Rating: Summary: A star is born Review: >Earth belongs to the Galactic Empire, a confederation consisting of many worlds with a wide range of sentient species. Chaz Bergren served with dignity and loyalty captaining an interstellar patrol ship for the empire. However, her world ends when she is convicted of disobeying an order that she swears she never received. Chaz is sent to the Moabar penal planet for the rest of her life. Mercenary pilot Sully saves Chaz from her incarceration though the two have had many run-ins over the years. He requires her piloting abilities and her knowledge of the empire to help him learn if any illegal genetic engineering experiments are occurring. If there is, he needs her to help him put a halt to the runaway science. As Chaz and Sully work together against impossible odds, they fall in love. However, Chaz learns things about her beloved that she has been brainwashed by the empire as being evil. Can Chaz overcome her bias to find happiness with Sully?
Althought the author has relatively few books to her credit, she has the talent and the preseence to become one of tomorrow's superstars. Fans of the Freedom series by Anne McCaffrey will love Gabriel's Ghost and believe in the various worlds and species found in this novel. Megan Sybil Baker is now in the top ten list of this reviewer's favorite authors!
Harriet Klausner
Rating: Summary: Wonderful story! Review: Captain Chasidah Bergren was stripped of her command and sent to Moabar, a harsh prison world. The LAST person she expected to rescue her would be a mercenary named Gabriel Ross Sullivan! Chaz had been one of the Fleet's officers that often hunted his ship and caused him endless troubles. Sully had rescued her for more than one reason. The only one he told her of, though, was his need for her knowledge of the system. Chaz had the inside information, know-how, and codes that was needed to complete his extremely dangerous mission. Sully's other reason was personal. His feelings for her! However, Sully had a deep, dark secret. Anyone who found out, even his closest friends, would instantly loath him! To gain Chaz's heart he planned to keep his secret from her forever. Yet, little-by-little, Chaz saw pieces of what Sully tried to hide. Now he could only shield her as much as possible or pray for a miracle! **** Wonderful story! There is a couple of times it slowed down too much for my personal taste, but not enough to ever dampen my interest. Everytime I thought I knew all of Sully's personal secret, I was proved wrong. The author added spicy co-characters, a few of which are almost as fascinating as the main characters! In fact, it is so well written I could almost believe these characters existed out in space somewhere! Recommended! **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Rating: Summary: Fantastic Read! Review: Chasidah "Chaz" Bergren was on her way up the ladder of the Federated Fleet. She was captain of her own ship and well respected by those under her command as well as her superiors. Or so she thought. When Chaz was accused of ignoring orders which led to the deaths of fourteen of her crew, she couldn't believe it. She was stunned during her trial when her friends deserted her and data was created to convict her. Condemned to spend the rest of her life on the prison planet, Moabar, Chaz has her hands full just trying to stay alive. When Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan shows up to rescue her, Chaz is stunned. He supposedly died two years ago. And why did he want to rescue her, anyway? It is true that both of them enjoyed sparring verbally and there was an undeniable physical attraction, but they had always been on opposite sides of the fence: she a Fleet captain, he a smuggler out stealing whatever he could whenever he could. Still, going anywhere with Sully had to be better than staying on Moabar. Chaz reluctantly agrees to help Sully track down an illegal jukor lab on Marker, her home planet where her older brother still runs the shipping yards. She doesn't quite believe Sully when he insists that the Federation is breeding jukors there. After all, the Federation had cancelled the jukor project years ago, hadn't they? Who would be stupid enough to keep created animals that could not be controlled and were extremely difficult to kill? It soon becomes obvious to Chaz that Sully is right - there is a jukor lab on Marker and another lab is being built on a space ship somewhere. Gradually Sully wins Chaz' trust and they are close to becoming involved when Chaz discovers that Sully is a powerful empath/telepath and can change people's thoughts, read minds and kill with the power of his mind alone. The whole Federation has been educated to hate and fear the Solorths because they have this power, but Chaz never expected to encounter a human who wields power like a Stolorth. How can Chaz trust Sully when he swears that he has not tricked her into going along with his plans? He has already altered a memory and invaded her mind when he wanted to gain information about her ex-husband. However, Chaz soon realizes that Sully hates and fears what he is, too. He fears that he will never gain acceptance from anyone, especially Chaz, whom he has loved for years and years. Little by little, Sully opens up to Chaz and tries to show her that he is not the monster that the universe thinks he is and little by little Chaz comes to believe him, but how much of the truth can Chaz take? How much is love willing to overlook and accept? As Sully and Chaz try to sort out their feelings and fears, they realize that the jukor conspiracy reaches up much higher than they hoped - all the way to the leaders of the Federation itself... This is the first book that I have read by Megan Sybil Baker and she is now up there at the top with my other favorite authors. This book was simply amazing. It had a very engrossing plotline with a lot of details about the technologically advanced futuristic world that Sully and Chaz live in. Religion, politics, military, you name it, it was discussed and figured into the plot. The world was very real and I loved Baker's characters. Sully was a gorgeous, tortured, dark hero who desperately needed someone to love him despite who and what he was. Chaz was a strong female character, but not obnoxious and not too independent to want to have friends and a special someone she could lean on. The supporting characters included people from all races and types including Ren, a blind Stolorth who was forced to hide from his people or he would be killed; the giant, hairy takas, who were raping and killing human women in retaliation for the federation experimenting on their women; Philip, Chaz' ex-husband, who still loves her and yet cannot change his rigid Fleet training to win her back; Sister Berri, a very devout, almost insane priestess who believes she is on a holy quest, and many, many more. The romance between Sully and Chaz was a wonderful subplot and handled so well by Baker, I was truly impressed. A simply wonderful book that is well worth any price that you pay for it! Buy this and pray that Ms. Baker is writing a sequel - I know you will love it!
