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    Badlands
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    Badlands
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    Badlands
    Ebook130 pages2 hours

    Badlands

    By Seleste deLaney

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook


    After a brutal Civil War, America is a land divided. As commander of her nation's border guards, Ever is a warrior sworn to protect her country and her queen. When an airship attacks and kills the monarch, Ever must infiltrate enemy territory to bring home the heir to the throne, and the dirigible Dark Hawk is her fastest way to the Union.

    Captain Spencer Pierce just wants to pay off the debt he owes on the Dark Hawk and make a life for himself trading across the border. When the queen's assassination puts the shipping routes at risk, he finds himself Ever's reluctant ally.

    As they fly into danger, Ever and Spencer must battle not only the enemy but also their growing attraction. She refuses to place her heart before duty, and he has always put the needs of his ship and crew above his own desires. Once the princess is rescued, perhaps they can find love in the Badlandsif death doesn't find them first...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherCarina Press
    Release dateFeb 28, 2011
    ISBN9781426891250
    Unavailable
    Badlands
    Author

    Seleste deLaney

    At a young age, Seleste deLaney discovered the trick to not being afraid of the monsters under the bed was to turn them into heroes. Since that time, she’s seen enough of human monsters that she prefers to escape to fictional worlds where even the worst demons have to play by the rules and the good guys might end up battered and bruised (or dead), but they always win. And really, isn’t that the way it should be?She resides in the Detroit area with all her favorite monsters (nice ones—some are furry and the others call her Mom) and is hard at work on her next book. In those rare moments when she isn’t battling terrorists, vampires, or rogue clockworks, she can be found all over the Internet, where she loves to interact with readers.

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    Reviews for Badlands

    3.5/5

    19 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the premise of this story, and the two main characters. I liked the world development, and the pacing. There are only two things that held it back from a five-star rating, and this is what:

      1. (most important) I started listening to the audio book version of this one, but just couldn't get into it. The reader didn't do it for me. Her voice kept lilting up at the end of sentences, and for one reason or another that just bugged me. Also, when we got to the more romantic scenes, I didn't enjoy hearing her read them to me. Whether I just need to read (instead of listen to) all romance novels, or whether I need to find a different reader for romances I don't know.

      2. (minor annoyance) I couldn't place the geography of a country I should have known well. It's set in the US, so I feel I should know where things are. However, I have no idea where the Badlands are situated within the continent. This may also be related to the fact that I was listening to the book instead of reading it, but since I have yet to see an ebook with a map included, I don't think reading would have helped either.

      My favorite part, hands down, has to be Spencer. He is an awesome character, and is exactly what I would want from an airship captain. I loved that he wasn't the stereotypical fighter pilot type, nor the usual mercenary type. He was perfect.

      I did enjoy the rest of the crew, the plot, and the steampunk aspects of the novel as well, but if I had to pick one reason to re-read this book, it would be Spencer.
    • 1/5
      I am not rating how this is written or the story. The book made me so angry that I don't even want to think about how it is written or anything.

      Ever is the dumbest character I've come across. Let's see: her land is attacked, her queen is killed and she, as a really tough warrior, has an obligation to secretly get to the heir and bring her home. And what does she do? First, when she is saved by Spencer's crew, she argues about her clothes. At that moment in the story she is half naked, by the way. Next, she places his crew at risk. Not even a hint of secrecy or something which would show her as someone who should have been entrusted with her task. And the worst thing of all: she is judgemental. This book made me so angry. Ever, since the great warrior has needs, uses Zeke (the sex was meaningless, hilariously short and not really good and she deserved that) and when Spencer opens the door and sees them, she says "It's not what you think." Then she goes on how he doesn't even care! Note that there is nothing going on between Spencer and Ever at that time and he, though hurt, tells her that her life is her own. Why would he care? I am not talking about her being with Zeke. She has the right to do whatever she wants. I am talking about her behaviour later. The connection between them is unbelievable. If Ever has too much pride, Spencer has none.

