However, farther into the story I stopped noticing it so much. With several key characters being introduced quite quickly at the start, I found it particularly jarring and confusing. Why not quite 5? Because of the head-hopping, my personal bug bear. I'll admit it - I was originally going to give this a 4* rating at the beginning, but I'd probably say 4.5* by the end. Should he keep her at a distance despite his want to bring her near, or should he follow the heart he swears he does not have? As his understanding of her develops, he begins to question all of his preconceived notions about both himself and the universe around him. Encountering Orynn throws his system out of balance as he tries to decide if he should trust the feelings he is developing, or if he should follow the logic telling him that she is trying to control him for some unknown purpose. Seeking to reconcile past mistakes and gain a forgiveness she feels she does not deserve, the control over her empathic abilities is put to the test when the darkness that lives within her spirit threatens to once again destroy any piece of happiness that she allows herself to find.Īs a Mechatronic Automaton, Ethan defines his world through a set of logically defined values and understandings. Going against the rules of her Vesparian Sisterhood, which seeks to keep its entire existence a secret, Orynn is thrown into the open by a request for help that she could not refuse. All you can do is set your thrusters on glide and let it take you where it’s going to take you.” You can’t fight it, because that would tear your ship apart. You stumble on to it blindly, it sucks you in and takes you somewhere completely unexpected. Ghost In The Machine is a mature space opera romance with strong language, some violence, a good heaping of romance, some steamy bits, a few crazy aliens, one very confused android, an empathic girl with emotional issues who tends to trip herself up, and a crew of space agents who seem to enjoy making their Central Director yank out her hair. Title: Ghost in the Machine (Corwint Central Agent Files #1)Īvailable: Kobo, B&N, iBooks, Amazon (pages $)

Ghost in the Machine by C.E. Kilgore