In the face of Human slavery, Back Sword Captain Ariela of Kassouk must do the unthinkable. Rebel against the Mutant regime. But she cannot do it alone.
Ariela suspects the king’s death is no accident. And the tyrant who usurped the throne looks guilty as hell. As leader of the Human rebellion against their Mutant rulers, Ariela is desperate for help, and Lord Starro, the handsome Crown Prince of the Star Children, offers the technology the Human faction lacks. But can Ariela trust a spoiled, arrogant foreign prince who never fought a battle, and thinks he is destined to rule the universe? Is she trading one tyrant for another? No matter how kind, handsome, or fascinating, Starro has frightening mental abilities. And this alliance is not safe, especially for Ariela’s heart.
Order of the books in the Chronicles of Kassouk Series:
Prequel: Noah's Ark
Book One - White Tiger
Book Two - Red Leopard
Book Three - Black Jaguar
Book Four - Blue Lioness
Book Five - Snow Cheetah
Excerpt
Beloved. Starro struggled to sit up but flinched with a violent spasm and fell back on the pillow. "If you have any compassion, finish me off with your lethal blades. I can't even breathe without needles jabbing my insides."
She scowled her deep blue eyes at him and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. "You have not earned the right to die, Lord Starro. Too many lives depend on your survival."
"Please, don't call me lord." He scoffed and grimaced at the stabbing sensation inside his chest. "You don't understand..."
"You will get better." Her stoic confidence didn't boost his.
He clenched his jaw against another spasm. "There is no recovery from this drug. Only slow, agonizing death. I'm already dead."
Ariela steadied his twitching arm with a firm hand. He closed his eyes briefly, enjoying the calming effect of her touch. He wished they had more time. He wanted a chance to know her. But his quick death would prevent his shame and dishonor. She was Human, hence forbidden... yet Beloved.
She frowned at him. "How can you give up hope? I thought the Star Children were models of righteousness."
The criticism hurt more than the cramps in his innards. Starro managed to sit up on the bed and she pulled and fluffed the pillows for him to lean back.
He let out a calming breath, grateful for her soothing presence. "You have no right to judge me or my people."
"You are their prince. You can't give up. Your people need you." Her condemning gaze upset him greatly.
Starro grimaced but noticed the cramps had somehow lessened to an almost tolerable level. "What have you done to me? I should be dead."
The woman's smile illuminated the square room carved into the rock. "I guess it wasn't your time to die."
Starro chuckled and immediately regretted it as pain shot through his body. "Who says when it's time?"
"The Great Engineer of the Universe, that's who." She flashed a devilish grin. "But I like to help whenever I can."
Professional Reviews
Action-packed story - 5stars
Schartz pens another gem in the Chronicles of Kassouk with "Blue Lioness." Ariela is the leader of the black guard in Kassouk. When the king and queen are killed in an air attack, the sinister mutant, Lord Kohl assumes the kingship. Ariela smells treachery, but will she get the chance to prove it?
The novel opens in Kassouk at the Citadel where the people are mourning the death of their monarchs. From her spot in the guard, Ariela spies an intriguing looking man - Starro, the crown prince of the Star Children. Using mind talk, he warns her of an attack and saves her life.
The humans are to the point of rebelling on their mutant leaders and Kohl comes down on the humans with a firm hand. After Kohl apprehends Starro and accuses him of killing the previous rulers, Ariela rallies her guard and frees Starro, intent on asking his father's help in defeating Kohl.
As Ariela and Starro travel over the mountains, they are pursued by Yakur, an assassin hired by Kohl, and his son, Kaleb. Ariela finds Starro arrogant and his powers disturbing, yet she's attracted to him as well. They traverse the mountains accompanied by Ariela's lioness, Hellion. Just as they get in range to contact Starro's people, Yakur attacks. Starro manages to fend him off and gives into the attraction he feels with Ariela, bonding with her. Starro and Ariela manage to destroy Kohl's sweet heaven harvest, but when Ariela meets Starro's people, the Star Children, she has serious doubts about giving Starro her heart. Can Ariela and Starro overcome their differences and bring a world together?
Schartz plunges the reader into the action immediately with a fast paced plot and interesting characters. The descriptions never linger, yet paint vivid pictures of the futuristic setting. Schartz's imagination and creativity continues to shine with this installment of the series. What I enjoyed the most was the end, and how everything Ariela had done was given purpose and meaning.
Ariela is full of grit and determination. Her one weakness is her attraction to Starro. Can she trust him, especially since she finds his mind talk disconcerting.
The Star Children come off as arrogant and self-important, yet Starro has ventured out of that comfort zone to visit the rest of the world. He chooses to expand his horizons, but can Ariela trust the sincerity of his wishes?
The story's love scene is tasteful evoking a sweet sensuality between Ariela and Starro. Blue Lioness will keep the reader breathless with it's action and adventure.
Long and Short Story Romance Review
With her civilization crumbling around her Ariela finds herself in alliance with an unlikely alien candidate Prince Starro of the Star Children. Can they put a stop to the revolution coming and what of the intense and forbidden feelings they have for each other.
Ms. Schartz brings us front and center into a vaguely familiar alien world whose landscapes are foreign to us earthlings and yet familiar enough not to need a glossary to understand her imaginative and creative world. Her plot is intense, adventurous with battle and love scenes and as unlikely as it is she brings it to a believable level. She further creates memorable characters that although at times seem a bit one-dimensional at others shine brightly -- and none brighter than her hero Starro and her heroine Ariela who really rule the pages throughout the novel.
Her narrative dragged a bit at the beginning but the further along I read the more engaged in the story I became until by the end I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I partly blame myself by not having read the series before therefore not having insight into her world that may have better paved my way into this installment of her Chronicles of Kassouk.
Her love story is a favorite of mine: forbidden love that finds a way to survive and succeed. Her love scenes are muted enough that they will not offend any true romance reader and yet sensual enough to make the most avid reader of the genre satisfied as well.
All in all this was a very enjoyable read and it's made me want to not only go back to read the first three but I am now looking forward to her next adventure in these chronicles.
If you love the science fiction genre, especially one with a great romance, this will fit the bill. It did for me.
Thank you Ms. Schartz for a journey I won't forget and look forward to making again in the not too distant future.
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