Title:  Outcast

Author: Alex Douglas

Genre: M/M Sci-Fi

Length: Novel (221 pages)

Publisher: Torquere Press (January 9, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥3.25 Hearts

Blurb: Prez has been in the arms—or tentacles—of one too many brothel workers in his time. The memory of long-lost love is all he has, and it’s not enough. But no one in the Belaar-Andra system wants an alien half-breed for a partner, so life is as good as it can be. He’s making money, he’s going places, he’s got friends and a spaceship he loves,—a decrepit cargo ship named Outcast. And now he’s got a new co-pilot, from the remote world of Aldor. Lan’s mysterious and doesn’t say a lot, but as they get to know each other, Prez starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in a long time—hope.

But the past hasn’t quite released him, and the Outcast isn’t done yet. On its final mission to deliver a mysterious cargo for the Belaari government, long-buried secrets start to stir. When his old co-pilot—and best friend—is finally himself again, Prez has a difficult decision to make, but Lan has other ideas about his own destiny. A rich man at last, can Prez finally get the things he really wants?

Product Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=3778

Reviewer:  Showme

Review:  This was a little strange for me. That’s good and bad. I like unique stories and worlds, which this definitely had, but I just can’t get worked up about creature-type alien sex. Yes, there were tentacles, and I’ll let you use your imagination about how they were put to use 😉

Prez loses his co-pilot, Fleck, when he’s turned into a spider following a disagreement during a card game. It couldn’t come at a worse time, since his crew has the highest paying job of their career coming up. He hires Lan to be the new co-pilot of the Outcast until they can find someone to return Flack to his human self.

Unfortunately, for Prez, it’s all happening while he’s having a little downward spiral. Can’t really blame the guy with the past he has had. Prez was kidnapped from his home planet, and used as a lab rat to create a cure for a race that’s dying out. He’s free now, but the memories creep back in. He knows everyone looks down on his kind, and will probably always have to pay for sex with no affection since nobody wants a Ku-tah for a lover. The crew and Prez spend weeks out in space, so when they get to a port, they spend most of their time drunk and in brothels. This is how the first few days between Lan and his new coworkers are spent.

Lan comes from a more traditional planet. They don’t drink. They don’t speak out loud since they are all telepaths. They’re smart and super strong. Lan flees his home planet and is very happy to find a place on the crew of the Outcast. He doesn’t exactly understand them, but they seem nice and welcoming, if not a little bizarre. He’s especially drawn to Prez. Something about the man comforts him. Makes him feels things he’s never felt before.

Outcast had some ups and downs for me. I found the beginning a little confusing with all the aliens and their histories. The alien sex was imaginative, but odd. Some parts of the book were very clever, while some seemed overdone. I had hopes for the love story but it was missing something for me. I enjoyed some of the twists throughout the book and the characters kept me entertained. Over all I’d say I liked it but didn’t love it.