Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Rachel Bach - Fortune's Pawn

When professional mercenary Deviana Morris took the security guard job aboard the Glorious Fool, all she wanted was a fast route into the Devastators --- the elite league of armored fighters entrusted with the most important duty on her home planet of Paradox. But this security job isn't just twelve-hour patrols, armor-polishing, and whiskey. The supposedly-cursed Captain Caldswell keeps sending Devi and her partner into unimaginably dangerous situations. Ren, the captain's daughter, is a kind of weird that Devi has never experienced before. And to top it off, there's the insufferably sexy cook, Rupert Chekov, who is far more than what he seems -- possibly even far more than human.

Comment: This is the first book I red by this author, it's a sci-fi story with some elements of romance. Some people also describe it as space opera, which I can understand but it feels more like an adventure than just presentations of the lives of space travelers.

In this new adventure, we meet Devi Morris, a mercenary who has worked to the top of her position and leaves her job to try a new career with a renowned but apparently dangerous ship so she can try to get to the best place possible for someone like her, a place with the Devastators. To get her isn't easy or fast, but working for Captain Caldswell will make her get there fast, as a recommendation from him would do wonders. His ship has the ill fame of not holding on staff for long but Devi has what it takes. This novel lets us see what her life is like on board and the strange things that happen to her until she just can't remember it anymore...

Curious? I know I'm not the best writer out there but I couldn't properly convey the idea of how interesting the world building is and how special the story is told, so just try it if you can. 
I had a great time reading this book! Not that it was a comedy - it's not - but the time I spend reading was well spent and now I can't wait to keep reading. This story is mostly the description of what Devi does, who she deals with, her daily tasks, how her personality is like and what happens around her. Sure, it's only her POV we get and every reader knows how limitative first person narrators can be, but there is one help here which is greatly appreciated.
Still, I think this is a great story.

Obviously, it's not perfect.
Devi is a great heroine but I confess certain attitudes of hers were too harsh but one can always say it's just an abundance of confidence... but I still would have liked to see her think more on her vulnerable side too, and not just how great she is or how amazing her suit and weapons are.
The world created here is interesting, it's space, it's planets, it's weird beings out there and the beginning almost seems to have Star Trek vibes because of the different types of people within the ship. But I found it really interesting and the best thing is that it mixes mundane, daily routines with some strange happenings so we are always waiting for something to happen and the anticipation is well done, not too obvious, not subtle but always there...

I also wasn't much of a fan of the constant talk about fights and how Devi would do this or be that when she gained the upper hand nor did I appreciate some of her actions and decisions about certain personal choices. I'd certainly change her a bit to suit my personal preferences but I thinks he was funny and brave and in the end I couldn't wait to see her succeed. Some things happen and she really wants to discover what is going on, why some things are so secret and in the end I was dying to know what happens.

There is a hint of romance here, not too detailed, not too explored because of writing and plot but still meaningful enough for me to want to see Devi and the man she loves, together. There are some crazy drama scenes here, I mean, not melodramas we see in woman's fiction or tragedies but still enough to make us think. The way the book ends...I wouldn't say it's a cliffhanger because we know things Devi doesn't, but still. I'm very eager to get my hands on the next book and see what explains certain things in this book, why those things happen and how and, most important, what will happen to Devi and her romantic life!!

I was sold on the writing style, on the plot, on the secret vibe surrounding some characters and their actions and now I'm very curious to know more.
I know the author writes under other names but those other books don't compel me the way this ne did and how the rest of the trilogy will too. I already bought them, I just need to be patient fo them to arrive and to find the time to devour them.
This one is a great start.
Grade: 8/10

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