Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Ravik's Mercy by Regine Abel [Review]

Ravik's Mercy by Regine Abel
Ravik's Mercy (Braxians #2) by Regine Abel
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 25, 2019

Braxians
1. Anton's Grace
2. Ravik's Mercy - PaperbackKindle
3. Krygor's Hope

Regine Abel
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Synopsis (Goodreads):
For Braxia...
For the future...
For revenge...

As the rarest hybrid in the galaxy, Mercy has been forced to hide in plain sight for fear slavers and collectors would hunt her down. Quite ironic, considering her late father had been the greatest slaver of the Guldan Empire. Determined to make amends for some of the wrongs he has done, she goes on a mission to Braxia. But those plans are quickly derailed when she encounters Ravik; a mountain of a man with a fearsome face, and a planet in turmoil...

As the new ruler of Braxia, Ravik is surrounded by enemies. His planet is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and stuck in ancient, bigoted ways. When an exotic, sassy, and strong female reluctantly accepts his protection during her stay on Braxia, she becomes both his strength and his greatest weakness. As his detractors plot and scheme against him, Ravik fears the horrors of his past will destroy the fragile happiness and glimmer of hope this woman has brought him and his people...

In this brutal, unforgiving world, greed, hatred, and twisted obsessions will clash in a bid for power, for the future, and for revenge!

Warning: this book contains scenes of violence that may not be suitable for sensitive reader.
Thoughts on Ravik's Mercy: Okay. So we met both Ravik and Mercy previously (Ravik in Anton's book and Mercy in the Veredian series) and they're both complicated. Ravik is a brute of a man with a heart that's pretty darn pure. He wants the best for his people and he's still haunted by events from his past that he sees as a failing on his part (although Mercy makes an excellent case for why things couldn't have played out any differently than they did). Mercy is the daughter of the man who enslaved MANY of her people and she's...conflicted about it. Although she doesn't condone his actions, she still loves him because of the sacrifices he made to protect her. That said, she's trying to right the wrongs he committed by helping those who were sold off by him over the years.

Which is how she ends up crossing paths with Ravik and heading out to Braxia. As we all know, fate works in mysterious ways and Ravik and Mercy are exactly where they need to be when they need to be there.

Which isn't to say things are easy. Ravik's people are on the brink of self-destruction and only his heavy handed ways are forcing them onto a path that might keep them from starving. Let's just say not everyone wants to move into the future and leave it at that. As an outsider, Mercy's insight into what Braxia can do to save itself are needed, but the fact she's a woman and a half-breed alien puts her at a disadvantage since women are still VERY MUCH considered inferior to men on Ravik's planet.

(I'm going to point out here that Ravik is pretty open-minded about women and he both appreciates and celebrates Mercy. Which is good because I can't see Mercy putting up with being anything less than Ravik's equal.)

A nice bridge between the Braxian series and the Veredian series, with the added bonus of more tantalizing hints of what could be coming for the Veredians. (I think? I hope? I'd like to see Mercy's mother reunited with all the daughters who were taken from her, so I'm holding onto the dream.)

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