Fugitive: The Cat Star Chronicles, Book five [Mass Market Paperback]

Renowned wildlife artist Drusilla agrees to get away from Earth for awhile and travel to Barada Seven. The lure of a unique paradise filled with beautiful species of birds isn't something she's able to resist but she never imagined that within this primitive yet still progressive environment she'll become friends with some of the oddest creatures and one in particular whom she finds irresistible.

Manx is a Zetithian fugitive with a feline gene and sexual powers longed for all across the universe. His home planet has been destroyed and any survivors have bounties on their heads. Manx has been able to remain undetected on Barada Seven because of his self-sufficiency and the remoteness of the cabin which he's secretly borrowed until the beautiful Earth woman's arrival. Now he's torn between the need to remain hidden and a drive to claim this woman as his mate.

Drusilla is stunned to learn that Barada Seven is a peaceful planet - weapons of any sort aren't permitted. How would it even be possible to protect themselves against hostile invaders? Rather than dwell on how different this planet and its inhabitants are Drusilla chooses to get comfortable in her new surroundings and concentrate on her painting. What she doesn't know is her presence is a source of great frustration for Manx and unparalleled amusement for the eltran Zef. Zef is a large ugly amphibian who lives in the lake - and has the undesirable habit of stating exactly what he thinks. Before Drusilla and Manx even meet Zef informs her that she'll like the male very much - and he's right. Their first encounter sets the tone for their relationship - tumultuous, undeniable sexual attraction tempered with a fair amount of uncertainty. They may be on a peaceful planet but because of Manx's heritage, safety from the vicious Nedwuts schemes are not guaranteed.

Cheryl Brooks' CAT STAR CHRONICLES has become one of my favorite futuristic series. FUGITIVE is the fifth title in the series and builds beautifully on the previous stories - complete with cameo appearances by beloved characters from previous novels. Manx and Drusilla's passion and zest for life keep this storyline humming along but many of the other characters stole my heart as well. Who would have thought I'd cry for an amphibian but Zef definitely had me grabbing for the tissues. Of course there's plenty of kick butt action once Jack and her crew make their appearance as well as plenty of laugh out loud moments. Ms. Brooks manages to incorporate all the elements that make a book worth reading into one novel and leaves you hungering for more.

FUGITIVE is highly enjoyable as a stand-alone book but I think if you want to really experience these characters and their plight you should read them all. The titles so far, in order are - SLAVE, WARRIOR, ROGUE, OUTCAST, and FUGUITVE (of course) and HERO, the sixth book in this wondrous series is due to be released in August 2010. I can hardly wait!

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

I'll start out by saying that FUGITIVE is number five in the Cat Star Chronicles by Cheryl Brooks and I have not read the first four books. That being said, I didn't feel too lost reading FUGITIVE. I imagine that if I had read the first four books I would have come into this book with a little bit more back-story. Some more information about the Zetithians going into the book definitely would have made the beginning of the book a little more understandable; however, as I mentioned, without this knowledge FUGITIVE wasn't impossible to read.

FUGITIVE follows the highly sexual Manx and the unexpecting Earth woman Drusilla. Like many great romances, Manx and Drusilla find themselves in each other's presence out of chance. While Drusilla has travelled to Barada Seven for the beautiful scenery, Manx is a fugitive in hiding. If his presence is discovered by the Nedwuts, his life will surely meet a quick end.

One thing I can say about FUGITIVE is that the romance is very present in the story.

Fair warning: FUGITIVE is an adult erotic story.

While the story was good and Brooks seems to have built a lovely world with fascinating characters, there were times where I felt that the story was overshadowed by the erotic additions and the language. Now, I certainly wouldn't call myself a prude, but there are times when curse words play a vital role in the story and times when they just get distracting. There were a few times when this aspect of the story was just distracting. Again, that's my personal opinion though.

Like the curse words, erotic additions can certainly play a role in a story and in an erotic story they certainly play a very important role; however, there comes a time for me when the erotic additions overshadow the story. There were a few times in FUGITIVE when it just seemed like a little much. Again, remember that this is just my opinion and these distractions may not be as important to you.

Overall I would probably read FUGITIVE again. I did like the story and am interested to see what else Brooks has up her sleeves.

Manx is a Zetithian warrior and a hunted man, so staying in hiding is the safest place for him to be. But when he encounters the beautiful Drusilla, he can't resist her and she too finds him just as interesting.

Fugitive is a steamy, action filled ride. Ms. Brooks' world-building is impressive as well as creative. Her strong heroines and beyond sexy heroes make the read worth it. The pairing of Manx and Drusilla was seductive and enjoyable to read. If your looking for a guilty pleasure The Cat Star Chronicles will fill the bill.

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