Kristie J’s review of The Ruler (Men of the North, Book 2) by Elin Peer
Futuristic Romance published by Amazon Digital Services 20 Aug 17
I had such a good time with the first book in this series – and it really is a series and can’t be read as a stand-alone that easily – it was a given that I’d be reading this book too. I read it right after finishing The Protector. Quick overview, this is a series that takes place 400 or so years in the future. Earth suffered a third world war, and, as a result, the population was decimated and much of the planet left inhospitable. But even more strange is men and women basically split into two different camps. There are a few men living with women, but they are all metro types to the max and many infertile. The men live in the north and are pretty darned alpha, thinking women are to be smothered and protected. There are very few women of the North, so those there are pretty much wrapped in cotton.
But in the first book, there is a change a comin’. The two governing styles couldn’t be more different. The women govern by committee and the men have one leader who governs all. Khan Aurelius is the Leader of the North He is used to and expects that he is the ruler. However, he is challenged by Pearl, one of the leading committee women. You need to have read the first book (which is a joy, so no problem should be had reading it) to find out how Pearl finds herself held prisoner in the north by Khan. Pearl is not like the women Khan is used to. She bucks and argues with him at every turn. While Khan is somewhat turned on by her and her stubbornness, he’s not about to let her know. And Khan is unlike any man she could ever imagine, and though she’s not about to admit it, she is becoming rather attached to Khan.
The two of them are both intelligent people who want the best for their people and slowly realize that maybe, if done slowly and correctly, they should think about integrating both sides. As they were on this, their feelings slowly start gaining strength.
This is kind of the outline. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first. While I like Pearl well enough, Khan is just too macho and domineering for me to really like his character. Later on in the story we get to see some of his demons and he became more sympathetic, but that happened too late in the story.
Still, I’m very glad I read this book. It’s part of the bridge of the ongoing work in progress of melding two such opposite sides together, and while not an A-read as a romance, it is an interesting book as far as the series goes.
Grade: B-
Summary:
Four hundred years in the future, women control the world but Khan Aurelius, ruler of the last free men, is determined to take back the power that has been denied men for centuries.
Outnumbered by far, he knows that women need to give up their power willingly and with one of their councilwomen as a hostage, he’s certain he can influence her with his superior male intellect. She is just a soft woman, after all.
Councilwoman Pearl has sacrificed herself to save an innocent priestess. Trapped in the Northlands, her soft voice and sugar-coated view of the world doesn’t impress Khan, who constantly challenges her by playing his mind games to corrupt her and see things his way. It’s a battle of words and wills when the two intelligent rulers clash. Will Pearl succeed in bringing enlightenment and democracy to the primitive Nmen or will Khan corrupt her with his charm first?
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
