It is extremely difficult for me to find good writing in one of my favorite genres - alien or paranormal romance novels. Whether the genre is romance, political thriller, or mystery, the writing should still be good. I loved this book so much, I was absolutely shocked when the author casually remarked at the end that this was her first published work. Her writing was excellent and I was on the edge of my seat at the end.
I absolutely cannot wait to hear what happens next. No, really, I can't wait. How many days do we have to languish in despair?
Here are my general thoughts on Saving Askara. (SPOILER ALERT)
The male lead is an alien who, despite being generally humanoid in appearance, is most definitely an alien. This is not one of those novels where the guys look exactly like big humans except with different colored skin or sparkly eyes. You could imagine meeting just this sort of creature somewhere out in space. His planet is dark, cold, and violent, so they have dark skin to blend into shadows. Their society consists of barely tolerating each other for a common good, while violence is always simmering just beneath the surface. Threat displays are an integral part of their social structure. There is no, or very little, sexual dimorphism; their females are the same size or even bigger than the males. I am still not entirely sure how to tell them apart. Their only goal in coming together is to create the strongest offspring, so it's a battle for mating privileges. This is understandably very concerning to the human doctor, Victoria, who has felt herself drawn to him.
However, (Ms?) Link expertly walks the fine line between strange savage customs and actual abuse. The Askara culture would seem like one big brawl after another, even in dating, which could lead to some very serious misunderstandings or consent issues. However, Link cleverly wrote the society so that the females have all of the control, and initiate every encounter. Aderus is violent among his brethren, but protective of her from the start. He always does his best not to hurt her. That is very important to me, as a reader, because I have no interest in a male main character who actually abuses his love interest.
What is also believable in this complex world is that neither one is attracted to the other at first. They both find each other strange and unsettling. The bond and interest very gradually begins, and it is very confusing to Aderus. In his society, females briefly seek out males when they are in season, and then they immediately drop kick them with disdain. These are also solitary creatures, rather like bipedal panthers in behavior. Even the way they mate is done very, very carefully, because death is on the line every time you even breathe near one of their females. This does not in any way indicate that all females of their species are bad; but the culture is definitely geared towards isolation and emotional distance.
Can the Askari even participate in a fully bonded, loving, protective forever bond?
When the two finally do get together, they are definitely both very careful and cautious around each other. There are moments when they lose their inhibitions, and then they are circling around each other again, unsure what to do.
Another aspect of the series is that the author inserted a strong science basis to the world she created. I loved the Epo-pen, which I assume injected Epogen to stimulate red blood cell production. Each ship had its own decontamination process. This would be absolutely vital to any realistic space travel. We would have zero protection against any alien viruses, bacteria, or other infections organisms. The tragedy of Small Pox decimating native tribes would be exponentially worse if the infectious agent wasn't even terrestrial. Life can take on so many forms. It is ingenious that the suit, and even the ship, would be made of self-aware organic malleable metal. I don't know how, but with very little interaction, the biosuit Henry became a charming, protective, integral part of the story. I am just as concerned with hearing how Henry fares as anyone else in the story. I suppose sentient can apply to many different forms. This is like a fantastic twist on the AI in the Ironman suit. Well done, Link.
I am consumed with angst over what is happening at the end. Is Askara a play on the Ascaris worm, and their physiology uses some kind of transmittable symbiont? Or is it a parasite? Is it a virus that uses a technique similar to CRISPR? A retrovirus expressing itself? Something completely alien and unique that is an entirely new lifeforms? And will it harm its host? The ending felt like we've all been climbing the final hill on a rollercoaster, and the bottom just dropped out as the car crested the hill. And then...nothing.
In fact, the ending brings to mind that I have just a few suggestions to this talented writer. Many of her scenes seemed to end abruptly. Someone will say something, or an event will occur, and suddenly it's a different day and setting. We have to readjust and realize that the last scene has wrapped up. I think that his was deliberate to build suspense. Or perhaps she wanted to keep interest in the pacing. I would have enjoyed more of a bridge between scenes, so they end more smoothly. In the same vein, I think she could still have written the cliff hanger without the ending seem so abrupt. It's as if she just needs an editor to go over the creases with a finishing iron.
Overall, this is a fantastic read. I do so hope that the sequel is already written and in cue for release. We have been introduced to very different characters. Another bar that I have for good writing is if each character has his or her own idioms and speech patterns. You should be able to tell who is speaking just by the text. Will Link flesh out these amazing characters into their own, unique personalities and story arcs? I cannot wait to find out.
What a find. This author is a gem.
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Reviews with images
A Refreshing Alien Romance
I really enjoyed this! At the beginning, it was noticeable that this wasn't "perfectly written," but that was quickly overlooked as I loved everything about the story and writing otherwise.Although the cover labels this as "A Sci-Fi Romance," the romance doesn't start until well into the story - which I really appreciate. There are way too many books in the romance section (and even in other sections) that focus way too much on the romance right off the bat. But instead, this story focuses on Tori's new job as an ambassador between humans and the Askari. She works closely with Aderus, but it isn't until at least halfway through that she begins to be attracted to him, and the sex scenes we are warned about on the back cover don't happen until the end.I am also really pleased with how the Askari are portrayed as so different from humans. They're big, scary, and totally different when it comes to culture. This makes for great dynamics and conflicts in the story and between the characters.And the cover is absolutely GORGEOUS! It's what drew me to the book in the first place, and also the fact that the main character has the same name as me. I wasn't too thrilled that there would be sex scenes, and I wasn't expecting them to be so graphic, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book as a whole and can't wait to read the sequel!
