I’m always in awe of authors who can redeem a villain from an earlier book in the series and turn them into the hero of the next. When it is done badly, it can feel like a whiplash turn around. In Voodoo ‘N’ Vice by KC Burn the transformation is as smooth as aged bourbon. Of course, Captain Gideon Arcturus wasn’t truly the villain of Alien ‘N’ Outlaw. He was more of a difficult hurdle.

In this story Gideon doesn’t have as far to turn to get to good guy. We start by understanding his cold demeanor and his ugly beliefs. Once that is done we watch as things (starting with popular reoccurring character Sven) start to make him question those beliefs and his own motivations for sticking with them in the face of good sense. By the time he learns the big bad secret of sexy tattooed fire dancer, Tai, it would have made no sense for him to go super nova about it, because as I read I’d already seen Gideon’s true personality emerge.

But I should probably get back to what this book is about. Voodoo ‘N’ Vice picks up after the events of the last installment of the Galactic Alliance series. Gideon has been disgraced and relieved of his command, all for following the rules (in a bit ruthless and cold-hearted way). He can’t be sent out any farther into Alliance territory because he is already on Elora Ki, the seedy edge. With nothing to do after being given a week off to think about his mistakes, he ends up in an off the strip bar called Voodoo ‘N’ Vice. There he falls under the spell of a mesmerizing fire dancer, Tai, and is shocked when the man actually asks him out after the show.

From there the romance becomes entwined with Gideon’s ongoing efforts to rid the Alliance of a terrible drug called Flare. Tai is not just another sexy hero. He is from a non-Allaince world were he led a life without comforts, where his fire dace was the only joy he had in his life. On Elora Ki, Tai is an attractive combination of inexperience, open to experience all life has to offer, and determined to be in control of his own life. Unfortunately, Tai’s life is precariously close to the dangerous players of the drug-lords. It is a sexy, tense ride with secrets, mistakes, and redemption.

All in all, Voodoo has all the right magic I’ve come to expect from KC Burn and the Gallactic Alliance series: swoon worthy heroes that are well developed and unique, world building that is rich and consistent, and romance done right. Highly recommended!

Oh, and what about that cover? OK, so tattooed, shirtless hotties are thick on the ground in Romancecoeverlandia, but something about the placement of the tats and the lighting makes this one stand out for me. What do you think?

Side notes:

R’kos, son of the Ankylos Emperor, and Darien from Alien ‘N Outlaw make a brief appearance that serves the story well.

Meet this author at Coastal Magic!

Genre: Gay SciFi Romance

Publication Date: May 26, 2014

Publisher: Carina Press

Blush Quotient: Red

Disclosure: I bought this book and then the author sent me a review copy. *shrugs* I wanted it too much to wait. 🙂