Captain Nova Whiteside, on a brand new assignment to help rid the Commonwealth Union of Planets from a growing rebel force, is teamed up with Tychon, a straight-laced Vanguard commander. His opinion of Humans, and of subordinate officers, is less than stellar.
Their pursuit of a ruthless rebel leader takes them through the worlds and dangers of the Centauri-occupied Targon sector where the line between their personal lives and their mission quickly begins to blur.
On their quest to recover a dangerous, living weapon in rebel hands it seems that the greatest opposition comes from among their own people and Nova must choose between duty to her Command and loyalty to her friends.
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Review snippets
"This book is well thought out with a number of interesting races and worlds. The technology is believable and I liked that although war and conflict plays a central part, the military details and hardware are not the focus of the story. The editing was also pro-quality. I loved the main characters and the worlds and I hope (and beg) you plan to continue their story."
"ONLY HUMAN was a wonderful surprise. Not only did Chris Reher deliver a great adventure with a deeply satisfying romance subplot, but she also gives us a great example of world-building done right. Every character feels three-dimensional and real, and the array of alien cultures and planets are vivid and lifelike." -Lena Corazon
"What makes a good sci fi romance is what makes any book a good read -- a good author. In fact it's probably harder to write a romance in the futuristic genre than in the present day genre. It takes imagination and thinking outside the box. I bought this book and I'm glad I did. It's well written and well plotted. I hope to see more of Chris Reher's work."
"Buy it, read it, and then come thank me for recommending a great book to read. :D"
About Only Human
This is the third story featuring Nova Whiteside although labeled "Book 2" in the Targon Tales series. The reason for that is that some of the stories were written out of order. It happens.
After a hard tour of duty in some remote hellhole, Nova is transferred to the Vanguard wing of the Union's Air Command.
Her new CO is a Delphian and their missions to thwart rebel activities in the Trans-Targon sector turn very personal when a Delphian legend appears to be more than just an old fairy tale.
This book gave me an opportunity to flesh out Pe Khoja, my favourite antagonist. He appeared in a minor role in The Catalyst and has now taken on a greater presence among the rebel leadership. I liked the idea of a highly intelligent, well-educated scholar who is also an utter sociopath.
Although not a major theme in this story, the striking similarities among people from widely separated worlds are apparent, as are the conflicts that arise from their differences. As outsiders in Trans-Targon, Humans are significant only because of their close alliance to the Centauri. Subtle racism and rivalries among both allies and rebels continue despite impirical evidence that some common ancestor unites them all.
Both Nova and Tychon return in Rebel Alliances and Delphi Promised.
