Wishes by J.C. Owens

[reviews_and_ramblings]

I have often said sci-fi or fantasy is not my strength, but now I’m also wondering if I haven’t missed some basic knowledge: is there some sci-fi tradition about feline-like aliens abducting men/women? That is cause Wishes is at least the fourth series I read with the same theme from different authors, and while two could have been a coincidence, 4 is really becoming a tradition.

Auri is the lieutenant of a terrain spaceshift who is basically sold into slavery without him being aware of that. Kanar, the king of Felinians, recognizes in Auri one of his mates (he has already three and was told by an oracle he will have a fourth) and agrees to a commercial agreement with Earth only if their ambassadors give him Auri. Yes, you have it right, not only Auri is not willing, he is also basically abducted, and the first mating with Kanar is not consensual. It was quite difficult for me to accept this development of the story, even if, indeed, it was more coherent with the mood of the story of, let’s say, a fake courtship with Auri arriving to understand how lucky he was.

The author was very true to her story and development, the Felinians have a polyamory society, Kanar has, with Auri, four mates and he basically divides his time among them, with nights where they have one-to-one meetings, and other where they have ménages a trois; when I arrive to this point of the story, I understood the comment of one of the mates that 4 was a good number, it basically meant no one feels excluded when it’s his night “off”.

I felt like the same issues I had in accepting this society were reflected in Auri: he had to adapt to it, overcoming his beliefs of what a “normal” relationship should be. At the end of the story, I cannot really say if Auri’s, and mine’s, ideas are right or wrong, it’s all a matter of perspective, in Kanar’s society, what they are doing is the common behavior, and the merit of the author is to make it plausible.

Paperback: 190 pages
Publisher: Etopia Press (November 19, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1939194237
ISBN-13: 978-1939194237
Amazon: Wishes
Amazon Kindle: Wishes

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Comments

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

Cat aliens has been classic every since CJ Cherryh did it in the 1970s. Her cats were matriarchal, her hero a much weaker male, and her sex off-screen, but all the pieces were there. I still love-love-love the book where Tully and Hilfy are captured and he tries to throw himself at the enemy so he'll be tortured and she'll be saved. Hilfy is from a society where males are seen as "lesser" and she realizes that Tully is a true equal. Happy sigh