Review first posted on Reader's Edyn (blogspot)

I have had the pleasure of reading Ms. Buckley’s work before and found it enjoyable. So when I was asked to review this book, I didn’t hesitate. BAYNE is a bit different from the last book I read, with SciFi elements paired with a story of romance. I wasn’t sure what to expect due the genre switch. And I haven’t read very many SciFi themed books, so this was new territory for me. While the book wasn’t a bad way to pass some time, I had difficulty getting into it. Some of you may ask why I would even bother with a review if it wasn’t to my liking. My answer to that is that everyone has different preferences. I have, on occasion, been told that the components I disliked within a story have actually attracted others that have read the review. Therefore, I proceed with a review for every book that I complete.

Malia is a bit of a dreamer. Orphaned at a young age, she now lives with her Uncle. But he little use for besides menial tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Consequently, she cannot read anything except food words; words that enable her to cook for her Uncle. She has always been fascinated with machinery. A self-taught mechanic of sorts, she longs for a life of wonder. A far cry from the less than desirable life she currently leads. When Bayne shows up intending to collect on tribute payment far past due, Malia quickly offers herself to him in an effort to save her planet from eradication. And before too long she begins to see something in Bayne; something thought long dead – his humanity.

Bayne is the Destroyer of Worlds. Feared throughout the universe, Bayne has had no difficulty creating a name for himself. He sees himself as fair in his punishments despite the oftentimes harsh manner of the orders. When he arrives on Malia’s planet and the girl quickly offers herself as tribute, Bayne is caught. Accustomed to the fear of all who come before him, this girl’s proposal intrigues him. She definitely fears him, but never has he witnessed such determination and love that comes with sacrificing one’s self. He agrees to her offer and rapidly discovers that she may provide him with much more. Far beyond the simplicity that should be their association, Malia may have the ability to show Bayne who he truly is.

I had a hard time with this story for several reasons. The first reason is because I could not create a clear image in my mind of Bayne. He is part machine. The closest I came was Will Smith in iRobot with his mechanical arm; except that Bayne does not have the badass spray that Detective Spooner did, providing the illusion of skin over the apparatus that is his arm. I also disliked that when Malia discovers a piece of Bayne’s past, she immediately takes to calling him by his birth name. This seemed out of place and unrealistic because of its quick delivery and acceptance. I felt that for Bayne to allow such a thing to occur was outside of his character’s nature. Also disturbing was the lack of response from a character known as a Destroyer when the extent of his commander’s misdeeds becomes known. Another issue I had was the abrupt ending that wrapped everything up in a nice little bow. Given Bayne’s history of violence and Malia’s blind commitment to him, an abrupt, pretty ending seemed like an insult to the characters. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy SciFi. I was raised on Star Trek, Star Wars, and more recently shows like Farscape and Stargate. My enjoyment of such things has opened my eyes to the possibility of anything within the unknown. Ms. Buckley could have used the space setting to her advantage, but instead chose it as nothing more than a simplistic backdrop.

Overall, the story was just too rushed. There were several subjects barely glimpsed over that did not allow time for the reader to properly absorb. I believe that this story should have been a full length novel, but was instead crammed into the confines of a novella. Consequently, the characters were not allowed to grow at a pace that hooks the reader and the storyline ultimately suffered because of the short cuts taken to meet the requirements of a short story. Had I been able to become involved in the characters more, I might have been able to relate a bit more, thus providing the connection that I lacked from the beginning. I believe that my inability to connect with the characters also made the limited number of intimate scenes less enjoyable as well.

BAYNE is a rapid read which primarily takes place in space. For the SciFi buff who enjoys a quick HEA without having to dive into the characters, this story will likely please you.

(eBook copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.) ( )