Shadower (Futuristic Romance) [Mass Market Paperback]

SHADOWER Sabin Travers has seen the dregs of the universe so ending up in a hellhole on Giza is not much of a change for the bounty hunter while waiting for repairs to his ship. What is a shocker is the elegant looking woman at the other end of the bar. A planet like this dump only houses tired rejects servicing the lowlifes that frequent places like this. However, he ends up interceding when she becomes embroiled in a bar fight after she is accused of cheating during a game of chance.

Moriah needs to leave Giza in order to complete her smuggling mission. She sneaks on board his ship only to learn that her "host" is helping the Shielders stop from getting annihilated. Both have immediate needs to assist large populations that apparently place Moriah and Sabin in conflict as to time and place. Also adding to the quandary is that Moriah and Sabin are falling in love with one another.

Catherine Spangler's previous novel, SHIELDER, garnered several awards as a highly regarded futuristic romance. Ms. Spangler returns to that same setting with the exciting, tense-laden SHADOWER. The story line never eases up due to the apparent opposing objectives of the strong lead characters. However, what makes this tale a triumph similar to its predecessor is the audience can see and hear the heartbeats of these worlds like Giza, which in turn, provides an authentic feel to a wonderful science fiction romance.

Harriet Klausner

Catherine Spangler is one of today's best writers of "futuristic romance" fiction. I read "Shielder" before "Shadower," but it doesn't matter which book you read first. Both novels stand on their own as excellent examples of the genre, and both take place on the same planet, Giza, sharing some of the same characters, but the storylines are totally different. Ms. Spangler's narratives are extremely well written, her plots are fresh and original, and her characters jump right off the page, they're so realistic. They sure found a place in my heart!

Handsome, hunky, alpha-male, Sabin Travers is a Shadower, bounty hunter extraordinaire, supposedly working for "The Collectors." Collectors are the evil folks who rule this particular quadrant of the universe, brainwashing and programing most other inhabitants to do their will through telekinetic control. Those outlaws who somehow manage to escape beneath Controller radar are shadowed, found and turned-in by Sabin and others like him. "Shadower" opens on the hell-like planet Calt, the hang-out for the dregs of the universe. Anteks, Shens, Jaccians, creatures of all kinds - thieves, smugglers, murderers - come to Calt for R&R and dirty business dealings.

Sabin is having a lousy day. The person he is hunting has eluded him and he's hot, tired and frustrated. Stepping into a local dive for some Elysian liquor, he sees an absolutely beautiful woman at the end of the bar. Intrigued to find such a woman in a place like this, he offers to keep her company - for her own safety, of course. Moriah, the lovely lady, is a smuggler whose ship has been stolen, stranding her on Calt. She ignores Sabin and enters a game of chance, Fool's Quest, with an unsavory group, hoping to win the money to pay her passage off the planet. Her subsequent good luck turns into a bar brawl. Sabin joins in the fray and the two barely manage to escape alive - without Moriah's winnings.

The last thing the lady wants is a man in her life, even for a brief fling. She disengages herself from Sabin, after begrudgingly thanking him. If Sabin knew how Moriah made her living, he would probably arrest her. Wounded from the fight and desperate to leave, Moriah decides that Sabin's ship is her only way off Calt. So she stows away. Unfortunately this proves to be a poor decision, as she inadvertently learns some highly confidential information, while on the voyage, that puts her life in grave danger.

Sabin and Moriah get along like cats and dogs in the early part of their relationship. Both are strong-willed, intelligent, highly independent people, and Moriah is operating with some heavy emotional baggage from her past. However, it is obvious that sparks fly between the two from the beginning. As the plot develops, so does the relationship, but the more attached Moriah becomes to Sabin, the more complicated her life seems to become, and she begins to make mistakes and poor decisions trying to complete a dangerous job.

There is as much suspense as romance here....and the romance sizzles. Ms. Spangler has created a grim universe where technology, progress and education do not prevent evil. She peoples her story with all kinds of fascinating creatures, and fabulous secondary characters. The author won the 1998 Emily Award for "Shielder" and she certainly deserves it. "Shadower" is a wonderful read and almost as good. I am addicted to this series. Highly recommended!!

JANA

Where do you hide in a galaxy that is ruled by Controllers? Controllers are far reaching beings that can dominate your very life for their own purposes. In a time where no place is safe and no one can be trusted comes this tale of two people determined to do anything to ensure the survival of those that mean the most to them. This includes breaking all of the rules.

Sabin, introduced to us in the 1998 award-winning tale "Shielder", is a darkly dangerous, outrageously sensual, futuristic bounty hunter on a personal mission to capture the ever-elusive Moriah. She stole his ship and then his heart so tracking her down and bringing her to heel offers rewards that defy the imagination.

Moriah, a fiery beauty with a spirit to match, will do whatever it takes to survive and overcome the demons that plague her soul. This includes stealing Sabin's ship to accomplish her desperate and dangerous smuggling mission. She knows the rules and is willing to risk her life, for if she is successful, it will guarantee a easier life for the small mismatched group of women that she calls family.

Award winning author and writing sensation, Catherine Spangler fans the fire then feeds the flames of passion in "Shadower". She expertly tells a tale of a dangerous cat and mouse game full of gutsy moves, calculated risks and raw sensuality. Sabin and Moriah ignite the pages of this book with their battle of wills and ultimately, their surrender. If you love engaging Sci-fi romantic adventure, don't miss this opportunity to sample Ms. Spanglers finest work to date.