A product of an illegal pairing, Eridani is the only woman without a lifemate aboard the colonization ship, the Heritage, and she is determined her less than perfect DNA will not get in the way of finding love. As the ship nears it’s final destination of Haven 6 after five hundred years of travel, images of the surface show evidence of intelligent life on a planet that’s supposed to be uninhabited. Commander Grier assigns Eri to the exploratory team to spy on the alien society and return with information on how to defeat them.
When Eri’s team lands, tribes of humans attack and Eri is saved by Striver, the descendant of a colonist and a pirate from Old Earth’s colonization efforts in other parts of the galaxy. Striver helps Eri rescue her team and they are drawn to each other despite their different allegiances. While Striver battles with trusting Eri, Eri must decide whether to warn him and his people about the commander’s intentions, or follow orders and complete her mission.
Series: A New Dawn #4
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Source: Author Provided
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:
Not one to usually read sci-fi, I found myself having a hard time putting this down. Aubrie Dionne didn’t just write new characters; she created an entirely new world so real I could see it in my mind’s eye. The ranges of emotion you experience from page one clear through the very end take you all over. You feel Eri’s dejection when faced with what she feels are insurmountable odds. You cheer for her when she surpasses those adds. You chuckle at her horror when she realizes that she, Eridani Smith, veritable outcast, looked down upon by everyone on the ship, is now second in command. There’s nothing you won’t experience while reading Haven 6.
Faced with the end of the world, humans boarded space colony ships and headed out into space in hopes of finding another planet to colonize. Eridani Smith is a colonist on one of these ships. Having been born aboard the colony ship Heritage, as were her ancestors and those before them for the past 500 years, Eri has only ever known the rules and sterile way of life as set by Commander Grier. Finally realizing that because of her ‘tainted” blood she will never have a life mate, Eri believes she’s doomed to be alone for the rest of her life. Suddenly she is thrust into a position of importance when the Heritage finally finds a new home for the colonists. Now she must decide where he loyalties lay, with the colonists she’s known her entire life, or with the handsome native on Haven 6 and his people. We watch as Eri discovers a whole new side of herself. She gains confidence and shows an inner strength that even she didn’t know she had.
Striver is the leader of his people on the planet Refuge. Between fighting for survival against the rival Lawless band of natives, learning how to lead his people and finding his brother, Striver can’t seem to catch a break. When a spaceship lands on Lawless lands, he knows he can’t let the space pirates get their hands on these visitors and their advanced technology. Never once did he imagine he’d be meeting someone like Eri.
Although book four in the New Dawn series, never having read the previous three books, I never once felt lost or confused. Dionne’s way with words draws you in to Haven 6. You’re not only a reader, you’re right there with Eri and Striver, running in the dense forests, heading straight in to Lawless territory to save Eri’s shipmates. I loved that you can see the progression in Eri. You watch her go from someone who feels small and unworthy to someone who risks her own life walking in to the face of danger for something she believes is the right thing to do. Eri is the heroine we’ve all been waiting for and Striver is the perfect hero for her. This book is about more than romance, it’s about personal growth, love and learning to face danger and come out laughing on the other side. Whether you enjoy reading sci-fi or not, this book is a must read for everyone. I know that I, for one, will be adding the rest of the series to my to be read list and I hope you do too. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
Thank you for this wonderful review!
My pleasure