Review: No Quarter (Bounty #1) by Christine d'Abo

When bounty hunter Gar Stitt is given a simple locate-and-retrieve mission, he’s convinced it’s a waste of his skills. His success rate is legendary, after all, and Captain Faolan Wolf isn’t hard to find. He’s the most notorious pirate in the galaxy, and when he shows up planetside to take his pleasures, he’s far from subtle.

Faolan never expected a hot but tightly wound hunter to walk into his private party and try to apprehend him single-handedly. And when an unexpected betrayal forces them to work together, Faolan’s even more surprised to find himself drawn to Gar personally—especially since neither of them do personal.

Gar had intended to put Faolan in prison. Instead he finds his solitary existence shaken by his desire for the pirate. And when the bounty hunter becomes the hunted, he must put his faith in Faolan and his pirate crew, or run the risk of ending up dead.

I'm not rating this for ethical reasons which I'll get to, but that doesn't mean there weren't a lot of things to like. And for what it's worth I've already signed on to read the next book in the series if that tells you anything.

In No Quarter we have a scoundrel of a space pirate named Faolan and the posh, kinda fussy and renowned bounty hunter that's come to collect him, Gar. 

IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

√ Space battles. 
√ Space intrigues.
√ Two dudes hot for each other. In space.
√ Nefarious dealings with nefarious characters. In space.

I was entertained. Sure, there was maybe a bit too much cock talk. You know, when something as banal as 'pass the salt' equates to instant boner. But that usually led to some loud and messy sex which I am not now nor will I ever be complaining about. 

"Make sure you're watching, Gar. I want you to learn all my secrets so the next time I'm spread out beneath you, you'll know how to make me scream."

To top it off there is actually a plot full of double crossing friends, a poisoning, a long lost relative and two seemingly opposing forces banding together to defeat a common enemy. In space. With battles and whatnot.

It was some good storytelling with decent world building. I will admit I was a scoch disappointed that neither of these dudes had any special abilities. They're both plain ole humans with no knots or hooks or extra appendages. They still have to use lube and the 1,2,3 finger thing. I had some sadz over this.

Maybe it was a tad overly reliant on the chemistry connection between Faolan and Gar when there was adequate time to base their connection on experiential knowledge but whatevs. Randy space dudes.

Were it not for the events at the 40% mark this would've been a solid read, but those events soured my experience altogether.

Both of these characters have lost people close to them and handle those losses in their own ways. Faolan has a penchant for anonymous sex and hydro vodka. Whereas Gar tends to bury his in avoidance by isolating himself and making his environment as tidy and organized as possible. And work. Always work.

I'm not going to make excuses for Gar because there aren't any; but I believe the intent was to show him being triggered or goaded into a dissociative fugue of sorts and thus not responsible for his actions which sets my teeth on edge because of the implications. Nothing excuses abuse. No one asks for it. Having a mental illness doesn't excuse it. And don't ever blame the victim in my presence. If someone resorts to violence once it's highly probable they will again. No matter how sorry they are or how much they promise it'll never happen again.

The fact that the scene was included at all I found appalling mainly because I can guarantee were Faolan a woman it would've never made it through the editing process, but because they're both men it's somehow acceptable. But it's not. It's really not. Presumably because men can "defend themselves" it's not abuse, yet Faolan never fights back. Never raises a hand to Gar. And is beaten unconscious.

I was left with the feeling that it was all done in an effort to depict their relationship as passionate or dynamic; that Gar beating his lover unconscious was a twisted means of foreplay. Because not five minutes afterward they're fucking.

For this reason I can't rate it as I feel any rating would condone domestic violence and that I can't do. 

Nor can I recommend it which is a shame since there were quite a few things I enjoyed about this book.

A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

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