Stealing Mercury

Original name:

Author: Charlee Allden

Translation:

Series: Arena Dogs, 1/?

Number of pages: 302

Published: 2015 (U.S.)

Type: Paperback

Genre: sci-fi, erotica, romance, action

Mercury was born as a slave, as an Arena Dog, and his life is about fighting in arena, killing his people and enjoying those who enslave them. Samantha Devlin is a freight pilot and her newest job is for Roma Company with three breathing Arena Dogs in her cargo. She is taking them to death but learns that they are not so scary as their whip master says. Would she do anything?

Ok I must say I really loved author's writing style. It was smooth, likeable and always got me into mood. The world and universe of this book was very well made and detailed. Political and cultural idea was very believable and it worked really good together. Also it was realistic, not just another world so optimistic it wasn't possible. Here was slavery, cruelty and other not so nice things but it made everything more real so I was able to sink into story. But, yeah there is one big but. Really bad work with characters and long, boring descriptions (seriously I don't need to know how awesome he is every freaking page ok?) spoiled it for me.

Characters. At first I quite liked them. Samantha wasn't naive and stupid but neither some rambo in a skirt and that's why I liked her. She was sympatic. But after she started to feel something for Mercury her character got degraded very quickly. She just did what he said even she wasn't sure about it and it just simply didn't go well with her beying independent. Mercury was one of those non-original and generic badass males who are still very caring and gentle. Honestly I didn't care about him because his only thoughts were: sex, protect, sex, protect, sex and well you can't work with this very much. Lo was a guy you must convince to believe you and Carnage, damn, he was the best one! I was interested in him the most but unfortunately he always disappeares because he was useless in a sex scenes. Other characters were just plain, whip master and his co had a potential but sadly it wasn't used fully. Well everyone next to the main threesome were about nothing and because the relationship between those three was horribly made it just sucks in overall.

My problem about relationships in this book... Insta love with no reason is not beliavable even if he is sexy male. Just no. It would be OK if they went through something first but they just saw each other and immediately fell in love and become lusty. Sorry but this is not working for me. And to making it worse Lo became a part of it, great! I am not againts threesome it could be cool but not in this book. This kind of relationship wasn't made well here. At first, Sam didn't like the idea of threesome but was convinced for it very quickly. Like superfast quickly. And what is more worse Mercury and Lo practically didn't care that she is not for it. They forced her to it. And this is not love when you force someone to something. When you love someone you respect his or her statements, not just make them do what only you like. Sorry but I hate how this was made and I couldn't agree with this kind of love, which wasn't exactly a true love. And sex scenes? There was no reason for many of them and it felt kinda stupid.

Story. Good Lord I am such a greatful for a story in this book because it was really good! Action scenes were awesome, it was very thrilling and I just wanted to know what woudl happened next. I was really hooked but sadly characters and their relationships just ruined it.

Overall, good realy good story with elaborated world, but that's all.

Rating: 5,5/10