{Review} Tracking The Hunter (USG Constellation #2) by H.A. Fortman

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: December 14th, 2014
Finished Date: May 15th, 2015

Publishers: Self Published
Genre: Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 326
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Palee "Tracker" Stalvik had one simple mission: Go and save Sandy, then bring her back to California where she would be safe. Little did he know that his mission would be anything but simple as he is thrust into a future he did not expect.

Carl "Rex" Dreven had no goals left in life other than to seek out a meager living in his mountain home. His self-imposed seclusion was lonely, even boring. He would purposely keep out the excitement, until one fateful night when his past came back to haunt him. It ripped him from one of the few nights of sound sleep and thrust him into a whirlwind of activity.

Sandy Constance was trapped, strapped to a table with a maniac looming over her head, spewing nonsense to her. She had no idea how she got there, the last thing she remembered was getting ready for a surprise trip to visit her friend Elisa in California. One thing she was sure of however, she had to get out of there and fast!

The Review: Tracking the Hunter is the second book in the USG Constellation series and had a very different feel to book one.
At the end of book one we find that Elisa’s best friend Sandy has been taken by someone and Elisa wants her found – so Chase sends his brother & second in command Tracker to save her. Tracker sets off to find Sandy but ends up trapped in his shuttle when it crashes into the side of a mountain, pinned and with no way to get out or send an SOS to the Constellation, his outlook is bleak.
Rex is guy who lives off the grid in the mountain range, he just survives, forages for food and hides away. After fighting in Vietnam and his wife was murdered – he just couldn’t face life anymore and bailed on society. Things were fine but boring until he hears a crash and he heads out to see what’s going on.
What he finds is a plane like craft that has crashed into the mountain and does what any decent person would do….. look for survivors. He comes across Tracker who is in a bad way and helps free him and his ‘dog’ from the wreckage. He has no idea why he feels so drawn to this man, why his survival is so important to him and he stirs feelings in Rex that he has never had before…… and it looks like the feeling is mutual.
Rex assumes that Tracker is part of a government scientific research programme, testing new planes and such but that doesn’t account for his strange furry, claw tipped ‘hand’ or the weird ‘dog’ but knows he needs help. They are ambushed on their way to Rex’s dwelling and end up finding out just what Tracker’s circumstances have all been about and also tying Rex’s past into the story….. but they still have a woman to find and an enemy to track… which brings even more surprises to all involved.
I enjoyed Tracking the Hunter quite a bit but I have to be honest and say – this is my first M/M book and I didn’t know that at the start.
Even though this is the second book in the series, it felt like a totally different world from what we were introduced to in book one. That is not a bad thing because I rather enjoyed the setting and premise of this book. A lot of it was set in the forests surrounding the mountain and a good part of that was dedicated to rescuing Tracker. It was good getting to know Tracker and he had an elvish feel to him for me, he was very alpha and masculine as well and has a couple of little secrets up his sleeve. I really liked Rex and thought his portrayal as a Vietnam vet was believable and endearing, I totally got why he isolated himself and lived the way he did. I liked that Rex’s training had come in handy for rescuing Tracker and showed him to be intelligent and resourceful and as we got to know Tracker, see that it compliments his assets too. Now, it becomes clear that they are fated mates and I was dumbstruck, I was wondering where Sandy was but went with it although it did feel really strange for me with them both not having any inclinations to the same sex before meeting –Yes, I know love has no bounds but it was weird ‘for me’. That’s not to say that I didn’t like them together or that they had no chemistry - because they did – they were just both so Alpha and masculine that it took some getting used to.
I enjoyed all of the getting to know you that they went through and when we got to the truth of the crash…. That brought my interest even more, we have a clear enemy and a mission to get going. Again about 2/3rds of the book is dedicated to Tracker and Rex, the rescue, the getting to know you, the bonding, the coming to terms with the feelings they were having and it was really addictive, I was engrossed by this and the book had a fantasy/sci fi feel that I really liked. The introduction of the enemy brought a burst of action and also a means for them to be on with their mission as well as the progress of the relationship in which we see Rex begin to accept and act on his feelings. I enjoyed Tracker teaching Rex about the alien technology, he was truly like a child and was in awe. I also loved Tracker’s dog, it would be great to actually see one.
The action starts up again once the men reach civilisation and then the investigation side kicks in, which changed the feel of the book again and kept it fresh. We are given multiple POVs from Chase and some others so that we are aware of what is happening elsewhere because obviously someone has noticed Tracker’s not responding and that lets us know what to expect and what they all think is going on. When we eventually get to the rescue of Sandy – we are in for a couple of twists and turns, spooky atmosphere and plenty of action leaving me very satisfied at the ending. I like this series, it’s not scared to be different, it challenges me as a reader and I lapped it up – so I’ll be looking out for more. 4*s

