very, very average. the characters were fleshed out enough that they weren't one-dimensional, but i couldn't really call them complex either. the plot was a very simple, run-of-the-mill affair, with space scavengers trying to steal something for money. there was very little worldbuilding, which was irritating, and i didn't find the whole Anika plotline very believable. that being said, i don't think i would call it bad, just bland.

The book was alright, but i had a hard time connecting with the characters. They were running around all the time, plus James basically threw himself over Michael almost just after meeting him. It was just lots of running around and characters we didn't get to spend so much time with. So, sadly this book wasn't for me.

I wasn't a big fan of this book I found its hard to get into and the pacing was all over the place. I received this book from netgallery in exchange for a honest review.

Wasn't a big fan of this one. The pacing is a bit of a mess and there's not much explanation or details most of the times especially when it comes to world building. There's barely any of that.

There's a few concepts that was interesting but the author never really touches up on it so I'm gonna give it 2 stars for that. The setting was good but as I said before there's barely any details. I wished she focused a bit more on world building rather than solely focusing on James and Michael.

The story was mostly about James and Michael being beaten up and running here and there but never dying. Hated the way James just threw everything he ever known just for Michael when he barely knows the guy.

Too much stuff has been skipped even the ending!! I was wondering how they will beat up Lyra and they just skipped it by knocking out James.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy for an honest review.

2,5 confused stars

To be honest, I'm having a really hard time deciding on a fixed rating. I supposed it depends on whether I enjoyed this book or whether I just "tolerated" it. I guess I did like reading it, the characters were relatable and I did enjoy the Romance part. There still should have been more plot-driven % in this book because oftentimes I wonder about the point of the story in general. Yes, they are fleeing, yes, they are hunted but there was way too little information. As a previous reviewer said, it felt like there were big chunks of the storyline missing. Also problematic was the fact that there was legitimately no introduction or further explanation of the world this story is set in. It's obviously science fiction taking place in space and on different planets, involving space ships and nanotechnology, etc. But even for a short story, this was meagre. It definitely disrupted the world flow at times because I am always bombarded by two sensations:

1) wait, what am I missing? what happened?
2) I don't even know how I am supposed to imagine anything AT ALL.

Despite the harsh critique I didn't in any way feel forced to read this book, so I still want to give those of you who prefer character-driven books to plot-driven books an idea of what to expect:

James is a space-scavenger that does jobs in exchange for money to make ends meet in the brutal life of the year - IHAVENOIDEABECAUSETHEREISNOCONTEXT - ehem, sorry about that... at some point in the future, were electronic weapons, nano-technology, beaming and cyborgs are way more real than they are now (at least I guess so, governments and corporations don't let earthly peasants such as me know nothin' about nothin'). For one of his jobs he "accidentally" (aka out of sheer impatience and stupidity) abducts Peach corporation scientist Michael. Peach is infamous for doing dubious technic stuff such as creating chips for people that enable Peach to exterminate them on the spot. Real nice fellas. Beamed to someplace remote, they have to make it back to civilization to make contact with James's crew, a bunch of space scav outlaws that all have to live with their fair share of crimes. While they try to do so, James and Michael get pretty close to each other - like...really close, both emotionally and physically. It turns out that, if Michael were given the opportunity to choose, he would have stopped working for Peach a long time ago. For the first time in forever James wants to keep somebody close to protect them from danger. Bad things, he IS danger.
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Writing Quality + ease of reading = 3* (owed to the lack of information/world building)

pace = 4* (pretty fast, obviously, but also rushed because of lack of information/world building)

plot development = 1* (apart from the fact that it was pretty predictable, there wasn't actually much plot - character-driven story, remember?)

characters = 3,5* (turns out I do have a thing for semi-cyborg outlaws)

enjoyability = 3* (let's be real, it wasn't all that bad overall if you neglect certain things)

insightfulness = 3* (At first I rated this a Zero, but I edited it because I just remembered that there was polyamory involved which I believe to be a highly important and under-discussed, even misunderstood form of sexual preferences)

C.A Blocke is a good writer, when it comes to the technical nitty-gritty prose. The descriptions are vivid, the banter is witty, the setting is built up without any information overload, and the first quarter of the book is colourful and catchy.

But Blocke goes fast. The snappy prose only stands up for so long, before you start to realise there isn’t enough substance there. The characters don’t develop, and the scenery flies past so fast you start to get lost. The main characters end up in a relationship in just a few chapters, and then all conflict between them is forgotten. The crew of the SIO are one dimensional tropes, and there are subplots that go no where.

