Zetithians are back. And they’re hotter than ever… Having the Zetithian feline gene gives Larsanken “Larry” Tshevnoe awesome beauty and sensuality unmatched by any other males in the universe. But it can make the quest for true love…complicated. Enter childhood friend and fellow Zetithian Althea Banadänsk. Her empathic powers make her the only one who can show Larry what he truly desires, and … truly desires, and Althea would do anything to help her friend…even if that means hiding her own intense craving for him.
But when a distress call sends them off course–and into danger–they find more than their hearts are at stake. Now it’s up to them to become the champions of truth and justice throughout the galaxy…or risk losing it all.
Cat Star Legacy Series:
Maverick (Book 1)
What People are Saying about Cheryl Brooks:
“Out-of-this-world sexy…the ultimate reading experience.”–Long and Short Reviews
“Scorching hot…keeps you turning pages.”–RT Book Reviews
“Wildly imaginative, highly entertaining, and sure to become a classic.”–Star-Crossed Romance
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I can not get enough of the Zetitithians (I hope I spelled that right, I’m just so used to mentally calling them alien cat-men!).
Ever since discovering Cheryl Brooks Cat Star Chronicles a number of years ago, I’ve been utterly fascinated by the universe and characters that she has created.
From her first book Slave to this book, Maverick the first book in a new series, Cat Star Legacy, I have enjoyed every one and delighted in the growth of the characters and world and enjoyed watching the alien cat men fight to bring their race back from extinction and find a place for themselves within the universe.
This book was a really great read that made me want to re-read all of the books in the Cat Star Chronicles.
4 Stars
Review by Sasha
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Maverick by Cheryl Brooks is an entertaining outer space novel that brings to life a world that you could never think to imagine.
Everyone is looking for their one true love. For some, the process is quick and easy while others it can take a lifetime. For Althea, finding her true love is a little bit more difficult due to her mixed bloodline. Her parents have given her beautiful gifts that come along with her lifeline. Finding her one true love would mean that she has found her perfect match, and that has slowly been seeming less and less like it will happen. One of those gifts being that she can sense others peoples feelings and desires. This has caused her brain to be overwhelmed and lead her to run off to a secluded planet. Just when she thinks all hope is lost her childhood friend, Larry, comes to find her. With him, he brings the reminder of the life that she had thought she left behind. Larry comes to see her so that he can help reveal the true feelings of this earth girl that he loves. Suddenly, Althea finds herself noticing Larry in different ways and wondering how she never noticed the boy next door.
The characters species and planets are literally out of this world. I found myself trying to fathom how one person could see the inspiration to come up with everything wrapped in this novel. Some of the language that she had created is so creative that I am in pure admiration, and would love to know how her brain works. Due to this crazy concept, I found that it was hard to get into the story at the beginning. All of the background information was just so strange and difficult to process up front. Once the information was laid out, and the story took off when I found myself settling into the story more.
I would give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. I found that the character development was terrific and gave all of the characters such a dynamic and heartwarming characteristics to them. Each character brought their own twist and turn to the story, and this created a much more vibrant plot line. It kept changing and kept you guessing what would be happening in the next chapter. It was a thrilling read and takes you to a world that is literally and figuratively out of this world.
Such a fun romp. I haven’t read the previous Cat Star series, although I’ve collected them all to read. I’ll have to make a point to do that as so many stories and characters either visit or are referred to in this second generation spin-off. I have a weakness for sci-fi romance and it takes me on an enjoyable imaginary adventure. Cheryl is a master at this sub-genre and my head was happily spinning with all these odd creatures. She does a fabulous job describing them so you can see them in your minds eye and slipping into the world she has created.
This story starts out pretty straight forward and veers off into adventure of search & rescue. Larry Tshevnoe is the son of Cat, the enslaved Zetithian warrior rescued by the human captain Jack from the first Cat Star book. Althea Banadansk is the daughter of Tisana, a Mordrial witch who heals Leo, the enslaved Zetithian warrior from the second Cat Star book. For fans of the original series this spin-off series will make them very happy. I enjoyed the adventure and letting my imagination soar.
