Review: Mating Net

(5 Angels)

The too-young empress of the Tigron empire is dead, not having survived the birth of her twin boys. Her husband, the god-Emperor Djohn-Kronos, determines that he needs to mate again immediately and settles on a full-blooded Djinn princess, Helispeta. The only unfortunate thing is that Helispeta is engaged to and in love with Djohn-Kronos’s twin brother, Devoron-Vitan, currently commanding the Tigron armed space forces at the front. Being a god-Emperor, Djohn-Kronos sets out to get what he wants, no matter who it hurts in the process. But Devoron-Vitan will have something to say about the situation before it is all over...

I really like Cherry’s writing; it is literate and fast moving, with active imagery, and it challenges the reader. This story is a pre-quel of sorts, taking place seventy years before the action in Cherry’s novel Forced Mate. Mating Net is very enlightening about some of the back story of the other book, and it made me want to re-read the novel to see if this new information added to my enjoyment. I will say, though, that although this story stands alone fairly well, the reader would understand some of the surrounding cultural details better if she read Forced Mate as well. The story has a very sexual ambiance, but it is definitely science fiction with romantic elements, rather than the other way around. I definitely enjoyed this installment and look forward to reading more about the world of the Great Djinn.