Unbreakable (The Chronicles of Promise Paen #1) (ARC)

I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley.com and that in no way has influenced my opinion in regards to this review.


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Title: Unbreakable
Series: The Chronicles of Promise Pain
Author: W.C. Bauer
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 399

Synopsis:
Promise Paen joins the Republic's Space Marines to escape the bad memories from her home planet Montana.
Now's she headed back to protect a place she'd rather forget about while her dead mother seems to be alive and well, in Promise's mind.

My Thoughts:
This was an ARC [Advanced Reading Copy], so the misspellings and such [fourty anyone?] will hopefully be fixed in the actual release.

First. Bauer appears to have read and been greatly influenced by Mike Shepherd and his Kris Longknife series. Smart metal. By that name. A heroine who worries about not being a curvaceous sex kitten (though to be honest, this only happens once or twice, unlike every other chapter in Kris Longknife). The whole Brave Girl taking on Incredible Odds and Overcoming, Even if not Winning thing.
Thankfully, Paen is a local girl who makes good, not an interstellar debutante with a drinking problem.

Second, I'd REALLY like to find out more about the history of this universe. The little hints we're given tantalized me while giving me just enough for this story. But I want more.

Thirdly, I removed and then added a star right at the introduction. I removed a star because he thanks Ronie Kendig [I have nothing personally against Mrs Kendig, I simply had a very bad experience with one of her books where expectations were taken out an airlock and hung, shot, drawn and quartered and then vaporized] and then added another because he appeared to be a Christian. It was a rollercoaster beginning.

Finally, I did enjoy this. There is a lot of action, a lot of "we're outmanned, outgunned but we're going to make them choke on us" kind of attitude. A hint of shallow romance [which I'm FINE with. Save that stuff for the likes of Austen, who can write a GOOD romance] and 2 big space empires just waiting to go at it.

As long as this series doesn't turn into the Series That Never Ends [ala Taylor Anderson or David Weber], I'll be looking forward to more by Mr. Bauer.