Divine Challenges Rise of the Stria, Book 2
Science Fiction, Romance
Tessa McFionn
August 17, 2019
262
A handful of days have passed since Kahlym cal Jhuen stumbled upon the beautiful female who altered his entire existence. Strong, fierce, and willing to fight for what she loved, he is powerless against the undeniable attraction. But, the Rimmarian Emperor wants his alluring prize back and with every Thrall enforcer in the Seven Quadrants hot on their trail, Kahlym is running out of options.
Evainne Wagner never thought her Bostonian front door would lead her halfway across the galaxy. Neither did she expect to find passion in the arms of a drop dead gorgeous space captain. Guess life has a funny way of keeping things interesting. Now, all she had to do was figure out how to control the phenomenal cosmic powers spinning inside her mind without getting killed in the process.
Added to this turbulent mix is a true rogues’ gallery of new allies and old enemies, and only the Goddess knows if love can survive the oncoming storm.
Available at Amazon.
Reviewed by Sherry Perkins
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
“But for her, he had to try. For her, he would do anything.”—Divine Challenges
“Divine Challenges” is a quick read with a nifty plot about a feisty human who is minding her own business one day and the next day ends up in space, in immediate and protracted peril. I only know that because it’s what happens in Book One, “To Discover a Divine” and continues into “Divine Challenges.”
Although “Divine Challenges” could be a stand-alone book—it has plenty of exposition, enough so that you can figure out how we got were we are—I would recommend reading both books. Otherwise, you might have a little trouble connecting with the characters and their plight.
The main character, Evianne Wagner, is a woman of singular personality. She doesn’t put up with much crap which is entertaining. She’s also trying to think on her feet and stay one-step ahead of the aliens she’s so recently come to know. Or in the case of Captain Kahlym, to love. He’s “a sexy space vampire,” with some fine physical attributes. Plus, he’s a freedom fighter. But he’s got baggage, just like all good spaceship captains and freedom fighters should.
From “To Discover a Divine,” you learn his baggage is what you’d expect. He is cursed. Rejected because of the circumstances of his birth and disowned for it, he’s out doing the freedom fighter thing. In the middle of all that, he discovers Evianne when on a mission to break his crew out of prison. Evianne is imprisoned there by an evil Emperor.
Nonetheless, I’ll let you figure out why the Emperor wants Evianne, but the hint is in the titles.
In “Divine Challenges,” I enjoyed the cultural and vernacular differences, and in the bits of telepathy occurring between characters. However, the immediate attraction between Evianne and Khalym seemed forced. But again, if you read “To Discover a Divine” first, that probably wouldn’t hold true.
McFionn has written another series, “The Guardian Warriors Series.” I mention it because I like series or serials. I’m one of those readers who likes to get invested in the characters and the story. Maybe I’ll give them a read later.
“A 3.5-star read about a woman dropped into a new world, into a situation she has more control over than she realizes and the freedom fighter who comes to her rescue only to discover she has rescued him.”