Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Review: Trapped with the Cyborg (Cy-Ops Sci-Fi Romance #4) by Cara Bristol

Trapped with the Cyborg by Cara Bristol


Trapped with the Cyborg by Cara Bristol blurb

What a cracker of a story! Full of heart pounding action! And we finally catch a glimpse of the Lamis-Odg home planet.
Trapped with the Cyborg brings us another step closer in the inter-galactic fight against terrorism as Cy-Ops operatives Sonny and Amanda infiltrate the Lamis-Odg home planet to find the location of the terrorist leader. It's a suicide mission. They are not expected to get out alive. Volunteers only. People who were willing to put their lives on the line. That's Sonny and Amanda.
Amanda was a very interesting character. I had a hard time deciding if I liked her at first but once she worked through her issues or rather, once she talked about it with Sonny, I softened towards her. Amanda has daddy issues. Serious daddy issues. It colors just about everything she does and every decision she makes. It even impacted her initial encounter with Sonny, leaving Sonny wondering what he had done wrong when it had nothing to do with him. I don't blame her though. Her father sounds like a real peach *sarcasm*.

    “It was old messages playing in my head.” She sighed. “From my father. No matter what I accomplished, I never met his expectations.” She twisted her mouth. “When I made rank in the Terran Armed Forces, he said I hadn’t risen fast enough. When I got injured and received a medical discharge, he referred to it ‘washing out.’ Now, I’m a cyberoperative but can’t tell him because it’s covert, so he assumes I’m sitting on a disability pension doing nothing—although I’m sure he’d find fault. He’d expect me to be Cy-Ops director by now.”
    “Your father sounds like ass.”
    She smiled. “Many people think so.”

Aside from her daddy issues though, everything about her screams "strong woman". She's tough, she's capable, she's determined. She might even have a little bit of a death wish, as did Sonny. I liked how she and Sonny became partners who could trust each other to get the job done in an impossible situation.

With Sonny, it's difficult to get a handle on Sonny. I liked him from the previous Cyborg book though he only played a small role. In this one, we learn he has a troubled past and carries around a lot of guilt which colors a lot of what he does, and certainly how he views females. Not that he doesn't view Amanda as an equal and a strong woman, but he just can't himself when it comes to being protective of the women in his life. This line says so much about Sonny.

He couldn't resist a damsel in distress even if said damsel could kick his ass every which way to Sunday.

I liked how consistent Sonny stayed in his character, from wanting to be protective of Amanda and how he let her do her job despite his misgivings and his protective instincts. I also liked him much he respected her. He was great at reassuring her she was sufficient in herself and his actions proved it. It takes a strong and confident man to be able to do that.

Of course, I loved that both Amanda and Sonny were cyborgs. That whole having a computer in the brain thing? Sign me up! And being able to communicate wirelessly (almost like telepathy)? Yes, please. There are times when my Steve and I are at a function when we are separated either at different parts of the room or at different ends of a table and I truly, truly wish there was a way I could communicate telepathically with him about some of my observations of those around me. :-p

On the whole Lamis-Odg thing, we see a lot more of their philosophy and religious beliefs as Ms Bristol expands on who they are. Ms Bristol has done a brilliant job in her research into current day terrorist organizations and their mindset and how she has translated that into the Lamis-Odg organization. I see the parallels so clearly, possibly even more clearly in Ms Bristol's writing as opposed to trying to decipher some of the things happening in our world today. Her writing shows amazing insight into this group of people who currently seek to sew terror in our world.

    Sonny eyed the stony trees, monoliths of a bygone era, yet symbolic of the present. Had Lamis-Odg always been so intractable, so self-righteous? Their way or no way? Had they ever been open and accepting? Their past was a mystery to off-worlders, lost like the sand swirling in the wind. The people and the planet had been unknown until space travel introduced them to the rest of the galaxy.
    They quickly became the new neighbors you wished you had never invited over.
    They had rejected almost all alien culture, only latching onto its technology, which they used to annihilate dissenting opinions and convert others to their mythology. Believe or die. Unwittingly, the galaxy had given Lamis-Odg the means to conduct its crusade of terror.

This has been a fantastic series so far with each installment bringing us closer to wiping out the terror of Lamis-Odg in the galaxy (I hope!). I'm hoping Ms Bristol intends to continue this series until we get to see good triumph over evil and the terrorists get wiped out and are no longer a power. Can't wait to see what the next book brings.


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4 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the thorough and AWESOME review. Funny, but most people don't even mention the parallels of what happens in the book and what's happening in the world today. Thank you for pointing it out.

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    1. You're welcome. I find it interesting the terrorism aspects are not noticed more. It's not like you're being very subtle about it and the parallels are uncanny. I really enjoy it though. It's like how I'd like terrorism to be handled if we had a choice.

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  2. Sounds like another great read :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. The whole series is excellent. I have been really enjoying it.

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