You just end up not caring what happens, because no one has any depth to care about.

Reviewing the worldbuilding

SIO starts off with a great premise. A setting where humanity is ruled by megacorporations that dictate the galactic economy and control the average man. Scavengers, mercs and outsiders live on the edge of civilisation, surviving by underhanded means. Building their own little society.

Then, it just gets too complex. We’re introduced to new political entities, side characters who we never quite understand the importance of (one of the antagonists fills this spot), and all without much elaboration. Planets fly by like theater backdrops, two dimensional and quickly shoved back behind the curtain.

The world had a lot of potential, but it got too convoluted too quickly. And all without the explanations that were necessary to understand it.

I wish I could have learned more about the past of the characters so that I could understand some of the actions that were made. The style of writing kept me hooked and interested in what was going to happen. It's been awhile since I had read a book where the plot developed so quickly. Not like I am complaining!

This was a futuristic, fantasy-scifi story set in the not-too-distant future in space. A small band of mercenaries are tasked with stealing a highly classified prototype from a corporation. James, the captain of the Sio and leader of the ragtag group goes on the mission alone, leaving his crew free to pull him out of danger if necessary.

Enter Michael, the corporate R&D drone that James is trying con into handing over the tech. What James hasn't been briefed on is what the tech actually does. The "Rose" is a teleportation device in not-quite-working condition. While trying to escape with the prototype and his life, James inadvertently activates the device, sending James and the now "kidnapped" Michael across space to a backwater planet on the outer rim.

From there a grudging partnership--and later an intimate relationship--ensues between the duo. James and Michael do their best to stay alive and avert capture while awaiting rescue from the crew of the Sio. Once aboard his ship, James learns that their benefaction is upset at him for failing the impossible mission and now he has to find a way to placate her, keep ahead of the corporate police and bounty hunters chasing after Michael, and keep himself and his crew afloat.

There are threats of vengeance, gunshot wounds, betrayals, murder plots and a lot of running. Honestly the story was a bit all-over-the-place. I never made a connection with the protagonists and therefore didn't feel for them in their plight to survive. There were too many secondary characters introduced that were of little importance, which made it harder still to connect with our protagonists. Some of the sex seemed thrown in just for the sake of it. Some if it really fit well with the flow of the story, other times it was a bit too much.

The story itself was interesting; it had a great scifi feel to it. I enjoyed the talk of space and the technology. And I loved that the protagonists were gay/bisexual. It wasn't a great read, but it was a good read.

The writing, in and of itself, was fine, and the story is very fast-paced. So fast-paced that by the 10% mark, the two main characters are already pretty much a couple. The problem I had with this was that there was not enough previous backstory or character exploration provided for me to care. I feel the story as a whole would have been a lot stronger with proper set up for not only the main characters but also for the side characters and the villains. Because of these missing pieces, it did not make for a very compelling read.

This book is incredibly fast paced. While I enjoyed the story, I think it would have been much better given a little bit more time to explore the background of the characters and to flesh out their relationship a bit more. The characters were fun and their interactions were great, it just needs a little work on the pacing.

SIO is a science fiction novel about a 'scav' or scavenger who works with his rag-tag crew to complete illegal heists around the galaxy. The main character, James, is a likeable guy who does what needs to be done to keep the people he trusts safe, even if that means taking dangerous risks. That being said, he is generally one of the "good guys" and tries to avoid killing f he can help it.

The best part about this book was the world building and all the detail that was put into the descriptions. Even when the characters only stayed in the same place for a chapter, there was enough well written detail to make the setting vivid and interesting. I greatly enjoyed the universe that C. A. Blocke created, and felt the rules of society were well described throughout the book, without ever feeling like we were getting an information dump of back story.

Another positive thing about the book was how naturally the author depicted diverse relationships. I appreciated the depiction of a variety of sexualities and relationship dynamics, and the representation that this entailed. THat being said, I wish a little bit more time had been devoted to the development of the main relationship. The romance between the characters of James and Michael hit me out of nowhere like a truck. It felt like there could have been a bit more buildup before they were in "willing to risk my life for you" love.

The beginning and end of the book felt a little bit rushed, though the middle 85% reached a comfortable pace. I would have rated it 4 stars instead of three if the beginning and end had been a bit slower and more developed. Overall I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it to readers of LGBTQ science fiction.