The Zetithians are back!!! I love this world and these characters!
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Angela –
The cats are back! Or should I say, the kittens are all grown up? Either way, I’m glad to be able to return to Cheryl Brooks’ Cat Star World where Zetithians have successfully staved off their extinction and the second generation of hybrids are beginning to find their own mates. I’ll admit that I’m not entirely sure I read the final book of the Cat Star Chronicles simply because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the Zetithians and the women who fought so hard to save them. So it’s beyond fitting that Maverick, the first book in the Cat Star Legacy series, would show the romance and accompanying adventures of Captain Jack’s and Tisana’s children.
I loved that Larry was so much like his mother, Captain Jack Tshevnoe, yet his father’s calm Zetithian nature tempered the recklessness he might have otherwise inherited from his adventure-seeking mother. Althea is even more of an oddity as the daughter of a Mordrial witch and a Zetithian. The magic she inherited from her mother forced her to become a bit of a recluse, ensconced on a distant planet disconnected from her family, as she learned to control the magic she could and avoid triggers for the magic she couldn’t, at least until she matured enough to improve her control. When Larry shows up on her doorstep asking for her help, she’s unable to tell her childhood best friend no, even if what he’s asking her to do and where she must go to do it threatens the mental peace she’s carefully constructed in the four years since she left home. But true to form in the Cat Star World, trouble and adventure seem to sense the Tshevnoe blood and soon Larry, Althea, and Brak are embroiled in a rescue mission that would have made Captain Jack envious.
The hardest part about writing a review of a book I’m absolutely enamored with is not giving away too much. There are so many things I want to gush about and remark upon because I loved getting back to Brooks’ world, but I would hate to spoil the discovery and surprises for other fans if they happened upon my review. Usually this is a dilemma I face when writing reviews for romantic suspense novels, but this is a long-established world and fans of the Cat Star Chronicles deserve to discover the delights Brooks has sprinkled throughout this first book – the big ones and the little ones – on their own. If you’ve not read the Cat Star Chronicles, don’t worry as I truly believe you’ll be able to read Maverick without issue as it’s about the next generation of Zetithians and Brooks does a wonderful job of referencing characters and events from the first series as needed, without engaging in an overwhelming info dump. Of course, if you’re new to the Cat Star world, you’ll have the benefit of being able to binge upon the Cat Star Chronicles if you find yourself as taken with the Zetithians as I was when I stumbled upon Captain Jack and Cat in Slave – one of the best freebie finds I ever snagged. At least while I wait for book two’s release, I can go back and make sure I’ve read all of the Cat Star Chronicles because I now have a whole new generation of cats to sink my teeth into.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Maverick (Cat Star Legacy #1) by Cheryl Brooks to read and review.
The Zetithian felines are back along with a whole host of other aliens in this hot, spicy and adventurous cosmic romance. Larry and Althea are bold and fierce characters that easily draw readers into their world as a distress call sets on a path into danger. Larry and Althea’s romance is a bit unexpected (for them) as they fight their sizzling undeniable attraction with snarky wit and Althea’s empathic powers add a whole other dimension to this relationship as she sets out to help him discover what he truly desires. The relationship is feisty with quite a bit of turbulence that certainly keeps things interesting during this courtship while they become the champions of truth and justice throughout the galaxy.
Surprising twists adds to the exhilarating and adrenaline pumping adventure, thrilling suspense and fascinating alien elements found in this steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot. The varying planet settings are well developed and the author paints vivid images of her world so that the readers can easily imagine each and every setting as they get to know all the fascinating characters involved which makes it easy for readers to become caught up in this sexy space adventure. Some unique alien features, some of which are on the sensual and racy side add to the hotness factor of this read and I quite fascinated by the ideas put forth in Larry Althea’s romantic escapades, which has me quite curious and looking forward to visiting more of this intriguing world.