A bounty hunter in over his head.Xin knows how to look out for himself, and he knows when something sounds too good to be true. But a forgotten planet filled with riches is too tempting to pass up. Fortunately Xin also knows someone who can back him up – if he doesn’t arrest Xin first.A government agent who’s lost hope.Jonathan Gray used to believe in a better future. Now he’s not so sure. Then … believe in a better future. Now he’s not so sure. Then Xin walks in, with his dark eyes and maddening smirk, and Jonathan feels like he’s waking up for the first time in months. Well, parts of him at least. He knows Xin is trouble, but when trouble looks this good it’s impossible to resist.
Two men. One dangerous planet. To survive they need to trust each other – too bad neither of them does trust.
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Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in the Mind + Machine series, and it’s not totally necessary to read the other two books first, but I personally think it would give you a bigger better picture of Jonathan, and his work.
I LOVED books one adn two, this one though, did not quite hit THAT spot, you know? And it pains me, deeply, when I cannot figure out why!
Jonathan is Rylan’s brother (book one, Metal Machine Magic) and Xin pops up on both previous books (I think!) they just haven’t crossed paths just yet. Not til Jonathan enlists Xin in a mission that goes a bit wrong. But then Xin enlists Jonathan in a mission of his own and the pair end up stranded on a distant planet, faced with possible death. They have to work together to get free. Neither is used to trusting though.
I liked the way the story developed, at an even pace, fast enough to keep up but not so fast you miss something. I liked that there wasn’t rally any attraction brewing between them (at least I didn’t pick it up!) until Xin brings up a possible physical relationship to get them through their predicament. I liked the way that things crept up on them both.
It’s well told, from both Jonathan and Xin’s point of view, in the third person. Each voice is clear and distinctive, given their very different upbringings.
I liked the way their story unfolded. I just didn’t LOVE it like the other two!
So, gonna leave it with this, a good solid sci-fi read, that I did read in one sitting!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Two men who are forced to survive in a wilderness of an uncharted planet, two men who save each other and give each other hope – this is a story of finding one’s purpose and learning that no man is an island. Xin is as carefree as Jonathan is responsible. But as they say, opposites attract and the desire that has simmered between them for months is harder to deny than ever.
Xin sees Jonathan as no man has ever seen or cared to try. He takes away his burdens and helps him to see there is more to life than duty. Jonathan in return shows Xin that it’s alright to care, it’s alright to want to lean on someone other than oneself. Away from technology both men rely on common knowledge to survive and open up about how they came to be where they were now. I loved the quiet moments they had. They were so in tune. Jonathan was spiraling downward, and Xin was drifting through life – Jonathan became his anchor and Xin gave Jonathan purpose again. Those two couldn’t be anymore different than night and day, but together they were sweet, passionate and very happy.
From angry indigenous population to fighting for their lives against cutthroat thugs, from saving the planet from self-destruction and nobly sacrificing their lives, this story has intrigue, a bit of mystery and a whole lot diverse quirky characters who change for the better in the course of the book. I loved it. It had slightly slower pace but it was at times emotional, funny and steamy with wonderfully written world on the brink of extinction. I hope there will be more books in this series! I highly recommend it!