Take Your Best Shot by Starlight

By Yolande Kleinn

A former soldier turned intergalactic politician, Halden Blake never wanted to be a hero. Now he's finishing his third presidential term, wondering if a fourth is worth putting his life on hold for another five years.

 

Isaac Knox has been there from the start, the best public liaison Halden could have asked for. A staunch ally and friend through difficult times, Isaac has never given any sign of returning Halden's closely guarded attraction. But as Halden struggles with questions about his own future, Isaac makes an offer that might just change everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Yolande Kleinn
• Release date: Aug 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781946316066

Yolande Kleinn

Yolande Kleinn may be a shameless dreamer and a stubborn optimist, but she is also a proud purveyor of romance and hijinx. Excitable, fastidious and a little eclectic, she spends every spare moment writing the stories she wants to read. If she can drag other people into the pool along with her, then so much the better.

Book preview

Take Your Best Shot by Starlight

By Yolande Kleinn

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Long before Humanity ventured beyond its own solar system, peace had been the purview of older and wiser souls.

The combined histories of the Intergalactic Alliance of Worlds went back three millennia, and among them were stories of civilizations who had explored the stars while mankind was still struggling to master fire. Even the younger member worlds were established enough to look askance when Humanity made its awkward and noisy entrance onto the galactic stage.

The Alliance held an open charter, and it welcomed the newcomers, extending the same invitation that was made to every world. It allowed Earth to join on a level field with the existing member races, despite the mess humans had made of their own world. Humanity received the same rights and protections extended to all Alliance constituents. They were asked to contribute resources with the rest where need demanded.

They were equals in name, if nowhere else.

But they were also children in the eyes of many, and ill-mannered ones at that, which gave them little influence. They could break from the Alliance at any time, but what then? The wider universe knew they existed now. They wouldn't survive long without their allies. Pride was a poor reason to take on the universe alone.

Halden Blake was not a man who had intended to make history. He was a soldier—a good one—and a human who believed in the Alliance.

When war came, it was nothing to do with Earth. Halden Blake was only a lieutenant in the Terrestrial Armada. This didn't stop him from arguing, to anyone who would listen, that this was Earth's fight too. Other voices agreed, and Earth joined the war effort with a dedication that drew respect from even the most obstinate older races.

Humanity was stubborn and strong. And though their technology stood far behind that of their allies, war brought out ingenuity in the face of impossible odds.

The fighting lasted years, a struggle against a seemingly inexhaustible fleet

Reviews for Take Your Best Shot by Starlight

[serenayates · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There is a whole world with an extensive history hidden in this short story - not an easy thing to do within the space of so few pages. But what is even more amazing is the wealth of emotions brought across by a few words that paint Halden's and Isaac's characters with the sort of sure touch I've seen in paintings delivered with but a few brushstrokes. The story centers on a basic decision Halden has to make about his future, and managed to pull me in from the very start.

Halden is a soldier-turned-politician, and after fifteen years as president of the galactic alliance, he needs to figure out if he wants to run for another term. There is pressure for him to continue, but there is also his personal life to consider. He is very conflicted, and the inner fight between duty and restlessness is clear and compelling.

Isaac is Halden's public liaison, almost twenty years younger than Halden, and a dedicated employee and consummate professional if there ever was one. When he realizes the depth of Halden's conflict, he is ready with a proposal of his own. It didn't real;y surprise me, but the whole situation is so wonderfully set up that I enjoyed every second of it.

If you like tales about humankind's far future, if two men fighting an age gap and the needs of the public sound interesting, and if you're looking for a read that is as imaginative and well written as it is romantic and hot, then you will probably like this story as much as I did. I think it's a real gem!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.