Supreme Constellations (Rebel's Quest) (ISBN 1933110678)

Protect us from "Protector of the Realm":
In "Protector of the Realm", Commodore Rae Jacelon is the human commander of the Gamma VI space station of Supreme Constellation, a vast union of planets. She captures a Gantharian woman Kellen O'Dal fleeing from her home planet together with Armeo, a young boy. The plot centers on the claim made by Ambassador M'Ekar of the Onotharian Empire which occupies Gantharat, that Armeo has been kidnapped by Kellen O'Dal and on the solution offered by Rae Jacelon to avoid the extradition and possible death of Kellen O'Dal: a marriage of convenience. It should be expect of a good Science Fiction book for it to use different settings, due either to technological advances or to political or social systems different from those of the known present or past, in order to explore the consequences of these changes and challenge current perceptions/ideas. This book borrows heavily from the Star Trek universe and it brings nothing new in terms of science fiction. Probably it would be more adequately described as a lesbian romance, with also a "good guys against bad guys" plot taking place in a science fiction background. The main characters are not well characterized and sometimes sound like they are the same person. Secondary characters, like Rae's parents, lack consistency since they act completely opposite to the initial description and no reasons are presented for this behavior. The plot is very predictable and the writing is poor, full of bad imagery: "(...) but she was determined to drive Rae toward the monumental bliss". When dealing with Kellen and Rae's growing attraction to each other, and their developing romantic relationship, stilted dialogues and clichés abound. In summary, both as a science fiction book or a romance novel this is definitely not recommended.

two strong female characters:
For me, the best part of this book was the fact that both primary characters were very strong women. Very glad to heave read it.

What an adventure!:
I'm not a big fan of science fiction books, but love Gun Brooke's writing and decided to give this one a chance. I enjoyed the first book in this series, PROTECTOR OF THE REALM. This second in the series is more like a pseudo sequel than a true sequel. The protagonists from Book 1 make an appearance, but are not part of the central storyline. The new protagonists are Roshan and Andreia, two women with a past and a long-festering hatred of each other. Roshan and Andreia were roommates in school. They are of different races, two races that are at war with each other. This conflict tore the young women apart and destroyed their friendship. As adults, they find themselves thrown together, seemingly on the same side of the conflict, but not trusting the other due to their respective public images. Talk about a motley mess for these two to wade through! Regardless of their past and current feelings toward each other, they must work together to save their world. The more vulnerable they become in their quest, the more protected they become by each other. If you're looking for a racy book, I wouldn't recommend this one. However, if you're just looking for a really good adventure story, take this one on and enjoy.

Protector of the Realm (Supreme Constellations):
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, the unexpected turns in the story line kept me turning the pages. Filled with real characters, adventure, action and of course romance. This is a must for an ardent reader who wants something different from the normal stories of everyday living. First class all the way.

Fantastic Characters and Sci-Fi Story:
this is the first book of what i hope to be many in this series! this is a great sci-fi story set in a universe that recognizes people by their own merits rather than unjustified biases towards gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. it is gratifying to be surrounded by such fully fledged characters, and strong female role models presented in this grand story. thanks so much for this wonderful series! i've waited a long time for someone to write richly detailed, compelling, sci-fi with same-gender romance and strong, well-balanced, reputable lesbian characters.