Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: The Challenge
Author: Susan Kearney
Publisher: Tor Romance
ISBN: 0-765-34891-8
Release Date: February 2005
Genre/Sub-genre: Paranormal Romance
Year/Setting: 2324, Planet Rystan
Connected to Series: Stand Alone, but connected to The Dare
Overall rating: 4.5
Sexual content rating: Sensual
Susan's Website:
www.susankearney.com
She was shot protecting the president, and woke up naked, in the arms of a hunk...a hunk named Kahn, who told Secret Service agent Tessa Camen an outlandish story about traveling through time, saving the world, and a Challenge only she can accept. Kahn offers her proof she can't refute: Tessa has been brought forward through time to save Earth by winning an intergalactic challenge.
Kahn only has a few weeks to train Tessa to use the psi-abilities he insists she has. He is confident in the success of a time-honored method that uses sexual frustration to bring out her powers, but Tessa is dubious. She's a martial arts expert and can fight her way through anything, but she's never had much luck with emotions.
I can admit it---I’m hooked. I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Dare (second book in this series) and loved it so much I went racing around town hunting down a copy of Ms. Kearney’s first book in this series (The Challenge).
The best description I can think of is WOW! This book is steamy and sensual and sexy and sci-fi as well. I never thought I’d be a sci-fi kind of a girl. However, if I woke up naked and stuck in the future with Kahn, I’d probably become an instant sci-fi fan. I really enjoyed learning more of the background on Tessa. In this book, she reminds me of a cross between Sydney Bristow (Alias) and Xena the Warrior Princess. However, it’s her liberated woman and Donald Trump business attitude that made her the most human to me. I kept waiting for her to tell Kahn, "You’re fired!"
I haven’t been this captivated by a series of books in a long time. I found this book to be a stay-up-all-night affair. I made the mistake of beginning the book right before my bedtime. I stayed up until almost 2:00am and got up early to keep reading. Call me crazy—my husband did.
I am impressed at the depth of storytelling shared by Ms. Kearney in this book. She’s creating a future and fictitious world with advances and aliens and in the course of one book, leaves the reader with enough visual images planted in their minds to feel familiar with all these new concepts. While learning about these new worlds, new species and new spaceship technology, I never felt bored or like I was being taught. It was all crafted so intricately into the story that I am still amazed at how she did it. I also never felt lacking or stupid when learning about these new worlds. I have found that to be the greatest downfall of other sci-fi stories.
I was thrilled to find this book and would recommend reading The Challenge as well as The Dare. Then, be on the lookout for The Ultimatum coming in February 2006. It will be the third book in the series.
Robyn
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