Erica Conroy

Title: Taken
Author: Erica Conroy
Publisher: E.C.
Series: Callisto #1
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Taken" by Erica Conroy

My Thoughts....

"Taken" was a good romantic science fiction read where the 'alien's will keep you turning the pages to see what will be going to happen next. If you are looking for a read with a 'real tough female lead, humorous parts in the read that will have you laughing out loud, different cultural species, diplomatic banter wrangling, suspense and let's not leave out the love between a alien and human.' Take all of this in and you get a real adventurous sci-fi romantic read with many twist and turns. I found the characters [Viktor, S'rea, Tarn, Karo, Roger] to name a few for the most part were well developed, portrayed and even somewhat believable being very strong and opinionated which gives the reader a good well written read. Would I recommend this novel? YES especially if you are into romantic sci-fi reads.

Oh, by the way, I enjoyed the ending "Viktor's Interview" with the reporter!… (altro)

Jasmine, an investigative reporter, has just finished her last assignment, and her life will be the price to pay if she gets caught. Norik, a colonel in the Space Corps, has been forced on shore leave by his crew, and is only now returning. When trouble boards the transport ship, they can only trust each other.

This was a really fast read, clocking in at roughly 30,000 words. As fast it was, this novella could have benefited from more character development than what is offered. While we can get a sense of who the two protagonists are and how they ended up in their current predicament, a bit more background would have beneficial. On that note, Jasmine is portrayed as a witty, intelligent, curious and, to quote, "annoying". Norik, on the other hand, is tall, dark and handsome, a bit impatient, a bit aggressive, but always there when it actually counts.

A romance can be interesting in the backdrop of space, and it's as fast-paced as the main plot. While there is a sex scene, it never gets very graphic, but there thankfully isn't the typical sex scene imagery from mainstream romance novels. However, I'd qualify this more science fiction than romance. It's obvious that both the main characters are attracted to each other, but when survival is at stake, sex and/or romance can take a backseat. Fortunately, there is a sequel planned for this novella, so maybe the actual romance part can be emphasized.

The literary style is also quite different from mainstream romance novels. There's no romantic and metaphoric imagery, and the author tells it like it is. Because, you know, who in real life ever refers to breasts as blooming buds of love and sensuality? Nonetheless, it can also be a bit awkward to read at times, as if the novella were fan fiction. With time, Erica Conroy's literary approach will evolve into something richer.… (altro)