I mostly enjoyed this story. In a lot of ways this reminded me of Jayne Castle's earlier "Harmony" books; romance was present and the attraction the characters felt for each other shaped a lot of their interaction, but it wasn't the defining characteristic of the story. I think if they two hadn't become romantically linked they would have gone the extra mile for each other because that is who they are.

And to be honest I sometimes felt the romance was a bit forced. The timeframe isn't terribly long for this story and they spend the better part of that time tramping through the jungle with Tom's men, fighting off native warriors, unlocking the mystery of what was going on, Tom was practically comatose for a good chunk of time and at one point or other the two are separated. The few moments of quiet they do have together don't feel as deep a connection as they should have warranted.

Also, and maybe this was just me, but Tom's crew is sent to retrieve Andi (and only Andi). He doesn't know why, Andi isn't certain why and together the pair of them can't come to the obvious conclusion that is explicitly stated about halfway through. I honestly kept thinking "It can't be that simple an excuse right? There is something more special at work?". Nope. It really is that simple.

Scott tosses a lot of information at us in regards to the world, the political climate, the outside influences, the religion, the social structure, the business holdings, the outside military based on the planet, the economics, the history of the people, mystical woo-woo that saves lives, Andi's specialness...seriously. Its a lot of information for one book. I'm normally all for it, but there's no time in between anything to really absorb any of it.

I found myself confused, more than once, who exactly they were all running from and why the Head Honcho the rebels (I guess?) all claim to respect can't stop what's happening. And when the motivation is laid out, its a bit of a handwave that's kind of telegraphed, but not very well throughout the story.

I enjoyed the story for Andi and for Tom, and their misfit band of traveling companions. Despite my confusion I wanted to follow through to the end to find out what the big mystery was. And hey I'm always in favor of women who at least TRY to be proactive in their rescue attempt.

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The novel is told from the perspective of Andi, the main female character. As we get to know Andi before meeting Tom, she's ambitious and smart. Never lucky in love but Andi does what she needs to do for the sake of the company without regard to her own comfort. Scott weaves in Zulaire as it is as much a part of the main character as the story. Zulaire is earth-like in a less populous and yet more advanced way. The people of the planet are rich with ritualism and a stringent class structure that the war aims to topple.

Tom Deverane is a strong character. Alpha male and tough. He has a secret that he shares with Andi early on and Scott writes the childhood trauma with raw and stoic emotion that takes the breath away. Andi spots early on the softness at his core when he allows her to run into a burning building in an attempt to save the children she thought would be there. When he tells us of his past she knows that Tom will only need slight persuasion when next they come upon a chance to save a life, as he'd never leave someone he could save behind. Readers will melt at his brash exterior and soft core. Andi isn't there to be swept off and saved though. What happens when Tom needs her? Will she turn her back or stand by his side? The moment Scott takes in the story for this twist further bond the reader to Tom and Andi. Scott has an affinity for saving others, especially children, in her stories. In the case of Escape From Zulaire, the children saved aren't directly in the care of a main character but they are not forgotten. They must be cared for and brought to safety.

I loved Escape From Zulaire. The novel was an action-packed ride through a dangerous place in a horrible time. Glimmers of good shine through this story. Highly recommend for romance readers and those readers who love a good sci-fi read. ( )