TBR Challenge 2009: The Down Home Zombie Blues & An Accidental Goddess

Since I was a slacker last month, I'm doing two review this month to make up for it.

So first up is...
Title: The Down Home Zombie Blues

Author: Linnea Sinclair

Published: 2007 by Bantam Books

Number of Pages: 516

Genre: Sci Fi Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Stand Alone

Why This Book: It was the only Linnea Sinclair book I hadn't devoured yet.

From the Author Site:In this steamy, suspenseful new thriller from RITA award-winning author Linnea Sinclair, a dangerously sexy space commander and an irresistibly earthy Florida police detective pair up to save the civilized galaxy…but can they save themselves from each other?

Bahia Vista homicide detective Theo Petrakos thought he’d seen it all. Then a mummified corpse and a room full of futuristic hardware sends Guardian Force commander Jorie Mikkalah into his life. Before the night’s through, he’s become her unofficial partner—and official prisoner—in a race to save the Earth. And that’s only the start of his troubles.

Jorie’s mission is to stop a deadly infestation of bio-mechanical organisms from using Earth as its breeding ground. If she succeeds, she could save a world and win a captaincy. But she’ll need Theo’s help, even if their unlikely partnership does threaten to set off an intergalactic incident.

Because if she fails, she’ll lose not just a planet and a promotion, but a man who’s become far more important than she cares to admit.

Cast:
Sergeant Theo Petrakos: A recently divorced homicide detective for Bahia Vista Police Department in Florida. He is trying to get his life back together while avoiding all the helpful people intent on getting him a date. While investigating an unusual homicide, he get involved with the Guardian Force, who were also investigating the same homicide. Since "nils" - people from low tech worlds - aren't supposed to know about the Guardian Force, he is kidnapped and is placed on the transfer list to Paroo (a paradise planet). Theo doesn't want to leave earth, and his friends and family, so he makes a deal that allows him to help out in the current investigation.

Commander Jorie Mikkalah: Being a Guardian is all she wants to be and she enjoys her work. She has been promised a promotion to captain if she successfully solves this Zombie problem. With the death of her contact on the ground, she turns to Theo to get the information on about local.

Review: I've really enjoyed all of Linnea Sinclair's stories, so I had high hopes for this one. Even though the plot devise is not one I generally enjoy. The whole advanced aliens from out space come the earth and fall in love with an earthling. And it didn't work for me here either, I'm sad to say. Most of the time there is some translation do-hicky or something that allows everyone to understand (minus the idioms of course) but in this version, one of the numerous alien languages is almost like english to allow communication between the Guardians and the locals.

The worlding building was okay. There are two factions in space, one that naturally wants to obliterate the other. Zombies were created as border guards. But someone from the enemy faction stole the operating codes and now are breeding a superior Zombie breed as a first line of attact. And they've chosen the love state of Florida in which to do their breeding tests. Because it's an out of the way world with the perfect temperature for breeding Zombies and has very litte interglactic travel.

The Zombies aren't the fleshing-eating-living-dead zombies that most would automatically think about. Instead these zombies suck all the juice of their victims leaving mummies with moist eyeballs. And a person cannot be converted into a zombie. Since the zombie is a genetically engineered being. All zombies are a part of a herd, each herd is control able the C-Prime zombie. Reprogramming or killing the C-Prime zombie is the best way to kill the herd.

What I liked best: There really wasn't much I like about the story. It was well thought out but none of the characters really clicked for me. I think it asked me to suspend my belief and bit too far for it to be truly enjoyable.

What I least liked: The over use of the word "bliss". Couldn't the aliens learn the word nice, good, delicious, and happy so that "bliss" didn't have to take the place of those words. *sigh*

Keeper?: No

Recommendation: I would recommend Linnea Sinclair to all readers, just not this book!

Grade: D


Next...
Title: An Accidental Goddess

Author: Linnea Sinclair

Published: 2006 by Bantam Books

Number of Pages: 434

Genre: Futuristic Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Stand Alone

Why This Book: I picked the book up originally due to a review I read on The BookSmugglers blog.

From the Author Site: Being divine has never been more dangerous...

Raheiran Special Forces Captain Gillaine Davré has just woken up in some unknown space station, wondering where the last three hundred years have gone. The last thing she remembers is her ship being attacked. Now it seems that while she was time-traveling, she was ordained a Goddess…

Gillaine’s only hope of survival rests with dangerously seductive Admiral “Mack” Makarian, who suspects her of being a smuggler—or worse. But he can’t begin to imagine the full extent of it. For Gillaine is now Lady Kiasidira, holy icon to countless believers, including Mack—a man who inspires feelings in her that are far from saintly…feelings she knows are mutual. But when their flirtation is interrupted by a treacherous enemy from the past, Gillaine’s secret—and secret desires—could destroy them both….

Cast:
Gillaine, Kiasidira, Ciran Rothalla Davre: She wakes up in the sick bay of Cirrus One after her ship had suffered some damages during her last battle with the Fav'lhir which inadvertantly threw her 342 years to the future. Where she discovers, much to her dismay, that she has been elevated to goddesshood, with temples, worshipers and the like. And all she had ever wanted to be was "just Gillie" who likes Devil Breath neat with a twist and a good game of billards at the local pub. But she is a Kiasidira, a high ranked Raheiran sorceress, which comes with a lot of responsibilities. One of which led her into that faithful battle. Now that no one know who she truly is, she tries to build a life as "just Gillie Davre", feighter captain. But fate is not done with her, just when things seem to be settling down and working for Gillie, old enemies appear that puts Gillie in a difficult position.

Sentient Integrated MObile Nanoessence aka Simon: Gillie's sentient ship, teacher and friend.

Admiral Rynan "Mack" Makarian aka "Make it Right" Makarian: Admiral of the Khalaran Fifth Fleet and responsible for converting Cirrus One from a civilian station into a military station. Nothing is going well for Mack. First the civilian run operations are making it difficult as possible for him and his team to make the necessary upgrades, he has parrots flying all over his atrium, he's been giving an office that doesn't allow him to interface with any of the stations systems and he has a mysterious (a beautiful, even though he does want to think about it) woman in his sick bay that may be a pirate. On top of that, he has to deal with the Temple of the Lady Kiasidira which seems to have it agenda.

Lieutenant Tobias Finch: Mack's right hand man and a devoted worshiper of the Lady Kiasidira.

Review: Linnea Sinclair has once again created and wonderfully colorful world and engrossing story where a not so average woman ambassador, who just wants to have fun and share technological knowledge, saves the galaxy as they know it by sacrificing herself and her ship. But she didn't die. She's thrown into the future where to her great disgust and dismay, she is now a Goddess. Lucky for her they didn't get her name right. Unlucky for her there is someone on the station that can identify her and it seems that the enemy was not complete defeated.

The world building is done seamlessly. Althrough there was a lot information to portray, nothing got lost in the translation. All the historical bits were well woven through the "present" day facts. All the lovely world making details are there so there is no need to fill in the gaps. This world has a bit of magic thrown in with all the usual space exploring technologies. A bit of Sword and Sorcerer mets Star Trek.

What I liked best: Simon. He's smart and a bit of a smarty-pants too. All those teasing remarks, the humming of the wedding song in the background. The banter between Gillie and Simon are a crack up.

What I least liked: The really strange teenage fashions. But then I don't care for them much in the real world either.

Keeper?: Yes

Recommendation: If you've enjoyed other Linnea Sinclair books, you will definitely enjoy this one. It a lite and witty story about

Grade: A