Warlord’s Honor

Claire lives within heavily guarded compound walls on a faraway planet. As an eMpath, she has no real contact with anyone, including other eMpaths. Her only interaction is with her male handlers, but even that is limited. Her highly developed psychic abilities allow her to sense thoughts to facilitate trade deals and political strategies for the benefit of the Conglomeration. The tale starts with the young adult Claire sensing some distrust of the Conglomeration by her male handler.

This is shocking, but no more startling than the same handler selling her to the brutal Warlord Koda. The Warlords’ lives are full of strong emotions, often violent ones, which bombard her senses. Her abilities and her status as a slave earns her disdain along with thoughtless cruelties.  Even though Koda is wildly different from anyone she has ever met, Claire finds herself falling for the taciturn warrior. Unfortunately, it isn’t likewise. Koda is convinced Claire is leaking information.

“The Warlord’s Honor” starts off well with great action and confused loyalties. The Warlords look like they’ll be sexy alpha males, but instead perpetuate a series of atrocities on Claire that Koda doesn’t prevent despite his vow to do so. This ongoing abuse muddies the plot line. Claire spends most of her time crying while Koda never learns to trust her. This makes the romance aspect frustratingly unbelievable. Most women expect more from their men, Claire’s character should too. She, and the reader alike deserves more.

Caution: this tale contains rape, gang rape, torture and castration.

Morgan Stamm