Rating: Summary: Love, Love, Love, Love This Book! Review: Chasidah "Chaz" Bergren was on her way up the ladder of the Federated Fleet. She was captain of her own ship and well respected by those under her command as well as her superiors. Or so she thought. When Chaz was accused of ignoring orders which led to the deaths of fourteen of her crew, she couldn't believe it. She was stunned during her trial when her friends deserted her and data was created to convict her. Condemned to spend the rest of her life on the prison planet, Moabar, Chaz has her hands full just trying to stay alive. When Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan shows up to rescue her, Chaz is stunned. He supposedly died two years ago. And why did he want to rescue her, anyway? It is true that both of them enjoyed sparring verbally and there was an undeniable physical attraction, but they had always been on opposite sides of the fence: she a Fleet captain, he a smuggler out stealing whatever he could whenever he could. Still, going anywhere with Sully had to be better than staying on Moabar. Chaz reluctantly agrees to help Sully track down an illegal jukor lab on Marker, her home planet where her older brother still runs the shipping yards. She doesn't quite believe Sully when he insists that the Federation is breeding jukors there. After all, the Federation had cancelled the jukor project years ago, hadn't they? Who would be stupid enough to keep created animals that could not be controlled and were extremely difficult to kill? It soon becomes obvious to Chaz that Sully is right - there is a jukor lab on Marker and another lab is being built on a space ship somewhere. Gradually Sully wins Chaz' trust and they are close to becoming involved when Chaz discovers that Sully is a powerful empath/telepath and can change people's thoughts, read minds and kill with the power of his mind alone. The whole Federation has been educated to hate and fear the Solorths because they have this power, but Chaz never expected to encounter a human who wields power like a Stolorth. How can Chaz trust Sully when he swears that he has not tricked her into going along with his plans? He has already altered a memory and invaded her mind when he wanted to gain information about her ex-husband. However, Chaz soon realizes that Sully hates and fears what he is, too. He fears that he will never gain acceptance from anyone, especially Chaz, whom he has loved for years and years. Little by little, Sully opens up to Chaz and tries to show her that he is not the monster that the universe thinks he is and little by little Chaz comes to believe him, but how much of the truth can Chaz take? How much is love willing to overlook and accept? As Sully and Chaz try to sort out their feelings and fears, they realize that the jukor conspiracy reaches up much higher than they hoped - all the way to the leaders of the Federation itself... This is the first book that I have read by Megan Sybil Baker and she is now up there at the top with my other favorite authors. This book was simply amazing. It had a very engrossing plotline with a lot of details about the technologically advanced futuristic world that Sully and Chaz live in. Religion, politics, military, you name it, it was discussed and figured into the plot. The world was very real and I loved Baker's characters. Sully was a gorgeous, tortured, dark hero who desperately needed someone to love him despite who and what he was. Chaz was a strong female character, but not obnoxious and not too independent to want to have friends and a special someone she could lean on. The supporting characters included people from all races and types including Ren, a blind Stolorth who was forced to hide from his people or he would be killed; the giant, hairy takas, who were raping and killing human women in retaliation for the federation experimenting on their women; Philip, Chaz' ex-husband, who still loves her and yet cannot change his rigid Fleet training to win her back; Sister Berri, a very devout, almost insane priestess who believes she is on a holy quest, and many, many more. The romance between Sully and Chaz was a wonderful subplot and handled so well by Baker, I was truly impressed. A simply wonderful book that is well worth any price that you pay for it! Buy this and pray that Ms. Baker is writing a sequel - I know you will love it!
Rating: Summary: Love this book. Review: Gabriel Ross Sullivan (aka Sully) is a space pirate of long acquaintance with Captain Chaz Bergren of the imperial fleet. He's now unexpectedly coming to her rescue to save her from the prison planet of Mobar where she has been exiled for crimes she didn't commit. However, Sully is hiding secrets from everyone he knows, including Chaz. These secrets could destroy them both, and when Chaz finds out what Sully doesn't want known will her growing love for him enable her to survive and overcome life-long prejudices? This is billed as a straight out romance so you know it is centred around love. However, it is also a well written fantasy-sci-fi novel that moves along at a good pace. It is peopled with interesting characters in a universe far from perfect. It is also a novel that deserves a sequel to finish what is very obviously the start of what could be an interesting story to counter the corruption at the heart of power that Chaz and Sully encounter in this book. If a sequel is written, then I'll be reading it!
