Zoe Pappas, diplomat and heir to the Byzant throne has been
taken as a prisoner by the Hajim, an enemy alien race and
sent to their underground prisoner-of-war-camp run by
another alien race called the Krils. There she keeps her
identity a secret and is mistaken as a lieutenant pilot. She
is surrounded my many other war prisoners who vary from
humans to other interesting life forms. One such prisoner
gives her pause. He is Dr. Matthias Raven, the
highest-ranking Byzant officer at the camp and in charge of
all the human POW's. Matthias goes by the nickname of Doc
and has been at the underground prison for sixteen months.
Now that eighty new humans have arrived, he must acclimate
them to their new home and warn them that there is no escape.
Doc finds Zoe to be very brave and outspoken. Because there
are not many women at the prison, he feels he must watch
over her and protect her from those males who have been
without a woman for so long. Zoe is a quick learner and is
able to navigate around and make some new friends. She finds
herself bonding with Doc and ignores the jealous feelings
she has, especially when some female prisoners have a habit
of latching onto Doc. But Doc doesn't want any of them, only
Zoe.
When Zoe is attacked and almost killed, Doc is there to save
her and she finds out his secret. Doc is not human, but an
alien with the worst type of reputation. He is a vampire, a
parasite that comes from a planet known for its dark
pleasures where blood sucking during sex is accepted. Doc
tells Zoe his true identity and is in for a shock when Zoe
tells Doc that she is the heir to the Byzant throne and must
find a way to escape before her mission is lost. If the
Hajim figure out who Zoe is, her life will be forfeit. Only
Doc can save her and possibly the whole empire.
DARK STRANGER is a great gross-genre book that takes the
vampire myth and evolves it into a very believable science
fiction tale. The sexual tension between Doc and Zoe is very
intense and these two work very well together as a team.
There are no stereotypical clichés in regards to any
miscommunication between these two and they are very upfront
and honest with one another. Readers who enjoy a more mature
hero and heroine will certainly like Doc and Zoe.
I also loved the world building as well as many other
characters Zoe and Doc interact with. Susan Sizemore has a
great skill of building up a sympathetic response with her
readers in regards to the situations that arise in DARK
STRANGER. Even though there is danger and death, there are
some light moments, especially when the prisoners try to
find ways to relax and forget their closed in quarters.
Susan can sure write some steamy love scenes and even though
Zoe and Doc have an intense physical relationship with one
another, I loved how their emotional bond grew. It was very
believable and I kept turning the pages, hoping they would
escape their prison and work towards a happy and long life
with one another.
If you like a different type of science fiction story with a
great futuristic feel and well written romance with lots of
action, definitely give DARK STRANGER and Susan Sizemore's
Prime series a read.
A twist of fate made Zoe Pappas heir to the Byzant throne.
Bound by duty and devotion to keep the Empire safe, Zoe is
captured while on a secret diplomatic mission and sent to an
underground prisoner-of-war camp. In this strange, shadowy
place, residents are governed by fellow inmate General
Matthias "Doc" Raven, whose powerful magnetism rouses an
urgent desire in Zoe. But the intensity of her attraction is
matched by her surprise at discovering that Doc has a secret
of his own: he is a vampire.
Zoe's presence puts everyone in the camp in danger. Doc
knows it, and knows too that Zoe's royal status makes it
impossible for her to bond with a vampire. The only way to
save her is to help her escape, and lose her forever. But
some fires are impossible to quench, even when following
your heart is the ultimate taboo....
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