Book Blurb :
Prez has been in the arms—or tentacles—of one too many brothel workers in his time. The memory of long-lost love is all he has, and it’s not enough. But no one in the Belaar-Andra system wants an alien half-breed for a partner, so life is as good as it can be. He’s making money, he’s going places, he’s got friends and a spaceship he loves—a decrepit cargo ship named Outcast. And now he’s got a new co-pilot, from the remote world of Aldor. Lan’s mysterious and doesn’t say a lot, but as they get to know each other, Prez starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in a long time—hope.
But the past hasn’t quite released him, and the Outcast isn’t done yet. On its final mission to deliver a mysterious cargo for the Belaari government, long-buried secrets start to stir. When his old co-pilot—and best friend—is finally himself again, Prez has a difficult decision to make, but Lan has other ideas about his own destiny. A rich man at last, can Prez finally get the things he really wants?
WhiteDaisy
Review:
This is a unique sci-fi/alien adventure with a light romance thrown in.
The story follows the half-breed crew of the Outcast. Through the story, the reader is informed that this crew escaped from a planet (Akilia), whose inhabitants are dying off. Because the inhabitants didn’t want to die without a fight, some of the doctors (Garlo) were prepared to experiment on the taken children by infecting them or by breeding among other off-world species to cure their diseases. That’s how they made the half-breeds (ku-tah). While the half-breeds survived, the original inhabitants continued to die off. Half-breeds were never real citizens.
Prez, the captain of the crew, is one of the main characters in this story. He is an unhappy, even sad, character. As a child, Prez had been experimented on; his home had been a compound on Akilia. As the story opens, Prez and his crew are drifting from contract to contract. They are running illegal sex trips to a planet (Ralia) for big payouts in order to buy a bigger ship. Prez hires a new co-pilot, (Lan) – Lanfellian Satal, son of Lanfellian of the houses of Filakor, because his co-pilot Flack had been turned into a temporary spider by a species Malaihan. Till they turn Flack back, Prez needs a new co-pilot.
Lan is the new co-pilot from Aldor, the only inhabited planet at the very edge of known space. Aldor is a very traditional society, they are known for never pairing with outsiders. On Aldor, the people are telepathic and aren’t used to talk among themselves. They have very different even traditional ideas about sex and love and don’t accept same-sex couples. In hearing Lan’s backstory, we learn that he didn’t finish his Binding Ceremony to a woman on his planet. Because of that humiliation, Lan decides to run away and live on his own. That’s how he got to be hired as a new co-pilot.
This whole story is a bit weird in my opinion. Prez and Lan are like night and day, each one having his own demon to fight. Their love story develops slowly. I missed some serious communication between them, but knowing Lan’s background, it’s acceptable. The whole storyline was, in general, well written and pulling, too. I’m giving Outcast 4 stars.
Pubisher : Torquere Press
Source : Manic Readers
Release Date: January 9th 2013
Rating
Where to buy
Mildly Sensual 
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