Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair

Shades of Dark
Linnea Sinclair
Bantam Books
July 29, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-58965-8

From the publisher’s site:
Can love alone save the day? Award-winning author Linnea Sinclair returns with a vibrant interstellar thriller of romance and adventure in which two lovers are tested in the crucible of deep space, where there are only…

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Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she’s a fugitive from the “justice” of a corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind—until the news of her brother Thad’s arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It’s a ploy by Sully’s cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding, and it works.

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With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal—not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz’s Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully, and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice, changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose—between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.
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My thoughts:
Chaz Bergen may be on the run, but she’s happy to be by Sully’s side. When they receive news that her brother has been taken into custody, she and Sully know that the main purpose is to get him to share all he knows about them by any means necessary. As their destination approaches and they watch for breaking news, they worry over the crew’s reaction. There is also a traitor among them who’s selling personal information in addition to their whereabouts.

When they bring an ally on board, they soon find that Captain Del Regarth has a big interest in the connection shared by Sully and Chaz. While this newcomer has skills and information that can help, his seduction of Chaz is not appreciated and soon causes friction within the couple’s bond. As a Kyi Ragkiril, Sully has power, but his is untrained against an expert like Del. With temptations all around someone is bound to get hurt, but more importantly there are worlds to save and a new fleet to build to accomplish their mission. The safety of the crew and Chaz’s ex-husband, Admiral Guthrie, must take top priority.

This story is a follow-up to Gabriel’s Ghost, where Chaz and Sully live, love and fight to see another day. Ms. Sinclair weaves together a fabulous science fiction tale with strong characters, a well-defined world and an amazing love story. Between the covers of Shades of Dark, readers will experience trouble around every corner, life-threatening danger in every move, and a scorching romance that’s capable of everything but a smooth ride. While this is a sequel, the author does a wonderful job of filling readers in on the basics from the previous book.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews