⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. This is the perfect bridge in the series, peaking the reader’s curiosity while waiting for the next book to come.

My name is Zane Zimmer. To most folks, I live a seemingly charmed life as a Regal lord and the heir apparent to the powerful, wealthy House Zimmer, and the gossipcasts breathlessly follow my every swaggering move across the Archipelago Galaxy. I’m also a powerful psion capable of telekinesis, telepathy, and telempathy, and my deadly skills and prowess with my stormsword have made me the golden boy of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force. But even golden boys have bad days, and the truth is I have more hard problems than I can solve. The Techwave is building weapons to use against the Arrows in hopes of toppling the Imperium and taking over the galaxy. But even more worrisome is the fact that my old rival Kyrion Caldaren has a powerful new ally in Vesper Quill. Together, the two of them just might destroy everything I’ve sworn to protect. I’m supposed to be relaxing with the other Regals during the Summer Solstice celebration, but when an enemy threatens the festivities, I’m forced to leap into action. As an Arrow, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect my family and the other Regals, even though my actions will cause only more problems, and just might end up being the death of me.

MY THOUGHTS

It was marvelous learning more about Zane and his motivations. I’ve always gotten the impression that there was more to him than meets the eye, and this book confirms it. We also got to see Zane’s complex feelings about Vesper and Kyrion, and the impact that the events of the previous book had on his relationship with his family.

The intrigue and action hit right from the start and unfolded at a pretty brisk but comfortable pace. There were plenty of well-placed reminders of what had happened before and now I want to go back and read Only Good Enemies again.

While this book made us see Zane in a slightly different light, there were still some lingering doubts as to what direction his character might take. I liked that kind of consistency and that it left us with a wary hope for his involvement in any future events.

If you like steamy space operas with magical elements and plenty of action, then don’t miss out on this series. It is definitely better to read them in order. This book doesn’t include any romantic elements, but there might be the promise of something to come for Zane.

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Fantasy
Published: February 6, 2024
Sensuality Rating: None
Series: Galactic Bonds
Other books in the series: Only Bad Options, Only Good Enemies