      Maybe the story is too short, maybe they needed more time to develop whatever they were supposed to develop, but I doubt I would enjoy a longer version.
    • 5/5
      BADLANDS by Seleste Delaney is an interesting fantasy/science fiction set after a Civil War in America that divides the land. It is a fast paced,page turning story of passion,betrayal,trust,sweet sensuality,allies,enemies,action,adventure,romance, and love. Ever is the commander of her nations border guards and a fierce warrior. She is the queen's protector,but when her nation is attracked by aircraft and her Queen killed,she must find the next Queen,the Queen's daughter. This takes her into the domain of Captain Spencer Pierce, the captain of the Dark Hawk.While Spencer only wants to pay off his debt and retain ownership of his beloved Dark Hawk,he must help Ever to find the Queen's daughter and get her safety back to the Badlands to regain order. Together as reluctant allys, Ever and Spencer must fight unknown enemies,face danger,fight their growing attraction and their passion for each other. Ever only wants to get back to the Badlands with her new Queen and Spencer only wants to deliver her safely back to the Badlands. While they are both fighting their growing attraction,one is fighting to protect her Badlands the other his protection his ship and crew.But they must work together after being betrayed in order to survive and bring order back to the Badlands. This is a quick,fun read.This book was recieved for the purpose of review from Net Galley and the publisher and details can be found at Carina Press and My Book Addiction Reviews.
    • 3/5
      The hottest novella from Carina Press today is Baaaaadlands. This book has everything: technology a la steampunk, airship battles, a strangely named heroine, and "hafnawawo".What's "hafnawawo" - you ask?Well, the thing every good action flick needs (or at least, usually seems to have). Half naked warrior women!!The badlands are a desolate land of crime and fighting. Criminals are sent north away from the populated areas. A tribe of warrior women patrol the borders, fighting off the criminals to keep them from crossing back over.The queen of the tribe is murdered, Ever (our main character) is tasked with finding the princess to assume the queen's duties. Right at the start of her quest, she is injured and picked up by an airship.Onboard the Dark Hawk, she manages to catch the eye of the men. It wasn't a difficult task considering she was half naked at the time she boarded, since the warrior women usually fight in various stages of undress.Seriously though. What women, in their right mind, would want to fight battles half-naked, with their goods hanging out...Well, there's Xena and Gabrielle.And of course, the girl contestants of survivor.Anyway - an exciting airship battle ensues, with Ever manning the military turret. After taking down the enemy for them, she enlists the crew of the Dark Hawk to help on her mission.I am absolutely fascinated by the way the author set the mood of the book. I saw everything so clearly in my mind. Our heroine, Ever (yes, I'll get to the name in a minute) and her comrades are the female version of Spartans. The bleak setting blends flawlessly into the background against the stark contrast of gore, creating a 300-esque vibe in the beginning.I would love to see more of the world in Badlands. Most of this novella took place onboard the airship, instead of on the battle grounds of the women.As pretty as the name Ever is, it can also cause confusion. It can easily be mistaken for the word "even" at the beginning of a sentence or as part of the sentence instead of as a name. It certainly took some getting used too.The one big gripe that I have is over the perspective. Clarity on this subject isn't exactly the authors strong point. Because of the way that some sentences are phrased, it came across at times as "head-jumping" and I was left wondering who's perspective we were supposed to be getting.Fav quote: He laughed, and the sound touched her in places far more intimate than her ears.Decent romance, sexual tension, and love scenes. There is a love triangle. (No way!) Great battles. Not too shabby writing. The thing I liked is that it didn't feel like a "romance" novel right from the first word, as so many do.Overall, this was a very good short novel. The steam technology wasn't all that present but it was obviously being used as a backdrop. Beautifully toned and shows great PROMISE, but I wouldn't call this great just yet.I'm very interested to see more from this author and even more in this world. A full length novel with more based in the tribe of women would be very intriguing.Oh and I almost ignored another tribe of women who fight half naked!Can't forget the girls of "Jersey Shore."(I received this as a review copy from Netgalley. Thanks Netgalley and Carina Press!)