Title: Unchained
Author:CJ Barry
Published in November 2002 by New Concepts Publishing
Genre: Futuristic
IBSN: 1-58608-664-2
Related Books: (2)Unearthed (3)Unleashed (4)Unraveled (5) Unmasked
It has been ten years since Syrus found her. He was one of the few who would know to look for the child in the abandoned hovel. Now, the child was a woman, a trained warrior, and she was digging the hole that was meant to hold his body. There were no tears for Cidra Falkner to shed. There was only a deep and abiding sadness, and a curiosity about what her future would and will hold. She knows one thing for certain, the Kin-sha are not really welcome on Avion, and haven’t been in since the deaths of her family. Her father was accused of betraying the trust of the ruling body of Avion, and delaying or destroying a shipment of vaccine destined for Dakru to treat the outbreak of Ximenes Plague that threatened to decimate the planet. The shipment never arrived and the Kin-sha warriors and her father in particular were blamed for the diversion or the destruction of the transport carrying the vital vaccines. Cidra knew Syrus didn’t believe her father guilty, knew he had faith in his honesty in spite of what the government of Avion claimed. Now he is gone, and the loss has left a black void in her heart.
Tausek of Dakru destroyed her family, and probably any evidence she would need to clear their names. If he finds out she is alive, he will be hunting her too. Where this huge, handsome, virile, and totally arrogant man comes into the picture, but Cidra is not too sure. There is an attraction, and an aura of uncompromising authority about Grey Stone. Oh, Syrus trusted him, trusted him enough to tell him about Cidra, but not exactly who she is and her relation to the Kin-sha. Uncertainty pulling at her, she decides to try her luck with Grey, and as she and the last great friend she has follow Grey into the worlds beyond Avion, she can only look forward. Barrios is traveling with her, and for that she is grateful. He and Syrus had been her mentors, and teachers, caring for and hiding her from her father’s enemies. It was no longer safe on Avion for them, and the longer they stayed, the greater her chances of discovery. She wanted her life to be a normal one. She was tired of hiding. Now, thanks to the box Syrus hid for her, she is at last armed with some evidence, and a trail to follow. His choice of Grey for her escape from Avion was propitious as well. She could use Grey’s talents as a treasure hunter to help clear her family’s name.
Sadness burdened his heart, but Grey was hardened to loss, and on one level he appeared not to care, but on the deepest levels, he grieved like the girl did for Syrus’ passing. The older man had been a father figure when his own proved more than inadequate, and Grey was forever grateful to Syrus for all that he’d done for him. The days in Sanctuary, practicing the art of Kin-sha, becoming a warrior and a scholar were the things that saved Grey from being lost. Now he was faced with a fiery, auburn-haired girl with clear blue eyes, and a determined tilt to her head that assured him of a good fight. What has Syrus gotten him into, and where would it lead were the questions flying through his head, The information in the box was a snippet of history, a page from an infamous past that was the cause of the downfall of the most well trained and most elite fighting force ever assembled. The Kin-sha were guardians and protectors, they had been sent to guard the freighter carrying the shipment of vaccine to Dakru, and everything and everyone disappeared.
Part of the riddle of why Syrus chose him were clear to Grey. Syrus knew that once he saw the evidence, Grey would want to find out what happened, and why the Kin-sha were discredited and largely disbanded. The years he spent in training had been good for Grey. Not only had Syrus kept him out of trouble, he had taught him how to use the resources at hand, his ability to command, how to fight and how to think. Syrus’ teachings were all a part of what made Grey so good at his job. A wanderer at heart, recovering lost and ancient treasures and artifacts allowed Grey to explore to his hearts content, while doing a job he greatly enjoyed. He had a good ship, a good crew, with one exception who would soon find her way off his ship and out of his hair, and yet now Syrus had saddled him with this feisty beauty to protect, and the old Dakru mystery to solve. Where Syrus got the evidence is a mystery to all of them, not even Barrios has seen it all. Grey knows that Cidra’s fate could well hang in the balance and the contents of Syrus’ box could unlock the mystery of the missing vaccine, and free Cidra from ten years of hiding. It could also point the way to an even bigger menace, one that could threaten the stability of the quadrant…
Welcome to the world of C.J. Barry and her totally way-out book, Unchained. Ms. Barry takes us to a universe were there have been terrible events that have left a small girl bereft of family, and running for her life. Taken in by her father’s mentor, Cidra Falkner has become a formidable Kin-sha warrior, and a force to be reckoned with by any standards. Syrus knows that she will need protection of a kind he cannot give her, and calls for a former student and Kin-sha Warrior named Grey Stone. But Syrus doesn’t live long enough to explain his plan to Cidra, and she goes against Grey with a vengeance. The only thing that she realizes is that Grey is not someone she can maneuver around. He is honest, hardworking, and ruthless in business, as a treasure hunter he has to be, and he has made his share of enemies along the way. He is also handsome, a man far beyond Cidra’s reach.
Unchained is a truly delightful and very suspenseful futuristic that leaves you wanting more. The tension and the conflict between Grey and Cidra only heighten the suspense of the situation they find themselves in and the surprises they find around every star. The fight in which they are engaged is for the return of her family honour, and also the honour of the elite fighters, the Kin-sha Warriors. Her father’s Kin-sha fighters were escorting the freighter that was destroyed, and now it is up to Cidra and Grey to find the truth. Unchained is a very interesting look into the mind and world of Ms. Barry. She gives you characters you don’t forget, and you can easily identify with, sympathize with, and cheer for in a fight. All-in-all, Unchained is one book you can’t afford to miss. Available now in print and in e-book format from New Concepts Publishing, Unchained is one book you don’t want to miss.
Yours in good reading,
Rose!
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