Review: Heart of a Peacekeeper

Heart of a Peacekeeper
by Angela Verdenius

Something is coming…

Bad-tempered, bad-mouthed, tough-as-nails Head Peacekeeper, Desdemona, keeps a tight grip on her settlement on the outskirts of the Outlaw Sector.

A rising body count, attacks, escalating outlaw activity, and clashes with the dangerously handsome Daamen trader, Simon, can only culminate in two things - one hotly intimate, the other so very deadly…

A powerful new romance by Angela Verdenius, (and billed as a work of science fiction,) Heart of A Peacekeeper seems to also include fantasy, and is, enormously, a work of the heart.

The action starts immediately in the fast paced work, as incredibly tough Desdemona 'Des,' leader of a futuristic group of law enforcement agents, confronts outlaw snipers. The fighting action is intense and well-described. The reliance of Des on her team, and all of them on one-another, is apparent, even in the most dangerous circumstances. Des checks on the injured, even though almost continually under threat herself. She is a tough-minded heroine, capable of dealing with all sorts of outlaws, but perhaps less well prepared for a love interest.

Simon is frank, outspoken, not easily put off, and not exactly human. His interest is entirely unexpected... and Des is not even sure its desired! Sometimes, its hard to tell the difference between attraction and an almighty annoyance; and Verdenius manages to make it believable.

Armed with lasers, drinking mugs of una, spending the odd moment with the pet lycat, there is no doubt that this is a very original creation and a wonderful example of the genre. Even the extreme size of the heroine gives us a sense of the future's possibilities. Lusty giants and tavern wenches make all too apparent the sexual mores of the times. The personal-sized pilot vehicle, flying five feet above the ground, is somehow more futuristic (and original) than any giant spaceship one could imagine. There are many, many surprises, twisted around the struggle between the elements of good and those not. There are secret missions, and Des must puzzle out many details from the remnants of ruins. Des is, not surprisingly, a principle target of the opposition. There are many well-thought-out characters on either side of this struggle.

Fans of Sci-Fi romance will be excited to discover this author, if they have not read her works before. Her well-imagined locations, people, and creative plot is a whole new world.

The absolute heart of this fantastical epic is an precious and beautiful romance. Amazing that through all the struggles, the fight between the most extreme elements, (a struggle to maintain civilization itself;) the heart of this tale is still the heart. This is an amazing romance, above all else. 4 books.



Review by Snapdragon