Rating: Summary: A space romance with a twist Review: Gabriel Ross Sullivan (aka Sully) is a space pirate of long acquaintance with Captain Chaz Bergren of the imperial fleet. He's now unexpectedly coming to her rescue to save her from the prison planet of Mobar where she has been exiled for crimes she didn't commit. However, Sully is hiding secrets from everyone he knows, including Chaz. These secrets could destroy them both, and when Chaz finds out what Sully doesn't want known will her growing love for him enable her to survive and overcome life-long prejudices? This is billed as a straight out romance so you know it is centred around love. However, it is also a well written fantasy-sci-fi novel that moves along at a good pace. It is peopled with interesting characters in a universe far from perfect. It is also a novel that deserves a sequel to finish what is very obviously the start of what could be an interesting story to counter the corruption at the heart of power that Chaz and Sully encounter in this book. If a sequel is written, then I'll be reading it!
Rating: Summary: Every thing you could want in a book... Review: In another world, criminals are given the choice - go to the harsh prison world of Moabar or death. Most chose death. Captain Chasidah Bergren (Chaz) wasn't given the choice. Fighting for her very life she was surprised when an old rival, thought to be dead, boldly rescues her and offers freedom from Moabar in exchange for the personal knowledge she has of the space station she grew up on. Smuggler Gabriel Ross Sullivan (Sully) is trying to stop an illegal operation that is killing innocent people and could start a war. While the two had come close to becoming lovers, they had always been on opposite sides of the law. With Sully's supposed death and Chaz getting wrongfully accused of a crime she didn't commit, the two are working together to stop something greater than they could even comprehend. Thus, with their past history, it is natural that love should flair between the two. However Chaz must trust Sully when allies become enemies and enemies become strong allies. Even with the turmoil that she finds herself in, some secrets that Sully hides will come at high prices, and Chaz must trust in the man she is coming to love as she faces everything she fears the most. AWESOME book! The only thing I had a hard time adjusting too was the fact that the book is written in first person meaning you only know Chaz's thoughts, as it is really her story. However, while everything is falling to pieces in her life, you get to find out why the story is in first person, and WOW! Awesome, awesome book. I really liked both our hero and heroine. Even though Chaz has been betrayed by her government that imprisoned her, she isn't a programmed robot and has a sense of humor. Sully is a hero that while seeming to border on having a mild case of schizophrenia (you get to find out why as well) is a very caring individual, and such a remarkable man. His constant companion, a blind Stolorth named Ren - who is only one of the fears that Chaz must overcome, is a very interesting humanoid worthy of his own story! GABRIEL'S GHOST has every thing you could want in a book, whether it is fantasy, science fiction or romance. The book takes off almost at the beginning, and Ms Baker has a wonderful writing ability for misdirection. I am really looking forward to reading more of her books. So take a trip via hyper drive, travel the galaxy and be ready for a novel like no other, as GABRIEL'S GHOST will amaze you too!
Rating: Summary: excellent science fiction romance Review: In the far distant future, Earth is part of the Galactic Empire; a confederation encompassing many worlds and many species, some humanoid and some not, though all are sentient. As captain of an interstellar patrol ship, Chaz Bergren was proud to serve the empire until the day she was court-martialed for failing to obey instructions she claims she never received. She was sentenced to life imprisonment on the penal planet Moabar and was without hope until Sully, a mercenary she tangled with over the years, rescued her. He needs her expertise as a pilot and her knowledge of the workings of the empire to see if any forbidden genetic engineering experiments are taking place and if they are, stop them using any means at their disposable. As Chaz and Sully work together, the pair falls in love. Even when Chaz learns some things about Sully that the empire taught were taboo and frightening, their feelings are strong enough to overcome the empire's prejudice. GABRIEL'S GHOST is an excellent science fiction romance that will remind readers of Anne McCaffrey's "Freedom" series. Megan Sybil Baker is a fresh new voice in the sub-genre and she brings fresh ideas to the novel. Chaz and Sully's adventures continue in the author's next book and it will be great to be reunited with these idealistic, realistic and colorful characters. There is a secondary character in this novel, a humanoid with gills, who deserves to have his own story told because he is such a complex and admirable character. Harriet Klausner
Rating: Summary: Worth criticizing, that's something Review: Interesting romance idea, but not quite convincing. The sci-fi was laid onto the romance as a cheap veneer. Ooh! Fantasy romance in space! Not awful, but An Accidental Goddess is better.
Rating: Summary: Great Stuff! Review: Linnea Sinclair/Megan Sybil Baker is making a definite impact on the science fiction romance subgenre with her excellent, well-rounded tales of intergalactic intrigue, romance and adventure. She is raising the bar for the degree of world-building that is "acceptable" in a speculative romance novel, and I hope to see the trend continue in more large and small press science fiction romances. GABRIEL'S GHOST is fast-paced, exciting and intriguing, and I am only one of many readers panting for the sequel.
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