Title:
Winged Victory

Author:
L. F. Hampton

Published By:
ImaJinn Books

ISBN #:
1-893896-94-3

Release Date:
Available Now

Format:
Electronic

The Valtarie are an isolated race on their planet Valtar. They have isolated themselves because they are a winged Vampire-like race, feeding only on blood, and because the gaze of the male Valtarie is spell-binding to anyone looking into his eyes.

Although their law does not allow visitors from other planets, their king has allowed one human female, Dr. Juliana Harris, to come to Valtar to find out why Valtarie women are consistently dying in childbirth and fewer females are being born. This, of course, has led to a great imbalance of the sexes, with the few females secluded until the time of their mating. The men, most of them without mates, are growing increasingly lawless. Something must be done. Dr. Harris contacts a colleague, Abbie Brown, to come help her in her research, and the king agrees.

Traveen, the second son of the king, and a pilot, is honored with the responsibility of transporting Abbie to Valtar. He has always followed the law, and continues to do so in these circumstances by not touching this female and not looking into her eyes. Unfortunately, their spaceship crashes on a cold, snowy planet, and he must keep her alive with his body heat until the rescue party arrives, even knowing that he will forfeit his life for the transgression. Abbie, has no idea of the sacrifice he is making, until Traveen is sentenced to prison. How can she right this wrong that she so innocently caused? And can she fight her love for this forbidden man?

I was quite impressed with this full-length novel of a forbidden love between human woman and Valtarie man. This is primarily a science fiction novel with sensual interludes. The love scenes are not explicit, nor are they shocking. The problems that prevented the protagonists from being together arose naturally when their cultures clashed, and they rose admirably to surmount the obstacles that kept them apart. The most interesting aspect of the book was the way that Abbie and Traveen struggled together to overcome the hurdles placed in front of them by nature, man, and themselves, and the way that they both grew into strong characters by the end of the book.



Reviewed by: Jean