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

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!

Outstanding Fantasy/Real Story/Real People

What did you love best about Dark Edge of Honor?

The realness of the characters. Growing up during the Cold War Era I could relate to the two protagonasts. This is a true real-life style love story!

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that they rose above all of the political plays by others and ended up loving each other despite their vastly different life experiences

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

He brought the story and characters to life. His changing accents and ways of speech were believable

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

After Sergei was injured by friendly fire and lost his arm and was on the brink of losing his life he told Mike that he just wanted to make love to him one more time. He just wanted to be held by him one more time.

Any additional comments?

Alexsandr Voinov is an excellent author. I have enjoyed all of his books that I have read. I am constantly on the look-out for more of his stories

More Jack LeFleur, please?

What made the experience of listening to Dark Edge of Honor the most enjoyable?

See the above title. I'm new to audiobooks, especially erotic romance, but listening to Jack LeFleur's outstanding narration got me hooked on the concept, very, very quickly. Unlike the handful narrators in this particular genre, he really gets into the book and just mesmerizes you with his voice.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sergei, of course. For a large, hard bodied space-Russian who could probably kick my ass, I wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in a blanket and hug him. If you look up the term

Which scene was your favorite?

Oh jeez, my favorite scenes would probably get this review kicked for violation of some conduct code. So, my favorite non-love scene is Sergei not quite getting the concept of a partnership and involves this line

Any additional comments?

No, seriously, heed my title. Pay this man whatever he asks, just get him to read more for Audible.com. Heck, I'll buy a dictionary if he'll read it.

Not what is expected

I hate getting a book that purports itself to be one thing (say Sci-Fi) and turns out to be something (though not entirely) else. Yes the story is set in a science fiction world, but it clearly is a raunchy M/M romance novel. If you are looking for a good Sci-Fi novel with a gay protagonist I’d advise that you look elsewhere.

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.

Enticing Plot and Thought-Provoking Themes

One of the few pieces of fiction that I've enjoyed in my life. Great story, imagery, themes, and character development.

My first boy romance

I loved the story. I loved the characters, I loved the setting. I will be listening to more boy love stories now because of this!

Loved it in print - even better in audio

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

Absolutely. It is an excellent story and the narration brings the characters vivdly to life.

What did you like best about this story?

The complexity and strength of the characters which made it easy to become completely swept away by the story. It also has a lot of the same themes as Special Forces, another, much longer, work by Voinov which is one of my favorite stories.

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

He brings the characters, especially Sergei, to vivid life.

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

Great read, great listen.

Monotheist military society v individualistic ideology played out on a barren planet between a Brother of the first, and a covert op spying for the second. Initial seduction leading to deeper involvement between one supressed captain and one cynical field operative who can't believe he's fallen so far from his brief. This is bound to cause trouble, and so it does. Lots of hot sex in a hot climate. Fun local fauna. Will they won't they get out of this ending. Great writing brilliantly read.

Loved it

Dark Edge of Honour
Rhi Etzweiler & Aleksandr Voinov
Superb book.
It flicked all my switches. Lovely warrior men, pain, torture, perceived disloyalty and trust issues and love that overcomes impossible odds.
Listening to it was a rollercoaster experience. The erotic bits were so hot it was almost embarrassing to be listening to it out and about (walking the dogs and in the car !)
May have to buy a hard copy!!!

Blah

Disappointing. Just a boring cold war spy story wrapped in new clothing and names. At times very difficult to follow, scenes were jumpy and disjointed. There was very little focus on the actual relationship, which is understandable since the main characters spend most of the time separated. There's some sex in the beginning and then it's just some action, torture and abuse as a prisoner of war for the first character, being saved, then healing while being questioned by one's own, then it's basically the same set for the other character.

Enjoyable!

Something finally clicked into place about the halfway mark because the story then resonated. With hindsight, I appreciated that the smexy times of the MCs were in and of itself a narrative from Sergei’s experience of dubious consent to anonymous sex, to mutual pleasure to learning to kiss and expressing his desires and finally genuine intimacy. Then the read to the end of the story brought other very enjoyable story telling elements to the fore - the science fiction setting, military set up, dichotomy of the self vs the collective, the sentient lizards and character arcs. The narrator was wonderful, particularly his vocal choices for Sergei and Mike that communicated so well their age, character, background and shifting emotions. The final scene was perfect for me because I felt it encapsulated what the MCs found in each other, over and above, their physical connection – their total and mutual emotional engagement. This made for an overall and very satisfying read and cemented my enjoyment of all things Voinov. My recommendation is to give the story time to win you over and your patience will be rewarded handsomely.

Brothers in Arms

Well narrated tale. Full frontal drama of passion and war. Intricate, detailed. Clearly an intelligent author who writes a very intelligent novel. Encompassing months, this is not insta-love, which allows fully fledged relationships between well written MCs to build.

Is Jack LeFleur Wen Ross? They sure sound alike!

EXCELLENT TALE