“Two men. One dangerous planet. To survive they need
to trust each other.”
I was in after that logline and Hanna Dare’s BLACK SKY
MORNING (Mind + Machine #3) did not disappoint. Hardcore science fiction fans
may find this novel underwhelming—it is a romance first and foremost—but I
enjoyed the lighter science fiction backdrop and Xin’s reactions to all things
planetary, in particular. Good, steady pacing and solid character development
drive the story toward a fitting happy ending.
Government agent Jonathan Gray has a lot on his mind,
not least of all intrepid bounty hunter Xin.
I had a good time with Xin. Even out of his element,
he was never out of character. Cocky and self-assured, but never annoying, he
followed up and followed through on all his teasing. His “arrogance” was fully
earned. He was capable and knew his limits.
Jonathan’s limits were less self-discovered, I think,
and far more set for him by his role as government agent, a role he’s recently
started to resent. He was burned out and disillusioned, in a funk and coasting
toward the death of his career.
When the two get stranded and cut off from their
support, they quickly learn that a “burden shared is a burden halved.” Faced
with hard choices and Xin’s unflappable optimism, Jonathan rediscovers his
purpose (and a new reason to live).
Although this is the third book in the Mind + Machine
series, BLACK SKY MORNING can be thoroughly enjoyed as a stand-alone. I did not
feel like I had read the preceding novels to understand what was going on.
