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The Warrior Prince

by Katrina Michaels

September 3rd, 2006

The four Qurilixian Princes have no problem with commitment. In one night, using the power they were born with, they will meet and choose their life mate in a simplistic ceremony involving the removing of masks and the crushing of crystals. With very few words spoken and the shortest, most bizarre courtship in history, they will bond to their women forever. And once bonded, these men don’t let go…

Though no one could ever command her, this warrior would try to conquer her heart.

Physically scarred in childhood in an act of betrayal, Pia has never been considered an attractive woman. One horrible mistake and she is on the run. Desperate to hide her identity, she makes a deal with Galaxy Brides - in exchange for a new face, she’ll marry anyone they put in front of her. Never did she realise her future husband would be the most handsome warrior of the Draig.

Though no man could thwart the brave Draig leader, a woman would be his undoing…

Zoran of Draig is a man who knows what he wants. He has to. Being a Prince and the Captain of the Draig Guard, he has to make swift decisions, be ready to battle at a moment’s notice, and most of all, he always has to be in control. When his wife, the one person who should obey him refuses to, Zoran discovers the battle for his heart’s desire is fiercer than any he has ever waged before. Could the conqueror become the conquered?

 

She Says…

Oh, boy, ladies… Hang onto your Qurilixian hats!

The Warrior Prince by Michelle M Pillow is a subtle blend of romance, erotica, futuristic spacecrafts, creatures from outer words, and the not so very subtle flavours of dominant, sexually aggressive Males. The Warrior Prince is my first Pillow’s book, and having now read all four Draig books I will endeavour to read the Lords Of The Var Series. I very much like the premise of this Dragon Lord Series. Galaxy Brides - short courtships, dominant shape-shifter Males, strong, independent women dependent on modern century luxuries makes for riveting reading. Pillow’s original and cleverly thought out plot had me more than a little eager. There are moments in Warrior Prince that has been richly crafted, with a seamless blend of authentic conflict and plausible emotional upheaval, but I did struggle to read this book through. Overall, I found Pillow’s writing style sadly lacking and more than a little unpolished. The Warrior Prince is her fourth book (I read them out of order by accident!) and I certainly questioned how this book made print. The old adage: Don’t Tell: Show was excruciatingly apparent, and the fast-paced head hopping between characters distracting and disjointed. Like all passionate Romance Fiction lovers, I love knowing what our Heroes are thinking and feeling, but never at the expense of our Heroine’s current emotional thought, which Pillow’s writing style exhausts at every paragraph. Just when I was getting into Pia’s head, and sympathising with her emotional inner conflict - Wham! I was inside Zoran’s head. Then back to Pia’s. This rapid head-hopping made it difficult to connect with either character on any level.

Zoran is a masterful Draig warrior Prince, entirely use to getting his own way, but I found his domineering manner excessive. Ordinarily I love dominant Males, but Pillow’s pushed the dominant boundaries a little too far and for the most part I thought he came across as an over-bearing obnoxious Nethanderal. Pia - our heroine - was a wonderful character; she was strong, independent, fiery, and a certifiable Assassin. But like Zoran, I found her “screaming” shrew-like temperament, and her emotional inner conflict exhaustively repetitious. On more than one occasion I had to bite my tongue, least I’d scream: For God’s Sake. Build A Bridge and Get Over it, Already!

Given that I thought The Warrior Prince was Pillow’s first book, I trudged my way through it because if nothing else I wanted to see how it ended. If you are a fan of futuristic romance, then do yourself a favour and check out the Dragon Lord Series. I can tell you that the other three books in the four book Series was worth buying, and reading if you don’t mind rapid head hopping.