I am a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy. While there is a fair amount of M/M fantasy, scifi hasn’t been as well represented. Thankfully, there seems to be more and more M/M scifi coming out. Lamont has several scifi novellas available through Amber Quill Press, but this is the first I have read. But it will definitely not be the last. This story has a good plot for the length, enough back story to set the stage for a series of novellas, and plenty of steam to satisfy M/M romance fans.
Behrin is the typical alpha warrior - tall, dark and handsome. With a ripped bod, and lots of muscles, he serves in the Zigan military. Tai is slender, and well-defined, with a core of steel. He also happens to be a pacifist. These unlikely men are paired for a diplomatic mission to grant amnesty to a rebel faction. Only, there are deeper motives for the amnesty than they know. If the mission succeeds, Behrin will finally receive the command he has been long denied due to prejudice. Both men will have tough choices thrust upon them. Tai must choose between his oath to do no harm, and saving the life of a man he loves. And Behrin must choose between the man he loves and duty to his world when war looms on the horizon.
What I liked about this story is that it didn’t have a cookie-cutter happy ending. Behrin wrestles with his decision on whether to leave Tai, and Tai struggles not to influence his decision. The choice he finally makes is very much in keeping with his characterization as well as making sense in the story. Though this novella is only about 70 pages, Lamont builds her characters through dialog and action to fully realized and three-dimensional people. I cared about both of them, and was completely engaged in the events of their worlds. My only small criticism is their obvious top/bottom relationship, with the alpha male very much on top. That’s not to say it detracted from the very hot sex scenes, it was just a little predictable. But I completely enjoyed the action! And, since the novella ends with “to be continued,” their relationship should certainly evolve with more time. Though there are a few typos, the story is very well-written. Lamont’s world-building is sufficient to carry the plot and give a genuine futuristic feel without alienating people who are not normally scifi fans. Though some of the novellas in the series are not M/M, they do feature characters from this story. This story was so good, I intend to buy the rest of Lamont’s Alliance series because her universe is so well defined, but most especially the sequel! ( )