Only Good Enemies
Author: Jennifer Estep
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: B+
What I’m Talking About:
Only Good Enemies continues the tale of Vesper and Kyrion, an unlikely pair that is destined to be. After Vesper assists in the unveiling of enemies within the Royals, she takes over the former Kent Corp and institutes her own designs for improved tech. She is still bonded to Kyrion, but has hidden that fact from both Kyrion and the Imperium Leader, Callus Holloway. When the terrorist group, TechWave, kidnaps Vesper, Holloway sends Kyrion and a few select Arrows to retrieve and kill her.
Only Good Enemies is filled with lots of exciting adventures, ambitious battle scenes, and a lovely romance! I found I enjoyed the second adventure more than the first now that I understand the rules of the world. Vesper is taking full advantage of her new station in life, but she continues to hide her connection to Kyrion because she doesn’t want to burden him. I enjoyed her internal debate on whether or not her feelings for Kyrion are driven by the truebond or her free will. I appreciate that the author gives the characters the space to discover more about the bond and their feelings. Kyrion uses the bond as an excuse to stay away from Vesper, but he knows his feelings are true. I adored their developing romance. I also love that the pair spends most of the book working together to face their common enemies.
As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Only Bad Options, the Galactic Bond world isn’t strictly science fiction or fantasy, rather an interesting blend. The setting includes a number of distant planets, with an incredible amount of unexplained tech. Several characters have magical mind powers, which I liken to the Psy abilities from Nalini Singh’s series. What continues to bother me, although not as much as in the first book, is that Vesper’s seer magic does too many different things, giving her way too many convenient advantages. She also has an incredible brain and develops amazing tech and has bonded to a “super” sword. And due to her truebond, she can draw on Kyrion’s power/knowledge. All of these advantages together give her a way to get out of any situation. With that said, I love that Vesper hires a top-tier fighter to train her and that she’s taking steps to improve her personal safety, rather than allowing her abilities and luck to guide her. And as the story develops, Vesper does struggle, making her seem less advantaged than in the first half of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed my return trip to the Galactic Bonds world. Only Good Enemies moves the overarching plot forward by a bunch, while dropping a few twists and turns, allowing the story to remain unfinished. The book as a satisfying conclusion, but I’m excited to see what happens next.
My Rating: B+
Jen
About the Book:
A WOMAN ON A MISSION . . .
My name is Vesper Quill. I used to be a lowly lab rat, toiling away in obscurity developing brewmakers and other household appliances. But thanks to my seer magic and my own ingenuity, I’m now a Regal lady and the head of a successful corporation.
My mission? To destroy the Techwave, the dangerous group that has stolen my designs and plans to weaponize them against the Imperium. But when my mission takes an unexpected turn, I’m once again surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.
Further complicating matters is Kyrion Caldaren, an arrogant Regal lord whose fate is bound to mine. Kyrion doesn’t realize the two of us still have an unwanted connection that puts us both in grave danger . . . or does he?
A MAN SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES . . .
My name is Kyrion Caldaren. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’ve been tasked with tracking down and destroying the Techwave before they seize control of the Archipelago Galaxy.
My other mission? Find a way to assassinate Lord Callus Holloway, the Imperium ruler who wants to take my psion power for his own. Holloway is also a threat to Vesper Quill, who haunts my thoughts, despite the broken bond and distance between us.
When I realize Vesper is in danger, my priorities change, and I vow to use all my telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities to help her. I will save Vesper from her enemies and mine—even if I have to burn down the whole bloody galaxy.
Release Date: July 18, 2023
Publisher: Jennifer Estep
Series: Galactic Bonds #2
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, romantic elements
Format(s): paperback (412 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Author
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)