battle stationsRating: 4 stars
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Length: Novel


Berit and his partner Tom have learned that the Tash’Ba queen has her sights now set on Earth. She has been breeding a collection of vicious war beasts that Berit and the rest of the military have been desperately trying to destroy. But no matter how many they manage to kill, there are always more and they seem to be growing and changing for the worse. Now it appears that the queen has successfully bred enough of the creatures that she is ready to attack Earth.

The queen plans to lay her egg on Earth, breeding her successor and destroying humanity in the process. No one has any idea how to stop her, but for some reason she has taken an interest in Berit, an interest that just may give them an advantage. But even as Berit tries to be brave, he knows that attacking the queen means risking his life and the new love he has with Tom. Along with Tom and the rest of the crew, Berit must face his fears and take action or Earth may be gone for good.

Battle Stations continues the story of Berit and Tom that started with Breeding Stations. It pretty much picks up where that first book leaves off and you really need to read them in order as it is a connected story.

I continue to enjoy Berit and Tom together and this story shows the growth in their relationship. Berit is still not totally comfortable with the idea of a partnership, but he loves Tom and is much less afraid to let that show. He still hides his insecurities and fears behind snark and smart ass comments, but he is becoming much more self aware and willing to admit his feelings and his need for Tom’s support. Tom continues to be a strong presence, brave and determined to be there for Berit. I enjoy the interplay between them as Tom tries unsuccessfully to rein in Berit and the two have a fun (and sexy) connection.

One of the best things about this series is the great world building and the suspense as these guys face off against the horrible Tash’Ba creations. We get some of that at the start here, but not as much as the first story and I think this one didn’t have quite the same excitement or creativity as the first book. There is more politics and discussion as they try to figure out what to do and while it all makes sense from a story perspective, it made the book a bit slower. But I really like how it all ties up and we get a rewarding ending.

I also like the involvemenet of the side characters here. We spend more time with Carson and his mate, as well as Berit’s animal/creature companion Fleur. At times I felt like we focused on Fleur a bit too much and I wish we had more time with the human characters, but I did like how the story develops and Fleur’s role. I loved the glimpses we get of Rene and his mate and omg would LOVE to see a story that shows how their relationship develops (pretty please?).

Overall I enjoyed these two books and think it is a fun and creative futuristic story. The world building is great and there is a lot of excitement and suspense. I enjoyed Tom and Berit and like the world Kat has created here.

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.

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