Warleader

SF Romance is one of my favorite genres but I don't seem to read many of them lately. I'm glad I finally pulled this one out of my TBR pile because I found it thoroughly enjoyable. I have not read the previous series which leads up to this book and had no problem following the story.

This books begins at the end of the Horde war (and the previous "Otherworldly Men" series). After being at war for hundreds of years the Coalition, Drakken Horde, and Earth have united into The Triad Alliance. The transition to peace is a difficult one for any society. Coalition Admiral Brit "Stone-Heart" Bandar has spent her career hunting and killing the hated Drakken. But now she has a new assignment - command a new diplomatic ship called "Unity" and show more staff it with members of all three societies. Her second in command is her former Drakken enemy, Warleader Finnar Rorkken.

Brit has good reason to hate and distrust the Drakken and she has earned her nickname "Stone-Heart". But she is a complex and admirable character. I was struck by how fair she was to her former enemies trying to integrate them into her crew in leadership roles rather than relegate them to subservient roles. Finn is another well written character. He has had to struggle his whole life to advance to his present position, but he is very smart and loyal to his crew. I admired both the H/H very much. All the characters were 3 dimensional and the action adventure story was fast paced. Kind of like watching an old episode of Star Trek (one of my favorites). Someone is out to sabotage the peace and Brit and Finn must learn to trust each other as they finally explore their attraction. The spicy loves scenes and touches of light humor made this a memorable read ... you'll find yourself laughing, crying and having a hard time putting it down. I look forward to the next book in the series - The Warlord's Daughter - due out in March 2009. GRADE: A- show less

My Review:

Moonstruck is the first book in the Borderlands series but is also connected to her Otherworldly Men series as well. Moonstruck takes places shortly after the Otherworldly Men series.

Moonstruck is a blend of enemies to lovers and forced proximity. There has been a peace formed between the Coalition and the Drakken. They are both military leaders and are now to work on the same battleship to be a symbol of peace and unity but joining their crews and trying to act like their past conflicts don't matter is easier said than done.

I really was intrigued by this one, I did love the chemistry and tension between these two. I found the hero not as alpha as I was expecting him to be or maybe the author toned him down with this updated show more version, not sure. But I was expecting a leader hero would have had a stronger presence with the heroine and you could just tell she is wearing the pants in the relationship and while I know she is a alpha female and all that .....it just felt like she could have softened in their more private moments and while we see some vulnerability its rare and I would have liked to see her character be more fleshed out.

Overall I found Moonstruck (or also known as Warleader in the new version) to be intriguing, adventurous and well developed. I was hoping for more in the character development but the plot and world building was on point like many of Susan Grant's novels turn out to be. I can't wait to see what happens next for the series. show less

I loved this book. Moonstruck reminded me of all those classic space epics I adored in my youth - things like Asimov's Foundation series. Two galactic empires have fought a long and bitter war. When one empire collapses and sues for peace, an uneasy truce results.

Admiral Brit Bandar has made vengeance against the Drakken her life's work, so she's pretty ticked off when she's given command of a diplomatic vessel that will boast a combined crew of Coalition and Drakken forces. The name of the ship is Unity and the very idea is so repugnant to Brit, she can't even say the ship's name out loud. Imagine how annoyed she is when she learns that her first officer is Drakken. And not just any Drakken, either. It's Finn Rorkken, a Drakken show more Warleader and pirate she chased all over the galaxy and never managed to capture. Brit can't stand the idea of the guy being anywhere near her ship. Until she finally lays eyes on him and discovers he resembles her long-dead husband.

Finn knows the Admiral wants him, because hey, what woman wouldn't? He's good-looking, powerful and smart. But unlike the Admiral, he's also tired to death of war. He welcomes the truce, hoping it will bring luxuries like adequate food and medicine to his people. So far, it's certainly worked out well for him. He's got a cushy new job as Brit's second-in-command; and soon he's moonlighting as her personal boy toy. But along the way, is he selling out his own people for comfort and security?

