Heart's Prey

Rating:
Summary: Surprises you with just how good it is
Review: First of the author writes well. She writes very well. She writes as well as a real author. OK, I didn't say that - but you know so much of the romance stuff is just soooo badly written and this one is really nice to read. Now on to the plot. It is very involved and everthing fits together. Its not perfect, but it is is darn good even by fantasy standards. At first I thought it was going to be a bodice-ripper 'cause the hero gets the heroine tied up to the bedposts and she is horrified but then she is heaving towards him and I thought oh god not a 70's thowback, weren't they outlawed, but thank goodness it stopped and she didn't like him when he acted like that so he stopped acting like that. And the story got better from there. Still, I never did understand why she fell in love with him. Sure he saved her life, but that was about all he had going for him which was why it got four instead of five stars. Otherwise, as good as gets for this genre. Buy it. (p.s I don't know what one of the reviews meant by horror, it is not at all a horror book.)

Rating:
Summary: This book has absolutely everything, a keeper!
Review: I don't often feel moved to give a review of a book, but I have to say this book caught me by surprise it was so good. It was well written, moving, emotional and adventurous. I actually read it twice and put it on my keeper shelf! If you like your romance spiced with wonderful adventure and lovable characters, this book is for you. It moves fast and takes you with it so you don't dare put it down. I highly recommend reading this author not once, but time and time again. She will hold you spellbound with her vision of new worlds and the mystical magic she weaves! Take a chance, you won't be sorry.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining, intriguing, & humorous futuristc romance.
Review: I have already read Heart's Prey twice and enjoyed it even more the second time around! The story involves a classic futuristic romance with captivating and creative threads of political intrigue, adventure, and pure science fiction from a highly imaginative author.

The story centers around the lives of a sympathetic warlord, Dax Vahnti, and an untamed young woman, Rayna Syn. Dax rules several worlds populated by scores of hostile and warring clans. Rayna's apparent destiny is to assassinate Dax to prevent him from displacing and subjecting her people to a mining colony for Dax's empire. Rayna is a gorgeous painted women (yes painted) who has an uncanny ability to transform herself into a vicious wolf-like creature. Dax and Rayna end up battling the elements, numerous enemies, and their own consciences in their mutual quest for love,understanding, and happiness in a life together on a world named Nirvana. They have to battle with political intrigue and sabotage from competing clans, volcanoes, and even vampire cats (yes cats) along the way. I am telling you this story has a little bit of everything that will entertain anybody who picks-up the book!

The book exudes a Star Wars quality. The story is extremely entertaining and it unfolds on a grand, if not, epic scale. Yet, the book retains a sly humor and is filled with lucious descriptions of characters and a mind boggling array of fanciful creatures a reader could only conjour-up in his or her wildest dreams. Finally, the book details some of the steamiest and creative intimate encounters I have seen in many years. A friend recommended it to me and I thanked her a hundered times over. I promise you that you cannot go wrong by following my advice. I strongly recommend that you also check out her first book Not Quite Paradise.

Rating:
Summary: REALLY GOOD BOOK
Review: I usually stay away from books under 375 pages, but this book, and the reviews given for it, peaked my interest. I am a huge romance fan and enjoy a good sci fi as well. In Heart's Prey, you get a respectable combination of both. In the past, when I have read a sci fi romance, it usually ends up with good fighting the evil over a heroic battle to save/destroy the universe. Heart's Prey has nothing to do with that plotline.

In a future world, there are clans spread through the universe, originating from earth thousands of years before. Dax, our hero, is a warlord of one such clan and holds himself responsible for many planets. In the scheme of things, Dax is one powerful warlord amongst many, who all live together in the "Dominion". So sets our story, either in a Star Trek-like federation or a clan structure like historic Scotland. Rayna, our heroine, is a "lowly peasant" on one of Dax's planets (Nirvana) who is fighting Dax's encroachment onto "her" space (although Dax owns the planet and has let the Lakotians live there under his sufferance). There are a lot of allusions and outright using of different ideas (Nirvana, the perfect planet, the Lakotians a "primative" group living with nature like their Native American namesakes, etc) that at first I felt uncomfortable with: until I understood the whole plot.

Our two lead characters are very well developed and enjoyable to read about. Dax is a loner, courting death with his outrageous stunts. He lives his life for his clan and as the story progresses, he realizes this and tries to live life for himself as well. Not an easy thing for a leader to do. Rayna is untainted by court life, but is not na?ve or stupid. She understands people and the undercurrents going on around her. The story starts with her hatred of Dax, and his "evil empire" which she perceives as destroying her people's way of life. Watching the growth of Rayna and Dax's feelings is what makes this story so enjoyable. Throw in some good secondary characters, some paranormal/fantasy elements, and a fairly simplistic "bad guy" plot and you have a nice read which is well written and worth picking up.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read for a "short" story
Review: I usually stay away from books under 375 pages, but this book, and the reviews given for it, peaked my interest. I am a huge romance fan and enjoy a good sci fi as well. In Heart's Prey, you get a respectable combination of both. In the past, when I have read a sci fi romance, it usually ends up with good fighting the evil over a heroic battle to save/destroy the universe. Heart's Prey has nothing to do with that plotline.

In a future world, there are clans spread through the universe, originating from earth thousands of years before. Dax, our hero, is a warlord of one such clan and holds himself responsible for many planets. In the scheme of things, Dax is one powerful warlord amongst many, who all live together in the "Dominion". So sets our story, either in a Star Trek-like federation or a clan structure like historic Scotland. Rayna, our heroine, is a "lowly peasant" on one of Dax's planets (Nirvana) who is fighting Dax's encroachment onto "her" space (although Dax owns the planet and has let the Lakotians live there under his sufferance). There are a lot of allusions and outright using of different ideas (Nirvana, the perfect planet, the Lakotians a "primative" group living with nature like their Native American namesakes, etc) that at first I felt uncomfortable with: until I understood the whole plot.

Our two lead characters are very well developed and enjoyable to read about. Dax is a loner, courting death with his outrageous stunts. He lives his life for his clan and as the story progresses, he realizes this and tries to live life for himself as well. Not an easy thing for a leader to do. Rayna is untainted by court life, but is not naïve or stupid. She understands people and the undercurrents going on around her. The story starts with her hatred of Dax, and his "evil empire" which she perceives as destroying her people's way of life. Watching the growth of Rayna and Dax's feelings is what makes this story so enjoyable. Throw in some good secondary characters, some paranormal/fantasy elements, and a fairly simplistic "bad guy" plot and you have a nice read which is well written and worth picking up.

Rating:
Summary: time well spent -- a fantastic read!!
Review: If you want to enter a world that will appeal across the genres of sci-fi purist to horror buffs with the added spice of sizzling romance and a twist of wry humor tossed in on top, then Ms. Zimlich is the suthor you should follow and Heart's Prey is the book you have to own. Once again she creates believable worlds, characters you remember and does it all with her fine tuned gift for absorbing story telling.

Rating:
Summary: REALLY GOOD BOOK
Review: This book was a very good read. It was kind of hard to get into, and a little slow at first, but it got really good, and I never regreted buying it.