Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair
Review by Cynthia (Frazerc)
I love Linnea Sinclair’s books – all of them – but this is one of my very favorites. It’s one I have to keep getting new copies of because I keep giving mine away to friends, acquaintances, perfect strangers [well, not really PERFECT strangers]. But when you have a book you love you just want to share…
Our heroine is Tasha Sebastian lives in interesting times. She is currently the captain of a U-Cee huntership and a veteran of the recent war between the United Coalition and the Triad. But before that she had other names and other lives…
Our hero is Admiral Branden Kel-Paten, brilliant strategist, military leader and a human who has been altered physically, mentally and most of all cybernetically. He can interface directly with his ship and there are those who say “Tin Soldier” is more ‘cybe than human. But they’re wrong…
As part of the treaty, ‘mixed’ ships are being established and Kel-Paten has specifically requested Tasha for his first officer. Thus begin the games of command; why did he ask for her, what does he want?
Enter a second plot starring the empathic best friend of Tasha, Doctor Eden Fynn, and Jace Serafino, renegade Nasyry priest, telepath, and all round rogue. Kel-Paten would like to squeeze every drop of information out of Serafino personally.
And then there are the furzels, Tank and Reilly. They are rather cat-like in nature with some VERY special abilities. Even more special than their humans, Tasha and Eden, know because they can identify and sometimes the true evil creatures which they simple call ‘Bad Things’. They know the Bad Things are watching their people and resolve to protect them…
Her world building is consistently outstanding and the world of Games of Command is no exception. The poignancy of Kel-Paten’s love and the utter wrongness of what was done to him grab your heart. Tight, page-turning plot, great characters [and her aliens are outstanding] and dialog that grabs you – it is a must read.
Unfortunately this is a stand-alone novel. Sigh. But I’m still hoping…
