Rating: 
Summary: This is what futuristics should be!!
Review: Even readers who don't normally go for futuristics (like me) will be completely drawn into this story from the very first page and will (also like me) be unable to put it down. Fast-paced, vivid and original, Ravyn's Flight is the very best that the genre has to offer. The elemental conflict of one couple versus an unknown killer is riveting-- I bit my fingernails to nubs during the first couple of chapters! Ms. O'Shea has a gift for narration; her characters are charming and believable; you can't help but fall in love with them. I can't believe this is her first book!
Rating: 
Summary: strong military science fiction romance
Review: For the past eight months the Colonization Assessment Team has been studying the planet Jarvid Nine in great depth. Unbeknownst to the CAT is that Special Operations is about hold a training exercise on the other side of the same orb. However, an unknown foe attacks the CAT killing everyone except communications expert Ravyn Verdier. Only the intervention of Spec Ops Damon Brody saves her life, but while he interrogates her, the deadly foe kills all his mates.The duo flees towards an old ghost city where they hope to find answers that will stopp their lethal opponent. As Ravyn and Damon struggle to survive, they fall in love. His new feelings change his need from vengeance for the death of his squad to keeping his beloved safe from a killing machine. RAVYN'S FLIGHT is a strong military science fiction romance that once the plot goes into gear never leaves hyperspeed until the final page are finished. The story line is exciting as the lead couple struggles to endure against an unknown evil. However, the villain is too malevolent with no redeeming quality or moral cause for the wanton slaughter that occurs. In spite of the feral rogue, sub-genre fans will savor Patti O'Shea's wonderful other world futuristic romance. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: breathtaking flight across of futuristic planet!
Review: 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 inhabitable. 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 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 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 own to survive 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 herduring 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!
Rating:
Summary: I am blown away! This is a first time writer?
Review: I am absolutely amazed by this book. This is her first book? She is such a strong writer that kept me mesmerized from first page to last. This is such a STRONG adventure, I can well understand why they picked her to write the #4 book in the 2176 series. I cannot wait for that. Her characters were SO strong, the menace so "breathing down you neck".
Rating:
Summary: I am blown away! This is a first time writer?
Review: I am absolutely amazed by this book. This is her first book? She is such a strong writer that kept me mesmerized from first page to last. This is such a STRONG adventure, I can well understand why they picked her to write the #4 book in the 2176 series. I cannot wait for that. Her characters were SO strong, the menace so "breathing down you neck".
Rating: 
Summary: I'm in the minority, but...
Review: I bought this book based on the rave Amazon reviews. I am disappointed. Ravyn's Flight was readable, but unsatisfying. I liked the characters, but there was no real story - just a concept. And the ending of the book (I won't give it away) was more silly than dramatic. No explanation was given for Ravyn and Damon's newfound 'abilities.' And the other reviews play up the 'futuristic' aspect way too much. The sci/fi aspect was not significant as far as I'm concerned.
And another note- the book cover is nice, but strange. It does NOT capture the mood of the book at all!
An ok book, but not a great one.
Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: I didn't really expect much when I started this book, especially from the cover. I was expecting just another "steamy romance." Man was I suprised. The wit and drama of this book were great. And I loved how the characters stayed true to themselves. For instance, Alex (a secondary character) was difficult and stubborn right to the end. Definitely worth anyone's time. I read it in one day, I just couldn't put it down. Please Patti write another one!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic romance, Science Fiction lite
Review: I have yet to find a novel that truly combines good science fiction with great romance (J.D. Robb's In Death series comes very close). Unfortunately, this book only gets half of the equation right - the romance was wonderful! I loved the main characters and the way their love slowly built over the course of the book. This made the whole book a very enjoyable read and I highly recommend it to lovers of romance. However, the science fiction aspect of the book was not well thought out. Ms. O'Shea had a very nice concept but the ideas were way underdeveloped. Also, too many things didn't make any sense. For example - Why didn't the killer (who had apparently been living on the planet for thousands of years) make some attempt to leave the planet? Why didn't the killer take over Ravyn and Damon mentally while they were still back at the CAT base? Why was the Spec Ops team training on that planet? What were the wars being fought over? If another war was on the horizon, why wasn't there more interest being shown in the Old City? Why did Damon feel ethically comfortable trying to find weapons to kill other humans in the next war? Why didn't Ravyn and Damon tell Alex and the rescue team exactly what had transpired and demonstrate their ability to manipulate the planet's power. Why did Damon try to confront the killer on his own when he had been clearly shown that without Ravyn he could be easily taken over?
Don't get me wrong - I really, really enjoyed this book as a romance novel but I couldn't help thinking how much better this book could have been if Ms. O'Shea had worked a little harder answering at least some of the above questions. Oh well, the search for a great science fiction/romance goes on.
Rating:
Summary: not what I thought, but good.
Review: I liked the book. I am trying to explore new authors and get into different things and i really liked this book. It was Different, but that's good.
Rating:
Summary: not what I thought, but good.
Review: I liked the book. I am trying to explore new authors and get into different things and i really liked this book. It was Different, but that's good.
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