The Master of Puppets (The War of Souls – Book 1) by Molly J. Bragg is a spec-fic/romance that is full of action, adventure, shapeshifting aliens, and the beginning of a really lovely age gap romance. I think a ten thousand year age difference counts as an age gap romance, don’t you?
An alien assassin named Jakari has been sent to Earth to find her latest target and eliminate them. When she arrives on Earth, she finds her target is here with a group of enemy soldiers to turn the human population into robotic conscripts that could be used in the war between the Suil (Jakari’s people) and the Char Oram, their enemy. On her quest to kill the Char leader, she gets tangled up with Hayami Takahashi, a Dallas police officer who is working to find the criminals who are kidnapping folks off the streets of the city. The two end up working together with both humans and Suil soldiers to stop the Char before they complete their insidious plans.
This is definitely a story that both fans of spec-fic/sci-fi enthusiasts as well as romance lovers will enjoy. The narrative is fast paced and full of thrills. It’s easy to bond with the characters, both main and secondary. I especially fell for Jakari, and easily understood her motivations. While there is a good deal of techno-babble in the tale, the author made it understandable even to technically challenged folks like me. The budding love stories (there are actually more than one) are delightful and endearing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I’m excited to note that there is more to come since this is the first book in a series. I can’t wait to read more about Jakari, Hayami, and all the other characters I’ve come to know and love.
I received an ARC from the author for an honest review. You can get a copy from Desert Palm Press.
Rainbow Reflections 