Veena’s review of Rebel (The Cat Star Chronicles, Book 10) by Cheryl Brooks
Futuristic Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 01 Jul 14
I felt like I fell into an episode of Star Wars while I was reading this book, from the exotic interplanetary creature-like characters to the sentient house and cloaking devices that can cloak speeders, homes, and all manner of things. At the heart of the story are Kim and Onca who’ve survived against all odds and yet retain an inner core of innocence and freshness that makes them amazingly lovable.
It does seem that evil has no end, no matter that it is in an almost future world or in the current world. Kim makes a living on the streets, living by her wits and having organized a group of street kids into a loyal gang. When her friends start disappearing, she’s determined to figure out what’s happening, even if she needs to use herself as bait, when along comes Onca to her rescue.
Onca has made a living as a very successful courtesan but is burned out and determined to retire. As he’s contemplating about what his life after retirement will be like, he comes across Kim surrounded by a bunch of thugs, comes to her rescue and takes her home with him. When her story comes out, he calls in his friends and together they prepare to mount a rescue.
Reading about the brothel scene and the treatment of the people who are being kidnapped and pressed into service is horrific. The compassion of the people in the brothel district, as they not only rescue the kidnapped species but also open up what amounts to a soup kitchen for all the misfits and street children, is heart warming. Of course, it’s the senior officials in the government who are raking in the profits from all the illegal activity. Never fails.
For all that the story is a quick and what appears to be a light read, it features social issues that plague our society.
Grade: B
Summary:
He helped to find her kidnapped friends. Will he let her steal his heart?
Kimcasha has lived by her wits since she lost her family when she was eight years old. So when three of her friends vanish, she has no fear about using herself as kidnapper’s bait, until a stranger foils her plot…
After ten years of selling his services in a brothel, Onca has decided to retire. A refugee of planet Zetith, he has no family, no surname, and no woman-until he rescues a young homeless girl from a kidnapper. Onca helps Kim find her friends, but as their intense attraction deepens, he begins feeling too jaded for someone so innocent. It’s up to Kim to convince him otherwise…
No excerpt available.
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