Series: Heechee Saga #1

I think this may have been my first book by Pohl, and I’m not sure whether there’s any point in my trying to continue the series.

The concept behind the book was interesting. Humans discovered an alien space station (rock) with a lot of ships with pre-programmed courses and they blindly set out on missions in these ships to try to discover Heechee alien artifacts. Sounds cool, right? But then the book seems to just go on and on and on, and nothing seems to be happening because the main character, Bob Broadhead, is too scared to actually go on any of the missions. He does eventually go but by that point I was already tired of him and his whining. Meanwhile we keep bouncing between the past at Gateway and the present in Bob’s computer-psychiatrist’s office who apparently puts great stock in dreams. Yawn. Did I mention that he blames his girlfriend for triggering her beating by hitting him? [Aside: I’m not defending her hitting him but he beat her very badly and justifies it to himself that way.] And I was already tired of him before this point.

Classic science fiction and I are not a very good match, apparently, and this book was only published in 1977.

I'm not sure whether I'm not reading this fast enough (i.e. spending enough time reading it) but it feels like nothing is happening and the story is starting to drag.

At first I found the present-day stuff with the psychiatric computer amusing, but it's starting to be the same thing over and over again. So far Bob has completed his training and met Klara, but that's about it.

The mysterious Heechees are interesting, but somehow I doubt we ever learn more about them, at least in this book.

Anyway, this is rapidly going from a possible 4-star read to maybe a 2-star, if that.

Series: Cosmos' Gateway, #5
Publisher: Susan E. Smith
Narrator: Suzanne Elise Freeman
Published: April 14, 2016
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

I'm going to be honest here and admit that I never read the descriptive blurb. I just saw the next book in the Cosmos' Gateway series and put in my request. An earlier book in the series is when Merrick gets captured, and we even find out that he gets away, but his story wasn't even hinted out. Since he has been a secondary character since the first book, I was eager to get his story. 

It was after I started listening to this book that I realized that our heroine was deaf. And it hit me that I don't think I have ever read about where one of our lead characters was deaf. The author did a great job making sure that the character stayed true to the limitation the disability would cause. 

The narrator did a good job with the emotions of the characters. The men still sound a bit stiff, but overall it was a decent listen.

If you like some sci fi mixed with your romance, this series just might be for you.

Audiobook Jukebox provided me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Merrick Ta'Duran is the powerful leader of the Eastern Mountain Clan on the Prime world of Baade. His people, known as the Ghosts of the Forests, live high in the Eastern Mountains. Merrick feels the weight of responsibility as the males within his clan become desperate to find mates among the few remaining females. When word comes that a new species has been discovered, he knows he must do what is right for his people, even if it means traveling to a strange, alien realm to do it.

Merrick's world changes when he is injured and captured by a ruthless group of humans. Drugged and held against his will, he is the subject of experiments and testing as the humans try to discover where he came from and to duplicate his strength and ability to heal quickly. After months of captivity, he fears his life will end on the strange world--until one chance encounter gives him hope.

Addie Banks' life has been one of silence since a devastating illness when she was sixteen. Determined to stand on her own two feet, she goes to school during the day and works at night to put herself through college. Her life unexpectedly changes when she stumbles across something she wasn't supposed to see while at work. Now, she hears a voice in her head, and it is driving her crazy. Her only hope for peace is to help the creature talking to her to escape from the men holding him.

Merrick knows the female who helps him is his bond mate. She may deny it. She may fight it. She may even try to run from it, but it won't matter. She is his, and he will do everything he can to convince her: hold her or even kidnap her if that is what it takes to make her realize that they belong together.

Will Addie hear the love and longing in Merrick's voice? Can she trust and accept the new life he has to offer? Or will a ruthless killer silence him before she gets a chance?