ARC Review: Sio [Updated]
Title: Sio
Author: C. A. Blocke
NetGalley ARC.
After taking the time to take pen to paper in my reading journal. I've updated my review.
This was a futuristic, fantasy-scifi story set in the not-too-distat future in space. A small band of mercenaries are tasked with stealing a highly classified prototype from a corporation. James, the captain of the Sio and leader of the ragtag group goes on the mission alone, leaving his crew free to pull him out of danger if necessary.
Enter Michael, the corporate R&D drone that James is trying con into handing over the tech. What James hasn't been briefed on is what the tech actually does. The "Rose" is a teleportation device in not-quite-working condition. While trying to escape with the prototype and his life, James inadvertently activates the device, sending James and the now "kidnapped" Michael across space to a backwater planet on the outer rim.
From there a grudging partnership--and later an intimate relationship--ensues between the duo. James and Michael do their best to stay alive and avert capture while awaiting rescue from the crew of the Sio. Once aboard his ship, James learns that their benefaction is upset at him for failing the impossible mission and now he has to find a way to placate her, keep ahead of the corporate police and bounty hunters chasing after Michael, and keep himself and his crew afloat.
There are threats of vengeance, gunshot wounds, betrayals, murder plots and a lot of running. Honestly the story was a bit all-over-the-place. I never made a connection with the protagonists and therefore didn't feel for them in their plight to survive. There were too many secondary characters introduced that were of little importance, which made it harder still to connect with our protagonists. Some of the sex seemed thrown in just for the sake of it. Some if it really fit well with the flow of the story, other times it was a bit too much.
The story itself was interesting; it had a great scifi feel to it. I enjoyed the talk of space and the technology. And I loved that the protagonists were gay/bisexual. It wasn't a great read, but it was a good read.
