You may remember a while ago I reviewed A Clockwork Butterfly by Tabitha Rayne (for a reminder, click here) and was left begging for more. Well, the wait is finally over and I am thrilled to say that I have now been lucky enough to receive for review the prequel, Taking Flight.
This is a dystopian fantasy where the male population is slowly dying out and Dr Deborah Regan is set with the task of finding a cure to save the male race .....which proves to be alot harder than it sounds. All the remaining men have been taken to stay at a 'farm' where their semen is tested in the hope of one day finding a cure ....all except one!
Deborah is harboring her own secret, she has her lover and soul mate, Marcus, living with her and when the authorities turn up to search her home, they escape through a passageway and go on the run together. The only place that seems safe enough to hide is in the woods where they hope to lay low and most importantly, stay together. Whilst in the woods, they stumble upon a couple embarking on a sexual encounter and decide just to stay silent and observe. A while later, this same couple help them by giving them a place to stay and also some handy hints on how to cover their tracks and survive out there in the wild.
Eventually, the authorities catch up with Marcus and cart him off to the 'Farm' whilst Deborah is taken to a facility somewhat like a prison, where she is instructed to continue her research. It's not long before Deborah finds an ally and a light at the end of the tunnel. Both her and Marcus believe that their bond is so strong, that they can find eachother at the 'meeting place' in their minds, it's just a question of when.
Once again, Tabitha has really excelled herself with this novel and left me gasping with both shock and delight. You're drawn into a completely different world where nothing is the 'norm' and everything is unexpected. The relationship between Deborah and Marcus is so deep and moving that it almost brought me to tears at certain points. I fell totally in love with both characters and felt like I was on their journey with them. The exceptional detail and strength of feeling was evident from beginning to end and really added to my enjoyment. Tabitha is a true expert when it comes to fantasy, and not just sexual fantasy either. She delves into the minds of her characters so the reader has a greater understanding of their personalities, feelings and motives which allows you to become submersed in the story.
I absolutely loved reading Taking Flight and now can't wait for the final book of the trilogy to see what the final outcome might be.
I received this review copy free of charge in return for an honest review.
Taking Flight is available to buy from:
Amazon.co.uk for a very reasonable £1.94 for Kindle or £5.99 for paperback
Amazon.com for $3.09 for Kindle
