Veena’s review of Prime Selection (The Prime Chronicles, Book 2) by Monette Michaels
Futuristic Romance published by Liquid Silver Books 29 Oct 12
It was an excrutiatingly long time coming, but Huw and Nadia’s love story is finally here and it does a terrific job of delivering on the promise from the first book and creating a bridge for what I hope will be a climatic next book. I love these intergalatic romances and mourn the fact that this is not a popular romance genre and good stories are few and far between, so I’m definitely cheering at its arrival. This is an exciting series full of action, adventure, and romance ala Star Trek. The once-dominant Prime have joined the Intergalatic Alliance in the hope of finding the answer to the continuation of their race. Traitors amongst them will do what they can to prevent this from happening, including allying themselves with their people’s worst enemy.
When the Prime joined the alliance, Wulf Caradoc found his imprinted mate Melina, a decorated captain in the alliance military. She had been a part of an exodus of women and children from the Prime capital designed to keep the women and children safe. Rescued and raised by a Terran couple after the ship carrying her was blown up, of course killing all others on board, she never knew she was prime until she met Wulf. Melina’s existence has given rise the hope that there are other women lost in the galaxy who are potential mates for Prime males. Huw Cardoc wills this to be true and ignores his attraction for Nadia Petrovich as he waits to find his optimum match.
Nadia, deeply attracted to Huw and hurt by his resistance to her, still found herself automatically reaching for him in a mind-to-mind link when she was in need or danger. Nadia is Terran born of Russian parents and yet Huw could boost her energy, share a mind link with her, and anesthesize her against pain like the legendary Prime battlemates. Were they in a Prime mating cycle, though it seemed in a reverse-from-normal order? Was it possible that Huw was holding out for something that he already had, his optimum mate in the body of Nadia? Huw’s journey to solving this puzzle takes many interesting twists and tantrums.
Their mission is fraught with danger. There are factions within the Prime that don’t want the males to find their mates and propagate a healthy species, and so between Prime rebels, space pirates, and earth-eating worms, it’s a wonder that the two of them find the time to advance their courtship. Huw is so hoist on his own petard, he finally succumbs and realizes that he has done the very thing he had first warned his brother against, which is not giving Nadia her due as an equal.
It finally comes together, their mission complete, and they have the time to relax and enjoy shore (or should I say dirt side) leave on a space resort, but storm clouds are on the horizon. We are at the end of this adventure, but it’s all set up for the next one. I can’t wait and I certainly hope that this next book is not three years in the making.
I truly enjoyed the story. It’s not as intense as Melina and Wulf’s story and, of course, the dramatic ending, which has lovable and calm Iolyn all in arms, is pretty dramatic, though not totally unexpected when you read between the lines. I think the book has it all in action, romance, tears and laughter, and in space what more could I have asked for. A heartfelt request to the author to please keep writing space adventures and please, please don’t make it so long between books.
Summary:
Commander Nadia Petrovich, Science Officer of the Alliance Starship Galanti, has a problem, which has nothing to do with science. Her problem is Commander Huw Caradoc, the Galanti’s Chief Engineer. She and the stubborn Prime male have a growing connection he refuses to acknowledge—a bond that could drive him mad.
They are connected psychically and the bond grows stronger every day. If Nadia didn’t know it was impossible, she would suspect they were mating in the Prime tradition—a biological imperative that locates and marks a Prime’s optimum mate. But she isn’t Prime, as Huw tells her and anybody who’ll listen.
Nadia’s emotional anguish couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Prime and Galactic Alliance merger is finally under way, and the all-male Prime crews are learning how to work with female Alliance crew members. The Antareans threaten the outer arms of the Milky Way, and Prime rebels wreak havoc on the Prime home planet and elsewhere.
Despite the conflict surrounding them, Nadia and Huw will not be able to avoid their fate or their growing love. Prime selection will make the decision for them whether the timing is right or not.
No Excerpt Available.
Other books in this series:
