STARQUEST

Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy

By Hywela Lyn

Publisher : The Wild Rose Press

ABOUT Hywela Lyn

Hywela Lyn
Hywela Lyn  most of her  life in Wales and the beautiful countryside and legends inspired her to write. Although she now lives in a small  village in England, she is very proud of her Welsh heritage and background.  She enjoys weaving romantic tales of the future, and distant, mysterio More...

Description

STARQUEST

I have always loved the stars and the idea of space travel. First I dreamed up my hero, Kerry Marchant, second in command of the starship 'Destiny'. Then came my heroine, Jestine Darnell, or Jess, as she prefers to be known. Feisty and red haired, tender hearted as well as courageous. Begging to be included in the mix was Dahll Tarron, the young pilot of the hyperspeedster 'The Quest'. Their fates became entangled in ways I had not counted on when I started writing 'Starquest' as I saw events unfold through my heroine's eyes.

LONG AND SHORT REVIEWS


A love that will carry the heroine across the galaxy; a challenge that will threaten her life. Starquest by Hywela Lyn leaps into the deep end of galaxy right from the start, as the Jaii-onboard-computer announces a calamity that is but moments away. The navigational corrections are not enough, the starship’s drive is compromised; prepare to abandon ship…

Starquest kicks off with a literal bang, and you will feel your heart thumping at the race to abandon ship. The heroine, Jestine Darnell, is setting off on a desperate quest and does not quite know why. Her personal trajectory is impossible to predict, as she soon finds herself in the hands of telepaths – who are telepaths and more. Unsought friendships emerge, but can she trust them? And can that sort of reliance (no matter how good a navigator she is) come to matter among a large starship crew? It doesn’t help that she has to start off with a lie, then wonders if they can see through it.

The Destiny’s crew find her competent, but they have reservations. Kerry and Jon acknowledge her competence, and you will find yourself hoping against hope that they will give her the benefit of the doubt. It is a troubled time; from the Union’s stranglehold on Earth, to the dangerous Grakk spies lurking all over the universe. Even as we hope for her to be accepted, you will feel a thread of doubt yourself. In an amazing way, Lyn will make you identify – even if just a little bit – with almost every character.

Some emotions, like a somewhat shared sense of longing, are common among these people that cannot help but remember, a little sadly, the Earth home they left, long ago. What seems like a minor emotion – a loneliness or regret, becomes surprisingly evocative in this tale.

Ms. Lyn does a great job making surprise characters, like Jaii and other ships’ computers, seem ordinary. And, it’s refreshing that various characters share a sense of pride and enthusiasm in their ships’ capabilities.

Dialogue tends to be to the point and believable. Events become more and more unpredictable as the story moves forward. The backdrop is a universe – a beautifully envisioned universe. It seems rare to find a story with a science fiction bent so beautifully described. Read a little slice:

“… watching the rapidly unfolding vista of stars, like shimmering jewels in the black velvet backcloth that was deep space. There was something about the sheer immensity of the Universe that made her feel very insignificant and, at the same time, very tranquil.”

The lovely, lovely descriptions never slow the action, but manage still to convey emotion and carry the narration forward. This is an incredibly original tale, and – for all the science fiction trappings – is truly a classic quest for love, and the romance, which at first seems very much at the periphery, will become not only a primary motivation, but the chief joy of the tale. Adventure may be the main motif, but the heartwarming side will be a surprising bonus.

Reviewed by ‘Snapdragon’

Long And Short Reviews,  November 2008

***


COFFEE TIME ROMANCE

Jestine Darnell, Jess, a skilled pilot, is on a mission to save the world from slavery when her ship suddenly goes awry. When the ship Destiny comes to her rescue, she must find a way to continue her mission while losing her heart in the process.

Kerry Merchant is the second in command of the ship Destiny. He does not know whether to trust Jess or hold onto her, which makes some difficult decisions in his life.

The fate of three people suddenly become connected when Jess finds her ship in trouble and is transported to the ship, Destiny. She is greeted by Kerry, who takes her aboard the Destiny, showing her to quarters, as well as getting acquainted with the others. In no time, she learns much from Kerry, as they slowly begin to connect. Unfortunately, he silently wonders if she is out to steal the Destiny. After Jess meets Dahll Tarron, who has a mysterious formula and is on his own mission, she wonders if anyone can be trusted.

I must say that Starquest takes the reader onto an awesome galactic journey. The characters are strong and convincing. Jess is a courageous woman who brings so much life to the story. I love her bravery and determination. One will not find a dull moment with this story; it is loaded with action from beginning to end. With secrets, passion and an incredible amount of trust, Jess, Kerry and Dahll learn quickly the true value where the heart lies. Hywela Lyn weaves a romance that is truly out of this world, as the reader grasps hold and hangs on tightly for the exciting ride of their life. Be captivated by what the wonders of space have to offer in an amazingly wonderful story.

Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

***

WRITERS AND READERS OF DISTINCTIVE FICTION

Starquest by Hywela Lyn is a sweet and wonderful book. It is a story of Jess who travels across the galaxy to find the love of her life. An incident happens to her that makes her lost her memories and the man that she loves. She woke up with nightmares and a strong desire to find Destiny and her crew, especially the blue-eyed man who makes her tingles and her heart ache. But her head hurts every time she tries to remember, and she needs to find Destiny to get the last piece of the missing puzzle in her brain.

Jess made a pact with Dahll to help her with her quest. But she was not aware that he has his own reason to help her. He has a secret, so deep that it can jeopardize their journey and their life. A woman with a mission, a man hunted by a killer, little did they know the journey will test their courage, trust, and most of all, their heart.  

This is a wonderfully written book that will keep you on your toes and end with a big smile on your face. An adventure like no other, this is a book that you don’t want to miss big time. 

Reviewed by Amylove

Eriters and Readers Of Distinctive Fiction

***


THE PEN AND MUSE

If you are looking for action, danger, romance, and love the science fiction then look

This wonderful tale takes place in a troubled time. A time in which the Union’s stranglehold on Earth is strong and the enemy, the Grakk's have spies lurking in every corner. Hywela's story is written beautifully, her dialogue on point, and her descriptions magical. I really enjoyed reading Jestine's story. Her character was outspoken, strong, and selfless. Will Jestine complete her mission, what obstacles will she run into, and will her heart be stolen?

Reviewed  by: Denisse

The Pen and Muse

***

FALLEN ANGELS REVIEWS

Jestine “Jess” Darnell is on a humanitarian mission to find help for the peaceful planet Phidia, which has been captured by the vicious warlord Ayandos. But suddenly, Jess is in trouble as well, when her hyperspeedster begins to break down in space. Luckily, Jess is saved by a passing spaceship, the Destiny. Jess finds herself on the horns of a dilemma, for in spite of her attraction to the ship’s second-in-command, Kerry Marchant, at first she feels she cannot tell him the truth about her mission. When she finally does tell the Destiny’s crew the truth, they agree to go with her to save Phidia, but the mission goes terribly awry. Jess’s life will never be the same afterward.

Science fiction novels generally follow one of three themes, and this one is a perfect example of the adventure theme. The heroine is on a quest for her true love, and she travels throughout space in search of him. Along the way, she has many adventures, which teach her things she needs to know about herself and her companions. The author plotted the story so that everything ties together in the end, which I like in a book. Readers will be interested in knowing that Starquest is heavy on the science fiction and light on the love scenes; this is definitely a “sweet” romance. I thought the characters were a bit cool and distant, and I had to work at getting into the story at the beginning. Fortunately, I quickly became engrossed in Jess’s adventures and finished the book in one sitting.

Reviewed by: Jean

Fallen Angels Review