Exina's Reviews > Replicant

"...for some reason these two were getting to me. And one of them wasn’t even awake."

In Replicant, book 2 of The Kithran Regenesis series the reader gets more detailed information about the planet Kithra. It’s essential to understand the agonizing pain and grief of Jarana upon the loss of her home and family.

Featuring secondary characters here (not only the three main characters like in the first book Kithra) is another positive thing. I really enjoyed the common past they shared.

The story
Jarana is a Tracker, hunting down Replicants (shape-shifting aliens) over galaxies. Her current prey is on her home planet, Kithra. It is very hard for her to return, since all of her family died due to the explosions on the planet years ago.

I should have died with my people. All I had now was the joy of the hunt.

Bombarded by pain, grief and all of her memories, she seeks some distraction. When she meets Erik, she feels an immediate lust for him. He feels the same, but he is engaged, so he rejects Jarana.

It soon comes to light that Erik’s fiancée, Maska, is the Replicant Jarana is looking for, and with the deep attraction for each other, things become very complicated for all of them.

The first half of the story is pretty slow, but from the revealing of Maska’s identity the events speed up. Actually speed up too much. Generally, I don’t like first person viewpoint, because usually it can’t give a complete impression of all the characters and the story. I really wanted to know what caused the change of Erik’s behavior and attitude toward Jarana besides caving in to sexual attraction.
It is the same question in the case of Maska as well.

I loved the unique turn of the gender change of Maska, since I haven’t read the blurb before reading (it's in the blurb!!! but why??? it's huge!!), I was truly surprised. It gave a nice conflict to the relationship of Erik and Maska.

Characters
Jarana. Though I really sympathized with her, I didn’t like her. In her attitude, way of thinking she seems to be tough, but actually she is pretty insecure. And I can’t see the point of leaving the planet and the two men of hers either. Okay, she was scared, but it was much more like running away from her problems.

Erik and Maska. I would love to know more about them.

Erotica. Enthralling, intimate, very romantic.

I closed my eyes and luxuriated in the feel of them against me. Erik’s skin was hot beneath my body, and Maska had lifted one leg to slide it between ours. If I held my breath, I could almost hear the sounds of our hearts beating.

All in all
Replicant is a very original story, with interesting and beautiful scenery and culture. But the depiction of the characters and their motivations are superficial.