Sci-Fi Romance Review: Dark Matters by Michelle Diener

Dark Matters by Michelle Diener (Class 5 #4)

ecopy thanks to the author

Synopsis from Goodreads
 DARK MATTERS . . . taking matters into her own hands

A time bomb, waiting to go off . . .

Lucy Harris is on the run, not sure where she can turn to for help, or if help is even available. But even as her abductors chase her down, she realizes they don't just want to recapture her, they want to erase her.

When your very existence puts a planet at the risk of war, there's no choice but to do everything in your power to stay out of your enemies hands.

A predator . . . waiting for the chance to pounce

The powerful AI battleship, Bane, is accompanying the United Council envoy to Tecra to mete out the punishment the Tecrans have earned for breaking UC law. He revels in the power he's about to have over his old masters. But his mission isn't only to rain down retribution on the people who kept him chained for years, he's also looking for a human woman his fellow Class 5 thinking system mentioned in the final seconds of his life. Paxe admitted to taking Lucy Harris from Earth, and Bane has been looking for her ever since.

A warrior conflicted . . .

Commander Dray Helvan thinks the Grih made a mistake in not pushing for war with the Tecran, but he's had to accept the compromise, that he and the other envoys from the United Council will go to Tecra and dismantle its military from the top down. His mission is not one of his choosing, but when he and his team arrive, he's handed a very different job. While he distrusts Bane on principle, when the thinking system tells him there's a woman running for her life on the planet below, he will do whatever he has to to see her safe. And if that means war for Tecra, well, then it means war.

This is book 4 in the award-winning Class 5 series.

Amazon kindle US/UK

8.5/10

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 Never mind. He would experience karma. She would make sure of it.
She would be karma's handmaiden.

I loved this book, folks!

I actually enjoyed this whole series immensely, and can't recommend it enough for the fans of all things space opera and technology. It's easy, it's a fast read and as usual with Michelle's books, it portrays a strong, admirable, resourceful and determined heroine kicking butt with gusto. 



The good thing is that this series isn't bogged down with too much unknown terminology and it doesn't overexplain itself, so even a novice in this genre would feel comfortable reading it.

The bad thing: I would have liked a little bit more of the background of the main characters than portrayed.

Lucy Harris is the fourth woman abducted by Tecran exploration ship which reached Earth, and her story, I believe, ends the series. She starts the book on the actual Tecran home planet and escapes the lab amidst political chaos where Tecran government and the military is taken over by the United Council in retribution for experimenting on sentient beings and creating thinking systems to operate Class 5 battleships.

Lucy who is being chased by the military which doesn't want it known that there was a forth abductee is also being searched for by Bane, the last Class 5 battleship thinking system made who arrives into Tecran's orbit as a show of force from United Council. Bane recruits Dray, one of the Grih on the committee sent to Tecran to clean the mess, to help him, and that's how these two main characters meet.

Dark Matters is very dynamic, with an intense atmosphere and a captivating heroine, and while Dray played the role of a supportive character, Lucy's strength of character and anger at her situation as a victim made me admire her and root for her to the end. 

If you haven't started this series yet, grab Dark Horse, book one, now. In fact, that's what I'll be doing now too, re-reading the series again. Recommended.

* * *

 Очень мне пришлась по душе эта книга, ребята!

Мне вообще вся эта серия нравится, и я не могу не порекомендовать ее всем любителям космической оперы и технологических инноваций. Читается легко и быстро, и, как обычно у Мишель Дьенэ, главная героиня - сильная, смекалистая, упорная женщина, с пылом раздающая всем тумаки, если они стоят у нее на пути.

Плюс книги в том, что она описывает все коротко и ясно, что подбодрит даже новичков в жанре научной фантастики.

В этом же состоит и ее минус. Мне хотелось побольше предыстории главных  героев, а херушки. О ней упоминули в паре предложений и все.

Люси Харрис - четвертая женщина, похищенная с Земли военным кораблем и думающей системой класса 5 для ученных планет Текран, которые не только нарушили закон их галактики, создав думающую систему, но и экспериментируя на высоко разумных существах, и я так понимаю, что ее история заканчивает эту серию книг.

В отличие от остальных героинь, она оказывается спрятана на главной планете Текран. В начале книги ей удается сбежать из лаборатории посреди политического кризиса, вызванного тем, что планы Текран выходят наружу, и остальные планеты Объединеного Совета за это их наказывают. В то время как делегация ОС садится на планету, военные пытаются захватить Люси и по тихому ее убить, чтобы сиуация еще больше не ухудшилась, но на ее стороне оказывается Бэйн - последняя думающая система, прибывший вместе с делегацией и пытающийся ее найти. Бэйн просит одного из прибывших членов делегации - Дрэя  из расы Гри помочь ему спасти Люси, чем они оба и занимаются всю книгу.

Темные Дела - книга динамичная, напряженная и читается на лету. Дрэй по большей части характер поддерживающий Люси, что не мешает читателю восхищаться силой ее гнева и упорным нежеланием играть роль жертвы ее обстоятельств.

Если вы еще не начали эту серию, то хватайте Темную Лошадку - первую книгу Класса 5. Рекомендую и иду сейчас сама серию перечитывать...