Beyond The Rain [Paperback]

Cyani is an intergalactic captain from the planet Azra that is controlled by a group of virgin warrior women who rule with an iron fist. Because Cyani was defending herself from being raped by a group of men when she was a young girl, she was arrested and was sentenced to death. In order to save her life, she was given probation instead. If she puts in her time working in the Union Army and is successful on her missions, she will be able to return to Azra and live a life of isolation. She will finally be filled with peace and serenity where she won't have to deal with death and destruction. Cyani has been programmed to show no emotion or any feelings. This was beaten out of her. Cyani doesn't trust anyone and hates being touched. She feels if she missteps or does something wrong, not only will she suffer, but also her family who may be still alive and in hiding.

This latest mission has Cyani and her men rescuing a group of Union soldiers that have been taken captive by the Garulens. Cyani finds a Byralen prisoner. Byralen males have a hormone that is an aphrodisiac and a much wanted commodity on the black market. This prisoner has been given poisons to keep him submissive and has been beaten and abused. Cyani will rescue him even though she places herself in extreme danger if she does.

The prisoner is Soren of Eln and was captured in a raid many years before on his planet. He has been tortured for years so he will produce the much desired aphrodisiac. When Soren is finally freed by Cyani, he is very grateful but not too optimistic. Soren expects to die because without the technology used on him by his captors, his body will shut down. The only way he can stop from dying is to form a bond with his mate. He must return to his planet and find a mate before it is too late. As he and Cyani try to find a way off the planet, they begin to form a friendship, which confounds both of them.

Cyani is able to commander a ship and promises Soren she will deliver him home. But things don't go as planned and they crash land on a primitive planet where Cyani has been hurt and needs time to heal. Soren longs for home but he likes the Makkolen people because they have a calming way about them. This will give him time to figure out why Cyani is still uncomfortable around him and why he longs to be close to her.

Jess Granger is a welcomed author to the science fiction romance world. Fans of Lauren Dane's sci-fi books will also enjoy Jess's storytelling with her first book Beyond the Rain, even though this one is very toned down in the erotic sense. When I first heard about Beyond the Rain I thought it would be heavy on the sex and erotic tension that I have found in such books that are under the Berkley Sensation Sci-Fi Romance line. I was surprised because even though there is sexual tension between Soren and Cyani it has just the right amount where you can enjoy their chemistry and growing feelings for one another without being overwhelmed with too much purple prose like sex descriptions and acts. In some cases that can go a bit too far and too much where the reader may be turned off, rather than turned on.

I enjoyed reading the way Soren and Cyani learn about one another. Soren has a need for closeness, a man who values touch and pleasure. Cyani's desire for Soren comes from her belief that it is the pheromones Soren gives off that make her respond. Because these two have been denied, you can see that they have not been involved in any intimacies most have experienced. The key word here is: virginity.

Watching Soren and Cyani re-learn these basic necessities, such as want, lust and love we all take for granted was nice to read. I found the love making between these two to be a merging of their souls, even though I would have like a few more of these intimacies before they are forced back into the action and drama that may separate them.

Some readers may be disappointed in the ending because Cyani must sacrifice herself to make certain that the ones she loved are safe. I feel this was an unneeded plot device, one where the couple is separated. This technique has been used so many times in the past. There is really no plausible reason for this. I think Jess wanted to add one more emotional response from the reader before Soren and Cyani have their HEA.

Beyond the Rain is one book that I recommend for those readers who have been on the fence about whether they should give Sci-Fi Romance a go. There is just a perfect amount of sexual tension and release that does not become too outlandish or implausible.

Katiebabs

Cyani's glad that she's on her final mission, fighting for the Union. She's battled countless enemies over the years of her service, and she's more than ready to retire. She longs for peace, but sometimes wonders if the sterile peace that the Elite offer will sustain her.

When her rescue of a prisoner - a slave held for many years by the Garulen - goes terribly wrong, her plans for the future begin to unravel. Now, she must worry about fighting for her survival, and protecting the man she's rescued, all the while protecting herself from his strange abilities.

BEYOND THE RAIN is an absolutely fabulous read, made even more-so by the knowledge that this is author Jess Granger's first novel. This is one of those rare novels that seem to have it all: action, adventure, an enduring love story, fascinating settings and memorable characters. Granger has come up with some truly unique and imaginative aliens, settings and a very compelling back-story.
Granger is certainly an author to watch, and I'll be eagerly awaiting her next novel.

"Beyond the rain", the debut novel by Jess Granger, introduces the reader to a fascinating and cruel world full of great characters, love and hope.

Captain Cyani just has to survive one last brutal mission and then she can finally hope for a life of peace and silence. For years she was forced to fight by order of her scrupulous leader. Now she is dead tired and just wants to stop the fighting and killing. She and her men are ordered to free slaves from a hostile planet. When she meets and rescues captured Soren everything changes.
Soren has been held captive for years because he is from a race with extraordinary abilities and is worth a lot of money on the black market. He has been horribly humiliated and abused by his captors and lost the hope to ever be free again. Cyani gives him back his hope for a better life and after meeting her Soren wants more than his freedom. He wants her to be his beloved mate but Cyani thinks that's impossible because of her obligations to her home planet and the ruling class.

"Beyond the Rain" is an amazing book that made me hungry for more. The world that Jess Granger created is a cruel and unforgiving one but there is also hope for a better life. From the first page the story was easy to read and although the world is totally different from our own I was never confused by the different races and customs. The varied worlds and races are described in a very lively way and I could clearly see them in my imagination.
A lot of evil and gut-wrenching things happen in the book however I never felt too depressed and sad because there are people who actively fight for a better and fairer future. There are as well beautiful moments of peace and happiness and they are a good balance to the evil.
Cyani and Soren are just awesome. Both are survivors and in every scene you could feel their pain but also their amazing strength. Cyani's inner conflict is heart-breaking and I rarely met a heroine who deserves a happy-end more than she does. Soren is just perfect. IMO he represents the ideal combination of strength and kindness. The way he loves Cyani and is willing to give his life for her is just amazing and I was so happy with the way their journey ended.
Furthermore I loved the secondary characters and can't wait to read more of Cyani's brother Cyn and the mysterious Yara. I also hope that "Beyond the Shadows", the next book in the series, will bring some much needed peace for the lower classes on Cyani's home planet Azra.

So all in all I absolutly enjoyed reading "Beyond the Rain" and I'm excited to see how the story will continue.

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