slaughter in a gruesome fashion and grotesquely arrange in the pattern of a flower.
Damon Brody and his team of six Special Ops force are on the other side of the Jarved Nine when the distress call comes from the CAT team. They arrive, discovers the slaughter, and fear all are dead. Damon finds a terrified Ravyn covered in blood and hiding in under her bed. He sets his men to secure to building while he tries to get answers out of Ravyn. Damon makes her a cup of tea and finally gets a few shaky replies from her, immediately going on alert when Ravyn insists she did not set off the emergency distress beacon. They rush to find his men, and come upon what Damon fears. His team is slaughtered in the same fashion as the other 19, this time arranged like a lightning bolt. Grabbing what they can carry to survive, they are left on their for three weeks until a military rescue mission is launched to find them. The only place left for protection is the Old City. They have to get there before the killer stalking them runs them to ground. It's their growing to trust of the other, which makes the grueling pace bearable.
Colonel Alex Sullivan is Ravyn's stepbrother. He raised her after their parents were killed. He knows something is bad wrong on Jarved Nine and he is determined to lead a team into rescue his sister...if she is still alive. He is satisfied with the members of his team, except the communications expert. Stacey is a CAT member, like his sister; in fact, she is Ravyn's best friend. Alex sees Stacey as a liability to his team. She is non-military. His gut tells him something terrible has occurred on this distant planet and Stacey's not trained to follow orders, not trained to defend herself, so he is going to push her during the weeks long voyage to Jarved Nine, trying to see she stays alive. Stacey has been in love with Alex since she met him at Ravyn's and her graduation years before, so working under the harsh taskmaster is disturbing in more ways that one.
The secondary story of Alex and Stacey could make a novel on its own, but under the skillful talent of O'Shea, she weaves both tales into a breathtaking pace. The world of Jarved Nine is vividly created, the characters achingly real. You will care for Damon and Ravyn, and the secondary Alex and Stacey. She starts with the first couple running for their lives and the second desperately rushing to their rescue, in a breakneck pace for the reader that never lags, never fails to mesmerize.
Be warned, this is a book once you pick you won't be able to put down. I was looking forward to the Power of Two before I read Ravyn's Flight, now I desperately looking forward to it!
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53 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
This one works - but what's with the cover?, January 24, 2003
This review is from: Ravyn's Flight (Jarved 9, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
I'm a big fan of the hybred genre of Sci/Fi-Romance, but I'll be the first to admit that lots of the "futuristic" or "paranormal" books sold on the Romance side of the isle are so bad that it hurts to read them. That's not the case with this book. Ravyn's Flight works, and it works on both levels. It's good light action adventure SF, and good Romance. I think the secondary characters were way too calm about the strange powers of the Old City and that made the ending a little weak, but overall this book was a great read. Patti O'Shea goes next to Susan Grant on the short list of people who do SciFi-Romance the way it sould be done. I'll be looking for her next book.
Although the writing in Ravyn's Flight is top notch the cover is wretched. It is overly fluffy headed "romantic bodice ripper" and completely wrong for the book. It has no connection to the characters or the plot. In fact the cover was so silly that if I had not heard a bookseller talking about the book I'd have skipped it over as one of those "Futuristic" Romances written by someone who dosen't have a clue. I think the cover is going to loose the book crossover readers from SciFi who would enjoy Ravyn's Flight. That's too bad.
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Patti O'Shea has written a great futuristic romance!!, November 3, 2002
This review is from: Ravyn's Flight (Jarved 9, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
If you like futuristic romance, you're going to love this book! Ravyn Verdier is alone on Jarved Nine - all her co-workers have been mysteriously and brutally murdered. A Special Ops team headed by Damon Brody arrives to assist - and the same unknown killer strikes all but Damon. Ravyn and Damon must flee before it's too late. Heading for an abandoned city, they come to realize that their only hope for survival is each other - and that only by working together will they be able to defeat this menace. This debut book ROCKS. I have never read a more completely entertaining futuristic. I recommend it highly and will be watching for Ms. O'Shea's future works with great impatience.
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