Thank you to H.A Fortman for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Chasing Constellations (USG Constellation #1) by H.A. Fortman

Posted by Melanie 
Release Date: July 28th, 2014
Finished Date: February 24th, 2015

Publishers: Self Published 
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eBook

Pages: 147

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Elisa Jones has just graduated college with her journalism degree and now she’s trying to make her way in the world alone. Without any idea what to do, Elisa turns back to her first love - cold serial killer cases. She decides to follow up on a lead she found that the police overlooked. It's a clue that takes her to California, where she thinks she might be able to assist in uncovering the killer. 

Commander Turock Gav’rin is on the hunt for a fugitive, one that has taken him across the stars to a small blue planet with worlds of potential. Hiding who he really is, “Chase Ricter” has to find and capture his fugitive before any of the natives discover who, and what, he truly is. 

Elisa and Chase are thrust on an adventure that will test their very beings. A twist of fate brings them together in a collision that will set their worlds on edge. Will the two of them survive as mighty hunters? Or will they lose it all as they become the hunted? 

The Review: Chasing Constellations is the first book in the USG Constellation series where we meet a recently graduated journalism student – Elisa Jones. The story is set in a time when women were second class citizens and Eliza wants to challenge that by making a name for herself. Having followed the case of the ‘Zodiac’ killer since it began, Elisa has made some new discoveries that she is compelled to share with the detectives that run the case, knowing she won’t have much luck with them over the phone, she decides to up-sticks to California where she plans to take her revelations right to the source.
When she arrives however, she has a strange encounter with a wanted man known as Chase Ricter in which he knocks her over and kisses her whilst sprawled on top of her – which is weird - but at least she caught the attention of one of the detectives on the Zodiac case. After giving the task force the information she has, Eliza must sit tight and wait for developments, but then she gets a phone call threatening her to leave and stay out of the case…. Then she gets a visit…. And she just might not make it out alive.
I really enjoyed this story and I liked how the author used a serial killer from our past in her story. The book is set in the seventies and boy, do those mens attitudes suck! That fact made me gel with Elisa straight away because I love when the oppressed stand up and show people what they are made of. She was very level headed and knew where she stood most of the time but also knew when to push and be heard which also made me admire her.
The story didn’t really have as much of a sci fi feel that I thought it would have, it dealt with a serial killer case in which Elisa tried to be heard and showing the police what she had come up with….. it’s only later that we see how the author blends the two together and opens their world right up. I liked the serial killer investigation and even if that was all that the book was about – I would have liked it, but when you add that to another thread, then the story got really interesting. Obviously from the synopsis you can guess that they are both chasing the same person but it’s the why that gets the curiosity going and that is where the romantic element comes into play. Elisa and Chase share a bond, only Chase is the only one who knows about it with him being ‘other’ – think soul mates and you’re on the right track. I love this type of concept but it was insta love to the max! and Chase seemed to be way ahead of Elisa in terms of where their relationship was and where it needed to go. Don’t get me wrong, I love these things but I wanted them to spend more time together before they were all loved up. There is an event that forces the issue and pushes them together in an intense way that also brings out Chase’s protective side -so that could be forgiven and it by no means stopped my enjoyment of the book.
Then it became all about catching the killer in a ‘need it done yesterday’ kind of way and I liked the plotting and planning that came about but their enemy is just as cunning. There are a lot of things that I liked about this that I can’t speak about because it ties into the why and who of the story but I enjoyed it all and thought it tied the real world drama perfectly with the sci fi drama. We also meet some of Chase’s comrades aboard the ship and see a little of how things are run with Chase being the commander, one of his friends in particular shines out – Tracker – and by the end of this book I think his book is set up. We also see just how important the bond is that Chase and Elisa share which I enjoyed and look forward to seeing it develop more because so far, it is rare to find. For a short book though, this had just the right amount of action & romance with good pacing to keep me entertained and I would definitely read a sequel. 

3.5 flowers!