This is the last of the four giveaways featuring some of my favorite books read this year. The final book is one of the two Dock 5 Universe novels by Linnea Sinclair – either Gabriel’s Ghost (review) or Shades of Dark. (I was hoping to have a review of the latter book up by today but with all the holiday running around, I haven’t had the time yet. I’ll link to it once I get it up, hopefully sometime this weekend. If you’ve read the first book, though, I’m sure you’ll have a pretty good idea of whether or not you want to read the second one.)

Gabriel’s Ghost is the first book in this science fiction romance series containing a great balance between space opera adventure and romance. It is the story of how the innocent former fleet captain Chasidah Bergren was rescued from a prison planet by her adversary Gabriel Sullivan, whom she had believed to be dead. Sullivan needs someone who knows the fleet to help him stop the breeding of terrible creatures that had been outlawed for being too dangerous… and who better than the woman he’s had a crush on for years, the one he couldn’t stand to think of living on the terrible planet she had been exiled to. In spite of the typical rescue of a woman by a man storyline, Chaz is a very strong heroine with a mind of her own who tends to follow her head instead of her heart.

I enjoyed this book immensely and found it very difficult to put down for the last half, and the sequel was even better (and darker). The first book left me wanting to know what happened so much that I decided I just couldn’t start any other book and had to have Shades of Dark. So I went to Borders and got that one the day I finished it and was halfway through Shades of Dark by the time that day was over (and had finished it two days later even though I was back to work at that point). The ending was amazing and stuck with me for quite a while, and I loved the characters and the focus on them in this story, which is why it is one of my favorites read this year.

Contest Rules

To enter, send an email to fantasycafe AT novomancy.org. The subject of the email should say “Ghost” if have not read either of these books, but if you have read the first one but not the second, the subject should say “Shades.” Please include your mailing address. Addresses will only be used for sending the book out quickly and all messages will be deleted once the contest is over.

The contest is open to anyone, no matter where you live. One entry per person is allowed.

Entries for the contest will be accepted through 11:59 PM on Saturday January 3.

You can also still enter to win a copy of The Book of Joby by Mark J. Ferrari for a short time (contest closes at midnight)!