Stevie‘s review of Thrill-Kinky (Chronicles of the Malcolm, Book 1) by Teresa Noelle Roberts
Science Fiction Romance published by Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 12 May 15

I love a good bit of space opera, particularly one where it’s not always easy to tell just who the good guys are (or to quote one of the creators of Blakes 7 “There are no bad guys. There are no good guys. There are only better guys, and worse guys.”). Sure, the crew of the space freighter Malcolm are morally on the side of good, but their methods don’t always follow the letter of the law, particularly when they encounter someone in need of rescue. And that’s what makes for a thrilling adventure series.

Rita, the Malcolm’s engineer, has drawn the short straw and is working while her crew-mates are off partying. As we follow her activities collecting space junk for recycling, we quickly discover that humans aren’t the only civilisation out there, and many of the other species they’ve encountered are wildly different in terms of anatomy as well as beliefs and values. The event that Rita’s missing out on reminds me of a cross between one of the big Indian festivals and Glastonbury with extra sex.

All is not lost for our heroine, however; if she can get the job finished on time, she’ll be free to join in the sex and partying for the rest of the holiday. Then she finds a badly beaten and naked man – with wings.

Drax is on the run, after the covert job his government sent him on encounters unexpected snags. Being rescued by Rita is unexpected, but the bad guys are still after him – and after Rita and her friends too. Not to mention that his arch-nemesis is working for the bad guys, and he still needs to finish the mission in spite of being injured and unable to fly under his own power. So he reluctantly lets Rita and her crew-mates help him in a heist to recover a piece of artwork for his government.

I love the way that all the characters get to use their individual skills and that the consequences of their past and current actions are going to keep on following them as this series progresses. It helps that I have a bit of a weakness for cat-people, and the cat-girl of this series is most definitely not just a human with pointy teeth and a tail.

My one main criticism of this story is the implication that each planet has only one culture and one climate. I’d have preferred to see some acknowledgement that the cities our heroes visit are just the dominant destination on a particular planet and that other areas are different due to their cultural make-up and position on the globe.

I’ll be snapping up the next in the series in spite of that small niggle, though. Recommended for anyone who delights in caper stories set literally out of this world.

Grade: B

Summary:

Sexual freefall is like a game of chicken: except the first one to let go wins.

Chronicles of the Malcolm, Book 1

Humans may have expanded to the stars, but they still have the annoying need to work for a living. Which is why Rita, crew member of the space freighter Malcolm, is stuck collecting recyclable slag rather than attending her favorite festival celebrating love and sexuality.

Things go from boring to interesting when she discovers a badly injured man who’s been thrown into a recycling bin to die. The catch, he’s gorgeous, winged, and naked.

Drax Jalricki, reformed (mostly) art thief and reluctant covert operative, is on an undercover mission to protect three planets when someone in his own government brands him a traitor. By virtue of association, Rita and her crew are going down with him.

From their first, hide-in-plain-sight quickie, the erotic spark between Rita and Drax is fueled by danger and adrenaline. But their growing suspicion that there’s more to their connection than lust may not matter if they don’t live through the night.

Warning: Hero and heroine who straddle the line of criminal behavior—and definitely violate public indecency statutes. Exhibitionist, dangerous sex. Dark, sordid pasts. Wild risk-taking. Giggly cat-girl sidekick who’s not just another pretty… tail. And the greatest risk of all: true love.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: