"Accomplished, involving, and challenging futuristic"
Tristan Mallory and Kellen Voltrain are on their way to a
science conference when their spaceship is attacked by
pirates. Gravely wounded, Tristan awakens in a hospital on
the planet Arden, being watched over by the beautiful
fellow scientist Mara d'Jorel. Arden, it turns out, is not
a safe place to be. 200 years ago, nearly all the planet's
male population died in a devastating plague from which the
planet has never recovered. Women rule on Arden, and men
are a commodity to be owned and controlled. Mara, following in her mother's idealogical footsteps,
hates the harem system which turns all Arden's males into
sex slaves. She can't bear the thought of Tristan, a
renowned scientist, being sent to the harem where his only
use will be to father children or serve as a rich woman's
sex toy. In spite of her hatred of the system, she buys
him herself, hoping to protect him until she can convince
the authorities his brain is more useful to society than
his sperm. Kellen isn't so lucky. He falls into the clutches of
Cadaran d'Hasta. Head of Arden's Internal Security, she's
also a vicious manhater who appropriates Kellen for her own
sadistic pleasure. There seems to be no way out for either
man--private communication between Earth and Arden is
forbidden, and both men have been reported dead to Earth
authorities by the Arden government. But Mara is
determined to save them both, even if it means losing
Tristan, whom she's begun to love. STAR-CROSSED is an involving read from page one. Marilynn
Byerly has created a detailed culture in her depiction of
Arden, and pulls few punches in demonstrating that
culture's harrowing effect on all Arden's inhabitants, and
Kellen in particular. Gender roles as they are played out
on futuristic Arden make us stop to think about our own
prejudices in the here-and-now. This aspect of the book never becomes preachy, though, as
it's played out in the context of a complex and involving
plot, sympathetic and beleaguered characters, and well-
crafted world-building. The good guys are multi-faceted
and believable, the villain is thoroughly evil, and even
the fuzzy native sentient sidekick proves a likable, well-
developed character. STAR-CROSSED is an accomplished,
involving, and challenging contribution to the world of
futuristic romance. Katriena Knights / February, 2001
Copyright © 2001 for Paranormal
Romance Reviews
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted August 22, 2002
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