Susan Grant's story goes beyond the superficial love story to explore what makes these two complicated people tick. Both Brit and Finn have known war for so long, they have no clue how to cope with peace. When a nation's whole identity revolves around defeating the enemy, what's the point of life when the war ends? Brit especially is not sure about the answer. Grant does a beautiful job of gradually unfolding Brit's complicated feelings as she tries to relearn what it means to be a woman and not just a soldier. Moonstruck offers a vivid, believable science fiction universe combined with a sensitive, sexy love story. A great discovery! show less

This is a high 3 stars. I really liked this book but if it were part of a series, I'm not sure if I would be itching to get to the next book...

I loved Finn (H) - he was just delightful. Brit (h) was pretty hard-*ss and not altogether likeable for most of the book, but she came good in the end (ie softened up and chilled out). The minor romance was also a really nice touch by the author - it helped keep the story flowing without overtaking the action or the main romance.

A good relaxing read that highlights human strengths and failings.

I saw this book as a guest review on Smart Bitches, and it got an A- grade (yes, I'm jealous, because that doesn't happen very often). So I bought it for my Nook, and I'm glad that I did. :)

I really enjoyed Moonstruck. It's got some dark, gritty politics, and complex world building. The story flows very quickly. Almost too quickly, because the big drama was resolved way too fast for me. I feel like that may be a result of being restricted by word count, and I would've happily read more.

I loved the hero and the heroine. The only problem I had with the book was with the storyline with a few of the secondary characters. (Please, Tango, just stop representing Earth. You're not doing us any favors.) Thankfully everything worked out that way show more I hoped it would, but for several chapters I was cringing whenever it switched to Hadley's POV. Kind of like watching a horror movie where you're yelling "No, don't inside the house, the killer's in there!" at the oblivious chick on the screen, and she of course doesn't listen to your warnings. show less

I enjoyed this story of two people in a complicated relationship. In a universe where Earth is only a minor partner in an galactic civilisation (leading to some entertaining moments from one of the few earthlings on board the ship). The Coalition starship admiral Brit Bandar lives to exact revenge on the Drakken Horde. When peace breaks out and she has to team up with Finn Rorkken, a member of that Horde, she has to adjust her thinking, and start thinking of how her life is going to be post-war. Where to from here. Things are complicated by her attraction to Finn and by the guilt that this raises in her.

With a well-realised couple and some sparkling secondary characters this is a good read. I enjoyed the story and the development of the show more characters. show less

this book is good! Brit Bandar is one of the strongest heroines I’ve read! Think Captain Janeaway from Star Trek Voyager and you get kind of a feel for Brit. She is an admiral and the captain of a ship. She is tough when she has to be, but is still loved by her crew. She suffered a great tragedy earlier in her life and rose from the ashes to become a tremendous success. She is admired by her friends and feared by her enemies. She is unapologetic in her sexuality, though she is discreet. She is tough, but fair and doesn’t make hasty decisions she will regret later. She has zoomed right up to the top and become one of my favourite heroines.

To give a bit of the storyline, she has been the captain of her own space ship and been a very show more successful commander in the ongoing war between the coalition and the Horde, their enemies for years. But peace has been declared and she is given command of a much bigger ship. But much to her dismay, her second in command is Finn Rorrken, a former War Leader of the Horde. Brit hates the Horde and with good reason and is not a happy camper that she must accept Finn and his crew. But, she reluctantly agrees to take them on and as I said, she is fair in her dealings with them.

Finn Rorrken is a great hero. Although he has suffered greatly himself, he is more than willing to let bygones be bygones and has actually long held great admiration for Brit, though he’s never met her. He is grateful to be given such a great opportunity and fully sees that the truce is a good thing. The Coalition has always had a higher standard of living than the Horde. Once he meets and slowly gets to know the woman behind the mask, he is totally and completely smitten with
her. I love when that happens with the hero. Despite being despised by many of the crew because of the bitterness left behind due to the war between the two races, he slowly earns their respect with his leadership qualities. Even though he is second to Brit, he is not bothered by it at all. In fact his previous admiration for grows into a deep love although Brit is most reluctant. Theirs is a great love story.

And I have to mention too, how multi-dimensional the secondary characters are, in particular her assistant Hadley Keyren, a young woman who a total fangirl of Brit and Bolivar, one of Finn’s crew. Theirs is a tender secondary story I enjoyed very much.

I’ve loved many of Ms. Grant’s books and Moonstruck is one of the best! show less