Reviewed by Elizabetta

TITLE: Scorpion, book #1

SERIES: Memory of Scorpions

AUTHOR: Aleksandr Voinov

PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing

LENGTH: 274 pages

BLURB:  

Never stop fighting.

Kendras is a casualty of war: injured, penniless, and quite possibly the last surviving member of the only family he’s ever had—the elite fighting force known as the Scorpions. When a steel-eyed mercenary offers him medicine and shelter in exchange for submission and a secret task, Kendras has no choice but to accept. He is a Scorpion; he’ll do whatever it takes to survive.

But his true goal is to rebuild the Scorpions. Neither Steel’s possessive nature nor Kendras’s shattered foot can keep him from finding the last of his brothers, or the mysterious leader of the Scorpions, the man who held Kendras’s heart long before Steel tried to take it for himself.

The goal is simple, the situation anything but. To rescue his leader and escape from Steel for good, Kendras must fight through a morass of politics and intrigue where enemies may be allies and even allies have hidden agendas. But Kendras isn’t only fighting for his lost lover and tribe—he soon realizes that nothing less than the birth of an Empire is at stake.

(Note: This is a revised edition of Scorpion, originally released in May, 2011.)

This title is #1 of the Memory of Scorpions series.

REVIEW: 

“Once they turn the stone… the scorpion is ready.”

Kendras is a homeless kid, a thug of the streets, used and abused until one day a mysterious man saves him. The man, only known as ‘the officer’, gives Kendras a home, healing, and possible entry into the only family he’s ever known, a brotherhood of fighting men called the Scorpions.

I like this idea of a tight-knit group of warriors– well-built manly men with nary a sign of fluff or angst. It’s a dog eat dog world after all, and Kendras goes through eight years of tough training to prove himself worthy of them. ‘The officer’ remains nameless through much of the story which helps set him apart, lending him an almost mythic cast. He is teacher and mentor, and Kendras pledges his life to him against all odds.

This is about political intrigue, about religious leaders jockeying for more power, using kings and princes alike. And the troupe of Scorpions are at the center of it all, valued for their fierce battle skills. It’s clear that Kendras, who came from nothing, has the ability to rise high in this world and the author takes us on his journey.

The narrative and descriptive passages are nicely done, always building the story and characters without overwhelming. Kendras and his brothers are quietly compelling– there’s no flash and dash here, just men fighting for survival. This is also a world very open to man on man sex, no phobias here. And lots of swapping. In fact, the guys drop to their knees faster than you can say ‘please’. Whether to make a pact, save a life, negotiate a deal… there is group sex, threesome sex, rape sex, wild and abandoned sex, you name it. But it doesn’t feel gratuitous, it fits hotly into the whole picture. 

Kendras is an unusual protagonist. He seems a bit too removed at times, but he is a quiet observer and cunning enough to guess at the intrigue around him. A man of character as well as physical strength, he carries the story well. I especially like that he comes from a dark-skinned race revered for their physical beauty. (and that cover, whew!)

Scorpion is the start of the Memory of Scorpions series based around Kendras and his mercenary brothers. They have been trained to never give up, to fight to the death for duty, allegiance, and love. Lucky for us, there are two more books waiting. (This review is on the May 2013 edition published by Riptide. Look for my reviews of books 2 and 3 to come soon.)

RATING:  

BUY LINKS: 

Riptide

Amazon

Amazon.uk

ARe