I stumbled on this title back at the end of 2014. I’ve been reading Ruby Lionsdrake ever since. She has a deft touch with characters and plot as well as an engaging style that pulls me into the story and on to the end without fail.

This first book in the five book Mandrake Company sets the stage when Viktor Mandrake – mercenary captain meets – and eventually captures – Ankari Markovich. While there’s enough military SF happening to keep the pew-pew in me satisfied, there’s enough story in it to keep my brain engaged. Oh, as a bonus, this is actually a darn fine example of SF/R (the R is for Romance) and Lionsdrake does it better than most.

There’s a risk when an author mashes up two seeming disparate genres. The result has the potential to alienate two audiences instead of just one. Lately the SF/R community has been growing from the likes of Susan Grant, Linnea Sinclair, and Ann Aguirre, and Catherine Asaro (some of my favorites). Ruby Lionsdrake is one of the major players in this space.

But – as always – don’t take my word for it. Why not give this one a chance? Grab a sample and see what you think.

About the reviewer:

Nathan Lowell has been writing science fiction and fantasy most of his life. He started publishing in 2007 and has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Learn more about Nathan Lowell and his works at http://nathanlowell.com

[Note: You’re seeing more reviews from me because fellow authors aren’t sending reviews of the books they like. If you’re an author, consider the submitting a review about an indie book you loved. The submission guidelines link is at the top of this page.]