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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Two Stars and No Whispers,
This review is from: Whispers in the Stars (Mass Market Paperback)
The story of Zara, the only female ruler in the galaxy, and Logan, a hardened Galactic soldier, is not your usual Marriage of Convenience tale. It's worse. Zara's world of Nubria is strongly grounded in spiritual faith and all it's attendant encumbrances. Logic and strategic planning rule Logan's world of war and suspicion. On the surface, the account of neutral Nubria's Queen, Zara, who gives asylum to rebels of the Unity Council and is then "punished" for refusing to give up said rebels and is forced into a marriage with the Galactic Guard of the Council's choosing, does have potential. Unfortunately, it is never realized. Yes, Waddell does a creditable job of creating conflict between the two lovers and the love scenes are well done without being overly graphic but that is the best I can say about this novel.Zara is gifted with what I would call Active Empathy. She has the ability to reach out and touch the minds of her people and "feel" their thoughts and emotions. Since she is the queen and high priestess of her faith, she is the most powerful wielder of this gift. Logan is aware that his wife is different, but he can never seem to grasp how until the very end of the book, where he suddenly sees the light. The relationship between the two is guarded at best with Zara unwilling to completely "bare" her mind/soul to her husband and Logan incapable of trusting his wife until she "shows" her loyalty by revealing the whereabouts of the hidden rebels. Zara's faith makes it impossible for her to reveal the rebels location, "A promise given is a promise kept". Logan, due to his military upbringing feels his wife either sides with him or she is a traitor to the Council. There is no action in this novel. The only nod to a futuristic setting is the "honeymoon" trip to a mining colony in order to open Zara's naïve mind to the dangers that exist outside her nice, bland world. This futuristic romance should have been set in the Middle Ages with a battle seasoned knight and druidic priestess. The secondary characters were flat and in no way do I feel, based on the closed minds/hearts of the main characters, that they at anytime developed a meaningful love for each other. When did this wonderful feeling happen? When she couldn't trust him to open her mind? When he couldn't trust her to believe her constantly voiced reassurances that the rebels were no [danger] to the Council? Spiritual faith plays a big part in this tale and in the conflict that exists between Zara and Logan. His inability to understand and accept Nubria's god(s) is a stumbling block that Zara can't get past. But to be fair to Logan, at no time during this narrative does Waddell explain their religion. Zara prays and chants, leads her people in blessings and prayer circles and attempts to spiritually heal her people (but they are so good what is there to heal?). She takes pilgrimages to pray to god(s) that either have no name or the names have been forgotten (Huh..for a people so steeped in religion, how did they manage to forget their god's name?) The only thing I can say about their beliefs is that they must be born with them because it certainly can't be explained to a non-believer. And how does Zara's gift entitle her to be High Priestess? Yes, it may help her in understanding the troubles of her followers, but why is it a requirement? The story is riddled with inconsistencies. The Galactic Guard has space transports, Watchtowers and laser pistols, yet they regularly use and carry swords?? Zara's gift is "not telepathy" but the ability to feel another's thoughts, yet in the book she "talks" with her mentor, Nessa, and engages in mind speak with her husband during one love scene in a grotto?? Most of Zara's duties as Queen involve meeting planetary dignitaries as well as envoys and Nubria regularly trades with the other Council planets, yet she has no understanding of the [danger] her Utopian world is faced with by the greedy Pharmons?? Why was Logan chosen to be the one to marry Zara and thereby rule a planet as King? He had no distinguishing battles to his credit, he didn't hail from a long line of deposed rulers and as far as the reader knows no high ranking official owed him a favor. The only reason given in the book is because of his success with women ... All in all I was extremely disappointed. The story crawled, was very predictable and the anti-climatic ending made the whole premise obsolete. Why didn't Zara just tell the truth about the rebels in the first place and thus avoid the whole sorry mess??
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Special Romance - Highly Recommended,
By A Customer
This review is from: Whispers in the Stars (Mass Market Paperback)
Whispers in the Stars is one of those special romances that touches your heart. Patricia Waddell has woven a beautiful love story, but unlike a lot of romances, it deals with the characters minds as well as their hearts. Zara the Queen of Nubria is a strong woman with a soft heart. Logan, the Galactic Guard she is forced to marry for political reasons quickly learns that his bride is as challenging as she is beautiful. Patricia Waddell's sensual writing style comes through loud and clear in this romance. I couldn't put this book down.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One Awesome Romance,
By "deedums65" (Deltona, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Whispers in the Stars (Mass Market Paperback)
I have been waiting years for Patricia Waddell to come out with another futuristic romance. Finally, the readers day has arrived. "Whisper in the Stars", leaps out at you on the very first page.Queen Zara of Nubria gave her word that she would protect the rebels from the Galactic Guard. In doing so, she lost her right to rule her planet and was forced to marry a man of their choosing. Using her gift of faith she reaches out to Logan the Galactic Guard who was to be her husband. Zara's fears abate somewhat when she sensed no evil in him. However, the strength of his resolve to find the rebels causes a struggle of hope between the husband and wife. The chimestry between Zara and Logan makes the pages smolder with tension and excitement. Patricia also includes a twist of the plot she is becoming so famous for. Please don't miss this wonderful new book.
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