Kathy Masters never expected to journey to the stars until she was selected by the prestigious Galactic Geographic Society to photograph and get videos of the flora and fauna of a newly discovered class M planet before colonization begins. Filled with hope and enthusiasm she boards the S.S. America for the trip to Beta 3 Epsilon to begin her new project. On the way she is abducted and brought … aboard the privateer Rapier beginning her nine year sojourn among the colonies of mankind. Going from captive to slave to induction into the infamous Brotherhood Kathy finds herself being called on to raise the adopted daughter of the crew of the Rapier. Given the responsibility to raise their princess, Cindy, with the help of Lien Lan Yi, daughter of the house of Yi and princess of the imperial court, they travel among the stars preying on merchant ships, dodging Chinese warships, fighting pirates, visiting strange worlds and encountering fantastic creatures all under the watchful eyes of Commodore James Ulysses Black. Trying to raise a young girl among gunfights, sword fights, ship to ship battles, slave trades, deals and some of the most feared raiders in human space is no small challenge. The only question is is Kathy up to the task?
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Just WOW!!!!!!
Not being a huge sci-fi fan I never would have imagined before reading this book that I would now be saying it’s one of my favorites read not just recently but EVER!
This author’s writing style is no nonsense. There’s nothing flowery or pretentious about it! What you will get is an action packed world-building story that will grab you from the start! And yes, it’s even a great love story!
The characters are interesting and diverse and find their way into your heart before you even realize it, and the storyline is incredible! I am so pleasantly surprised by this gripping tale that I can’t wait for the next Installment!
I simply can’t imagination anyone that gives this book a chance not thoroughly enjoying it, no matter what genre you normally read! I’m so happy I did! Well done, Mr. Correa, well done!
When a young woman is captured in a space pirate raid, the pirates find they got more than they bargained for. Doc Correa with a keypad and words paints new worlds and races with incredible life, beauty, and danger. Rapier is a fast action space adventure which I truly enjoyed reading. I am looking forward to book two.
The story is compelling and complicated and presents the reader with a lot to think about.
I agree with many of the other reviewers. This is a great space story, full of adventures, amazing and fascinating life forms and characters I really liked. But I want to concentrate on one of the characters, Cindy. She was only five years old when her parents were killed. She’s such an innocent when she comes aboard the Rapier, first as a prisoner and later as a part of the crew. The woman, Kathy Masters, who was captured with Cindy, becomes her new mother. The captain and later commodore of the ship, James Ulysses Black, becomes the person Cindy calls Daddy.
When Cindy becomes a part of the Rapier crew, she’s “adopted” by all. As a crewman, she’s taught to fight on almost a daily basis. She also learns how to operate the guns, just like a child learns how to play a video game. It is all a game for the little girl until at the age of six, things change. Cindy has had a lot of gunnery training, and shortly after her sixth birthday, the Rapier encounters an enemy merchantman ship and an armed sloop. A battle ensues with Cindy sitting on the lap of the man in charge of the weapons. When told to fire, the crewman fires a particle beam. Being the excited child who loves to play, Cindy hits the rail guns and fires four times. The fire power she unleashes is enough to snap the sloop in half. That’s when Cindy sees something she wasn’t supposed to see. Before the captain can change the view screen, Cindy witnesses what she’s actually done. Bodies, some still alive, are dumped into the vacuum of space and the results are gruesome. Cindy is horrified and screams, “I killed them.”
Even though people try to convince Cindy that the enemy was trying to kill them, Cindy is inconsolable. Her life as an innocent is over. It’s only after someone Cindy loves is killed that she totally leaves that innocence behind. Her cries of anguish over her deed become an outraged cry when she sees the body of a young man she adored. She states, “I’m going to kill them all.”
After that pivotal time in her life, Cindy is never the same loving child. Her innocence is gone, and she becomes a tough, battle-ready member of the crew. Even when she returns to Earth and a supposed “normal life, she snaps at Kathy and says, “I’m not normal.” Cindy is expelled from school after school due to her belligerent attitude. She decides who among her classmates should be punished. The author, R. A. “Doc” Correa, does a brilliant job of describing how a child goes through the transformation from innocence to being a no nonsense warrior.
The author also presents a picture of people who are caught up in a war. After suffering extreme losses, they become warriors who don’t feel they have any choice in the matter. The story is compelling and complicated and presents the reader with a lot to think about. Well done, R. A. “Doc” Correa. Highly recommended five star read.
A space odyssey of legendary proportions. An elaborate science-fiction novel, a galactic experience, Rapier is probably my personal favorite of this year, 2018. And I read a lot of books. Because this epic has it all! The face-paced, in-the-present style of writing always keeps the story moving along at light speed. But after each jump to or from hyperspace anything can happen and does. Swimming with whales living in nebulae of thick, colorful gases. Horse-sized wolves and never-before-seen natives and underwater adventures to meet the almighty, giving ones: bioengineering “gifts” with omnipotent capabilities. And sword-fights, blazingly fast strokes of the gleaming steel, bellies bursting, men keeling over.
Grow up with the cutest, feistiest young girl, and women you’ll be sure to fall in love with. Cindy, and her warmhearted, talented mother, Kathy. And then later, Cindy’s rescued sister—a princess of the enemy: Lien. Travel, live, and give and receive love from the largest family, team, and close-knit crew anyone could hope brave the galaxy with…
The Privateers! (Not pirates).
But they have a reason for setting out time and again, doing what they MUST do, a heart-wrenching reason and a truth most are ignorant to (the Chinese, the Americans), and everything is NOT as it seems before those painful truths come to light. Difficult lives, loved ones lost, worlds decimated and binding grudges. Lifelong pain, thorns that can never, ever be removed—yet, there is improvement, betterment and an overcoming of personal demons, a continuation of enlightenment supported by morality, just and true sailors and the bylaws of the brotherhood.
Aboard the Rapier, venture to extraordinary worlds like Safe Port, Reavers Cove, Kyle’s World, the future Earth and many more. Breathtaking lands. And all-out, fight-for-your-life, aghast torture, troubles and tribulations. And the terrible, unthinkable, does happen. But battles are won—and lost. Mates perish and new, very SPECIAL life is born (because of this special person, plus so much more, I’m anxious for the sequel!).
Cleverly the author manages to describe in vivid detail the reality of living in space, what happens when ships explode or implode, the myriad weapons and tactics of Space Pirates (Privateers!), and each character in ways that enthrall the reader, makes laughs spill out, as well a few tears when things do not go as planned.
I must truthfully say, this tale hooked and held me—a long book yet I finished it rather quickly. Generally, I stop reading around 6 p.m. or so and work on my own novels (WIPs), but for Rapier I found myself taking a few days off. It hooked me all right, and as the ending culminated, the unexpected, yet satisfying nature of this fantastic space adventure had me buckled in for the ride, G-forces clobbering my brain, blowing me away time after time. FIVE STARS for an original, fast-paced saga, characters I cared about, staggering worlds that nuked my imagination, a few tears here and there (joy AND sadness), and most potently, an ending that TOTALLY nailed it! Pins masterfully set up for the sequel, and I can’t wait to knock ’em down, world by world, chapter by chapter!
Nice job, Doc. Don’t pass on this title. Rapier!