Dark Edge of Honor

By: Aleksandr Voinov, Rhianon Etzweiler

Narrated by: Jack LeFleur

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Sergei Stolkov is a faithful officer, though his deepest desires go against the Doctrine. A captain with the invading Coalition forces, he believes that self-sacrifice is the most heroic act, and his own needs are only valid if they serve the state.

Mike, an operative planted within Cirokko's rebels, has been ordered to seduce Sergei and pry from him the Coalition's military secrets. His mission is a success, but as he captures Sergei's heart, Mike is tempted by his own charade and falls in love.

When the hostile natives of the planet Cirokko make their move, all seems lost. Can Mike and Sergei survive when the Coalition's internal affairs division takes an interest in what happened in the dusty mountains of Zasidka Pass?

©2011 Aleksandr Voinov (P)2011 Harlequin

Different in a good way

Excellent world building, characters felt authentic and well developed. There was a lot of material that could have spun into an epic sci-fi saga, but the provided material felt pared down to the relevance of the main characters/story arc. The love was graphic without being sentimental. Not a fluffy romance, but the end was plenty sweet.

Brilliant reader, Brilliant book

Jack LeFleur is an amazing reader. This isn't the first book he's read that I love. I don't know if he picks the books he read (fantasy/sci-fi/romance) or if he's assigned to the genre, but either way he is very well suited. This book is also absolutely brilliant. I found that the combination of a great plot and an excellent reader left me standing staring into space completely focused entire on the words I listened to. Jack LeFleaur puts so much animation, so much emotion, so much emphasis in the way he reads that it's like listening to a movie. I highly recommend the book, am now a new fan of these authors, and I strongly recommend the reader. He could read the phone book now and I'll listen. Good audiobook overall! Five stars!

great story, hut

great story, but the performance left something to be desired. the performer reminded me of a over the top, smug, high brow stereotypical snob.

Exciting story, great characters

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Loved the story, the narrator was perfect and the whole thing was beautifully produced.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sergei - to watch his character develop over the course of the story was incredible.

What about Jack LeFleur’s performance did you like?

He did such great voices and I loved his emotion.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no, way too long

A really subtle and unusual love story

Sergei and Mike work for two very different militaries Think the US military vs the Soviet military at the height of the cold war. Mike seduces Sergei but soon falls for him. What makes this book so good and so unusual is its exploration of the mixture of betrayal and love and the complex motivations of all the characters. It works and it works well.

Mike's character is perhaps a little thin, but the authors do a really great job with Sergei, getting you to understand his world and his love for it even though it constrains him terribly.

There are several EXTREMELY graphic sex scenes. Frankly, as a big believer in less is more, they could have been toned down for me.

This book gets better and better is it progresses. It is an excellent and deceptively complex story. I highly recommend it.

Interesting sci-fi & romance mash. Top Narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Dark Edge of Honor to be better than the print version?

Probably. The narrator was excellent.

Would you recommend Dark Edge of Honor to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, though it may not be of general appeal.

What about Jack LeFleur’s performance did you like?

Good pacing and pronunciation. Good use of accents to differentiate speakers without falling into caricature. Good intonations to reflect moods and feelings.

Any additional comments?

I felt the romantic part of the novel was unfulfilling. The sexual descriptions were good, but the motivations of the characters (especially Mike) were sparse. Sergei was also unbelievably passive and accepting of things without needing resolution.

Interesting premise to the relationship, and good military/sci-fi backdrop, but not quite developed enough emotionally to engage the reader fully.

Pleasantly surprised!

If you could sum up Dark Edge of Honor in three words, what would they be?

Intriguing, exciting and beautifully simplistic (all one word, lol).

What other book might you compare Dark Edge of Honor to and why?

I've never been much into sci-fi and was embarassingly naieve to the fact that this was a mm erotica novel, lol. I'm sure the look on my face during the first sex scene was priceless. The authors are surprisingly strong writers but I've never seen the likes of this before.

What does Jack LeFleur bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jack LeFleur is a brilliant narrator. His voice is so relaxing and it allowed me to just sit back and truly enjoy the novel. I would buy books simply because he was chosen as the narrator.

Who was the most memorable character of Dark Edge of Honor and why?

Sergei was my favorite character because he overcame so much. Daring yet conservative.

Any additional comments?

I was worried this book would be a typical, trashy erotica and was very surprised to find such an exciting storyline. I wish it had been longer and more in depth. I think it would make for a great series.

Perfection

I loved this book so much. the story the caracter the plot the sequence of event... EVERYTHING WAS JUST PERFECT! please read it..... I just stumbled on it by chance and saw good reviews and I was okey whatever let's give it a try AND I LOVED IT SOOO MUCH

Interesting storyline for a basic trashy novel.

Would you listen to Dark Edge of Honor again? Why?

No. I typically just don't read/listen twice.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the sci-fi and military (Honor) themed story which helps set the background for the trashy sex scenes/chapters. I enjoyed the trashy scenes with vivid descriptions and action that tied into the story. The story has it's dark moments, but I think that is part of the uniqueness of the story in a trashy novel. Interesting overall and quite enjoyable.

What about Jack LeFleur’s performance did you like?

I'm a newbie to Audible, but I liked the performance. Good voice for this type of novel.

If you could rename Dark Edge of Honor, what would you call it?

The War between Honor and Love

An action packed love story!

Loved it all! Jack LeFleur could narrate Little Women and I'd swoon. Mike and Sergei had me on the edge of my seat, the whole book.