Review: Royce Ree Omnibus by Aldous Mercer

Royce needs to pull off the biggest heist the Universe has ever seen, or it's bye-bye cushy government job, hello cleaning toilets in a dive-bar on Baga-V. To succeed, he will need help from the last person he'd ever ask. And maybe, along the way, he'll get another shot at a love he thought he'd lost forever...

This Omnibus Edition collects Parts #1 - #5 in one volume.

What an intro!  I knew immediately that Royce and I were going to get along great. Aldous Mercer picked exactly the right words to pique my interest.  I was delighted by all the showing, and with such an economy of words that each one was important to the story.  I was giddy and fervently hoping this was going to continue.

Sci-fi isn't my normal genre, but what I've read, I enjoyed.  Probably comes from a childhood watching reruns of the original Star Trek TV series with my father, quizzing him on characters.  It's easy for me to get confused, though, so I was happy when I was able to follow the story without a problem.

The characters:
Royce had integrity, but was also willing to walk the edges and play in the gray areas. He played the long game well, and was able to adjust quickly to changing circumstances.  He was also a master of avoidance,  sidestepping questions, misdirecting attention and doing whatever else he could to avoid sharing information.  A tough agent, but vulnerable when it came to Les.

Les was earnest, loyal, and honorable. He was softhearted, but willing to do what needed to be done. A bit naive, sometimes, but smart, and it didn't take him too long to figure things out.

Watching them interact?  The dancing they did around each other? The tension? Priceless.

The story:
Unexpected, original, funny, exciting, sweet, intense, suspenseful...brilliant.
And so many twists...one surprise after another.  Towards the end, I was in a constant state of shock, or awe.  I still have questions, though, so I'll be anxiously waiting for the next installment :)
Warning: This was definitely more sci-fi than romance.  There was plenty of sweet longing, and UST, but don't expect any steamy bedroom scenes.  It didn't bother me because the story and characters were so interesting and entertaining...okay, maybe it bothered me a little ;)
Also, I'm usually not a fan of disrupted timelines...jumps forward or back, but it worked here.  Just be sure to pay attention to where the story is on the timeline or it can get confusing.

The writing:
I already mentioned the wonderful word choices and the author's talent for showing us what was happening.  There was so much more, though.  I loved how we were given information in bits and pieces, like watching a puzzle slowly being put together.  Some of that information was in the smallest of details, stunning details that left such an impression on me. Oh, yes, I was giddy as I read this. And the humor! Thoughts and comments interjected with such perfect timing, I read them over and over in appreciation, never failing to laugh or grin.  It was more than funny one liners, though.  There was an overall sense of tongue in cheek humor embedded throughout this intriguing spy thriller and I loved it.

Aldous Mercer...I love your words.

This story...I will be thinking of this story for a long time.


Side notes:
I loved the introduction of Les' dimple, and I wish we'd seen more of it.

Sci-fi terms were introduced naturally and I easily discerned their meaning through context. There were some typos and other small editing errors, but they didn't distract.

Note: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

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